AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL REPORT 2016/17

discovered in a shallow grave. Parts of her
body had been sold to traditional healers.
Two other men who pleaded guilty to the
murder had each been sentenced in
September 2015 to 20 years’ imprisonment.
Hate crime legislation
In October, the draft Hate Crimes Bill was
introduced. It aims to address racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and
discrimination based on gender, sex, sexual
orientation and other issues, by providing an
offence of hate crime. It includes
controversial provisions that criminalize hate
speech in ways that could be used to
impermissibly restrict the right to freedom of
expression.
RIGHT TO EDUCATION
Children with disabilities
Children with disabilities continued to face
multiple challenges of discrimination,
exclusion and marginalization which, among
other things, denied them equal access to
education despite legal and policy
frameworks guaranteeing inclusive
education. On 27 October, the
UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
recommended a review of Education White
Paper No.6 to develop a framework for
inclusive education that would see expansion
of full-service schools and the inclusion of
children with disabilities in mainstream
education.
1. South Africa: Decision to leave International Criminal Court a “deep
betrayal of millions of victims worldwide” (News story, 21 October)
2. South Africa: Smoke and mirrors – Lonmin’s failure to address
housing conditions at Marikana (AFR 53/4552/2016)
3. South Africa: Human rights defenders under threat (AFR
53/4058/2016)
SOUTH SUDAN
Republic of South Sudan
Head of state and government: Salva Kiir Mayardit
Despite the Agreement on the Resolution of
the Conflict in the Republic of South
Sudan (ARCSS), fighting continued
between government and opposition forces,
along with violations and abuses of
international human rights and
humanitarian law. A Transitional
Government of National Unity (TGoNU) was
formed in April, but it fell apart following
heavy fighting between government and
opposition forces in Juba in July. The
reconstituted government in Juba was
accepted by the international community
but rejected by opposition leader Riek
Machar and his allies. The ongoing fighting
continued with devastating humanitarian
consequences for civilian populations.
Government security services actively
suppressed independent and critical voices
from the opposition, media and human
rights defenders.
BACKGROUND
Implementation of the ARCSS, the peace
agreement, was slow and faced numerous
hurdles including disagreement over the
number of states, the cantonment of
opposition fighters and security arrangements
in the capital Juba.
On 26 April, opposition leader Riek
Machar returned to Juba to be sworn in as
First Vice-President of the TGoNU, as
provided for in the ARCSS. Ministers of the
TGoNU were sworn in the following week.
In early July, a series of violent clashes
between government and opposition forces in
Juba heightened tensions and led to a deadly
shoot-out on 8 July between bodyguards of
President Salva Kiir and then First Vice-
President Riek Machar outside the
Presidential Palace, where the two were
meeting. On 10 and 11 July, there were
heavy clashes between government and
opposition forces in Juba.
The fighting in Juba forced Riek Machar
and opposition forces to flee southward,
where they evaded active pursuit by
government forces over the next month.
Meanwhile President Salva Kiir dismissed
Riek Machar as First Vice-President and
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