Emancipate!

The dependency of African Women on Hair relaxers is truly worrisome especially as most women are not well informed about the chemicals present in these relaxers. Women relax their hair at least once every month and this ritual continues mostly for the rest of their lives. Being exposed to potentially harmful chemicals in small doses for a long period of time is whats absolutely scary.

posted
2012

May

Undressed in front of a window

About a year ago, I came across a photograph by Saddi Khali on a friend’s Facebook page called blue moon rising in his album Pieces of Peace. It was love at first sight, I swear! I spent the next few weeks telling everyone who was willing to listen about his photos and sent a loud wish out into the Universe: one day, some day (before I die), I will be photographed by Saddi Khali. I imagined how amazing it must feel to have someone see me like that, turn my stretch marks into golden stripes of art, show me BEAUTIFUL.

posted
2012

Apr

Reflections of a too young aunty

Last year I moved in with my cousin- sister and her two daughters. We are the palace… a den of womynly queens taking care of one another. And since I moved in, I have found the most beautiful home. These grown and baby womyn have become my rock, support and medium for belly aching laughter, heart to heart stories and continuous gestures of unselfish love.

posted
2012

Apr

I Am an African – and none dare say I am not!

In 1996, former South African president Thabo Mbeki stood in front of parliament and delivered one of the most inspiring speeches of his career: I Am an African. South Africa was an infant democracy then. People were a combination of hopeful, proud and excited… this country was just an electrifying place to be! Our liberation movements had set us free, some of our parents moved into the suburbs and EVERY home had a picture of Madiba on their walls (with Brenda Fassie’s My Black President playing in the background).

posted
2012

Mar

Restoring self esteem and black pride

I recently asked myself what steps we were taking as Africans to restore the self esteem of our people. These are people who’ve dealt with racism, western imperialism and marginalization; being told that they are less off and undeserving of proper human status.

posted
2012

Feb

Flirting With The Future

The superintendent at the public pool watches me each day as I heave my strengthening body through the 20 lengths I have promised myself. After 10 days my jeans are looser and I should have not been surprised but I was, because a woman of my age becomes used to being invisible, I was surprised when the superintendent walked me to my car

posted
2012

Feb

Common Housekeeping

Here in Troyeville we engage with thieves. Our thief came three times and relieved us of a camera, various bits of steel and bicycles before we caught him walking out of the garden with a security gate on his head. We called the cops and got him put away for two months. When he returned to the street, we greeted him every day.

posted
2012

Jan

Dear Black People

After my *‘Dear White People’ article, my usually restrained brother – emailed and called rather distressed. He felt I was perpetuating the feeling of victimhood amongst Black people when instead I should be asking them to interrogate themselves and ask why everyone conquers Africa – the Europeans, Americans and Russians; now the Chinese and Indians are getting their turn.

posted
2011

Nov

My Africa

You watch television and all you see is Africa and its dependency. Why is this the only thing they ever say about us? You open the newspaper and you read that another African leader has stolen money from his famished nation.

Why do our leaders do this to us? Surely this must embarrass them? It certainly embarrasses me.

posted
2011

Oct

Will Malema free us from economic slavery? I doubt it

You know why I like Julius Malema? I like Julius Malema for one reason only – he dared to challenge us as a black youth to have ‘economic freedom in our lifetime.’

It is important at this stage that I must add a clause saying that I am unsure of Malema’s intentions. For the most part I feel like he is playing a hurtful game. Like a conniving boyfriend he makes me feel high elation when he says what I want to hear

posted
2011

Oct