SA human rights record attacked in world report

PUBLIC confidence in the government’s willingness to tackle human rights violations, corruption and respect for the rule of law has eroded in South Africa.

This is the conclusion of global organisation Human Rights Watch in its annual report detailing the violations of human rights of more than 90 countries across the globe.

South Africa is criticised for a wide range of issues, including the fact that no one has yet been held accountable for xenophobic violence that flared up between March and May 2015.

“Authorities neither thoroughly investigated nor successfully prosecuted those involved in the attacks,” the report said.

It also noted that King Goodwill Zwelithini had never met foreigners after he was ordered to by the SA Human Rights Commission last year.

This followed his comments urging foreigners to pack their bags and go home in 2015.

Human Rights Watch also said that about 500 000 children with special educational needs struggled to get a free education and were turned away from no-fee schools in South Africa.

The report slammed the fact that South Africa did nothing to support protesters in Zimbabwe and, instead, ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe called anti-government protesters “sponsored elements seeking regime change”.

Zimbabwe itself was criticised over the arrests of demonstrators and journalists reporting on antigovernment protests.

Mozambique was slammed for having one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world, with half of all girls marrying before age 18.

The disappearance in the country since 2014 of more than 100 albinos – many believed murdered for their body parts which are used as muti – was also severely criticised.

In a statement issued with the report, Human Rights Watch chief executive singled out US presidentelect Donald Trump in a warning about growing racism, xenophobia, misogyny and nativism.