Government

Marikana: Lonmin’s broken promises

Lonmin has broken its promises to build housing for employees, say the Marikana Commission's evidence leaders.

Alide Dasnois

News | 5 November 2014

Marikana: how the police “constructed” their story

Police evidence to the Marikana Commission was "constructed" at a meeting in Potchefstroom soon after the massacre of 34 miners in 2012, according to the commission’s evidence leaders.

Alide Dasnois

News | 5 November 2014

Battle over stipends in public works programme

Bambanani is an organisation that provides community safety. It operates as a public works programme under the auspices of the Department of Community and Safety. But some of their employees --or volunteers, depending on your perspective-- are frustrated with the stipends they receive.

Thembela Ntongana

News | 27 October 2014

Police: Parliament must ask tough questions

It’s annual report season in Parliament, and the new Portfolio Committee on Police is finding its feet. In the first in a series of articles, Zackie Achmat has some suggestions for the committee.

Zackie Achmat

Opinion | 23 October 2014

Police’s Firearms Registry contract probed by Hawks

After paying R340 million for a Firearms Control System that was not delivered, the SA Police Service has cancelled its contract with IT company Waymark Infotech. The botched contract is subject to a criminal investigation by the Hawks.

Daneel Knoetze

News | 21 October 2014

Marking “Black Wednesday”: how to ensure media freedom

Sunday October 19 marks the commemoration of ‘Black Wednesday’, the day in 1977 that the apartheid government banned a range of publications sympathetic to the Black Consciousness Movement, and arrested a group of journalists and editors.

Mark Weinberg

Opinion | 17 October 2014

Hangberg man to sue police

The man assaulted by police at his home in Hangberg last week is preparing to bring a civil claim against the police. Meanwhile, Hout Bay’s police commissioner has said that neither he nor his staff knew of the covert operation by the National Intervention Unit.

Daneel Knoetze

News | 10 October 2014

SJC trial: “We wanted the City to see we were serious”

Emotions ran high in the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday as Social Justice Coalition’s(SJC) general secretary, Phumeza Mlungwana, was cross-examined about last year’s protest on the steps of the Cape Town Civic Centre.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

News | 8 October 2014

Lwandle commission recommends reforms to prevent illegal evictions

The Commission of Inquiry into the Lwandle evictions has recommended changes to legislation to prevent illegal evictions in future.

Daneel Knoetze

News | 8 October 2014

National Health Insurance: struggling to be born

South Africa’s bid to provide universal health care through National Health Insurance (NHI) could fail if government does not learn lessons from other countries, a conference heard last week.

Ian Broughton

News | 6 October 2014

The week in activism

This week we look at a settlement on a land reform matter by Legal Resource Centre, a SWEAT dialogue to commemorate National Heritage Day, and Sonke’s call on government.

Thembela Ntongana

News | 25 September 2014

Western Cape crime stats to be monthly

According to a report by the Khayelitsha Commission of Inquiry released in August, the crime statistics for the three police stations in Khayelitsha when combined, record the highest number of violent crimes in the country year on year. The national crime statistics were released on Friday in Pretoria and they show that there has been a decrease in contact crimes (such as murder, sexual crimes, assault and robbery) from last year in Khayelitsha.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

News | 22 September 2014

Community hotline to Khayelitsha’s top cops

The cell phone numbers of Khayelitsha's top cops will be posted in newspapers this week in a bid to increase the responsiveness of the police in the area.

Daneel Knoetze

News | 22 September 2014

Premier Zille: wrong again

DA leader and Western Cape premier Helen Zille has again entered the HIV prevention arena, telling us we are failing to deal with HIV because we don’t have the right approach to taking personal responsibility for sexual behaviours.

Francois Venter

Opinion | 4 September 2014

A week in activism

This week in political activism we look at Sonke Gender Justice’s call for government to take urgent action on hate crime, charges laid by TAC against senior health officials in Bloemfontein, and the launch of an urgent intervention on behalf of Marikana residents.

Thembela Ntongana

News | 4 September 2014

US judge rules against apartheid claim

A US court has ruled against the Khulumani Support Group in its 12-year legal battle to bring US corporations to book for aiding the apartheid government. But Khulumani will appeal against this ruling, says national director Marjorie Jobson.

Shandana Mufti

News | 4 September 2014