Development Talk

Cape Town Celebrates Human Rights Day

 

March 23, 2011

March 21st marked Human Rights Day on the South African calendar — a day where people commemorate the struggles suffered by those fighting for equality and justice. It also marks the anniversary of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) in 1996, an organisation dedicated to continuously fighting for human rights.

We rejoice this day by appreciating the rights we have, which include the right to dignity, equality, education, and expression.

This year’s Human Rights Day brought a large number of people to participate in events hosted by the Equal Education (EE). The event’s main intention was to hand over a memorandum to the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, requesting her to ensure the Minimum Norms and Standards for School Infrastructure is signed into law, as promised in last year’s policy gazette. The memorandum is also similar to the National Policy for the Equitable Provision of an Enabling School Teaching and Learning Environment (NPEP).

Unfortunately, Motshekga wasn’t present to take the memorandum, but Dingani Ngobeni, the Chief of Staff in the Basic Education Ministry, accepted it on her behalf. There was a great turn-out at the event, including a number of youth who were also advocating for advancing their education.

According to the Cape Times, Yoliswa Dwane, Equal Education spokeswoman, was quoted as saying, “Young people in the province showed today that they have an interest in their education. They came in numbers and wanted their voices to be heard.”

(Note: A similar march is planned for March 31, to the Union Buildings in Pretoria)

Aside from Parliament, other areas in Cape Town were also celebrating Human Rights Day, but this time in the form of arts and performance. Gugulethu residents and surrounding areas enjoyed the rhythm of the Cape, as the Amy Biehl Foundation, in association with the City of Cape Town, Western Cape Musicians Association and the Department Cultural Affairs and Sports presented the Cape Township Jazz Festival.

The likes of Amy Biehl Youth Bands, Yolanda Yawa, Mtika, The Tribe of Benjamin and the Milton Academy Jazz Band played at the event. The admission was only R5, giving an opportunity for people of all areas to attend the event.

Through political lobbying, speeches, and performances, it was clear that Cape Town made a statement in the on-going fight for human rights. Though we celebrate our achievements, it’s equally important to focus on the future and continue paving the way for justice and fairness.

Human Rights Day is incredibly important in reminding us that despite our differences, we are at the end of the day, all human.

Filed under: basic human right,campaign,children,CREATIVE CONSULTING & DEVELOPMENT WORKS,DEVELOPMENT WORKS,education,Government,Parliament,rights,South Africa,youth — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 10:59 am

Khoikhoi and San want rights to be recognised

 

September 13, 2010

Dispossessed, unrecognised and facing a ‘cultural genocide’, South Africa’s Khoikhoi and San community are petitioning the government for full recognition of their rights as indigenous people.

They claim that their history of oppression and dispossession has long been overlooked, with government preferring to focus on rectifying the evils of apartheid’s land policies.

Indeed, South Africa’s indigenous population have lived in the region of the Cape for thousands of years, but lost their and land and water to the first settlers who arrived in 1652. The current Land Restitution Act however, only considers claims for land that was dispossessed after the 1913 Native Land Act came into effect.

Zenzile Khoisan, a spokesman for the Khoi and Boesman National Assembly argues “In 1913 most of our land had already been usurped by various entities including the colonial authorities. Under the Land Restitution Act it is impossible for us to claim because we were the first in opposition of colonialism.”

Their grievances came to the fore in a march on Cape Town’s Parliament Buildings on Saturday 4th September, as reported by the U.K Guardian. They have issued a memorandum to President Jacob Zuma outlining their demands for recognition as the original inhabitants of South Africa. (more…)

Filed under: civil society,Communications,community,Constitution,CREATIVE CONSULTING & DEVELOPMENT WORKS,cultural issues,democracy,DEVELOPMENT WORKS,donors,Film,Government,identity,Inequality,legislation,marginalised,media,NGOs,Parliament,Policy,politics,poverty,rights,South Africa,Videos — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 12:30 pm

Protection of Information Bill: What you need to know and what you can do

 

August 24, 2010

Judith February of IDASA said action is needed from civil society.

Judith February of IDASA said action is needed from civil society.

“The Protection of Information Bill is inherently unconstitutional.”

This is what Dr Laurie Nathan, research fellow at UCT’s Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, said at a discussion about the proposed Protection of Information Act and the Media Appeals Tribunal held at the Book Lounge in Cape Town last night.

Nathan, who is also affiliated with the Crisis States Research Centre at the London School of Economics, said that the principle of an open society is something which is found throughout our Constitution. The proposed Protection of Information Act will however, create a society of secrets.

Limiting rights

The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa says that anyone has the right to have access to any information held by the state, but the Protection of Information Bill aims to keep this information from citizens. According to Nathan, the Bill defines national interest and security so broadly that this definition can be used to keep any and all information secret.

The Constitution also states that everyone has the right to freedom of expression, including freedom of the press, artistic freedom and academic freedom. If the Protection to Information Bill is passed it will  cancel this freedom.

Nathan said that the issue of a Media Appeals Tribunal is something separate to the Protection of Information Bill. The fact that it has been lumped together with the Bill in debates has created confusion, which furthers the cause of those advocating for the Bill, he said. According to Nathan, the questions raised about ethics and the media make sense, but the proposed Media Appeals Tribunal is definitely not the vehicle to address this. Neither is the Protection of Information Bill.

What can you do?

The proposed Protection of Information Act is inherently unconstitutional. Photo: Zampano via Flickr

The proposed Protection of Information Act is inherently unconstitutional. Photo: Zampano via Flickr

“When listening to Laurie Nathan I ask myself: ‘How can we stop this?’,” the writer Dr Sindiwe Magona said at the event. “If we don’t act now, it will become law. The freedom we fought for and gained in 1994 will shrink.”

Judith February, Head of IDASA’s Political Information and Monitoring Service, agreed that action from civil society is necessary to address this issue. IDASA is putting together a media statement entitled Let the truth be told: Stop the secrecy bill! which has been signed by more than 100 organisations. You can sign the bill by clicking here or by SMSing your name to 32759.

“People are making a mistake if they think this Bill will only affect journalists. In reality any information that an ordinary citizen applies for will be hidden. It will affect ordinary poor people more than anyone else.”

IDASA has been talking to grassroots organisations, who have before made use of the right to access to information from government. These organisations understand what the proposed Protection of Information Act will mean. They have also signed the media statement.

Furthermore, IDASA is mobilising community radio stations to reach the greatest number of people in South Africa.

February encouraged people to write letters to the newspaper and to flood Cecil Burgess’ inbox. (Burgess is the chair of the parliamentary committee that’s looking at the Protection of Information Bill.)

You can also attend another discussion on the proposed Protection of Information Bill tonight, which will be hosted by the Mail&Guardian at the Nelson Mandela Gateway (V&A Waterfront) in Cape Town.

Filed under: Access to Information,civil society,Communications,Constitution,CREATIVE CONSULTING & DEVELOPMENT WORKS,development,DEVELOPMENT WORKS,dialogue,ethics,governance,Government,legislation,media,Parliament,Policy,politics,power,Protection of Information Act,rights,South Africa — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 4:22 pm

Do your bit to put a library in every school

 

January 26, 2010

Equal Education volunteers promote the "One school, one library, one librarian" campaign

Volunteers promote the "One school, one library, one librarian" campaign. From EE's Facebook page

More than 90% of public schools and more than 4.5 million learners in South Africa do not have a functioning school library.

Equal Education (EE), a community and membership-based organisation engaged in activism for improving South African schools, aims to change this by marching to Parliament on 21 March 2010.

They will hand over a petition to the government which asks for a library to be established at every school, a trained full-time librarian to be employed, and at least three books to be made available for every learner.

Equal Education already has the support of Dr Mamphela Ramphele, Sindiwe Magona and Zackie Achmat, but they also need our help.

They list various ways in which ordinary citizens can help their cause:

  • Donate money
  • Spread the word through Facebook, Twitter and Mxit
  • Join the task team meeting and volunteer your time
  • Sign the petition by clicking here
  • Support the EE book collection drive

This blog post, and our related Facebook & Twitter posts, is Creative Consulting & Development Works‘ way of helping.

Just like Equal Education, we believe “reading is the foundation of all eduction” and that this is “a matter of freedom justice and equality”, especially after we researched and compiled a consolidated report on the Western Cape Education Department Family Literacy Project Pilot.

For more information on Equal Education, read our previous blog post on the organisation here, or visit their website.

Filed under: blogging,Book,children,community,CREATIVE CONSULTING & DEVELOPMENT WORKS,education,Inequality,literacy,Parliament,Research,youth — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 11:41 am
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