History Matters
A blog promoting citizenship and democracy in South Africa
History Matters is an initiative of South African History Online. Click here to visit the SAHO site.
Yesterday I returned home after participating in the ‘All African Moot’ competition. This competition, which was expertly organised and run by the University of Pretoria’s Centre for Human Rights, saw the coming together of 73 universities from around the continent. The students were required to draft memorials, which are in essence one’s argument in written [...]
Continue reading...1. August 2010
by Lindy Wilson In the depths of the country I opened an e-mail from Prof. Njabulo Ndebele inviting me to a Dialogue between four young South African novelists and Ariel Dorfman, the world-acclaimed Chilean-American author on Suspect Reconciliation to take place three days later at the Fugard Theatre. There was something in his personal tone [...]
Continue reading...8. July 2010
MEDIA reports of xenophobic threats have become commonplace. After the horrors of the last wave of attacks in 2008 that left more than 60 people dead, one would expect a more vigorous response from across society. Local mobilisation has been the key to preventing this kind of attack. But there needs to be more consistent [...]
Continue reading...31. May 2010
Attacks on sexuality rights are undermining constitutionalism, writes Raymond Suttner May 30, 2010 11:05 PM | By Raymond Suttner While noting government indecisiveness, especially at the top, we must recognise that much is still happening below and above the surface that might have far-reaching effects and require attention beyond this period. One way of addressing [...]
Continue reading...28. May 2010
Prof. Mahmood Mamdani : Text of talk on receiving an honorary doctorate at the University o Johannesburg, 25th May, 2010 It warms my heart to see these flowing gowns. I congratulate you on work accomplished! For over a millennium, these gowns have been a symbol of high learning from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic. [...]
Continue reading...7. May 2010
Its Time for True Transformative Justice in SA Suren Pillay Cape Times 2010-05-06 On a recent visit to a government agency- as a citizen, not a researcher- I began chatting with an affable front desk consultant. After some general conversation on the dire state of the world, she – of Afrikaner descent – confided to [...]
Continue reading...30. September 2009
I was torn with anguish when I first heard of the unspeakable brutality that has raged down on to the Kennedy Road shack settlement. In recent years I have spent many hours in the Kennedy Road settlement. I’ve attended meetings, memorials, mass ecumenical prayers and marches. I have had the honour of meeting some truly [...]
Continue reading...2. September 2009
Allister Sparks Published: 2009/09/02 THE decision by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) not to refer the complaint of gross misconduct against Cape Judge President John Hlophe to a formal hearing and to find him not guilty is disturbing, but hardly surprising. It has been apparent from the start of this drawn-out saga that there has [...]
Continue reading...9. August 2009
PROGRAMME JOHANNESBURG Thursday 13 August Topic: The Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the politics of knowledge. Venue: Wits University, Graduate School Seminar Room, S.W. Engineering Bldg, East Campus Time: 1.15 pm Topic: What’s wrong with Zionism: A Jewish Perspective Venue: University of Johannesburg, Council Chambers, University, Administration Bldg. Auckland Park, Kingsway Campus. Time: 5.30 pm for 6 [...]
Continue reading...30. June 2009
Dear friends, The crackdown and blackout on Iran’s streets and internet is silencing the voices of protesters. Iranians urgently need internet access to communicate with each other and world – let’s fund simple, cheap tools to help them freely access the internet: TAKE ACTION NOW! The brutal crackdown on Iran’s streets is succeeding. Lethal shooting, [...]
Continue reading...20. June 2009
Rob Peterson 20th June 2009 This is an extract of a letter circulated by Rob Peterson which raises some interesting issues regarding the Justice Hlophe saga. […] some elementary thoughts: 1) What is quite striking about the Hlophe camp (from which he in no way dissociates himself) is its nakedly political campaigning character. This is [...]
Continue reading...13. June 2009
Sokari Ekine and Firoze Manji 2009-06-11, Issue 437 http://pambazuka.org/en/category/features/56914 With Shell having agreed an out-of-court settlement of $15.5 million with the families of the Ogoni Nine activists killed in 1995, Sokari Ekine and Firoze Manji argue that a victory should not be confused with justice. Though representative of an emerging movement in bringing a multinational [...]
Continue reading...3. June 2009
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22. August 2010
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