The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how important it is to invest in social programmes. Many of South Africa’s public services, including the public health system, remain underfunded, despite increased investment since democracy. This exacerbates high levels of inequality, now worsened by the lockdown measures to curb the spread of the Continue Reading
Johannesburg, 5 March 2019: The Gauteng Department of Health issued Circular Letter 5 of 2019, dated 20 February 2019 (“Circular”) in which it sought to limit access to health care services by people who are not South African through a requirement that they pay for all services. The Circular makes Continue Reading
The Gauteng Department of Health issued a circular limiting the rights of non-South AFrican citizens to access health care. SECTION27 drafted a letter outlining the framework of legislation which the circular violated. Read the letter here. Letter to Prof Lukhele re Circular 5 of 2019 – 4 March 2019 You can Continue Reading
South Africa risks continued failures to fulfil its human rights obligations to people if the government’s austerity policy is maintained, civil society organisations have warned at the United Nations Committee on Economic
Johannesburg / New York, 10/01/2018— SECTION27, the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ), and the Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR) argue in a submission to the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights…
Raise High the Roof Beams, Cadres MARK HEYWOOD 28 NOV 2016 08:39 (SOUTH AFRICA) First published in the Daily Maverick In a speech to one of the ANC’s hastily convened cadre schools President Jacob Zuma recently asked ‘what it is that South Africa needs saving from?’ This was presumably in Continue Reading
9 AUGUST 2016 – Women’s Day 2016 calls for reflection, for quiet reflection amid the noise of our healthy and boisterous democracy. This Women’s Day we need to pay tribute to those who walked ahead – women like Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa, Sophia Williams De Bruyn and thousands Continue Reading
BLOEMFONTEIN, 8th AUGUST 2016: Today the #BopheloHouse94 are appearing in Bloemfontein High Court. The community healthcare workers (CHWs) are appealing their conviction in October 2015 in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court. A conviction that found them guilty of violating the Regulation of Gatherings Act for attending a peaceful night vigil outside the Continue Reading
SECTION27 and the Treatment Action Campaign join Health Gap and other civil society groups in condemning the Ugandan police attack on a lawful LGBTI celebration in Kampala. On August 4, on the third night of a week of Ugandan LGBTI Pride celebrations, a vibrant and festive pageant underway at Kampala’s Continue Reading
The National Health Assembly, held at the University of the Western Cape from 24 – 26 June brought together organisations and individuals from all provinces in South Africa and beyond. The NHA participants identified the following issues around health and health care provision in South Africa: • the need for Continue Reading
On 14 June 2016, the Eastern Cape Health Action Crisis Coalition wrote to the South African Human Rights Commission in relation to the Eastern Cape Department of Health Response to the Commission’s report on Emergency Health Services in the province. We noted that on 1 April 2016, the Eastern Cape Department Continue Reading
The Facts The Free State health care system, under MEC Benny Malakoane’s leadership, is one of the worst and fastest worsening in the country. Community Health Workers (CHWs) are a critical cadre of workers. They are in intended to be the backbone of the health care system. However, their conditions Continue Reading