e-News bulletin 7 October 2016

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E-NEWS BULLETIN
 
Your weekly round up of alternative news you ought to know • 7 October 2016     
 
CONTENTS
SOUTH AFRICA:
1. Press freedom: Worrying signs as South Africa slips in global rankings
2. We have to seize the moment, and save South Africa. Before it’s too late.
3. D-Day for SABC board
4. SABC chair won’t budge from his seat
5. Labour Wrap: Nothing new in campus chaos
6. Free university tuition for all: Academics call for special levy on high income earners

INTERNATIONAL
MIDDLE EAST:
1. ‘Women’s Boat to Gaza’ set to arrive this week
2. SA woman detained in Israel pleads for government intervention
3. Israel-Palestine discussion 2016: How to (not) boycott Israel

US:
1. Pentagon paid PR firm $540mn to make fake terrorist videos
2. Red flag on gig economy gyp

CONGO:
Europe’s Forgotten ‘Hitler’ Killed Over 10 Million Africans – But the West Erased it From History

UGANDA:
1. Bill Gates’s Shack Schools Condemned in Teachers’ Report
2. Chicken Coop Private Schools for Africa’s Kids

INTERNATIONAL
1. Schooling the poor profitably”; EI report by Curtis Riep and Mark Machacek
2. Union Rights, Policy and Practice: Training for Global Union Activists – Training Programme for Participants from Africa, Asia, South and North America & Europe

LABOUR
SOUTH AFRICA:
1. Four hurt in union clashes at Sibanye
2. FAWU threatens strike action if AGOA deal with US not reviewed
3. We will oppose the DA’s antiworker plans, SAMWU’s Mpho Tladinyane
4. FEDUSA to punt job creation at investor conference in NY
5. Minister vows to open up access for small-scale fishers

MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY
1. Samsung is everywhere, Samsung – Modern Tech, Medieval Conditions
2. 10/9 On John Lennon’s Birthday-International Live Speakout Against Political Censorship By Zuckerberg Facebook at His SF Mansion
3. Facebook ‘censors’ Dakota Access pipeline protest livestream – activists
SOUTH AFRICA: Press freedom: Worrying signs as South Africa slips in global rankings
 
“On 19 October 1977, the apartheid government in South Africa banned The World, the Weekend World and arrested the newspapers’ editor Percy Qoboza. Pro Veritate, an ecumenical newspaper, was also banned.

The day was named Black Wednesday and is commemorated every year. It serves as an opportunity to take stock of how the country is faring when it comes to press freedom.”  read more…http://mg
 
SOUTH AFRICA: We have to seize the moment, and save South Africa. Before it’s too late.
 
“There are very few among us who would dispute that South Africa is in crisis. It’s a crisis spanning the economy, society, and the political sphere. It’s a crisis fueled by patronage, corruption, mismanagement, unchecked power and widespread apathy. It is a crisis that compels me to persist with my call urging every proud citizen to join the movement to save South Africa.” This is the speech by Sipho Pityana at the Joburg Mining Indaba.”  read more…http://www.dai
SOUTH AFRICA: D-Day for SABC board
 
“The SABC board will appear before Parliament’s portfolio committee on communications today where it is expected to be dissolved because of its decision to reappoint former chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng in an executive post.” read more…http://cit
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC chair won’t budge from his seat
 
“SABC board chairperson professor Mbulaheni Maguvhe says he is not going anywhere.

He remained defiant in the face of growing calls for the remaining board members to resign, saying he was ready for the inquiry into the SABC board’s fitness to hold office.” read more…http://www.iol
SOUTH AFRICA: Labour Wrap: Nothing new in campus chaos
“There is nothing really new about the present crisis on university campuses; in many ways, it is a more extreme re-run of what occurred in 1998, says Terry Bell in his latest Labour Wrap. However, the basic reason for the protests and the often heavy-handed response by poorly trained police and security personnel is the same.“ read more…http://www.fin
SOUTH AFRICA: Free university tuition for all: Academics call for special levy on high income earners
 
“While many survey violent protests at South African universities with dismay and urge students to get back to their books and their part-time jobs to cover fees, a group of academics has called on government to levy a special tax on the rich to pay for free university tuition for all. The scholars, from a cross-section of institutions, say that it is very clear that the impasse between student protesters on the one side and university administrations and government on the other will not be resolved until fees are scrapped for higher education.” read more…http://www.biz
MIDDLE EAST: ‘Women’s Boat to Gaza’ set to arrive this week
 
“Thirteen women including several parliamentarians, an Olympic athlete, Nobel Laureate, Mairead Maguire and former US Diplomat, Ann Wright are days away from breaking the Israeli blockade by reaching Gaza shores. Sources indicate that the Israel navy has been given orders to intercept the boat.” read more…http://mon
MIDDLE EAST: SA woman detained in Israel pleads for government intervention
 
“A South African volleyball player is calling on government to secure her release after she was detained in Israel.

Leigh-Ann Naidoo was part of a group of pro-Palestinian female activists traveling to Gaza.

Israel on Wednesday intercepted a boat carrying women activists seeking to break the country’s decade-long blockade of the Gaza Strip, saying it was boarded without incident and being taken ashore.” read more…https://www.enc

 

 
MIDDLE EAST: Israel-Palestine discussion 2016: How to (not) boycott Israel
 
“Since the onset of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, several parties have argued about potential resolutions. Recently one of the pressing matters is the question whether a boycott could motivate Israel to respect the Palestinian civil and political rights.

A boycott of Israel can be managed in several ways. The country could be refused right to join diplomatic discussions. Companies could end their trade agreements, universities could forgo alliances with Israeli educational institutions and consumers could refrain from buying Israeli products from the supermarket.” read more…http://den
USA: Pentagon paid PR firm $540mn to make fake terrorist videos
 
“The Pentagon paid a UK PR firm half a billion dollars to create fake terrorist videos in Iraq in a secret propaganda campaign exposed by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

PR firm Bell Pottinger, known for its array of controversial clients including the Saudi government and Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet’s foundation, worked with the US military to create the propaganda in a secretive operation.”  read more…https://www.rt
USA: Red flag on gig economy gyp
 
“Steven Hill, “The Raw Deal” author, explains why he thinks workers are being cheated in the “on-demand” economy.”   click here to watch…https://www.msn
CONGO: Europe’s Forgotten ‘Hitler’ Killed Over 10 Million Africans — But the West Erased it From History
 
“Have you ever heard of King Leopold II of Belgium? Well, for those of you who have not he was quite the brute.

He is often not included in the popular narrative of oppression. He was a part of an ongoing history of imperialism, slavery, genocide and colonialism in Africa that I’m sure would clash with the things taught in schools today.  Belgium’s King Leopold II ran a personal empire that was extremely vast and cruel. It would likely exceed the crimes of some of the world’s worst dictators of the 20th century.” read more…http://awa
 
UGANDA: Bill Gates’s Shack Schools Condemned In Teachers’ Report
“Teaching unions will release a damning report today into Uganda’s chain of private shack schools that is backed by software and dotcom billionaires.

Education International will launch the exposé of Bridge International Academies (BIA) in Ugandan capital Kampala on World Teachers’ Day.

BIA is taking the government to court over Education Minister Janet Museveni’s decision, temporarily suspended by a judge, to close its 63 schools in the country.“ read more...http://www.mor
UGANDA: Chicken Coop Private Schools for Africa’s Kids
“Bridge International Academies (BIA) is an education-for-profit business. It has plans to sell basic education services for 10 million schoolchildren in Africa and Asia by 2025. But in Uganda its ambitions has been checked by government intervention.

BIA expanded quickly in Uganda. It acquired 12,000 fee-generating students since February, 2015.“ read more...http://www.mor
INTERNATIONAL: “Schooling the poor profitably”; EI report by Curtis Riep and Mark Machacek
“New global corporate actors increasingly see the provision of education in the global South as an untapped, emergent market. As more and more functions of the state are effectively outsourced to the private sector, including the provision of education and other public services, state capacity and the will to deliver has steadily declined. As a result, generally accepted claims of poor state quality and deficiencies have increasingly opened-up ‘market opportunities’ for private for-profit actors, including transnational corporations, to fill the ‘governance gap’ in education.“ read more...https://dow
INTERNATIONAL: Union Rights, Policy and Practice: Training for Global Union Activists – Training Programme for Participants from Africa, Asia, South and North America & Europe
 
“Workers in both the formal and informal economies as well as trade unions are faced with rapid economic and social change. As yet, adequate regulatory and protective frameworks have not been found to meet the challenges imposed by the varying forces of globalisation. The current world economic crisis urgently requires the development of alternative policies and rules based on universal human rights, international social justice and democratic self-determination. However, to turn these policies and rules into reality a strong voice representing the interests of workers is needed.” read more...http://www.glo
SOUTH AFRICA: Four hurt in union clashes at Sibanye
 
“Four people were injured, two seriously, in violent labour strife at Sibanye Gold’s Cooke mines near Randfontein, which led to the closure of three shafts on Monday and contributed to a fall in the share price of SA’s largest domestic gold producer.

The Cooke mines are not a key part of Sibanye’s operations and were part of a package deal with Gold One to acquire enormous tailings dumps.” read more…http://www.bdl
SOUTH AFRICA: FAWU threatens strike action if AGOA deal with US not reviewed
 
“The Food and Allied Workers Union (FAWU) has called on minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies to review the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) or risk having the unions poultry workers go on strike.
 
Fawu officials say employers in the poultry industry are considering the prospect of retrenching about 12 thousand workers because of the increased cost of production.
 
Last year, Davies signed a deal with the United States to accept chicken, pork and meat in exchange for duty free imports to the country.“ read more…http://ewn
SOUTH AFRICA: We will oppose the DA’s antiworker plans, SAMWU’s Mpho Tladinyane says
 
“The South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) says it will oppose plans by the City of Tshwane to terminate workers’ contracts.

SAMWU said DA mayors had received directives from the party’s federal executive to trim administrative staff.

“These antiworker plans by the DA will leave thousands of workers out of jobs‚ with the City of Tshwane alone retrenching over 900 workers‚” SAMWU Regional Secretary Mpho Tladinyane said.“ read more…http://www.bdl
SOUTH AFRICA: FEDUSA to punt job creation at investor conference in NY
 
“Decent job creation will be a key focus, when the Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA) addresses the South Africa Tomorrow investor conference in New York.

The conference kicked off on Wednesday.

Following a recent meeting with President Jacob Zuma and Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, FEDUSA has suggested a team be established to help boost investor confidence.“ read more…http://www.bdl
SOUTH AFRICA: Minister vows to open up access for small-scale fishers
 
“Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Senzeni Zokwana has undertaken to forge ahead with plans to facilitate the entry of more players into the fishing sector despite objections.

The government is concerned that the sector, which has annual sales of more than of R5bn, remains largely untransformed and dominated by a few companies.“ read more…http://www.bdl
KOREA: Samsung is everywhere. Samsung – Modern Tech, Medieval Conditions
 
“When industrial chemicals that induce workers’ deaths and injuries are secretly covered up in the interests of trade secrets, then the global model of trade that relies on huge multinational companies and their supply chains is bankrupt.” read more…http://www.itu
 
USA: 10/9 On John Lennon’s Birthday-International Live Speakout Against Political Censorship By Zuckerberg Facebook At His SF Mansion
 
“On John Lennon’s birthday October 9, 2016 we urge people throughout the world to call for an end the political censorship by Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook.

Mark Zuckerberg recently made a agreement to work with the Israeli government to censor criticism of Israel on Facebook. This is not new since they have been censoring and deleting pages and comments that they deem offensive.” read more…http://lab
 
USA: Facebook ‘censors’ Dakota Access pipeline protest livestream – activists
 
“An alternative media group’s live coverage of riot police clashing with protesters at a construction site of the Dakota Access pipeline was blocked by “Facebook’s automated censorship system”. However, the social network hasn’t been doing much about it.” read more…https://www.rt