SECTION27 is a public interest law centre that uses and develops the law to advance human rights.

IST reports on the state of the health system and the public's right to know

More than a year after their finalisation and after many frustrated attempts by civil society organisations and the media to access them – including through the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 – SECTION27 and the Rural Health Advocacy Project (RHAP) have finally been leaked copies of all the provincial reports compiled by the Integrated Support Teams (ISTs). Up to this point, the only report we have received officially is a consolidated report available here. This report is important, but lacks the necessary detail to allow civil society to engage with different challenges in different provinces.

The IST reports on each province were commissioned by the former Minister of Health, Barbara Hogan, in response to the massive budgetary shortfalls that over-whelmed provincial departments of health (PDoHs) in the 2008/2009 financial year, which reached crisis levels when the Free State Department of Health issued a moratorium on the initiation of new patients onto antiretroviral treatment in November 2008. After civil society pressure, that moratorium was finally lifted in February 2009.

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Reports of the Integrated Support Teams

The reports on this page are those of the Integrated Support Teams (ISTs) which have been provided to SECTION27 and the Rural Health Advocacy Project (RHAP). The IST reports were commissioned by the former Minister of Health, Barbara Hogan, in response to the massive budgetary shortfalls that over-whelmed provincial departments of health (PDoHs) in the 2008/2009 financial year, which reached crisis levels when the Free State Department of Health issued a moratorium on the initiation of new patients onto antiretroviral treatment from November 2008 to February 2009.

10 reports were commissioned in total, one for each provincial department of health and one for the National Department of Health – which we have not been able to access as of yet. In addition, a Consolidated Report was produced that pulled together findings from the individual department reports. These reports contain an honest, sobering assessment of the inadequate financial capacity of provincial departments of health that have led to the development of over R7.5 billion in provincial debt as of April 2009. The findings in these reports reveal fundamental failures in political and bureaucratic leadership, inappropriate financial management systems, inadequate monitoring and evaluation systems, and a failure to plan appropriately for human resources, amongst others.

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A Week into the Public Sector Strike

A week into the public sector strike the Treatment Action Campaign and SECTION27 regret that no agreement has been reached between striking public service workers and the government. We support the demands of workers and their right to strike. But we regret the growing polarisation, pain and loss of life. This is now a political crisis that requires political leadership and a solution.

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Promotional video clip of A Country For My Daughter

In A Country For My Daughter Nonkosi Khumalo travels around the country investigating the stories of brave women whose court cases have transformed the law in South Africa for the better. The cases range from rape within a family to holding the Minister of Safety and Security liable, in cases where police were involved in violence against women. Through these stories, Nonkosi learns of the laws available to protect South African women and how they can be used.

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Continuing the activist dialogue

The politics of South Africa after the World Cup: Strategies for taking forward struggles for equality, dignity and social justice in South Africa

SECTION27 was launched at a conference of activists, legal professionals, and civil society organisations on May 6 – 7 2010. That conference began a discussion on the state of the Constitution, human rights and rule of law in South Africa, and the role that activists, lawyers, and civil society organisations should have in the continued struggle for the realisation of equality and dignity in South Africa.

In continuation of the discussions begun at that conference, SECTION27 hosted an activist dialogue – The Politics of South Africa after the World Cup: Strategies for Taking Forward Struggles for Equality, Dignity and Social Justice in South Africa – on 5 August 2010 to further discuss the links between current politics, the use of human rights law and the Constitution, and struggle.

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Civil Society Organisations Call on Government to Negotiate a Fair Deal for Public Servants

The Social Justice organisations listed below support the right of public sector workers to take industrial action to enforce their demand for a reasonable salary increase and other demands related to their conditions of employment. Quality service delivery depends on a fairly remunerated, motivated and accountable public service.

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Neo-natal circumcision not in conflict with Children's Act of 2005

Much confusion has been generated recently regarding the legality of performing medical male circumcision on boys below the age of 16 in South Africa. This confusion seems to be based on a poor reading of the Children’s Act 38 of 2005. This confusion has caused some providers to be hesitant to perform circumcisions on infant boys, even where the parents have provided consent and slowed down the implementation of programmes ultimately aimed at preventing new HIV infections in the future.

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The South African Child Gauge

The South African Child Gauge is the only publication in the country that provides an annual snap-shot of the status of South Africa’s children.
It is published by the Children’s Institute, University of Cape Town, to track South Africa’s progress towards realising children’s rights.
The latest issue focuses on the theme ‘Healthy children: From survival to optimal development‘.

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The making of 'A Country For My Daughter'

Director Lucilla Blankenberg, producer Janine Tilley and Nonkosi Khumalo take you through the journey of the making of A Country For My Daughter.
In “A Country For My Daughter” Nonkosi travels around the country investigating the stories of brave women whose court cases have transformed the law in South Africa for the better.

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Social justice organisations denounce the arrest of Sunday Times journalist, Mzilikazi wa Afrika

We are organisations that campaign for social justice. The success of our work is dependent on respect for the Constitution, especially the Bill of Rights. The right to free expression and freedom of the press and other media are essential components of democracy. That is why they are contained in the Bill of Rights. They are one of the essential means by which all people in South Africa, especially the vulnerable, exploited and poor, can hold government and the powerful private business sector to account.

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