We are constantly being told, as the economy stutters and stumbles, that āwe are all in it togetherā; that we have a āshared futureā; that we have a patriotic duty to ābuild the nationā. And, for all the tub-thumping rhetoric about the evils of capitalism, this will almost certainly be the underlying theme of the Cosatu special national congress next week.
Terry Bell
Opinion | 14 July 2015
I have taken thousands of trips in metered taxis in Cape Town over the last ten years. In the last year or so Iāve switched to predominantly Uber taxis. Since I canāt legally drive due to poor eyesight, these are my primary ways of navigating the city. I therefore have a very significant interest in the battle between metered taxi companies and Uber. The aim of regulating an industry must ultimately be to serve the public interest. In the case of the metered taxi industry, the aim must be to ensure that a safe, reliable and affordable service is provided to the public, whilst of course ensuring that drivers are working under fair conditions of employment.
Marcus Low
Opinion | 13 July 2015
Transnational corporations influence every aspect of our lives. From the television programmes we watch to the food we eat, the clothes we wear and the way we communicate.
Baone Twala, Centre for Applied Legal Studies
Opinion | 9 July 2015
I was raised in a township that is known for its murders, rapes, hate crimes and robberies. Nyanga molded me with a strong personality, but has left me with challenges that will forever be rubbed in my face by those who see my sexuality as satanic.
Pharie Sefali
Opinion | 9 July 2015
The Judicial Service Commission is interviewing four candidates for the Constitutional Court today and tomorrow (9 and 10 July). Alison Tilley of the Open Democracy Advice Centre explains why this week's process matters so much.
Alison Tilley
Opinion | 9 July 2015
On 28 May 2015 the Traditional Healers Organisation laid criminal charges against mining company Aquila Steel SA (Pty) Ltd and three of its directors for illegally causing extensive damage to one of South Africaās most sacred cultural sites.
Tracey Davies
Opinion | 6 July 2015
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
Phakisa, from the Sesotho word meaning "hurry up", has been touted by government as the silver bullet that would āfast track the implementation of solutions on critical development issues.ā
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
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 Lƶser
Opinion | 29 June 2015
Trade unions ā as democratic organisations of the sellers of labour ā 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
We're a generation of clicktivists, incessantly raising awareness for a wide assortment of causes and social justice issues. But we rarely follow through with any tangible action or put our money where our āsharesā are. So, logically, we should be lauding those attempting to deliver actual change by attempting to physically address societal problems.
Natasha Skoryk and Caitlin Spring
Opinion | 24 June 2015
Are we on a slippery slope to authoritarianism? Itās a valid question to ask since both the Cosatu and the national constitutions have been undermined. And they were both, in their own way, flag bearers of the democratic promise of the new South Africa.
Terry Bell
Opinion | 22 June 2015
On Friday, R2K Gauteng is planning a protest at the gates of the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD). We did this after many years of frustration -- from R2K activists and other civic structures in Gauteng -- at how JMPD officers have undermined the right to protest.
Bongani Xezwi
Opinion | 18 June 2015
Constitutional Court judge Edwin Cameron delivered the Bram Fischer Memorial Lecture at Oxford University on 16 June. While much longer than pieces we normally carry, the speech is relevant to vital current issues and we present it here in full.
Edwin Cameron
Analysis | 17 June 2015
Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The courtās prosecutor alleges that al-Bashir has "criminal responsibility for the crime of genocide ā¦ killing members of the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups ā¦ causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of those groups, and deliberately inflicting on those groups conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction in partā.
GroundUp Staff
Analysis | 15 June 2015