Politics

Marking “Black Wednesday”: how to ensure media freedom

Sunday October 19 marks the commemoration of ‘Black Wednesday’, the day in 1977 that the apartheid government banned a range of publications sympathetic to the Black Consciousness Movement, and arrested a group of journalists and editors.

Mark Weinberg

Opinion | 17 October 2014

Lonmin’s Bermuda Triangle

Platinum mining giant Lonmin could have found the money to meet rock drillers’ pay demands instead of shifting funds between subsidiaries, possibly to avoid tax.

GroundUp staff

News | 16 October 2014

Dookoom: screaming about injustice

Daars a nuwe hond in die omgewing en hy raas soos ‘n baas! Kak gevaarlik and here to claim back the throne as the original Afrikaans gangsters, Dookoom have dropped a 4-track EP, A Gangster Called Big Times, and with the controversy caused by the debut single ‘Larney Jou Poes’, there are no sorry’s here.

Zethu Gqola

Opinion | 15 October 2014

University elections: SASCO splits

The SA Student Congress (SASCO) has split and a new breakaway organisation has won seats on the Student Representative Councils of the University of Cape Town and the University of the Western Cape.

Zintle Swana

News | 9 October 2014

Week in activism

This week we look at the SERI’s workshop on law related to eviction, the social dialogue for the gay and lesbian community, TAC’s march for better services and IOM’s public debate on human trafficking.

Thembela Ntongana

News | 8 October 2014

Dressing “sexy” to get a lift to school

Many Mfuleni learners walk to and from school in Khayelitsha every day, but some have found their own mode of transport: they show their bodies to persuade drivers to give them money for transport or a lift.

Pharie Sefali

News | 7 October 2014

Another Abahlali baseMjondolo member assassinated

Shortly after returning to KwaZulu Natal from the Abahlali baseMjondolo (AbM) Western Cape relaunch, Thuli Ndlovu, a branch chairperson in the shackdwellers’ movement, was gunned down in her shack.

Daneel Knoetze

News | 1 October 2014

Samwu expulsions unlawful, court rules

The Gauteng High Court has ruled that the expulsion of ten Samwu provincial office bearers by the union between April and June this year was unlawful.

Daneel Knoetze

Brief | 30 September 2014

Surviving Rivonia Trialists hold dialogue with school learners

Learners from a number of schools in Cape Town had the opportunity to meet surviving Rivonia trialists when a replica of Nelson Mandela’s prison cell on Robben Island was launched to tour the country.

Johnnie Isaac

News | 17 September 2014

Kasrils strikes back at Maphatsoe

Former South African intelligence services minister and Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) veteran Ronnie Kasrils has launched a scathing attack on deputy defence minister Kebby Maphatsoe.

Terry Bell

News | 16 September 2014

Allegations around public works programme spark protests in desperate Free State dorp

Arrive in Smithfield from any direction and the first official board one sees announces: ‘Mohokare declares war on waste’. The chief weapon in that war is a platoon of temporary workers hired under government’s Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) administered by local municipalities.

Carmel Rickard

News | 16 September 2014

From Steve Biko to Thuli Madonsela

This week the Public Protector was called a CIA agent. The ruling party’s tactic of labeling its critics foreign agents is counterproductive, has a bloody history and is damaging the country, writes Ayanda Kota.

Ayanda Kota

Opinion | 10 September 2014

SA activists and writers join worldwide reading in support of Edward Snowden

The Berlin Literary Festival's (BLF) “Liberty and Recognition for Edward Snowden” worldwide reading was supported by two events in South Africa at the AVA Gallery and Kalk Bay Bookshop (under the auspices of SA PEN) on Monday.

Daneel Knoetze

News | 9 September 2014

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

News | 4 September 2014

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

News | 3 September 2014

Gaza, Israel and South Africa’s edge of reason

Photos of South Africa's national schools debate team wearing keffiyehs and pins with the Palestinian flag fuelled a hurricane of social media hate earlier in August 2014. Mandy de Waal interviewed members of the team and considers what can be learned from that perfect storm.

Mandy de Waal

Analysis | 27 August 2014