Human Rights

Cameron to African leaders: End stigma against gays

This is an edited transcript of a speech by Judge Edwin Cameron on 28 June at the UNAIDS/LANCET Commissioners Dinner in Malawi. Cameron criticised stigmatising laws that hamper the response to HIV.

Edwin Cameron

Opinion | 2 July 2013

Microchip road to real democracy

The advice of the Italian revolutionary, Antonio Gramsci constantly comes to mind these days: exercise pessimism of the intellect, but optimism of the will. I must admit that it has become a great deal easier over recent months to exercise pessimism of the intellect — and increasingly difficult to exercise optimism of the will to do something about changing things, domestically or globally.

Terry Bell

Opinion | 2 July 2013

Building coalitions against US human rights abuses is hard

On Sunday I helped organise and participated in a small protest against human rights abuses and inadequate action on climate change by the Obama administration during his visit to the University of Cape Town.

Eduard Grebe

Opinion | 2 July 2013

New efforts for a united rural movement

Last Saturday, after three days of discussion, 300 members of multiple social movements marched in Cape Town and delivered a letter to the South African Government about land reform and land tenure.

Camila Osorio

News | 26 June 2013

Sick janitor claims City endangered health

Monica Gotshana, is a single mother of five children from Khayelitsha’s Site B. Today is her last day working as a janitor for the City of Cape Town because her six month contract comes to an end. She talked about her experience working as a toilet cleaner.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

News | 26 June 2013

Petition calls for more time to comment on police green paper

Last Friday, 27 civil society organizations signed a letter directed at Ms Jenni Irish-Qhobosheane, of the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service. The organisations requested more time to comment on the Green Paper on Policing that Ms Irish-Qhobosheane published last week.

Camila Osorio

News | 25 June 2013

Immigrants accuse cops of abuse as their businesses are destroyed

Immigrants who protested outside Kraaifontein Police station on Thursday 20 June claim that police officers assigned to the Wallacedene area yelled offensive statements at them. They also gave harrowing accounts of how they lost their livelihoods.

Tariro Washinyira

News | 25 June 2013

Equal Education vs Motshekga gets nasty

The struggle between Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, and activist organisation Equal Education, is getting nasty. The Department has accused EE of using whites to mislead black people and EE has accused the Department of racism. EE held Youth Day marches on Monday 17 June in Cape Town and Pretoria. The marches were part of EE’s campaign to get Minister Motshekga to publish a policy on minimum norms and standards for school infrastructure.

Thandile Majivolo

News | 19 June 2013

The Opaque Prism Part Three: How can we make our online lives more secure?

This is the last in a three-part series on the United States government's PRISM programme.

Nathan Geffen

Opinion | 18 June 2013

The Opaque Prism Part Two: What’s wrong with PRISM?

This is the second in a three-part series on the United States government's PRISM programme.

Nathan Geffen

Opinion | 18 June 2013

The Opaque Prism Part One: Some Internet users aren’t American

This is the first in a three-part series on the United States government's PRISM programme.

Nathan Geffen

Opinion | 18 June 2013

Fransman’s inexcusable behaviour

This was originally published as a letter in the Cape Times on 14 June 2013.

Doron Isaacs

Opinion | 14 June 2013

Hope for two Zambian men accused of gay sex

On 10 and 11 June, the fourth round in the trial of two Zambian men who are charged with having “carnal knowledge [of each other] against the order of nature” took place.

Jonathan Dockney

News | 12 June 2013

Portable flush toilets: What are they and why the fuss?

The public spats over portable toilets have been at the forefront of the news. But what exactly are portable toilets? How do they work? What is good and what is bad about them?

Mary-Anne Gontsana

News | 12 June 2013

Kasonokomona wins first round of court battle

Zambian activist Paul Kasonkomona has won an important first round in his court battle. In an interview on Zambian television in April he called for the recognition of gay and lesbian rights, as well as the rights of sex workers. He was arrested after the interview and charged under section 178(g) of the Zambian Penal Code.

Jonathan Dockney

News | 6 June 2013

Disabled and waiting for a house since 1992

While Thembisa Maso, a KTC resident still waits for her house to be completed, Mbuyiselo Vena, her neighbour, is struggling day in and day out in a wheelchair after being on a housing waiting list for the past 20 years.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

News | 29 May 2013