Endorsed by the SJC and other organisations We are human rights organisations that seek to protect and promote the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (the Constitution). We stand for the interests of the poor and marginalised and believe our Constitution’s greatest strength is its promise of equality and the advancement of the political,…
Today the Premier of the Western Cape Helen Zille announced the establishment of a commission of inquiry (CoI) to investigate problems with policing by the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Khayelitsha. This follows years of sustained campaigning by our organisations and members, many of whom continue to experience the effects of a failing police…
The Social Justice Coalition (SJC) is angered by recent violence at Lonmin’s Marikana Platinum mine in North West Province, which has left 44 people dead over the past two weeks. Of particular concern is the incident that took place on Thursday 16 August 2012, in which 34 strikers were shot dead and 78 others were…
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,…
Press Statement for Immediate Release In February 2010 a young girl living in Khayelitsha told her friend that she had been raped by her dance teacher. Her friend retold the story to a teacher who in turn reported the matter to the police. Police soon arrested Mlulami Gagu, at the time a traditional dance teacher…
The Social Justice Coalition’s vigil at Solomon Mahlangu Hall in Makhaza attracted about 300 people who share a concern for safety in their communities. Vigilante killings have been responsible for the death of eleven people in Khayelitsha, where “mob justice” has become an increasingly frequent response to the State’s failure to adequately curb crime and…
In January in Monwabisi Park, Anele Gazi was caught with stolen goods. He was set alight and died from his injuries. In March Thabo Mzileni was found dead in D Section. His hands and feet had been bound and a concrete drain cover and tyre placed on his chest. In May Andile Mtsholo died after being necklaced in a field in Site B for suspicion of stealing a cellphone. In Khayelitsha since the beginning of 2012 at least 11 people have been brutally murdered in vigilante attacks.
Cape Town, in bidding for World Design Capital 2014, committed itself to transforming lives by design – rebuilding community cohesion; reconnecting communities through infrastructural enhancement; and repositioning the city for the knowledge economy. A grand vision, no doubt, but how do we get designers and communities talking the same language and collectively solving pressing social problems to get us there?
This letter from some SJC branch leaders was hand delivered to the Office of Premier Helen Zille on 14 June 2012, and printed in the Cape Times on 15 June 2012.
Who is Richard Mdluli? A fact sheet about the Suspended Head of SAPS Crime Intelligence.