Democracy & Social Justice

Crisis Coalition in conjunction with Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) Zimbabwe held a constitutional meeting this week at Mamina growth point in Mhondoro Ngezi, Mashonaland West province. More than 80 villagers attended the meeting, including councilors from various wards. The meeting is part of the ongoing meetings being held by Crisis coalition to stimulate debate around the envisaged constitution making process.

If we want institutions that watch over our rights, we ought to do more to watch over them. The appointment of a new Human Rights Commission (HRC) a few weeks ago should have been controversial. The new chair, former public protector Lawrence Mushwana, has been criticised by some for a perceived unwillingness to tackle political power-holders. Half the commissioners are former African National Congress (ANC) MPs, while respected figures with no ties to the ANC were ignored.

Citizens' organisations in South Africa may have more influence than they believe - but only if they think more strategically and try harder to represent people at the grassroots. This is the key finding of this study of civil society organisations undertaken by the Centre for the Study of Democracy at Rhodes University and the University of Johannesburg and funded by the Heinrich Boell Foundation.

Windows to change - Over the past five years, Luhlaza Senior Secondary School in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, accumulated more than 500 broken windows. Pupils and teachers accepted this as an unpleasant reality. They shivered through winter, complained to one another and stuck pieces of cardboard over the holes.

The Berlinale 2009 presented four movies from a South African project called 'Filmmakers Against Racism', which is supported by the Heinrich Böll Foundation. Producer Don Edkins, whose film 'Taxi to the Dark Side' was awarded an Oscar in 2008, talks in an interview about the initiative and xenophobia in South Africa.