SOUTH AFRICA

NUMSA wins landmark Constitutional Court decision on labour brokers!

NUMSA welcomes the decision of the Constitutional Court on a judgement which strengthens the rights of temporary workers who are abused by labour brokers. We view this as the first step in ending the Labour brokering system in South Africa. numsa.org.za/

Constitutional Court Delivers Judgment in the Matter Between Assign Services (PTY) Ltd v Numsa and Others

Curt statement from the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa in response to the court judgement that limits their members’ potential to profit from casual employment. seifsa.co.za/

Working Class Summit 21-22 July 2018, Soweto – SAFTU summary report

A new chapter in the history of the South African working class was opened in Soweto on 21-22 July 2018, when representatives from over 147 South African working-class formations represented by 1000 delegates assembled to unite workplace and community struggles. saftu.org.za/

SAFTU supports #TotalShutDown

The South African Federation of Trade Unions fully supports the call for a #TotalShutDown on 1 August against gender-based violence and urges its members to join in the protest. To get involved and volunteer, you can join the closed #TheTotalShutdown group on Facebook which has a pinned post with all the Whatsapp groups in the different communities. You can also find the group on Twitter. saftu.org.za/

Intimidation from Armed ANC Members on the East Rand

Abahlali baseMjondolo in the Good Hope Settlement in Germiston, on the East Rand, have been engaging issues of local development at the same time as the branch has organised the Zikode Extension Land Occupation on a nearby piece of unused land. Despite repeated illegal evictions, and the repeated confiscation and burning of building material, the occupation will soon celebrate its first three months on the land. facebook.com/

Gauteng ANC’s shocking, horrifying re-election of Qedani Mahlangu, 144 lost lives later

On Monday it was confirmed that the Gauteng ANC had re-elected Qedani Mahlangu to its Provincial Executive Committee. Yes. THE Qedani Mahlangu. THE MEC responsible for the Life Esidimeni tragedy, in which over 140 people died. It is a decision with far-reaching consequences. dailymaverick.co.za/

More than 600 miners rescued from Springs mine fire

They were trapped underground following a fire that broke out in the early hours of Thursday morning at Gold One’s Modder East operations in Springs, east of Johannesburg. citizen.co.za/

South Africa rejects demand by Kashmir groups to arrest Narendra Modi for ‘war crimes’

The South African Kashmiri Action Group and the Muslims Lawyers’ Association sought the investigation, arrest and prosecution of the prime minister, accusing him and his party, the BJP of war crimes and crimes against humanity. theprint.in/

Nelson Mandela’s legacy hijacked to help West sell liberal agenda

Just how obscene is reflected inthe sight of former US President Barack Obama delivering the annual Nelson Mandela lecture in Johannesburg on July 17, the 100th anniversary of the giant of the anti-apartheid struggle’s birth. Obama stands as a political and moral dwarf compared to a man who endured untold privation and hardship during the struggle against Apartheid, including 27 years in prison. rt.com/

Drinking water contaminated with micro plastic pollution in Gauteng

Substantial amounts of microplastics – bits of plastics less that 5mm in size – were found in the tap water in both Johannesburg and Tshwane, as well as in rivers in Gauteng and in borehole water in the North West province. But while the people of both cities have been drinking microplastics in their tap water, the health effects are unknown. dailymaverick.co.za/

South Africa is young and female – Stats SA report

According to Statistics South Africa’s mid-year population estimate report, released on Monday there are 57.7 million people in South Africa and more than half of the population (51%) is female. Coupled with this, the report states that women live, on average, six years longer than men, with a life expectancy of 67.3 years compared to 61.1 years for males. news24.com/

[Audio] Farmworkers and their 21 Demands of 2013 – Any progress away from wage slavery?

During late 2012 into January 2013, we witnessed the biggest strike wave and protest movement by farmworkers in recent history in South Africa. The strike took place mainly in the Breede River Valley of the Western Cape and centred around the town of De Doorns. This is the main grape growing region of the Western Cape for wine and grape exports. The workers came out on strike to protest their slave wages and working and living conditions. They had 21 demands for improvement. In today’s show we assess what the farmworkers achieved and how far they’ve come in winning their demands. wwmp.org.za/

INTERNATIONAL

Possible Handover of Assange to UK may be Imminent

Whistleblowers may be less likely to turn to outlets unable to secure their anonymity and advocate on their behalf if the exile in the London embassy of Ecuador of head of Wikileaks Julian Assange is rescinded. The ultimate outcome of the loss of Julian Assange is too great to fully summarize. popularresistance.org/

No Liberal Rallies Yet for the Children of Yemen

We have yet to learn of any large and widespread U.S. demonstrations on behalf of the children and families of Yemen, where the U.S. is deeply complicit in the creation of a situation that “looks,” in the words of the United Nations’ humanitarian chief, “like the Apocalypse.” counterpunch.org/

Peace or Armageddon: Take Your Pick

The drumbeat is incessant and appears to have won most of the public to the faith that Russia is our mortal enemy again and a dire threat to our security. We have utterly forgotten the fact that the intense and growing extreme nationalism that is overtaking the planet is precisely the social virus that promoted two global wars in the last century. counterpunch.org/

PALESTINE / ISRAEL

Israel declares itself apartheid state, and gov’ts must hold it accountable — Omar Barghouti

Israeli lawmakers gave their final approval to the “Basic Law: Israel as the Nation State of the Jewish People” bill that unambiguously defines Israel as a state that belongs exclusively to the “Jewish people.” This is despite the fact that one in five citizens of Israel is an indigenous, non-Jewish Palestinian. mondoweiss.net/

Israel’s new nation-state law restates the obvious

Israeli’s Nation State law could eventually have far-reaching implications for Jewish-Arab relations within Israel and for Israeli-Palestinian relations. But Most of the new law’s provisions will have no impact because they are already contained in other laws. There are, for example, numerous laws that already codify and express Israel’s Jewish identity. theconversation.com/

This racist new law makes me ashamed to be Israeli

Once again, Israel’s influence outpaces Russia’s

Trump’s fiasco in Helsinki has provided fresh impetus for the story of Russian influence over the White House. Yet again few are commenting on an obvious big winner of the presidential meeting, Israel. mondoweiss.net/

US official to Israeli diplomat: “This is our fuckin’ house”

Ron Dermer was pushing the administration to sign an agreement which basically said that Israel is under no obligation to join the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. US officials, the report declared, “felt Dermer was behaving as if he was in charge.” veteranstoday.com/

UN rights chief calls out Israel over detained Palestinian kids

The United Nations rights chief on Monday demanded that Israel either give more than 400 detained Palestinian children their day in court or release them, decrying “assaults” on Palestinians’ rights. france24.com/

HISTORY

The hidden story of the women who rose up

John Pilger gave this address on the 200th anniversary of the establishment of the Parramatta Female Factory, Sydney, a prison where ‘intractable’ women convicts from mostly Ireland and England were sent to Britain’s Australian colony in the early 19th century. consortiumnews.com/