Whose Commission is it anyway? Citizens question the SAHRC’s loyalties

by Nomonde Simelane

With individuals such as a Ugandan Dr Martin Nsibirwa appointed as Head of Research, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has come under fire for protecting the interests of foreigners over the country’s citizens.

With South Africa dealing with a range of different issues and each day coming with more, citizens have turned their frustrations to organisations such as the SAHRC, which they believe has deviated from its intended purpose. The Chapter nine organisation, tasked with promoting and protecting citizens’ rights and ensuring government accountability, has come under fire with citizens citing their failure to do just that.

Some have identified the SAHRC as the culprit, putting some responsibility of the current mayhem that is the country’s political landscape and calling for its disbandment. This comes after Dr Martin Nsibirwa, who is Ugandan, was revealed as the SAHRC’s head of research, raising questions as to whether the organisation could not find a qualified South African to fill his position, as well as the many others occupied by foreigners.

Furthermore, these citizens have also voiced frustration at the organisation for consistently standing against the rights and interests of South Africans, and choose that of outsiders instead and use Operation Dudula as a case in point.

For South Africa’s poor and working class, the root of issues such as unemployment and the scarcity of state resources can be traced back to the influx of undocumented foreign nationals. According to these citizens,matters become problematic when employers opt for cheaper labour in the form of illegal immigrants, as well as when schools and hospitals are overcrowded by foreigners, leaving South Africans unable to utilise resources designated for them.

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