A blog by Wandisile Sebezo.

A Quadrant Media Advisory Production. Directed by Koos Roets.

As South Africa sets about to celebrate Heritage Month, a new short film about traditional Khoisan dance, fusing with modern day hip hop dance is about to be shot right here in our coastal town, in a Griqua settlement just 15 minutes away from Plett.

Talking of all things heritage, one can say the first nations people of Southern Africa, collectively known as Khoe-San/Khoisan have been largely forgotten and side-lined to the margins of ...more

A blog by Wandisile Sebezo.

Almost six months ago the world stopped, took a deep breath and sighed – bracing itself for the unknown as a corona virus was ravaging all those in its wake.

The music was turned off, lights stopped glittering and the outdoor was unfamiliar. No bookings, no check-ins and no rushing to catch that flight at the airport. Life as we know it, changed dramatically.

But as we’re adjusting well into level two of the nationwide lockdown, South Africans are saying andizi (I’m not coming), not anymore, it’s time to get the groove back.

While international ...more

A blog by Wandisile Sebezo.

Our seaside town joined in on the worldwide dance sensation when a few 100 Plettonians descended on the Main Street to dance along to the upbeat gospel song.

Jerusalema, a song by South African producer and DJ Master KG, features vocalist Nomcebo. It was released in November 2019 and has since been a hit globally.

On our local end, organisers of the event last Saturday hoped to attract upwards of 1000 Plett peeps all in effort to revive our spirits, and declare for all to know that Plett is open for business; and after the last five months of being locked indoors and ...more

A blog by Wandisile Sebezo.

July 18 was declared by the United Nations as “Nelson Mandela International Day” (or Mandela Day) in November 2009 with the first UN Mandela Day celebrated in July 2010.

It’s basically a call to action that each individual can play a role in transforming society for the better. The campaign says “Nelson Mandela has fought for social justice for 67 years. We’re asking you to start with 67 minutes”.

There have been great projects the world over observing Mandela Day, from 67 blankets for Mandela, to feeding the ...more

A blog by Wandisile Sebezo.

Mike Bathande Bhayibhile might have grown up in a township like most of his peers, but he’s not your regular Joe where playing soccer and rugby is what makes a man in these neck of the woods; he rather opted for something totally different – classical music.

I begin our conversation by asking him why classical music of all things he could have done, and after a short chuckle, the church he points out, the Apostle Church to be exact, is all that influenced his passion for music and later a career ...more

A blog by Wandisile Sebezo.

Apparently I didn’t get the memo; everyone seems to be a cyclist these days, but don’t get me wrong, it’s a beautiful scene to see because it means people are getting more health conscious by the day.

I know that over the years there have been a number of Kwano residents commuting to and from work, but the congestion has never been this great since they only commute to and from work during certain hours. Now that the interest has grown to include those that ride for pleasure and those who do so for health reasons, Plett ...more

A blog by Wandisile Sebezo.

While the world is fighting an invisible pandemic, there is a visible one ravaging woman and children every day – Gender Based Violence (GBV). This, despite it being declared by President Ramaphosa a national crisis in September 2019, GBV seems to be on the rise in South Africa.

Recent GBV cases that have attracted nationwide protests include the murder of 25-year-old Naledi Phangindawo of Mossel Bay who was hacked to death with an axe and knife on 8 June 2020 by her boyfriend, Mlondi Ntlangule (34). ...more

A blog by Wandisile Sebezo.

They are probably ‘The’ local Hip Hop group to look out for in the future of Plett’s music scene, particularly because they’re young, fresh and obviously bringing in something new to the game.

Here we’re talking Hip Hop back in its original state, where the conscious element was at the centre of the music, when hip hop artists concerned themselves with the socio-economic issues around them before bling and glamour took over the craft.

Afteral, Hip hop originated in the predominantly African American economically depressed ...more

A blog by Wandisile Sebezo.

Perhaps you know her as an academic, radical feminist and activist, well, there’s more to Sivuyisiwe “Ntombi” Wonci than she lets on, and at this year’s first ever virtual Plett ARTS Festival, we get to experience the creative side of this amazing Plett local.

Ntombi is one of many who hails from the hands of Mncedisi “Ta Mnce” Ncedani, who at the time ran a number of creative arts projects at the Simunye Community Centre now known as Thusong Centre.

Ntombi is one of those gems that Ta Mnce found and ...more

A blog by Wandisile Sebezo.

“Each generation must out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfil it or betray it” Frantz Fanon.

When the idea of ‘Winter Warming’ was born in 2017, I wrote; "June in the South African political calendar is considered a youth month, its roots in the June 16 1976 uprising, where scores of young people responded to the imposition of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in Black public schools by taking to the streets to voice their dissatisfaction. Over the last 23 years of our democracy, June 16 has been considered a youth day, ...more

A blog by Wandisile Sebezo.

As someone who stays in a township I know first-hand how social distancing and staying indoors can be a nightmare for many families living in these areas, and being part of an initiative that delivers food parcels to those in need, I have seen first-hand how families are really struggling to make ends meet.

I have also seen how many of these families are squeezed together like sardines, making social distancing really not practical, but some behaviours cannot go without reprimand, alas, especially in ...more

A blog by Wandisile Sebezo.

In a highly anticipated address to the nation on Wednesday 13, President Ramaphosa missed an opportunity to provide direction on the state of the economy, which is in a state of disaster thanks to the nationwide lockdown.

The president acknowledged that the main reason for the lockdown in its initial phase was to flatten the curve and curb the spread of the virus, and that it has relatively achieved that.

However on Wednesday night when the rest of the country sat down to watch and listen to the President, South Africa wanted to know what’s the ...more