More toilets will save South Africa money

For over five years, the Social Justice Coalition in Cape Town has called for expanding access to safe and clean sanitation facilities in Khayelitsha and other townships in the city. Despite the overwhelming need for such services, the municipal government has yet to fulfill its duties to provide them at the requisite scale.

Gregg Gonsalves, Edward Kaplan and David Paltiel

Opinion | 29 April 2015

School mourns 13-year old who died running for a seat in school bus

More than 800 hundred students gathered today at Ngwenyathi High School in Gwiqi village outside Mdantsane to mourn 13 year old Lutho Felepu who died running for a school bus.

Pharie Sefali

News | 29 April 2015

Maggots, bodies and stench: what Khayelitsha residents say about their toilets

Last Thursday the Social Justice Coalition handed over 500 submissions, written by Khayelitsha residents, on the municipal budget to the City of Cape Town. GroundUp examined a sample of them to find out what residents are asking for.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

News | 29 April 2015

May Day: a proud history

On Friday 1 May South Africa will celebrate Workers’ Day. In the first of three articles on the current state of the labour movement, Leonard Gentle explains the history of this holiday.

Leonard Gentle

Opinion | 29 April 2015

Waiting for a Home Affairs document: seven years and counting

A 32-year-old Burundian refugee, Furaha (not her real name) has been waiting since 2008 for her refugee identity document.

Tariro Washinyira

News | 29 April 2015

Angry parents close Mfuleni school

About 40 Mfuleni parents closed down the New Parliament Street Primary School on Tuesday, demanding that the principal leave the school and withdraw their children.

Nombulelo Damba

News | 29 April 2015

Four men charged with robbing Ethiopian shop

Four men have been charged with robbing two Ethiopian nationals in Pietermaritzburg.

Ntombi Mbomvu

News | 28 April 2015

“You were supposed to become somebody, - the hopes of homeless people

In the winter of 2014 I interviewed six young men who lived on the streets of Cape Town’s Central Business District.

David Cowan

Opinion | 28 April 2015

Old Mutual drags its heels on Khayelitsha housing development

Old Mutual has not kept a promise to build more than 500 low cost houses and a shopping centre in Khayelitsha, though this was a condition of a 2008 deal with the City of Cape Town.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

News | 28 April 2015

Ashton residents outraged after farm murder

Rosina Cloete claims that her husband, 50 year old Colin Cloete, was killed by an Ashton farmer while picking tomatoes and is determined to make sure justice is done.

Barbara Maregele

News | 28 April 2015

NUMSA plans revolutionary, working class party

Faced with what appeared to be a veritable swamp of ideology at a “socialist movement” conference in Boksburg last week, the National Union of Metalworkers (Numsa) has embarked on the process of creating a “Marxist, Leninist, revolutionary working class” political party. However, Numsa also facilitated the Boksburg conference, where representatives from 11 political groups or parties and a number of trade unionists and individuals made up the approximately 150 attendees.

Terry Bell

Opinion | 27 April 2015

Striking Khayelitsha nurses plan to close all clinics on Tuesday

About 30 nurses protested outside the municipal offices in Khayelitsha demanding certain management officers be removed. The staff accuse the managers of abusing them and making them work under difficult conditions.

Nombulelo Damba

News | 24 April 2015

A yard full of faeces

The City of Cape Town has put out a tender to solve among others things the temporary storage facilities for cleaning bucket toilets also known as porta potties.

Pharie Sefali

News | 24 April 2015

Skaters love their park

The Mill Street Skate Park is "the best Park in Cape Town" according to Bradley Bourne, a skateboarder from Mitchell’s Plain. It is also the City’s first public skate park in the CBD, located adjacent the MyCiti bus stop in Gardens. The Park opened in August 2014, winning the Building Trust International PLAYscapes design competition, and now attracts skateboarders, rollerbladers, and BMXers from around Cape Town and beyond.

Ben Stanwix

News | 24 April 2015

Foreigners the target of frustration with inequality ,“ Cape Town archbishop

In his opening address on Wednesday night at a rally against xenophobia organised by COSATU in the Cape Town City Hall, Archbishop Thabo Makgoba said pressure should be put on government to come up with a comprehensive immigration policy and provide refuge to those fleeing danger and violence without worsening the plight of South Africans.

Tariro Washinyira

News | 24 April 2015

City’s water and sanitation budget not pro-poor - SJC

On 25 April, the Mayor tabled the draft budget in council, challenging residents to find evidence that it is not pro-poor.

Axolile Notywala

Opinion | 24 April 2015