Archive for July, 2010
Breaking news: Thousands fast for libraries across the country
Posted by Zackie Achmat in Equal Education, Equality and LGBTI politics, South African politics on 30/07/2010
Over 5000 people are Fasting with EE for school libraries in South Africa Doron Isaacs It is 10am, Friday 30 July 2010. School children, teachers, parents, activists and ordinary people have been fasting for 16 hours. Their aim: “1 School 1 Library 1 Librarian”. If you haven’t started fasting, start now for the remaining 8 [...]
Report: Children live a short, hungry, sick and brutal life — build a movement
Posted by Zackie Achmat in HIV/AIDS & Health, Social Justice Coalition, South African politics on 29/07/2010
Many children live a short, hungry and brutal life in the richest country on the African continent and one of the wealthiest in the developing world. In 2008, nearly 12 million or 64% of all children lived in households with a monthly income (excluding social grants) of less than R569.00 per month. This rate varies [...]
Jewish Voices for Peace: circulate news of small first step to divestment victory
Posted by Zackie Achmat in Palestine/Israel on 27/07/2010
Letter from Aaron Levitt Jewish Voices for Peace (JVP) I’m writing you from New York City where I just got back from the TIAA-CREF annual meeting and I’m still a bit overwhelmed by the experience. I can’t tell you what it meant to have each one of you there with us in the room. 15,300 [...]
Is the DA the racist old National Party in disguise? Is the ANC inexcusably arrogant?
Posted by Zackie Achmat in Political parties, South African politics on 26/07/2010
I could never bring myself to watch a DA congress because of the self-congratulatory, self-satisfied racial superiority complex of the majority of its members and the ritual denunciation by its Black members of “affirmative action”, ANC (read black) mediocrity. The DA leadership under Premier Helen Zille and strategist Ryan Coetzee promotes this arrogance. Of course [...]
Join Fast for School Libraries — Why Cosatu supports Equal Education
Posted by Zackie Achmat in Equal Education, South African politics on 25/07/2010
On Thursday 29th July 2010 at 18:00 thousands of learners, students, teachers, parents, activists and community members will join a fast called by Equal Education in its campaign for school libraries. We are fasting because class and race apartheid still exists in our education system. We are fasting because our children are doomed to a [...]
Was apartheid only white rule: Bantustans, collaborators and traditional leaders
Posted by Zackie Achmat in Political parties, South African politics on 24/07/2010
The National House of Traditional Leaders is demanding that that the Constitution be amended in rural areas to do away with elected local government and give the amakhosi the power to govern. Under the guise of “tradition and culture”, they wish to re-establish old bantustans. (See Mail & Guardian report below) Apartheid was a complex [...]
Gaza War Crimes: Chief Rabbi Goldstein apologise to Justice Goldstone
Posted by Zackie Achmat in Palestine/Israel, South African politics on 22/07/2010
GAZA WAR CRIMES: WHO WILL STAND TRIAL? At least twenty-six members of the Al-Samouni family in Gaza were deliberately murdered by the Israeli armed forces. Ten of the dead were children. Who are those responsible for the war crimes against the people of Gaza? This post contains three articles. The first is an article by [...]
Palestinian man 18 Months in Prison for sex with Jewish Woman
Posted by Zackie Achmat in Palestine/Israel on 21/07/2010
I wonder what Israel apologists will say of this case and the surveys below? Zackie Achmat Jurists say Arab’s rape conviction sets dangerous precedent By Tomer Zarchin Lawyers for the Arab man convicted of rape by deception and sentenced to 18 months in prison, say they are considering an appeal to the High Court of [...]
Water is life (but life is cheap) Pierre De Vos
Posted by Zackie Achmat in South African politics, Treatment Action Campaign on 21/07/2010
The Constitutional Court’s 2009 judgment on access to water is one of its most important cases. Pierre de Vos has criticised the judgment as a conservative retreat from the Court’s jurisprudence. In my view, the judgment despite one or two errors is fundamentally sound. For the first time the Court properly opens the debate on [...]
Premier Zille’s “illegal immigration” statements — A response
Posted by Zackie Achmat in Social Justice Coalition, South African politics on 21/07/2010
The country must have a discussion on state-sponsored xenophobia towards SADC immigrants, refugees and stateless people from all other African countries. Institutions such as Home Affairs historically have promoted xenophobia with its failed “deportation” strategy and the reactionary attitudes of many officials. Similarly, the South African Police Force have a history of targeting people from [...]
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