Secure elections,Protect our democracy.

Secure elections,Protect our democracy.

Americans' ability to fairly choose our own leaders is fundamental to our democracy.Given what we known about Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election,we must do everything we can at both the federal and state levels to protect the security and integrity of our election systems before voters go to the polls this year.

While the senate intelligence committee continues investigating the full extent of Russia's interference in the 2016 election,American intelligence assessments  have already established that Russia hacked presidential campaign accounts,launched cyber attacks against at least 21 state election systems and attacked a U.S voting systems software company.Although there is no evidence that the Russian activity changed vote tallies on Election Day,these intrusions demonstrate a clear vulnerability that foreign hackers will try to exploit in upcoming election.

This is a wake-up call that we must heed going into upcoming elections.States needs to improve and modernize protections for our voting systems,voter registration data and ballots to prevent theft,manipulation and malicious computer hacking.


Title         :Secure elections,protect our democracy

Source    :  usnews

Link         ; https://www.usnews.com/opinion/thomas-jefferson-street/articles

South Africa’s processed meats blamed in Listeria outbreak

You might say the source of South Africa’s deadly Listeria outbreak was hiding in plain sight, but it took the deaths of 180 people before the Health Minister could collect enough evidence to name the culprits.

A cold, processed meat product made by South Africa’s biggest producer of consumer foods is the cause of the ongoing outbreak, which has a stunning 27 percent fatality rate.

Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi, South Africa’s Minister of Health, on Sunday announced the source of the outbreak was two unrelated brands of “polony” manufactured by the Tiger Brands unit of Enterprise Foods and Rainbow Chicken Limited (RCL).

The minister said the Enterprise and RCL polony products are being recalled, and he went further.

“We advise members of the public to avoid all processed meat products that are sold as ready-to-eat,” Motsoaledi said.

The risk of cross-contamination is why South Africa issued the broader public warning.

“While we know that polony is definitely implicated, there is a risk of cross-contamination of other ready-to-eat processed meat products, either at production, distribution or retail,” according to the minister’s statement.

“This is because Listeria on the exterior casing (packaging) of polony can be transferred to other products it comes into contact with, including viennas, russians, frankfurters, other sausages, and other ‘cold meat’ products that are typically not cooked before eating.”

Motsoaledi said South Africa “can now conclude scientifically that the source of the present outbreak is the Enterprise Food production facility located in Polokwane.”

Ironically, Polokwane means “Place of Safety.” 

https:// listeriosis breaking news

Gigaba's fury at 'denial of birthright' by Engcobo church

Gigaba's fury at 'denial of birthright' by Engcobo church

Minister of Home Affairs Malusi Gigaba has slammed the Mancoba Seven Angels Ministry in Engcobo for forbidding its members from having identity documents, and not allowing children to have birth certificates.

Gigaba announced that the home affairs department had issued a directive to its provincial office to visit the area and to initiate an audit of the church members' paperwork.

Here on this story Mr Gigaba is protecting members of the community. He is right everyone must have an Identify document and children should have certificates. Depriving citizens not to have certificates and IDs is against the constitutional law.

For more information visit:
https://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2018-03-05-gigabas-fury-at-denial-of-birthright-by-engcobo-church/

ANCWL, CGE outraged over beating of woman outside Luthuli house.

It is sad how South African youth behave, they beat old people instead of protecting them.

Johannesburg - African National Congress Women's League(ANCWL) said it was saddened by videos and images of a group of men ' brutally assaulting  women ' outside the chief Albert Luthuli House on Monday.
Scuffles broke out outside the ANC's headquarters after supporters of president Jacob Zuma tried to lead a protest against his possible recall from office. Members of the Black First Land(BFL) movement, who want Zuma to be allowed to serve out his term as state president until 2019, were greeted by ANC supporters who chased them away, and in all process attacked BLF members as they were getting off truck transporting them.

Video footage emerged of a woman being severely assaulted by a man identified as Thabiso Sentona, the ANC branch Secretary of ward 62. Are we going to continue to do things like this in South Africa? Where are the real men who can protect the women? My fellow South Africans, we need to change our behaviours .

Source: eNCA
Link: http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/ANCWL-outraged-over-beating-of-woman

            POLITICAL WORLD IS TOUGH FOR WOMEN.




      The number of women in national parliaments increased by only 0.1 percentage point globally in 2017 from 2016. from 23.3% to 23.4%. This is despite an increase in the percentage pf seats won by women in parliamentary elections worldwide last year.


    This is according to a review released on Friday by the Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union         (IPU), ahead of International Women`s Day.


     A record number of women contested elections held in 2017, and more seats were won by women than in previous years: 27.1% compared with 22.3% in 2016. This was largely due to measures such as electoral quotas for women, it noted.

 
   " It is vital that women are part of decision-making institutions such as parliament. It is fundamental , not just for gender equality but also for democracy and the legitimacy of the process thereof." Regional highlights outlined by the IPU review:

Source:  https;//m.news24.com
     

ANC seeks to shield poor from sales tax hike

                             

            ANC  seeks to shield poor from sales tax hike.

  Johannesburg- The ruling African National Congress (ANC) said the government must consider additional measures to protect the poor from the effect of higher sales tax, possibly by increasing the number of exempt items.

Finance minister Malusi Gigaba announced plans to raise the rate of value-added tax to 15% from 14% in the February 21 budget, a decision criticised by the ANC`s labour union allies and civil rights groups.

The National Treasury said the move was  seen as the best option to plug a hole in the government`s finances and ward off further credit rating downgrades.