“NO ELECTRICITY, NO VOTE,” SOUTH AFRICANS THREATEN TO SHUN RULING PARTY ANC. (PHOTO)

Image
 “No electricity, no vote,” South Africans threaten to shun ruling party ANC Residents in Katlehong, a township outside Johannesburg, have resolved to boycott South Africa's upcoming local elections on November 4 due to long-standing failures by authorities to provide basic services like electricity. For over 20 years, around 180 households in the community have relied on illegal electrical connections pulled from neighboring areas to power their homes. Angry over the lack of formal grid infrastructure, residents are directing their frustration at the ruling African National Congress (ANC). "We have made a collective decision: no electricity, no vote," said community leader Lesiba Rankapole, 59. "We know it is illegal, but we had no choice because we cannot live without electricity. Our children cannot progress without electricity." "I was born ANC, but today I do not want anyone to tell me about the ANC because I am suffering," added 57-year-old resid...

WIKILEAKS FOUNDER, ASSANGE WINS RIGHT TO APPEAL EXTRADITION TO U. S. (PHOTO).


  The UK High Court hands down its ruling on WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s most recent appeal against extradition to the US, which took place last month. The judges refused to allow his immediate extradition, and ruled that he can appeal on three of the nine grounds in his appeal if the US and UK governments cannot provide assurances relating to these aspects of his appeal by April 16.


The three grounds for appeal are that Julian "might be prejudiced at his trial by reason of his nationality", which, as a result, might curtail his right to freedom of expression under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (or, in the US, his First Amendment rights), and that his extradition might be "barred by inadequate specialty / death penalty protection."


However, the judges refused to accept arguments by Julian’s lawyers on six other grounds, including that his proposed extradition is illegal because it is political in nature, and extradition for political reasons is banned in the US-UK Extradition Treaty of 2003.


The US and UK governments have been ordered to provide assurances, by April 16, that the above will be respected, otherwise they will grant leave to appeal without a further hearing. If the governments do provide assurances, then, the judges added, "we will give the parties an opportunity to make further submissions before we make a final decision on the application for leave to appeal", which has been provisionally listed for May 20.


So, a reprieve — another reprieve — for now, which is welcome, although it still leaves Julian stuck in Belmarsh, where he has been held for nearly five years, a lone, brave publisher, never convicted of anything, caged alongside men given long prison sentences for violent crimes.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

THE NEW OONI OF ILE-IFE,WILL NOT EAT THE HEART OF THE LATE OONI-PALACE CHIEFS.

SHAKIRA COVERS WOMEN'S HEALTH MAGAZINE,APRIL ISSUE.

AMBODE,SOYINKA & OTHERS AT THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF LAGOS AT 50 YEARS ANNIVERSARY AGAINST 2017.{PHOTOS}.