| SOUTH AFRICA
 For decades, the residents of Mpumalanga’s Highveld – which has eMalahleni, the “place of coal” at its dirty core – have been “subjected to horrific pollution” and have had to “carry the burden” of South Africa’s coal-based electricity and industrial systems. iol.co.za/saturday-star/
 In May 2017 a 26-year old worker in the DA offices laid a sexual harassment complaint against Edmund van Vuuren, the DA’s Chief Whip in the Eastern Cape Legislature. During a telephone call van Vuuren made a number of inappropriate comments to the recently-married woman, including offering to stand in for her husband “if necessary.” dullahomarinstitute.org.za/
Mcedisi Maphisa, a representative of the IFP and the Deputy Mayor of AbaQulusi has been charged with sexual assault, indecent exposure of genitals and compelling a person to witness masturbation. dullahomarinstitute.org.za/
The South African Water Caucus launched a report (607KB pdf) this week which exposes the dysfunction and institutional paralysis in the Department of Water and Sanitation. It paints a particularly bleak picture for SA’s water institutions and hence water security. wwmp.org.za/
The agricultural sector uses 59% of water and households only 12%; yet the DA-led province and City of Cape Town have concentrated most of their efforts to save water, on the households. docs.google.com/
Already on the defensive for evidence that it had been subsidising the highly-partisan ANN7, this latest story exposed the relationship between Multichoice, the Zuma government, the SABC and the Guptas. It offered the first coherent explanation of why Muthambi and the SABC had broken with ANC policy and backed Multichoice. dailymaverick.co.za/
More than 50 health care workers from different areas of the Eastern Cape marched from Bhisho stadium to the offices of the Department of Health to demand that their union, the National Union of Care Workers of South Africa (NUCWOSA), be recognised. groundup.org.za/
“ President Jacob Zuma wants a committee to show him progress this week on plans to cut government spending by R25bn and raise taxes by up to R15bn, following the latest ratings downgrade to junk status by Standard & Poor’s on Friday.” This opening paragraph in a report by Fin24 sums up just how hollow Jacob Zuma’s talk about ‘radical economic transformation’ really is. saftu.org.za/
Despite the fact that the protests in coloured townships are fuelled fundamentally by the same class issues as in black communities, the political narrative is dominated by race. The feeling is widespread in coloured communities that whereas under apartheid they were not “white enough,” under democracy they are not “black enough”. workerssocialistparty.co.za/ |
emocratic Party representatives are backing a legislative bill that would make it a felony for Americans to support the international boycott against Israel, commonly known as BDS. Anyone guilty of violating the prohibitions will face a minimum civil penalty of $250,000 and a maximum criminal penalty of $1 million and 20 years in prison. 
Along with his vitriolic anti-Muslim politics, Gorka’s full-throated support for Israeli settler colonialism has earned him the abiding friendship of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political network. For them, the rest — especially his membership in an organization that assisted in the extermination of Jews — is commentary. 
The inventor of the world wide web remains an optimist but sees a ‘nasty wind’ blowing amid concerns over advertising, net neutrality and fake news. 
In Native American societies, individuals were esteemed for their commitments to the tribe, as opposed to for manliness or gentility. Guardians did not dole out sexual orientation parts to youngsters either, and even kids’ attire had a tendency to be impartial. There were no thoughts or beliefs about how a man ought to love… 
Romanticising certain aspects of working class culture is tiring, when growing up with zero money and zero financial stability is the least romantic thing ever. Similarly fetishising poverty, as if it’s a game or adventure, is an insult to folk who have no choice. 
