Author name: Scott Balson

Thirty-one years into democracy, residents of Eswati, a remote rural village in Vryheid, northern KwaZulu-Natal, continue to live without electricity, relying only on sporadic access to water as their sole basic service. For 58-year-old Ntombi Mtshali, who has spent her entire life in the village, daily survival means scavenging for firewood to cook meals for […]

Youth from various education districts in Limpopo have raised serious concerns over alleged corruption and favoritism in the employment of Education Assistants (EAs) under Phase Five of the Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI). The initiative, part of the Presidential Employment Stimulus, aims to create 200,000 job opportunities for young people aged 18 to 34 (including

The world is not on fire. That would be too generous. Fire transforms; it clears the way for rebirth. What we’re living through is slower, more insidious, a kind of moral rot, where creation happens without care, and power thrives without responsibility. Around us, a new world is being assembled piece by piece, stitched together

More than 500 people in Middelpos informal settlement in Saldanha Bay were left stranded as a cold front made landfall this week, flooding their homes. When GroundUp arrived on Thursday, a municipal truck was pumping water out of flooded roads. Volunteers with municipal disaster risk teams and aid organisation Gift of the Givers were already

A rapid response by Warden police on Thursday led to the arrest of a 36-year-old man and the confiscation of dagga with an estimated street value of R260,000. The operation unfolded at approximately 08:15 when the Rural Safety Coordinator team at Warden Police Station received a tip-off about a grey Ford Ranger with Gauteng registration

The Mpumalanga Division of the High Court in Mbombela has sentenced 31-year-old Hitler Bongani Mnisi to life imprisonment for the murder of 25-year-old Thabisile Mashaba in 2023. The court heard that on 11 June 2023, police received reports of a stabbing incident in Mkhuhlu, where the victim had been rushed to the hospital. Upon arrival, officers

Frustrated workers at the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality in the North West marched to the mayor’s office today, demanding answers over long-standing grievances they say have been ignored for five years. The workers submitted a memorandum highlighting concerns over alleged non-compliance with labor laws, salary disparities, and questionable senior management appointments. Despite repeated attempts

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has confirmed a major breakthrough in the kidnapping case of Kamogelo Baukudi, a 19-year-old Grade 11 learner from Martie du Plessis School, who was found alive in Wepener following a coordinated rescue operation. Kamogelo was abducted on Thursday, 5 June 2025, while being driven home from school along Verneeniging Drive

South Africa’s agricultural sector has shown remarkable growth over the past seven years, raking in a staggering R491.7 billion, according to the latest data from Statistics South Africa. The industry recorded a 6.8% increase, driven by strong performances in horticulture, livestock, and other sub-sectors. However, amid this growth, concerns persist about the limited participation of

Free State police have initiated a manhunt for three suspects following a violent house robbery on a farm outside Kestell. The incident occurred on the evening of Wednesday, 26 June 2025, and was reported to authorities in the early hours of Thursday, 27 June. Details of the Attack At approximately 19:30, a 70-year-old man was