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.
Stories by: Mlungisi Mbele
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.
A woman street seller in Durban stands up to authorities
Verushka Memdutt, who has been a trader for almost three decades, fights bureaucratic bylaws and unfair policing all the while supporting her family and community.
Lack of student funding still an issue
Students have been protesting at the start of the academic year against financial exclusion and a lack of accommodation. It’s an all too familiar situation, but what are the alternatives?
Selloane Moeti paints the black woman’s journey
The multi-award winning fine artist and performer draws strongly on her dreams and spirituality to create inspiring portraits of female strength and worth.
Family feud over land halts Umbumbulu development
A piece of land that could be developed to benefit the Umbumbulu community near Durban has instead been unused for years because of a protracted dispute.
Abahlali rejects draft bill on expropriation
The shack dwellers’ movement Abahlali baseMjondolo has taken a firm stance on land expropriation without compensation, insisting that it has to favour the landless and not the elite.
eThekwini commuters pay for council’s contracts
Perhaps a commission of inquiry can shine the spotlight on public transport in Durban, where bus and taxi passengers have to contend with fare increases and disrupted services.
eThekwini residents get fit in outdoor gyms
Durban residents are making full use of the free outdoor gyms the eThekwini Municipality has installed around the city, but poor equipment maintenance may scupper their fitness plans.
Lindelani women endure decades of oppression
The women of the shack settlement north of Durban say they have been politically excluded and ignored by the municipality since the 1980s, leading to the rise of a ‘feminised revolution’.
Shack fire a chance for government to step up
Local government has assured the 164 shack dwellers who lost homes in a Pietermaritzburg fire that they don’t want them rebuilding on the floodplain and will ‘make a plan’. Time will tell.
eSwatini students stand up to failing institutes
Students at the Southern Africa Nazarene University are the latest to protest against inadequate government funding and poor faculty and facilities. The police reacted with live ammunition.
Police officers take their leaders to task
Popcru used its ninth congress to tackle the issue of police and justice officials staying on in their portfolios despite failing to serve the needs of police and correctional service workers.
KZN induna ignites the wrath of local inkosi
A KwaZulu-Natal induna who challenged annual taxes imposed on his community by the Ingonyama Trust has raised the ire of the area’s inkosi, who allegedly benefits from the money.
Customary landowners dispute Ingonyama Trust leases
After being told he owed thousands of rands in rent to King Goodwill Zwelithini’s trust, Zakhele Nkwankwa has joined hundreds of residents taking the trust to court to challenge its stranglehold.
KZN church won’t move for pie-in-the-sky promises
A private company is attempting to claim a piece of KwaZulu-Natal land that a church congregation bought for its own purposes.
Newcastle residents forego electricity as bills rise
Water, electricity and municipal rates bills are on the rise in the KwaZulu-Natal town. Officials’ explanations make no sense to residents, who mourn the town’s formerly welcoming atmosphere.