30th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution On the third day of Reality Check, Professor Tshepo Madlingozi reflected on the 30th anniversary of South Africa’s 1996 Constitution and its role in addressing the National Question. Building on the previous day’s discussion of reparations and reconciliation, he argued that meaningful nation-building requires a truthful reckoning with the past, alongside concrete efforts to repair historical harm. Reparations and reconcilia

On the second day of Reality Check, Professor Madlingozi explored the relationship between reparations, reconciliation and nation-building, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). Building on his argument that South Africa has yet to forge a truly united, non-racial and non-sexist nation, he suggested that the persistence of racism, racial distrust and social division points to an incomplete reconciliation process. He noted that

Professor Tshepo Madlingozi opened the series by reflecting on what he described as one of the most important yet insufficiently understood challenges facing South Africa: the unresolved National Question. Marking the 150th anniversary of the birth of Tshekisho Solomon Plaatje , founding Secretary-General of the South African Native National Congress (later the ANC), celebrated intellectual and author of Native Life in South Africa, Madlingozi drew on Plaatje’s enduring insig

Professor Tshepo Madlingozi was invited as a special guest contributor to SAfm’s The National Briefing, the country’s premier weekday current affairs breakfast programme hosted by Cathy Mohlahlana. Over five consecutive mornings, from 4 to 8 May 2026, he contributed to the programme’s flagship editorial segment, Reality Check. Described by SAfm as a “five-day journey of national reflection”, Reality Check is designed to move beyond the constraints of daily news cycles by crea

SAHRC Commissioner, Professor Tshepo Madlingozi, recently stated on SABC News that the South African Human Rights Commission cannot enforce binding directives following a ruling by the Constitutional Court. Although the Commission retains the power to investigate and recommend action, it now depends on the courts to ensure compliance with its findings. This situation raises critical questions about what enforcement mechanisms remain available to the Commission and what steps

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) says it is considering approaching parliament to pass a legislative amendment, giving it the power to make its directives binding.

The SAHRC says it receives 10 000 complaints annually and that it lacks the litigation budget to enforce non compliance in court, prompting plans to approach parliament for legislative amendments

Professor Tshepo Madlingozi and host Professor Stewart Motha consider how world-destroying aspects of colonialism have survived in the supposedly post-apartheid era. Madlingozi explains what it would mean to reconstitute a society and nation in the context of decolonisation.

Sello Hatang was in conversation with Prof Tshepo Madlingozi, Commissioner at the SA Human Rights Commission.

I n this podcast Gift Nkosinathi Xaba, from CDH's Pro Bono & Human Rights practice, and Prof Tshepo Madlingozi zoom into and unpack the 2025 SAHRC Schools Readiness Report and the current state of public basic education in South Africa; Assess the real-world impact of the systemic challenges in our public basic education system; and explore pragmatic, rights-based solutions to address these systemic challenges that threaten not only the realisation of the constitutional right

Prof Tshepo Madlingozi, Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission, participated in the discussion alongside Seth Mazibuko, a former Robben Island inmate, 1976 student leader, and the patron and historian of the Seth Mazibuko Foundation, and Dr Pali Lehohla, the former Statistician General of South Africa. This came after President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Human Rights Day address, in which he stated: "There can be no doubt that over the past 30 years, we have done much to restore

Stellenbosch University has appointed human rights scholar and activist Tshepo Madlingozi as an extraordinary professor at its Centre for Social Justice. The appointment strengthens the centre’s research and policy engagement on constitutionalism, reparative justice and human rights.

The Constitutional Court has heard arguments on whether the recommendations of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) carry the same legal weight as those of the Public Protector's office. The commission is appealing a Supreme Court of Appeal ruling from last year, which found that its directives are not binding. Safm speaks to SAHRC Commissioner Tshepo Madlingozi

The South African Human Rights Commission says budget cuts are negatively impacting the provision of quality education in public schools already plagued by a lack of infrastructure. "One of the biggest challenges is austerity, there has been budget cuts. While we understand fiscal consolidation, austerity undercuts constitutional promises," said SAHRC commissioner Tshepo Madlingozi. Click on this link to read the full article: https://www.jacarandafm.com/news/news/sahrc-repo

Thursday marks the 6th International Day against bullying and violence at school. This year, we observe it in the wake of the Milnerton High School bullying incident and Mthatha's St John's College's sexual violence allegations, which have sent shockwaves throughout the country.

This month, on 15 September, parliaments, national human rights institutions and civil society around the world observed the International Day of Democracy, declared as such by the UN General Assembly in 2007. This year’s observation also serves as a reminder of the need to promote and protect democracy against increased threats to it – the likes of which we are witnessing globally, and in our country.

Professor Mosibudi Mangena’s September 21, 2025 column in the Sunday World titled, “Declaring ‘South Africa belongs to all who live in it” is stupid and counterproductive” refers. The column raises important questions about nation building and post-apartheid belongingness that are worth debating. I will return to these issues in a moment. Unfortunately, the good prof spoils the column with misleading statements about the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC). He claim

This year is the 40th anniversary of the first State of Emergency by the apartheid regime. In recalling this ignoble anniversary, I choose to focus on the challenge the apartheid regime sought to address with that unprecedented suppression tool: people’s power. I posit that one of the outcomes of the National Dialogue ought to be the reinvigoration of the spirit and praxis of people’s power.

Based on the prevalence of discrimination and the perpetration of violence against the LGBTQIA+ community, it is evident that we still have a long way to go to achieve substantive equality, but as we shift our focus towards prioritising the changing of hearts and minds through proactive interventions and restorative justice, we may be closer than ever to walking the path to equality, and experiencing pride in true change. Read the full article here: https://groundup.org.za/

Tshidi Madia in for Clement Manyathela speaks to Prof. Tshepo Madlingozi, a Commissioner at the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) about role the institution plays in promoting and protecting human rights in the country.