Arguably the most desirable piece of furniture, there’s nothing quite like a chaise longue that makes a room feel instantly special. Based on King’s Road, Bespoke Sofa London has recently updated the 18th Century chaise longue and handcrafted this bespoke piece that exudes understated hotel glamour with modern design. The exquisite piece sits with an [...]The Contemporary Classics is a post from: Home n Spire





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Pretoria – There has been a slight increase in the representation of the black population in top management positions, according to the 13th edition...

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In a landmark ruling, the Indian Supreme Court today rejected an appeal to allow Vedanta Resources to mine the Niyamgiri hills. In a complex judgement, the court decreed that those most affected by the proposed mine should have a decisive say in whether it goes ahead.

The court recognized that the Dongria Kondh’s right to worship their sacred mountain must be ‘protected and preserved’, and that those with religious and cultural rights must be heard in the decision-making process. The tribe now has three months to decide whether to allow mining of their sacred hills, but there are serious concerns over the pressures that might be heaped on the community during this crucial time.

The Dongria’s determined fight against the FTSE 100 mining company has been likened to the story of ‘Avatar’ and has won them the support of celebrities. British actress Joanna Lumley said today, ‘It is wonderful to see justice finally prevail. For the court to allow the mine would have been unthinkable – the evidence against the mine was so strong.’

The decision deals a blow both to billionaire Anil Agarwal’s Vedanta and to the state-owned Odisha Mining Corporation, which brought the appeal and supported Vedanta’s mine from the beginning.

Final clearance for the mine was blocked by India’s Environment Minister in 2010. Until recently, however, Vedanta had kept its refinery at the bottom of the hill in operation. The refinery was closed in December 2012 due to a lack of bauxite to supply the facility.

Opposition to the mine has been vocal across the Indian state of Odisha. Thousands of protesters joined a ‘rally of defiance’ last December and hundreds of Dongria reasserted their pledge not to leave the Niyamgiri hills at their annual festival in February. The project has also come under attack from the Norwegian and British governments, the Church of England, and many others, resulting in several shareholders disinvesting from Vedanta.

At a time when the central government has been reported to want to water down tribal rights, this judgement will be seen as upholding the rights of the Dongria and all of India’s tribal peoples.

Survival International’s Director Stephen Corry said, ‘This is a huge relief, and shows that companies like Vedanta are not all-powerful: local and global campaigning really does work. Companies and governments worldwide should sit up and take notice – Vedanta has learned the hard way that the days of stealing tribal land with impunity are over. The Dongria have consistently and passionately said no to Vedanta’s mine. Let us hope that they have the final say. It is essential that they are protected from harassment and intimidation at this critical time and that, when it is made, their decision is respected by Vedanta and the government.’

Pretoria - The North West province has put in place dedicated funding for emergency relief to mitigate the effects of drought on livestock in the...

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Pretoria - South Africa remains committed to the global promotion of the rule of law, and will continue cooperating with the UN system to ensure success of the international human rights architecture, says Deputy Minister of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, Andries Nel.

The importance of the International Criminal Court (ICC) needs to be seen in the context of the need for the fundamental reform of the system of global governance.

“South Africa views the ICC not in isolation, but as an important element in a new system of international law and governance,” Nel said.

He was speaking at the workshop on the Ratification and Implementation of the Kampala Amendments to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which focuses on the crime of aggression, in Botswana today.

The meeting is the first of African signatories to the Rome Stature on the continent.

The deputy minister used the opportunity to reiterate the need to transform the UN and its institutions.

“We have argued that it is the lack of transformation of these institutions, the UN Security Council in particular, as well as less than judicious pronouncements in the past by certain officials linked to the Court that are responsible for the, in our view incorrect, perceptions regarding the relationship between the ICC and the African continent.”

Nel told the meeting that South Africa supported the amendments to the Rome Statute agreed to at the Review Conference in Kampala in 2010, including those relating to the crime of aggression.

He said South Africa did so based on the conviction expressed in the Freedom Charter adopted by the people of South Africa in 1955 at the Congress of the People, that

“There Shall be Peace and Friendship!” and accordingly, that “South Africa shall be a fully independent state which respects the rights and sovereignty of all nations and that South Africa shall strive to maintain world peace and the settlement of all international disputes by negotiation - not war.”

In this light, he said the Handbook on Ratification and Implementation of the Kampala Amendments to the Rome Statute of the ICC serve as a good basis for discussion during the workshop.

The Handbook raises a number of questions, such as why ratify, when to ratify, and ratifying and implementing simultaneously. It also talks to technical issues regarding the understanding of the Resolution RC/Res 6 on the Crime of Aggression and Resolution RC/ Res 5 on War Crimes and domestication of these crimes.

Nel said these are indeed important and complex issues that require both political and technical attention. – SAnews.gov.za

Three independent reports have warned that the controversial Gibe III dam, and land grabs for plantations, risk imminent ‘catastrophe’ in Ethiopia’s Lower Omo Valley. Half a million tribal people in Ethiopia and Kenya stand to be overwhelmed by these projects, whose immediate suspension Survival International has demanded. - Lake Turkana and the Lower Omo – [...]Disaster in Lower Omo Valley predicted is a post from: EconSpire



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Pretoria - The African Union Commission (AUC) has welcomed the news of the resumption of oil production by South Sudan, and its transit and export...

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Pretoria – President Jacob Zuma has urged ambassadors, high commissioners and other diplomats to continue prioritising the African continent and promote its renewal, development and reconstruction.

Speaking at the Heads of Mission Conference held in Pretoria, which was also attended by directors-general and other senior government officials, Zuma said contributing to building a better Africa was the central foreign policy goal of the South African government.

“It is for this reason that we continue to applaud the election of one of our own, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, as chairperson of the African Union Commission. We will provide all the support possible, to make her succeed.

“We are also pleased that all African nations have pledged their support, as part of the collective determination to make the African Union succeed, as we mark 50 years of the OAU/African Union,” said the President.

This year's Heads of Mission Conference coincides with two historic events in the history of South Africa’s struggle for liberation.

It takes place during the month of April, which is observed as Freedom Month, where South Africans mark the 19th year since the dawn of democracy in 1994. This year also marks the 50th Anniversary of the Organization of African Unity/African Union since its formation in 1963.

Zuma said South Africa has taken many strides away from its past of exclusion and discrimination on the basis of sex, colour and creed.

“The country has been steadily moving forward in a direction that reasserts our humanity. In this march towards humanity, a new culture of human rights and a respect for the dignity of the human spirit have become the characteristics of South Africa.”

The country has continued to galvanise its position as an emerging economic powerhouse, and this is evident in the role South Africa plays in formations such as the Brics [Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa] grouping, and the G20.

It was important therefore, Zuma said, to prioritise communication and the marketing of the country abroad.

“In this era of globalisation, since information flows like fire and can easily be misinterpreted, our diplomacy cannot afford to neglect public opinion,” he said.

This year’s conference also takes place against the backdrop of the approval of the National Development Plan (NDP) by Cabinet and the welcoming of the plan by the general public.

The NDP, which seeks to eliminate poverty and reduce inequality by 2030, was crucial to raise South Africa’s profile and provide a better life for its citizens, the President emphasised.

Zuma said his administration was well aware of the hard work that lay ahead.

“We have to ensure that more people have water, electricity, sanitation, decent housing, functional schools, clinics and police stations and other services.”

The President used the Heads of Mission conference as a platform to inform South Africa's 126 Heads of Mission of the main elements of the NDP, as supported by the New Growth Path, and to determine the role of South Africa's diplomatic missions in advancing South Africa's national interests and priorities, in particular on the African Continent. – SAnews.gov.za