Spotlight on social grants: How the system works

It’s 6:30am on a cold Wednesday morning and about 50 people, mostly women with babies, are already queuing outside the South African Social Security Agency office in the Delft library to apply for their child support grants.

GroundUp Staff

Feature | 7 October 2015

Aerial photos disputed in Hangberg case

In the case against Hangberg resident, Santonio Jonkers, state witness David Nortje told the court on Tuesday that he personally issued Jonkers with a notice of eviction in September 2011.

Barbara Maregele

News | 7 October 2015

Our lives are worth more than R500

“Crime is touching me; it’s eating me,” said Patricia May, standing on a stretch of vacant land between Extension 9 and Transit Camp, two neighbourhoods in the larger Grahamstown township.

Hancu Louw

News | 7 October 2015

Taking theatre out of the box and into the backyard

Mhlanguli George, a young Nyanga-based theatre producer and director, has created Theatre in the Backyard, which aims to offer a very different theatre experience from the mainstream.

Christopher Clark

News | 6 October 2015

Why DASO won Fort Hare

In May, the Democratic Alliance Student Alliance (DASO) won SRC elections at the University of Fort Hare. The university has been a stronghold of ANC-aligned organisations. We spoke to student leaders to find out what changed.

Sibusiso Tshabalala

Analysis | 6 October 2015

Time to reposition one of Africa’s great debates: gay rights

Over the past few years, we have seen an explosion of arguments for and against gay rights in Africa. Those in favour of gay rights point out that they can help to protect sexual minorities by making discrimination illegal, in the process making societies more equitable. Those opposed to gay rights allege that homosexuality only arrived with Europeans, that gay rights are a threat to the African nation, and a threat to the heterosexual family.

Andrew Tucker

Opinion | 6 October 2015

Piketty’s radical vision for education

During Thomas Piketty’s Nelson Mandela lecture a friend tweeted that, despite the standing ovation, many would choose what to remember. They would parrot his call for investment in education because that was unthreatening. Forget land redistribution, a wealth tax and the national minimum wage, just get the kids in school!

Doron Isaacs

Opinion | 6 October 2015

Surfing helps youth at risk

A non-profit organization is using surfing to promote emotional wellbeing and mental health amongst youths who live in unstable and violent communities. Twice a week, children and teenagers from Khayelitsha, Lavender Hill and Masiphumelele head down to Muizenberg beach to surf. In the ocean, they find a safe space to have fun while building their self-confidence.

Juliette Garms

News | 5 October 2015

Life-saving drug stopped by sole supplier

South Africa is running out of an essential medicine for treating very sick patients with tuberculosis (TB) and drug-resistant bacterial infections. Many hospitals are already out of stock.

GroundUp Staff

News | 5 October 2015