Many poor communities in South Africa struggle with similar issues. There are organisations that offer support in a range of areas, including legal advice, ensuring better service delivery, and violence prevention. This is not an exhaustive list but it will help you seek advice and help if you need it.
Association For Rural Advancement (AFRA)
AFRA is an NGO that works to improve rural black people’s rights to land and services, and helps people living on farms prevent and oppose evictions, settle disputes and secure tenure rights and access to services. www.afra.co.za
033 345 7607
afra@afra.co.za
Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR)
CSVR works to prevent violence in all its forms, heal its effects, and build sustainable peace and reconciliation in South Africa
and internationally. They work in the areas of research, policy formation, community
interventions, service delivery, education and training.
www.csvr.org.za
011 403 5650 (Johannesburg) info@csvr.org.za (Johannesburg) 021 447 2470 (Cape Town) ctadmin@csvr.org.za (Cape Town)
Childline South Africa
Childline’s trained counsellors provide information, support and assistance to abused children, young people, and their families, dealing with issues that include physical and sexual abuse, substance abuse, behavioural problems, legal advice and human trafficking. www.childline.org.za
0800 055 555 (24-hour toll-free helpline)
Corruption Watch
Corruption Watch enables the public to report
corruption in South Africa, in order to enhance democracy.
www.corruptionwatch.org.za
0800 023 456 (hotline to report corruption)
072 013 5569 (WhatsApp) SMS with ‘callme’ to 44666
Department of Social Development
The Department of Social Development’s Substance Abuse Line offers support, guidance and help for people addicted to drugs and alcohol, and it provides help to these people’s families as well.
0800 428 428 (toll-free helpline)
SMS 32312
Esselen Street Clinic
Esselen Street Clinic offers help with tuberculosis, sexually transmitted infections, family planning, and HIV counselling and testing. The Wits Reproductive Health Institute also runs a number of special clinics here for vulnerable and marginalised groups such as sex workers and youth.
011 358 5500
22 Esselen Street, Hillbrow, Johannesburg
Equal Education (EE)
EE is a democratic movement of learners, parents and teachers working for quality and equality in South African education through analysis and activism. EE identifies problems in South African schools and then acts to fix these problems.
www.equaleducation.org.za 021 361 0127 (Cape Town)
081 510 2384 (Johannesburg) info@equaleducation.org.za
FunDza Literacy Trust
FunDza is dedicated to improving literacy among teens and young adults by providing access to a library of local stories on cellphones at fundza.mobi. If you want to share your story on FunDza, send your writing to writing@fundza.co.za.
www.fundza.co.za 021 709 0688
info@fundza.co.za
GroundUp
GroundUp is a news agency that reports on public interest news, with an emphasis on the rights of vulnerable communities. It is independent and does not promote any political party.
www.groundup.org.za 021 788 9163
info@groundup.org.za
Isandla Institute
Isandla is a public-interest think-tank that focuses on improving poor people’s rights to the city by doing research and facilitating debate and reflection on issues. www.isandla.org.za
021 683 7903
admin@isandla.org.za
Land and Accountability Research Centre (LARC)
LARC works to fight against laws and policies that undermine democracy in rural areas, using research and litigation, providing support to rural communities and leaders,
to help people in rural areas to assert their rights.
www.larc.uct.ac.za 021 650 3288
LifeLine Southern Africa
LifeLine provides free, confidential, 24-hour telephone counselling on rape, trauma, HIV/ Aids, suicides, relationships, and other issues. www.lifelinesa.co.za
0861 322 322
Narcotics Anonymous South Africa
Narcotics Anonymous is an organisation for recovering drug addicts who meet regularly to help each other stay clean.
www.na.org.za
083 900 69 62 (24-hour helpline)
People Opposed to Women Abuse (POWA)
POWA is a Gauteng-based organisation that offers shelter, counselling and legal support
to women in abusive relationships, rape survivors, and survivors of incest. www.powa.co.za
011 591 6803
Planact
Planact is an NGO that empowers communities to improve local governance in order to develop the areas in which they live and to improve the quality of their lives. www.planact.org.za
011 403 6291
info@planact.org.za
Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI)
PARI uses research to evaluate the effectiveness of state institutions in the delivery of services and infrastructure, and helps service providers improve service delivery.
www.pari.org.za 011 482 1739
info@pari.org.za
South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG)
SADAG is Africa’s largest mental-health support and advocacy group. You can find comprehensive mental-health information and resources to help you, a family member, or loved one, on their website.
www.sadag.org
0800 56 75 67 or SMS 31393
0800 12 13 14 (24-hour helpline)
South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (SANCA)
SANCA provides specialised and affordable prevention and treatment services for alcohol and other drug dependence. www.sancanational.info
0861 47 26 22
sancanational@telkomsa.net
SECTION27
SECTION27 is a public-interest law centre that works for real equality and social justice in South Africa. SECTION27 uses the principles and values in the Constitution as a guide. www.section27.org.za
011 356 4100
info@section27.org.za
Sonke Gender Justice
Sonke Gender Justice works across Africa to strengthen government, civil society and citizen capacity to promote gender equality, prevent domestic and sexual violence, and
reduce the spread and impact of HIV and Aids. www.genderjustice.org.za
021 423 7088 (Cape Town)
11 339 3589 (Johannesburg)
Stop Gender Violence
Stop Gender Violence provides crisis counselling for women who have been raped or abused, advice and support for people wanting to support women in need of help, and legal and other help for abused women and rape survivors.
0800 15 01 50 (toll-free helpline)
The Black Sash
The Black Sash is an organisation that works to improve human rights and access to social security, particularly for women and children. Black Sash paralegals offer free legal advice relating to rights.
www.blacksash.org.za 072 663 3739
help@blacksash.org.za
Public-Interest Law Firms
Centre for Applied Legal Studies (CALS) CALS practises human-rights law and social- justice work. Their main programme areas are basic services, business and human rights, environmental justice, gender, and the rule of law.
https://www.wits.ac.za/cals 011 717 8600
Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR)
LHR uses the law as a positive tool for change and to deepen democracy in South Africa.
LHR offers free legal services to vulnerable, marginalised and poor people, including South Africans and foreign nationals whose Constitutional rights are being infringed. www.lhr.org.za
012 320 2943 (Pretoria Office)
Legal Aid South Africa
Legal Aid South Africa provides legal aid to those who cannot afford their own legal representation. This includes poor people and vulnerable groups such as women, children, and the rural poor. They cover civil and criminal cases.
www.legal-aid.co.za 0800 11 01 10
Legal Resources Centre (LRC)
LRC provides legal help to people whose rights are infringed. They focus on a number of areas, including prevention of unlawful evictions and the right to housing.
www.lrc.org.za
011 836 9831 (Johannesburg)
021 481 3000 (Cape Town)
031 301 7572 (Durban)
046 622 9230 (Grahamstown) info@lrc.org.za
ProBono.Org
ProBono.Org believes that all citizens should have access to the skills and strength of private lawyers and law firms in South Africa – even those who can’t afford to pay for them. The goal of ProBono.Org is to create free legal representation for all who need it. www.probono.org.za
011 339 6080 (Johannesburg Office)
Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI)
SERI is a non-profit South African human-rights organisation that helps individuals, communities and social movements protect and advance their socio-economic rights. These include the rights to housing, water, healthcare services, electricity, sanitation, a clean and healthy environment, and education.
www.seri-sa.org 011 356 5860