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Food, Water & Energy Security

Durban and Joburg worst hit by water outages

Chart by The Outlier. Text by GroundUp Staff. 2 days

According to Cape Town’s Inner City Local Spatial Development Framework, only 30% of apartments or houses in the inner city are available for long-term leases, or occupied by their owners. The remainder “are either hotel managed or Airbnb”. Archive photo: Brent Meersman / GroundUp

Residential Property

Airbnb by-law doesn’t do enough to address Cape Town’s housing crisis

Leila Kidson 3 days

People living in these informal homes erected on Transnet land in Woodstock, Cape Town, say they have been living there for more than a decade. Archive photo: Matthew Hirsch / GroundUp

Land & Property Law

Woodstock land occupiers lose bid to appeal eviction

Matthew Hirsch 30 Sep 2026

DA to report e-Panic data breach to Information Regulator

Cybersecurity

DA to report e-Panic data breach to Information Regulator

Joel Cedras 29 Sep 2026

“We were never consulted” – Cape Town residents challenge Equinix data centre

Data & Analytics

“We were never consulted” – Cape Town residents challenge Equinix data centre

Alice Scott 28 Sep 2026

The City of Cape Town has drafted a new by-law to apply commercial property rates to all properties available for short-term letting for more than half the year. Archive photo: Brent Meersman / GroundUp

Retail & Hospitality Property

Cape Town Airbnb hosts could pay triple rates

Steve Kretzmann 28 Sep 2026

Wind turbines on the Eastern Cape bushveld along the R350 road to Bedford, outside Makhanda. The area around has some of the country’s best wind power potential but is also among the Eastern Cape’s most ecologically sensitive landscapes. Photos: Aphiwe Ngowapi

Food, Water & Energy Security

Debate over new Makhanda wind farm

Gcina Ntsaluba and Asemahle Vumsindo 28 Sep 2026

The Department of Land Reform and Rural Development has asked the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate failed farm worker equity schemes (FWES). Archive photo: Ashraf Hendricks / GroundUp

Employment Equity

SIU asked to investigate farm worker equity schemes

Liezl Human 25 Sep 2026

Social Development Minister Dina Pule speaking to Sassa beneficiaries during her oversight visit to the Delft office. Photo: Sindisiwe Tshona

Health & Social Welfare

Sassa: Pensioners complain to minister about deductions from their grants

Sindisiwe Tshona and Abonge Chiya 23 Sep 2026

Exceptional El Niño puts southern Africa on drought alert

Agriculture

Exceptional El Niño puts southern Africa on drought alert

Steve Kretzmann 18 Sep 2026

The Constitutional Court has struck down the Public Procurement Act that was signed into law in 2024. Illustration: Lisa Nelson / GroundUp

Legislation & Regulation

Procurement Act struck down by Concourt

Tania Broughton 18 Sep 2026

An African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus) emerging from its burrow at the Stony Point Penguin Colony in Betty’s Bay, Western Cape. Photos: David Harrison

Environment & Natural Resources

Stop sardine fishing, warn conservationists

Alice Scott 17 Sep 2026

Image credit: Sassa

Health & Social Welfare

Sassa’s automated SRD grant checks draw criticism from legal expert

16 Sep 2026

Activists have lodged an appeal against the rezoning approval given for this land near Cape Town Airport to be the site for a hyperscale data centre. Archive photo: Ashraf Hendricks / GroundUp

Land & Property Law

Activists appeal Cape Town data centre approval

Tania Broughton 15 Sep 2026

Workers strike at Masterpack in Johannesburg. Photo: Seth Thorne / GroundUp

Labour Law & Unions

Bidvest packaging workers on strike

14 Sep 2026

Fossil Free South Africa has won four victories over “greenwashing” in advertising by oil, coal and gas companies, write the authors. Graphic: Lisa Nelson

Environment & Natural Resources

Fossil fuel companies rebuked for greenwashing

Jo-Anne Smetherham, Kholwani Simelane and Patrick Bond 11 Sep 2026

The Labour Court has ruled that a planned strike of bus workers on Thursday would not be protected. Photo: Greg Dor / GroundUp

Labour Law & Unions

Court blocks planned bus driver strike

Alice Scott, Greg Dor and Sindisiwe Tshona 10 Sep 2026

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Inclusion, Empowerment & Social Justice

OnlyFans in South Africa: What creators say about sex work, personal safety and the gig economy

Phiwokazi Qoza 10 Sep 2026

Windows at CPUT’s Cape Town campus, damaged by rocks thrown by protesting students. Archive photo: Ashraf Hendricks / GroundUp

Higher Education

CPUT’s chaotic second semester ends

Emihle Ngwane 7 Sep 2026

Auto workers suspend 11-week strike as talks continue

Manufacturing & Parts

Auto workers suspend 11-week strike as talks continue

Greg Dor 7 Sep 2026

Talks between Premier Foods and unions over the planned closure of the fruit canning factory in Tulbagh, Western Cape, have broken down. Photo: Greg Dor / GroundUp

Labour Law & Unions

Premier Foods factory closure: Talks break down

Greg Dor 3 Sep 2026

Arnot Power Station in Mpumalanga is one of Eskom’s coal-fired power plants. Image credit: , , via Wikimedia Commons

Energy

Eskom in a coal mind: SA open to AI data centres, but at what electricity price?

3 Sep 2026

AI data centres could make electricity more expensive

Data & Analytics

AI data centres could make electricity more expensive

Brutus Mogotlo 2 Sep 2026

People collecting water at the Newlands Spring in Cape Town in February 2018.

Food, Water & Energy Security

Cape Town desalination plans delayed while water demand soars

Steve Kretzmann 2 Sep 2026

The National Bargaining Council for the Clothing Manufacturing Industry says the labour department has unlawfully granted “amnesty” to certain non-compliant clothing factories. Illustration: Bronwyn Webb / GroundUp

Labour Law & Unions

Labour department accused of shielding sweatshops

Tania Broughton 1 Sep 2026

Health & Social Welfare

Don’t be in Sassa’s black books: Deadline for Postbank black card switch arrives

31 Aug 2026

An attorney has been sentenced to 12 months in prison or a R10,000 fine, half suspended, for delaying a major murder trial by more than a year. Illustration: Lisa Nelson / GroundUp

Criminal Law

Lawyer sentenced for delaying murder trial

Tania Broughton 27 Aug 2026

Image credit: Sassa

Health & Social Welfare

Sassa’s R370-a-month grant has its day in the Supreme Court of Appeal

26 Aug 2026

Image credit: , , via Wikimedia Commons

Inclusion, Empowerment & Social Justice

South Africa’s top court blocked Shell’s Wild Coast oil search: Why it matters for climate justice

Angela van der Berg 20 Aug 2026

On Tuesday, hundreds of CPUT students marched to Parliament calling for MPs to intervene in the university’s finances, accommodation and management. Photos: Ashraf Hendricks / GroundUp

Higher Education

Thousands of students told to leave Cape Town residences

Emihle Ngwane 19 Aug 2026

A street in Phoenix, Durban. The Special Tribunal has set aside eThekwini’s “irregular” Phoenix housing deals. Archive photo: Benita Enoch / GroundUp

Land & Property Law

EThekwini housing contracts ruled unlawful

Tania Broughton 18 Aug 2026

Newly appointed Minister of Social Development Dina Pule speaks to beneficiaries at the Sassa Bellville office on Thursday. Photos: Matthew Hirsch

Health & Social Welfare

“We are failing them” Sassa staff tell minister

Matthew Hirsch 17 Aug 2026

Hundreds of students protested at CPUT’s Bellville campus on Wednesday. Photo: Emihle Ngwane / GroundUp

Higher Education

Protests force CPUT to withdraw student payment plan

Emihle Ngwane 14 Aug 2026

Mary Waters High School in Makhanda has insufficient tablets for its matrics. “Overall, the project was a complete failure for the school,” a teacher said. “Building a computer lab would have been better and would have given our learners more skills. The computer lab would be for everyone, and it would be strictly monitored.” The school has zero ICT infrastructure. Archive photo: Lucas Nowicki / GroundUp

Primary & Secondary Education

Lost or locked in cupboards: Inside the R686m Eastern Cape matric tablet programme

Gcina Ntsaluba, Zipho Ndwayana and Rod Amner 13 Aug 2026

Ekapa Minerals’ diamond mine in Kimberly has been placed into business rescue after a court challenge by NUMSA. Photo supplied

Mining

Numsa wins bid to block liquidation of diamond mine

Greg Dor 11 Aug 2026

Rubbish piles up near a park in Nyanga. Photos: Emihle Ngwane

Circular Economy & Waste Management

Battle to stop illegal dumping in Cape Town’s townships

Emihle Ngwane 6 Aug 2026

The Johannesburg High Court has ruled that public office bearers in Chapter Nine institutions are not “workers” entitled to benefits beyond what is laid down in the relevant statutes. Illustration: Lisa Nelson / GroundUp

Labour Law

Chapter 9 commissioners are not workers, High Court rules

Tania Broughton 6 Aug 2026

South Africa needs data centres, but not without transparency

Data & Analytics

South Africa needs data centres, but not without transparency

Tyronne McCrindle 5 Aug 2026

An acting judge in the Johannesburg High Court will have to explain himself to the Legal Practice Council over the use of fictitious and incorrect legal citations in their judgment. Illustration: Bronwyn Webb / GroundUp

Law Practice

Acting judge told to explain possible AI ‘hallucinations’ in judgment

Tania Broughton 5 Aug 2026

Social grant beneficiaries have until 31 August to switch from the Sassa Gold Card to the Postbank Black Card. Archive photo: supplied

Health & Social Welfare

Sassa Gold Card: 280,000 people still need to switch

Marecia Damons 30 Jul 2026

Auto strike will set a precedent, says union

Commercial & Industrial

Auto strike will set a precedent, says union

Greg Dor 29 Jul 2026

Source: GroundUp/Ashraf Hendricks. Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana has warned that non-compliant municipalities are “not off the hook”.

Infrastructure & Utilities

National Treasury to unfreeze funds to municipalities

Liezl Human 28 Jul 2026

Harvesting pine trees in the Dennedal compartment of Lower Tokai on 30 August 2016. Work was halted later that day by an urgent High Court interdict. Photos: John Yeld

Environment & Natural Resources

New battle looms over future of Tokai and Cecilia pine plantations

John Yeld 28 Jul 2026

The Labour Court has ruled that nine employees fired for picketing were in fact practising wedding songs. Illustration: Lisa Nelson / GroundUp

Labour Law

Worker “picket” may have been a wedding rehearsal, says court

Tania Broughton 22 Jul 2026

Image credit: Sassa

Health & Social Welfare

From WhatsApp to queues and 350k reviews: Sassa to save R1.5bn

22 Jul 2026

Judge who has not worked since 2018 to face tribunal

Legislation & Regulation

Judge who has not worked since 2018 to face tribunal

Tania Broughton 17 Jul 2026

Giant data centres get the first green light from Cape Town tribunal

Data & Analytics

Giant data centres get the first green light from Cape Town tribunal

Steve Kretzmann 15 Jul 2026

Labour court rules against racist owner of a dog called “Hitler”

Labour Law

Labour court rules against racist owner of a dog called “Hitler”

Tania Broughton 14 Jul 2026

Judge ordered to apologise to litigants for year-long delay

Legal

Judge ordered to apologise to litigants for year-long delay

Tania Broughton 13 Jul 2026