Crime summit for Khayelitsha needed and other stories

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Crime summit for Khayelitsha needed, say organisations

In a bid to tackle the many police \xe2\x80\x9cinefficiencies\xe2\x80\x9d highlighted by scores of residents in the Khayelitsha commission of inquiry report, community organisations plan to host a joint crime summit with police.

Barbara Maregele

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

What the law has to say about evictions

The law on evictions has changed since the landmark Grootboom judgment in the Constitutional Court in 2000. But the recent spate of evictions and demolitions of shelters in informal settlements in the Western Cape \xe2\x80\x93 Lwandle, Philippi East, and Khayelitsha \xe2\x80\x93 must make the right to housing ring hollow for those left homeless, writes Sandra Liebenberg.

Sandra Liebenberg

What the law says about police using violence

Police are only allowed to use force as an absolute last resort when managing protests. But recent violence around several evictions of shackdwellers in Cape Town, prompted GroundUp to establish what the law says.

Daneel Knoetze

Taxi driver protests

Taxi owners distance themselves from strike

As all Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS) returned to normal, taxi associations Cata and Codeta say they are happy with the outcome of the meeting they had on Tuesday, and that calm has been restored among taxi drivers.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

Taxi drivers vow to continue protest

Taxi drivers angry at an increase in traffic fines have vowed to continue their protest if the authorities do not reduce fines.

Mary-Anne Gontsana and Katy Scott

Delivery truck burned and looted in Mfuleni

A delivery truck was set alight and looted in Mfuleni yesterday.

Johnnie Isaac

Reports

Montagu farm tenant appeals eviction

Andries Joostenberg, the retired farmworker who was evicted along with his family from a farm house in which they had lived for 26 years, has applied for urgent leave to appeal the court order which legalised the eviction. Papers were filed by family lawyer Johan van der Merwe in the Land Claims Court (LCC) on Wednesday.

Daneel Knoetze

Pollsmoor overcrowded with young offenders

Some young people believe that being a member of a prison gang is the only way they can get recognition. There are those who also believe that the only way to leave the gang is through death.

Pharie Sefali

Learners try to leave gangsters behind at Khayelitsha school

A year ago, Bulumko High School in Khayelitsha made the news when learners were afraid to go to classes because of gang fights that were happening inside the school and in the surrounding area.

Pharie Sefali

Police clearance is needed for Zimbabwean Special Dispensation Permit says Home Affairs

Following the Minister of Home Affairs remarks on 12 August 2014 that a clear criminal record was a condition to qualify for the Zimbabwean Special Dispensation Permit, the Zimbabwe Community South Africa (ZCSA) said they have noted people flocking to police stations for police clearance. The ZCSA told GroundUp that in fact there was no need for anyone to get police clearance. Subsequent to GroundUp quoting ZCSA yesterday, Home Affairs has confirmed that a certificate is needed. GroundUp deeply regrets adding to the confusion.

Tariro Washinyira

Zimbabweans form local study group

Zimbabwean teachers and students sometimes find it hard to integrate to South African schools. Established in January 2014, Par excellence is a study group with teachers and 20 Zimbabwean students located in Salt River. They are mainly high school repeaters and a few primary school children whose parents could not get places for them in major South African schools.

Tariro Washinyira

Marikana evictions: bail hearing postponed

Twelve men arrested for public violence, among other charges, while resisting evictions in Philippi East have been incarcerated for more than a week. Their case was again postponed at the Athlone Magistrates Court this morning. The accused will now remain in custody until 12 September, when their bail application will be heard.

Daneel Knoetze

Angy Peter trial: case finally wraps up

Defence advocate William King argued that conflicting testimonies of key state witnesses and the \xe2\x80\x9cdeliberate\xe2\x80\x9d interference from the police constituted proof of his client\xe2\x80\x99s innocence.

Barbara Maregele

Angy Peter: state probe was biased, says defence

The police investigation into the murder of Rowan du Preez was biased, the defence advocate in the Angy Peter trial has argued.

Johnnie Isaac and Barbara Maregele

Health

Shortage of drug that prevents babies from getting HIV

The National Department of Health (NDoH) has sent out a circular nationally to all doctors, nurses and pharmacists informing them of a shortage of a paediatric anti-AIDS drug called nevirapine, used to prevent HIV infection in the newborn children of mothers with HIV.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

Healthcare workers worry injecting heroin on increase

Sunday 31 August was International Overdose Awareness Day. Health workers in Cape Town have warned of a possible increase in drug overdoses and the spread of infectious diseases, including HIV, if the use of needles to inject drugs increases.

Ian Broughton

Circumcision just got easier

In a bid to get thousands of men in the Western Cape circumcised, the national department of health (NDoH) officially cut the ribbon to launch the new mobile theatres which will be going around the Cape\xe2\x80\x99s remote areas, to get males circumcised.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

Opinion

Premier Zille: wrong \xe2\x80\x93 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\xe2\x80\x99t have the right approach to taking personal responsibility for sexual behaviours.

Francois Venter

Education as an elixir for freedom

In 2010 there were 3228 matrics in Khayelitsha\xe2\x80\x99s 19 high schools. They achieved just 44 \xe2\x80\x98A\xe2\x80\x99 symbols between them, in all subjects.

Doron Isaacs

Khayelitsha Commission findings: what now?

The conclusion of the Khayelitsha Commission has left many people asking \xe2\x80\x9cwhat now?\xe2\x80\x9d writes Ayanda Nyoka.

Ayanda Nyoka

Daryl Impey: a very unusual case

Daryl Impey\xe2\x80\x99s exoneration on doping charges brought relief to many cycling fans. But, ponders Shuaib Manjra, there may be much more to this story.

Shuaib Manjra

Business shoots itself in the wages foot

The opening salvoes have again been fired in another round in the war about a national minimum wage. And on both sides there are accusations of the selective choice of research to bolster arguments.

Terry Bell

Activist Beat

A week in activism

This week in political activism we look at Sonke Gender Justice\xe2\x80\x99s 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

Music

The Warongx of Khayelitsha

Despite the positive role Khayelitsha band Warongx and their Khayelitsha Music Academy play in the community, official and formal support for them is largely absent.

Nicholas Ashby