Examining the status of human rights in South Africa
20 March 2023
This Human Rights Day, the FW de Klerk Foundation invites you to examine the degree to which rights and freedoms in the Bill of Rights are being enjoyed in practice through its annual Human Rights Report Card.
The Report considers the manner in which the State is meeting its obligations in terms of section 7(2) of the Constitution to respect, promote and fulfill the rights in the Bill of Rights. It also takes into account the foundational values in section 1 of the Constitution and - in particular - adherence to the rule of law and the supremacy of the Constitution on which all the rights in the Bill of Rights ultimately depend.
The unfortunate reality is that many South Africans are in a desperate situation which makes enjoying the full spectrum of the rights listed in this Report, impossible.
The 2022 Report identified the ten principal threats to human rights as: