The ugly reality of eviction and other stories

Philippi East evictions

Philippi: an eviction by any other name

When the Anti-Land Invasion Unity (ALIU) descended on 40-year-old Sophie Nqiba's shack they destroyed only half of it. Presumably, if the City of Cape Town's own criteria for the demolitions are used, it was the half which was \xe2\x80\x9cuncompleted\xe2\x80\x9d or \xe2\x80\x9cvacant\xe2\x80\x9d. For Nqiba, her partner and their five children it is a surreal and meaningless explanation.

Daneel Knoetze

City defends shack demolitions as evictions continue

The City of Cape Town has invoked a series of court interdicts and orders to defend its role in the evictions of shackdwellers in Philippi East. The land occupation has grown since last week. City Law Enforcement resumed the demolition and removal of shacks on a plot off Symphony Way today, resulting in violent clashes.

Daneel Knoetze

Philippi eviction: Sheriff contradicts City\xe2\x80\x99s JP Smith

The City of Cape Town's version of the evictions in Philippi East on 11 August has been contradicted by police and the SA Board of Sheriffs. The Board denies that any of its officials were involved in dozens of shack demolitions off Symphony Way in Philippi. The evictions were carried out by the City's Law Enforcement, police say.

Daneel Knoetze

The ugly reality of eviction

Whether legal or illegal, evicting people from their makeshift homes is an ugly, violent and brutal business. GroundUp photographer and journalist, Masixole Feni and Daneel Knoetze, were at the Marikana settlement, Philippi East, Cape Town, on a calm morning on 11 August 2014, and then the eviction teams arrived. By midday there was chaos, stones were thrown and the police were firing back with rubber bullets.

Daneel Knoetze and Masixole Feni

Cops beat and humiliate evicted shackdwellers in Philippi East

In yet another crackdown on shackdwellers in Philippi East\xe2\x80\x99s \xe2\x80\x9cMarikana\xe2\x80\x9d settlement, dozens of shacks were demolished by the City of Cape Town's Anti-Land Invasion Unit on 11 August. Police providing back-up and support, humiliated, assaulted and jeered at residents as they were evicted.

Daneel Knoetze

Reports

City\xe2\x80\x99s promise to help with housing gives Khayelitsha family new hope

For two years Khayelitsha resident Nokwakha Eslina Kalpens has had to help her 11-year-old mentally disabled granddaughter find her way to toilets 50 metres from their home.

Barbara Maregele

TAC pickets Michael Mapongwana baby unit

\xe2\x80\x9cThere is no privacy, you are asked in front of everyone what your baby's HIV status is. It is dirty and the staff is very disrespectful in the way they speak to patients. I don\xe2\x80\x99t go to that clinic anymore; it\xe2\x80\x99s been a year now. Because of their treatment I did something I shouldn\xe2\x80\x99t have done, I tested my child for HIV myself, because I too work at a clinic.\xe2\x80\x9d

Mary-Anne Gontsana

Terry Bell unfairly treated, says Council

Journalist and author Terry Bell was treated “shabbily” by Independent Newspapers' Business Report, which summarily dropped his weekly column earlier this year, the Statutory Council for the Printing, Newspaper and Packaging Industries has found.

GroundUp staff

Zimbabweans welcome extension of residence

The Department of Home Affairs has granted three more years residence to more than 250 000 Zimbabweans who applied for dispensation permits in 2009.

Tariro Washinyira

Department of Coffee opens new branches

Muffin runs, a pop up shop, a new range of coffee beans and now training volunteers to be baristas — Khayelitsha\xe2\x80\x99s first coffee shop, the Department of Coffee (DOC) is growing and showing no signs of slowing down.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

Gugulethu residents go on 24-hour patrol

Residents of ward 44 in Gugulethu have taken matters in their own hands to combat crime in the area. About 122 volunteers have signed up to do community policing work, which encompasses patrolling the area 24-hours a day, checking sewage problems and collecting rubbish material. The group has divided itself into three shifts, working around the clock from 7am.

Johnnie Isaac

Angy Peter trial

Mfuleni constable to sick to testify in Peter case

The case against activist Angy Peter and four others including her husband was postponed on 14 August as the Mfuleni detective constable was \xe2\x80\x9ctoo sick\xe2\x80\x9d to testify.

Barbara Maregele

Angy Peter trial: Police sergeant dismisses claims by State\xe2\x80\x99s eyewitness

On 12 August, police sergeant Lesley Freeman, who arrested two of the four accused of murdering Rowan du Preez, dismissed several claims made by the State\xe2\x80\x99s eyewitness.

Barbara Maregele

Police detective was not trained to probe murder

The detective constable who headed the investigation into the case where activist Angy Peter and four others are accused of killing Rowan du Preez had no formal detective training at the time.

Barbara Maregele

Fourth accused in Peter trial takes the stand

One of the four people accused of murdering Rowan du Preez nearly two years ago believes he was \xe2\x80\x9cfalsely implicated\xe2\x80\x9d in the matter by his ex-girlfriend after their relationship ended on a bad note.

Barbara Maregele

Opinion

Ehrenreich\xe2\x80\x99s Facebook post \xe2\x80\x9cidiotic and against the traditions of Cosatu\xe2\x80\x9d

An eye for an eye and the whole world would be blind, the Mahatma famously said.

Brent Meersman

Women who gave us a charter for all

\xe2\x80\x9cA scab\xe2\x80\x99s charter.\xe2\x80\x9d This was one published description of the Labour Relations Act (LRA) when it came into being 19 years ago. Because, although the bulk of the Act was warmly accepted by the labour movement, it contained a clause that seemed to undermine its basic precept.

Terry Bell

South Africa leads in HIV prevention among gay groups

As homophobic discrimination continues to sweep across the African continent, we should be acutely mindful of the diverse ways it harms societies. While we are most aware of the direct effect homophobic physical violence has on sexual minority groups, it is also crucial that we be cognisant of the many insidious ways stigma and discrimination impact not only on sexual minorities but society at large.

Andrew Tucker

Arts

A guide to get free legal music

Zethu Gqola wonders if with high levels of poverty and most people unable to afford legal music downloads which cost up to R20 per song, are illegal music downloads really morally wrong?

Zethu Gqola

Zimbabwean musician bounces back with AfricentiQ band

Zimbabwean Afro-soul music artist Shamie Mabvudzi will release his first video for 2014, Haruwe, on 13 August. He has established his own band, AfricentiQ, made up of five men and one woman. Mabvudzi is also launching a website this month, which will enable people to buy and listen to his music, see the latest news, interviews and tour information.

Tariro Washinyira

Sport

No proper court but school boasts netball champions

The Mfuleni community in Cape Town have been celebrating the success of its high school Netball team in the SA National Championships. The championships were held at Ekurhuleni in Gauteng in August, and the under 16 team from Manzomthombo High School won the tournament.

Johnnie Isaac

\xe2\x80\x9cWhy I became a bodybuilder\xe2\x80\x9d

The Western Cape Bodybuilding Union held a competition in Bellville on the weekend of 9 and 10 August to select athletes to represent the province nationally in Port Elizabeth. The divisions ranged from under 15 to heavyweight athletes.

Siyabonga Kalipa