On Monday, 29 January, at 10am, The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Rights Commission) with launch the 2021 July Unrest Investigative hearings reports.

“Following the unprecedented unrest, SAHRC held an Imbizo attended by various stakeholders to ascertain the full scope of the work. Subsequently, a National Investigative Hearing into the 2021 July Unrest Report was conducted sitting in both KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. On the other hand, the CRL Rights Commission conducted investigative hearings at which various stakeholders and affected parties presented their reports and evidence in respect of the 2021 unrest in KZN,” read the statement.

Both SAHRC and the CRL Rights Commission completed their reports with findings and recommendations and plan to publicly launch the two reports, together at aha Gateway Hotel, Umhlanga, Durban.

On Tuesday, 30 January, at 9am, the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) School of Law will host a symposium on International law, South Africa, and the question of Palestine.

Some of the panellists include Dr Zane Dangor who currently serves as the Director-General of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation,  advocate Max Du Plessis, an international lawyer who has been involved in cases before the International Criminal Court, Dr Imitiaz Sooliman, the founder and director of the South African NGO, Gift of the Givers, and Commissioner Navi Pillay, Judge of the International Criminal Court and President of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

The symposium will take place in Howard College Theatre at UKZN, and will also be streamed live via the UKZN YouTube channel.

Also on Tuesday, Transparency International will release its 29th annual Corruption Perceptions Index.

“The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) is the leading global indicator of public sector corruption, providing an annual comparative snapshot of 180 countries and territories. The index for 2023 is calculated using data from 13 external sources.”

The CPI will be published online at  www.transparency.org/cpi/

On Wednesday, 31 January from 9am to 5pm,  The People’s Hearing on Energy Profiteers will take place.

“The People’s Hearing on Energy Profiteers comes after growing concerns over the health, environmental, and economic impacts associated with the continued burning of coal and diesel, and the push for expensive and harmful alternatives like gas and nuclear power. These impacts are felt most by local communities,” read the event description.

It is a platform for affected communities, activists, and civil society experts to advocate for the prioritisation of human and environmental rights in the efforts to address the energy crisis and the climate crisis.

Some of the organisations that will be represented at the hearing include Khuthala Environmental Care Group, the African Climate Alliance, The Green Connection, Groundwork, Southern African Faith Communities Environment Institute (Safcei), Mining Affected Communities United in Action (Macua), Project 90 by 2030, Vukani Environmental Justice Movement in Action (VEM), and Middelburg Environmental Justice Network (Mejn).

It will take place at Ashley Kriel Hall, Community House, 41 Salt River Road, Salt River, Cape Town, and will also be streamed live on Open Secrets’ YouTube channel

Also on Wednesday at 4:30pm, the Democratic Governance and Rights Unit (DRGU), will launch two new Magistrates Reports: Under Pressure: The Magistracy after Covid-19 Survey Report, 2023, and Isidima: Magistrates Court User Survey Report, 2023.

The launch will take place in Moot Court, fifth floor of the Kramer Law Building of UCT, and via Zoom.

Register here.

Also on Wednesday at 6pm, JoburgCAN, Outa, and Schindlers Attorneys will host a webinar addressing the common concern of skyrocketing municipal bills and providing practical guidance on disputing inaccuracies.

“Whether it’s your water, electricity, refuse, or other charges, experts from Schindlers Attorneys will guide you through the process of effectively disputing and rectifying billing discrepancies,” read the webinar description.

Register here.

On Saturday and Sunday, 3 and 4 February,  from 8am to 5pm, The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) will hold its second — and final — voter registration weekend. Registration will be possible at 22,300 voting stations countrywide, between 08h00 and 17h00 on both days.

Sunday 4 February is World Cancer Day. 

The day is used to raise awareness of the global impact of cancer and increase understanding of prevention, detection, treatment, and care.

According to worldcancerday.org cancer is among the leading causes of death worldwide.

“By 2030, experts project cancer deaths to rise to 13 million if we don’t act. 10 million people die each year from cancer. That’s more than HIV/Aids, malaria, and tuberculosis combined”.

In South Africa, over 100,000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed each year.

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In response to calls from housing movements Reclaim The City, Right 2 Know Campaign, Housing Assembly, Intlungu Yasematyotyombeni, and Indibano Yabahlali, Mmamoloko Kubayi, the Minister of Human Settlements has extended the deadline for the submission of public comments on the national Human Settlements White Paper to 28 February 2024.

This extension will allow communities, activists, and the broader public to better engage with and properly respond to the draft version of the policy.

The draft white paper can be found here.

The Southern Africa Litigation Centre (Salc) is looking for a fundraising consultant to strengthen and support the fundraising objectives of Salc’s international justice cluster, in consultation with the international justice cluster lead.

Interested applicants should send a letter of interest and detailed CV to [email protected] with the subject line “Fundraising Consultant” by 9 February 2024. DM