Unzima Lomthwalo Ufuna Madoda[1] [Extracted from The Cape Town Book by Nechama Brodie] In April 1959, a breakaway group of the ANC, under the leadership of Robert Sobukwe, formed the political party known as the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC). At the time, black political activity in the western Cape was largely overshadowed by events taking […]
The Mutiny on the Meermin
Nechama’s note: This edited extract originally appeared in my history of Cape Town, The Cape Town Book (Struik). As I explain, below, the text was written by a history student named Andrew Alexander who tragically passed away after a motorbike accident several years ago. I received permission from the university to include some of his […]
Alternative guides to Johannesburg and Cape Town in the Guardian (UK)
February saw the launch of a beautifully conceived new series on alternative travel in South Africa, published by the Guardian. You can read my contributions – the alternative guide to Johannesburg, and the alternative guide to Cape Town – by clicking on the links on this page. My recommendation is that you follow the links […]
A series of tweets on the Khoe-San genocide in the Cape
This is the full collection of numbered tweets I published on Sunday 26 September, discussing the genocide of the Khoe-San in the South African [western] Cape. I published the series in response to a number of history-related conversations on Twitter – earlier threads challenging the existence of a ‘coloured’ identity in South Africa; and, later, […]
Notes on a City (View from the Book Fair)
Last weekend I joined a panel of smart city people at the South African Book Fair, to talk about the notion of a post-apartheid Johannesburg – under the title ‘Future Perfect’. The other members of the panel were David Everatt, former head of the powerhouse Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO), and about to take up the […]
No More Mister Nice Guy – Meet Charlie Human, Brilliant Author of Apocalypse Now Now
Charlie Human’s first novel will sneak up behind you and whack you on the back of the head with a very big stick. And you’ll like it. Nechama Brodie finds out how the sweet-as-pie author lured his dark side out into the open. The first time I read Apocalypse Now Now was on my […]
Future Joburg: How Joburg’s changing skyline could shape the city of the future
This article first appeared in City Press in November 2014 At the start of the just-released trailer for Marvel’s new Avengers movie, the Age of Ultron (out in May next year), the villain – a seriously bad-guy robot – whispers ominously: “I’m going to show you something beautiful.” What he reveals is the skyline of […]
Making Maboneng
This article originally appeared in the Australian Smith Journal in 2014. <great images by Greg Lomas, who did the portraits for this feature – see more images in the link> “This is a real 360-degree view,” says Jonathan Liebmann, standing on the rooftop of his latest acquisition: the 17-storey Hallmark Towers in downtown Johannesburg. The northern […]
The Great Banting Debate
[This article originally appeared in Men’s Health magazine] Tim Noakes’ revival of a 150-year-old high-fat, low-carbohydrate Harvey Banting diet has been roundly condemned by the medical establishment. The controversy has turned Noakes into a best-seller. It’s good PR – but is it good science? This is what happens on a low-carb, high-fat diet. First, you […]
The new edition of the Joburg Book is out now!
More than 10 000 copies sold! Just in time for jasmine and jacaranda season (yes, I know they’re both aliens), the new and updated edition of the best-selling Joburg Book has finally arrived, and is on sale now at all good book stores (you can also order online from Kalahari or Exclusive Books if you […]
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