In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser

This final episode is intended as an homage to who Eusebius was over time and space. Through conversation with Nick Ferreira, Julie Taylor and Bongani Khumalo, our host Lovelyn Nwadeyi delves into their experiences of Eusebius in the key locations that so profoundly shaped his life: Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown) and his time at Rhodes University, Oxford town and University, and Johannesburg which he fondly called "Johussleburg". In this lively discussion Eusebius' friends share some of their favourite memories about him in each place, they share some intimate struggles that they journeyed through with Euby, and now reflect on the changing nature of their relationship to these different locations.As the team behind this Finale Season, we hope this episode will help many of his fond listeners move towards a sense of closure, as it has done for us. Thank you for journeying with us so far.

Before his untimely passing, Eusebius was working on a series of essays about the different types of friendships we encounter throughout our lives . In this episode, our host Lovelyn Nwadeyi explores the different types of friendships Eusebius had with people of different age groups, genders and racial identities. In a country like South Africa, these markers matter, making friendship both a sacred and vulnerable space. Listening to Mikhail Brown, Dawn Klatzko, Scott Burnett and Nduduzo Nyanda about the nature of their friendships with Eusebius may encourage you to remain attentive to those in your inner circles of friendship.

Eusebius was a loud and proud gay man. He was often very open about the experiences, struggles, celebrations and achievements of queer people. In this conversation, our host Nolwazi Tusini, explores the wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation across the continent of Africa and the urgency required to engage the reality of queer people's lives today. Through reflections about the role of the law in affirming the inherent dignity of queer lives, the utility of being a publicly 'visible' queer person and the links between hypervisibility and harm, our guests Sebenzile Nkambule and Xhanti Payi take us on a journey of what they think it would take for us to access the key to each other's humanity.

Between laughter and tears, in this episode, our host Lovelyn Nwadeyi speaks to Vanita Daniels, Tshidiso Ramogale and Wiseman Zondi. Each guest offers a generous and vulnerable reflection on what it has felt like to grieve Eusebius while still celebrating his life over the past year.

Remembering Eusebius exactly one year after his untimely death on 30 May 2023 is not an easy thing to do. In this sometimes hilarious and sometimes poignant episode, Lovelyn speaks to some of the people who have had to make sense of a world without Eusebius namely: His father Donald McKaiser, his niece Jodie Colville and one of his best friends Lwandile Sisilana.

This second part of the Final Literature Corner is a combination of tributes from fellow writers, journalists and broadcasters who share what they love about how Eusebius discussed their work and what they miss about Eusebius' contributions to the landscape of public intellectual life.

Everyone knows about Eusebius' love for books. He would regularly admonish his friends and listeners to keep reading, to stay curious, to ask questions, to challenge their beliefs and he felt very strongly that building a solid relationship with literature would enable that. To that end, this conversation pays tribute to the Literature Corner, a regular feature of Eusebius's former live radio show in which he regularly featured authors and readers to talk about books. A key component of these discussions were about the role of reading and literature in shaping the imagination. There were ways in which Eusebius often spoke of how reading helped him to imagine himself out of his reality into different worlds to cope with his life at various points. In this episode, Lovelyn speaks to Joanne Joseph: Author, Journalist and Broadcaster, Zukiswa Wanner: Author, Publisher and Editor as well as Vanita Daniels, a close friend and regular guest on his Literature Corner feature for his show. Each guest takes us on a journey about how literature shaped their lives and their friendships with Eusebius.Happy listening! As usual, any feedback and pointers are always welcome!

Eusebius's last public contribution to the conversation about the upcoming national elections in South Africa was on 30 May 2023, the day he passed away, in which he asked if there was a viable option to the ruling party in the country. By all predictions, South Africa is likely to end up with a coalition government at a national level. We started our democracy in 1994 as a coalition with the government of national unity, are we approaching a full circle moment after May 2024? In this discussion, Lovelyn speaks to Ebrahim Fakir - Political researcher/Analyst and Mbali Ntuli, Founder of the Groundwork Collective, exploring some key questions about the performance and future of coalition governance in SA. Why hasn't our politics matured enough that we are able to do coalitions well? What does it take for political actors to collaborate properly in service of the people? How should you as a voter be thinking about the power of your vote beyond these elections?

Eusebius McKaiser was very deliberate about expressing his Coloured identity online, showcasing what it meant to him, challenging stereotypes and sometimes hilariously confirming stereotypes. In this conversation, host Lovelyn Nwadeyi speaks to three Coloured South Africans each with differing roles in the South African media landscape: Tessa Dooms a political analyst and author of Coloured: How Classification became Culture; Megan Lubke - Executive TV Producer at the SABC and Investigative Journalist as well as Lance Claasen - Station Manager at Rise FM in Mpumalanga. Each of our guests was invited to reflect on questions about representation, authenticity and what it means to be Coloured in post-apartheid South Africa. In this layered, interrogating and sometimes emotional episode, our guests unpack the history of Coloured identity in South Africa, what it means to them and how they connect to this racialised and cultural experience today.

In this episode, we spotlight key organisations in which Eusebius McKaiser was affiliated. Lovelyn speaks to Wayde Davy, Former Deputy Director of the Apartheid Museum and Zaakira Mahomed, Founder of the Mina Foundation, and explores issues these two organisations face (race, gender and period poverty) as we celebrate our 30 year old democracy. While Eusebius did not consider himself an activist, we delve into his work with the Apartheid Museum and the Mina Foundation as we remember both his selflessness and commitment to building a better and more equitable society...

In this edition of In The Ring, I analyse Prince Mashele's responses in interviews granted to eNCA, 702 and the SABC, in light of media reports that he had, ok the face of it, been dishonest about the nature of his biography of Herman Mashaba. Herman Mashaba is leader of politica  part  ActionSA, and prior to that was always known as a very successful businessman in an against-all-odds tale at the height of apartheid; in recent years he a new career pivot that had also seen him becoming mayor of Johannesburg.Mashele, a well-known South African political analyst, had claimed that he had "self-funded" his book on Mashaba, and the subtitle of the book declared it to be "unauthorised".It has emerged that Mashaba had provided funding for the book, and had engaged the author on drafts of the chapter. This raises sharp ethical questions: was the work unauthorised or authtoised ? Did Mashele lie on eNCA? Did Mashele WRONGLY withheld the information from Jonathan Ball ? What, most importantly, are the consequences for the professional integrity of the author? And what are we to make of the other actors in this drama: the subject; the publisher; the researcher/former best friend Brutus Malada who 'blew the whistle'?Have a listen to my uhm unauthorised take. 

Sihle Khumalo has written a fascinating, witty, brilliantly researched new book, Milk The Beloved Country One of our continent's best writers, Zukiswa Wanner, came over to my house, and after a hearty lunch we hit the 'record' button for this edition of In The Ring. We dissected Sihle Khumalo's new book, reading from it, telling you why we both loved it (for overlapping but also different reasons), and debating where and how we think he might have done things differently (or not).Dig in! 

Redi Tlhabi, well-known South African journalist now based in London and working across the globe, joined me for a bloody fascinating and blunt conversation about South African media.It was wide-ranging and interesting. Dig in. Debate it. Share it widely.

In this edition of In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser, I reflect on both Freedom Day and Worker's Day. I spend some time arguing that my generation and those of you who are younger shouldn't be ahistorical and glib about the achievements of those who came before us.That said, we have to be rigorous in our conceptualisation of 'freedom': what precisely is it? Unless we do some definitional work, we can't mind the empirical gap between the normative vision of the constitution and our present social un/realities. I end this edition by weaving all of that material, in turn, into a set of reflections on the moral limits of markets. If we want our democracy to flourish, and for all of us to realise our potential, then there is simply no room for the fantasy that questions of fairness or justice can be settled with deference to economic markets. There is no point in pitting the exploited worker against the unemployed.Let me explain it all. Click. Enjoy. Engage. Leave a rating and review comment. And share the episode with a friend or two!Enjoy!

All I ask is that you listen to this entry of In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser. It is ONLY 6min20sec. Only engage me afterwards. Just do me that favour. 

In this exceptionally short audio entry, I voice my argument, first published by TimesLIVE ( https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times-daily/opinion-and-analysis/2023-04-11-eusebius-mckaiser-the-opposite-of-pointing-out-western-moral-viciousness-isnt-to-let-putin-off-the-hook/ ), for why South Africa should arrest Russian president Vladimir Putin should he come to our country.Have a listen.

I tweeted a picture of Julius Malema marching to the Uganda embassy where he spoke - with the rainbow flag wrapped around it - condemning the bill criminalising identifying as gay in Uganda.I accompanied the tweeted image with the following words:@Julius_S_Malema thanks for showing leadership today and not being worried about homophobic backlash even among some of your supporters online.Shame on the ANC government for SILENCE.Doing right isn't about calculating how many 'likes' you'll get.#GayRightsAreHumanRights***A friend of mine called me and wondered why I would praise Malema, suggesting rhetorically that Malema and the EFF are weaponsing allyship and not being genuine. They added that they know I *must* know this, so were wondering what the thinking behind my tweet was.My friend - love him to bits - asked an excellent and important and incisive question.In this 10 minute audio, I share some of what I told him in my response to him.Enjoy

I listened to John Steenhuisen's acceptance speech after he was re-elected as the federal leader of the Democratic Alliance, South Africa's official opposition in parliament. This is a very important leadership position given that the DA is the second largest party in the country.I was shocked by the bizarre content at the heart of the speech. It was filled with relentless negativity and fear mongering, which bodes very poorly if this is a dress rehearsal for how the DA will approach the 2024 national elections. There were at least six massive own goals - more - but let's focus illustratively on six examples from Steenhuisen's victory speech that demonstrate my claim that the speech was deeply problematic on multiple levels.Enjoy. Share the podcast in your own networks and circles. And don't forget to hit the subscribe button before you exit the podcast platform. Thanks for your support of, and interest in, my work.

This week, former president Thabo Mbeki wrote an extraordinary 17-page letter to deputy president Paul Mashatile. In it, he essentially critiqued various shortcomings of the current ANC parliamentary caucus.In this edition of In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser, I do several things: a) explain the essential point of the letter; b) explain the structure and logic of the letter in a bit more detail; and (most importantly perhaps) c) offer you political analysis of what is at play here, which may not be apparent if you merely focus on the Phala Phala and Eskom case studies that drive the overt argument in the 17-pager. Want to know what the heck I am getting at? Dig into this latest episode. And please do share it widely.[Also, remember to rate the podcast and maybe even leave a comment before exiting. If you never wish to miss future episodes, then it is crucial that you SUBSCRIBE.]

Why do so many people obsess about what queer people do, and how we identify? The latest expression of hatred is in Uganda, where a bill has been passed that now even criminalises merely IDENTIFYING as gay. Yes, you've read correctly. Now it is up to the president - a long-time homophobe - to decide whether or not he sign it into effective law.Everyone must oppose hatred wherever it rears its head. I analyse in detail in this episode why the entire international community ought to be outraged when human rights are trampled on. But I also look at specific aspects of this bill that are, in turn, vague, hate-filled, internally incoherent, and irrational. Of course, "the international community" is infamously inconsistent on this score.Have a listen to my full set of remarks and analysis. AND PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE A) share this particular episode widely & B) rebuke yourself if you are unmoved by the plight of any group of people whose fundamental rights are trampled on.

Eve Fairbanks is an American journalist who has just written and published an amazing book, one that already won a significan  international literally award. It is called The Inheritors, and is situated in South Africa. She has been based here for more than ten years, and developed a fascinating interest in making sense of how a country with our traumatic past, tried to carve out ways of dealing with the past, and moving forward. She follows three characters for many years, and tells their stories in The Inheritors. The book has already resulted in a stunning range of many very different reviews, with readers furiously debating different aspects of the book. That's exactly what every author craves. Eve joined me on the podcast to talk about this major work. There are no spoilers. And the conversation covers areas I didn't get to in my own written review nor at the book launch I anchored for her, so there's somethin  here for everyone: those who read the book; those who haven't; those who attended the launch; those who didn't; those who read the reviews; those who haven't.Listen. Enjoy. Share.And buy and read the book yourself. 

Are you confused that Somizi and Mohale were never married? "How so?", you may have asked yourself.Are you also confused as to why Somizi, rather than Mohale, is the one who wanted to sustain the claim that there WAS a valid marriage in place? After all, wouldn't Somizi, more than Mohale, be excited to know there was no valid marriage in place? If Mohale is the alleged gold digger, why wouldn't Somizi be happy to accept that they were not spouses?! Confused? Let me help you out. I do two things in this episode: a) answer these questions AND (far more importantly) b) I will persuade you why this is NOT a silly celebrity gossip story but a fascinating story with curious and important legal, cultural and even ethical dimensions. Everyone missed the substance- because Somizi being a celebrity resulted in the story not being seriously paused over. His celebrity status and larger than life personality got in the way of a story that an editor might otherwise have assigned to a senior legal reporter, for example. Let me help you out. Have a listen to this episode, and share it with your mates before you debate the issues I explain and frame for public engagement - no pun on 'public engagement'! 

In this edition of In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser, I ask and engage a bloody award question about Mr Ramaphosa's leadership weaknesses - should he even be the ANC's presidential candidate for 2024?I engaged this controversial question in a TimesLIVE analysis piece ( https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times-daily/opinion-and-analysis/2023-03-06-eusebius-mckaiser-can-the-anc-risk-putting-ramaphosas-face-on-its-2024-elections-posters/ ) and I voice the argument here for those of you who enjoy audio journalism as much as you enjoy reading. And yes obviously part of the debate would be "But who is better, Eusebius?!" I'm afraid you MUST listen to the whole podcast- it is a short episode- to appreciate why the ANC has one helluva headache ahead of 2024 even if there is no obvious alternative candidate (which is debatable and complicated as an aside).Enjoy. Listen. Reflect. Engage. And share the epsiode widely!

Dean Michael Weeder (St George's Cathedral, Cape Town) wrote a stunning and moving collection of poems and ruminations. You have to - HAVE TO - listen to some of the poems and ruminations being read in this episode of In The Ring. And get yourself a copy of his anthology. We talked, along the way, about jazz, social justice, aesthetics, celebrating the everyday, artistic technique and creativity, and so much more.Spoil yourself and listen to Dean Michael who is a wonderfully reflective guest, easy on the ear, with plenty of incisive gems to chew on...Enjoy.

Here's what I think of the interview outgoing UCT VC Prof Mamokgethi Phakeng did with JJ Tabane on eNCA.EVEN IF YOU DIDN'T FOLLOW THE STORY, THIS PODCAST CONTAINS LOTS OF CONTENT ON CRISIS COMMUNICATION THAT IS OF GENERAL INTEREST TO EVERYONE. Have a listen.

I sometimes get asked in my keynote speeches on diversity, equity and inclusion whether interventions aimed at inclusion are dangerous because they can result in "unconscious exclusion." The fear is that victims of oppression may become today's oppressors.In this small entry of In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser, I slay some myths around this issue.Have a listen

A sad person or bunch of 'em unsuccessfully attempted to run a disinformation campaign against me recently. In this episode of In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser, I explain why these campaigns should not be oxygenated but, nevertheless, why they should not be taken lightly either. They are a threat to public discourse and to democracy by implication; that is quite apart from the potential to literally destroy lives.What is their ultimate function? And how should we think through them? Have a listen. As always, PLEASE rate our podcast, leave a comment, and hit the subscribe button before you exit. Thank you for the love and support.

Advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi joined me to discuss a very specific feature of racism. We drilled down into a tendency to assume that a singular act of failure on the part of a black person tells you about their entire skillet and capability. From here, we slowly examined the structural features of the workplace, with a racist undergird, that leads to "competency racism".I predict many of you listening to this discussion with me and Tembeka may feel overwhelmed by a familiar and painful recognition of what you have experienced but never knew it to be a phenomenon in general.We give you the language to empower yourself, and we offer insights to help us all collectively continue the fight against anti-black racism in the wake of white supremacist grips still in place everywhere. Although we used the legal profession as a sustained case study, the lessons are easily transferred elsewhere. Enjoy. And drop me a message, even if confidential, telling me what came up for you. 

I was joined by Vanita Daniels (director at Rise Up Against Gender-Based Violence) and Nduduzo Nyanda (techpreneur), who are regular listeners of In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser. We decided to shoot (not literally) ... uhm to shoot the breeze on a bizarre recent story of a tigress on the loose in Johannesburg. How the story played out, including the public responses to the story, was most interesting. It revealed many of our class, racial, political, and other fissures.In this episode, we frame some of these questions, tackle them, and invite you to do the same. Enjoy.

Nice Racism by Robin DiAngelo opens up a conversation with white progressives. It is a book that is stunning but which will also, and already has, upset many white progressives.This episode is just my FIRST reaction to the book? Buy it. Read it. Sit with it.We will engage a lot of material from it in the weeks ahead.For now, enjoy my first, raw, unmediated reaction to it.

Excellent futurist and Africa analyst Koffi Kouakou (The Centre for Africa-Chinese Studies, University of Johannesburg) joined me for a fascinating debate about ANC voters. He had listened to my previous episode, episode 145- 'Ramaphosa told you why you shouldn't vote ANC' ( https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/episode-145-ramaphosa-told-you-why-you-shouldnt-vote-anc/id1561851417?i=1000593632513 ) and wanted to put the ANC voter on trial. Koffi agreed with my main analysis ( https://www.timeslive.co.za/ideas/2023-01-10-eusebius-mckaiser-ramaphosa-told-you-why-you-shouldnt-vote-anc/ ) that the ANC's January 8th statement is an argument for not voting ANC. But he is puzzled by why so many ANC voters nevertheless still vote ANC despite this seemingly not being in their material interest?This podcast episode is based on several days of back and forth engagement between us. We ended up having a WhatsApp dialectic about the dangers of psychological analysis when it comes to making sense of ANY voter; laying out a basis for carefully exploring, neverthless, important and puzzling questions about voting trends in SA in light of the main empirical data about the state of the nation, and we then actually allowed ourselves the freedom to ask and explore such questions as, "Are ANC voters suffering Stockholm Syndrome?" Or, "Is there is a puzzle of domination here that requires explanations from political theory to make sense of? Do ANC voters - irrationally? - consent to their own domination?" Etc.You decide where you land in these debates. I hope you are stimulated. I am confident you will be. And I thank Koffi for giving permission for our engagement that started off privately to be curated into a podcast episode. It is a little nerdish at times, but that is why you, dear listener, are part of In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser. We are complex. And not every aspect of our lives are reducible to cheap slogans or memes. Or an easy laugh. In this podcast, we flip between laughter and drilling down deep when necessary. Enjoy and re-listen to this episode a few times to get more out of it. If needs be. Also do share it with your friends. Kindly! Please rate us and leave a review! And SUBSCRIBE before you leave the podcast platform. Ciao 

In this edition of In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser, I share the main insights from my recent analysis piece ( https://www.timeslive.co.za/ideas/2023-01-10-eusebius-mckaiser-ramaphosa-told-you-why-you-shouldnt-vote-anc/ ) which critically examined the ANC's January 8th statement. The ANC's annual January 8th statement is part of its birthday celebrations. The statement is traditionally read by the party's president. It is an indication of what the  party hopes to see happening within the government and the state in the forthcoming year. Given that the ANC is the actual governing party, it is an important early indication of policy intentions for the year  ahead. I was flabbergasted at how many of my media peers and the commentariat responded to the statement. Reporting has been quiet rather than searing and critical. 

In this edition of In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser, I wear my hat as a political analyst and review the coverage thus far of what happened at a resort in Free State recently. I argue and explain how certain frameworks chosen by reporters, sub-editors, and editors unwiittingly water down the seriousness of racism. I also offer arguments in support of the view that editorial choices are not value-neutral (just as writing and reporting are not value-neutral speech acts). What we write, and how we edit, and frame stories, can reveal our most deeply held political convictions, even when we genuinely imagine ourselves to simply be "knocing into shape" a first draft. It is, as always, up to listeners of the podcast to determine whether and how much you agree with me. Or not. Enjoy and subscribe to In The Ring With Eusebius on any podcast platform so that you never miss a future episode. [AND PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW OF THE PODCAST, FAM, BEFORE YOU END YOUR LISTENING EXPERIENCE!]

In this podcast lament, I meditate on how little focus there is this year on Reconciliation Day because of the elective conference of the  ANC. But there is a link: delays and organisational chaos at the conference speak to the state of the ANC and the state of the ANC-led state. The state has not enabled and delivered economic justice for South Africans.I focus on the importance of centering economic justice and related material questions in public discourse about reconciliation. I also use archival materials to remember the deep physical and psychological scars that we have not yet overcome - we paper over them - despite the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. This episode is, at times, difficult to listen to, but I hope most of you will agree that it is usefully difficult listening nevertheless.

In this edition of In The Ring, I am joined by Sunday Times investigative reporter Sabelo Skiti who wrote the story about the recent bullying scandal at Roedean including a fracas involving parents ( https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/news/2022-11-27-parents-of-roedean-bullies-in-ugly-school-fight/ )We explore a number of issues including: a) damning findings from an educational psychologist about institutional failure on the part of Roedean; b) corporate creep or corporatism on the part of the school board; c) the danger of political overreach in how schools are engaged when there are complaints; d) teachers who are invisble in this narrative; e) wealthy and politically connected parents who are entitled; f) centering the paramount interests of the children (or failing to do so).Enjoy and share it widely

A section 89 independent panel had arrived at the conclusion that, on the face of it, President Cyril Ramaphosa has an impeachment case to answer. For a simple, 10-minute EXPLAINER of what they said - in case you missed it - check out the previous episode of In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser (episode 140 - Is Ramaphosa a fatally wounded buffalo? Here's a quickie)For a wider conversation about the issue and the implications for our democracy, beyond the narrow legal issues, check out my conversation with Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh on his platform SMWX on YouTube ( https://youtu.be/fXBZzb1zLOA) In this episode, I explain the legal strategy of Ramaphosa's lawyers in taking the section 89 panel's recommendation on review. The President has an excellent legal team, and their strategy is good and interesting. My main aims are to explain why and how Ramaphosa's legal strategy is not unanswerable, firstly, and why there are both political and legal complexities here, secondly, that result from design flaws when it comes to the impeachment process itself- an originating reality neither the President's lawyers nor the section 89 panel are responsible for. In other words, along the way, in this podcast, I describe the tension between squarely political and squarely legal questions. Enjoy.

The section 89 panel's findings that President Cyril Ramaphosa has a case to answer on allegations of serious misconduct and serious violation of the constitution is the biggest crisis of his political career. It is also an inherent crisis for the ANC and a serious challenge to our democracy. I'll unravel it fully in the hours and days ahead. For now, here's a quickie to help you grasp the essence of it all.

Luke Lamprecht (   https://www.lukelamprecht.co.za ) is an excellent  and well-respected expert in child protection and child development. He has worked with and in countless schools, tackling the very issues we are exploring in this series. In this episode- the second in the series focusing on bullying at Roedean, he educates us all on the complexity of bullying. It is a difficult concept to get a clear definitional grip on, and he helps us to navigate our way through  these complexities. We focus on children who may have fallen foul of school codes of conduct, including anti-bullying policies, and ask how best to go about dealing with such children. In the details of the Roedean there appears, on the face of it, to be evidence of an adversarial, criminal law-like, approach that had been adopted, and Luke gives a comprehensive and compassionate but practical view of where and how it seems Roedean has done the children an injustice, institutionally speaking. 

In the recent edition of Sunday Times ( https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/news/2022-11-27-parents-of-roedean-bullies-in-ugly-school-fight/ ), the paper reported on a horrible incident at a well-known independent school in Johannesburg, Roedean. It even allegedly involved fighting between parents that necessitated police being dispatched.The backdrop to the fights are guilty bullying verdicts and punishment for these: the alleged bullies' families feel the school had not dealt with the issues properly nor fairly, while the parents of the alleged victim also feel aggrieved. What is fact and what is fiction? That is hard to tell as all the people involved are passionately asserting their individual truths, and evidence is slowly and partially emerging. I have seen some of it. And engaged many people privately. My own digging is ongoing. In a series of episodes here on In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser, I will help you navigate the story: we start off with setting the scene and isolating the main themes, as well as an interview with the provincial department of education. In subsequent episodes we deal with other apsects of the story.Why should you care? Bullying is rife, and schools have an enormous role to play in the development of our children. If we understand what is happening and what is not happening at Roedean, we can help to think, collectively, through the institutional duty of all schools, whether independent or public, to guarantee and create environments that are conducive to learning without fear and, in fact, environments that are so healthy that children -  ideally - should be excited to enter the school gates.This is the first episode in this special series. 

Friday is International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. It marks the beginning of 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. In this audio essay, based on an analysis piece I had written for and published on TimesLIVE, I explore why and how GBV is squarely a men's problem.But, I am not merely putting us men on moral trial. That is not unimportant, but, of course, the ultimate goal should be to recover our humanity and to create spaces that are safer for everyone. So, what does that all mean practically and analytically?I'm afraid you will have to click on the podcast link and listen to the audio essay to get a grip on the details of my thinking on these issues.I hope they are useful conversation starters for you.Thank you for continuing to support my audio journalism so generously. Please do share this episode widely, especially to all the boys, teenagers, and men in your life and within your networks.

Author and journalist Jacques Pauw joined me to discuss his new book, Our Poisoned Land. It is a sequel to his previous bestseller, The President's Keepers.It was a wide-ranging but also focused conversation that could have been longer. I want you to read the book before we debate it further. This interview won't spoil your reading experience. It gives you a sense of what the book is about. Here is a non-exhaustive list of questions I explored with Pauw: Is the much discussed excerpt about the EFF a distraction from the main issues in the book or a fair reflection of his intentions as author? How does he respond to critics who think that unethical journalism, related to an incident at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, undermines his journalistic integrity and credibility? What are examples of the linkages between money, politics, and the subversion of the constitution? Why is PRASA such a big focus of the book? What are the implications of the empirical evidence of state capture specifically for the leadership of President Cyril Ramaphosa? Is the EFF a bona fide political party or a criminal enterprise? Etc.Enjoy!

 I will soon interview Jacques  Pauw about Our Poisoned Land, his sequel to The President's Keepers, one of the most commercially successful books in South Africa over the past ten years, quite apart from the phenomenal discursive impact it had.Here's a reminder, from the archives, of the key themes in The President's Keepers. I had, back then, interviewed Jacques Pauw as that book was causing massive public debate. Enjoy

Many of you write to me privately, asking for informal advice on quitting alcohol or cutting back massively.I've not consumed alcoholic beverages for more than three years now.Along the way, I have learned many things. Whether you are an alcoholic, or simply curious about sobriety, or maybe just keen to drink much less, this episode of In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser, which is my story about accidentally quitting alcohol, will be of some use to you.Enjoy, and all the best.

In this epsiode of In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser I explain my support for the decriminalisation of sex work.

[FROM THE ARCHIVES] I flighted a documentary about the work of an organisation in inner city Johannesburg aimed at changing the lives of boys and girls who have offended and who are at risk of offending by using boxing as a way to help them recover their own humanity and to fulfill their human potential.What an incredible experience.I shared with them my own journey too... this was a very emotional rollercoaster for my team. Listen and share this one widely too. 

I cannot even believe I typed that question because it should be regarded as totally absurd. Right? But sadly there are still people who walk around imagining that heteronormativity is intrinsic to being African. Bizarre. Well, about ten years ago I took part in what was a difficult but productive debate about this question hosted by Zeinab Badawi.It featured politicians and various activists. I too was one of the panel members. I thought it would be useful to re-broadcast that debate so we continue the critical engagement about sex, gender and queer politics

I interviewed banker Lincoln Mali about his book, Blazing A Trail: Lessons For African Leadership. Mali has spent over two decades in banking and financial services working across the continent, from Nigeria to Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Kenya and elsewhere, as a banking executive facing a myriad of leadership challenges entrusted to him by his mentors and bosses.This comes after a stint in government, a more natural home for a student political activist who had studied law at Rhodes University. In this interview we introduce you to some of the main themes and inisghts of the book, and Mali the author. In one sense, his approach to business leadership is intuitively sensible, and yet it isn't orthodoxy in a world of work in which patriachal norms and hypermasculinity frames our ideas of 'good leadership', still.Do buy and read a copy! In the meantime, enjoy this interview#ForTheLoveOfBooks #ForTheLoveOfReading

Kukhokuhle Tswenga is a brilliant doctoral engineering student at Oxford University with a research interest in robotics. His life began in deep rural Eastern Cape, a poorly resourced community that did not stop his academic brilliance from manifesting , early on. He even, uhm, got 100% for both maths and science in matric, one of the top students in the country. In this beautiful podcast conversation, he allowed me to share parts of his amazing and inspirational story with you. It is so stunning on so many levels - intellectually, politically and otherwise - that I am gonna ask you to simply listen. Just like the story of Professor Musa Manzi went viral, so too will you be moved and inspired by Kuhle'.sShare it widely. Dig in!

I interviewed Matthew Wilhelm-Solomon about his stunning book, The Blinded City- Ten Years In Inner-City Johannesburg, which tells countless and complex sets of stories about people who occupy buildings in inner-city Johannesburg.Some call these bulldings "hijacked buildings" but Matthew explains why this term is problematic. He has spent over ten years getting to know the people living in these buildings, recording their stories, following lawfare between these communities, property developers and the City of Johannesburg.What emerges is an incredible book that isn't just about an ongoing housing crisis, but a struggle for the right of people who live precariously to be treated with dignity, an inviolable right that they are inherently entitled to but all too often denied.No one with a serious interest in making sense of the urban landscape, and our myriad political  fissures, can skip this conversation. Listen to it, and buy Matthew's book.This is a story about Johannesburg, in the first instance, but one with global echoes and therefore of international interest also.Enjoy

In this edition of In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser, I voice an essay I had written for TimesLIVE in which I critique the bullshit idea that race-based affirmative action policies are racist, and also slay the myth of meritocracy that make many white people falsely claim that their economic successes are due to hard work and fair play.There is a cluster of explicit and hidden premises in these positions that are popular despite being spectacularly false and fallacious. Have a listen.

I decided to re-broadcast the incredible story of geophysicist professor Musa Manzi.I don't wanna summarise it in this blurb. I interviewed him a couple of years ago and his amazing life story remains poignant. There is SO MUCH that is dreary in South Africa right now.This story is a story you didn't know you needed to listen to - whether for the first time or again - RIGHT NOW. Literally. Stop what you're doing. Listen to it. And share it as a gift with others.I am still in tears having listened to it now with the freedom of being a listener and not as broadcaster needing to keep it together and coherent. What an amazing story, my goodness.Trust me. Go ahead and click.