Local government
Portable flush toilets: What are they and why the fuss?
The public spats over portable toilets have been at the forefront of the news. But what exactly are portable toilets? How do they work? What is good and what is bad about them?
Mary-Anne Gontsana
News | 12 June 2013
Battle over Barcelona’s Buckets
Residents of Barcelona informal settlement are living a sanitation nightmare. The company contracted to remove the bucket toilets, Sannicare, has been hit by industrial action and no resolution is in sight.
GroundUp Staff with assistance from Tebello Mzamoand Fergus Turner
News | 29 May 2013
How to buy your driver’s license
Attempts to clean up corruption at the Lingelethu West Traffic Station in Khayelitsha appear to be failing. GroundUp went undercover and recorded an offer of a bribe by an outside operator, and also spoke to others who were either asked to pay a bribe or who did bribe their way to being allowed behind the wheel.
GroundUp Staff with assistance of the Cape Times
News | 21 May 2013
Investigate and stop this mundane everyday corruption
Today GroundUp published a story, with the assistance of The Cape Times, of corruption at Lingelethu West Traffic Department in Khayelitsha. We tell how the buying of learner's and driver's licenses is commonplace and show that there is the perception, arguably a reasonable one in some areas, that a bribe is necessary to get a driver's license.
GroundUp Editor
News | 20 May 2013
Recent survey reveals youth hardships
South Africa devotes significant resources to youth development, with 20% of the national government's budget going towards education alone. However, a recent survey reveals that the youth are being increasingly forced to deal with a range of issues such as substance abuse, exposure to crime and violence, inequality and poverty. As a consequence, mental and behavioural issues are becoming more and more evident among learners.
Craig Oosthuizen
Opinion | 15 May 2013
Responding to criticism
The Democratic Alliance markets itself as an efficient and un-corrupt alternative to the ANC. It never hesitates to point out serious service delivery failures by the ANC. So it is interesting to see its responses to the Social Justice Coalition's criticisms of the City of Cape Town's handling of a major toilet supply contract in Khayelitsha.
Nathan Geffen
News | 30 April 2013
Khayelitsha toilet contractors not delivering
"The toilets are not very good. They are unstable and fall over a lot," says Nomtheto Ndzime, a Khayelitsha resident, about the toilets provided by the City of Cape Town.
Fergus Turner
News | 30 April 2013
City says violence prevention efforts working, but activists sceptical
In 2006, to tackle crime in Khayelitsha, the City of Cape Town launched the Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading (VPUU) project.
Fergus Turner and GroundUp Staff
News | 17 April 2013
Khayelitsha lights mostly on but concerning signs of decline
Following several reports published on GroundUp on the broken street light problem in Khayelitsha, particularly along Lansdowne Road, several social justice organisations protested and the City repaired the lights. In the last two weeks we have checked the street lights. While most remain on, there are signs that the situation is getting worse.
Nokubonga Yawa and GroundUp Staff
News | 10 April 2013