Interiority

I wanted to speak to Professor Pitika Ntuli after realising how ignored and absent the voices of the elders are on this podcast. Audre Lorde said “If the younger members of a community view the older members as contemptible or suspect or excess, they will never be able to join hands and examine the living memories of a community, nor ask the all important question, “Why?”. This gives rise to a historical amnesia that keeps us working to invent the wheel every time we have to go the store for bread.”

There couldn’t be a better case for seeking out the voice of our elders.

I sat down this activist, artist, academic and poet who follows in the tradition of the ‘Renaissance Man’, Professor Pitika Ntuli is a true artistic, political and academic polymath.

2020 marks the 25th anniversary of the 1995 UN Conference on Women which took place in Beijing, China. This was one of the most important gatherings to address equal rights and opportunities for all women and girls, everywhere. Among the 30,000 activists from 189 countries gathered to debate what it would take to make a gender-equal world, was a 24 year old gender non-conforming lesbian activist Black South African woman Bev Ditsie. Speaking on behalf of the lesbian caucus, she made history, addressing the plenary urging the UN delegates to adopt resolutions recognising sexual diversity and the inclusion of lesbian rights in discussions about the empowerment and upliftment of women. This was a revolutionary moment and will forever be known as the most successful lesbian visibility campaign in herstory.

Prior to the conference Bev was one of the founders of GLOW; a gay rights organisation, which amongst other things organised the first Pride march in Johannesburg. She is an activist, filmmaker and speaker. Her latest work is a documentary that revisits the events of that historic address and it's titled Lesbians Free Everyone - A Beijing retrospect.

Dr Bev Ditsie has devoted her life to fighting for human rights, ultimately so that all of us have an opportunity to be our most full selves.

2020 marks the 25th anniversary of the 1995 UN Conference on Women which took place in Beijing, China. This was one of the most important gatherings to address equal rights and opportunities for all women and girls, everywhere. Among the 30,000 activists from 189 countries gathered to debate what it would take to make a gender-equal world, was a 24 year old gender non-conforming lesbian activist Black South African woman Bev Ditsie. Speaking on behalf of the lesbian caucus, she made history, addressing the plenary urging the UN delegates to adopt resolutions recognising sexual diversity and the inclusion of lesbian rights in discussions about the empowerment and upliftment of women. This was a revolutionary moment and will forever be known as the most successful lesbian visibility campaign in herstory.

Prior to the conference Bev was one of the founders of GLOW; a gay rights organisation, which amongst other things organised the first Pride march in Johannesburg. She is an activist, filmmaker and speaker. Her latest work is a documentary that revisits the events of that historic address and it's titled Lesbians Free Everyone - A Beijing retrospect.

Dr Bev Ditsie has devoted her life to fighting for human rights, ultimately so that all of us have an opportunity to be our most full selves.

Interiority host Azania Mosaka was invited to be in conversation with one of the most exciting artists of our time; internationally acclaimed South African artist, Nelson Makamo. Nelson has exhibited in several major cities around the world and his work is featured in public and in some of the most astute private collections. Who can forget the historic moment of the 2019 publication of his artwork as the cover story of Time Magazines’ The art of optimism Issue.

This recording was in front of a live audience made up of journalists. This gathering was to celebrate Nelson Makamo 15 years as a professional artist and his return to showcasing his work in South Africa once more after walking away from gallery representation 5 years ago. He makes his return with an expansive exhibition of his signature charcoal style and something we haven't seen from him before; water colour works. He also returns with the launch of a collaborative art space; Botho Project Space which is set to inspire and challenge the business of art. Nelson Makamo's work cleanses the doors of perception, changing how we see the world, how we see ourselves and how we are seen.

Lulu Mlangeni, is the Standard Bank Young Artist for Dance 2020.

Amongst her many achievements is her time as Creative Assistant at

Vuyani Dance Theatre, which is one of the top dance companies in

Africa. Lulu is the recipient of several awards that celebrate her

contribution to the world of dance. When she is on stage it feels as

if very little else exists. Her storytelling is compelling, her

dancing arresting. She continues to grow in the industry and sets no

limits for herself.

Laduma Ngxokolo is a South African textile and knitwear designer, best known for his knitwear designs inspired by traditional Xhosa beadwork and aesthetic.

As a young boy, Laduma loved the sense of charisma that Xhosa

initiates exuded after their initiation, and he daydreamed about

becoming an initiate himself. Born to an attentive loving resourceful

mother who was a knitwear designer, his destiny was forged in these

two influences. His thesis for his BTech degree was titled: how can

traditional Xhosa aesthetics be interpreted into contemporary knitwear for Xhosa initiates? He has gone on to create a design house which embodies pride and luxury. Today Laduma is one of Africa's finest knitwear designers & innovators creating pieces that are coveted across the world. His interiority is on full display. His work is more than design, it’s more than a feeling, it’s what his designs allow us to know. I caught up with Laduma at his lively office as the day was winding down.

In 1991 the South African schooling system desegregated and

historically white schools opened up and accepted children of all

races. The first black students in these schools seemed to live up to

their place in history. They populated the school awards ceremonies,

became prefects and notice boards with black, African names featured

for the first time. This was seen as a victory.

In 2015, the generation of students who followed the 80s cohort into

previously white schools led a nation-wide protest movement which

would become known as #FeesMustFall. For this 90s cohort who entered

universities, the reality of an untransformed society hit. They called

for free education, increased funding to universities, the removal of

colonial and apartheid statues, and the decolonization of education. If

that was the fight of the 90s cohort, where does that leave the

“victory” of the previous generation, the 80s cohort which was the

first to enter previously white schools? What did it mean to be a

black body, a guinea pigs in the desegregation of the South African

schooling system?

Award-winning news and current affairs editor, journalist, gender

rights activist, speaker, and social commentator, Nolwazi Tusini

delivers an edited version of her Ruth First Lecture titled The 80s

kids: A story of collaboration as disruption. The lecture is based on

her research on the first generation of black children to enter

desegregated multi-racial schools in South Africa.

Welcome to Part 2 of the Interiority podcast episode with Broadcast

maven Penny Lebyane. In part 1 Penny didn’t hold back any punches,

giving her brutally honest opinion on the state of media and its

trappings. She opened up about the impact of the marginalization she

experienced. Listen to stories of her upbringing and lessons along her journey. Come along in Part 2 where she talks about her journey of healing, the fallacy of celebrity, raising children in the limelight, and dating challenges as a headstrong woman.

Vivacious, spirited, strong and fierce are words that immediately come

to mind when I think about Interiority guest, broadcaster Penny

Lebyane. She has had a radio career spanning 25 years as a radio host.

She has served not only radio well but also television, fashion, the

arts, and pop culture. As a young woman in her radio career, she

inspired and helped shape the industry for women to come, but she also

had to kick down many doors and where there wasn’t a door to kick, she

builds her own. She was told to “tone down” and “be a lady", and when

she didn’t, she was marginalized and labeled. She is one of the

realest! When she is not on radio or television, or raising her two

children, she does advocacy work for the upliftment of women.

We are excited about our latest format. There are singers! Then, there are singer-songwriters. Those with a gift to turn human emotion and experience into poetic song. The songs reveal the artist's inner world, who they are and what was going on when they wrote it. The song lives beyond them. It immortalises them. We make these songs our own. We let the song speak for us, soothe us, reveal us. Singer-songwriter, Langa Mavuso opens up about what led to him writing 3 of his songs. Listen to the stories of what lies behind Sunday Blues, Mvula, and Love Lost.