GroundUp Newsletter 07 February 2014: South Africa’s water wars and other stories

Featured Story

South Africa\xe2\x80\x99s water wars

Ma Gladys Mphepho hovers over a pot on a two plate cooker in her shack in Papamani, an informal settlement outside of Grahamstown. \xe2\x80\x9cWe do not have dignity,\xe2\x80\x9d she says, stirring the rice, flavoured with beef stock, that is her family\xe2\x80\x99s Sunday lunch. \xe2\x80\x9cWe do not know what it means to have dignity. Forget about any question of dignity,\xe2\x80\x9d says Mphepho.

Mandy de Waal

News

City and SJC dispute over Commission

The City of Cape Town and the Social Justice Coalition (SJC) have locked horns over the scope of the Khayelitsha Commission of Inquiry and the role of the City in the quality of policing.

Adam Armstrong

Young man behind Limpopo computer training centre

William Makgaba is an example of a young South African who is actively involved in developing his community.

Koketso Moeti

Somali community run school to learn English

Somali Association of South Africa (SASA) Western Cape chairperson Abdikadir Mohamed has established an English school project with the help of the Scalabrini Centre.

Tariro Washinyira

Landmark silicosis case reaches a milestone

The Legal Resources Centre (LRC) hosted a special event on 5 February 2014 to highlight its landmark silicosis case and the implications for future legislative and policy reform in South Africa.

Sibusiso Tshabalala

Police oversight bodies failing

For three days, the Khayelitsha Commission has heard from various bodies responsible for oversight and cooperation with the police. Their testimonies have not inspired confidence.

Adam Armstrong

Less than 2km of Upington street paved after a year

An expanded public works project in Upington to pave three streets of 1.8km is incomplete a year later and no account can be given of the project by the Department of Public Works, the local municipality, or the responsible councillor.

Selby Nomnganga

Disturbing video of “street justice” given to Commission

A disturbing video taken with a cell phone shows a man being beaten up brutally in Khayelitsha. It was placed in evidence at the Khayelitsha Commission of Inquiry yesterday.

GroundUp Staff

Police accused of extortion

The Khayelitsha Commission has heard testimony about refugees and their vulnerability to violence and exploitation.

Adam Armstrong

Home Affairs uses “sad and bad” court ruling against refugees

The hopes of thousands of asylum seekers in the Western Cape have been dashed by Director General (DG) of Home Affairs (DHA) Mkuseli Apleni.

Brent Meersman

When a police van hit and killed our child

This is a shortened transcript of a witness testimony given at the Khayelitsha Commission last week.

Transcript from Khayelitsha Commission of Inquiry

Cartoon

Long Walk to Freedom

Roberto Millan

Opinion

Can Khayelitsha be policed?

Opinion: The Khayelitsha Commission of Inquiry has entered its third week. Its aim is to investigate the allegations that SAPS have been inefficient in their policing of Khayelitsha and that there has been a breakdown in police-community relations.

Adam Armstrong

Activist Beat

The week in political activism

Activist Beat: This week we have reports from Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), SECTION27, Medecins Sans Frontieres, SERI, the residents of Slovo Park, Lawyers for Human Rights, Wits Justice Project and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Compiled by Brent Meersman

Brief

Vavi attends Commission - will submit affidavit

Brief: Zwelinzima Vavi, the suspended General Secretary of COSATU, was present at the Khayelitsha Commission today. He will submit an affidavit to the Commission.

Adam Armstrong

Book extract

Untitled: an extract from Kgebetli Moele\xe2\x80\x99s latest novel

Book extract: Kgebetli Moele burst on to the literary scene with Room 207 (Kwela, 2006). That success was followed by The Book of the Dead (2009), a deeply shocking novel whose protagonist deliberately sets out to infect as many people as he possibly can with HIV.

Kgebetli Moele