School governing bodies have vital role to play

Zonnebloem Boys is a primary school in District 6 in Cape Town. In March, along with all South African public schools, it will hold elections to decide who will represent its parents, teachers and learners on the School Governing Body (SGB). Much is at stake in these elections: SGBs have the potential to ensure that quality education is distributed more equally across our population.

Frances Eberhard

Opinion | 20 February 2015

Somali businessmen share their acumen with locals

Abdikadir Mohamed, the Western Cape Chairman of the Somali Association South Africa (SASA), responded to South African business people who accuse Somali owned businesses of questionable practices at a business skills sharing workshop held at Vuyiseka Secondary School in Philippi this week.

Tariro Washinyira

News | 20 February 2015

Take back parliament for the people, declares R2K

Members and supporters of the Right2Know campaign rallied in the Cape Town CBD yesterday and vowed to take back Parliament for the South African public. This was in response to events at the State of the Nation Address (SONA) which had a "profoundly negative impact on our democracy" according to the organisation.

Daneel Knoetze

News | 20 February 2015

Raising funds to bring basketball back to Gugulethu

The basketball courts at Gugulethu Sports Complex were busy on the weekend when basketball teams from around Cape Town took each other on to raise funds for Gugs Hustlers.

Siyabonga Kalipa

News | 20 February 2015

ANC calls for “deregistration of TAC”

The ANC Youth League Free State has called for the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) to be deregistered. This follows TAC's "Fire Benny" campaign, which calls for the dismissal of the province's Health MEC Benny Malakoane.

Nathan Geffen and GroundUp Staff

News | 19 February 2015

Commuters must organise to improve Metrorail

The Metrorail website claims that it carries up to two million passengers per day countrywide. Finding a reliable estimate of how many people commute daily using trains in the Western Cape is challenging. Estimates range from 300,000 to over 700,000. Whatever the number, a lot of people, mostly working class, depend on trains to get to and from work.

Nathan Geffen

Opinion | 19 February 2015

Delays, faults and failures: what is to be done about Metrorail?

Persistent train delays cause constant problems for Metrorail commuters. The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), which owns Metrorail, plans to fix South Africa’s ageing and poorly maintained rail infrastructure.

Kevin Elliott

News | 19 February 2015

Shack demolished because of an unauthorised extension - says family

A family of six say they were left scrambling for material to rebuild their shack after it was demolished on Wednesday morning.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

News | 19 February 2015

Fifty Shades of Grey: it makes On Golden Pond look erotic

I bring you an announcement of national, no, international import: I have watched 50 Shades so that you don’t have to. Sensitive souls and family members must stop reading this now.

Francois Venter

News | 19 February 2015

Love is Blind: The youth wage subsidy and the South African media

Some media houses are cheerleading for the youth wage subsidy, despite the available evidence strongly suggesting that it is already a R2bn waste of public money.

Doron Isaacs

Opinion | 19 February 2015

Poverty report strengthens COSATU’s case for national minimum wage and comprehensive social security

The Congress of South African Trade Unions’ argument for a national minimum wage, comprehensive social secuity, and a basic income grant was greatly strengthened by the report released by Statistics SA on 3 February 2015, which exposed the shocking extent and continued persistence of extreme levels of poverty, writes the organisation's General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi.

Zwelinzima Vavi

Opinion | 19 February 2015

De Lille to meet Siqalo committee as rubbish piles up

Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille will meet community leaders from Siqalo on Wednesday evening, to discuss grievances that led to violent protests in the Mitchell’s Plain informal settlement two weeks ago. De Lille condemned the protests, but community leaders maintain that residents only went on the rampage weeks after a letter to the mayor had gone unanswered.

Daneel Knoetze

News | 18 February 2015

Life line for kids in Nomzamo with special educational needs

Bishop Sibonile Gcilitshane and his wife, Pastor Lindiwe, created a life line for children who have special educational needs when they opened a skill centre in Nomzamo township near Strand.

Zintle Swana

News | 18 February 2015

Parow police accused of abusing immigrants

On 6 February, Bernard Toyambi of People Against Suffering Oppression and Poverty (PASSOP) alleges his family was left traumatised after a group of more than 12 armed Parow Police officers broke into his house at midnight, claiming that they had received an anonymous call that there was a woman crying in his house.

Tariro Washinyira

News | 18 February 2015

Report Flemix legal team to the law society says advocate Anton Katz

A group of creditors used “trickery” to have emolument attachment orders served on unsuspecting consumers, advocate Anton Katz told the Western Cape High court yesterday.

Barbara Maregele

News | 17 February 2015

Meet the Xhosa rap duo from Langa and Lwandle

Sandisile 'Skillz' Ntleki and Silindokuhle 'Slie' Baka form rap duo Xhosa Tribe. These lyrical masterminds from Langa and Lwandle respectively have enough finesse and bars to rival iFani and maybe even cause Khuli Chana to break a sweat.

Zethu Gqola

News | 17 February 2015