Economy

“I burnt my client’s scalp” and other load shedding horror stories

Business owners in Langa township are fed up with load shedding. And residents complain that the rolling blackouts makes their neighbourhoods unsafe.

Pharie Sefali

News | 20 May 2015

“What is your business in Council?” - My experience trying to participate in the City of Cape Town’s budget

Every year the mayor calls for residents to participate in the budget process by making submissions on Cape Town's draft budget. Last year fewer than forty people wrote submissions and only 23 were from the public. This has been the trend for the last couple of years.

Axolile Notywala

Opinion | 14 May 2015

African Bank: no rescue plan for borrowers

The Reserve Bank came to the rescue of African Bank when it collapsed in August 2014. But there’s no rescue plan for borrowers, many of whom are repaying loans which experts say are contrary to the National Credit Act.

Mandy de Waal

Feature | 11 May 2015

Escaping poverty: Mosifane’s story

Mosifane Johannes lost his parents by the time he was 11. He grew up in poverty. Today he teaches at a Free State primary school.

Bernard Chiguvare

News | 6 May 2015

“You were supposed to become somebody, - the hopes of homeless people

In the winter of 2014 I interviewed six young men who lived on the streets of Cape Town’s Central Business District.

David Cowan

Opinion | 28 April 2015

Old Mutual drags its heels on Khayelitsha housing development

Old Mutual has not kept a promise to build more than 500 low cost houses and a shopping centre in Khayelitsha, though this was a condition of a 2008 deal with the City of Cape Town.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

News | 28 April 2015

Langa restaurant on show at Africa’s biggest tourism event

Six years ago, 51-year-old Nomonde Siyaka transformed her family's home in Langa into a two-storey traditional African food restaurant.

Barbara Maregele

News | 16 April 2015

Defrauded Nyanga man refunded after GroundUp reports his story

After having half his salary deducted every month for over a year to pay for furniture which he did not buy, a Nyanga man has now been refunded.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

News | 15 April 2015

Residents demand clarity on R60 million Langa Junction complex

Management of the R60 million Langa Junction complex has promised to make information available to angry residents who have complained about a lack of transparency in the building and leasing of the 5,000 square metre space.

Pharie Sefali and Nombulelo Damba

News | 14 April 2015

How 1Life agent ripped off pensioners

Nearly six months ago Helena Davids was coerced into taking out additional life cover by an agent representing the 1Life company.

Barbara Maregele

News | 13 April 2015

Long wait for Motsepe money

Khayelitsha residents who applied for funds from the Khayelitsha Motsepe Foundation in 2013 might have to wait months for the money, says the head of the Motsepe Foundation in the Western Cape, Steve Mashalane.

Nombulelo Damba

Feature | 8 April 2015

What’s up with the price of bread?

Nomsa Vumazonke buys two loaves of bread every day. She lives in Philippi with her three children and four grandchildren, and after making sandwiches for them says there is nothing left for her to eat. "Bread is too expensive. It's very hard. I have to buy bread for my children," she says.

Ben Stanwix

Feature | 1 April 2015

Eskom: a wake-up call to government and unions

Deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa persists in referring to the mess that is Eskom as “a challenge”. He did so in his Q&A session in parliament last week. But the situation at Eskom is perhaps the greatest crisis ever to face our fragile, non-racist democracy, especially given the global economic climate.

Terry Bell

Opinion | 23 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

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

Budget 2015: What leading activist organisations want to hear from Nene

Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene will present the budget speech to Parliament today. GroundUp spoke to several social movements and leading civil society organisations to find out what they would like him to address.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

News | 25 February 2015