After a grueling three-year-long process, SECTION27 has received confirmation that the criminal records of the #BopheloHouse94 have finally been cleared. This follows the judgment on 17 November 2016 in which the Bloemfontein High Court set aside the convictions and sentences of the 94 health activists known as the #BopheloHouse94. The Continue Reading
BLOEMFONTEIN, 8th AUGUST 2016: Today the #BopheloHouse94 are appearing in Bloemfontein High Court. The community healthcare workers (CHWs) are appealing their conviction in October 2015 in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court. A conviction that found them guilty of violating the Regulation of Gatherings Act for attending a peaceful night vigil outside the Continue Reading
The Facts The Free State health care system, under MEC Benny Malakoane’s leadership, is one of the worst and fastest worsening in the country. Community Health Workers (CHWs) are a critical cadre of workers. They are in intended to be the backbone of the health care system. However, their conditions Continue Reading
The 94 community healthcare workers (Bophelo House 94) arrested during a peaceful night vigil in July 2014 were today found guilty of attending a gathering for which no notice was given, in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court. As part of her judgment Magistrate Thafeni ruled that the gathering for which no Continue Reading
Gatherings Act of 1993 It’s a difficult thing to get one’s head around. That in 2015, 21 years into this democracy people can still be arrested and prosecuted under an apartheid law. According to the Bill of Rights, everybody has the right to freedom of expression, to assemble, demonstrate and Continue Reading
First appeared on the Daily Maverick by Mark Heywood, Director of SECTION27 Today, 10 July, marks one year since the Bophelo House 94 were arrested for participating in an ‘illegal demonstration’. This week, across the miles and miles of brown and blighted farmland that separates Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free Continue Reading
After 36 Hours in Jail – All 127 Activists Have Been Released on Warning 11th JULY, BLOEMFONTEIN: The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) welcomes the release of the 127 activists and community healthcare workers who were arrested outside Bophelo House yesterday following a peaceful sit in. They were released on warning Continue Reading
Numerous organisations have come out in support of TAC activists and community healthcare workers arrested for staging a peaceful sit-in at Bophelo House, the headquarters of the Free State Provincial Department of Health in the early hours of 10 July 2014. These include: Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) Continue Reading
10 JULY 2014, WE WILL NOT RETREAT! JOHANNESBURG – Over 150 Free State community health workers (CHWs) and Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) activists, arrested during the early hours of Thursday, remain in detention tonight at various police stations in Bloemfontein despite attempts to secure their release. Those arrested while staging Continue Reading
Budget Expenditure Monitoring Forum Condemns the Arrest of over 100 Community Health Workers and Activists in the Free State The Budget Expenditure Monitoring Forum (BEMF) condemns the arrest of over 100 community health workers and activists outside Free State Department of Health Bophelo House in the early hours of this Continue Reading
Timeline of crackdown on Free State activists & health workers This is a timeline of events over the last 24 hours of the Free State civil disobedience by activists and healthcare workers. This will be posted on our website and updated www.tac.org.za. You can also follow our twitter feed for live updates Continue Reading
Police arrest over 100 community health workers and activists staging peaceful night vigil outside Free State Health MECs office BLOEMFONTEIN, 10th July: Over 100 community healthcare workers and Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) members were arrested during the early hours of this morning by police in Bloemfontein following a night vigil sit-in at Continue Reading