Litnet

"South Africa’s case against Israel is very important and symbolic for the world. This is my opinion as someone from the global North: It demonstrates the possibility of real cosmopolitanism, the only answer to racism."

Terry Tselane is the executive chairman of the Institute of Election Management Services in Africa (IEMSA), which will act as an election watchdog in the coming South African elections. Freek Robinson asked him to explain the role and the powers of an election watchdog. Also: Who watches the watchdog, and what would happen if the watchdog and the ruling party were to disagree on the outcome of the election?

"If I have to find a protagonist, to anthropomorphise, yes, the buildings are the protagonist. But then, for me, what is a protagonist? A leading character? We are all leaders in some form or another."

"Travel has always felt beyond my means, but I’m a freelance writer, editor and translator, so in theory I could live and work anywhere I want. The notion took hold, in spite of all the reasons why it should be impossible, and I pursued ways of living a less structured, planned and predictable life for a few months."

This conversation on land, constitutional law and social justice took place at the Etienne van Heerden Veldsoirée 2023. Tembeka Ngcukaitobi is a member of the South African Law Reform Commission (SALRC) and an acting judge at the Land Claims Court.

Sihle Khumalo says conversation is important. We need to talk about the difficult things, the hard things, the things that make us uncomfortable. Freek Robinson starts the conversation.

Malegapuru Makgoba tells Freek Robinson why De Ruyter was the right person to lead Eskom, and he names the ministers who play political games with Eskom instead of supporting those who understand what needs to be done.

"I have never been a houseworker, but I can relate to the character – from part of my responsibilities as an artist and performer – as a “space holder”: someone who holds space for people, either in grief or distress, or just in enabling them to be themselves and being able to thrive."

"The more fantasy, visual effects and large world set-ups in a story, the more it lends itself to animation. Animation makes anything possible."

Santaco has now approached the court to challenge the legality of taxis being impounded, something which the mayor of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis, seems to welcome. Freek Robinson asked Hill-Lewis: Why now? And what next?

"One of the greatest catalysts of the festival is that it broadens horizons for those who might never have known that a career in logistics, or eventing, or catering, or agriculture, or finance, was even a possibility. This, in part, motivates a focus in the hearts and minds of the learners, which leads to a positive, gainfully employed work life ahead."

"What makes the Vrystaat Arts Festival special is our commitment to showcasing a mix of established and emerging talents, creating a rich and diverse program that caters to all tastes. We pride ourselves on our community engagement initiatives, which involve local communities in co-creating elements of the festival."

Why are electric cars not the solution to South Africa’s problems right now? Is "cleaner coal" not an oxymoron? Are we doing enough to bring renewable energy into our grid? Are we going to be able to end loadshedding one day?

What are Nina Schumann’s dreams? Izak de Vries asked her that, and a few other questions.

"As they like to ask in business: is it scalable? Yes, the desired outcomes are hugely scalable."

"We need more competitions like this. It was heart-warming seeing learners from all walks of life and different cultures enjoying each other’s company and spending time together. Language can truly unite us all, even though we don’t all speak the same language; it is the differences that make life beautiful and interesting."

"Because Stof is a once-off. Dit sal nie weer opgevoer word nie."

"All characters are disturbed and have gone through trauma of some kind; only the depth varies. Nobody is born bad. What happened to her? That is why this is important."

"'Sika Lekhekhe. Knyp die kat in the donker. Wiggling the toothpick. Whatever you call it, whoever you are and whatever you’re into, let’s talk about it.' That’s what the promo pack said. Then I watched the first episode. That is why I invited Kim and Romantha for a chat – about sex, of course!"

During International Mother Tongue Language Month, Tessa Dowling talks about her love and teachings of the Xhosa language. "I was captivated by the superb sound of Xhosa and the absolute grammatical sense that it made to me! Its power to connect me to people."