Secrecy shrouds Blikkiesdorp relocation plans and other stories

25 September 2014 | News

Featured Story

Secrecy shrouds Blikkiesdorp relocation plans

Blikkiesdorp community leaders are demanding access to an agreement between council and Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) for the relocation of the settlement.

Daneel Knoetze

Heritage day

Heritage Day: is it a cultural event or just a chance to have fun?

Should we spend Heritage Day celebrating our culture or is it okay just to have fun? Young people interviewed by GroundUp had different views on the subject.

Pharie Sefali

Braaing on Heritage Day: you may want to ask how that beef got to your plate

You probably wouldn't sprinkle antibiotics like sugar all over your breakfast cereal every morning, even if you were sick. There is, though, a good chance that you are in effect doing something similar today on Heritage Day. The steaks you are braaing, or the chicken being grilled is likely to contain traces of antibiotics.

Nicholas Ashby

A Heritage Day celebration with Pollsmoor prison staff

\xe2\x80\x98My culture, your culture, our culture, one nation\xe2\x80\x99 was the banner for Heritage Day in Pollsmoor under which prison employees, who come from many cultural backgrounds, celebrated South Africa\xe2\x80\x99s heritage.

Johnnie Isaac

National tshisa nyama day

For many township residents, Heritage Day means a good braai, and there is no shortage of popular braai spots in Khayelitsha and Nyanga, a GroundUp team found.

Joyce Xi and Pharie Sefali

Reports

Western Cape crime stats to be monthly

According to a report by the Khayelitsha Commission of Inquiry released in August, the crime statistics for the three police stations in Khayelitsha when combined, record the highest number of violent crimes in the country year on year. The national crime statistics were released on Friday in Pretoria and they show that there has been a decrease in contact crimes (such as murder, sexual crimes, assault and robbery) from last year in Khayelitsha.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

Community hotline to Khayelitsha's top cops

The cell phone numbers of Khayelitsha's top cops will be posted in newspapers this week in a bid to increase the responsiveness of the police in the area.

Daneel Knoetze

Marikana evictees granted bail

Residents from Marikana informal settlement were jubilant outside Athlone Magistrates Court today when twelve of their neighbours were granted bail. The men had been in custody since 22 August for resisting evictions at the settlement in Philippi East.

Daneel Knoetze

Will there be an investigation into police shooting?

The man shot by police during evictions in Philippi East a month ago is back at work — and still waiting for police investigators to contact him.

Daneel Knoetze

Pollsmoor inmates give back to society

On the weekend, Pollsmoor Prison inmates gave a helping hand to assemble wheelchairs for donation to communities in Ocean View, Masiphumelele, Retreat, Muizenberg and Capricorn.

Johnnie Isaac

Swag is the new \xe2\x80\x98ish\xe2\x80\x99 in the townships

Many youngsters in the township are taking Swag style to a new level. GroundUp spoke to several young people in the township about the meaning of Swag and how they relate to it.

Pharie Sefali

The boy from Masiphumelele who rapped for Obama

For some teenagers hip hop music means money, cars and fame, but for others, it has a much deeper meaning.

Zintle Swana

Opinion

When rights clash with tradition

Is South Africa on the brink of a clash between the egalitarian concepts embodied in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and the demands to retain undemocratic, feudal and colonial hangovers of the past? If so, it may be Swaziland that will provide the catalyst.

Terry Bell

Brief

Bail for arrested shackdwellers - residents toyi-toyi outside court

Around 50 residents from Marikana informal settlement in Philippi East descended on the Athlone Magistrates Court to support twelve of their neighbours who have been detained for almost a month.

Daneel Knoetze

Activist beat

The week in activism

This week we look at a settlement on a land reform matter by Legal Resource Centre, a SWEAT dialogue to commemorate National Heritage Day, and Sonke\xe2\x80\x99s call on government.

Thembela Ntongana