AUT: arrests, WSSD conference, statement from SA IMC ...

[Steve Wright <pmargin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'm not sure if anything has yet been posted to this list on some of the
events in the past week in South Africa in the leadup to the
'sustainable development' (sic) conference, with the authorities
cracking down forcefully.

I have only heard of these in the last day through list member Peter -
updates can be found at southafrica.indymedia.org

and a mailing list (details below).

I've also just heard of the case of Trevor Ngwane and others of the
Soweto Electricity Crisis Committee (eg
http://www.hsf.org.za/focus25/focus25interview.html), who is facing
trial in October as a consequence of their work. It sounds like
*everyone* has heard of their situation but me - no doubt something was
posted to this and similar lists that I missed somehow - but you might
want to check that link for some background info if you are as ignorant
as I was.

perhaps others have more news ...

Steve


Here's a description of the WSSD group mailing list:
------------------------------------------------------------------------

This group has been established to co-ordinate support
for social movement protests at the World Conference
on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa.


P.S.  If you would like to learn more about the wssdsupport group,
please visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wssdsupport

____________

the SA IMC Statement can be found at
http://southafrica.indymedia.org/news/2002/08/1716.php - here is the summary


                               IMC SOUTH AFRICA PRESS RELEASE ON THE
OPENING OF THE GLOBAL CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM
                               by IMC SA ? Saturday August 24, 2002 at
06:02 AM

                                         Amidst cries of ?viva
Johannesburg?, ?viva the WSSD? and ?viva civil society?, president Thabo
                                         Mbeki has opened the Global
Forum of the Civil Society at the WSSD. Those ritual cries where
                                         the best possible introduction
for a performance in which Power, represented in this case by
                                         the government of the African
National Congress, has once again staged its own emptiness
                                         and separation from the
concerns of ordinary people in relation to the problems it claims to
                                         address.


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