GNU: Investing in young children is non-negotiable
Government of National Unity: Investing in young children is non-negotiable Thursday, 20 February 2025 As the Government of National Unity (GNU) returns to the drawing board on the 2025 National Budget, Real Reform for ECD is greatly encouraged by the now-withdrawn budget proposals for early childhood development (ECD). R10 billion in new funding was proposed for the ECD subsidy and R210 million was added to the ECD infrastructure grant–the single [...]
Upholding Womxn’s Right to Access Abortifacients
Upholding Womxn’s Right to Access Abortifacients: Clarifying Pharmacists’ Role in Reproductive Healthcare The South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC) has issued an e-Note confirming that pharmacists may not refuse to dispense abortifacients (a drug that induces abortion) due to personal beliefs or moral reasons. This e-Note comes after 13 NGOs and legal centres addressed an open letter to the South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC) and the National Department of Health. The [...]
SASSA’s SRD Grant Suspension: A Procedural and Rights Concern
27 January 2025 On 21 January 2025, the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) announced the suspension of SRD grant payments to all beneficiaries suspected of fraudulent activity. According to the statement released by SASSA, it was the responsibility of beneficiaries to check their status online to determine whether they were affected. However, in the same statement, SASSA revealed that their online verification service had been suspended until further notice. [...]
Tribal Levies Declared Unconstitutional
On the 20th of December 2024, the Constitutional Court delivered judgement declaring section 25 of the Limpopo Traditional Leadership and Institutions Act 6 of 2005 (‘the Limpopo Act’) unconstitutional. Section 25 of the Limpopo Act provided that a traditional council may, with the approval of the Premier, levy a traditional council rate upon every taxpayer of the traditional area concerned. The Legal Resources Centre (LRC) represented members of traditional communities [...]
Hope for 2025: High Court Orders Department to Provide Transport
The High Court ruled that the Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDOE) and Department of Transport (ECDOT) must provide scholar transport to all qualifying learners for the 2025 school year. The judgment affects approximately 40,000 learners and mandates that transport requests be resolved by the end of January 2025. The departments are also required to create catch-up plans for learners who missed transport in 2024 and provide individualized reasons for [...]