Between 1,500 and 2,000 miners a year still apply for compensation for silicosis and TB contracted on the gold mines - yet the mining industry is doing very little to share the burden of these deadly diseases, writes Pete Lewis.
Pete Lewis
Opinion | 2 July 2015
Six years ago, Loyiso Mbete from Kayamandi in Stellenbosch saw a gap and struck a deal to buy 80 beehives from a local farm. Now the 35-year-old part-time construction contractor runs a thriving beekeeping business with more than 320 hives on several farms across the winelands in the Western Cape.
Barbara Maregele
News | 2 July 2015
COSATU and an organisation called Public Transport Voice have criticised Metrorail Cape Town's ticket increases which kick in today, 1 July 2015. Metrorail, however, says the fare increase is unavoidable.
Bernard Chiguvare
News | 1 July 2015
Phakisa, from the Sesotho word meaning "hurry up", has been touted by government as the silver bullet that would “fast track the implementation of solutions on critical development issues.”
Christopher Rutledge
Opinion | 1 July 2015
On 23 June the Pretoria High Court struck from the roll an application by Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) that tried to put an urgent end to Operation Fiela. Lara Wallis explains why this is deeply concerning.
Lara Wallis
Opinion | 1 July 2015
Spinning tops have been around for years and this is one of the toys that has been keeping township kids busy for decades, especially during school holidays.
Mary-Anne Gontsana
Brief | 1 July 2015
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) marks 55 years of independence today but many Congolese who fled to Cape Town say there’s nothing to celebrate since the country is at war and the government does not reflect the will of the people.
Bernard Chiguvare
Brief | 30 June 2015
There are massive medicine stockouts in the public health system. These are mainly due to failures within the state system, not external problems such as global supply shortages that Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi has claimed are primarily responsible. Here’s the proof.
Ashleigh FurlongNathan Geffen
News | 30 June 2015
About 200 pupils from farm schools in Wolseley, Stellenbosch, Wellington and Grabouw handed a memorandum to the Western Cape Education Department on Monday. The demonstration was organised by Women on Farms Project.
Bernard Chiguvare
News | 29 June 2015
Earlier this week, the Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance formally released the long-sought Environmental Master Plan for the Vanderbijlpark Steel Works owned by international steel giant ArcelorMittal (AMSA). AMSA only handed over this Master Plan, a series of expert reports on the environmental and health impacts of the steel works compiled in 2003, in December 2014, after being ordered to do so by the Supreme Court of Appeal.
Melissa Fourie, Robyn Hugo and Nicole Löser
Opinion | 29 June 2015
Trade unions — as democratic organisations of the sellers of labour — are probably more relevant now than they have ever been. Especially for anyone who feels that democracy is an important concept. Unfortunately, however, most of the unions remain narrowly focussed in a manner better suited to fighting the battles of an earlier era.
Terry Bell
Opinion | 29 June 2015
What compensation should there be for the victims of the Marikana massacre? The answer given in Judge Ian Farlam's final report released by President Zuma on Thursday night differs substantially from the recommendations given by the Marikana Commission's evidence leaders.
Ashleigh Furlong and GroundUp staff
News | 26 June 2015
“It will be like an emotional ambulance.” This is the vision of 28-year-old Banetsi Mphunga: a mobile psychology clinic in Khayelitsha which will see kids in the township receive free help dealing with psychological trauma.
Mary-Anne Gontsana
News | 26 June 2015
On Monday 15 June, contractors hired by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), began demolishing a building located on Railway Street across the train tracks from The Biscuit Mill. The building in question was a three-story building that was deemed “obsolete” by Henry Masimla, the PRASA real estate manager.
Jess Holdengarde and Shadi Garman
News | 26 June 2015
Fatima Mahomed Abukar immigrated to South Africa from war-torn Somalia. She together with a group of Somalis, Burundians, Senegalese and Malawians sell belts, socks and bags in Stellenbosch. Their business now runs smoothly, but they had to fight to get it that way.
Tariro Washinyira
News | 25 June 2015
Please protect local and foreign visitors to our natural treasures. We cannot afford to lose touris… Read more
It sounds as if there is a massive cover-up on the go here. Only one question from me: who was the … Read more
Projects of this nature are complex and it is easier to write horror stories about them than to exp… Read more
I work for an NGO in the HIV unit. It would be impossible for the DSD to reach their targets. They … Read more
The city should not entertain the notion of fixing providing water, sanitation and electricity to b… Read more