Democracy & Social Justice

Since the inception of Corruption Watch in 2012, a large number of complaints forwarded to the organisation related to corruption in schools. In response, over the course of 2013 and with the support of the Heinrich Boll Foundation, Corruption Watch launched a campaign to increase reporting of and combat corruption in South Africa's schools.

After many years of sustained activism by the Social Justice Coalition, The Treatment Action Campaign, Triangle Project and Ndifuna Ukwazi, the O'Regan-Pikoli Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into policing in Khayelitsha finally began its public hearings on 21 January 2014.

HBS partner Equal Education (EE) has welcomed the adoption of Norms and Standards by Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, on Friday 29 November. The adoption of these legally binding Norms and Standards is a major victory for activism, and the result of over three years of sustained campaigning by thousands of Equal Education members and supporters across the country.

South African mobile network operators Vodacom and MTN are the main culprits stifling the public’s right to communicate, with high airtime and data costs continuing to undermine the democratising potential of mobile networks, says rights lobby group and HBS partner Right2Know.

After many years of sustained activism by the Social Justice Coalition, The Treatment Action Campaign, Triangle Project and Ndifuna Ukwazi, the O'Regan-Pikoli Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into policing in Khayelitsha finally began its public hearings on 21 January 2014.

Communities across South Africa suffer a daily and persistent attack on their constitutional rights because of violent crime. The findings of this report clearly indicate that the South African Police Service has a long way to go towards becoming a democratic service that is effective and accountable, under ethical and professional command.

Now that the elections are over Zimbabwe’s future is hanging in the balance with everyone waiting on the sidelines to see the type of cabinet Mugabe will unveil, his succession plans and more importantly the economic policies which he will pursue.