Development Talk

Check out this interesting article from The Times following a report made by the UN and the SA Human Rights Commission. The article discusses South Africa continues to neglect its most vulnerable, in particular, children, as they are negatively impacted by a lack of a proper home, health care and schooling.

Some of the report’s troubling findings include:

• 64%, or 11.9million, of the country’s 18.6million children live in poverty. Many of them are Aids orphans – about 5.5million people have HIV/Aids in South Africa, more than in any other country

• Only 54% of the HIV-positive children who should be on antiretroviral treatment are receiving it;

• More than 270 babies and their mothers die after birth on average a day, mainly due to HIV/Aids, and the maternal mortality rate has increased by 80% since 1990;

• 582000 children who should be attending high school are not – 28% don’t have the money for fees and 15% because “education is useless”;

• Of 56500 children who were victims of violent crime in 2009-2010, 27417 were raped or molested. Of those, 29% were aged between 0 and 10.

Read the full article below:

***
The Times: Young,hungry,helpless

http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article986417.ece/Young-hungry-helpless

UN,USA

Not everyone can rely on three meals a day. Photo DFID via Flickr

Not everyone is privileged enough to receive three meals a day. Photo DFID via Flickr

Tomorrow is World Food Day. Think about going to bed hungry every night. Think about waking up in the morning and knowing that you’ll remain hungry.

Think about relying on your own small garden for your survival.

Think about what it would mean if you could no longer grow your food due to drought, or having to leave your home because of armed conflict. Think about not being able to feed your children. (more…)

Jacob Zuma seems to be losing favour. Photo: Globovision via Flickr

Jacob Zuma seems to be losing favour. Photo: Globovision via Flickr

It was not so long ago that ANC Youth League president Julius Malema said he would “Kill for Zuma”, but now it seems that President Jacob Zuma has fallen out of favour with the ANCYL and leaders within his own party. Could we soon see a new candidate stepping up to become president of the ANC? Or will there be a split in the ruling party – reminiscent of the COPE formation?

The Mail&Guardian wrote today that tensions are brewing within the party and the tripartite alliance, which will probably reach boiling point at the ANC National General Council (NGC)that kicks off on 20 September. News24 earlier reported that Zuma will not be attending the United Nations general assembly on the 23rd of September, as he is prioritising the ANC NGC. The presidential spokesperson denied that this was because of rumours relating to a planned revolt in the ANC.

Now the M&G is saying “many party leaders have their eye on higher office or want to punish Zuma for not rewarding them sufficiently for their support in the run-up to the ANC’s 2007 Polokwane conference”. They name Siphiwe Nyanda, the communications minister, Fikile Mbalula, the deputy police minister, and Malema.

Who will next feature on election posters for the ANC? Photo: Attawayjl via Flickr

Who will next feature on election posters for the ANC? Photo: Attawayjl via Flickr

The newspaper also reports that a group of ANC members including Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale and Lindiwe Sisulu are said to be banding together with Zwelinzima Vavi, Cosatu‘s general secretary, and ANCYL members (including Malema) to make sure that Zuma does not serve another term as president.

Apparently these people are: “Discussing a return to such values as a rejection of corruption and a clear division between party and state”. This sounds much the same to what the members of COPE were saying when they split off from the ANC.

It has repeatedly been said by analysts that it would be good for the country’s democracy if the ANC had a strong party to oppose it. The possibility of perhaps losing an election would keep the ruling party on its toes and ensure better service delivery to the people of this country. COPE has failed to provide this opposition, not gathering enough votes in the national election and being plagued by infighting.

Is there perhaps hope in a new party? Will people have faith in a faction that includes Malema, seeing as this controversial figure’s popularity is plummeting?