Category Archives: human rights

JMPD deny harassing Johannesburg informal traders

Armed JMPD officers ‘harassing’ evicted informal traders

Informal traders say their removal from Johannesburg inner city is unconstitutional

http://citizen.co.za/87037/informal-traders-march-to-mayors-office/

Ungovernability in the townships

http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/why-our-townships-are-burning-1.1608166#.Uomy2ZHN7fM

Wits academics attack Johannesburg Inner city ‘clean up’ of traders

clean sweep

Posted on 16/11/2013

Published in the Sunday Star

16 November 2013

In an opinion piece in Saturday Star of 9 November, Pressage Nyoni of the Trust for Urban Housing Finance (TUHF) rationalised Continue reading →

Clearing of traders from inner city is attack on the poor

http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2013-11-15-operation-clean-sweep-not-just-a-clean-up-but-a-purge-of-the-poor/#.UoXGsaXH1SV

Robert Sobukwe, later to be founder of the Pan-Africanist Congress, famous speech at Fort Hare University graduation, 1949

http://www.sahistory.org.za/archive/robert-sobukwe-speech-university-fort-hare-president-students’-representative-council-21-oct

Clean up of inner city is attack on livelihood of traders struggling to survive

The removal of traders, legally present and sometimes illegally, from the inner city, Continue reading →

Abahlali baseMjondolo shack dwellers movement continues resistance but faces assassinations

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/11/south-africa-fight-decent-housing-assassination

Foreign traders benefit local economies, Wits study shows

http://www.migration.org.za/press-statement/2013/foreign-traders-benefit-local-economies-wits-study-shows

Little tolerance for crime in vulnerable communities. But also dangers in the tough response

This article, like the other reports, with the support of criminologists on increasing community frustration with rampant crime and ineffective policing that leads them to take the law into their own hands. Continue reading →

Community killings where police seen as unwilling to act against alleged criminals

‘We have made our point’, say Khutsong residents

Privatised prisons costly and effectiveness in doubt

Privately-run prisons are failing, says Ndebele

Legal Aid SA to appeal ruling on Marikana massacre funding.

This ought not to be legal action taken by Legal Aid SA. Continue reading →

Verification process for traders removed from inner city

Maybe I am hypercritical but some of the statements of officials sound rather arrogant

Verifying of Jo’burg street vendors ‘total chaos’

Private prison administrators G 4 S claim critics cast them as villains because they oppose privatisation

I am one of those who opposes privatisation of public services especially the prison and police services. Continue reading →

Johannesburg draconian ‘clean up’ of traders in inner city

Jo’burg’s ‘Clean Sweep’ is a dirty affair

Conditions relating to Bekkersdal protests

State left with Bekkersdal municipal mop-up

Raymond Suttner: Who can we trust to do our policing? South African Police Services (SAPS) or Private security?

Some years ago I argued that the private security industry (PSI) should be phased out Continue reading →

Rebecca Davis on Cape Town CBD looting

Gives some idea of the complex mix of factors involved in Cape Town looting. Continue reading →

Illegally evicted traders in Johannesburg inner city fight back

http://www.enca.com/south-africa/hawkers-see-red-over-joburg-clean-campaign