Poor black neighbourhoods with high rates of violent crime have less police resources than wealthier, whiter and safer suburbs Police resources should be reallocated to where they are urgently needed – in areas that are suffering from violent crimes The Western Cape provincial police commissioner has the power to do this today This is…
On Thursday 28 February 2019 the Social Justice Coalition (SJC) will host a roundtable discussion on the costs of the state’s legal appeals at the SunSquare City Bowl hotel. The South African Constitution stands out as one of the world’s best because of its unique Bill of Rights. The government has a duty not to…
On Thursday 21 February 2019 Social Justice Coalition (SJC) activists and informal settlement residents will march from the Cape Town Civic Centre to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) office to lodge a complaint against the South African Police Service (SAPS). The complaint is a result of SAPS’ actions on 31 January 2019 outside…
On Tuesday 19 February 2019 Social Justice Coalition (SJC) activists will march through Town Two, Khayelitsha at night to illustrate the difficulties residents face when attempting to navigate areas that have no or inadequate public lighting. The SJC has attempted to engage the City of Cape Town (CoCT) on the issue of discriminatory public lighting…
Protests are meant to be disruptive. This is the nature of protest. It is an integral part of democratic political participation. Yet, government has consistently stifled protest and brutalised activists – and in particular poor, Black activists.What SAPS and the City of Cape Town did was abhorrent. It was violent, uncalled for and reminiscent of…
The Social Justice Coalition has learnt that the State Attorney’s office has still not received instructions from the Minister of Police Bheki Cele & the South African Police Service (SAPS) to withdraw their appeal of the Equality Court judgment on the discriminatory allocation of police resources. Earlier this week the SJC publicly welcomed recent statements…
On Thursday 31 January 2019 public order police from the South African Police Service (SAPS) once again perpetrated a violent, heavy-handed and unnecessary apartheid-style “dispersal” of poor, Black activists outside the Cape Town Civic Centre. A group of less than 50 peaceful protestors were singing outside the doors of the Civic Centre, some with empty…
On Monday night, 4 February 2013, members of Equal Education (EE), the Social Justice Coalition (SJC) and the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) will march through the streets of Khayelitsha to demand adequate public lighting. The march will begin at 19h30 at the Town Two market, on the corner of Lansdowne Road and Spine Road. Marchers…
A Call to Partners, Colleagues, Members of The Media, and Friends of the SJC: We Need Your Support To Bring Safety and Stability To Khayelitsha! As you are reading this, Minister of Police Nathi Mthethwa and others are preparing for a court battle in the Cape High Court tomorrow to prevent the Commission of Inquiry into policing in Khayelitsha…
Article by Gareth Newham (Programme Head – Crime and Justice Programme, Institute for Security Studies) Appeared on Institute for Security Studies website, and the Cape Times newspaper on 31 July 2012 Recent events in Khayelitsha in the Western Cape have highlighted how the failures in the criminal justice system in general, and policing in particular,…