The Dean’s Tale: the poems of Michael Weeder
The Very Reverend Michael Weeder is the Dean of St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town. He published two poetry collections over the period between 2020 and 2021. I interviewed him and we reflected on his poetry and the inspiration behind some of the themes in the...
A Cape Tragedy – A review of Martin Plaut’s Dr Abdullah Abdurahman: South Africa’s First Elected Black Politician
Dr Abdullah Abdurahman: South Africa’s First Elected Black PoliticianMartin PlautJacana, 2020 1. Martin Plaut’s biography of Abdullah Abdurahman is a brilliant effort to bring to the surface the life story of a largely forgotten but important figure in Cape and South...
The freed slave, the outcast, the cleric, and the cricketer
For this edition, I weave together the stories of four people whose lives stretch across three hundred years. Their stories touch on the themes of rejection, love, resilience and ultimately freedom. In their own ways they each made a mark on South African history...
Sophia Williams-De Bruyn, Wayde van Niekerk, James April, and Harold Cressy
9 August: Sophia Williams-De Bruyn Sophia Williams-De Bruyn is the last living leader of the Women’s March. On 9 August 1956, at the age of 18, she joined Helen Joseph, Lillian Ngoyi and Rahima Moosa at the head of a crowd of 20,000 women who marched on the Union...
Discrimination at Rustenburg Girls’ High School
Former students of Rustenburg Girls’ High School have spoken out about their experiences of racism at that school. They have created a platform where stories can be told in order to provide validation, catharsis, healing and the restitution of dignity for those voices...
Racism in Schools Exposed on Social Media
Statement by Parents for Change Parents for Change commend the courage of those current and former students of private and former model C schools who have spoken out about their experiences of racism and the impairment of their dignity. Those who have spoken out...