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Section 27

latest news & developments
In the wake of a rise in reported cases of sexual violence in schools, including the allegedly rape of a seven-year-old girl, civil society and government leaders are calling for urgent and systemic reform of how schools protect pupils. (Getty)
BERGEVIEW COLLEGE

Civil society demands action on sexual violence in schools

The department of basic education said it would take additional steps to vet teachers against the national register for sex offenders

  • Umamah Bakharia
5 min read
The persistence of corporal punishment has often been attributed to a lack of support for the ban among teachers. (Delwyn Verasamy, MG)
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT

Harsher sanctions sought against teachers who use corporal punishment 

Section27 has asked the South African Council of Educators to amend its mandatory sanctions policy to include rehabilitative and corrective measures for teachers who assault…

  • Umamah Bakharia
4 min read
DA leader John Steenhuisen. Photo: (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)
AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS

Democratic Alliance court challenge to Eskom disaster declaration is ‘quite confusing’, says presidency

The presidency has described the decision by the Democratic Alliance (DA) to challenge the declaration of a national state of disaster over Eskom as “confusing” given that the…

  • Paddy Harper
3 min read
BLIND PEOPLE

Blind SA headed to high court over the Copyright Act

The organisation argues that the Copyright Act is unconstitutional because it violates the human rights of blind people. The case will be heard on 21 September

  • Eyaaz Matwadia
2 min read
The deaths of 141 mental health patients occurred when they were moved to unlicensed, ill-equipped NGOs (Photo by Alet Pretorius/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
ADILA HASSIM

Life Esidimeni inquest postponed until August 30

The lawyer for the bereaved families argued that Dr Makgabo Manamela’s requests for postponements have a negative impact on the families of the deceased who seek closure

  • Chris Gilili
3 min read
The deaths of 141 mental health patients occurred when they were moved to unlicensed, ill-equipped NGOs (Photo by Alet Pretorius/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
ADVOCACY PROJECT

An inquest into the Life Esidimeni tragedy will start in July

A memorial portal has been launched to help to families of those who have mental illnesses

  • Chris Gilili
4 min read
All toilets need some sort of system to deal with the resultant sewage in a safe manner or be connected to a communal treatment system for that purpose.
COURT CASE

Section 27 back in court to argue for the eradication of pit toilets in Limpopo

Section 27 says the plans the Limpopo department has provided for getting rid of pit toilets are not clear and offer no timelines

  • Bongekile Macupe
5 min read
Workers demand that they be made permanent employees of provincial health departments — with higher salaries, as well as medical aid and pension benefits — instead of being outsourced to nonprofits organisations that pay them stipend.
BOB MASH

Why Covid likely won’t change the plight of community health workers

In the absence of action from the health department, South Africa’s community health workers are once again having to fight for their rights, with a nationwide strike planned…

  • Joan Van Dyk
19 min read
When the hard lockdowns kicked in it was discovered that 3 000 schools didn’t have an adequate water supply. But this is not a new problem
BASIC EDUCATION FOR ALL

Time the state drilled down into water scarcity at schools

When the hard lockdowns kicked in it was discovered that 3 000 schools didn’t have an adequate water supply. But this is not a new problem

  • Bongekile Macupe
3 min read
In a historic sitting of the National Assembly, President Cyril Ramaphosa became the first South African president to conduct a parliamentary question-and-answer session through video conferencing. (GCIS)
AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS

Disaster vs separation of powers

The Democratic Alliance’s court case is about much more than an esoteric question of constitutional law

  • Franny Rabkin
6 min read
Michael Komape’s parents
COUNTRY

Michael Komape’s family awarded R1.4m in damages by appeal court

Supreme Court of Appeal says the attitude of the education authorities “to be deprecated in the strongest possible terms”

  • Franny Rabkin
4 min read
Michael Komape’s parents
CONSTITUTION

Financial compensation for grief and sorrow?

The death of Michael Komape has ignited debate on whether or not the common law should be developed to include damages for grief

  • Tania Broughton
7 min read
In its court papers the department undertook to have drafted a revised learner transport policy by December 2018, which would include provision for learners with disabilities. (Graphic: John McCann/M&G)
DISABILITIES

Children with disabilities left behind by learner transport policy

The KwaZulu-Natal education department in particular has done little to fulfil its constitutional obligations

  • Daniel Mclaren
8 min read
Women across the country’s nine provinces joined the #TheTotalShutdownMarch to protest the alarming rates of gender-based violence in South Africa. (David Harrison/M&G)
BHEKISISA TEAM

Does South Africa need a Human Rights Commission?

History repeats as old health emergencies emerge anew. Is the health ombud the person to lead fights the Human Rights Commission started?

  • Joan Van Dyk
  • Bhekisisa Team
12 min read
(David Harrison/M&G)
GERRIT MULLER

Michael Komape family to appeal

Section 27 will asking Judge Gerrit Muller to grant the family leave to appeal and for the appeal to be heard at the Supreme Court of Appeal

  • Bongekile Macupe
4 min read