The indignity of life without water
Residents say it’s ‘inhumane’ to function without water as it strips people of their dignity and makes life much harder during a global pandemic.
Stories by: Michael Nkalane
Pop-up cinema educates and entertains children
Buhle Sithela started his cinema project with his earnings from washing bins, giving township children a free cinema experience they would ordinarily not be able to afford without his intervention.
Khayelitsha shack fire victims in relief limbo
The City of Cape Town says it has no budget for relief efforts after a New Year’s Day blaze in Khayelitsha’s Taiwan shack settlement left about 500 people homeless.
Scholar transport deadlock goes to court
The Western Cape Education Department is accused of flouting regulations in awarding contracts after giving prospective bidders hardly any time to prepare their applications.
Families want justice for Trojan Horse Massacre deaths
The families of those killed during the 1985 Trojan Horse Massacre are proposing the use of transitional justice to prosecute these apartheid police crimes, saying SA’s democratic government has let them down.
The gogos who play football
Vukani MaAfrika, an amateur Khayelitsha team made up mainly of pensioners, is a breath of fresh air in the beautiful game. The club’s players share the positive impact the game has had on their health.
Neighbours create garden from dumpsite
Western Cape residents fed up with the unbearable stench from an illegal dumpsite that was posing a health risk used the Covid-19 lockdown to clean up and transform the waste site.
Shack dwellers determined not to back down
Western Cape residents living on occupied land continue to face off with the police and local municipality as their struggle for housing intensifies.
Lumkile Mzukwa shares his book collection
The 50-year-old Gugulethu resident is opening his repurposed garage to the world so they can also enjoy his more than 2 000 books.
Aspiring chefs’ dreams fade as school faces closure
The Covid-19 lockdown has curtailed training at Eziko in Langa, putting the cooking school in financial straits while its trainee chefs sit at home, unable to put their new skills into practice.
Feeding schemes help Capetonians stay safe
Many impoverished residents in the Western Cape are relying on feeding schemes that have turned out to be vital in helping them stay home during the government’s Covid-19 lockdown.
Shack dwellers mobilise to halt Covid-19 spread
In the Western Cape, residents from townships and shack settlements are seeking ways to minimise the spread of the coronavirus. But they still need government aid and support.
Khayelitsha’s first baby shop owner has big plans
Rather than travel to the city to buy baby clothes, Khayelitsha moms can now buy them locally from Zandile Tlhapi – and she has plans to expand into manufacturing.
Great Karoo scholar buses back after parents protest
Parent power in the Karoo town of Beaufort West has led to the restoration of a bus service to take learners to and from schools in the area.
Ceres residents fight ‘unnecessary’ water rationing
Impoverished residents have sought legal advice after the Witzenberg Municipality withdrew indigent subsidies for those who refused to allow it to install water management devices.
Angels feed learners before matric exams
What started as an idea to spoil her son with breakfast has led to a Cape Town mother opening her heart, pockets and house to matric pupils, serving them meals during exam time.
Township spelling-bee winner inspires
A 15-year-old Nyanga pupil, who lives in a shack and goes to school in a dangerous area, has been named the best speller in the Western Cape – and the sixth best in Africa.
Africa’s oldest ‘tin soldier’
Thozi Mciki has a rare condition that has rendered him increasingly immobile, but he has travelled the world to find out more about FOP and raise awareness about this incurable disease.
Township design is big in the US
Deep Settle Movement is a design studio in Gugulethu that makes high-quality clothing in celebration of the township’s energy, and they can’t keep up with demand for their products.
Khayelitsha’s winning kasi-style pizza
Breaking traditional Khayelitsha cuisine expectations, Nokuthula Sigaba has established Sweet n’ Lovely, the township’s first pizza joint.