PRESS STATEMENT | Adjustment budget fails those who rely on public healthcare and education
SECTION27 notes the tabling of the adjustment budget by the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana. The tabling comes at a time when public services and the fulfilment of constitutionally guaranteed rights stand on a knife’s edge, given the prevailing global and domestic macroeconomic and fiscal environments.
OP-ED | The dust has settled – on mental health and recovery
I walk into my psychiatrist’s office, having not seen her in three years. I greet. She smiles and asks, “How can I help you today?” I can’t tell whether she remembers me or not. “Do you remember me?” She seems almost offended by the question. I reassure her. “I wouldn’t be upset. You probably see 20,000 people a day, so I won’t be mad. I promise.”
PRESS STATEMENT | Blind SA takes Minister to court over delay in South Africa acceding to global treaty on accessible books
Blind SA, represented by SECTION27, instituted litigation in the Gauteng Division of the High Court, Pretoria challenging the decision of Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition’s Mpho Parks Tau, to put South Africa’s ratification of the Marrakesh Visually Impaired Persons Treaty on hold pending the enactment of the Copyright Amendment Bill.
S27 STORIES | Beyond Citizenship: A Refugee’s Right to Healthcare
For Elonga Mabiala*, this sentiment literally meant protecting the life of her 12-year-old nephew, Makasi Kasanda*, who has had chronic diabetes since a young age. Elonga is a recognised refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo with valid documentation residing in South Africa. She is also the primary guardian to her nephew, Makasi, following his mother’s passing.
In a year of US funding withdrawals and global uncertainty, SECTION27 has excelled. Through court action, we secured access to healthcare services for migrants and access to reading material for learners who are blind and visually impaired.
S27 STORIES | Running Out of Time: A Mother’s Battle to Save Her and Her Child’s Life
Any person living with HIV understands the importance of daily medication. For Nyasha*, a 35-year-old woman from Zimbabwe and living in South Africa for over a decade, access to lifesaving antiretroviral medication was not just a matter of routine but also survival.
PRESS STATEMENT | New report finds critical health gap in 2026 Gender Budget Statement
SECTION27’s latest report, ‘A Civil Society Assessment of South Africa’s 2026 Gender Budget Statement in the Face of Climate Shocks’ builds on its recent analysis of the national health budget. The report examines whether South Africa’s latest 2026 Gender Budget Statement closes the gap between gender equality commitments and budget decisions.
PRESS STATEMENT | No more delays – Minister Tau publish the patent law reform bill now!
The Fix the Patent Laws campaign calls on the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition to urgently release the Patent Bill for public comment. Despite repeated promises the long-awaited Bill – that could pave the way for a new era in access to medicines in South Africa – remains unpublished.
PUBLICATION | Protecting the Future Today: The Need For an Efficient National Child Protection Register to Curb Violence Against Children
As Child Protection Week draws to a close, SECTION27 has launched a new report, Protecting the Future Today: The Need for an Efficient National Child Protection Register to Curb Violence Against Children. The report reveals serious shortcomings in the implementation of the National Child Protection Register, undermining its ability to protect children from violence, particularly in schools.
PUBLICATION | Barriers to Abortion Services in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo: 2026 Report
SECTION27 and the Treatment Action Campaign launched a new report exposing widespread failures in access to abortion services in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo. The report, Barriers to Abortion Services in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo: 2026, documents how systemic failures in the public healthcare system are denying women and girls access to safe and lawful abortion services, particularly in poor and rural communities.
The Basic Education Rights Handbook is a legal literacy tool that serves to empower communities, school governing bodies, principals, teachers and learners to understand education law and policy, to know when learners’ rights have been violated and what steps are required to protect learners’ rights.
SECTION27 uses the law through litigation, advocacy, legal literacy, research and community mobilisation to advance socio-economic rights, in particular the right to access healthcare services and the right to basic education.
Subscribe now to stay informed about SECTION27’s progress in achieving access to healthcare services and basic education all year round.
Complete the form below to subscribe. You will receive an email in order to verify your email address. Once you verify your email you will start receiving our newsletter.
By subscribing to this mailing list, you are opting in to receiving email updates from SECTION27. You can opt out at any time. We process your personal data in line with our privacy policy.
