Ihsaan Haffejee
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Articles by Ihsaan Haffejee
Veteran white politician nicknamed 'grandmother' shakes up Johannesburg mayor race
Helen Zille, Chairperson of the Federal Council of the Democratic Alliance, addresses supporters at an election rally in Soweto, South Africa May 22, 2024. REUTERS/Ihsaan Haffejee JOHANNESBURG, Sept 30 (Reuters) - A 75-year-old white politician nicknamed "gogo", meaning grandmother, is running for mayor of Johannesburg in a high-stakes November race that analysts say could reshape South Africa's politics.
Elections 2026: This municipality is pouring sewage into the Vaal River
Poorly treated sewage flows directly into the Skoonspruit from Orkney Waste Water Treatment Plant. The Skoonspruit flows into the Vaal River. Photos: Ihsaan Haffejee Freshwater streams across Matlosana municipality that lead to the Vaal River are polluted with sewage. The government has been warned for years that this is putting communities and ecosystems at risk. WaterCAN called GroundUp’s test results from the Skoonspruit “horrifying” and wants the City to run an urgent bacteria assessment.
Elections 2026: How this North West town went from boom to bust
An empty fountain inside the precinct which hosts the City of Matlosana Local Municipality council and city hall in Klerksdorp. Photos: Ihsaan Haffejee The City of Matlosana Local Municipality in the North West is under a financial recovery plan after years of mismanagement, with billions of rands owed. Residents report flooded roads, unreliable water and electricity, sewage spills and deteriorating infrastructure.
Elections 2026: This failing town is knee-deep in sewage
An elderly woman is helped across a stream of sewage in Letsopa near Ottosdal in the North West province. Photos: Ihsaan Haffejee Tswaing Local Municipality in the North West has been fighting costly court battles with the provincial government. Meanwhile residents are fighting their own battles to get water, sanitation, electricity and waste removal.
South Africa: Enable Through Dance - Breaking Barriers for Dancers With Disabilities
"It's about giving young people living with disabilities a chance to explore potential that they have not before" To mark ten years of the Enable Through Dance programme, learners with disabilities took centre stage with professional dancers from the Moving Into Dance non-profit company at the Keorapetse William Kgositsile Theatre at the University of Johannesburg Arts Centre on the weekend.
Enable Through Dance: Breaking barriers for dancers with disabilities
The Enable Through Dance programme started in 2016 and works with several schools and organisations across Johannesburg to provide learners with disabilities opportunities to express themselves through movement and dance. From left: Lesego Dihemo, Mark Hawkins, Lucracia Magoro and Afika Ziqubu, during a performance as part of the 10th anniversary of Enable Through Dance programme.
Video: Joburg’s water crisis, explained
VIDEO Fresh drinking water pouring down the streets. R2.8-billion worth of water lost in one year. Money meant for replacing pipes, disappearing from bank accounts. New infrastructure projects on hold. It’s bad. It’s real bad. Credits: Written and presented by Seth Thorne Filmed and edited by Ihsaan Haffejee © 2026 GroundUp. This article is published under the GroundUp Republication Licence Version 1.0. Email [email protected] to request permission to republish.
The broken system behind our worst cattle epidemic
The state neglected its duties and this led to foot and mouth disease spreading across the country 9 September 2026 | Feature | South Africa Add GroundUp on Google Buffaloes are one of the main attractions in the Kruger National Park. They carry the foot and mouth disease virus but seldom get sick from it. Buffaloes of the Kruger National Park are carriers of foot and mouth disease. This is why cattle on the border of the park sometimes get infected.
MOODY'S sees ongoing surge in Africa's private credit market
LONDON, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Africa's private credit market is set for further expansion as companies and infrastructure projects seek alternatives to constrained bank lending, credit ratings firm Moody's said in a report on Tuesday. The continent's private credit industry remains small but has grown rapidly in recent years, with assets under management rising to $5.6 billion at the end of 2025 from $1.8 billion in 2020, according to the report.
Sharpeville Massacre survivors seek compensation
Sekolotsa Abram Mofokeng was 20 years old when he was shot by police on 21 March 1960 in the Sharpeville Massacre. He was later arrested in hospital. The bullet is still lodged in his body. Photos: Ihsaan Haffejee Survivors and family members of victims of the 1960 Sharpeville Massacre have launched a class action against the government seeking compensation.
How foot and mouth disease ran amok
Farmers saw it coming but they couldn’t prevent it 2 September 2026 | Feature | South Africa Add GroundUp on Google Cows in a meadow on Mearns farm in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. All photos (except the trench with sick cows): Ihsaan Haffejee We are in the midst of the worst foot and mouth disease epidemic in South Africa’s history. The disease has hit cattle farms across the country, making animals sick and causing huge financial losses and emotional distress.
What Happens When a Shack Appears in a Gated Community?
Playwright Amy Jephta’s new play explores race, class, land and the pressures of fitting in. South Africa (12 August 2026) – When a shack suddenly appears inside an affluent suburban neighbourhood, panic spreads among residents. Rumours take hold, alliances shift, and assumptions about race, class and belonging begin to unravel. This is the premise of A Good House, playwright Amy Jephta’s latest work, which opened at Johannesburg’s Market Theatre on Thursday.
Joburg City Streets Come Alive for Women’s Day Weekend
Hundreds of young people parade in bird costumes. Hey Hillbrow! Let’s Dlala! Hillbrow, South Africa (12 August 2026) – Hundreds of young people in bird costumes paraded through the streets of Hillbrow in Johannesburg on Saturday for the seventh annual Hey Hillbrow! Let’s Dlala! street arts festival. The festival brought together young people from various cultural backgrounds shortly after violent xenophobic incidents threatened to divide the community.
South Africa: Joburg City Streets Come Alive for Women's Day Weekend
Hundreds of young people parade in bird costumes Hey Hillbrow! Let's Dlala! Hundreds of young people in bird costumes paraded through the streets of Hillbrow in Johannesburg on Saturday for the seventh annual Hey Hillbrow! Let's Dlala! street arts festival. The festival brought together young people from various cultural backgrounds shortly after violent xenophobic incidents threatened to divide the community.
Joburg city streets come alive for Women’s Day weekend
Hundreds of children and young people walked through the streets of Hillbrow at the seventh annual Hey Hillbrow! Let’s Dlala! street arts festival. Photos: Ihsaan Haffejee Hundreds of young people in bird costumes paraded through the streets of Hillbrow in Johannesburg on Saturday for the seventh annual Hey Hillbrow! Let’s Dlala! street arts festival.
What happens when a shack appears in an affluent gated community?
GROUNDUP Playwright Amy Jephta’s new play explores race, class, land and the social pressures of fitting in. It draws on her experiences of being ‘the first or the only’ black person in predominantly white spaces. Bonolo (Lesoko Seabe) pours a glass of wine for her neighbours Lynette (Mary Anne Barlow) and Chris (Jose Domingos) in Amy Jeptha’s play, A Good House, at The Market Theatre in Johannesburg.
What happens when a shack appears in a gated community?
Bonolo (Lesoko Seabe) pours a glass of wine for her neighbours Lynette (Mary Anne Barlow) and Chris (Jose Domingos) in Amy Jeptha’s play, A Good House, at The Market Theatre in Johannesburg. Photos: Ihsaan Haffejee. When a shack suddenly appears inside an affluent suburban neighbourhood, panic spreads among residents. Rumours take hold, alliances shift, and assumptions about race, class and belonging begin to unravel.
Despite sewerage upgrades, Mogale City still polluting Cradle of Mankind
The Percy Stewart Wastewater Treatment Works in Mogale City has been releasing poorly processed sewage into the Blougat Spruit for years. Photos: Ihsaan Haffejee Citizen water testing samples taken at the Percy Stewart Wastewater Treatment Works’ outlet show E. coli and faecal bacteria, raising serious health concerns. The sewage plant has not met license standards for years.
Air and water pollution harming Joburg’s poorest communities
Smoke from burning waste at an illegal dumping site in Kya Sand can be seen blowing towards nearby residential areas. Recent research has found that many households in the City of Johannesburg are experiencing harm from pollution. Around one in five households report harm from air pollution, a quarter from water and sewerage pipe bursts, and one in ten from water pollution. The impact is most pronounced in lower-income areas.
South Africa: Police Struggle to Stop Vigilantes From Targeting Immigrants in Alexandra
"I think these people want to kill us," says Malawian street vendor. Weekly protests on Thursdays by March and March in Alexandra are forcing immigrant-owned shops to close. This week, police and protest leaders struggled to control the crowd as they went door-to-door, demanding to see identity documents. As the crowd became increasingly hostile, police withdrew from the area completely. Several people presumed to be undocumented were taken away in police vehicles. No protesters were arrested.
Police struggle to stop vigilantes from targeting immigrants in Alexandra
A young boy cries as his father, accused by March and March supporters of being an undocumented immigrant, is escorted to a police van. Photos: Ihsaan Haffajee Weekly protests on Thursdays by March and March in Alexandra are forcing immigrant-owned shops to close. This week, police and protest leaders struggled to control the crowd as they went door-to-door, demanding to see identity documents. As the crowd became increasingly hostile, police withdrew from the area completely.
Community that lived decades in harmony shattered by anti-immigration vigilantes
A group of youngsters play a game of football on a dusty field in the informal settlement of Thembelihle, south of Johannesburg. Photos: Ihsaan Haffejee Thembelihle informal settlement near Johannesburg won an award in 2008 for taking a stance against xenophobia and living in harmony with immigrants from Lesotho, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi. But now anti-immigrant mobs have attacked, threatened and started extorting immigrants.
IN PICS | Hundreds of people still stranded outside Malawian consulate Original
Hundreds of men stood in snaking queues to register for buses outside the Malawian consulate in Johannesburg on Monday. Ihsaan Haffejee/GroundUp Nearly 1 000 Malawians are stranded outside the Malawian consulate in Johannesburg, with hundreds arriving daily and many sleeping outdoors for days while awaiting buses home. Repatriation efforts are largely volunteer-driven while the Malawian government’s involvement has been limited.
In photos: Hundreds of people still stranded outside Malawian consulate
Hundreds of men stood in snaking queues to register for buses outside the Malawian consulate in Johannesburg on Monday. Photos: Ihsaan Haffejee Close to 1,000 Malawians waited outside the Malawian consulate in Johannesburg on Monday, hoping to secure transport home after fleeing anti-immigrant violence in South Africa. People we spoke to say they had travelled from areas around Johannesburg, the East Rand, and as far afield as the Free State.
Immigrant families live in terror after being stoned by March and March crowds
Zimbabwean Jestina Ngondoma shows the broken window at her home in Yeoville, Johannesburg, damaged by protesters during Tuesday’s anti-immigrant march. Photos: Ihsaan Haffejee Immigrant families living in Yeoville and other parts of inner-city Johannesburg say they have been left traumatised after violent March and March protesters stoned their homes on Tuesday. Some people were hit by stones and others beaten with sticks. There were also a few attempted house break-ins.
In photos: Immigrants stream to repatriation site in Durban
The Old Drive-in site has received thousands of displaced immigrants, mainly from Malawi, who want to be repatriated ahead of the March and March 30 June deadline. Photos: Ihsaan Haffejee The Old Drive-in site in Durban, which has been a temporary repatriation site for displaced immigrants since last week, is to be relocated to Musina in Limpopo. But a lack of buses has delayed the relocation, with more people arriving at the site.
In photos: Pietermaritzburg’s pop-up repatriation camp
A man sleeps at a makeshift repatriation camp in Pietermaritzburg as he waits for a bus back to Malawi. Thousands of Malawian immigrants have been displaced and volunteered for repatriation amid rising xenophobic sentiment. Photos: Ihsaan Haffejee Over the past two weeks, authorities in KwaZulu-Natal have been overwhelmed as immigrants, mostly Malawian, flee their homes amid rising xenophobic sentiment. KwaZulu-Natal is the main stomping ground for March and March.
Hundreds protest new land occupation law in Durban and Joburg
2 days7 days30 daysBy Industry Show more Advertise your job vacancies Subscribe to daily business and company news across 19 industries Hundreds of land activists took to the streets in Durban and Johannesburg on Friday, 12 June 2026 to protest a proposed anti-land occupation law. Source: GroundUp/Joseph Bracken.
1976 student uprising leader still haunted by “rows of bodies in the mortuary”
Veteran student leader Seth Mazibuko in front of Sam Nzima’s iconic photograph of Mbuyisa Makhubu carrying the body of Hector Pieterson during the 1976 uprising at The Hector Pieterson Museum in Soweto. Photo: Ihsaan Haffejee “I will never forget that day,” says Seth Mazibuko. “We were children on a peaceful march.
Hundreds protest new land occupation law in Durban and Joburg
About 800 supporters of Abahlali baseMjondolo marched in Durban on Friday. Photo: Joseph Bracken Hundreds of land activists took to the streets in Durban and Johannesburg on Friday to protest a proposed anti-land occupation law. Supporters of shack dweller movement Abahlali baseMjondolo (ABM) marched to the Gauteng Provincial Legislature and the Durban City Hall, arguing that the new bill threatens constitutional protections for poor and landless communities.
In photos: Hundreds board voluntary repatriation flight to Nigeria
About 270 Nigerian citizens queue to return to Nigeria on Wednesday as anti-immigrant protests spread across South Africa. Photos: Ihsaan Haffejee Honour Charles was one of about 270 people queuing outside the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria to board a bus to the airport on Wednesday. “I have been in South Africa for 14 years so leaving in these circumstances is very painful. I don’t feel like I have a choice. I put everything in God’s hands and hope for the best,” said Charles.
South Africa: Tvet Students Demand Funding for Workplace Training
Thousands of students have not been able to graduate Dozens of TVET students who are unable to graduate because they have not yet completed their practical training protested at the higher education department's headquarters in Pretoria on Tuesday. People studying towards a National Accredited Technical Education Diploma (NATED) are required to complete 18 months of workplace-based training.
TVET students demand funding for workplace training
About 50 TVET students protested in Pretoria on Tuesday, demanding funding and job placements. Photo: Ihsaan Haffejee Dozens of TVET students who are unable to graduate because they have not yet completed their practical training protested at the higher education department’s headquarters in Pretoria on Tuesday. People studying towards a National Accredited Technical Education Diploma (NATED) are required to complete 18 months of workplace-based training.
South Africa's Ramaphosa vows crackdown on groups behind xenophobic attacks
A demonstrator waves South Africa's flag during a protest calling for the deportation of undocumented immigrants, as violence against migrants from other African countries increases, in Benoni, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, June 5, 2026.
South Africa's Ramaphosa vows crackdown on groups behind xenophobic attacks
A demonstrator waves South Africa's flag during a protest calling for the deportation of undocumented immigrants, as violence against migrants from other African countries increases, in Benoni, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, June 5, 2026.
South Africa's Ramaphosa vows crackdown on groups behind xenophobic attacks
A demonstrator waves South Africa's flag during a protest calling for the deportation of undocumented immigrants, as violence against migrants from other African countries increases, in Benoni, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, June 5, 2026.
South Africa's Ramaphosa vows crackdown on groups behind xenophobic attacks
A demonstrator waves South Africa's flag during a protest calling for the deportation of undocumented immigrants, as violence against migrants from other African countries increases, in Benoni, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, June 5, 2026.
South Africa's Ramaphosa vows crackdown on groups behind xenophobic attacks
A demonstrator waves South Africa's flag during a protest calling for the deportation of undocumented immigrants, as violence against migrants from other African countries increases, in Benoni, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, June 5, 2026.
South Africa's Ramaphosa vows crackdown on groups behind xenophobic attacks
A demonstrator waves South Africa's flag during a protest calling for the deportation of undocumented immigrants, as violence against migrants from other African countries increases, in Benoni, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, June 5, 2026.
South Africa's Ramaphosa vows crackdown on groups behind xenophobic attacks
South Africa will crack down on groups behind xenophobic violence, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday, as anti-immigrant protests tarnish the country's reputation. Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi and Mozambique are repatriating some of their citizens caught up in the protests, which have sometimes turned violent. Mozambique has said five of its citizens were killed.
South Africa's Ramaphosa vows crackdown on groups behind xenophobic attacks
South Africa will crack down on groups behind xenophobic violence, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday, as anti-immigrant protests tarnish the country's reputation. Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi and Mozambique are repatriating some of their citizens caught up in the protests, which have sometimes turned violent. Mozambique has said five of its citizens were killed.
South Africa's Ramaphosa vows crackdown on groups behind xenophobic attacks
A demonstrator waves South Africa's flag during a protest calling for the deportation of undocumented immigrants, as violence against migrants from other African countries increases, in Benoni, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, June 5, 2026.
South Africa's Ramaphosa vows crackdown on groups behind xenophobic attacks
A demonstrator waves South Africa's flag during a protest calling for the deportation of undocumented immigrants, as violence against migrants from other African countries increases, in Benoni, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, June 5, 2026.
South Africa's Ramaphosa vows crackdown on groups behind xenophobic attacks
A demonstrator waves South Africa's flag during a protest calling for the deportation of undocumented immigrants, as violence against migrants from other African countries increases, in Benoni, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, June 5, 2026. REUTERS/Ihsaan Haffejee Ihsaan Haffejee Reuters South Africa will crack down on groups behind xenophobic violence, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday, as anti-immigrant protests tarnish the country's reputation.
South Africa's Ramaphosa vows crackdown on groups behind xenophobic attacks
A demonstrator waves South Africa's flag during a protest calling for the deportation of undocumented immigrants, as violence against migrants from other African countries increases, in Benoni, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, June 5, 2026. REUTERS/Ihsaan Haffejee South Africa will crack down on groups behind xenophobic violence, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday, as anti-immigrant protests tarnish the country's reputation.
South Africa's Ramaphosa vows crackdown on groups behind xenophobic attacks
A demonstrator waves South Africa's flag during a protest calling for the deportation of undocumented immigrants, as violence against migrants from other African countries increases, in Benoni, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, June 5, 2026. REUTERS/Ihsaan Haffejee South Africa will crack down on groups behind xenophobic violence, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday, as anti-immigrant protests tarnish the country's reputation.
South Africa's Ramaphosa vows crackdown on groups behind xenophobic attacks
A demonstrator waves South Africa's flag during a protest calling for the deportation of undocumented immigrants, as violence against migrants from other African countries increases, in Benoni, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, June 5, 2026. REUTERS/Ihsaan Haffejee South Africa will crack down on groups behind xenophobic violence, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday, as anti-immigrant protests tarnish the country's reputation.
South Africa's Ramaphosa vows crackdown on groups behind xenophobic attacks
A demonstrator waves South Africa's flag during a protest calling for the deportation of undocumented immigrants, as violence against migrants from other African countries increases, in Benoni, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, June 5, 2026. REUTERS/Ihsaan Haffejee South Africa will crack down on groups behind xenophobic violence, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday, as anti-immigrant protests tarnish the country's reputation.
South Africa's Ramaphosa vows crackdown on groups behind xenophobic attacks
A demonstrator waves South Africa's flag during a protest calling for the deportation of undocumented immigrants, as violence against migrants from other African countries increases, in Benoni, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, June 5, 2026. REUTERS/Ihsaan Haffejee Ihsaan Haffejee Reuters South Africa will crack down on groups behind xenophobic violence, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday, as anti-immigrant protests tarnish the country's reputation.
South Africa's Ramaphosa vows crackdown on groups behind xenophobic attacks
A demonstrator waves South Africa's flag during a protest calling for the deportation of undocumented immigrants, as violence against migrants from other African countries increases, in Benoni, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, June 5, 2026. REUTERS/Ihsaan Haffejee South Africa will crack down on groups behind xenophobic violence, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday, as anti-immigrant protests tarnish the country's reputation.
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