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SA's deeply uneven picture captured
Weekend Argus on Saturday
|March 21, 2026
WHILE South Africa has garnered respect for its human rights record, the demons of inequality, crime and service delivery are threatening the gains made in the long run.
An analytical assessment by human rights experts and analysts reveals a deeply uneven picture: strong protections for civil liberties on one hand, but ongoing struggles in socioeconomic rights, public safety, and service delivery on the other.
In a scorecard out of 10, their assessment shows a human rights landscape marked by stark contrasts.
The right to life is the lowest-scoring right at 3/10, reflecting the impact of violent crime and gender-based violence across communities.
Freedom of expression is the highest at 9/10, reflecting strong constitutional protections, an independent media environment, and active public debate.
Other rights fall in between, including housing at 7/10, education at 6/10, water and sanitation at 6/10, and freedom of choice at 5/10, showing uneven progress in socioeconomic rights.
Across multiple expert assessments, a consistent pattern emerges. The combined average scores from the analytical assessment, academic commentary, and civil society evaluations place housing at approximately 6.25/10, education at 5.9/10, water and sanitation at 5.75/10, freedom of expression at 8.25/10, freedom of choice at 6.5/10, and the right to life at 3.6/10. These averages reflect both constitutional strength and uneven implementation on the ground.
Professor Thuli Madonsela, director of the Centre for Social Justice in the Faculty of Law at Stellenbosch University said South Africa's democratic transition represents a clear break from its past. Madonsela explained that there is no doubt in her mind that things are better than they used to be before April 27, 1994.
Madonsela stated that legal equality is one of the country's most important achievements. She explained that no one can be denied an opportunity or preferred in the distribution of opportunities, resources and privileges because of their devalued identity.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der March 21, 2026-Ausgabe von Weekend Argus on Saturday.
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