journalist | The Journalist

Screams of women through art

Jul 30, 2019

A tour with deep emotions

The Free State Arts Festival recently took place at the Bloemfontein campus of the University of the Free State. In this piece Precious Mamotingoe Lesupi reports on a tour through her emotions as she experienced some of the plays.

Disgust, shame and heartache are the first things that came to me as I watched most of the plays at the Free State Arts Festival this year. I felt the screams of women in our country through art.

Colonialism came with historical distortions and we as modern day society still live by those and turn them into new words, philosophies and principles.

Mathatha Tsedu’s autobiography is our collective story

Jul 30, 2019

“Detention, imprisonment, torture and banishment were almost inevitable”

Mathatha Tsedu, veteran journalist and writer-in-residence at STIAS is a familiar face in the media landscape. He has served as editor of City Press and Sunday Times, he has been deputy head of news at SABC and head of the Media 24’s Journalist academy. Added to his many accolades is chairperson of the African Editors Forum and the SANEF. He was recently honoured by President Cyril Ramaphosa, during the awarding of National Orders at a ceremony in Tshwane.

Social worker and author, a Q&A with Rethabile Lenkoe

Jul 30, 2019

We have more that makes us similar than that which makes us different.

Bongani Madondo once wrote, “Writing is both an act of war and a practice of love”. It is war, both internally and externally, to write your version of the truth. It often calls for the crucifixion of self – one’s pride has to give in to one’s vulnerability. To Rethabile Lenkoe, a South African author, and social worker, writing is like stepping out naked and hoping that people will understand your motives and help you instead of condemning you.

Toxic masculinity and aspiring to be James Bond

Jul 30, 2019

Toxic Hypermasculinity and the portrayal of gendered roles in media

In a society such as ours, with high levels of gender-based violence and public performances of misogyny, it is important to reflect on the impact that representations of hyper-masculinity in the media has on society, as it has the power to shape values, norms and perceptions.

Shades of black: An exhibition in colour

Jul 30, 2019

Invoking memory and curiosity

An outing to a local art event, First Thursdays, didn’t go quite as planned. It turned out even better. Precious stumbled on an exhibition at The Other Venue on 2nd Avenue in Bloemfontein. In this piece, she reports on the art that caught her eye.

The Black Season is an exhibition by Lesego Motsiri who is a student from the Department of Fine Arts at the University of the Free State. It is made up of a collection of 21 artworks inspired by dark moments in the artist’s life. Motsiri has had viewers interested since its premier at Art Fusion in 2016, the year he created his work.