CUL - Main Content

An NGO in the South African "Poor People's Alliance." The site --in English and IsiZulu-- includes an archive of news reports, photos, videos, press releases, and organizational documents. "[Begun in Durban in early 2005] in terms of the numbers of people mobilised, [it claims to be] the largest organisation of the militant poor in post-apartheid South Africa."

"...publishes peer-reviewed contributions dealing with human rights related topics of relevance to Africa, Africans and scholars of Africa. The Journal appears twice a year, in March and October."
See also: Centre for Human Rights.

A digital library of selected full text legal instruments (charters, protocols, judgements) from around Africa.  "We help individuals, organizations, and governments build and maintain sustainable free access to law portals, and reach the people of Africa and beyond. We convene a network of 16 African LIIs - a collaborative group of organizations and individuals in Africa, dedicated to free access to law on our continent. "
--See especially: African Human Rights Law Index

"The ANCL is an association of judges, lawyers, academics, activists, NGOs, research/academic institutes and bar associations with an interest in constitutional law and constitutionalism in Africa."
--See especially: Resources

Annual reports and news releases from AI regarding the rights of prisoners and other human rights.

"...a non-profit, faith-based organisation owned by the churches in South Africa. It is a unique organisation in the area of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and monitors corporate performance against an international measuring instrument, the Principles for Global Corporate Responsibility; Bench Marks for Measuring Business Performance." The website includes research reports on specific cases in South Africa, including:
"Communities in the platinum minefields: a review of platinum mining in the Bojanala District of North West Province, a participatory action research approach. (August 2012) 157 pages in PDF format

The website offers information about projects and contacts; plus related links. "The CRLS promotes the land and labour interests of men and women farm workers in the Western, Eastern and Northern Cape through training, information dissemination, research, advocacy, legal intervention and development facilitation."

Includes a searchable archive of documents, hearing transcripts, audio and video recordings, etc.
--See especially: Judicial Commission of Inquiry into State Capture Report: Part 1, Vol. 1 (January 2022).

--Part II: Vol 1 ; Vol 2 ;

--Part III: Vol 1 ; Vol 2 ; Vol 3 ; Vol 4

In English: as adopted by the Constitutional Assembly on May 8 1996, amended October 11, 1996, and signed by President Nelson Mandela on December 10, 1996; plus links to previous constitutions of the 1990s and related information.

"...launched in January 2012. We rely on the public to report corruption to us. We use the reports as an important source of information to fight corruption and hold leaders accountable for their actions."
--See also: Transparency International below

The online version of the monthly journal on South African legal issues, with a back issues archive; plus legal links.

"The Dullah Omar Institute started its work [in 1990] under the name 'Community Law Centre', an organisation borne out of the struggle against apartheid...[Since 2015] The Institute works currently on: children’s rights ; socio-economic rights ; criminal justice reform ; and, women’s rights."

The website provides general information about research, findings, and publications. "EISA (with field offices in Chad, Dem. Rep. of Congo, Kenya, Madagascar, and Mozambique)...established in 1996 in South Africa ...Its mission is to strengthen electoral processes, good governance, human rights and democratic values through research, capacity building, advocacy and other targeted interventions."
-- See especially: Journal of African elections, 2002 to present online ; and, EISA observation reports (15 countries)
--Plus: 11th Annual EISA Symposium 2016 -- "Current Democratic Realities in Africa: Where Are We Headed Beyond the Vote?" October 20-21, 2016, Johannesburg, South Africa

[Since April 2012] "We report news that is in the public interest, with an emphasis on the human rights of vulnerable communities."

"[Since 1994]...HURISA is an NGO that offers professional services towards the promotion of a human rights culture, peace and democracy...in South Africa and on the continent." The site features information about training and research programs, selected publications of HURISA, plus:
--"The Goldstone Commission" (The Commission of Inquiry Regarding the Prevention of Public Violence and Intimidation), 1991-1994 107 pages in PDF format

Current news on elections and related constitutional issues. "The new Electoral Commission was established in terms of Chapter 9 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and the Electoral Commission Act 51 of 1996. The Electoral Commission Act provides for an open and transparent process for the nomination of Electoral Commissioners in order to ensure the constitutionally guaranteed independence of the Commission."

"...founded [in 2010] by a group of South Africans with experience in research, academia, policy-making and governance who saw the need to create a platform of engagement around strategic issues facing South Africa."

"...an activist organisation and law centre that promotes the realisation of Constitutional Rights and Social Justice – through legal, research and organising support to working class people, communities and social movements."
--See especially: Publications: journals, special reports, advocacy briefs, etc.

"...established in November 2008 in response to the need for greater collaboration and cooperation amongst organisations and individuals working to achieve a culture of openness and accountability through the effective implementation of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) in South Africa."
--See especially: PAIA CSN Shadow Report 2014
...and earlier reports "to complement the work done by the South African Human Rights Commission in monitoring the implementation of PAIA."

***Warning: as of May 13, 2019, this archive is not accessible. "Parliamentary Bulletin is a briefing for ANC Parliamentarians, to inform on key policy and political campaigning issues. It is intended to be a mini-fact file, a summary of important points and a guide to the key political lines that ANC Parliamentarians should be using in their public statements, speeches, articles and press releases."

"...established in 1995 as a partnership between Black Sash, Human Rights Committee and Idasa with the aim of providing a type of Hansard for the proceedings of the more than forty South African Parliamentary Committees for these three advocacy organisations...PMG provides accurate, objective, and current information on all parliamentary committee proceedings in the form of detailed, unofficial minutes and documents and since 2007, sound recordings of the meeting."

SA government draft bills, bills, acts, notices, policy documents, speeches, and government policy-related news.

Current issue and an archive of back issues. The site can be viewed in English or in Afrikaans --- most of the articles are in Afrikaans, with English language summaries.

"...a public interest law centre that seeks to achieve substantive equality and social justice in South Africa. Guided by the principles and values in the Constitution, SECTION27 uses law, advocacy, legal literacy, research and community mobilisation to achieve access to healthcare services and basic education."
See especially:
--Standing up for our lives: a history of access to medicines movement in South Africa. (2017)
--Archive of news and reports

Since 2008, this site offers news analysis and commentary on human rights issues from a South African perspective.

"...a non-profit organisation providing professional and dedicated socio-economic rights assistance to individuals, communities and social movements in South Africa. SERI conducts applied research, engages with government, advocates for policy and legal reform, facilitates civil society coordination and mobilisation, conducts popular education and training, and litigates in the public interest. The SERI Law Clinic is registered as a public interest law centre."
--See especially: SERI Publications

This site provides access to information on the work of the Commission and an online library of annual reports, bulletins, issue and discussion papers, other reports and research papers.

See also: SAFLII below. "This website for Bills of Rights Comparative Law Materials provides access to constitutional law cases from jurisdictions around the world. Initially, it was intended for South African jurists, as an aid to interpreting the 1996 Constitution of South Africa. The constitution provides that the Constitutional Court may consider constitutional law from legal systems throughout the world."

This searchable database offers free access to full plain text versions of selected high court judgements and legal case reports. "...includes superior court judgments from Botswana, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Our recent additions include a full consolidated collection of Uganda legislation and Lesotho caselaw. Currently in preparation: Lesotho, Zambia, Namibia and Uganda judgments, as well as Uganda subsidiary legislation."

Commentaries and research reports on migration issues in Southern Africa.
--See especially: "South Africa Case Study: The Double Crisis--Mass Migration from Zimbabwe and Xenophobic Violence in South Africa." (2017) By Jonathan Crush ...[et al.]. Prepared on behalf of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development, Vienna, Austria. 104 pages in PDF format.

--Plus: Mean Streets: Migration, Xenophobia and Informality in South Africa. (2015) Edited by Jonathan Crush, Abel Chikanda, Caroline Skinner. -- Waterloo, Ontario, Canada: SAMP, 2015. 299 pages in PDF format

This web site offers free access to the 87 episodes of this SABC TV news series; plus a digital document archive on the TRC, including transcripts from hearings and workshops. "Broadcast by the South African Broadcasting Corporation every week between 21 April 1996 and 29 March 1998, the 87-part 'Truth Commission Special Report' television series offers invaluable insights into the work of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission during this period."

The web site includes information about degree programs and downloadable publications from the research centre -- journal, reports, occasional papers, etc.

This site includes general information about the Law Faculty, plus: decisions and judgements of the SA Constitutional Court, Supreme Court of Appeal, Labour Court, Land Claims Court, and a link to the SA Law Commission web site.

General announcements on conferences and events; and internet resouces for women activists on social and economic rights, HIV/AIDS and other health issues, etc. "Women's Net aims to empower South African women to use information and communications technologies (ICTs) towards advancing women's equality. It is a dynamic source of locally generated information and discussion on gender issues."