“It’s better that we go home before they kill us”

“We have the darkest skin colour so it is easy to see that we are not South African”, says Malawian national Niga Wezele. The 22-year-old fled from Isipingo when the xenophobic attacks started in KwaZulu Natal.

Ntombi Mbomvu

News | 24 April 2015

Khayelitsha residents hand over 600 submissions on City’s draft budget

About 150 Social Justice Coalition (SJC) members, supported by Ndifuna Ukwazi, formed a queue behind a toilet outside the Civic Centre and chanted struggle songs on Thursday, as they waited for their individual submissions on the City of Cape Town's draft budget for the 2015/2016 financial year to be collected.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

News | 23 April 2015

Thousands march against xenophobia in Johannesburg

Thousands of people marched against xenophobia in Johannesburg on Thursday 24 April. The march proceeded through Constitutional Hill, Hillbrow, the CBD and Newtown. Here is a selection of photos.

GroundUp Staff

News | 23 April 2015

“Sometimes I only manage to make R10 a day just to put bread on the table, - 17-year-old boy

When you’re 14 years old, your parents normally take care of you. But Sivuyile Sibhozo from Site C Taiwan Informal Settlement in Khayelitsha has been taking care of his brother and grandmother for the past three years.

Nombulelo Damba

Feature | 23 April 2015

UCT and transformation part three: the debate over what is taught

What should and what should not be taught at our universities? The demands of the Rhodes Must Fall students include calls for major changes to the content of courses at UCT. In the third article in our series we report on some of the debates over what students are taught.

GroundUp Staff

Feature | 23 April 2015

Call for parliament to sign anti-xenophobia pledge

About 100 people marched against xenophobia in Cape Town yesterday. The protest was organised by several civil society organisation including PASSOP and Sonke Gender Justice.

Tariro Washinyira

News | 23 April 2015

Marikana residents try to occupy new land

Residents of the informal settlement in Philippi East (named Marikana by residents, after the massacre in Marikana, the platinum mining town) attempted to erect shacks next to the Stock Road Train Station yesterday, but were prevented from doing so by police. Nevertheless residents have promised to try again.

Nombulelo Damba

News | 23 April 2015

Cape Town’s strelitzia man

Every day between 3pm and 7pm, at the traffic lights on the corner of Buitengracht Street and Buitensingel in the Cape Town city centre, you’re likely to see a man with a bunch of orange strelitzia flowers.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

News | 22 April 2015

“They just came to our home and slapped me”

Nowela Mukeyo, an 11-year-old Grade 5 pupil at an Isipingo primary school in Durban, calls a tent on the Isipingo football ground home.

Chris Makhaye

News | 22 April 2015

The way we punish

South Africa is often branded as a country with a high incarceration rate. In certain respects, this is true. For with 290 people per 100,000 imprisoned, it has the highest incarceration rate in Africa. But there is much more to prison population rates than a national head count of bodies behind bars.

Clare Ballard

Opinion | 22 April 2015

Xenophobia: let’s avoid the easy answers

Much has been written about why the recent wave of xenophobic attacks took place. But it's more complex than the usual reasons given, argue the authors.

Matthias Krönke and Mpho Raboeane

Opinion | 21 April 2015

Taxi drivers burn vehicles and attack reporters in Nyanga

At least three Golden Arrow buses and a delivery vehicle were set alight in Nyanga, apparently by taxi drivers who are demanding that the City Metro Police return their cars that were impounded yesterday.

Nombulelo Damba

News | 21 April 2015

Family of four die in Hangberg fire

A family of four was killed and eleven bungalows burned to the ground in a Hangberg shack fire early on Sunday morning.

Kimon de Greef

News | 21 April 2015

Crossroads woman accuses social worker of keeping her pension

A grandmother from Crossroads has accused a social worker of keeping back part of her old age grant of R1,350 per month.

Nombulelo Damba

News | 21 April 2015

Love and marriage in the midst of hateful xenophobia

Not even a series of xenophobic attacks in the city of Pietermaritzburg could stop the preparations for an Ethiopian man and South African woman to tie the knot. 27-year-old Thandeka Mkhwanazi and Mali Wondawock, 26, hosted neighbours and residents at their home in Cinderella Park at their Umembeso ceremony on Saturday.

Ntombi Mbomvu

News | 20 April 2015