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Eyewitness News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
Africa Day: Calls for unity and solidarity across continent grow louder
JOHANNESBURG - As we commemorate Africa Day, calls for unity and solidarity across the continent are growing louder. In Johannesburg, civil society groups and unions took to the streets to mark the occasion. Dozens of organisations, including Cosatu, Lawyers for Human Rights, and the Palestine Solidarity Alliance, marched from Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown to Constitution Hill in Braamfontein on Saturday. The demonstration called for stronger African cooperation and an end to growing xenophobia on the continent. Africa Day, celebrated annually on 25 May, marks the formation of the organisation of African Unity, later succeeded by the African Union, and the liberation of African nations from colonial rule. In South Africa, it also serves as a reminder of the country's fight against apartheid. Mining union leader Mametlwe Sebei says the day is a reminder of how far the continent has come, and how much more must still be done. "To emphasise the oneness of the continent and its people and that is much more important today than before in the context of a surge in rising populism and xenophobic scapegoating of African migrants and others who have been scapegoated of all the problems faced by the working class as a result of the crisis of capitalism and imperialism." More commemorative events are expected across the country today.
Eyewitness News
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
Call for unity on Africa Day
JOHANNESBURG - Various unions, civil society groups and organisations are calling for African unity and cooperation ahead of Africa Day. On Saturday, the group embarked on a solidarity march from Mary Fitzgerald Square, Newtown, to Constitutional Hill in Braamfontein. The march began this morning at Mary Fitzgerald Square. Groups such as the Lawyers for Human Rights, Palestine Solidarity Alliance and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), among others. Africa Day is celebrated on 25 May each year to commemorate the formation of the Organisation of African Union and the independence of African countries. In South Africa, the day also celebrates the success of the fight against colonialism and apartheid mining trade union leader, Mametlwe Sebei, said that the celebrations are important for reflecting on how far we have come as a country and what still needs to be done. "To realise the oneness of the continent and its people and that is much more important today than before in the context of a surge in rising populism and xenophobic scapegoating of African migrants and others who have been scapegoated of all the problems faced by the working class as a result of crisis of capitalism and imperialism."
IOL News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Granny on final path to claim her family home in historic legal battle
Mary Rahube earlier leaving the high court in Pretoria. She won the legal battle for women to be able to own their family homes after apartheid laws had forbidden this. She will now return to court to have her family home registered in her name. Image: Picture: Oupa Mokoena A Mabopane, north of Pretoria granny hailed as a hero to many women as she is the first black woman to pave the way for others who were in the past denied the right to own land to now rightfully claim what is theirs, will now ask the court to officially register her family home in her name. In recognising the rights of all women to own land, the Constitutional Court in 2018 spoke the final word and declared that a piece of legislation created by the racist and sexist apartheid era could not pass constitutional muster. In an unanimous judgment at the time, the apex court declared a section of the Upgrading of Land Tenure Rights Act unconstitutional, due to Mary Rahube and Louise du Plessis of Lawyers for Human Rights, who had been at her side from the onset. Rahube initially approached the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, which in a first step, paved the way for this elderly woman, who is in her 70s, to in future apply for the house she had called home for more than 40 years, to be hers. Rahube never owned her family house in Mabopane, as apartheid legislation prohibited black women from owning land. But, after the court declared a section of the act unconstitutional, Rahube will soon embark on her last legal journey - this time to ask the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, to register her family home in her own name. As things stand, the family home is registered in the name of her brother, Hendsrine Rahube, as in terms of the apartheid law, she was not allowed to own it as a female. Her brother is, however, set on opposing this final battle. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ 'This will be the first application in this regard after she won the Concourt case and the subsequent amendments made by Parliament to the law,' Du Plessis said. She affirmed that in terms of the amendments to the act, women who ought to get houses still needed to go to court to ask for an order to that effect. Rahube, her brother and other siblings have lived in the Mabopane property since the 1970s following their forced eviction from Lady Selbourne. Their grandmother 'owned' the property, but not in the legal sense, as the family was by law precluded from doing so as she was a woman. When she died, the children remained living there. The brother was in 1987 nominated by the family to be the holder of a certificate of occupation regarding the property. The following year, he was issued a deed of grant regarding the property. Some years later, he turned to court to have his family evicted from 'his home'. This was the start of Mary's long and drawn-out battle to have the apartheid era legislation overturned and declared unconstitutional. In the high court judgment, Judge Patricia Goliath earlier said African women under apartheid were systemically disenfranchised in a number of ways. The pervasive effects of patriarchy meant that women were often excluded from seemingly gender-neutral spaces. She said under apartheid, the effects of patriarchy were compounded by legislation that codified the position of African women as subservient to their husbands and male relatives. This will be the first application in this regard after she won the Concourt case and the subsequent amendments made by Parliament to the law. In her plight to have the house registered in her name, Rahube said due to the pervasive effects of patriarchy and the apartheid system and laws which compounded this, she was all these years excluded from owning the only place she has known as home. She said it is precisely because of this history that she should now be afforded the title deeds to the house.
eNCA
05-05-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
New project to shield journalists, rights defenders
JOHANNESBURG - Freedom of expression may be enshrined in South Africa's constitution, but for many journalists and human rights defenders, their daily reality is anything but free. From online harassment to physical threats, intimidation, and even assassination, those who speak truth to power are increasingly under attack. A coalition led by the SA National Editors Forum, Lawyers for Human Rights and Amnesty International South Africa is fighting back. They have launched the Create Project, designed to keep truth-tellers safe from violence and intimidation.
IOL News
04-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Sanef and partners launch initiative to protect journalists and human rights defenders
Sanef, Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) and Amnesty International SA launched a new initiative to protect journalists and human rights defenders. Image: - Human rights organisations and the South African National Editors' Forum (Sanef) have launched a new initiative to protect journalists and human rights defenders from any form of threat and intimidation. Sanef, Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) and Amnesty International SA, launched 'Create Project' to safeguard journalists and human rights from rising threats in the form of online abuse, physical intimidation, surveillance and harassment. The project, called Capacitating Resilience, Enhancing Accountability and Transforming the Environment (Create), aims to strengthen the protection of journalists and human rights defenders in Southern Africa. The organisations said journalists and human rights defenders in South Africa and the region are facing rising threats in the form of online abuse, physical intimidation, surveillance and harassment in the face of a global anti-rights movement. This comes as the organisations celebrated World Freedom Day on Saturday. May 3 acts as a reminder to the governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom. The organisations said the initiative recognised that attacks on media freedom and civic activism were not isolated and that they are part of a broader pattern aimed at silencing truth and undermining the democratic space. The project is designed to push back against that. In March 2018, former EFF deputy president, Floyd Shivambu, who is now the umKhonto weSizwe (MK) party secretary general, was caught on camera intimidating a multimedia journalist Adrian de Kock outside parliament. In 2020, police in Swaziland raided the home of Zweli Martin Dlami, the editor of the Swaziland News, and arrested him for two articles he published about King Mswati III, lying about the political and economic situation and accusing him of promoting a cultural ceremony where women could be sexually abused. His laptops, cellphones, hard drives and other electronic devices were also seized. In April 2021, SABC Radio news journalist Phanuel Shuma was forced to lay a charge of intimidation with police after brothers Manqoba and Lucky Khoza, who were accused of murder and a prosecutor accused of taking a bribe, wanted him to derail their case, at his workplace in Pretoria. In 2022, human rights defenders Ayanda Ngila and Siyabonga Manqele were murdered and joined the growing list of activists who have been assassinated for their work, like environmental activist Mam'Fikile Ntshangase and whistleblower Babita Deokaran, who were killed for their role in advocating for the rights of marginalised communties and speaking out against corruption. The new initiative aims to build a safe, supportive, and responsive environment where journalists can do their work without fear, and where defenders of human rights can continue to raise their voices without being punished for it. Sanef executive director Reggy Moalusi said, 'This is a key training initiative, coming at the right time when journalists across southern Africa are increasingly being harassed and intimidated. We seek to see a better environment where journalists are better treated and are allowed to do their work without any fear of being hunted down by those who simply hate the work they do, and they are afraid of being exposed for all the wrongdoing.' At the core of the project is the development of a system where journalists can report threats and harassment safely and confidentially. These reports will not only help secure emergency support for those in immediate danger but will also contribute to a growing body of evidence that can be used to hold perpetrators accountable and influence legal and policy reforms. Amnesty International SA executive director Shenilla Mohamed said, 'This is an important project which underscores the work Amnesty International South Africa, along with other organisations, has been doing on human rights defenders. Journalists, like all human rights defenders, need to be protected. Attacks on journalists ultimately restrict the right to freedom of expression in the country and have the potential to limit the right of the public to access accurate information in the public interest. A vibrant and free press is a key building block of any society.' By collecting and analysing data on threats and trends, the CREATE project will help shape more informed responses from policymakers, media organizations, and human rights institutions. The aim is to close the gaps that currently allow perpetrators of harassment and violence to act without consequence. The organisations added that to protect press freedom, the broader environment must be safe for all defenders of rights and democracy. The project strengthens referral networks and access to information so that more defenders, not just those in major cities or established media, can get help when they need it most.
