Human Rights Day 2022 by SundayTimesZA

www.businessmediamags.co.za

21 March 2022

Page 6

HONOURING ONE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S MOST RESPECTED LEADERS, THE LATE ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUTU.

CREATING ACTIVE CITIZENRY

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e are often told that South Africa has one of the most progressive constitutions in the world. Ours, after all, has integrated indivisible economic, social and cultural rights alongside traditional civil and political rights. So, surely, with that piece of legislation, what cause for complaint could we possibly have? Well, we still live in a very unjust society. The majority of our people continue to live in abject poverty and social exclusion, we’re still fighting for gender balance in the home and the workplace, empowerment and transformation is still only happening at a snail’s pace, and the commitment we had when

this Bill of Rights was drafted seems to be waning in the expanse and expense of this legal framework. But, despite all of this, the pocket of active advocates of change is growing. In this issue, as we celebrate Human Rights Day on 21 March, we pay tribute to change advocates, such as the late Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, and the men and women leading the charge within climate adaptation, equal access to education, dignified housing for all, and fighting gender-based violence. These men and women and the organisations they serve, which are committed to creating a better future for all, need our active support. Raina Julies

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contents 6

TRIBUTE Honouring one of South Africa’s most respected leaders, the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

YOUTH Why moving beyond the conversation is critical.

ACTIVISM Some of the organisations fighting for a socially responsive, equal and just society.

EDUCATION Why investing in early childhood development is critical.

ENVIRONMENT Driving vital environmental change to secure the future of humanity.

ADVOCACY In an unequal world, fighting for social justice is the only way to balance the scale.

H U M A N R I G H T S D AY

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A DV ER T ORI A L CENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF VIOLENCE AND RECONCILIATION

VIOLENCE BATTLE Transforming attitudes, beliefs and norms is a must to win the war against gender-based violence in South Africa, writes ANNAH MOYO-KUPETA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR at the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation

nternational Women’s Day on 8 March is a global celebration of women’s achievements. It also recognises the persistent challenges of achieving gender equality. Reflecting on the gender-based violence (GBV) situation in South Africa and the strides made on the policy front has brought me to this realisation: we all know someone who is a victim of GBV. That’s how pervasive GBV has become in our society. Our religious institutions and workplaces are no strangers to GBV survivors who are dealing with their experiences in their own way, often in silence without any outward indication of what they are going through. Our homes – the spaces meant to be havens and places of refuge for women – are instead warzones where a woman’s body is the canvas for this war and violence. If laws were a panacea for solving all societal ills and problems, then GBV in South Africa would be a thing of the past. The long list of laws in South Africa enacted and amended from time to time to address GBV have proved inadequate on their own to curb the scourge. In a country with the most progressive and responsive laws to sexual violence, GBV and femicide, it is evident that winning the war against GBV will require an overhaul of systemic and deeply entrenched norms, beliefs and attitudes towards women in particular and violence more broadly.

THE LONG LIST OF LAWS IN SOUTH AFRICA ENACTED AND AMENDED FROM TIME TO TIME TO ADDRESS GBV HAVE PROVED INADEQUATE ON THEIR OWN TO CURB THE SCOURGE. 4

CSVR provides counselling support to individuals, families and groups who have experienced sexual and gender-based violence, torture and other forms of collective violence. Contact CSVR on 071 241 1831. Call or send a “please call me” and one of CSVR’s mental health and psychosocial support practitioners will respond.

A GRIM PICTURE Public reports and statistics paint a grim picture for women in South Africa. The country is dubbed the rape capital of the world. Crime statistics for July to September 2021 show that 9 556 people were raped, and according to the October to December 2021 statistics, 11 273 women were raped in South Africa. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 12.1 in every 100 000 women are victims of femicide in South Africa each year – this is five times higher than the global average of 2.6. The female interpersonal violence death rate is also pegged at fourth highest out of 183 countries listed in the 2016 WHO report. As far back as 2017, our report titled “Violence against Women in South Africa: A Country in Crisis” highlighted that GBV in South Africa had reached crisis proportions and needed multisectoral responses to curb its impacts, sentiments that were echoed by President Cyril Ramaphosa during the

H U M A N R I G H T S D AY

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THE GENDER-BASED

CALL FOR HELP

CENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF VIOLENCE AND RECONCILIATION A DV ER T ORI A L

actually reported. When families, communities and institutions are constantly dictating that a woman must “endure” and persevere against abuse and violence, or that her behaviour must have caused her partner to “lose it”, then we still have a long way to go in reducing the scourge of GBV in our homes, communities and society. In 2022, we cannot afford as women to be told that “emshadweni kuyabekezelwa” or that “uma ekushaya kusho uyakuthanda”.

DIG DEEP TO BREAK THE PATTERN

VIOLENCE, LIKE A LANGUAGE, IS LEARNT AND CAN BE “SPOKEN”. THE GBV LANGUAGE IS DISPROPORTIONATELY SPOKEN ON THE BODY OF A WOMAN. November 2018 Presidential Summit on Gender-based Violence and Femicide. The National Strategic Plan on Gender-based Violence and Femicide starts us off on this multisectoral response to GBV. However, the biggest gap lies in transforming mindsets, behaviour learned and practised over time, and attitudes towards women and violence. GBV is a product and an outcome of deeply entrenched cultural and patriarchal beliefs in society. It does not occur in a vacuum; it is systemic and institutionalised. Violence, like a language is learnt and can be “spoken”. The GBV language is disproportionately spoken on the body of a woman. Like any other language, it can be transmitted, normalised and passed down to the next generation. This is evident when the screams of a woman in the middle of the night do not draw a crowd to her doorstep to help trigger a 10111 call to the police to report a possible domestic violence incident.

WHEN SUPPORT SYSTEMS FAIL

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Women have to jump through hoops to report GBV. From mustering enough courage to leave the home for the nearest police station to overcoming their fear of what reporting the

incident will mean for them if the abuser is the breadwinner. From the uber driver who an abused woman e-hails to ferry her to the police station to report GBV, to the police officer at the police station who attends to her, and the pastor to whom she reports her abuse, there is no shortage of men appealing to her to forgive her partner, go back home and solve it, begging her not to report him. Our society is also not short of in-laws and parents who turn a blind eye to the abuse in the name of “what will people say when you leave”? Our communities are also full of women who further entrench the abusive and violent behaviour of men, blaming women for “asking for it”, judging them instead of helping them. Our very support systems in families, communities and society require this transformation if we are to reduce GBV in South Africa. Laws written to address GBV are at most an abstract, whose passing by parliament and signing by the president remains relatively unknown by the majority of our community members. The existence of laws has not translated to increased reporting of GBV cases at police stations to kick-start the criminal justice process. It is estimated that only one in nine cases of violence against women are

If we are to turn the tide against GBV, our focus and investment must prioritise what is believed and what prevails as norms towards women and violence. This starts with probing the motivations, root causes and key drivers of such toxic and abusive belief systems to challenge them and offer a counter-narrative. It calls for us to do the heavy lifting work of hearing and listening, sifting through these beliefs to separate fact from myth, and accompanying communities and individuals, especially men, on a journey of unlearning those entrenched faulty belief systems and learning new positive ones that render spaces safe for women. Transformation will also require that we reach out to women survivors of GBV and start peeling off the layers of their trauma and the negative belief systems they harbour about themselves, accompanying them on a journey of healing through counselling services, and reinforcing their positive belief systems that say “you matter; it was not your fault; you are special; you did not deserve what happened to you; it was wrong, it was criminal; you deserve better”.

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN SOUTH AFRICA REPORT

NATIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN ON GBV AND FEMICIDE

TRANSFORMATION WILL ALSO REQUIRE THAT WE REACH OUT TO WOMEN SURVIVORS OF GBV AND START PEELING OFF THE LAYERS OF THEIR TRAUMA AND THE NEGATIVE BELIEF SYSTEMS THEY HARBOUR ABOUT THEMSELVES. For more information: 011 403 5650 www.csvr.org.za

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T RIBU T E

WE MUST CONTINUE THE LEGACY RYLAND FISHER honours one of South Africa’s most respected leaders, the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu

January 1956

1951

1954

Enrols at Pretoria Bantu Normal College to train as a teacher.

Starts teaching English and history, first at Madibane High, and then at Krugersdorp High.

7 October 1931 Desmond Mpilo Tutu is born in Klerksdorp, west of Johannesburg.

1952 Graduates with Transvaal Bantu Teacher’s Diploma.

Desmond and Leah leave teaching in protest against the Bantu Education Act.

1962 August 1960

August 1957

Naomi is born.

Daughter Thandeka is born.

June 1955

1960

Marries Nomalizo Leah Shenxane at Krugersdorp Native Commissioner’s Court.

Obtains a Licentiate of Theology and is ordained as a priest.

April 1956 Son Trevor is born.

Moves to St Philip’s Church in Thokoza and gets his own congregation.

January 1961 Appointed assistant curate at St Alban’s parish, Benoni.

September 1962 The family moves to the UK with permission of the SA government.

A TIMELINE OF SIGNIFICANT EVENTS March 1980

January 1981

August 1983

October 1984

December 1984

The NP government confiscates his passport and bans him from travelling.

NP government returns Tutu’s passport. In March he embarks on a ten-country tour of Europe and North America.

UDF launches in Rocklands, Mitchells Plain, and Tutu is selected as one of its patrons.

Invited to address the United Nations Security Council.

Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

March 1978 Appointed general secretary of the South African Council of Churches.

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August 1980 Tutu and 20 other church leaders meet with PW Botha to urge him to dismantle apartheid.

APRIL 1981 PW Botha confiscates Tutu’s passport upon his return to SA.

1984

October 1984

Embarks on a three-month sabbatical at the General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church in New York.

Elected as Bishop of Johannesburg.

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T RIBU T E

Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town in 1996, then-president Mandela appointed him to head up the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), an assignment that he tackled with the same energy. He felt the pain shared by many who approached the TRC wanting to know what happened to their loved ones under apartheid. He often cried with them and reprimanded alleged transgressors, irrespective of their political allegiance. It was not a surprise when the ANC wanted to stop the release of the TRC’s final report. When the TRC’s term came to an end, Tutu realised that there were many other issues that needed to be championed by somebody with his international profile and, again, he embraced issues such as climate change, the Palestinian situation, gender-based violence, the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community, and the scourge of child brides with the same vigour he displayed in the fight against apartheid.

or many who did not know him, there would have been a certain irony in the remains of a man as great as Archbishop Desmond Tutu being kept in a cheap pine coffin before he was cremated in an eco-friendly procedure, with his family travelling to his funeral in a taxi and an ordinary car accompanied only by two traffic policemen on bikes. But for those who knew him, this would not have come as a surprise. Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu, who passed away at the age of 90 the day after Christmas last year, was as humble and unassuming in death as he was in life. His funeral sent a strong message of frugality to many in our country who spend thousands of rands on funerals and who are more concerned about public perception than paying tribute to the person who has passed away. As a young priest in Soweto in the 1970s, Tutu had no choice but to oppose apartheid. But he did it with an energy seldom seen in the priesthood. After he retired as the

1966 Tutu is awarded Master of Theology. He studied Islam in West Africa as part of this degree. The family returns to South Africa.

1963 Daughter Mpho is born.

January 1970

1976

Accepts a teaching post at the University of Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland (UBLS) in Roma, Lesotho, which allows him to live closer to his children.

Writes to BJ Vorster and urges him to dismantle apartheid.

1967

Tutu is awarded Bachelor of Divinity. He studied Hebrew as part of this degree.

Takes up a teaching post at the Federal Theological Seminary (FEDSEM) in the Eastern Cape.

Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

March 1975 Moves back to South Africa.

August 1975 Elected as Dean of St Mary’s Cathedral, Johannesburg, the fourth highest position in the church hierarchy and the first black man to be appointed as such.

March 1972

1965

December 1984

THE COUNTRY’S MORAL COMPASS Archbishop Tutu was never driven by politics, whether this be based on personalities or the programmes of political parties. He was always driven by moral courage, based on love and respect for all humanity. He judged the ruling ANC with the same moral yardstick he used against the apartheid Nationalist government. Dr Allan Boesak, who led the sanctions campaign against South Africa with Tutu during the apartheid years, said at a memorial in the week of the Arch’s passing that he had been asked if this marked the end of an era. “This is a wrong question because there are many young people who are ready to follow in the footsteps of people such as Archbishop Tutu,” he said. These young people embrace a respect for humanity and an intolerance towards injustice and are found all over the world. Archbishop Tutu’s legacy is bound to continue for many years to come, and the example he set in life and death will hopefully inspire many to pick up the spear he has dropped with his passing. Aluta continua. May he rest in peace.

Moves back to the UK to take up a position as Africa director for the Theological Education Fund (TEF).

February 1990

April 27, 1994

1996

May 2013

Hosts Nelson and Winnie Mandela at Bishopscourt on the night of Mandela’s release.

Voted for the first time in Gugulethu township, Cape Town.

Retires from the church to focus on leading the TRC.

Declares that he will no longer vote for the ANC.

1986

1994

Becomes the first black Archbishop of Cape Town and head of the Anglican Church in South Africa. Moves into the Archbishop’s residence in Bishopscourt without permission to live in a ‘white’ area.

Mandela asks Tutu to chair the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).

April 1993 Preaches at the funeral of murdered SACP leader, Chris Hani.

January 1997 Diagnosed with prostrate cancer.

September 1977 Presides over the funeral of Steve Biko who was brutally murdered by the security police.

Sunday, 26 December 2021 Passes away at the Oasis Care Centre in Milnerton.

7 October 2021 Looking frail, he attends a service at St George’s Cathedral to mark his 90th birthday.

H U M A N R I G H T S D AY

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A DV ER T ORI A L MULT ICHOICE

GIVING RISE TO THE NEXT GENERATION MultiChoice is committed to nurturing talent in the communities in which it operates, and this starts with access to quality education and resources.

PROMOTING STEM CAREERS So invested is the company in developing careers within the STEM fields, that it partnered with the University of Pretoria to develop and sustain

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scarce artificial intelligence (AI) and, specifically, machine learning technology skills – fields that are key to the fourth industrial revolution and a truly digital future. The partnership saw MultiChoice fully fund a Research Chair of Machine Learning at the university. With technology and innovation entrenched in its DNA, the partnership was a natural extension to ensure MultiChoice remains at the forefront of developments. The Research Chair was launched in 2018 and acts as a bridge between the two partners, guiding them on projects and research topics for sponsorship. It also includes awarding bursaries and supporting students at all levels. But these are just some initiatives in MultiChoice’s approach to enabling access to quality education.

DEVELOPING FUTURE MEDIA LEADERS An undeniable issue facing South Africa is youth unemployability, as more and more young people lack the skills and experience needed to enter the workplace. That’s where the MultiChoice Graduate Development Programme fits in – designed to develop future leaders in the media and entertainment industry while helping them gain professional experience. Candidates receive mentorship, coaching and on-the-job training, and get the opportunity to work closely with managers on projects.

SPREADING THE FUNDRAISING MESSAGE Circling back to its core business as the largest pay-TV broadcaster in South Africa, MultiChoice recognises its power in reaching a mass audience. The company capitalised on this through its partnership with FundiFoundation on the R10GoesALongWay

MultiChoice Talent Factory

campaign, which helps disadvantaged students pay their registration fees for undergraduate programmes. MultiChoice used the DStv and social media platforms to amplify the campaign message to get as many people and organisations as possible to donate ahead of the new school year in 2022. “Last year, R2.3-million was raised and 19 000 students applied for sponsorship,” explains Sphiwe Masuku, an employee at FundiFoundation. “We have testimonials and heart-warming letters from students who shared their stories around how the sponsorship literally changed their lives and enabled their educational dreams.” When you consider the far-reaching impact of MultiChoice’s efforts, it is clear that the company understands the meaning of well-rounded, quality education initiatives – all with the underlying purpose of enriching lives.

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n educated person leads to an educated community, which collectively creates a progressive country. MultiChoice not only backs up its educational efforts with significant funding, but is also deliberate in the projects it undertakes to ensure a value-added approach. One such initiative is the MultiChoice Bursary Scheme, which helps students across South Africa every year. This year is no exception; the company’s R20-million investment aims to assist around 250 students to cover their tertiary fees. The scheme is open to students in all years of study, including students who have enrolled for their first post-graduate degree and are focused on the STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) discipline. Access to funding for tertiary studies can present a roadblock. Just ask Jonas Chrindza. Thanks to the MultiChoice Bursary Scheme, Jonas is currently completing his MSc in computer engineering at the University of Witwatersrand. “Without the bursary, I wouldn’t be able to pursue my passion,” he shared. “We are migrating towards a world where everything will be technologically-driven. It’s important that we aren’t left behind. It was also a huge motivating factor to receive the bursary from a great tech company such SuperSport’s My as MultiChoice.” Swing initiative

Innovation Fund

MULT ICHOICE A DV ER T ORI A L

Creating impact

where it

matters most

ion Fund

Collen Dlamini, group executive of corporate affairs at MultiChoice South Africa, explains what MultiChoice means by “enriching lives”?

or MultiChoice, “enriching lives” means that beyond its broadcast and technology offering, MultiChoice does business in a way that delivers shared value. They get behind initiatives that have a scalable social impact, broaden economic participation, and ensure diversity and inclusion. Q. What are some of the recent social transformation projects MultiChoice was involved in? We recognise the power of using our platforms to reach a mass audience by partnering with NGOs and civil society, providing airtime on DStv for social good. Last year, MultiChoice connected with the World Health Organization, the United Nations, and national health and education departments to address issues such as COVID-19 vaccinations and the spread of misinformation, disruption to education caused by COVID-19, and the fight against gender-based violence (GBV). This saw R271-million in total value of airtime being ploughed into social good. We also partnered with People Opposing Women Abuse, the Department of Social Development, and Uyinene Mrwetyana Foundation to raise awareness about GBV and femicide.

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Q. MultiChoice is also involved in supporting small businesses. How so? We support small businesses through the MultiChoice Innovation Fund. The fund was created to stimulate local entrepreneurs, giving them access to tools, skills and financial support

Collen Dlamini

to help bring their business ideas to life. On the back of the fund, we launched the MultiChoice Accelerator to develop and connect local SMEs with global venture capitalists to unlock business opportunities at Expo 2020 in Dubai. Selected entrepreneurs received guidance on critical business fundamentals and were exposed to expansion and fundraising opportunities, with access to more than 4 000 experts, 600 entrepreneurs and 100 investors. Q. What is MultiChoice doing on the sporting front? The DStv Diski Challenge makes it possible for young players from reserve teams to break into the Premier Soccer League (PSL). Plus, there’s the opportunity to help produce soccer matches that are broadcast live to the homes of millions of soccer fans. We also launched the national DStv Schools Netball Challenge, which aims to take South African schools netball to a new level and give future stars a chance to be noticed by sporting scouts. Then there’s our SuperSport Let’s Play initiatives, which over the past 15 years has reached more than 1.5 million children, helping to improve their overall wellness through social and physical stimulation, while the Let’s Play Learnership programme focused on sports coaching and development for 100 unemployed youth. Recently, we launched the SuperSport Industry Leaders Programme in partnership with the Gordon Institute of Business Science and the University of San Francisco. This unique programme will advance business and commercial acumen in the global

WE SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES THROUGH THE MULTICHOICE INNOVATION FUND. THE FUND WAS CREATED TO STIMULATE LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS, GIVING THEM ACCESS TO TOOLS, SKILLS AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO HELP BRING THEIR BUSINESS IDEAS TO LIFE.

sports industry to create world-class African sports leaders. We also launched the PSL Player Transition Programme in partnership with GIBS to equip and empower current PSL players with the necessary knowledge and skills to transition into a role in sport after they have retired from soccer. Q. Is MultiChoice involved in youth and skills development initiatives? Yes, we maintained a valuable connection with Youth Employment Services and its partners to recruit and train disadvantaged youth, especially women, equipping them with much-needed workplace experience. Through our own MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF), we use the power of video entertainment to grow the next generation of storytellers. It includes a 12-month filmmaking internship programme offered through film academies, masterclasses for training and upskilling industry professionals, and a pan-African digital networking portal for creatives. The MTF Academy SA also launched its scriptwriting incubator. Q. How much has MultiChoice spent on CSI locally over the last fi nancial year? We have spent R446-million on CSI and have a total tax contribution of R11.2-billion.

➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the company website – www.multichoice.co.za For more information: @MultiChoiceGRP www.multichoice.co.za

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YOU T H

ARE WE FAILING OUR YOUTH? Young people are hungry now, and as the African proverb says: “If a child is hungry today it is pointless in promising food for tomorrow.” By ITUMELENG MOGAKI

TOO MUCH TALK, TOO LITTLE ACTION Asked what is needed to influence public discourse around poverty alleviation, Shingange says: “South Africa is a country that likes to talk about everything. We’ve had enough talks about poverty and youth unemployment. “We’ve held workshops, symposiums, colloquiums, imbizos, academic papers, policy propositions, and SONA debates – there’s enough literature, debate and knowledge on what the challenges are, and workable solutions that, for the most part, fall on deaf ears.” Despite all these efforts, he says that at the centre of resolving these challenges is the absence of political will to resolve these systemic problems against the backdrop of rampant corruption, which steals away from developing the country further. Student activist and SRC president at the University of Pretoria Thuto Mashile, says: “We have to encourage each other to listen to the solutions we present through consultative events, which are headed by young people. “We need to convene youth from all walks of life, unite in coming with solutions to our problems right now because we are here and will be present in the near future,” she says. Shingange says there needs to be a clear plan to drive economic growth and get rid of corruption. “Corruption (both public and private sector) is the one vile element of our society that steals away from the young people who are the future of this country.” He cites Unite 4 Mzansi, an initiative led by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants and business leaders, which reported that South Africa lost R1.5-trillion in the last five years to corruption.

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unemployment rate of above 70 per cent; it is debilitating and leaves thousands in a paralysed mind frame,” says Shingange. “In short, no amount of public rhetoric from politicians will sway the mood of the country any differently, what is left now is to implement less talk, more action,” he says.

ENTREPRENEURS NEEDED Despite his understandable fury at the system, Shingange has some positive words. Thabo Shingange “South Africans should be equally looking to find alternative ways of surviving by tapping into entrepreneurial opportunities around them while simultaneously creating small-scale employment for others. “While this may sound idealistic, given the right support and funding, which is available, such examples can go a long way in addressing – Thabo Shingange issues of poverty and unemployment.” Sharing the same sentiment, Mashile says: “This alone is telling of the many unresolved “As vague as this solution is, we need to begin challenges that we’re facing as a country, creating our own employment through starting including student debt, poverty, and businesses with a vision to circulate income unemployment,” says Shingange. received among ourselves. Mashile adds: “Our youth are frustrated, “We need to move away from training disappointed and desperate. Many people young people to be employees only and to are qualified yet find themselves without consider going the entrepreneurial route. We employment, which defeats the purpose of need to teach them diverse ways to make their education and acquiring qualifications. own money. “We need to take note that there’s a “Practical skills such as farming, artisanship, major skills gap in the country – this is evident in and any technology-related skill is crucial for the townships where many lack the future.” the necessary skills to thrive. Shingange concurs: “In “Through my position as SRC everything we do, we president, we are fighting poverty must all strive to live a life at a basic level and are dedicated that can be remembered to assisting vulnerable students as helpful to humanity. with academic, financial and From sharing skills, health-related difficulties,” information, resources and she says. opportunities, there are “Nothing is inspiring enough slices of cake for Thuto Mashile about a country with a youth everyone if done right.”

“Young people are the future of this country, and a nation that does not invest in the youth does not deserve its future.”

DID YOU KNOW?

The South African Human Rights Commission launched a Child Friendly Complaints Handling Procedure, a child-friendly space where children can lodge complaints and learn about their constitutional rights and responsibilities. To lodge a complaint, children should contact 011 877 3600, email complaints@sahrc.org.za, or visit any of the nine provincial offices of the commission.

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oung people are the future of this country, and a nation that does not invest in the youth does not deserve its future. A thought-provoking opinion from Thabo Shingange, a former student representative council (SRC) president and Mandela-Rhodes scholar at the University of Pretoria. He currently serves as the national spokesperson of the South African Union of Students (SAUS) and is a member of the #COVID19 ministerial task team appointed by the minister of higher education.

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A F RIK A T IK K UN SERV ICES A DV ER T ORI A L

QUALITY EDUCATION FOR

FUTURE SUCCESS

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he profound statement – Schooling does not always lead to learning – forms part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)’s #righttoeducation campaign. The organisation noted that, globally, an estimated 617 million children and adolescents cannot read and do maths at a basic proficiency level, although two-thirds of these learners are in school. This, for many in the nongovernmental sector, underscores the difference between education and quality education. An analysis of the educational landscape in South Africa gives credence to this notion. According to the University of Cape Town Children’s Institute’s Child Gauge Report 2018, approximately 98 per cent of the country’s children have received some form of institutional education. However, such high-level attendance rates do not suggest that quality education is being imparted and educational outcomes are being met. It is difficult to forget the national-level discussions that emerged after the publication of the 2016 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study. The report highlighted that eight out of ten Grade 4 learners could not read for meaning across all languages in South Africa. The interruption of educational systems due to COVID-19 has likely exacerbated this picture. Poor learning outcomes do not materialise in a vacuum, but are most visible in schools located in communities with lower socioeconomic groups and under-resourced schools. Therefore, there is a clear correlation between poverty and lack of quality education. This is not to disregard those many learners who, by sheer determination and commitment, rise above the difficult socioeconomic conditions they face daily and perform exceptionally well. But for every one of these learners, there are many more who fall through the educational cracks. It must also not be forgotten that the provision of education is not a favour, but a right. Governments have a constitutional

The right to quality education is essential for the realisation of all other human rights, including those associated with eliminating hunger, accessing decent work and achieving gender equality. By ONYI NWANERI, CEO Afrika Tikkun Services

Onyi Nwaneri

responsibility to ensure that legislation, strategies and programmes are in place to assist all learners to reach their potential.

THE CASE FOR QUALITY EDUCATION The Right to Education is recognised as a fundamental human right enshrined in several global, regional and national frameworks. From the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to South Africa’s own Bill of Rights, there is little doubt about the importance of education. Still, the notion of quality education is not clearly spelt out in these frameworks, allowing a certain degree of vagueness and subjectivity to inform the design of curriculum and intervention programmes.

EDUCATION IS A KEY INGREDIENT FOR A FAIRER AND MORE EGALITARIAN SOCIETY, A VEHICLE THROUGH WHICH ALL PERSONS, PARTICULARLY THOSE MARGINALISED BY CURRENT AND INHERITED STRUCTURAL CHALLENGES, CAN CHANGE THE STATUS QUO.

It is with some relief then that the Sustainable Development Goal 4, to which the international community including South Africa subscribes, speaks directly to quality education and the aim “to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. It sends a clear message that education is a key ingredient for a fairer and more egalitarian society, a vehicle through which all persons, particularly those marginalised by current and inherited structural challenges, can change the status quo. As a result of quality education, individuals of all abilities can develop the self-awareness, skills and confidence that allow them to contribute to their communities and society positively. Such fully rounded human beings then have a thirst for continuous learning and a drive that propels them towards making the most of employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. However, to facilitate and realise quality education, a much more holistic view of education must become the norm. Issues of poor infrastructure, capacities of educators, parental involvement, transport, access to nutrition, and exposure to life outside and beyond the school community must be pillars on which a strategy is based and a plan implemented. As we slowly emerge from a pandemic that has placed the spotlight squarely on inequities in our education system, we must triple our commitment to protect and fulfil quality education as a central socioeconomic right that provides the foundation for lifelong learning and economic opportunities.”

➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the company website www.afrikatikkun.org For more information: +27 11 325 5914 info@afrikatikkun.org www.afrikatikkun.org

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A DV ER T ORI A L S A ICA

Beneficiaries of Thuthuka’s University of KwaZulu-Natal HDI accreditation programme celebrate their graduation.

INSPIRING SUCCESS AND CHANGING LIVES SAICA launched its first transformation project in the Eastern Cape in 2002 under the banner of Thuthuka. It has since gone national to provide quality educational support for those wanting to enter the accounting profession

his year marks 20 years since the chartered accountancy profession reinvented its earnest efforts to ensure that its membership base was more inclusive and representative of the country’s demographics. In celebration of what South Africa’s then-deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe called “the most successful transformation and skills development programme in South Africa”, we look back at the journey and milestones achieved by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants’ (SAICA) Thuthuka programme.

FOCUS ON TRANSFORMATION BEGINS Although SAICA’s transformation efforts were kicked into gear in the early 2000s when Thuthuka was born, talks about how to reach its transformation efforts began much earlier. This is where our story starts. As Rex Gibson reveals in Figure That!, a book that outlines the rich history of the chartered accountancy profession in South Africa, the profession’s transformation efforts began in the 1980s at a time when the country stood poised on the brink of impending civil war. Leading SAICA at the time was executive director Kenneth Gordon Mockler. It was he who put SAICA’s transformation agenda on the map when he articulated SAICA’s three-part objective to “encourage collegiality; involve all societies in the institute; [and] maintain exceptional standards”. The first and third objectives were relatively easy.

CHANGING LIVES, TRANSFORMING A PROFESSION Twenty years on, over 7 500 African and over 2 000 coloured CAs(SA) are now practising as CAs(SA). But the true impact of the combined efforts of Thuthuka’s transformation initiatives is best represented by looking at how the CAs(SA) under the age of 35 membership base has changed since Thuthuka began. According to SAICA’s latest statistics, of the 16 521 CAs(SA) under the age of 35, 4 393 are African and 1 013 are coloured. This represents 33 per cent of the total membership population under 35.

Opening up the profession to all races, however, was a different story. With the first black CA(SA) Professor Wiseman Nkuhlu only achieving the designation in 1977, SAICA’s track record in this area was virtually nonexistent. The conundrum of how to open up the profession given the deficiencies of the apartheid years’ education system and its long-term effects on South Africa’s skills and employment cannot be underestimated. The state of education in the institutions black people were allowed to attend was vastly inferior to the education on offer to their white counterparts. This discrepancy convinced SAICA of the need to create a solution. Knowing that it takes seven to ten years to produce a fully qualified

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THUTHUKA:

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EVERY CENT COUNTS Thuthuka’s initiatives are dependent on funding. All funding is raised entirely through donations, with only one per cent of SAICA’s annual membership fee being directed to Thuthuka.

University of Zululand students celebrate their graduation, thanks to the Thuthuka HDI accreditation programme.

THE GAINS THE CHARTERED ACCOUNTANCY PROFESSION HAS MADE IN ITS TRANSFORMATION EFFORTS SINCE THE DAY THUTHUKA STARTED SHOULD BE LAUDED. CA(SA) after Grade 12 meant that the solution also had to be long-term, sustainable and high-volume.

THE PROFESSION TAKES THE FIRST STEPS … Having recognised the need to open the doors to more black and female CAs(SA), SAICA established a committee to champion this. Then came the first watershed moment. In 1987, SAICA, together with the then Public Accountants and Auditors Board (now the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors), and the Association for the Advancement of Black Accountants (ABASA), established the Eden Trust to provide bursaries to aspiring black CAs(SA). Thanks to funding, which came from the auditing firms, the Eden Trust helped over 100 black CAs(SA) qualify. Well-meaning as it was, the trust did not, however, solve the basic problem of access to quality education. If it was to achieve its goal of a demographically representative membership base, SAICA would need to tackle both funding constraints and a host of academic and psychosocial barriers that black candidates faced in attempting to enter the profession.

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THE PROFESSION’S TRANSFORMATION CONCERNS ARE COMPOUNDED With the arrival of democracy, there was an ever more pressing need to create an integrated economy capable of supporting not just the priviledged minority, but an entire nation. The problem, however, was that as a result of South Africa’s past, the country not only had a poorly educated majority, but was also facing an acute shortage of scarce-skilled professionals – CAs(SA) included. Faced with the very real threat that the country would not have enough CAs(SA), SAICA decided that it was duty-bound to make a contribution. It was SAICA’s belief – one it still holds today – that you cannot start developing more accountants if you do not have a pipeline.

You have to start at school level; you have to make youngsters aware of the profession and make it attractive to them. Then, after they decide on the profession, you need to help them enter it. So, under the watchful eye and intense involvement of Sizwe Nxasana, Chantyl Mulder (SAICA’s director of transformation at the time), and then-CEO of SAICA Ignatius Sehoole, all CAs(SA), SAICA launched its transformation efforts.

ENTER THUTHUKA Under the banner of Thuthuka, a Zulu word meaning “to develop”, SAICA launched its first project in the Eastern Cape in 2002 where it ran numeracy and literacy programmes for Grade 11 and 12 educators and learners, and engaged in capacity-building at the University of Fort Hare. Today, that single project has grown into a national one that includes various interventions across the education value chain to provide educational support to African and coloured learners and students for the benefit of the profession and the nation. Having started to address the challenge of access to quality education, SAICA now turned its efforts to finding ways to fund more aspiring black CAs(SA). After all, while white people made up only 10 per cent of the population by 2002, SAICA’s CAs(SA) membership base remained skewed at 92 per cent white, 5 per cent Indian, 2 percent African and 1 per cent coloured. So, in 2005, SAICA went one step further. It dissolved the Eden Trust and reinvented it to include a comprehensive wraparound support programme to support students’ psychosocial, additional academic and life-skills needs, then relaunched it as the now world-renowned Thuthuka Bursary. The gains the chartered accountancy profession has made in its transformation efforts since the day Thuthuka started should be lauded. These successes, among a myriad others, include:

• Thuthuka is responsible for the creation of more than 1 500 African and coloured CAs(SA) with a further 2 000 or so aspiring CAs(SA) currently in the qualification pipeline. • The World Bank recognises SAICA and Thuthuka for its transformation efforts. In its 2014 report on South Africa’s regulatory system, the World Bank commended Thuthuka as a “world-first” and lauded SAICA for having “taken decisive steps to transform the profession”. • The Department of Higher Education modelled its Ministerial Task Team missing middle solution on Thuthuka’s highly effective bursary. Today that project, the Ikusasa Student Financial Aid Programme (ISFAP), has enabled over 1 800 students to complete a tertiary degree in one of the 11 Occupations of High Demand, including chartered accountancy. • With the help of Thuthuka, all six of South Africa’s Historically Disadvantaged Institutions (HDIs) have achieved SAICA accreditation for their undergraduate BCom CA-stream degrees. This means prospective CAs(SA) no longer have to move to other provinces to pursue a degree in chartered accountancy. Further efforts are in place to accredit the postgraduate degree of these HDIs through a combined accreditation project.

➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the company website www.saica.org.za

If you would like to get involved in funding Thuthuka, visit SAICA’s website. 011 621 6612 gugum@saica.co.za www.saica.org.za

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The Community Schemes Ombud Service (CSOS) appeals to all unregistered community schemes to register and abide by the law with immediate effect. In terms of the CSOS Act, read with Regulation 18(2)(a)(v) of the CSOS Regulations, all community schemes must be registered with the CSOS within 30 days after the incorporation of the community scheme or within 30 days of the coming into effect of the CSOS Regulations on 7 October 2016.

All scheme executives, including but not limited to the board of trustees, directors and management associations, have a duty to register their schemes with the CSOS as failing to do so is a serious breach of the law with serious legal consequences. Equally, it is an offence punishable by law to collect the CSOS levy from your scheme members and not pay it over to the CSOS.

Head Office: Berkley Office Park, 8 Bauhinia St, Highveld Techno Park, Centurion, 0169

Registration is free For more information: www.csos.org.za 0800 000 653

AC T I V ISM

THE ISSUES THAT STILL PLAGUE US

CARYN GOOTKIN looks at some of South Africa’s most pressing human rights issues and speaks to the people and organisations working to ensure these rights are enjoyed by all

HUNGER: Organisation: Ladles of Love Access to food is a basic human right afforded every South African in terms of our Constitution. “Every person on this planet has the right to access food – it is a basic human right,” says Danny Diliberto, founder and CEO of Ladles of Love. “In South Africa, millions of people live below the poverty line with little or no access to food. In my opinion, this is a result of apartheid, corruption Danny Diliberto and continued bad governance, all of which is exacerbated by a poor economy, drug and alcohol abuse, family and gender-based violence, and a host of other socioeconomic factors. We are committed to getting healthy food to as many hungry people as possible.” Ladles of Love’s beneficiaries include the homeless community in and around the Cape Town CBD, Early Childhood Development centres and soup kitchens in communities in need. “We do this by providing weekly bulk supplies to 126 beneficiary organisations around the Cape Peninsula to whom we distribute an average of 30 tonnes of food supplies weekly,” says Diliberto. “On World Food Day, 16 October 2021, Ladles of Love launched its sustainability programme – Feed The Soil, which aims to develop urban farming in South Africa by helping farmers grow better produce. The idea is simple: each of us can create healthy compost from our organic waste.

Literacy is vital for future success.

LITERACY Organisation: Nal’ibali The right to basic education is enshrined in our Constitution – and literacy is the cornerstone of basic education. “Quite simply, if someone cannot read, they cannot thrive and will face a lifetime of closed doors,” says Katie Huston, acting director of Nal’ibali, a national reading-for-enjoyment campaign to spark children’s potential through storytelling and reading. “Literacy means opportunity. Kids who learn to read well achieve in school and are

“Using our Feed The Soil Organic Waste Tool Kit you can pay your healthy compost forward by bringing it to one of our drop-off stations, and then buy the fresh produce (on sale at the drop-off station) grown from it, forming part of a sustainable circular ecosystem.”

BECOME A VOLUNTEER

Ladles of Love feeds communities in need.

“Every person on this planet has the right to access food – it is a basic human right.” – Danny Diliberto

able to absorb new knowledge and skills in all subjects. They’re more likely to go on to higher education, can confidently seek jobs, and are much more likely to be employed.” Nal’ibali’s guiding principle is that reading can and should be a source of pleasure, relaxation and enjoyment that anyone should be able to enjoy – it should not be limited to the wealthy and highly educated. “The apartheid-era education system was designed to systematically disenfranchise black South Africans by denying them a basic education,” says Huston. “Nal’ibali builds reading habits in homes and communities. Children who are read to and hear stories regularly from a young age, in languages they speak and understand, develop the cognitive and socioemotional skills that set them up for success in school and beyond.” Since 2012, Nal’ibali has distributed more than 116 million bilingual stories and tens of

thousands of books. “We increase access to free reading materials in all 11 South African languages, have a free online library with more than 1 500 stories, and air stories on SABC radio stations in all 11 official languages,” says Huston. “Nal’ibali also trains parents, teachers, and unemployed young people to read aloud, tell stories to children, and run community reading clubs where children can go to hear stories, read books and do fun, exciting activities to develop their literacy skills.” GET INVOLVED

“Literacy means opportunity. Kids who learn to read well achieve in school and are able to absorb new knowledge and skills in all subjects.” – Katie Huston Katie Huston

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AC T I V ISM Organisation: The Justice Desk Gender-based violence (GBV), particularly violence against women, violates the fundamental rights and freedoms afforded to all people. “In South Africa, we cannot deny the deep-rooted systems of oppression that still exist in our country,” says Malcom Gertse, co-ordinator and training manager of The Justice Desk’s Mbokodo Club. “Women are at a greater risk of human rights violations as well as the desensitisation that results in the gross acceptance of those violations. Heartbreakingly, a 14-year-old girl from Nyanga summed it up by saying, ‘rape, it is like clockwork, it’s just a matter of time before it happens’. The Justice Desk (TJD) wants to change that narrative and ensure that women and girl-children have access to their rights and freedoms.” The Justice Desk’s Mbokodo Club is a project for girl survivors of rape and GBV from vulnerable communities. “The project focuses on addressing GBV and

the need for young girls and women to feel empowered to lead their own change, and not be held back by society and the violence perpetuated against them,” says Gertse. “Through leadership and empowerment workshops, mental health care and support, physical fitness and self-defence sessions, TJD is equipping a generation of young girls with the tools needed to access and realise their human rights. We teach them that GBV is not okay and that it was never their fault. Overall, our project provides girls from underserved communities with counselling and immediate social service assistance.” Azile (not her real name), who grew up in the impoverished township of Nyanga, was attacked and raped when she was six years old. “After her attack, she spiralled through depression and self-hatred, trying on multiple occasions to take her own life,” says Gertse. Malcom Gertse

“In South Africa, we cannot deny the deep-rooted systems of oppression that still exist in our country.” – Malcom Gertse

this problem is that for decades housing policy has been about numbers of houses and not about people.” Since 1994, the state has built more than three million houses, although the numbers have dropped dramatically over the past decade. “More than ever before, the rate of delivery is outstripped by the pace of urban in-migration and new household formation,” says Bolnick. “There is an estimated housing backlog of HOUSING: over 2.2 million units. And, the pre-occupation Organisation: Ikhayalami with delivery targets has resulted in shoddy Development Services construction, urban sprawl, and the perpetuation of apartheid’s racialised urban plan. Very few countries have entrenched the right “There is a saying that neatly captures the to adequate housing in their constitutions. “It is disparity between a constitutional right and the good to remember that South Africa is one of reality on the ground: you can write the word the exceptions, especially in the current political ‘sugar’ on the palm of your hand, but if you lick it, climate where even a former minister of human it will not taste sweet.” settlements chooses to broadside the founding Through tried and tested mechanisms of document of our democracy,” says Andy community empowerment and a delivery Bolnick, managing director of Ikhayalami process based on the incremental upgrading of Development Services. existing informal structures, iKhayalami “Even those who support has made a small yet significant the Constitution unequivocally contribution to demonstrating how this would concur that the delivery of contradiction might be addressed. “Over adequate housing has fallen short the past decade-and-a-half, iKhayalami of the intentions of its drafters. The has upgraded several thousand shelters fault lies not with the Constitution, in Khayelitsha alone,” says Bolnick. but with a delivery mechanism and “We work with shack dwellers at policy environment that is woefully Andy Bolnick every level of the informal settlement out of step with reality. The root of Ikhayalami works in townships to upgrade homes and shelters.

“There is an estimated housing backlog of over 2.2 million units. And, the pre-occupation with delivery targets has resulted in shoddy construction, urban sprawl, and the perpetuation of apartheid’s racialised urban plan.” – Andy Bolnick 16

“When she joined TJD’s Mbokodo Club project, she became part of a network of girl survivors taking a stand against GBV and was able to access trauma counselling, mental health care, and self-defence and fitness sessions. She also attended empowerment workshops to equip her to become an incredible leader and activist in her community. She now supports other girl FIGHTING survivors to go from GENDER-BASED ‘victim to victors’, a VIOLENCE phrase coined by Azile.”

upgrading continuum: responding to shack fires, reconfiguring settlement layouts that eliminate the need for relocations, building fire- and flood-resistant shelters, and gradually upgrading them into formal homes. iKhayalami does all of this with the communities, IKHAYALAMI not for them. This is the key DEVELOPMENT to bridging the gap between SERVICES PROJECTS our Constitution and the reality on the ground. It provides a roadmap to scaling up the provision of the human right to adequate shelter.”

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS The Bill of Rights guarantees our basic human rights – but rights are worthless if we don’t know we have them. The Justice Desk, a human rights nonprofit organisation with the tagline ‘empowering everyday people to understand and defend their human rights’, was established in 2013 with the main goal of ‘Promoting the Power of Everyday Activism’. It conducts human rights specific training at schools, colleges, nonprofit organisations, community-based organisations, and in communities, and produces educational materials that enable ordinary people to become everyday activists. Source: The Justice Desk communications team

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PRO BONO & HUMAN RIGHTS

DEDICATED TO MAKING AN IMPACT Whilst it’s always rewarding to receive recognition, the greatest reward is knowing we are making a difference in the lives of many. CDH Pro Bono & Human Rights Practice, ProBono.Org Awards 2021 winner of the highest number of pro bono hours in 2020, the Large Firm award for 2020 and a Special Mention for the many years of work on the Jose Brothers case. From powerful partnerships come powerful results.

The legal partner for your business. cliffedekkerhofmeyr.com

A DV ER T ORI A L CL IF F E DEK K ER HOF ME Y R

DEDICATED TO MAKING AN IMPACT As one of South Africa’s leading law firms, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr (CDH) is cognisant that its success goes hand in hand with a responsibility to our people, our communities, and our nation

e are acutely aware that if the rights in the Bill of Rights are to become a lived reality for ordinary people, lawyers need to play their role in enabling their implementation. We have a heightened role, if not a constitutional obligation, to assist vulnerable and disadvantaged communities and individuals unable to afford legal representation to enforce their rights in appropriate circumstances. Our small but dedicated Pro Bono & Human Rights Practice with offices in both Johannesburg and Cape Town – runs matters that cut across several areas of law and public interest, with the potential to impact many

individuals and communities by upholding, developing, and protecting their basic human rights. In this article, we highlight just four of the many such matters run by our Practice.

EDUCATION In a recent victory for South Africa’s education system, the Johannesburg-based Practice succeeded in vindicating the right to access education in a safe environment. We represented a family in its claim for civil damages against a secondary school, the Gauteng Department of Education and the Minister of Basic Education (collectively, “the responsible parties”) following their 17-year-old

daughter’s untimely death in January 2017 when she was tragically electrocuted at the school. An investigative report revealed that the responsible parties were aware of the problems with the electrical connection in the relevant mobile classroom at the time, which did not comply with legislative safety requirements, and thus failed to ensure a safe learning and teaching environment in accordance with their constitutional, legislative, and common law duties. The untimely death of this learner was a tragic consequence of a lack of accountability of public officials in Gauteng’s basic education system. We launched an application seeking

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CL IF F E DEK K ER HOF ME Y R A DV ER T ORI A L

a structural order requiring the responsible parties to not only take all necessary steps to comply with the recommendations of the independent investigation, but also ensure accountability, and to report within 15 days of the court order on the steps they have taken in this regard. Section27, who joined the proceedings as amicus curiae, affirmed that there is a historical legacy of unsafe infrastructure and inadequate security in Gauteng schools. Recently, we succeeded in obtaining the order sought on an unopposed basis and will vigilantly ensure it is enforced. The outcome of these proceedings will, we hope, impact the broader South African community at large, particularly other young learners.

HEALTHCARE Another of the Johannesburg Practice’s impact matters considers rights in the context of healthcare. On 18 October 2019, a toddler tragically died from accidentally ingesting rat poison. Although his parents rushed him to the nearest clinic for urgent medical assistance, which should have been readily available, they failed to receive timely assistance at the clinic and were thereafter unlawfully denied emergency medical treatment at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital. The failure to grant access to emergency medical care to this small child is not an anomaly. Access to healthcare for migrant workers and undocumented people remains a challenge faced by many. We recently launched a damages claim on behalf of the family as a consequence of the harm suffered through the death of their child. We are preparing systemic legal intervention in partnership with public interest organisations to address the various policies and practices that unlawfully limit or deprive migrant workers and undocumented people access to healthcare, contrary not only to the National Health Care Act, but also the right to healthcare under the Constitution.

WOMEN’S RIGHTS The Cape Town-based Practice represents two sisters who endured sexual grooming and abuse from their stepmother’s two brothers from 1974 to 1980. The sisters were minors when the incidents occurred. The consequences of sexual abuse were recognised by the Constitutional Court in 2018 when it extinguished prescription applicable to the laying of criminal charges in respect of sexual offences. In addressing the lived realities of not only the sisters, but also further women and girls who have endured sexual abuse, we instituted a claim for damages on their behalf against the brothers and raised a constitutional challenge to the validity of section 12(4) of the Prescription

ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE FOR MIGRANT WORKERS AND UNDOCUMENTED PEOPLE REMAINS A CHALLENGE FACED BY MANY. Act, which we argue places an unfair evidentiary burden on sexual abuse victims to prove that the impact of the sexual abuse on their mental or psychological condition was such that it precluded them from instituting proceedings sooner. This burden not only perpetuates the secondary victimisation of sexual abuse victims, but it is also an affront to numerous constitutional rights and values, inter alia, the right to dignity, access to courts and the right to privacy. If the sisters’ challenge is successful, section 12(4) of the Act will be declared constitutionally invalid and be substituted with wording that does away with prescription entirely for civil damages claims arising from sexual offences. The proceedings aim to take us a step towards substantive equality through the appropriate recognition of all relevant circumstances, including the gravity and impact of the harm on sexual abuse survivors.

COMMUNAL LAND RIGHTS The Cape Town Practice represents the Elim community in legal proceedings instituted by the Moravian Church of Elim South Africa (MCSA) concerning the rights of ownership in the land on which the community lives in the small village of Elim on the Agulhas Plain in the Western Cape. The MCSA seeks, among others, a declaration that it is the true owner of the land comprising Elim. The Elim community strongly opposes this application and has launched a counter application submitting not only that it is the true owner of the land – given that at the time of MCSA’s establishment on the land, black and coloured people were prohibited from owning land – but also that the issue of ownership is appropriately determined through the presentation of factual and expert evidence at a trial. We, on the Elim community’s

behalf, recently successfully obtained an order of court staying the MCSA’s application pending the outcome of the action proceedings to be launched by the community. The action proceedings will allow the community to place this vital evidence before the court to fully ventilate the customary and historical practices in Elim, all with a view to asserting their historic land rights. This Elim matter illustrates the crucial role lawyers play in using strategic impact litigation to develop the common law ownership of customary rights to land. This development of the common law further promotes the constitutional imperative for equitable access to land and land ownership of not only the Elim community, but also mission stations and other communities in similar circumstances.

UPHOLDING BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS We are honoured to play our part in upholding the basic human rights of all of the above clients and communities, and many others. The spotlight on human rights during Human Rights Month each year reminds us of the importance of long-term dedication to their protection if we as lawyers and citizens are to play our part in both promoting and upholding our constitutional democracy.

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For more information: +27 (0)11 562 1000 www.cliffedekkerhofmeyr.com

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A DV ER T ORI A L SERI T I

COMPREHENsIVE SUPPORT FOR CAREGIVERS Through its Caregiver Networker programme, aRe Bapaleng is helping to deepen the quality of ECD support in vulnerable communities

THE CAREGIVER NETWORKER To narrow this gap and ensure greater sustainability, reach and impact over time, Seriti Institute has established an additional facet to the aRe Bapaleng programme called the Caregiver Network. aRe Bapaleng beneficiaries receive comprehensive training and mentorship programmes, which enable them to be fully fledged members of and ambassadors for the Caregiver Network. They can then run their own ALWs within their communities, ensuring an expansion of ECD support to other parents and caregivers. This element of the training programme works in synergy with another Seriti Institute programme, Seriti PARTNER, which supports enterprise development through mentorship and business management training for civil society organisations. Seriti PARTNER and aRe Bapaleng work closely with other key stakeholders to deliver a comprehensive support package to parents and caregivers in vulnerable communities. The programme currently operates in three provinces, however, the goal is to expand this into a national support programme.

ABOUT SERITI PARTNER

BETTER OPPORTUNITIES, GREATER CAPACITY Caregiver Networkers who want to become professional Early Childhood Development Practitioners (ECDPs) may have an opportunity to do so through the Education, Training, Development and Practices Sector Education and Training Authority (ETDP SETA). This involves an 18-month practical experience and an NQF Level 4&5 ECD course. The Caregiver Networker will become a professional ECDP who is able to provide high-quality ECD services, and can further their studies in the education sector.

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ABOUT aRe Bapaleng

ABOUT SERITI INSTITITUTE

To find out more about Seriti or support our aRe Bapaleng programme, contact us on: 011 262 7700 info@seriti.org.za www.seriti.org.za Seriti Institute - NPC @SeritiInstitute @Seriti Institute

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he sotho phrase for ‘let’s play’ is aRe Bapaleng. A child’s critical thinking is stimulated through play and their ability to collaborate is encouraged, and play allows them to be creative. These are the key messages that the aRe Bapaleng programme communicates to parents and caregivers of children aged 0–8 years in underserviced communities. Parents and caregivers play a vital role in supporting the holistic development of children in their care. Since this programme’s inception in 2020, over 1 000 parents and caregivers in 30 different communities have, through our interactive, hands-on, fun aRe Bapaleng Active Learning Workshops (ALW), received content, skills and resources to ensure their active participation in their children’s development. Parents and caregivers in underserviced communities are at a disadvantage because there is a general lack of Early Childhood Development (ECD) awareness, insufficient capacity development programmes for day mothers and ECD practitioners, and inadequate access to ECD learning centres for children. In most cases, due to high unemployment rates, it is financially impossible for parents and caregivers to take their children to ECD centres. And, access to these centres is often a challenge as they are not optimally located. Children who have not been exposed to ECD programmes enter primary school academically unprepared and lag behind. This negatively impacts a child’s ability to listen, participate in group tasks, work independently and follow instructions. Their ability to express their ideas, make friends, share, co-operate, gain confidence and become accountable for their actions is also affected.

In this way, vulnerable communities across South Africa have a stronger, in-community hub of higher quality ECD capacity. This increases inclusion in the communal ECD ecosystem. Through the Caregiver Networker programme, more beneficiaries will be reached in a shorter period, the quality of ECD support in vulnerable communities will be deepened, the real demand for more qualified caregivers will be met and this will increase the caregiver’s employability prospects. All these elements will enable Seriti Institute and its partners to realise a collective goal: to maximise social impact by reaching many more caregivers in a way that improves children’s wellbeing. This is social innovation at work!

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EDUCAT ION

EARLY FOUNDATIONS ANÉL LEWIS reports on how investment into early childhood development offers high returns for all involved

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ost of the cognitive development a child needs to become an adult who can contribute meaningfully to the economy occurs during the first five years. Yet, in South Africa, the Read Educational Trust estimates that fewer than 20 per cent of children in this age group have access to formal preschool education. Education and socioeconomic development (SED) consultant Thandile Ntshwanti explains that children are creative by nature and find ways to play even if they’re living in communities where resources are scarce. “But Paul Miller just because children can make a plan is no justification for us not investing in meaningful resources for early childhood development (ECD) centres,” she explains. “We reportedly develop 85 per cent of our brains by the time we turn five, with the brain developing at its fastest from birth to two. This tells me how critical it is to expose children to what they need to stimulate that level of growth.” Yet StatsSA says that close to 3.4 million South African children under the age of six have no access to any form of ECD programmes, and many who do, attend unregistered centres with poor resources and facilities. “The chasm between the vulnerable versus the affluent in our country will be exacerbated if (these) key factors aren’t addressed by government, the private sector, education institutions and society,” says Silas Pillay, director of academics at The Love Trust. Pillay adds that students with preschool experience in most cases demonstrate higher scores on literacy, vocabulary, mathematics or quantitative.

THE BOTTOM LINE Paul Miller, CEO of Cipla South Africa, says that an emphasis on

Thandile Ntshwanti

children from a young age can lead to years of opportunity and growth for the economy as well. Research by Professor James Heckmann, an American expert in the economics of human development, suggests that compared with spending on primary or secondary education, ECD investment in disadvantaged communities offers the highest return for a country – estimated at 10 per cent annually – through better outcomes in education, health, sociability, economic productivity and reduced crime. This is supported by a discussion document on early childhood development in South Africa by nonprofit organisations Ilifa Labantwana and Kago Ya Bana, where it’s noted that for every rand invested in quality ECD, the economy gets at least R10 back.

FAST FACT

More than 1.1 million children between the ages of three and five do not attend any form of ECD programme. Source: South African Early Childhood Development Review (2019)

DID YOU KNOW?

At least two-thirds of ECD programmes in South Africa are not registered Source: SmartStart

of spaces that support our children are not registered the way we want them to be. This is where we often find shortcomings, and is where we need support from the corporate sector,” says Ntshwanti.

PROVIDING THE TOOLS

Public-private interventions provide finance and infrastructure so that these facilities can be run as sustainable businesses that contribute to the development of children, says IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY Miller. The Cipla Foundation ECD also helps create helps ECDs to become productive citizens, says Taylor sustainable by providing centres Kwong, CSI and marketing in underdeveloped communities manager for Vuma. “Laying with infrastructure and teacher this groundwork improves support. “These are not just children’s ability to enter school simply spaces where children ready to learn, stay in school are kept for the day, they also longer, reduce grade repetition offer the mental stimulation, daily and empower them to achieve Taylor Kwong nutrition, responsive care, safety education levels that set them and the security children need to up for success.” Vuma is the thrive in the first 1 000 days of their lives.” connectivity partner and sponsor for L.U.C.C.A. School, a special needs school for children with multiple disabilities. “Intervention at primary THE SHIFT TO ECD SUPPORT school level is usually too late; this could be one “With a network of organisations committed to of the leading factors for the country’s high holistic education and care of preprimary children drop-out levels,” says Miller. – including nutrition, psychosocial and remedial support – we believe we can reduce poverty and social inequality,” says Pillay. Ntshwanti says FORMALISING EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING corporate South Africa has become While corporates are keen to support registered more cognisant of the value or formal early childhood development of ECD, broadening its programmes, the real need lies in communities support beyond Grade where ECD opportunities are almost 12, maths and science. nonexistent, or where creches and playgroups “Ultimately, we will are run by people not versed in early childhood have a country that is education, says Ntshwanti. “The majority self-sustaining because we are pulling from all angles – government, universities, NGOS and corporates.”

“WE REPORTEDLY DEVELOP 85 PER CENT OF OUR BRAINS BY THE TIME WE TURN FIVE, WITH THE BRAIN DEVELOPING AT ITS FASTEST FROM BIRTH TO TWO.” – Thandile Ntshwanti

Silas Pillay

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A DV ER T ORI A L CUMMINS

HUMAN RIGHTS

IS A MORAL IMPERATIVE Human rights, and especially social justice, are fundamental to Cummins Inc. the world’s largest independent diesel and natural gas engine maker. THIERRY PIMI, VICE PRESIDENT and MANAGING DIRECTOR, and SBU GULE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR and ASSISTANT GENERAL COUNSEL, Cummins Africa Middle East, share what, in many ways, makes Cummins stand out in the field when it comes to human rights issues

Thierry Pimi

“Also, two of our five core values speak to this social justice: they are the values of caring, and of diversity and inclusion.”

COMMITTED TO THE upliftment of the disadvantaged Sbu Gule adds that part of his responsibility in the company is corporate social responsibility and there are many things that the company is doing to help advance underprivileged communities. For instance, we empower women and intentionally employ female talent, but we also focus on education. As we speak, I am in KwaZulu-Natal where I am visiting Ohlange High School, which happens to be my alma

“WE HAVE A PROGRAMME FOR DISABLED PEOPLE BECAUSE OF OUR CORE VALUE OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION. WE BELIEVE THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE A PHYSICAL DISABILITY, IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU SHOULD BE ON THE SIDELINES OF SOCIETY.” – THIERRY PIMI 22

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ften in the past, Cummins has forgone business opportunities in certain countries if those were not aligned to the company’s values. “During the days of apartheid, South Africa was one of the most advanced economies in the world, but our company chose to exit this market in protest against the brutal regime and practice of apartheid. We only came back to South Africa in the late 1990s, when the country had achieved freedom. And, then we started ramping up investment in the country,” says Thierry Pimi. “Today, we have no less than 700 employees in South Africa, which is our African head office and our gateway to the rest of the continent.” The company has nearly 60 000 employees throughout the world, but adds that “In our own home in America, in the 50s and the 60s, when Black were not considered full citizens and did not have voting rights, Cummins in the Midwest had already developed management training programmes to integrate Black graduates and prepare them for leadership roles in the company. “One of our legendary CEOs helped to raise funds, through the network of churches that he belonged to, for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who organised the 1963 March on Washington. “More recently, after the George Floyd killing in America in 2020, our current leadership created what we call the CARE Programme, Cummins Advocacy for Racial Equity. We are investing to advocate for legislation and for communities across America to have more equitable justice, and for less police violence against Black people.

mater, and was the first school founded by a Black person in South Africa in 1901. That person was John L Dube, the first president of the ANC. We are assessing how we can improve the conditions for learners because the school has many disadvantaged learners.” Pimi adds that education is important, not only for leading people out of poverty, but “we also believe that there is a vast need in a lot of communities across Africa, especially the disadvantaged communities where we could do better. “About three years ago, we launched our Technical Education for Communities (TEC) programme in South Africa. This is a programme that Cummins runs in partnership with Komatsu, a company we do business with in South Africa. We jointly fund the programme, we design the curriculum in partnership with one of the vocational colleges, and we make sure that when the students graduate, they are ready for the job market. “We designed a curriculum that equips them over the three-to-four-year programme with market-ready skills, and we provide funding for this,” explains Pimi. “We also have an apprentice programme that consists of four years of intensive in-house training. We select candidates for this programme from the students who graduate from the existing colleges. These students graduate as Cummins certified technicians.

Sbu Gule

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CUMMINS A DV ER T ORI A L

THE ENVIRONMENT IS ONE OF THE THREE CORE PILLARS OF CUMMINS’ CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY STRATEGY. THESE PILLARS ARE EDUCATION, ENVIRONMENT AND EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY.

CUMMINS MISSION, VISION AND VALUES Why We Exist: Our Mission Making people’s lives better by powering a more prosperous world. What We Want To Accomplish: Our Vision Innovating for our customers to power their success. How We Will Do It: Our Values INTEGRITY: Doing what you say you will do and doing what is right. DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION: Valuing and including our differences in decision-making is our competitive advantage. CARING: Demonstrating awareness and consideration for the wellbeing of others. EXCELLENCE: Always delivering superior results. TEAMWORK: Collaborating across teams, functions, businesses and borders to deliver the best work.

“Finally, we have a programme for physically challenged individuals because of our core value of diversity and inclusion. We believe that your physical disability should not keep you on the sidelines of society. We hire people with disabilities and create programmes to help them. We create roles that help give them the dignity of working and providing for their families.”

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TOP-DOWN LEADERSHIP CULTURE Gule adds that, internally, Cummins has several programmes, including ones in leadership. “We have had programmes in building success and global leadership, which are meant to help our people get training in several facets of leadership so that they can be ready to move on to another level. We take the training of our people very seriously.” Pimi believes that inculcating a culture of respect and equality starts with leadership. “Leadership is a privilege and comes with responsibility. It is incumbent upon the leader

to live up to the values of Cummins and create an environment that enables everyone to reach their full potential. “This includes things like living our core values of teamwork, innovation and dependability. We are always at the forefront of driving new products while making sure that the customer can rely on our products. We encourage people to be innovative. We believe the best solutions come from listening to diverse points of view and this goes beyond just physical diversity. We also include other aspects of diversity, such as sexual orientation and religious beliefs. In a nutshell, it is all embedded in our leadership culture, and we drive this from the top down. Our leaders are accountable for driving this culture.”

as one of the leading manufacturers of diesel and natural gas products, we also want to be the world’s leading company in decarbonisation. “In our Destination Zero strategy, we are developing a whole host of products, ranging from hybrid electric platform battery solutions to hydrogen technologies for mobility application and power generation, so we are investing in a full suite of products that are zero-emissions or near zero-emissions for the future. “We are also investing in volunteerism and partnership to encourage our community to save the environment and reduce the footprint of internal combustion engines on the environment. We have launched Cummins Water Works, which is a global strategic programme to strengthen the community through sustainable water and addressing the global water crisis.” Gule adds that the environment is one of the three pillars of Cummins’ corporate responsibilities strategy, which also includes education and equality of opportunities.

COMMITTED TO TRANSFORMATION Pimi believes that human rights should be deeply rooted in the company’s values. “We are more than 100 years old and committed to the transformation of society, and we work with many partners on this.” Gule adds that, if there are companies that do not subscribe to human rights, then Cummins will not be prepared to do business with them. “It is important that we start somewhere. With regards to transformation and human rights, we see that it can have economic benefits, but that is not the main reason we support it. We support it because we have a caring culture, it is part of our values, and it is something that is a moral imperative.”

ENVIRONMENTAL FOCUS Pimi says that the company believes in respecting the environment. “We have a Destination Zero strategy, which means that,

“We support (transformation and human rights) because we have a caring culture, it is part of our values, and it is a moral imperative.” – SBU GULE

➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the company website www.cummins.com For more information: www.cummins.com

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A DV ER T ORI A L S OUL CI T Y INS T I T U T E F OR S OCI A L JUS T ICE

BREAK THE BIAS, DISMANTLE PATRIARCHY We must fight for a world free from discrimination, male domination, violence and intolerance, writes PHINAH KODISANG, CEO, Soul City Institute for Social Justice

CONFRONT BIAS, COMBAT DISCRIMINATION, CELEBRATE DIFFERENCE This year’s International Women’s Day (8 March) theme challenges everyone to confront bias. It forces us to explore the world from bell hook’s perspective of recreating a world free of stereotypes and discrimination where we value and celebrate difference and diversity; a world that is equitable and inclusive; a world where we can all be who we are; a world of peace and possibility where we end racism, class elitism, imperialism; and a world where females and males can create a community of fully selfactualised females and males, realising our dreams of freedom and justice and living the truth that we are all “created equal.” March is also human rights month where South Africans are encouraged to foster greater social cohesion, nation-building and a shared

HELPING YOUNG WOMXN TO DEVELOP BEYOND THE BIAS

Phinah Kodisang

national identity, combating scourges such as racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and all related intolerances, as well as gender-based violence and femicide, which are undermining our human rights culture. Like bell hooks, the Soul City Institute for Social Justice (SCI) believes in the recreation of a world that is inclusive and nonsexist. The SCI recognises that the realities and experiences of young women in all their diversities are shaped by patriarchy, the system of male authority that legitimises the power and oppression of women through political, social, cultural and religious institutions, manifesting in cross-cutting oppression, including gender, race and class. SCI subscribes to an approach that is bold and able to shake things up to break the bias, thus, our call to action is to dismantle patriarchy. The notion of “equally created” that bell hooks refers to is one challenged by patriarchy

THE SOUL CITY INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE BELIEVES IN THE RECREATION OF A WORLD THAT IS INCLUSIVE AND NONSEXIST. 24

As a self-identifying intersectional feminist organisation, SCI seeks to work with young womxn from a foundation of recognising the diversity of this group and the intersectionality, which defines their lives. Our primary focus is to work with young womxn and girls (ages 10–35 years) to develop and grow as feminist activists and leaders committed to strengthening movements and advancing the broader agenda for the rights and wellbeing of young womxn. We work with men and boys as a secondary focus to promote gender equality and the development of feminist allies. We believe that a world free of domination, where females and males and gender-nonconforming persons are not alike or even always equal, but where a vision of mutuality shapes our interactions, is possible, and we call on everyone to support our call to remove bias and dismantle patriarchy. Throughout the month, we will host webinars looking at tools and strategies that can be employed to achieve this.

➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the company website www.soulcity.org.za

For more information: +27 (11) 771 7911 | +27 (84) 6292316 daisy@soulcity.org.za www.soulcity.org.za

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ystemic patriarchy has created a world where there is an interplay between poverty, patriarchy, racism and hetero normativity, resulting in black women and LGBTIQA+ people living in poverty and being most at risk for gender-based violence (GBV) and other inhuman and violent crimes. Severe inequality in access to basic services across different demographic segments of the population (with women bearing the brunt of poor or nonexistent services); GBV; inequitable access to healthcare; and poor health outcomes, including in relation to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), continue to define the lives of black women in South Africa. We have observed recently on social media some of the more subtle social symptoms of patriarchy where sex is referred to in terms such as, “hit it,” kill it,” “smash it,” denoting inflicting physical injury on women in the name of sexual pleasure. Patriarchy teaches men and women to think that the metaphoric destruction of the female body is the goal of good sex.

and upheld through culture and religion, perpetuating and entrenching unequal power relations, which results in domination, oppression, and discrimination based on gender. It is only by challenging these systems of oppression and exploitation that we can begin to remove bias and allow young women and girls and gender-nonconforming persons to enjoy their rights to dignity and wellbeing.

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EN V IRONMEN T

CLIMATE ADAPTATION REQUIRES

PEOPLE TO PULL TOGETHER

he struggle to address human rights, socioeconomic, climate and environmental justice should, can and must be seen as two sides of the same coin. A sentiment voiced by Kumi Naidoo, founding chair at Africans Rising for Justice, Peace and Dignity and former secretary general of Amnesty International and executive director of Greenpeace International. “For me, one of the historical failings of the environmental movement was not ensuring that there was a human-centric approach to environmental activism.” Activism is essentially an expression by people saying they refuse to accept that the status of the world or their own circumstances are the best that humanity can offer. “It’s an act of refusal to accept that they have to settle for the level of injustice and inefficiency they experience every day,” says Naidoo. “It’s also a declaration of love for humanity, sustainability and wanting to improve the world we live in, which can be expressed on many levels.” He says that on a macro level, activism is activity that changes governance, like the overthrow of apartheid or the democratisation of the World Bank. On a mid level, it involves trying to influence policy, like one that would encourage people to treat water as a precious resource or to use energy-efficient light bulbs. On a micro level, it involves the provision of direct services to people in need.

“One of the historical failings of the environmental movement was not ensuring that there was a human-centric approach to environmental activism.” – Kumi Naidoo

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NOT SERVING THE PEOPLE Naidoo’s opinion that current human rights systems are not delivering the level of rights people should be receiving is easy to agree with, in the face of continuing global levels of poverty and inequality. “Look at the Vrede Dairy Project corruption – the money stolen there could have electrified every village in the Free State through mini solar grids and taken all of those people out of energy poverty,” he says.

Human Rights activist Kumi Naidoo believes creative participation is the best way to drive vital environmental change to secure the future of humanity. By TREVOR CRIGHTON

Kumi Naidoo

“That’s a denial of rights on a constitutional level. The fact that government hasn’t got its act together is a reflection of a lack of vision and an over-reliance on massive infrastructure projects that are ripe for corruption and never end up serving the poorest of the poor.”

TAKE BACK THE POWER Naidoo believes that our pathways to climate justice are made clearer when we understand that we have power in realising our influence in four spheres: harnessing our autonomy,

our wealth, our creative participation and our consumption. “Individual citizens can make a difference by the choices they make – but those things don’t affect the systemic changes we need. They’re symbolic contributions – it’s important to know that recycling is a good place to start, but it’s not the place to end,” he says. “We must certainly celebrate people acting in more environmentally conscious ways, but also build movements from there that deliver action that can result in actual systemic change.” In building movements, Naidoo says there are a plethora of different avenues down which people can direct their energy – and that joining conventional organisations fighting for rights in the environmental space is not always the most effective method. “Beyond the big organisations, we need to make sure that sports organisations, youth organisations, women, faith-based and religious organisations are all taking this on as a challenge,” he says. “The scale of the task, which is to prevent irreversible, catastrophic, runaway climate change that has us on the road to extinction, requires us to make many big changes in how the world is run. And, to change everything, you need everyone involved.” It’s this creative participation – driving a movement to make changes that will affect climate policy by making it simpler for people to understand and get involved – that Naidoo says is the biggest challenge. “The climate change struggle is not about saving the planet – the planet doesn’t need saving. It’s political will that needs to change if we’re to arrest the suicidal trajectory we’re currently on, where we fail to recognise that nature doesn’t negotiate. If we don’t do that, we’ll be gone – the planet will still be here, the forests will grow back, and the oceans will recover. Any parent who hasn’t taken the time to read the basics on climate change is neglecting the future of their children.”

FAST FACT

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that to avoid catastrophic global warming we must not reach 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels – or at very minimum, not exceed that. We are currently at 1.1°C. Source: https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/climate-change/

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A DV ER T ORI A L P UBL IC SERV ICE CO-ORDIN AT ING BA RGA INING COUNCIL

PSCBC Celebrating 25 years

The Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. The PSCBC was established on 13 October 1997, in terms of Section 35 of the Labour Relations Act, No. 66 of 1995 (LRA) as amended.

s per Section 37 of the LRA, the Council has a legislative mandate to deal with matters that: (a) are governed by uniform rules, norms, and standards that apply throughout the public sector; (b) apply to terms and conditions that cover two or more industries; and (c) are assigned to the State as Employer in the Public Service but are not assigned to the State as Employer in any other sector.

The road to democracy in South Africa was marred by many centuries of oppression and racial and economic discrimination. When democracy was attained in 1994, many significant changes were ushered into the labour market arena and public service. This democracy led to the establishment of the PSCBC, an independent organisation tasked with providing a platform for the state, as the employer, and the public service unions, as social partners, to engage constructively over matters of mutual interest.

The PSCBC’s emergence was pivotal as it created the social dialogue needed to negotiate the public service’s transformation. This formed an integral part of the transition towards democracy. During the reconstruction of the public service, the council played an integral part in renegotiating and restructuring macro benefits that have been unwarranted in achieving equity and fairness within the public service. The PSCBC tackled these challenges head-on by instilling a culture of engagement and dialogue,

The PSCBC has grown to be one of the largest bargaining councils in the world and positioned itself globally as a benchmark for many countries. 26

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P UBL IC SERV ICE CO-ORDIN AT ING BA RGA INING COUNCIL A DV ER T ORI A L

PSCBC General Secretary, Mr Frikkie De Bruin

OUR VISION A bargaining council positioned to advance and influence change in the labour market environment.

OUR MISSION

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Promoting sound labour relations through collective bargaining and dispute management both locally and internationally.

previously a foreign concept to the public service and between the parties. For the past 25 years, the PSCBC has remained true to its mandate by protecting and advancing democratisation of the workplace, strengthening collective bargaining, enhancing dispute management, promoting good governance, and embracing the future of work to ensure economic development, social justice and labour peace within the public service. In implementing its constitutional xmandate, the council was able to harmonise relations between parties to the council, establish formal structures for collective bargaining – both centrally and sectorally – and provide effective dispute resolution procedures. Through its mature co-ordinating capabilities, the council was also able to sign a significant number of collective agreements on conditions of service (pensions, medical aid, housing, allowances, grievance, and disciplinary

procedures, training, and development issues) and socioeconomic issues such as job creation and health issues (HIV/AIDS). The PSCBC, in its 25 years of existence, has remarkably grown to be one of the largest bargaining councils in the world and positioned itself globally as a benchmark for many countries. As part of the council’s 25th anniversary celebrations, a Public Service Summit will be held, and the matters that emanate from the summit will culminate in nationwide roundtable discussions within the various provinces. The PSCBC would like to use this opportunity to thank our parties to the council and the various stakeholders for standing steadfast over the years, for championing the cause of the fight for workers’ rights, and for making the council a force to be reckoned with.

➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the company website www.pscbc.co.za

For more information: +27 12 644 8100 info@pscbc.org.za www.pscbc.co.za

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2022/03/09 4:58 PM

A DVOCACY

EQUAL EDUCATION

SOCIAL JUSTICE

INITIATIVES MAKING WAVES In an unequal world, fighting for social justice is the only way to balance the scale. TIISETSO TLELIMA speaks to activists working towards achieving a more just society

What it does: Established in 2008, Equal Education is a member-based mass movement of learners, post-school youth, parents and community C-19 PEOPLE’S COALITION members working towards equality and quality What it does: Established in education. The organisation has members in five March 2020, the C-19 People’s provinces across the country and works tirelessly Coalition comprises 350 civil to put education on the national agenda. “We society organisations. It was work with learners, in particular, empowering them formed to ensure that South to organise themselves and fight for their rights,” Africa’s COVID-19 response explains Equal Education’s head of organising in the is rooted in social justice Eastern Cape, Itumeleng Mothlabane. and democratic principles, Tauriq Jenkins Equal Education works on various campaigns and to protect and monitor including fighting for textbooks for learners, better issues around human rights. school infrastructure, safe sanitation, access The coalition established working groups to scholar transport in KwaZulu-Natal, and the to focus on issues such as basic services, reduction of overcrowding in schools. However, illegal evictions, gender-based violence, state despite having succeeded in repression, vaccine access, getting the education department and more. to adopt norms and standards of Tauriq Jenkins, a convener of infrastructure in public schools, the antirepression group within Mothlabane says lack of political will the coalition, monitors issues means their campaigns often take dealing with military oversight, long before they are realised. “The police, law enforcement and norms and standards of public school private security companies. infrastructure was signed into law in The antirepression group 2013, but today we still have about worked together with the Itumeleng Mothlabane 1 500 schools with pit toilets,” Human Rights Commission to she says. fight against state repression Platforms it uses for social change: Equal during the pandemic. “An example of how we Education holds in-school meetings and youth mobilised effective action was when the City group and mass meetings where learners come of Cape Town’s response to the lockdown was up with campaigns and also build the movement. ostensibly to create camps in Strandfontein They then advocate in the streets and the media. for [homeless people],” explains Jenkins. However, the organisation has had to rely Thousands of homeless people were forcibly heavily on media advocacy as a result of removed from the streets and placed in recent lockdown rules. camps to try contain the spread of the virus. How to get involved: The organisation strongly “We realised very quickly that these camps believes in the power of active citizenship to effect were more like securitised gulags where they social change. “People must always look at the where completely stripped of their rights. structures around them, for example, school We produced a report together with Doctors governing boards and ward committees, and Without Borders and managed to get the site make sure that they are working effectively,” shut down.” says Motlhabane. Platforms it uses for social change: The entity started a hotline website called www.report.org.za for people to report issues EQUAL of repression. This information then goes to EDUCATION an analysis group where an archive is being CAMPAIGNS created. “We monitor and respond to things coming through and have submitted reports

to the United Nations Human Rights Council and the AU,” says Jenkins. The antirepression group has also engaged in several online events to look at the demilitarisation of law enforcement and the police. The coalition mobilised against vaccine apartheid, which saw the US and Canada hoarding vaccines and ordering more than they needed while African countries were struggling to get stock. It also ran various online campaigns educating people about the vaccine and fighting disinformation and anti-vaxx sentiments. How to get involved: Go to the C-19 website and social media platforms to get in touch. “We’re open to anyone who wants to make a difference,” says Jenkins. “It’s very important to have coalitions like this in existence and well supported because without them we render our constitutional rights only to the authorities.”

C-19’S PEOPLE’S COALITION RESOURCES 4 ACTION

DID YOU KNOW?

The term “social justice” was coined in the 19 th century during the industrial revolution. During this time there was a big gap between the rich and poor, and human rights were mostly not legally established. Source: Investopedia

“We work with learners, in particular, empowering them to organise themselves and fight for their rights.” – Itumeleng Mothlabane 28

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any South Africans live without access to quality education, healthcare, basic services and adequate housing, and the global pandemic has exacerbated the national faultlines of unemployment, poverty and inequality. Activists at Equal Education and C-19 People’s Coalition, share what their organisations are doing to help achieve social justice in South Africa.

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Mercedes-Benz Pride. Everyone different. All equal. At Mercedes-Benz South Africa, we believe that diversity shapes our future. Over 4000 employees work for Mercedes-Benz South Africa, providing a vibrant mixture of cultures, ideas, religious beliefs, genders, sexual orientations, ages and ways of life. Diversity is the driving force behind our ideas, the transformation of the automotive industry as well as our culture of innovation. Diversity is critical to our success and enables us to reflect and cater to the diversity of our customers. Visit www.group.mercedes-benz.com/sustainability/ for more information on our diversity initiatives.

Standing for equal opportunities for all is what ITHUBA stands for. At ITHUBA we stand by the principles that support and promote South Africa’s economic development. A key principle to why and how we do business, is our national imperative to support Black Economic Empowerment through equality and opportunities for all.

It is on these pillars that ITHUBA illustrates its continued efforts to foster confidence and pride in the National Lottery, by introducing higher levels of service for players through the implementation of innovative technologies in the lottery industry.

We remain committed to increasing the economic participation and output of previously disadvantaged South Africans. How we demonstrate this commitment to our people is through our core values of:

It is also on these principles that we will continue to March forward way into the 21st century as a proud South African National Lottery operator.

Integrity • Tenacity • Humility • Ubuntu • Best Practice and • Achievement www.ithubalottery.co.za

Human Rights Day 2022

Articles inside

EDUCATION

ENVIRONMENT

ADVOCACY

YOUTH

ACTIVISM