On Monday, 10 July, Constitution Hill commemorates Solomon Mahlangu, “freedom fighter, struggle activist and operative of the ANC’s militant wing, Umkhonto weSizwe”. 

Born on 10 July 1956 in Mamelodi, east of Pretoria, Mahlangu left the country in 1976 to train as an MK cadre and was part of the 16 June Detachment made up mainly of students who took part in the 1976 student uprisings, the organisation said on social media.

“Celebrating Solomon Mahlangu is about remembering the great sacrifice he made contributing to the liberation of black South Africans. We thank you for your sacrifice, love and work – Salute!”

On Tuesday, 11 July, My Vote Counts will facilitate a gathering of social movements, labour federations and NGOs to discuss voting strategies for the 2024 general election. The organisations include Abahlali BaseMjondolo, the Rivonia Circle and the South African Federation of Trade Unions. Please scan code in image to stream. Two of the sessions will be streamed. To access these, scan the codes on the images above.

On Tuesday, 11 July at 3.30pm, Defend our Democracy will host a webinar on the recommendations by the Zondo State Capture Commission, asking: One year on, will the recommendations be acted on? The speakers include author of Zondo at your Fingertips, Paul Holden, whistle-blower Cynthia Stimpel and Firoz Cachalia, who chairs the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council. 

Register here:

On Wednesday, 12 July at 6pm, Daily Maverick will host a webinar about The Sentry and Open Secrets’ new investigative report, “Fronts, Fakes, & Facades”, the fascinating story of Zimbabwean state capture. It will be hosted by Daily Maverick journalist Pauli van Wyk and panellists will include head of investigations at Open Secrets Michael Marchant and Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development executive director Janet Zhou.

They will look at “how a politically connected Zimbabwean oil tycoon moved millions in dodgy transactions from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to the City of London, using a global network of enablers – South African company directors and lawyers, a Mauritian management company agent, a Cayman Islands investment fund, banks in numerous jurisdictions, and the company administrators in the UK.

Fronts, Fakes and Façades is the result of a collaborative investigation by The Sentry and Open Secrets.

Register here here.

On Thursday, 13 July, from 5.30pm to 7.30pm, the Helen Suzman Foundation will host a roundtable discussion on Ukraine and a Constitutionally Informed South African Foreign Policy. It will take place at Weber House, 50 Ennis Road, Parkview. The speakers will include former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas and the foundation’s Nicole Fritz.

RSVP to [email protected]

Heala calls for front-of-pack labelling

HEALA, a coalition of civil society organisations that advocates for equitable access to affordable and nutritious food for all in South Africa, is running a campaign to demand warning labels on all unhealthy food. Read more here.

#BuildForMadiba

Habitat for Humanity South Africa, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to providing safe and affordable housing, has announced its #BuildForMadiba 2023 initiative and is calling on volunteers and donors to join hands in commemorating Mandela Day. It has identified Thaba’Nchu, Khayelitsha and Orange Farm as key focus areas, where it aims to build 10, three and five new homes respectively between 17 and 23 July 2023.

Read more here.

The Institute for Economic Justice has submitted initial comments to the Presidency’s draft anti-poverty strategy. The submission welcomes its ambitious goals, such as the elimination of poverty by 2030 and the rapid eradication of hunger, particularly child hunger. However, it argues that some of the goals could be more ambitious, and questions the appropriateness and clarity of the proposed modalities to achieve these targets. Read the submission here. DM