Amnesty International South Africa

21/08/2026

The reported killing of multiple ward councillors in Knysna, including former mayor Aubrey Tsengwa, is deeply concerning. These killings are becoming far too common and point to a broader pattern of people being targeted and silenced through execution-style hits, which appears to have intensified in the lead up to local government elections. South African Police Service must urgently and thoroughly investigate these killings, establish the motives and ensure those responsible are brought to book.

South African Government South African Police Service must ensure the right to life is protected and civic space is safeguarded in the lead up to elections, and always. All political parties contesting the 2026 local government elections must ensure that they foster political tolerance to contribute towards preventing violence. The safety and security of everyone, no matter who they are, must be respected before, during and after elections. Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC)

12/08/2026

Gen Z inherited a world in crisis but refuse to accept it as inevitable. They’re choosing to shape the future themselves. For many, this has meant facing violence, intimidation, and arrest - and, in some cases, losing their lives.
Yet they keep showing up, choosing justice over fear. Those who dismiss this as naïve forget that every generation has had people willing to imagine something different - and brave enough to fight for it.

You’re never too young to shape the world.
And here you are, doing exactly that.

09/08/2026

READ | Decades after the end of apartheid, intersecting crises of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) and failing service delivery continue to trap women in cycles of poverty, risk, and inequality.

Decades after the end of apartheid, intersecting crises of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) and failing service delivery continue to trap women in cycles of poverty, risk, and inequality, Amnesty International South Africa said today. As South Africa commemorates Women’s Day, constitution...

09/08/2026

Here’s to the courageous women of 1956 who marched against the apartheid regime to defend human rights, and to women today – we see you, we hear you, we salute you 💜✊.

07/08/2026

Two years since the release of the report documenting the threats, attacks and killings of members of Abahlali baseMjondolo, human rights defenders are still under threat.

✊ Join the call to demand that South African Government The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DoJ & CD) develop legislation that protects these brave individuals:
https://campaigns.amnesty.org.za/page/154449/petition/1?ea.tracking.id=facebook

06/08/2026

The reported killing of a ward councillor in eThekwini is deeply alarming. This forms part of a broader pattern of people being targeted and silenced through execution-style hits, which threatens to intensify in the lead up to local government elections. South African Police Service must urgently and thoroughly investigate these killings, establish the motives and ensure those responsible are brought to book.

South African Government South African Police Service must ensure the right to life is protected and civic space is safeguarded in the lead up to elections, and always. All political parties contesting the 2026 local government elections must ensure that they foster political tolerance to contribute towards preventing violence. The safety and security of everyone, no matter who they are, must be respected before, during and after elections. Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC)

04/08/2026

"The failure of the state to act decisively against these groups has created a dangerous impression that people have the right to violate the rights of others simply because of their nationality or perceived immigration status," said Amnesty International South Africa’s Executive Director Shenilla Mohamed.

South African Government The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DoJ & CD) South African Police Service must act to uphold the rule of law and protect the constitutional rights of everyone living in South Africa.

🔗 Read more: https://amnesty.org.za/south-africa-authorities-must-end-vigilante-intimidation-and-investigate-police-complicity/

29/07/2026

27/07/2026

And the countdown begins! There are just 100 days left until local government elections 🗳️🚨

Are you ready to own your vote, unleash your power and raise your voice at the ballot box?

24/07/2026

Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a brutal war. The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues to be devastating for civilians. Tens of thousands of people have been killed, and many more injured. Sudan is currently facing severe human rights, humanitarian, and displacement crises.

To bear witness is not to passively observe suffering, but to actively acknowledge it, speak about it and refuse to allow it to disappear into silence. To bear witness means recognising the humanity behind the statistics: the children forced from classrooms, the families displaced from their homes and the young people whose futures have been interrupted by violence and instability. It is the absolute rejection of indifference and a commitment to ensuring that the experience of Sudanese civilians are neither erased nor ignored. Silence enables neglect; witnessing insists that Sudanese lives matter and that their suffering deserves global attention and response.