Helen Suzman Foundation

17/07/2026

The Public Procurement Act currently faces several court challenges (two of these pending court decisions on the grounds of inadequate public participation). We hope that even if the Act is set aside, public comment on the regulations can be productively used to enhance the future regulatory framewo...

17/07/2026

Have Your Say: Code of Conduct on Countering Disinformation!
🚨Submit by 21 July 2026!!!

The Commission invites all South Africans to review the Electoral Code of Conduct on Countering Disinformation draft.

The Code aims to promote responsible conduct and establish clear principles to counter disinformation during the electoral process.

🎯Read here:https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/202607/54925gon3995.pdf
🎯Deliver by hand: Election House, Riverside Office Park, 1303 Heuwel Avenue, Centurion, 0157
🎯Email: [email protected]

17/07/2026

🚨 15 days to go! 🇿🇦

The countdown to the final voter registration weekend is on, and we are bringing voter registration closer to you!

📅 01–02 August 2026🕗 Voting stations will be open from 08:00 to 17:00.

Make sure you're registered and ready to have your say when South Africans head to the polls on 04 November 2026.

✅ Register online: https://registertovote.elections.org.za
📍 Check your correct voting station: https://maps.elections.org.za/vsfinder/

Don't let this opportunity pass you by. Your vote is your voice. Make your mark.

07/07/2026

[MEDIA STATEMENT] The Constitutional Court upheld not only the rights of asylum seekers, but also the principles of rationality and legality in the judgement of Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town and Another v Minister of Home Affairs and Others 126/2025. Read more about the judgement and HSF's submissions here:

On 7 July 2026, the Constitutional Court handed down judgment in Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town and Another v Minister of Home Affairs and Others 126/2025, confirming the Western Cape High Court’s 2025 declaration of unconstitutionality and invalidity of sections 4(1)(f), 4(1)(h), 4(1)(i) and 21(1...

29/06/2026

18/06/2026

[UPDATE] Written submissions deadline for the ZEP/LEP consultations has been extended by the Department of Home Affairs to 30 June 2026.

18/06/2026

[REMINDER] Today is the final consultation on the future of the ZEP/LEP in Gauteng. HSF will be in attendance at Emperors Palace, but you can join online here: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/321590631589868?p=f0YSZ1ZHSuUda7IAMl and don't forget our survey on your consultation experience https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CNMXPYX

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10/06/2026

HSF is looking forward to the proceedings as amicus curiae. Read our submissions here: https://hsf.org.za/publications/cases/childrens-rights

Standing Up for Invisible Children

Tomorrow, 10 June, we will appear in the Western Cape High Court against the Department of Home Affairs in the Late Registration of Birth Backlog case.

Together with the Children’s Institute, we will represent children and families who have spent years trying to secure something many South Africans receive shortly after birth: official recognition. These are families who have spent years trying to secure a future for their children. The families who have done everything asked of them, and yet remain trapped in a system that has left them waiting.

Their stories are not unique. They are among more than a quarter of a million children whose birth registration applications remain stuck in a growing backlog. Behind every application is a child seeking to be recognised, a family seeking certainty, and a future placed on hold.

Without a birth certificate, children can face barriers to accessing healthcare, education, social grants and other essential services. While birth registration should happen as early as possible, there are many valid reasons why some children are not registered within 30 days. When that happens, the system must work efficiently and fairly. Instead, many children and their caregivers are left waiting for years without answers.

We are asking the Court to ensure that Home Affairs' late registration of birth services are reasonable, efficient and constitutional, so that no child is left invisible to the systems meant to protect them.

Children's Institute, University of Cape Town

10/06/2026

[REMINDER] Join the Limpopo consultation on the future of the ZEP/LEP online or in person today. To join online, click here https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/38846866829706?p=S5qA6ejNMJOVH8GcD5 and don't forget to fill out our survey on your experience of the consultation here https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CNMXPYX

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08/06/2026

[MEDIA STATEMENT] Civil Society calls for urgent government action on NACAC anti-corruption proposals. See the full statement here:

The Civil Society Working Group on State Capture (CSWG) met in Johannesburg on 4 June 2026 to deliberate on the proposals of the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council (NACAC), including its recommendation for the establishment of the Office of Public Integrity (OPI) as part of South Africa’s f...