Quote of the week
Senekal last week had nothing to do with solutions. It was all about politicians’ testosterone. It was all about politicians’ egos. What useful idea came out of all that heat and noise generated by all those politicians in Senekal last week? There is nothing. Nothing that makes SA a better place. Nothing that leads us to a better understanding of race relations in SA after 1994. Nothing that is a solution to farm murders – many of whose victims are poorly paid, desperate black people – or a solution to the incredibly horrendous murder and crime problem in this country.
Sunday Times Daily
CSD SEMINAR – Democracy under Threat?: What attacks on grassroots activists mean for our politics
In light of the recent attacks on Abahlali baseMjondolo (AbM) in Kennedy Road, Durban, the Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD) at University of Johannesburg/Rhodes University will hold a seminar entitled Democracy under Threat?: What Attacks on Grassroots Activists Mean for our Politics where grassroots activists, scholars and human rights campaigners will discuss threats to free political activity and their implications.
Venue: Training Centre, 6th Floor, South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) – map attached
Time: 9am to 3pm
Date: Wednesday, 4 November 2009
RSVP: Johnny Selemani – jaselemani@gmail.com / 073 553 0726
Kate Tissington – kate.tissington@wits.ac.za / 072 220 9125 (by Friday 30 October 2009)
Speakers:
Steven Friedman, Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD)
Pregs Govender, South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC)
S’bu Zikode, President, Abahlali basMjondolo
Mnikelo Ndabankulu, Spokesperson, AbM
Zodwa Nsibande, General Secretary of the Youth League, AbM
Michael Neocosmos, Monash University
Richard Pithouse, Politics Department, Rhodes University
Andile Mngxitama, Foundation for Human Rights (FHR)
Marcelle Dawson, Centre for Sociological Research, University of Johannesburg (to be confirmed)
Noor Nieftagodien, History Department, University of the Witwatersrand
