A Casual Chat With a Township Artist

Mohau Ramashidja

Many people who live in South African townships are poverty stricken, without an ducation of often struggle to make ends meet. We found one man on the streets of Pretoria townships who uses wire to make something creative so he can feed himself. 34-year-old wheel chair bound, George Mongwayi, spoke to Mohau Ramashidja about his situation.


At what age did you start designing wire cars?

At the earliest age of 12, that’s when I started playing around with wires.

Who came up with the business idea amongst the two of you?

Both my partner and I came with the business idea. It was after we had both attended a workshop which encouraged us to use our hands.

Spring Awakening Musical at the Breytie

After an 18 Year Wait for Houses Residents Build Shacks by Force

Sthembiso Sithole

Soshanguve residents without government subsidised houses are calling for their councillors to step down as they say they haven’t fulfilled any of the promises made before elections. They say they had been promised houses but this hasn’t happened and as a result about 100 families have decided to build their own shacks rather than sit and wait for the people tasked with assisting them. Some even accuse those in power of selling these free houses to foreign nationals – an accusation that has been the cause of many alleged xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

“The current elected councillors are misrepresenting us. That is why I call for Soshanguve to unset (Simon) Maratula,” says one of the residents.

Refugee Aid Organisation Does Good Beyond Mandela Day

Paseka Menyau

While many celebrities and other public figures were trying to convince us that they do good when they only did it for just an hour and seven minutes on 18 July every year, there is an organisation that does this every single day without even boasting about it. Johannesburg’s Refugee Aid Organisation also did its bit for Mandela day on the former statesman’s birthday and didn’t even shout about it.

RAO employess took 19 refugee children from the Troyeville Junior Primary School in Johannesburg to the Apartheid Museum so they could learn about the history of South Africa, the challenges South Africans came across and the sacrifices made to achieve freedom.

SA TV News Needs an Independent African Agenda

The e-News Channel is South Africa's only television news channel.

While the media is following the finances of Julius Malema with the Democratic Alliance urging the Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela, to investigate the leader of the ANC youth league – there are those with a view that South African political journalists are becoming lazy and following each other like sheep on their reports. Those views are being shared on social networks.

Sowetan Entertainers Doing it for the Love

Sthembiso Sithole

Sowetan, Bonginkosi Madondo, says he is driven by the love of art, African culture and traditions and as a result has participated in various theatre productions such as Amasiko and Devil Protest. He started performing at the Positive Art Society in Phiri Hall in the township in 2003. Through the legacy of the late Thembinkosi Nkabinde who was the founder of the group, Bonginkosi has taken over the initiative.

“Art is something for us performers to tell those untold stories. It heals spiritually,” says Bonginkosi.

The 29 year old who is also gumboot dancer and choreographer believes that one can make a living out of art.

Give Us Free Clothes & We'll Do Mandela Day For You!

Mandela Day is a call to action for people to take responsibility for making the world a better place, one small step at a time, just as Nelson Mandela did.


In November 2009 the United Nations declared 18 July as Nelson Mandela International Day and for the last two years has been marked with acts of goodwill in communities throughout the world.

In the Pretoria area, Journ’Tau is teaming up with the biggest campus radio station, TUT 99,2FM, for Mandela Day. You can participate in the 67 minutes for Mandela day by donating clothes and blankets at the station in Soshanguve TUT south campus. We will then take all the donations to the HOPE CHILDREN’S  CENTRE in Soshanguve.