Op-Eds

Protests are a powerful tool of democratic expression and a legitimate form of political participation, Yongeza Mbimbi, Daily Mavevrick (12 October 2023).
Fire proves the apartheid ethos of the Central Pass Office hasn't died, Nkosinathi Sithole, Sunday Times (10 September 2023).
What does the Albert Street Fire tragedy tell us about housing, Lauren Royston and Nolwazi Mahlangu, Amandla Magazine (December 2023 Issue 90/91).
Justice delayed is justice denied: 11 years since the Marikana Massacre and still no closure, Matete Piet Masola, Daily Maverick (15 August 2023).
eThekwini continues to deny informal traders full trading rights despite high court ruling, Khululiwe Bhengu and Muano Nemavhidi, Daily Maverick (25 July 2023).
Why the illegal eviction and occupation land Act matters and should be defended, Nerishka Singh, Nkosinathi Sithole and Yvonne Erasmus, Mail & Guardian (10 January 2023).
We want ubuntu, but fail to treat our domestic workers properly, Pinky Mashiane and Kelebogile Khunou, News24 (19 September 2022)
How evictions law has been implemented in the lower Courts in South Africa, Yvonne Erasmus and Nerishka Singh, Oxford Human Rights Hub (2 June 2022) [blog post].
Labour law for domestic workers explained, Amy Tekie and Kelebogile Khunou, Fin24 (10 May 2022).
Joburg court flouts rights to housing, Nerishka Singh and Yvonne Erasmus, New Frame (1 April 2022).
SA politicians stoke the flames of xenophobia in macabre spectacle to woo back voters, Sharon S. Ekambaram, Phumi Mtetwa and Nomzamo Zondo, Daily Maverick(21 March 2022)..
Rapid land release for housing sounds great in theory, but well-structured delivery is key to its success, Amaarah Garda and Edward Molopi, Daily Maverick (11 November 2021).
Employers should respect women’s rights and provide domestic workers with employment contracts, Kelebogile Khunou and Amy Tekie, Mail & Guardian (31 August 2021).
Marikana and the many faces of justice, Yvonne Erasmus, Daily Maverick (22 August 2021).
Rubber bullets: Banning them is not impossible — it’s imperative, Thato Masiangoako and Mary Rayner, Daily Maverick (31 May 2021).
Heavy-handed police must respect the right to protest, Amanda Duma, Mail & Guardian (1 April 2021).
Beyond Kgetlengrivier: Citizen groups taking over collapsed municipal services is only a short-term solution, Alana Potter, Daily Maverick (28 February 2021).
The Rapid Land Release Programme has many potential perils and pitfalls, Adi Kumar, Lauren Royston and Michael Clark, Daily Maverick (15 December 2020).
Can our police be trusted with their weapons?, Mary Rayner, Thato Masiangoako and Neil Corney, Mail & Guardian (12 November 2020).
D-Day for ‘angry black girl’ Yolanda Dyantyi as Rhodes expulsion goes to EC High Court, Maanda Makwarela, Daily Maverick (6 September 2020).
Marikana massacre: The devastating impact of the narrative painted by business, police and the state, Khuselwa Dyantyi and Thato Masiangoako, Daily Maverick (26 August 2020).
Preventing illegal evictions prevents homelessness, Lauren Royston and Nkosinathi Sithole, Mail & Guardian (16 August 2020).
Build it and they will come: Lessons from the Slovo Park informal settlement, Tiffany Ebrahim, Daily Maverick (29 July 2020).
Domestic workers hung out to dry during lockdown, Amy Tekié And Kelebogile Khunou, Business Day (29 April 2020).
We Need Long-lasting Solutions For South Africa’s Informal Settlement Residents, Lauren Royston and Maanda Makwarela, Daily Vox (15 April 2020).
Correcting the deliberate and intentional dispossession of black people in SA will require thoughtful effort, Maanda Makwarela, Daily Maverick (15 April 2020).
Inner-city raids: criminal police conduct violates residents’ privacy and dignity, Thato Masiangoako, Mail& Guardian (18 March 2020).
Laws must be adapted to SA’s current reality, Thato Masiangoako, Mail & Guardian (21 February 2020).
Upgrade rather than evict, Edward Molopi and S’bu Zikode, The Witness (14 November 2019).
For better police, we must support IPID and other institutions that can ensure this, Thato Masiangoako, Daily Maverick(23 October 2019).
Farm dwellers’ rights are not just about unlawful eviction, Nerishka Singh, Business Day(25 September 2019).
Not much in minimum wage for vulnerable women to celebrate, Amy Tekie and Kelebogile Khunou, Business Day (24 August 2019).
Urban land reform: Start with Informal Settlements, Lauren Royston and Tiffany Ebrahim, Daily Maverick (4 July 2019).
The sheriff in town: To serve and protect or harm and neglect?, Tshepo Skosana, Daily Maverick (13 June 2019).
Protests may be inconvenient, but they are drivers of social change, Thato Masiangoako, City Press (4 April 2019).
Recognise the poor — they are neither criminals nor unworthy of living in the city, Khululiwe Bhengu, Daily Maverick (13 February 2019).
Domestic work is work too, Kelebogile Khunou and Thulani Nkosi, City Press (14 October 2018).
The Legacy of Marikana: Accountability urgent to prevent another atrocity, Nomzamo Zondo and Maanda Makwarela, Daily Maverick(15 August 2018).
City of Joburg's Expanded Social Package offers little relief to residents of informal settlements, Tiffany Ebrahim and Maanda Makwarela, Daily Maverick (17 July 2018).
Household recycling plan leaves waste pickers fighting for crumbs, Maanda Makwarela and Kelebogile Khunou, Business Day(4 July 2018).
Will there be accountability for the Marikana Massacre?, Maanda Makwarela and Alana Potter, Daily Maverick(15 June 2018).
What employers need to know about domestic workers' employment rights, Kelebogile Khunou, Northcliff Melville Times (2 May 2018).
City of Joburg's water policy hurts the poor, Alana Potter and Kelebogile Khunou, Business Day (22 March 2018).
Constitutional Court says that emergency shelter rules are unconstitutional, Tiffany Ebrahim, Zeenat Sujee and Edward Molopi, Business Day (13 December 2017).
Letter to the Editor: Helen Zille's facts are wrong on Marikana housing issue, SERI, Daily Maverick (14 September 2017).
Downtown gentrification steals from the poor to give to the rich, Nomzamo Zondo and Thulani Nkosi, Business Day (8 September 2017).
The road home, Lwazi Mtshiyo and Keaton Allen-Gessesse, Bertha Blog (28 July 2017).
Resisting evictions from farms, Michael Clark and Alana Potter, Daily Maverick (23 July 2017).
Guidelines offer clarity on evictions and relocations, Michael Clark, Lauren Royston and Lwazi Mtshiyo, Business Day (20 July 2017).
ConCourt falls short of farm dweller Act's aims, Stuart Wilson, Mail & Guardian (19 July 2017).
'Bad buildings' - the law is not the problem, Lauren Royston, Lwazi Mtshiya and Nomzamo Zondo, Daily Maverick (6 July 2017).
Reckoning with the moral imperative on South African farms, Tim Fish Hodgson, Africa is a Country (23 May 2017).
Herman Mashaba’s pro-poor plans for Joburg seem a bit rich, Dennis Webster and Alana Potter, Business Day (12 May 2017).
New Guide will assist Street Traders to Protect their Rights, Dennis Webster, Daily Maverick (4 April 2017).
Web archives open up the truth about Marikana, Safia Khan and Tim Fish Hodgson, Mail & Guardian (24 March 2017).
Justice is a scarce resource, Khuselwa Dyantyi, The Star (23 March 2017).
Who owns the story of South Africa’s Marikana massacre?, Keaton Allen-Gessesse, Ford Foundation (23 March 2017).
The guns in Marikana were aimed at the families of slain workers too, Lwazi Mtshiyo and Tim Fish Hodgson, Business Day (21 March 2017).
Letter to Editor: Zille wrong to blame the poor for the Cape's housing crisis, Dennis Webster and Daneel Knoetze, Daily Maverick (10 March 2017).
Residents challenge Joburg’s shelter rules, Edward Molopi and Syabonga Mahlangu, Business Day (1 March 2017).
Opportunities for resistance: Trump’s authoritarianism and the law, Stuart Wilson, openDemocracy (23 February 2017).
Here's Why The People Of Marikana Informal Settlement Are Suing Cape Town For Land, Tim Fish Hodgson, Huffington Post (8 February 2017).
Giving land to Philippi residents a first step to redress, Dennis Webster and Edward Molopi, Business Day (6 February 2017).
Fees Will Rise In 2017. What Can We Learn From The Learning Conditions On Campuses In 2016?, Thulani Nkosi and Tim Fish Hodgson, Huffington Post (13 December 2016).
Fighting for a Living: Short films show communities taking on the odds, Stuart Wilson, Daily Maverick (7 December 2016).
Slumlords? Lawyers? No, Mayor Mashaba, your complaint is against the rule of law itself, Stuart Wilson, Daily Maverick (2 December 2016).
Wine Workers Win Resounding Battle, But Cannot Win The War Alone, Dennis Webster, Huffington Post (1 December 2016).
What students will learn from exercise of power, Stuart Wilson and Nomzamo Zondo, Business Day (21 October 2016).
When the poor are forced to move: two relocations teach us important lessons, Edward Molopi and Irene de Vos, City Press (5 August 2016).
The state must invest in rental stock for people earning less than R3 200 a month, Lauren Royston, Mail and Guardian (2 August 2016).
A place for the poor? Realising the right to adequate housing in Johannesburg, Lauren Royston, Edward Molopi and Josh Budlender, Daily Maverick (29 July 2016).
Guide helps homeowners know mortgage rights, Stuart Wilson, Business Day (7 June 2016).
‘Union men’ fight back, Bhavna Ramji, City Press (23 May 2016).
Court checks banks over home debts, Mbekezeli Benjamin and Lwazi Mtshiyo, Mail and Guardian (29 April 2016).
Shack upgrades gain some foundation, Stuart Wilson, Business Day (25 April 2016).
Upgrading informal settlements: The importance of the Slovo Park judgment, Nomzamo Zondo and Lauren Royston, Daily Maverick (11 April 2016).
Joburg’s vision blind to street life, Mbekezeli Benjamin and Dennis Webster, Business Day (4 December 2015).
The idea of new cities may be folly, Lauren Royston and Yahia Shawkat, Business Day (11 September 2015).
The streets at stake in Johannesburg, Dennis Webster, openGlobalRights (10 September 2015).
Look to owners and state for 'bad buildings', Dennis Webster and Michael Leonard, Mail and Guardian (31 July 2015).
Disdain for rule of law hurts poor, Irene de Vos and Dennis Webster, Business Day (27 July 2015).
Letter: Farm Strike Not Illegal, Bhavna Ramji, Business Day (20 July 2015).
Judge Farlam’s Accidental Massacre, Stuart Wilson, Daily Maverick (26 June 2015).
When attacking NGOs, the government is rendering the poor invisible, Stuart Wilson, Daily Maverick (23 June 2015).
Closing the doors of justice? The South African Constitutional Court’s approach to direct access, Jackie Dugard, openGlobalRights (25 May 2015).
Clean sweep of the poor is not constitutional, Dennis Webster, Mail and Guardian (17 April 2015).
Ke Molao Wa Rona: Joburg continues its anti-poor approach, Dennis Webster, Daily Maverick (27 February 2015).
Human rights 'made whole', Jackie Dugard and Mbekezeli Benjamin, The New Age (28 January 2015).
After the Marikana Commission: What now?, Stuart Wilson, Daily Maverick (27 November 2014).
Without means, there are no real rights, Stuart Wilson, openGlobalRights (23 September 2014).
What the law has to say about evictions, Sandra Liebenberg, GroundUp News (1 September 2014).
Legalizing economic and social rights can help the poor: reflections from South Africa, Stuart Wilson, openGlobalRights (7 August 2014).
Housing: The need for more realistic debate, Lauren Royston and Stuart Wilson, Daily Maverick (21 July 2014).
Evictions: South Africa's bitter year-round trauma, Stuart Wilson, Daily Maverick (15 July 2014).
Urbanisation: Low-cost housing not low-cost enough, Lauren Royston and Michael Clark, Mail and Guardian (11 April 2014).
The social costs of inner city regeneration, Kate Tissington, Daily Maverick (28 February 2014).
SA’s transformation: No-one can do it alone, Mr Grootes, Stuart Wilson, Daily Maverick (27 January 2014).
Dear Mr Grootes: A welfare state is a just state, Stuart Wilson, Daily Maverick (21 January 2014).
Under attack at home and at work: Operation Clean Sweep and the dark side of urban regeneration, Michael Clark and Kate Tissington, Daily Maverick (27 November 2013).
Information: the first step towards active citizenry, Jackie Dugard and Thapelo Tselapedi, Daily Maverick (25 November 2013).
Marikana inquiry’s mistakes call for a rethink, Jackie Dugard, Business Day (11 September 2013).
Marikana ruling hardly ‘excellent’, Stuart Wilson, Mail and Guardian (23 August 2013).
Snail's pace hampers Marikana Commission, Jackie Dugard and Kate Tissington, Sunday Times (30 June 2013).
What the protesters really want, Jackie Dugard and Kate Tissington, The Witness (10 May 2013).
State suppression of popular dissent should concern us all, Michael Clark and Jackie Dugard, Business Day (6 March 2013).
Ekuthuleni: 'Place of peace' by name but a shelter it is not, Jackie Dugard and Kathleen Hardy, Daily Maverick (11 January 2013).
Marikana violence is a sign of things to come, Jackie Dugard, Bonita Meyersfeld and Nikki Naylor, Business Day (23 August 2012).
Taking liberties: Ivo Vegter on Socio-Economic Rights, Stuart Wilson, Daily Maverick (20 April 2012).
In defence of the Concourt, Jackie Dugard and Kate Tissington, The Star (14 December 2011).
Tenant's rights, coming down to earth, Kate Tissington, Daily Maverick (10 November 2011).
Court just wants city to care for the poor a bit better, Kate Tissington and Jackie Dugard, Business Day (12 April 2011).
Making up lost ground in SA’s informal settlements, Kate Tissington and Lauren Royston, Business Day (16 November 2010).
Press freedom: Free but superficial media overlooks important stories, Jackie Dugard, Business Day (27 September 2010).
Let’s see the real value in RDP houses, Kate Tissington, Kecia Rust, Robert McGaffin, Mark Napier and Sarah Charlton, Business Day (31 August 2010).
Balancing the rights of owners and the homeless, Kate Tissington, Business Day (2 June 2010).

About Us

The Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI) is a non-profit human rights organisation. We work with communities, social movements, individuals and other non-profit organisations in South Africa and beyond to develop and implement strategies to challenge inequality and realise socio-economic rights.

SERI’s conviction is that it is the people who are on the receiving end of poverty and inequality who are best placed to devise and implement strategies to challenge them. We provide legal advice and representation, research services and advocacy support to our clients and partners. We act to protect and expand the political spaces in which individuals and communities organise and press for social change.

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