More than 3 300 students attended the university’s first Witsies Got Talent competition, where sold-out crowds, cheering audiences, and standout performances transformed the Great Hall into a celebration of student talent
Ntando Qangule won the competition and R30 000, followed by Zinhle Zonke Bhebhe with R20 000 and Luke Scrase with R10 000.
Singing, poetry, dance, and audience participation turned the finale into a celebration of student talent and campus life.
Cheers echoed across the Great Hall on Saturday evening as students chanted Ntando Qangule’s name before she had even stepped onto the stage.
Moments later, the third-year Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Performance student delivered the singing performance that would win her the first Witsies Got Talent title and R30 000 in prize money.
The grand finale, hosted by Campus Housing and Residence Life on May 9, brought together the competition’s top 12 finalists after 137 students initially entered.
Qangule, who said she had been feeling ill before the performance, credited feedback from judges in previous rounds for helping shape her final act. “Perform. You’re not just here to sing. We know you have a voice, but perform,” she said, recalling the advice she received during the competition.
Poet Zinhle Zonke Bhebhe placed second and received R20 000, while second-year LLB student Luke Scrase secured third place and R10 000 for his tap-dancing performance.
The top three winners of Witsies Got Talent 2026 pose with their prize cheques at the Great Hall on May 9. From left are third-place winner Luke Scrase, first-place winner Ntando Qangule and second-place winner Zinhle Bhebhe alongside sponsors and organisers. Photo: Asisipho Lynette Mpahleni
Students fill the Great Hall during the sold-out Witsies Got Talent grand finale hosted by Campus Housing and Residence Life. Photo: Asisipho Lynette Mpahleni
Hosts Simon Bopape (left) and Khayalethu Xaba engage the audience during the Witsies Got Talent grand finale at the Great Hall. Photo: Asisipho Lynette Mpahleni
From left are judges Dr Moloi, Thembisile Mathebula, Vuyolwethu Matiwane and Sibusiso Mkhize during the Witsies Got Talent grand finale at the Great Hall. Photo: Asisipho Lynette Mpahleni
The winner of the Wooden Mic Talent 2026, Promise Ntshudisane, known as Dese Ke Star, shakes judge Sibusiso Mkhize’s hand. Photo: Asisipho Lynette Mpahleni
One of the standout moments of the night came from Scrase’s tap dancing routine, which left judge Vuyolwethu Matiwane admitting that she had forgotten to write down a score because she was so captivated by the performance.
“Audiences are not always open-minded enough to appreciate something like tap… but the judges and the audience really got into it, and I could not be more grateful,” Scrase later told Wits Vuvuzela.
The finale featured performances from Angelic Voices of Buffness, Luke Scrase, Kira Attfield-Fuchs, Zinhle Zonke Bhebhe, Munei Nthai, Nandi Moyo, Asibonge Ntuli, Ogomotseng Gaonathebe, Dineo Modisane, Raiders 6, Cebisile Banda, and Ntando Qangule.
Audience participation remained high throughout the evening as students sang, danced, and competed for prizes handed out by hosts Simon Bopape and actor Khayalethu Xaba. Fourth-year BA Theatre and Performance student Asibonge Ntuli also received a standing ovation before she even began performing her original song.
Celebrity performances from Aymos, Soweto’s Finest, and Clemour Ngobeni added to the atmosphere as judges Dr Moloi, Vuyolwethu Matiwane, Thembisile Mathebula, and Sibusiso Mkhize evaluated performances ranging from singing and poetry to dance and visual art.
Campus Housing and Residence Life organiser, Mr Maphumulo, said the initiative aimed to create opportunities for students beyond the classroom.
“The talent show is critical because it addresses several issues, such as alternative entertainment, raises awareness about drug/alcohol free residence communities, and most of all, mental health. The show not only gives a platform but also allows students to have a healthy competition amongst themselves,” he said.
Promise Ntshudisane, known as Dese Ke Star, won the Wooden Mic Talent 2026 category, a comedy-focused category created mainly for entertainment.
Alongside cash prizes, finalists also received Pick n Pay vouchers, sponsored trips, and opportunities to perform at future university events.
As the crowd slowly emptied from the Great Hall, students were still replaying performances, singing lyrics, and debating their favourite acts from the night.
FEATURED IMAGE: Witsies Got Talent 2026 winners Luke Scrase, Ntando Qangule, and Zinhle Bhebhe pose with their prize cheques after the grand finale at the Great Hall. Photo: Asisipho Lynette Mpahleni
The Melville Art Mile reactivates the creative heritage of the suburb.
Once a month, the Melville Art Mile creates a walkable art experience in the heart of student life in Johannesburg, Melville.
Artists, are given the opportunity to exhibit their work in a way that is accessible to all.
Melville is reclaiming its spot as Johannesburg’s creativity hub.
Ask anyone who has been a university student in Johannesburg; they have been to or at least heard of Melville. From the cute cafes to the busy bars to the grand graffiti adorning almost every crevice of the area, Melville creates a vibrant, friendly atmosphere that differs from its neighbouring suburbs.
The suburb has begun to center itself as Johannesburg’s creativity hub. Student culture has shifted the legacy of the environment from a quiet, calm Afrikaaner area to the lively, artsy dynamic it has become.
One event captures the soul of the suburb, the Melville Art Mile, a monthly event along the Melville Strip.
Canvases spill out onto the streets, loud laughter can be heard all around, and handmade trinkets are on display. This is the scene that greeted me when I visited on Thursday, May 7. The event invites people to enjoy a night of art, music, and community by providing an accessible way to curate and consume art, a welcome detour, especially for students.
Artwork by Indoni on exhibit at Melville Art Mile. Photo by: Kerese Govender
The Melville Art Mile offers opportunities for young emerging artists to display their work. This provides them with the push they might need to fulfil their dreams. A singular compliment on their brushstrokes from a stranger or even a few new followers on Instagram, is sometimes all it takes to get one foot out the door.
Many artists credited Melville in their artistic journeys as this environment is one of the only places that one can paint without anyone disturbing them, in reference to graffiti art. “Melville has always been known as an artist sanctuary.” Aubrey Moloto, the founder of Melville Art Mile, told this reporter.
Thalia Ngcobo, a young artist with work on display at the event, shared, “This is a great opportunity especially for those who are starting out, because starting out is scary. Doing this is the first step in your career.”
The Melville Art Mile is considered an “open market for artists because there’s nowhere in Johannesburg where you are able to sell your artworks to a public audience and receive all the comission,” Moloto explained while discussing the benefits of exhibiting at this event. “All you need to do is fill out an online form that can be found via the organisation’s social media pages and wait to be selected. Melville artists and businesses are prioritised as “this is for them, by them,” he further commented.
Artist Alex Dibakwane and his artwork, Ancestral Disputes, on exhibit at Melville Art Mile. Photo by: Kerese Govender
Moloto shared that the initiative of the organisation is to remind the city as well as everyone around it that Melville, at its core, is a creative space. Another goal is to boost the economy of the area.
Every turn that you take, every street you walk down, and every exhibit you enter, shows you exactly what Melville is becoming – a space for creatives to exist without (too much) worry.
The neighbourhood is more than just its dangerous reputation. Moloto hopes to “shake that narrative” through the First Thursday monthly Melville Art Mile events. The organisation’s driving force is to regenerate Melville’s creative roots and bring back life to the local businesses by boosting the economy and providing work for everyone in the neighbourhood, from students to residents to artists.
“Melville is a great example of what Johannesburg should be,” explained Neil Badenhorst, a frequent attendee at Melville Art Mile.
According to event attendees, art has a pretentious culture attached to it. In theory, art is meant to be something accessible and interactive, a source of community. However, in practice, it has become a very clinical experience. The welcoming and vivid feel has been disrupted by an elitist and alienating crowd.
Yet, this is not the case in Melville. In Melville, art is for everyone.
It belongs to those who cannot afford a ticket to an art gallery. It belongs to those who can sketch in their sleep. It belongs to those who do not understand the difference between acrylic, watercolour, or gouache. It belongs to those who can mould a block of clay into a masterpiece.
FEATURED IMAGE: Attendee looking at artwork on display at the Melville Art Mile. Photo by: Kerese Govender.
As the cold begins to settle and the due dates creep closer, the Wits Hindu Students Society creates a home away from home by hosting a Thunee tournament on campus.
The Wits HSS recently held its annual Thunee tournament.
Prizes were up for grabs ranging from R200 to R1000.
The aim of the tournament was to preserve the culture of the game and create a community for its players.
With money to be won and a game you love to play, what could be more exciting? On Friday, May 8, the Wits HSS hosted its annual Thunee tournament at the Margo Steele building.
Up for grabs – R1000 for first place, R400 for second place, and R200 for third place. These prizes are a culmination of the money raised by entry fee tickets, which cost R100 per team.
The game dates back to the 1860s, when Indian indentured labourers arrived to work on the sugar cane fields in what was then known as Natal. A game that helped them find connection and preserve culture amid their enslavement in a strange land.
Even though the game has evolved since, all you need is three of your best friends or complete strangers and a special pack of 28 Playing Cards.
“To continue hosting these tournaments will play a very big part in keeping Thunee alive at Wits, because naturally certain things skip generations, and we’re trying to prevent that.” explained Aadit Aheer, the former chairperson of Wits HSS.
The tournament was not just limited to Wits students but also open to members of the community. There were three teams made up of self-named ‘uncles.’
Five hours. Two calm initial rounds. A captivating quarterfinal. A chilling semi-final. A crazily competitive final.
While the game is about tricking opponents and reaching a total of 105 first, it is also about communication—how well you and your partner know each other, what a slight eyebrow raise, or nostril flare could mean.
As the tournament shifted from a fun night with friends to an intense evening of eye contact, smack talk and cards hitting the table, only four teams remained.
It was Uncles 3 versus Call & Loss, and Uncles 2 versus EN-SYNC.
The entire crowd peaking over their shoulders as they played for the top prize.
The night ended with Uncles 3 winning first place, Call & Loss taking second place and Uncles 2 coming in third.
The winners of first and third place graciously donated their prizes to the Wits HSS Temple and a first year they had played against, respectively.
Directions to Thunee tournament. Photo by: Kerese Govender
A hand of cards held by a player. Photo by: Kerese Govender
Names of teams playing in the tournament and a pack of cards. Photo by: Kerese Govender
Second place winners of the Thunee tournament, Savani Govender and Ashen Naidoo. Photo by: Kerese Govender
Deck of special cards for Thunee tournament. Photo by: Kerese Govender
Winners of Thunee tournament, Colonel Lionel Chetty and Kevin Peramaul, with the chairperson of the Wits HSS, Ushdir Singh. Photo by: Kerese Govender
“We would like to give this money back to charity,” said Colonel Lionel Chetty, member of Uncles 3. “For us, it is not just a game. It brings people together.” he further commented.
Thunee is more than just a game. It is the beginning of friendships. All it takes is one look at the table to your left, a quick question, “You know how to jol thunee?” and the rest is history. It serves as a semblance of home for those who leave everything and everyone, they know, to attend Wits. Whether it is at your grandparents’ dining room table or at the Matrix, the game lives on.
FEATURED IMAGE: Directions to Thunee Tournament. Photo by: Kerese Govender
When Wits met La Réunion on stage, language fell away and music took over. Voices Without Borders brought French precision and African warmth together for one unforgettable night at the Atrium.
Picture of Wits choir warming up for the event. Photo by: Reatlehile Mashamba
The Faculty of Humanities and the Wits Choir welcomed Choeur du Petit Conservatoire de I’Est for a joint concert titled Voices Without Borders on May 08 at the Wits Artiruim.
The performance was set to start at 18:30 with guests arriving an hour earlier, filling the air with excitement and anticipation. From the moment the first note rang, the contrast between both choirs was evident, and that was the essence of the evening: a cultural exchange with no borders.
Led by director Fanny Prie, the French choir set the stage with precision and harmony of classical French repertoire. Based in Saint-Andre, La Reunion, the 45-strong youth ensemble is known back home for their “Bus de Noel” tour across schools and hospitals. Their sound was clean, controlled and disciplined, with pure evidence of what years of training sound like in every phrase they sang.
Yet, the performance didn’t feel cold; it brought warmth to a country far from home. “We are a population and a mix; that’s what our choir represents. It’s difficult because African choirs sing in their languages, but it has been a lesson for us and the exchange helps us exchange the French repertoire.” said Prie. The Artiruim fell silent after the last note, then broke into applause, as language barriers disappeared through music. On the other side, Menzi Gumede and Sasha Xola Dladla-Nkosi shaped the Wits Choir for the evening. It was nerve wracking for them going in not knowing what the audience’s turnout would be, but there was clear excitement from both conductors.
They pushed the choir into rhythm and created a beautiful harmony, listening for how it could blend well with the French choir’s precision. For Dladla-Nkosi, that was the point of the night. “Shared harmony is the ability to do things with people who have not been exposed to the choir setting. Harmony in itself blows people who are not involved in choirs away.” said Dladla-Nkosi.
The electric feeling from both conductors came through in the passionate voices of the choir. The choir blended well mixing raw talent to make beautiful melodies. When the Wits choir missed a note and had to restart, the moment wasn’t met with embarrassment by performers and the audience. It was instead met with a shared understanding that they were striving for perfection.
The idea of “shared harmony” stopped being just an idea and became what was happening in real time. It wasn’t about which choir was better; it was about what happens when two different traditions and age groups meet with the intent to learn from each other and deliver the best performance.
“The cultural exchange is something I’m looking forward to because they are an elderly choir. I’m just really excited to be here. I think music is a universal language and them coming from France and us from South Africa and us coming together for the love of music encapsulate what shared harmony means” said Kea Maphila, an alto singer for Wits choir.
When both choirs came together on stage, it was nothing but beautiful. The precision and energy from both choirs completed the entire evening. In that moment the differences in language, style and training did not matter; what remained was a shared sound that felt bigger than each choir. Reunionese choral music blends French choral discipline with Maloya rhythms, a Créole style from African, Malagasy and Indian heritage on the island’s sugar plantations. South Arican choral music blends Western hymns with indigenous African traditions in the Amakwaya style, becoming an identity and community tool. It showed that music does not need perfect translation to connect people, it needs two groups willing to listen and meet in the middle.
Picture of Wits choir practising while French choir watches them. Photo by: Reatlehile Mashamba
FEATURED IMAGE: Picture of Wits choir warming up for the event. Photo by: Reatlehile Mashamba
With every ending there is a new beginning, and that’s been the case for a recently shuttered local second-hand bookshop.
The Bookdealers of Melville was given a short notice to move out of their initial space.
Financial constraints have had a negative impact on Bookdealers of Melville, with low turnovers in comparison to 11 years ago.
Bookdealers has moved three blocks up,now located inside a coffee shop, namely The Sourcery in Melville, where customers can enjoy both books and coffee.
The Bookdealers of Melville is a well-known local second-hand bookshop that has been running for 35 years. Unfortunately, this year marked the beginning of the end for Bookdealers after being left with no choice but to move out of their shop by the end of April.
Photo of boxes filled with books inside the original Bookdealers of Melville store. Photo: Sikelelekile Pahlana
Bookdealers’ last day of trading was officially on April 20, 2026, and their final departure and relocation took place on Saturday, May 2, 2026.
Wits Vuvuzela visited the new, smaller set-up inside The Sourcery, a coffee shop three blocks up from the original store, to get some insight into the change.
Doron Locketz, owner of Bookdealers of Melville said: “We knew that there were new owners [for the space] in January, I think the sale went through. It took them a while to get their admin stuff together and they gave me notice in March to leave, to move out first, at the end of March. But you know, legally they’ve got to give you a calendar’s month notice. Then they realised they can’t do it, not legally, so the notice was for the end of April.”
Locketz claims that initially the landlord was going to ask for a moderate rent increase to what Bookdealers was paying previously, “but then he [the landlord] doubled it and at that stage we were not sure whether we would be able to manage the rental, and he instead gave it out to somebody else.”
Locketz recalls the conversation between himself and the landlord and describes the contrast in the interaction as being, “very casual and easy for him, you know, but for us it is a nightmare because we have been here for something like 35 years, which is crazy, you know in the one spot, and it was a hell of a business to get everything out and in the new area. You know, we’ve lost probably about 20-25% of our shelving space, which is going to be an issue. The stuff that we take out will most probably go on to our website.”
Business before the move was already slow. “It’s been very tough. Our turnover has been lower than it was 11 years ago. So, we have to be, you know very careful, we did have two closing down sales, which did help, but we haven’t traded now for over two weeks, we’ve taken quite a knock here.”
Alongside the financial constraints of the business, a declining interest in reading has taken its toll. Locketz says “In those days, 11 years ago, we would have been all right, but in these hard times when, you know books are no longer the flavour of the month, people play on their phones, or read digitally, and there are far less book collectors than there used to be you know, and that all hurts the book business, second-hand book business and the collectibles tremendously.“
These days, people tend to rely on electronic devices, audio books, podcasts or YouTube and even social media for entertainment and information. Locketz describes the impact of fluctuating trends in terms of buying and selling as detrimental to the South African literacy rate.
However, all hope is not lost. He maintains an optimistic outlook on the future, “The books will never disappear. There are more books published regularly all the time with these strong new novelists coming out, nice new South African novelists.”
When asked about the kinds of books people tend to buy more, Locketz shared how literary fiction has always been very popular and alongside literary fiction is any African orientated books especially by black South African authors which are equally popular.
The reality of business and its hardships is even more of a reason to support local bookstores, such as the Bookdealers of Melville.
FEATURED IMAGE: A photo of a sign outside the previous space of Bookdealers of Melville. Photo: Sikelelekile Pahlana
Growing violence, censorship and political attacks against journalists have driven press freedom to its lowest point. Speakers at the Investigative Journalism Summit highlight the urgent need to defend truth in an era where “reality itself feels fake”.
The 2026 RSF World Press Freedom Index reports lowest global score in its 25-year history.
The 2026 Investigative Journalism Summit warns that intimidation, online harassment and imprisonment is silencing journalists worldwide.
129 journalists were killed in 2025, highlighting the important need to protect press freedom.
As the world observed World Press Freedom Day on May 3, 2026, journalist safety came under the spotlight more than ever before. Around the world, intimidation, harassment and imprisonment are increasingly used to silence reporting. 2025 was the deadliest year on record with 129 journalists killed worldwide. According to the 2025 Human Rights Watch Report, approximately 72% of the world lives under authoritarian regimes, where they are locked within state-controlled information. The latest Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index shows that press freedom is now categorised as “difficult” or “very serious” in more than half of the world’s countries – the lowest global score in the Index’s 25-year history.
Journalism helps the public make informed, fact-based decisions and hold power to account. In a time of misinformation and disinformation, no one knows what to believe anymore. At the 2026 Truth Tellers, Sir Harry Evans Investigative Journalism Summit, held on May 6, Katherine Viner, Editor-in-Chief at The Guardian, reflected on our changing information landscape. “We used to talk about fake news, but now reality itself feels fake,” she said.
The theme of World Press Freedom Day 2026 was ‘Shaping a Future at Peace’, highlighting the important role of independent media in conflict zones. Accurate and timely reporting can save lives, counter disinformation and expose state violence. Yet, despite protections under international humanitarian law, journalists are increasingly treated as targets.
Governments are weaponising laws to silence reporters. RSF warns that journalism is being “asphyxiated” by political attacks, reduced media funding and a system that is criminalising reporting. As the RSF Index revealed – the United States dropped seven places, signalling a loss in media independence, following cuts to international broadcasters and repeated attacks on the press by President Donald Trump. In Latin America, Ecuador fell 31 places after the murders of journalists Darwin Baque and Patricio Aguilar. While Peru dropped 14 places following the killing of four reporters.
South Africa ranks in 27th place, the highest on the African continent and includes a range of media outlets. Although, many independent journalists still face challenges, and public broadcasters sometimes deal with political pressure. In a 2023 statement, SANEF highlighted “trends of trolling and doxing, (the act of disclosing a journalists full name, address, contact number, and other identifying details without their consent).”
Israel continues to commit violations of international law, and the military were responsible for killing two-thirds of journalists last year. According to RSF, since October 2023, more than 220 journalists have been killed in Gaza, including at least 70 while reporting.
Across the Sahel, countries such as Niger have experienced a collapse of press freedom under armed groups and military juntas. Sudan has become one of the most dangerous places to work; the ongoing civil war has created a climate of fear as Government targeting and military violence continues.
Online harassment, particularly against women reporters continues to rise. During the Summit, Maria Ressa, a Filipino journalist and co-founder of Rappler, said she received “an average of 90 hate messages per hour” online, adding that, “you’re targeted because you’re a journalist, because you determine fact from fiction.”
World Press Freedom Day poster. Photos: Hannah Brown
In Iran, thousands were killed during protests, and journalists were jailed under cybercrime laws. Similar methods have also been seen in Bahrain, Kuwait, and the wider Gulf region, where reporters have faced imprisonment for documenting conflicts. Despite the dangers, Ressa insists there is no better time to be a journalist, and we must rebuild how we are doing things. “The battle is now. So, if you’re a journalist today, man, this is the time to jump in.”
Press freedom advocates argue that attacks on journalists are a warning of wider threats to freedom. Speakers at the conference also explained deliberate strategies to weaken journalism – slandering and discrediting reporters, weaponising visas and targeting support systems. Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, International Human Rights Lawyer stated, “the idea of undermining the journalist so you undermine the messenger, and therefore you undermine the message.
Organisations around the world are pushing governments to end crimes against journalists and protect those reporting from conflict zones. As photojournalist Lynsey Addario stated, “we all suffer when we can’t see the truth.” Without safeguards, the world risks losing not only its reporters but also the public’s access to information.
FEATURED IMAGE: World Press Freedom Day poster. Graphic and photos: Hannah Brown
Some people still measure degrees based on its employability. Is this a fair standard to use when degrees are not obtained solely to get jobs?
Are Bachelor of Arts (BA) degrees really “useless”? Many people on social media think that it is simply because of the apparent employment challenges BA graduates face. This idea is further portrayed by governments cutting funding for specifically humanities degrees. As seen in the United Kingdom, the University of Hertfordshire scrapped courses such as History, English Literature and Linguistics to name a few, due to a declining demand making the courses no longer financially viable.
The common perception of BA degrees is that, because they are not professional or specialised degrees, they are mostly academic, and unemployment among BA graduates is high. It would be unfair for people to use this criteria to label Bachelor of Arts degrees as “useless”.
According to Statistics South Africa’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey (2025), “possessing a tertiary education, especially a degree, enhances one’s likelihood of securing employment.” The report also shows the more employable sectors for the youth such as Elementary occupations (which require short training) at 25.3%, trade at 24.5%, sales and services at 20.0%, community and social services at 19.8%. This highlights that unemployment is not tied to a specific field of study but is embedded in a country’s economic challenges. The real divide is between graduates and non-graduates in a struggling economy like South Africa’s, but to assume that employment is the only reason degrees are pursued is incorrect.
Graphic showing the top four employable field in South Africa according to Statistics Soth Africa Quarterly Labour Force 2025 report. By: Zebrena Ralph
Professor Paul Ashwin, from Lancaster University, argues that “rather than the employment and salaries of graduates, the central educational purpose of university education is to transform students through their engagement with knowledge”.
Degrees are obtained for different reasons. While some people prepare for specific career paths like healthcare or law, the purpose of higher education goes far beyond employment. A university degree enables knowledge acquisition, critical thinking and personal growth. To label a degree as “useless” because some graduates — including Bachelor of Arts graduates — face unemployment is inaccurate and reveals a deeper misunderstanding of what a university degree is meant to achieve.
BA career paths are unique, hence the stigma. Graduates from specialised fields like Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) often move into clearly labelled graduate programmes, making these career paths appear neat and measurable. BA graduates, however, rarely follow a linear path. Their broad skills allow them to move into media, marketing, governance, research and corporate roles, often shifting between industries over time. These careers are diverse and non-linear, thus harder to track statistically. Tracey Ashington, a graduate recruiter, explains, that “many jobs are not advertised at all… This is known as the hidden job market.”
BA careers are therefore not nonexistent — they are simply harder to map.
Ironically, employers often complain about graduates lacking the very skills a BA degree develops. According to LinkedIn, adaptability, teamwork, problem-solving and communication skills are seen as core workplace competencies. In an era of automated and artificial intelligence, the ability to interpret information, understand people and think ethically are becoming more valuable.
Perhaps the biggest problem with the ‘useless BA degree’ narrative is that the sole purpose of studying is employment. Reducing tertiary education to a degree being a ticket to getting a job ignores its role in developing thinkers, citizens and problem-solvers, not just employees.
FEATURED IMAGE: Graphic showing the top four employable field in South Africa according to Statistics Soth Africa Quarterly Labour Force 2025 report. By: Zebrena Ralph
The film is vibrant, emotional, and filled with the kind of energy that reminds audiences why Michael Jackson became known as the King of Pop in the first place
The new biographical movie Michael, does not merely attempt to tell the story of the King of Pop; it attempts something far more difficult — to search for the fragile human being buried beneath decades of noise, headlines, applause, and controversy.
From its opening moments, the movie bursts with life, overflowing with rhythm, colour, and excitement. Yet at the same time, ironically carrying an almost dreamlike sadness.Childhood dissolves beneath stage lights. Innocence disappears behind screaming crowds. The young Michael is portrayed not as a child discovering joy, but as a child being sculpted into perfection.
Still from Michael of Jafaar Jackson performing. Photo: Supplied/The Bioscope
Jaafar Jackson, who is Michael Jackson’s nephew, delivers a performance that was much more than an imitation, he literally captured the spirit that made Michael so captivating. The concert recreations are absolutely breathtaking, the camera follows him with almost religious awe as he glides across stages drenched in light filled with dazzling and electric choreography and infectious energy that make it impossible not to smile.
Whether recreating the moonwalk or commanding massive crowds, the performance radiates the charisma that made Michael Jackson one of the most influential entertainers in history.
He does not simply recreate the voice, the posture, famous gestures through the utterly shocking resemblance; he captures the contradiction at the centre of Michael Jackson himself which is the collision between extraordinary confidence on stage and profound vulnerability away from it.
Some scenes feel so alive that they almost blur the line between cinema and reality. The film stops feeling like a biography and becomes pure sensation. The heartbeat, rhythm, memory. Seeing people holding themselves down to their seats when the Thriller dance comes on. People humming softly to songs like Billie Jean and Human Nature, excluding that one person in the back who thought no one could hear them. Each song arrives carrying emotional weight, reminding audiences how deeply his music embedded itself into global consciousness. The film understands that Michael Jackson’s art was never background noise. It was cultural atmosphere.
Still from Michael of Thriller. Photo: Supplied/The Bioscope
In my opinion what makes Michael especially powerful is its refusal to portray fame as glamorous. While delving deeper into Michael’s superstardom it also shows his vulnerability, creativity, and desire to connect with others through his art. The quieter scenes give the movie emotional depth without overshadowing its celebratory tone. It balances spectacle with humanity, particularly through its portrayal of Michael’s complicated relationship with his father. Some of the film’s most emotional scenes emerge from this tension. Moments where achievement and pain seem inseparable.
Of course, no biographical film can perfectly capture a life as enormous and complicated as Michael Jackson’s and the complexity of telling Michael’s story is perhaps most visible in the absence of Janet Jackson from much of the film, despite her importance within both the Jackson family and popular culture itself.
There are moments where certain parts of the story could have been explored more deeply. But rather than becoming trapped in controversy or darkness, Michael the film reminds viewers why people fell in love with Michael Jackson in the first place while fully encapsulating one truth; Michael Jackson was never allowed to exist as an ordinary person. He lived beneath a microscope powerful enough to distort everything it touched.
Michael Jackson’s legacy continues to transcend through generations. Sitting in the cinema, it becomes impossible not to notice the unique atmosphere surrounding the movie. Older audiences reliving memories of growing up with Michael Jackson’s music, while younger viewers experience his artistry with fresh fascination and excitement. The theatre itself begins to feel like a meeting point between generations connected by the same songs, dances, and emotions. Few artists possess that kind of timeless cultural power and eternal presence. Michael Jackson was one of those rare figures who did not simply make music, but created moments that became and still become part of people’s lives.
I recommend you to experience this magic for yourself!
Vuvu Rating: 10/10.
FEATURED IMAGE: Michael Poster. Photo: Supplied/ The Bioscope
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Mama Africa: the image of a South African singer, songwriter and a fierce civil rights activist reduced to the representation by a British-Nigerian actor?
The Road Home is an upcoming a musical drama, set to begin filming in June 2026, with no official release date. It explores Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masekela during apartheid and their pointed efforts against the regime. Makeba will be portrayed by British actress, Cynthia Erivo and Masekela by South African actor, Thabo Rametsi.
The film is written by the famous South African author, Zakes Mda and is to be directed by Bill Condon, the American director and writer behind the film adaptations of musicals, Chicago and Dreamgirls.
The casting of Erivo to portray Miriam Makeba in the film has sparked quite the conversation, with many contradicting views. Social media users asked how the lived experiences of a black South African Xhosa woman can be reimagined for the big screen by a non-South African? Of particular concern – language. You know, the “Igqirha lendlela nguqo ngqothwane” of it all.
Those concerned about the casting want a seasoned South African professional actress at the helm. There are many examples like Thuso Mbedu, Nomzambo Mbatha, and Bonnie Mbuli to name a few with international silver screen experience. However, in the film and television industry’s eyes, the value of the Xhosa tongue is nothing compared to the power of a global British passport.
While I have nothing but the best wishes for Cynthia Erivo, a talented, multi-award-winning actress with a voice like the harmony of angels. I cannot help but face the uncomfortable truth about how African legacies are portrayed in film and television. Can Erivo truly embody the linguistic and cultural texture of an iconic Xhosa woman like Makeba? A woman who was boldly and unapologetically South African.
To ignore the skills of an actress and singer-songwriter like Erivo would be to disrespect her craft. In her own pedigree, she too is an icon, a powerhouse. Erivo is no stranger to portraying legends in the music industry. One such example is her portrayal of Aretha Franklin in the National Geographic anthology series “Genuis: Aretha” (2021). Receiving an Emmy nomination for her performance.
She ticks the boxes. She will look the part; she will act the part and will most certainly sing the part, but will her singing be a mere imitation? Will she truly be able to fully embrace the South African identity that comes with Miriam Makeba’s songs that were tools to fight injustices during apartheid?
In addition to the cultural texture that accompanies a powerhouse like Makeba is also the language in which Makeba sang: isiXhosa. In her 1963 performance of “Qongqothwane” live on Ce Soir à Cannes, Makeba prefaces the performance by emphasising that the English speaker cannot say the name of the song thus they call it “the click song.” Even then, Makeba chose to proudly embrace her identity and prove that black South African culture mattered.
Miriam was defiant; she was fierce, and she was proudly a black, Xhosa South African woman even in her exile. Her songs weren’t just words on a paper; they were incantations. They were brilliant. They were the representation of the South African nation fighting against discrimination.
This is not about preference for South Africans; it is about having our cultures represented by the very people that speak and live them.
FEATURED IMAGE: Graphic of legendary South African singer Miriam Makeba, taken by Paul Weinberg and Cynthia Erivo at an FYC panel for Wicked in Santa Monica, California taken by Kevin Paul. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
At Wits, decolonisation remains incomplete as English dominance continues to limit true multilingual inclusion in learning and assessment.
In 2015, during the #FeesMustFall movement, South African universities were forced into a reckoning that extends beyond protest and policy reform. At the University of the Witwatersrand, this moment led to a language policy that introduced English, isiZulu, Sesotho, and South African Sign Language (SASL) into its academic framework. Yet, as Wits advances through its 2023 Strategic Framework, a plan guiding the university’s goals around transformation, inclusion, research, and global competitiveness, though a contradiction remains: the institution speaks of decolonising knowledge while leaving the language of learning largely unchanged.
Decolonisation without linguistic transformation is incomplete. A curriculum may diversify its content but if access to knowledge remains dependent on English, exclusion is not removed but relocated into the medium of instruction. This dynamic can be understood through what Miranda Fricker terms epistemic injustice, which is a condition in which certain forms of knowledge are undervalued because of the language in which they are expressed. In this context, students are not excluded from knowing, but from having their knowledge fully recognised unless it is articulated in English.
As Steve Biko warned, “the most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed”, a condition sustained not only through content, but through the very language in which knowledge is delivered and recognised. His insistence that education must cultivate critical consciousness rather than reproduce subordination sharpens this argument: when students are compelled to translate their intellectual lives into English to be legible, the system does not liberate thought; it disciplines it.
This is not abstract. In lecture halls across Wits, language shapes how students learn and are assessed. In science and health sciences courses, students encounter, process, and are tested on complex ideas in English, even when understanding often begins in other languages during peer discussion. Learning in familiar languages can improve comprehension, participation, and confidence, reduce cognitive load and also allow students to engage more fully with complex material.
In engineering tutorials, students switch to isiZulu or Sesotho in order to unpack difficult concepts, only for that cognitive work to disappear in formal assessment, where only English counts. In Sociolinguistics, this is understood as code-switching, a skilled practice rather than a deficiency. What appears as hesitation is, in reality, intellectual labour: students are learning disciplinary content while translating it across linguistic systems; a demand not equally placed on all. They are not struggling with content; they are performing unpaid intellectual labour to make that content legible within a single dominant language.
Wits visibly acknowledges four languages on campus signage, raising questions about the absence of South Africa’s other official languages in learning and assessment. Photo: Alice Dhlamini.
This extends beyond technical disciplines and reflects a broader experience across faculties where language shapes who can fully access knowledge.
As third-year industrial engineering student Tshedza Tsiololi explains, “some engineering terms, such as dynamic system or torque, do not translate easily into everyday language… This makes learning time-consuming, especially in the absence of accessible translation tools”. This translation process carries material consequences. When comprehension is delayed, so too is performance, affecting assessment outcomes, time to completion, and the cost of education. Language barriers are therefore not only pedagogical concerns but structural inefficiencies.
The result is not a lack of understanding but a delay in it. Students carry an invisible cognitive burden, constantly translating their thinking. Language cannot be treated as a secondary issue in curriculum reform.
Language shapes how knowledge is accessed, processed, and recognised. When a medical student must translate reasoning to communicate with a patient, or an engineering student is assessed in a language that can flatten thinking processes, language becomes a gatekeeping mechanism. Yet the persistence of English is often justified through its role in global academia. While not unfounded, this argument is incomplete. Countries such as Germany, Japan, and South Korea demonstrate that strong language production can occur in national languages alongside English. Multilingualism is not a barrier to global relevance but a source of intellectual flexibility.
Wits’ current approach reflects both progress and limitations. As noted by the Head of African Languages, Dr Soyiso Khetoa, “the university’s focus on English, South African Sign Language, isiZulu, and Sesotho is informed by demographic research”. Institutional efforts, such as language-learning applications, support isiZulu acquisition. However, this raises a deeper question: what happens to students whose linguistic identities fall outside these dominant categories?
A comparative perspective complicates this further. In Tanzania, the adoption of Swahili under Julius Nyerere aimed to democratise education and strengthen national identity. This model significantly expanded access and participation at foundational levels, enabling students to learn in a familiar linguistic context. While access improved at foundational levels, challenges emerged in higher education, including limited technical terminology. This illustrates that linguistic transformation is both possible and complex, requiring sustained commitment rather than selective implementation.
Accommodation based on geographic prevalence may be efficient, but it is not neutral. It creates new margins. Students who speak other African Languages remain excluded, not because their languages lack value, but because they fall outside institutional feasibility. In this way, multilingualism risks becoming selective rather than transformative. South Africa’s own history offers parallels. Institutions such as Stellenbosch University and the University of Pretoria have shown that full academic systems can be developed in Afrikaans, raising the question of why similar levels of investment have not been extended to African languages in a democratic context, while also revealing how language can function as both inclusion and exclusion.
Bert van Pinxteren argues that expanding the language of learning is expensive and complex. “Developing academic terminology in African languages, training staff, and redesigning assessments require time and resources”, he notes. These challenges are real, but difficulty is not a justification for permanence. Technology tools, from translation software to AI-assisted terminology development, are reshaping what is feasible. The limitation is increasingly institutional: whether universities are willing to invest in systems that reflect their students’ realities.
When African languages are used informally for explanation but excluded from formal assessment, universities reinforce a hierarchy where legitimacy remains tied to English. Inclusion becomes conditional.
Restricted-access signage at Wits mirrors ongoing debates around who is fully recognised within the university’s linguistic and academic spaces. Photo: Alice Dhlamini.
The 2015 policy was a meaningful step, but without implementation, it risks becoming symbolic. If students must translate their intellectual lives into one dominant language to be recognised, decolonisation remains incomplete. The issue is the distinction between symbolic and material transformation: policy signals intent, but assessment determines whose knowledge is legitimised.
A serious commitment to transformation does not require abandoning English. It requires building multilingual academic systems where English is one of several legitimate languages of learning. This could include bilingual modules, expanded language support, and discipline-specific terminology across a broader range of African languages.
And perhaps the most uncomfortable question is this: must students once again protest to be heard? The 2015 moment demonstrated that institutional change often follows student pressure. If language remains a barrier, it raises concerns about whether dialogue alone is sufficient.
Decolonisation, if it is to mean anything, must be a dialogue, not only between institution and student, but between languages themselves. The question is not whether English will remain at Wits; it will. The question is whether students will continue to think in multiple languages but be recognised in only one language. Until students can be recognised in the languages in which they think, decolonisation remains a translation exercise, not a transformation. More fundamentally, it is whether Wits is willing to move from being a university that is merely in Africa to one that is truly of Africa.
FEATURED IMAGE: A student points toward an emergency assembly point at Wits, symbolising urgent questions around language, access, and transformation in higher education. Photo: Alice Dhlamini.
A signage change at Wits University highlights the student centre’s official name, but “The Matrix” remains the name that defines campus culture.
The student centre at Wits University now displays its official name in full, Student Union Building Matrix.
Many students were unaware of the formal name and have always called it “The Matrix.”
Despite the signage, “The Matrix” remains a key part of Wits student culture.
Something felt off at the university’s student centre, something felt strange. The bold, familiar “Matrix” signage that has long marked the heart of student life was gone. In its place was a more formal name: “Student Union Building Matrix.” For many students passing through, the change raised a quiet but lingering question—had “The Matrix” been renamed?
At first glance, it appeared to be a rebrand. But conversations across campus revealed that the story is less about a new name and more about how students experience and define their space.
Many students had not noticed the updated signage at all. Others only became aware of it after it was pointed out.
An image of the map of the Matrix and the Student Union Building. Photo Provided by: Jenna Stelli
“I’ve been at Wits for quite a while, and it’s always just been ‘The Matrix’ to me,” said Obakeng Leping, a fourth-year BSc civil engineering student.
Head of marketing Reshma Lakha-Singh said the official name of the building has always been Student Union Building, with “The Matrix” becoming widely used from 2001. The name gained popularity due to its catchy nature, influenced by both the building’s structure and the release of the movie by the same name at the same time.
“The decision to revert to the original name aligns with the university’s signage and wayfinding policy, which aims to ensure consistency, clarity, and uniformity across campus buildings as budgets allow,” said Lakha-Singh. “The current naming better reflects the building’s long-standing formal identity and institutional purpose.”
Jenna Stelli of campus planning added that the facility consists of two separate buildings. “The original Student Union building is to the south and the more recent Matrix building to the north. Because the building is experienced as one cohesive hub, we decided to include both names on the new signage to avoid confusion,” she said. “There haven’t been any official name changes — we are ensuring the signage matches how the building is used.”
The gap between official naming and everyday language reveals something deeper about student identity at Wits. Names are not only assigned; they are shaped over time through shared experience.
For students like Tiyane Matsheke, a third-year BA general student, the informal name carries a sense of belonging. “I’ll still call it ‘The Matrix’ because that’s what everyone knows. It’s part of Wits culture,” she said.
Attempts to trace the origins of the name remain unclear, with key sources unavailable to comment. Yet its meaning is evident in how firmly it is held by students.
Even as official branding becomes more visible, it is unlikely to redefine what the space represents. The signage may read differently, but in conversation, memory and daily student life, “The Matrix” continues to hold its place.
FEATURED IMAGE: Picture of the Student Union Building Matix. Photo by: Sanele Sithole
A protracted bargaining process has reached a stalemate, which may grind activities on campus to a halt.
Nehawu and Altsa union members threaten to down tools.
Salary negotiations between the unions and Wits management remain unresolved.
As the cost of living increases, members demand a larger salary increase.
On Monday, April 20, National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) and the Administrative, Library and Technical Staff Association (Altsa) members took matters into their own hands by picketing in and around campus.
Union members, made up of professional and administrative staff, marched from the Great Hall to Wits Science Stadium, after declining the 4,95% salary increase proposed by Wits University management.
According to the Altsa union secretary, Tholane Khiba, meetings with the vice chancellor and senior executive team resulted in a proposed 4,95% increase, which was rejected and led to the deadlock. “Looking at the delay, the members are now getting frustrated,” he said.
In a statement, the senior executive team said the matter, in month eight of “protracted negotiations”, was heard at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) last week, but the offer made by the university was rejected.
Nehawu Regional Secretary of greater Johannesburg, Tumisho Madihlaba, stated that “the members in their big numbers for both unions Altsa and Nehawu have agreed. We are not accepting the 5%, we are not accepting the 1% on Annual Performance Incentive… We are going on strike!”
Nehawu and Altsa members gathered by the Great Hall for a mass meeting. Photo: Jamie Ho.
Thabo Modise the Nehawu branch secretary of Wits said they have worked in the best interest of the university, but feel “financially bullied.”
As a result, they plan to down their tools. “We also have a muscle comrades. The muscle that we have is our labour. We are going to withdraw our labour and show them how important we are,” Modise added.
The members of the union emphasise that they will stand in unity until their demands are met. Altsa acting president, Jordan Sake, stated “we have rejected that nonsense from management. That insult? We will not take it.”
Members of both unions highlighted the growing cost of living amid global conflicts as one of the reasons they are pushing for more money. Jabulile Maseko, a member of Altsa said, “it is not enough, everyone is aware that everything is going up.”
While tensions continue, demonstrations and strike action seem to be on the horizon as both unions stand their ground with their demands.
FEATURED IMAGE: Nehawu and Altsa members picketing around campus. Photo: Jamie Ho.
Since her announcement as the Democratic Alliance’s mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, Helen Zille has dominated national headlines. In this bonus episode of We Should Be Writing podcast, hosts Lulah Mapiye and Bonolo Mokonoto dissect a media meet-and-greet with the mayoral hopeful. From her extensive political résumé to her controversial public utterance, we examine why the Democratic Alliance has chosen Hellen Zille as their candidate for the 2027 local mayoral elections. Additionally, […]
