We can improve service delivery and fight corruption in our Municipality by ensuring all Service Delivery Agreements (SDAs) are public and easily accessible to all. Some politicians, officials and businesses are scared about transparency, but if they aren't doing anything wrong, what have they got to hide. * This campaign by amandla.mobi is supported by Heinrich Böll Stiftung.

This is a violation of human rights and reminiscent of the apartheid government's issuing of dompasses. The Saldanha Bay Municipality should be working to make public spaces more accessible to poor and low-income families, not reinforcing spacial divisions along racial and class lines.

The secrecy around Mzansi's Nuclear power plan, leaves much to be desired. It does not allow for those it will impact on to make an informed choice on whether they approve of it or not. It should concern all of us that the Department of Energy has failed its responsibility to provide the public with all the relevant information needed to make appropriate energy choices, with enough time to consider all the options available. Nuclear energy is much more expensive than solar and wind. The amount of money that will be invested if the nuclear deal goes ahead means that our country could well and truly become bankrupt. To build a nuclear plant optimistically takes 10 years and often much longer[1]. Is it fair to keep our people who do not have electricity access waiting for another decade/ CSIR and other scientific bodies suggest that this nuclear deal will be a disaster and will not create jobs as being promised similar to how the arms deal promised jobs but did not deliver. Instead a handful of politically connected people got rich at the expense of the poor. For starters, investing in renewable energy could deliver many more jobs than nuclear will be good for job creation as well as generating energy safely, cleanly and cheaply but this seems not to be considered and opens the energy space for much plundering. So in summary the nuclear deal is too expensive, too dangerous and will deliver too little too late to address the absence of electricity provision. The poor in our country are being betrayed by a deal at best will only benefit the needs of a few industries and at worst only benefiting those that stand to make money out of this deal. Nuclear energy is going to affect us and the future generations. We must get involved now before its too late. [1] http://mg.co.za/article/2015-11-05-why-south-africa-should-not-build-eight-new-nuclear-power-stations

Former ‘Idols SA’ judge Marah Louw was fired after slurring her words and swearing on television. She had been drugged by her colleague Gareth Cliff. Now he’s trying to make a quick buck by boasting about spiking her drink that night in his new book. After he’d spiked her drink, Gareth Cliff tweeted that “Adults must take responsibility for their actions”. He was talking about Marah Louw appearing drunk, knowing he had spiked her drink. Let’s make him take responsibility for his actions. There’s a simple way we can stop him making cash out of this horrible incident. A huge wave of public opinion against companies that stock his book could force his books off the shelves. Can you sign the petition demanding the top booksellers take his book off the shelves? No-one should make money from drugging a woman.

In 2015, we witnessed the most forceful and sustained student movement in the post-apartheid era under the banner of #FeesMustFall closely followed by workers’ #OutsourcingMustFall campaign. In 2016, these campaigns continued. University management across the country responded by securitising campuses leading to violent attacks on protestors, preventing students from walking in groups of more than three and, until this day, searches of students and faculty inside and outside of campuses. Hundreds of student activists have been arrested and suspended throughout South Africa. Claire Ceruti, is a former Ph.D. candidate at the University Johannesburg (UJ), who has been prevented from continuing her studies because she was prominent during the student and worker protests. Claire Ceruti is an author of the award-winning Class in Soweto. Her Ph.D. thesis is a deeply theoretical and exceptionally historically and empirically grounded longitudinal study. Those who have worked with Claire admire her astute scholarship and commentary on a wide range of subjects which include sociology, feminism, collective action, labour studies, Marxism and race and class analysis. She was active in the struggle against apartheid and continues the struggle against neoliberal capitalism. Although we are of the strong view that Claire’s exclusion is politically motivated, the official reason UJ administration gave is that she did not complete her Ph.D. in time. They present the analogy that a sprinter who runs 100 metres in less than 10 seconds doesn’t get a medal and that she was not fast enough in her own “sprint” to complete her Ph.D. This neoliberal market-oriented logic which puts quantity before quality is dangerous since it suggests that if someone invented a cure for cancer in 10 years, their knowledge contribution would be worthless. On Behalf of the South African Sociological Association (SASA). SASA Executive: President: Sonwabile Mnwana Vice-President: Nomkhosi Xulu Gama Secretary: Luke Sinwell Treasurer: Carin Runciman

Leopard Creek is reported to only pay rates of R35 000 a year for its entire property, which includes 271 palatial home, and was valued at R1.4 billion in 2012. Leopard Creek entered into this agreement with the erstwhile Malelane transitional council in 1996, before the Municipal Property Rates Act was promulgated in 2004. The Nkomazi Local Municipality argues that the agreement became null and void when the rates act came into effect. So Leopard Creek Share Block should be paying R9.8 million a year, or R822 950 a month. The municipality has already spent R2 million in legal fees trying to force the company to pay more. The people of Malelane in Mpumalanga, will be the ultimate beneficiaries when Leopard Creek pays. Leopard Creek is owned by Johann Rupert, whose net worth is $5.3 billion (R73 billion). Rupert continues to rake in monies at the expense of the poor.

On the 9th November 2016, Tshwane, Joburg and Ekurhuleni were hit by severe flash floods where 6 lives (and counting) were lost. Cars were submerged under water due to poor drainage systems that saw our roads fill up and sweeping cars and causing mayhem and death. This despite warnings by the Weather services of La nino much earlier on in the year [1]. In a recent speech at the Disaster Management Institute of Southern Africa Conference in September, Minister of Cooperative Governance Mr Dez Van Rooyen stressed the importance of incorporating Disaster Management into Municipal Intergrated Development Plan (IDP) to ensure disaster risk reduction [2]. In recent months, we witnessed the life of little Angela Sibanda being snatched from her by heavy floods. Her life-less body swept down a river while she was attempting to cross to get to school. The Joburg Municipality still has not erected a bridge to this day, perhaps they are still waiting for more lives to be lost. We also know that most squatter-camps where the poorest live, are built in low lying areas that pose a risk especially when there are flash floods i.e the banks of Jukskei. It cannot be that Municipalities are caught off-guard when disaster strikes. "One of the core functions of Disaster Management Directorate is to ensure that departments have contingency plans and are ready to respond pro-actively,to any hazards that happen in their departments rather than react." What is the point of a contingency plan if citizens are not warned and prepared in time? Must lives be lost first before the Municipality implements this grand plan? By making public the Disaster Management plan the Municipality will not only allay fears but will ensure that all citizenry they service is informed and prepared when disaster strikes. [1] http://city-press.news24.com/Business/weak-la-nina-a-fillip-for-sa-20160610 [2] http://www.ndmc.gov.za/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=mSxdxgDEDuA%3d&tabid=39&mid=611

On the 9th November 2016, Germiston, Johannesburg and Tshwane were hit by severe flash floods where 4 lives (and counting) were lost. Cars were submerged under water due to poor drainage systems that saw our roads fill up and sweeping cars and causing mayhem and death. This despite warnings by the Weather services of La nino much earlier on in the year [1]. In a recent speech at the Disaster Management Institute of Southern Africa Conference in September, Minister of Cooperative Governance Mr Dez Van Rooyen stressed the importance of incorporating Disaster Management into Municipal Intergrated Development Plan (IDP) to ensure disaster risk reduction [2]. In recent months, we witnessed the life of little Angela Sibanda being snatched from her by heavy floods. Her life-less body swept down a river while she was attempting to cross to get to school. The Joburg Municipality still has not erected a bridge to this day, perhaps they are still waiting for more lives to be lost. We also know that most squatter-camps where the poorest live, are built in low lying areas that pose a risk especially when there are flash floods i.e the banks of Jukskei. It cannot be that our Municipality is caught off-guard when disaster strikes. "One of the core functions of Disaster Management Directorate within Minucipalities is to ensure that departments have contingency plans and are ready to respond pro-actively,to any hazards that happen in their departments rather than react." What is the point of a contingency plan if citizens are not warned and prepared in time? Must lives be lost first before the Municipality implements this grand plan? By making public the Disaster Management plan Municipalities will not only allay fears but will ensure that all citizenry they service is informed and prepared when disaster strikes. [1] http://city-press.news24.com/Business/weak-la-nina-a-fillip-for-sa-20160610 [2] http://www.ndmc.gov.za/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=mSxdxgDEDuA%3d&tabid=39&mid=611

These are just some of the regressive proposals in the Refugees Amendment Bill. We only have until this Friday to make public submissions to tell Home Affairs to scrap the aspects of the Bill that deny refugees' basic human rights. Advocacy groups such as Lawyers for Human Rights have already pointed out that the Refugees Amendment Bill is at odds with our Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international conventions. Read more about this issue here: https://africacheck.org/factsheets/refugee-amendment-bill http://www.lhr.org.za/policy/lawyers-human-rights-submission-refugees-amendment-bill

Syferbult is a very impoverished community of over a 1000 people living in shacks. About a hundred of the adults get seasonal work, from two to four months of the year; the rest make do on whatever grants they can access. Despite a contractor putting in taps and pipes that function, fgor years the community has received slightly erratic tanker water. In September, they received nothing for three full weeks. Since then they have received approximately four tankers (enough for drinking water for four days) and the water has run in the taps twice for about 45 minutes (without any warning or notification). The councillor for Ward 36 claims this is because they owe Eskom R6000; I've also been told the water can't be pumped because of: cable theft; problems with the diesel generator; a circuit breaker malfunctioning; and the township has not been formalised (if so, why was infrastucture contracted and put in place?) On 18 October, the thirsty, dusty and dirty community finally exploded and marched in protest. They were met with rubber bullets and tear gas - one person was injured, thankfully not seriously. And still the children, the sick, the elderly are thirsty - so thirsty that when we arrive with bakkie-loads of water, they run and jump on the back of the moving vehicle, unable to hold back, desperate for the precious fluid. This is unconstitutional. "The right of access to sufficient water is accorded to everyone in s 27(1)(b) of the Constitution, which states that everyone has the right to have access to sufficient water. Section 27(2) requires the State to take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to achieve the progressive realisation of the right." Syferbult is not alone in this plight. I have heard of at least six other communities in Rustenburg area with the same problem. Yet phoning, emailing, attending meetings , buttonholing the councillor.... nothing works. Please spread this far and wide.

Leigh Ann Naidoo put her personal safety at risk in taking part in the Freedom Flotilla initiative: she did so in order to draw attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis caused by Israel's blockade of the Gaza strip and in an attempt to deliver hope to this beleaguered population. Leigh Ann, with the rest of the crew, was effectively kidnapped by Israeli forces. Despite ongoing appeals to the embassy to provide consular assistance Mr Sisa Ngombane claimed - until the very day of her release (negotiated by lawyers) - to be unaware that she was in detention. This dereliction of duty left a courageous South African activist vulnerable to the whims of a military force that routinely maltreats, humiliates and tortures prisoners. Such negligence was only aggravated by Mr Ngombane's behaviour at Leigh Ann Naidoo's Press Conference where instead of condemning the illegal interception of the Zaytouna-Oliva, the kidnapping of the activists and the inhumane siege on Gaza, Mr Ngombane decided to discuss the three teenagers kidnapped in The West Bank in 2014. The kidnapping and subsequent murder of these teenagers was notoriously used by Israel to justify its attack on Gaza - an attack which led to the death of over 2000 Palestinian civilians, 550 of whom were children. While the government PROCLAIMS its support for the Palestinian people, it will obviously ACT in a manner that works to perpetuate their suffering if those in positions of power privately sympathise with Israeli abuses. For the government to be consistent with its own policies, as well as with the will of the majority of South Africans who hold - as Mandela did - that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians, we ask for Mr Ngombane to be recalled.

UCT management has made it clear that they plan to resume full university functions on Monday 3rd October through the use of extensive private security. Heavy private security has been deployed at other South African universities with serious implications for the safety of students and staff alike. The state’s recent zero tolerance directive to the police force with regard to student protesters shows an increased willingness to use violence to resolve disputes. However there is no strong evidence that increased security will protect students or prevent the destruction of property. In fact experiences over the last year and on other campuses have shown increased security presence escalates tensions and is more likely to lead to violence than to mitigate it. Despite management’s multiple communiques regarding engagements with different stakeholders, a transparent negotiation process between management and protesting students only began in earnest as of this Friday, 30th September. Without a genuine commitment to engaging with tangible outcomes, there is substantial basis to concerns that the opening of campus on Monday 3rd October will dissolve the urgency to deal with issues of fees, interdicts and institutional culture. #NotInOurNameUCT #DenouncePrivateSecurity #EndTheImpasse Ways to show support: We ask that people sign and share the petition in support. For tutor groups, teaching or lab assistants and other students or staff involved in the running of the university, you could send emails to your students and faculties (to denounce use of private security, declare a stay-away or discontinuation of work until these issues are addressed, and pressure your faculty bodies to take a stance on this matter) For different interest groups at UCT, whether student societies or faculty bodies or other, public statements denouncing private security and calling for engagement.