e-News bulletin 26 April 2019

Share now!

 

 

 
 
E-NEWS BULLETIN 26 April 2019  May Day 2019 edition

 SOUTH AFRICA 

durbanShack dwellers and the politics of floods

Abahlali baseMjondolo allege that the eThekwini Municipality failed to prepare for Monday’s flash floods in the city of Durban despite floods in 2017. The municipality has replied that the city’s drainage system could not cope with the heavy rain. wwmp.org.za/elitsha/

mantasheMantashe cancels Xolobeni visit

“Mantashe takes the rain as excuse for cancelling unwanted visit to Xolobeni. There is a special place in hell for such liars. Thank you all for your support” – statement by Amadiba Crisis Committee. facebook.com/amadibacrisiscommittee/

bridgette-radebeBotswana curbs Bridgette Radebe’s freedom to come and go

Businesswoman Bridgette Radebe’s will in future have to apply for a visa to enter Botswana after she tried to interfere in the governing party’s leadership elections. It’s a massive loss for her, and her brother-in-law, President Cyril Ramaphosa. dailymaverick.co.za/

zumaphosaSouth Africa’s Decline Is Worst Among Nations Not at War, Model Shows

An index of security, governance, prosperity and welfare indicators shows South Africa slumped to 88th out of 178 nations in 2018 from 31st in 2006, according to an analysis of the country’s prospects by Eunomix. bloomberg.com/

Local news from Khayelitsha, East London, Port Elizabeth, Alexandra and Orange Farm in English and isiXhosa

Install the Elitsha app for your phone   

 INTERNATIONAL 

john-boltonUnited States unleashes new harsh sanctions on Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragu

U.S. national security advisor, John Bolton, spoke about the new sanctions in Miami on the anniversary of the Bay of Pigs invasion. peoplesdispatch.org

raqqaA “Death Trap” in Raqqa: Amnesty Finds U.S.-Led Coalition Killed More Than 1,600 Syrian Civilians

A major new investigation by Amnesty International and Airwars has revealed the U.S.-led military coalition killed more than 1,600 civilians during the 2017 offensive to oust ISIS militants from the Syrian city of Raqqa. democracynow.org/

africomRevealed: The U.S. military’s 36 code-named operations in Africa

The code-named operations cover a variety of different military missions, ranging from psychological operations to counterterrorism. Eight of the named activities, including Obsidian Nomad, involve the deployment of certain host-nation military units as surrogates in counterterrorism missions. news.yahoo.com/

ilhan-omarBehind the Omar Outrage: Suppressed History of 9/11

Trump has found a useful foil in the person of black Muslim immigrant and Democratic Party representative, Ilhan Omar, to fan the racist, Islamophobic flames that propelled his election. The non-Islamic and very American dimensions that led to the “Day of Planes” should be better known, writes Max Blumenthal. consortiumnews.com/

peasantsOver 180 Colombian organizations to take part in massive national strike on April 25

Colombians will mobilize against the neoliberal policies of the right-wing government of president Iván Duque. The participating organizations are seeking compliance with peace agreements and an end to violence against social leaders, among other demands. peoplesdispatch.org/

rana-plazaAmidst Wave of Deadly Fires, Bangladesh Government Threatens to End Building Safety Programme

On the sixth anniversary of the Rana Plaza building collapse, labour rights groups are calling on the government to urgently increase safety efforts for the buildings currently under the government’s oversight. cleanclothes.org/

toto-patigasLeft-wing activist assassinated in the Philippines

Toto Patigas, an activist with the left-wing Bayan Muna party and a councilor of the city of Escalante, was hit on the head from behind while he was riding his scooter. This is the third attack on activists of the party since the murder of Randy Malayo in January. peoplesdispatch.org/

glu‘Decent work for sex workers’ as ILO’s centenary rolls round

The ILO as the premier international organisation for labour rights protection has yet to come out as an advocate for decent work for sex workers. This contrasts with the support that Amnesty International and other human rights organisations have offered to sex worker organisations. global-labour-university.org/

Chris Hedges and Vijay Prashad discuss Assange’s arrest

The arrest of Julian Assange eviscerates all pretense of the rule of law and the rights of a free press. Joining Chris Hedges to discuss the arrest and pending extradition of Julian Assange is the historian Vijay Prashad.

 VENEZUELA 

barrioVenezuela: a country held hostage

Venezuela: a country ruined but rich in resources, with a civilian-military dictatorship kneeling before transnational capital, but claiming to be “socialist” and “anti-imperialist,” where a “worker president” has imposed capitalist semi-slavery working conditions, and where the new Chavista bourgeoisie and the traditional bourgeoisie live in the most obscene privilege, while the majority of the population is subjected to misery. allianceofmesocialists.org/

caracas-kidsEconomists Warn Trump’s Sanctions Targeting Venezuela ‘A Death Sentence for Tens of Thousands of People’

The broad sanctions Trump imposed in 2017 fueled a sharp decline in oil production that impeded the Maduro government’s ability to “import medicine, food, medical equipment, spare parts and equipment needed for electricity generation, water systems, or transportation.” commondreams.org/

chavistaWhy Venezuela Has Not Been Defeated

Despite two decades of pressure by the U.S., and despite the illegal seizure of billions of dollars of Venezuelan assets, the people remain loyal , in defense of their government. The reasons are clear and forthright. popularresistance.org/

 

 ISRAEL / PALESTINE 

palestinian-construction-workersPalestinians Built Israel

Palestinians were not simply displaced and occupied by Israel — Palestinian workers’ superior skills and cheap labor has always been central to the building the physical environment of Israel. jacobinmag.com/

 NEW TECHNOLOGIES | NEW SOURCES OF WEALTH 

Capitalism in crisis: U.S. billionaires worry about the survival of the system that made them rich

Capitalism’s future is a subject of debate among presidential hopefuls and a source of growing angst for America’s business elite. There is a sense that the kind of capitalism that once made America an economic envy is responsible for the growing inequality and anger that is tearing the country apart. washingtonpost.com/

microsoft-workers-uniteMicrosoft and GitHub Workers Support 996.ICU

This is a big deal: workers at Microsoft (which owns GitHub) have published a letter of solidarity with the Chinese tech workers who are protesting grueling working hours under the banner of “996.ICU.” 996 refers to the 9am – 9pm, 6-day-week work schedule imposed by Chinese tech companies. github.com/

Google employees walked out of their offices last year in a massive protest of their company’s handling of sexual harassment allegations. Two of the organizers, who say Google retaliated by demoting them at the company are hosting a “retaliation town hall”. businessinsider.com/

game-workers-uniteAs video games make billions, the workers behind them say it’s time to unionize

Organizers with Game Workers Unite, a group that has sprung up in the last year to push for wall-to-wall unionization in the $43-billion game industry, kicked off each session at a Global Developers Conference with an icebreaker: “Damn the man.” latimes.com/

 

 ENVIRONMENT 

infernoEnding climate change requires the end of capitalism. Have we got the stomach for it?

Policy tweaks won’t do it, we need to throw the kitchen sink at this with a total rethink of our relationship to ownership, work and capital. theguardian.com/

Plastic pollution is monstrous – and humans are the monsters

Plastic pollution is one of the biggest environmental threats facing our planet, and single-use plastic is the worst culprit in the toxic soup it produces. It’s time for political parties in South Africa to step up and make combating plastic pollution an active plank in their political platforms. dailymaverick.co.za/

 

 HISTORY 

orozcoThis is the Hour of Madness

On 13 April 1919, British troops perpetrated a massacre in Amritsar, India, confirming if anyone had a doubt about who wielded power in the subcontinent. Yet, the British government still refuses to acknowledge the brutality of the act and refuses to be honest about its imperialist history. thetricontinental.org/

guernicaIf War Is an Industry, How Can There Be Peace in a Capitalist World?

On 26 April 1937, twelve bombers of the German Condor Legion and the Italian Aviazione Legionaria flew low over the Basque country of Spain in the midst of the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) and let loose their fiery arsenal on the town of Guernica. Almost two thousand people died. thetricontinental.org/

limerick-sovietLimerick Soviet 1919: “The Bottom Dog” Revolts

After 1917, Ireland saw a wave of strikes and a radicalisation of the working class on a scale never before witnessed on the island. A key event in this period was the Limerick Soviet that saw the working class of the city take control of the city for a period of two weeks socialistalternative.org/

 

 CULTURE 

dread-poetryDread Poetry & Freedom

An edited excerpt from a new book, Dread Poetry and Freedom: Linton Kwesi Johnson and the Unfinished Revolution. Better known as LKJ, the dub poet wrote anthems for the working-class black immigrant population in 1980s Britain, a generation enraged by oppressive politics and brutal policing. newframe.com/

 

Disclaimer:
 
This newsletter is intended as a special and alternative news, information and knowledge source for all who are interested in issues relevant to promoting political, social and economic equality and the eradication of poverty. The articles contained herein are obtained from various electronic media platforms and do not necessarily reflect the views of WWMP.