Rights group to investigate alleged abuse of San

South Africa's leading human rights body is to launch an inquiry into the alleged mistreatment of members of the Khomani San community of the Northern Cape Province.

A senior official of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) confirmed on Wednesday that the commission had first received complaints of alleged police misconduct against the community in December last year.

"There have been claims and accusations that the community as a whole has been routinely mistreated by the police in the area. We had been watching the situation but after the death of Optel Rooi [a Bushman master tracker] it was decided that an official enquiry should be conducted," SAHRC Commissioner Leon Wessels told IRIN.

An estimated 700 Khomani San reside on the edge of the Kalahari desert in the north of the impoverished province. An investigation by a team of television reporters earlier this year revealed that in the last five years, five of the San's key community members have died violently, in murders the police have failed to solve.

Optel Rooi was regarded as the leading trainer of young Khomani in traditional knowledge of the bush and tracking skills.

Wessels said that after preliminary discussion with community leaders, NGOs and local authorities, it was found that "a number of other serious issues had to be addressed".

"Although the allegations of police misconduct against the San will be under discussion, there are broader issues which extend beyond the administration of justice. We need to talk about civil liberties, which appear to be ignored in this region, with regard to this community," Wessels explained.

Another concern was the high dropout rate of San children from local schools and allegations of harassment by educators. Wessels said the provincial educational authorities would be invited to explain the reasons for the situation.

"We expect to have a report out six week after the inquiry, which will give us a clearer picture of the current situation and what can be done to improve the relationship between the police and the community," he added.

The inquiry will be held in the community hall of Andriesvale, in the Askham area of the Northern Cape near the Botswana border, from 26 to 29 October.