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.
Stories by: Mlungisi Mbele
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.
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.