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Apartheid reparations case to begin in US court

Jan 11, 2010 9:38 AM | By Sapa

Former education minister and anti-apartheid activist Kader Asmal is expected to be one of the parties siding with multi-national corporations in an apartheid-era reparations suit due to continue in a New York court today.


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quote A corporation lacks the qualities of a moral agent quote

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"Kader Asmal sides with the companies," said professor Marjorie Dobson, national director of the group.

Today's argument is expected to focus on whether the New York southern district court had the jurisdiction to hear the case.

"There will be 15 minutes of cross questioning by the judges of each side based on the arguments submitted. We have argued that the court has jurisdiction," said Jobson.

The Sowetan reported that the case, involving 25 South Africans, had led to Asmal applying to be a friend of the court on the side of the corporations which included General Motors, Barclays Bank, Fujitsu, UBS, Ford, IBM, Rheinmetall Group AG and Daimler.

In papers filed before the court, the companies reportedly argued that “no international tribunal has ever found a corporation liable for violating customary international law”.

“A corporation ... lacks the qualities of a moral agent, e.g. it has no moral conscience ... corporate liability does not exist because moral condemnation can only be imposed on natural persons,” they argued.


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Jan 11 2010 09:44:33 AM
Eric
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VIVA KADER ASMAL!!!!!!!!!!!
Jan 11 2010 09:45:32 AM
Mielie
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I would like to know y the prof is siding with the MNC's. As 4 MNC's having no moral conscience: perhahs it is time to make sure that they do have it... After all, all companies are run by human beings who should all have a moral conscience
Jan 11 2010 09:46:17 AM
Mielie
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Jan 11 2010 09:51:37 AM
Stirrer
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Very interesting - I also wonder what the motive of Kader Asmal is. Why would he wish to involve himself in this matter? It also places him at odds with folk like Desmond Tutu, whom I presume supports the case.
Jan 11 2010 10:01:38 AM
PrettyBoy
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Now we talking about flip-flop traitor showing his colors
Jan 11 2010 10:10:11 AM
TheVillageBoy_with a diploma
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No wonder the Freedom Charter was more specific on the matter of AFRICANS IN PARTICULAR, it was because of chameleons like Kader Asmal who should never ever be entrusted with anything, they are too white to be black:

Fact is :
1. It is still black people in general and Africans in particular who have got inferior roads, inferior education, and inferior public health system.
2. It is still black people in general and Africans in particular who are still suffering from unemployment, poverty, retrenchments and deepening inequalities.
3. It is still the children of black people in general and Africans in particular who will not be able to pay tuition fees at the beginning of the year.
4. It is still black people in general and Africans in particular who continue to suffer from incurable diseases like HIV and Aids, TB and many other diseases.
5. It is still black people in general and Africans in particular who are still living in inferior apartheid infrastructure of the townships. It is black people in general and Africans in particular whose township schools still resemble apartheid infrastructure.
Jan 11 2010 10:23:35 AM
nxila@thepub_with Schabir
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Jan 11 2010 10:10:11 AM
TheVillageBoy_with a diploma

In your country and in the last 15years particularly, whose fault is it that the above facts ring true? [could it be Africans themselves?]

If you are Zimbabwean put 30yrs next to the 15 and answer

If you are Angolan put 35yrs next to 15 and answer

If you are Ghanain put 50yrs next to the 15 and answer
Jan 11 2010 10:24:16 AM
Stirrer
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Jan 11 2010 10:10:11 AM
TheVillageBoy_with a diploma

Also, it is still black people in general and Africans in particular who continue to misrule our country, despite religiously promising their faithful voters every five years (in a frenzied couple of weeks of free T-shirt and food rallies) that things will change!
Jan 11 2010 10:24:32 AM
pws80
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Jan 11 2010 10:10:11 AM
TheVillageBoy_with a diploma

You are correct. Until you stop voting for the ANc and vote for the DA, it will never change.

Bill Gates (a whitey) spends more money on TB eradication in Africa than the African governments do. food for thought.

As to roads, I will repost this off another thread. You decide where the problem lies.

Of the 7,49 we pay in Gauteng, R1,50 is tax, 14c is to transport from Dbn to JHB (even though 40% comes from Sasolburg), 64c RAF, and .14c for pipe levy, and 3c for Inland levy.

http://www.dme.gov.za/energy/October/Petrol%20Price%2093%20Gauteng%20October%20%202009.htm

Cost of construction of 1km of Highway is:-

Approximately R30 million per km (3 lanes each way)
Cost of dual carriage way: R1,8 million (one lane each way)

In 2005 SA produced 23 571 million litres of liquid fuels = R35 Billion in taxes.

http://www.dme.gov.za/energy/liquid.stm

This equates to:

11,785km of new highway or 196, 425 km of dual carriageway over a ten year period.
Jan 11 2010 10:25:37 AM
ThembaM
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Ok. Asmal wassup dude?