The public online complaints portal has been established in order to address digital offences in order of the Code of Conduct. Members of the public can submit relevant complaints to the Digital Complaints Committee (DCC).

Complaints may be submitted by any member of the public to be considered by the DCC. The DCC will act expeditiously, in light of the particular circumstances, to appropriately address complaints received.

English will be the working language of the DCC but complaints will be received in the eleven official languages of South Africa, and will seek to establish translation capabilities to address all complaints received.

Complaints may not be submitted anonymously, but the identity of the complainant will be kept confidential. Appropriate technical and legal measures will be established to safeguarding of all personal data of the complainant and to protect the confidentiality of the complainant in the outcome.

Complainants will be requested to provide as much relevant information as possible via the online complaints portal to facilitate the work of the DCC.

On receipt of a complaint, the Secretariat will forward the complaint to a Sub-committee to make a decision. In the event that the Sub-committee does not reach an agreement in the proposed possible courses of action, the Secretariat may refer the complaint to the Appeals Committee for resolution.

Possible decisions that a Sub-committee may make include the following:

  • The complaint falls outside the scope of the DCC;
  • No action is required;
  • The complaint should be referred to the Press Ombud for consideration;
  • The complaint should be referred to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and/or any other independent statutory body for assistance;
  • The complaint should be referred to the SAPS for further investigation;
  • Assistance should be sought from the relevant online platforms;
  • A case should be instituted with the Equality Court or any other appropriate court or tribunal; and/or
  • A counter-narrative should be published.

Any party aggrieved by a decision made by a Sub-committee of the DCC may approach the Secretariat in writing to lodge an appeal with the Appeals Committee.

Please submit your appeal listing the complaint ID and your reasons for appeal to the following email address secretariat@real411.org.za .

The outcomes of complaints will be made publicly accessible, and the complainant shall be notified accordingly.