Monday to Friday 13 – 17 November is Whistleblower Protection Week 2023.

Join the Platform to Protect Whistleblowers (Pplaaf), the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF), and Gibs Business School for the second annual Whistleblower Protection Week.

This year, the week focuses on laws pertaining to whistleblowing, particularly in light of the recent proposed amendments to the Protected Disclosures Act (PDA) and Pplaaf’s development of a Legal Guidebook for Whistleblowing.

Date: 13 – 17 November 2023

Venue: Gibs Business School, Illovo, Johannesburg

RSVP here.

Programme outline

13 November:

• Formal Opening and Panel Discussion: Amending the PDA, DOJ Submissions and Responses
• Moderator: Kavisha Pillay (Corruption Watch and NACAC)
• Speakers: Zanele Mbuyisa (PPLAAF), Ben Theron (The Whistleblower House), Christopher Fisher (Helen Suzman Foundation)
• Time: 10h000 – 13h00
• Join the Livestream
• Interpretation and Application of the PDA and Related Laws: A Guide with JustVoices
• Time: 13h00 – 14h00
• Join the Livestream

14 November:

• Panel Discussion: Experiences of Whistleblowers in South Africa with The Whistleblower House
• Moderator: Cynthia Stimpel
• Time: 10h00
• Join the Livestream

15 November:

• Webinar: Whistleblowing in the Financial Sector
• Moderator: Roger Latchman (International Institute for Ethical Governance and Accountability)
• Speakers: Jean-Jacques Lumumba (DRC) and Biswick Kaswaswa (Malawi)
• Time: 10h00
• Join the Livestream
• Documentary Screening: ‘Silenced: Why Babita Deokaran was murdered’
• A News24 Investigation
• Time: 18h00
• RSVP here

Other events this week…

Tuesday is World Diabetes Day

On Tuesday, 14 November from 11 am to 1 pm, Heala With @Treatment Action Campaign will have a Day of Action march at the National Treasury. “We’ll be standing for health to combat non-communicable diseases. National Treasury, increase the Health Promotion Levy to 20%! Delays mean Death!” the event description reads.

On Tuesday, 14 November at 2:30 pm, the Dullah Omar Institute, Lawyers for Human Rights and The University of Western Cape are hosting a Webinar: Sub-national governance and the plight of people working in public spaces. 

Register here to join. 

On Tuesday, 14 November at 11 am to 12: 30 pm, Understanding escalating levels of murder. 

Venue: Online via Zoom or in person, ISS Conference Room, Pretoria Content-related: Gareth Newham, Email: [email protected] Logistics-related: Helen Chanda, Email: [email protected]

See poster below

insert ISS pic…….

On Wednesday, 15 November from 6-8 pm, join Open Secrets for the launch of Who Has the Power? South Africa’s Energy Profiteers. Open Secrets’ Michael Marchant will be in conversation with Zen Mathe, Abby May and Luthando Vilakazi. Human rights and environmental activist, Kumi Naidoo will also be delivering a keynote address on the role of activists in ensuring a just transition. 

Who Has the Power? is Open Secrets’ first report examining the energy sector and climate crisis. The report shows who holds the power in South Africa’s energy sector and spotlights the key private players in the coal, gas, diesel, and renewable energy industries — who we call ‘energy profiteers’. We identify the private corporations that stand to benefit from maintaining the status quo, i.e. a reliance on fossil fuels, in South Africa’s energy sector. 

Place: Activist Café, Bertha House, 67, 69 Main Road, Mowbray, Cape Town

Wednesday 15 November is Day of the Imprisoned Writer. The occasion is observed to raise awareness about censorship, harassment, and persecution of writers and journalists worldwide. Censorship is a growing problem today, with many government agencies spying on their citizens, especially anti-vocal government critics, whistleblowers, and political activists. In some countries, freedom of the press is non-existent, and independent journalism results in arbitrary detention.

On Wednesday, 16 November at 3-5 pm, join the Centre for Sociological Research and Practice (UJ) and Surplus Radical Book Shop, your not-to-be-missed stop for classic radical books in Cape Town. Surplus Books is a partner with the Institute for African Alternatives and the Peace Centre. The link to the meeting is below.

Our Resistance, Our History, by Tsepo Makoro, vividly captures 20 years of struggle in one of the most defiant informal settlements in Johannesburg, South Africa — Thembelihle, highlighting the promises and pitfalls of grassroots democracy.

Moderator: Asanda Benya, University of Cape Town.

Discussant: Martin Jansen, Director of Workers’ World Media Productions.

Respondent: Luke Sinwell, University of Johannesburg.

When: 16 November 3:30pm to 5:00pm (the film is about 30 minutes). 

Join the Zoom meeting here.

Wednesday, 15 November from 6 pm – 9 pm, the Institute for African Alternatives invites you to the Decode Colloquium, with keynote address delivered by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo — “Democracy can only work if Parliament works — South Africa after Zondo”.

Venue: District Six Homecoming Centre, Cape Town

RSVP here. If you are unable to attend in person join us online at click link 

On Thursday, 16 November at 5:30 pm for 6pm, join us for the annual Helen Suzman Memorial Lecture as we celebrate 30 years of our Foundation.

Venue: Gibs Business School, Illovo

RSVP: [email protected] 

On Thursday, 16 November from 10 am to 12:30 pm, People’s Health Assembly invites health activists to an online Zoom meeting to introduce the assembly. This will include an opportunity to comment on the program and make suggestions for speakers, sub-themes and workshops for the upcoming 5th People’s Health Assembly, which is taking place 7-11 April in Mar Del Plata, Argentina. Zoom link to register here.

Thursday 16 November from 10:30 am – 1 pm, GroundWork Collective is proud to see the expansion of our successful #X Change campaign to the rest of the country. The organisation registered thousands of youth in KwaZulu-Natal and hosted a concert to reward them for engaging and registering. Check their social media for more information.

This weekend from 17 to 19 November, the Market Theatre will host the Nkoli Vogue-Opera

See poster below.

Saturday 18 – Friday 24 November 2023is World AMR Awareness Week 2023

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial agents. As a result of drug resistance, antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents become ineffective and infections become difficult or impossible to treat, increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death.

The World AMR Awareness Week (Waaw) is a global campaign to raise awareness and understanding of AMR and promote best practices among One Health stakeholders to reduce the emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections. Waaw is celebrated from 18-24 November every year.

The theme for Waaw 2023 will remain “Preventing antimicrobial resistance together”, as in 2022. AMR is a threat to humans, animals, plants and the environment. It affects us all.

That is why this year’s theme calls for cross-sectoral collaboration to preserve the effectiveness of antimicrobials. To effectively reduce AMR, all sectors must use antimicrobials prudently and appropriately, take preventive measures to decrease the incidence of infections and follow good practices in disposal of antimicrobial-contaminated waste.  

Last day to comment 

The 2023 Budget Review announced developments in GRB in the form of the completion of the development of GRB guidelines, and the intention to workshop these this coming financial year. In addition, the 2024 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) guidelines stated that a few National Departments have been selected to pilot gender tagging as part of the GRB process. However, National Treasury has since instructed departments to implement budget cuts by freezing posts, and putting in place “cost-containment” measures to improve fiscal conditions. These measures were rejected by the Cabinet following a backlash from civil society and labour movements for their long-term negative social and economic impact. In this sense, it is clear that while there has been little progress with GRB, the Treasury’s latest round of austerity measures will likely reverse any gains that can be made by reducing the resources available to pursue a truly gender-responsive and feminist budget.

Leading up to the 2024/25 Budget Speech and following the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) 2023/24, it is crucial to convene a second workshop to engage the ongoing processes on GRB with civil society and regional and international stakeholders. 

Join us as we explore demands for a gender-responsive budget and the next steps for civil society!

To assist us with planning for the, we kindly request that you complete the Google Form here by Monday, 13 November 2023.

Limited travel support will be available. Organisations are encouraged to use their available resources to cover travel costs. Please note that we may not be able to support all the requests for travel support. DM