Man accused of assault in Xolobeni is ANC election candidate

11th August 2016 GroundUp 0

An ANC candidate in the Xolobeni area has been accused of assaulting four people at the funeral of activist Sikhosiphi ‘Bazooka’ Rhadebe. Ntethelelo Madikizela, accused of assaulting two journalists and two activists in April, is the ANC candidate for the Xolobeni area.
He has denied any involvement in the attacks. Nigel Sibanda and Simnikiwe Hlatshaneni from The Citizen, and Moses Mbuthuma and Luthando Ndovela from the Amadiba Crisis Committee, were attacked during the 2 April funeral of murdered Sikhosiphi ‘Bazooka’ Rhadebe, chair of the Amadiba Crisis Committee, an organisation that is strongly opposed to the titanium mining project in the area. An affidavit from Mbuthuma and a statement from Ndovela, together with supporting affidavits from people who arrived on the scene following the attack, were given to the police at a stand the SAPS had set up on 19 July at an imbizo in Xolobeni.

Kliptown residents want houses as promised in the Freedom Charter

26th July 2016 Ramatamo wa Matamong 0

Adopted in Kliptown in 1955, the Freedom Charter and its demands became a rallying point for many in the struggle against apartheid. Sixty one years later, the Charter has consistently been at the centre of key theoretical and political debates.
When Kliptown residents see different political parties flooding their area, informal settlement residents of the iconic Kliptown in the South of Johannesburg don’t need to look at their calendar to confirm that it is election season.

Family of murdered Mozambican migrant still hurting

21st June 2016 Ramatamo wa Matamong 0

A year after their beloved son was brutally murdered in a xenophobic attack in Alexandra, the family of the late Emmanuel Sithole, a Mozambican national, wants closure.
Sithole, who at the time was making a living by selling cigarettes and snacks on the pavement, died on the 18th of April 2015 of stab wounds inflicted by four local thugs who refused to pay for a cigarette that they took from him.

LGBTI festival highlights hate crimes against homosexuals

8th December 2015 Elitsha reporters 0

Hate crimes are not yet recognized as unique crimes under South African law and there are no reliable figures about the extent of the problem in the country. Although South Africa is one of the few countries that recognises same-sex marriages, hate crimes are still prevalent.
Recent studies show that homophobia is still a major problem. A 2013 study by the Pew Research Center found that up to 61 per cent of South Africans believe society should not accept homosexuality.

Western Cape has the highest number of protection orders

7th December 2015 Mzi Velapi 0

At the launch of 16 days of activism against gender violence, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development in the Western Cape said that just over 10,000 protection orders are registered in the province every month.
Hishaam Mohamed said the Western Cape had recorded the highest number in South Africa, and what was even more concerning was that it is an increase “of just over 2,000 protection order applications in the past year”.

Lack of recreational facilities for the youth of Makhaza

15th October 2015 Siyavuya Khaya 0

The recent tragedy which occurred at Osi’s place tavern in Makhaza, Khayelitsha, eight young women most of them underage were killed and others injured after a staircase railing collapsed highlights the problem of a serious lack of recreational facilities for township youth.
Elitsha took it upon itself to investigate the extent and the state of recreational and sports facilities for young people in the area. It found that there is only one park which is in a good condition and a dilapidated youth centre, no longer in use.

Khayelitsha residents question police response to domestic violence

15th October 2015 Siphiwo Nkonki 0

It has been a year since the Khayelitsha Commission concluded its work on policing. The work of the commission covered a lot of challenges facing policing in Khayelitsha some of which include domestic violence. It found that the police were ill equipped to deal with cases involving domestic violence and  women abuse.

Accused killers denied bail

1st June 2015 Elitsha reporters 0

Two of the four people accused of killing foreign national Emmanuel Sithole were denied bail in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court. Magistrate Syta Prinsloo said Sizwe […]