Health

Essential TB medicine: is it back in stock?

On 5 October, GroundUp reported that the pharmaceutical company Sandoz had stopped supplying an essential medicine for treating tuberculosis (TB) to South Africa.

GroundUp Staff

Brief | 2 November 2015

Tense wait for silicosis decision

Mineworkers with silicosis and TB will have to wait a while to find out whether they can be represented as a class in legal action for damages against the gold mines which employed them.

Pete Lewis

News | 26 October 2015

Silicosis case: mines are being obstructive, say miners’ lawyers

If the court did not decide in favour of the gold miners in the silicosis case, hundreds of thousands of sick miners and their families would not be heard, advocates for the mineworkers told the Gauteng High Court yesterday.

Pete Lewis

News | 23 October 2015

Silicosis: Anglo American plays the race card

Attempts by lawyers for mining giant Anglo American to play the race card in the silicosis case were rebuffed by the South Gauteng High Court yesterday.

Pete Lewis

News | 22 October 2015

Why #ThePriceOfBreadMustFall matters

Amidst the #FeesMustFall protests, a second #MustFall has emerged and has largely fallen under the radar: #ThePriceOfBreadMustFall. On Tuesday, a group of activists occupied the Shoprite in Khayelitsha Mall demanding lower food prices generally, and bread prices in particular.

Jane Battersby-Lennard

Analysis | 22 October 2015

Mines not liable for TB, silicosis hearing told

Mines cannot be held liable for TB, advocates for the gold mines told the South Gauteng High Court yesterday.

Pete Lewis

News | 20 October 2015

Try getting an ambulance in this part of Grahamstown

Earlier this month, Health-e reported the difficulties of accessing ambulances in rural Eastern Cape. Here we report on how difficult it is to get an ambulance in a township as close as five kilometres from the nearest hospital.

Hancu Louw

Feature | 16 October 2015

Silicosis: mining companies hit back in court

Allowing the miners in the landmark silicosis case to act as a class on behalf of other miners would be contrary to the interests of justice, lawyers for the gold mining companies argued yesterday.

Lwandile Fikeni

News | 16 October 2015

Court hears whether silicosis miners can bring class action

Lawyers for the mining companies have begun to set out their case in the South Gauteng High Court, which is hearing an application from mineworkers to be allowed to claim for damages due to exposure to silica dust on behalf of a bigger group of affected mineworkers.

Lwandile Fikeni and GroundUp staff

News | 15 October 2015