In the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, issues surrounding individuals’ ability to engage with their communities locally or nationally has come into question as societal inequalities have been exacerbated and people isolated from one another.

Good communication and respectful responses to local service delivery problems can prevent anger and violence.

In addition to the pain inflicted upon victims, destructive conceptions of masculinity wreak havoc in the lives of men, which manifests in the form of compromised physical and mental health, restricted intimacy, and shallow friendships, amongst others.

A concerted effort is needed to prevent attacks on foreign-born migrants ahead of this year’s local elections.

In a recent study, U-turn, Khulisa Streetscapes and MES calculated the cost of homelessness in Cape Town and found that currently over R744 million is spent on this societal challenge, with a significant R286 million being spent on criminal justice costs alone.

In a watershed judgment, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights has ruled that vague, outdated colonial-era laws, like those that outlaw being idle or disorderly, are a violation of human rights as embodied in the African Charter.

Politicians are pushing anti-immigrant messages and policy ahead of next year’s local government elections.

Local government, the closest interface between government and communities, is a key driver of quality service delivery including the promotion of community safety. The Constitution demands that services and functions that have the most developmental impact on citizens should be performed by local government.