Statement issued by the Save Our SABC Coalition soscoalition.org.za/
On a day of the announcement of the seventh Minister of Communications in as many years, it would truly take a lot to not only lift our spirits but indeed make us jubilant. Such is the nature of our country that this is indeed the case.
Recently 8 cashiers were dismissed by Shoprite at their Pelican Park store. The workers were accused of theft after accepting tips from customers. Even though there was no money missing from their tills and tips have been allowed for several years, the Shoprite manager, Mr Bardien, handcuffed the workers (all women) and called the SAPS to arrest them. They were handcuffed standing for four hours and while using the toilet as if they were common criminals. One worker was pregnant. They were then taken in full view of the public in an SAPS van, charged and are appearing in court for theft of company money for amounts ranging from R20–R30. This was their money that they got from customers as tips.
The death in Cape Town of veteran socialist and anti-apartheid activist, Michael Blake, at the age of 63 of a heart attack shocked and saddened many who had experienced his restless, revolutionary mind, his visionary writings, his building of working class movements and his passionate activism over a period of almost 40 years. He was the guiding force for new movements such as the Western Cape Housing Assembly today continuing in the history of such initiatives in the apartheid era as the Cape Areas Housing Action Committee (CAHAC), the Bokmakierie, Bridgetown, Silvertown, Kewtown Residents Association (BBSK) and various socialist groups.
Statement issued on behalf of the Zwelethu Community by Busi Mtabane, Right2Know campaign
The Zwelethu Community and Khayelitsha Backyarders are concerned and would like to note the unconstitutional and illegal manner in which the City of Cape Town Metro Police treated one of our citizen journalists. On Friday, 23 June a member of Zwelethu Community, the newly named Zwelethu community that is currently occupying land in Khayelitsha witnessed a brutal assault of a citizen journalist by a member of Anti-Land Invasion Unit in the presence of Metro police. The assault was an attempt to prevent the reporter from covering footage of the police demolishing the erected shacks.
At 3 a.m. Monday morning, the homestead of Danca in Mtentu village, Xolobeni woke up to a barrage of gun shots. A police car with uniformed police was arriving.
On Monday afternoon, we knew they were from SAPS in Port Shepstone. What effectively turned out to be a SAPS assault party had been driving 2.5 hours to reach Mtentu, close to the Mkhambathi nature reserve.
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