The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has dismissed allegations that it is led by foreign nationals.
This news comes after a public outrage that the commission has hired a foreign national as head of research. It said that only 9% of its staff members were foreigners.
ATM parliamentary leader Vuyo Zungula and ActionSA national spokesperson Lerato Ngobeni had raised concerns about this matter, as they believe that a South African would have been better suited for the position.
The two politicians contended that a South African holding the post would have a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by their fellow citizens.
Constitutional legitimacy
Ngobeni told Sunday World that ActionSA is not necessarily concerned about nationality but about constitutional legitimacy and public confidence in the commission’s ability to protect the rights of citizens.
“The head of research shapes the commission’s findings, priorities, and policy advice. For such a senior role, we believe it is essential that the incumbent deeply understands South Africa’s historical and lived realities and is directly accountable to its people.
“So, while we value expertise from across the continent, we maintain that a South African citizen is best placed to lead this work, both to reflect the spirit of Section 181 of the constitution and to safeguard the commission’s credibility and independence in the eyes of the public,” said Ngobeni.
According to the commission’s spokesperson, Wisani Baloyi, seven of the 165 employees are not from South Africa. There is one foreign national among the 15 senior managers.
Most complaints from South Africans
He said the commission also rejects claims that it only serves foreigners.
“The SAHRC discharges its constitutional mandate to promote, protect, and monitor human rights in South Africa independently and impartially without fear, favour, or prejudice.
“This enjoins the commission to ensure that human rights in the country are addressed irrespective of one’s national status,” said Baloyi.
He highlighted that figures from the 2024/25 financial year show that the commission finalised 7 516 complaints.
Most of these came from South Africans, and where violations were found, corrective action was recommended.
He further stressed that the commission hires all its employees in accordance with South African laws, including the Labour Relations Act and its own internal regulations.
After the release of the four reports last week, Baloyi said human rights issues have been overshadowed by “misconceptions, misinformation, and a deliberate disinformation campaign about the commission’s work and its staff composition”.
The reports include the State of Human Rights in South Africa Report, the Monitoring the Implementation of Recommendations Report, the Section 184(3) Report, and the International and Regional Human Rights Report.
Public awareness campaigns
He said: “The commission will present these reports to parliament to guarantee prompt and sufficient attention to the aforementioned human rights issues.
“In other respects, the commission will subpoena relevant authorities and private actors and institute enquiries as well as engage in litigation to address these critical human rights concerns.
“The commission will further add vigour to its current public awareness campaigns to dispel untruths and misinformation and educate the public about its work and its commitment to promote and protect the rights of all South Africans.
“The commission recommits to continuing its work in line with its constitutional obligations and legislative mandate without fear, favour, or prejudice.”
