I won’t sugarcoat it—life happened, and this little corner of the internet had to take a backseat. But the truth is, I’ve missed this space more than I can put into words. Writing here has always felt like sitting down with a friend over coffee, catching up on all the things that make us think, laugh, and sometimes shake our heads at the world.
So, here I am. Back. And this time, I’m bringing more energy, more ideas, and more of what made this blog special in the first place. Whether you’ve been here from the start or just stumbled in, I promise: we’re picking up right where we left off—but with a little extra spark.
To kick things off, I’m diving into something fresh: A child is born. Think of it as your exclusive sneak peak into what I am now working on- because let’s face it, we’re all trying to keep up these days.
So, let’s get into it. Because this isn’t just a comeback—it’s the beginning of something even better. Ready? Let’s go.
Image: Maverickcoltman Photography
In my 365-day hiatus, life didn’t exactly slow down—it sped up in ways I couldn’t have imagined. I had the privilege of working with the Mandela University Choir, where I wore many hats—writing, composing, and even singing alongside some of the most gifted voices I’ve ever encountered. Together, we crafted what became the highlight of 2024: the Roots and Wings End-of-Year Concert—a celebration of growth, resilience, and soaring to new heights.
Beyond that, I stepped into a national role as a Community of Practice member with the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE), representing Nelson Mandela University among 26 South African universities. It was an honour to carry that torch while thriving as an entrepreneur—facilitating, emceeing, and taking my place at tables where innovation and bold ideas came to life. This year away wasn’t just a pause; it was a launchpad.
After the curtains closed on the Roots and Wings concert, the magic didn’t end there. The same incredible leadership committee, bound by our shared love for music, theatre, and teaching, knew we couldn’t let that creative spark fade. So, we got to work—dreaming, planning, and building something new, something bigger. What started as a shared vision is now on the brink of becoming a reality, as we prepare to launch a project that merges our passions into a space for innovation and storytelling. It’s been months of collaboration and hard work, and in just a few days, the world will get to see what we’ve been cooking up.
So, like a child would explain to their parents if they didn’t come home the night before, I have come home to explain where I have been, the works must show now. Shall we?
One can argue that time is a construct, according to one’s opinion and point of view. Nonetheless, the year 2020 put everything into perspective for all of us. Time became one of the most valuable things, forcing us to stay at home and organize meetings online and making us hope we could skip to the conclusion of the upheaval so we could get back to our regular lives.
The 2023 Alumni Award Ceremony was clearly attended by many people who were delighted to finally see one another after three years of all events being held digitally. The ceremony was held on the 23rd of March 2023 at the Indoor Sports Centre, and recognised alumni who have gone the distance and beyond in their various fields, to the benefit of society at local, provincial, and international levels.
Speaking at the ceremony, Vice-Chancellor of Nelson Mandela University Professor Sibongile Muthwa reported that more than 100 alumni awards had been given to graduates from a variety of fields and age brackets since the establishment of the Alumni Achiever Awards in 2010. She added that our university enrolled more than 30 000 students, each of whom has their unique set of goals and experiences. The award winners are role models whose accomplishments serve as an inspiration to others.
We have a broad age spectrum, which reflects the power of the lifelong connection from which we draw experience and wisdom,”
Professor Sibongile Muthwa
In this year’s awards alumni from a variety of fields, including sports, law, psychology, and academia, received eight honours in three categories.
In honour of Professor Cheryl Foxcroft’s more than 40 years of academic service at Mandela University, she was given a Special Award. She was previously the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Learning and Teaching. Alumni Association President Siphile Hlwatika reiterated that Professor Foxcroft’s work included successfully navigating instruction throughout the #FeesMustFall protests and the COVID-19 pandemic by establishing the hybrid form of learning.
Professor Cheryl FoxCrofy ,Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Learning & Teaching. Nelson Mandela University
Recipients of the Alumni Achiever awards were educator and seasoned musician Willem Bouwer van Rooyen, award-winning clinical psychologist Anele Siswana, renowned Johannesburg attorney Ziyanda Ntshona, and mathematician Professor Nosisi Feza, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Postgraduate Studies at the University of Venda, who stood proudly to say, “At Nelson Mandela University, we do everything with integrity”.
Rising Star honours were given to 3 recipients, clinical‘’psychologist Curwyn Mapaling, who attended the World Peace Summit in Kenya earlier this year. In his speech he quoted 7 things that led him to where he is, How to Buddy, Peer Help, Beyond the Classroom, Student Counselling, healing, family, and Nelson Mandela University at large.
Award recipients with the Nelson Mandela University Vice Chancellor Professor Sibongile Muthwa (front row: third from right).
Education expert, author, and influencer Awonke Nqayiya, who thanked the Mandela University lectures for his success, “I am because they are,” he said. Sedibu Mohlaba, manager of Cricket South Africa’s women’s squad, who said “Good deeds never go unnoticed”, speaking on his success.
The ceremony saw recipients of all ages, receiving the recognition they well deserve. An evening of honour and inspiration, of diversity and integrity, the values of Nelson Mandela University.
On Thursday the Lilongwe Magistrates Court in Malawi ruled that the arrest of Shepherd Bushiri and his wife Mary was illegal and ordered that the two be released from custody with no custody.
The Bushiris handed themselves over to the Lilongwe police on Wednesday after a notice was issued by Interpol on Monday.
The pair fled South Africa undetected, contravening their strict bail conditions set before the Pretoria Magistrates Court. Their bail of R200 000 each had been granted on 4 November and part of their bail conditions were that they are only to travel within Gauteng and North West until the case was finalised.
They are facing charges of corruption, money laundering and fraud along with Landiwe Ntlokwana, Zethu Mudolo and Willie Mudolo, but magistrate said that the corruption trial against the pair would only be observed once the papers for their extradition were processed. He also said in his ruling among other things, their arrest by Malawi Police Service was unlawful because it was not carried through the Ministry of Homeland Security, this is according to their South African lawyer Terrance Baloyi.
Bushiri claimed that he did not feel safe in South Africa and had a fear that he would not be offered a fair trial, he further made several demands to the South African government. The self-proclaimed prophet said that he has a strong belief in the constitution of Malawi because it protects its citizens including himself and his wife and that is why he decided to flee to Malawi.
On Thursday, the fraud and money laundering case continued in the Pretoria Magistrates, and as a result of failing to appear the Bushiris forfeited their property in Centurion and their bail revoked. Mothapo Attorneys who spoke on behalf of the pair, told the court they had not received instructions when asked about the whereabouts of the Bushiris. Kabelo Mothapo told the court, “We have not received clear instructions, we only know what we have seen on the news”.
Bushiris to apply for bail
The Bushiris legal team filled papers in a Malawi court and were set to apply for bail. Terrance Baloyi said that the pair spent the night in Malawi police cells, however the papers had been filed and they were ready to apply for bail.
The pair was expected to appear in Lilongwe Magistrates Court for bail application hearing on Wednesday afternoon, however local media reported that the hearing would be held in chambers and that the Bushiris would not be required to be present.
Malawian Information and Government Minister, Gospel Kazako said that the issue would receive fair attention and further emphasised that the Malawian government had no “emotions or sentiments” in the case. He said “If the law decides that we extradite, then we will do so. We have no emotions or sentiments in the case, let the law take its course – as government, that is what we are saying”.
Amongst the troubles that surround the Eastern Cape, a third of its state ambulance fleet are in for repairs at a time when cases of Covid-19 in the province are increasing and trauma-related admissions are on the rise.
A total of 135 ambulances out of the 447 available are in for repairs, admits the provincial health department. Regional co-ordinator of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) said that most ambulances were kept in garages namely Nissan and Isuzu in East London and King William’s Town and Eastern Cape Motors. He also said that emergency calls, not only relating to Covid-19 but also accidents and other trauma cases come in and fast, while the vehicles sit idle in garages.
He attributes the situation to the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) for EMS workers saying, “Workers’ lives are at risk. Some workers have Covid-19 after responding to Covid-19 calls.”
Eastern Cape health department spokesperson Siyanda Manana said the time ambulances were in for repairs varied according to the sort of repairs required, depending on what the fault is, some may take 3 months and some just a week.
In an article by Daily Dispatch dated 12 December 2020 Manana said “There are 30 relief ambulances to replace vehicles that break down. There’s a further 112 ambulances that can be used as a contingency, and there’s about 90 replacement ambulances being finalised for the release in the festive season.”
Provincial department of transport spokesperson Khuselwa Rantjie said they have made more than 20 ambulances available to the EMS as relief vehicles. She said that the original equipment manufacturers requested that vehicles be repaired by accredited merchants, to protect their guarantee. There is one accredited merchant within Buffalo City Metro and Amathole district which is NTT Volkswagen.
A plan to have the GFMS fleet plan was under way and on track, she said. 133 ambulances had been requested by the department and were being changed over by Volkswagen SA as part of the plan.
As COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the country, Nelson Mandela Bay was declared as the Corona Virus hotspot in South Africa by President Cyril Ramaphosa as per according to the National Corona Virus Command Council. This is because the Metro has not been complying with the regulations of social distancing, sanitizing and the wearing of masks.
The President had a family meeting with the country on December 3 and said that it is not a punishment but a need to “contain the spread of the virus and to save lives”. His speech comes after Mayor Buyeye Thsonono announced the immediate ban on public space gatherings and the hosting of events in the Bay.
In his speech, he announced the following regulations for the city:
The sale of alcohol from retail outlets is permitted only between 10am and 6pm from Monday to Thursday
Consumption of alcohol in public spaces such as parks and beaches is forbidden
A curfew from 10pm to 4am, except for essential workers.
Initiation schools will not be allowed to operate in the Bay.
Social gatherings as well as religious are restricted to 100 people for in door events and 200 four outdoor events
“After tears” post-funeral gatherings are not allowed.
Ramaphosa further announced that the rest of South Africa will remain with the midnight curfew. No announcement was made on the restriction of travel between provinces, he however advised against unnecessary travel during the festive season. “The summer season is traditionally a time for social gatherings, attending festivals and events and socialising at weddings, religious gatherings and in both public and private spaces. These gatherings can be super-spreader events that carry a huge risk of transmission of the virus,” Ramaphosa said.
Chairperson of the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa Nkosi Mweli said that the presidents speech was good news. “We and the government are one on that. We also support the president in his declaration of Nelson Mandela Bay as a hotspot and therefore no initiations in the Bay,” he said.
As per December 2 the increment of cases was at a total of 4178. Ramaphosa said that there are three areas of the country that account for most of the new infections, “These are Nelson Mandela Bay and the Sarah Baartman district in the Eastern Cape and the Garden Route district in the Western Cape. Hospital admissions in these districts are on the rise, in some instances comparable to those during the first wave of infections,” he said.
Ramaphosa said that several hospitals in the Bay has reported a rise in admissions because of alcohol related trauma. “But by far the greatest contributing cause of infections is that many people are not wearing masks, and are not observing proper hygiene and social distancing,” he said.
“Unless we take personal responsibility for our health and the health of others, more people are going to become infected. More people are going to die…Tonight we stand in solidarity with the people of Nelson Mandela Bay Metro as they work to contain this outbreak. I have the utmost confidence that the leadership of the Eastern Cape is doing and will do all that is necessary to bring the rate of infection down once again,” he said.
Today marks the day the world commemorates World Aids day, a day where people around the world unite to show support for people living with HIV and they remember those who died from AIDS-related illnesses.
More than 35 million people have died with HIV or AIDS since it was identified in 1984 and World Aids Day was founded in 1988 , a first ever international commemoration day for global health.
Each year, the day focuses on a specific theme and this year it will be Global solidarity, shared responsibility. The theme aims to show how the world can unite for both global pandemics, COVID-19 and HIV as they both bring about grounding issues relating to human rights.
The world this year focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, how it affects lives and the health system and how health is intertwined with other critical issues such as economic growth and stability, human rights, and gender-based violence.
HIV since its inception has been accompanied by stigma and discrimination much like the COVID-19 pandemic, revealing inequalities that exist in our society. Inequalities such as access to adequate health care services to those living with the virus have heightened over the years, especially to those living in remote areas.
According to the World Aids Day statement made by United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Executive Director Winnie Byanyima, “Our goal of ending the AIDS epidemic was already off track before COVID-19. We must put people first to get the AIDS response back on track. We must end the social injustices that put people at risk of contracting HIV. And we must fight for the right to health. There is no excuse for governments to not invest fully for universal access to health. Barriers such as up-front user fees that lock people out of health must come down”.
As South Africa joins the world to commemorate World Aids Day it also continues to mark 16 Days of Activism for Violence Against Women and Children, a time spent on fighting against gender-based violence, a contributor to the HIV statistics.
South Africa continues to have the largest number of people living with HIV in the world, however over the last decade it has made progress in reducing the number of new infections in the population by 60%. Continuous education on the virus and the lessons on destigmatisation can help the country go further in their quest to curb the virus.
“On this World AIDS Day, which is taking place in the shadow of another devastating pandemic, let us intensify both our resolve and our actions to confront and overcome AIDS once and for all”, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said.
On Thursday the Lilongwe Magistrates Court in Malawi ruled that the arrest of Shepherd Bushiri and his wife Mary was illegal and ordered that the two be released from custody with no conditions.
The Bushiris handed themselves over to the Lilongwe police on Wednesday after a notice was issued by Interpol on Monday.
The pair fled South Africa undetected, contravening their strict bail conditions set before the Pretoria Magistrates Court. Their bail of R200 000 each had been granted on 4 November and part of their bail conditions were that they are only to travel within Gauteng and North West until the case was finalised.
They are facing charges of corruption, money laundering and fraud along with Landiwe Ntlokwana, Zethu Mudolo and Willie Mudolo, but magistrate said that the corruption trial against the pair would only be observed once the papers for their extradition were processed. He also said in his ruling among other things, their arrest by Malawi Police Service was unlawful because it was not carried through the Ministry of Homeland Security, this is according to their South African lawyer Terrance Baloyi.
Bushiri claimed that he did not feel safe in South Africa and had a fear that he would not be offered a fair trial, he further made several demands to the South African government. The self-proclaimed prophet said that he has a strong belief in the constitution of Malawi because it protects its citizens including himself and his wife and that is why he decided to flee to Malawi.
On Thursday, the fraud and money laundering case continued in the Pretoria Magistrates, and as a result of failing to appear the Bushiris forfeited their property in Centurion and their bail revoked. Mothapo Attorneys who spoke on behalf of the pair, told the court they had not received instructions when asked about the whereabouts of the Bushiris. Kabelo Mothapo told the court, “We have not received clear instructions, we only know what we have seen on the news”.
Bushiris to apply for bail
The Bushiris legal team filled papers in a Malawi court and were set to apply for bail. Terrance Baloyi said that the pair spent the night in Malawi police cells, however the papers had been filed and they were ready to apply for bail.
The pair was expected to appear in Lilongwe Magistrates Court for bail application hearing on Wednesday afternoon, however local media reported that the hearing would be held in chambers and that the Bushiris would not be required to be present.
Malawian Information and Government Minister, Gospel Kazako said that the issue would receive fair attention and further emphasised that the Malawian government had no “emotions or sentiments” in the case. He said “If the law decides that we extradite, then we will do so. We have no emotions or sentiments in the case, let the law take its course – as government, that is what we are saying”.
Social media such as Twitter and WhatsApp saw a series of posts in the week of October 6, about dangerous Bolt drivers women should look out for and stories of Nigerian men following and taking videos of girls in public spaces like Herbert Hurd primary school in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape.
Herbert Hurd primary school was asked to comment on what safety measures they have now put in place after this incident and they said they cannot comment.
Image source- Twitter
E-hailing service, Bolt taxify, found itself in the limelight over the recent months, amidst stories of human trafficking and gender-based violence in South Africa on Twitter under the hashtag PE Twitter.
A bolt driver, whose trips are in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape started trending with quotes describing his treatment towards female passengers, threatening them with assault and rape on October 6 2020.
Image via Twitter
According to the general legal terms and conditions for drivers of the Bolt transportation App, “ 13.3. Bolt is entitled to immediately terminate the Agreement and block your access to the Bolt Platform without giving any advance notice in case you breach the General Terms or Agreement, any applicable laws or regulations, disparage Bolt, or cause harm to Bolt’s brand, reputation or business as determined by Bolt in our sole discretion. In the aforementioned cases we may, at own our discretion, prohibit you from registering a new Driver account.”
Bolt was questioned on what measures have been taken against the driver after it was brought to their attention. Gareth Taylor, Country manager for Bolt in South Africa responded to say, “ Whilst we cannot go into the specifics of the two cases you have outlined for privacy reasons, we can confirm that the driver in question is presently suspended pending the results of an ongoing investigation by the Bolt High Priority Team and the SAPS.”
Taylor also added that Bolt has instituted the following safety measures to their policy,
Drivers require a Professional Driving Permit issued by local authorities to be accepted onto the Bolt platform. This permit is only granted to applicants who pass a full criminal background check completed by the authorities.
When complaints of a serious nature are received, Bolt activates its High Priority Team to immediately investigate.
Any driver implicated in an incident that is being investigated by SAPS is immediately suspended from the platform until the investigation is complete, and is only cleared to drive with the platform again once they have been cleared by SAPS of any wrongdoing.
Any driver convicted of a crime is removed from the platform permanently.
Drivers currently have an SOS button in their app that alerts Namola to send private emergency response if there is an incident.
By the end of October 2020, Bolt will have added a Rider SOS button to the passenger app, so that passengers can call for help at the push of a button too.
Help from the state
President Cyril Ramaphosa introduced three new bills to parliament that are aimed at bringing justice to the victims of gender-based violence. The three Bills, namely the Domestic Violence Amendment Bill; the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act Amendment Bill; and the Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Bill opened up for written submissions and public comment until 30 September 2020.
According to the South African Government media statement of 17 September 2020, the purpose of the Domestic Violence Amendment Bill is to amend the Domestic Violence Act to, amongst others, further provide for how acts of domestic violence and matters related thereto must be dealt with by certain functionaries, persons and Government departments; and further, regulate obtaining of protection orders in response to acts of domestic violence.
The point of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offenses and Related Things) Correction Act Revision Charge is to revise the Criminal Law (Sexual Offenses and Related Things) Revision Act to, among others, expand the ambit of the offense of inbreeding; present a unused offense of sexual terrorizing; advance direct the incorporation of particulars of people within the National Register for Sex Offenders, and encourage control the announcing obligation of people who are mindful that sexual offenses have been committed against children, and to supply for things associated therewith, statement added.
The Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Bill aims to amend four Acts, namely the Magistrates’ Courts Act, the Criminal Procedure Act, the Criminal Law Amendment Act and the Superior Courts Act, the Bill’s purpose is to amend the Magistrates’ Courts Act to provide for the appointment of intermediaries and the giving of evidence through intermediaries in proceedings other than criminal proceedings; amend the Criminal Procedure Act to further regulate the granting and cancellation of bail and the right of a complainant in a domestic-related offence to participate in parole proceedings; amend the Criminal Law Amendment Act to further regulate sentences in respect of offences that have been committed against vulnerable persons.
E-hailing customers are advised to share their ride details with friends before getting on their ride. If you are riding alone, sit in the back seat so that you can make an exit on either side of the vehicle. And lastly, trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right in your environment before or during a trip, either do not start the trip at all, or if the trip has already started, ask the driver to drop you at the nearest safe location and end the trip.
South Africa continues to battle gender-based violence each day with social media exploring a new hashtag each day a woman is found dead; a woman is abused, or someone speaks out on past experiences during this women’s month.
Over the past week, Facebook has been abuzz with #SaveOurChildren, after posts about paedophilia that is taking place in the USA surfaced. The hashtag along with #SaveTheChildren movement were created in honour of World Human Trafficking Day. According to UNICEF, one quarter of trafficking victims worldwide are children, most of whom are trafficked for labour.
Source: Facebook
Before #SaveOurChildren, on August 5 and 6, Facebook blocked and censored #SaveTheChildren claiming it was against its community standards. A user could post with use of the hashtag, however upon clicking on it, no results appeared.
The hashtag gains momentum after stories relating to paedophilia being added to the LGBTQIA+ community as another P after Pansexual. An article in Reuters a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign said, “The LGBTQ movement absolutely rejects any suggestion that our community is linked to non-consensual interpersonal behaviours.” Pictures, statuses, and tweets went viral with people protesting that paedophilia is not a sexuality.
Netflix has been caught in the crossfire of child pornography with their latest film called ‘Cuties’ which fans have accused of sexualising children. What seemed like concerned parents and fans said that the films artwork which showed 4 young girls posed provocatively, some twerking while wearing tight pants after Netflix published the films trailer online, led to the streaming network changing the artwork which now shows lead actress looking over her shoulder. More complaints are that the artwork from IMDb and that of Netflix are different.
The film which is scheduled to air September 9 2020 still has some calling for it to be deleted , with an online petition being issued with over 500 thousand people having signed already.
#SaveOurChildren South Africa
According to Human Trafficking South Africa, our country has become a prime destination for international trafficking syndicates to operate and stats show that only 1% of all victims are ever rescued and Katlego Morobane, a photographer from Meadowlands in Soweto upon comingacross the hashtag on Facebook decided to use his skill and campaign to raise awareness on child trafficking.
Source: Facebook
When asked why he is doing this campaign he said, “I am a parent. And as a parent it is kind of scary when you hear and read stories like this, knowing one day you could wake up and be the one that had to post about your child. I had read a lot of stories, but this hashtag inspired me to share my work while raising awareness. If any stories come exist while I take pictures, I want to capture them and spark the movement in South Africa so as a country we join and help the world fight this”.
As awareness behind #SaveOurChildren continues to grow, the Western Cape government advises people to look out for the following signs in children:
Emotional abuse- Lack of concentration- Hostility- Depression or Apathy- Abdominal pains- Suicide attempts
Physical abuse – Stomach ache or headaches with no medical cause – Injuries (Burn, fracture, bruising or head injury)- Genital bleeding or pain- A sexually transmitted disease
Sexual abuse- Bed wetting and nightmares- Fear of particular person or member of the family- Self-mutilating ( self-inflicted cuts, burns or sores) – Suicide attempts
Please contact one of these numbers if you know any child who is being abused:
– Childline South Africa (24-hour free helpline 0800 055 555)
– Department of Social Development (toll free number 0800 220 250)
ForYourInfo 