News

After hundreds of jobs lost, Free State promises to fix impassable road

Four years after a R100-million provincial government contract crashed in the Free State – driving a large civil engineering company into bankruptcy and rendering a major road impassable – the province has finally taken action to repair the disaster.

Barbara Maregele (with amaBhungane)

News | 7 November 2014

ArcelorMittal and environmental groups battle it out in court

Can civil society organisations compel private companies to provide documents about their impact on the environment? This is the central question in a court battle that reached the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in Bloemfontein yesterday.

GroundUp staff

News | 7 November 2014

Marikana: World Bank loan undermines Lonmin’s arguments, says academic

During the hearings of the Marikana Commission, Lonmin executives said the company had not been able to afford to keep its 2006 promise to build 5,500 new houses for workers. Yet a year later, in 2007, the International Finance Corporation had made finance of US$150 million available to Lonmin - part of it for a "large-scale community development programme".

Alide Dasnois

News | 7 November 2014

Sheriff demolishes Walmer Estate shacks, then cancels eviction

After demolishing three structures, the sheriff of the court aborted the eviction of fourteen shack dwellers in Walmer Estate late on Thursday afternoon. As the sun was setting, the households who had lost their homes were hastily erecting temporary shelter.

Daneel Knoetze

News | 6 November 2014

Ses’khona and ANC trade accusations

Ses’khona Peoples Rights Movement has given the Western Cape regional office of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa seven working days to respond to its memorandum of demands.

Johnnie Isaac

News | 6 November 2014

Tokolosies graffitti bomb Brundyn+ gallery

On Thursday, staff at the Brundyn+ gallery in Buitengracht found that their building had been graffiti bombed by one of the art collectives, tokolos-stencils, invited to exhibit work at the gallery this month.

GroundUp Staff

News | 6 November 2014

Township based bands are music to the ears of youth

Zethu Gqola looks at four bands from the townships that have gone overseas, released high-selling albums and have come back to inspire their communities, mentoring the youth and getting children back in school.

Zethu Gqola

News | 6 November 2014

I use a sock as a sanitary pad, says Langa learner

Akhona is in grade eight. Like many of her classmates, she often misses school when she has her periods because her family cannot afford sanitary pads. When she has to write a test, she uses a sock, she says.

Pharie Sefali

News | 6 November 2014

How an organisation is helping immigrant children with disabilities

It is not easy to raise a child with disabilities if you are a single mother and a foreign national living in a township in South Africa. Fortunately, there is the PASSOP Disabled Children Support Group.

Tariro Washinyira

News | 5 November 2014

Marikana: Lonmin’s broken promises

Lonmin has broken its promises to build housing for employees, say the Marikana Commission's evidence leaders.

Alide Dasnois

News | 5 November 2014

Marikana: how the police “constructed” their story

Police evidence to the Marikana Commission was "constructed" at a meeting in Potchefstroom soon after the massacre of 34 miners in 2012, according to the commission’s evidence leaders.

Alide Dasnois

News | 5 November 2014

Marikana: Phiyega “not fit for office”

Riah Phiyega is not fit to hold the office of National Commissioner of Police, say the Marikana Commission’s evidence leaders.

Alide Dasnois

News | 5 November 2014

Khayelitsha and Nyanga lighties demo their cricket skills

Khayelitsha cricket oval was abuzz this past weekend. Great weather and enthusiastic shouts of “Good bowling”, “Keep it up”, “Bowl him out” and appealing every time there was the vaguest prospect of a wicket contributed to a wonderful atmosphere.

Siyabonga Kalipa

News | 4 November 2014

Making a living selling smileys

Nombulelo Mtibe eeks out a living selling smileys. And no, a smiley is not an emoticon on your phone!

Pharie Sefali

News | 3 November 2014

Domestic row blamed for fire that leaves 160 homeless

Residents of Europe informal settlement near NY 108 Cemetery in Gugulethu have begun rebuilding their shacks after they were gutted by a blazing inferno on Friday evening.

Johnnie Isaac

News | 3 November 2014

Cape Town’s popular public swimming pools: a joy for all but not equally spread

Summer is here and people in Cape Town have begun enjoying swimming pools, either their own or one of the city's public pools. But how evenly spread are the city's pools?

Lea Bork

News | 3 November 2014