WHEN REVOLUTION BECAME PROCUREMENT: COMRADES & CONTRADICTIONS
They stood shoulder to shoulder once, in boots and khakis, in underground cells and faraway capitals. They crossed borders at night, memorised ciphers, and whispered code names in the dark. They were comrades. Now they meet awkwardly at business-class lounges or government banquets, offering half-smiles and evasive eyes. They sign off on tenders and patronage. […]
THE DAY THE STRUGGLE WENT CORPORATE
There was no drumroll. No grand announcement. No whisper even. But it happened — quietly, suddenly, and irrevocably. Somewhere between the last exile’s return and the first BEE deal signed, the South African liberation struggle changed outfits. It swapped khaki fatigues and wood-handled AKs for navy-blue suits, Montblanc pens, and private equity portfolios. That day, […]
250 ON CEDAR: A CULTURAL BEACON FORGED BY VISION
Yesterday, I stepped into a space I had long been reluctant to visit, 250 on Cedar. My hesitation now feels almost misplaced, for what I encountered was a sanctuary of culture, imagination, and creative brilliance. The venue is the brainchild of Tshepo Riba, a young visionary whose dedication over just four years has given rise […]
A SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO ALL THE MOTHERS
To the Mothers, Seen, Unseen, Remembered, Becoming. Today, I offer no greeting card platitudes. Just a quiet, reverent bow to the sacred work of those who mother. To the women who have shaped us not only through birth, but through presence, through unwavering love, through fierce protection and quiet sacrifice. To the mothers who are […]
FROM THE EDGES OF EXILE TO THE HEART OF HOME: A COLLECTIVE MEMORY REKINDLED
We didn’t plan it this way. None of us imagined a WhatsApp group could become a movement, but here we are, grown children of exile, of scholarship, of struggle, slowly circling back to one another after decades scattered across time zones, continents, and causes. What began as a gentle check-in from Vuyo Ntshona, “Are you […]
A STUDENT’S SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO UNSUNG STRUGGLE HERO TEACHER FANYANA MAZIBUKO AT 83
It was an afternoon steeped in history, reflection, and the kind of deep camaraderie that only those who have walked the long, unrelenting road of struggle can understand. Today, I spent time with what is referred to as A Circle of Friends. A gathering of stalwarts of the Black Consciousness Movement. These are the men […]