Students at Wits University stood shoulder to shoulder in widespread peaceful protest this week, following an allegation of rape on campus, initially shared on social media. In response to protests that spilt out onto the streets of Braamfontein, the university suspended a member of the student representative council (SRC).
In a statement issued on November 11, the university said: “The alleged perpetrator has been put on precautionary suspension whilst the matter is being investigated. We encourage all students to abide by the University’s rules and allow the University’s process to take its course.”
In public statements, the Wits SRC named and distanced themselves from the alleged rapist, and reaffirmed an “unwavering stance against all forms of gender-based violence and sexual exploitation”. They also made a plea for formal cases to be laid with university structures.
Students gathered outside of a South Point residence in Braamfontein. Photo: Phenyo Selinda
South Africa currently finds itself at a critical point in conversations surrounding GBV, with movements like Women For Change calling for a nationwide shutdown on November 21, 2025. This, after the movement’s bid to declare GBV a national crisis was rejected.
At Wits, previous cases have sparked protests such as #EndRapeCulture, leading to policy reforms including the establishment of the Gender Equity Office (GEO). Yet, with student surveys showing that 62% of students have experienced some form of GBV, activists say there is still a long way to go.
The university encouraged students to report cases of GBV to the gender equity office “in-person or via this link: GEO Reporting Tool.”
A GBV mass meeting will be hosted by the SRC on November 13 at 10:00 at the Great Hall, in an effort to support other survivors and stand in solidarity with anti-GBV efforts.
As the investigation unfolds, the Wits community and South African students at large are once again faced with a painful question: how many more women must suffer before justice becomes the norm, not the exception?
Emergency telephonic counselling can be accessed via the Wits Students’ Crisis Line on 0800 111 331. This line is available to all Wits students 24/7/365. The Wits Student Crisis App is also available for students who prefer live chat or text counselling, or contact CCDU for assistance.
FEATURED IMAGE: A photo of wits students gathere in the persuit for justice by Liyabona baartman
Investigative journalism is alive and well in Africa, report Lulah Mapiye and Sechabe Molete.
Journalists and media workers from over 30 African countries gathered for the AIJC conference.
Journalists were reminded to apply journalistic basics to produce the best work.
The annual AIJC conference will take place in Kenya next year.
Investigative journalists from South Africa, The Gambia and Ghana walked home with all the spoils of the third edition of the African Investigative Journalism Awards held on Thursday, November 6, 2025.
The ceremony, hosted in partnership with ABSA, brought together journalists and media workers from over 37 African countries and 45 further afield, reaffirming a common desire to change the world through storytelling.
As broadcaster Sakina Kumwendo introduced the night’s various speakers, it became evident that the future of African journalism is in good hands.
“As I look around, I see not just fellow journalists, but I also see the ultimate custodians of truth on our continent. Women and men who carry the torch in the darkest corners where power hides, knowing full well that this very light they bare makes them targets,” said the Editor in Chief of Nation Media Group, Dr. Joe Ageyo, in his keynote address.
From left to right: Seth Bokpe, Dewald van Rensburg, Edmund Agyemang Boateng and Mustapha K Darboe at the African Journalism Awards. Photo: Leon Sadiki
Ageyo’s message was a call to action for all African journalists to sharpen their tools to save Africa from the horrors brought on by corruption, negligent leadership and weaponised incompetence that continue to torment her.
South African journalist Dewald Rensburg won the award for his 10-part series titled ‘City of Gold’ last night. Rensburg’s ‘City of Gold’ piece exposes a large Gold-based VAT scam worth billions. His exposè shines light on organised crime and money laundering in Johannesburg’s gold sector.
Convener of Judges, Gwen Lister, revealed there were many compelling submissions, which almost made choosing one ultimate winner impossible. However, what sets winning journalists apart from the rest is the ability to go back to journalistic basics.
And 2025’s awards did not only celebrate the first prize recipient, second place went to Mustapha K Darbae of The Republic, The Gambia for “The Assets Go for a Song”. In third place were Seth Bokpe and Edmund Agyemang Boateng of The Forth Estate, Ghana for “Forest invasion.”
The investigative journalism work continues and delegates will convene in November 2026 at Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya for the fourth AIJC.
FEATURED IMAGE: Dewald van Rensburg giving a speech after winning. Photo: Leon Sadiki
Buy Now Pay Later services promise a convenient payment method to make shopping easier, but for many, that convenience comes at a hidden cost.
BNPL is marketed as interest-free but relies on retailers and penalties.
Lower-income consumers use BNPL services due to economic inequality and immediate gratification.
BNPL services have hidden costs that pose financial risks.isksto consumers.
It’s currently 01:15 am, and the only light glowing in the room is from a phone screen. Tumelo is mindlessly scrolling through endless digital aisles. Tap, tap, tap – her thumb dancing against the glass screen and then finally, she sees it; her heart beating with jolts of excitement, the one item she’s been searching for – a cow print denim skirt. Her cart is already overflowing with festival gear. The total, a shocking R1274.64 “That’s way too much” she says.
She can’t afford all the items in her cart, but this festival is all everyone’s been talking about, this denim skirt is the last item that would complete her look. And then like a flash, something catches her eye, it was almost as if the whole room had lit up “make shopping easier with 4 interest-free payments.”
At first, she hesitates, but then thinks of how good she would look at the amapiano festival two weeks from now, contemplation swims in her head and finally, she’s convinced herself that it’s harmless. It’s just four payments of R318.66. No interest. No catch.
Or so it seems. Without another thought, she clicks “checkout with PayFlex” before she can even change her mind. But how exactly does this interest-free model work? With major providers like PayFlex, PayJustNow and Mobicred as alternative payment options, it has never been easier to get what you want, when you want it. By just a click of a button, you can get all your heart’s desires now and worry about the bill later.
The Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) industry is rapidly growing in South Africa. It offers customers a convenient way to shop by allowing them to purchase items without paying the full amount at once.
BNPL services are marketed as interest-free payments split into weekly or monthly manageable instalments. This is similar to the traditional lay-buy systems, but the only difference is that with BNPL, customers receive purchased products immediately and do not have to wait for it to be fully paid.
While BNPL have convinced customers that you can get whatever you want whenever you want it, at a small price, their interest-free claims raise the million-dollar question: how exactly do these companies generate their revenue?
Image of Payflex zero-interest offer payment plan. Photo: File/Payflex.com
Why South Africans flock to BNPL
According to a Research And Markets report, South Africa’s BNPL industry has undergone a significant growth between 2021 and 2024 and is projected to increase further from USD 717.3 million to approximately USD 1.3 billion by the end of 2030.
This growth is attributed to the increasing demand of interest free payment options, particularly as digital payment methods become more popular, especially among the younger consumers.
This upward trend only highlights the deep-rooted inequalities faced by regular South Africans. In an economy that frequently excludes lower-income consumers, many turn to BNPL providers as a financial lifeline, especially for those unable to pay for essentials up front. These platforms make large purchases feel more manageable.
In addition to the rising cost of living, a large population of South Africans either lack access to traditional credit or have limited financial services available to them.
Professor Gary van Vuuren of the Wits School of Economics and Finance argues that it’s a system that taps into the idea that things will look good in the future, that one will be able to pay their debts in time, “We always misjudge our future obligations – but other things always come up,” he says
He explains that it is a system built on optimism, “humans believe that they will have the money in a few months’ time… but life doesn’t work that way – immediate gratification, that’s what humans love.”
The illusion of “interest-free”
So, how do BNPL providers make their money if they are not charging interest?
First, it starts with the retailer. BNPL provide a service to merchants. These merchants are your everyday retail stores such as Superbalist and Takealot, they partner up with a BNPL provider and pay a small fee every time customers opt for the BNPL option at checkout. This is a simple arrangement that creates a win-win situation where the retailer boosts sales with fewer abandoned carts and the BNPL provider earns a commission.
Research by Stitch shows that customers spend 20-30% more when using Payflex, in fact, 83% of customers say they shop more often when Payflex is available.
Applying is made deliberately simple, at the point of checkout, you are required to provide your personal details such as your ID number and your debit or credit card information.
Providers then conduct a light credit check to assess if you will be able to pay these instalments when the time comes without digging too deeply into your credit history.
This speedy process is the key to their success, “They don’t want to do a deep credit dive – it costs time and money,” van Vuuren explains.
The consequences
While the promise of no interest is plastered in bold across all BNPL marketing, the real conditions are often buried in the lengthy terms and conditions – a place very few customers look.
For Tumelo, the “no catch” was a promise short-lived. A week after the festival, she received an SMS from Payflex informing her that the R318.66 payment was overdue and that a R95 default fee had been added. “I completely forgot about the payment,” she recalls, “I didn’t even have the money to pay them back when I saw the message.”
The assumption that BNPL services are interest-free makes them seem minimal risk, but a deeper look reveals the hidden costs associated with using these platforms.
According to Professor van Vuuren, many consumers lack the financial education needed to navigate these services. “The average customer probably won’t be very financially literate… these places rely on the fact that people don’t pay on time,” he warns.
With Playflex, their catchphrase is simple: “No interest, no drama”, but what happens when you miss a payment?
When you miss a payment on its due date, Payflex automatically charges a default fee. For its “Pay in 4” payment plan, you are charged R95.00 and for a missed “Pay in 3” payment, the fee charged is R125.00. This default fee is charged weekly for a maximum of three charges until the outstanding balance is paid in full.
Screenshot of Payflex Terms and Conditions. Photo: File/Paylex.com
But that’s not all. If the overdue balance remains unpaid, it starts to result in default interest at 2.00% per month. This happens because the overdue payment effectively reclassifies the initial transaction as an incidental credit agreement under the National Creditors Act (NCA) – additional charges which are hidden from sight.
For those who fail to make payments on time, the consequences can be severe. A missed payment might seem like a minor issue in the moment, but it can leave you in a web of financial entanglements down the line.
So essentially, the real revenue for BNPL companies comes from default and penalty fees from missed payments.
“These companies are going to make people poorer in the long run. They give people the expectation that they can afford things that they actually can’t,” says van Vuuren.
While BNPL services claim to be interest-free, the hidden costs are stitched quietly beneath the fabric of a soft cotton blouse or the travel tickets to a beachy holiday in Cape Town – penalties and mounting charges that only reveal themselves after the fact, turning an interest-free purchase into a costly debt.
Before clicking the shiny, appealing button that says, “Pay Later” consider this: what are you really delaying – the cost, or the consequence?
Professor van Vuuren’s advice remains clear: “Make sure that you know the conditions of these contracts.”
While BNPL may seem harmless or even helpful, sometimes reading the fine print is what may save you from a financial trap.
FEATURED IMAGE: Image of online purchase being made with Paylex option and logos of various BNPL services. Photo: Nthabeleng Phayane
A new generation of creators is learning to dance with the machine, one pixel at a time.
Major African festival, AVIJOZI, focused on the intersection of creativity and technology, highlighting the best of film production, animation, visual effects, and gaming.
AI technology should not replace artistry or creativity but should assist in shaping the future of African creatives and professionals.
Some artists are already using AI to finetune workflows and accelerate production.
As filmmakers, animators, and VFX artists gathered at AVIJOZI 2025, they weren’t just discussing new software, they grappled with a new creative partner: Artificial Intelligence (AI). Hosted on September 13 -14, in Hyde Park, digital art flickered across massive screens as the next great animated film was being dreamed up, a creative revolution underway. AVIJOZI wasn’t just another festival; it was a front-row seat to the future, where the line between creator and code is blurring.
VFX Specialist & Head of Innovation at Digital District, Nicolas Erba Photo: Katlego Makhutle
Nicolas Erba, the Head of Innovation at Paris-based Digital District, approaches technology with a pragmatic, forward-thinking mindset. Erba acknowledged the technical and conceptual challenges of integrating AI by noting that AI-generated images are often not “natively ready” for high-end production, citing issues with resolutions that are “too small for cinema” and difficulties with colour grading. He also pointed to a more abstract hurdle – AI introduces “completely new” concepts that are unfamiliar to many artists. His daily work involves overseeing tech monitoring, a process he described as scouting for and selecting new, production-ready AI technologies to “level up” the company’s existing pipeline.
Despite the complexities of AI in VFX work, he sees AI as a critical tool for automating repetitive tasks. Erba cites rotoscoping as a prime example, a manual tracing process that once took a human two days, can now be completed by AI in just ten minutes. The South African Cultural Observatory (SACO) reported that 68% of creative professionals surveyed were excited by the advent of AI. A similar percentage of 70% was already using AI tools in their daily work. Erba firmly believes that the future of the industry lies in a “hybrid workflow” that blends traditional techniques with AI, asserting that the true threat to artists is not AI itself, but rather other artists who embrace the technology to gain a competitive edge. “I don’t think that graphics artists are going to be replaced by the AI itself but some of them might be replaced by others using AI,” Erba said.
Senior lecturer at Wits University’s School of Architecture and Planning, Dr. Sechaba Maape, facilitated a workshop at AVIJOZI on demystifying AI and incorporating cultural intelligence. He believes this element is crucial for anyone using AI to create creative work about African people and places. Maape is an architect, urban designer, and founder of Afreetekture, a cultural consultancy that focuses on shifting the discipline of architecture and in the digital age. “Cultural intelligence is really for me about understanding the nuances of culture, how culture circulates, you know, like how culture frames meaning,” he said.
Maape challenged the simplistic, often stereotypical portrayals of Africa that persist online by developing AI models that explore the nuances of South Africa’s multicultural society. “We don’t have flies flying around our mouth. We are self-actualised,” Maape said.
Maape’s core concern is that if AI is trained on biased data, it will perpetuate stereotypes. “What I’m more worried about with AI than anything else, is that if you think about the pictures that have been taken that are supposed to be about Africa on the internet…I can bet you anything that it’s going to be a massive difference between those pictures and your day-to-day life,” he said. He said a person who only knows South Africa through online media might create a video game heavily focused on crime and fail to capture the everyday reality and cultural richness of places like Johannesburg. For Maape, cultural intelligence is about the human user’s ability to discern and understand the nuances of a culture, how it circulates, and how it frames meaning.
Lauren Fletcher, Audiovisual Project Manager at the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), is focused on a similar and crucial facet of the AI discussion: empowering a new generation of creators. Her role involves fostering partnerships between French and South African professionals, such as the one between Erba’s Digital District and AVIJOZI partner and visual effects studio, Chocolate Tribe. Fletcher cautioned against the misconception that one can simply “chug in a few words and have a video come out”. Fletcher emphatically said: “If you’re not doing the work, the research, creating your own images to put into the different AI programmes, [then] you’re going to get really poor results.”
This belief is a core part of the Unrecorded Voices project, in which 12 South African digital artists used AI to create work with historical context: proving that research, authenticity, and creativity are what truly make a project impactful. Fletcher said that AI technology should be a layer built on a foundation of human creativity, not the other way around. Fletcher and her team are in the midst of a three-phase project that explores the impact of AI on the audiovisual sector, with the goal of creating connections and opportunities for local talent.
The festival brought together professionals in gaming, animation, film, and special effects to share insights, build capacity and bridge the gap between creativity and technology. The question is no longer “Will AI replace us?” but rather, “What can we create with it?” It is through the lens of cultural intelligence and artistic ingenuity that AI’s true potential can be unlocked, proving that its greatest purpose is to enhance and not diminish the human element of creative storytelling.
FEATURED IMAGE: A collage of photos taken at the AviJozi festival on September 13 and 14, 2025. Photo: Katlego Makhutle
A new amendment to the National Credit Act could see students with debt blacklisted as soon as they graduate.
On August 13, 2025, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Parks Tau, submitted draft amendments to the National Credit Act, proposing that educational institutions may report student debt to credit bureaus. If passed, this would mean that graduates could be blacklisted for their debt. Public comment is open until September 12, 2025.
At first glance, this policy looks like accountability. But in reality, it is yet another tool that widens South Africa’s already staggering inequality gap. For wealthy families, paying university fees is not a burden. For the poor, especially the Black majority, it is another chain tying us down.
South Africa is already split in two: those who have, and those who struggle to survive. Instead of building bridges, the ruling party seems determined to burn them down, shutting off access and any chance to ever cross that bridge. The Afircan National Congress continues to oppress young people, creating more obstacles than opportunities. Instead of uplifting us, they are burying us deeper under the weight of policies that do not understand our lived realities.
Not every student has parents who can afford fees for tertiary education. Those who manage through bursaries and student loans, then graduate into an economy that demands work experience for jobs, while internships often pay next to nothing. The lucky few who evade unemployment through entry-level jobs can earn as little as R5000 a month. How must that cover rent, food, transport, and other essentials, and still stretch to settle student debt?
This amendment doesn’t simply manage debt, it weaponises it. It tells young South Africans that their dreams of education come with a punishment clause. That, unless you are privileged, your qualification is a curse that follows you into every financial decision, from applying for a job to renting a flat.
Are our leaders truly this blind? Or are they deliberately working against the success of young South Africans? Each new barrier makes it harder to believe they care.
But we are not powerless. The public has until September 12, 2025, to oppose this amendment. Send your comments to credit@thedtic.gov.za
Raise your voice, share your story, and remind those in power that the future of this country depends on its youth.
To the politicians who continue to oppress us: we will meet you at the ballot box.
Loading Kudu Bucks onto student cards is still a daily struggle at Wits University.
Terminals on East and West Campus are faulty.
Students insert banknotes into the machines, only to have the money disappear without the corresponding credit being loaded onto their accounts.
Others report that the machines outright reject their notes, leaving them unable to top up their balances at crucial moments whether to print or book a consultation at Campus Heath.
The issue has become a familiar and frustrating cycle.
This systemic failure has created a trail of lost funds, forcing students to either go without essential services or spend more money to get their tasks done.
Technical Security Solutions (TSS) management has attributed this to an aging access control system that is slowly being updated, hence their intermittent functionality.
FEATURED IMAGE: Faulty Kudu Bucks terminal on West Campus. Photo: Lukholo Mazibuko
South Africa is clearly unwell, and it is our duty as her citizens to demand treatment before it’s too late.
As of April 2025, the new South Africa is officially 31 years old. She is the answer to our forebearers’ prayers, the jewel in Africa’s crown and home to the genesis of humanity. However, it would be nearly impossible to expect her to be fine when her daughters are dying on the regular, the multicultural colours of her rainbow are dull and her leaders decide to pimp her out.
In a perfect world, we as citizens elect leaders we believe are best suited to take care of our country’s health and wellbeing – and in turn our own. Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world, and we are impacted by bad decisions made behind closed doors. Decisions that often compound the symptoms of our 31-year-old’s health. Nursing our patient cannot be left to those with access to power alone, we need to be active caretakers too.
Here’s how to tell when your country is under the weather:
In mid June 2025, the Hawks raided South African comedian and Tiktoker Anton Taylor’s home with the signoff of judge C.A Erasmus and the instruction of suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu. This raid was a result of a satirical video Taylor posted in March 2025. Taylor pretended to be a Czech criminal in cahoots with Minister Senzo Mchunu and the police department as a means to continue with his various criminal dealings with no legal repercussions. Taylor’s case was eventually dismissed, however this is a prime example of authoritarianism. The right to freedom of expression is guaranteed under Section 16 of the Constitution. This incident is an alarming symptom because it reflects a government ministers willingness to infringe of the rights of South African citizens because his feelings were hurt by a satirical video.
When she was 11 in 2005, the rand to dollar exchange rate was approximately R6,35 to the dollar. During that time, she had an unemployment rate of 26,5%. Ten years later at 21 in 2015, the rand sat at approximately R12,73 to the dollar. She recorded unemployment rates of 24.5% by the end of the fourth quarter that year. Now at 31, the rand to the dollar exchange rate sits at R 17,87 to the dollar, with an unemployment rate of 33.2% by the second quarter of 2025. The progression of all these figures demonstrate that South Africa is not a strong as she used to be. She is unable to interact with her peers in ways she previously could. She is further weakened by our government officials and entrepreneurs who use her resources to build personal compounds in Nkandla, procure palatial mansions in Constantia and build R12million homes in Waterfall. She is at the mercy of pimps who travel in blue light convoys and routinely sell her to the highest bidder for their gain.
4. She’s a shell of her former self
She does not look or behave like a country that has gold, diamonds, chromium, coal, iron ore, rodium, platinum, palladium and manganese. She does not shine like the stars she’s produced globally in sports, art, fashion and academia. She’s lost her shine and her leaders have no answers for her children.
Through rising unemployment, gender-based violence and poverty statistic we’ve become desensitised to the reality of our situation. In the words of Sir Francis Bacon, “knowledge is power”. Now that you’ve been alerted to the signs of an unhealthy nation, it’s time we act and plan ways to bring her back to vitality like our lives depend on it, because they do.
Wits social work students are working to upskill and inform their patients to facilitate community reintegration.
Patients cannot afford to travel to free governmental skills development agencies.
Employers discriminate against people with criminal records and recovering addicts.
An addict turned drug counsellor claims it is possible to start afresh.
Patients from Westview drug and alcohol rehabilitation clinic filled Dobsonville’s community hall for a skills and entrepreneurship workshop, on Thursday, August 28. Facilitated by Wits University social work students, these workshops aim to ensure a proper income for drug addicts after rehabilitation.
Wits fourth-year social work student, Karabo Khubelu and her colleagues found that their patients could not afford to travel to free government skills agencies.
As a result, patients had difficulties making ends meet post-rehabilitation. “Most of these patients do not have skills they can use to sustain a living.
“Those who have skills face the same challenges as those without, because many employers discriminate against people with criminal records and recovering addicts,” said Khubelu.
The workshops focused on skills such as using laser machines to make products like pencil boxes, belts and printed t-shirts, and using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to draw up business proposals.
An economic development facilitator from the Gauteng Department of Economic Development, Tsepang Mokgatla encouraged them to register businesses as opportunities are easier to access when one’s papers are in order.
“My job is to help you move your business from where you are to where you want it to be,” he said.
The social workers at Westview included testimonials from recovered addicts in their workshops.
“I am not an addict because I used, I used because I am an addict. I had an obsessive nature since childhood, I should have known I would be obsessed about alcohol and drugs too,” said Keamogetse Molotsi, recovered addict, entrepreneur and registered drug counsellor.
Molotsi’s addiction even led to living on the streets. He woke up one day, in August 2020, after two years of staying in the streets and 11 years of drug abuse and admitted he had a problem and needed help.
He spent six weeks at Dobsonville community development forum and another six weeks at the Westview clinic.
Molotsi managed to turn his life around using the R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) Grant. He stocked chicken feet and started a food business.
Through the assistance of free skills and entrepreneurial development services, Molotsi managed to grow his business. From selling chicken feet at a street corner, to a full Shisanyama with four employees.
There are various rehabilitation centres across Johannesburg. If you are struggling with addiction or know someone who is, make use of such services and turn your life around with the help of people who care.
Contact details for some of the above-mentioned rehabilitation centres are found below:
Westview Clinic 082 059 9580
Journey Recovery & Wellness Centre 079 465 4556
Emndeni Rehabilitation Centre 011 934 6137
Addiction Assistance 011 477 0859
FEATURED IMAGE: Philip Ndala, Gauteng regional administrator of the National Youth Development Agency, sharing information about laser machines. Photo: Lulah Mapiye
A moving memorial service honoured Tshidi Madia’s dedication, mentorship, and enduring passion for journalism.
Tshidi’s memorial program. Photo: Dikeledi Ramabula
Tshidi Madia, passed away, at age 42, after a short illness.
Remembered as a passionate journalist, mentor, and friend at her memorial.
Her dedication and influence have left a lasting mark on South Africa’s media community.
The South African media fraternity bid farewell to veteran journalist Tshidi Madia (42), Associate Editor for Politics at Eyewitness News (EWN), who died last week, on August 27, 2025 after a short illness.
On Tuesday,September 2, friends, family, and colleagues gathered at Primedia, Sandton for a memorial service that celebrated her life and lasting impact. The ceremony opened with a moving performance by the Greenside High School choir, whose soft, tender hymn wrapped the hall in an atmosphere of sorrow and grace.
Madia, remembered for her warmth and lively spirit, was described as a journalist who deeply loved her country, her profession, and the people around her. Nisa Allie, EWN’s Editor-in-Chief, spoke on behalf of the newsroom, recalled Madia’s tireless passion for political reporting.
“Even when she was not on diary, Tshidi would pop into our WhatsApp groups just to say she was going to stop by an event or gathering to see what she could get or who she could talk to. That’s how passionate she was,” Allie said.
For younger journalists, Madia was more than a colleague. Alpha Ramushwana, a news reporter at EWN, shared how she became his mentor when he first joined as an intern in 2022.
Tshidi’s memorial venue in Sandton. Photo: Dikeledi Ramabula
“Tshidi saw something in me that I didn’t see. She told me I would have a great career in journalism, and for the past three years, she kept affirming that,” Ramushwana said.
Her family, too, paid tribute to her unwavering dedication. Reabetjoe Makoko, Madia’s sister, said: “My sister worked hard, she loved what she did, and so many people didn’t know until that moment of the US, but trust me she’s been working so hard for many years.”
As memories and tributes flowed, a portrait emerged of a woman who was not only a formidable journalist but also a loving sister, mentor, and friend. Tshidi Madia will be remembered for her beautiful heart, her relentless work ethic, and the love she shared with all who knew her.
FEATURED IMAGE: Tshidi Madia’s image at the memorial. Photo: Dikeledi Ramabula
Behind every ride-share hailed and every taxi boarded lies a struggle for territory, income and safety, one that turned deadly in Soweto.
A clash at Maponya Mall left one driver dead and reopened old wounds in South Africa’s long running battle over passengers, power and survival.
As violence flares once again between e-hailing and taxis, commuters are forced to confront the risks hidden in their daily rides.
Years after promises of new transport laws, the streets remain unregulated battlefields where young drivers are left vulnerable.
On an August evening outside Maponya Mall in Soweto, smoke from two burning cars lingered. It was supposed to be another ordinary shift for Siyanda Mthokozisi Mvelase of evening Uber trips around Soweto to earn enough probably for a week’s rent, or even groceries. Instead, he became the latest victim in the escalating conflict between taxi operators and e-hailing drivers.
The 27-year-old e-hailing driver, who had reportedly only been working for a few days, was ambushed at a/the Soweto shopping center. According to Independent Online (IOL), eyewitness reports and preliminary police investigations, Mvelase was shot before his car was set alight. The barbaric nature of the attack left another vehicle (of another unnamed e-hailing driver) in burnt pieces, and a passerby injured. This incident has cast a harsh spotlight on the unresolved tensions that continue to claim lives and instill fear within the public transport sector.
While police investigations are still underway with a case of murder and two counts of attempted murder being investigated, the incident is widely believed to be the latest casualty in the violent feud between the taxi industry and the increasingly popular e-hailing services such as Uber and Bolt. In the immediate aftermath, the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) condemned the violence, and offered to cover Mvelase’s funeral costs.
However, many remain skeptical, viewing the gesture as an attempt at damage control in the face of public outrage. Uber also issued a statement of condolence, though it clarified that the driver was not registered on its platform at the time of the incident. This detail has made matters even worse, leaving questions about the regulation and oversight of the broader e-hailing sector.
Hustling in a collapsing economy
Mvelase was part of a growing wave of young people turning to platforms like Uber and Bolt to make a living in an economy with high youth unemployment. With scarcity of proper jobs, e-hailing has become a fallback hustle – a little more flexible, relatively easy to enter, and a way to cover the costs of living. No application processes, no expensive qualifications, just a car and a smartphone.
However, for drivers, every trip carries uncertainty. Shopping malls, Gautrain stations and airports are hotspots for intimidation, harassment and in many cases, violence. A Bolt driver interviewed by Wits Vuvuzela, Xolani Mdlalose, said that for every pick-up and drop-off, he constantly has to look over his shoulder, that the life struggles they try to overcome are what puts their lives in danger.
The human cost is quite heavy, and for many considering e-hailing services as a side hustle, stories like Mvelase’s leave a bitter taste in one’s mouth.
Commuters caught in the middle of the feud
For students, Ubers and Bolts are not just luxury, they are often the safest option for navigating Johannesburg. From late-night study sessions to off-campus accommodation in scattered suburbs or social gatherings that end after public transport (taxis) working hours, all depend on Uber or Bolt.
“I take a taxi from Soweto to campus every day because it’s cheaper,” said Nkululeko Dlamini, a second year property studies student. “But you find that sometimes, especially early mornings, we wait for a while if there aren’t enough passengers to fill the Quantum. This is stressful on days I have morning classes”
Others turn to Uber or Bolt for reliability. “I prefer Uber more than taxis, because it is more convenient. Literally picks me up from wherever I am, at any time, and drops me off exactly where I am going,” said Refilwe Molefe, a first-year computer science student. “It feels safer but after what happened at Maponya Mall, you realise one’s safety is not really guaranteed.”
Students are caught in the middle of affordable taxis on one side and the relative convenience of e-hailing on the other, with both overshadowed by safety concerns. It’s a choice many describe as a gamble.
Regulation and Governance
The irony is that the legal framework to regulate these tensions already exists. In June 2024, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the National Land Transport Amendment Act (Act 23 of 2023) (NLTA), a long-awaited update to South Africa’s transport law. This law was supposed to bring order to the chaos. For the first time, e-hailing services are formally recognized and regulated, requiring drivers to hold proper operating licenses and platforms like Uber and Bolt to be endorsed by the licenses.
The Act also empowers provincial regulatory authorities to suspend or withdraw licenses for offences and ties permits to municipal Integrated Transport Plans (a mechanism designed to avoid the oversupply “flashpoints” that often lead to violent clashes at malls and taxi ranks).
But more than a year later, implementation is stuck. The regulations that give the law significance remain delayed. Provinces struggle with license backlogs, enforcement authorities lack resources and platforms like Uber and Bolt continue to operate in grey zone and are seen as unregulated competitors. As a result, many e-hailing drivers are left exposed, fueling friction with the taxi industry.
A way forward
In response to the public outcry, government officials vowed to take decisive actions. The Minister of Transport has announced the imminent and full implementation of the NTLA Act.
But without these regulations, commuters and drivers remain vulnerable. Taxi associations continue to assert territorial control, sometimes violently, while e-hailing platforms distance themselves from accountability by pointing to legal ambiguities.
For commuters and the unemployed, the resolution of this conflict is not just a matter of convenience, it’s a matter of safety and access to opportunities. The tragic death of Siyanda Mvelase serves as a reminder of the human cost of unresolved tensions.
As a generation striving to build their futures in a challenging economy, young people and students in Johannesburg deserve a safe and reliable public transport system that allows them to pursue their aspirations without the constant fear of violence. The effective implementation of the NLTA Act, coupled with meaningful engagement and enforcement, offers a glimmer of hope for a future where both e-hailing drivers and passengers can navigate the city’s roads with greater security and peace of mind.
But until then, both drivers and passengers remain at risk.
FEATURED IMAGE: A picture of a taxi and a private car next to each other to represent the feud. Image: Lulah Mphiye
Wasteful expenditure on emergency ambulance transport is on the rise, and the university is now drawing a financial line in the sand.
Wits University attempts to manage the high cost of emergency services for residence students who refuse ambulance transport.
Almost R300 000 is spent annually on ambulance services.
The trend of transport refusals has been happening for years.
The frantic dance of red and blue lights shatters the silence of a Wits residence hall, pulsing through the window blinds. For a student without medical aid, this sudden flashing arrival is reassuring; a lifeline of professional care provided by the university.
But what happens when the student’s condition improves, or they have a change of heart and the ambulance leaves without a patient?
This frequent scenario is what the university views as a financially wasteful trend, prompting it to inform students they could be liable for a minimum of R3,000 for refusing transport for medical emergencies.
The communication, forwarded via email by the respective wardens to students living in Wits residences, begs the question of what exactly constitutes a “wasted call,” and how does this apparent misuse of emergency services translate into a significant financial burden for the university?
The financial burden and wasted calls
The Wits Campus Housing and Residence Life (CHRL) department has been absorbing costs related to student medical emergencies.
ER24, the private emergency service provider for students not on medical aid, expressed its concern to the university about students’ refusal to be transported.
Basil Mugwena, CHRL director, explained that if a student is not on medical aid, the university calls ER24 and covers the cost, opting for private services like ER24 over slower government ambulances.
The CHRL financial manager, Tabrez Jooman, stated, “Contractually, if a student refuses to be further assisted, the University still pays for the ambulance service.”
The university’s annual contract with private ambulance provider, ER24 amounts to approximately R300,000.
Mugwena notes that a single ambulance that is dispatched and leaves without a patient can cost the university almost R1,000.
It’s important to note that the R300,000 contract with ER24 does not cover the most severe cases. Mugwena, talking about the intensive care unit (ICU), clarified, “There are cases that we’ve had where we’ve had students in ICU.”
He emphasised that for these serious incidents, the university often has to cover much larger expenses. For example, he recounted one incident where a student was in the ICU for an extended period: “The default position is if you are not on medical aid after 72 hours, if you are still sick, you must be transferred to government [hospital]. Which will not happen. [So], we paid.”
These more critical situations fall outside the scope of the regular ambulance contract, placing a greater financial strain on the university.
The frustration, Mugwena noted, stems from situations where an ambulance is called, but the student either no longer needs or refuses the transport or those who call to “see whether these fellows will respond”.
“This [transport refusals] has been going on for the past few years,” he said.
Email correspondence to Wits residence students on ambulance transport refusals.
A paramedic’s perspective on refusals
Campus Health paramedic, Tebogo Sibilanga, whose team works closely with ER24 to provide rapid emergency care for students, confirmed that they have seen numerous cases of refusals for hospital transportation (RHT).
When asked how they determine if a student is fit to refuse transport, Sibilanga explained, “We’ve got what we call a Glasgow Coma Score. It has a score out of 15 which we use to determine your level of consciousness. And also, your body coordination.”
Sibilanga explained that they are legally prohibited from forcing a patient into an ambulance unless a mental health professional determines the student is a danger to themselves or others.
A common scene is set by Sibilanga: an asthmatic student who, after being found and stabilised by the team, refuses transport upon feeling better because they found their pump.
While the patient may have the resources to manage their condition, the paramedic’s protocol requires them to assess the situation thoroughly before leaving a patient to their own devices.
“We’ve had cases… when the paramedics arrived, they found that no, this particular student simply did not take their own medication,” Mugwena stated.
Sibilanga also shed light on the reason for the reliance on private services. “Due to delays with provincial ambulances—which can sometimes take hours—the university outsources the service to ER24 to ensure a rapid response time, ideally within a six-minute window.”
This partnership, alongside a deal with Milpark Hospital, Charlotte Maxeke and Hillbrow Hospital, is designed to bridge the gap in emergency care for students, particularly those who do not have medical aid.
“Actually, there are two paramedics on campus for the whole university, which is very disturbing. But we are working on hiring more people,” he said.
The challenge of mental health crises
A portion of the “wasted” calls stems from students experiencing anxiety attacks, particularly those who are directed to Akeso, a private psychiatric hospital.
Mugwena described this arrangement as a “headache,” noting a frustrating trend where students will often refuse to go to the on-campus Counselling and Careers Development Unit (CCDU), but then insist on being taken to Akeso. However, according to protocol, a student must first be seen by CCDU to get a referral.
Mugwena pointed to stigmatisation as a major reason for students’ hesitation to be taken by an Akeso vehicle, fearing they will be perceived as “mad.”
While the university does have the authority to authorise an “involuntary admission” if a psychiatrist determines a student is a danger to themselves, Mugwena believes the issue is more complex than simple abuse of the system.
He stated, “I will not say this person is doing this deliberately… I’m saying something may be underlying.” He added that he would not penalise a student for refusing transport due to a mental health issue, calling it “inhumane.”
So, are students actually liable for payment?
The short answer is no.
Contrary to the email, both Mugwena and Jooman indicated that the R3,000 charge mentioned in the email is a deterrent, not a rigid fee that has been implemented.
Jooman said, “I am not aware of any minimum charge of R3000 being set and none has been levied to any student to date.” Mugwena confirmed, “We have never done any penalty on any student.”
Despite the threat, it was revealed that their main strategy is education.
“The best thing that we can do is to educate because time and again we say to wardens, talk to students, particularly about calling ambulance services,” clarified Mugwena.
When asked if thereis ongoing communication with students about emergency procedures, Zethu Lubisi, warden for the all-female residence, Sunnyside Hall of Residence, said, “Yes, during quarterly PGM meetings, wardens share information and encourage students to use university health services like Campus Health to get timely assistance and reduce reliance on ambulance services.”
For now, Wits is walking a fine line, using a financial threat to manage a behavioural trend, while internally acknowledging the ethical and human complexities of the situation.
The central message to students is clear: “Stop abusing this,” while the internal conversation among staff is focused on the best way to educate students and reduce financial waste without compromising their wellbeing.
FEATURED IMAGE: ER24 ambulance vehicle parked outside on the piazza at the Great Hall at Wits University. Photo: Lukholo Mazibuko
For some, adding the environment to the laundry list of concerns about the future is too much to handle.
More immediate concerns like unemployment make it hard for young people to prioritise fighting climate change.
Global warming is impacting mental health, causing eco-anxiety and ecological grief.
Young people are at a crossroads, unsure if they have it in them to take up this cause.
It’s 2018 and Ayakha Melithafa is a teenage girl like any other. Her school days consist of laughing with friends and teasing each other about their latest crushes, trying to pay attention as teachers drone on about Shakespeare and trigonometry. Occasionally, her mind will wander to her mother, still in the Eastern Cape.
On the phone, Ayakha tells her about Day Zero, and how Cape Town has worked itself into a frenzy. The taps are still running, even if the water is a little dodgy. She asks her mother how she’s doing back home. “Oh, I’m fine, everything here is fine,” she tells her daughter. The drought there has spread, but they’re managing, she shouldn’t worry.
For Ayakha, the end of term can’t come soon enough. She says goodbye to Cape Town, and travels east, back to the small farm that is her childhood home. Over the phone, her mother had put her mind at ease. In person, though, Ayakha can see that the worry in her eyes betrays her words of reassurance. The extent of the drought can’t be ignored. Fields that should be green are cracked and brittle. Livestock, once healthy, look thinner as they meander slowly on sparse grazing land. Her mind is full of questions for which she has no answers.
She returns to Cape Town, her heart heavy with the fear that things are changing for the worst. Just two weeks later, her life sciences teacher would hand out pamphlets for the YouLead initiative, a youth programme by climate justice organisation Project 90 by 2030. That would be the moment her climate activism is born.
Young activists, like Ayakha Melithafa, have taken the challenge of fighting climate change head-on. Photo: Afribeing.
The fight feels too big
Today, the feeling of despair that Ayakha felt is what experts are calling eco-anxiety. For her, it lit a fire to act. But for others her age, it is breeding a quieter response: tuning out or convincing themselves that the climate crisis is someone else’s problem. Young people are caught in the tension between fear and indifference, searching for ways to reconcile that their inheritance is a burning planet.
For South African youth in particular, climate change is just one of many looming threats to their futures, and caring about them all can be too much to shoulder.
“I’m not big on worrying about things that I can’t control. If I think of all the things that are happening in this country that are scary and that I know are going to affect me in the future, I ask myself what am I going to do about that? I see climate change the same way,” said Ntokozo Seoka, a first-year engineering student.
“Am I going to stop the rain, am I going to stop the floods? I could start an organisation or something but it’s going to take a much bigger collective action to change anything, so I don’t even bother,” she candidly shared.
For Ayakha, this disillusionment is understandable, but still disappointing. “That mindset is a little bit scary. As young people, there’s always going to be something else that we’re focusing on and prioritising. But if we don’t look towards the future, then we will always be in survival mode,” she said.
Rather than allowing the climate crisis to demoralise her, Ayakha insists that the solution is to tackle this issue head on and try to find the opportunities in it, as others have. “In the global north, these young people have clocked it. […] They’re developing climate tech and coming up with advanced ideas, while in the global south we’re still trying to understand what climate change even means,” she said. “It’s not about trying to be them, it’s about being in a state of readiness.”
Research shows that young South Africans have several climate-related concerns. Graphic: Mbali Khumalo.
The human toll of a warming world
Humans often forget that we’re of the earth, not just on it. Climate change is not something we’re seeing happen around us, it is also happening to us, on a physiological level. Plastic pollution is a clear example. “People on the frontlines, scientists, have found microplastics in blood, air, even human placentas,” said Hellen Dena, Project Lead for the Pan-African Plastics Project at Greenpeace Africa. She insists that environmental crises are also human health crises.
Darshnika Lakhoo, clinical researcher at the Wits Planetary Health Research Division, has found that the impact on the mind is far more nuanced than just a passing concern about dry rivers or melting ice caps. “Psychoterratic syndrome is a term that encompasses a lot of ecological related mental health impacts of climate change,” she explains. “The terms under this umbrella are eco-anxiety, ecological grief, which is the mourning related to the change in your environment and the loss of the natural world. There is also solastalgia, which is stress caused by environmental changes.”
Environmental justice organisations see this within their ranks. “Eco-anxiety is very real among young people. There’s a lot of fear and frustration, and also just grief about nature as a whole,” said Keletso Malepe, co-founder of the South African Youth Biodiversity Network. “We’re experiencing drought, floods, heatwaves, even wildfires. […] These climate risks don’t exist in isolation. They interact with all the other vulnerabilities that young people face like poverty and high unemployment,” Malepe said.
A generation at a crossroads
The youth are left in a climate catch-22. The task of reversing the damage done by older generations is so daunting that some would rather avoid it altogether. However, to do nothing only increases the risk of worsening their physical and mental health, as this crisis continues to destroy livelihoods and displace communities.
For those like Ayakha, there was no choice. Climate change didn’t knock on her door, it kicked it down. Stories like hers mark the test the youth face today. “Each generation had a great challenge,” said LLB student Aiden Chetty. “Ours is the environment, and to avoid it would make us the first generation too cowardly to embrace its cause.”
Students at Wits University had their say on how the climate crisis is impacting their wellbeing. Video: Mbali Khumalo
FEATURED IMAGE: Climate change has become a generation-defining fight for the youth. Image: Chris de Beer-Procter.
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