Hundreds of extended public works employees picket in city centre

Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP) employees came in their hundreds to picket outside the City of Cape Town offices in the Civic Centre on Thursday. They were demanding permanent employment. Protesters went to several entrances to the building while waiting for their representatives who were meeting with the City officials.

Johnnie Isaac

Brief | 4 December 2014

Some lessons for South Africa’s sectarian middle-class lefties

Some NGOs with no membership that cast themselves as "radical" misuse grassroots organisations for their own purposes, writes Ayanda Kota.

Ayanda Kota

Opinion | 4 December 2014

“Ethical trade” wine farmer accused of strangling employee

A Robertson farm worker has laid a charge of assault against his employer after allegedly being “slapped and choked” on Wednesday morning. The attack, he said, was punishment for inviting a farm workers’ union leader onto the property. A case of assault is being investigated by the police.

Kimon de Greef

News | 4 December 2014

Long day’s journey to school

The journey to school is long and tough for many pupils. Some have to travel for hours on foot to get to school. The Equal Education Law Centre (EELC) recently collected affidavits in rural KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) which were “truly incredible and devastating”.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

News | 4 December 2014

Bapo ba Mogale community loses out in Lonmin deal

It has taken Lonmin Plc a decade to cut the Bapo ba Mogale community a 3.3% slice of the company that mines platinum on its land. In the same period, Lonmin has served up an ownership share more than five times bigger to Shanduka Resources – a black empowerment
company founded by ANC stalwart Cyril Ramaphosa – and sauced it with a series of loans and dispensations to keep it fresh.

Brendan Boyle

News | 4 December 2014

Two dead as police fire on crowd looting rice

Police have confirmed that live ammunition was used yesterday against people looting rice from a broken-down truck near Mbizana in the Eastern Cape. Two people were killed.

Pharie Sefali and Daneel Knoetze

News | 3 December 2014

Domestic workers denied UIF by employers

Too many employers of domestic workers refuse to comply with the Unemployment Insurance Fund, leaving their employees seriously short changed.

Zintle Swana

News | 3 December 2014

Lonmin investor rapped over the knuckles

The powerful International Finance Corporation has been sharply rapped over the knuckles in an ombudsman’s report on its US $50 million investment in Lonmin.

Alide Dasnois

News | 3 December 2014

Teaching Khayelitsha children to swim

Nondumiso Marman used to fear water but now she teaches Khayelitsha children how to swim.

Siyabonga Kalipa

News | 3 December 2014

Game of drones: City tests underway

City of Cape Town drone tests are underway, with a new model demonstrated to officials and journalists last week. Critics are uninformed, malicious and have watched “too many movies”, officials say.

Daneel Knoetze

News | 3 December 2014

Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance claim court victory

Steel Valley communities’ victory against ArcelorMittal is a victory for pollution-affected communities across the country, writes Melissa Fourie.

Melissa Fourie

Opinion | 3 December 2014

A house after waiting 13 years

Tirelessly since 2001, Thembisa Maso has been sent pillar to post by the City of Cape Town, the Department of Human Settlements, housing committees and ward councilors, only to be disappointed. Finally, she will be able to move into her home by the end of this week.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

News | 3 December 2014

Donors respond generously to GroundUp article on sanitary pads

In November, GroundUp published an article on learners using socks and all manner of items as sanitary pads. Donations have been streaming in to the GroundUp offices ever since. These will be distributed to schools.

GroundUp staff

Brief | 2 December 2014

Gugulethu showcase of talent

Gugulethu was at a standstill on the weekend when dancers and artists showed their talents at the Community Creative District launch. Houses were turned into art galleries, streets into stages, putting everyone in a jovial mood to see art in their area.

Siyabonga Kalipa

News | 2 December 2014

Militarisation and depoliticisation in South Africa today

One of the striking features of South African politics in recent years is its re-militarisation - a tendency for political issues to be addressed or resolved by force. This is part of a wider problem of violence suffusing South African society in general - that people, especially men, vent their anger with violence rather than discuss what has caused them to be annoyed in areas unrelated to politics, for example so-called “road rage”.

Raymond Suttner

Opinion | 2 December 2014

Eviction by the back door

Shackdwellers from the original settlement in Marikana, Philippi, are celebrating a court interdict which will protect them from being arbitrarily evicted “through the back door”. Interdicts secured by landowners and municipalities are supposed to prohibit further settlement. Yet they are often so vague that they allow for people who have already settled to be removed.

Daneel Knoetze

News | 1 December 2014