Government

Pietermaritzburg municipal workers demand permanent jobs

About a hundred municipality workers on temporary contracts for the Msunduzi municipality, which includes Pietermaritzburg, downed their tools and protested outside the KaMagwayi depo yesterday. They are demanding permanent positions.

Ntombi Mbomvu

News | 8 December 2015

City commits to upgrading Endlovini

Residents of Endlovini — who protested three weeks ago at what they described as the empty promises of ward councillor Anele Gabuza and the City of Cape Town — might have their demands met.

Siyavuya Khaya

Brief | 7 December 2015

City steps up bus safety checks for annual exodus to Eastern Cape

The City of Cape Town will, from 10 December until Christmas Eve, step up safety checks on buses departing to the Eastern Cape. But some bus drivers are annoyed by the inconvenience this causes at the busiest time of the year.

Siyavuya Khaya and GroundUp staff

News | 7 December 2015

Masiphumelele: before and after the fire

Here are two aerial photographs of Masiphumelele's Section D and Section E informal settlements. The first was taken before Sunday morning's fire, and the second was taken after.

GroundUp staff

News | 4 December 2015

Wolwerivier school bus cancelled for 2016

Wolwerivier children may have to change schools after the bus service to their school at Vissershok was suspended, writes Daneel Knoetze, a researcher at Ndifuna Ukwazi, an organisation that recently published a report on conditions at Wolwerivier to which Knoetze contributed.

Daneel Knoetze

News | 4 December 2015

Cough up money for TB, demand protesters

“Cough up money” for tuberculosis (TB) was the main demand of over a thousand people who marched from Keizersgracht Street to the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) this afternoon. The CTICC is hosting the 46th Union World Conference on Lung Health, the planet's main annual TB meeting.

Thembela Ntongana

News | 3 December 2015

Mfuleni backyarders protest over housing list dispute

About 300 Mfuleni backyarders marched yesterday to the office of the Western Cape MEC for Human Settlements, Bonginkosi Madikizela, to hand over a memorandum about housing in the area.

Bernard Chiguvare

Brief | 3 December 2015

Man wrongly detained by Home Affairs describes ordeal

A Zimbabwean man, detained in the Lindela Repatriation Centre in Krugersdorp even though his passport allowed him to be in South Africa, has been released. GroundUp told his story on 25 November. He was released two days later.

Tariro Washinyira

News | 3 December 2015

Masiphumelele to get its own fire station

Masiphumelele, scene of a devastating fire last weekend, is to get its own fire station. Community leaders have welcomed the news, but expressed surprise that they were not consulted.

Thembela Ntongana

News | 3 December 2015

National Minimum Wage: Cosatu calls for R4,125 to R5,276 a month

At Cosatu’s 12th national congress, delegates resolved to support a call for a national minimum wage of between R4,125 and R5,276 a month. Here is an edited summary of the congress declaration.

Cosatu

Analysis | 2 December 2015

Khayelitsha kids have fun while learning how to stay healthy

Young children and teenagers packed Khayelitsha's Mew Way Hall to the brim today. They were entertained by the Zip Zap Circus and the Jazzart Dance Theatre. But besides having a day of fun, they also learnt about HIV and how to stay healthy, whether or not infected by the virus.

GroundUp Staff and Bernard ChiguvarePhotos by Masixole Feni

News | 1 December 2015

Municipal officials are taking the best for themselves, say waste pickers

Waste pickers at a Pietermaritzburg dumpsite say they have to compete with municipal officials who have also started picking up materials from the site.

Ntombi Mbomvu

News | 1 December 2015

This school has 300 students and no running water

Mahlubini Junior Secondary School near Cofimvaba has close to 300 students, no electricity in the classrooms and no running water.

Nombulelo Damba-Hendrik

News | 1 December 2015

Build us proper schools, students tell Education Department

Grade 11 student Achuma Mjikeliso was among a few dozen members of Equal Education protesting outside the Eastern Cape Education Department in King William’s Town yesterday. Her main complaint: leaking roofs in her classroom.

Nombulelo Damba-Hendrik

News | 1 December 2015

“My only thought was: I don’t want to die”

Nolufefe Mhlangeni lost her mother and her two-year-old daughter in a fire in Masiphumelele in 2013. On Sunday, she lost her home.

Thembela Ntongana

News | 30 November 2015

Cosatu can learn from Corbyn to avoid slipping into irrelevance

“The ANC came before democracy.” This statement by President Jacob Zuma was obviously incorrect since the concept of democracy pre-dated the formation of the ANC in 1912 by about 2,500 years.

Terry Bell

Opinion | 30 November 2015