TRIGGER WARNING: THIS EPISODE CONTAINS STRONG AND SOMETIMES GRAPHIC LANGUAGE INCLUDING DESCRIPTIONS OF RACISM/COLOURISM, VIOLENCE AND SPECIFICALLY SEXUAL VIOLENCE In this episode of In The Ring, I hosted Ismail Lagardien, the author of Too White To Be Coloured, Too Coloured To Be White. Lagardien's book is painfully compelling as it mixes stories from a fascinating life he has lived, with incisive and challenging analyses about the social and political (un)realities of South Africa. I decided to...
Apr 07, 2022•52 min•Season 1Ep. 86
I have already told you on social media just how compelling Nikolaos Kirkinis' biography of former professional footballer Junior Khayne is. You can also check out my written review ( https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times-daily/opinion-and-analysis/2022-03-27-book-review-the-junior-khanye-story-nimble-on-the-field-tripping-off-it/ ) of this book, Ghetto Ninja: The Junior Khanye Story. In this latest episode of In The Ring, you are in for an even greater treat; the author, Niko, is as compelli...
Apr 06, 2022•53 min•Season 1Ep. 85
Yesterday, former president Jacob Zuma suffered another legal setback when the Supreme Court of Appeal dismissed his application for leave to appeal his lower court failure to delay his corruption trial further. What was Zuma hoping for? Why is he delaying getting his day in court on the main corruption charges? What, truly, is going on here? I was joined by excellent senior legal journalist Karyn Maughan (News24) to make sense of it all. Enjoy, and remember to subscribe to the podcast before yo...
Apr 01, 2022•17 min•Season 1Ep. 84
I think Will Smith and Chris Rock should both be criticised for what happened at the Oscars. I argued for this viewpoint on TimesLIVE ( https://www.timeslive.co.za/ideas/2022-03-28-eusebius-mckaiser-heres-why-chris-rock-and-will-smith-deserve-neither-praise-nor-defence/ ) In this edition of In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser, I summarise my argument but go further and also expand on responses to criticism while adding new points I did not raise in my analysis piece. Enjoy...
Mar 30, 2022•54 min•Season 1Ep. 83
There can be no doubt, after the local government election results of last year, that the governing African National Congress is in deep political trouble. Many analysts take for granted that in 2024 there is a real possibility of the ANC getting less than 50% of the national vote, ushering in an era of coalition politics both nationally and provincially. This kind of prediction is premised on the assumption that the ANC cannot be saved from terminal electoral decline. In this episode of In The ...
Mar 28, 2022•46 min•Season 1Ep. 82
I have had the pressure and privilege, for more than ten years, of serving on many bursary and scholarship selection committees. I also, before that, had applied for many bursaries and scholarships myself - during high school and throughout university. Not everyone knows how to go about constructing an application that has decent odds of succeeding. In this episode of In The Ring, I draw on my many years of experience, and list and discuss 5 top tips for ANYONE applying for a bursary or a schola...
Mar 24, 2022•33 min•Season 1Ep. 81
I end off my short audio contributions for anti-racism week by explaining why the END GOAL should be to arrive in an anti-racist society and not a non-racial society. While we shouldn't be distracted by language debates - and rather focus on materially changing society - I do think it is useful to explain my general unhappiness with the term or concept of non-racialism and my preference for framing the justice project as squarely an anti-racist project
Mar 18, 2022•12 min•Season 1Ep. 80
Have you considered one painful aspect of anti-black racism that we really do not like talking about - internalised oppression? In today's short audio contribution to anti-racism week I raise some examples of internalised oppression with a view to sparking an intra-black dialogue about the deep psychological violence of white supremacy, violence so enormous that even when whites aren't around we could display internalised oppression which is why we must be vigilant, and get a proper grip on the ...
Mar 17, 2022•12 min•Season 1Ep. 79
Now former Democratic Alliance politician and leader Mbali Ntuli explained in detail her reasons for exiting both the party and the political stage. On Eusebius on TimesLIVE, which we also cross-post here on In The Ring, she painted a picture of a political culture that had taken root within the DA that is factionalist in nature, leading to the "weaponising" of party structures and processes, including disciplinary processes, for factional ends. While describing herself as being "emotional" abou...
Mar 17, 2022•28 min•Season 1Ep. 78
Continuing this week's daily nuggets in response to anti-racism week, today I speak directly to white allies in the fight for racial justice. There are useful and not-so-useful ways of responding to the reality of anti-black racism. This short audio entry helps white allies to think more carefully about the demands of allyship
Mar 16, 2022•16 min•Season 1Ep. 77
In today's short audio entry on racism - as part of anti-racism week - I read from Eloquent Rage by Brittney Cooper. I then use the excerpt to medidate on the importance of paying attention to how racism often teams up with other kinds of oppression all of which need to be eliminated from the world if we are serious about arriving in a truly just place.
Mar 15, 2022•13 min•Season 1Ep. 76
Between now and Human Rights Day on 21st March, we are focusing on anti-racism for the week. Each day this week, on In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser, I will address, in a short audio entry, one or two aspects of the fight against white supremacy, the fight against anti-black racism and for racial equality. In this first entry of the week, I raise and answer two questions: are all white people racist? Do all white people benefit from the global history of anti-black racism? Listen to this very ...
Mar 14, 2022•9 min•Season 1Ep. 75
I decided to hang out with Democratic Alliance leader and politician Mbali Ntuli. We challenged ourselves to not speak party politics, and what unfolded was a beautiful conversation about the myriad quandaries of parenting (she is a mom to a little daughter and also currently pregnant), illness and mental health (she speaks openly about some severe existential challenges), the upsides and downsides of public life, and so much more. Enjoy and remember to SUBSCRIBE to In The Ring With Eusebius McK...
Mar 09, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 74
I realised while digging into her archived ouput, that my friend Karima Brown, who died from covid-19 related complications exactly a year ago, was truly brilliant in many more ways than we grasp when someone is alive. She was an excellent journalist, broadcaster and political analyst. Her life's work deserves a rich and complete description of it, that can live permanently and be accessible to anyone. That is necessary to ensure that we do not commit epistemicide. The work and legacies of women...
Mar 04, 2022•43 min•Season 1Ep. 73
Despite being bored by the desperate hate speech case brought by Afriforum against Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema, for the apparent singing of the allegedly hate speech-filled anti-apartheid chant, Kill the Boer, so many of you asked me for my opinion that I've reluctantly done so in this short episode. There are three lessons here for racists that Malema freely provided. I discuss them. Simply click and enjoy this latest episode of In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser Don't forget...
Feb 27, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 72
I was joined by brilliant novelist Sue Nyathi & also by exuberant Vanita Daniels, a funny and brilliant social justice activist (Rise Up Against Gender Based Violence) to talk about The Wife. We laughed our asses off while exploring the light and shade. SPOILER ALERT- we will ruin your viewing if you've not seen it yet. But if you have, this episode is a TREAT. And even if you won't watch it, there are issues of general interest- from comically bad acting to the ethics of portraying gratuito...
Feb 17, 2022•52 min•Season 1Ep. 71
Towards the end of the state of the nation address last week, president Cyril Ramaphosa appeared to be inspiring us all to be "resilient". Wittingly or unwittingly, however, he was emotionally blackmailing you. I wrote about that on TimesLIVE in an analysis piece you can read ( https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times-daily/opinion-and-analysis/2022-02-13-eusebius-mckaiser-did-you-notice-ramaphosa-blackmailed-you-on-thursday/?fbclid=IwAR16GGjVO6n093cOkgqGQqiMKXld7zKyC7SwTUtHTzBKjurEBWgpLeokTTg )...
Feb 15, 2022•12 min•Season 1Ep. 70
In this latest episode of In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser, I was joined by two excellent former journalists, Lance Claasen and Thabo Shole-Mashao, who now allegedly play in the murky worlds of public relations, communications and, who knows, reputational management (or uhm not)! These combinations of skills and experiences made for a fascinating debate between the three of us about the political brand, and leadership strengths and weaknesses, of president Cyril Ramaphosa. Some of the question...
Feb 09, 2022•34 min•Season 1Ep. 69
This week ActionSA will reveal that former Democratic Alliance leader Athol Trollip will be joining the party founded by fellow former DA leader Herman Mashaba. I can confirm that this is the news which the party has been coy and playful about on social media, ahead of a press conference on Wednesday 9th February. In this episode of In The Ring With Eusebius, I take a close look at the implications of this development. Will this move strengthen the new party? How might it impact the party's pros...
Feb 08, 2022•48 min•Season 1Ep. 68
Joanne Joseph has written a brilliant work of historical fiction, Children of Sugarcane, and so I invited her back to In The Ring for a book interview. I simply had to engage the thematic range of this very exciting new book that everyone should buy and read. In this novel, we journey with an indentured labourer, Shanti, and through her arrival in Port Natal, and the stories that unfold, we get a close account of the myriad ways in which the violence of Empire impacted the lives of those oppress...
Feb 06, 2022•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 67
Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh and I jointly hosted each other in a fun, experimental set-up where I appeared on his fantastic YouTube channel, and that in turn served also as the recording of this episode of In The Ring. We explored two framing questions about the constitution: first, is the vision for the country that is contained in the constitution the right vision for an ideal South Africa? Secondly, would changes to the constitutional text make any difference in helping us achieve a more just South Afr...
Feb 01, 2022•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 66
In this episode of In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser, I hang out with top South African author and broadcaster Joanne Joseph, catching up with her on what she had been up to since leaving 702. I started off by engaging her on vegetarianism. Thereafter we talked about the media landscape generally and in particular her experience as a woman in media. In what was a wide-ranging conversation in which we get to know her better, we also touch on life as a public figure, reading preferences, musical ...
Jan 28, 2022•46 min•Season 1Ep. 65
How should white people respond to their positionality in a world in which anti-black racism proliferates? How should men respond to their positionality in a world in which patriarchy proliferates? What does it mean to be an ally of black people? What does it mean to be an ally of women? What are the true requirements of ubuntu, and what action steps should be taken by allies to truly be productive in helping to smash racism and patriarchy. This episode of In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser exam...
Jan 18, 2022•33 min•Season 1Ep. 64
I really don't wanna sell you this podcast episode with a lengthy description. Can I just say this - if you listen to only ONE episode of In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser in 2022 it will probably have to be this one. Lebogang is a brilliant guest. Energetic. Passionate. Intellectually stimulating. And as a feminist and social activist she gives us a masterclass on feminism and realpolitik that would be of interest to local and international audiences. I'd pay you to listen to if I won the lott...
Jan 14, 2022•47 min•Season 1Ep. 63
Veteran African National Congress leader and member of Cabinet Lindiwe Sisulu has written a column ( https://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/opinion/lindiwe-sisulu-hi-mzansi-have-we-seen-justice-d9b151e5-e5db-4293-aa21-dcccd52a36d3 ) that has everyone talking. It essentially critiques the rule of law, the judiciary and the constitution but it is hard to know precisely what the main thesis and argument is. If you have the gift of interpretation, you might be able to tell the rest of us. Nevertheless, one...
Jan 10, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 62
Hawu. It's not even 2022 properly yet and a call center agent tries her luck selling stuff. We haven't even paid for Dezemba bills! So. I had a choice: end the call quickly or have a bit of fun. I decided to have fun. Because, YOLO. Enjoy!
Jan 03, 2022•6 min•Season 1Ep. 62
Janet Gourand (Sobriety Advocate & Recovery Coach), who runs the brilliant online community portal, Tribe Sober, joined me to talk about the 2022 Dry January challenge. See whether you can go alcohol free for 30 days; you may just like it! It runs for any 30 consecutive days of your choice between now until end of January. Get an early start. You will get online daily support and, in turn, you have a chance to change the lives of children living under conditions of poverty and other hardship...
Dec 29, 2021•36 min•Season 1Ep. 61
Sisonke Msimang joined me to debate whether or not, when his legacy is properly considered, Archbishop Desmond Tutu can be located along the spectrum of Black Radical Thought. Msimang argues that not only is Tutu undeniably radical in his racial politics, but that we should also push back against notions of non-racialism that wrongly associate the doctrine with colourblindness and polite politics. Tutu's allyship on the question of same-sex love and relationships shows his intersectional politic...
Dec 28, 2021•42 min•Season 1Ep. 60
Former president Jacob Zuma's medical parole was taken away today by the Johannesburg High Court. Arthur Fraser, in his then capacity as National Commissioner of Correctional Services, had granted Zuma medical parole. This decision was declared unlawful and set aside. Zuma must return to prison. And, none of the days wrongly spent away from prison as a medical parolee, will count towards his 15 month sentence that he had been given by the constitutional court after he was found guilty of contemp...
Dec 15, 2021•18 min•Season 1Ep. 59
Musician Kabelo Mabalane recently admitted on Instagram that although he is part of an anti-GBV campaign (#NoExcuse), that "as a young man [he] too was a perpetrator of this shameful cowardly behaviour." But what exactly did he do at the height of his fame when TKZ was massively popular and their sounds were the soundtracks to our youth? What is the source of his shame? What does it even mean to take responsibility now? Has he admitted to women he had wronged that he had done them wrong? Has he ...
Dec 09, 2021•49 min•Season 1Ep. 58
