On October 26, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) opened an inquiry into human rights abuses of the Khomani San of Upington, in the Northern Cape of South Africa. The inquiry is the Commission’s first large initiative to investigate human rights abuses of the Khomani San. The inquiry will also assess how human rights legislation in the country’s Bill of Rights has been experienced by the Khomani San. The inquiry will take place in Anriesville, and will include evidence from the government, civil society, NGOs, and community members. Jody Kollapen, Chairperson of the SAHRC, and Zonke Majodina, Deputy Chairperson of the SAHRC, along with members of the Commission on the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities will preside over the inquiry.
Effects of the inquiry have already begun to take shape. Legal advisor to the Working Group for Indigenous Minorities in South Africa (WIMSA), Roger Chennells, explained, "As a result of pressure exerted by the Commission, the announcement was made that policemen associated with the death of one San person, Optel Rooi, and the assault of another will be formally charged. This is seen as a human rights victory in a context in which it is notoriously difficult to press charges against the police."
