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BY Nkosazana Ngwadla

Citizens 4 Change is a new, female-led political party that will be contesting the South African 2024 National and Provincial Elections.

What sets the party apart, according to its leadership, is that government, to them, is not about power but serving by building families, neighbourhoods, communities and the nation. As the name says, they are all about citizens taking charge of their destiny and changing their own country.

The party’s President and Founder, Dudu Ngcobo Letseli is a distinguished professional with a wealth of experience in executive management, spanning over 25 years. Born in Saulsville, Pretoria, she embarked on her academic journey with primary school in Pretoria, secondary education in Osizweni – Newcastle, and High school in Butterworth, Transkei.

She earned her Teacher’s Diploma from the University of Transkei and furthered her education with a BSc Degree in Public Relations at Andrews University in Michigan, USA. Her commitment to excellence is evident in her core values, which include integrity, honesty, diligence, responsiveness, hard work, loyalty, and unwavering commitment.

Demonstrating exceptional negotiation and mediation skills, Letseli has actively contributed to the initiation of numerous humanitarian programs, both in her personal capacity and within the organizations she has served.

With a deep-seated concern for the challenges faced by South Africans, Letseli is not merely an observer but a proactive citizen determined to bring about positive change. Her dedication to the betterment of the country is driven by a genuine desire for liberation and hope.

“We, together with all South African Citizens, need to ensure that we work hard to build each other, to
fight and eradicate the state of depression and hopelessness that we find ourselves in,” Letseli says.

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BY Nkosazana Ngwadla

Showmax’s Adulting boys are back, including Hunk of The Year Feather Award winner Thembinkosi Mthembu (Outlaws, Shaka iLembe, The River) as Bonga, Nhlanhla Kunene (The River, Lavish) as fan-favourite Eric, Thabiso Rammusi (The Suit) as Mpho, and Luthando BU Mthembu (Big Brother Mzansi) as Vuyani, named GQ’s Best Dressed On Screen Personality earlier this year.

Breakout star Londeka Sishi also returns as Nkanyezi, along with Lungile Duma as Zithulele and Dippy Padi as Palesa. This season also introduces SAFTA nominees and former Rhythm City castmates Samkelo Ndlovu and Thembi Seete (Gomora, Zone 14) as Minki and Portia, as well as the likes of Nomalanga Shozi (Rhythm City, MTV Shuga and the face of BET Africa), Obakeng Kgwedi (Gomora, Kokota) and Gaisang K Noge (Naledi in The Wife).

Speaking about reuniting with “the gents”, Mthembu says, “We really get along, man, which makes getting into the swing of things and the brotherhood we’re portraying much easier for us. When we started working on Season 2, we had the same conversation we had when we stepped on set for Season 1. That conversation was all about ensuring that we give our all to this project. This is our baby and we were going to give it all the attention and care it deserved in order for the new season to be as successful as the first one. We are so in sync with each other that, when it came to our first scene for this season, we hit the ground running.”

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If Mthembu were to advise his character, Bonga, he’d first advise him to go to therapy. “Secondly, I would tell him to not let his past or rather his parents’ past dictate the outcome of his life, especially when it comes to relationships,” Mthembu said.

“For example, in Season 1 there is a scene where Bonga confesses to his father about his fear of commitment because of his father’s past failures to commit to his mother. So with that, I’d encourage him to take control of his relationships and to take risks – as he does with his friendships and businesses. I’d encourage him to be a man and do better than his father did and to always remember to stick to his promises when it comes to relationships.”

BY Nkosazana Ngwadla

Singer/songwriter, Mpumi, releases her her 3rd studio album, Abantu. Mpumi Mzobe, the multi-hyphenate South African artist, today announced the release of her new album Abantu. The 10-track album is a sonic journey highlighting the depth and diversity of human experiences in Mpumi’s community.

Abantu, which means “people” in Zulu, seeks to give voice to the stories of love, hopes, dreams, prayers, fears, celebrations and adversities of people in Mpumi’s circle and society. “This album is my attempt to compose music that reflects the experiences of the people around me,” said Mpumi. “The highs and lows, the struggles and the triumphs”.

The album incorporates vibrant amapiano, afrohouse and traditional African sounds with choral elements and percussion to create a vibrant, textured landscape for Mpumi’s emotive vocals. Tracks like “Siyabonga” give thanks for life’s blessings, while “Mama Ngisize” expresses the anguish of loss. The rhythmic, club-ready “Shosholoza” offers a message of perseverance against challenges.

“Music has a unique power to uplift and empower,” said Mpumi. “With Abantu, I hope to amplify the voices and share the light within all people. Our shared humanity transcends any divisions.

Mpumi is an acclaimed South African artist known for her dynamic and emotive performances. She has many nominations under her belt , including a South African Music Award for Best Dance Album. Her music incorporates electronic and traditional African sounds with choral elements to create a vibrant, textured sound.

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BY Nkosazana Ngwadla

South African singer & songwriter Rowlene releases a special Christmas project, Santa’s Baby. It’s the holiday season, so what better way to celebrate Christmas than being surrounded by family and singing along to festive tunes filled with love and harmony?

Like many South Africans, Rowlene finds the festive season to mean love and happiness. The 26-year-old musician made her debut in the music scene in 2015 when she released her first single, “Imposter”.

The song kickstarted her journey in the creative industry. It allowed her to discover and build relationships with artists such as Nasty C, the late Riky Rick, Tellaman, Xenia Manasseh, Nonso Amadi and Oxlade, to name a few.

Rowlene defined her sound by saying that she felt the music needed to speak for itself before she even began to explain intent while writing.

The Cape-born star seeks to captivate the audience with her Christmas special project, Santa Baby. The holiday album is set to capture a range of genuine emotions that transcend age and time. With each song conveying different experiences while still encapsulating the essence of this beloved holiday, the three unique tracks project can be considered one of Bosman’s best works thus far.

“With this project, I was determined to remind myself that there are no boundaries to what I can achieve while staying true to my values. Christmas is a very special time for many people. Through my new project, even in the face of adversity, I wanted to remind the audience of the love, joy and goodness that comes with the holiday season,” said Rowlene.

In addition, Rowlene said while this season is typically associated with joy and happiness, it often transforms into a period of emotional turmoil. 

“Unfortunately, certain individuals with larger egos disrupt the peace that should prevail. This occurrence is not uncommon and tends to happen at the most inconvenient times. As a result, loneliness becomes the only gift present under the tree. I hope this project inspires and gives people the hope to make this Christmas merry.

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BY Nkosazana Ngwadla

From being the queen of kwaito as a member of Boom Shaka in the 90s, to presenting popular TV shows such as SABC 1 dance show Jika Majika, and making her name as an acclaimed actress in Yizo Yizo, Gaz’lam, Zone 14 and Gomora, Thembi Seete has proven that she can do it all.

This time, the SAFTA nominee is set to appear in the new season of Showmax’s hit drama series Adulting, playing the role of Portia, a middle-aged, rich housewife who is at her sexual peak. Adulting Season 2 premieres on Showmax on 4 December, with new episodes every Monday.

How would you describe the character that you’re playing in Adulting?
Portia is a housewife, who has a home and a family that she loves very much. But as we know, as women, being spoiled is not enough. You still want care, love and someone to come back home to you and say, ‘I missed you’. That’s the part that’s lacking in her life.

Her husband gets into a whole lot of things, and does no good. This gets to a point where Portia feels like ‘I’m a woman and I also have needs.’ And this is when she decides, ‘I’m gonna take control of my life, my happiness and my needs.’ She goes out there to look for what’s missing in her life and she gets it. The best thing is, she’s paying for it and enjoying it at the same time.

What was most challenging about bringing this character to life?
My intimate scenes have never been this intimate. It really felt like it was my first time acting and that’s the beauty about acting. You can’t really say you’re comfortable with it because acting introduces you to different characters and different personalities. The things you get to do are always different. So with this one, it came with a whole lot of things that really shook me a little bit and made me uncomfortable. But I also love being uncomfortable.

What did you think of Season 1 of Adulting?
I absolutely loved it. I just felt like it’s so current and speaks to what is happening in our country right now. This is what boys do and this is what they get up to after varsity. You look for a job, you get your first break, you make your first million and what do you do? You go buy a car, look for this woman, rent an apartment and go wild. The stories resonated with me. It’s a very interesting story that speaks to a lot of young people.

How is Portia different from the roles you’ve played before?
I’ve never played the rich, spoiled and glamorous lady. It’s always been township based and I would like to believe that Portia also has a township background because I kind of brought in that element as well. That’s the only part where I felt like this character is bringing something new.

What made you say yes to this role?
First of all, I’ve always wanted to work with Tshedza Pictures. I think they are exceptional storytellers. Also, there comes a point in life when you get tired of playing it safe. You sort of want to stretch yourself a bit and kind of surprise yourself. I love the element of surprising myself and not being too comfortable in the things that I do. I know a lot of people will be like, ‘Thembi seems like she’s very strict with herself and she’s a good role model.’ But, why are we so scared to talk about sex? Why are we scared to talk about intimacy?

I think this stems from our parents because they were never comfortable enough to talk to us about intimacy. But it’s something that should be handled with respect. These are the elements I thought about – to say ‘you know what, sex is not a bad thing. It’s what created all of us.’

Do you think you share some similarities with your character?
She’s sexy! She’s the bomb! She’s the liker of things! I just love her guts. When she sets her mind to something, she goes for it, wholeheartedly.

Why should people watch Adulting?
People should watch Adulting because they will see themselves reflected in a lot of characters and will hear themselves speak through the characters. You know when you relate to a story, it becomes more enjoyable. Also the fact that it’s not just about intimacy; it touches on real issues that we all go through. Aside from the fact that it’s got the most incredibly talented actors, it also boasts exceptional writing and production. Overall, the story comes together beautifully.

Image and source: Showmax

BY Nkosazana Ngwadla

An University of Pretoria academic has been selected to be part of the Visiting Fellowship Programme facilitated by the Africa Oxford Initiative, a cross-university platform that enables collaborations between researchers at African institutions and those at the University of Oxford.

The fellowship programme gives exceptional African researchers the opportunity to work on a project of their choice with Oxford-based researchers.

Biochemist Dr Phanankosi Moyo, a postdoctoral fellow at UP’s Biodiscovery Centre in the Department of Chemistry, will be affiliated with the University of Oxford for a year, during which time they will participate in 10 months of virtual engagement and spend two months at the English university.

“Being a recipient of this fellowship is a great honour and privilege,” Dr Moyo says. “It is an opportunity to engage with leading scholars and it gives me access to state-of-the-art resources. I’d like to express my profound gratitude to the Africa Oxford Initiative and UP for this invaluable opportunity.

I’m particularly indebted to my postdoctoral supervisor, Professor Vinesh Maharaj, and our collaborators. This fellowship is a personal motivator for me to continue working towards achieving my personal advancement as an aspiring academic and researcher within the drug discovery field.”

Dr Moyo’s project is set to commence on 1 December this year. Part of his research will be conducted at UP’s Biodiscovery Centre under the supervision of Prof Maharaj, and during his two-month stint in Oxford, he will be working in the laboratory of Prof Christopher Schofield at the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research.

Image and source: UP

BY Nkosazana Ngwadla

A psychological preparedness training programme, developed to assist healthcare workers during COVID-19, proved so effective that it has evolved into a workplace programme.

Anxiety across the spectrum of healthcare workers was so high at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic that Professor Zukiswa Zingela, psychiatrist and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Nelson Mandela University, developed a psychological preparedness training programme to support healthcare workers.

“As healthcare workers we received medical training to diagnose and treat patients with COVID-19 but nothing about how to address our anxiety. I felt the psychiatry and mental health teams should be playing a tangible role and hence the development of the programme,” Prof Zingela explains.

Healthcare workers in three resource-limited hospitals in Nelson Mandela Bay, namely, Dora Nginza Hospital, Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital and Elizabeth Donkin Hospital, participated in the programme from mid-April 2020.

“It was designed to be short, sharp and useful so that in one to one-and-a-half hours they could leave the session with enhanced coping skills,” says Prof Zingela.

A paper was subsequently published on qualitative and quantitative data collected from 761 healthcare workers who participated in the programme. Results showed a significant positive change from pre- to post-intervention measures in the perceptions of health workers about the outbreak, their anxiety associated with the outbreak, their ability to control their reactions to stress and to support others.

This was published in March 2022 in the South African Journal of Psychiatry, titled: ‘Developing a healthcare worker psychological preparedness support programme for the COVID-19 outbreak’.

The psychological preparedness training programme has since been adapted into a short-learning programme (SLP) for working adults in any sector, and renamed Enhanced Preparedness Training (EPT). “It focuses on strengthening people’s self- and group coping and management skills,” Prof Zingela explains.

“It enhances self-management when faced with challenges and is achieved through a number of techniques aimed at instilling a sense of calm and an ability to manage stress. When we feel calm we are able to manage our fears, thoughts, feelings and behaviour; we are able to think logically about how to move forward and come up with feasible solutions.”

The programme is delivered in three parts which take the form of a 45-minute to 60-minite mind-care session, borrowing from theories of cognitive behavioural therapy that focus on what we are thinking and feeling, and how we behave when we interact with ourselves and others at work and at home.

The other two sessions are a 20-minute relaxation and mindfulness session followed by a 45-minute team-care session that looks at what role one can play to enhance the function of the team or work environment they are in.

“We all carry anxieties and fears when faced with challenges, and it is within our control to manage these or to seek help from someone who can assist us to achieve this. During the EPT programme we share different methods of mindfulness and relaxation, including guided imagery, mind-body feedback mechanism and grounding techniques. Through these, people learn how to manage and overcome the different forms of anxiety we all experience,” says Prof Zingela.

“When we feel anxious we start taking shorter, shallower breaths which disturbs the oxygen-carbon dioxide balance in our bodies. We also experience other effects like increased blood pressure which may lead to dizziness, dry mouth, pins and needles and even palpitations.

If this continues it can lead to a full-blown panic attack. The session on relaxation and mindfulness techniques helps with this. When we know how to normalise our breathing it immediately starts to reverse these physical symptoms and a sense of calm is restored which rejuvenates our coping skills.

“No matter how stressed we are or how hard our lives are, we have all experienced at least one moment when we felt peaceful or happy, and we draw on this,” Prof Zingela explains. “The grounding techniques are about achieving mindfulness through progressive relaxation that helps us to start focusing on the here and now, not on the regret or pain of the past or the fears we might have about the future.”

From September 2023 the EPT programme will be available to all who may wish to access it across the different faculties and externally. It will be offered countywide, both as a face-to-face intervention and online version.

The Faculty of Health Sciences works with internal and external facilitators who have a background in psychology, social work, and those in the medical and nursing professions with qualifications in mental health. The facilitators include the Director of the School of Behavioural and Lifestyle Sciences, Professor Zoleka Soji who is a clinical social worker, and the Dean of Learning and Teaching, Dr Phumeza Kota Nyati, who is a psychologist.

The EPT programme is structured in the form of two different options: the two-day programme for companies or individuals, and the three-day programme for professionals in the employee wellness sector who wish to train as facilitators of the programme . The Faculty is currently applying for the EPT programme to be approved for Continuous Professional Development.

Image and source: NMU

BY Nkosazana Ngwadla

Meet Sinikiwe Kademaunga, who was born without hands, knees nor feet, but to her nothing is impossible.

Although she grew up with cultural, social and economic barriers, Sinikiwe did not let that ground her. She has so much confidence in herself that many able bodied people would only dream of having.

She holds a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Cape Town.

Sinikiwe is an award-winning Confidence Coach, Social Worker, YouTube Content Creator and Inspirational Speaker.

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She is part of YouTube Black Voices Fund class of 2023, and a married mother of a four-month old baby boy.

“Surround yourself with good vibes only, hang around with people who accept you for you. Never surround yourself with people who feel sorry for you, they definitely bring you down,” said Sinikiwe Kademaunga.

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BY Nkosazana Ngwadla

KFC was thrilled to recently announce that Hloni Mohope, Marketing Director, KFC South Africa, as Chief Marketing Officer, KFC Central and Eastern Europe. 
 
Hloni joined KFC Africa as Senior Brand Manager in 2013 and has since proven to be a remarkable leader, brand builder and people grower. During this time, Hloni has worked across multiple marketing disciplines, delivering exceptional strategic thinking, and driving outstanding execution.
 
In 2022, she was promoted to Marketing Director overseeing Brand and Retail and shortly thereafter our Brand & Purpose strategy. 
 
Hloni is also a founding member of the Women on the Move program, KFC Africa’s first-ever female leadership development initiative. 

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BY Nkosazana Ngwadla

In the ongoing battle against breast cancer, attention is increasingly being drawn to Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC). This aggressive subtype affects women of African descent1, with Black women more than twice as likely as White women to receive a diagnosis of TNBC.

Breast cancer comes in different forms, each requiring a unique treatment approach. Most breast cancers are categorised by the presence of three common markers: oestrogen receptor (called ER-positive), progesterone receptor (PR-positive), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2-positive).

A diagnosis of triple-negative breast cancer means that the three most common types of receptors known to fuel most breast cancer growth–oestrogen, progesterone, and the HER-2/neu gene– are not present in the cancer tumour. This means that the breast cancer cells have tested negative for the hormone epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2), oestrogen receptors (ER), and progesterone receptors (PR).

TNBC disproportionately affects Black women and contributes to racial disparities in breast cancer mortality. While the exact reasons for this disparity are still under investigation, researchers say that there are many possible causes of this variation in prevalence among Black women, and possible factors include genetics, health behaviours, social structures and income.

Sheldene’s Journey: A Tale of Strength

Consider the journey of Sheldene Masondo, a 42-year-old woman and mother of three. A housecleaning accident which involved her daughter bumping into her breast led to the mother of three obtaining a relatively early diagnosis of aggressive triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), launching her into a whirlwind of treatments and emotional battles. For women like her, the journey begins with understanding the risk factors and the significant role genes play in this silent but formidable cancer type. Sheldene is a member of the cancer advocacy group Cancervive.

Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) contribute approximately 70% of global cancer deaths, and cancer incidence in these countries is rapidly increasing. Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, including South Africa (SA), bear some of the world’s highest cancer case fatality rates, largely attributed to late diagnosis.

South Africa’s diverse cultural landscape shapes perceptions of cancer, sometimes fostering myths, such as the view of cancer as a disease affecting primarily white populations. These beliefs, while deep-rooted, open avenues for robust educational initiatives.

With respect to traditional viewpoints, including those that attribute cancer to supernatural forces, public education campaigns to increase knowledge and decrease stigma are crucial in promoting the prevention and treatment of cancer in South Africa. Implementing interventions in culturally sensitive ways can enhance the reach of educational messages and increase adherence to treatment.

South African Breast Cancer Specialist Oncologist Dr Irene Boeddinghaus says for the first time in a century of treating TNBC, we’ve found a way to use the body’s own immune system to kill off the most aggressive and treatment-resistant of these diseases.

She said that the addition of immunotherapy to chemotherapy prior to surgery in TNBC, increased the chances of the cancer disappearing entirely by the time of surgery by 14%. This translates directly into an overall survival benefit for patients.

Image for illustration purposes.