Dear Campus Community,

Human Rights Day commemorates the struggle for dignity, equality and freedom in South Africa. In 2026, it is also observed in a year that marks the 30th anniversary of the Constitution being assented to and signed by President Nelson Mandela — a defining milestone on South Africa’s democratic journey. The day highlights both the achievements and our ongoing responsibilities in a constitutional democracy. With the local government elections in sight, it is an opportunity to reflect on how fundamental human rights and freedoms, especially the right to vote, enable citizens to hold leaders accountable and shape the country’s future. Coalition governance has become the “new normal”, and debates about democratic accountability have intensified. Human Rights Day, therefore, reminds South Africans that the Constitution’s promises of dignity, equality and freedom require active participation, inclusive institutions and continued vigilance if they are to be realised in practice.

At the University of the Western Cape (UWC), Human Rights Day holds particular significance because of the University’s historic role in advancing constitutionalism, social justice and democratic governance in South Africa. Institutions such as the Faculty of Law’s Dullah Omar Institute – formerly the Community Law Centre – continue this legacy by promoting human rights, accountability and inclusive participation. Human Rights Day reminds us as students, scholars and the broader community that UWC plays an essential role in strengthening democratic culture and advancing the Constitution’s transformative vision. 

When the Sharpeville Massacre occurred on 21 March 1960, UWC was a very new institution and had not yet developed the strong activist identity it would become known for. The Community Law Centre played a pivotal role in the negotiations preceding and the drafting of the interim Constitution of the Republic of South Africa in 1993. Image: UWC Archive

The Faculty of Law became prominent in the 1990s with the establishment of the Community Law Centre by Advocate Dullah Omar. Staff members at the time included activists such as Bulelani Ngcuka, Zola Skweyiya and Brigitte Mabandla. Working with Albie Sachs and Kader Asmal, they participated in the constitutional negotiations and the drafting of the interim Constitution in 1993. In 2015, the Centre was renamed the Dullah Omar Institute for Constitutional Law, Governance and Human Rights to honour the founding director and the first Minister of Justice in a democratic South Africa. The institute’s subsequent work on electoral systems, coalition governance and multilevel government aspires to strengthen the political rights of marginalised groups, including incarcerated citizens.

Another form in which such strengthening manifests at UWC is the Children’s Rights Project as headed by Prof Benyam Dawit Mezmur, who is also a member of the United Nations’ Committee on the Rights of the Child. The Project undertakes research, advocacy and technical support activities related to the formulation and implementation of law and policy in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (African Children’s Charter). Prof Mezmur’s work on children’s rights is proving critical amid current armed conflicts in places such as Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Palestine and Iran, where, among other atrocities, the killing and maiming of children and attacks on education and health care have become common. “The Convention on the Rights of the Child, which President Mandela rightly described as ‘that luminous instrument’, has existed for more than 35 years. However, mainly as a result of a lack of political will, the world we live in is far from being fit for children, and Human Rights Day should be a fitting reminder that we need to double our efforts for all children,” said Professor Mezmur.

Complementing this work in the Faculty, the Global Environmental Law Centre advances scholarship and policy engagement on environmental governance and climate justice; the Centre for Transformative Regulation of Work focuses on labour rights and the future of work; and, the Centre for Legal Integration in Africa promotes research on cultural rights and regional legal integration. The Faculty’s Research Chair in Gender, Transformation and World-Making (held by Prof Karin Van Marle) further strengthens research, teaching and public engagement on gender justice and equality.

Students and staff at a lecture hosted by the Faculty of Law’s African Centre for Transnational Criminal Justice, in February, where journalist Sam Husseini examined international law, the Genocide Convention, and the challenges of global accountability.
Image: Shelley Christians/UWC

“Human Rights Day reminds us that constitutional democracy cannot be taken for granted. The rights and freedoms secured through decades of struggle endure only if they are actively protected and exercised. A constitution is not static or cast in stone; it requires continuous engagement to remain responsive to changing needs and to guide our understanding of human rights in a dynamic, transformative society,” said Prof Lukas Muntingh, Director of the Dullah Omar Institute.

Beyond the Faculty of Law, several units across the University actively advance human rights, dignity and social justice. The Centre for Humanities Research fosters critical scholarship on democracy, citizenship and social transformation; the Gender Equity Unit champions gender justice and addresses discrimination and gender-based violence; and, through the Community Engagement Unit, UWC works alongside communities to promote equity and inclusive development. The Office for Students with Disabilities advocates for accessibility and equal participation, while the Centre for Student Support Services strengthens student wellbeing and inclusion.

In the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS), the Tshisimani Centre for Activist Education supports working-class social justice movements, organisations and community groups through political education. EMS is also home to the Politics and Urban Governance Research Group, which connects academic research with the lived realities of communities, examining democratic participation, governance in informal settlements and support for human rights defenders. The Group hosts the African Universities Hub for Human Rights which offers an annual protective fellowship scheme and summer school for African Human Rights Defenders.

Prof Fiona Anciano, head of the Politics and Urban Governance Research Group, who penned an opinion piece on Human Rights Day, raises a pertinent question about the meaning of Human Rights Day in 2026: “It should be a reminder that democracy is fragile and contested. It invites renewed consideration of freedom and equality, not only as constitutional principles but as lived experiences. It should be a time when we reflect on the fact that supporting Human Rights is not a future generation’s responsibility, but ours now.”

As members of the UWC community, we carry forward a proud tradition of intellectual courage and social commitment. Let us continue to carry this torch with integrity and purpose, ensuring that in our teaching, research, public engagement and daily interactions, the principles of human dignity, equality and justice remain foremost in all that we do.

Kind Regards,

Professor Robert John Balfour
Rector and Vice-Chancellor
University of the Western Cape