A recent judgment in the Durban High Court has confirmed what shack dwellers, urban land occupiers and their lawyers have known for some time – the state’s habitual use of legal loopholes to evict land occupiers from their homes is unconstitutional. What’s more, Judge Mokgohla’s decision has finally showed up the courts as sharing responsibility for allowing these evictions to go on unchecked.
Daneel Knoetze
Analysis | 26 August 2015
Just over two years after the books for the blind treaty was signed in Marrakesh, Morocco, South Africa has finally taken steps toward ratifying the treaty.
Marcus Low
Analysis | 26 August 2015
Around 200 people from several social justice organisations took part in a march to parliament on Tuesday, for safety, equality and justice.
Mary-Anne Gontsana
News | 25 August 2015
Every day millions across South Africa do arduous work in jobs that cannot keep them and their dependants out of poverty. These are the “working poor” and according to a new study, there are about five and half million of them.
Gilad Isaacs
Opinion | 25 August 2015
Students at Ukanyo Primary School in Masiphumelele informal settlement are taking part in a Maths Lab initiative designed to boost their maths skills.
Bernard Chiguvare
News | 25 August 2015
The Khayelitsha Green Point White Hall was packed on Saturday as residents came to air their grievances at a community hearing on sanitation and housing issues in the area. The community hearing was based on the findings of a social audit conducted with support from the Social Justice Coalition (SJC) between 4 and 14 August.
Mary-Anne Gontsana
News | 25 August 2015
The cost of sending money across national borders has been falling rapidly over the last ten years, everywhere in the world, but Sub-Saharan Africa is the most expensive region, and sending money from South Africa to neighbouring countries appears to carry the highest costs of all.
Ben Stanwix and Tariro Washinyira
News | 24 August 2015
Fifty-six-year-old Fikile Mlotshwa (not her real name) from Imbali in Pietermaritzburg has had to bear the winter cold and summer rains in a leaking mud house for over 20 years. She tested HIV positive 10 years ago and she is on ARV medication.
Ntombi Mbomvu
News | 24 August 2015
Andile Thetha turned his love for hip hop into a way to spread peace in a community plagued by crime, unemployment and drugs.
Thembela Ntongana
News | 24 August 2015
Lawyers representing residents of Newcastle informal settlement in Khayelitsha are to challenge the City of Cape Town's compliance with eviction orders in court on Wednesday, 26 August.
Barbara Maregele
News | 24 August 2015
The whole question of colonialism has come to the fore again, courtesy of the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) and its vehement objection to the introduction of the Chinese Mandarin dialect to local schools.
Terry Bell
Opinion | 24 August 2015
About 350 traders from the Cape Town station taxi rank marched to the Passenger Rail Agency (PRASA) offices in Cape Town to complain about rents.
Siphesihle Matyila
News | 21 August 2015
The Social Justice Coalition (SJC) has been at the forefront of two campaigns in recent years: improved toilet provision and better policing in Cape Town's townships. GroundUp did an in-depth interview with the organisation's Axolile Notywala.
GroundUp Staff
News | 21 August 2015
This month, international human rights body Amnesty International voted to “pursue a policy to protect the human rights of sex workers.” Its decision has generated much media attention and debate and has been opposed by many well-intentioned people and institutions.
Marlise Richter and Ruvimbo Tenga
Opinion | 21 August 2015
Johannes Chakuvinga lodged complaints of assault and unfair dismissal against Stikland company GSP Trucking in May with the industry bargaining council. Under the impression the company was closing, Chakuvinga was persuaded in July to settle for R5,750. But the company has not closed, and he wants to re-open his complaint.
Tariro Washinyira
News | 20 August 2015
Gays and lesbians in the townships don’t have to travel to town and other suburbs for entertainment. The vibe and the chillaz are brought to them in a full bucket by Bambeke NgeNtanjana Entertainment in their own Kasi (township).
Pharie Sefali
News | 20 August 2015
Being aware of your humble beginnings as my car watch supervisor in Brackenfell in 2002, it is a gr… Read more
This municipality cares not for the livelihood of fisherfolk, some of them subsistence. The excuses… Read more
It all started before the 2010 world cup in South Africa. We, the fisher folks, were banned from us… Read more
This happens in Kuruman as well. The municipality just ignores the many complaints, while these sha… Read more
I live in Uvongo. Alongside my house is a stormwater drain. When we had our property pegged by a la… Read more