News

Ses’khona leaders rendered homeless

Three Ses’khona leaders from Mfuleni Garden City informal settlement were left homeless after residents demolished their shacks on Saturday, accusing them of “selling” open spaces.

Nombulelo Damba-Hendrik

News | 23 June 2015

Yew Street Market gets its permit back

Saturday will see the park in Salt River buzzing with excitement when stall owners reopen for business, after the Yew Street Market was re-issued with its permit by the City of Cape Town.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

News | 23 June 2015

Minister to be consulted on evictions

Private and public landowners will have to notify the Minister of Human Settlements before evicting people from their land, if a proposal being discussed in government becomes law.

GroundUp Staff

News | 22 June 2015

Army closes down Cape Town Station

On World Refugee Day this weekend, South African police, traffic officials, metro police, brand specialists, immigration officials and defence force members shut down Cape Town Station's taxi terminus as part of Operation Fiela. The four-hour operation brought commuters to a standstill as taxis were not allowed in or out on a busy Saturday morning. Dozens of foreign nationals were arrested.

Bernard Chiguvare and GroundUp Staff

News | 22 June 2015

Showdown over what medicals schemes must cover

A high-profile court showdown is looming between a medical scheme and the patient activist group, Treatment Action Campaign, as well as about a dozen other organisations. Its outcome will have significant repercussions for what schemes offer their members.

Shadi Garman and GroundUp Staff

News | 19 June 2015

Langa body building champ to defend his title

Undefeated men's champion, Xolile Damba from Langa, is expected to once again defend his title at the third annual Battle of the Titans bodybuilding competition on Saturday.

Barbara Maregele

News | 19 June 2015

Wynberg residents resist MyCiti bus plans

Residents in Wynberg and Plumstead were still up in arms on Wednesday over the new planned MyCiti bus route. They claim it has not involved true public participation. If implemented as currently proposed, many families will have to be evicted and the social character of Wynberg will be changed.

Ashleigh Furlong

News | 19 June 2015

Tattoos - township style

Since the age of 16, Peter Webb from Mfuleni has had an obsession with tattoos after seeing many movie stars with bodies splashed with ink designs. Finally with his first salary, he managed to buy a tattoo machine and started his own business in the township.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

News | 18 June 2015

Visa applicants rejected for “incorrect and ill informed” reasons

The Forum of Immigration Practitioners of South Africa (FIPSA) last week said many visa applications are being rejected by Home Affairs due to the incorrect application of the law, leaving a stream of applicants unable to work, study and pay their bills.

Bernard Chiguvare and Ashleigh Furlong

News | 18 June 2015

More poo protests looming

At 4am on Wednesday, Cape Town police used teargas and rubber bullets to prevent a group of about 50 residents from Barcelona informal settlement dumping buckets full of human waste onto the N2 highway. Residents said their buckets have not been collected or cleaned for the past four months.

Nombulelo Damba-Hendrik

News | 18 June 2015

New Malmesbury hockey facility raises questions about allocation of funds

A new hockey astro facility funded with a R3 million grant from the Western Cape Provincial Sport Confederation to the Swartland Municipality has raised to questions in the community about how resources are allocated.

Ashleigh Furlong

News | 17 June 2015

How immigrants contribute to the SA economy

Saturday 20 June is World Refugee Day. In a keynote address at an event organised by the Scalabrini Centre and the Holocaust Centre in Cape Town, Caroline Skinner, senior researcher at The African Centre for Cities (ACC) at the University of Cape Town, shared timely new research about the role of migrants and refugees in the informal economy.

Tariro Washinyira

News | 17 June 2015

Informal traders wary of Strand Pavilion upgrade

Informal traders who eke out a living at Strand Pavilion allege that the City will marginalise them as the facility is upgraded. The City says there will be space for the traders, though slightly reduced. The upgrade has been in the pipeline since 2013.

Bernard Chiguvare

News | 17 June 2015

New hope for labour movement

There is just the faintest breeze of renewal and democracy wafting through the bureaucratic corridors of Cosatu and disturbing the cobwebs of dogma that have tangled up due process in the country’s largest labour federation.  It comes in the form of the election of David Sipunzi as general secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).

Terry Bell

News | 15 June 2015

Lwandle: accusations and counter-accusations

Lwandle’s residents intend to protest on the N2 because they say they are being neglected by SANRAL, the City of Cape Town and the Housing Development Agency (HDA).

Pharie Sefali

News | 12 June 2015

De Waal Drive residents assured they will not be evicted - if they pay

De Waal Drive tenants were assured on Thursday evening by Western Cape MEC for Human Settlements Bonginkosi Madikizela that they will not be evicted unless they are not paying their rent. Madikizela reiterated this point at a press conference this morning.

Ashleigh Furlong

News | 12 June 2015