The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development in partnership with the Foundation for Human Rights (FHR) launched the National workshop on the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act 4 of 2000 (PEPUDA).

Held on 24 and 25 January 2012 at the Parktonian Hotel in Braamfontein, selected CSO’s and Clerks of  the Equality Court from Gauteng and North West were represented .

Research by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and the Commission on Gender Equality (CGE) into the function of the Equality Courts has shown lack of community awareness on the functions of courts and insufficient training amongst clerks.

It was against this background that the workshop was conducted to provide practical training of the Equality Court procedures. Additionally, the workshops provided a networking platform among stakeholders to ensure effective use of these Courts.

As is the case for several years now, Khulumani participates again in the commemorative anniversary of the Nangalembe Massacre in Sebokeng this year. In 2012 we commemorate the 21st anniversary of the massacre. This related article about Christopher Nangalembe was recently  published in The Star newspaper.

IT WAS January 12, 1991 in Sebokeng's Zone 7. And news that ANC Youth League and Sebokeng (community) Crime Prevention Unit member Christopher Nangalembe, 29, had been murdered, reportedly by gangsters, had sent shockwaves through the Vaal.

The activist had been abducted on January 5 and was believed to have been strangled. His body was found later at a rubbish dump close to the township of Boipatong.

On the eve of the Mangaung Commemorations of the 100th Anniversary of the ANC, proudly proclaimed as the world's oldest liberation movement, Khulumani Support Group congratulates the ANC on this significant anniversary. We wish the ANC well for its year of remembering the sacrifices and achievements of those who contributed to bringing down the apartheid regime in South Africa.

NomaRussia Bonase and Dr. Marjorie Jobson of the Khulumani Support Group in South Africa participated in the BBC News programme "World Have Your Say" (Whys) on 23 January 2012.

The topic was "Is the pursuit of justice worth opening up old wounds?", in light of the ICC ruling that four Kenyans, including two presidential candidates, will face trial over the violence during the 2007 elections.

Apart from the South Africans, other participants in the programme were from Kenya, as well as Libya, Liberia, and Serbia, who shared their experiences and how important they think pursuing justice is.

Listen to the 50 min podcast which was downloaded from the BBC website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/whys.

The US Supreme Court announced on 17 October 2011 that it would hear an appeal in the Alien Tort Claims Act lawsuit Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum, Co.(Shell).  This represents the first time this court has substantively addressed the question of corporate liability under this statute.  The Kiobel plaintiffs appealed to the Supreme Court following a dismissal of their case by the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.  The Supreme Court will hear the oral arguments on 28 February 2012.

Khulumani's facilitator Nomarussia Bonase is presently in Indwe in the Eastern Cape, working with Khulumani members. She has managed to trace a number of the still 'unfound' TRC beneficiaries whose names appeared in newspaper supplements at the end of 2011.

Met die oorgang na ’n demokratiese Suid-Afrika in 1994 het ’n jong Afrikaner-teoloog van ’n plattelandse dorpie noord van Johannesburg besef veranderinge in die nuwe land gaan teen ’n snelle pas geskied.

Dr. Deon Snyman het voorts besef Suid-Afrikaners, gemeenskapsleiers en die algemene burgery van alle kulture sal nuwe vaar­dig­hede en ’n pragmatiese benadering moet bemeester om in pas met die ritme van verandering te wees.