Brief

City must re-serve eviction notice to Khayelitsha residents

Western Cape High Court Judge Babalwa Mantame has instructed the City of Cape Town to “re-serve” the eviction order granted against Newcastle Informal Settlement residents.

Barbara Maregele

Brief | 1 September 2015

Minister’s promise to review Zimbabwean permits welcomed

The promise by Home Affairs minister Malusi Gigaba that rejected applications for Zimbabwean Special Permits are to be reviewed has been welcomed.

Bernard Chiguvare

Brief | 1 September 2015

Khayelitsha eviction case postponed

Residents of Newcastle informal settlement in Khayelitsha may have to wait another month to challenge the City of Cape Town over their eviction order.

Barbara Maregele

Brief | 26 August 2015

Shacks demolished following miscommunication

About 20 Mfuleni residents were forced to demolish their shacks that they had erected after occupying open land in the township.

Mary-Anne Gontsana and Masixole Feni

Brief | 18 August 2015

Body of second drowned Hout Bay fisherman found

More than a week after he drowned, the body of Hangberg fisherman Faizel Lee was recovered on Saturday morning. Lee had been catching crayfish close to the Hout Bay fishing settlement. His father, Igsak, made the discovery opposite Duiker Island, near to where fellow fisherman Clint Jacobs’ body was found on 7 August. The two men drowned after going to sea in a wooden rowboat the evening before.

Kimon de Greef

Brief | 17 August 2015

Police deny immigrants right to appear before a magistrate

On 13 August 2015, Potchefstroom police station cells security officer Buisanang Malefane told GroundUp on the phone that Malvern and Hamilton Mugwagwa, who are in their custody, have no right to appear before a magistrate because they are unlawfully in the country. They were arrested on 5 August 2015 at a roadblock in Potchefstroom on their way from Cape Town back to Zimbabwe.

Tariro Washinyira

Brief | 14 August 2015

“Arrest rapists and murderers, or community will impose the death sentence on them,” says community leader

About 150 Khayelitsha residents marched along Lansdowne Road on Monday before gathering and praying at the scene where Bongiwe Ninini (20) was murdered on 17 July.

Vincent Lali

Brief | 28 July 2015

New law to curb illegal debt deductions

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development are about to submit a new Magistrates' Court Amendment Bill in a bid to curb “illegal” garnishee orders.

Barbara Maregele

Brief | 23 July 2015

Top cops try to reassure Khayelitsha community

On Saturday at a meeting convened by police at Siviwe Primary School in Khwezi Park, police pleaded with the Khayelitsha community not to resort to vigilantism.

Vincent Lali

Brief | 20 July 2015

One of the world’s oldest toys is a township craze

Spinning tops have been around for years and this is one of the toys that has been keeping township kids busy for decades, especially during school holidays.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

Brief | 1 July 2015

Cape Town’s Congolese shun independence celebrations

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) marks 55 years of independence today but many Congolese who fled to Cape Town say there’s nothing to celebrate since the country is at war and the government does not reflect the will of the people.

Bernard Chiguvare

Brief | 30 June 2015

De Waal Drive residents’ option to stay on, for now

On the weekend, some tenants at the De Waal Drive flats received notices that they can stay on, provided they pay their rentals going forward. In this latest message to the residents, the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements has asserted a softer approach than it had done in the past. The change has been welcomed.

GroundUp Staff

Brief | 23 June 2015

Khayelitsha pastor rape case postponed

A trial of a Khayelitsha pastor accused of rape was postponed in the Khayelitsha Regional court on Thursday. Pastor Themba Dumisani Mathibela, also known as TD, is facing seven counts of rape.

Nombulelo Damba-Hendrik

Brief | 11 June 2015

Fireworks at AIDS conference

Benny Malakoane, MEC for Health in the Free State, came under fire while sitting in the audience at the opening of the 7th South African AIDS Conference in Durban on Tuesday evening. Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) chairperson, Nkhensani Mavasa, delivering one of the opening speeches, called for him to be dismissed.

GroundUp Staff

Brief | 10 June 2015

Masiphumelele school hopes for new hall

With winter underway, Ukanyo Primary School can no longer hold its parent-teacher meetings in the open. But the school has no hall, and no immediate prospect of getting one, says principal Phuthumile Michael Tyhali.

Bernard Chiguvare

Brief | 3 June 2015

“Not enough money allocated to sanitation,” say SJC protesters

Yesterday, about 150 members of the Social Justice Coalition (SJC) marched to the civic centre. They demanded “a detailed account” of hundreds of submissions to the City of Cape Town on the 2015/16 budget.

Bernard Chiguvare

Brief | 28 May 2015