Eastern Cape MEC sues activist for defamation
The province’s member of the executive council for transport Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe is suing a United Front activist for Facebook posts he made that she says paints her as corrupt.
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Family mourns alleged Carolina Spar beating victim
The Sibanyoni family in Carolina, Mpumalanga, is mourning the death of Thulani, who was allegedly beaten and severely wounded along with his friend by local Spar managers in a storeroom.
Covid-19 Roundup | Level one
South Africans will be allowed to socialise and travel outside the country’s borders as lockdown restrictions are lifted. Meanwhile, undertakers protest and a vaccine trial resumes.
Workers pay for Sun International’s failed gamble
After a 96% loss in revenue following the pandemic, the hotel chain is retrenching workers in South Africa and Chile. But is Covid-19 being used as an excuse after bad investments?
How South African prisons are managing Covid-19
The pandemic has amplified the problem of overcrowding in prisons and while the number of infections are said to be on the decline, inmates continue to fear for their lives.
eSwatini: A brief tale of two laws
An act passed to recover the proceeds of organised crime may now be used by eSwatini’s authorities to score points for a cannabis law that many think will benefit a powerful few.
Generations of farm dwellers face eviction
Residents of a farm in Mpumalanga say they endure unbearable working conditions and routine abuse from the farmer, despite having lived on the land for decades.
Covid-19 Roundup | Food and water shortages
An effective vaccine for Covid-19 may soon be available. But wealthy countries are already swooping in and pre-ordering in bulk. Meanwhile, the impoverished continue to suffer.
Women’s rights trampled on in the Eastern Cape
A retail manager has been suspended for forcing four employees to physically reveal their menstrual status and Peddie residents protest against a ward councillor demanding sex for a work contract.
Warao migrants receive a cool reception in Brazil
This first of a three-part series shows that while the Venezuelans’ host country has a social assistance plan, it is ineffective and does not address institutional racism.
Nateniel will dance no more
Those who knew Nateniel Julies say he was a jolly child, always ready with a greeting and a smile. At the drop of a beat, he would dance. A police bullet pierced through him and ended all that he was.
The judge who kept unlicensed guns on our streets
Two years ago, the Constitutional Court confirmed that firearm ownership is a legislated privilege, not a right. But a high court judge stepped in to protect criminal gun owners.
Covid-19 Roundup | Looted funds and wage disputes
While the auditor general uncovered which Covid-19 funds were misused, artists shut down the N3 in KwaZulu-Natal, calling for the reopening of the entertainment industry.
Healing connection at a Covid-19 isolation facility
Residents at a well-run facility in Cape Town found sharing their experiences – both as patients and citizens – aided their physical and emotional recovery.
Political repression in South Africa
Instead of allowing a robust democracy to emerge, the ANC has viciously quashed self-organised popular movements since coming to power.
Brazil’s landless movement champions evicted families
Residents of the Quilombo Campo Grande Camp were evicted in August 2020, with the Minas Gerais state’s involvement. The Landless Rural Workers’ Movement (MST) has vowed to fight for those evicted.
The long-term effects of Covid-19
While the majority of those who test positive for the virus recover fully, there are a growing number of people who can’t seem to shake unusual symptoms that linger months later.
How Pietermaritzburg is faring with Covid-19
Nurses are still short of PPE and although some residents are upbeat about how the city is handling the pandemic, others say ‘corona fatigue’ has set in and people are lowering their guard.
Covid-19 exacerbates old electricity struggle
The coronavirus lockdown has added new dimensions to a decades-long struggle for electricity in the far west of Soweto, where residents have challenged the situation fiercely in recent weeks.
Covid-19 Roundup | Antibodies and retrenchments
Antibody testing begins as the country moves past the peak of infections and restrictions are lifted. But the hard lockdown continues to devastate workers.
Zandile Gumede’s appointment disregards the public interest
In the face of popular outrage, the ANC says its ‘woman-empowering decision’ to deploy the former eThekwini mayor facing charges of corruption is to maintain stability ahead of local elections in 2021.