Opinion and Analysis

Does anybody remember AIDS?

This week thousands of activists, scientists and government officials will troop to Melbourne, Australia, to participate in the 20th International AIDS Conference.

Mark Heywood

Opinion | 21 July 2014

The Difficulty with De Kock

On 10 July 2014 the Minister of Justice, Michael Masutha, conveyed his decision to refuse Eugene de Kock’s application for parole to the public. His decision, although unsurprising, is unusual for having gone against the respective recommendations of the National Council for Correctional Services and the Correctional Supervision and Parole Board, who, in November 2013, recommended that de Dock be released on parole.

Clare Ballard

Opinion | 21 July 2014

A suggestion for how unions can help alleviate household debt

Official statistics note that South African household borrowings have declined slightly. However, we remain a nation wallowing in debt. And this applies from the government down to the humblest of families.

Terry Bell

Opinion | 21 July 2014

How the Seriti Commission is failing

The Seriti Commission's approach is undermining the public's right to know, explains Kholiswa Tyiki, a journalist and researcher with Right2Know.

Kholiswa Tyiki

Opinion | 18 July 2014

Why the sun will continue to burn in Langa

Last Wednesday, Langa erupted into massive protest that locked down the area with no way in or out of the township. To many, it seemed like the anger came from nowhere – yet frustration has been simmering here for months if not years.

Jared Sacks

Opinion | 17 July 2014

Do wage increases lead to greater inequality?

Recent articles in GroundUp by Gilad Isaacs on the conclusions to be drawn from the long platinum strike have prompted a vigorous debate about the nature of inequality in South Africa. Here economist Mike Schussler argues that demands for higher wages will lead to more inequality, not less.

Mike Schussler

Opinion | 15 July 2014

Over-population is not the problem

“The misery of people here is very great, with beggars innumerable and increasing every day....pigs and calves live better than they.” That rhyming comment could apply to the legions of the poor in many parts of the world today. And South Africa is no exception.

Terry Bell

Opinion | 14 July 2014

Stripping the tears of bleeding-heart feminists and other sex abolitionists

Are Cape Town city strip joints filled with sex slaves? Marlise Richter investigates.

Marlise Richter

Opinion | 11 July 2014

Are editors crushing news of SA’s socialist dawn?

Activist-cum-political contender Mametlwe Sebei says news editors are actively excluding socialist issues from the public discourse. Jane Duncan of Rhodes says editors squash or are threatened by socialist ideas. Mandy de Waal looked into their claims.

Mandy de Waal

Analysis | 10 July 2014

Open letter to the Social Justice Coalition

Counsellor Ernest Sonnenberg has written an open letter to Phumeza Mlungwana, General Secretary of the Social Justice Coalition (SJC). This follows the report published by GroundUp on the SJC's toilet mapping initiative.

Ernest Sonnenberg

Opinion | 10 July 2014

Towards an Understanding of Braamfontein Activism

Civil society activists in Johannesburg are usually associated with protest marches, t-shirts with cool slogans, and Braamfontein. As an employee of the South African Human Rights Commission, I attend meetings instead of protest marches and wear suits instead of cool t-shirts.

Kayum Ahmed

Opinion | 10 July 2014

Rank and file make their voices heard

There seems to be renewed confidence and determination abroad among organised workers at rank and file level. Increasingly, there are fresh demands for a “living wage”, for the historic wage gap to be closed, and for the voices of the members to be heard.

Terry Bell

Opinion | 7 July 2014

Lessons from the platinum strike: the poison of inequality

The timing, duration and intensity of the long strike on the platinum belt were fuelled by a familiar South African problem: persistent and very high inequality.

Gilad Isaacs

Opinion | 1 July 2014

Help! People are breathing here

Breathing air that does not damage health is one of the most important constitutional rights. But some municipalities on the polluted Mpumalanga Highveld are battling to enforce the Air Quality Act, writes Robyn Hugo.

Robyn Hugo

Opinion | 1 July 2014

AMCU victory is more than just about the figures: A response to Gilad Isaacs

Gilad Isaacs underestimates the scale of AMCU's victory. His analysis offers an indicator of winner/loser based on contrasting the final settlement with the initial demand and initial offer. But this is arbitrary.

Peter Alexander

Opinion | 30 June 2014

The social catastrophe that threatens South Africa

The South African economy is facing a rocky period. But don’t blame the platinum strike or the union or workers involved. That labour dispute was a symptom, not the cause, of problems that had developed outside of the control of the workers.

Terry Bell

Opinion | 30 June 2014