The Treatment Action Campaign and Friends of TAC (FOTAC) UK strongly endorse the following statement released yesterday by Sonke Gender Justice Network condemning recent offensive, sexist comments made by ANC Youth League President Julius Malema:

Sonke Gender Justice Network Strongly Condemns Comments Made by Julius Malema, ANC Youth League Leader:

Cape Town/Johannesburg, 28 January 2009: The Sonke Gender Justice Network is deeply disturbed by the sexist comments made last week by ANC Youth League president Julius Malema and by the failure of the ANC to sanction him.

Last week, at a meeting with 150 Cape Peninsula University of Technology students on January 22, Malema suggested that the woman who accused ANC president Jacob Zuma of rape had a "nice time" with him and said, "when a woman didn't enjoy it, she leaves early in the morning. Those who had a nice time will wait until the sun comes out, request breakfast and ask for taxi money.”

In response to the recent rape of the six year old daughter of a TAC member in Elandskop, KwaZulu-Natal TAC uMgungundlovu (Pietermaritzburg) marched through Elandskop last week demanding an end to gender-based violence (GBV), sexual assault and rape in the community and asking for improvements in the local criminal justice system. Out of the eight rapes reported in Elandskop this year only one has ended in a conviction.

This memorandum will be handed over today at a march in Cape Town.

Hate Crime: The murder of Eudy Simelane 31-year-old Eudy Simelane former Banyana Banyana midfielder was gang raped and stabbed to death, last week Monday 28th of April 2007. Her body was laid to rest last week Sunday 4th of May. She was murdered in KwaTema, Ekurhuleni east of Johannesburg, returning home with friends from a tavern. She was confronted by a gang who allegedly gang raped and repeatedly stabbed her to death. Her half-naked body was found in a field near the hostel KwaThema last Tuesday.

Since 2003 TAC Khayelitsha members have been actively involved in campaigns against violence, particularly violence against women, children, gays and lesbians.

On 16 December 2005, a TAC member 18 year old Nandipha Makeke, was raped and murdered. On the same day another member, Mandla Nkunkuma, was attacked and shot. Mandla Nkunkuma identified his attacker as Yanga Janet who was later arrested for the rape and murder of Nandipha Makeke.

 Summary

• Western Cape Health Department receives an extra R332 million to improve service delivery and increase the number of beds at public hospitals
• TAC statement on the slow pace of ju
  

Summary

• Defend media freedom: Use Health Laws to Prosecute the Real Criminals!
  TAC statement condemning the threat to arrest Sunday Times journalists.
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  AIDS Law Project statement on a case the organisation has taken to the labour court.

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TAC has learnt from the Positive Women's Network that on Sunday 8 July in Soweto Meadowlands, Sizakele Sigasa, an outreach coordinator at Positive Women’s Network and a lesbian and gay rights activist, and her friend Salome Masooa, were tortured and brutally murdered.  Sizakele was found with her hands tied together by her underpants and her ankles tied together by her shoelaces, with three bullet holes i

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• Westville prisoners case: How TAC/ALP/prisoners will respond to the Department of Correctional Services appeal (State's appeal and prisoners' application for Durban High Court order to be executed will be heard on Thu

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• ALERT: Judgment in the case between TAC and Matthias Rath will be handed down in the Cape High Court on Friday 3 March 2006 at 11:30am

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• International Sex Workers Rights Day - 3 March 2006

International Sex Workers Rights Day - 3 March 2006

TAC and SWEAT support decriminalisation of sex-work

(Two statements, one by SWEAT, one by TAC)

Statement by SWEAT