Africa's Best Read
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AFRICA’S BEST READ January 3 to 9 2020 Vol 36 No 1 @ mailandguardian mg.co.za Illustration: Francois Smit 2 Mail & Guardian January 3 to 9 2020 Act or witness IN BRIEF – THE NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED Time called on Zulu king’s trust civilisation’s fall The end appears to be nigh for the Ingonyama Trust, which controls more than three million A decade ago, it seemed that the climate hectares of land in KwaZulu-Natal on behalf crisis was something to be talked about of King Goodwill Zwelithini, after the govern- in the future tense: a problem for the next ment announced it will accept the recommen- generation. dations of the presidential high-level panel on The science was settled on what was land reform to review the trust’s operations or causing the world to heat — human emis- repeal the legislation. sions of greenhouse gases. That impact Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and had also been largely sketched out. More Rural Development Thoko Didiza announced heat, less predictable rain and a collapse the decision to accept the recommendations in the ecosystems that support life and and deal with barriers to land ownership human activities such as agriculture. on land controlled by amakhosi as part of a But politicians had failed to join the dots package of reforms concerned with rural land and take action. In 2009, international cli- tenure. mate negotiations in Copenhagen failed. She said rural land tenure was an “immedi- Other events regarded as more important ate” challenge which “must be addressed.” were happening. The 2008 collapse of The trust’s lease programme is also facing the world economy meant the leaders of a high court challenge from nongovern- countries and of business were focused on mental and a group of residents living on patching together their economies. The trust land, which will be heard in February failure of the environment base on which in Pietermaritzburg. The trust is oppos- these economies are built was not deemed ing the challenge to the lease programme, Resistance: The Zulu king and amakhosi oppose the government’s decision to tackle land to be a major concern. which earned it R118-million last year, while tenure and the Ingonyama Trust in KwaZulu-Natal. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy Now, as this decade kicks off, it does so the monarch and some traditional leaders with the climate crisis unfolding around have threatened chaos should the trust be hard-fought struggles have borne fruit with this shows, according to the researchers, that the the world. In South Africa, the rainy sea- dissolved. achievement”. knowledge has also been passed along between son has shifted and record temperatures birds. It’s a small clip, but a big step in man- are being set year after year. Australia Public service union vs Mkhwebane End to ‘slavery’ in Qatar on the cards kind’s understanding of how other animals are is on fire. The ice caps are melting at an Pressure continues to mount on public protec- Qatar has announced sweeping reforms to its evolving. unprecedented rate. We are living through tor Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s office. The Public labour market, with a view to ending the kafala the hottest years in recorded history. Servants Association has made a request system, which denies migrant workers the Tshwane back under DA control, for now This is occurring after about a 1°C under the Promotion of Access to Information basic human right to freedom of movement. The Tshwane Metropolitan Council is back increase in temperature — but we are on Act for details on the appointment of chief According to the International Labour under Democratic Alliance control after track for triple that. All this is taking place executive Vussy Mahlangu. It asked whether Organisation (ILO), legislation removing exit the South Gauteng high court confirmed an despite nearly 200 countries agreeing in Mkhwebane knew that Mahlangu had been permit requirements for all workers and grant- interim order setting aside the removal of 2015, in the Paris Climate Agreement, to dismissed from the department of rural ing migrants the freedom to change jobs is the mayor, Stevens Mokgalapa, and speaker reduce emissions to make sure the world development and land reform over a scandal expected to come into effect this month. Katlego Mathebe, pending a court review of does not heat by more than 2°C. South involving a farm in Limpopo. Mahlangu was Migrant workers in Qatar had previously the no confidence votes that removed them Africa signed up, committing to reducing the deputy director general at the time. required explicit written permission from their last month. emissions from 2035. Saying it was acting in the interests of employer to find another job elsewhere; under On December 5 a special council meeting It is also despite the 2018 warning by its members and in the public interest, the the kafala system a worker’s immigration sta- removed the two, ending three years of control United Nations scientists of what will hap- association’s questions included whether his tus is legally bound to an individual employer. of the city by a coalition between the DA and pen if emissions continue to increase. In background had been vetted and whether The system has been likened to a contempo- the Economic Freedom Fighters. their ‘‘Global Warming of 1.5°C” report, the “values of the public protector’s office rary form of slavery. In a statement, the ILO On December 6 the high court in North they sketched out a dystopian future. In and mandate” permit a Chapter 9 institution welcomed the impending reforms and Qatar’s Gauteng set aside all the decisions of the meet- a scenario for matters continuing as they to appoint a person as an accounting officer commitment “to transforming its labour ing, pending a review requested by the DA. are now, they warned: “Poverty levels before clearing his name. The association rep- market”. On December 27, Judge Neil Tuchten ruled increase to a very large degree and the resents officials who have been suspended by that the application against the no confidence incidence of starvation increases very Mkhwebane. Puffins tool up vote and a second challenging other council significantly.” High levels of public unrest The request was sent in early December but Having opposable thumbs gives decisions be heard urgently. He ruled then follow, “resulting in some countries Mkhwebane’s spokesperson, Oupa Segalwe, humans all sorts of advantages that that the two matters be heard together becoming dysfunctional”. Storms, floods, said his office had agreed with the association we like to think don’t extend to within seven days. droughts, wildfires, crop failure and mass that it would respond this month. other animals — such as using a migration start to overwhelm the ability of spaghetti spoon to scratch that New corruption arrests people, and countries, to respond. New year, new parental leave law itch in the middle of your back. Four more eThekwini ANC coun- Crucially, the report said global carbon Expectant fathers have something to celebrate Being able to take something in cillors and three contractors will emissions have to drop by 45% by 2030 this new year — South Africa’s 10-day paid the real world and bend it to our join former Durban mayor Zandile and to net zero by 2050. parental leave kicked in on January 1. The pro- own needs is very human. Other Gumede when she appears in court That was two years ago. That year, 2018, visions for paid leave for fathers were ushered animals aren’t so wise. Just look at a again on January 15 over a corrupt R208- set the record for global carbon emissions. in alongside a raft of changes to labour legisla- dog rolling about, trying to get at a similar million solid waste tender. Some countries have started to enshrine tion in November 2018. itch on its back. The seven were arrested at the beginning of the “zero by 2050” goal in law. The big President Cyril Ramaphosa signed off on But science has a way of filling in the gaps the festive season by the Hawks. Their arrest emitters, such as China and the United the commencement of sections of the Labour and bringing us back down to reality. This brings to 22 the number of contractors, officials States, have not. South Africa’s national Relations Act related to paid parental leave week, research in the journal Proceedings of the and councillors arrested over the rigged solid- energy plan is way off course. in December last year. The 10-day parental National Academy of Sciences said that Atlantic waste tender since the Hawks clean audit unit We enter this decade without any pre- leave also applies to mothers of children born puffins use sticks to scratch themselves. Their moved on the city administration last year. tence of not knowing the consequences of through surrogacy. Workers are now entitled proof? Videos of puffins in Wales and Iceland Gumede, who is out on R50 000 bail, and her inaction on carbon emissions. The world to claim from the Unemployment Insurance using a tool to relieve an itch. In one video a co-accused allegedly gave the tender to compa- is burning and flooding. A target has been Fund if their employer refuses to pay them puffin waddles over to a stick, picks it up and nies with no capacity to do the job, resulting in set: If we don’t drop emissions by the end their full salary over the parental leave period. then — turning to the camera — scratches itself. the city paying for services it never received.