News

SALC policy brief on ICC witnesses and the review of the Rome Statute: The missing link International Justice ResourcesInternational Justice War CrimesResearch Reports & Policy Briefs

SALC policy brief on ICC witnesses and the review of the Rome Statute: The missing link

The Assembly of States Parties (ASP) to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court resolved in December 2019 to establish the Independent Expert Review to identify ways of strengthening…

Staff Writer15 December 2020

Discussion document on the criminalisation of HIV in Angola AngolaEquality Rights HealthEquality Rights ResourcesResearch Reports & Policy Briefs

Discussion document on the criminalisation of HIV in Angola

In November 2020, The Southern Africa Litigation Centre, ARASA and HIV Justice Worldwide put together a discussion document on the Criminalisation of HIV in Angola. This brief has been prepared…

Staff Writer1 December 2020

João Rodrigues, apartheid-era crimes and the question of a blanket amnesty ArticlesInternational JusticeInternational Justice ArticlesInternational Justice NewsInternational Justice TortureInternational Justice Torture ArticlesSADC

João Rodrigues, apartheid-era crimes and the question of a blanket amnesty

Mail and Guardian 6 November 2020 By Atilla Kisla Today, on 6 November 2020, the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) hears the case of João Rodrigues v National Director of Public Prosecutions and Others. João…

Atilla Kisla16 November 2020

Reaffirming tolerance in Southern Africa on 16 November: The UN international day of tolerance Civic Rights Association & AssemblyCivic Rights ExpressionSADC

Reaffirming tolerance in Southern Africa on 16 November: The UN international day of tolerance

By Kelvin Vries On 16 November 1995, UNESCO’s member states adopted the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance. The Declaration defines tolerance as “respect, acceptance and appreciation of the rich diversity…

Kelvin Vries16 November 2020

South Africa’s department of home affairs declares Kouwenhoven an undesirable person International JusticeInternational Justice NewsInternational Justice War CrimesSouth Africa

South Africa’s department of home affairs declares Kouwenhoven an undesirable person

SOUTH AFRICA’S DEPARTMENT OF HOME AFFAIRS DECLARES KOUWENHOVEN AN UNDESIRABLE PERSON Southern Africa Litigation Centre v Minister of Home Affairs and Others, Case No. 18052/2019, High Court, Western Cape Division,…

Staff Writer14 November 2020

Report: Legal gender recognition in Botswana BotswanaEquality Rights LGBTIQ+Equality Rights ResourcesResearch Reports & Policy Briefs

Report: Legal gender recognition in Botswana

Legal gender recognition affects a person’s recognition and protection before the law and the ability to navigate through areas of daily life. It refers to transgender people’s ability to obtain…

Staff Writer10 November 2020

Malawi Research Report: ‘We get traumatised in different ways’ Equality Rights LGBTIQ+Equality Rights ResourcesMalawiResearch Reports & Policy Briefs

Malawi Research Report: ‘We get traumatised in different ways’

In February 2020, the Southern Africa Litigation Centre and Nyasa Rainbow Alliance held a consultation with individuals who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) in Blantyre, Malawi. At…

Staff Writer10 November 2020

Report: Legal gender recognition in Lesotho Equality Rights LGBTIQ+Equality Rights ResourcesLesothoResearch Reports & Policy Briefs

Report: Legal gender recognition in Lesotho

Legal gender recognition affects a person’s recognition and protection before the law and the ability to navigate through areas of daily life. It refers to transgender people’s ability to obtain…

Staff Writer5 November 2020

Policy Brief: Rule by Law and the Attack on Civic Freedoms in Tanzania Civic Rights Association & AssemblyCivic Rights ExpressionResearch Reports & Policy BriefsTanzania

Policy Brief: Rule by Law and the Attack on Civic Freedoms in Tanzania

Tanzania’s President John Magufuli was elected to office in 2015, and it has been under his tenure that the country’s human rights record continues to deteriorate. Despite the fact that…

Staff Writer26 October 2020

Melusi Simelane & Others v Minister of Commerce & Industry & Others Civic RightsCivic Rights Association & AssemblyCivic Rights ExpressionCivic Rights NewsEquality RightsEquality Rights LGBTIQ+Equality Rights NewsEswatini

Melusi Simelane & Others v Minister of Commerce & Industry & Others

A full bench of the High Court of Eswatini will on Tuesday October 20 2020, hear the application for the registration of the Eswatini Sexual and Gender Minorities (ESGM), an…

Staff Writer20 October 2020

The impact of COVID-19 on persons with disabilities in Southern Africa Equality Rights DisabilityEquality Rights HealthSADC

The impact of COVID-19 on persons with disabilities in Southern Africa

The Midweek Sun, Botswana 14 October 2020 By Anna Mmolai-Chalmers The effects of COVID-19 are perhaps more profound when viewed through the lens of persons with disabilities. These impacts are…

Anna Chalmers-Mmolai20 October 2020

SALC statement condemning the use of force against protesters in Namibia Civic RightsCivic Rights Association & AssemblyCivic Rights ExpressionCivic Rights NewsEquality RightsEquality Rights NewsEquality Rights WomenNamibia

SALC statement condemning the use of force against protesters in Namibia

On 8 October 2020, protesters in Namibia took to the streets, for 3 days, to demonstrate against gender-based violence under the hashtag #ShutItAllDown. The protests were sparked by human remains…

Staff Writer20 October 2020

Zambia: The people v Laura Miti and Bornwell Mwewa Civic Rights Association & AssemblyCivic Rights ExpressionCriminal Justice Police AbuseZambia

Zambia: The people v Laura Miti and Bornwell Mwewa

On Saturday, 21 December 2019, Fumba Chama, popularly known as Pilato, a Zambian human rights defender and musician, was arrested for unlawful assembly in violation of the Public Order Act,…

Staff Writer19 October 2020

Joao Rodrigues v National Director of Public Prosecutions International Justice NewsInternational Justice TortureSouth Africa

Joao Rodrigues v National Director of Public Prosecutions

On 6 November 2020, the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) will hear the case of Joao Rodrigues v National Director of Public Prosecutions and Others. Joao Rodrigues (the Appellant), a…

Staff Writer19 October 2020

Statement on the right to associate in Eswatini in light of the ESGM case Civic RightsCivic Rights ExpressionCivic Rights NewsEquality RightsEquality Rights HealthEquality Rights LGBTIQ+Equality Rights NewsEswatini

Statement on the right to associate in Eswatini in light of the ESGM case

Eswatini Sexual and Gender Minorities (ESGM) is a human rights community-based advocacy organisation which aims to advance the protection of human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender and intersex persons…

Staff Writer19 October 2020

SALC Submission on the Computer Crime and Cybercrime Bill, 2020 Civic Rights ResourcesEswatiniSubmissions

SALC Submission on the Computer Crime and Cybercrime Bill, 2020

The Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) filed written submissions in the Parliament of Eswatini. The  submissions were filed with the Clerk of the ICT Portfolio Committee. In the submissions, SALC…

Staff Writer15 October 2020

SALC Submission on Mozambique’s 3rd Universal Periodic Review Civic Rights Association & AssemblyCivic Rights ExpressionCivic Rights ResourcesMozambiqueSubmissions

SALC Submission on Mozambique’s 3rd Universal Periodic Review

Mozambique’s 3rd Universal Periodic Review 38th Session (May 2021) Submission by:  Southern Africa Litigation Centre  October 2020 Introduction This submission has been prepared by the Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC).…

Staff Writer15 October 2020

Statement condemning the suppression of human rights violations in Tanzania ahead of the upcoming elections Civic Rights Association & AssemblyCivic Rights ExpressionCivic Rights NewsTanzania

Statement condemning the suppression of human rights violations in Tanzania ahead of the upcoming elections

SALC is deeply concerned about the reports of human rights violations taking place in Tanzania ahead of the upcoming general elections scheduled for 28 October 2020. Despite the fact that…

Staff Writer12 October 2020

Petty Offences Newsletter: Digest of Campaign Activities in September 2020 Criminal Justice

Petty Offences Newsletter: Digest of Campaign Activities in September 2020

In September 2020, the Regional Campaign to Decriminalise Petty Offences hosted a virtual conference entitled Policing Pandemics, Balancing Rights. The conference communique and recordings of the conference are available online,…

Staff Writer9 October 2020

Call in the lawyers: Mitigating the Global Gag Rule ArticlesEquality RightsEquality Rights ArticlesEquality Rights HealthEquality Rights Health ArticlesEquality Rights NewsSADC

Call in the lawyers: Mitigating the Global Gag Rule

Article on the effects of the global gag rule, how it negatively impacts efforts to improve laws to ensure access to safe abortion in Africa and how lawyers can explore…

Tambudzai Gonese6 October 2020