| | |
|
| |
|
|
South Africa UN Rights Council to Review South Africa Universal Periodic Review of South Africa South Africa’s human rights record will be scrutinized on April 15, 2008 by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva at a Universal Periodic Review Session that is likely to focus on abuses around HIV infections, sexual violence, and asylum procedures. April 15, 2008 Memorandum Printer friendly version Universal Periodic Review of South Africa Human Rights Watch's Submission to the Human Rights Council Emerging from a history of institutionalized racial inequality, South Africa has made admirable progress in transforming the state and society to ensure respect for fundamental rights, including freedom of expression, an independent judiciary, and free and fair elections. Nevertheless, widespread poverty, unemployment, persistently high levels of violent crime, and gender inequality continue to inhibit the full enjoyment of human rights. April 7, 2008 Written Statement Printer friendly version Human Rights Council Begins Universal Periodic Review Will Assess India, the Philippines, South Africa, the United Kingdom and 12 Others The UN Human Rights Council will begin a new review process on April 7, 2008. The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is the most innovative and ambitious instrument of the council and was set up to assess the human rights performance of all 192 UN member states over a four-year cycle. April 6, 2008 Memorandum Printer friendly version South Africa: Lead UN to Action on Somalia, Darfur and Burma Use Security Council Presidency to Save Lives South Africa should use its Security Council presidency in April 2008 to make significant progress on human rights crises in Somalia, Darfur and Burma, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to South Africa’s minister of foreign affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, and members of the United Nations Security Council. “The Security Council should be signaling hope to civilians in crisis, but so far it has failed the people of Darfur, Burma and Somalia,” said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. “South Africa should lead the Security Council in a major new international effort to end horrible abuses in these places and save lives.” March 31, 2008 Press Release Printer friendly version South Africa: Lead UN to Action on Somalia, Darfur and Burma During Security Council Presidency Letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Africa March 28, 2008 Letter Printer friendly version 'If you show that you support MDC, you will starve' By: Tiseke Kasambala Published in Mail&Guardian online Credible elections in Zimbabwe were among the main objectives of the talks between the Zimbabwean government and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) last year. But despite new regulations, Zimbabwe's polls are unlikely to be free or fair. March 20, 2008 Commentary Printer friendly version Zimbabwe Goes to the Polls On March 29, Zimbabweans cast their ballots in presidential, parliamentary, senatorial and local council elections, the first synchronized elections since changes to the constitution in 2007. A Human Rights Watch report of March 29, “All Over Again: Human Rights Abuses and Flawed Electoral Conditions in Zimbabwe’s Coming General Elections,” documents serious electoral flaws and human rights abuses, primarily by the government and President Robert Mugabe’s ruling Zimbabwe African National Union –Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), which have undermined a free and fair vote. March 18, 2008 Special Focus Printer friendly version South Africa: Ensure Justice for Police Raid Victims Officials Responsible for Mistreatment of People at Methodist Church Should Be Held Accountable The South African government should bring to justice officials responsible for the January 30 arbitrary arrest and mistreatment of some 1,300 people seeking refuge at Johannesburg’s Methodist Church, Human Rights Watch said today. On February 15, a Johannesburg High Court judge ordered the immediate release of nine of those arrested, saying that the raid and the state’s response was “a brutal, indifferent, and cruel treatment of human beings.” February 19, 2008 Press Release Printer friendly version Letter to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Africa Human Rights Watch voices concerns about new trends in South Africa’s foreign policy, as witnessed in the UN Security Council and UN Human Rights Council. February 14, 2008 Letter Printer friendly version SADC: Take Action to End Zimbabwe Rights Crisis Send Human Rights Monitors to End State Brutality Government leaders gathered this week at a summit in Lusaka, Zambia should urgently press Zimbabwe’s government to end its broadscale attack on human rights, Human Rights Watch said in a briefing paper released today. Human Rights Watch called on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to deploy human rights monitors to Zimbabwe to assess the situation. August 14, 2007 Press Release Also available in 
Printer friendly version South Africa: Lesbians Targeted for Murder A Climate of Violent Homophobia Mars South Africa’s Celebration of Women’s Day The recent brutal murders of three lesbians show that South Africa’s constitutional promise of equal protection has yet to become a reality, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to President Thabo Mbeki. As the country celebrates National Women’s Day – the 51st anniversary of women’s resistance to the apartheid-era pass system restricting free movement – a climate of violent homophobia and sexism demands government action to make its commitment to equality and tolerance a reality for the nation’s gays and lesbians. August 8, 2007 Press Release Printer friendly version Letter: Homophobic violence mars Women’s Day On South Africa’s National Women’s Day, I write on behalf of Human Rights Watch to express our concern over the recent murders of three women: Sizakele Sigasa, Salome Masooa, and Thokozane Qwabe. Thokozane Qwabe’s body was found on July 22; Sizakele Sigasa and Salome Masooa’s bodies were found on July 8. All three women were lesbians. These women may be the latest victims of a pattern of violence against lesbians who are targeted in their families and communities on the basis of their sexual orientation. Human Rights Watch calls upon the South African government to honor National Women’s Day by ensuring those responsible for the murders are brought to justice and by affirming that all women, regardless of their sexual orientation, should be entitled to equality and safety. August 8, 2007 Letter Printer friendly version Nigerian debacle a threat to Africa By Chris Albin-Lackey, Researcher on Nigeria Published in Business Day Nigeria’s example threatens to embolden corrupt and authoritarian governments across the continent. Rulers hesitant about yielding to pressure for democratic reforms could draw a dangerous lesson from Nigeria’s experience — that the hollow echo of a democratic process is enough to head off any criticism from across the continent. May 15, 2007 Commentary Printer friendly version Time is Running Out By Tiseke Kasambala and Nobuntu Mbelle Published in The Sowetan In Zimbabwe, the police routinely arrest and detain political opponents and government critics, and then abuse them in custody. They often do so in blatant defiance of high court orders requiring that the police follow due process. May 10, 2007 Commentary Printer friendly version “Keep Your Head Down” Unprotected Migrants in South Africa This 115-page report documents how state officials arrest, detain and deport undocumented foreign migrants, particularly those from Zimbabwe and Mozambique, in ways that contravene South Africa’s immigration law. The report also details how commercial farmers ignore basic employment law protections even when they employ documented foreign migrants and South Africans. HRW Index No.: A1903 February 28, 2007 Report Download PDF, 1200 KB, 115 pgs Purchase online Read Press Release South Africa: Migrants Abused by Officials and Farmers South African officials involved in the arrest and deportation of undocumented migrant workers often assault and extort money from them, and commercial farmers employing them routinely violate their basic labor rights, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. February 27, 2007 Press Release Printer friendly version South Africa: Grant Full Civil Marriage Rights to Lesbian and Gay Couples, Not ‘Civil Unions’ HRW Letter to the Speaker of the National Assembly We are writing to express our concern over the proposed Civil Union Bill 2006, due for consideration by Parliament on October 20, 2006. Rather than extending the status of civil marriage to lesbian and gay couples, the bill would create a “civil partnership” that is defined as the “voluntary union between two adult persons of the same sex to the exclusion, while it lasts, of all others.” October 19, 2006 Letter Printer friendly version South Africa: Separate is Still Unequal in Access to Marriage Grant Full Civil Marriage Rights to Lesbian and Gay Couples, Not ‘Civil Unions’ South Africa’s Parliament should affirm the promise of equality by opening civil marriage to all regardless of sexual orientation, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to the South African speaker of parliament. On the eve of a historic vote, Human Rights Watch called on lawmakers to reject a bill restricting recognition of lesbian and gay couples to so-called civil unions, and instead support full marriage rights for all. October 19, 2006 Press Release Printer friendly version Unprotected Migrants Zimbabweans in South Africa’s Limpopo Province
HRW Index No.: A1806 August 8, 2006 Report Download PDF, 470 KB, 54 pgs Purchase online Read Press Release South Africa: Zimbabwean Migrants Vulnerable to Abuse Government Officials and Commercial Farmers Violate Migrants’ Basic Rights In the northern border province of Limpopo, South African police often assault and extort money from Zimbabwean migrants and fail to verify their identity or legal status before deporting them, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. August 8, 2006 Press Release Printer friendly version |
 
Related Material Films screened in the HRW International Film Festival 2002: State of Denial 2002: When the War is Over 2002: Amandla ! 1998: The Man Who Drove with Mandela | |||||||||||||||
|
Contribute to Human Rights Watch
Home | About Us | News Releases | Publications | About HRW | Info by Country | Global Issues | Campaigns | Free Mailing Lists | Community | Bookstore | Film Festival | Search | Site Map | Contact Us | Press Contacts | Privacy Policy © Copyright 2006, Human Rights Watch 350 Fifth Avenue, 34th Floor New York, NY 10118-3299 USA |
