In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser

Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh and I jointly hosted each other in a fun, experimental set-up where I appeared on his fantastic YouTube channel, and that in turn served also as the recording of this episode of In The Ring. 

We explored two framing questions about the constitution: first, is the vision for the country that is contained in the constitution the right vision for an ideal South Africa? Secondly, would changes to the constitutional text make any difference in helping us achieve a more just South Africa?

These proved to be complex questions that gave rise to some consensus but also much disagreement, which we teased out. We have different views about how to read the constitution, and different views about the actual vision as expressed within the constitution.

Along the way we debated whether the drafters of the constitutional text were bold and explicit enough about what a racially just society looks like.

The discussion about modifying the constitutional text also gave rise to interesting dialogue. I am deeply sceptical about the extent to which a differently crafted constitution - or a modified version of the current text - could help us overcome our governance weaknesses within the state. Sizwe in turn tried to persuade me that there could be some important causal effects that may flow from radically rethinking what the constitution says. 

Who was more persuasive? Or is the quasi-equilibrium note we ended on the most reasonable view to take (for now)?

You be the judge. Enjoy this episode. Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser. It takes only a few seconds on any podcast platform. And kindly spread the news about the podcast by sharing it widely.

In this episode of In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser, I hang out with top South African author and broadcaster Joanne Joseph, catching up with her on what she had been up to since leaving 702.

I started off by engaging her on vegetarianism. Thereafter we talked about the media landscape generally and in particular her experience as a woman in media. 

In what was a wide-ranging conversation in which we get to know her better, we also touch on life as a public figure, reading preferences, musical tastes and more.

Enjoy!

How should white people respond to their positionality in a world in which anti-black racism proliferates? How should men respond to their positionality in a world in which patriarchy proliferates?

What does it mean to be an ally of black people? What does it mean to be an ally of women? What are the true requirements of ubuntu, and what action steps should be taken by allies to truly be productive in helping to smash racism and patriarchy. 

This episode of In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser examines both male privilege and white privilege. It features Sue de Groot, deputy features editor of Sunday Times. We explain our respective unearned privileges and engage critically on the wider issues that flow from there.

I really don't wanna sell you this podcast episode with a lengthy description. Can I just say this - if you listen to only ONE episode of In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser in 2022 it will probably have to be this one.

Lebogang is a brilliant guest. Energetic. Passionate. Intellectually stimulating. And as a feminist and social activist she gives us a masterclass on feminism and realpolitik that would be of interest to local and international audiences.

I'd pay you to listen to if I won the lottery! Just ... trust me.

Listen immediately. Share it widely. And subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss future exciting episodes.

Veteran African National Congress  leader and member of Cabinet Lindiwe Sisulu has written a column ( https://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/opinion/lindiwe-sisulu-hi-mzansi-have-we-seen-justice-d9b151e5-e5db-4293-aa21-dcccd52a36d3 ) that has everyone talking. It essentially critiques the rule of law, the judiciary and the constitution but it is hard to know precisely what the main thesis and argument is. If you have the gift of interpretation, you might be able to tell the rest of us. 

Nevertheless, one of the responses (https://www.news24.com/news24/columnists/guestcolumn/opinion-chrispin-phiri-lindiwe-sisulus-attack-on-constitution-a-distortion-of-anc-policy-20220110)  is from Chrispin Phiri, the minister of justice's spokesperson, who wrote a scathing response to and critique of Sisulu's article. He insists he did so "in his personal capacity." (Pass me the salt please?)

I invited him to explain why he was so touched by her position, and I then pressure tested his analysis by attempting - not an easy task - to reconstruct Sisulu's view that the constitution has not delivered justice. 

It's all a hot ANC mess but ... intriguing. I invited her - the minister that is - on but her spokesman tells me they're not interested.  (It must be hard to try and defend weird reasoning.)

Listen to this spirited exchange I had, in the meantime, with Chrispin Phiri.

Hawu. It's not even 2022 properly yet and a call center agent tries her luck selling stuff. We haven't even paid for Dezemba bills! 

So. I had a choice: end the call quickly or have a bit of fun. I decided to have fun. Because, YOLO.

Enjoy!

Janet Gourand (Sobriety Advocate & Recovery Coach), who runs the brilliant online community portal, Tribe Sober, joined me to talk about the 2022 Dry January challenge. See whether you can go alcohol free for 30 days; you may just like it! It runs for any 30 consecutive days of your choice between now until end of January. Get an early start. 

You will get online daily support and, in turn, you have a chance to change the lives of children living under conditions of poverty and other hardships across Cape Town, by donating to the Earthchild Project. For just R250 you can sponsor one child to be part of a transformational one year leadership programme including yoga (which has been amazing for many of these children who do not always get to experience peace), and in turn you will get daily virtual support for 30 days as you experiment with sobriety.

I did so a few years ago just to help raise money for this brilliant project. And I liked the sober curiosity so much that I stayed dry!

In this podcast Janet and I also talk you through the challenges (we've been there), as well as the benefits of choosing sobriety, and give many tips on how to deal with the ridiculousness of being expected to justify not drinking alcohol. 

Do share this podcast widely as it may save someone's life- whether they simply wish to cut down on the amount they drink or seeking a safe online community to help, perhaps for the first time, to deal with alcohol abuse that had gone unacknowledged till now. Tribe Sober is a safe space. 

You can also check out Janet's podcast by the name Tribe Sober and the website tribesober.com

Sisonke Msimang joined me to debate whether or not, when his legacy is properly considered, Archbishop Desmond Tutu can be located along the spectrum of Black Radical Thought. 

Msimang argues that not only is Tutu undeniably radical in his racial politics, but that we should also push back against notions of non-racialism that wrongly associate the doctrine with colourblindness and polite politics. Tutu's allyship on the question of same-sex love and relationships shows his intersectional politics within the church, itself a manifestation of his radicalism.

I also explored with Sisonke what the achivements and limitations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission were, and how much of the shortcomings are to be  attributed to Tutu as such and how much of our incomplete justice project is to be blamed on the failures of the democratic state and other non-state actors. 

We ended off by exploring the fullness of Tutu's humanity, how his personal biography tracks the biography of the country and, lastly, why we should stop having existential crises about the moral giants of yesteryear no longer being with us, and rather embracing our generation's moral challenges by taking seriously our own agentive powers to complete the justice project. 

Former president Jacob Zuma's medical parole was taken away today by the Johannesburg High Court. Arthur Fraser, in his then capacity as National Commissioner of Correctional Services, had granted Zuma medical parole. This decision was declared unlawful and set aside. Zuma must return to prison. And, none of the days wrongly spent away from prison as a medical parolee, will count towards his 15 month sentence that he had been given by the constitutional court after he was found guilty of contempt of court. In this explainer podcast, I walk you through the decision of the court and explain the legal reasoning for you. I end with my own commentary in support of this decision. Have a listen.

Musician Kabelo Mabalane recently admitted on Instagram that although he is part of an anti-GBV campaign (#NoExcuse), that "as a young man [he] too was a perpetrator of this shameful cowardly behaviour." 

But what exactly did he do at the height of his fame when TKZ was massively popular and their sounds were the soundtracks to our youth? What is the source of his shame?  What does it even mean to take responsibility now? Has he admitted to women he had wronged that he had done them wrong? Has he done so directly?

We also tried to make sense of what it is that fuels our violent  behaviours as men.

It was an unscripted wide-ranging conversation that I hope will spark many further conversations, particularly among us men, so that we may yet become healthier versions of ourselves.