Guy Fawkes township style

Without the money for fancy fireworks and with only the occasional cracker, youngsters in Mfuleni have come up with their own game to celebrate Guy Fawkes on 5 November.

Photos by Masixole Feni.

News | 6 November 2015

Mother and child die in fire, and government has no answers

About three hundred people from in and around QQ community, Khayelitsha, gathered at Matthew Goniwe Memorial High School for the memorial service of Zuziwe Ngcibi and her grade 12 daughter, Zikhona, who died in the early hours of 19 October in a fire that hit six homes in the informal settlement. The family could not escape as the blaze came through the only door.

Bernard Chiguvare

News | 6 November 2015

West Coast mine boss must go, say staff

A gyrocopter overflying the embattled MSR Tormin mine near the remote West Coast town of Vredendal was shot at last month, according to a witness who reported the alleged incident to the local police.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

News | 6 November 2015

Mining company “lied” to its shareholders

Representatives of the Amadiba community in the Eastern Cape have accused Australian company Mineral Commodities, part owner of the Tormin mine on the West Coast, of lying to its shareholders.

GroundUp Staff with AmaBhungane

News | 6 November 2015

Westlake residents demand better policing

Around 150 residents of Westlake township protested outside Kirstenhof police station today. They said the police were 'turning a blind eye' to crime in their community. They demanded the Kirstenhof station commander be removed for being unresponsive and that a satellite police station be established in the township. The community pledged their total co-operation with the police.

GroundUp Staff

News | 5 November 2015

No more segregation say District Six’s oldest evictees

Lead by two of District Six’s oldest surviving evictees, communities from across the Cape Flats marched on the mayor’s offices on Wednesday. They demanded a dignified return to the city for families forcibly removed during apartheid.

Daneel Knoetze

News | 5 November 2015

In photos: Police and protesters clash at University of Johannesburg

Despite what appeared to be a promising joint statement yesterday morning by University of Johannesburg (UJ) management and trade union Nehawu, tension escalated through the day on campus, culminating in police using force to disperse demonstrators.

Photos and text by Juliette Garms

News | 5 November 2015

Rugby is for girls too

No matter that they lack proper equipment and they train on a coarse field rife with thorns, the Iqhayiya High Schools Girls’ Rugby team from Khayelitsha have plenty of spirit. And the school has been nominated in the Developing School Team of the Year category for the 2015 SA Sports Awards to be announced in Gauteng on 22 November.

Siyavuya Khaya

News | 4 November 2015

Social grants: Pensioners complain about deductions for airtime

Edendale pensioner Phumzile Khumalo receives a social grant of R1,410 every month. Since last year, she says, airtime has been deducted from her account every month - without her permission.

Ntombi Mbomvu

News | 4 November 2015

SA vaccines get a shot in the arm

The $20-million partnership between pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and South Africa's Biovac Institute was “the beginning of the establishment of vaccine manufacturing capabilities on the continent”, science and technology minister Naledi Pandor told GroundUp.

Sarah Wild

News | 4 November 2015

UWC students and rector reach late night deal

An agreement was reached at UWC late last night after a seven hour meeting between Rector Tyrone Pretorius, the Students' Representative Council (SRC) and #FeesMustFall. The agreement includes the university’s commitments on a range of issues including free education, outstanding debt, registration fees and outsourcing.

Ashleigh Furlong

News | 4 November 2015

DA’s shadow bill misses the key point

On Wednesday, the Democratic Alliance's (DA) new shadow minister of police, Zakhele Mbhele, will brief parliament's police committee on the DA's Bill to replace the National Key Points Act.

Murray Hunter

Opinion | 3 November 2015

“If I move out, where will I go?,

Residents of houses on a state farm in Stellenbosch will hear next year whether the Western Cape High Court will grant the provincial Department of Transport and Public Works an order to evict them.

Tariro Washinyira

News | 3 November 2015

Accused in Masiphumelele mob justice murder gets bail

Hundreds of Masiphumelele residents sang outside Simon’s Town Magistrates’ Court at the bail hearing of community activist Lubabalo Vellem.

Thembela Ntongana

News | 2 November 2015

Dispute over who represents students at UWC

On Monday, a group of about 300 protesters at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) continued their call for free education, an end to outsourcing, scrapping registration fees, clearing student debt, and the incorporation into the institution of Kovacs private residence on the UWC campus.

Ashleigh Furlong and GroundUp staff

News | 2 November 2015

Essential TB medicine: is it back in stock?

On 5 October, GroundUp reported that the pharmaceutical company Sandoz had stopped supplying an essential medicine for treating tuberculosis (TB) to South Africa.

GroundUp Staff

Brief | 2 November 2015