Thousands of supporters of former Deputy President Jacob Zuma are expected to converge overnight to support him as he faces corruption charges Tuesday (August 5) in South Africa's most explosive trial since apartheid. The trial comes as Zuma has stepped up his campaign to succeed President Thabo Mbeki when he steps down in 2009, arguing that the accusations are a political plot to destroy him and that the case should be thrown out.

August 18 marked the launch of a campaign to spread consumer awareness about telecommunications in South Africa. The campaign is inspired by successful consumer advocacy campaigns such as the Spread Firefox campaign, where thousands of grassroots activists pledged money to take out a double-page spread in the New York Times telling the world that there was an open source alternative to Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Soul Beat Africa is an exciting organisation using information and communication technologies to create opportunities for those involved in development communication in Africa to share what they are doing, thinking and experiencing and to discuss and review each others work to improve the impact of communication on African development.

"Mr Lewis had been an employee of Media24, working as a page sub for certain of its Cape Town publications. He has complained of racial divisions in the newsroom in which he worked and of various forms of racism in the company. We do not wish to engage with the merits of this complaint."

"We, South African civil society, petition you and our Government to adopt Free and Open Source software and open content wherever possible. As a developing country, South Africa, along with all the countries on the African continent, needs you and our Government to act as agents of positive change in our society and trigger shifts in the information and communications technology market dynamics."

This book has been titled Labour Pains to reflect the intensity of the struggle for gender equality in the trade union movement and society. Women in labour carry the double burden of paid work and unpaid work in the home. Black working class women are oppressed as black people, as women and as workers. They also face a ‘struggle within the struggle’ as they are forced to confront sexism in their won unions as well as in the workplace and at home.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) will not support a South African Communist Party (SACP) breakaway from the tripartite alliance. Rather, it will work towards a new-look, "pro-poor" African National Congress (ANC) leadership to lead the party after President Thabo Mbeki steps down from the ANC presidency next year.

South Africa is poised to toughen already stringent laws against citizens serving as mercenaries in foreign wars and conflicts, but critics say the new legislation cuts too deeply and will hamper legitimate humanitarian operations.

The Constitutional Court in South Africa has weighed arguments from two parties on the question of whether it is correct to discriminate against refugees who want to enter the private security industry. Twelve refugees have launched a challenge against a provision of the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority Act.

The Sanctions Against Israel Coalition hereby pledges our unconditional support for the national strikes in the cleaning sector and at Shoprite. The rampant super-exploitation in these sectors reflect the crisis of capitalism and its inability to meet the basic needs of the majority. The massive income gap at Shoprite is one of the contributors to making South Africa the exploitation capital of the world [the Gini co-efficient is of the highest].

Second gender and media summit draws high level interest Close to two hundred participants from at least 15 countries in the region and overseas will gather at the Indaba Hotel in Fourways, Johannesburg on 7-8 September, for the second Gender and Media Summit. Convened by Gender Links (GL), the Media Institute for Southern Africa (MISA) and the Gender and Media Southern Africa (GEMSA) Network, the two day event will be held under the banner "Media diversity and sustainability: Good for Business, Good for Democracy."

The Centre for the Study of AIDS, University of Pretoria is proud to announce the launch of its sixth AIDS Review – What’s Cooking? by Jimmy Pieterse and Barry van Wyk on Thursday, 31 August at the Innovation Hub in Pretoria.

2006 sees the hosting of our fifth globalisation school. This year’s theme will look at “Alternatives to Globalisation”. ILRIG has been hosting its annual globalisation school since 2002.Activists from a wide range of organisations throughout Africa are invited to apply.AIMS OF THE SCHOOL Activists from trade unions and social movements meet to share experiences of struggles against globalisation.

Eskom is planning up to 15 extra coal-fired power stations to cater for South Africa’s soaring electri¬city demand -- which would at least double South Africa’s contribution to global climate change. Eskom coal specia¬list Johan Dempers identified the Waterberg in Limpopo as a new expansion area. He reportedly told a coal conference in Lephalale there was potential for eight new Eskom power stations in the Waterberg coalfields over the next 20 years.

VSO needs an exceptional fundraiser to fight domestic abuse in South Africa, leading the KwaZulu Natal Network on Violence Against Women as a Fundraising Manager. As a paid VSO volunteer, you'll secure crucial income, inspire colleagues, and directly improve the lives of countless women across the province.

Comprehensive legislation that would prevent child criminals from mixing with adult offenders and provide rehabilitation alternatives remains unenacted nearly three years after its preparation. The Child Justice Bill, which received widespread public backing in 2003 and enjoyed cross-party support, had seemingly dropped off parliament's schedule, child rights organisations said.

South Africa's government says it needs to find new strategies for communicating its message on HIV/Aids. The announcement comes as activists called for a "day of action" to try to get the health minister to resign. The government has been criticised for recommending natural cures as well as anti-retroviral drugs to Aids patients.

A prominent South African clergyman and opponent of apartheid has told how an apartheid-era minister washed his feet in a gesture of contrition. Rev Frank Chikane survived a murder attempt in the 1980s. He said he was grateful for the gesture made earlier this month by ex-minister Adriaan Vlok.

Children’s Institute (CI) seeks a dynamic forward-thinking individual to take up the post of Director with immediate effect. The criteria for appointment to the Directorship will be: a Master’s degree as minimum qualification, but preferably a doctorate; strong leadership qualities; a proven track-record of sound management practice in a similar environment; national and international standing; good understanding of the social policy and political environment; a commitment to child rights. A personal academic track-record is highly desirable.

A dangerous tide of xenophobia in South Africa, which stereotypes people from the rest of the continent as criminals and competitors for scarce jobs, is obscuring the positive impact immigrants are making, according to the government and advocacy groups.