There has been serious outrage which has greeted an art exhibition which appears to mock Christianity at a KwaZulu-Natal school. A pastor in a video circulated on social media labelled the exhibition “demonic”, arguing that the paintings, some of which show cartoon paintings of Jesus Christ alongside a McDonald’s mascot, degraded Christianity. Other pieces of […]
Kerushun Pillay
Twitter: @kerushun
Posted inGeneral
Why is South Africa so eager to welcome Narendra Modi?
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s imminent arrival in South Africa seemingly has everyone excited. A few “grand receptions” will welcome Modi to the country, where he is expected – among other things – to be part of “discussions” on change, minorities, and hate speech. But why? Why is South Africa – where we normally shun […]
Posted inEquality, Gender violence, General, News/Politics
#RUReferenceList could prove crucial in influencing the rape conversation
Is the time for South Africa to have the difficult discussion about rape finally here? Is it now time to do our utmost to provide protection and care for survivors and those vulnerable? The release of a list of 11 male students accused of sexual assault at Rhodes University, and subsequent protests by students, could […]
Posted inEquality
Gender equality progress is mainly all surface
You’d be forgiven for thinking this International Women’s Day is different from the others. In recent years, we have seen some apparently radical changes in the way women are seen as well as an expansion of opportunities. This year, it will seem to some, we can use the day to remember recent triumphs of female […]
Posted inGeneral, Media
Marie Claire controversy shows just how vulnerable media interns are
The recent Twitter outcry over Marie Claire’s shocking R30-a-day stipend for their interns brings to light just how hostile the world of media and journalism can be to a young beginner. Though the fashion magazine was on the receiving end of criticism this week, it should be understood that their situation is merely par for […]
Posted inEquality, News/Politics
Penny Sparrow saga: Forget the outcry – racism is here to stay
Four days in, and South Africa already has its first bit of racial controversy for 2016. Penny Sparrow’s Facebook post — where she referred to black people at the beach on New Year’s Eve as “monkeys” — has surely got to be one of the fastest, and most bigoted, blunders we’ve seen. The post has […]
Posted inEquality, News/Politics
#FeesMustFall shows ‘born-free’ generation anything but apathetic
Defiant. An apt word to describe students protesting against university tuition fees over the last month. From bringing institutions to a standstill, to engaging in several hour-long meetings, disgruntled students have been unwavering in their pursuit of what they see as a fairer financial system for universities. And it went up a notch yesterday when […]
Posted inEquality, Media
Emmys give hope, but TV still suffers lack of diversity
It was unfortunate that the excellent Mad Men was not awarded outstanding drama series at last night’s Emmy Awards. An opportunity missed to give the series, which aired its last episode in May this year after seven seasons, a fine sending off, much like Breaking Bad had last year. Mad Men’s depiction of American life […]
Posted inGeneral, Tech
I dated an app: Could the future of relationships change?
This week I got into a relationship using my cellphone. No — I didn’t use some online dating platform or the touted intimacy killer Tinder. Rather, I used Faketalk; a free, amateurishly-designed chatbot that allows you to create artificial relationships. These range from parental figures, friends and partners, to celebrities and even disciples. My lucky […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Maimane in, but DA still struggles with discernible identity
Mmusi Maimane it is, then. Certainly since the resignation of Helen Zille in April, Maimane seemed the obvious choice to lead the DA. A near-90% landslide victory against candidate Wilmot James showed just that, and underlined the blistering speed of his ascension. On the face of it Maimane looks good for the undertaking: greatly composed, […]
Posted inGeneral, Media, News/Politics
Trevor Noah gets the perfect platform for his humour
March 30 2015. The day Trevor Noah was inducted into the league of American late-night talk show hosts. Diarise it. March 30 2015. Where were you on this day? What did you tweet when you heard the news? The news that he will be given the responsibility of presenting The Daily Show when Jon Stewart […]
Posted inEquality, News/Politics
#RhodesSoWhite and the disappointing lack of unity
On Tuesday, this post appeared concerning race on the Rhodes University SRC Facebook page: The post was presumably inspired by the recent issues surrounding UCT and the statue of Cecil John Rhodes, as well as the calls to change the name of Rhodes University. The post gathered hundreds of comments of those either militantly in […]