MEC for education Panyaza Lesufi visited a Johannesburg school to investigate allegations of racism after a group of black girls was ordered to leave the school because of their hair. On Monday, the aunt of a pupil at Windsor House Academy in Kempton Park, Siyabonga Ngwenya, recounted the incident on Facebook in a post which has been shared over 1 000 times. She said her niece called her in the morning saying she and other girls who had dreadlocks, braids and “inappropriate” hair had been told to leave school and warned that…

Comedian Joey Rasdien was dragged by Muslims on social media this weekend after making a controversial comment during a comedy set at the Ilm Arts Festival, which took place at the Sandton Convention Centre on Saturday. In his set Rasdien questioned how Abu Hurairah, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad, wrote more than 40 000 narrations attributed to the prophet in just two years. Narrations of incidents from the prophet’s life, or hadith, are a central part of Islamic belief. “There’s 365 days in a year which makes it 740…

There have been regular attacks on Uber drivers around malls, clubs and Gautrain stations since the company launched in South Africa in 2013. The violence has increased significantly since the beginning of the year. Earlier this week, an Uber driver whose car was set alight died in hospital of his injuries. The Daily Vox spoke to Uber and Taxify drivers about their work and the danger they face each day. Moses Anthony*, 46, East Rand, Uber driver This is my third year working as an Uber driver. I’ve been attacked four times,…

Mandela Day is a time to give and work on nation building. uTata worked his whole life to erase the rift between South Africans and this is #RainbowNation came about. Our team put together a list of practical things you can do to benefit yourself, the people around you and ultimately, South Africa. Here are nine things that could translate into habits. 1. Practise the names of your black friends and co-worker Take 67 minutes to make sure you know how to pronounce Nonhlanhla’s name instead of calling her Noni. You not only…

With Nelson Mandela International Day coming up, many people are looking for a way to spend 67 minutes for Tata - from painting orphanages to climbing Kilimanjaro. But is doing charity once a year for just over an hour really going to build the 'Rainbow Nation' Mandela dreamt of? The Daily Vox asked some Joburgers what they think. Brian Ngobo, 42, business owner, Bez Valley I am planning to contribute some of the cleaning stuff from my business to a nursery school as my 67 minutes on Mandela Day. It is important because…

Charmaine Mrwebi (34) used to visit the library daily as a child and fell in love with stories and storytelling - today her own book is on the shelves. The self-published author's body of work spans 16 books, including two children's books which have been published in five languages. Her latest work for children, Mogodutswane o Setouto, can be found in Bloemfontein bookstores and libraries in the Free State. She spoke to The Daily Vox about her literary journey, and using books and performance art to give back to her…

This Saturday, the Gugu Dlamini Park will host the 7th annual Durban Pride and Liberation Parade, which celebrates the queer community of KwaZulu-Natal. Durban is the only city in South Africa to host a liberation march during International Pride Month. A full day of events is planned around the march, starting from 10am and going on until 10pm. 11.30am to 12.30pm is the commemoration hour to remember people from the queer community who have passed away. The parade goes until 2.30pm, followed by the launch of the African Gay…

An inquest into South African Communist Party member and anti-apartheid activist Ahmed Timol’s death is set to reopen on Monday, 45 years after his death in detention. Judge Billy Mothle will preside over the inquest at the Johannesburg High Court between 26 and 30 June, with the final hearings set to take place on August 10 and 11. Timol was a teacher from Roodepoort who arrested in a roadblock on 22 October 1971. He died in detention five days later. The magistrate who presided over his inquest found that Timol had…

Eight women and men took on the law so a businessman accused of sexually abusing them decades ago could be brought to book. He died before the law could be changed but that did not stop them. This week, the Johannesburg High Court ruled that Section 18 of the Criminal Procedure Act - which states survivors of sexual abuse crimes have to lay charges within 20 years - was unconstitutional. The Daily Vox unpacks what that means for sexual abuse survivors. In 2013, a civil lawsuit was brought by eight people against Sidney…

Asylum seekers may face greater difficulties entering South Africa once Parliament enacts legislation to create a new agency that will have full control of the country’s borders and ports, and once the department of home affairs opens new processing centres for asylum seekers. Border management is currently provided by several state departments and agencies including the department of home affairs, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and the South African Police Service (SAPS), overseen by the Border Control Operational…

There are between 100 000 and 200 000 people living on the streets of South Africa, according to the Human Science Research Council (HSRC) . Young people who are homeless have often been socially excluded and neglected, and left vulnerable to crime and the elements. The Daily Vox spoke to some homeless youth in Johannesburg about their life on the streets and what they want for their futures. Sicelo, 19, Mpumalanga I've lived on the streets for a year now since I moved from Mpumalanga. I had issues with my aunty so I came to…

Her guidance counsellor thought marine biology was a pipe dream. But Nasreen Khan (30) stuck to her guns. She recently returned from a year on the subantarctic island reserve of Marion Island, where she studied seals, penguins and killer whales as part of the South African National Antarctic Programme. She told The Daily Vox about the experience. From a young age, I was fascinated by the ocean and all its creatures. I had my mind set on marine biology from grade 7. In grade 12, I told my guidance counsellor what I wanted to…

The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) says that no taxis will be running in Gauteng as they are planning a march to the Taxi Finance offices in Midrand on Thursday, 15 June. They are protesting the high interest rates that come with financing taxis. Over the past month, there have been protests around the country over the cost of taxis in South Africa. Two weeks ago, taxi drivers brought part of Durban to a standstill when they blocked off routes to the Toyota plant in Prospecton, Isipingo. According to…

People with albinism continue to face stigma, health challenges and the threat of violence, and there is still no solid policy to address their needs. In 2013, the deputy director general for social policy in the department of social development, Wiseman Magasela, said government would look into the definition of albinism as it relates to disability grants. “Currently, albinism is defined as a disability in South Africa, but having the condition does not automatically qualify one for a disability grant,” he said at the time.…

More white and Indian kids are going on to higher education today than 12 years ago, but for black and coloured kids, it’s still an uphill battle. This needs to change - and fast. On Wednesday, Statistics South Africa released the results of the 2016 General Household Survey, which asked 16.7 million households questions about their education, health, social development, housing, household access to services and facilities, food security, and agriculture. The survey found that only 3.3% of black youths aged 18 to 29 and 3.5%…

In the wake of the abductions and murders of women being highlighted in media in recent weeks, university students took it upon themselves to speak out against the violence and fear they experience on and near their campuses. Over the past few weeks, four universities: Stellenbosch University, University of Limpopo (UL) Durban University of Technology (DUT), and Wits University have protested for women’s safety in public spaces. The Daily Vox rounds up what went down at each march. Stellenbosch University After the…

The University of Johannesburg (UJ) has raised R147 million for missing middle students but just how long can the university keep it up for? The Daily Vox takes a look at the issues with fundraising for higher education. The missing middle refers to students who do not qualify for funding through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) but who are not wealthy enough to afford fees. The money raised will help fund almost 4 000 students, according to the university. But academics working to find ways to fund free…

South African leaders have been getting away with their abuse of women for years. This time, it’s the turn of Minister in the Presidency, Jeff Radebe. On Monday, Radebe apologised unreservedly for sexting with a subordinate. This came after the Sunday Time published racy exchanges between Siyasanga Mbambani, a photographer for the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) and Radebe. The 64-year-old minister badgered Mbambani with texts asking for pictures taken from “down”, referring to her genitals. Another…

On Sunday, the 1in9 Campaign, i-LEAD and Soul City Institute hosted an empowering self defence class for women as part of the #SafeTaxisNow campaign. Around 40 women, young and old, filled a room in Wits University’s Robert Sobukwe building, and energy levels were high as they kicked and punched attackers in the form of boxing pads. Shouts of “NO!” filled the corridors of the building as the women were taught to use their strength in various ways to defend themselves. The Daily Vox asked some of the participants why they…

17 May marks International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. But how safe are members of the LGBTQIA+ community in South Africa? The Daily Vox takes a look. "If you're poor, black and living in a township, your sexual orientation makes you vulnerable to violence in a way that being rich, white and living in a suburb does not.” This is according to Matthew Clayton, a researcher at The Triangle Project, a group that advocates for LGBTQIA+ rights. In 1996, it became illegal to discriminate against anyone based…