Protesters gathered in Cape Town on Monday to mark the UN International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide. Photos: Matthew Hirsch

About 50 people gathered outside the Samson Centre in Cape Town on Monday to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The Samson Centre, which houses offices of the SA Jewish Board of Deputies and other organisations, is opposite the Holocaust and Genocide Centre.
The protest was to mark the UN International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign said it stood in solidarity “with Palestinians and all other victims of genocide, both past and present”.
Daniel Bloch, Executive Director, Cape South African Jewish Board of Deputies said he rejected “with utter contempt” the “baseless allegations of genocide” against Israel.

About 50 people picketed outside the Samson Centre in Cape Town on Monday to mark the UN International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide.

During the protest, two women wearing white were covered in red paint to symbolise genocides. Many protesters held up flags in solidarity with African countries including Congo, Rwanda and Namibia.

Protesters also read out the names of scores of people killed in Gaza over the last 14 months. The group called for an immediate ceasefire, an end to the illegal occupation, and the recognition of the Palestinian people’s rights.

The centre houses offices of several organisations including the South African Zionist Federation – Cape Council, Cape SA Jewish Board of Deputies, UJC Cape Town, CSO, Bnoth Zion WIZO Cape Town, Staffwise, Israel Centre, Cape Jewish Chronicle and Habonim Dror Southern Africa.

The Cape Town Holocaust and Genocide Centre is across the road.

This protest comes days after Amnesty International found “sufficient basis” to conclude that “Israel committed and is continuing to commit genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip”.

In a statement, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), said: “We stand in solidarity with Palestinians and all other victims of genocide, both past and present, including Indigenous Americans, Indigenous Australians, Congolese, Sudanese, Rwandans, Namibians, Irish, Bosnians, Poles, Jews, Roma, Czechs, Armenians, and Slavs.

“We hold Israel, with its US backing, accountable for its ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza. Israel’s continued forced expulsions in the West Bank and Gaza, along with its occupation and violence, represent a clear violation of international human rights, including the prohibition of genocide.”

Usuf Chikte, PSC Coordinator, told GroundUp: “The genocide in Gaza is being live-streamed. Nobody in this world can say that they didn’t know.

“In South Africa, we have a special obligation both morally and legally to ensure that apartheid never happens again.”

“We are reading the names of those who have been killed because they won’t be forgotten. We want to say that we are all equal in life and in death,” he said.

Earlier in the day, health workers held a press conference in District Six, demanding urgent action against Israel. This coincided with similar events by health workers in Canada, USA, UK, Ireland, Turkey, Malaysia, and Namibia.

They called for an end to the targeting of healthcare workers, ambulance staff, aid workers in the field and journalists.

In a statement, Daniel Bloch, executive director of the Cape South African Jewish Board of Deputies, said he rejected “with utter contempt” the “baseless allegations of genocide”.

“A war which was started by Hamas on 7 October 2023, when they invaded Israel, is taking place in the Middle East, not a genocide. However, we continue to deplore the loss of all life, we call for the release of all hostages and an end to the war.”

“The International Court of Justice, the primary judicial body of the United Nations, has made no ruling with regards to accusations of genocide, therefore any claims made by other organisations to the contrary, are misplaced.”

Bloch said “lies and mistruths” spread by anti-Israel movements “only enflame the hatred and intolerance towards the Jewish community, our supporters and friends and could well have led to the disgusting act of terror which occurred this past Friday 6 December, at our community building.” He said an explosive device had been thrown into the complex “with the purpose of causing damage and creating fear and intimidation” .

“This investigation was concluded Monday morning by the bomb disposal unit. The case docket has now been assigned to the Directorate for Priority Investigation [Hawks] for further investigation. Despite this attack, our community remains resilient, united and strong and we will not be intimidated by these haters.”

News24 quoted police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut saying that the police had found a possible explosive device which had not detonated and had removed it from the scene. He confirmed that the docket had been assigned to the Hawks.

According to Al Jazeera, more than 44,000 Palestinians have been killed since October last year.

At least 2,000 people have also been killed in Lebanon. About 1,100 Israelis were killed in the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October.

Protesters held up flags in solidarity with African countries including Congo, Rwanda and Namibia.

The post Protest opposite Holocaust and Genocide Centre in Cape Town: call for ceasefire in Gaza appeared first on Vuka News.

Professor Usuf Chikte addressing the protesters outside the consulate of the USA in Cape Town on Friday. Photo by Chris Gilili

Protests outside the US consulates in Cape Town and Johannesburg, and the embassy in Pretoria, on the International Day of Solidarity with Palestine.

By Chris Gilili – this post was first published on Elitsha

On Friday, over 100 people, in solidarity with the people of Palestine protested outside the US Consulate office in Cape Town, and called for the boycott of South African retail companies that do business with the USA. Demonstrations were also held at the US consulate in Sandton, Johannesburg, and at the embassy in Pretoria.  

A joint memorandum of demands, from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) was read out. It cites the United States government’s history of violent international imperial domination: “[The US] has participated and interfered, both overtly and covertly, in the replacement of many foreign governments. Throughout this history, until today it has instigated, supported and participated in regime change against the democratic will of millions of people at huge cost to their lives, livelihoods and mass destruction of vital infrastructure.

“Since 8 October 2023, Israel has accelerated its genocide of the Palestinian people with over 50,000 killed in Gaza, 70% of whom are woman and children. Medical personnel, journalists and academics have been deliberately targeted for assassination.”  

The demands listed are for the US to ensure a full and unconditional ceasefire and to stop the genocide of the Palestinian people, in Gaza and all occupied territories. They call for the US to stop the supply of weapons and military support to Israel, and to actively support and implement international law and all UN resolutions to end Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine and racist Apartheid system.

“Immediately ensure full and comprehensive humanitarian support – food, shelter, healthcare and the provision of electricity, water and basic services. Comply with the ICC issuance of arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yaov Gallant,” they demand in their memo. 

Professor Usuf Chikte from the PSC told the protesters to not submit or surrender their solidarity with the people of Palestine. “We will continue until we are all free, from the river to the sea. We will continue to fight against imperialism,” he said. 

Shaykh Ebrahim Gabriels from the Al Quds Foundation, said it is sad that other countries are silent about the genocide happening in Gaza and criticised US president Joe Biden for participating in it. “Biden is not going to live forever, at some point he is going to die. Today, we pray to God the Almighty, that he must not take Biden away already, we want him to see all the children that were buried in Gaza. He must suffer. We in South Africa, will continue to stand up for Palestine. Most other countries are silent and the reason is because of these Americans,” said Gabriels. 

Addressing the protesters, Cosatu’s general secretary, Solly Phetoe, said the campaign against the genocide in Gaza must be globalised. “We will not win if we do not intensify our struggle. These people will not listen. As Cosatu we are mobilising other trade unions globally. To the US, we are saying they must stop funding and supporting genocide. Our call is that Palestine must be free. Let us boycott all companies that associate with the US, like Woolworths in our context,” said Phetoe. 

University of the Western Cape student, Hajar Ahjum-Mathee urged the protesters to support any form of resistance against the genocide happening in Gaza. “Dispose and divest, we will not stop. Resistance is justified, when people are occupied. As people are shopping for black Friday, and for December, let us stay away from all companies attached to America. Let us not use our hard-earned money to support people, who are enabling genocide. We need to be stronger, and make our voices heard,” she said.

The post Cosatu and PSC call for boycott of US companies appeared first on Vuka News.

by Chris Gilili – the original post was first published on Elitsha

Summary by Vuka.news:

• Protest and Solidarity: Members of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and civil society protested outside the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in Cape Town, showing solidarity with Palestinians.
• Calls for Prosecution:The PSC demands prosecution of 60 South Africans who served in the Israel Defense Force (IDF) without permission under the Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act.
• Ongoing Investigation: The Hawks are investigating Aaron Bayhack, a South African identified as an IDF sniper operating in Gaza. Details remain undisclosed.
• South African History of Solidarity: Protester Eliza James highlighted South Africa’s history of oppression and support for Palestinian freedom, quoting Nelson Mandela’s belief in shared liberation.
• Government Accountability: James criticized the government for inaction, calling IDF participants “mercenaries” and urging prosecution and potential citizenship revocation.
• Civilian Deaths in Gaza: Protesters expressed outrage over the devastation in Gaza, noting the deaths of 16,500 children and ongoing human rights violations.
• Legal Action Discussions: A meeting between the PSC, Hawks, and NPA acknowledged the urgency of prosecuting individuals and organizations aiding IDF recruitment, under multiple laws including the Foreign Military Assistance Act and Anti-terrorism Act.
• Frustration Over Delays: PSC representatives criticized the lack of arrests or prosecutions, linking delays to continued violence in Palestine and impunity for those involved.
• Commitment to Action: The NPA agreed to involve senior officials and committed to follow up on prosecutorial decisions promptly, with updates expected soon.
• Future Steps: Another meeting is planned to ensure progress and accountability in addressing these violations.

The post PSC calls for NPA to prosecute South Africans involved in Gaza genocide appeared first on Vuka News.

by Hennie van Vuuren for Open Secrets

Open Secrets exposes a military squad allegedly responsible for acts of torture and murder. The evidence implicates at least four units of the SANDF in crimes dating back to 2019. They are the elite Special Forces Brigade, the Military Police, Defence Intelligence and Defence Legal Services. The lead Special Forces operative allegedly involved was also the subject of a criminal investigation by Hawks investigator Frans Mathipa shortly before Mathipa’s assassination by a sharpshooter. All this raises concerns of a large-scale criminal conspiracy within the SANDF.

The first two parts of our Russian Doll investigation revealed a SA National Defence Force Special Forces unit to be the owner of at least one luxury German car that accompanied cargo loaded off and possibly on to the sanctioned Russian ship Lady R in Simon’s Town in December last year. We, in turn, linked that vehicle to a Special Forces operation three weeks later at the Mall of Africa in Midrand, the day alleged Islamic State financier Abdella Abadiga and his bodyguard were abducted from the mall. Importantly, the person hot on the spoor of this group — Lieutenant-Colonel Frans Mathipa of the Hawks — was assassinated on 6 August this year.  

The mystery of the missing rifles

Our story today is rooted in a crime that took place some three years before the Lady R incident. On 23 December 2019, 18 R4 rifles and three pistols were reported as stolen from the strongroom safe at the SA Army Engineer Formation base south of Pretoria.

News of this was leaked to the media and it quickly made headlines across the country. This was not without reason: R4 rifles are the workhorse of the SANDF and can fire more than 600 rounds a minute. In the wrong hands these 18 rifles could cause mayhem. In this investigation, Open Secrets focuses on the hunt for the missing rifles by the SANDF. 

Empty rifle cases: On 23 December 2019, 18 R4 rifles and three pistols were reported as stolen from the strongroom safe at the SA Army Engineer Formation base south of Pretoria. (Photo: Supplied)

Our sources speak out

Witnesses both within and outside of the government have provided evidence to Open Secrets. Their account of events exposes a broad criminal network within the military. Its members appear to hanker back to a time when military death squads operated with impunity in South Africa. Accordingly, we will not name sources. 

In this article, we draw on a source who was present when some of the most egregious human rights violations took place. Their account is supported by two further sources with a contemporaneous understanding of events.  

Where we have independently corroborated information this has been made clear.

While we expose the names of military operatives alleged to have committed grave crimes, it is crucial to note that we have drawn on insights from brave public servants and members of the public who, like the murdered Hawks officer Frans Mathipa, are committed to the democratic constitutional order.

Our investigation also draws on the circumstances of an SANDF board of inquiry established to investigate complaints of alleged criminal activity within the military. The board was headed by Defence Intelligence Brigadier-General John Moorhouse. According to a source who has direct knowledge of the work of the Moorhouse Inquiry, it heard the testimonies of dozens of witnesses and focused extensively on corruption and abuse of office in the military. It also heard evidence of torture, including some of the information we report on today.

Despite the Moorhouse Inquiry having wrapped up hearings almost six months ago, the final report, the same source says, appears to be gathering dust on the desk of the chief of the SANDF and possibly that of the minister of defence. It is imperative that the contents of the report, and the record and evidence presented, are made public immediately.

We now turn to the investigation into the missing rifles. But for contextual information or where we indicate otherwise, the story is as told by our sources.  

Military Police start the investigation 

The head of the Military Police, Rear Admiral Mokgadi Maphoto, appointed a team from the ranks of the Military Police to investigate the rifle theft from the army engineering base. The team included Lieutenant-Colonel Doris Phindani Netshanzhe (then holding the rank of major), the acting commanding officer at the Thaba Tshwane Military Police Office. Thaba Tshwane is a vast military complex south of Pretoria,  not far from Freedom Park and the Voortrekker Monument. It is about 4km from the engineering base where the rifles went missing. 

The Military Police soon established that while the doors of the strongroom were damaged with an angle grinder, this could only have been intended as a ruse. No angle grinder would have been able to open the massive steel door. Rather, the thieves had simply unlocked it. Camera footage confirmed that it was indeed an inside job.

The Military Police identified Lance-Corporal Sidwell Babini Tyawana and Sapper Tumelo Christian Mongale as suspects. Tyawana, who had left the base to join a training exercise in Oudsthoorn, was flown back to Pretoria, a distance of more than 1,000km, on a South African Air Force Caravan aircraft around the time of his arrest.

Military Police believed that Tyawana was the mastermind of the theft and had sold the weapons to criminal enterprises on the East Rand. Tyawana was arrested on 3 February 2020 and Mongale two days later. Both were granted bail when they appeared before a military court at Thaba Tshwane two months later.

We do not know Tyawana’s current whereabouts and if he is indeed alive, but according to records in our possession he was recorded as absent without leave (awol) on 24 April 2020, two days after having been granted bail by a military court. Given the covert nature of military justice processes, we do not know the outcome of the case.

While in custody, Tyawana swiftly agreed to cooperate with Military Police and Defence Intelligence. According to a presentation that Military Police head Maphoto made to Parliament on 27 August 2020, Tyawana actively assisted the investigation in identifying suspects or locations for investigation. This was presumably in the hope that he would be freed in return for his cooperation.

Tyawana’s cellphone was used to contact the purchasers of the rifles. Once contact was established Defence Intelligence could, and indeed did, use cellphone surveillance technology to track the suspects’ whereabouts. It is not known if this was done with a court order. In this way, Tyawana was the bait used to lure unwitting individuals into the arms of military investigators.

‘By any means necessary’

Netshanzhe, the Thaba Tshwane Military Police acting commander, said at the time that then Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula wanted the weapons to be found and returned by “any means necessary” as this was proving to be an embarrassment to the SANDF.

We do not know for a fact that the minister uttered these words, as it is hearsay — but as South Africa’s history during apartheid shows, security officials are quick to interpret instructions such as these literally.

Quoted in Daily Maverick, Mapisa-Nqakula referred to a group of 12 suspects arrested within days of the theft being discovered as “unpatriotic” and “self-serving thugs”, while their attorney described their detention as unnecessary.

According to a presentation made by Maphoto to Parliament in August 2020, charges against seven of the 12 were withdrawn and five were still to appear in court. We have been told that the 12 suspects, which did not include Tyawana and Mongale, were all eventually released as there was no evidence implicating them in any crime.

Special Forces lead the hunt 

On the night of 4 February 2020, a team was assembled at the Thaba Tshwane military base. Their aim was to retrieve the missing rifles based on information obtained from Tyawana. The team consisted of two Defence Intelligence officials, two Military Police officials and a dozen Special Forces members in plain clothes. The presence of Military Police at this point would have been essential, for the military cannot simply usurp policing functions without authorisation.

Netshanzhe and a Colonel Mokone from Defence Intelligence were informed of the objectives of this mission. However, the Special Forces were in charge. They, in turn, were commanded by a man who used the name Musa or Mike.

Open Secrets has since established that Musa or Mike is in fact Colonel Sunnybooi Pinny Wambi. (See “Who is Pinny Sunnybooi Wambi aka ‘Musa’?” below.)

He is the very person who led the Special Forces “training exercise” (as the SANDF would have it) at the Mall of Africa on the same day and time that Abadiga, the alleged Islamic State financier, and his bodyguard were abducted. He was also a prime target of the investigation by Mathipa, the slain Hawks investigator, into Abadiga’s abduction. We established that the same cellphone number was used by Wambi and Musa. This was further confirmed by a WhatsApp profile photograph.

The vehicles carrying the group included a Mercedes-Benz, Toyota Conquest and Nissan Micra. These cars left the military base in a broken convoy. Approximately 10km outside the base the convoy reassembled and stopped on the side of the road. One of the Special Forces members then opened the boot of the Mercedes-Benz. Inside was a man known only as Nyambose. He had been badly beaten, possibly tortured. He was given some money for taxi fare and told by the Special Forces to “walk and don’t look back”. Nyambose is assumed to have been abducted by Special Forces as part of their “investigation” into the missing rifles.

The convoy then headed towards the East Rand, to Springs, as directed remotely by a Defence Intelligence officer using cellphone tracking technology. The vehicles then headed to Kempton Park, where the convoy stopped again near a McDonald’s outlet in the city centre. Here, at lightning speed, they abducted a 35-year-old man named Sphamandla who had been lured by Tyawana to meet them. Sphamandla was bundled into one of the cars and driven back to Thaba Tshwane military base, with the vehicles once again in convoy.

Torture at Thaba Tshwane

The convoy arrived at Thaba Tshwane at about midnight, stopping at the Thaba Tshwane Military Police area office. Sphamandla was taken to the Military Police bar known as Karob (Afrikaans for “carob”) where he was stripped naked, tied to a chair and tortured. He was beaten so badly with branches and sticks that his skin eventually took on a green hue. The beatings were accompanied by shouts of “Shaya! Shaya!” (Beat! Hit! in isiZulu) by Wambi and others who appeared to enjoy this sadistic task. At certain intervals the torturers used ice-cold water to waterboard him, a torture technique which simulates drowning.

The chief interrogator was reportedly Wambi, assisted by Netshanzhe. Other members of the team milled about outside the bar.

Wambi reportedly repeatedly asked Sphamandla in isiZulu, “Where are the weapons?”, to which he replied that uShukela (“Sugar” in isiZulu) was the one responsible. uShukela is believed to be the nickname for Tyawana.  

At about 3am, the bar went quiet. Sphamandla had been beaten so viciously that he could no longer see. He was taken to the Nissan Micra and made to sit on the back seat. He declined an offer of water, requesting a beer instead. The man we know only as Sphamandla took a sip of the Hansa, then breathed his final breath.

Sphamandla’s body was taken back to the Karob Bar where attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. Wambi intended to bury Sphamandla in the grounds of Special Forces headquarters at Speskop, southwest of Pretoria. Speskop is located about 4km south of the Thaba Tshwane military base and has served as the headquarters of the Special Forces for many years. It is in the middle of the Swartkop Park Nature Reserve, providing a large buffer zone between the base and nearby suburbs.

A hero’s welcome

A gathering took place at Thaba Tshwane in May 2020 to welcome the final recovered R4 rifle back to base. This took place in the midst of Covid-19 when the movement of South Africans was heavily restricted during one of the toughest lockdowns in the world. A small gathering of military officials was brought together, including Brigadier-General Eric Mnisi (the head of legal at the SANDF) and Doris Netshanzhe. Five BMW X5s, with blue lights blazing, met the welcoming party at the base. Wambi stepped out of one of the vehicles and handed over a weapon with the words, “Your last one.” The assembled dignitaries clapped.

This date accords with Mathopo’s presentation to Parliament; he, however, stated that the last four rifles were recovered. 

Brigadier-General Eric Mnisi. (Photo: Supplied)

Who is Pinny Sunnybooi Wambi aka ‘Musa’?

Pinny Sunnybooi Wambi led a “training exercise” at the Mall of Africa where Abdella Abadiga, the alleged Islamic State financier, and his bodyguard were abducted. This was the SANDF’s version in court papers following attempts by Abadiga’s brother to locate him and secure his freedom through an urgent application.

We have identified Wambi as the coach of a football team of teenage players known as Young Pirates FC in Sedibeng. On the soccer team’s various social media platforms, he is consistently identified by the nicknames Sanza or Musa.

It is worth noting that Wambi was given the rank of major in court papers in February 2023 following the Abadiga abduction. In court papers submitted by the SANDF in July 2023 (in response to Mathipa’s quest to gain access to Wambi’s cellphone records) he is referred to as a colonel. If accurate, this suggests a promotion in 2023 following the Abadiga abduction.

Pinny Sunnybooi Wambi. (Photo: Supplied)

Pinny Sunnybooi Wambi. (Photo: Supplied)

Who is Lieutenant-Colonel Doris Phindani Netshanzhe aka ‘Mama Skebenga’?

According to one source, Military Police official Doris Netshanzhe earned the nickname of “Mama Skebenga” (Mama Gangster) from Special Forces officers. We have been told that she was swiftly promoted from major to lieutenant-colonel shortly after the completion of the R4 recovery operation. She also enjoyed the privilege of a training course in Cuba. 

Open Secrets has obtained a revealing statement made under oath to the Lohatla Military Police concerning threats allegedly made by Netshanzhe to a Military Police platoon commander. The platoon commander opened a case of intimidation against Netshanzhe at Lohatla military base which is still the subject of a Military Police internal investigation.

The context of the complaint is that Netshanzhe intervened in aspects of processing a rape case at a military base in a manner that the platoon commander thought was unprocedural and could bungle the investigation. The platoon commander is independent of Open Secrets sources. According to the statement, on 8 November 2022, the platoon commander was sitting outside a court at Khatu attending to a matter concerning the sexual assault.

Netshanzhe had wanted the platoon commander to be elsewhere and, according to an affidavit from the platoon commander, stated in a loud voice outside the court, in front of members of the public: “[Lieutenant,] you don’t know me very well. I talk to the Chief [of the] SANDF and Admiral Maphoto [head of Military Police] every day. I am well connected, I am untouchable. General Mnisi of Legal is my boyfriend. I work with Special Forces; we make people disappear. I was investigating officer on the weapons case. That is all over, where are they?” 

The platoon commander, not knowing the context, states: “I did not understand her.”  

Lieutenant-Colonel Doris Phindani Netshanzhe. (Photo: Supplied)

Lifting the veil 

South Africa has a long and complicated history of denying military complicity in criminal activity. At the end of apartheid it was a requirement of the political settlement that neither the apartheid nor liberation militaries should be held to account for criminal activity. At the time, the two primary hidden hands in South African political life — the military and corporate South Africa — were unchallenged lest they undermine the nascent democratic order.

More recently there has been no investigation of the impact of State Capture on the SANDF, notwithstanding the consistent rumours of the close political allegiance between the former chief of the SANDF Solly Shoke and the Zuma administration. As we reported in Part Two of the Russian Doll investigation, the military was the driving force behind draconian State of Emergency regulations drafted shortly before Zuma was pushed into leaving public office.

The Ramaphosa administration has not rocked the military boat, apparently for fear of it turning on him. Its support was, after all, crucial during the July 2021 rioting and looting instigated by a pro-Zuma faction.

However, this investigation exposes alleged criminality within the military which must be investigated and prosecuted by authorities outside of the military. For now, the targets of the alleged torture squad have been people, like Sphamandla, on the margins of society. However, if the Special Forces killed Mathipa, then it must be on account of a greater sense of power and protection. 

Members of Parliament and aspirant MPs should know that if they do not push now for accountability there is no telling who will be next. This should give them all, including the President, sleepless nights until we have seen accountability.

Note

Detailed questions were sent to the following parties named in this article. None responded at the time of publication. Should a response be forthcoming in the next few days, it will appended to this article. They are:

General Rudzani Maphwanya, chief of the South African National Defence Force;

Siphiwe Dlamini, spokesperson for the SANDF/Department of Defence;

Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, Speaker of Parliament (former minister of defence);

Brigadier-General Eric Mnisi, SANDF legal head;

Lieutenant-Colonel Doris Phindani Netshanzhe;

Colonel Pinny Sunnybooi Wambi; and

Lance-Corporal Sidwel Babini Tyawana (all his messages bounced back undelivered) 

Open Secrets is a non-profit organisation which exposes and builds accountability for private-sector economic crimes through investigative research, advocacy and the law. To support our work visit Support Open Secrets.

The post Russian Doll 3: EXPOSED — the SANDF ‘Torture’ Squad appeared first on Open Secrets.

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A police officer walks past a symbolic protest of the dead bodies of Palestinians and Lebanese killed by Israel. Photos: Ihsaan Haffejee

By Ihsaan Haffejee – this post was first published on GroundUp: summary below by Vuka.news

• Protest at Israeli Embassy: Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Israeli embassy in Pretoria, demanding that South Africa cut diplomatic and economic ties with Israel.
• Organizers and Participants: The protest was organized by South Africa’s Lebanese community and Palestinian solidarity groups, showing support for the cause.
• Police Presence: Police closely monitored the demonstration, blocking the entrance to the embassy.
• Massarah Rajeb’s Statement: Massarah Rajeb, a South African of Lebanese descent, said Israeli actions in Gaza and Lebanon motivated her activism: “There are many people around the world, especially in Palestine and Lebanon, who no longer have a voice. So we need to be their voices and demand a permanent ceasefire.”
• Roshan Dadoo’s Perspective on U.S. Policy: Roshan Dadoo, SA BDS Coalition coordinator, doubted U.S. policy on Israel would change, regardless of administration: “Obviously Trump is an outright fascist and really we can’t expect anything from him. But under Biden we saw bombs being delivered from America which are being used to commit genocide. So it’s unlikely that the policy of America will change.”
• Call for South African Government Action Dadoo urged the South African government to: resist U.S. pressure over its genocide case against Israel, stop coal sales to Israel, enact trade and arms embargoes against Israel.
• Testimony from Gaza Resident, Seham Hijji: Seham Hijji, a Gaza resident who escaped the war, shared her experience: “All my family is still in Gaza. We have lost many loved ones and been displaced many times. [Israel’s] goal is to kill children and starve the people of Gaza. But the people of Gaza remain steadfast on our land.”
• Call for Boycotts: Hijji encouraged people to boycott products and companies linked to the occupation of Palestine.
• Protest Messaging: Protesters placed stickers on the Israeli embassy sign with statements such as: “Israel burns hospitals, Israel kills journalists, Israel attacks UN, and Israel starves children.”
• Commitment to Continued Protest: The protest concluded peacefully, with demonstrators promising to keep protesting against the war in Gaza and Lebanon.

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The post Lebanese community protests outside Israeli embassy appeared first on Vuka News.

People gathered outside the Western Cape High Court on Monday to show support for South Africa’s legal team’s additional submission to the International Court of Justice to prove genocide in Gaza. Photo: Matthew Hirsch

The SA government is submitting evidence to the International Court of Justice to prove Israel is committing genocide in Gaza

By Matthew Hirsch

About 50 people gathered outside the Western Cape High Court on Monday morning to support South Africa’s additional submission to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on genocide in Gaza. Protestors braved the rain to show support for South Africa’s legal team.

They chanted, “Stop the killing, stop the war, Palestine will live some more” and “Gaza don’t you cry, Palestine will never die”. The national anthems of South Africa and Palestine were sung.

In January, the South African government submitted its application to the ICJ, and is submitting further pleadings “to provide facts and evidence to prove that Israel is committing the crime of genocide in Palestine”.

“We are very proud that South Africa has taken up this stance. It has been joined by many other countries in this initiative,” said Professor Usuf Chikte, of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, standing outside court.

“There were interim measures [ordered by the ICJ] that Israel has disobeyed,” he said.

Megan Choritz, of South African Jews for a Free Palestine, said, “We have to boycott, divest and sanction. We have to make sure that this stops before every single Gazan is dead.”

Ashraf Mahomed, of the National Association of Democratic Lawyers, said the association supported South Africa’s additional submissions to the ICJ.

“We reject those who engage in antisemitism or Jew-hatred as much as we reject those who engage in Islamaphobia or Arab-hatred. Standing up for truth and against war-crimes being committed by Israel is not antisemitic. Standing on the right side of history is not antisemitic,” he said.

Mogamad Ganief Ebrahim Hendricks, of Al Jama-ah and deputy minister for social development, called for an urgent debate in Parliament on Palestine.

According to Al Jazeera, about 43,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict since 7 October 2023. At least 2,000 people have also been killed in Lebanon. About 1,100 Israelis were killed in the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October.

The post Picket held in support of South Africa’s genocide case against Israel appeared first on Vuka News.

The post Defend Our Defenders: Activists gather at the Union Buildings to demand protection for human rights defenders appeared first on groundWork.

MEDIA ADVISORY

DATE: 18 October 2024

Defend Our Defenders: Activists gather at the Union Buildings to demand protection for human rights defenders

WHAT: Human rights defenders will march to the Union Building in Pretoria to demand an end to threats and violence aimed at activists and community members. Under the “Defend our Defenders” campaign supported by more than 80 community and environmental justice organisations, calls for the development of law to protect whistleblowers and activists. The Campaign also calls for justice for all Human Rights Defenders who have been killed over the years.

BACKGROUND: Human rights and environmental activists have been and continue to be targeted for confronting undemocratic practices and violations of constitutional rights by corporate bodies and government. The assassination of Human Rights Defenders in South Africa remains an ever-present reality, threats and intimidation against activists and whistle-blowers are becoming commonplace. This needs urgent action and attention from the government.

WHY THIS GATHERING MATTERS: The threats, attacks and assassinations of whistleblowers, community, land and climate justice activists, continue to escalate with impunity. The silencing of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) is a threat to our democracy. It also infringes on the right to freedom of expression. The gathering intends to commemorate, honour, and spread awareness about the lives of those who have been assassinated, and the threats that human rights defenders currently face in many communities – especially mining communities around the country. The gathering is also a call to government actors, particularly the President of the Republic of South Africa, the Minister of Police, and the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services to acknowledge the significant role played by Human Rights Defenders in ensuring that the Constitutional rights of the poor and vulnerable are protected and that cases of violence and assassinations of defenders are taken seriously.

WHEN: Tuesday 22 October, 2024

WHERE: Pretoria  – City of Tshwane

Starting Point: Old bus terminal – Struben street

End Point: Union Building

Time: 09:00 – 14:00

Memorandum for HRD Gathering 2024

Note: A more detailed media release will be shared with interested parties on Monday the 21st of October 2024

[END]

FOR EDITORS/JOURNALISTS/MEDIA HOUSES

Media Access: Journalists and media outlets are invited to cover this significant event.

For media inquiries or to arrange interviews with representatives, affected community members and activists please contact:

Tsepang Molefe, groundWork Media Campaigner: +27 74 405 1257 media@groundwork.org.za

Nomatter Ndebele, CER Communications Coordinator: +27 76 731 4403,  nndebele@cer.org.za

Carina Conradie, Life After Coal Campaigner: +27 71 571 4470, cconradie@lifeaftercoal.org.za

Relevant resources: 

• Recent case https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/news/2024-08-11-renewed-fight-against-mass-eviction-project-sold-as-a-development-despite-deaths

• HRD Attacks:

• We Know Our Lives are in Danger report

• Human Rights Defenders Part 1

• Human Rights Defenders Part 2

The post Defend Our Defenders: Activists gather at the Union Buildings to demand protection for human rights defenders appeared first on Vuka News.

OPINION: BY Omhle Ntshingila and Felix Quibe Omhle Ntshingila and Felix Quibe are based at the Right2Protest Project, Centre for Applied Legal Studies, Wits University – this post first appeared on GroundUp

IN SUMMARY – THE AUTHORS SAY THAT:

• Erosion of protest rights: The increasing use of interdicts, especially by mining companies, erodes the right to protest in South Africa.
• Types of interdicts are:
  • Prohibitory: Stops someone from doing something.
  • Mandatory: Compels someone to do something.
  • Restitutionary: Orders return of property or restoring possession.
• Mining companies’ misuse of interdicts: Prohibitory interdicts are frequently used to stop dissent and prevent communities from protesting.
• Legitimate use of interdicts: Example from Hotz v. University of Cape Town where an interdict was issued due to legitimate concerns during the Shackville protest.
• Misuse by private actors: Increasingly, interdicts are used to intimidate communities and suppress protests against injustice, particularly by mining companies.
• Example in Bethanie: Community protests against Glencore Rhovan Mine resulted in violence and a prohibitory interdict issued against the protesters.
• Portrayal of communities: Interdicts often label communities as violent, despite the harmful activities of mining companies that violate the rights of marginalized communities.
• Judicial handling of interdicts: Courts frequently grant interdicts without considering protest rights or community engagement, often issuing them urgently and without proper analysis of socio-political context.
• Delayed notice to activists: Communities and activists often only learn of interdicts after they’ve been affirmed, without an opportunity to defend their case.
• Ongoing legal challenges: Civil society organizations like R2P and MACUA are challenging prohibitory interdicts across South Africa, particularly in mining areas.
• Example in Free State: MACUA and other groups have faced legal harassment from Harmony Gold Mine, which obtained an interdict against their protest in Nyakallong.
• Example in Limpopo: Bokoni Platinum Mine sought an interdict against a planned protest, discouraging further action even before the interdict was granted.
• Call to action: Urgent need for civic organizations, lawyers, and policymakers to demand a just approach to protests, ensuring communities can hold corporations accountable.
• Potential future risk: Without action, prohibitory interdicts could silence vulnerable communities, leaving the right to protest as a privilege for the wealthy.

The post Court interdicts are being used to stifle protest appeared first on Vuka News.

BY Kgang Moloko – this post first appeared on Tunatazama

PLACE: North West Province, Bojanala District Municipality – Rustenburg Local Municipality, Phokeng Village

IN SUMMARY: In the post below we hear that community leaders in the Kraaipan area face injustice as they protest against the Harmony Kal Gold Mine. The mine employs few locals, lacks community engagement, and has brought no development to the village, which suffers from poor infrastructure and no running water. Five former leaders were arrested after leading a protest for local employment. They were detained for three days without knowing the charges and later accused of carjacking, though the case remains unclear. The leaders were found guilty but are unsure of the exact charges. They feel abandoned by their community and await sentencing, anxious and unsupported. read the original post below

Community leaders experience injustice.

A drive from Mahikeng the capital city of North West province a flat plain area on N18, the landscape is of mass farm areas with pockets of villages along the national road. Approaching a 60 km drive one is greeted by rare mountains on each side of the road, but as you approach, they turn to be mine tailings and it is an open cast mine called Harmony Kal Gold Mine, mining gold in the Kraaipan area.

Driving to the nearest village is 14 km from the mine on the N18 is a village that is recognizable by old silos. An opinion that the area used to be a mining area was confirmed by locals that the area used to be a farming area even in the vicinity of the mining operations. The village is a typical rural village with 1 tarred road passing through the village, there is no running water, and passing the schools you notice that the schools still use pit latrines for the sanitation system. The village has no development.

On the 5th of September 2024, we met with 5 individuals who are former community leaders who led a march to Harmony Kal Gold. They are demanding the employment of the local community as the mine hires a high number of people from other areas and the other was lack of mine development to the community. It is alleged that during the march a car was torched and after a few days the 5 leaders were rounded up by the police and arrested. That is 4 males and 1 female, held for 3 days in holding cells without charge or information why they were charged and only to be charged with carjacking after 3 days.

‘Note that all 5 names are protected in this report’.

*Thabo says, “When the police came to arrest us, I asked them what the charge was, and they answered by ‘I know what I did’ and I said I don’t know they should tell me why I’m arrested then They said I will hear at the police station” All the 5 confirmed that they were not informed why they were arrested. Thabo continued “I kept on asking what the charge was. The answer was “I seem to talk too much and think I’m smart”. *Lerato said, “We were taken to the holding cells and stayed for 3 days without any information about why we were arrested and not charged, after 3 days we were charged with carjacking”. Thabo interjected, “We went to court and the prosecutor said there is nothing like carjacking in this case and a better charge must be brought forward, but we don’t understand what is the new charge, when we asked who opened a case against us they said, the mine said it did not open a case and to this day we don’t know who opened a case, I guess it is the police who opened a case”.

The traditional council acquired a lawyer on behalf of the 5 leaders, the lawyer told them the case had no basis and that it would be dismissed, and the case was moved to Atamelang Magistrate court. At that court, all 5 were found guilty but they are not sure on what charges exactly as they feel their lawyer let them down and not telling them everything. “We are confused, and eaten by anxiety, as we were found guilty but sent home and told we must wait for social workers as they will come and see us as per court order before the sentencing, but we don’t know what the social workers are coming to see us for”. Said Thabo. They said that they have been waiting but they have not come and no information on when they will come. It is just a wait-and-wait situation that is taking its toll on them.

This is taking its toll on us because we are found guilty, we are not coping at all, and the community has distanced itself from us, afraid that they might be next and have abandoned the fight against mine injustices, it is like we are being used to scare the community, we are waiting for October for sentencing”. Said *Jomo

The mine does not employ residents, only a few are working for contractors and a high number of employees are from other areas and most do not speak Setswana which is the language spoken around the province. There is no development in the village, no mine consultation with the village, we don’t know what the mine is bringing for us and when we demand better engagement with the mine, we are silenced. There is no running water in the village, the taps are dry, and we depend on water tank trucks. We need social changes in the village. Concluded Thabo.

This is an isolated area with no other nearby mines, as the mine is located in a predominantly farming area. These leaders don’t know much about their rights as a community against the mine, and they don’t have any great support from Civil Society, they need solidarity for strength, and it is an injustice to them to stay 3 days in holding cells without charge.

*Not their real names.

The post Community leaders experience injustice appeared first on Vuka News.

BY Siya Mviko – the post The Marikana Struggle and the Argument for a Living Wage appeared first on Karibu – A Working Class News.

It’s several days after August has passed, South Africa marked 12 years since the brutal killing of 34 mineworkers in Marikana, Northwest, by the South African police. On that fateful day, a further 10 people were killed while a further 78 were reported injured. The mineworkers had launched a strike protesting low wages and demanding wages of R12 500 per month for their toiling, which would have been a living wage for that year. Their R4000 monthly wage compared internationally, for example, to Australian mineworkers who get up to the equivalent of R71055 per month, leaves a bitter taste for such a mineral-rich country as South Africa.

When the strike broke, the mineworkers were responding to a falling standard of living for working class people with the Consumer Price Index indicating unfavourable changes according to the state. Housing and utilities, transportation, and food have consistently outpaced real wage growth, with South Africa generally failing to claw itself out of the 2008 global economic crisis.

Reactions to the strike and massacre of mineworkers in 2012 were varied differing in meaning. On the one hand, there was a reverberating shock over the senseless loss of life with the ANC government having openly abandoned its working class base and taken the side of capital. On the other, there was an emphasis on the economy.

“The 2012 downgrades by credit rating agencies Standard and Poors, and Moody’s, as well as the weakening of the South African Rand, are partly attributable to challenges facing the mining sector. Furthermore, the 2012 wildcat strikes that started in Marikana at Lonmin Mine significantly affected the sector’s stability as well as the country’s position as a foreign direct investment destination”, according to The Mining Sector Wages in South Africa, 2013.

Big strikes do in fact “scare off” capitalists known as investors, especially if they threaten to break ground in terms of a more equitable share of profits produced. Marikana is a symbol of such a moment, but a ‘mechanical’ take on events involving human beings, (potentially) leading to the loss of life and other factors show the way that we think about the economy relative to the average human. We are comfortable with prioritising profit over human beings.

The cause for which the mineworkers died in Marikana still holds a lot of meaning and relevance for the average working class person in South Africa. One way in which this is case concerns the wages earned by the lowest paid workers.

The official national minimum wage (NMW) is now R27.58 per hour, with some exceptions. Only after a month of 40-hour weeks can a worker earn R4412.8, but some workers on the NMW do not always work enough hours to reach this amount.

According to the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity Group (PMBEJD) monthly report, the food basket in South Africa exceeds the NMW. The August report found that family spending on groceries fell short by a staggering 48,2% of what is an adequate amount of food for the average household. Most families in South Africa feature multiple generations in the same household with about seven or more members. The ‘AUGUST 2024 Basic Nutritional Food Index’ for such a family demands groceries of R6 169,57 per month. For most families, this is unattainable.

To lift households out of this precarious position, Marikana strikers’ demand for a living wage must be acknowledged. “A living wage”, argues the Living Wage South Africa Network, “is the remuneration required for an individual and their family to attain a frugal, but dignified standard of living.”

In this vein, legislation of a living wage would help reduce the inequality gap South Africa is infamous for. In 2020, the International Monetary Fund observed, “The distribution of income is skewed to the richest 20% of the population who hold 68% (compared to a median of 47% for similar emerging markets). The bottom 40 percent of the population holds 7% of income (Other emerging markets sit at 16%).”

The Democratic Alliance has proposed to amend important parts of the National Minimum Wage Act of 2018, suggesting that South Africa’s staggering rate of unemployment increases due to the law. The DA went on in its Manifesto and economic policy document to say that the NMW is an “original sin” of the ANC, a party they have since gone into a working relationship with the ANC, called the ‘Government of National Unity’, which is opposed by the likes of the newly formed Mkhonto weSizwe Party and the EFF.

The DA economic policy says, “One of the major government policies which keep people unemployed is the minimum wage. Minimum wages provide security to those already employed while simultaneously raising the barriers to employment for the unemployed.”

In apparent support of the DA, Haroon Bhorat, Adaiah Lilenstein and Ben Stanwix say that they found “a decrease of about 380 000 jobs is apparent in the first quarter of 2019, relative to 2018:4, which is a decrease of 7.3 percent.”

It is important to note that the same source also warns about the underwhelming capacities of the state to enforce the NMW, with many companies not (fully) adhering to it. To be sure, they say, “…it is not possible to attribute this decrease [noted above] to the impact of the NMW, as it may simply mean that the wages of some covered workers increased and as a result they moved up and out of the sub-minimum wage sample shown here.”

Existing literature supports a positive impact of a NMW on employment while making a positive impact on economic justice.

This article is an opinion piece… The views expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect those of Karibu! Online or Khanya College. 

The post The Marikana Struggle and the Argument for a Living Wage appeared first on Vuka News.

By Jean-Andre Deenik originally posted at Legal Resources Centre

Limpopo Communities and Nkuzi Development Trust Challenge the Constitutionality of Compulsory Tribal Levies at the Constitutional Court

IN SUMMARY:

• Legal Representation: The Legal Resources Centre is representing members of seven traditional communities in Limpopo and Nkuzi Development Trust.
• High Court Ruling: The Limpopo High Court previously ruled that the imposition of taxes, levies, and rates by traditional councils is unconstitutional.
• Nature of Levies: Community members must pay annual levies and specific fees for various purposes, including traditional ceremonies and the chief’s expenses.
• Penalties for Non-Payment: Failure to pay these levies results in punishments such as refusal to provide proof of address, denial of residential stands, or burial sites.
• Historical Context: The practice originated from colonial and apartheid laws that empowered traditional leaders to levy taxes for their salaries. Currently, the government is responsible for these salaries.
• Government Funding: Traditional councils receive salaries from the government, but there is little to no further support, leading to community members having to subsidize council functions.
• Constitutional Argument: Applicants argue that only elected government spheres have the authority to impose compulsory taxation.
• Opposition’s Stance: Traditional councils and Limpopo officials opposed the challenge, claiming that levies are voluntary and decided by the community, but failed to provide evidence.
• Hardship Stories: Applicants shared hardships caused by compulsory levies, such as denial of burial sites and essential documents due to unpaid levies.
• High Court’s Decision: On November 1, 2023, the Limpopo High Court declared compulsory tribal levies unconstitutional and ordered public dissemination of this ruling.
• Unconstitutional Section: Section 25 of the Limpopo Traditional Leadership and Institutions Act, which allowed for these levies, was also declared unconstitutional.
• Constitutional Court Appeal: The Applicants are seeking the Constitutional Court’s confirmation of the High Court’s ruling.

For Media Enquiries: Jean-Andre Deenik, Legal Resources Centre: jeanandre@lrc.org.za / +27 83 375 5044

The post Challenging Unconstitutional Tribal Levies in Limpopo appeared first on Vuka News.

Gaza-based Al Jazeera journalist Youmna El Sayed in the Bo-Kaap, Cape Town, on Sunday, says she had to flee her home base after being displaced six times by the Israeli army. Photo: Matthew Hirsch.

By Matthew Hirsch – IN SUMMARY:

• Youmna El Sayed’s Displacement: Gaza-based Al Jazeera journalist, Youmna El Sayed, fled to Egypt in December due to bombings. Her daughter, Joury, missed home and her kitten left behind.
• Evacuation by IDF: Her family was displaced six times. In October, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) gave them five minutes to evacuate Gaza City before levelling their building.
• El Sayed’s Decision to Leave: She left Gaza to save her children, acknowledging her privilege in being able to evacuate while many others could not.
• Targeting Journalists: El Sayed accuses the IDF of deliberately targeting journalists, noting that journalism offices were bombed early in the war and journalists were forced to evacuate despite wearing press gear.
• Media Criticism: She criticizes the media for focusing on Israeli hostages while ignoring Palestinian civilian deaths and detentions. Thousands of Palestinians, including civilians, have been detained and tortured by Israel since October.
• International Journalists Barred: She claims international journalists were denied access to expose atrocities in Gaza.
• Plea to Pro-Israelis: El Sayed encourages pro-Israelis to visit Gaza and imagine their children in Palestinians’ shoes to change their perspective.
• Death Toll: Approximately 42,000 people have died since 7 October – over 40,000 Palestinians and nearly 1,500 Israelis. 116 journalists have been killed. The Lancet warns the actual death toll in Gaza may be much higher.
• Recognition: El Sayed received the Pimentel Fonseca Civil Journalism Award in April.

The post Journalist fled Gaza to save her family appeared first on Vuka News.

This is a major BDS win for Palestinian rights activists, and a win for grassroots and civil society pressure to end the shameful complicity of large financial corporations like AXA in Israel’s 76-year-old regime of settler colonialism, apartheid and genocide.

The post Activists force AXA to divest from ALL Israeli banks and Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems appeared first on Karibu – A Working Class News.

By Palestinian BDS National Committee • In a major BDS win for human rights activists against financial institutions complicit in Israel’s 76-year-old regime of settler colonialism, apartheid and now genocide, French multinational insurer AXA was forced to sell its investments in all major Israeli banks as confirmed by this new report. These banks are considered the backbone of Israel’s illegal settlement enterprise on occupied Palestinian stolen lands. 

The global Stop AXA Assistance to Israeli Apartheid campaign targeted AXA’s investment in Israeli banks and Elbit Systems for their complicity in Israel’s illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, which constitute war crimes under international law, and for other grave violations of Palestinian human rights. For years, AXA faced divestment pressure, reputational damage and a consumer boycott campaign.

At AXA’s shareholders meeting in April 2024, AXA’s CEO was compelled to announce that AXA has “zero investments in Israeli banks, direct or indirect.”

The corporate accountability group Ekō, which forms part of the Stop AXA Assistance to Israeli Apartheid campaign, commissioned research from Profundo – an independent research organisation –   confirming that AXA had sold its investments in Israeli banks, with residual shares remaining in Bank Leumi.

This is your win. Your were one of thousands to call for #AXADivest and #BoycottAXA, ending your contract with the brand. You protested outside AXA offices and organized disruptive creative actions at every AXA shareholders’ meeting. You sent thousands of tweets, emails and letters to AXA CEOs, calling out AXA’s hypocrisy.

However, the BDS movement stresses that AXA is not off the hook. Amidst Israel’s live streamed genocide in Gaza against 2.3 million Palestinians, the coalition will continue to monitor AXA’s investments to make sure it is not complicit in the ongoing genocide.

The BDS movement, with its intersectional partnerships worldwide, calls for intensifying pressure on all financial institutions profiting from oppression and injustice. Investing in apartheid Israel has always been unethical and illegal. With Israel’s economy in steady decline, it’s now also really reckless.

It is more palpable than ever that BDS pressure works. The confirmation of AXA’s divestment from all Israeli banks and Elbit Systems is a major milestone for the movement that follows years of strategic BDS campaigning.

On July 19, the International Court of Justice found Israel guilty of apartheid against Palestinians, and its military occupation and annexation of Palestinian territory to be illegal. This means that all states, local governments, corporations and institutions have a legal obligation to immediately end all forms of complicity that directly or indirectly enable Israel to maintain its illegal military occupation. They must also end complicity in Israel’s brutal genocide in Gaza and the root cause of all this: Israel’s 76-year-old regime of settler-colonialism and apartheid.

Corporate criminals try to sear into our consciousness the impossibility of prevailing over them, but BDS works and we have prevailed over AXA and many other much larger companies. We surely can prevail in many more corporate accountability struggles in pursuit of freedom, justice and equality.

Timeline of this victory:

For years, corporate criminals like AXA, following apartheid Israel’s footsteps, have tried to sear into our consciousness the impossibility of prevailing over them, but BDS works. We have collectively prevailed over AXA and many much larger complicit companies.

The Stop AXA Assistance to Israeli Apartheid campaign was launched in 2016. At that time, AXA held shares in three complicit Israeli banks (Bank Hapoalim, BankLeumi, Mizrahi Tefahot Bank), in addition to Elbit Systems. AXA, via its wholly-owned subsidiary AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) and its 64% share of AXA Equitable Holdings (AXA EHQ), was, moreover, invested in all five main Israeli banks (Bank Hapoalim, Bank Leumi, First International Bank of Israel, Israel Discount Bank, Mizrahi Tefahot Bank).

AXA had adopted a mix of investment and divestment decisions through the years, and the Stop AXA Assistance to Israeli Apartheid never stopped pressuring AXA to end its support for Israel’s violations of the human rights of the Indigenous Palestinian people, once and for all. Their efforts lead to major milestones in the campaign:

The campaign forced AXA to divest from Elbit Systems, partially in December 2018 and in March 2019, and fully by the end of 2019.

AXA also sold almost all of its shares in AXA EHQ, retaining only a tiny share of 0.07%, in a process that had Equitable Holdings depart from AXA’s parent group and resume its original name EHQ.

The campaign also successfully pressured AXA to divest from two Israeli banks (Bank Mizrahi-Tefahot and First International Bank of Israel) by the end of 2022. The new report confirms that as of September 30, 2023, AXA had not reinvested in these two banks but still had more than $20 million worth of shares invested in three other major Israeli Banks – Bank Hapoalim, Israel Discount Bank, and Bank Leumi.

At AXA’s annual general meeting this past April 2024, the company’s CEO was confronted by an AXA shareholder, and for the first time clearly acknowledged that AXA had “zero” direct or indirect investments in Israeli banks.

The report confirms that amid escalating public pressure, AXA effectively divested from ALL Israeli banks by June 24, 2024.

This press statement was released by Palestinian BDS National Committee on 21 August 2024.

The post Activists force AXA to divest from ALL Israeli banks and Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems appeared first on Vuka News.

BY Mzi Velapi – this post was originally published on Elitsha

Event: The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) picketed outside the Cape Town International Convention Centre during the International Symposium on Microbial Ecology (ISME) due to the presence of Israeli academics at the conference.

PSC’s Position:

• The PSC claims that the invited Israeli academics have “no record of opposing the historical and current colonial genocide of the Palestinian people.”
• They argue that the inclusion of these academics in the conference serves to “normalize apartheid Israel and its society’s genocide of the Palestinian people.”

Context : The PSC statement highlights that all universities in Palestine have been destroyed, and multiple schools have been attacked by Israel, which the United Nations has described as “scholasticide,” a systematic obliteration of education in Palestine.

Demands by PSC:

• Condemnation and Disinvitation: The PSC demands that the local organizing committee condemn the genocide of Palestinians, disinvite the Israeli academics, and remove Israeli institutional affiliations from the conference.
• Involvement of Palestinian Academics: They seek information on efforts made to involve Palestinian academics in the conference.
• Support for Gaza: They call for the recognition of Palestinian academics, the rebuilding of Gaza, and the reinstatement of microbiological services in the region.
• Boycott: The organisation has also called for Israel to be banned from sports tournaments and from the world football governing body (FIFA).

Statements by PSC Representatives:

• Usuf Chikte (PSC):
  • “We want to speak to the local organisers to get an agreement with them that they oppose apartheid, they oppose the genocide.”
  • “The second thing that we want is for the Israelis to be removed from the conference because Israel uses research and academia to normalise its racism, supremacism and genocide.”
  • “The third thing that we want is for Palestinians to be recognised; we want to rebuild Gaza. We want those microbiological services to be re-installed. We want to re-train micro-biologists and other professionals as well and want this conference to assist with that.”
• Saadiq Molla (Chairperson of Healthworkers for Palestine South Africa):
  • Mentioned that they had previously asked the conference organizers to disinvite the Israeli academics as part of the academic and cultural boycott of Israel, but were ignored.

The post Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) calls for Israeli academics at Cape Town to be disinvited appeared first on Vuka News.

The crackdown began on June 16, targeting members of the Citizens for Coalition Change (CCC) during a celebration of the International Day of the African Child. The police used excessive force, leading to injuries, and detained 78 people, including CCC interim leader Jameson Timba. Despite constitutional protections, these individuals were held in custody for over 48 hours, violating their legal rights. Subsequent bail applications have been denied, with the High Court citing the potential for “similar offenses” if the detainees were released.

Government officials, including President Mnangagwa, have issued stern warnings against protests, labeling opposition parties and civil society organizations as “rogue elements” and threatening severe consequences for dissent. This rhetoric has been accompanied by further arrests of activists, opposition politicians, and students across the country.

We call on SADC member states to pressure the Zimbabwean government to release all those detained and drop the charges against them. We urge respect for human rights, including freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly, as Zimbabwe assumes the role of SADC Chairperson. SouthernDefenders stresses the importance of prioritizing peace and security in Zimbabwe during this critical time.

Click the image below to read the full letter below:

The post OPEN LETTER: CONCERNS OVER SUPPRESSION OF CIVIC SPACE AHEAD OF THE SADC HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT SUMMIT IN HARARE, ZIMBABWE appeared first on SouthernDefenders.

The post OPEN LETTER: CONCERNS OVER SUPPRESSION OF CIVIC SPACE AHEAD OF THE SADC HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT SUMMIT IN HARARE, ZIMBABWE appeared first on Vuka News.

Zoey Maritz said she was worried about moving to the Safe Space as it would mean she would have to give up her dog Lincoln. The Safe Spaces don’t accommodate pets. Photos: Matthew Hirsch

The City of Cape Town started moving homeless people living on the streets of the city centre to Safe Spaces on Tuesday.
This was in line with a June court judgment.
Lawyers for the homeless people said the process was going smoothly.
Some agreed to move but others preferred to stay where they were.
But anyone left on the sites will be evicted next week, the City said.

The City of Cape Town started moving people living on the streets in the city centre to its Safe Spaces on Tuesday, in line with a June court judgment. Several people opted to go to the City’s Safe Spaces but others preferred to stay on the streets for now.

In June the Western Cape High Court granted the City an order to move hundreds of people living on the streets in and around the city centre. This followed a lengthy court battle between the City and the homeless groups occupying spaces along Buitengracht Street, FW De Klerk Boulevard, Foregate Square, Helen Suzman Boulevard, Strand Street, Foreshore/N1, Virginia Avenue and Mill Street Bridge. They were represented by the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI).

Last week the City said it would “provide assistance for the voluntary relocations to Safe Spaces” this week, after which preparations would be made to evict anyone left at the sites after 12 August.

When GroundUp arrived at the Mill Street site, one person had decided to move but the others were staying for now.

Fabian Johnson, who has been living near the Mill Street site for four months but on the streets for 15 years, said he was reluctant to move. He was worried about the long term prospects of staying in the Safe Spaces.

He said he is a qualified electrician but it is difficult to find work. “People don’t employ people that live on the streets. They don’t trust people living on the streets,” he said.

Fabian Johnson, who has been living on the streets for 15 years, said he was reluctant to move to the Safe Spaces. He has been at the Mill Street site for four months.

Zoey Maritz was worried that she would have to leave her dog, Lincoln, behind if she moved. “He’s the most clever dog in the world. Everybody knows him,” she said. She said she had ended up on the street after running away from home at 16.

Nkosinathi Sithole, senior attorney at SERI, said though rules at the Safe Spaces had been “adjusted adequately” there was unfortunately no plan to accommodate pets.

When GroundUp arrived at Strand Street, we saw a large contingent of law enforcement vehicles. People in Expanded Public Works Programme uniforms were taking down structures and putting materials into the back of a trailer.

Moerieda Petersen, who has been living on the streets for about two years, was holding on to her belongings. She was one of those who decided to move to the Safe Space site. She said she hoped eventually to be reunited with her children.

Sithole said that the first day of relocations had been relatively smooth. He called for the evictions set for 12 August to be done humanely. “We call for calm and understanding from the law enforcement and the sheriff,” he said.

“Accepting social assistance to get off the streets is the best choice for dignity, health, and well-being, and the City has gone to great lengths to extend every offer of care to individuals unlawfully occupying public places in various parts of the CBD,” said Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis in a statement. “No person has the right to indefinitely refuse all offers of social support while reserving a public place as exclusively theirs.”

The relocation process is set to continue this week, starting with the Helen Suzman Boulevard site on Wednesday.

Expanded Public Works Programme workers removed some of the makeshift shelters in Strand Street. The shelters belonged to people who had agreed to move voluntarily.

The post City of Cape Town starts moving people from city centre streets following court judgment appeared first on Vuka News.

The recent brutal crackdown on the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) exemplifies this escalating repression. On Wednesday, July 24, in Harare, ZINASU students peacefully convened for their annual General Council meeting when armed police in riot gear stormed the ZESA National Training Centre. The police violently disrupted the gathering, subjecting unarmed students to severe beatings and arresting several attendees, resulting in numerous injuries. ZINASU, a united front of Zimbabwean tertiary students, is dedicated to protecting students from exploitation and oppression, defending academic freedoms and rights, and promoting democracy. 

This incident is not isolated but rather part of a broader and deeply troubling pattern of intimidation, arbitrary arrests, and victimization of civic groups and the opposition. Currently, over 77 democracy activists are languishing in pre-trial detention after the High Court denied them bail following their arrest for holding a peaceful meeting at a private residence in Harare. The detained members include children, elderly men, and women, some of whom were severely beaten and tortured while in custody. Previously, opposition politician Mr. Job Sikhala was detained for 595 days from June 2022, frequently denied bail, kept in leg irons, in solitary confinement, and often denied access to his lawyer and relatives. Obert Masaraure, president of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has also been subjected to numerous long drawn-out criminal proceedings and pre-trial detentions, and was recently convicted of the crime of Obstruction of Justice for an alleged tweet in solidarity with an arrested colleague. The judiciary and law enforcement agencies are being weaponized to prosecute and persecute political opponents, signalling an alarming escalation of domestic repression.

Moreover, there has been a disturbing rise in extrajudicial killings, forming part of state-sanctioned violence against activists. Following the controversial August 2023 elections, several opposition members were abducted, tortured, and killed, including political activist Mr. Tapfumaneyi Masaya, who was abducted, tortured, and murdered on November 12, 2023. These incidents highlight the ongoing injustices against defenceless citizens and the relentless shrinking of democratic space. Additionally, recent death threats issued by Zimbabwe’s Information Minister, Mr. Jenfan Muswere, accusing the opposition and civil society organizations of planning to instigate chaos and subversive activities, further exacerbate fears. President Mnangagwa’s remarks warning against “rogue elements” inciting civil disorder ahead of the SADC Summit underscore the state’s intent to suppress dissent.

On 31 July 2024, pro-democracy activist Namatai Kwekweza, trade unionist Robson Chere, and former councillor, opposition member Samuel Gwenzi and Vusumuzi Moyo were apprehended and removed by suspected security service officers from a domestic flight headed to Victoria Falls for a civil society workshop. For at least eight hours they were held incommunicado, their whereabouts unknown to both family and lawyers. When their lawyers eventually accessed them, Robson Chere had been visibly tortured and was in great pain. During consultations with their lawyers all of them reported being tortured and subjected to cruel inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment. They have now been absurdly charged with disorderly conduct in a public place.

We remind the Zimbabwean government of its obligations under article 4 of the SADC Treaty which requires its member states to act in accordance with the principles of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Section 44 of the Zimbabwean Constitution mandates the respect, protection, promotion, and fulfilment of the rights and freedoms delineated in the  Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including the right to freedom of assembly and association as specified in Section 58. These rights are also enshrined in international law and several binding regional instruments, including Articles 10 and 11 of the African Charter of Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Charter), Article 8 of the African Charter, Articles 20 and 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Articles 21 and 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. These rights are central to Zimbabwe’s constitutional democracy, providing a vital avenue for citizens to advance their objectives of promoting human rights and freedoms. 

Gatherings of student unions, political parties and civil society organizatons have never posed a security threat. We demand a clear and coherent explanation from the authorities for such heavy-handed actions, which only serve to heighten unnecessary security fears ahead of the SADC Summit.

~Ends~

Coordinated by Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network

Contact: jvangarderen@southerndefenders.africa 

Signed By:

 Africa Unite (South Africa) 
Africans Rising 
Center for Democracy and Human Rights (CDD) Mozambique 
Center for Strategic Litigation
Centre for Human Rights – University of Pretoria 
 Chapter One Foundation
Chitungwiza residents trust (CHITREST)
Coalition des volontaires pour la paix et Développement 
Consortium of Ethiopian Human Rights Organizations (CEHRO Ethiopia
 Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition 
Democratic Alliance
DITSHWANELO – The Botswana Centre for Human Rights
 Ecumenical Service on Southern Africa KASA
 Friends of Angola (FOA)
Human Rights Forum, South Africa (HRFSA)   
 Human Rights Institute of South Africa (HURISA)
 International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)
Khulumani Support Group
  Langa Community Advice Services
Magamba Network (Zimbabwe)
Masvingo United Residents and Ratepayers Alliance (MURRA)
Mozambique Human Rights Defenders Network (RMDDH) 
National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders – Kenya
Network of the independent Commission for Human rights in North Africa CIDH 
Pan Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (African Defenders)
 Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU)
 Protection International Africa 
  Save Our Sacred Lands  (SOSL, South Africa)
 Second Largest Political Party in the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa
Seinoli Legal Centre (Lesotho)
Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI) 
Southern Africa Doctors for Human Rights (SADHR)
Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC)
Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (Southern Defenders)
Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC)
The Forge Foundation (TFF, South Africa)
The Mike Campbell Foundation (Zimbabwe/UK)
The Public Interest Practice (South Africa)
Ukuthula Trust 
Women’s Academy For Leadership and Political Excellence (WALPE)
Women’s Institute for Leadership Development (WILD)
Youth and Society (YAS, Malawi)
Zambia Council for Social Development (ZCSD)
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)
Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights)
Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU)
Zimbabwe Solidarity Network (ZSN)

The post STATEMENT: ALARMING ESCALATION OF STATE REPRESSION IN ZIMBABWE AHEAD OF 44TH SADC SUMMIT appeared first on SouthernDefenders.

The post STATEMENT: ALARMING ESCALATION OF STATE REPRESSION IN ZIMBABWE AHEAD OF 44TH SADC SUMMIT appeared first on Vuka News.

In a statement released today the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) condemns the harassment of Uber and Bolt drivers by those using the Shesha app. In summary, SAFTU noted:

• Harassment Issues: Uber and Bolt drivers are forced to switch to Shesha and are fined illegally (R1,500 to R15,000) if caught. They can’t drop passengers at certain malls.
• Violation of Rights: This harassment violates their right to trade freely, as stated in the constitution.
• Call for Action: SAFTU urges the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) and National Taxi Alliance (NTA) to stop Shesha drivers from intimidating Uber and Bolt drivers.
• Government’s Role: SAFTU criticizes the government for not acting against the violence in the e-Hailing industry, including attacks and even killings.
• Fair Competition: SAFTU says Shesha should compete fairly, by improving their service and price, not through threats and violence.
• Market Competition: In a free market, companies should attract customers with better services and prices, not by force.
• Government Responsibility: The government should enforce laws to protect free trade rights and consider starting a publicly owned e-Hailing company to make rides safer and cheaper.

The post SAFTU: PROTECT UBER AND BOLT DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS FROM HARASSMENT AND INTIMIDATION appeared first on Vuka News.

Lilita Gcwabe reports in Elitsha that since April, children in Motlhlotlo Village in Mogalakwena Municipality, have had no transport to school. The village is 3 km from the main road, near an Anglo American Platinum mine. Village residents claim the mine cut transport services to push them off the land to relocate.

Community Response: Dorcas Mda (57) a long-term resident, highlights that most children attend a school 20 km away, the mine has used various tactics over the years to force residents off the land, including a surveillance robot vehicle which circles the area to intimidate them.

Impact on Education: Seritarita Secondary School has empty classrooms due to scheduled blasting by the mine. Mda fears the lack of transport will cause children to fail and remain uneducated.

Forced Evictions: Residents received a court order on June 14 to vacate the land within 30 days. Caroline Mothwa (67) recounts her house was demolished without notice, leaving her family homeless and scattered. Mothwa attempted to seek police assistance but was advised against opening a case against the mine.

Food and Compensation Issues: Elderly women in the village, including Mothwa, report that R1,500 food vouchers from the mine in compensation for their relocation and loss of household food farming have been stopped, causing hunger. They demand either the return of vouchers or the land for farming again.

Legal and Consultation Aspects: Since 2008, relocation of the villagers has been contentious. Tarisai Mugunyani, an attorney at the Centre of Environmental Rights, explains the legal requirements for meaningful consultation and compensation under the Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Development Act (MPRDA). In Motlhlotlo Vilklage the community feels these consultations were incomplete and inadequately addressed.

Anglo-American’s Response: Keitumetse Masik, Acting Head of Communications for Anglo-American, states 900 households have been resettled since 2008, with only 11 remaining. The mine claims due legal process is followed and offers temporary accommodation and new house designs for remaining households.

Future Steps: The situation awaits further response from the Department of Mineral and Resources regarding the eviction and resettlement processes.

The post Limpopo villagers resist removal mine despite intimidation and monitoring by robot vehicles appeared first on Vuka News.

SouthernDefenders is aware of the eSwatini (formerly Swaziland) political context in which the legislators lived, and operated. King Mswati III wields enormous power and his inclination for malevolent force is more explained by his desire to crush dissent and consolidate his dead’s man grip.  The economic situation in the country is dire, with the World Bank projecting high persistent poverty, and civil tensions. Mabuza and Dube took umbrage to such conditions, and demanded both political and economic reforms. Growing calls for reforms continue to grow unabated.

“We are concerned about the political persecution of Mabuza and Dube through the weaponisation of the judiciary to silence legislators and other pro-democracy activists. The state security and hired mercenaries have been previously used to assassinate pro-democracy activists, now the monarchy has weaponised the judiciary to pass disproportionate sentences inimical to constitutionalism and the rule of law. This is a lost cause. Importantly, this is an opportunity for the monarchy to learn from history. Watershed moments in history from the eighteenth century to date demonstrate that a citizenry disgusted by aristocratic excesses, harmful economic policies, and political repression can cause a national upheaval which can be averted through genuine democratic reforms. The power inherent in the will of the people is not subdued by heavy-handedness, or using the judiciary to intimidate the people through harsh criminal penalties. Reforms are key and such sentences will only make a bad situation worse,” -. said Prof. Adriano Nuvunga, the Chairperson of SouthernDefenders.

SouthernDefenders hereby remind the Kingdom of the 1985 Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary, wherein it was held that judicial independence must be guaranteed by the State and enshrined in the Constitution. Furthermore, the principles remind the judiciary to decide matters before them impartially, in accordance with the law, without any improper influences, pressures, threats or interferences.

SouthernDefenders therefore:

Demands that the Eswatini authorities desist from persecuting pro-democracy through weaponisation of the judiciary.
Calls upon the monarchy to engage citizens and initiate long overdue democratic reforms.
Calls on the Authorities to repeal repressive legislation that unjustifiably limits freedoms of expression, association and assembly such as the 1963 Public Order Act, 1938 Sedition and Subversive Activities Act and the 2008 Suppression of Terrorism Act (addressing also the issue of “proscribed entities”).
Demand that the citizens must be allowed to protest, in line with constitution and international covenants without facing the risk of a repressive clampdown that have previously resulted in needless deaths.
Urges the government and SADC to investigate and hold accountable those responsible for the abductions, torture and assassinations of pro-democracy activists.

Southern Defenders remain committed to defending, protecting, and promoting human rights in all countries across the region.

#TogetherWeDefend!!!

For additional information, please contact Washington Katema on wkatema@southerndefenders.africa or +27736202608

The post SOUTHERNDEFENDERS STRONGLY CONDEMNS THE DRACONIAN SENTENCES IMPOSED ON THE PRO-DEMOCRACY FORMER MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT, CALLS FOR THEIR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AND URGES SADC TO ACT ON THE DETERIORATING POLITICAL CRISIS IN ESWATINI appeared first on SouthernDefenders.

The post SOUTHERNDEFENDERS STRONGLY CONDEMNS THE DRACONIAN SENTENCES IMPOSED ON THE PRO-DEMOCRACY FORMER MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT, CALLS FOR THEIR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AND URGES SADC TO ACT ON THE DETERIORATING POLITICAL CRISIS IN ESWATINI appeared first on Vuka News.