Legal Resources Centre

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Legal Resources Centre The LRC is a human rights organization in South Africa. We have offices in Johannesburg, Durban, Makhanda and Cape Town.

We empower individuals and communities through the law - to promote social justice, champion equality and realise the human rights enshrined in our Constitution. We use the law as an instrument of justice for the vulnerable and marginalised, including poor, homeless, and landless people and communities who suffer discrimination by reason of race, class, gender, disability or by reason of social, economic, and historical circumstances. Our work takes us from the heart of urban cities to the most remote rural areas in South Africa. We also participate in networks that involve the Southern African region and the African continent. More than 70 lawyers and staff work for the LRC from our four regional offices.

05/10/2026

We are a month out from the 4 November elections!

As the Legal Resources Centre, we believe we have a duty to not only keep the public informed, but also bring information to where people are, and in formats they understand. The LRC and State Capture and Beyond have been doing voter workshops around the country, bringing communities face-to-face with political parties and what they have to say.

In line with this, The Digital Justice Programme has - as part of its Public Awareness Campaign - written a comprehensive report on "Contextualising Political Advertising Policy To Political Micro-Targeting In The South Africa 2024 Election". Political microtargeting is the practice of tailoring campaign messages to specific voter segments based on person data.

In this video, we tell you how that is dangerous, and why you should be on the lookout for it before deciding who to vote for in a month's time.

We encourage all to read manifestos, stay informed, and stay abreast of new political developments; then go vote on the 4th of November!

Read the report on our website: https://lrc.org.za/docs/political-ad-policy-micro-targeting-in-south-africas-elections/

The tech world is exponentially and rapidly advancing without any substantive regulatory advancement to match it.The Afr...
01/10/2026

The tech world is exponentially and rapidly advancing without any substantive regulatory advancement to match it.

The African Internet Rights Alliance's (AIRA) is a regional alliance committed to ensuring that communities, especially the most vulnerable, are protected from the clear human rights abuses that arise out of the development of AI, social media, surveillance and other forms of tech.

Legal Resources Centre Attorney Kimal attended the Forum for Internet Freedom in Africa 2026 conference in Mauritius, and participated in AIRA’s annual convening as the delegate for the Legal Resources Centre (which is a member organisation of AIRA). AIRA reflected on past and ongoing collaborative and individual efforts across Africa to realise a human rights respecting digital ecosystem. Translating freedom of expression, privacy, human dignity, equality, public participation etc into the digital world.

Furthermore, the Forum discussed future collaborative efforts that member organisations would like to work on together as an alliance, and reaffirmed their commitment to ongoing collaborative projects such as the, still in development, AI Accountability Investigation Tool.

AIRA ensures that African CSOs do not work in vacuums and rather that we share knowledge, resources and experiences. In this way we ensure a pan-African advancement of digital justice.


ARTICLE 19

When land rights are challenged, people must have a fair chance to respond.On 22 September 2026, the Legal Resources Cen...
29/09/2026

When land rights are challenged, people must have a fair chance to respond.

On 22 September 2026, the Legal Resources Centre represented members of the Rooifontein community, who live on Portion 5 and 8 of Rooifontein farm 171 JR.

The LRC represented a member of the Rooifontein community in an urgent application brought by the municipality and the traditional authority. The urgent application sought an interdict against our client, challenging his rights and use of the land.

The Rooifontein community that resides on portion 5 and 8 are occupiers and holders of informal land rights protected under the Interim Protection of Informal Land Rights Act 31 of 1996 (IPILRA). The matter was brought on an urgent basis, requiring our client to respond within extremely truncated timeframes, without sufficient justification for the urgency claimed.

We appeared on behalf of our client and set out that there is no case for urgency. The matter was subsequently struck from the roll for lack of urgency with a costs order against the applicants.

The LRC remains committed to supporting and defending communities in the protection of their rights to land and secure tenure.

Heritage lives in people, places and practices.It lives in the knowledge passed between generations, in the fisher’s und...
24/09/2026

Heritage lives in people, places and practices.

It lives in the knowledge passed between generations, in the fisher’s understanding of the tides, in customary fishing practices and in the spiritual relationship that communities have with the ocean.

This Heritage Day, we recognise the Wild Coast communities whose determination secured an important Constitutional Court judgment protecting far more than a coastline.

For years, communities from Umgungundlovu, Dwesa Cwebe and other parts of the Wild Coast opposed an unlawfully granted exploration right that threatened their livelihoods, customary fishing, culture, spiritual practices and the marine environment on which they depend.

The Legal Resources Centre, together with Richard Spoor Incorporated, represented Sustaining the Wild Coast, community members, small scale fishers and All Rise Attorneys in their challenge to the exploration right granted to Impact Africa and Shell.

On 14 August 2026, the Constitutional Court set aside the exploration right and its renewals. This means that Impact Africa and Shell no longer hold any right to explore for oil and gas off the Wild Coast under the 2014 exploration right.

The judgment confirmed that consultation cannot be treated as an afterthought. Communities must be heard before decisions are made about the land, waters and natural resources that sustain their lives and carry their histories.

It also recognised that claims of investment and development cannot simply outweigh constitutional rights. Decision makers must consider who benefits, who carries the cost and what may be lost when development threatens culture, livelihoods and the environment.

Heritage is not preserved only in museums or monuments. It is also protected when communities can continue practising their culture, drawing livelihoods from their ancestral waters and passing their knowledge to future generations.

Today, we honour the Wild Coast communities whose courage and persistence have strengthened the protection of cultural rights, community participation and living heritage across South Africa.

On 15 and 16 September 2026, the LRC participated in the Civil Society National Workshop on Equitable Access to Land in ...
22/09/2026

On 15 and 16 September 2026, the LRC participated in the Civil Society National Workshop on Equitable Access to Land in Cape Town. The workshop explored the proposed Equitable Access to Land Bill and how it could give effect to section 25(5) of the Constitution.

Civil society organisations discussed practical recommendations for legislation that promotes equitable access to land for rural and urban communities through institutional reform and inclusive land governance. Government has indicated that the Bill will be published later this year.

The LRC has worked in the land reform sector for many years, including on land restitution, redistribution and tenure security. We believe the proposed Bill presents an opportunity to reconsider what equitable access to land should mean and how it can benefit poor and marginalised communities.

Clear legislation could strengthen the land reform process by establishing transparent, fair and administratively sound procedures through which people can gain access to land.

We encourage individuals and communities to follow developments relating to the Bill and submit comments once it is published for public participation. The LRC will monitor the process and share further information when it becomes available.

What is the deal with data centres, and what could their rapid expansion mean for Cape Town’s communities?Data centres r...
21/09/2026

What is the deal with data centres, and what could their rapid expansion mean for Cape Town’s communities?

Data centres require enormous amounts of electricity and water to operate. Their development can place further pressure on already constrained public resources, affect municipal services and utility costs, and reshape land use and local development. Yet communities are often given little information about these developments or how decisions are made.

While data centres are presented as sources of investment, innovation and employment, important questions remain. What kinds of jobs will be created, and who will benefit from them? How will scarce water and electricity be allocated? What safeguards will protect communities, workers and the environment? Most importantly, will the people affected have a meaningful say?

Join communities, civil society organisations and academic experts for a public discussion about the environmental, economic and social impact of artificial intelligence and data centre infrastructure.

This is an opportunity to ask questions, share your concerns and help shape the public debate about how our shared resources are used.

Decisions of this scale should not be made without the knowledge and participation of the communities that will live with their consequences.

The meeting is free and open to everyone.
🗓️ Saturday, 26 September 2026
⏰ 09:00 to 12:30
📍: Central Methodist Mission, Greenmarket Square, Cape Town

Register here: https://forms.gle/JTyLyAF4QwtT8rPQ8

A victory for South Africans’ right to shape the laws that affect their lives.The Constitutional Court has declared the ...
18/09/2026

A victory for South Africans’ right to shape the laws that affect their lives.

The Constitutional Court has declared the Public Procurement Act unconstitutional because Parliament failed to facilitate meaningful public participation before adopting it. On 17 September 2026, the Constitutional Court ruled in favour of amaBhungane represented by the LRC, finding that Parliament had failed to facilitate meaningful public participation in adopting the Public Procurement Act. The entire act was consequently declared unconstitutional.

The Public Procurement Act was intended to reshape how the entire public sector procures goods and services. It would affect hundreds of public institutions, state entities and organs of state, as well as businesses seeking to contract with the state and communities that depend on public services. Legislation with consequences this extensive must be developed through a process that gives the public a genuine opportunity to be heard and to influence the outcome.

Yet Parliament failed to consider a significant number of public submissions, did not reopen the participation process after substantive amendments were made to the Bill, and subjected the process to rushed and unreasonable timeframes. As the Court stated: “Where Parliament does not engage with a significant number of comments, those comments fall on deaf ears; their submitters lose the right to be heard and a meaningful opportunity to influence legislative decisions.”

This failure is particularly indefensible because South Africa urgently needs effective procurement legislation. Public procurement is a major channel for corruption and the misuse of public funds, but the need for reform cannot justify disregarding the Constitution. Parliament must now ensure that the public can meaningfully shape how public money is spent.

Read the full press release to learn more: https://lrc.org.za/concourt-invalidates-procurement-act-over-public-participation/



State Capture and Beyond
Brot für die Welt
Human Rights Media Trust

16/09/2026

The Legal Resources Centre legal team has helped secure greater protection for schools and learners across the Eastern Cape province.

On 19 August 2026, the Makhanda High Court handed down an order by agreement declaring several funding decisions taken by the Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDOE) unlawful, unconstitutional and invalid in the matter of Makhanda Circle of Unity and Others v MEC Department of Education.

In our latest mini-documentary, we hear from LRC Attorney Cecile van Schalkwyk, SGB Secretary at one of the represented schools, Michelle Nel, and former Principal of a non-fee paying school, Priscilla Glover about the case. They explain the case further, talk on the practical effects of the ECDOE’s underfunding to the schools and, most importantly, the effects on the children who are failed by their government.

Watch mini-documentary on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/EsrhBK9KMcw

Taking into account the significance of the ECDOE’s unconstitutional conduct and to guard against the continuation of unconstitutional underfunding, the court also granted a supervisory order against the Department, requiring it to report to court on a quarterly basis on the steps taken to ensure the constitutional and lawful allocation of funds to schools in the province.

The LRC will monitor the implementation of the court’s order and ensure that the ECDOE takes the necessary steps to comply with the court’s order.

The Legal Resources Centre instituted a two-part application against a prominent University and the Minister of Justice ...
09/09/2026

The Legal Resources Centre instituted a two-part application against a prominent University and the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development on behalf of a deaf student and the Deaf Federation of South Africa (DEAFSA). The current legal regime governing reasonable accommodation of deaf students is rudimentary, vague and incomplete; exposing such persons to heightened risks of rights violations and failing to adequately regulate the conduct of institutions when accommodating persons with disabilities.

On 4 September 2026, the Legal Resources Centre secured a court order directing the University to provide South African Sign Language (SASL) interpretation services to the student; and the University has since implemented the provision of SASL interpretation services for the student.

Part B of the application, which directs the University to amend its Policy on Students with Disabilities and/or Language Policy in its entirety, is ongoing.

07/09/2026

The Pietermaritzburg High Court granted a Declaratory Order in favour of Early Education Centres, against the KZN Department of Education. The LRC and the Child Law Centre, representing Friends of South Africa ECD Forum, KZN Alliance and Amicus Curiae Equality Collective, presented their arguments on the morning of Tuesday 22 June.

We spoke to march participants, comprised of ECD Principals, owners & friends of the cause; and the leaders of the FOSA & KZN Alliance about the struggles of unpaid and/or delayed subsidies.

Watch the ECD mini documentary here: https://youtu.be/usS6AqmqBR4



Real Reform for ECD

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2nd Floor West Wing, Women’s Jail, Constitution Hill, 1 Kotze Street, Braamfontein
Johannesburg
2001

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Monday 08:00 - 16:30
Tuesday 08:00 - 16:30
Wednesday 08:00 - 16:30
Thursday 08:00 - 16:30
Friday 08:00 - 01:00

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