Human Rights

Copyright, credit, Woolworths and the hummingbird

A Twitter storm erupted on 18 October after South African artist Euodia Roets published a blog post titled ā€˜How Woolworths Really Operates!’. Roets believes her design of a hummingbird on a cushion was used by Woolworths without the company acknowledging it as her work.

Delphine Pedeboy and GroundUp Editor

News | 21 October 2013

G4S and UCT spat over security guards

G4S is the world’s largest international security firm. It has a big presence in South Africa. Employee relations are strained at the University of Cape Town following the transfer of three G4S security guards to other G4S sites in Cape Town in September.

GroundUp Staff

News | 16 October 2013

Zambian government continues prosecution of gay-rights activist

On 15 August 2013 the Zambian High Court refused to hear a constitutional application by Paul Kasonkomona regarding his right to freedom of expression being violated by police charges against him.

Jonathan Dockney

News | 9 October 2013

Khayelitsha residents on the O’Regan/Pikoli Commission

The O'Regan/Pikoli Commision of Inquiry into policing in Khayelitsha is to go ahead after a Constitutional Court ruling last week. GroundUp went to the streets of Khayelitsha to gauge people’s reaction to the ruling.

Nwabisa Pondoyi

Opinion | 9 October 2013

Blind sidelined by Department of Trade and Industry

South Africa’s draft intellectual property policy fails to make any mention of the most progressive copyright treaty in years. Blind and visually impaired people will pay the price if this is not rectified in the final policy.

Marcus Low

Opinion | 2 October 2013

Greyson and Loubani on hunger strike: How you can help them

It's now nearly 50 days since Toronto filmmaker John Greyson and London, Ontario Doctor Tarek Loubani were arrested by Egyptian police while on their way to Gaza. They are on the 16th day of a hunger strike against their treatment and detention without charge.

Jack Lewis

Opinion | 2 October 2013

SJC Civil Disobedience matter postponed

The matter against the twenty-one Social Justice Coalition (SJC) activists, who took part in a civil disobedience action last week, has been postponed to 23 October 2013. The 21 activists appeared before the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court this morning.

Sibusiso Tshabalala

Brief | 18 September 2013

What is the role of civil disobedience in South Africa?

On 18 September 2013, twenty-one Social Justice Coalition activists will appear in the Cape Town Magistrate court for contravening provisions of the Regulation of Gatherings Act.

Sibusiso Tshabalala

Opinion | 18 September 2013

Naidoo speaks out on Eastern Cape health crisis

The Neil Aggett Memorial lecture was delivered by Jay Naidoo at Kingswood College, Grahamstown on 13 September 2013.

Jay Naidoo

Opinion | 17 September 2013

True meaning of “civil obedience”

This is an edited extract from a speech by Prof. Roy Jobson at a memorial for Dr. Neil Aggett at Kingswood College on 14 September 2013.

Roy Jobson

News | 16 September 2013

Human rights work is not about the fees

The debacle around Dali Mpofu's fees at the Farlam Commission is an important moment.

Jack Lewis

Opinion | 11 September 2013

When the solution compounds the problem

In April 2012, the Eastern Cape Department of Health (ECDoH) put in place a moratorium on the appointment of healthcare workers to vacant posts at facilities throughout the province. This moratorium was instituted in an attempt to control the chronic overspending that was pushing the department deeper into financial crisis each year.

Daygan Eagar

Opinion | 11 September 2013

There should be no tolerance for anti-Semitism in Palestinian solidarity

A demonstration framed ā€˜as a silent protest against racism’ held at Wits University on 28 August turned out to be anything but an embodiment of the principles of the anti-racism it espoused when a small group of the protesters sang ā€˜dubula e juda’ (shoot the Jew).

Heidi-Jane Esakov

Opinion | 4 September 2013

Prominent anti-apartheid film director held in Egypt

It is now 20 days since Toronto filmmaker John Greyson and London, Ontario, doctor Tarek Loubani were arrested by Egyptian police while on their way to Gaza.

Jack Lewis

News | 2 September 2013

No tap and one toilet

A fed-up Khayelitsha resident is anxious to know why the City of Cape Town is not making any provision for water and sanitation on her street.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

News | 28 August 2013

Why Zionists should support critics of the Israeli Occupation

Shaul and Yuli Novak are two Israeli Defence Force veterans with the organisation Breaking the Silence. They are currently visiting South Africa, giving talks and promoting a book. Breaking the Silence publishes testimonies by Israeli soldiers of their actions, many of them human rights violations, in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT).

Nathan Geffen

Opinion | 22 August 2013