Court ruling on SA’s Venice Biennale submission sets “dangerous precedent”, Goliath’s lawyers warn
Gauteng High Court Judge Mamoloko Kubushi’s dismissal with costs of artist Gabrielle Goliath’s urgent application to reinstate her artwork Elegy for the 61st Venice Biennale – after Minister of Arts, Sport and Culture Gayton McKenzie intervened to block it – “sets a dangerous precedent, jeopardising the rights of artists, curators and creatives in South Africa to freedom of expression – freedom to dissent”, says the artist’s legal team. The team would “be contesting this ruling through an appeal”. McKenzie took issue Goliath’s work because part of dealth with the Israel Defense Forces’ killing of women and children in Gaza. The Campaign for Free Expression, which was admitted as amicus curiae in the matter, said the judge’s lack of reasons in her order “defies comprehension”.
Public property revamp will end costly “contradictions”, says Macpherson
Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean Macpherson has told Parliament in the debate on last week’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) that the new State Property Company announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa would turn state property assets into “professionally managed engines of growth and development”. Macpherson said: “We own prime property that stands vacant. Yet we pay rent for plush offices. We hold strategic land parcels in the metros while people live in informal settlements. We sit on an enormous asset value base, yet we don’t generate any revenue to fund asset maintenance. These contradictions end here.”
BEE a constitutional necessity to create growth, “inclusive economy” – Lamola
Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola says BEE and affirmative action are essential to creating economic growth and an inclusive economy. The policies were a constitutional necessity, and the ANC would not disregard the Constitution. Speaking in the parliamentary debate on the State of the Nation Address yesterday, Lamola said the existence of the Government of National Unity did not mean these empowerment measures were destined to be axed.
Chancellor Merz backs mounting support for curbs on children’s social media access
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said he has become increasingly persuaded of the need for compulsory limits on access to social media platforms because of children being “endangered” by fake news and other forms of misrepresentation. He said in a speech ahead of his conservative Christian Union’s annual party conference: “Do we want to allow artificially generated false news, fake news, artificially generated films and misrepresentations to be spread via social media. Do we want to allow our society to be undermined in this way, both internally and externally, and our young people and children to be endangered in this way?” Merz cited a finding that 14 year olds spent an average of five and a half hours a day online.
US to withdraw troops from Syria as Trump ramps up military presence elsewhere in Middle East
The White House has said that the Syrian government has agreed to take the lead combating terrorism within its borders and a US military presence “at scale” is no longer required. This comes as US President Donald Trump ramps up the US’s military presence in the Middle East while tensions mount with Iran. In Syria, US troops had already departed two bases earlier this year, the al-Tanf garrison in southern Syria and the al-Shaddadi base in the north-east. The White House has warned Iran that it would be “very wise” to make a deal with the US. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt told a news briefing that Trump was still hoping for a diplomatic resolution over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Sources: BBC, News24, Daily Maverick, Reuters, Netwerk24