As South Africans in SA have marched in cities around the country to protest against xenophobia and the violence in general that troubles their beloved land, those abroad are following suit to lend their support. Yesterday South Africans marched in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and today they gathered in London, and more is planned. For South Africans abroad the […]

It’s been open season on Open Letters in South Africa recently…mainly addressed to the President. Today, the President has responded to one such letter, that written by Mozambican writer and poet Mia Couto. In the letter the President declares that “South Africans are definitely not xenophobic. The actions of a small minority should not be […]

South Africans at home and abroad are coming together in solidarity in a call for an end to violence against anyone – be they foreign, local, white, black…or any shade of the rainbow nation in between. South Africa has been rocked recently with a fresh spate of horrific xenophobic attacks in KwaZulu-Natal and Johannesburg (which […]

As South Africa’s Army is deployed to volatile areas that have experienced attacks on foreign nationals, Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has declared  that “perpetrators will face the full might of the law”…although this message comes on the same day that  South African illustrator Zapiro has published a cartoon showing a different side to the story. Zapiro’s cartoon (see […]

There has been an outpouring of poems, videos, messages and photos from people in and out of South Africa, desperate to express themselves, have their voice heard…and unite South Africa and Africa once again. Here are just two of the messages SAPeople has received – a video from a young white South African and a poem from a […]

Now this is joy! Archbishop Desmond Tutu was really warmly welcomed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama after touching down at Kangra Airport in India today. The South African is visiting Dharamshala for seven days to collaborate with the Dalai Lama on a book about – you guessed it – joy! In a message on his Facebook […]

Two Durban photographers share their photos and different thoughts on today’s events. “Anti-Xenophobia Peace March – Durban” – by Kierran Allen Today the Anti-Xenophobia Peace March led by eThekwini Mayor James Xumalo and KZN Premier Senzo Mchunu had a phenomenal turnout with thousands of people marching from Curries Fountain to the City Hall in Durban’s […]

On the same night that Nando’s #FiredUpSoweto launch is trending high on Twitter, the famous restaurant chain’s 2012 Diversity advert has gone viral again as its message (that most of us were once foreigners) becomes appropriate to present day South Africa. And the recent xenophobic events in Durban, Pietermaritzburg and Joburg were clearly on most people’s […]

There have been uplifting, joyous scenes at the Peace March this morning in Durban as South Africans unite to let the perpetrators of attacks on foreign nationals – as well as the African continent and the world – know that South Africans say #NoToXenophobia. Durban photographer Graham Carruthers has captured the photos on this page of the […]

On the 22nd Anniversary of the assassination of South African Communist Party (SACP) leader Chris Hani, President Jacob Zuma used the opportunity to reaffirm that South Africa belongs to black and white people, and to address the vandalising of statues and treatment of foreign nationals. As part of South Africa’s new national identity, the SA President also announced […]

Proteas captain AB de Villiers has set Twitter aflutter after his awesome performance on the field today in Sydney, achieving the fastest 150 runs in One Day International (ODI) history and helping South Africa break records and reach the highest ODI score ever made on Australian soil! The 31-year-old now holds the record for making the fastest 50, […]

With SONA on our minds I was thinking about the state of the nation, and it does not paint a pretty picture. However, I recently read another negative email about the state of the nation, just ranting on and not providing any solutions or options for us mere mortals to get things going. Our beloved […]

During the highs and lows of SONA2015, Twitter outdid itself, with tweeters inside Parliament suddenly becoming reporters (especially on those things the SATV cameras so obviously turned away from). An excellent and speedy video tweet from JacarandaFM’s @MornéJK actually crashed SAPeople.com for a while, so many people wanted to see the EFF being confronted by […]

Dr Mo Ibrahim, businessman, academic and philanthropist, delivered the 11th Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture at the University of South Africa (Unisa) in Pretoria on 17 August 2013. He joins luminaries such as former US president Bill Clinton, former Irish president Mary Robinson, and Nobel laureate, the late Wangari Maathai, who have all shared their opinion on important […]

President Zuma has announced that he will mark Nelson Mandela Day – on Thursday, 18 July – by officially handing over houses to the community of Danville, Pretoria West. Now the rest of us aren’t expected to do something quite like that, but we should each do something. And preferably we should do that something […]

Nelson Mandela does not belong to one institution; he is a global resource. These are the sentiments of Sello Hatang, the incoming chief executive of the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory. Hatang and five other speakers, including South African Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, addressed an audience comprising stakeholders, international media and former anti-apartheid activists at the […]

Every first Wednesday of the month, alternative cinema enthusiasts in Johannesburg are treated to a host of indie films at Atlas Studios in Milpark, northeast of the city centre. It’s an opportunity to watch films that are not on the main cinema circuit. Founded in 2004, the First Wednesday Film Club (FWFC) is also a networking […]

Ten years after Zakes Mda’s acclaimed novel The Madonna of Excelsior was published in 2002, a theatre adaptation is now ready for South African theatre audiences. The play is directed by Netherlands-based Roel Twijnstra and South African playwright and director Jerry Pooe. It opens on 15 August at the Andre Huguenet theatre in Bloemfontein and runs until 18 […]

The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) has joined millions of well wishers in wishing Tata Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela a wonderful, happy birthday.   A national singalong involving people across South Africa took place just after 8am, where schoolchildren and adults alike sang for the former president, known affectionately as Madiba. “As the commission, there are no […]

Three South African short films have been selected for the prestigious Internationale Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen, or Oberhausen International Short Film Festival, to be held in May in the river city of that name in the Ruhr region of Germany.   The films are Atrophy by Palesa Shongwe, Balance by Colleen Alborough and Steglitz House by Bridget Baker. The Kurzfilmtage is […]

As Johnny Clegg kicked off a tour of Europe and South Africa, he talked exclusively to sapeople about his message, his exercise regime and what you’ll find at the top of a mountain. Together with Jaluka, and then Savuka, Johnny sang of freedom, equality and cultural unity in a time when our country was drowning […]

by Janine Erasmus The charismatic and highly committed Mbuyiselo Botha of the Sonke Gender Justice Network is a man with a mission – to challenge patriarchal thinking which, he says, is crippling South African society. Sonke is an Nguni word meaning “together”. As the NGO’s media relations manager, and the man who spearheaded the recent […]

South Africa marked the 50th anniversary today of the Sharpeville massacre in 1960 which resulted in 69 demonstrators being killed and 180 others injured by police in the township.  The demonstrators had been marching against pass laws. Acting President, Kgalema Motlanthe made the following speech at the Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of Human Rights […]