Cecil John Rhodes: British Empire Hitman

On numerous occasions some of us have made a call for pan Afrikanist/Black consciousness/Afrocentric movements to unshackle themselves from egocentric politics and what Mwalimu Mphutlane wa Bofelo aptly refers to as 'party nationalism. And that they should find each other and put a sincere effort into developing something that can be referred to as a Black radical agenda.

Since its inception in 1981, the Standard Bank Young Artist Awards (SBYAA) have served as a marker for the artistic work that’s being created, and aspired towards, across the country. This year’s batch of winners prove that the SBYAA still seeks to reward passion, dedication, and a desire to carve out new ways of creating and engaging with art and the world around us.

We pay homage to the many ancestors and living ones who came before us, those who planted the seed and made it possible for us to dream differently. They assured us that our dreams are valid and worthy of being pursued. They cultivated and natured our gifts so that we too can say, better tomorrows are possible regardless of the horrid past we come from.

As a good madam would, for years, you gave the women in my family clothes which you no longer wanted; skirts, dresses, pants, shirts, bras, and your panties. It is almost as if you knew that I existed. I say this because, of course you knew that the tiny diamanté string thong, held together by a miniscule butterfly was too small for my aunt, whose full, wide hips bore testament to the many generations she birthed and raised.

the violence of silence as we watch people who have come to our city struggle to maintain their dignity and we do nothing

Then enter Zondo, a Newcastle dreamer who recorded her own Friday show in her room for an audience of zero. She watched on intrigued as Matheba enthralled the nation every Friday night, and vowed to occupy that space one day in the future.