South Africa’s mining wealth has benefited corporations more than the people who live on the land. The MPRDA Amendment Bill currently under consideration provides a historic opportunity for Parliament to correct this imbalance. Communities organised under MACUA, WAMUA, and YAMUA call on Parliament to ensure that future mining is just, transparent, and people-centered, where human rights, environmental protection, and gender equity come before profit. We believe Parliament must reaffirm its constitutional duty under Section 59(1)(a) to facilitate public involvement in the legislative process, especially for communities most affected by extractive   industries.

Many of us are breadwinners, and our families depend on us. The end of this contract means that our families will fall back into poverty. Minister, we are requesting a six-month extension. Not only do we support our families, but we also send our younger siblings to school. This programme has alleviated many of our burdens, and we did not have to worry about unemployment. However, now that it is coming to an end, we are filled with nothing but fear. Our country faces a very high unemployment rate, and we know it will be extremely difficult to find jobs once our contracts end. We urge the Minister to extend our contracts by another six months and to consider making this programme permanent. 

The Vaal Marina Waterfront Park is more than just a green space, it is a symbol of community, freedom, and shared heritage. For years, it has provided residents and visitors with a safe, accessible environment for recreation, relaxation, and connection. Its presence has contributed to the unique charm of Vaal Marina village and supported local businesses by inviting people to our community. Losing this space would be a blow not only to our quality of life but to the economic and social fabric of our town. We are calling on every resident, and concerned citizen to stand together and demand that the Midvaal Local Municipality renew or extend the park’s lease agreement. When we unite our voices, we send a clear message: this park matters. Public pressure is one of the most powerful tools we have. Municipal leaders are elected to serve the interests of the community, and when that community speaks loudly and clearly, they are compelled to listen. By signing this petition and sharing it with others, you’re helping build a wave of support that cannot be ignored. Whether through media coverage, council meetings, or direct engagement with decision-makers, our collective action can shift priorities and force meaningful decisions. The more signatures we gather, the stronger our case becomes — and the harder it is for officials to dismiss our concerns. This is our moment to protect what belongs to all of us. Join the campaign, sign the petition, and help ensure that the Vaal Marina Waterfront Park remains a vibrant, public space for generations to come. Together, we can preserve the heart of our community.

We, the undersigned collective of independent feminists, social justice activists and human rights lawyers, welcome the safe return of the six South Africans released on Monday, 7 October, from arbitrary detention in Ktzi’ot Prison in the Negev desert, Israel. This unlawful detention followed the illegal interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla (a part of Freedom Flotillas), and of the kidnapping of 437 activists on board 40 vessels on 2 October 2025, in international waters. We applaud the organisers of the Flotilla and every activist on board for their commitment to break the siege on Gaza and end the blockade by delivering the desperately needed humanitarian aid, including food and medical supplies, to Palestinians in Gaza. We condemn and denounce: • The grave crime of genocide by the Israeli government; • The intentional and targeted killings of more than 67,000 Palestinians in Gaza , not counting those trapped under the rubble across the Strip; • The ruthless destruction of the homes of the people of Gaza and of entire towns and cities on instruction of the Israeli authorities; • The horrifying use of starvation as a method of warfare against Palestinians in Gaza; • The failure of States and governments to implement concrete measures to stop the genocide, despite the fact that the International Court of Justice has established a plausible risk of genocide and issued several provisional measures; • Israel’s persistent and deliberate blockade of humanitarian aid and access to Palestinians in Gaza, the overwhelming evidence of criminality on the part of Israeli officials and members of the Israeli Occupying Forces (IOF); and • Failure of the international community of powerful states to take meaningful action, in line with moral and legal obligations under international law to end the genocide, thus enabling Israel to continue committing war crimes and crimes against humanity with impunity. We note with outrage and deep concern that this latest onslaught comes after decades of Israeli policy and practice targeting historic Palestine in furtherance of the Zionist settler-colonial project: • 8 years of an illegal blockade and siege of the Gaza Strip since 2007; • 58 years of a belligerent and unlawful occupation since 1967, the longest standing military occupation in modern history and, • 77 years of an ongoing Nakba – the catastrophe of the great and ongoing displacement of Palestinians – since 1948. We believe that it is for these reasons that the South African activists Carrie Shelver, Fatima Hendricks, Reaz Moola, Zaheera Soomar, Zukiswa Wanner, Zwelivelile “Mandla” Mandela, joined the Flotilla, guided by a deep belief in internationalism and collective justice. Their actions are rooted in the best of South African and African liberation traditions, standing in solidarity with Palestinians while also carrying the hopes, dreams, and unfinished struggles of their own communities at home. We are inspired by their courage, reminding us that the fight for a free world is not confined to borders, and that wherever we are, we must do what we can, where we can, to end all systems of domination and violence. Because our freedom is tied to the freedom of others and it is we, the people, who show the way. It is we, who will make love and collective power the basis of this new world and era.

Please join the campaign to support the strike at Chep South Africa. You can attend the strike - please contact 082 812 1934 for details of daily pickets - or contribute to the workers' strike fund here: Chep Workers Solidarity Fund Standard Bank Account number 10258528166

People in South Africa now spend more on gambling than they do on any other recreational activities [6]. Many people gamble because their salaries are not enough [7]. It is concerning that such a high percentage of people are into gambling. This is an urgent matter, and the government must start moving quickly to curb this crisis.   Gambling companies have invaded our communities; they sponsor community runs, do charity work, aggressively put their logos in schools, and indirectly advertise to children [8]. The current National Gambling Act states that gambling companies are not allowed to place advertisements in media directed to children [9]. Yet, gambling companies are buying kids' soccer uniforms with their logos, turning our children into walking billboards. The more visible the thing, the more attention it attracts, and this is why we find ourselves in this situation as a nation. These companies should stop involving themselves in our cultural, educational, and sporting events. Their sponsorship is an advertisement disguised as social development. They are attempting to create good product imagery and consequently rope people into gambling. We have to remember that the charity work and sponsorships that gambling companies do in our communities are funded by extracting money from the very same communities. In the end, gambling companies are the real winners.  Gambling, like smoking, harms our society. South Africa needs to ban gambling ads and sponsorships, just like we did with tobacco. While sports, arts and culture events often need sponsors, there are plenty of sponsors out there, and evidence suggests banning sponsorship does not harm sport [10]. Cricket in South Africa was heavily sponsored by the tobacco industry in the past, but they voluntarily ended the sponsorship out of principle. Protecting our communities from harm should always be the priority. If we want to reduce gambling, it makes sense to start by reducing the temptation to gamble [11]. South Africa also needs to join the global call to restrict gambling advertisements. Countries like Kenya have started implementing tighter gambling regulations to protect their young people from gambling addiction [12].   We need to come together to combat this gambling crisis we find ourselves in. We are already facing so many issues as a nation, and we cannot afford to add another one. We call for the government to ban gambling advertisements and stop the infiltration of betting sponsorships into our Sports, Arts and Culture, as well as our education. References  1. Every single billboard on R21 to OR Tambo Airport is illegal, says Sanral, Anna Cox for Daily Maverick, 21 July 2025. 2. Gayton McKenzie slammed for ‘promoting’ gambling in vulnerable communities, Zama Nteyi for Sunday World, 16 July 2025. 3. Are gambling advertisements putting minors at risk? Mayibongwe Maqhina for IOL, 09 May 2025. 4. Online gambling and betting advertising is non-compliant with Gambling Act — minister, Ina Opperman for The Citizen, 09 May 2025. 5. Govt to appoint gambling council as it looks to crack down on ‘noncompliant’ ads, Na'ilah Ebrahim for News24, 08 May 2025. 6. Appetite for gambling and betting grows https://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=18746, Statistics South Africa, 05 September 2025. 7. Betting on desperation: How the poor are fueling SA’s gambling boom, Jeremy Maggs for MoneyWeb, 11 June 2025. 8. Hollywood Bets sponsors soccer kids, David Pienaar for the Alberton Record, 01 May 2017. 9. National Gambling Act 7 of 2004 https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/201409/26994.pdf. 10. Tobacco free sports. play it clean, World Health Organisation, 2002. 11. Gambling by World Health Organisation, 2 December 2024 https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/gambling. 12. Kenyan MPs Push for Tougher Gambling Regulations in the New Gambling Control Bill, Vanja Mitic for World Casino News, 31 July 2025.

According to Pikitup, by this time next year, all four of its functioning landfills will be closed. Its solution? Pay R68 million in the 2025/25 year alone, to send the city’s waste to private landfills and enter public-private partnerships to build an incinerator and a mega landfill. This will put thousands of landfill reclaimers out of work, cause significant environmental harm, and leave the city drowning in its own waste.  As residents, we say no to opting for environmental and social injustice.  Pikitup and the City of Johannesburg created this crisis. The 2011 City of Johannesburg Integrated Waste Management Plan noted the looming closure of the city’s landfills and highlighted the urgent need for projects to increase the capacity of existing landfills, implement separation at source to divert recyclables from landfills, and build new landfills. Instead, it delayed projects to increase capacity at the landfills, took no action to build its own new landfills, and continues to pursue ineffective and expensive separation at source by cooperatives and private companies. No one wants a mega landfill beside their home. If Pikitup does find a place for a mega landfill, it will be far from where people live, increasing diesel costs and causing great environmental harm. The reclaimers who have worked so hard for many years to keep our landfills open cannot just be thrown away like trash.  Their organisation, ARO, has implemented highly effective, environmentally sustainable separation at source projects that do not require reclaimers to form cooperatives. A recent ARO reclaimer led 18-month programme, ending June 2025, indicates that 945 reclaimers in Johannesburg collected 46 000 tonnes of recyclables that have been successfully diverted from landfills. ARO has solutions to avoid the double social and environmental crisis that will result from Pikitup and the City’s plans. As such ARO demands Pikitup and the City if Johannesburg to: -              Have a participatory policy process including ARO, residents, and environmental experts to develop other sustainable solutions to avoid privatisation of landfills; -              Urgently implement projects to move the drainage pond at Marie Louise landfill and purchase adjacent land to extend its lifespan; -              Implement similar projects at all other landfills; -              Negotiate social plans for landfill reclaimers so that they can continue to salvage and sell residents’ recyclables through reclaimer-run separation at source programmes; -              Implement reclaimer-led separation at source across the city to reduce the need for new landfills; and -              Sign the formal partnership agreement with ARO that has been languishing at Pikitup Head Office for years.

Black people are hit hardest by unemployment. Besides being the subject upon which logical thinking, problem-solving are built, mathematics opens the door to careers in science, technology, and engineering(5). This means that if Sisonke wants to be a doctor, an accountant or engineer, she needs to study mathematics in high school. If she does not, then that dream cannot be a reality. Also, a qualification in STEM is highly beneficial to people facing high unemployment levels as one's chances of getting a job are high given the demand for people in those fields. Additionally, medical doctor, accountant and engineering jobs pay higher salaries which enable people from low-income communities to pull themselves out of poverty.  Children in low-income communities are being excluded from future economic growth. Public schools are divided into quintiles 1 to 5. This is based on the socioeconomic status of the communities they are situated in. Quintiles 1, 2 and 3 schools are schools that do not pay fees, making them the schools that serve children from low-income households. “Data shows that poorer learners are significantly less likely to be able to access options at many universities as they are not enrolled for Mathematics.”(3). And that is the department’s fault. How can the department say that its policy is that there must be at least 35 learners for a subject to be taught yet there is a school that has 161 learners in matric and all of them are doing maths literacy (6)? The department is not only going against its own policy but it is setting up children for difficulty in finding work in the future. “Schooling outcomes will likely benefit children at richer-paying schools, with learners from these schools better positioned to access opportunities associated with STEM post-school education and subsequently employment opportunities.”(3).  Above all that, the drop in the number of pupils studying mathematics also leads to a shortage of skills in the fields of Science, Technology, Economics and Mathematics (STEM).  A shortage of skills means as a country we cannot come with new and better solutions to our challenges, compete with the rest of the world and create economic opportunities. This leaves our country underdeveloped and its people remain in poverty. When the department denies children from low income communities access to mathematics, it is continuing the legacy of apartheid that denied black people entry to these careers. It is deepening inequality. And it is subjecting generations and generations of black children from low-income households to a never ending cycle of poverty. Let us call on the minister of education to grant children from low income communities access to mathematics. If enough of us can sign this petition, we can ensure that the minister moves to ensure that the thousands of children in rural areas and townships are able to study mathematics. References 1. https://www.gov.za/news/speeches/minister-siviwe-gwarube-basic-education-dept-budget-vote-202526-ncop-07-jul-2025 2. https://stemlab.co.za/the-critical-need-for-stem-education-in-south-africa/ 3. https://www.gcro.ac.za/outputs/map-of-the-month/detail/grade-10-enrolments-by-type-of-mathematics-in-the-gauteng-province/ 4. https://pmg.org.za/committee-meeting/40662/ 5. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/20421338.2024.2417779#d1e165 6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv7e-gDgPBQ

The backlog and system failures at DHA do more than delay documents; they have real consequences for children and families. Some of the most affected are children with one parent born in South Africa and another from a neighbouring country such as Lesotho or Botswana. These children are often trapped in a legal limbo, as DHA may require DNA testing before registration, with costs ranging from R750 at public laboratories to between R1,400 and R 2,800 at private accredited facilities [5][6][7]. A mother from Lesotho shared her experience of trying to register her seven-year-old son, who has a South African father: “I have spent months trying to get my son’s birth certificate. DHA says we need DNA tests, which I can’t afford. He missed school last term, and I feel powerless.” This story highlights the human cost of systemic failures, leaving children invisible and deepening inequality. It is a story experienced by many South Africans: whether in rural or urban areas, families are often forced to navigate complex bureaucracy, sometimes facing discrimination or delays simply because of where their children were born. These barriers violate children’s constitutional rights to access government services and information [7]. We call on Minister Dr. Leon Schreiber to act now by : • Implementing a public-facing tracking system for birth registration applications, allowing caregivers to monitor the status of pending applications in real time, including updates via online platforms, SMS, or USSD for those without internet access. • Providing dedicated support for digitally excluded caregivers, through local clinics, libraries, community centres, and DHA help desks, where staff can assist families in completing registrations and accessing government services without needing online access. Every day without action is another day a child remains invisible. As Home Affairs prepares to roll out AI-powered self-service kiosks, we must ensure these efforts prioritise children and communities who have waited the longest. Sign this petition to demand immediate action from Minister Schreiber. Together we can end the backlog, fix Home Affairs’ broken systems, and ensure every child is recognised and able to claim their rights!! Home Affairs must deliver reliable services for all! References 1. Conviction. (2025). Locked out of childhood: Home Affairs birth registration backlog. https://www.conviction.co.za/locked-out-of-childhood-home-affairs-birth-registration-backlog/#google_vignette  2. News24. (2023) Key internet penetration goal almost met in SA, 2022 Census reveals. News24, 13 October. Available at: https://www.news24.com/news24/tech-and-trends/news/key-internet-penetration-goal-almost-met-in-sa-2022-census-reveals-20231013  3. GroundUp. (2025, June 17). Home Affairs has left a quarter of a million people waiting years for birth certificates.https://www.groundup.org.za/article/home-affairs-has-left-a-quarter-of-a-million-people-waiting-years-for-birth-certificates/ 4. OpenSignal. (2023). Rural-urban digital divide in South Africa. https://www.opensignal.com/2023/12/13/rural-urban-digital-divide-still-poses-a-challenge-in-south-africa 5. AFP. (2022). Fact-check: DNA testing costs for child registration in South Africa. 6. GENEdiagnostics. (2024). Legal DNA testing services. 7. Legal Resources Centre. (2025, June 18). Court challenge over delays in child birth registration.https://lrc.org.za/court-challenge-over-massive-delays-in-child-birth-registration/

Boiketlong Road has become a death trap for children and pedestrians. The recent tragedy, where young learners lost their lives while crossing the road after getting off a school bus, has left families broken and the entire community in mourning. Every day, hundreds of children and residents are forced to cross this unsafe road without speed control measures, pedestrian crossings, or warning signs for drivers. Without urgent intervention, more lives will be lost. This is not just a road issue — it’s a matter of child safety, community wellbeing, and social justice. No parent should live in fear each time their child walks to or from school. By installing speed humps, pedestrian facilities, and proper signage, the government can save lives, prevent further heartbreak, and uphold the right of children to a safe environment.

According to BBC, South Africa became the first country to ban the sale of skin lightening creams that have hydroquinone, that was in 1990[1]. Because we are the first country to ban creams with hydroquinone we should be leading the fight against harmful skin products, but that is not the case because many black women are still suffering the consequences of using harmful skin products, especially illegal skin lightening products. SAHPRA has a list of their responsibilities on their website[4], one of those resposibilities is ensuring that unregistered health products are removed from the public but, how can the public know when a product is illegal if SAHPRA doesn't list them on their website? According to SAHPRA’s section 21, certain unregistered products are allowed to be sold, how can we tell whether an unregistered product is authorised to be sold or not? SAHPRA has a list of registered health products on their website, it should be easy for them to have a list of products we should be wary of. Such transparency will allow people to make informed choices, it will help prevent the sale of dangerous skin products and also protect people’s health. The Guardian reported that skin lightening products are linked to cancer in black women, melanin found in black people protects the skin against sun damage and when they use illegal skin products they remove the protection they had against sun damage[2]. Despite regulations in place, Daily Maverick shared that South Africa's market of illegal skin lightening products is growing and the products are not only sold by informal vendors in shops but also online, quoting platforms like eBay, Takealot, Facebook and many more[3].  SAHPRA has the power to let people know what skin products are illegal, but they are choosing to turn a blind eye and instead, they tell us to report illegal health products. How can we report illegal products when we can’t even identify them? this negligence is putting more and more people’s health at risk because not everyone can identify illegal health products, a lot of these products are sold online, SAHPRA must evolve, catch up and utilise the internet to name and shame these products by publicising a list, inspect, raise awareness and share information. Let's come together by signing this petition, tagging South African Health Products Regulated Authority(SAHPRA) on all their social media platforms and also visiting their website and tell them that we want a list of illegal skin products, we see their incompetence, we don’t like it and we won’t tolerate it anymore. [1] How South Africa banned skin lightening creams, BBC, July 3 2020 BBC Audio | Witness History | How South Africa banned skin-lightening creams   [2] Colonial ideas of beauty: how skin lightening products are linked to cancer in black African women, 30 July 2025, Kat Lay. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/30/colonial-beauty-skin-lightening-products-linked-cancer-black-african-women   [3] Skin lightening whitewash: Global and domestic bans of cosmetics containing Mercury prove to be skin deep, Tony Carnie for Daily Maverick, 15 February 2022. https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-02-15-skin-lightening-whitewash-global-and-domestic-bans-of-cosmetics-containing-mercury-prove-to-be-skin-deep/  [4] SAHPRA’s Regulatory Compliance, Unit Responsibilities List. https://www.sahpra.org.za/inspectorate-pharma-licencing-and-regulatory-compliance/ 

Africa Day is not just a date in the calendar; it is the heartbeat of our liberation story. On the 25th of May 1963, African leaders came together to declare that the future of the continent could no longer be dictated by foreign powers, but by Africans themselves. This unity gave birth to the Organisation of African Unity, the predecessor of today’s African Union. Without this collective effort, many nations, including our own, might still be under the chains of colonial rule. Recognising Africa Day as a national holiday honours that history, but also reminds us of the power of unity in the present. In South Africa, our freedom was not won in isolation. We received support from our African neighbours, sanctuary, training, weapons, and solidarity, which kept the liberation struggle alive. Yet today, many South Africans are not taught the significance of this sacrifice, nor the deeper meaning of Pan-African identity. By making Africa Day a national holiday, we ensure that every citizen, young and old, learns that our liberation is part of a greater African story. It will build pride in our shared identity and foster much-needed unity in a country where divisions still run deep. This campaign matters because history shows us that when citizens demand recognition, decision-makers listen. Public holidays are not simply days off work; they are powerful symbols of what a nation values. If enough South Africans raise their voices, the government will be forced to act. By signing, supporting, and spreading this campaign, we place public pressure on leaders to align South Africa with the rest of the continent in honouring Africa Day. Public demand transforms symbolic proposals into national commitments. Most importantly, Africa Day as a national holiday is not about the past alone; it is about the future. It is about ensuring that South Africa takes its rightful place as a champion of Pan-African unity, that our children grow up understanding the value of ubuntu, and that our country recommits to the African Agenda 2063: building a peaceful, prosperous, and globally influential Africa. By joining this campaign, you are not just demanding a holiday; you are demanding pride, unity, and a collective African future.