Category Archives: Culture and identities
Rebecca Davis, Traditional Courts bill: Rural people won’t give away their rights to seal pre-eleciton deals
Rebecca Davis, When culture and policing collide. Circumcision deaths and ukuthwala -unpunished crimes
The area of what is described as cultural practices has now become a site where there are extensive abuses Continue reading
Manipuri dance by Bimbavati Devi Radha Roop Varnan
Poverty and intersex people. a conversation with intersex activist Mani Mitchell
In our constitution we protect freedom of sexual orientation. Continue reading
Rebecca Davis, Abortion in South Africa. A conspiracy of silence
The right to freedom of choice in relation to terminating pregnancies is one of the progressive laws enacted after 1994. Continue reading
Raymond Suttner, Response to comments on my article in the Mail and Guardian of 27 September 2013
I recently published an article analysing the degeneration of the ANC led tripartite alliance. Continue reading
Elizabeth Thornberry, Customary status of ukuthwala debated since 19th century
Elizabeth Thornberry, Even living custom must be developed in accordance with constitution
Elizabeth, Thornberry: Validity of “ukuthwala” depends on definition of custom
Madonsini Manqina, Queen of South Africa’s Pondo music
Madosini, from Langa township outside Cape Town South Africa, is a master story-teller, composer and musician. Treating audiences to traditions passed down from generation to generation, Madosini was filmed here playing the Uhadi and Umrhubhe – Rhodes Memorial September 2005.
Nomboniso Gasa, Women must lead initiation debate
Gcobani Qambela, Why Trevor Noah’s tweets about Caster Semenya matters
I do not know what Caster Semenya’s sexual orientation is. What I do know is that she is constitutionally entitled to decide how she wants to be, in terms of her sexual identity and her choice of sexual practices so long as this does not violate the rights of others. We are speaking of a young woman who has had traumatic experiences because her sexuality was questioned in the course of her athletic career. A comedian is a public figure and if that person is to do more than make people laugh, especially if s/he is a satirist there must be some sense of responsibility and respect towards other human beings especially someone who is vulnerable. And this is especially so if Caster Semenya has chosen a sexual identity that deviates form heteronormativity. We are living through a period of repeated ‘corrective rapes’. We are entitled to expect that all public figures should take steps to combat this scourge and even if their job is humour, to defend constitutionalism, and individual identities and choices.
Laura Kapelari, Social media rape culture and how women are fighting back
Nomboniso Gasa on patriarchy in history and SA today
Mandisi Majavu, Vavi: Discursive Tension Stifles Rape Discussion
Another take on the alleged rape or ‘consensual’ sex engaged in by Zwelinzima Vavi in COSATU HQ. While I think the writer brings some insights that have not been in the debate, the power relationship seems somehow to be lost in the various discourses that the writer examines. While ‘discursive tension’ may stifle debate, without detracting from what the contribution reveals, does it open that debate on Vavi’s actions, any further than it has been up till now?
Raymond Suttner 