Amnesty International said profound inequalities continue to undermine economic, social and cultural rights in South Africa.
This, according to the international organisation, resulted in widespread unemployment and protests against inadequate service delivery in 2017 into 2018.
Amnesty International released its report into The State of the World’s Human Rights, covering 159 countries, including South Africa.
Amnesty's executive director in South Africa, Shenilla Mohammed, said the country also witnessed excessive force used by the police and the space for journalists exposing corruption being increasingly restricted.
She also said that unless the government tackled the underlying causes of poverty and inequality, there is huge potential for even great unrest and further incidents like Marikana.
“Despite a legally binding commitment to build 5 500 new houses, Lonmin Plc, a UK-based platinum mining giant, allowed its workforce to live in squalor in Marikana. This was a contributing factor to the events that led to police using unjustified lethal force against miners, resulting in 34 deaths on 16 August 2012.”
“The victims and their families are still awaiting justice, and houses, from the government and Lonmin Plc almost 6 years later,” Mohammed said.
“With its new leadership, South Africa has the opportunity to refocus on its obligations under international law and human rights standards as well as its own Constitution and ensure that all past human rights violations are investigated thoroughly, transparently and decisively. And that victims such as Godknows, Samuel, Ona and the Marikana miners and their widows receive the justice they deserve,” Mohamed said.
“Together the people are not powerless and South Africa can become a beacon of hope in a world where division and neglect of human rights is rife.”
