The timing, duration and intensity of the long strike on the platinum belt were fuelled by a familiar South African problem: persistent and very high inequality.
Gilad Isaacs
Opinion | 1 July 2014
Gilad Isaacs underestimates the scale of AMCU's victory. His analysis offers an indicator of winner/loser based on contrasting the final settlement with the initial demand and initial offer. But this is arbitrary.
Peter Alexander
Opinion | 30 June 2014
The South African economy is facing a rocky period. But donāt blame the platinum strike or the union or workers involved. That labour dispute was a symptom, not the cause, of problems that had developed outside of the control of the workers.
Terry Bell
Opinion | 30 June 2014
Last week, GroundUp witnessed law enforcement officers confiscating the fruit of two street vendors on the corners of Belmont and Main Road, Rondebosch. They are among thousands of informal vendors breaking city bylaws to sell their goods at traffic lights and intersections across the City in order to make their daily living.
Barbara Maregele and Adam Armstrong
News | 26 June 2014
Over 50 protesters huddled behind barricades outside parliament on 17 June before President Jacob Zuma arrived to deliver the State of the Nation address that opened South Africaās fifth parliament.
Lara Sokoloff
News | 18 June 2014
More than 8.5 million people are receiving payments from the Unemployment Insurance Fund. If a bill before parliamentās labour committee is passed, benefits could be extended to a year.
GroundUp Staff
News | 17 June 2014
In the mining villages of Ga-Pila where Anglo Platinum continues to profit from land grabbed from the traditional communities just west of Mokopane, the appointment of the new Minister of Mineral Resources, Advocate Ngoako Ramathlodi, has been met with a sense of betrayal.
Christopher Rutledge
Opinion | 16 June 2014
Like any good question, the answer to whether the platinum producers can afford the demands made by striking workers is: āit dependsā.
Gilad Isaacs
Opinion | 9 June 2014
Lufefe Nomjana used to bake 25 loaves of spinach bread a day and walk up to 25 kilometres to distribute them. Now he has launched the first green bakery in Khayelitsha, Espinaca Innovations.
Mary-Anne Gontsana
News | 3 June 2014
Tracey Davies explains how the Batlhabine community fought back against a mining company that ignored the law. She also argues that the Department of Mineral Resources should have done more to help.
Tracey Davies
Opinion | 20 May 2014
Hundreds of Sassa beneficiaries who have become victims of unlawful debt deductions from their grants are struggling to make ends meet.
Barbara Maregele
News | 19 May 2014
Human rights advocacy NGO, Black Sash, have launched a country-wide campaign in a bid to stop illegal debt deductions from the grants of South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) beneficiaries.
Barbara Maregele
News | 19 May 2014
The Five Plus Project was launched on 17 March this year. Its goal is to get as many well-off South Africans as possible to give at least 5% of their income to organisations and initiatives helping to reduce poverty in South Africa or alleviate its effects.
Hugh Corder and Anton Fagan
Opinion | 3 April 2014
Many South Africans from all walks of life and across the political spectrum are calling for the resignation and impeachment of President Jacob Zuma. In the light of a thoroughly researched and meticulously presented report by the Public Protector into the Nkandla matter, these calls seem more than justified.
GroundUp Staff
News | 20 March 2014
This week we cover the NUMSA Day of Action for Youth Jobs and the TACās Peopleās Health Manifesto campaign.
Brent Meersman
News | 19 March 2014
Equal Education and Ndifuna Ukwazi hosted a seminar at Lookout Hill, Khayelitsha, on 13 March titled āWhat Next: Opportunities for post school youthā. Part information, part inspiration, conversations were frank and informative.
Adam Armstrong
Opinion | 18 March 2014