GCRO participates in the National Investigative Hearing into the July 2021 Unrest

The GCRO was invited by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) to participate in its National Investigative Hearing into the July 2021 unrest in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. The SAHRC was interested in the GCRO’s insights from the Quality of Life (QoL) Survey that might help it to paint a picture of the socio-economic conditions that preceded the unrest in Gauteng.

A written submission was made to SAHRC by GCRO staff, including Mr Rashid Seedat (Executive Director), Mr Graeme Gotz (Director Research Strategy), Dr Laven Naidoo (Senior Researcher) and Dr Mamokete Matjomane (Researcher). The submission was based on a wide range of materials generated by other GCRO staff in the process of disseminating findings from QoL 6 (2020/21) Survey. These materials included the comprehensive QoL Overview Report; a Data Brief focused on the effects of COVID on Gauteng; press briefings and presentations prepared for the launch of the QoL data on 9 September 2021; as well as subsequent opinion pieces published in a variety of media (see list here). Rashid Seedat, Graeme Gotz and Mamokete Matjomane appeared in front of the Hearing on 3 March 2022 at The Capital on the Park in Sandton. They presented QoL 6 (2020/21) insights and then answered questions from a panel of three SAHRC Commissioners and two evidence leaders. See the proceedings of the hearing here. Following the presentation, there have been subsequent media coverage of the QoL 6 (2020/21) findings.