Politics

ANC: from a heroic tradition to sleaze and crime

The ANC is one of the few political organisations in the world that has existed for over 100 years. It remains powerful electorally and although it received less votes than before in last year's national general election, it could well still be returned as the ruling party for the foreseeable future.

Raymond Suttner

Opinion | 6 January 2015

Text of EFF interdict

On 23 December Judge Dennis Davis delivered an oral judgment in the case between the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the speaker of the National Assembly. Here is the text of that judgment.

GroundUp Staff

Brief | 1 January 2015

Some lessons for South Africa’s sectarian middle-class lefties

Some NGOs with no membership that cast themselves as "radical" misuse grassroots organisations for their own purposes, writes Ayanda Kota.

Ayanda Kota

Opinion | 4 December 2014

Lonmin investor rapped over the knuckles

The powerful International Finance Corporation has been sharply rapped over the knuckles in an ombudsman’s report on its US $50 million investment in Lonmin.

Alide Dasnois

News | 3 December 2014

Militarisation and depoliticisation in South Africa today

One of the striking features of South African politics in recent years is its re-militarisation - a tendency for political issues to be addressed or resolved by force. This is part of a wider problem of violence suffusing South African society in general - that people, especially men, vent their anger with violence rather than discuss what has caused them to be annoyed in areas unrelated to politics, for example so-called “road rage”.

Raymond Suttner

Opinion | 2 December 2014

SACP: the biggest potential loser in Cosatu crisis

Politically, the biggest potential loser in the ongoing and increasingly bitter fracas within Cosatu and its affiliates is the smallest member of the ANC-led tripartite alliance, the South African Communist Party (SACP). That party’s Medium Term Vision (MTV), described in some party documents as a “ten-year plan” looks close to being in tatters.

Terry Bell

Opinion | 30 November 2014

Factions fuel violence at Durban hostel

Sitting on a worn-out green sofa outside Durban’s giant Glebelands hostel, Thulani Kati describes in graphic detail his alleged torture by a special police unit on 2 October this year.

Fatima Asmal and Barbara Maregele

Feature | 28 November 2014

Court orders City to conduct census of Marikana

On Thursday, residents of Marikana informal settlement’s Rolihlahla Park section welcomed a Western Cape High Court postponement of an eviction hearing. The court ordered that the City of Cape Town compile an audit of the households living on the erf in question to determine who will need emergency temporary accommodation if an eviction order is granted.

Daneel Knoetze

News | 21 November 2014

Who is behind Confessions of a Bisexual Chick?

A year ago, Ntombikayise Matyumza of Jeffreys Bay in the Eastern Cape started a Facebook page aimed at gay and lesbian youth. Today she has more than 14,000 followers across the country.

Pharie Sefali

News | 12 November 2014

Ses’khona and ANC trade accusations

Ses’khona Peoples Rights Movement has given the Western Cape regional office of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa seven working days to respond to its memorandum of demands.

Johnnie Isaac

News | 6 November 2014

Independent moves against Tony Weaver

Cape Times opinion page editor and veteran journalist Tony Weaver has been called before a disciplinary hearing after questioning a suggestion to crop out the logo of an advertiser from a news photo of a mall robbery.

Daneel Knoetze

News | 31 October 2014

etv: emails show who really runs the show

A credibility crisis in South Africa’s independent media is unfolding this week, writes Patrick Bond.

Patrick Bond

Analysis | 28 October 2014

Why I have resigned from the board of HCI

On 26 October, former Minister of Public Enterprises Barbara Hogan resigned from the board of Hosken Consolidated Investments, which owns etv. Here is her resignation letter.

Barbara Hogan

Opinion | 28 October 2014

Government Adjusts the Budget: Why it Matters for Service Delivery

The Adjustment Budget got very little coverage last week, but it is vital to understand it, explain Carlene van der Westhuizen and Thokozile Madonko.

Carlene van der Westhuizen and Thokozile Madonko

Analysis | 27 October 2014

Police: the facts behind the Commissioner’s “good story”

Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Policing should ask police management some tough questions, writes Zackie Achmat in the second in a series of articles on policing.

Zackie Achmat

Opinion | 24 October 2014

Week in activism

This week we look at Greenpeace’s call on government to make Eskom comply with pollution laws, a report prepared for Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Basic Education and a call for the Department of Home Affairs to recognise transgender rights.

Thembela Ntongana

News | 17 October 2014