Read more analysis from our Research Team
‘the government is saying black lives don’t matter’: Opposing State Brutality in Cape Town
South Africans have been accused of protesting police violence in America whilst overlooking state brutality at home. Such critiques are important but it is also crucial that we don’t underestimate the opposition that exists to state violence, nor the fear that it provokes.In the wake of George Floyd’s death, under the knee of a white…
Covid-19 and Cape Town: Frustration Grows As Lockdown Exacerbates the City’s Inequalities
Instituting Lockdown in South Africa, where inequality is rampant, was always going to be difficult. Since the beginning, one thing has been clear about COVID-19: It is no leveller. Over the last seven weeks, the COVID-19 crisis has collided with the everyday crises that numerous citizens were already facing. Prior to the crisis, many South…
A milestone or a deadend? South Africa’s social grants in the time of Covid-19
The introduction of a new grant and an extended child grant signals a hopeful moment in South Africa but we must not discount the challenges that lie ahead. A version of this article will appear shortly on Open Democracy. ‘At the moment the government is doing what it should of done a long time [ago]…
WhatsApp with the new grants?
This post was first published on the Daily Maverick. Times of crisis are often periods of increased intervention by government, businesses and civic organisations. These interventions deserve our attention not just because their immediate impacts can be immense, but also because the laws, regulations and practices forged in crisis tend to live on long after…
COVID 19 and the unequal schooling system
Fiona Anciano, SJ Cooper-Knock, Mmeli Dube, Mfundo Majola and Boitumelo Papane ‘Education in South Africa is in crisis’ declared Tshepo Motsepe, General Secretary of Equal Education, a social movement campaigning for ‘quality and equality in South African schools’. Since Lockdown was announced seven weeks ago, there has been much talk of an education crisis in…
‘The system is a problem’: The politics of food parcels in Cape Town
This Op-Ed was first posted on the Daily Maverick.‘Some leaders are corrupted they take most of the food their families’, wrote Nathi, who lives within an informal settlement in Imizamo Yethu, Cape Town. His words seemed to fit a well worn truth in South African politics: the delivery of resources and services are skewed by…
Policing the Lockdown in Cape Town
This blog was originally published on the Scottish Institute for Policing Research’s blog. ‘If only they could deploy more soldiers and police for effective enforcement’, Zukiswa wrote, efforts to contain Covid-19 might be successful. Like almost half of the residents in Khayelitsha, Zukiswa lives in informal housing. Throughout the crisis, she has seen little of…
Everyday support in lockdown shows Cape Town is a city of many stories
Among accounts of hardship, hunger, crime and anxiety, the measures taken to address the COVID-19 epidemic have spurred stories of solidarity and support. Drawing attention to relationships that have long been present before the current crisis, these stories allow us to recognise people’s humanity and interconnectedness. This blog first appeared on LSE blogs Nigerian author Chimamanda…
Inside Information: The political economy of Covid-19 rumours in Cape Town
This blog first appeared on Corona Times, you can view the original here. South Africa took an early stand to try and limit fake news around the Covid-19, by making the spread of false information on the virus a crime. This stance recognises the importance of clear and accurate health messaging around the virus – misinformation and disinformation…
“We are still waiting”: Protesting Under Lockdown in South Africa
South Africa has seen its first protests under lockdown. Now, more than ever, there is an urgent need to understand what is at stake.This blog first appeared on Open Democracy. “Some do not have enough to eat”, wrote China, “and the food parcels only go to those earning below R3600 even though those who are…
Get new content delivered directly to your inbox.
Lockdown Diaries 