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

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 “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...

NEW BELGIUM LAW GIVES LABOUR RIGHTS TO SEX WORKERS, ALLOWING THEM TO HAVE PENSIONS AND PAID MATERNITY LEAVE. (PHOTO).


 New Belgium law gives labour rights to sex workers, allowing them to have pensions and paid maternity leave.


Sex workers in Belgium can now have job contracts that allows them to be entitled to health insurance, pensions, sick leave, and maternity leave.


Belgium is the first country in the world to pass a law to give labour rights to s£x workers.


The move follows the country’s 2022 decision to decriminalize s£x work.


Under the new regulations, s£x workers will have access to health insurance, paid leave, maternity benefits, unemployment support and pensions. The legislation also establishes rules on working hours, pay and safety measures, addressing a long-standing gap in legal protections for those in the industry.


“This is an incredible step forward,” said Isabelle Jaramillo, coordinator of Espace P, an advocacy group involved in drafting the legislation. “It means their profession can finally be recognized as legitimate by the Belgian state.”


“From the employer’s perspective, this will also be a revolution. They’ll have to apply for a state authorization to hire s£x workers,” Jaramillo said.


“Under the previous legislation, hiring someone for s£x work automatically made you a pimp, even if the arrangement was consensual,” said Jaramillo. “Now, They’ll have to apply for state authorization to hire employees.”


Employers must now obtain authorization, adhere to strict safety protocols, and meet background requirements, including no prior convictions for s£xual assault or human trafficking. They must provide clean linens, condoms, and hygiene products, and install emergency buttons in workspaces.


Independent s£x work remains permitted, but unregulated third-party hiring or violations of the legal framework will be prosecuted.


Critics argue the law cannot fully address the stigma and risks tied to the trade, especially for undocumented s£x workers.


“There’s still a lot of work to be done,” said Jaramillo, emphasizing the need for better police and judicial training to protect marginalized workers.


While countries such as Germany and the Netherlands have legalized s£x work, none have implemented labor protections as comprehensive as Belgium’s.

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