Amina Mama writes, 'As South Africa debates the political challenges associated with the ANC’s year-end conference at Polokwane, this is perhaps a good moment to think beyond immediate struggles and to consider what women have achieved beyond the borders of this country'.

The National Anti-Corruption Forum (NACF), in a bid to combat corruption, has raised the importance of whistle blowing as part of the school curricula to create awareness amongst learners. Already a Whistle Blowing School Competition initiated by the civil society exists in schools where learners write essays about it. Civil society forming part of the Forum launched the competition in an attempt to promote a new understanding of whistle blowing with learners.

Daniel Mashao, the chief technology officer at Sita (the South African State Information Technology Agency), has announced the launch of the government-wide free and open source programme at the GovTech conference. While many welcomed the February announcement of government's intention to adopt and promote open source software, the subsequent months saw disillusionment within the open source community that very little had actually happened.

South Africa's department of Water Affairs and Forestry is conducting a gender analysis audit, to assess the efficacy of their programmes specifically for women. The audit, which kicked off in July and will conclude at the end of September, will show the impact the department's projects have had on ordinary South African women. Speaking at a committee meeting on Women in Water and Forestry Wednesday, the department's Deputy Director-General Nobubele Ngele said this was an important piece of work that looks specifically at gender issues.

A cabinet committee will investigate the violent countrywide service protests and MPs lack of basic services might lead to social instability. Government spokesman Themba Maseko yesterday said the committee was probing the causes of the protests and would determine what steps needed to be taken to resolve the issue. The announcement came amid reports that at least 11 protesters in Soweto had been arrested for burning down the home of a councillor this week.

Independent Newspapers in Cape Town has launched a monthly niche publication aimed at Cape Town's gay and lesbian readership this week called The Pink Tongue. With a print run of 15 000 it would be distributed to selected vendors throughout the city and aimed to give gay and lesbian readers a "non-trashy" read, Sandy Naude, advertising and marketing director for Independent Newspapers in Cape Town, told Sapa.

Over the past 2 months, as communities all over the Gauteng again take to streets in protest against the pace and neoliberal frame of service delivery, there has been an unprecedented escalation of state violence, repression and the criminalisation of protest. While the Anti-Privatization Forum (APF) has managed to provide activists with legal and jail support, this has been severely circumscribed by the limited financial means of the organisation.

While most South Africans view homosexuality as more acceptable than prostitution or abortion, they still regard it as worse than mercy killing or divorce. And many do not want to live next door to gay, drug addicted or heavy drinking neighbours. This is according to a nationwide public opinion survey of values by market research company Markinor and the University of Stellenbosch’s Centre for International and Comparative Politics.

An extensive analysis of all scientific research on the links between improved nutrition and the treatment of both HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) has found no evidence that healthier eating is any substitute for correctly-used medication.

In deeply homophobic and patriarchal South African society what does Women’s Month and National Women’s Day means for vulnerable, marginalised women? The State must enact legislation that punishes acts of violence against women and enforce policy that prevents violence and the re-assertion of patriarchal norms.

A new campaign, South Africa First, was launched at the GovTech 2007 conference in Cape Town with the aim of encouraging both the public and private sector to make more use of local content when spending on information technology (IT). An initiative of the SA Local Procurement Advocacy Trust, focusing initially on the IT sector, South Africa First seeks to ensure that local businesses benefit from an estimated R1-billion a week spend on products and services in SA as a result of the country's economic boom.

Computers, deemed essential in schools to help improve education, are in fact leaving as many as three-quarters of city pupils suffering preventable back and neck pain. In a study to track computer-related pain in our children, it was found that 74 percent of more than 1 000 pupils who took part reported headaches, lower back and neck pain in the month before they were surveyed.

The International Lesbian and Gay Association, ILGA, would like to join the South African lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex communities, to condemn the brutal killing of Sizakele Sigasa (34 years old) and Salome Masooa (23 years old) from a township in Johannesburg. On Sunday 8th July they were found murdered in a nearby field in Meadowlands.

At 10:00 a.m. August 9, Philani Zungu, deputy president of Abahlali baseMjondolo, was arrested in the Pemary Ridge settlement. A meeting had been scheduled with the eThekwini Housing Department. However they arrived with the Sydenham SAPS who immediately went to Philani and demanded to search him. He asked them why they were searching him and was immediately arrested for 'resisting arrest'.

After a steep increase in the 1990s, and several years of plateauing, South Africa's HIV prevalence may finally have entered a phase of decline. The first evidence of this downward trend comes from the government's 2006 National HIV and Syphilis Survey, which tested more than 33,000 pregnant women at antenatal clinics in all nine of the country's provinces.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)has called on South African authorities to conduct a thorough and swift investigation into the shooting of Abel Mutsakani an exiled Zimbabwean journalist and news website editor based in South Africa. “We condemn this attack which raises again the need for more security for journalists and other citizens in South Africa,” said Gabriel Baglo, Director of IFJ Africa office.

Summonses have been served on Anglo Platinum, Potgietersrust Platinum and nine other defendants, including the ministers of agriculture and of minerals and energy, to prevent the relocation of Limpopo’s Mohlohlo community and to set aside certain lease agreements.The government and Anglo Platinum have the next few weeks to decide if they want to defend the action .

The Maandagshoek community, nestled in a valley just outside Burgersfort (a booming mine town that straddles the Mpumalanga-Limpopo border), is theoretically one of the richest places on the planet. But here, where platinum rises up from the bowels of the earth to empower a new breed of capitalist, the people of this valley still wait for the illusive dream of a ‘better life’ for all’.

"Sick and tired" residents of Clairwood, Merebank and Merewent have dug in their heels against Transnet proposals for the extension of Durban Harbour and vowed to petition the Constitutional Court. Transnet representatives and project consultants met with the residents this week to discuss the proposals and to view a presentation outlining plans to widen the harbour entrance and enlarge the Bayhead area to accommodate higher volumes of traffic passing through the port.

The Amy Biehl Foundation is a non-profit organization in Cape Town South Africa whose programmes are designed to develop and empower youth in the impoverished and poverty-stricken townships, contribute to community building efforts and give children hope and a brighter future.