Human rights in South Africa

Apartheid was a system of segregation and discrimination implemented by a White minority against the Black majority. Many of South Africa's anti-apartheid laws have been enacted while keeping in mind that what is seen by the international community, human rights organisations, and the Black majority in the country as the social and legal injustices associated with apartheid, and its anti-apartheid message has been hailed as an exemplary face of a Sub-Saharan nation. == Education rights ==

The South African government has legislated for equal education throughout the country. This legislation includes the White Paper on Education and Training 1995 and the South African Schools Act, Act 84 of 1996. The South African government tends to focus primarily on the quality of higher education. Though laws allow for integration, many schools remain predominantly one race. Rural schools Most of the Education in South Africa is provided by rural schools. In fact, approximately 79% of Black South Africans live in rural communities. Some students do not have enough food to eat and are hungry during school. This hunger causes a lack on concentration and makes learning environments less favorable. South Africa has schools that cater for students with disabilities, but these schools are limited in number and require fees to be paid. The limited number of schools forces children to either board or use costly transport. In 2000, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child was specifically concerned with the lack of implementation of South Africa's agreement to guarantee free primary education. South Africa still struggles to provide free primary education for all. Additionally, many disabled students are not able to access quality education because they are on waiting lists for schools that cater to students with special needs. For example, in 2015, there were approximately 5,552 children with disabilities on waiting lists. ==Press freedom==

South Africa has a liberal constitution that protects all fundamental political freedoms. However, there have been a number of incidents of political repression as well as threats of future repression in violation of this constitution leading some analysts and civil society organisations to conclude that there is or could be a new climate of political repression or a decline in political tolerance. Political patronage is a significant aspect in South African politics. This dependence on the state lessens the autonomy of South Africans in need of this assistance. These necessities are supplied in the form of grants, which require governmental documents to obtain. Consequently, bureaucracy plays a major role in an individual's ability to obtain a grant and thus obtain necessities. Politicians gain substituents based on material promises. If the politicians fulfill these promises, often the recipients are only those who supported the politicians. Essentially, voters' dependence on the state precludes their ability to vote based on ideological platforms. This phenomenon does not align with the democratic principles of South Africa. == Welfare ==

As of 2021, roughly 30% of South Africans (18 million out of the country's population of 60 million) received government grants. This number increased sharply during the coronavirus pandemic; in October 2020, more than 70% of South Africans were living in a household receiving government support. The 1997 "White Paper on Social Welfare" outlines South Africa's social welfare policy. The White Paper on Social Welfare focuses on providing South Africans with opportunities for increased autonomy. == Health ==

, Soweto South Africa has a plethora of infectious disease cases. Malaria is significant cause of death because of a lack of resources to treat patients. Additionally, the water is dirty with human and industrial waste which contributes to the spread of disease. For example, many of the people living in the Hillbrow Health Precinct are not legal and have poor health resources. Specifically, some hospital buildings were built before World War II. It was first detected in 1982. However, the play was not clear and did not significantly help with sex education. Much of the HIV/AIDS treatment and progress has been funded by non-profit organizations such as WHO and UNAIDS. Possible causes There are multiple theories about the causes of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa. Some theorise that migrant workers were a source of the proliferation of the disease. The migrant workers usually would not see their wives and families for months, so they had extramarital sexual intercourse in the cities. Then, later during the holidays, husbands would return home and unknowingly infect their wives with the disease. Another theory is that the culture makes South Africa more vulnerable to the epidemic. For example, male circumcision at birth reduces the risk of the child getting HIV/AIDS. However, many South Africans do not do this procedure because it is not traditional to do circumcision at birth. Additionally, inadequate access to quality healthcare can exacerbate the epidemic. There is quite a disparity between public and private healthcare. Overall, public hospitals provide worse care than private hospitals do. Public hospitals are generally overcrowded and understaffed. In fact, 82% of South Africans are cared for by 27% of South Africa's general physicians. The difference in these percentages is caused by general physicians moving to the private healthcare sector and by brain drain. Brain drain is when professionals emigrate from their home country to work elsewhere. Also, the disparity is caused by the fact that private hospitals have more resources and funds than public hospitals do because of the higher fees at private hospitals. ==Deportation of foreigners==

The South African government has been criticised by Human Rights Watch for deporting hundreds of thousands of Zimbabwean refugees and treating victims of political violence as economic migrants. By sending refugees back to persecution, Human Rights Watch has asserted that South Africa is violating the refugee convention and international law. On 17 September 2020, Human Rights Watch published a 64-page report detailing the widespread xenophobic violence in South Africa. The report also contained video footage and witness testimony. Despite the March 2019 adoption of a government action plan to combat xenophobia, African and Asian foreigners in the country suffer routine harassment and abuse. ==Sexual and LGBT rights==

Sexism South Africa has faced issues regarding gender inequality in court cases. A prominent example is that of Jacob Zuma's Rape Trial in 2006. A 2009 survey found one in four South African men admitted to raping someone and another survey found one in three women out of 4000 surveyed women said they had been raped in the past year. Rapes are also perpetrated by children (some as young as ten). Child and baby rape incidences are some of the highest in the world. Many high-profile baby rapes that included extensive reconstructive surgery to rebuild urinary, genital, abdominal, or tracheal systems have appeared. Same-sex marriage The Civil Union Act 17 of 2006 legalized same-sex marriage in South Africa. It was a direct response to the Minister of Home Affairs v Fourie case, where the Constitutional Court declared the lack of legal recognition of same-sex relationships unconstitutional and gave Parliament a year to remedy the situation. Intersex rights Intersex people in South Africa have some of the same rights as other people, but with significant gaps in protection from non-consensual cosmetic medical interventions and protection from discrimination. The country was the first to explicitly include intersex people in anti-discrimination law. == Labour rights ==

Legal South Africa has implicit and explicit labour regulations. The Labour Relations Act 66 allows workers to create unions and collectively bargain. Over the years, the number of unions in South Africa have declined. The New Employment Equity Act 55 was created to lessen discrimination. It also provides parameters for affirmative action. The Skills Development Act 97 promotes worker productivity and competitiveness in the market. Unions South Africa has some labour-related issues. One aspect is the formation of unions. In 2012, the Marikana Massacre occurred. 78 people were wounded and 259 were arrested. One reason for this brutality was that the strike was not protected. Additionally, poorly paid farm workers have been striking. One example is the Western Cape Farm worker strike, in which the workers were mostly female. The strike resulted in 3 deaths, but the workers got a 52% increase in pay. This strike was also unprotected. There was another platinum mining strike in 2014, but it differed from the 2012 platinum mining strike because it was protected. The protection prevented police brutality. In fact, this strike lasted for five months. Consequently, the world's platinum production decreased by 40% because of the lack of labour. The worker's wages did increase as a result, but the workers also suffered losses because of the "no work, no pay" policy in South Africa. Workers who strike are generally strongly motivated, even with protected strikes, because there is much risk of loss. Foreign The union membership rate in South Africa is one of the highest in the world. Furthermore, the risk of union conflict is a deterrent for foreign companies. South Africa is receptive to foreign companies because they create jobs. The unemployment rate in South Africa is approximately 30%. The government encourages foreign and disadvantaged domestic company partnerships by giving benefits to foreign companies. Also, the South African government requires that businesses with government contracts donate to social programs. Also, South Africa has a high number of migrant workers from rural areas throughout Africa, which gives foreign companies a large labour force to choose from. ==Historical situation==

The following chart shows South Africa's ratings in the Freedom in the World reports, published annually by Freedom House, since 1972. A rating of 1 is "free"; 7, "not free". ==International treaties==

South Africa's stances on international human rights treaties are as follows: == See also ==