Life of a transgender sex worker

At over six-foot tall (with heels) and a body to rival any Hollywood starlet, Leigh cuts an impressive figure. Her jet-black hair and thick eyeliner give her an almost brooding and feline quality. She looks directly at you with a friendly smile and moves with finesse.

Jonathan Dockney

Opinion | 11 September 2013

Cold reception for AngloGold Ashanti in Colombia

AngloGold Ashanti, one of South Africaā€™s biggest mining multinationals, is currently concerned about their investment of over US$255 million in Colombia. Chris Lodder, president of explorations of AngloGold Ashanti for the Americas, has described Colombia as a ā€˜diamond in the roughā€™.

Camila Osorio

News | 11 September 2013

When the solution compounds the problem

In April 2012, the Eastern Cape Department of Health (ECDoH) put in place a moratorium on the appointment of healthcare workers to vacant posts at facilities throughout the province. This moratorium was instituted in an attempt to control the chronic overspending that was pushing the department deeper into financial crisis each year.

Daygan Eagar

Opinion | 11 September 2013

A Tale of Rural Health

The failing healthcare system in the Eastern Cape affects everyone: urban communities, migrants from Gauteng and Cape Town too sick to work anymore or returning home to retire, and healthcare workers who donā€™t have the medicines, equipment and a functioning referral system, to offer the care their patients need.

Marije Versteeg

Opinion | 11 September 2013

Asylum seeker claims intimidation

A Zimbabwean woman, Faith Muchina (not her real name), 48, claims that officials at the Cape Town Department of Home Affairs (DHA) intimidated her into changing her application for refugee status to cite economic and not political reasons. As a result she lost her asylum seekers status in October 2012 and is now illegally in the country. She has now been in the country for eight years.

Tariro Washinyira

News | 10 September 2013

IKapa Dance Theatre gives gives back to the community

Ikapa Dance Theatre is a non-profit arts organisation established in 2007 by Theo Ndindwa, Tanya Arshamian and founding member Mbulelo Ngubombini. The organisation focuses on identifying and developing talent among children from the townships around Cape Town.

Tariro Washinyira

News | 10 September 2013

Old container to be re-opened as Gugulethu library

An old container once used as a library could be brought back to life in Gugulethu. 100 books have already been donated.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

News | 10 September 2013

The case for decriminalising the use of drugs

Drug abuse harms the individual, their family, community and country. As the drug trade increased globally, to save people from themselves, in 1970, US president Richard Nixon launched the ā€œwar on drugsā€.

JP van Niekerk

Opinion | 9 September 2013

Chequebook justice

Oscar Pistoriusā€™ bail application apparently showed how the justice system works when someone is arrested. But actually his hearing and release on bail were exceptional.

Nathan Geffen

Opinion | 5 September 2013

Study shows circumcision reduces HIV in “real-life” conditions

A South African study demonstrates for the "first time the effectiveness of male circumcision, in real-life conditions in curbing the spread of HIV", says its lead researcher, Bertran Auvert.

Michael Rautenbach

Brief | 5 September 2013

There should be no tolerance for anti-Semitism in Palestinian solidarity

A demonstration framed ā€˜as a silent protest against racismā€™ held at Wits University on 28 August turned out to be anything but an embodiment of the principles of the anti-racism it espoused when a small group of the protesters sang ā€˜dubula e judaā€™ (shoot the Jew).

Heidi-Jane Esakov

Opinion | 4 September 2013

Fracking: what are the facts?

Natural gas extraction is being promoted as the solution to South Africa's energy crisis. Shell and other energy companies want to harness the untapped reserves of natural gas below the Karoo using fracking. This is meeting stiff opposition, particularly from residents of the Karoo who are concerned about the risks.

Kerry Gordon

Feature | 4 September 2013

Poet’s in Gugulethu

News | 4 September 2013

SOS SAPS

News | 4 September 2013

Spaza music - a new urban culture

Spaza music is an expression of black, urban, hip-hop music. It originated among the youth in townships around South Africa.

Pharie Sefali

News | 4 September 2013

Qualified and unemployed

With almost 53% of its youth unable to find work, South Africa is facing one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the world, far higher than in comparable countries. While the International Labour Organisation (ILO) gives the youth unemployment rate as around 12% in sub-Saharan Africa and around 28% in North Africa, these high percentages are still far lower than they are in South Africa.

Nwabisa Pondoyi

Brief | 4 September 2013