News Archives » South Africa

Faith Groups Work to Prevent Human Trafficking During the 2010 World Cup Events in South Africa May 7th, 2010

The Oblate JPIC Office is working in solidarity with the efforts of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (Church on the Ball), and local initiatives by the Leaders of Consecrated Religious Life (SA) and the South African Council of Churches to counter human trafficking in South Africa during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

For multinational corporations who are long time sponsors of the FIFA World Cup, this event could be an opportunity to move beyond the usual sponsorship efforts of selling brands and expanding their markets. Official corporate sponsors of the FIFA World Cup are being asked to use the occasion of the World Cup 2010 to be part of the solution to eliminate human trafficking.

Christian Brothers Investment Services has initiated a shareholder advocacy campaign, supported by the Oblate JPIC Office, to engage multinational corporations on the issue of human trafficking during the 2010 Soccer World Cup events in South Africa.

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World Bank Approves $3 Billion Loan for Controversial Coal Plant in South Africa April 12th, 2010

On April 8th 2010, the World Bank approved a controversial $ 3 billion loan for a coal-fired power station to ESKOM, the South Africa-based, state owned electricity utility, despite serious concerns from environmental organizations and the faith community. United States, Britain and Norway, Italy and the Netherlands abstained from voting for the coal loan due to unresolved environmental concerns and economic impacts on local communities.

More than 200 organizations across the world have endorsed a critique of the loan saying it will be a burden to poor people who will likely see their household bills increase, while international extractive corporations will continue to receive subsidized energy due to special pricing agreements with Eskom

Eskom is the world’s fourth-largest power company and Africa’s largest carbon emitter, and accounts for 40% of South Africa’s total emissions. The loan raised serious environmental concerns such as pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and raised questions about the World Bank’s commitment to renewable energy sources.

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U.S. Catholic Bishops Visit Zimbabwe and South Africa September 8th, 2009

A delegation of American Catholic bishops has recently visited the church in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Bishop John H. Ricard of Pensacola, Florida, and Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City, Utah visited Zimbabwe from August 26 to 28. They then traveled to  South Africa where they stayed until September 6th, and where they were joined by Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, retired Archbishop of Washington D.C.  The purpose of the delegation was to observe first-hand the important humanitarian aid work done by the Church, especially in fighting HIV/AIDS and poverty. The bishops are members of the USCCB Subcommittee on Africa. They visited church officials and projects funded by the Pastoral Solidarity Fund for the Church in Africa which raises money in the US to help the Church in Africa.

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South Africa: Election 2009 April 21st, 2009

South Africa, the economic powerhouse of the continent of Africa, holds its fourth democratic general elections on 22 April 2009.

The Africa National Congress (ANC) which has been in power since the end of the apartheid regime in 1994 is expected to win the election with Jacob Zuma becoming President.

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Africa’s Garment Sector: Making Suppliers Accountable January 22nd, 2008

The demand for cheap production and quicker delivery of “brand” products to US markets is a well known strategy that multinational corporations impose on garments factories in Sub Saharan Africa. The pressure to produce cheaply and quickly is usually laid on factory workers who are forced to work at a faster rate under poor workplace health and safety conditions.

Speaking at the Economic Policy Institute in Washington DC, African labor organizers from Lesotho, Kenya and South Africa told the audience about hardships that garment workers endure to produce brand-name merchandize for U.S. customers at Gap Inc, Levi Strauss, Calvin Klein, and Jeanswear. Kids “R” Us, K-Mart, J.C. Penny and Wal-Mart have all also bought garments from Sub Saharan Africa.

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