Luvo Manyonga: “Mommy I did it!”

13th September 2016 Mzi Velapi 0

It is two days after Luvo Manyonga came second place and won a silver medal at the Rio Olympics. The streets of Mbekweni have come alive as locals celebrate the pride of the Paarl community, carrying posters expressing their joy for Luvo’s achievement. A school band from Desmond Tutu Senior Secondary school, Luvo’s alma mater, is playing while locals dance through the streets.
Things were looking up for Team South Africa when Manyonga took the lead with his fourth attempt when he jumped 8.28m, and then when he bettered that to 8.37m with his fifth attempt.  The American Jeff Henderson took gold with his final effort of the night – an 8.38m effort.

1 in 4 women in the Platinum belt have been raped

13th September 2016 Mzi Velapi 0

A recent report by Medecins Sans Frontieres  (Doctors Without Borders) has revealed that 1 in 4 women have been raped in Rustenburg.
This, according to Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) means that around 11,000 women and girls in Rustenburg are raped each year. The report states that 95% of rape survivors have never told a health professional of the incident, and only half of those surveyed knew that HIV could be prevented after being raped. According to MSF Epidemiologist Sarah-Jane Steele, the findings show that rape is not only highly prevalent in the Rustenburg municipality, but that opportunities to reduce the more serious health impacts of rape are being missed.

ANC members tell Kgalema Motlanthe: Remove corrupt councillors

13th September 2016 Elitsha reporters 0

ANC members and supporters in Buffalo City pleaded with former president Kgalema Motlanthe to remove corrupt ward councillors and approach the national office to disband their party’s regional and provincial leadership.
Motlanthe and other ANC leaders were in East London this week to review legislation passed by the government. The meeting took place at the East London Christian Centre. Hundreds of people participated.

Robertson Winery workers on strike

13th September 2016 GroundUp 0

Workers at Robertson Winery are on strike calling on the winery to pay them R8,500 a month.
The workers, who protested outside the winery say they are currently earning between R2,900 and R3,500 a month before deductions, according to Karel Swartz, deputy general secretary of the Commercial, Stevedoring and Allied Workers’ Union (CSAAWU).

Abattoir workers win unfair dismissal case on appeal

13th September 2016 GroundUp 0

Robertson Abattoir workers have successfully appealed a Labour Court judgment in their case of unfair dismissal.
The Labour Court’s ruling against the workers last year was set aside recently by the Labour Appeal Court and the workers’ case will now be sent back to that court.

Water bill arrears shock for pre-paid electricity buyers

13th September 2016 Mphumzi Sizani 0

Masiphumelele residents are shocked that Cape Town City is charging extra for electricity because of water meter debt.
As a means of clawing back some of the R2.1-bn in water account arrears, the City is charging extra for electricity supplied through pre-paid meters and supposedly putting the difference against account-holders’ water debt.

Youth force local shops to close over jobs for outsiders

13th September 2016 Max Qwayi 0

A shopping complex in Harare, Khayelitsha was placed under siege by a mob of about 30 angry youth from the area who demanded jobs at the small businesses be given to local residents.
The youth, believed to have been led by local ANC Youth League organiser, Yanga Mjingwana, converged on the Hilltop shopping centre where Spar is the anchor tenant. During lunchtime they disrupted shoppers and forced the closure of Learn to Earn and the Moholo Lounge.

Poor state of sport facilities in Mdantsane

11th August 2016 Yamkela Sifingo 0

Mdantsane is known for its love of sport, especially boxing and rugby, but a small audit of the facilities proves that they are in a poor state.
Mdantsane, the second biggest township in South Africa, is located between East London and King William’s town. “MDA” as it’s referred to by those who live in it, was established in the late 1960’s as a result of the East Bank/West Bank forced removal of residents, who were separated by the Buffalo River. Under the reign of white dominance, the native people fought a number of battles protecting their land, but they were defeated and driven off the river banks. Mdantsane was built as a concentration camp, where white industries draw labour, and enslave black people to keep their businesses running at low cost.

Separate prisons a victory for LGBTI inmates in Thailand

11th August 2016 Equal Times 0

Nachacha Kongudom was detained on account of her political activities, having taken part in a protest rally marking the first anniversary of the 2014 coup d’état. This student activist was sent to a male prison, despite her plea to be sent to a women’s prison, for fear of being harassed for being transsexual. In response to her petition, the authorities stated that, by law, she was still a man, and there is no document in Thailand identifying trans women as female.

Civil society movements vows to keep pressure on SABC

11th August 2016 Ramatamo wa Matamong 0

After the public broadcaster decided to ban the footage of violent protests and the destruction of properties, there has been growing pressure from various interest groups that say the move has threatened media freedom and will take the public broadcaster back to the Apartheid era of becoming a state broadcaster.

Protestors vow to continue to put pressure on Mugabe

11th August 2016 Bernard Chiguvare 0

Two recent protests at the Zimbabwe Consulate have given a political voice to Zimbabweans based in South Africa.
Zimbabweans that include students from the University of Cape Town, University of Western Cape, Cape Peninsula University of Technology and Stellenbosch University marched twice this month to the Zimbabwe consulate to handover petition to the Consulate General.

Study links wage increase to job losses on farms

11th August 2016 GroundUp 0

The 2013 increase in the minimum wage for farm workers did cause a drop in employment, new research by the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit at the University of Cape Town suggests.
However, the researchers were unable to determine exactly how many jobs the wage increase cost. The study also found that the average wage for rural farm workers increased, meaning that the legislation was being followed.