Podcast appearances and mentions of eusebius mckaiser

From June 30, 2023: On Thursday, South Africa's Department of International Relations confirmed it would host the 15th BRICS Summit in August. Normally, this wouldn't make the news. But because South Africa is a signatory to the International Criminal Court, the country is obligated under international law to arrest one of the summit's invitees—Russian President Vladimir Putin—the moment he sets foot in Johannesburg.This presents South Africa with what Nosmot Gbadamosi has dubbed a “Putin problem.” Lawfare Managing Editor Tyler McBrien sat down with Nosmot Gbadamosi, a multimedia journalist and the writer of Foreign Policy's weekly Africa Brief, to discuss this diplomatic dilemma, why US-South Africa relations have withered in recent months, and the incoherent Russia-Ukraine “peace mission” led by President Cyril Ramaphosa just weeks ago. They also discussed what the late Eusebius McKaiser has called South Africa's “nonsensical nonalignment” since the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year and what nonaligment even means in light of the war.To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/c/trumptrials.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm recording this exactly a year after the death Eusebius McKaiser died at the tragically young age of 44. He was a national treasure for South Africans – an author, a journalist and broadcaster.  One of the smartest public intellects in the country he was a fierce defender of truth and justice as many politicians found out to their cost! He was also a warm and generous friend.So instead of the planned episode I wanted to say a few words about my friend Eusebius and re-release one of the podcast interviews he did for Tribe Sober. The story starts back in 2001 when I relocated from the UK to SA.  I started to watch national tv, trying to get my bearings in this beautiful and complex country.  I spotted Eusebius on a talk show and was impressed. I read a couple of his books and listened to him on the radio.  I discovered he'd been to Oxford University on a scholarship and had won a global award as a Debating Champion. I first met him in person more than a decade ago… Ironically I was drunk at the time! We were at the Franschhoek Literary Festival where I'd been drinking wine most of the day.  This didn't stop me dragging Long Suffering Husband to the Elephant and Barrel Pub in the evening.  I spotted Eusebius in the bar.  He was with deep in conversation and I didn't want to interrupt.   However husband knew I was a fan and he nudged me towards him – not quite sure what Eusebius thought about this drunken Brit lurching at him but he was very kind. For obvious reasons I don't remember much about that conversation but that was the evening that our unlikely but enduring friendship was born. I finally ditched the booze in 2015 and set up Tribe Sober.  Eusebius signed up for our Dry January Challenge and one of the mailers included my Goodbye to Alcohol letter – he asked me to come to Cape Talk and read it out on his Show. So I did and we got plenty of calls from people who knew they needed to say Goodbye to Alcohol.  I'll put a link to that radio program in the shownotes.  Apart from reading my letter we raised more than R10,000 for Earthchild within 30 minutes.  Just like me he loved the work done by NGO Earthchild and for the last 8 years he helped me to fundraise more than R300,000  which enabled more than 1000 underprivileged children to get a year of yoga and lifeskill classes.  I then became a regular on his show and many of our current and past members found us via Eusebius.  He loved the work we did at Tribe Sober and often promoted us on his social media. He came to two of our workshops in Joburg.  The first one as a participant and the second one as my co-facilitator.  We looked out for each other - he coached me to be a better speaker on the radio and I convinced him to start his own podcast when he left Cape Talk.  Have a listen to this episode we recorded about 18 months ago In this Episode The sober curious movement is growing – we have an endless variety of AF drinks, many online sobriety groups and even our own magazine Hola Sober. Eusebius believes that people should be free to make “bad choices” in life but did agree with me that education is important. Alcohol is a legal drunk which damages our health and drinkers need to be aware of that. When tobacco advertising was banned the information about the link with lung cancer was all over the media – if alcohol advertising was banned we would hear a lot more in the media about the link between alcohol and 7 different types of cancer. Women need to know that drinking more than 3 glasses of wine a week will raise their breast cancer risk by 15% We tackled a couple of sobriety myths – first of all the myth that we can't have fun without alcohol – the truth is that once you have navigated those early difficult months of sobriety then it's easy to have fun without booze – and lovely not to have to pay the price of a hangover the next day! Our subconscious minds have been convinced by a combination of marketing and peer pressure that we need alcohol to enjoy ourselves – to deprogram this thinking we need to spend a few months socialising without alcohol – its not easy but treat it as a challenge and you will get there – your subconscious will eventually get it! The second myth we busted was the myth that we need the buzz of booze to be creative – Eusebius wrote some of his early essays when on his way down from heavy drinking sessions but feels he has done some of his best writing since he's been sober. We talked about the social pressure to drink which is relentless and hard to cope with when we are in the early stages of sobriety – alcohol really is the only drug we have to justify NOT taking That's why CHALLENGES are so great – especially our January Challenge – we can just say “I'm raising money for charity by doing a Dry January” – nobody can really argue with that one! We get more confident dealing with peer pressure to drink as time goes by and eventually many of us are proud of our sobriety and eager to talk about it! Eusebius always maintains that it's not our responsibility to make other people feel comfortable about their drinking and is quite happy to be rude to people who interrogate him about his sobriety! We talked about dependency and I explained that I didn't even realise what trouble I was in until I tried to cut down – and couldn't.  That's another reason challenges are great – its an opportunity to test your dependency – if you can get through a month without booze easily then you are fine – if not then you may need to make some changes! Do a challenge at least twice a year to keep your eye on your level of dependence. A challenge is also useful if you want to cut down your drinking – low risk levels are just one and a half bottles of wine a week (or 6 beers) – so do a challenge, have a month off the booze and then it will be easier to reset your drinking pattern. Eusebius stressed that the Earthchild project helps children to find a moment of peace in their difficult lives. Yoga may be perceived as a middle class pastime but in fact the postures and the breathing bring a sense of calm to children who grow up surrounded by gang violence and poverty. We concluded with a few tips and benefits of sobriety:- Eusebius main benefit which he wasn't even expecting has been the time he has regained now he no longer drinks – he loves getting up early at the weekend and getting on with his day His tip was to stock up on AF drinks – Dry January Challengers get a discount from DN.co.za My benefit was sleep – as drinkers we get only 2 cycles of REM sleep (we need 7) – over the years we build up a permanent sense of fatigue if we drink – even a month off the booze will boost our energy levels My tip was to find your people – its very hard to change your drinking alone so join tribe sober! So I do hope we have inspired you to sign up for the January Challenge  If you are listening to this and it's not January don't worry - we've got you covered - all you need to do is to go to our tribesober.com and hit Join Our Tribe and we'll put you on our 30 day starter challenge for new members. More info Subscription membership for Tribe Sober join up HERE To access our website click HERE If you would like a free copy of our "Annual Tracker" or our e-book "66 Days to Sobriety" please email janet@tribesober.com If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community just email janet@tribesober.com Episode Sponsor           This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.             If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then  sign up today           Read more about our program and subscribe HERE       Help us to spread the word! We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share. If you enjoyed the podcast then please leave us a 5 star review on Apple podcasts, take a screenshot of your review and DM it to Tribe Sober's Instagram page - see PS for instructions - we'll send you something special to say thank you! We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning. You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram  You can join our private Facebook group HERE   PS   How to leave an rating/review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS device) 1. Open the Podcasts app. EASY. 2. Choose "Search" from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (i.e., "Recover Like A Mother") into the search field. 3. Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes). 4. Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews. 5. Click "Write a Review" underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You'll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale, and write a review (you can rate without writing, too but it's always good to read your experience).  

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...

On Thursday, South Africa's Department of International Relations confirmed it would host the 15th BRICS Summit in August. Normally, this wouldn't make the news. But because South Africa is a signatory to the International Criminal Court, the country is obligated under international law to arrest one of the summit's invitees—Russian President Vladimir Putin—the moment he sets foot in Johannesburg.This presents South Africa with what Nosmot Gbadamosi has dubbed a “Putin problem.” Lawfare Managing Editor Tyler McBrien sat down with Nosmot, a multimedia journalist and the writer of Foreign Policy's weekly Africa Brief, to discuss this diplomatic dilemma, why U.S.-South Africa relations have withered in recent months, and the incoherent Russia-Ukraine “peace mission” led by President Cyril Ramaphosa just weeks ago. They also discussed what the late Eusebius McKaiser has called South Africa's “nonsensical nonalignment” since the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year and what nonaligment even means in light of the war.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to episode 29 of the Writing Africa Podcast. It's a blockbuster one as we say goodbye to author, poet, playwright, and academic Ama Ata Aidoo and South African writer, political analyst, journalist, and broadcaster Eusebius McKaiser. We will be chatting about the prize the Kendeka Prize, Arablit Short Story Prize, and the Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival (BCLF) Short Fiction Story Contest as well as we recommend that you read Caribbean books this Read Caribbean Month. We have an interview this week. We caught up with Nobel laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2022. Apologies for the quality of the interview sound. The interview was conducted in a corner at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Thank you so much Frankfurter Buchmesse for making the interview happen.

At midnight the petrol price will be cut by 71c a litre, China's Shenzhou-15 astronauts returned to Earth safely, and much more. Good morning, KZN. Here is a recap on five things you need to know as you wake up this Tuesday morning. Webpage

I'm recording this a couple of hours after hearing the appalling news that Eusebius McKaiser has died at the ridiculously young age of 44. He was a national treasure for South Africans – an author, a journalist and broadcaster.  One of the smartest public intellects in the country he was a fierce defender of truth and justice as many politicians found out to their cost! He was also a warm and generous friend.So instead of the planned episode I wanted to say a few words about my friend Eusebius and re-release one of the podcast interviews he did for Tribe Sober. The story starts back in 2001 when I relocated from the UK to SA.  I started to watch national tv, trying to get my bearings in this beautiful and complex country.  I spotted Eusebius on a talk show and was impressed. I read a couple of his books and listened to him on the radio.  I discovered he'd been to Oxford University on a scholarship and had won a global award as a Debating Champion. I first met him in person more than a decade ago… Ironically I was drunk at the time! We were at the Franschhoek Literary Festival where I'd been drinking wine most of the day.  This didn't stop me dragging Long Suffering Husband to the Elephant and Barrel Pub in the evening.  I spotted Eusebius in the bar.  He was with deep in conversation and I didn't want to interrupt.   However husband knew I was a fan and he nudged me towards him – not quite sure what Eusebius thought about this drunken Brit lurching at him but he was very kind. For obvious reasons I don't remember much about that conversation but that was the evening that our unlikely but enduring friendship was born. I finally ditched the booze in 2015 and set up Tribe Sober.  Eusebius signed up for our Dry January Challenge and one of the mailers included my Goodbye to Alcohol letter – he asked me to come to Cape Talk and read it out on his Show. So I did and we got plenty of calls from people who knew they needed to say Goodbye to Alcohol.  I'll put a link to that radio program in the shownotes.  Apart from reading my letter we raised more than R10,000 for Earthchild within 30 minutes.  Just like me he loved the work done by NGO Earthchild and for the last 8 years he helped me to fundraise more than R300,000  which enabled more than 1000 underprivileged children to get a year of yoga and lifeskill classes.  I then became a regular on his show and many of our current and past members found us via Eusebius.  He loved the work we did at Tribe Sober and often promoted us on his social media. He came to two of our workshops in Joburg.  The first one as a participant and the second one as my co-facilitator.  We looked out for each other - he coached me to be a better speaker on the radio and I convinced him to start his own podcast when he left Cape Talk.  Have a listen to this episode we recorded about 18 months ago In this Episode The sober curious movement is growing – we have an endless variety of AF drinks, many online sobriety groups and even our own magazine Hola Sober. Eusebius believes that people should be free to make “bad choices” in life but did agree with me that education is important. Alcohol is a legal drunk which damages our health and drinkers need to be aware of that. When tobacco advertising was banned the information about the link with lung cancer was all over the media – if alcohol advertising was banned we would hear a lot more in the media about the link between alcohol and 7 different types of cancer. Women need to know that drinking more than 3 glasses of wine a week will raise their breast cancer risk by 15% We tackled a couple of sobriety myths – first of all the myth that we can't have fun without alcohol – the truth is that once you have navigated those early difficult months of sobriety then it's easy to have fun without booze – and lovely not to have to pay the price of a hangover the next day! Our subconscious minds have been convinced by a combination of marketing and peer pressure that we need alcohol to enjoy ourselves – to deprogram this thinking we need to spend a few months socialising without alcohol – its not easy but treat it as a challenge and you will get there – your subconscious will eventually get it! The second myth we busted was the myth that we need the buzz of booze to be creative – Eusebius wrote some of his early essays when on his way down from heavy drinking sessions but feels he has done some of his best writing since he's been sober. We talked about the social pressure to drink which is relentless and hard to cope with when we are in the early stages of sobriety – alcohol really is the only drug we have to justify NOT taking That's why CHALLENGES are so great – especially our January Challenge – we can just say “I'm raising money for charity by doing a Dry January” – nobody can really argue with that one! We get more confident dealing with peer pressure to drink as time goes by and eventually many of us are proud of our sobriety and eager to talk about it! Eusebius always maintains that it's not our responsibility to make other people feel comfortable about their drinking and is quite happy to be rude to people who interrogate him about his sobriety! We talked about dependency and I explained that I didn't even realise what trouble I was in until I tried to cut down – and couldn't.  That's another reason challenges are great – its an opportunity to test your dependency – if you can get through a month without booze easily then you are fine – if not then you may need to make some changes! Do a challenge at least twice a year to keep your eye on your level of dependence. A challenge is also useful if you want to cut down your drinking – low risk levels are just one and a half bottles of wine a week (or 6 beers) – so do a challenge, have a month off the booze and then it will be easier to reset your drinking pattern. Eusebius stressed that the Earthchild project helps children to find a moment of peace in their difficult lives. Yoga may be perceived as a middle class pastime but in fact the postures and the breathing bring a sense of calm to children who grow up surrounded by gang violence and poverty. We concluded with a few tips and benefits of sobriety:- Eusebius main benefit which he wasn't even expecting has been the time he has regained now he no longer drinks – he loves getting up early at the weekend and getting on with his day His tip was to stock up on AF drinks – Dry January Challengers get a discount from DN.co.za My benefit was sleep – as drinkers we get only 2 cycles of REM sleep (we need 7) – over the years we build up a permanent sense of fatigue if we drink – even a month off the booze will boost our energy levels My tip was to find your people – its very hard to change your drinking alone so join tribe sober! So I do hope we have inspired you to sign up for the January Challenge  If you are listening to this and it's not January don't worry - we've got you covered - all you need to do is to go to our tribesober.com and hit Join Our Tribe and we'll put you on our 30 day starter challenge for new members. More info Subscription membership for Tribe Sober join up HERE To access our website click HERE If you would like a free copy of our "Annual Tracker" or our e-book "66 Days to Sobriety" please email janet@tribesober.com If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community just email janet@tribesober.com Episode Sponsor           This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.             If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then  sign up today           Read more about our 7-step program and subscribe HERE         Help us to spread the word! We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share. If you enjoyed the podcast then please leave us a 5 star review on Apple podcasts, take a screenshot of your review and DM it to Tribe Sober's Instagram page - see PS for instructions - we'll send you something special to say thank you! We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning. You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram  You can join our private Facebook group HERE   PS   How to leave an rating/review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS device) 1. Open the Podcasts app. EASY. 2. Choose "Search" from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (i.e., "Recover Like A Mother") into the search field. 3. Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes). 4. Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews. 5. Click "Write a Review" underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You'll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale, and write a review (you can rate without writing, too but it's always good to read your experience).  

Eusebius McKaiser was a political analyst, journalist, and broadcaster and he died suddenly at his Johannesburg home on Tuesday, May 30. Rebecca joins John to honour his legacy as an iconic South African - and a very close friend. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Family, friends and associates of the late columnist and analyst, Eusebius McKaiser, say they are deeply saddened and shocked at his sudden passing. In the small town of Makhanda in the Eastern Cape, where McKaiser spent his formative years, he is hailed as a hero because he championed the rights of underprivileged girls through his campaigns for free access to sanitary towels. Anda Nqonji has more.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Celebrated analyst, broadcaster, and author Eusebius McKaiser has passed away, unaudited results disclosed by the National Treasury shows a R21.2-billion loss for Eskom, and much more. Here is a recap on this morning's five things. #FiveThingsYouNeedToKnow: Disruptive rain expected in parts of KZN · Webpage

Tributes continue to flood in for Political analyst, broadcaster and author Eusebius McKaiser who died of a suspected epileptic seizure yesterday. McKaiser was 45. He worked for several media houses including hosting SABC 3 current affairs programme Interface and as a Radio 702 talk show host. He also worked as a political and social analyst at the Wits Centre for Ethics and at the University of Johannesburg Centre for the Study of Democracy. When Power FM took to the airwaves, he was among the station's first broadcasters.  Elvis Presslin spoke to Tshamano Makhadi, Treasurer-General of the South African National Editors' Forum, SANEF...

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our beloved contributor Eusebius McKaiser passed away suddenly on Tuesday. News of his death broke just hours after TimesLIVE published one of his popular politics podcasts. Never would we have guessed it would be his last. Listen to it below. A TimesLIVE reader responded to a social media comment from political analyst Eusebius McKaiser by expressing skepticism about there being a viable alternative to the ANC. McKaiser had opined: "We need to normalise mentioning the name 'ANC' when telling stories about the economic and deeply personal impact of blackouts, such as a child dying because of lack of oxygen when an inverter runs out of backup power. "The effects of blackouts aren't random, natural events. They are the foreseeable consequences of corruption, state capture, technocratic ineptitude, and unethical and ineffectual leadership by the ANC-misled government. "Make it a habit to tie the story of Eskom to the ANC." The reader responded: "I hear you. But what is the alternative? Elections are around the corner and I don't feel like there is a viable alternative." While not endorsing the sentiment of the voter, McKaiser spends time in this edition of Eusebius on TimesLIVE engaging the content of her skepticism and addressing opposition parties, in particular, for their role in manufacturing and sustaining the kind of voter despair captured in this comment. He ends the analysis by offering constructive opinion on what opposition parties may yet do differently to attract voters who bemoan the state of our politics. Produced by Bulelani Nonyukela.

Eusebius McKaiser hosted well-known human rights and social justice activist, Mark Heywood, on his TimesLIVE podcast. They were in conversation about how new political players, especially those who will be contesting the 2024 general elections, could maximise their chances of making a real and positive democratic difference. Heywood and McKaiser started off by sketching their respective takes on the overall state of South Africa's democracy. Both of them focused on data that reveal various deep social crises, which rob most South Africans of living meaningful lives. Given their overlapping consensus, McKaiser quickly moved on to teasing out three critical themes from Heywood about the possibility that civil society could disrupt the current party political system by contesting political power, which the likes of Rise Mzansi are intending to do, as well as individuals like well-known activist, Zackie Achmat. The bulk of the podcast episode focuses on Heywood carefully explaining three broad themes: a) the importance of actively and immediately helping communities in practical ways to demonstrate what you could do, at scale, if voted into power; b) the importance of articulating about five very clear, radical, feasible and well-thought through ideas that you campaign on; and c) the importance of co-operating as new political vehicles (rather than each working alone) in order to contest and disrupt hegemonic political power most effectively. McKaiser and Heywood ended their conversation by also briefly reflecting on a) how new political entrants might deal with donors who are reluctant to fund them; b) avoiding political ideology and terminology that are overused and wooly; and c) learning the art of clear, explanatory and persuasive political communication. Produced by Bulelani Nonyukela.

Respected former Wits university legal academic Dr James Grant joined Eusebius McKaiser on his TimesLIVE podcast to focus on whether it is compulsory for the government to arrest Russian president Vladimir Putin should he come to South Africa. Grant argued that while there are legal complexities, besides the obvious geopolitical debates on the issue, in the end, South Africa would struggle to persuade a court that it has no obligation to comply with the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). South Africa domesticated the Rome Statute in 2000 after signing it in 1998 and it is now part and parcel of enforceable South African law. Grant examined the apparent tension between customary international law that allows heads of state diplomatic immunity and the status of a Supreme Court of Appeal judgment in the case of Omar al-Bashir. South Africa was found legally wanting for not arresting the former Sudanese president. Grant argues that though there is internal ambiguity within the Rome Statute and a hierarchy of sources of law has not been resolved definitively and jurisprudentially, South Africa will nevertheless have to be guided by the SCA's judgment in the al-Bashir case as it is, effectively, law. Grant ended his conversation with McKaiser by explaining that political criticism of the ICC is insufficient to assist the government in avoiding diplomatic fallout with Russia. It must respect South African law or support someone accused of heinous crimes by the ICC, of which it is a member. Produced by Bulelani Nonyukela.

Ground Work Collective is a new initiative started by former DA politician Mbali Ntuli. She joined TimesLIVE contributor and analyst Eusebius McKaiser, on his TimesLIVE podcast, to explain the motivation behind this non-profit company, and how it will achieve its goals. Ntuli shared with McKaiser data that demonstrates a slow decline in both the share of registered voters who participate in South African elections, and decreasing interest among eligible new voters to actually register to vote. Ground Work Collective's core motivation is to help to improve on these figures, with a particular focus on the youth vote. McKaiser and Ntuli then focused on three themes. First, they discussed the importance of as high a voter participation as possible in order to ensure, not only that the elected government is lawfully in place, but that it also has the necessary political legitimacy to govern an entire country that includes millions of citizens and residents that did not vote it into office. Ntuli expanded on her organisation's mission by telling McKaiser that it is not only, however, about voter turnout. Ground Work Collective is also premised on deepening democratic participation, especially so as to develop a generation of young citizens who become habitually involved in active citizenship. She argues that if this is achieved now, then in future it is more rather than less likely that participation in elections would remain relatively high as a constant feature of active citizenship. Ntuli is also of the view that current political parties dominating the political landscape should be "scared" so that they stop being "complacent" about whose issues they care about. If many new voters "flood the voter's roll", then the status quo can be challenged because none of the main parties would get away with only engaging their main voting base and their most loyal voters. Ntuli agreed, however, when McKaiser suggested a more positive framing of this insight is that a greater number of new voters may inadvertently act as an additional form of political accountability over the actions of so-called mainstream parties. The podcast episode ended with reflections between the host and his guest on the multiple drivers of declining voter registration (such as difficulties to obtain identity documents, disappointment with the state, etc.), as well as their respective personal arguments for why, despite many flaws in South Africa's democracy, voters should choose to vote rather than to opt out of voting. As always it is up to listeners of the podcast to decide where you agree or disagree with the views that had emerged. Produced by Bulelani Nonyukela.

In this edition of Eusebius on TimesLIVE, five insights gained from the story of convicted rapist and murderer, Thabo Bester, and his alleged accomplice Dr Nandipha Magudumana, who faces several criminal charges of her own, are highlighted and explored. The podcast host, Eusebius McKaiser, starts off by explaining 'unearned privilege' before applying the concept to this story. He offers an argument in support of the view that one can be the beneficiary of a disproportionate amount of public generosity if you are deemed to be conventionally beautiful, attractive and charming. These traits, argues the analyst, should not lead to Magudumana or Bester being regarded as lacking in moral agency or having reduced responsibility for their actions. McKaiser then pivots to consider various systemic problems within policing, and the criminal justice value chain more generally, warning that the arrest of two fugitives should not result in the state praising itself when patterns of systemic corruption and various inefficiencies remain unaddressed. These range from borders that are porous, identify theft, a lack of ethics within the state, and other ongoing institutional weaknesses within policing and correctional services. A third theme explored in this podcast episode puts the spotlight simultaneously on media coverage, story selection and also what readers, viewers and listeners demand. McKaiser argues that the victims and survivors of Bester's crimes have been largely rendered invisible, and that while this can be explained, it is not acceptable from a media ethics viewpoint. The penultimate theme is the amplification of accountability. McKaiser argues that one positive element that has emerged is a demonstration of the power of MPs doing their job without fear or favour. By way of example, a robust exchange between Glynnis Breytenbach MP and a representative of the global security firm G4S (aimed at understanding the role of the firm in the escape of Bester from their prison) shows the power of effective parliamentary oversight. McKaiser ends his analysis and ruminations by arguing that the apparent incompetence of G4S is a reminder that outsourcing state functions to the private sector does not guarantee inherently better, let alone more ethical, services. In the end, he argues, taxpayers and citizens must hold both the public and private sector accountable for their actions.

This afternoon, the two candidates for federal leader of the Democratic Alliance, John Steenhuisen, the incumbent, and his challenger Mpho Phalatse delivered their final leadership contest speeches at the party's congress currently underway. TimesLIVE contributor and analyst, Eusebius McKaiser, watched the two speeches closely and, drawing on his experiences as a past World Masters Debate Champion and adjudicator of competitive debating and public speaking shows, analysed their performances. Steenhuisen, with his wealth of political experience compared to Phalatse's, chose to focus on a very positive framing of what the DA had already achieved, and what it can and will achieve next year, i.e driving the ANC below 50% share of the national vote. He alluded to the importance of experience, in an apparent dig at his opponent, by referencing his membership of the party that goes back to 1997, quite apart from many positions he had occupied over the years, including ten years as a DA councilor. He showed awareness of and implicitly conceded that the DA needs to communicate more effectively with voters. To that end, based on research showing what matters to voters currently, he listed many thematic areas that he would focus on as leader if he was reelected, including energy insecurity, crime, unemployment, cadre deployment, improving the quality of our bureaucracy, and devolving more power to provincial and local governments. What was most striking for McKaiser, however, was the overall tone and energy of the speech. It was positive, forward-looking, solutions-focused, and aiming at party cohesion rather than divisive critique in the public sphere. Phalatse's speech was, argues McKaiser, perhaps more substantive in its self-examination of what the party had done wrong. She spent some time, by way of example, detailing the very serious trust deficit that the DA faces. She regaled the congress with anecdotes of people she had met everywhere who wondered whether or not the DA could be trusted. In contrast to the polling data cited by Steenhuisen, she suggested that if elections were held tomorrow, the DA may well only get 16% share of the vote, even if the ANC's numbers also plummeted The implication is that nothing short of a very fresh and new offering to voters is needed to get them to vote for the ANC. It would be a mistake, she says, to only focus on the base of the party. McKaiser argues that, to that extent, Phalatse's speech sounded more like political analysis than someone understanding the game of politics. It was insufficiently positive and perhaps too introspective, given that voting delegates need to feel fired up about and positive towards a candidate they are asked to back. While some segments of the party might agree with Phalatse's speech in its essence, it may be hard to avoid the conclusion that Steenhuisen is the better politician between them. For the full analysis of their speeches, and to hear the speeches for yourself, click on the audio link to this latest edition of Eusebius on TimesLIVE.

Former ActionSA Gauteng leader Bongani Baloyi has started a new political party, Xiluva, meaning flower in Xitsonga. In this case, it refers to the protea, which is seen on the party's logo and was chosen, according to Baloyi, because of the flower's resilience. He granted Eusebius on TimesLIVE an interview on what led to the party's formation and its values, and answered questions about the strategic and practical difficulties of being a new political player in a growing field of small and new competitors. Baloyi told TimesLIVE contributor and analyst Eusebius McKaiser that Xiluva's foundational values are ubuntu, family, community and multiracialism. He argued that people will continue to identify across racial lines and that his party embraces multiculturalism rather than nonracialism as it is a better founding value. In particular, he wants black people's experiences acknowledged. When pressed by McKaiser on whether he has sufficient donor backing for a project of this nature, Baloyi said he had no backers, adding that donor power influenced the decisions of ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba. He also shared his experience with a potential donor who wanted to dictate on his party's values and the position it should adopt on crucial questions such as relationships with other political organisations. For this reason, he is hoping for “subscriptions and working-class donations” to ensure “purity”. McKaiser probed whether Xiluva has the necessary human and other resources to organise within communities, establish structures countrywide and ensure its top-line message translates to electoral success. Responding, Baloyi revealed the party only has 10 members but he is confident young people will join the organisation and give it a collective image. The podcast ends with a discussion on how Baloyi plans to “animate” young people who may be disengaged politically to vote next year, specifically for his party, with the host challenging him on the difficulties of “tapping the youth”. How compelling is Baloyi in articulating his new project? As always, it is up to listeners to decide. Produced by Bulelani Nonyukela.

In a wide-ranging conversation with TimesLIVE contributor and analyst Eusebius McKaiser, ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont made several claims and arguments. He alleged that a councillor in Tshwane had offered a bribe to an ActionSA councillor to vote for Murunwa Makwarela on February 28. He expanded on the allegation and claimed that criminal charges would be laid tomorrow. Beaumont also argued that the DA made “an error of judgment” in how it went about trying to vote for a speaker of Tshwane, and that he agrees with the IEC decision that the 69 votes should be classified as spoilt. But in the details of the discussion with the podcast host, he puzzled through the tension between the importance of the principle of a secret vote, and the entitlement of political parties to enforce party discipline, especially at local government level where there is clear suspectibility to ill-discipline and potential bribery. McKaiser pressure-tested ActionSA's use of lie detector technology, suggesting that it is indicative of the party leadership not being certain that councillors they selected have integrity. Beaumont responded by suggesting that parties cannot always know “the hearts” of candidates when they are selected and that technology is one of several tools to be used to ensure that caucus decisions are adhered to. He argued that, at any rate, councillors have an enforceable right to conscience that they can expressly invoke by applying to be exempted from voting along caucus lines. McKaiser and Beaumont debated the cogency of this response. In the bulk of the remainder of the conversation between McKaiser and Beaumont, Beaumont went into great detail to explain various falsehoods, as he sees it, in the narrative given by former ActionSA leader Bongani Baloyi at a press conference about why he has left the party. Beaumont offered several counter-narratives that contest this week's public claims made by the former mayor of Midvaal. As always, it is up to listeners of the podcast to decide what you find compelling, or not, in the responses of the interviewee. Produced by Bulelani Nonyukela.

TimesLIVE contributor and analyst Eusebius McKaiser has followed the story of internal disagreements within ActionSA closely. In this explainer episode of Eusebius on TimesLIVE, he details how the Gauteng leader of ActionSA came to his decision to resign from the party. McKaiser offers analysis that focuses on the implications for ActionSA and opposition politics generally. Have a listen. Produced by Bulelani Nonyukela.

Michael Markovitz (former SABC Board member and head of the GIBS Media Think Tank) explained to podcast host Eusebius McKaiser what the role of the board is in respect to the functioning of the SABC. Markovitz argues that it would be naive to downplay the centrality of the public broadcaster in the life of our democracy just because some citizens also have access to commercial media and new media. First, says Markovitz, the media products owned by the SABC are not restricted to terrestrial channels, but also online and other platforms and products that reach millions of people who do not have the economic capacity to easily access commercial media, and technologies that are prohibitively expensive. Markovitz urges the public to think of the SABC as “public media” that balances out the inherent biases of the commercial media market. To that end, he then explained to listeners of Eusebius on TimesLIVE what the more precise, legally defined roles of the board are. These, in turn, he fleshed out by focusing on the financial, policy and strategic roles of the board. Having explained these areas in some detail, he gave practical examples as to why it is an urgent and serious problem that president Cyril Ramaphosa has not yet confirmed the new SABC board. Markovitz claims that there are about 30 business plans waiting for board approval. These approval processes ought to have happened before the end of the financial year, which means that the public broadcaster is in breach of the PFMA. Another example would be strategic new acquisitions like indigenous language news channels that are conceptually excellent ideas but ought not to be operationalised without board approval and oversight. Markovitz remarked that while he agreed with McKaiser that the implication of what he had sketched is that an SABC without a board is bound to fall foul of good governance best practice, and be liable to external pressures such as attempted political manipulation ahead of the elections, that the overall effects of there being no board in place are even worse. He intimated that the SABC is “potentially on the verge of financial collapse” based on what he knew on October 15 2022 as a board member, when they had compiled a report to hand over. Markovitz also cited the absurdity of the CEO being designated as standing in for the board, a move made by the former shareholder minister, thereby contradicting the Broadcasting Act. The absence of the board had led to an unlawful fusion of senior management roles and board duties. McKaiser also invited Markovitz to reflect on the legal battle undertaken by Media Monitoring Africa to compel Ramaphosa to confirm the names of the board. Markovitz argues that the law is clear that on the advice of parliament the president “must” confirm the names. There is no reasonable or lawful justification for the delay. McKaiser had invited the presidency for an interview on the SABC board not yet being confirmed, but Vincent Magwenya, presidential spokesperson, declined to go on the record when approached by McKaiser last week. Have a listen to this latest episode of Eusebius on TimesLIVE and tell us your views. Produced by Bulelani Nonyukela.

In this short podcast entry, TimesLIVE contributor and analyst Eusebius McKaiser provides his reaction to President Cyril Ramaphosa's cabinet reshuffle. McKaiser details three points: why the reshuffle is best understood in wholly political and not governance terms; analysing the survival of poorly performing ministers, and; drawing out the implications of how one should view the president's leadership. Produced by Bulelani Nonyukela.

Eusebius McKaiser was joined by Sowetan editor Nwabisa Makunga, Oxfam executive director Lebogang Ramafoko, seasoned journalist and Mkokeli Advisory head Sam Mkokeli to debate the 2023 national budget. It proved to be a spirited podcast entry, as the guests disagreed on a few crucial issues. Ramafoko offered an argument to support her claim that the budget is pro-middle class and pro-rich. She analysed how the suggested new tax rebates, for example, would benefit only a few. By contrast, the material conditions of millions of black people living in poverty will not change considering the line items in this year's budget. Mkokeli disagreed by arguing that, while the budget is not pro-poor, it is also not pro-middle class. This dovetailed the main view teased out by Makunga, that the budget does not change socioeconomic problems. At best, it allocates monies in such a way that the basic business of the state ticks over. She did not think the budget was austere but conceded to Ramafoko's contention that, regardless of the linguistic characterisation of the budget, the realities of poor people are not going to change any time soon. There was overlapping consensus that politics and the technical capacity of the state are more important drivers of material change for all South Africans. Mkokeli observed that the finance minister's budget speech piggybacked on political realities. Ramafoko, mindful of this reality, ended the discussion with an appeal to South Africans to co-operate across class divisions, in mutual recognition of the all-encompassing consequences of a dismal government. Produced by Bulelani Nonyukela.

Eusebius McKaiser was joined on his TimesLIVE podcast by Roshni Parbhoo-Seetha, projects co-ordinator at the South African Depression and Anxiety Group(Sadag). Sadag is running Teen Suicide Prevention Week, which includes the online campaigns #CheckInWithSADAG and #StopTeenSuicide Parbhoo-Seetha explained the dangers of adults thinking of teenagers as infants and not paying attention to the complex and unique modern challenges they face. These are exacerbated by new media, smart devices and online platforms that allow for new forms of exclusion and bullying. A catastrophic event like the Covid-19 pandemic, said Parbhoo-Seetha, made today's teenagers more aware of existential threats to their lives and more aware of their own mortality than teenagers from previous generations. This is the context within which Teen Suicide Prevention Week is located this year. Parbhoo-Seetha shared with McKaiser many signs that adults can be on the lookout for to become aware, within good time, of a teenager at risk of harming themselves. The rest of the conversation between the podcast host and his guest was devoted to practical ways to reduce the chances of a teenager thinking about or attempting suicide. These interventions ranged from engendering a family norm of speaking openly about one's feelings to role-modelling  in your leadership of an institution, like a school, and teaching it is permissible to seek help when not feeling mentally well. McKaiser and Parbhoo-Seetha also challenged and deconstructed unhealthy cultural norms and stereotypes that make it hard for teenagers and adults to develop health/help-seeking behaviours. Produced by Bulelani Nonyukela.

Nolwazi Tusini, from Iranti (a media advocacy organisation defending the rights of lesbian, intersex and transgender persons in Africa), joined Eusebius McKaiser on his TimesLIVE podcast to explain their #QueerSONA campaign. Tusini started off by explaining the particular forms of violence, oppression, and marginalisation sexual minorities experience in South Africa, despite the foundational values of the constitution. She urged society to take seriously the gap between the vision of a just society and realities to the contrary. Tusini and McKaiser puzzled through the bittersweet fact that, while queer people in South Africa have a lot to be grateful for, such as landmark legal cases and progressive jurisprudence that has evolved since 1996, there are still many inequalities within the queer community that mean these wins are not evenly distributed and enjoyed equitably. When asked by McKaiser to be precise about what practical outcomes she wanted the president and his government to aim for, Tusini focused on two examples. First, she explained why hate crimes legislation is important and, second, why more efficient administrative processes need to be in place for gender non-conforming persons to access services in a dignified manner, with state-issued documentation that reflects their true identities, rather than identities assigned at birth. While McKaiser pushed Tusini on whether the law can be effective in changing the behaviour of people in communities or officials at home affairs, they agreed that legal and administrative reforms are necessary even if not sufficient. The conversation ended with a reflection between the podcast host and his guest on active democratic citizenship from queer South Africans, and on why it is important, even if the gains are not always quick or linear. Produced by Bulelani Nonyukela.

In this brief first take on the 2023 state of the nation address from President Cyril Ramaphosa, TimesLIVE contributor and analyst Eusebius McKaiser explains why the speech falls short of its political intentions. The president, argues McKaiser, continues to trick the public with searing descriptions of our challenges but without taking full moral, political and constitutional responsibility for his government's role in how we got here. Further, argues McKaiser, the president's proposed solutions, such as appointing a minister of electricity, assume that the existing legal architecture of the state has disabled him from solving our myriad crises until now. In reality, nothing in the legal or administrative arrangements of the state explains why the state of the nation is not in better shape. Ultimately, concludes McKaiser, citizens have so many examples of unfulfilled promises that they are likely to be sceptical about Ramaphosa making good on new promises. Produced by Bulelani Nonyukela.

Business Day political editor Hajra Omarjee and Sowetan political editor Fikile Ntsikelelo Moya joined Eusebius McKaiser on his TimesLIVE podcast to discuss and debate some of the biggest political stories in the country. Three themes were isolated: Does the state of the nation address (still) matter? Will the impending cabinet reshuffle improve the government's performance on key governance metrics, or will it simply reflect the new internal leadership structures of the ANC? Are coalitions inherently unworkable in South Africa, or may we yet reform the rules to ensure less instability? A wide range of views emerged from the host and his guests. As always, listen and decide where your own views land. Produced by Bulelani Nonyukela.

The DA scored a major legal victory against the ANC today. In this explainer audio, TimesLIVE contributor and analyst Eusebius McKaiser makes sense of why the court found against the ANC and puzzles through the political implications. The court has ordered the ANC to hand over, within five court days, the records of the ANC national cadre deployment committee for its work spanning from January 1 2013 until January 1 2021. McKaiser explains three major arguments advanced by the DA, two of them intrinsically linked to the constitutional duties of the DA in parliament. It is these arguments in particular that persuaded the court. The ANC is likely to appeal the judgment, but, as McKaiser explained, this does not mean the case is not politically significant. Regardless of how the lawfare between the parties may yet play out, the case entrenches, argues McKaiser, certain norms like transparency and accountability, and in so doing also ensures the meaningful enjoyment of political rights. Have a listen. Produced by Bulelani Nonyukela.

Political analyst Adam Habib joins Eusebius McKaiser on his TimesLIVE podcast to elaborate on a series of explosive tweets he recently published. Habib argues that the ANC Youth League, Cosatu, and the SACP do not have the moral authority to criticise the state for rolling blackouts. Rather, argues Habib, they should take responsibility for being a major part of the genesis of the problem. Some of them are responsible for aspects of the crisis we are living through, or, in some cases, helped bring to power the likes of former president Jacob Zuma, which led to state capture, including massive corruption at Eskom. Habib and McKaiser discuss whether the distinction between party and state can, legitimately, be invoked by the governing party. Habib argues that they do so opportunistically and disingenuously, if one took account of the dominance of the party in our political system.

TimesLIVE spoke to attorney Siphile Buthelezi about the legal basis of the letter of demand he sent on behalf of clients to the department of public enterprises and Eskom. On Eusebius on TimesLIVE, he was asked to justify the legal argument that underpinned this demand. Buthelezi, as can be heard in the accompanying audio, is confident the state does not only have a political duty to ensure a secure supply of electricity but, specifically, also a legally enforceable duty to do so. He insists, despite pressure testing questions from the podcast host, several constitutional rights of citizens are directly and unlawfully violated by government due to the ongoing rolling blackouts. Eusebius McKaiser and Buthelezi debate whether the demands of the attorney's clients are too expansive, and possibly trample on the doctrine of separation of powers by encroaching on the exclusive authority of the executive to determine policy. The conversation also focuses on why citizens are legally entitled to greater transparency from government on the content of its plans to fix the energy crisis.

TimesLIVE contributor and analyst Eusebius McKaiser examines the legal action being initiated against the department of public enterprises and Eskom in this audio explainer. Political parties, unionists and civil society bodies have sent a letter of demands to the two in an attempt to halt rolling blackouts. However, they are much wider in scope. McKaiser aims to explain who the litigants are and what they are demanding. He also offers a view on the politics at play, ending with commentary on whether this lawfare could succeed.

Business Unity South Africa president Bonang Mohale joined Eusebius McKaiser to discuss his recent opinion piece (https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2022-12-15-the-anc-cannot-fix-itself-south-africas-last-hope-is-business/ ) in which he argued the ANC cannot fix itself. Instead, he is of the view business is South Africa's last hope. The discussion starts with an analysis of the ANC's recent elective conference. McKaiser invited Mohale to comment on the new leadership composition of the top seven officials, and the party's highest decision-making structure, the national executive committee. Mohale argued that the inefficient manner in which the elective conference was run, and the strategic error of allocating most of the time to leadership elections rather than to a deep examination of ideas and policies, is evidence of an ANC that is unable to fix itself. He expanded on this diagnosis in the conversation with podcast host, TimesLIVE contributor and analyst McKaiser.

Business Unity South Africa president Bonang Mohale joined Eusebius McKaiser to discuss his recent opinion piece (https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2022-12-15-the-anc-cannot-fix-itself-south-africas-last-hope-is-business/ ) in which he argued the ANC cannot fix itself. Instead, he is of the view business is South Africa's last hope. The discussion starts with an analysis of the ANC's recent elective conference. McKaiser invited Mohale to comment on the new leadership composition of the top seven officials, and the party's highest decision-making structure, the national executive committee. Mohale argued that the inefficient manner in which the elective conference was run, and the strategic error of allocating most of the time to leadership elections rather than to a deep examination of ideas and policies, is evidence of an ANC that is unable to fix itself. He expanded on this diagnosis in the conversation with podcast host, TimesLIVE contributor and analyst McKaiser.

In this edition of Eusebius on TimesLIVE, podcast host Eusebius McKaiser wears his hat as a political analyst and reviews the coverage of what happened at a resort in the Free State recently. McKaiser argues and explains how certain frameworks chosen by reporters, subeditors, and editors unwittingly water down the seriousness of racism. He also offers arguments in support of the view that editorial choices are not value-neutral (just as neither writing nor reporting are value-neutral speech acts).What we write, and how we edit, and frame stories, can reveal our most deeply-held political convictions, he concludes, even when we genuinely imagine ourselves to simply be “knocking into shape” a first draft. It is, as always, up to listeners of the podcast to determine whether and how much they agree with the analyst and contributor to TimesLIVE. Enjoy and subscribe to Eusebius on TimesLIVE on any podcast so that you never miss a future episode.

In this edition of Eusebius on TimesLIVE, podcast host Eusebius McKaiser wears his hat as a political analyst and reviews the coverage of what happened at a resort in the Free State recently. McKaiser argues and explains how certain frameworks chosen by reporters, subeditors, and editors unwittingly water down the seriousness of racism. He also offers arguments in support of the view that editorial choices are not value-neutral (just as neither writing nor reporting are value-neutral speech acts).What we write, and how we edit, and frame stories, can reveal our most deeply-held political convictions, he concludes, even when we genuinely imagine ourselves to simply be “knocking into shape” a first draft. It is, as always, up to listeners of the podcast to determine whether and how much they agree with the analyst and contributor to TimesLIVE. Enjoy and subscribe to Eusebius on TimesLIVE on any podcast so that you never miss a future episode.

Cyril Ramaphosa's re-election as ANC president is a neutral indicator, according to political analyst and commentator Eusebius McKaiser. McKaiser believes Ramaphosa has already proven in his first term that he is unable to save the ANC from itself. Overall the race for the top position was tight. Former health minister Zweli Mkhize received 1,897 votes to Ramaphosa's 2,476. As the rest of the room burst into applause for a relatively subdued Ramaphosa, the delegates from the KwaZulu-Natal branches were deathly quiet. Since the beginning of the ANC's 55th elective conference, questions have swirled around whether Ramaphosa could retain the top spot while in the shadow of the Phala Phala scandal and if his allies within the party could secure positions within the party's incumbent NEC. McKaiser outlines the relationships of the incumbent top seven and what those ties will mean for their reign.

Cyril Ramaphosa's re-election as ANC president is a neutral indicator, according to political analyst and commentator Eusebius McKaiser. McKaiser believes Ramaphosa has already proven in his first term that he is unable to save the ANC from itself. Overall the race for the top position was tight. Former health minister Zweli Mkhize received 1,897 votes to Ramaphosa's 2,476. As the rest of the room burst into applause for a relatively subdued Ramaphosa, the delegates from the KwaZulu-Natal branches were deathly quiet. Since the beginning of the ANC's 55th elective conference, questions have swirled around whether Ramaphosa could retain the top spot while in the shadow of the Phala Phala scandal and if his allies within the party could secure positions within the party's incumbent NEC. McKaiser outlines the relationships of the incumbent top seven and what those ties will mean for their reign.

This is a podcast within a podcast. I was invited by Eusebius McKaiser to take part in a podcast on this subject on his platform, In the Ring with Eusebius McKaiser.   We are good friends, colleagues and mutual coaches. The motivation behind this episode was that we BOTH constantly have people sharing the pain the pain they experience as a result of a toxic workplace - very often as the result of having a boss from hell.We unpack this issue along with a few recommendations of how to survive this type of environment.Eusebius had such a great response to this episode that he kindly agreed to me repackaging it for my platform.Hope this helps you if you are in this position. Or will encourage you, if you are such a boss, to change NOW! 

Despite the end of apartheid 28 years ago, racial incidents continue to be reported in SA's schools with increased regularity, according to South African Human Rights Commission's (SAHRC) Commissioner Andre Gaum. In this episode of the Politics Weekly, we ask what sustains racism in our society, and how we can fight it more effectively. Joining our host, Mike Siluma, to frame this discussion are Gaum, social commentator and author of Run Racist Run, Eusebius McKaiser and lecturer of Public Policy and Political Science at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal Dr Fikile Vilakazi.  Gaum explains that the most recent SAHRC statistics compiled from various incident reports shows a distinct and worrisome year-on-year increase in occurrences of human rights violations. He explains that violation within schools and institutions of higher learning, related to sexual orientation and race, are of particular concern. Only this week a white student, Theuns du Toit, was suspended from Stellenbosch University for urinating on the belongings of a black fellow student, Babalo Ndwayana's, belongings. Ndwayana claimed the incident was racially motivated based on comments made by du Toit during the event. At the same institution, a student was verbally abused for asking for an Indian song at a dance. McKaiser, Vilakazi and Mike discuss the tumultuous race relations still experienced by South Africans, how our historical handling of white supremacy has failed our society and what SA should do to undo the trauma caused by whiteness and a sense of superiority and exceptionalism that often leads to outrageous displays of racism in our everyday lives and institutions. 

Despite the end of apartheid 28 years ago, racial incidents continue to be reported in SA's schools with increased regularity, according to South African Human Rights Commission's (SAHRC) Commissioner Andre Gaum. In this episode of the Politics Weekly, we ask what sustains racism in our society, and how we can fight it more effectively. Joining our host, Mike Siluma, to frame this discussion are Gaum, social commentator and author of Run Racist Run, Eusebius McKaiser and lecturer of Public Policy and Political Science at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal Dr Fikile Vilakazi.  Gaum explains that the most recent SAHRC statistics compiled from various incident reports shows a distinct and worrisome year-on-year increase in occurrences of human rights violations. He explains that violation within schools and institutions of higher learning, related to sexual orientation and race, are of particular concern. Only this week a white student, Theuns du Toit, was suspended from Stellenbosch University for urinating on the belongings of a black fellow student, Babalo Ndwayana's, belongings. Ndwayana claimed the incident was racially motivated based on comments made by du Toit during the event. At the same institution, a student was verbally abused for asking for an Indian song at a dance. McKaiser, Vilakazi and Mike discuss the tumultuous race relations still experienced by South Africans, how our historical handling of white supremacy has failed our society and what SA should do to undo the trauma caused by whiteness and a sense of superiority and exceptionalism that often leads to outrageous displays of racism in our everyday lives and institutions. 

  Novels tend to portray alcohol use as tough and gritty, or fun and relaxing or romantic and sexy – take your pick!  As a culture we've internalised these ideas which has contributed to the “normalisation” of drinking.  My guest this week is trying to create some balance by featuring a sober heroine in her Cyberpunk novel “Bubbles in Space”.  Sarah Jensen is a Canadian science fiction author and strongly believes that we need more sober characters in fiction.  For people in recovery sober characters are powerful and inspiring. Sarah shares her own recovery story with us and explains how she has drawn upon her struggles with alcohol to create her fictional character: In this Episode Although she dabbled in high school and had the occasional binge at college Sarah's drinking didn't really take off until she became a parent and signed up for the mommy juice culture. In fact when a later diagnosis showed that she had been suffering from post natal depression she realised that she had been self medicating with alcohol for 4 years As a writer she was also part of the creative circles who bought into the belief that alcohol fuels creativity – “write drunk, edit sober” was a popular myth I discuss this myth (and others) in my interview with South African author Eusebius McKaiser in the Tribe Sober podcast, episode 77 – called Busting Sobriety Myths - released in January 2022 At the age of 34 Sarah realised that she was facing some choices – was she going to be a Better Mom – or a Drinker, a Better Wife – or a Drinker, a Better Writer – or a Drinker. She realised that drinking had taken up such a lot of space in her head that there was no room for anything else We discussed the twisted thinking that arises due to the fact that some brilliant writers were alcoholics – of course they were not brilliant BECAUSE they were alcoholics - it was more down to them being so driven that they were able to succeed IN SPITE of being alcoholics… We wondered how much better they could have been and how much more they could have written if they were not drinking excessively. Most functioning alcoholics are using so much energy to hold it all together that when they stop they have a surplus of energy to use for more constructive endeavours – we see this over and over in our tribe Sarah talks of having an “epiphany” one day when she could sense the toxins building up in her body and realised that she was on a slippery slope As a reader she turned to Quitlit - Annie Grace's book (the Naked Mind) make her realise that she had an opportunity and a choice to save herself from a lot of pain Because she hadn't hit “rock bottom” she felt fortunate that she was able to make such a choice before she became totally dependent Sarah realised that sobriety was a gift not a punishment This reframing helps us change our mindset – at Tribe Sober we say that sobriety is an opportunity and that we will gain so much more than we will lose.. Another book which resonated with Sarah was The Biology of Desire by Marc Lewis as she wanted to understand more about how the brain works and the science behind it and as she discovered Mindfulness she read The Power of Now by Eckart Tolle So in fact Sarah tackled the problem intellectually but she also connected with online sober communities to keep her on track. As she began to clock up some sober time she found that one of the important advantages of being in a sober community was that it served as a reminder of how hard it had at the beginning We both have been blown away by the authenticity and kindness of the sober online communities – if you are looking for a small and friendly sober community then go to tribesober.com and hit “join our tribe” Sarah did feel some nostalgia for the “good times” which would have been triggered by Fading Affect Bias – when our brains trick us into forgetting the bad times and remembering the highlights of our drinking days.. I explained that we recommend to our members that they write a Goodbye to Alcohol Letter listing just how unhappy alcohol has made them over the years – something to read back over when FAB strikes – Sarah has promised to write us a Goodbye to Alcohol letter and you can find all of ours on tribesober.com/Inspiration/GoodbyeLetters – send yours in and we will be happy to publish it! We discussed how drinking becomes part of our identify and that when we ditch it we have to work on our sober identity – and be out and proud! Sarah wants to be a voice of strength and positivity – not only for dependent drinkers but for “normal” drinkers – she wants to show people that you don't HAVE to participate We agreed that there is no need to reach rock bottom – the smart people step off the slippery slope before it gets too difficult Benefits of sobriety for Sarah include more mental space together with a feeling of extra brain power – we always say that Sobriety is a Superpower and it sounds as if she experienced that! She used her increased energy and motivation to focus on the important things in her life In early sobriety reading was Sarah's “safe space” but she found that some detective stories and women's fiction would trigger her This made her determined to create some balance by having a sober character in her book She has drawn on her own experiences to create this character who is thriving in her sobriety – rather than being miserable and relapsing as in many current books. Sarah wants to create a “safe list” of books to read in early sobriety -books that will inspire, rather than trigger us or give us FOMO – please send your recommendations to janet@tribesober.com and we can work on this list with Sarah. I asked her for some advice for anyone who is thinking of quitting… Just know that questioning your drinking is a start Seek out others who are on the same path Prepare for a shift in your social life but remember you are not alone in this Sarah's latest book is called “Bubbles in Space” – “Tropical Punch” – you can find the info about that and her other books on her website which is scjensen.com More Info Subscription membership – you can join up HERE. 20% ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNT CODE ANN052022 – valid during May 2022 To access our website, click HERE. If you would like a free copy of our “Annual Tracker” or our e-book 66 Days to Sobriety, please email janet@tribesober.com. If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community, just email janet@tribesober.com. Episode Sponsor This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up today Read more about our program and subscribe HERE Book a Discovery Call with me to find out if our membership would help you Help us to Spread the Word! We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share. If you enjoyed the podcast, then please leave us a 5-star review on Apple podcasts. Take a screenshot of your review, and DM it to Tribe Sober's Instagram page – see PS below for instructions. We'll send you something special to say thank you! We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning. You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram. You can join our private Facebook group HERE. PS: How to Leave a Rating/Review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS Device) Open the Podcasts app. EASY. Choose “Search” from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (e.g. Recover Like a Mother) into the search field. Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes). Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews. Click Write a Review underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You'll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale and write a review (you can rate without writing too but it's always good to read your experience).

  When I started podcasting almost 2 years ago I wasn't sure that I was going to be able to stick at it.  Finding guests, interviewing guests and then editing the conversation was pretty time consuming.  Then I read that 60% of podcasters give up after less than 10 episodes which seemed like a challenge!  Through this podcast Tribe Sober has connected with people from all over the world and our membership is becoming more and more international! So next week we celebrate our 100th episode so a huge thank you to our listeners who have helped us to get this far!  If you are new to the podcast then welcome – and if you've been with us from the start then thank you!  In either case we'd love you to leave a review. So this week I've delved into our podcast download stats and highlighted the most popular podcasts – our top ten! In this Episode At 10th place with 1150 downloads is Episode number 72 (released in December 2021) – it's called “Why We Need to Ditch the Drink in Mid Life” – my guest was Lori Massicot who has a podcast herself called “to 50 and beyond” – it's a podcast aimed at women in mid-life where she highlights the beauty of aging and the freedom that comes along with alcohol free life. She on a mission to raise awareness towards the life changing impact of sobriety as we age and had me guesting on her podcast as an example of someone who ditched the drink later in life. You can find that on episode 182 of her podcast. At 9th place with 1192 downloads is Episode 67 (released in October 2021) we have an episode called “Rebranding Sobriety” with the fabulous Susan Christina.  She's on a mission to make alcohol free living as attractive and glamorous as we thought drinking was!  Susan shares her own story of recovery and talks about the “drinking train” that many women board and pointed out that it was only travelling one way – the way of increasing dependence, rehab and for some people it's unfortunately travelling to disease and death.  At number 8 with 1206 downloads we have episode 81 (released January 2022) called “Take a Break” from the booze.  We believe in Challenges here at Tribe Sober and every year we run our Sober Spring Challenge - and then another one in January.  On this podcast we hear from 3 ladies who did Sober Spring 2021 - why did they sign up?  what was it like?  what tips do they have?  If you are listening to this and decide you'd like to do a challenge then just go to tribesober.com and hit Join Our Tribe and we'll put you on our 30 day starter challenge for new members. At number 7 with 1215 downloads was “Coping with Cravings” (released January 2021) - my interview with South African natural health expert Mary Ann Shearer.  Both of her parents were alcoholics yet she became passionate about health and has published a bestselling book called The Natural Way.  Mary Ann is a woman before her time and was advocating veganism thirty years ago! She advised people who have stopped drinking to satisfy their cravings by eating fresh fruit not chocolates or sweets  Our bodies need glucose and eating fresh fruit satisfies the craving for alcohol – we offer this as standard advice in our community as many many people battle with those cravings for sweets when they stop drinking. Mary Ann explained the damage that alcohol does to our endocrine system - and how it makes menopause much worse At number 6 with 1279 downloads was Neuroscientist Staci Danfield – released in August 2021 that episode is called “Is you Lizard Brain the Boss?”  She explained that our brain tricks us into thinking that alcohol is making us happy but in fact it is a depressant – if you've been drinking for years then the alcohol will have altered the balance of your brain which is why you become increasingly dependent. When we understand how our brains work we can work with it – and that's when the magic will happen – a great analogy is to think of how we use our computers – we work with programs that are installed in our computers – not against them! Understanding our brains means that we can understand ourselves better and see what we are gaining by ditching the drink – we need to create a “pattern interruptor” At number 5 we have episode 66 with 1318 downloads (released in October 2021) -  “Anxiety and Alcohol” was the topic and my guest was Casey McGuire Davidson.  Casey went to doctors and therapists about her anxiety and insomnia – most of which was caused by alcohol but she was in denial about her drinking and just didn't CONNECT THE DOTS Like many of us Casey started making rules – in fact Casey and I had a whole conversation about the rules we used to make that you can find on her podcast (Hello Someday – episode 77 )  The reason we make these rules of course is that we are still trying to moderate as we can't imagine our life without it – having to give up completely is our worst nightmare – whereas with hindsight both Casey and myself can say that giving up completely was the best thing we ever did! She eventually hired a Sober Coach and checked in with her every single day – because she was sick and tired of being sick and tired. Episode 50 is at number 4 with 1510 downloads.  - another podcast about anxiety!  – title was “Why we get Hangxiety and my guest was William Porter.    We talked about "hangxiety" and how it's caused by chemical changes in our brain - when it becomes over-sensitised If you drink a bottle of wine every night then your brain will take the first glass as a signal that the rest of the bottle is coming! That's why moderation is so difficult - and it's exhausting as we are thinking about it all the time Dependency happens once we learn (consciously or subsconsciously) that another drink will quell the anxiety caused by the first FAB is responsible for many people falling off the wagon as they think they can now have "just one" - which is not sustainable He explained why it's a complete myth that alcohol helps you sleep - the truth is that it ruins our sleep! At number 3 we have the fabulous Clare Pooley with 1587 downloads.  The episode is number 39 and was released in April 2021 - called “My Top Life Hack”   Clare is a wonderful example of how your dreams can come true when you ditch the booze.  Her sober blog not only helped her to stay on track but it attracted a publishing deal which led to the sober diaries – she then went on to write TAP and is about to publish a second novel.  Her childhood dream was to be an author and now she is! CLAIRE's TOP TIP - she reconfigured her day - went to bed at 7pm (to avoid evening drinking) and got up at 5am feeling great! As cooking the evening meal was a big temptation for her she cooked it in the morning and heated it up in the evening Like many of us she had a major low in early sobriety - she calls this "the wall" and believes it's our brain chemistry adjusting Her blog - the obstacle course went viral and is essential reading in early sobriety Clare's key message in the blog is to keep going however hard it gets - stopping and starting is the hardest way Clare also said it was essential to "find your tribe" and recommended tribesober.com At number 2 we have Eusebius McKaiser with 1599 downloads. South African journalist talking about his relationship with alcohol.  Eusebius signed up for our Dry January Challenge a fewyears ago and to his surprise maintained his sobriety.  We first met when I was on his radio show reading out my Goodbye to Alcohol Letter.  We recommend writing a GTA letter on the basis that for some of us alcohol is like an abusive lover we  need to get it out of our lives.  A goodbye letter is a cathartic and powerful ritual that can help us draw a line under our drinking years.  Go to ts.com, hit inspiration and hit GTA letters to read the letters written by tribe members. Eusebius shared benefits he is experiencing and explained how he has substituted different kinds of music for alcohol - to stimulate the right mood when he is writing. Eusebius wrote a blog for our website called "Sober Diary Reflections" - you can read it here and we also recorded another Tribe Sober podcast together – called Busting Sobriety Myths – episode 77. At number is my story "How I quit drinking and started a tribe!" with 1675 downloads Just beating Eusebius by a mere 76 downloads is my story!  I can't claim too much credit as this was the very first episode – released way back on my 5th Soberversary in May 2020 – episode 1!  In it I talk about my long struggle with alcohol – how I nearly drowned by passing out in my bath at the age of 25 and carried on drinking How I got breast cancer - and carried on drinking How a "walking, talking blackout" made me (finally) ditch the drink I talk about my quest for sobriety, my failure as an AA member and how I finally got sober.  I share my motivation for founding Tribe Sober and read out my Goodbye to Alcohol Letter. More Info Subscription membership – you can join up HERE. To access our website, click HERE. If you would like a free copy of our “Annual Tracker” or our e-book 66 Days to Sobriety, please email janet@tribesober.com. If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community, just email janet@tribesober.com. Episode Sponsor This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up today Read more about our program and subscribe HERE Book a Discovery Call with me to find out if our membership would help you Help us to Spread the Word! We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share. If you enjoyed the podcast, then please leave us a 5-star review on Apple podcasts. Take a screenshot of your review, and DM it to Tribe Sober's Instagram page – see PS below for instructions. We'll send you something special to say thank you! We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning. You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram. You can join our private Facebook group HERE.   PS: How to Leave a Rating/Review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS Device) Open the Podcasts app. EASY. Choose “Search” from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (e.g. Recover Like a Mother) into the search field. Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes). Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews. Click Write a Review underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You'll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale and write a review (you can rate without writing too but it's always good to read your experience).    

In this episode of The Art of the Suit I am introducing something new.  If you find it beneficial then I will drop in more episodes. It's called the Debbi & Dawn Download. Let me share how this came about.  As I constantly promote, I believe that success is fueled by remaining open-minded, constantly learning, and collaborating. These are only three of the very many supporting pillars of success – but for me, the most essential.  These were some of the aspects of successful mentorship that I discussed with Eusebius McKaiser in our last podcast. I benefit enormously from my friendship and collaboration with Eusebius. He certainly challenges my thinking and there is a mutual open-mindedness and learning that we enjoy.  Another of my very closest friends is an incredibly knowledgeable woman and I have gained so much from being able to tap into her area of specialization.  Debbi Nathan is so much more than a health and wellness expert.  She is primarily a nutritionist specializing in Nutrigenomics, sport & health, and eating psychology.  She is a founding partner of Your Gene Team and the author of Cooking for your Genes of which I am the proud owner of a personalized copy.  We have been friends for decades and even though Debbi now lives in London, it doesn't stop us from exchanging ideas and experiences at least every week. Thank you whatsapp!   Of course, most of our conversations are simply the girls catching up and offering mutual support – but inevitably we get around to discussing our passions.  For me, it is the power of the mind and the potential of the personal brand and for Debbi how knowledge of your gene profile can be used as a nutritional and dietary brief for addressing health, wellness, and longevity.  She looks a decade less than her years so she's a prime example of the benefits.  I've often jokingly suggested that we should record our catch-ups for my podcast, but some of the material hasn't been for public consumption!  But the idea keeps on creeping up on me so I've decided to try it out.  As I said these episodes will be identified as  The Debbi & Dawn Downloads.  Our choice of the subject matter will be focused on what we believe would be of interest and benefit to our listeners with a focus on your wellbeing. If you would like to find out more about Debbi's credentials, visit her website or find her on Insta as Debbi Nathan or Your Gene Team. Welcome to episode 1 of The Debbi & Dawn Download.  In this episode, we are going to talk about how to maintain a balance between exercise and diet so that you can sustain both over the long term.  

I interviewed the Democratic Alliance mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, Dr Mpho Phalatse, to get to know her: who she is, what her background is, why and how she entered politics and pressure-testing her thinking on the most pertinent local and national issues, including controversies the DA must navigate right now. Listen, and judge her mayoral candidacy for yourself. 

Following on from the introduction to the meaning and use of a Personal Brand, in episode 11, I accept that while most people can grasp the concept of brand building for conventional brands, they will find it difficult to interpret this ability when it comes to building your personal brand.To help remove the mystery, and encourage you to develop your own, I will be interviewing a number of people who I believe have fabulous and powerful personal brands. I will be asking them the how, when and why of how their brands have evolved.  The aim is for you to gain insight, ideas and the motivation for yourself.In this first such example I interview Eusebius McKaiser.  Political analyst, author, broadcaster.Eusebius has studied law and philosophy and has lectured in various areas of philosophy in England and South Africa. He is the author of three best-selling books, the most recent being Run, Racist, Run. His essays have appeared in many local and international media several of which have featured a regular column.  He has also appeared as an analyst on many platforms including CNN, BBC and others. Eusebius hosted radio and television shows for many years and recently launched his own podcast "In the ring with Eusebius McKaiser". Listen in to get to find out how this incredibly strong and meaningful Personal Brand has evolved.