This passionate trade union leader has triumphed over personal hardship and devoted her life to the fight against injustice.

Four years ago, Wendy Pekeur, 31, became the youngest, female general secretary of a trade union in South Africa’s history. After enduring an abusive and poverty-stricken childhood, she suffered exploitation and human rights abuses as a worker on a fruit farm and in a meat factory. This compelled the single mother of two to campaign for better working conditions and help form the country’s first farm workers union. 

By Kristin Palitza

The low hum of sewing machines provides an almost calming background noise to the studio’s busy hustle and bustle. A couple of seamstresses sit behind the machines, their heads bent in concentration, while fashion designer Craig Native industriously sifts through stacks of textile patches, pattern books and drawings piled up high on his desk.

By Kristin Palitza

KHAYELITSHA, South Africa, May 19 (IPS) - Neatly paved walkways, regularly spaced streetlamps, well-designed public squares and multi-functional, modern public buildings: this kind of thoughtful town planning is rarely found in South African townships and informal settlements.

By Kristin Palitza

Corporate social investment (CSI) has become a buzzword in the past decade, but the quality of initiatives has been inconsistent and unreliable. Numerous well-intentioned CSI programmes have struggled to reach their targets and generate sustainable outcomes.]]>

By Kristin Palitza

There is much furore and laughter as several teams of young men run across a makeshift soccer field, dribbling, kicking, scuffling, tackling each other and finally passing the ball. On each side of the field, a keeper stands tensely in front of a small, makeshift goal, shouting instructions to his team mates.

Spectators spur on the players from the sidelines, while loud, rhythmic music blares from two oversized speakers across the football field.]]>

By Kristin Palitza

CAPE TOWN , Feb 19, 2010 (IPS) - South Africa’s children, the country’s most vulnerable population group, will benefit through the increase in social grants recently outlined in the national budget.

South Africa’s finance minister, Pravin Gordhan’s national budget speech on Feb. 17 has largely been met with approval by development experts for the social grant increases.

By Kristin Palitza

With the back of her hand, she wipes beads of sweat from her forehead and adjusts her colourful headscarf that protects her from the sun. It is mid-morning, but Maggie Mbovu has already put in a good few hours of hard work, tilling the soil of her community garden.

Together with four other women, she has planted cabbages, carrots, onions and potatoes, which will soon be harvested and sold through an organic vegetable marketing scheme initiated and managed by non-governmental agricultural organisation Abalimi Bezekhaya (Farmers of Home).

Kristin Palitza interviews AIMEE ANSARI, acting policy and advocacy coordinator DRC for Oxfam GB

KINSHASA, Aug 7 (IPS) - A government offensive against rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that began in January has dramatically increased sexual violence in the provinces of North and South Kivu.

A survey of 569 civilians living in 20 conflict-ridden communities conducted by Oxfam found people live in constant fear of both government troops and rebels. Civilians have endured rape, torture and forced labour since Congo's army launched a joint operation with Rwanda's armed forces in late January against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, who have operated out of the region since the aftermath of Rwanda's 1994 genocide.

by Kristin Palitza

DURBAN, Apr 20 (IPS) - Hundreds of traders at the Early Morning market in Durban fear the municipality’s plans to turn the area into an upscale shopping mall that will cost them their livelihoods. The redevelopment is one of many currently underway in South Africa’s urban centres to upgrade city infrastructure for the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

By Kristin Palitza

Six months after the violent attacks against foreign nationals in South Africa have ebbed down, xenophobia has become a topic that is little discussed in the public sphere. Yet, human rights activists are well aware that the underlying issues that caused the violence have not been solved but continue to bubble beneath the surface.