In this episode of "Truth, Lie and a Hmm", Mewilec asks if the constitution reflects the will of all members of society, if a marriage is a contract and whether or not the pre-1994 government abolished customary law.

In this episode, Mewilec talks about the exploitative history (and present) of the cocoa industry in West Africa.

References

https://www.statista.com/statistics/263855/cocoa-bean-production-worldwide-by-region/#:~:text=About%2070%20percent%20of%20the,the%20world%C2%B4s%20cocoa.

NESTLE USA, INC. v. DOE ET AL.

F. N. HOWES, D.Sc., The Early Introduction of Cocoa to West Africa, African Affairs, Volume 45, Issue 180, July 1946, Pages 152–153, https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.afraf.a093508

Terry G. Powis; W. Jeffrey Hurst; María del Carmen Rodríguez; Ponciano Ortíz C.; Michael Blake; David Cheetham; Michael D. Coe; John G. Hodgson (December 2007). "Oldest chocolate in the New World". Antiquity. 81 (314). ISSN 0003-598X (Retrieved 9 February 2022)

Timothy Walker (2007) Slave Labor and Chocolate in Brazil: The Culture of Cacao Plantations in Amazonia and Bahia (17th–19th Centuries), Food and Foodways, 15:1-2, 75-106, DOI: 10.1080/07409710701260214

https://kathleeniscookinginmexico.wordpress.com/tag/chocolate-child-slavery/#:~:text=Hundreds%20of%20years%20ago%2C%20Mesoamerican,supply%20European%20demand%20for%20chocolate.

https://www.antislavery.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/1_cocoa_report_2004.pdf

https://www.jurist.org/news/2021/06/us-supreme-court-blocks-child-slavery-lawsuit-against-nestle-cargill/

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-politicalscience/chapter/the-american-legal-system/

https://archive.crin.org/en/library/publications/cote-divoire-national-laws.html#:~:text=Legislation%3A%20There%20is%20no%20comprehensive,various%20Codes%2C%20Acts%20and%20Decrees.

https://thevarsity.ca/2022/02/06/opinion-mm-remodel-mars-child-slavery-lawsuit/

So, so sorry for the awful audio. The process of recording this episode was fun but everything that happened afterwards was absolutely awful. I hope you enjoyed the episode regardless of the, again, awful audio!

victim empowerment programmes:

https://www.saferspaces.org.za/organisation/entry/first-community-resource-centre

gbv organisations

→ powa (people opposed to women abuse) https://www.powa.co.za/POWA/

phone number: 011 642 4346

→ childline south africa http://www.childlinesa.org.za/

toll-free helpline: 0800 055 555

→ child welfare south africa http://childwelfaresa.org.za/

phone number: 074 080 8315

→ famsa (family and marriage association of sa) http://famsa.org.za/

phone number: 011 975 7106/7

→ tears foundation https://www.tears.co.za/gbv-domestic-abuse/

phone number: 010 590 5920

→ gender-based violence command centre

• emergency toll free number:  0800 428 428, or send a please call me to *120*7867#

• you can also skype. add Help Me GBV to your skype contacts and send a message. this platform is also used to help victims in the deaf community who use South African Sign Language to communicate.

• SMS Help to 31531

• www.gbv.org.za

Resources:

Available (along with transcript) on my blog: https://mewilec.wordpress.com/2022/01/14/same-crime-unequal-victims/

In this instalment of "Truth, Lie and a Hmm", Mewilec finds out whether or not the unborn have rights, if the law protects ideas and if South Africa had laws before colonisation.

In this week's episode Mewilec details some of the ways in which Shell has collaborated with African lawmakers and government officials to destroy the lives of human beings.

Oceans not oil petition: https://oceansnotoil.org/sign-a-petition/

Resources

https://www.marineconservation.org.au/what-is-seismic-blasting/

https://medium.com/exploring-history/the-loudest-sound-ever-recorded-c1927ef0de4d

https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/175996-can-a-loud-enough-sound-kill-you

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1004837/number-of-royal-dutch-shell-employees/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/268734/revenue-of-royal-dutch-shell/#:~:text=Royal%20Dutch%20Shell%2C%20also%20known,billion%20U.S.%20dollars%20in%202020.

https://www.shell.com/about-us/our-heritage/our-company-history.html

https://www.foei.org/news/these-eight-scandals-prove-shells-long-history-of-contempt-for-people-and-planet

https://www.shell.com.ng/about-us/shell-nigeria-history.html#:~:text=In%201936%2C%20The%20Royal%20Dutch,first%20Shell%20company%20in%20Nigeria.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7840310.stm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogoni_people#cite_note-2

https://www.foei.org/news/oil-spills-ogoniland-nigeria-shell

https://www.theafricareport.com/26235/nigerias-silent-killer-welcome-to-ogoniland/

https://www.tabletwise.net/nigeria/franol-tablet

https://www.dw.com/en/nigeria-ogoni-9-activists-remembered-25-years-on/a-55547897

https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-12-14-eastern-cape-cabinet-supports-shells-wild-coast-seismic-survey/

https://www.businesslive.co.za/fm/opinion/on-my-mind/2021-12-09-tracey-davies-shell-between-the-devil-and-the-deep-blue-sea/

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/oureconomy/war-mozambique-natural-gas-blessing-turned-curse/

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2007/07/shel-j24.html

https://www.wsj.com/articles/shell-bids-a-long-goodbye-to-middle-eastern-oil-1516051295

https://www.greenmatters.com/p/atlantic-ocean-seismic-blasting

In this week's episode of "Truth, Lie and a Hmm" Mewilec figures out if a man can automatically take his wife's surname, if animals have rights and if social contracts exist.

In this episode, Mewilec explores the world of policing - how it began, what it has been like throughout the centuries and why it sucks. 

Transcript (not as many pictures as she would have liked): https://mewilec.wordpress.com/2021/11/20/the-laws-that-gave-birth-to-pigs-exploring-the-mess-that-is-policing/

Resources: 

1. HISTORY OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE (PRE-1994): https://www.samirror.com/sapolice-history.html

2. Inventory of Archives of the Secretary of the Burgher Military Council, 1718 – 1795: http://databases.tanap.net/ead/html/CapeTown_1.39/pdf/CapeTown_1.39.pdf

3. CHAPTER TWO: THE SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE AS SPECIFIC CONTEXT IN WHICH THE RESEARCH IS CONDUCTED: https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/27855/02chapter2.pdf?sequence=3

4. Apartheid Legislation 1850s-1970s: https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/apartheid-legislation-1850s-1970s.

5. Janine Rauch. Police Reform and South Africa's Transition

6. History (SINCE 1994)https://www.saps.gov.za/about/history.php

7. The Homelands: https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/homelands

8. S V THEBE AND ANOTHER 1981 (1) SA 504 (B)

9. S v BOSHOFF AND OTHERS 1981 (1) SA 393 (T)

10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnWu4lAKDj0

11. Marikana Massacre 16 August 2012: https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/marikana-massacre-16-august-2012

12. Marikana massacre: nine years on and no prosecution or compensation https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/marikana-massacre-nine-years-on-and-no-prosecution-or-compensation-8a6435c2-1c08-4998-b34b-2abd87c4e61c

13. Marikana massacre: Four police officers acquitted of all chargeshttps://www.enca.com/news/marikana-massacre-four-police-officers-learn-their-fate

14. Ex-cop Rosemary Ndlovu found guilty of murdering six relatives, including sister and boyfriend: https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/just-in-ex-cop-rosemary-ndlovu-found-guilty-of-murdering-six-relatives-including-sister-and-boyfriend-20211022

15. Rosemary Ndlovu: 'Who killed the victims?' judge asks convicted ex-cop: https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/rosemary-ndlovu-who-killed-the-victims-judge-asks-convicted-ex-cop-20211023

16. Ex-cop Rosemary Ndlovu slapped with 6 life terms for killing partner, 5 relatives: https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/just-in-ex-cop-rosemary-ndlovu-slapped-with-life-imprisonment-for-murdering-six-people-20211105

17. From reporting to trial – how rape cases fall through the cracks: https://rapecrisis.org.za/from-reporting-to-trial-how-rape-cases-fall-through-the-cracks/

In this episode of "Truth, Lie and a Hmm", Mewilec explains whether or not you can take a person to court for hurting your feelings, finds out if the only way to end a marriage is by death or divorce and ascertains if all superior courts can hear all types of cases. She also shares her thoughts on the recent local government elections.

In this episode Mewilec talks about the two acts which allow child marriages to be legal.