Articles
Christmas is not a Western story – it is a Palestinian one
By Rev Dr Munther Isaac Every December, much of the Christian world enters a familiar cycle of celebration: carols, lights, decorated trees, consumer frenzy and the warm imagery of a snowy night. In the United States and Europe, public discourse often speaks of...
127 African women journalists write to jailed Burundian Sandra Muhoza as she returns to court
Nairobi, December 2025—On the first anniversary of the conviction of ailing Burundian journalist, 127 African women journalists have written her a joint letter expressing solidarity, calling for her unconditional release, and decrying her imprisonment as...
What makes aging with grace possible?
By Zubeida Jaffer My mother, Raghmat Jaffer, reached the age of 99 years by God’s grace in November, 2025. She continues to do her own chores. I asked her what she would consider being important elements of longevity. Her reply was eating carefully and always moving....
South Africans are flourishing more than you might expect – here’s why
By Richard G. Cowden South Africa is often portrayed in the media as a country struggling with inequality, corruption, crime, infrastructure collapse and public health challenges. But this isn’t the whole story. When South Africans are asked to describe their own...
Beyond the Headlines: South Africa’s Untold Story of Progress
By Sanjith Hannuman At a recent JP Landman presentation, the renowned political analyst revealed something startling: very few attendees had heard of Project Vulindlela—South Africa's most significant economic reform initiative since GEAR in 1996. This lack of...
Does Judaism support the views of South Africa’s Rabbi Goldstein?
Steven Friedman questions whether Rabbi Warren Goldstein’s defence of Israel reflects authentic Jewish teaching. He examines core Judaic principles that reject violence and highlight justice, showing how faith can be misused for hate—or reclaimed for peace.
“I feel so helpless -so ashamed to be a human being”
Zubeida Jaffer reflects on Shabbir Banoobhai’s plea and the moral weight of Gaza solidarity, as the Global Sumud Flotilla sails and Cape Town marches demand justice. A quiet meditation on compassion, conscience and collective responsibility.
Global Media organisations call for an end to killing of journalists
In September 2025 more than 50 global media organisations gathered in Johannesburg to adopt the Johannesburg Declaration, committing to media integrity, journalist safety and action ahead of the G20. The M20 calls for a Media Integrity Monitoring Framework and a global push against impunity for attacks on journalists.
ISRAEL IS BURYING JEWISH HUMANITY IN THE RUBBLE AND HUNGER OF GAZA
By Dr Mamphele Ramphele The ghastly pictures of famine coming out of Gaza are reminiscent of the pictures of emaciated Jews who survived concentration camps during the Second World War. That, within a few generations, the...
Juby Mayet – a journalist trailblazer
A biography of a trailblazer: Sam Mathe chronicles the life of Juby Mayet, a writer and political activist who blazed a trail for women in journalism. From her early days at the Golden City Post to her pivotal role in the Union of Black Journalists and her detention under the Internal Security Act.
Veteran journalists speak out against killing of Gaza journalists
Veteran journalists who once fought apartheid in South Africa have condemned the ongoing killing of journalists in Gaza. In a strongly worded statement, they demand accountability for Israel’s actions and urge the South African government to review its ties with Tel Aviv.
An Open Letter to Marlene Le Roux at Artscape
In this heartfelt open letter, Zubeida Jaffer reflects on the 2025 Women’s Humanity Festival at Artscape, led by Marlene Le Roux. From the stirring voices of Danielle Speckman and Ernestine Nur Stuurman to urgent conversations on peace, environmental protection, and inclusivity, the event showcased the power of art and community to inspire change.
Farewell Bra Ike Segola, an unsung hero of South African Journalism
Veteran journalist Joe Thloloe pays tribute to Ike Segola — a quiet titan of South African journalism. From the Sowetan newsroom to the frontlines of the media freedom struggle, Segola’s legacy lives in the countless lives and headlines he shaped behind the scenes. This is a farewell to a true subbing legend.
Remembering Ashley, the Che Guevara of the Cape Flats
By Zubeida JafferThirty-eight years ago this month, South African apartheid police murdered 20-year-old activist Ashley Kriel. But his resistance legend has not been forgotten: Kriel's commitment and fierce oratory still inspire movements for justice in South Africa...
Not in Ashley’s Name: A Tribute and a Warning
By Henriette Abrahams Today marks 38 years since my comrade, mentor, and leader Ashley Kriel was murdered by the apartheid regime—shot and killed by Jeffrey Benzien on 9 July 1987. I was recruited onto the Student Representative Council (SRC) in 1983 by Ashley....
Leading with purpose
In Youth Month, Number10Publishers with the company 27FOUR and the Charlotte Mannya Maxeke Institute (CMMI) launched my latest book, Becoming Charlotte, in Johannesburg and Pretoria.
Book Review: Becoming Charlotte by Zubeida Jaffer
By Zipporah Maubane Zubeida Jaffer’s Becoming Charlotte is a masterful blend of fact and fiction, a literary undertaking that reintroduces us to one of South Africa’s most revered pioneers—Charlotte Mannya Maxeke. This is the second book by Jaffer to recount...
South Africa’s cricket team just made history: how the ‘chokers’ became world champions
By Mogammad Sharhidd Taliep When Kyle Verreynne hit the winning runs at the “home of cricket” (Lord’s Cricket Ground in London) on 14 June, South Africa erupted in celebration. The Proteas had just claimed their first major cricket cup in history. And nothing less...
Dear America, Don’t Weaponise South Africa’s National Contradictions
By Busani Ngcaweni Dear America, We write to you with hands still shaping the calabash of our democracy, kneading stubborn lumps of history into something resembling economic justice. We know our fractures — the colour line, the weight of poverty, roads unpaved, jobs...
‘One Quiet Early Morning in Beijing, the Dollar’s Crown Slipped’
By Alastair Crooke “I believe we must start from the notion of defeat leading to revolution - to grasp the Trump revolution”. “The experience underway in the United States, even if we don't know exactly what it will be, is revolution. Is it a revolution in the strict...
Pope Francis, A commitment to a simple lifestyle, the poor and interfaith harmony
By Adekeye Adebajo Pope Francis I (Jorge Bergoglio) who recently died, was the first ever pontiff from Latin America and the first non-European one in 1,300 years. The 88-year old Argentinian’s 12-year papacy transformed the 1.3 billion-strong Catholic Church into one...
Freedom Day: An Islamic reflection on the challenges facing young South Africans
By Aslam Fataar As South Africa marks another Freedom Day, we are invited to reflect not only on the democratic gains of the past but also on the unfinished work of justice, dignity, and beauty in public life. For many young South Africans, especially those navigating...
Scientists in South Africa and China Set New Quantum Communication World Record
By Heather Dugmore Working through the night on the rooftop of the Engineering building at Stellenbosch University, physicists Dr Yaseera Ismail and Professor Francesco Petruccione set a new world record by establishing the longest-ever secure quantum satellite...
“I would rather die a poor Afrikaner than a rich individual that has lost my identity” Kallie Kriel, Afriforum
By Zubeida Jaffer In a recent article (link), I mulled over the yearning for cultural perseveration of two communities – the one led by AfriForum and Solidarity and the other in the Bo-Kaap in Cape Town. The one is a sliver of the Afrikaner community and the other a...
A Call from New York to Stand Up for Free Speech and Press Freedom
By Zubeida Jaffer Columbia University’s School of Journalism in New York has made a bold and urgent call to action for all who value the core principles of free speech and a free press. In an unprecedented statement, the school’s entire faculty has urged people across...
A Moment of Presence: On Welcoming Ebrahim Rasool Home
By Aslam Fataar Among those gathered at Cape Town International Airport to welcome Ebrahim Rasool, wife Rosieda and son Tanwir, on their return from the United States—following Ebrahim's sudden designation as persona non grata—was a galvanising sense of...
A Banana a day – What I learnt this Ramadaan.
By Zubeida Jaffer An apple a day keeps the doctor away. We all grew up with this familiar saying. This Ramadan (Islamic month of fasting), I learnt that a banana a day was an equally good idea. Fasting is a time for self-reflection and seeking to consciously become a...
Bokaap, Afriforum and Solidarity: The Call for Cultural Preservation
By Zubeida Jaffer The dusk was still, with not a leaf stirring in the wind. Yet, the streets of Wale and Rose in the Bo-Kaap were alive with energy. People of all ages, races, and faiths, had gathered for a special occasion. They came to break their fast or simply be...
Afriforum and Solidarity continue to draw on a toxic theology 40 years after the adoption of the historic Kairos Document
By McGlory Speckman (Photo by Zubeida Jaffer) As we celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the Kairos Document in September 2025, we must look back at its impact on what it called ‘State Theology’ and how it influenced people’s behaviour. A case in point is the...
A South African Garden in Singapore
Nestled in one of the world’s largest glass greenhouses at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore is a South African garden resplendent with lilies, fynbos and proteas. At the Flower Dome, South Africa joins Italy, Spain, California and Singapore in a shared space presenting...