Author: Ground Up
By Tania Broughton Nhlanhla Christopher Makhoba was dismissed from Clover in 2017 after posting on EyeWitness News’s Facebook site: “Whites mz be all killed”. The Durban Labour Court and the CCMA have upheld the dismissal. The court and the CCMA found the defense that the post was done after hours and the employee was unaware of the company’s social media policy irrelevant. “That is no excuse for calling for people to be murdered,” the CCMA commissioner said. An employee at Clover has failed in his bid to be reinstated to his job after he was dismissed for a Facebook posting in…
Only a massive global rollout of an effective vaccine can end the COVID-19 pandemic in the short tVaccine Rollouterm. The vaccine is being rolled out in the United Kingdom and United States. It’s expected to become available in Europe imminently. This is where things stand in South Africa. The Department of Health is playing its cards very close to its chest. The department has been extremely reluctant to provide any details of how a vaccination plan would work. In response to our questions, spokesperson Popo Maja said that the department is not commenting on any vaccine related to Covid-19, and…
A city tribunal has made way for Amazon to move in to River Club mega-development in Cape Town. The rezoning was decided in the face of 180 heritage and environmental objections. Buildings up to 11-storeys high are to be constructed on a First Nation site. Amazon’s presence is a “major breakthrough”, according to the chair of the tribunal. By Steve Kretzmann The rezoning of the River Club property in Observatory to allow a R4.5bn mega-development including headquarters for Amazon was given the go-ahead by the City of Cape Town’s Municipal Planning Tribunal on Friday 18 September. Friday’s decision to rezone the…
By Tania Broughton Children found guilty of trivial offences, including the possession or use of cannabis, may not be incarcerated, the Johannesburg High Court has ruled. The question before Judges Ingrid Opperman and Ratha Mokgoathleng was whether criminal penalties should be imposed on children when, following the Constitutional Court judgment Prince v Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, the same was not true for adults. “It is a narrow question regarding decriminalisation of its [cannabis] use and possession so that other, more appropriate assistance, can be given to children,” the judges said. Court-ordered audits into youth detention centres have revealed that dozens…
By Zoë Postman Two men arrested for collecting and recycling waste during lockdown in Tshwane were released from Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre at about 5pm on Tuesday after spending three months in prison. Justice Shabangu and George Mphotshe, were arrested on 7 April for continuing to work under lockdown level five restrictions which stated that everyone should stay home unless they were providing an essential service. In a virtual hearing on Tuesday, Justice Brenda Neukircher of the North Gauteng High Court, declared the detention of the reclaimers unlawful and unconstitutional and ordered that they be released immediately. On 29 June, Lawyers…
By Jeffrey Abrahams Day 104 Lockdown. Dianne Blaauw (left) walked over to chat with Elizabeth Fourie and Bridgette Frolick who were enjoying the sun while their washing dried overhead. They knew that cold fronts were approaching the Cape and had done all their remaining laundry which, with small children in the house, is a constant chore. This photo is part of a series on Cape Town under lockdown. More about Lockdown diary Lockdown in pictures – Day 103: Screening 07 July 2020 Lockdown in pictures – Day 102: Weeding 06 July 2020 Lockdown in pictures – Day 101: Wait for it 05 July 2020
By Kimberly Mutandiro, For Ground Up Hundreds of people have flocked onto private land in Midvaal. They each paid a “donation” of R250 to a group of men leading the occupation who call themselves the Big Six. The Big Six say they will use the money to legally protect the occupation. The legal owners of the land say they have been threatened and fear for their families’ safety. Some private agricultural landowners in Walkerville, Elandsfontein, Midvaal, say they have been subjected to assault and threats to their families by a group of men who call themselves the Big Six and stage…
For GroundUp and Spotlight staff Dexamethasone study is good news but caution necessary. Four suggestions for improving peer review in the wake of high-profile retractions. How deadly is SARS-CoV-2? This is issue 7 of Covid-19 Report. We point you to the latest quality science on the pandemic. If you come across unfamiliar terms, there is a glossary at the bottom of the article. Steroid reduces risk of death A randomised controlled clinical trial, Recovery, has found that the steroid dexamethasone reduces the risk of death. In this UK study, at 28 days the death rates of the 4,321 patients receiving “usual care…
By Raymond Joseph, For Ground Up The National Prosecuting Authority has declined to prosecute two criminal complaints of fraud lodged against Pretoria attorney Lesley Ramulifho in connection with a multimillion-rand Lottery-funded drug rehabilitation centre near Pretoria. Over R20 million — and possibly more — of the total Lottery funding of R27.5 million for the project cannot be accounted for and almost three years later, construction of the rehab is still not complete. In response to an email to one of the complainants asking about progress in the investigation of the two complaints, Chris Smith, a senior state advocate from the NPA’s Specialised…
By Daneel Knoetze, For Ground Up The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has recalled two investigators from a special task team probing corruption allegations against top police officials, including former police commissioner Kgomotso Phahlane. The investigators have also been told to hand over their dockets to head office. Viewfinder has the names of the investigators and has seen documentary evidence from within IPID about the recall. Former IPID officials interviewed by Viewfinder see this as an attempt to scupper high-level corruption investigations and to protect accused cops from prosecution. IPID spokesman Sontaga Seisa responded to a query from Viewfinder. He…