State drops sloppy attempt at ‘SLAPP’ suit

Charges dropped against prominent public interest lawyer Richard Spoor By John Yeld Charges against prominent public interest lawyer Richard Spoor have been withdrawn. Spoor was charged with unlawfully and intentionally assaulting a police general “by pointing him with a finger”; disobeying an order by the police general to “keep quiet and not advance to the podium”; and “waiving hands” at an unnamed MEC (actually a...

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Community healthcare workers demand recognition as public servants

Frontline health workers in Western Cape subjected to “unjustifiable, irresponsible and unfair treatment”, says union By Vincent Lali About 200 community health workers marched to the Western Cape Health Department in Cape Town on Tuesday. The National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (NUPSAW) organised the protest. In a memorandum NUPSAW said the national health department had committed to integrating community health workers. The...

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Northern suburbs resist Joburg housing policy

By Dennis Webster It was dusk at the Bryanston Country Club. Members carried their putters off the practice greens. Walking past a busy cash bar, they joined the crowd gathering in the club’s Grosvenor Room. The occasion – organised by residents’ associations from the northern suburbs of Melrose and Ferndale on 7 March – was well attended. Dozens of mostly white residents...

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PRASA officials implicated in corruption asked to make court submissions

Court rules that a trial isn’t needed, but Lucky Montana and others must have an opportunity to give their side By Zoë Postman The case between Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) and Siyangena Technologies will not be referred to trial. But the PRASA officials accused of corruption in PRASA’s founding affidavit will be allowed to submit affidavits to the court...

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Protesters shut down Nelson Mandela University

To prevent disruptions, university says it will enforce interdict that it obtained in 2018 By Joseph Chirume Protesting students at the Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth have vowed to paralyse operations at the institution until their grievances have been addressed. The university was shut down on Wednesday and Thursday by members of the South African Students Congress (SASCO), who claimed some people...

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Activists battle property company over right to protest

Reclaim the City opposes interdict granted to Growthpoint Properties  By Tariro Washinyira Activist groups Reclaim the City (RTC) and #UniteBehind have opposed an interdict granted in December to Growthpoint Properties. RTC claims that Growthpoint misled the court when it made its application for an urgent interdict and it used a private security company to suppress the organisation’s right to protest. About 30 RTC members...

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