2018

Maverick Citizen: Coronavirus: Lockdown, hunger and staying on HIV treatment in Hammonds Farm

5 days ago

“Vulnerable communities need to be a priority, even after the lockdown.” Treatment Action Campaign and other health groups are working together to identify, monitor and assess vulnerable communities, to alleviate poverty and promote adherence to treatment for TB and HIV. Daily Maverick has the full story.
www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-06-10-lockdown-hunger-and-staying-on-hiv-treatment-in-hammon... ... See MoreSee Less

www.dailymaverick.co.za

Concerns are mounting over people stopping or not starting tuberculosis and HIV treatment during South Africa’s Covid-19 lockdown. Nomfundo Xolo spoke to activists and people living with HIV and TB in Hammonds Farm in Verulam in KwaZulu-Natal about the challenges they face.

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ISS: Domestic violence during COVID-19: are we asking the right questions? - defenceWeb

6 days ago

Are we asking the right questions about domestic violence during Covid-19? "Police statistics, call numbers to hotlines and counts of women accessing services during lockdown tell us little about the number of women and families actually experiencing violence at the hands of men" – Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in this piece republished on DefenceWeb.

www.defenceweb.co.za/security/human-security/iss-domestic-violence-during-covid-19-are-we-asking-... ... See MoreSee Less

www.defenceweb.co.za

The number of domestic violence cases reported to the South African police between March and April dropped by 69.4%. This figure makes it tempting to believe that in South Africa, unlike many other countries, lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic reduced family and domestic violence. However...

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The Murky Waters of Housing Allocations in South Africa - Africa.com

1 week ago

The need for adequate housing has never been as pronounced as in the time of the Covid-19 pandemic in SA. OSF-SA grantee, the Legal Resources Centre, has been litigating on housing delivery and allocation

africa.com/the-murky-waters-of-housing-allocations-in-south-africa/ ... See MoreSee Less

africa.com

The following op-ed is a collaborative effort by Sipesihle Mguga and Zimkhitha Mhlahlo of the...

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South Africa has the continent's highest Covid-19 cases. Now it has another pandemic on its hands

2 weeks ago

More than 20 women and children have been murdered in SA in recent weeks. "We note with disgust that at a time when the country is facing the gravest of threats from the pandemic, violent men...attack women and children" – President Cyril Ramaphosa. CNN has the full story.

edition.cnn.com/2020/06/19/africa/south-africa-gender-violence-pandemic-intl/index.html ... See MoreSee Less

edition.cnn.com

President Cyril Ramaphosa described it as "no less than a war being waged against the women and the children of our country," in a nationwide television address Wednesday.

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Court orders Reserve Bank to make apartheid records public

3 weeks ago

"...the court found that the Reserve Bank had unlawfully refused to provide SAHA with records in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA)". The South African History Archive - SAHA – SAHA has won an important victory for the constitutional right of access to information in the Supreme Court of Appeal. GroundUp details the history behind the case.

www.groundup.org.za/article/court-orders-reserve-bank-make-public-shady-apartheid-dealings/ ... See MoreSee Less

www.groundup.org.za

South African History Archive Trust wins important victory for access to information

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Police watchdog investigating 'baffling' death of sex worker while in custody | News24

3 weeks ago

"We knew her as a passionate activist aware of her rights". The Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce and Advocacy Taskforce, Sisonke, the National Movement of Sex Workers and Triangle Project have called for an investigation into the death of Elma Robyn Montsumi, a sex worker who died in police custody in Cape Town in April. News24.com has the full story.

www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/police-watchdog-investigating-baffling-death-of-sex-worker... ... See MoreSee Less

www.news24.com

The Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce, Sisonke, the National Movement of Sex Workers and Triangle Project have called for an investigation into the apparent suicide of Elma Robyn Montsumi.

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Open letter to Judge Zondo: Please resume Commission hearings

3 weeks ago

Over 20 organisations have signed an open letter to Judge Zondo, asking for State Capture Commission hearings to be resumed. @GroundUp has published the full letter, detailing the Commission's suggestions for moving forward.
www.groundup.org.za/article/open-letter-judge-zondo/ ... See MoreSee Less

www.groundup.org.za

20 organisations ask state capture commission to issue interim report

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WhatsApp: 5 things to do before forwarding a message - Memeburn

3 weeks ago

How do you know if you should forward a message you received on WhatsApp? Africa Check suggests five things you should do to verify the information before potentially sending on fake news.
memeburn.com/2020/06/whatsapp-5-things-to-do-before-forwarding-a-message/ ... See MoreSee Less

memeburn.com

While forwarding messages on WhatsApp is useful for sharing information, it's also a source of fake news. Here are five things to do before forwarding...

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HIV-positive patients who take ARVs 'not at greater risk of contracting Covid-19'

4 weeks ago

The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) is calling on government to roll out up to six months' treatment refills to prevent HIV-positive individuals from defaulting. Those who are not receiving treatment, or who have stopped taking their antiretroviral medicines during the lockdown, are likely to be at a greater risk of contracting Covid-19. Times LIVE has the full story.
www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2020-06-04-hiv-positive-patients-who-take-arvs-not-at-great... ... See MoreSee Less

www.timeslive.co.za

South Africans who are HIV-positive and take antiretrovirals are not at greater risk of contracting Covid-19, a local expert said on Thursday.

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Maverick Citizen Op-Ed: Why SECTION27 and TAC are involved in a court case about complementary medicines

4 weeks ago

OSF-SA grantees, Treatment Action Campaign and Section27 have been admitted as friends of the court in a court challenge to the regulation of complementary medicine in South Africa. Failure to regulate complementary medicines creates a gap for untested and unproven products to be sold to the public, often with detrimental effects on individual health and on public health systems. Daily Maverick has the full story.

www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-05-29-why-section27-and-tac-are-involved-in-a-court-case-abo... ... See MoreSee Less

www.dailymaverick.co.za

The Pretoria High Court this week heard a challenge to the regulation of complementary medicine in South Africa.|Spotlight explains why the case is important.

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Maverick Citizen Op-Ed: Give women safe water now so that future generations have a chance to thrive

4 weeks ago

Amnesty International South Africa’s Turn on the Tap campaign has called on the government to realise the right to water for all. The campaign has since brought attention to the full extent of the water crisis in the country and its particular impact on women. Daily Maverick shares how you can get involved.

www.google.com/url?q=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-05-29-give-women-safe-water-now... ... See MoreSee Less

www.google.com

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought pre-existing inequalities into stark light, in particular the right to clean and sufficient water. And, no, it’s not only due to the climate crisis, droughts and pollution. It’s mostly due to mismanagement of funds and corruption.

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MAVERICK CITIZEN: As people shun clinics, doctors fear a non-Covid-19 death spike

1 month ago

Many South Africans have been avoiding health facilities and medical treatment out of fear of being infected by Covid-19 and being harassed by police. "The militarisation of the Covid-19 response has caused fear and resistance. Many people have been shot at and harassed" – Anele Yawa, Treatment Action Campaign Limpopo. Daily Maverick has the full story, detailing why an integrated response to Covid-19 treatment with HIV and TB is necessary to ensure peole get the treatment they need at all levels. ... See MoreSee Less

www.dailymaverick.co.za

Health workers and NGOs are grappling with how to integrate Covid-19 into other essential health services to avoid a spike in deaths from South Africa’s usual killers – TB, HIV and diabetes.

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Government told not to 'misuse' data from new Covid-19 grant recipients

1 month ago

"If personal information is compromised, it can be used to steal grant money or make unauthorised or unlawful deductions from social grants" – Hoodah Abrahams-Fayker, national advocacy manager at Black Sash. The group has warned that there must be heightened vigilance against the possibility of any misuse of the personal information of grant applicants and beneficiaries. HeraldLIVE - Port Elizabeth has the full story. ... See MoreSee Less

www.heraldlive.co.za

The protection of personal information of the vulnerable people who have applied for - and been approved for - the special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress grant should be paramount

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Court victory for “invisible, undocumented children”

1 month ago

Unwed fathers will soon be able to register the births of their children without the mother being present or giving consent. The matter was initially raised by Legal Resources Centre and Centre for Child Law, in a “public interest” application against the Minister and Director-General of Home Affairs. GroundUp has more on this court victory. ... See MoreSee Less

www.groundup.org.za

Fathers to be able to register the births of their children without the mother being present or giving consent

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Legal Resources Centre threatens City with court action over Ocean View evictions

1 month ago

Ocean View residents whose homes were destroyed by law enforcement have approached Legal Resources Centre for assistance. The Centre has since threatened to take the City to court for unlawful eviction of residents. IOL News reports below. ... See MoreSee Less

www.iol.co.za

The LRC said the land on which residents’ homes were erected was owned by the Ocean View Development Trust.

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Please join these important Africa Day webinars

1 month ago

Tomorrow kicks off a three-day Africa Month public symposium under the theme “Africa’s innovations in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic”.

Five webinars will be run between Wednesday 27 May and Friday 29 May, as a collaboration between the African Union’s African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), UCT Convocation and the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance (NMSPG).

OSF-SA Executive Director, Bulelwa Ngewana will feature as a panelist. Visit the link below for more information. ... See MoreSee Less

www.news.uct.ac.za

VC Prof Mamokgethi Phakeng invites the UCT community join this year’s important Africa Day webinars.

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Kathrada Foundation recommends govt should setup a COVID-19 corruption tribunal

1 month ago

The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, an OSF-SA grantee, has recommended that the government set up a Covid-19 corruption tribunal. The Foundation hopes that this will tackle any wrongdoing linked to the misappropriation of resources meant to help South Africans during the pandemic. Eyewitness News has the full story. ... See MoreSee Less

ewn.co.za

Civil society organisations have written to President Cyril Ramaphosa saying they want clear details of how the R500 billion stimulus package is being used and where the money is going.

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OPEN SECRETS: UNACCOUNTABLE: Thales — how to buy a country

1 month ago

The latest installement in the Open Secrets ZA "Unnacountable" series, dives deeper into profiling the corporations implicated in the multibillion-dollar Arms Deal of the late 1990s. This Daily Maverick article zooms in on the company at the heart of Jacob Zuma’s Arms Deal corruption scandal, Thales. ... See MoreSee Less

www.dailymaverick.co.za

This week Open Secrets publishes the second in a series of profiles on the corporations and middlemen implicated in the multibillion-dollar Arms Deal of the late 1990s. This week we focus on the company at the heart of Zuma’s Arms Deal corruption scandal and the co-accused in their corruption tria...

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The controversial Strandfontein shelter shows the importance of monitoring womxn’s rights during a crisis - The Mail & Guardian

1 month ago

"Independent monitoring to ensure that womxn’s rights are protected is particularly important in a time of crisis” – Charlene May, lawyer at Women's Legal Centre. The organisation believes that the City of Cape Town failed in its responsibility at the Strandfontein shelter, after weeks of controversy over its poor health and social conditions. Mail & Guardian has the full story. ... See MoreSee Less

mg.co.za

Our government’s Covid-19 response and regulations must be subject to stringent monitoring to ensure womxn’s safety and security. This is why the Women’s Legal Centre will be an amicus curae in the case between the City of Cape Town and the SAHRC

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Alitheia IDF secures $10m from Open Society Foundation to lend to women

1 month ago

Open Society Foundations have invested $10 million in privately-owned equity fund Alitheia IDF. The investments will be used to fund various sectors that are led by women entrepreneurs engaging in activities such as distribution, production, and consumption, in parts of West and Southern Africa. ... See MoreSee Less

www.techinafrica.com

Alitheia IDF, a privately-owned equity fund, has secured a $10 million funding from Open Society Foundations. The joint venture fund between Nigeria's Alitheia Capital and South Africa’s IDF Capital funds companies spread across West Africa as

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Democracy must not be silent victim of pandemic urge global leaders

1 month ago

Open Society Foundations president, Patrick Gaspard, has joined 28 global leaders and the Kofi Annan Foundation, in signing an open letter calling on governments and civil society to ensure democracy does not become the silent victim of the coronavirus pandemic. ... See MoreSee Less

www.dispatchlive.co.za

As extraordinary measures to fight Covid-19 prevail around the world, the Kofi Annan Foundation, alongside 28 global leaders, have published an open letter calling on governments and civil society to ensure democracy does not become the silent victim of the coronavirus pandemic. The Kofi Annan Found...

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Fears that amendments to CoCT by-law will target homeless

1 month ago

Ndifuna Ukwazi has made a formal submission opposing the City of Cape Town's proposal to amend its Streets, Public Places and Prevention of Noise Nuisances by-law, highlighting that the amendments would unfairly target people who lived in public spaces, like the homeless. Eyewitness News has more on the group's concerns. ... See MoreSee Less

ewn.co.za

The amendments would allow an authorised individual to conduct search and seizure operations without a warrant under certain circumstances.

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"Immigrants are living in fear and hunger" - NGOs | All4Women

1 month ago

Poor immigrants in South Africa are living in fear and hunger under lockdown. “These are among the most vulnerable people in our society. These people have no form of income as a result of the lockdown because they depend on the informal economy to survive." – Consortium for Refugees and Migrants South Africa (CoRMSA). The organisation has highlighted government’s exclusionary lockdown regulations as a contributing factor. www.all4women.co.za has the full story. ... See MoreSee Less

www.all4women.co.za

About 5% of their beneficiaries are undocumented immigrants who live in fear of xenophobic attacks even for the simple act of accepting free food.

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A comprehensive guide and toolkit to accessing Covid-19 relief funds

2 months ago

A partnership between IOL News and Women's Legal Centre has seen the release of a comprehensive information booklet and toolkit to assist the public with access to Covid-19 relief funding. The booklet unpacks key relief measures including the Special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant, the UIF Temporary Relief Scheme (TERS), SMME Debt Relief Scheme, the Tourism Relief Fund and the Solidarity Fund. Download it at the link. ... See MoreSee Less

www.iol.co.za

IOL has partnered with the Women's Legal Centre to bring you this comprehensive information booklet and toolkit to help you access Covid-19 relief funding.

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Women's Legal Centre questions motive behind City of Cape Town's proposed by-law amendments

2 months ago

The Women's Legal Centre has submitted an 18-page document detailing objections to the City of Cape Town's controversial draft amendment to the Streets, Public Places and the Prevention of Noise Nuisances by-law, warning that the amendments are "intended to authorise Law Enforcement from ordering “unsavoury” persons to leave a particular “affluent” area should they be viewed as contravening the by-law. " IOL News has the full story. ... See MoreSee Less

www.iol.co.za

The Women's Legal Centre is concerned that proposed amendments to the City of Cape Town's Streets, Public Places and Prevention of Noise Nuisances by-laws may just be a way of keeping "unsavoury" people out of affluent areas.