Society

Adoption and race: we unpack the issues

Adoption of children across the the old apartheid categories is on the increase, according to the Department of Social Development. There were 936 such adoptions in the last three years. GroundUp unpacks some of the issues on what the department calls “trans-racial” adoption.

Thembela Ntongana and GroundUp staff

News | 29 September 2014

National tshisa nyama day

For many township residents, Heritage Day means a good braai, and there is no shortage of popular braai spots in Khayelitsha and Nyanga, a GroundUp team found.

Joyce Xi and Pharie Sefali

News | 23 September 2014

Heritage Day: is it a cultural event or just a chance to have fun?

Should we spend Heritage Day celebrating our culture or is it okay just to have fun? Young people interviewed by GroundUp had different views on the subject.

Pharie Sefali

Opinion | 23 September 2014

Pollsmoor inmates give back to society

On the weekend, Pollsmoor Prison inmates gave a helping hand to assemble wheelchairs for donation to communities in Ocean View, Masiphumelele, Retreat, Muizenberg and Capricorn.

Johnnie Isaac

News | 22 September 2014

The rise of female township gangs

When people think of gangs in the townships of Cape Town, they mostly picture young boys and men -- the Vato, Vura, Hardlivings, Palestinians and such. But there are also female gangs, rarely noticed, because they act differently from the male gangs. GroundUp went to talk to some of the “babes”.

Pharie Sefali

News | 18 September 2014

Criminalising protest and dissent

A new report by SERI profiles a community protest in Lenasia, Gauteng, and concludes that the criminal justice system was "abused" in order to intimidate activists and protesters. A look at similar cases in Cape Town seem to support this finding.

Daneel Knoetze

Opinion | 18 September 2014

Bullying still rife in schools, finds survey

A survey started in 2011 by the Quaker Peace Centre covering 102 learners has found that 95% of respondents were bullied at some point; of these 50% were bullied at school. The centre is ramping up its anti-bullying campaign.

Pharie Sefali

News | 16 September 2014

City of Cape Town plan to acquire drones

Shortly after referring to its CCTV system as "Big Brother" and expressing support for public video surveillance, the City of Cape Town has revealed that it is in the “planning phase” of a camera drone project.

Daneel Knoetze

News | 11 September 2014

Mannenberg duo teach more than music

In a classroom at Phoenix Secondary School in Mannenberg, GroundUp spoke to Zakie Johnson and Aziza Davids. They are skilled participants working for the Community Work Programme, a poverty relief government initiative that provides a job safety net for the unemployed. The average daily rate is R63,18.

Katy Scott

News | 10 September 2014