Archive for category South African politics
Cadre deployment, Fagan’s formalism and Zille’s rage — Doron Isaacs
Posted by Zackie Achmat in Active Citizenship, Law and Constitutionalism, Political parties, South African politics on November 12, 2010
Anton Fagan is a law professor at the University of Cape Town. We remember him in academic dress marching with TAC for the dismissal of then-Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang. But speaking generally he has never understood the Constitution, the society in which lives or his privilege. He eschews context and people in his scholarship. Schooled [...]
We salute Barbara Hogan, a friend and comrade
Posted by Zackie Achmat in Active Citizenship, Corruption, Political parties, South African politics, Treatment Action Campaign on November 8, 2010
This is an extended version of an article published in the Mail and Guardian last week. We salute Barbara Hogan We are friends of Barbara Hogan. Barbara Hogan, our comrade, is retiring from government ending a very important chapter in SA history. When Barbara was appointed Minister of Health in 2008, most people did not [...]
Frank Chikane’s whitewash of Mbeki is an ahistorical disgrace
Posted by Zackie Achmat in Active Citizenship, HIV/AIDS & Health, Political parties, South African politics, Treatment Action Campaign on November 6, 2010
Frank Chikane has emerged not as the former personal chaplain in the Presidency but as the chronicler or praise-singer of the former President. The mainly Africanist but also white middle-classes are trying to resuscitate former President Thabo Mbeki as the model African president. Many university student are taken in by the idea of “the intellectual [...]
Cape Town Opera apology to Tutu not enough — It must witness the Occupation and oppression of the Palestinian people
Posted by Zackie Achmat in Active Citizenship, Open Shuhada Street, Palestine/Israel, South African politics on November 5, 2010
The announcement that the Cape Town Opera would be performing “Porgy and Bess” in Tel Aviv and the call by Israeli activists calling for a boycott of Israel prompted us to meet with Michael Williams, the Director of Cape Town Opera. We stated clearly that we opposed any official tour that legitimises the Occupation and [...]
Profiteering from bread — Landmark Competition Commission case — nearly R1bn in penalties imposed on Pioneer Foods
Posted by Zackie Achmat in Active Citizenship, COSATU and labour movement, Corruption, Law and Constitutionalism, Politics, Economics and History, South African politics on November 3, 2010
Imraahn Mukaddam is a small shop-owner in Elsies River, a Coloured working-class township in Cape Town. He sells bread — the staple food of the poorest every day. In dealing with the bakeries, he and other small corner stores learnt that the bakeries fixed prices. Mukaddam was the only shop-owner prepared to lay a complaint [...]
The ANC National Working Committee attacks Cosatu and civil society but protects the tenderpreneur Malema
Posted by Zackie Achmat in Active Citizenship, COSATU and labour movement, Corruption, Equal Education, Equality and LGBTI politics, Political parties, Social Justice Coalition, South African politics, Treatment Action Campaign on November 2, 2010
Cosatu, TAC and Section 27 called together civil society, faith communities, other labour federations to discuss the social and economic crisis in our country in a conference in Johannesburg (held 28-29 October 2010). Our country and the ANC is at a crossroads. Class and race inequality has widened dramatically in education, health, incomes, safety and [...]
Cockroaches and Loos with Views: The struggle for dignity in political language
Posted by Zackie Achmat in Active Citizenship, Classics, Equal Education, Political parties, Politics, Economics and History, Social Justice Coalition, South African politics, Treatment Action Campaign on October 31, 2010
On 16 May 1923, Leon Trotsky wrote a remarkable little article in the newspaper Pravda — “The struggle for cultured language”. This article is republished below because of the debasing of our political language, the dehumanising of political opponents and people. Julius Malema and Premier Helen Zille are politicians. They both clamour for media attention [...]
“Loos with views” & “Happy Letters”: The DA administration disgraced
Posted by Zackie Achmat in Active Citizenship, Law and Constitutionalism, Political parties, Social Justice Coalition, South African politics on October 27, 2010
The hypocrisy of the DA is exposed (again). First, they have an investigation into the Makhaza toilet debacle; then they hide the findings; then they are caught out because the report shows they acted unlawfully and shamefully. Then, they claim that they were “exonerated”. Dan Plato, the DA Mayor of Cape Town is a liar. [...]
Debunking Zille: Open statement on Janet Love signed by Justice Kathy Satchwell, Andrew Feinstein and others
Posted by writingrights in Law and Constitutionalism, Political parties, South African politics on October 21, 2010
The open statement below corrects Premier Helen Zille who attacked Janet Love part-time commissioner at the Human Rights Commission. Shadow Minister of Justice supported the nomination of Janet Love to the South African Human Rights Commission on behalf of the Democratic Alliance. Will Premier Helen Zille now attack Geoff Budlender, Paul Verryn, Justice Kathy Satchwell< [...]
Right to Know: Join SJC protest City of Cape Town ban on Makhaza report
Posted by Zackie Achmat in Active Citizenship, Law and Constitutionalism, Political parties, Social Justice Coalition, South African politics on October 19, 2010
The ANC government’s proposed Secrecy Bill is a serious attack on democracy that everyone must resist. Protests are planned across the country by the R2K (Right to Know Campaign). Support those protests. Below is a press statement from the SJC that shows why citizens must remain active especially when so-called liberals rule. Why is the [...]
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