Disabled and waiting for a house since 1992

While Thembisa Maso, a KTC resident still waits for her house to be completed, Mbuyiselo Vena, her neighbour, is struggling day in and day out in a wheelchair after being on a housing waiting list for the past 20 years.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

News | 29 May 2013

Debunking Jeremy Cronin on civil society

“Join our hands to fight the drug companies, join our hands to raise money from the private sector, join our hands in raising money from each of us who will contribute to save lives of everyone who needs to be saved.” With these words Zackie Achmat launched the Treatment Action Campaign in 1998.

Doron Isaacs

Opinion | 29 May 2013

Organisational rights and democracy

Potentially turbulent and conflicting currents among trade union federations have been exposed following an attempt by deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe to calm troubled labour relations waters.

Terry Bell

Opinion | 29 May 2013

Battle over Barcelona’s Buckets

Residents of Barcelona informal settlement are living a sanitation nightmare. The company contracted to remove the bucket toilets, Sannicare, has been hit by industrial action and no resolution is in sight.

GroundUp Staff with assistance from Tebello Mzamoand Fergus Turner

News | 29 May 2013

Freedom of liberty award

News | 29 May 2013

MyCiTi: brilliant service delivery or irresponsible public planning?

Policy makers hail the MyCiTi Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) as the solution to Cape Town's public transport. MyCiTi has been lauded for its service quality. But it has also been criticised for its drain on public funds, and the system is also being questioned by existing operators.

Martin Eichhorn

Opinion | 29 May 2013

More and more people, less and less work

In recent columns I have mentioned the frightening statistic from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) that, on a global level, more than 120 million men and women are now without work — and will probably never work again. This week, an updated figure arrived from the ILO: there are now more than 200 million people who are jobless and with little hope of their circumstances changing.

Terry Bell

Opinion | 27 May 2013

Chippa United’s Goldman hopes to stay in the PSL

What a challenging weekend it was for Cape Town's PSL teams. Ajax played Golden Arrows at Cape Town stadium needing three points to stay in the PSL. Mabhuti Khenyeza scored the opening goal followed by Toriq Losper and Khenyeza again, saving Ajax from relegation. But Chippa United's fate is still unclear.

Margo Fortune

News | 22 May 2013

Why we should support social movements

This week I finally signed up as a donor to Equal Education. I'd been meaning to do it for a long time. Small as my contribution is I'd like to urge all who can afford even R20 per month to start supporting the social movements. Here's what motivated me to finally sign that debit order form.

Jack Lewis

Opinion | 22 May 2013

Nyanga celebrates first gay pride march

On Saturday 18 March about 300 people gathered at NY1 Gugulethu and marched to the Nyanga Football Stadium in the first gay pride march in Nyanga.

Jonathan Dockney

News | 22 May 2013

Controversial youth website dodges censorship

“Outoilet” is an Afrikaans word meaning “old toilet”, but it also refers to a cellphone chat site, aimed mainly at Cape Flats youth. Its URLs are blocked by several service providers, but the site frequently re-emerges with different URLs.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

News | 22 May 2013

Gang killers suspected of targeting another boy

Last week, 17-year old Glenrico Martin was shot dead at his high school in Athlone. Natheer Abrahams is 16-years old and is being bullied and threatened by gangsters. He suspects they are the same ones that killed Glenrico.

Margo Fortune

News | 22 May 2013

How to buy your license

News | 22 May 2013

Opening up debates we need

The trade union movement is in a state of flux, with concepts such as centralised bargaining and the “winner takes all” approach of majority — 50 per cent plus one — unionism now being challenged. “Agency shop” agreements whereby majority unions take a slice of the subscriptions paid by members of smaller unions, let alone the much bigger question of party political alignments are also being seriously debated.

Terry Bell

Opinion | 21 May 2013