There are few things more upsetting to black people the world over than blatant racism. It’s been the bane of our collective existence for all time. Tbh: we are tired of it. So when racist acts are proven to be true, when the evidence is made plain for all to see – it can be…
A New Year in South Africa
Where should we begin? We can’t seem to catch a break. Honestly. I thought being sober might compel us to rethink our next steps, but it seems we’re going full speed ahead. We’re moving so fast that we are leaving the very people we are meant so save behind. I won’t be pessimistic about the…
We Miss You Manelo Where Are You?
“Futures Are Never Given,They Are Created“ Eleven years ago a group of elders and industry experts sat down to deliberate on the state of South Africa and what its future is likely to be in 2020, if it failed to address critical socio-economic challenges especially related to unemployment and poverty, safety and security, education and health….
Dear Julius Malema
I hope my letter finds you well today Please allow me to introduce myself, I am Jedi Ramalapa from South Africa. I have lived in this country since the day I was born 39 years ago. Even though the contents of this letter will reference a specific encounter with you in my professional capacity as a…
(Post Script): Every Journey Begins With A Sowetan
This phrase, Every Journey Begins with a Sowetan, was once on a billboard inside the Johannesburg Park Station, colloquially known as epaki/rotunda. I would see it whenever I passed through the station on a long distance bus trip or a short trip on the Gautrain. This simple sentence has meant a lot to me over…
11 Tips to Wield Power: ‘Die Hoof Meisie’ Monica Geingos
I had to share this. It’s been a while since I came across a public official whose message resonated with me in such a powerful way and on so many levels. The public official in question is Namibian First Lady Monica Geingos; a qualified lawyer with extensive high-level executive experience in the financial sector. She…
Palimpsest: Scraped Clean and Ready to Use Again
Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash The first time I came across the word Palimpsest was in the first Episode of the third season of The Crown – a fictional take on the British Monarchy. There, Queen Elizabeth II used the word during a speech at the opening of an Exhibition of portraiture curated by the royal art…
The End of History and The Stories We Tell
I have been having a bit of trouble processing the amount of information which has been flooding my screen lately. At the core of my inner turmoil are the contradictory emotions I have been feeling, some of which have been simple knee-jerk reactions to external visual stimuli, while others have been slow-burning deep repressed feelings…
Black People Need To Be Loved
A conversation with my sister had me in tears today. She wanted to know how I was doing, really. I’m fine, I said. Have you had a chance to scream, to shout? she asked. Nope, too busy, I said. Next thing boom! you’re down, she answered. What do you mean? I asked. The fact that…
We Are Responsible For Who We Become
Early on into Former US President Barak Obamas’ presidency, a Harvard Professor, Henry Louis Gates was arrested for trespassing in his own home in Cambridge Massachusetts. This incident caused national outrage. Barack Obama weighed in on the issue and pronounced that the “Cambridge Police acted stupidly by arresting someone when there was already proof that…
Jedi Ramalapa 