The South African Human Rights Commission has issued subpoenas for state officials to appear at its hearing into the unrest in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal in July this year.

The commission has undertaken a three-week hearing into the unrest, with witnesses giving testimony before a panel. Senior state officials are expected to appear before the hearing.

So far, National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, national police commissioner General Khehla Sitole and Gauteng police commissioner General Elias Mawela have already testified.

Gauteng Premier David Makhura and KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala are expected to appear on Friday. However, there have been "non-responses from a number of other state officials", the commission said in a statement.

"Consequently, the commission has issued subpoenas calling on them to appear before the hearing panel.

"Organs of state, including state officials, are under a specific constitutional and statutory duty to cooperate with and assist the commission in the carrying out of its constitutional mandate, to ensure its independence and effectiveness," the statement read.

The hearing got under way on Monday, 15 November, with the panel hearing testimony from survivors, various community members as well as industry players in commerce and private security. The panel also attended an inspection in loco in Pietermaritzburg, Phoenix and surrounding areas last Friday.

The testimonies during the first week detailed the experience of residents affected by the unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and pointed to several failures by the police, News24 previously reported.

The hearing called for submissions from all sectors of society by Friday, 3 December.

"While expressing appreciation for those who have come forward and assisted it with evidence, the commission continues to request persons wishing to make their submissions do so before the hearing panel, either in person or by way of written submissions, rather than on social media or by way of commentary that seeks to bring the process and work of the commission into question," the commission added.