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What is infrequent, and horrifies us, are the repeated appearances of “criminality” and “xenophobia” conjoined as one event. (Hanna Brunlof)

A call to action against Afrophobic violence

The Beijing+30 Women’s Movement expresses its grave concern and unequivocal condemnation of the rising and increasingly violent wave of Afrophobic attacks unfolding across South…

As June 30 draws closer, the detonator is in our collective hands. We do not have to blow up either ferry. We can demand that the state does its job properly through accountable, lawful channels rather than ceding ground to street ultimatums. Photo: Action SA

The June 30 ultimatum: Which ferry will South Africa choose?

Inspired by the Joker's sadistic social experiment in The Dark Knight, this article explores South Africa's current moral dilemma as a June 30 ultimatum by vigilante groups…

Are we proud of a nation where foreigners live in fear?

Hundreds of African refugees and asylum seekers are camped outside Durban's Refugee Reception Centre, living in fear of xenophobic attacks and a looming 'deadline'. This report…

We must question who benefits from black people turning against one another

Makashule Gana of RISE Mzansi questions the systemic failures in South Africa's immigration system, highlighting the ease of illegal entry versus the difficulty of legal…

'The law is clear': Sasha Stevenson fights back as vigilantes try to keep migrants out of clinics

Sasha Stevenson, Executive Director of SECTION27, reflects on over a decade of fighting for human rights in South Africa. From securing healthcare access for migrants against…

The missionaries are back – this time with American money

South Africa's abstention from an African inter-parliamentary charter defining marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman highlights a tension between its progressive…

As demand for copper, cobalt and other minerals needed for electric vehicles and renewable energy surges, a new report warns that allegations of human rights abuses linked to mining in Africa are rising even faster

Africa bears growing human cost of the world's rush for critical minerals

A new report by the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre reveals that allegations of human rights abuses linked to transition mineral mining in Africa more than doubled in…

Children at a camp in Germiston for those who fled xenophobic violece.

Showing solidarity with refugees in South Africa

As South Africa commemorates World Refugee Day, this article examines the nation's commitment to protecting asylum seekers and refugees. It addresses the challenges of…

Why the High-Level Meeting on HIV matters

Diagnosed with HIV in 2000 when it was a death sentence for many Africans, the author reflects on 25 years of the fight against the epidemic. Ahead of the UN High-Level Meeting…

Judicial crisis: While the judiciary in Malawi contends that the country ranked third on the continent regarding public access to justice, the poor have expressed no such confidence.  Photo: Malawi Judiciary

Ranked third in Africa, yet justice fails many

Malawi ranks third in Africa for public confidence in its courts, according to the Afrobarometer Round 10 survey. However, this high trust masks a severe structural crisis where…

Solidarity: A new language has emerged online, women who associate with, defend or date foreign nationals are increasingly labelled “Afcon”.  Photo: Translate Foundation

Patriotic feminism: Who counts as a woman worth protecting?

In November 2025, South Africans united against gender-based violence. Yet, a troubling shift sees some women leading anti-foreigner campaigns, raising questions about who truly…

For Bokang Galogakoe, a candidate legal practitioner at the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), Youth Day is a reflection on progress and a reminder of unfinished work.

From liberation to climate justice: Young lawyers reflect on Youth Day

Fifty years after schoolchildren took to the streets of Soweto in 1976 demanding dignity, equality and a voice in their future, young environmental lawyers say the promises of…

 In recent weeks, anti-immigrant violence and intimidation have spread across several communities, forcing migrants to flee their homes, seek shelter in public buildings or even request repatriation to their countries of origin. (Paul Botes)

From victim to vanguard: Is South Africa at risk of becoming a villain?

South Africa's modern history, framed by "V" metaphors from victim to vanguard, now faces a critical juncture. Recent xenophobic attacks against African migrants raise…

UN urges calm as migration tensions draw international attention

The United Nations urges calm and respect for the rule of law in South Africa amidst escalating migration-related tensions, condemning violence, vigilantism, and hate speech. The…

Responsibility: Seth Mazibuko and the author. He fought an unjust system and committed to erect a just one. Photo: Jacques Naude/ANA

June 16: A book versus a bullet

Seth Mazibuko, the youngest member of the students' committee that led the peaceful protest in Soweto, shares his poignant memories of the June 16 Uprising, reflecting on its…

Tensions escalated on Tuesday morning when the group refused to vacate the police station precinct, forcing police to use teargas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. (Screenshot)

Foreigners seek UN intervention after Durban police station standoff

About 200 foreigners who say they are fleeing attacks linked to anti-immigrant groups have called for United Nations intervention after spending two days outside Durban Central…

Unsafe supply: Qwa Qwa residents use river water to do their laundry. They also collect water from the river for their homes. Photo Delwyn Verasamy

No freedom without water

Across South Africa, communities are marking Freedom Day under the weight of an escalating water crisis, where unreliable supply, contamination and ageing infrastructure continue…

Lack of principled African leadership, action in Sudan

What began in April 2023 as a power struggle between the leaders of the SAF and RSF has evolved into widespread abuses, generating the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with…

A Tanzanian commission investigating deadly unrest following the October 2025 general election has recommended national reconciliation, criminal investigations and fast-tracking a new Constitution by 2028. Photo: Wainaina Mburu

Tanzania probe into 2025 election violence urges reconciliation and reforms

A Tanzanian commission investigating deadly unrest following the October 2025 general election has recommended national reconciliation, criminal investigations and fast-tracking…

Palestinian protesters hold posters of Palestinian prisoners demanding a prisoner swap deal between Hamas and Israel in the West Bank city of Nablus. (Photo by Nasser Ishtayeh/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Legalising murder: Israel’s shift from control to elimination

Israel has passed a law permitting the execution of Palestinian prisoners, codifying practices previously carried out extrajudicially. With conviction rates in military courts…