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.
Stories by: Mlungisi Mbele
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.
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.