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Dear <<First Name>>,
Welcome to our latest LAC newsletter where you will find that the LAC has been working really hard to a) counter the false narrative being put out by the LLPT and b) preparing for both the Judicial Review Process and the Supreme Court of Appeal hearing.
For both these sets of legal proceedings we are of course going to need to expand our fundraising activities, so please contribute to our legal funds by clicking on this button.
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Kind regards,
Edwin Angless
OCA Comms
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No! In Their Own Words: What indigenous people against the River Club development have to say
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Protestors during the Liesbeek Action Campaign against Amazon River Club Development on November 12, 2021 in Cape Town, South Africa. It is reported that indigenous and heritage protection and conservation groups with concerned residents have slammed the development by Amazon citing that it is a destruction of a sacred heritage site that deeply violates climate change policy, including the Paris Agreement. (Photo by Gallo Images/Brenton Geach)
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Nadine Dirks - 26 June 2022
The controversial River Club site in Cape Town, where giant international retailer Amazon plans to build a South African headquarters, has been embroiled in a protracted legal battle – with rival indigenous groups campaigning for and against the development. Here are the voices of indigenous communities against the development.
When people speak about indigenous people worldwide, there is a tendency to speak about us as if we are something of the past. Lifeless, thoughtless and silent people who have no agency to articulate ourselves. The reality is: we are still here, we still exist and we have our methods of engagement. If only people would take the time to listen and consider us, to invite us in from the margins, after all, who better to tell our stories than us?...
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The Liesbeek Action Campaign organised a talk about the importance of starlore in relation to the Liesbeek River. Click here to watch.
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Help us combat misinformation
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Hi everyone.
In our last meeting we discussed the fact that the River Club Facebook page posts sponsored content relating to jobs and things in favour of the development. Their page is about a golf course, and it goes against Facebook's guidelines meaning they are not allowed to discuss anything political, social issues, etc without stating that is the purpose of their page.
We can't afford someone to serve as a media monitor so I suggested everyone keep an eye out for that kind of content and report it as it comes up. You can either report it as "False information" or "Something else" (see image below). When prompted as to why you find it problematic, I have drafted a standard response which can be used. "This Facebook page is about a golf course. Yet they are going against Facebook guidelines by regularly creating and paying for sponsored content that spreads misinformation about social issues and political issues such as redevelopment of a heritage site and providing poor people jobs."
Nadine Dirks
(LAC coordinator)
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Hi loyal supporters!
We are currently working on a social media campaign to humanise the campaign and amplify voices of ordinary citizens.
We are appealing to you to please consider a recording a short clip expressing your feelings about the redevelopment of the River Club. Why do you care? or why should this not go ahead? Why do you think it is important to preserve the site, etc. Feel free to make it your own. You may also share this appeal with others who may be interested in submitting a clip too.
Please indicate if you are able to do one and by when you could get it to us. Please also send us a short written bio that includes your preferred name and what you do/title/etc for example: "concerned citizen", "teacher", "activist", etc
Thanks so much
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Vavi slams Amazon for staying silent in row over new HQ in Cape Town
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The controversial River Club development in Cape Town. File photo.
Image: Esa Alexander
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Bobby Jordan - 22 June 2022
Veteran trade unionist Zwelinzima Vavi has slammed the world’s biggest company, Amazon, for its “deafening silence” on Cape Town’s River Club development dispute.
The e-commerce and IT giant is scheduled to be the anchor tenant at the River Club site in Observatory which is the focus of a legal showdown involving rival groups of indigenous Khoi.
The developers, Liesbeek Leisure Properties Trust, said this week it was carrying out remedial work at the partly-constructed property, where work was halted earlier this year pending a court challenge from objectors.
Some indigenous Khoi activists claim they were excluded from public consultation around development of the site, where Amazon wants to locate its Africa head office...
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Water Stories Community Connection
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You are invited to an online mixer to share your water stories, work, inspirations and ideas, as we collectively imagine a sustainable and clean wetland city.
Date: Friday 1 July 2022
Time: 15.00 to 17.00
RSVP: https://tinyurl.com/bdd54sw3
Queries to hello@waterstories.co.za
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Amazon plans to expand into South Africa in early 2023 - leaked documents
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Business Insider - 20 June 2022
Amazon plans to launch its online marketplace in 5 new countries by early next year, even as it dials back parts of its retail business in the US, Insider has learned.
The moves will likely mean more competition for local e-commerce companies, including Jumia, which operates across Africa, and Mercado Libre, a leading online marketplace in Latin America...
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LLPT can’t buy truth even though they try
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Professor Leslie London, chairperson of Observatory Civic Association, and Tauriq Jenkins, high commissioner of Goringhaicona Khoi Khoin Indigenous Traditional Council
We write in response to the advertorial (“LLPT files urgent leave to appeal to the SCA against the legally flawed, job killing River Club interdict,” Southern Suburbs Tatler, June 16).
The Liesbeek Leisure Properties Trust (LLPT) has again used its economic power to buy advertorial space in newspapers to misrepresent the applicants in our court challenge against the River Club development. We set the record straight by providing you with facts, not falsities...
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Observatory Library hopes to become an essential part of the community again. It has been slow progress due to COVID and the library had to literally fight to reopen last year because of it. Unfortunately, due to City budget, many small community libraries are in danger of closing. Including Observatory Library. We want to re-establish ourselves and this requires the help of the community in the following aspects:
- To increase our Library Membership from the community itself.Currently, the library is used by individuals that are not living or have any divested interest in keeping the library open. As the library collection is online, they are able to reserve books from our collection. Thus, they use the drop-and-collect system. The library has received many compliments regarding its diverse collection.
- More community members to make use of the Library, thus, increasing our foot count. This in turn increases our book budget. The library offers various services such as SmartCape Internet, study space, the Observatory Book Club, story time Pram Jam and educational programmes for school students.
- Community members to take an interest in the Library by becoming Friends of the Library. Being a Friend of the Library does not mean you are obligated to take an active role. Silent members are most welcome. Due to COVID and people moving out of Observatory, we have lost many members and many of our programmes supported by the Friends came to a halt. The Friends supported programmes such as The Senior Knitting Ladies Club, the end-of-year story time programme, book sales, raffles, rummage and bake sales (bric-n-brac items donated to raise funds), programmes for the nannies, The Nelson Mandela soup programme amongst others. We also used to host morning tea time for the nannies and coffee time for our regular patrons.
Thank you for your interest and future support. We are most grateful.
Kindest regards
Cleolaine Delmore
Senior Librarian: Observatory Library – Library and Information Services
Community Services and Health, Area North
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If you want to watch most of the recent LAC activities, see our YOUtube channel here.
Please like and subscribe!
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Keep up-to-date with our campaign via social media!
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Please support our campaign by donating to our legal fund
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Support the campaign by buying a "Make The Liesbeek Matter" T-shirt!
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Look fabulous while advocating!
For Volunteering to sell the T-shirts.
You can collect them after 12 noon any day at Ferdinandos Pizza 205 Lower Main Rd. We have created packs for you. You will need to sign them out.
T-shirt sales are R200 .
I am placing the Snapscan code here so people purchasing can directly see this image and use Snapscan or you can take the cash and either donate directly to our bank or drop the cash with Joy +27 (72) 949-4600 In Trill road observatory.
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