On Monday, panicked applicants who had not yet received their Zimbabwean Special Dispensation Permit (ZSP) started queuing outside the ABSA building in central Cape Town for help.
Tariro Washinyira
News | 8 October 2015
At least two thousand workers from all sectors of the economy in the Western Cape marched to parliament today to hand over a memorandum of demands.
Bernard Chiguvare
News | 7 October 2015
For millions of South Africans, the monthly social grants -- mostly pensions and child support -- are the difference between survival and starvation.
GroundUp Staff
News | 7 October 2015
Every month, money is deducted from the accounts of hundreds of beneficiaries of social grants without their permission. The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) is working to get the money refunded. But according to the Black Sash, the system Sassa has set up does not work.
GroundUp Staff
Feature | 7 October 2015
The South African government’s massive social security payment system is managed by a subsidiary of Net1, a company listed on stock exchanges in the United States and Johannesburg.
GroundUp Staff
Feature | 7 October 2015
Some social grant beneficiaries are so deeply in debt that much of each month’s grant goes to paying back a loan.
GroundUp Staff
Feature | 7 October 2015
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
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
“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
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
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
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
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
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
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
We, as a nation, are deeply in debt. And that is very worrying, with declining disposable incomes the rising costs of living and with another festive season fast approaching. Government admits that many households are drowning in debt”. So the plea is for citizens to save more and to retain pensions rather than cash in existing provisions.
Terry Bell
Opinion | 5 October 2015
Good day Editor The government offers short-term programmes as a disguise, as if they are deali… Read more
The battle for survival extends across all sectors of the fisheries, with the exception of the larg… Read more
Many schools are situated in a residential area. Think of schools such as Kenwyn Primary and Wynber… Read more
My sentiment is exactly the same as Mr Steven Burnet. I've been catching for many years. Allocating… Read more
On the 12th of September I got a call from a certain debt review company. The way she explained how… Read more