Holding power to account
The City’s auctioning of 53 parcels of land without any requirements for the provision of social or affordable housing is not aligned to the City’s affordable housing commitments, states the Development Action Group.
In a statement released on 25 Feb, the Development Action Group (DAG) noted the High Court’s dismissal of applications seeking to postpone the City auction.… Read more
By Matthew Hirsch/GroundUp
Six District Six families living in historic semi-detached Victorian cottages on Searle Street, who withstood apartheid forced removals but now face eviction, say they will fight on despite a magistrates’ court judgment in December ordering them to vacate the cottages by 6 March.… Read more
By Matthew Hirsch/GroundUp
The length of time it is taking to settle District Six claims is leaving the land vulnerable to illegal occupation, creating difficulties for the City, although resettlement of the area is the national government’s responsibility.… Read more
The Brits have a wonderful expression for sparkling wine: Fizz.
“C’mon let’s get a bottle of fizz.”
“How do you feel about a bit ‘o fizz?”
“A bit more of the fizz there will you?”
Its delightful, especially as fizz is one of those words that sounds exactly like the thing it’s describing.… Read more
You know a car manufacturer has won South Africans’ hearts when ’kasi slang gets attached to its models, and for us, it’s the BMW 3-series.… Read more
By Matthew Hirsch/GroundUp
Zeekoevlei, which is used by numerous sailing, rowing, and other recreational clubs, has been closed since December due to dangerous levels of toxins caused by algal blooms.… Read more
I watched The Stranger at the National Arts Festival in 2024, I think. It felt like my soul dropped into the underworld; some people were lulled to sleep, hypnotised. You leave blinking back reality. A ritual drama of love, consciousness, and impermanence, on 27 and 28 Feb at Theatre Arts, Observatory.… Read more
Funding has been secured to build social housing at the Salt River Market site, but about 50 families living in an informal settlement on the property still need to be relocated.… Read more
There is a severe shortage of rental stock for local residents in Cape Town’s inner city, and what is available is priced beyond the reach of the majority of Capetonians.… Read more
By Gabbi le Roux, Adam Narain, and Jonty Cogger
From 2023 to 2024, the average rent in the Western Cape increased by 10%, about R1,020. If we narrow it down to Cape Town, the numbers are higher.… Read more