World Economic Forum on Africa 2013

The 23rd World Economic Forum on Africa, under the theme "Delivering on Africa's Promise", in Cape Town, South Africa, will provide an important platform for regional and global leaders from business, government and civil society to deepen the continent's integration agenda and renew commitment to a sustainable path of growth and development by addressing themes including accelerating economic diversification, boosting strategic infrastructure and unlocking Africa's Talent.

The Forum takes 8-10 May 2013.

Violent Society Blocks South Africa's Lesbians From Fully Celebrating Freedom

Thanduxolo Buti

@Thandz_Buti

I believe that freedom is a right that should be enjoyed by everyone and not only by a select few. As much as South Africa has worked hard in ensuring human rights, but hate crimes and corrective rape seem to overshadow the many achievements and strides made by government. The LGBTI community continues to be robbed of the chance to fully enjoy their right to freedom. As much as there are other reasons to celebrate this month, I can’t help but think of the society that still lives in fear even with nineteen years of freedom.

Last week I met a young handsome lesbian in Thokoza. Mbali has been lesbian all her life and growing up she would only play with boys because for some reason she felt more comfortable around them. Being a lesbian in a township had never been easy for Mbali and faced hate and discrimination daily in her community. As she grew older she became exposed to the ugly side of being a butch lesbian in the township, she would hear of violence and rape towards lesbians. “You know now as much as I am proud of my sexuality, I constantly live in fear. I don’t even trust the boys who are close [to me], my friends anymore because of fear of what they might do to me when no one is around,” she says.

My Mother, Common Story of Black Women under Apartheid – Cleaning People’s Homes; Democracy Grants me Freedom of Choice

Sibusiso Banda

@AwesomeSbu

I don’t remember much about days before 27 April 1994, when South Africans of all races voted for the first time. I remember that my parents were excited about going to vote, I just didn’t know why. I was four-years-old at the time.

My story is that of post-apartheid challenges as I was being raised by my mother’s wages from the domestic work she did. She was good at it to and always hard working. Despite her circumstances that were never easy, I don’t remember my mother requesting us to be anything more than ourselves. She never fantasised about lawyers, doctors or accountants in the house. She knew that ours would be a story of freedom of choice that black people didn’t have before and I have exercised this choice by going to Tshwane University of Technology to study journalism. 

Journalists Worrying About Their Names in Lights Kill Good Reporting

Boikhutso Ntsoko

@ThatDudeBeeKay

Has Journalism become about a writer's name/by-line or piece to cameras? And no longer about serving the original purpose of disseminating information.

I engaged in an article a few weeks ago about the decline, or "death" thereof rather, in traditional (newspapers, radio and television) journalism and the super incline, or hostile takeover, of the new super power, digital (online) journalism.

I Push a Wheelbarrow for 5km to Fetch Water as South Africa Celebrates Freedom Day

Zanele Ngwenyama

@zanelengwenyama

Image: www.colormagazine.com

I am from the rural areas of Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga and as South Africans in the cities I started living in when I left home for my studies celebrate the various freedoms that came with our democracy nearly two decades ago, I feel areas such as the one I come from have very little to celebrate. People from villages in the area get tricked every four to five years during national and municipal elections as representatives of various political parties would promise the poor a better life, a life where they also don’t have to live in fear because there would be better policing. They often believe these promises that are seldom or never met.

As South Africans from the rest of the country celebrate the milestone of 19 years since our parents voted for the first time, my province of Mpumalanga has announced that two municipalities have been placed under administration. This is the same province that has failed to produce favourable Matric results despite all the tweaking and changes that happen which are done so it is much easier for high school pupils to pass. 

Tomorrow’s Leaders will either be conquerors or be conquered

LIVEOUTLOUD CE, Mike Eilertson.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity of attending Tomorrow’s Leaders Convention where founder of LIVEOUTLOUD, Mike Eilertsen spoke about how tomorrow’s leaders utilised strategies from yesterday to affect today’s results. Eilertsen used an example of Genghis Khan.

He talks more about how to be a successful leader through applying lessons he learned from Khan. But these lessons remain important, especially for a modern world that is changing at a fast pace. There is a few lessons you can apply in your life outside the journalism career.

We Need to Keep Our Morals in Check as South Africans

Cyril Skosana

@McCyrus_Skosana

Living under such conditions can make some people lose their morals.

If confronted, I’d agree with you that it’s a clichéd question that has trended on social networks and is widely been asked by elders and politicians but it’s one that is surprisingly overlooked by the youth in post-apartheid South Africa. Perhaps the reason is that there haven’t been well-grounded responses to it. There have been projects to try and solve this issue and even before he became president, Jacob Zuma, headed a project that was to try and answer a few questions around this issue. Those questions were never answered and instead people stayed questioning those in power.

This piece is based on three of the many fundamental basis of life; morals, respect and principles. “Respect for ourselves guides our morals; respect for others guides our manners” once wrote Laurence Sterne, Irish-born English Novelist and an Anglican clergyman. Laurence briefly summarised this piece, noting the importance of respect, morals and principles, and also illustrates how these three key factors interplay in guaranteeing a peaceful life.

A severe lack of the above mentioned key factors in South African communities have surfaced in an unpleasant manner and gives an atrocious picture of this country. Violence against women and children, rape, crime and general violence presented respect and morals deficiency among the citizen. 

Are journalism schools still relevant?

At the beginning of this month, a journalist said that J-school's are becoming irrelevant.

" The overriding circumstance which the J-school seems to regard as not its concern is that the news business, which it counts on to employ its graduates — newspapers, magazines, television news, even online news — is shrinking at historic rates. "

The writer further said: The J-school should be disgorging class after class of information entrepreneurs — except for the fact that there is practically nobody at the school who is an entrepreneur. Check the story here

Do you think journalism schools are still relevant? .

Unemployment Means One Has a Lot of Time, What’s Yours Spent On?

Cyril Skosana

@McCyrus_Skosana

Three years ago, you were a different person, enthusiastic about your new venture. Call it a commencement of hope, not only for you, but also for those who look up to you, especially your siblings. You are their hope after all. 

It was a start of a new life with promises of a brighter tomorrow. However, a year if not few months ago, your dreams met with “the reality” of this world and you felt let down by your hopes, ambitions and passion. Really, this is when you began questioning your decisions. “Why did I choose this course?” You are not alone, and there’s still more who will feel like kicking themselves after a brief moment of self-introspection. My friends do not squirm in despair. 

Hillbrow, My New Home: Drugs, Prostitutes & Excitement

Kgothatso Madisa
@kgmadisa

Hillbrow is a notorious Johannesburg suburb that many in South Africa have heard about. Sometimes we dismiss the stories we hear as untrue because people tend to exaggerate the smallest happenings. Some would say Hillbrow is not different from any other place as crime is found on every corner of South Africa. I have been living in Hillbrow for a few months now and have definitely seen things, things that are shocking for my young, innocent Mpumalanga eyes.

On arrival in this part of Johannesburg a cousin took me on a tour of the once plush suburb. It was still day time and the place was packed with hawkers, beggars and joy seekers. It looked as a thriving part of Johannesburg where Africa meets as there were immigrants from Nigeria, Zimbabwe and other parts of Africa – I just couldn’t tell where the rest were from. They all contribute a segment of their part of the continent to Hillbrow. The many accents one hears here are also an exciting part of this cosmopolitan society.