Over the past few weeks, countries which have the power to influence international narratives, policies and practices around issues relating to mobile people have robustly engaged in activities that have emphasised the politics of exclusion. We should be under no illusion that these trends will have an adverse influence on the security and wellbeing of this community. They […]
‘Unprecedented’ is an over-used word, especially in political discourse, but for a government to institute a judicial commission of enquiry into facts which are – or ought to be – uniquely within the knowledge of that government, must be close to unprecedented. Response – The Lady R – Subterfuge or Just Asleep at the Wheel by Mike […]
The year began, rather sadly, with the old spectres of hardness of heart towards displaced persons and outright xenophobia continuing to dominate the South African landscape. This has increased the vulnerability, danger and status insecurity of many thousands of mobile people, including those who most desperately need safe lodging. BP 565 – Through the Lens of Vulnerability… by Peter-John Pearson
Any survey of mobile people’s issues will show just how important the issue of documentation is. We know that correct documentation, and the political will to issue it, is a key indicator of security for mobile people. On the other hand, the failure to supply such documentation increases vulnerability at all levels. Various recent court […]
On 14th April, the Gauteng High Court declared that certain regulations, published in General Notice 1426 in the Gauteng Provincial Gazette 4114 of 24th November 2021, were invalid to the extent that they required pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children under the age of six who were not beneficiaries of a medical aid scheme, to undergo a classification […]
Two unrelated occurrences within the last couple of weeks illustrate, very starkly, the combination of factors that make the rebuilding and progress of our country extremely difficult. On the one hand, continued government incompetence and ineptitude; on the other, an alarming lack of social solidarity. Response – A Fatal Combination by Mike Pothier
South Africa has been grappling with load shedding and its devastating impact for over 16 years now, and all indications are that it could get worse as demand increases going into winter. Environment Digest 41 – South Africa’s electricity crisis – it’s all hanging in the balance by Lovedonia Mkansi
On 30th March this year the Holy See formally repudiated the ‘Doctrine of Discovery’. This doctrine should not be understood as a religious doctrine, but rather as a particular jurisprudence which emerged in European and American legal thinking. However, it was built solidly on concepts articulated particularly in three 15th century Bulls (papal decrees), namely, Dum Diversas 1452, […]
While South Africa has previously been perceived to have highest food security in Africa, the United Nations (UN) estimates that the “number of malnourished children is increasing so rapidly that, by 2025, 1.7 million children under the age of five will suffer from stunted growth”.3 The effects of an inadequate diet cannot be reversed and will have intergenerational consequences. BP 564 – […]
The Department of Home Affairs has acknowledged that there is an increase in the backlog of visa applications waiting to be processed. The overall backlog goes back as far as 2016. It blames the delays on the closure of the workplace during COVID, lack of staff and the length of the process. At present any application has to […]
