Bonteheuwel residents and Mayor De Lille trade accusations
Some Bonteheuwel residents who attended a public meeting addressed by Cape Town Mayor Patricia De Lille last night allege she told them to "voetsek" and other insults. The meeting descended into chaos at one point, and the versions of what happened that have been published by the mayor and a residents' group contradict each other.
GroundUp Staff and Bernard Chiguvare
News | 2 October 2015
Stop hiding behind sub judice
"I can't comment - the matter is sub judice." This is the refrain beloved of senior politicians from Cyril Ramaphosa to Nathi Nhleko to Thandi Modise to Baleka Mbete to President Zuma himself when faced with a difficult question.
Leo Boonzaier
Analysis | 2 October 2015
South Africa’s real nutrition problems
Based on how much of our public space Tim Noakes and the Banting diet occupy, you might think that one of the most important nutrition problems facing South Africa is the carbohydrate vs fat intake in our diets. It just isn’t.
Ashleigh Furlong
News | 2 October 2015
Sewage-covered field causes huge stink for Witsand residents
Witsand residents who live near an open field situated behind the township woke up to the “unbearable smell” of stagnant sewage water on Friday 25 September.
Barbara Maregele
News | 1 October 2015
“Application dismissed” - a reflection on My Vote Counts, and losing
To hear those two words from a majority of the Constitutional Court after another wave of tireless campaigning on one of the oldest and most fundamental issues we face as a country was brutal.
Gregory Solik
Opinion | 1 October 2015
How bureaucracy is delaying Virginia’s dream of being a doctor
Virginia Sibanda, like thousands of youth across South Africa in November 2014, was hunched over a desk, pen in hand, taking her matric exams. Her years of accumulated academic trophies and certificates culminated in these papers. She had attended tutoring sessions, practiced the past exams, and had applied to universities to pursue her dream of studying medicine.
Sarita Pillay
Feature | 1 October 2015
Understanding the Constitutional Court judgments on political party funding
In the wake of the Hitachi/Chancellor House investigation in the US and Hitachi Corporation’s agreement to pay a huge amount to settle the corruption allegations made against it, the Constitutional Court’s judgments in My Vote Counts NPC v Speaker of the National Assembly and Others, handed down on Wednesday, could hardly be more pertinent.
Shanelle van der Berg
Analysis | 1 October 2015
Rhodes Must Fall replaces Piketty at UCT
Thomas Piketty, French economist and author of the bestselling Capital in the 21st Century, was due to arrive and deliver a lecture on inequality at UCT on Wednesday afternoon. He was prevented from flying (apparently for not having enough blank pages in his passport) and it was arranged that he would deliver the lecture virtually, via a live stream.
Ben Stanwix
Opinion | 30 September 2015
Why have annual national assessments?
This year’s Annual National Assessments (ANA), which are administered in literacy and numeracy to all learners in grades 1-6 and 9, have been postponed till December following opposition to their administration from teacher unions. How should we understand the value of these assessments, the reasons for the opposition from unions and how the assessments can be improved for the future?
Stephen Taylor
Opinion | 30 September 2015