All Press Releases
16 September 2014
Press statement: Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment – Mokopane Communities in the dark about benefits from Ivanplats’ BBBEE transaction
Canadian mining giant Ivanhoe Mines has announced that its subsidiary Ivanplats (Pty) Ltd (previously known as Platreef Resources (Pty) Ltd) has finalised a broad-based black economic-empowerment (BBBEE) deal, giving 20 local host...
9 September 2014
Public violence charges have been withdrawn against 32 Samancor mineworkers in the Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court.
The striking mineworkers were arrested in October 2012 in the North West. They were accused of unlawfully assembling to disturb public peace and security by protesting during a wage dispute with their employer, Samancor.
The mineworkers had refused to accept a plea agreement...
Press statement: Home Affairs thwarts law again – deports Botswana national at risk of death penalty
4 September 2014
Lawyers for Human Rights is appalled at the Home Affairs Department’s latest blatant disregard for the rule of law by deporting a Botswana national facing the possibility of the death penalty. This is despite an order from the Justice Minister that he may not be extradited as well as clear and unambigous law prohibiting Home Affairs from doing so.
LHR will be joining Legal Aid South Africa...
28 August 2014
The Arms Deal was a uniquely damaging moment in our young democratic history. It was concluded after decades of uncontrolled spending on foreign and internal wars by the apartheid regime. From the signing of the contracts in 1999 up to R70 billion of public money continues to be spent on weapons of questionable utility. The country was not and is not facing any meaningful military threat....
28 August 2014
Andrew Feinstein, Paul Holden and Hennie van Vuuren, witnesses whom Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) has been representing before the Seriti Commission of Inquiry into the 1999 Arms Deal, on Thursday announced they would no longer participate in the Commission and instructed LHR to withdraw from proceedings on their behalf. A letter detailing their decision was delivered to the Commission....
22 August 2014
Lawyers for Human Rights has welcomed the two-year sentencing of the Tshwane metro police officer found guilty of the 2010 kidnapping and assault of six Zimbabwean nationals.
The sentence includes 16 hours of mandatory community service per month and places Steven Ndou under house arrest with strict conditions, finding him unfit to handle a firearm.
“We’re happy to finally have a...
14 August 2014
On Friday, 8 August 2014, attorneys at Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) and the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) addressed joint letters to the Ministers of Water & Sanitation, Health, and Cooperative Governance & Traditional Affairs, asking the Ministers of each of those Departments to intervene urgently to ensure the provision of clean drinking water to a number of towns in the...
12 August 2014
Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) has cautiously welcomed today’s (Tuesday) announcement by the Department of Home Affairs that a new dispensation permit for Zimbabwean nationals will be issued as of 1 January 2015. Applications will be received from 1 October – 31 December 2014 and permits will be valid for a maximum of three years. This will replace the permits issued during the 2010...
8 August 2014
The Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) condemns the statements made by Swazi Prime Minister, Barnabus Sibusiso Dlamini, in which he called on union representatives to “strangle” two civil society activists when they return to Swaziland. Dlamini was addressing Members of Parliament during a debate on his ministry’s performance earlier this week.
Sipho Gumedze, a member...
1 August 2014
Next week President Obama will host the U.S. – Africa Leaders’ Summit (henceforth the Summit) in Washington, D.C. Although this summit mainly focuses on trade and investment in Africa, the theme is “Investing in the Next Generation” and a number of signature and side events have been organized which appear to acknowledge the role of civil society, women and youth in the...