Human Rights Charter rolls-out in Limpopo communities

LIMPOPO

Solanga Milambo (51), Provincial Chairperson of Limpopo Law and Human Rights Sector, stated that they have strong primary motivations behind on making the Human Rights Charter on HIV/AIDS, TB, and STIs, a key priority for Limpopo communities to preconceive stereotypes held by duty-bearers on sexual orientation, gender identity and overall sexuality.

The charter, which is now making lasting footprint in Limpopo communities, is a comprehensive document that outlines the rights and obligations of individuals, communities, and governments in responding to these endemics.

“These stereotypes often lead to poorer health outcomes for key and other priority populations,” said Milambo who is also a Senior Community Mobilizer and Senior Field Researcher at Section 27 in Limpopo.

The Human Rights Charter on HIV, TB, and STIs was further created to address the persistent stigma, discrimination and legal barriers that prevent key and priority populations from accessing essential healthcare.

According to the charter, many vulnerable groups, such as sex workers, LGBTQ+ individuals and people who use drugs, continue to face systemic exclusion, undermining efforts to combat these diseases.

This charter seeks to protect their rights, ensure equal access to healthcare, and promote policy reforms that uphold dignity and justice. By placing human rights at the centre of the response, it aims to create an inclusive, stigma-free healthcare system for all.

Milambo said the charter seeks to promote universal values of human dignity, freedom, equality, solidarity to individuals at the heart of its response.

“It is a commitment between the civil society, government, private sector, service providers and other stakeholders to uphold, protect and defend the human rights and its attached responsibilities of vulnerable South Africans,” he said.

Milambo acknowledged that there are detailed plans for all the provinces with specific activities and deliverables which started in January ending in March 2025.

“They will be followed by another plan going forward. For example, we have communication strategy programmes which aims to communicate the whole messages through all media platforms, newspapers and radio stations,” said Milambo.

He indicated that different civil society organizations do have their individual programmes from different districts at local levels which are being implemented.

“What we need to do, is to have proper coordination for both funded and non-funded organizations with private and government sectors, and to unlock resources for the implementation,” he said.

Milambo said community-based organizations withing the charter organize and facilitate all human rights activities through empowering community members.

“It could be via education, workshops, trainings, door to door campaigns, Imbizo, community dialogues and group discussions. They also organize formal workshops for specific structures like traditional councils, faith based organizations and others,” Milambo said.  

When asked what mechanisms are in place to monitor the effectiveness of the charter’s implementation, Milambo stated that tools such as Human Right Abuse Record Sheet and other resources have been developed to monitor the implementation.

“This serve as an assess to find out if we are making an impact or not,” Milambo said.

He stressed that key and vulnerable populations are at the four front of the development of the charter from the beginning to the end.

“They empower other civil society sectors with knowledge from their experience and challenges they faced when visiting health facilities, around their communities. Some from their own families through meaningful engagement and participation,” Milambo said.

Milambo affirmed that the challenges they face in promoting and enforcing the charter’s principles are lack of resources such as budget that delay the promotion of the principles.

“The issue of decriminalization of sex workers, culture and religion,” he said.

Milambo said the law and human rights division in the country is planning to strengthen the sector at district and local level.

“Through the support of SANAC and other organizations like Show Me Your Number, Communication Strategy and Human Right Tool Kit, we will overcome these obstacles,” concluded Milambo.