Strike.

We are currently in the third week of a massive civil service strike in South Africa. One million union members are protesting for higher wages throughout the country, most significantly in the healthcare and education systems.

At government hospitals, army medics have been called in to serve in the largest (and often poorest) hospitals alongside volunteer nurses. Many lives have been lost due to the paralyzing lack of hospital staff and doctors, including several newborn infants. Some protestors have stood outside the entrances, barring patients from entering the hospital.

The school system has suffered as well. With thousands of teachers on strike, public schools have been officially closed for three weeks now. This break in the school session, on the heels of the 5-week school holiday during the World Cup, has Matric (Senior) students scrambling to finish their exams and apply for university before the end of the year. It has also left all of the Child Haven and Sparrow kids sitting at home - the younger ones asking "Auntie, is it school tomorrow?" and the teenagers contentedly sleeping in and lazing around all day.

We've finally received word that the public schools will re-open next week (to the cries of "Amen!" as all the aunties breathe a huge sigh of relief). The government and the unions, however, are still going head-to-head over the wage dispute.

For more information, check out the BBC report.