GroundUp Newsletter 17 April 2014: Enkanini’s “field of death†and other stories

Featured Articles

Elections: more views from people on the street

In our on-going series of interviews with the public, GroundUp asks if people intend to vote, for which party, and why.

Dumisani Dabadini

Enkanini\xe2\x80\x99s \xe2\x80\x9cfield of death\xe2\x80\x9d

Residents of Enkanini informal settlement in Khayelitsha say they have taken it upon themselves to deal with thugs that are terrorising the community.

Johnnie Isaac

Elandskloof 18 years after restitution

The Elandskloof community, forcefully removed from their land in 1962, was the first successful restitution case in post-apartheid South Africa. Yet, the way the process has unfolded, has left several community members feeling angry and frustrated, 18 years after their historic victory.

Joshua Maserow and Jason Jardem

Reports

Murder in Ceres: gay people are not safe, says activist

Activist Kenith Abrahams, who was a friend of David Olyn, a gay man murdered in Ceres three weeks ago, says gay people in the community do not feel safe.

Pharie Sefali

SJC \xe2\x80\x9cdelighted\xe2\x80\x9d at progress of Khayelitsha Commission

The Social Justice Coalition is \xe2\x80\x9cdelighted\xe2\x80\x9d at the progress of the Khayelitsha Commission of Inquiry into policing, said the coalition\xe2\x80\x99s Joel Bregman.

Adam Armstrong

Zimbabweans introduce South Africans to new greens

A novelty to South Africans, various green leaf vegetables have over the past few years come to dominate immigrant green market stalls all over the city of Cape Town. The veggies, shunned by many locals, are favoured by many refugees from northern and central African countries.

Ras MiJa

\xe2\x80\x98A place where we ought to love one another\xe2\x80\x99

Emasithandane home, founded in 1994 in Nyanga, currently looks after 39 children, most of them HIV infected and affected. 20 years later, it is still going strong despite financial constraints.

Bulelani Ngovi

Elections 2014

Elections: what people are saying

GroundUp spoke to people about the elections, asking whether they would vote, who they would vote for and why. This is the first of a series GroundUp will be running.

Mary-Anne Gontsana and Pharie Sefali

Musos keep their ballots secret

With parties in full swing out campaigning, some will hire artists and bands to perform at election rallies. GroundUp asked some performers how they will vote, but most wouldn\xe2\x80\x99t disclose, out of fear of being sidelined on various platforms, losing their funding or alienating their audience.

Dumisani Dabadini

Opinion

Transparency is what is needed SJC tells City

Deputy General Secretary of the Social Justice Coalition Dustin Kramer continues his exchange with the City\xe2\x80\x99s Paul Boughey, Chief of Staff to the Executive Mayor of Cape Town.

Dustin Kramer

Still seeking fairness on the farms

Farm employer organisation AgriSA last week met with trade union representatives in an effort to strike a deal to allow unionisation on farms \xe2\x80\x94 and especially in the winelands of the Western Cape. \xe2\x80\x9cMost farmers still will not allow union representatives onto their properties,\xe2\x80\x9d says Federation of Unions (Fedusa) general secretary Dennis George.

Terry Bell

Where to for Cape Town Pride?

At a meeting on 12 April convened by Ikasi Pride, members of a divided gay and lesbian community discussed the future of gay pride in the city, its steady depoliticisation, its lack of community outreach and its image problem.

Brent Meersman

A year of compulsory community service for new teachers?

On April Fool\xe2\x80\x99s day, GroundUp published a story which claimed that government had made it compulsory for teacher graduates to provide their services in non-model C government schools for one year.

Joshua Maserow

What\xe2\x80\x99s that you say … human-whats?

Nearly two decades into our democracy, for most people living in South Africa our Constitution might as well be written in Latin, because it is more than likely that they have never read it.

Tim Fish Hodgson and Tawana Nharingo

Science

Deadly disease that\xe2\x80\x99s curable if you\xe2\x80\x99re rich

Around the world, 180 million people are infected with hepatitis C. But you would be forgiven if you asked, \xe2\x80\x9cWhat is hepatitis C?\xe2\x80\x9d.

Dr Mark Sonderup

Books

Unimportance: an extract from Thando Mgqolozana\xe2\x80\x99s latest novel

Unimportance, Thando Mgqolozana\xe2\x80\x99s latest novel was launched at the Book Lounge, Roeland Street, Cape Town on 11 April.

Thando Mgqolozana

Sport

Metropolitan U19 Premier Cup kicks off

A sunny Wednesday afternoon at Erica stadium in Belhar saw the start to the long-awaited Metropolitan U19 Premier Cup. The tournament, also known as the Bayhill Cup after its founders Bayhill United, hosts up to 31 professional and amateur teams from across the country and internationally.

Siyabonga Kalipa

Cartoon

Say hello to my little friend_The SABC

Roberto Millan

Job Vacancies

Wanted: two experienced journalists