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Churchill Dam that supplies Nelson Mandela Bay in May 2021. Solving water shortages needs better politics and engineering. In fact, making sure that research resources for better engineering solutions are better distributed is a political problem. Archive photo: Mkhuseli Sizani Smartphones now outnumber people with access to clean water in their homes. This bizarre factoid … [Read more...] about South African engineers are trying to solve the global water crisis

[embedded content] Most South African children do not have access to books representing their backgrounds, cultural customs or even themselves, according to experts in children’s literature at a recent book launch in Johannesburg. Adel van Niekerk spoke to Tina Akuoko of Ethnikids, an organisation trying to change that. © 2022 GroundUp. This article is licensed under a … [Read more...] about Video: Making fun books for children in their mother-tongue

Members of the Bekezela Football Team practise near their home. Photo: Kimberly Mutandiro Hundreds of families have been living for years in and around the old Bekezela College in Newtown, Johannesburg. The college is owned by PRASA which says the building was “hijacked” and is unlawfully occupied. PRASA says it is negotiating with the City of Johannesburg to provide … [Read more...] about Hundreds of families in inner-city Johannesburg may lose the only home they have known for years

The unintended consequence of the recent increase in the subsidy per house could be an increase in the number and size of informal settlements around the country. Archive photo of Siqalo near Mitchells Plain, Cape Town: Ashraf Hendricks In March and again in her 2022/23 budget vote, Minister of Human Settlements Mmamoloko Kubayi announced that the housing subsidy would be … [Read more...] about Increased housing subsidy will result in more informal settlements

Hundreds of workers joined an unprotected strike on Friday morning at Takealot’s Montague Gardens warehouse. Photo: Nombulelo Damba-Hendrik Work came to a halt at the Montague Gardens, Cape Town, warehouse of online retailer Takealot when hundreds of workers embarked on an unprotected strike on Friday morning. The workers are demanding permanent positions. They also want a … [Read more...] about Takealot workers strike for permanent positions