Africa Rights Talk

S3 E4: #Tech4Rights: The use of assistive technologies for persons with disabilities

In conversation with Mr Silver Francis Oonyu and Mr Wilson Macharia

The annual campaign spearheaded by the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria is #Tech4Rights: Rethinking a human rights-based approach to new technologies in Africa. The #Tech4Rights campaign focuses on the impact of new technologies on different aspects of human interaction and the impact of technology on human rights. This campaign has a series of activities that investigate technology in various specific areas, including assistive technologies and persons with disabilities. Assistive technology includes products, equipment and systems that enhance learning, working, and daily living for persons with disabilities. Some common assistive technologies include but are not limited to hearing aids used to enhance hearing; cognitive aids often used by people with memory and attention challenges; and voice recognition programmes, screen readers, and screen magnifiers used by people with mobility and sensory impairments.

In this episode we have Mr Wilson Macharia, an LLD candidate working at the Centre for Human Rights, who is in conversation with Mr Silver Francis Oonyu, a Disability Rights Advocate from Uganda. Although from different national and professional backgrounds, both Wilson and Silver use assistive technology, and shall be discussing their experiences as users with visual impairment. Notably, assistive technologies vary depending on the type and degree of one’s disability. Therefore, although this episode may touch on various types of assistive devices, the main focus shall be on those used by persons with visual impairment.

Legally blind, but privileged to be visionary, Mr Silver Francis Oonyu is passionate about inclusive education. He is a teacher by profession and a consultant in education. Silver is an advocate for persons with disabilities. He is passionate about activities that help persons with blindness and those who are partially sighted. Silver has made it his mission to empower children who are disabled. In 2014, he founded the Silver Memorial Inclusive Learning Center  (SMILE) School in Opucet, Uganda. The school teaches about 200 students on how to effectively use adaptive tools, including Braille, information communication technology, and canes. 

Wilson Macharia is an LLD candidate and Tutor at the Centre for Human Rights. He is also a researcher in the Centre’s Disability Rights Unit. A consultant in disability rights, Wilson has been involved in designing and implementing key projects and policies aimed at eliminating the barriers that impede the full and effective participation of persons with disabilities. This includes coordinating the Public Participation Disability Inclusion Index project which seeks to enhance participation of persons with disabilities in political and public life in Kenya. Wilson sits in the Caucus for Disability Rights Advocacy hosted by the United Disabled Persons of Kenya, and is a member of the Reference Group which successfully conducted a baseline research on the inclusion of students with disabilities at the University of Nairobi. His research interests include access to justice, socio-economic rights of vulnerable groups and marginalised communities, and digital inclusion.

This conversation was recorded on 15 June 2021.
Edited by Tatenda Musinahama

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S3 E3: The Pan- African Parliament

In conversation with Mr Clement Mavungu

The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) is a legislative body of the African Union. It was set out to ensure the full participation of African people in the economic development and integration of the African continent. The PAP is based in Midrand, South Africa and was inaugurated on 18 March 2004.  The PAP provides a regional platform for Africans and respective civil society organisations to have a greater impact on the decisions affecting the continent. 

 

To this effect, the Democracy and Civic Engagement Unit of the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, works extensively with the PAP. The Centre a partnership with the PAP through a Memorandum of Understanding, signed in October 2017. Key among the objectives of this partnership is facilitating capacity building on human rights and democratisation in Africa, increasing the visibility of PAP and fostering a strong interaction between the PAP and civil society organisations (CSOs) on the continent. The Democracy and Civil Engagement Unit ensures that civil society can engage with the PAP, contribute to its policies, and chart new directions for governance on the continent. To achieve its mission, Unit, in May 2019, met with CSOs from across Africa and established a forum that ensures effective and sustainable engagement with the PAP. This body, the CSO Forum, gives support to new or small organisations engaging with the PAP, and also assists the PAP in its outreach and advocacy campaigns, such as for the ratification, domestication and implementation of the AU legal instruments, particularly the new PAP Protocol. The Centre, through the Democracy and Civic Engagement Unit, manages the CSO Forum, whose members meet in Pretoria, South Africa twice a year to foster closer collaboration between CSOs on PAP-related issues, to advance and promoting the mandate of the continental Parliament. 

 
In this episode, Mr Clement Mavungu, legal clerk of the PAP, discusses at length the functions of the Pan-African Parliament and how the work of the PAP enhances and protects the human rights of African citizens through the CSO Forum. Mr Mavungu is an international lawyer from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and currently serves as the Legal Counsel of the PAP. He is also an alumnus of the Master’s programme in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa. He has worked as the Coordinator of the FIDH Programme on the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights. He has also worked as a Senior Advocacy Officer for the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation. Mr Mavungu has experience working as a Policy and Research Manager at the Human Rights Institute of South Africa. Previously, he was a Legal Adviser at the ICJ Africa Regional Programme, where he led international and regional advocacy and litigation, built the capacity of African judges, lawyers and prosecutors, coordinated research and responses to judicial crises and supported human rights defenders and victims to access remedies for rights violations. He has published and presented papers on a wide range of human rights issues, including transitional justice, the African human rights system, judicial independence and reform, parliamentary law and practice and he effectively advocated and litigated before the United Nations and African human rights bodies. Mr Mavungu has extensive experience in undertaking comprehensive and comparative multi-disciplinary research in legal, political and policy issues, and is well versed with effective advocacy and litigation before the African human rights system.

This conversation was recorded on 20 August 2020.

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S3 E2: #AgeWithRights Campaign: Call to ratify the Protocol on Older Persons

In conversation with Mr Isaac Mamatela, Ms Lydia Chibwe, Ms Ramatoulie Jallow and Ms Hilma Moses

This special episode of Africa Rights Talk features Mr Isaac Mamatela who is the Chairperson of Gauteng Old People’s Forum. Ms Lydia Chibwe is a Project Officer of the Women's Rights Unit from the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria. Ms Ramoutoulie Jallow and Ms Hilma Moses are students of the LLM/MPhil programme in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa. They are assigned to the Women’s Rights Clinic which  contributes to the work of the Centre’s research units and gives the students practical experience and advance the Centre’s mission towards the realisation of human rights in Africa.

 

The aim of this conversation is to raise awareness to and increase ratification of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People's Rights on the Rights of Older Persons in Africa, also known the Protocol on Older Persons. Even though South Africa is among the African Union (AU) member states that adopted the Protocol on the Rights of the Older Persons on January 31, 2016, it has not yet signed or ratified the protocol. The Protocol's goal is to strengthen regional protection for older person's rights by providing an opportunity for older persons to enjoy their full rights and freedoms on an equal footing with other population groups. So far, 14 countries have signed the Protocol. These countries are Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Lesotho, Mali, Mozambique, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Zambia. Only four states had ratified the Protocol as of April 2021: Benin, Ethiopia, Malawi, and Lesotho. The Protocol requires fifteen ratifications to enter into force and become helpful in advancing the rights of older people. Adopting the Older Person's Protocol is critical for strengthening legal safeguards for older people's rights and advocating for them. It will also supplement the South African government's policies and ensure national and regional remedies for violations of older people's rights.

In addition to this episode, the Disability Rights and Women's Rights Clinics at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, cordially invite you to an advocacy meeting on ratifying the African Disability Rights Protocol and the Older Persons Protocol. Click here to download the invitation 

This conversation was recorded on 11 May 2021.

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S3 E1:Binaries and Boxes

In conversation with Dr Mzikazi Nduna

In this episode Dr Mzikazi Nduna is in conversation with Thiruna Naidoo from the SOGIESC Unit of the Centre for Human Rights, discussing gender binaries and boxes. Dr Nduna explains what sexuality and gender binaries are and goes on to give recommendations on how to rethink sexualities,  gender identities and expressions in a manner that respects human rights. The conversation illustrates how human rights norms often enforce gender binaries and essentialise discourses on gender issues. In light of the high number of recorded cases of gender- based violence in South Africa and other parts of the world,  she advocates for gender-based violence activists to include the LGBTIQ+ community in the conversation.

Dr Mzikazi Nduna is an esteemed South African with affiliations to a variety of academic and civil society organisations, movements and initiatives. Dr Mzikazi Nduna is an author, educator, a researcher, a trainer and a scholar with a strong ethic of community engagement with science. She has 25 years of work experience that spans teaching in two public high schools, peer education and training in various communities in South Africa, researcher and technical support in local, regional and international collaborations. She currently works as an associate professor at the University of the Witwatersrand. Dr Mzikazi Nduna’s work is underpinned by a philosophy to bridge the gap between science and practice. This has earned her recognition and awards. Dr Mzikazi Nduna contributes to the human rights sector and in particular to the LGBTIQ+ sector through her involvement in boards of organisations such as GenderDynamix, and IRANTI. She also serves the South African government and civil society through her appointment to various task teams: she is currently a member of the National Prevention Task Team for  South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) and the 2020 National Technical Reference Team on the Legal Review of Discriminatory Laws. She has been running workshops and teaching using the ‘Boxes and Binaries’ since 2011 and has been a member of the course Faculty for the past three years. Some of Dr Mzikazi’s Nduna’s publications can be found here.

This episode was recorded during the Advanced Human Rights Course on Sexual Minority Rights in Africa presented by the Centre for Human Rights.

This conversation was recorded on 25 February 2021.
Edited by Tatenda Musinahama

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S2 E18: Award-winning dissertation: A comparative analysis of the role of lawyers in the settlement of international disputes and the development of international law

In conversation with Jonathan Kabre

In today’s conversation, Dr Jonathan Kabre explains how his academic journey in the field of international relations led him to winning the 2020 Law Faculty Prize (Prix de Faculté) from the University of Lausanne for the best doctoral dissertation. His dissertation, through a comparative analysis of case-law of selected international courts and tribunals, examines the role of private lawyers (counsel and advocates) in the settlement of international disputes and their contribution to the development of international law. The monograph, coming from this dissertation, is in the editing process and should be out before the end of the year.

Dr Kabre is the Programme Manager of the LLM in International Trade and Investment Law in Africa (TILA) presented by Centre for Human Rights and his research focuses on the areas of global economic governance, business and human rights and the settlement of international disputes. He is also Post-doctoral Research Fellow at the International Development Law Unit (IDLU). He was awarded the 2020 Law Faculty Prize (Prix de Faculté) from the University of Lausanne in Switzerland for the best doctoral dissertation. Dr Kabre was also awarded a grant to support the publication of his dissertation. This prize was awarded during the opening ceremony for the 2020 courses at the University of Lausanne, which took place on 15 September 2020.

This conversation was recorded on 26 October 2020.

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S2 E17: #EndSARS: Practical implications of the protests on Nigerian citizens

Season 2 Episode 17: #EndSARS: Practical implications of the protests on Nigerian citizens

In conversation with Ayodele Sogunro

The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, condemns police brutality and human rights violations in Nigeria. These violations are in response to demonstrations by Nigerians expressing concerns about gross human rights violations by the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), particularly by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a tactical unit within the NPF designed to tackle incidents of armed robbery in Nigeria.

In today’s episode we pick up from last week’s conversation on #EndSARS: The need to end police reform and justice for victims of police brutality in Nigeria. In this week’s episode, we discuss with Ayodele Sogunro (from the Centre for Human Rights), the contested issues surrounding the #EndSARS protests. The discussion assesses the accountability measures which have been taken by the Nigerian government to address protestors’ concerns. Furthermore, the conversation brings to light the real implications of these protests for people at the forefront of the #EndSARS movement. Calls to involve the International Criminal Court (ICC) in investigating the extra-judicial killings of the #LekkiMassacre have been made by Nigerian citizens and we seek to understand whether the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) might be a better option under the circumstances.

Ayodele Sogunro is a Nigerian writer and lawyer and the Manager of the SOGIESC Unit at the Centre for Human Rights in the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria. He is a legal and policy analyst with over ten years of field and courtroom experience in human rights law and advocacy in the African human rights system. Before joining the Centre, he was the Senior Legal Advisor with the Initiative for Equal Rights, a LGBT+ NGO in West Africa. He is also currently undertaking his doctoral studies at the Centre. His focus is on a critical legal studies perspective of LGBTIQ+ issues in Nigeria, around political homophobia, socio-economic issues, and the need by advocates to understand wider state dynamics of homophobia and transphobia in systems of power. His books include the short stories The Wonderful Life of Senator Boniface and other Sorry Tales and the collection of essays Everything in Nigeria is Going to Kill You. His literary essay, ‘One more nation bound in freedom: Themes from the Nigerian “anti-gay” law’ was shortlisted for the 2016 Gerald Kraak Award for African Writing. He has written an article ‘Why #EndSARS won’t quit’ in relation to the protests.

Ayodele Sogunro’s blog: www.ayosogunro.com

This conversation was recorded on 29 October 2020.

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S2 E16: #EndSARS: The need for police reform and justice for victims of police brutality in Nigeria

In conversation with Victoria Ibezim- Ohaeri

The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, condemns police brutality and human rights violations in Nigeria. These violations are in response to demonstrations by Nigerians expressing concerns about gross human rights violations by the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), particularly by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a tactical unit within the NPF designed to tackle incidents of armed robbery in Nigeria.

In this week’s episode  we speak to Ms Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, founder and Director of Research and Policy at Spaces for Change (S4C). S4C is a non-profit organisation based in Nigeria and conducts cutting-edge research and advocacy focusing on strategic sectors such as urban governance, gender inclusion, energy policy and defending the civic space. In this conversation, she walks us through the recent tensions in the country and analyses these tensions in light of the wider implications on the civic participation in Nigeria. Ms Ibezim- Ohaeri is an SXSW 2013 honouree, a 2016 Desmond Tutu Fellow and a 2015 alumna of Harvard University. In her 15 years of practising law and conducting social and economic rights research and advocacy, she has traversed four continents: Africa, Europe, North America and South America. Here she led research investigations, documenting and exposing human rights violations, formulating and analysing social and economic policy at national, regional and international levels.

This conversation was recorded on 24 October 2020

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S2 E15: Poverty and human Rights In Africa

Season 2 Episode 15: Poverty and human rights in Africa

In conversation with Ebenezer Durojaye and Gladys Mirugi-Mukundi

In this week’s episode, we meet the editors of the book Exploring the link between poverty and human rights in Africa. This book was published by the Pretoria University Law Press (PULP) and launched virtually on 6 August 2020.

Professor Ebenezer Durojaye and Ms Gladys Mirugi-Mukundi discuss the topical issues covered in the book and the effect of poverty on human rights. Exploring the link between poverty and human rights in Africa is a book which addresses poverty, one of the important issues confronting Africa, from a multi-disciplinary approach. With contributions from eminent scholars from diverse backgrounds, the book explores poverty from a human rights perspective. Its central message is that poverty is not necessarily a failure on the part of an individual, but rather caused by the actions or inactions of governments, which are often exacerbated by structural inequalities in many African societies. This in turn requires a more pragmatic approach grounded in respect for human rights. This book is a useful book for researchers, policymakers, students, activists and others interested in addressing poverty.

Professor Ebenezer Durojaye is a Professor of Law and head of the Socio-Economic Rights Project at the Dullah Omar Institute, University of the Western Cape, South Africa. His areas of research include human rights, socio-economic rights, sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender and constitutionalism. From 2012 to 2014 he provided technical support to the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights. During this period, he participated in the drafting of the UN Guiding Principles on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights adopted by the Human Rights Council in 2012.

Gladys Mirugi-Mukundi is a researcher at the Dullah Omar Institute, a think tank engaged in law and policy research, teaching and advocacy on governance and human rights in Africa, based at the University of the Western Cape. Her research expertise and interest are in human rights, socio-economic rights, social justice and inclusive societies, women and access to housing, rule of law and corruption. She is the co-editor the Economic & Social Rights Review in Africa (ESR Review) , a quarterly publication that aims to inform and educate policymakers, members of civil society, the academic community and legal practitioners about key developments relating to socio- economic rights at the national and international levels.

This book is available for free and can be downloaded from the Pretoria University Law Press (PULP) website.

This conversation was recorded on 14 August 2020

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S2 E14: The positive implications of the Committee on the Rights of the Child to host the first ever United Nations treaty body session outside of Geneva

In conversation with Professor Ann Skelton

In this week’s episode, Professor Ann Skelton walks us through her journey and work in children’s rights. She discusses the positive implications of the Committee on the Rights of the Child to host the first ever United Nations treaty body session outside of Geneva in March 2020 in Samoa. She goes on to discuss the impact of COVID-19 and how it affects state reporting at the United Nations level and how it affects the observation and promotion of the rights of the child. Professor Ann Skelton encourages women to take opportunities when they come, as they come and to work hard at those opportunities. Her advice to aspiring career women, is that they should ensure that they do what they are passionate about, and if they are not sure what that is, to expose themselves to the field of work until something starts pressing their buttons which should motivate them to want to make a difference.

Professor Ann Skelton is a professor of law at the University of Pretoria, where she holds the UNESCO Chair in Education Law in Africa. She is also the former director of the Centre for Child Law which promotes children’s rights in South Africa through advocacy, law reform, research and litigation. She is a practicing lawyer who often appears in South African courts, arguing landmark children’s rights cases. Professor Ann Skelton is a member of the Committee on the Rights of the Child.

This conversation was recorded on 20 August 2020.

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S2 E13: An analysis of the deteriorating human rights situation in Zimbabwe

In conversation with Mr Brian Kagoro

The continuing systemic human rights violations in Zimbabwe have brought the country under spotlight for the wrong reasons. There seems to be a continual shrinking space for democratic participation in the country. In July 2020, award winning journalist Hopewell Chin’ono was detained and arrested on charges of inciting public violence after exposing alleged government corruption involving COVID-19 funds. This is a common phenomenon that continues to find space as many political opposition activists have been detained, abducted and arrested at the hands of a government that misuses the criminal justice system to intimidate and persecute journalists and activists.

In this episode, Mr Brian Kagoro, a Zimbabwean lawyer, gives a historical background of how the legacy of colonial violations have continued to soar post-independence under the Mugabe and Mnangagwa regime.  He discusses the nexus between political instability and the alleged human rights violations in Zimbabwe and how this is mirrored in other African countries. Furthermore, this episode gives an insight of how human rights mechanisms at regional and international level can provide remedies to address human rights violations in Zimbabwe. This information- packed episode also talks about how the results of quiet diplomacy perpetuate the suffering of the common Zimbabwean folk.

Mr Brian Kagoro is a Zimbabwean citizen, Pan-Africanist and a constitutional and economic relations lawyer. He played an instrumental role in the formation of Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition and has served as a consultant for regional organisations such as the African Union Commission, the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. Mr Brian Kagoro has also served on boards in the private sector as well as civil society groups, including but not limited to Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and Amani Trust. As a writer, he has published several articles on civil society participation as well as the unstable political situation in Zimbabwe.

This conversation was recorded on 26 August 2020.

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