This week — lowering insulin price worldwide, international peace day, and salvaging the democratic ‘project’

On Tuesday, 14 May at 2pm, Doctors Without Borders (MSF Southern Africa) will host a webinar on lowering the price of insulin worldwide.

“Pharmaceutical companies charge high amounts for insulin pens, decreasing healthcare access for patients with diabetes. Join us on a webinar to brainstorm how we can work together to solve this problem,” read a tweet from the organisation.

Register here

On Wednesday, 15 May at 11:30am, Corruption Watch will release its new report titled ‘The impact of Corruption: Insights from a Perceptions and Experiences Survey on corruption’.

Working with a select group of respondents, the study's primary focus is to gauge the overall perceptions of corruption in South Africa, and to touch on direct experiences of corruption and interaction with officials and leaders from various levels of government and business.

The study also aims to highlight the perceptions, characteristics, and prevalence of corrupt practices within South Africa’s public and private sectors, offering valuable insights into this phenomenon.

“The study features respondents’ knowledge and laws of agencies, confidence in law enforcement, thoughts on addressing corruption by appointed officials, and perceptions on whistle-blowing and protection, among other issues. It also reveals the data collection process used, the sample size of respondents, distribution of respondents per province, their demographic profiles, monthly income, and employment status,” read the press statement.

The launch will take place on Corruption Watch’s website. 



Also on Wednesday at 1pm, the University of Western Cape Faculty of Law will have a book launch of The D-Word, Perspectives on democracy in tumultuous times. 

The launch will be hosted by the research chair in gender, transformation, and worldmaking and speakers include Liberty Matthyse, Zwelethu Jolobe, Samantha Waterhouse, Karin van Marle, and Christi van der Westhuizen.

“The D-Word is a timely contribution addressing burning questions: are current contestations about the relevance of democracy due to systemic flaws in how it is constituted, received, practised and even imagined, and can the democratic “project” be salvaged? The book’s unique approach brings a variety of lenses to bear on the prospects for democracy. The critical reflections it contains make for an enriching, broad canvas of ideas,” read the poster.



Also on Wednesday at 4:30pm, there will be a book launch of Vishwas Satgar’s ‘A Love Letter to the Many: Arguments for Transformative Left Politics in South Africa.

This will take place at Wit Club, 7 Yale Road Parktown, and will include Dr Asanda Benya, Rheyna Pattni, and Awande Buthelezi.

RSVP to [email protected] and include the launch venue in your subject line.

Also on Wednesday 5:30pm,  there will be a young urbanists monthly meetup discussing housing, parking, and elections.

“Anyone is welcome to join an evening with young people interested in urban issues as we dig deeper into the vision for these four sites and how we can all get involved with making this vision a reality,” read the event poster.

The meetup is free and will take place at Urban Think Tank Empower, 76 Church Street, Cape Town CBD.

Thursday 16 May is International Day of Living Together in Peace.

This day is about accepting our differences and having the ability to listen to, recognise, respect and appreciate others, while living in a peaceful and united way.

“The day invites countries to further promote reconciliation to help to ensure peace and sustainable development, including by working with communities, faith leaders and other relevant actors, through reconciliatory measures and acts of service and by encouraging forgiveness and compassion among individuals,” according to the United Nations.

Friday 17 May is the International Day Against Homophobia Transphobia and Biphobia.

The day is intended to “draw attention to the violence and discrimination experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people, and all of those with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities or expressions, and sex characteristics”, according to the event website.

“The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia is currently celebrated in more than 130 countries, including 37 where same-sex acts are illegal. Thousands of initiatives, big and small, are reported throughout the planet,” it states.



On Saturday, 18 May at 10am, the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation (JHF) will have a public protest calling for the re-opening of the Johannesburg City Library.

“The Johannesburg City Library has been closed to the public since March 2020. Initially, this closure was due to lockdown restrictions brought on by the pandemic. But on 24 May 2021, it was announced that the library would remain indefinitely closed. [...] The JHF has repeatedly expressed its desire to assist in getting the library re-opened. We are yet to see any practical actions that suggest the City of Johannesburg and the Johannesburg Development Agency are taking their responsibility with regards to the Johannesburg City Library seriously.”

The protest will take place at Beyers Naude Square (in front of the library) and for more information contact [email protected] DM