Archive

Mark Heywood paid tribute to AIDS, human rights and gender activist Prudence Mabele who recently passed away.

Our political ancestors did not lose their lives or go to jail so that we could end up living under state capture, or so that their country could be sold to crooks and thieves.

Quote for the week: If Plan “A” didn’t work, the alphabet has 25 other letters. Stay cool.

Despite the laws, systems and agents in place to develop, guide and protect the most vulnerable of children, there are many that fall victim to the state’s inadequacies. By SHENIECE LINDERBOOM.

The recent reports of the repeated rape of a 10-year-old girl, allegedly facilitated by her grandmother, are yet another reminder of the crisis of violence against womxn[1] and girls.

Please join us on a short journey through the last four years of SECTION27’s work!

Mark Heywood’s Keynote Speech for the Sixth International Nelson Mandela Day Community Leadership Awards

Eastwave Radio, Lenasia, July 8th 2017

The PILG programme has been released! Click through for the full programme and to register for panels.

Over the past weekend Basic Education for All (BEFA) held its electoral conference in Tzaneen Limpopo. BEFA activists from across the province came together to talk about the issues facing the Limpopo education system, as well as make strategic plans about how BEFA can overcome these challenges to bring about much needed change.

Today, the South Gauteng High Court confirmed that public schools are not permitted to promote or allow their staff to promote only one or predominantly one religion to the exclusion of others. This was found to be contrary to the Constitution’s provisions on cultural and religious freedom.

The High Level Panel on the Assessment of Key Legislation will host a workshop on National Health Insurance policy with key stakeholders. The panel brings together civil society leaders, academics and business representatives will discuss among other issues the impact of the NHI on poverty reduction, employment and foreign direct investment.

JOHANNESBURG, 20 JUNE we mark the 41st anniversary of the June 16 student uprising, the struggle for quality basic education continues. The Department of Basic Education has been called on to defend the legitimate measures behind a bursary scheme aimed at increasing the number of well-qualified, indigenous language teachers, particularly in rural areas.

This World Refugee Day, in a country whose constitution makes clear provision for access to health care services for all, refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented migrants in South Africa continue to face problems in accessing health care services.

Monday 19th: This week, Field Researcher Solanga Milambo is visiting various schools in Limpopo, as part of the #TextbooksMatter Campaign. Despite countless court appearances the Department of Education in Limpopo, has still failed to deliver textbooks to schools. Solly is set to investigate reports from various schools about textbook shortages. Solly will also use the week to gather new information on the state of sanitation in various schools in the province, to see what progress has been made, particularly for those schools who were on the Departments Sanitation plan, to ensure better sanitation for learners.

JOHANNESBURG, 13 JUNE 2017: The Fix the Patent Laws coalition welcomes the Competition Commission’s announcement earlier today that they will investigate the pricing of several cancer medicines in South Africa. This is a major victory in our struggle to ensure that all people in South Africa can access the medicines they need to stay healthy and alive.

Monday 12th
The SECTION27 Health Team is heading down to Durban for the annual AIDS conference. The team will attend various plenary and satellite sessions in the week. The team will also participate in various advocacy actions to highlight issues around HIV/AIDS and the right to healthcare, for people on the ground.

We are a group of organisations and individuals concerned with the state of South Africa’s response to HIV and Tuberculosis (TB). We are worried that in a time when the HIV and TB response in South Africa should accelerate it may instead begin to unravel. The underlying reason for this danger is the ongoing and widespread dysfunction in the public healthcare system.

After completing the Herculean task of running his 18thComrades Marathon, SECTION27 Executive Director Mark Heywood shifts into a different gear this week as we launch his new book, GET UP STAND UP: Personal Journeys towards Social Justice! Again, we will use this opportunity to raise funds for the work of SECTION27. The book is available on sale at the launches and online. Proceeds from the sale on 8 June will go to Friends of SECTION27.

KwaZulu-Natal’s healthcare services are in a state of emergency with shocking details shared by health workers in the province. Reports reflect a collapsing health system which is in many cases no longer delivering adequate healthcare to the most vulnerable.

A case that has the potential to clarify the appropriate role of religious observances in public schools is set to be heard in the Gauteng High Court early next week. It is unfortunate however that the case appears to have been largely characterised as being part of an “atheist” agenda seeking to “sanitise” all public schools of religion. By FARANAAZ VERIAVA.

9 MAY 2017 – A challenge of certain Christian-only religious practices in South African public schools will be heard in a court case in the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg next week (15-17 May 2017).

The Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (CASAC) is an amicus curiae in the matter initiated by an organisation called the Organisasie vir Godsdienste-Onderrig en Demokrasie (OGOD), and is represented by SECTION27.

SECTION27’s Pamela Choga and Bhavna Ramji reflect on the failures of the public transport system that have led to such tragedies as the Bronkhorstspruit accident of 21 April.