The clouds of xenophobia and the ongoing dynamic of exclusion of foreign nationals, along with the scapegoating of such communities, continue to hang very low over the sad realities of mobile people in South Africa. The politics of recent years, and specifically over the past months, have witnessed a marked shift towards ‘blame shifting.’ Refugee […]
Since 1911 International Women’s Day has been celebrated on 8th March. It serves to commemorate women’s fight for equality; celebrate women’s achievements; raise awareness about discrimination; and take action to forge gender parity. This year’s theme, “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment”, reminds us of the inter-connectedness of these three fundamental principles. It […]
The very disturbing events in recent weeks at Stilfontein, around the contested issues of illegal mining and the various abuses that have emerged with regard to those activities, also have a very prominent ‘migration thread’ running through them. Indeed, this has been the case since the very start of the mining industry. The Leon Commission […]
World Obesity Day is marked on 4th March. It serves as an annual platform to raise awareness and to advocate for practical solutions in addressing the global obesity crisis, which the World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes as one of the most significant public health challenges of our time. This calls for a cohesive, cross-sector response. […]
The dramatic decision to postpone this year’s budget speech at the last second, and the fact that there is clearly a major disagreement on fiscal matters between the ANC and its coalition partners – and possibly within senior ANC leadership circles too – surely means that the time has come to thoroughly review government’s thinking […]
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations members in 2015, created seventeen world Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The aim of these global goals is “peace and prosperity for people and the planet”, while tackling climate change and working to preserve oceans and forests. BP 619 The Sustainable Development Goals – 17 […]
If you are one of those people who always see the glass as half full, the drama around the cancellation of the Budget speech is probably a ‘glass half full’ moment. It can be viewed as our democracy maturing in an era of coalition politics. And that is a good thing. Economic Digest 50 – […]
Organisations like the CPLO and others that regularly make submissions to Parliament are often asked whether they ‘actually’ or ‘really’ influence legislation; does their work result in identifiable changes to the wording of laws? Democracy Digest 15 Influencing Legislation by Mike Pothier
[This reflection on the recent Vatican document on Human Dignity was prepared by Bishop Sylvester David OMI, Auxiliary Bishop of Cape Town, and presented as part of CPLO’s African Exposure and Training Course in June 2024. We are grateful to Bishop Sylvester for permission to publish it.] Occasional Paper 34 – A Reflection on Dignitas […]
On 27th January, President Ramaphosa signed into law the Marine Pollution (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Amendment Act.1 It received very little coverage, probably because it was signed almost immediately after the controversial Expropriation Bill which generated much public debate. BP 618 Rescuing the Genesis Vision (little by little) by Peter-John Pearson
