Human Rights
latest news & developments
When killing becomes a spectacle
As the US plans a livestreamed execution and calls resurface in South Africa to reinstate capital punishment, Narnia Bohler-Muller argues why turning killing into a spectacle…
The Constitution has the last word – for now
As anti-immigration protests clash with Constitutional Court decisions on asylum seeker rights, South Africa faces a growing dilemma between majority public demand and the…
Condemn the person, shield the ideology
Following viral racist outbursts in Norwood over Palestinian flags, Ebrahim Fakir argues that treating these incidents as isolated anomalies conveniently protects the political…
US court blocks sanctions on groups assisting ICC Gaza investigation
A US federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from sanctioning human rights groups that provide evidence to the International Criminal…
Pillay urges action against US sanctions on ICC
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Navi Pillay has called on world governments to take collective action to protect the International Criminal Court against sweeping sanctions imposed by…
Why the Wild Coast Exploration Permit Was Always Defective
The Constitutional Court's definitive ruling against Shell and Impact Africa's exploration permit along the Wild Coast affirms that meaningful community consultation and…
SA condemns ICC sanctions as Trump and Israel attack Pillay
South Africa has voiced serious concern over sweeping US sanctions against the International Criminal Court as Donald Trump and Israel hit out at Nobel Peace Prize laureate Navi…
Pebco Three inquest reopens search for justice 41 years after activists’ killings
The Gqeberha High Court will hear the inquest into the 1985 abduction and murder of the Pebco Three, marking a crucial step forward for families pursuing justice for…
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…