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File: The SAHRC sets up a station ahead of its load reduction inquiry.
One of the people who started the petition calling for the disbandment of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has accused the body of positioning itself as an ally of undocumented foreign migrants.
A debate is unfolding over the commission’s role and relevance, with critics arguing that it has failed to act impartially and no longer reflects the concerns of all South Africans.
This comes after a petition reportedly attracting around 30,000 signatures called for the Chapter 9 institution to be dissolved.
The commission insists it remains committed to protecting constitutional rights and holding power to account.
Activist, Lwazi Gwijane, says, “The South African human rights position themselves to be more of an ally of illegal immigrants. Because if you’re coming into the country illegally, you are illegal. Why must we try to fancy it around so that you feel some type of way that you’re not coming into the country illegally, you know, and not having a problem with someone who comes into the country, the legal route? The petition is mainly because of this. Even the reports that they’ve compiled have never addressed these issues, and now we find ourselves with this ticking time bomb, illegal immigration, and they’ve just been bystanders. As a matter of fact, they’ve been encouraging it.”
Meanwhile, advocacy group Good Governance Africa has suggested that there be discussions of Chapter 9 instead of the disbandment of the SAHRC.
The group’s head, Karam Singh, says, “I would support democratic debate that talks about the reform of Chapter 9s in the country, but you don’t tear down institutions without having a clear idea of what you’re going to put in place of them. I think this was the lesson that we learned from the disbandment of the Scorpions. If the petition is being motivated by saying that the Human Rights Commission is at the heart of the problem around unlawful migration, I would say that is a very misplaced analysis. We’ve got a rule of law problem in the country.”
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