2025: The wrap

We are coming to the end of 2025 and it has been an eventful year for most of us but moreso for marginalised communities that Elitsha aims to serve. Poverty and inequalities continue to deepen and there is also a rise of right-wing politics in the country and around the world. However, poor and working class people, whether they are employed or unemployed, continue to make their voices heard through engaging those in power and protest.

Matric results and access to higher education

Joe Slovo High, a quintile 2 no-fee school in Khayelitsha, achieved a remarkable pass rate of 99.3%, an increase of 12.1 percentage points from 2023, and doubled its bachelor’s pass rate, and achieved 41 subject distinctions.

Joe Slovo Secondary School matriculants with MEC Maynier and the education district director, Landeka Diamond (yellow jacket), at the celebration of their achievements on Tuesday. Photo by Mzi Velapi

It was a problem-plagued start to the academic year for thousands of students in East London and across the country. Students from two institutions of higher learning in East London protested for days against the hazards of studying when poor. At the University of Fort Hare in East London, the Economic Freedom Fighters Student Command (EFFSC) led protests against what they called “the institution’s management’s handling of the accommodation crisis, financial exclusion and registration of final year students”. Less than five kilometres away, Buffalo City TVET College students also protested against similar issues.

Protest at the University of Fort Hare, East London campus. Photo by Chwayita Dinginto

At the beginning of each year, long snaking queues were a common sight at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology as hundreds of students braved the scorching January sun hoping to get a place in the university’s residences. At night, the students slept in TV rooms, the student centre and the SRC offices.

Austerity measures and People’s budget

The budget speech was postponed to a later date due to disagreement between the political parties that form the government of national unity over the proposed 2-percent VAT increase.

The People’s Budget campaign called for taxing of the rich instead of budget cuts that affect the poor. File by Mzi Velapi

In Gauteng, doctors, nurses and paramedics protested their unemployment, calling for increased healthcare funding and the implementation of the National Health Insurance plan.

In March, when the budget speech was finally delivered, civil society groups came out against the national budget, rejecting it as anti-poor. Finance minister Enoch Godongwana pushed through a 1-percent VAT increase to be phased in over two years.

A speak-out held outside parliament ahead of the budget speech drew participants from Cry of the Xcluded and Rural Women’s Assembly among others. Photo by Vincent Lali

Genocide in Gaza and solidarity protests

Twelve swimmers braved the cold water of Table Bay as they swam from Robben Island to Bloubergstrand to mark Freedom Day and show solidarity with the people of Palestine. The relay swim raised funds for Gift of the Givers to continue its relief work in Palestine.

Some of the swimmers who took part in the relay on Freedom Day. Photo by Mzi Velapi

On the 77th anniversary of the Nakba, hundreds of demonstrators chanted that they will never allow another Nakba to happen on their watch. Led by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), they called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

The Nakba or catastrophe took place in 1948 and led to the massive displacement of Palestinians from their homes and land, paving the way for the creation of Israel.

The PSC says that it will intensify the isolation of Israel. Photos by Mzi Velapi

Service delivery and local government

To mark Human Rights Day, residents of Social Distance informal settlement in Khayelitsha protested for electricity and water services.

Social Distance residents demand electricity and water. Photo by Vincent Lali

Buffalo City Metro’s leadership came under intense scrutiny after the municipality’s audit improvement plan was found to be ineffective in addressing financial mismanagement.This follows the 2022/2023 audit outcome by the Auditor General (AG), which highlighted severe irregular expenditure within the municipality. Tsakani Maluleke’s report painted a grim picture of the Buffalo City Metro.

The Buffalo City Metro was asked to explain “irregular expenditure” by the Municipal Public Accounts Committee. Photo by Chwayita Dinginto

Two community-based organisations in Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality (EMLM) in the Eastern Cape lambasted the state of the municipality, calling it a moral and systemic political and ethical failure. The Independent Komani Residents’ Association (Ikora) and Komani Progress Action (KPA) were responding to submissions made by the municipality at a recent joint oversight visit by parliament to Port Edward in October.

The town hall in Queenstown was one of the government buildings that went up in flames in 2022. Photo supplied.

Workers and workers compensation

The survivors and the families of workers who died or were seriously injured in the collapse of a five-storey building in George in the southern Cape in May last year called for justice and compensation. 34 construction workers died in the disaster while 28 were injured. At the time of the collapse, there were 62 workers at the site.

Elelwani Mawela, one of the survivors of the George building collapse sharing her story.

Former housekeeping staff from Mount Nelson Hotel wanted justice and compensation for the indignity and the trauma that they suffered at work in July last year. Ten housekeeping staff members, all women, were strip searched by the hotel’s security guards after a client reported that they lost money.

In an exclusive interview with Elitsha, Osma Thukela and Nombeko Bheku related how they were made to strip naked in front of two security guards and the housekeeping supervisor.

Video produced by Mzi Velapi and edited by Sindile Gulwa

Xenophobia and homophobia

Parliament’s health chair, instead of condemning Operation Dudula for preventing people from accessing public healthcare facilities, said they chose to ‘engage’ the vigilante group that has gained control of some clinics and hospitals. Sibongiseni Dhlomo, the chairperson of the portfolio committee on health, was responding to a question from Elitsha during the social services cluster media briefing in parliament.

Members of Operation Dudula demanding patients produce IDs at the entrance of a Tembisa clinic. Photo by Lilita Gcwabe.

LGBTIQ+ activists and Khayelitsha residents called for justice after 16-year-old Kwakhanya Mhlanganisi was ‘stoned and set alight’ in early December.

Scores protested outside Khayelitsha Magistrates’ Court, calling for no bail to be granted the alleged perpetrator. Photo by Mzi Velapi

Fires and floods

In January this year, a fire broke out and destroyed about 150 shacks and displaced about 500 shack dwellers in Taiwan informal settlement, in Khayelitsha.

The fire in Taiwan informal settlement alongside the N2 in Khayelitsha was contained just under 3 hours, according to the City of Cape Town. Photo by Vincent Lali

A deluge on the night of 10 June swept away homes in Mthatha, leaving over 100 people dead and thousands homeless.

Queen Nokwanda Dalindyebo at the Slovo Park community hall where she was distributing food to Mthatha residents affected by the devastating floods. Photo by Siyabonga Kamnqa