South African cities need to invest in public spaces that are truly co-created through social engineering processes. These need to be grounded in quality community participation processes which begin at the conception of the project, carries on when the project is handed over, and continues in different ways to ensure ownership and positive social activation of these spaces.

This article will provide a summary of the successful workshop titled “Cross-Pollination event: A knowledge exchange that is shared amongst communities” that was organised by the Community Intervention team with the support from the Knowledge and Learning team.

The changes proposed in the Refugees Amendment Bill are arguably an attempt to narrow the content and scope of refugee protection in South Africa and, in some respect, limit the rights afforded to asylum seekers and refugees. This piece discusses why the Refugees Amendment Act is so terrible and what effect will it have.

State capture at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has led to the dysfunction of the commuter rail system. PRASA employs approximately 434 security personnel in the Western Cape. However, there are huge problems with these security contractors.The terrible legacy of those that engaged in State Capture will take years to undo. Commuters need to see improvements. A lot needs to be done regarding safety and security in trains.

Nightclubs in South Africa have relied heavily on private securities to protect their property and ensure the safety of patrons during the busy nights. It is therefore important to understand the relationship of bouncers and patrons as well as the role and competence of bouncers in the relationship as they are the key players in maintaining safety and security.

Religious communities in South Africa are often violent towards the LGBTQIA+ community. The forms of violence are wide-ranging. Faith communities are called to be healers and agents of justice. Therefore, listening to LGBTQIA+ people’s stories is one way to combat the stereotypes, bias and prejudice that nurtures violence.

Crime affects us all in South Africa. However, crimes committed against minority groups such as foreign nationals, specific religious minorities, or people with disabilities are distinct from those committed against other South Africans. Yet, South Africa does not have specific hate crimes legislation. This piece seeks to emphasise why this legislation is necessary.

Fieldwork is not an easy practice but conducting it in high crime communities is a daunting task. This piece discusses the challenges faced during a longitudinal survey attempt that took place in Gugulethu; and how researchers attempted to handle these challenges.

Several youth from Alexandra township, who work as part of the Alex FM youth reporters network in partnership with Gun Free South Africa and the Children’s Radio Foundation, decided that this year’s youth day commemoration on June 16th would be dedicated to making their community a safer place by organising a peaceful walk to the police station to hand over a petition.

Two separate pieces of research published by the Networking HIV and AIDS Community of Southern Africa (NACOSA) highlight the need for services and screening for victims of gender based violence as a critical part of the country’s HIV response.