Who and what is AfriForum?

AfriForum is an Afrikaans civil rights organisation that protects the rights of minority groups at national as well as provincial level, and anyone who can identify with AfriForum’s principles and objectives may join the organisation. AfriForum’s community plan focuses on mobilising communities to thus take control of their own streets and neighbourhoods again. AfriForum ensures that your constitutional and civil rights are recognised and protected at national level.

Wie en wat is AfriForum?

AfriForum is ’n Afrikaanse burgerregteorganisasie wat die regte van minderheidsgroepe op sowel nasionale as provinsiale vlak beskerm, en enigiemand wat met AfriForum se beginsels en doelstellings kan identifiseer, mag by die organisasie aansluit. AfriForum se gemeenskapsplan fokus daarop om gemeenskappe te mobiliseer om só weer beheer terug te neem oor hul eie strate en woonbuurtes. AfriForum verseker dat jou grondwetlike én burgerregte op nasionale vlak erken en beskerm word.

Media statements

AfriForum heads to court over outrageous health regulations

ByAfriForum 09/05/202209/05/2022

The civil rights organisation AfriForum and the public participation platform DearSA began with legal action against government’s decision to permanently enshrine Covid-19 regulations in law.

The organisations today filed their urgent legal application in the Northern Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.

This follows the Department of Health’s announcement that regulations relating to notifiable diseases in terms of the National Health Act 61 of 2003 and the International Health Regulations Act 28 of 1974, have now been amended.

This means that the government can permanently enforce mask mandates and restrictions on gatherings. The regulations also give Joe Phaahla, Minister of Health, the sole authority to determine how long such regulations should be implemented and when they can be lifted. This applies not only to Covid-19, but any notifiable disease. AfriForum and DearSA also question the validity of the public participation process followed by the Department of Health before these regulations were implemented. The two organisations submitted more than 310 000 public comments combined.

AfriForum also finds it alarming that the regulations that were gazetted, were not the same regulations that were published for public comment.

“Citizens of this country are not pawns on the government’s chess board to be pushed around whenever power-hungry officials feel like it. AfriForum will fight these regulations in the highest courts, if necessary, to ensure that citizens’ rights are fully restored. Citizens are fed up with government’s constant encroachment on their personal freedoms,” says Jacques Broodryk, AfriForum’s Campaigs Manager.