21 October 2025 | 11:52 CAT
2-minute read

In Johannesburg this week, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) released an update on its investigations into the violence that swept through KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng in July 2021, revealing that although state institutions have responded to the crisis ­— the implementation of key reforms remains patchy and victims still await justice.

Commissioner Philile Ntuli told Radio Islam International that the update aims to ensure transparency and maintain pressure on the government.

She said the commission’s report, which sprang from a national investigative hearing, laid out 33 findings and 28 actionable recommendations.

“Of the 28 actionable recommendations … 43 percent have been fully implemented and another 32 percent are in progress.”

In context, the SAHRC-issued “Current Status” report states the initial unrest caused more than R50 billion in damage, some 350 + fatalities, and that law-enforcement intelligence and coordination severely failed during the crisis.

Commissioner Ntuli emphasised that the 91 percent institutional response rate (10 of 11 bodies responded) is a positive sign of accountability.

“This is very positive for us because it means that the state … is taking this report … quite seriously.”

Yet she warned that responses must translate into substantive action.

“While progress has been made … many victims are still waiting for justice and closure.”

The July 2021 unrest rocked South Africa in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic turmoil; according to the report, although the timing coincided with the incarceration of former President Jacob Zuma, the commission found no direct causative link. Rather the crisis was fed by socio-economic and security-system failures.

The SAHRC listed the security cluster’s failures as among the central causes: poor intelligence, delayed responses, and breakdowns in coordination between the South African Police Service (SAPS) and other agencies undermined the response to the unrest. Ntuli said the commission will continue monitoring implementation and intends to publish a final report within the next year or two.

The unfolding process casts light on how the state is attempting to hold itself accountable after one of the most violent episodes since the end of apartheid — but also how much further there is to go. The partial implementation rate, ongoing victim-waiting and structural institution issues suggest the path to reform is still long.

The release of the update report underscores the SAHRC’s role as overseer of human-rights compliance, but it also raises pressing questions about enforcement, justice and reform in South Africa’s fragile post-unrest environment.

Listen to the full interview on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat.