Municipality must return land to 84-year-old pensioner because it didn’t obtain his consent, suggesting that parts of the Expropriation Act are unconstitutional By Tania Broughton Louis Nathan Langer was shocked to discover that the KwaDukuza Municipality had expropriated his land and source of income without his knowledge four years ago. In an order agreed to by the parties — and made...

The establishment by South Africa of a National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT) is a long overdue and welcome development in the prevention and combating of torture in the country. While OPCAT creates the obligation to establish and maintain an effective NPM to...

On Wednesday 21 October 2020, the Budget Justice Coalition (BJC) will table_ Imali Yesizwe_ (Our Nation’s Money) – an alternative, people’s budget based on human rights. BJC anticipates that the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS), now due to be tabled by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni on 28 October 2020, will accelerate the austerity of recent years by cutting funding...

“The thieves must be called to justice” says ABM deputy president By Nokulunga Majola Shack dweller movement Abahlali BaseMjondolo (ABM) led several grassroots organisations in a protest march through Durban’s streets. ABM is demanding that hundreds of millions of rands missing through government corruption be recovered and the guilty prosecuted. ABM wants the land invasion unit abolished and its members “called...

Water Rights Webinar Series: Water services on farms - the role of the municipality The uMgungundlovu District Municipality is located in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Much of the region is agricultural and home to many labour tenants and farm dwellers who report deplorable living conditions, including poor access to water and sanitation services. Farm owners claim that the provision of water...

As the current water crisis in cities and towns across the country unfolds, we yet again face threats of “Day Zeros” and “State of Disasters” being declared, as well as expectations of an ensuing blame game. There are undoubtedly multiple factors that are contributing to this water crisis and we can blame climate change, drought, lack of infrastructure maintenance...

High Court judge says City of Cape Town tried to use bylaws “as a quick fix” to evict the Singabalapha group By Tania Broughton The City of Cape Town has been trying for a year to evict about 30 people from land in Observatory. The Western Cape High Court on Tuesday interdicted the City from eviciting the Singabalapha community without due...

Join Lawyers for Human Rights and the International Detention Coalition for a dialogue on #immigration #detention & #COVID19 | Responses and Challenges in Africa.

The recording will be made available on all the ACCA platforms. The event will also be live streamed on the ACCA Facebook page. Visit www.accahumanrights.org and www.wits.ac.za/cals for more information

The Grootboom case resulted in a landmark judgment that protects the rights of evicted residents. But 20 years later, the hopes Justice Zak Yacoob laid down are far from being realised. By Matthew Wilhelm-Solomon On 18 May 1999, bulldozers arrived on a farm called New Rust, outside Wallacedene in the Western Cape, and began demolishing the homes of its unlawful occupiers....