Human Rights
Months in prison without a bail hearing
If you are arrested in South Africa, even if you are innocent, expect to spend months and maybe years in prison before being released. The law says that if you are arrested you should appear before a court within 48 hours or be released. The courts have also ruled that bail hearings are urgent. Yet the police, prosecutors, magistrates and judges often ignore these rights.
Mary-Jane Matsolo
News | 28 November 2012
Farmer accused of cutting electricity and food credit to break strike
Seventy employees at Leeuwenkuil Farm refused to work for five days until five of their colleagues were reinstated, according to the Commerical Stevedoring Agricultural and Allied Workers Union (CSAAWU).
Tessa Gooding
News | 21 November 2012
Altercation highlights farm tensions
An argument between a farmer and two employees has spiralled out of control. The story shows the kinds of problems fuelling the current farm tensions in the Western Cape.
Tessa Gooding and Margo Fortune
News | 21 November 2012
Ridiculous complexity of housing in South Africa
Millions of South Africans at the end of apartheid dreamed of living in a house one day. This was the hope offered by the Reconstruction and Development Programme. Eighteen years later there has been progress. The Department of Housing says that over 3 million houses have been built sheltering over 13 million people. But there is a terribly long way to go.
Mary-Anne Gontsana
Feature | 21 November 2012
Groot Constantia workers complain of unfair treatment
Its fine wines are known around the world and the City Sightseeing bus takes regular journeys through its beautiful grounds beneath Table Mountain. But the community who live and work at Groot Constantia estate say that the charitable trust that owns the farm pays female vineyard workers less than their male counterparts. They also accuse management of reducing their benefits.
Tessa Gooding
News | 14 November 2012
Understanding the two Commissions of Inquiry into the police
There are two Commissions of Inquiry underway in South Africa (SA) that involve the SA Police Service (SAPS), the Police Minister and Police Commissioner, that we should be interrogating, examining, monitoring, overseeing and following with equal vigour.
Fatima Hassan
Opinion | 14 November 2012
Threats against Somali businesses must not be tolerated
Our lead story today is that local business organisations are mobilising against Somali shops in Khayelitsha.
GroundUp Editor
News | 7 November 2012
Showdown over police inquiry
On 22 August, in response to a call made in November 2011 from several social justice organisations, Premier Helen Zille established a Commission of Inquiry to investigate alleged police inefficiency and a breakdown in relations between police and communities in Khayelitsha. The commission is being chaired by former Constitutional Court judge, Kate O'Regan and Advocate Vusi Pikoli.
Tessa Gooding
News | 7 November 2012
Protest for police presence in Khayelitsha’s crime hot spots
Over a hundred community members marched to Lingelethu Police Station in Khayelitsha on Friday demanding a greater police presence in high-crime areas in the township.
Nokubonga Yawa
News | 5 November 2012