SAHRC to probe recent unrest in KZN, Gauteng
The South African Human Rights Commission has decided to hold hearings into the recent unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng last month.
More than 300 people died during the week-long violence and looting, which President Cyril Ramaphosa has described as an insurrection.
The commission hosted an imbizo last month, shortly after the unrest, to consult with members of the public.
In a statement released on Friday, the commission says it has deemed it necessary to investigate the unrest.
“The commission deems it necessary in terms of its mandate to investigate and to take steps to secure appropriate redress with a view to preventing such a recurrence in the future and in the interests of victims.
“The impact of the unrest severely undermined the rule of law upon which the promotion and protection of human rights rests and threatened the stability of our constitutional democracy, which the commission has a constitutional mandate to strengthen.”
The commission says the findings of the probe will inform its recommendations.
“Among the issues and concerns the commission will probe through the investigation include the role and effectiveness of enforcement by the State – particularly the South African Police Service and the security cluster as whole - in preventing and maintaining public order, including through the provision of adequate protection for the safety and security of the public and their property.
“The underlying reasons which have contributed to the unrest, looting and violence commendations for the short, medium and long term measures to be adopted by relevant stakeholders and the State to address the resultant human rights violations and prevent a recurrence of future unrest, including better public order policing.”
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