Activist murder reveals Joburg street cameras are “turned off”
CCTV footage from the day an Ethiopian activist was gunned down in Johannesburg appears to not exist
Heidi Swart
Lonmin faces community showdown
The Bapo Ba Mogale community claims that the mining giant Lonmin has fudged its profits and owes them millions in royalties, writes Heidi Swart.
Bapo community wants Lonmin rights back
The community that owns the land mined by Lonmin is planning an application to cancel mining rights of the world’s third-largest platinum producer.
Fight for Philippi: Cape farmland could lose ground to housing
A stretch of farmland that could prove vital to Cape Town’s food security is threatened by development, illegal dumping and informal settlements.
Labour action: A breakdown in collective bargaining
Wildcat strikes in the mining sector have set a new trend that could result in the unravelling of the formal system of collective bargaining.
Lonmin miners crack under pressure
According to some Marikana miners, they are no better off than before the strike, after Lonmin this week offered striking workers a 22% pay hike.
Bapo Ba Mogale community turns to public protector
Thuli Madonsela this week visited the Bapo Ba Mogale community to hear grievances about the North West government’s alleged mismanagement of money.
Marikana miner’s mysterious date with death
Residents of Karee hostel in Marikana tell of police action days before the massacre, at the time their friend disappeared.
Jo’burg justice is a daily grind
Heidi Swart spent time in Johannesburg’s courts to experience how cases are handled – and delayed.
Marikana miners’ families left reeling
Families in Pondoland, a traditional source of labour, bury their men and primary earners who worked at Lonmin.
Deep Read: Marikana miners hit rock bottom
Before the Marikana massacre, the M&G’s Heidi Swart joined rock-drill operators at the bottom of a Lonmin shaft to see conditions there firsthand.
Mining is hard work
The temperature can reach 45C underground and workers are at risk of heat stroke. They wear sleeveless vests and their bodies smeared with dirt.
Tragedy inflames burning resentment in Kagiso
In Kagiso, as in so many other settlements in South Africa, time moves on but the appalling conditions persist. Heidi Swart reports.
How government starves the welfare sector
Cash-strapped groups plead for more funds: Subsidies have fallen so short of the needs of NGOs that many face imminent closure, writes Heidi Swart.
Platinum wealth holds no shine for people left in the dust
Throughout the platinum-rich North West, mining communities such as the Bapo Ba Mogale live in poverty. Heidi Swart reports on their story.
A broken system cannot fix the broken people
The Mail & Guardian’s Heidi Swart spent a heartbreaking few years trying to save children. These are her stories.
Welfare groups fight for survival
Non-profit organisations fulfilling many of the state’s obligations are being crippled by its inefficiency and indifference, writes Heidi Swart.
No image available
Terrorised by perpetrators and victimised by the legal system
A rape case in which two men were arrested in 2007 for going on a 13-day sexual assault and crime spree in Cape Town is still in court.
Eugene Saldanha: The man who saw too much
He lived his life for others. But, in the end, Eugene Saldanha left himself out of the final equation.
No image available
Lotto delays may cut off LifeLine
Counselling organisation LifeLine says the slow release of funds from the National Lottery has left it dangerously in the red and may have to close.
Ransom demand for SA couple soars
In spite of attempts to gain the trust of Somali clan leaders, the release price has for a South African couple being held hostage has gone up.
No image available
Harsh customs: Chiefs punish with pecuniary powers
Rural woman are mostly the worst affected by traditional leader’s powers. impose taxes and levies.
Little done to relieve pain of the poor
Job creation and welfare initiatives aside, critics have warned of a bias towards big industry and the rich.
Traditional Courts Bill out of step
Proposed new traditional laws have been slammed by civic groups as unconstitutional, saying they would impede rural women’s rights in particular.
Horse racing at odds with itself
Major roleplayers feel that the corporatisation of the industry has short-changed them.
Racing inquiry open for betting
Persistent complaints to the Competition Commission sparked an inquiry into alleged collusion between the major players in the horse-racing industry.
No image available
Living lavishly on the state’s account
If allegations are true, South Africa’s Crime Intelligence Service, accused of blatantly abusing secret service funds, is the country’s biggest mafia.
Concerted campaign to keep police lease
Property tycoon Roux Shabangu has joined other voices in a public effort to validate the deal.
Filing mess a miscarriage of justice
Dysfunctional record-keeping keeps watchdog groups and the media in the dark.
The arms deal’s big deceit: The great submarine rip-off
A leaked report on the contract to supply SA with submarines has exposed the major deceit at the heart of the arms deal: inflated promises of offsets.
Secret state: How the government spies on you
South Africa’s intelligence agencies are routinely accessing citizens’ private SMS, phone and email conversations … illegally.
Inside Mogoeng’s house of God
Pray, and keep praying — was that the secret of the chief justice’s success?
