All Press Releases
22 January 2018
22 January 2018- Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) expresses its concern over the announcement on Friday (19 January 2018) by the Cabinet Justice cluster of Operation Fiela II. Operation Fiela I, which took place during heightened xenophobic tensions in 2015, created an environment of fear and saw widespread human rights abuses by police, military and immigration officials. Use of...
27 November 2017
Long-time human rights lawyer, Rudolph Jansen, who fought against injustice on behalf of the poor and marginalized for over three decades, including with respect to the abolition of the death penalty, prison reform, and land reform and restitution, has died. He was a long-standing member and former National Director of Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR), and leaves behind his wife, Mariana, and two...
24 November 2017
24 November 2017 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
#NotOurLeaders Campaing launched by Women and Democracy Initiative, Lawyers for Human Rights and gender violence specialist during 16 Days of Activism to end violence against women
Tomorrow, 25 November, marks the start of the annual 16 Days of Activism to End Violence Against Women. Activities led by government emphasise the importance of taking action to...
14 November 2017
Lawyers for Human Rights is delighted that the Pretoria High Court today ruled that four of its clients, the Bakgatla Ba Sefikile, Lesethleng, Babina Phuthi Ba Ga-Makola, and Kgatlu communities, will be allowed to intervene in the review of the 2017 Mining Charter brought by the Chamber of Mines against the Minister of Mineral Resources. The review hearing is scheduled for December.
The...
1 November 2017
The High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division Pretoria recently handed down judgment in the matter of Pule Molefe and Residents of the Blyvooruitzicht Mine Village versus Merafong Local Municipality, Rand Water, and 9 Others, finding in favour of the Blyvooruitzicht community residents who sought variation of a court order originally handed down in this matter in October 2016 with respect to...
23 October 2017
Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) is shocked by the arrest of 13 human rights activists, including two South African citizens, in Tanzania. Tanzanian police allegedly raided a legal consultation meeting, convened by the Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (Isla) and Community Health Services and Advocacy (Chesa), in Dar es Salaam. The arrested activists were initially released on bail,...
10 October 2017
Today, Lawyers for Human Rights appeared before the High Court in Pretoria on behalf of Mr Given Nkwane to declare unconstitutional Rule 46(12) of the Uniform Rules of Court insofar as it requires the sale of a person’s home to be conducted without a reserve price.
In this case, Mr. Nkwane’s house was sold in execution for R40 000.00 without reserve, where the market value of the...
26 September 2017
Today the 26th of September 2017 the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division, Pretoria handed down judgment in the case of Mantshabelle Mary Rahube, a sixty-eight (68) year old woman facing an application for her eviction from the family home in which she has lived for more than thirty-seven (37) years by her bother Hedrine Rahube.
The case sought to have Mary declared the owner of the...
14 August 2017
Recently, Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) has fought against labour broking, representing the Casual Workers Advice Office (CWAO) in the case NUMSA v Assign Services and 3 Others. On 10 July 2017, the Labour Appeal Court (LAC) held that precarious workers must be able to access the protections enacted for their benefit in the amended Labour Relations Act.
The Confederation of Associations in...
7 August 2017
Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) is shocked to learn that Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Mduduzi Manana, allegedly assaulted two women in a Johannesburg nightclub on Sunday 6 August.
Reports indicate that Minister Manana followed the two women outside of the nightclub, after a heated political debate in which they disagreed. He has apparently admitted to the incident, and a voice recording...