CALS joins forty other organisations in calling for thirteen priorities for the new Equitable Access to Land Bill to ensure land justice Find out more: www.wits.ac.za/news/sources...

New op-ed from our Lulama Madyaka: “Perhaps one day, queer people will attend Pride marches without fearing for their safety... Until then, Pride must remain both a celebration of how far the struggle has come and a reminder of how much remains to be done.” www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/...

Pride is more than a parade — the importance of queer freedom

October is Pride Month in South Africa. Thousands of LGBTQIA+ people and their allies will gather at Pride marches nationwide, celebrating their identities while demanding freedom from discrimination,...

dailymaverick.co.za

New opinion out! Our Dr Anesu Dera along with Phyllia Ngoatje and Maxine Bezuidenhout reflects on where we are in the process of negotiating for a #BindingTreaty on corporate accountability sowetan.co.za/opinion/columnists/2026-10-14-opinion-treaty-seeks-justice-for-communities-in-mining-regions/

OPINION | Treaty seeks justice for communities in mining regions

The proposed legally binding instrument on business and human rights is seen as a crucial step for SA, say the writers

sowetan.co.za

Day 3 of the #BindingTreaty negotiations saw our Dr Anesu Dera participate in a side event titled “Environmental Justice in the UN Binding Treaty: Corporate Accountability, Conflict and the Right to a Healthy Environment”

Day 2 of the #BindingTreay negotiations saw our Dr Anesu Dera make a key submission at the UN in Geneva The submission highlights the need for a dedicated international tribunal to strengthen corporate accountability and access to justice for victims of corporate abuse

Day 1 of negotiations on the #BindingTreaty on business and human rights saw our Anesu Dera advocating for a strong, effective and enforceable treaty that delivers justice and effective remedies victims of corporate human rights abuses

Over the weekend, our outreach team participated in the annual EleaThom Mentorship Seminar held at Bowmans to engage with law students and recent graduates about career opportunities in public interest law

Friday reading: Our @leeannegaertner.bsky.social unpacks the language and visual messages of election posters mg.co.za/thought-lead...

What election posters in Joburg reveal | Mail & Guardian

An insightful visual and linguistic analysis of the election posters lining Johannesburg's streets, exploring how political parties craft short, impactful…

mg.co.za

Last week, Obakeng Ramare represented CALS at the African Business and Human Rights Forum held in Dakar, Senegal #AfricanBHRForum Obakeng contributed to important conversations on corporate accountability, environmental justice, community power and access to information

Friday reading: Our @leeannegaertner.bsky.social writes about her experiences running as a woman in a country where gender-based violence and femicide are so pervasive mg.co.za/thought-lead...

A prayer run for Tsontso | Mail & Guardian

A personal reflection on the daily fear, hypervigilance, and quiet acts of resistance experienced by women running alone in South Africa amid the ongoing…

mg.co.za

New op-ed out: Our Lulama Madyaka, Mazi Choshane and Robert Krause discuss a new bill which proposes penalties of up to 30 years’ imprisonment and a R100-million fine for mining without a permit www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026...

Blunt-force justice — new bill proposes excessive punishment for artisanal mining

The General (Mining) Laws Amendment Bill proposes penalties of up to 30 years’ imprisonment and a R100-million fine for unlicensed mining. But the Bill fails to distinguish between violent criminal ne...

dailymaverick.co.za

Catch up on recent CALS highlights in the latest edition of our quarterly newsletter: payg.rocketseed.net/public/messa... Or sign up for future editions here: wits.ac.za/cals/cals-qu...

Reminder: The call for proposals for this year's Public Interest Law Gathering is open until Monday 28 September 💡 Find out more: www.wits.ac.za/news/sources... 🔗 Register to attend: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Centre for Applied Legal Studies@calsza.bsky.social · 2mo ago

This year's Public Interest Law Gathering #PILG2026 takes place on 26 and 27 October Submit your proposal for a panel by 28 September Find out more: wits.ac.za/news/sources... Register to attend here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

What has happened to the women of Ekurhuleni is not a headline we can look away from. It is appalling. It is heartbreaking. And it is, unfortunately, not unique. Gender-based violence and femicide is a systemic issue – and only an urgent, structural response will address this

“Solidarity means... recognising that our struggles are connected – and making sure that when power tries to isolate one of us, it finds all of us.” Thank you to all the activists and organisations that made this year's #ActivistSymposium possible!

📢 Activist Symposium 2026 | Solidarity across borders LHR joined human rights defenders, activists and partners in Maputo for this year’s Activist Symposium, centred on a critical question: What does solidarity look like in a time of increasing repression and shrinking civic space?

CALS mourns the women killed in Ekurhuleni. We also grieve for the thousands of others affected by gender-based violence and femicide every year. Our country has strong legal protections – what we lack is implementation. We need action on GBVF – now. www.wits.ac.za/news/sources...

LISTEN: Our Busisiwe Kamolane-Kgadima discusses the human rights impacts of automating decisions about who should get social grants www.ewn.co.za/2026/09/16/h...

How SASSA's algorithm could be wrongly rejecting grant applicants

SASSA's automated SRD checks can reject applicants over money in their bank accounts, with limited opportunities to explain transactions before an appeal.

ewn.co.za

What does solidarity mean to you? Staff from CALS, @right2protestafrka.bsky.social and @lhr-sa.bsky.social share their thoughts in the lead up to this year's #ActivistSymposium

South South cooperation gives us an opportunity to learn from each other, share what works, build stronger movements and turn solidarity into practice. Solidarity means showing up, sharing what we have, learning from each other and building together.

Activists benefit from knowing that we are not facing these struggles alone. Across borders, communities and movements are confronting many of the same challenges, from shrinking civic space and attacks on HRDs to environmental injustice, inequality and state repression.

@calsza.bsky.social, Lawyers for Human Rights, the Centre for Environmental Rights, the Right2Protest Project and Amnesty International South Africa are working to build stronger networks across Africa and the Global South to strengthen activism and collective action.

For activists across the Global South, solidarity is not only about standing with each other. It is about building relationships, sharing knowledge and resources, learning from one another and strengthening movements through collective action.

📢Today is United Nations Day for South South Cooperation. What does solidarity mean in practice? How can we share struggles, strategies and lessons across borders?

In case you missed it: Read about the human rights implications of automating decisions about who gets to access social grants.

Centre for Applied Legal Studies@calsza.bsky.social · last mo.

READ: Our Blossom Matizirofa and Busisiwe Kamolane-Kgadima unpack our recent arguments in the Supreme Court of Appeal. “Automation by the state must still comply with the constitutional rights to just administration, equality and dignity.” www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026...

READ: Our Blossom Matizirofa and Busisiwe Kamolane-Kgadima unpack our recent arguments in the Supreme Court of Appeal. “Automation by the state must still comply with the constitutional rights to just administration, equality and dignity.” www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026...

Flawed Sassa grant algorithms deepen inequality and violate constitutional rights

Sassa’s automated, digital-only verification system for the Social Relief of Distress grant is erroneously excluding vulnerable South Africans as without human review it fails to capture the true cont...

dailymaverick.co.za

What does solidarity mean in practice? How can we share struggles and strategies across borders? CALS, @lhr-sa.bsky.social, @right2protestafrka.bsky.social, CER and Amnesty are working to build networks across Africa and the Global South to strengthen activism

How can lawyers support activists? What happens when the law itself becomes a tool of repression? CALS, @lhr-sa.bsky.social @right2protestafrka.bsky.social, CER and Amnesty use the law as a tool to advance social change and counter repression #DefendingDissent

About two-thirds of adults in South Africa don’t vote in local government elections. Read groundup.org.za/article/1-in... by The Outlier and GroundUp Staff

Why do elections pose an increased risk to activists? How can we prepare for electoral repression? CALS, @lhr-sa.bsky.social, @right2protestafrka.bsky.social, CER and Amnesty support activists facing different kinds of repressive tactics around elections #DefendingDissent