Human Rights
latest news & developments
Navi Pillay becomes fifth South African to win Nobel Peace Prize
South African human rights jurist Navi Pillay has made history by winning the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, honoured for her lifelong fight for international justice and accountability.
Private words, public consequences: The SCA on hate speech and privacy
The Supreme Court of Appeal has delivered a precedent-setting judgment clarifying that private communications between business associates can constitute hate speech and…
ConCourt’s asylum seeker unintended consequences
The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration has raised concerns over unintended consequences from a Constitutional Court ruling, which has caused massive backlogs and…
When good deeds go unrewarded
A reflection on the life, sacrifice, and enduring legacy of PAC Underground struggle stalwart Bra Mike Sello Matsobane, exploring how African philosophy honours unsung heroes.
Rhodes University fee fight exposes the growing cost of student protest
After charges were dropped against 13 Rhodes University students arrested during protests over fee protocols, civil society group Not In My Name is demanding the police cover…
The community of Kabwe, Zambia, still awaits justice
Decades after the closure of the Broken Hill Mine, the people of Kabwe, Zambia, are still seeking justice and remediation from Anglo American as toxic lead contamination…
Palestine: Is 1 100 days not enough?
Marking 1 100 days of the devastating war on Gaza, activist Sunny Morgan reflects on 78 years of Palestinian dispossession, the failure of international law, and the global…
The ghost in the bureaucracy: When code and algorithms harm citizens
As African governments accelerate the automation of public services, algorithmic errors and biases increasingly harm citizens. State accountability cannot be outsourced to…
Places women go to when there is nowhere safe
Shelters and advocacy groups warn that escaping abuse is only the first hurdle for survivors, who face severe housing shortages, financial instability, and lack of long-term…
Somkhele families count the R80m cost of coal
A landmark study by researchers from King's College London and UKZN reveals that 115 households near KZN's Somkhele coal mine suffered over R80 million in asset losses, with mine…
A prayer run for Tsontso
A personal reflection on the daily fear, hypervigilance, and quiet acts of resistance experienced by women running alone in South Africa amid the ongoing femicide crisis.
Do not turn one bigot into a community
Following a racist incident in Norwood, SAJBD National Director Wendy Kahn argues that the hateful actions of an individual should not be used to assign collective guilt to South…
‘Prima Facie’ turns the spotlight on rape and the law
Suzie Miller's acclaimed one-woman play 'Prima Facie' arrives at Johannesburg's Market Theatre, delivering an urgent and searing critique of rape, consent, and the patriarchal…
Editorial: Enough GBV talk, it’s time to deliver
President Cyril Ramaphosa conceded that the state has failed to protect women from gender-based violence. Now, with strict new deadlines set for action, South Africans must hold…
Galloway calls for end to Israel coal exports
British politician George Galloway has urged South Africa to halt its coal exports to Israel, arguing the move would align its economic actions with its genocide case at the…