July riots have made hard lives much harder
The lives of thousands of workers in KwaZulu-Natal who were already barely surviving have been upended, either by losing their jobs or having to scramble to keep them.
Stories by: Mlungisi Mbele
Riots set back learning at damaged schools
Places of learning in KwaZulu-Natal were seriously damaged during the recent tumult in the province.
Durban’s street traders hobbled by punitive permits
In an economy devastated by Covid-19 and the riots, eThekwini’s street sellers want the municipality to abolish the system that keeps them waiting in queues and running from cops.
Stuck in the colonial mire
For as long as we treat some lives as disposable, we will not escape the colonial logic that continues to mutilate society and corrode possibilities for a just and viable future.
Deadly result as state forces seize ‘loot’ in Durban
In Madlala, the police and army broke into homes in an operation to retrieve stolen goods. After they left, a woman lay dead in a pool of her blood behind a shack.
Long Read | Durban’s homeless seek shelter
Life is tough for the thousands who sleep on the streets of KwaZulu-Natal’s major port city. While some organisations try to help, police and hospitals often don’t treat them as kindly.
LGBTQIA+ people live in fear in KwaZulu-Natal
Being queer in impoverished areas means facing the threat of murder or violent assault daily. As activists rally to make this discrimination a hate crime, it is too late for many.
The plight of female farm workers
After decades of enduring threats, eviction, violence and sexual abuse, women in rural KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga are banding together to advocate for their rights.
Residents breathe easier as Engen refinery to close
Long-suffering South Durban Basin communities have welcomed the decision to convert the oil refinery to a storage facility but activists worry the polluting will continue.
Egudwini residents live in water limbo
Water is a scarce and often unaffordable commodity for rural communities on the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal. They feel deeply neglected by uncaring councillors who never respond to their pleas.
The herbal remedy in the city of Durban
Warwick Junction’s herb traders and market sellers are calling for more support and dignified work spaces from the eThekwini municipality.
Ruin in the aftermath of Durban’s xenophobic attacks
The Umkhonto weSizwe attacks on traders in the central business district have forced migrants in already precarious positions to start from scratch, again, while fearing for their lives.
KZN overrun by Covid-19 bodies
From health centres to crematoriums, the province is struggling to keep up with the logistics of death.
Makhathini still taps away at sports to good effect
Legendary boxer Elijah “Tap Tap” Makhathini is working in the hills of rural KwaZulu-Natal to give impoverished youngsters hope.
The burden of Durban’s porters may get heavier
Porters in Durban work hard and for very little pay, without any support. Now, the city is set on moving them to a part of town where their earning potential will be diminished.
Shack dwellers despair over latest fire in Jika Joe
Hundreds of residents are once again homeless after another fire swept through the Pietermaritzburg shack settlement, with the additional worry of contracting Covid-19 in temporary shelters.
Migrant street traders worse off after lockdown
In Durban, migrant street traders struggling to recover from the economic fallout of the pandemic face municipal red tape and hostile policing.
eKhenana residents are tilling for freedom
Residents of a land occupation in eThekwini are working to produce their own food. They are also getting into class to empower themselves with knowledge.
‘We cannot celebrate Youth Month’
Young activists in KwaZulu-Natal are stepping up in the face of intimidation and hostility to advocate around issues ranging from women’s rights to HIV and Aids, economic inequality and albinism.
Lockdown threat to KZN small-scale fishers
The struggles of fisherfolk in KwaZulu-Natal have worsened during the Covid-19 lockdown and while they have been allowed to return to the pier, they say it has been difficult to gain access.
Women’s hostel dwellers want housing
Residents at Thokoza Women’s Hostel, who earn a living through street trading, say better living conditions could improve their small businesses and keep their children safe.