On Tuesday, 31 January, at 11am, the South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef), in partnership with Sanlam, is hosting a webinar about attacks on journalists, and the impacts these have on the journalism profession and the safety of reporters.

“The webinar will debate whether the attacks reflect a general decline of public trust in the media, and what role business and civil society [can] play to bolster the safety of journalists,” stated the event description. 

Speakers include Muthoki Mumo, sub-Saharan Africa representative at the Committee to Protect Journalists; Cebelihle Mbuyisa, 2022 Nat Nakasa award winner; Asanda Ngoasheng, Western Cape Sanef convener; and Glenda Daniels, media studies associate professor at Wits University.

For more information, contact [email protected].

On Tuesday at 3pm, the Land Portal Foundation will be hosting a webinar titled, “Uncovering Land Data Opportunities in Senegal”.

The Land Portal and Open Data Charter have been working with the Senegalese government to open up land data, in accordance with the Open Up Guide for Land Governance.

“The Open Up Guide is a practical guide for governments who are seeking to better collect, publish, and use land data for the public good. As Phase 1 of this project, the team has published the State of Land Information in Senegal (Soli) Report. Soli reports are research-driven analyses of the current state of land data that assess the available land information against open data standards,” according to the event description.

The webinar will explore the latest results from the Open Up Guide implementation pilot in Senegal.

Register here.

On Tuesday at 5pm, the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research (Wiser) will be hosting a book discussion on Changing the Subject: Feminist and Queer Politics in Neoliberal India, by Srila Roy. 

“In Changing the Subject, Roy maps the rapidly transforming terrain of gender and sexual politics in India under the conditions of global neoliberalism,” according to the event description.

Roy, who is also a professor of sociology at the University of Witwatersrand (Wits), will be in conversation with Shireen Hassim, Canada150 Research Chair in Gender and African Politics at Carleton University; Bridget Kenny, a professor of sociology at Wits University; and Pumla Gqola, professor of literary and cultural studies and the NMU-DSI-NRF SARChI Chair in African Feminist Imagination at Nelson Mandela University.

The discussion will take place in the Wiser seminar room on the sixth floor of the Richard Ward Building, East Campus, Wits University.

On Thursday, 2 February, civic movement #StandUpSA will be leading a march from Sunninghill Taxi Rank to Eskom’s Megawatt Park in Johannesburg, Gauteng. Participants will gather at 10am, with the march starting at 11am.

“StandUpSA is taking the fight for the reliable and affordable supply of electricity to the country’s sole power producer, Eskom. South Africans of different political, religious and cultural backgrounds have joined forces and will deliver a list of demands to Eskom’s management,” according to the event description.

The protesters’ demands include:

• The immediate uninterrupted supply of electricity to homes, hospitals, schools and businesses;
• The scrapping of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) electricity tariff increase;
• Weekly updates on the progress of maintenance at power stations; and
• A published plan, with deadlines, that will bring about the end of rolling blackouts.

For more information, contact Njabulo Shabangu on 062 896 7332 or Molatelo Racheku on 079 243 6147.

On Thursday at 5pm, the Alternative Information and Development Centre is hosting a virtual forum on the electricity crisis. The forum will be an opportunity to explore available alternatives.

“The electricity crisis is getting worse. Load shedding is happening more frequently and for longer periods. The situation has become intolerable,” according to the event description. 

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“Government plans for unbundling Eskom and creating a competitive electricity market, as demanded by the IMF and World Bank, will make things worse. International experience has demonstrated this and is leading to more countries reversing the privatisation of their electricity systems. There are feasible alternatives to liberalisation and privatisation.”

Speakers at the event include Dominic Brown, director at the Alternative Information and Development Centre, and Sean Sweeney, coordinator at Trade Unions for Energy Democracy.

Register here.

On Thursday at 5.30pm, the Southern African Political Economy Series (Sapes) Trust is hosting an online policy dialogue forum titled, “Who killed Thulani Maseko? Why and what’s the reason for [this]?”.

“The assassination of Thulani Maseko, leading human rights lawyer and activist, has provoked widespread national, regional and international condemnation, as well as demands for immediate and non-partisan investigation,” according to the event description.

Read in Daily Maverick: “Who killed Swazi human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko?”

“The assassination has raised a number of important questions about not only the Eswatini government, but has raised questions about [the Southern African Development Community] governments’ commitments to human rights, and protection of human rights defenders.”

Speakers at the event include Ibbo Mandaza of Sapes Trust; Mark Heywood, editor of Maverick Citizen; Emmanuel Ndlangamandla, secretary-general of the Multi-Stakeholders Forum; and Busie Mayisela, president of the Swaziland First Democratic Front.

The discussion will be livestreamed on the Sapes Trust Facebook page. It can also be accessed via Zoom with meeting ID 858 4860 0080 and passcode 685475.

On Friday, 3 February, at 1pm, the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag) is hosting a Facebook live discussion on “Understanding the roles of mental health professionals”.

Speakers include Dr Lerato Dikobe, a psychiatrist; Curwyn Mapaling, a clinical psychologist; and Tova Goldstein, a social worker.

Watch the live discussion here.

On Friday at 2.30pm, the Law Faculty at the University of Pretoria will be hosting a memorial service celebrating the life of Swazi human rights lawyer and activist, Thulani Maseko.

Maseko was shot through the windows of his home in Bhunya in the Manzini region on 21 January, according to a Daily Maverick report.

Friday’s memorial service will be livestreamed. Those wishing to attend should RSVP to [email protected] by Wednesday, 1 February.

Sadag rolling blackouts survey

Sadag is conducting a survey on “Your Life During Load Shedding”. It is intended to assist the organisation in learning more about people’s experiences and feelings regarding rolling blackouts.

“Since Eskom’s recent announcement that load shedding may become permanent for the next 18 months, it is important for us to learn how your mental health is affected by these ongoing power cuts,” said Zane Wilson, founder of Sadag.

“Mental health matters to Sadag and so we invite you to complete this survey questionnaire. It consists of 18 questions and should take no longer than 10 minutes of your time to complete. Your identity will never be revealed to anyone. We will only use this data to improve our services and to educate the public.”

The survey is only for people 18 years and older, and can be accessed here.

Those needing mental health support can contact Sadag on the Cipla mental health helpline on 0800 456 789; the SMS line on 31393; or the WhatsApp chat line on 076 882 2775. DM/MC