Opinion and Analysis
Media reports on protest action lack depth and context — media monitor
Palls of thick smoke hung over the N2 mid-September 2014, after protesters from the farming town of Grabouw, some 20 kilometres from Gordon’s Bay, barricaded the national highway with burning tyres. Rubber bullets flew and canisters of teargas exploded as the police met protesters head on.
Mandy de Waal
Analysis | 30 September 2014
Apartheid geography and murder in Cape Town
Building a socially and racially integrated Cape Town will decrease our murder rate and other violent crime, writes Zackie Achmat.
Zackie Achmat
Opinion | 30 September 2014
How heritage got roasted
Wednesday was a public holiday: Heritage Day. And carnivore commercialism seems largely to have claimed it. For many — if not most — South Africans who could afford it, this was a day to indulge in and enjoy chisa nyama, the ubiquitous braai.
Terry Bell
Opinion | 29 September 2014
SANDF court ruling victory for rule of law
When the high court upheld an application by Andiswe Dwenga against the defence force last week, it wasn’t just a victory for HIV activists: it was also a victory for the rule of law.
Carmel Rickard
Analysis | 29 September 2014
How Nedbank took the Radebes’ house and how they won it back again
On Thursday in the Gauteng High Court, judgment was given in a matter dealing with reverse mortgage schemes. These schemes have proliferated over the last few years as people with poor credit records seek out companies that are willing to lend them money regardless of their blacklisted status.
Claire Martens
Analysis | 26 September 2014
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
Opinion | 24 September 2014
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
Opinion | 23 September 2014
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
Opinion | 22 September 2014
Criminalising protest and dissent
A new report by SERI profiles a community protest in Lenasia, Gauteng, and concludes that the criminal justice system was "abused" in order to intimidate activists and protesters. A look at similar cases in Cape Town seem to support this finding.
Daneel Knoetze
Opinion | 18 September 2014