Neighbours reach out to help homeless flood victims
In community shelters all over the eThekwini metro, kind-hearted residents who have very little themselves manage to find ways to help their stricken neighbours.
Stories by: Mlungisi Mbele
Abanye bashonile, abanye basinda ngokulambisa kuhlasele izikhukhula ezishiye kukhalwa emijondolo
Babonga ukuthi basaphila, yize ukushona kwabasondelene nabo nomkakhelwane, nobuhlungu ababhekane nabo besinda ngokulambisa bebhekene ngqo nokufa kubashiye nezilonda, kodwa manje izakhamizi ezihlwempu zaseThekwini kumele ziqhubeke ngemuva kwezikhukhula ezimoshe kakhulu.
Death, and survival, haunt stricken shack dwellers
Glad to be alive but burdened by the deaths of loved ones and neighbours as well as the trauma of their own narrow escape, Durban’s impoverished residents must pick up where the floods left off.
‘Lord, have you abandoned KwaZulu-Natal?’
Reeling residents now face water shortages after the floods ripped up pipes and washed away roads and bridges so water tankers can’t reach them.
Getting kids off the streets one wave at a time
A small team of surfers with big hearts has helped countless impoverished children in Durban find a sense of comfort and purpose in life. But the demand is overwhelming, they say.
Migrants’ anguish amplifies as xenophobes plot
Operation Dudula’s launch in Durban was temporarily halted, but it is imminent and migrants are living in fear of more xenophobic violence coming their way soon.
The downfall of Albert Luthuli’s party in Groutville
The lauded ANC leader would be disheartened by what is happening in his home town, says one resident. Many no longer vote, disillusioned with false promises and only scraping by.
‘Jobs are scarce and the quality of life is just sad’
A recent slurry spill into important rivers in rural KwaZulu-Natal has made survival even harder for villagers who depend on their water. But Okhukho residents say it’s part of living near a mine.
Mining in Richards Bay remains a double-edged sword
Sociopolitical conflict persists in the area because mining operations go hand in hand with filthy lucre that divides communities while devastating their natural environment.
Camping on the doorstep of high school success
A principal in Umlazi has initiated profound changes to the way his school is run and its matrics are prepared for their all-important final exams amid trying circumstances at home.
Trouble in the promised land
The socialist commune Abahlali baseMjondolo built from the eKhenana land occupation in Durban has won international admiration and solidarity, but it now faces a new wave of repression.
Voting in the aftermath of Phoenix violence
Bruised and battered after a murderous July some residents of Phoenix and the surrounding townships mustered a little optimism as they voted but others listed under a pall of depression.
Bhambayi is ‘in the middle of nothingness’
Residents of the shack settlement in KwaZulu-Natal feel used and abandoned by the government. Some of those who are voting in the local elections say this is simply because of their responsibility as citizens.
The hopefuls of Hammarsdale
Some residents of the township who live in dire conditions trust that casting their vote in the upcoming municipal elections will bring change to their area.
The women eking out a living in Durban’s shadows
For years, they sought decent employment and failed. They are in the streets now selling wares and, in dingy corners and hidden building floors, plaiting hair to make ends meet.
LGBTQIA+ killings: ‘Enough is enough’
Sisanda Gumede is but one of the many killed in KwaZulu-Natal because of her sexuality. Relatives, residents, activists and local government say it has to end.
Union tackles homophobia
Institutions of learning should act decisively against those in their midst who act in a homophobic manner. A teachers’ union has taken up the cause on behalf of a bi-gender educator.
Freed activists vow to hold the state to account
Members of Abahlali baseMjondolo arrested and in some cases held for six months plan to launch a civil suit against the state for unlawful arrest and malicious prosecution.
Wrongfully accused Abahlali three set free at last
The shack dwellers’ movement says it feels vindicated that the case against three of its members has been dropped, but warns it remains under siege by the state.
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.
Riots set back learning at damaged schools
Places of learning in KwaZulu-Natal were seriously damaged during the recent tumult in the province.