Shack scam: Langa activist fears for her life
Langa residents are asking why a man accused of fraudulent plot sales to dozens of poor people has still not been arrested, while the activist who exposed him fears for her life.
Daneel Knoetze
Feature | 4 March 2015
Sibongile - help for children with disabilities
Nomasango Xabanisa knows only too well how time-consuming it is to look after a disabled child. Her own daughter, Sibongile, had cerebral palsy.
Mary-Anne Gontsana
News | 3 March 2015
Life remains intolerably hard for most South Africans
Wednesday was Budget day in South Africa, an annual event for the state. But for most citizens, budget day is every day or, if they a slightly luckier, a weekly or monthly calculation to try to remain at least afloat economically. So what happened last week, along with the plaudits and the protests reflected in the media, will not cause any excitement for more than half the population.
Terry Bell
Opinion | 3 March 2015
Manenberg school highlights public versus private education debate
An independent school in Manenberg, one of Cape Town's most gang-ridden communities, had better matric results last year than any state school in the area has ever achieved. But educationalists are divided as to whether it is a model that should be scaled up.
Barbara Maregele
Feature | 2 March 2015
City does not care if it is wrong as long as no one else knows it
When the Madlingozi family in Mfuleni extended their shack without authorisation, the City of Cape Town removed the extensions, amidst a dispute over the facts. Jared Sacks argues that the City presented its position without checking the facts.
Jared Sacks
Opinion | 2 March 2015
Gay and lesbian activists call for “racist” Cape Town Pride to be more inclusive
For 25-year-old, Aphiwe Mikana from Gugulethu, raising awareness about what it means to be lesbian is more than brightly coloured floats or a day of dancing through city streets.
Barbara Maregele
News | 2 March 2015
Response by Free State government to whistleblowers
On Friday 27 February GroundUp published a whistleblowers' account of the state of the Free State health system. Before publishing GroundUp sent a list of questions to the Free State Department of Health and the office of Premier Ace Magashule. Here is a response written by Mondli Mvambi of the health department and Makalo Mohale of the premier's office.
Mondli Mvambi and Makalo Mohale for the Free State government
Opinion | 28 February 2015
Help us help you, Minister Nene
For 21 years, the Minister of Finance has tabled budgets announcing that large amounts of money will go to social services that are meant to improve the lives of the poor. But, even the staunchest government supporter would agree that the country has not derived full benefit from this money. Year after year the Auditor General, Public Protector and others report on inefficiency, poor accounting and corruption in all categories of public spending.
Albert van Zyl
Analysis | 27 February 2015