As an organisation comprising more than 65,000 members who are survivors of gross human rights violations associated with the apartheid-era, Khulumani works everyday with the reality of the terrible suffering caused by torture and the personal, interpersonal and community consequences of torture on the thousands of individuals who were tortured by apartheid state agents.
Khulumani collaborates with four other organisations in the coalition, the South African No Torture Consortium (SANToC) which comprises organisations that offer psychosocial rehabilitation services to victims and survivors of torture in South Africa while advocating for the prevention of torture and its criminalisation within the South African legal system.
December 10, 2011 marks the 27th Anniversary of the Adoption of the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1984.
In recognition of this anniversary and in honour of its thoiusands of members who survived torture at the hands of apartheid agents, Khulumani commits to supporting all initiatives that work to:
- Protect all persons from torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment;
- Recognise torture as a very serious crime that undermines the inherent dignity and integrity of the human person;
- Condemn all forms of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and to prohibit its practice everywhere;
- Fulfil the provisions of the International Convention against Torture and Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment;
- Encourage all states in the region to become parties to the Optional Protocol to the Convention; and
- Try to monitor places of involuntary detention where individuals are at greatest risk of torture including prisons and police cells.
Some Background on the Article 5 Initiative:
The Article 5 Initiative is a collaboration of the Gender, Health and Justice Research Unit (University of Cape Town), the Community Law Centre (University of the Western Cape), the Human Rights Implementation Centre (University of Bristol) and the African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum and will work for the prevention and eradication of torture in Africa through the development of practice-aimed resources.
The Article 5 Initiative aims to support African institutions in improving domestic compliance with international law obligations, norms and procedures under the United Nations Convention against Torture and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights.
The Article 5 Initiative focuses on six post-conflict African countries, namely Burundi, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda.
