” My father was only 35 years old when we lost him. He and his brother were shot in a robbery,” recalls Chantel Grodes. She grew up in Hanover Park on the Cape Flats. “When we got to the scene…
South Africa is feeling the impact of climate change. The recent floods in KwaZulu-Natal, consistent droughts in the Western Cape, water scarcity, and heat waves all over the country are examples of some of the consequences. And as a result, it…
Experts have expressed doubt over whether the Bill to decriminalise sex work in South Africa will be tabled before parliament by the end of the year. Acting Chairperson of the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE), Nomasonto Mazibuko, said they…
Xenophobia in South Africa has spilt over into the health sector, with some foreigners afraid to visit local clinics and hospitals. A Zimbabwean woman, Yolanda Dumpson, shared her traumatic birthing experience at a public hospital in Johannesburg last year. Pregnant…
Over four thousand new HIV infections are recorded among girls and young women in Sub-Saharan Africa every week. However, an expert believes that access to information about the virus can turn these numbers around. Patricia Machawira, the United Nations Educational,…
Pamela Madonsela spoke to a Cape Town-based doula who experienced obstetric violence before embarking on her journey of offering a better birthing experience to other moms. “If I had known back then what obstetric violence was, I would have acted.…
Healthcare workers (HCWs) are going from caregivers to victims of violence at the hands of patients across the country. Doctors and nurses, particularly from Gauteng, have reported being slapped, scratched and kicked while on duty. A junior doctor recalled the…
A campaign to save the reputation of traditional healers in Limpopo is showing positive results, with only one witchcraft-related murder having occurred in the last eight months. Professor Mbaimbai Hlati, the president of the Traditional Healer Association in the Southern…
Gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) is a profound and widespread problem in South Africa. Given the ferocious nature of this ‘pandemic’, collective efforts are needed to end this scourge of violence against mostly women and children. Director-General at the Department…
Gangsterism among children – who are often left alone by their parents – has been pinpointed as the main driving force behind violence in schools. Linda Makhathini, a Social Work Manager for the Social Crime Prevention Unit at the National…
Parents may be breathing a sigh of relief as the last of the country’s schools reopen for the 2022 academic year, but not all children are looking forward to meeting their fellow classmates. For them, going back to school means…
At least half of all South African women have been victims of gender-based violence (GBV). Lena Mogolegwa is one of them and has used her experience to establish a foundation to help other survivors be victors and not victims, writes…
