Don't Shoot The Messenger

Don't Shoot The Messenger

Daily Maverick

Don’t Shoot the Messenger is a podcast brought to you by South Africa’s leading independent news and analysis website, the Daily Maverick. We take you into the stories behind the stories, to give you a fresh view and new insight on some of the most important topics of the moment.

How koeksisters and Bible verses can keep women safe

How koeksisters and Bible verses can keep women safe

You can only address gender-based violence in the long term through major structural reform. But South Africa’s women don’t have the long term: they need to be safe now. In the final episode of our third season, we’re talking to a Cape Flats activist who used the sale of koeksisters during lockdown as a pretence to offer battered women shelter. And we’re speaking to a British academic who believes her work with churches can provide a model for other countries with strong religious institutions.

May 9, 2021 • 24:07

How koeksisters and Bible verses can keep women safe

How koeksisters and Bible verses can keep women safe

You can only address gender-based violence in the long term through major structural reform. But South Africa’s women don’t have the long term: they need to be safe now. In the final episode of our third season, we’re talking to a Cape Flats activist who used the sale of koeksisters during lockdown as a pretence to offer battered women shelter. And we’re speaking to a British academic who believes her work with churches can provide a model for other countries with strong religious institutions.

May 9, 2021 • 21:50

Would you pay for dinner to get told that you’re racist?

Would you pay for dinner to get told that you’re racist?

Would you pay to attend a dinner party at which you’re told that you are probably more racist than you realise? A business established by two women of colour in the USA invites white women to do just that - and hear some hard truths. In this episode, we’re talking to Saira Rao and Regina Jackson, founders of the controversial project Race2Dinner. MUSIC: Oh Freedom! (Slave spiritual folk song) by Sound of Joy & Oh Freedom! as sung by the Golden Gospel Singers Don’t Shoot the Messenger is p

May 2, 2021 • 22:55

Would you pay for dinner to get told that you’re racist?

Would you pay for dinner to get told that you’re racist?

Would you pay to attend a dinner party at which you’re told that you are probably more racist than you realise? A business established by two women of colour in the USA invites white women to do just that - and hear some hard truths. In this episode, we’re talking to Saira Rao and Regina Jackson, founders of the controversial project Race2Dinner. MUSIC: Oh Freedom! (Slave spiritual folk song) by Sound of Joy & Oh Freedom! as sung by the Golden Gospel Singers Don’t Shoot the Messenger is produ

May 2, 2021 • 21:38

What Rwanda got right that South Africa didn’t

What Rwanda got right that South Africa didn’t

Is there any way to “solve” racism? Are there any means by which we can achieve true racial reconciliation? In this episode, we’re looking at the example of Rwanda, a country torn apart by deadly ethnic divisions in the 1990s, whose government argues it has largely achieved national peace post genocide. And we’re talking to a man who bears one of the notorious surnames in the history of South Africa – who has made it his life’s mission to help undo the damage of his forebears. Don’t Shoot the M

Apr 25, 2021 • 22:33

What Rwanda got right that South Africa didn’t

What Rwanda got right that South Africa didn’t

Is there any way to “solve” racism? Are there any means by which we can achieve true racial reconciliation? In this episode, we’re looking at the example of Rwanda, a country torn apart by deadly ethnic divisions in the 1990s, whose government argues it has largely achieved national peace post genocide. And we’re talking to a man who bears one of the notorious surnames in the history of South Africa – who has made it his life’s mission to help undo the damage of his forebears. Don’t Shoot the M

Apr 25, 2021 • 23:50

Nobody watches women’s sport - and other myths

Nobody watches women’s sport - and other myths

Women’s sport in South Africa is still decades and decades behind the state of play for men. In this episode, we’re talking to Daily Maverick’s resident sports guru and the current Springbok women’s rugby coach, exploring how the USA managed to create the world’s most successful women’s soccer industry within two generations, and busting some of those tired myths you still hear all the time – like that “women’s sport just can’t attract any money because nobody wants to watch it”. Don’t Shoot th

Apr 18, 2021 • 25:27

Nobody watches women’s sport - and other myths

Nobody watches women’s sport - and other myths

Women’s sport in South Africa is still decades and decades behind the state of play for men. In this episode, we’re talking to Daily Maverick’s resident sports guru and the current Springbok women’s rugby coach, exploring how the USA managed to create the world’s most successful women’s soccer industry within two generations, and busting some of those tired myths you still hear all the time – like that “women’s sport just can’t attract any money because nobody wants to watch it”. Don’t Shoot th

Apr 18, 2021 • 24:09

Social media: How troll tactics are being used for good

Social media: How troll tactics are being used for good

Social media is making us more unhappy, less safe, and in some cases just stupider. This while the power of these websites grows unstoppably: Facebook now has more adherents than Christianity. In this episode we’re taking on just two aspects of the social media problem: the way it spreads fake news, and the vicious nature of the conversation. We’re looking at a counter-intuitively simple fix for the issue of misinformation, and talking to a South African researcher who is using the tricks of tro

Apr 11, 2021 • 24:19

Social media: How troll tactics are being used for good

Social media: How troll tactics are being used for good

Social media is making us more unhappy, less safe, and in some cases just stupider. This while the power of these websites grows unstoppably: Facebook now has more adherents than Christianity. In this episode we’re taking on just two aspects of the social media problem: the way it spreads fake news, and the vicious nature of the conversation. We’re looking at a counter-intuitively simple fix for the issue of misinformation, and talking to a South African researcher who is using the tricks of tro

Apr 11, 2021 • 25:36

The Museum of Toxic Statues

The Museum of Toxic Statues

Ever since the statue of Cecil John Rhodes was targeted in 2015, statues of apartheid and colonial figures around South Africa have been vandalised. What the hell should we do with them? In this episode, we’re asking what the best way is for South Africa to grapple with the past. We're talking to a professor who has made it his business to see Cecil John Rhodes account for his deeds - in fictional form; and to a museum curator whose job it is to collect Germany's most toxic monuments. Additiona

Apr 4, 2021 • 25:26

The Museum of Toxic Statues

The Museum of Toxic Statues

Ever since the statue of Cecil John Rhodes was targeted in 2015, statues of apartheid and colonial figures around South Africa have been vandalised. What the hell should we do with them? In this episode, we’re asking what the best way is for South Africa to grapple with the past. We're talking to a professor who has made it his business to see Cecil John Rhodes account for his deeds - in fictional form; and to a museum curator whose job it is to collect Germany's most toxic monuments. Additiona

Apr 4, 2021 • 24:09

Why South Africa needs a ‘Don’t Mess With Texas’ campaign

Why South Africa needs a ‘Don’t Mess With Texas’ campaign

South Africa is literally running out of places to store its rubbish: the City of Johannesburg has warned that its landfills are almost full. Who wants to live in Trashzania? In this episode, we are taking on the country’s littering epidemic. We’re talking to an academic and an activist who help explain why this issue is neither trivial nor middle-class; exploring one of the most successful anti-littering campaigns in history: and speaking to someone on the team which designed a simple but brill

Mar 21, 2021 • 20:58

How To Fix It: Why South Africa needs a ‘Don’t Mess With Texas’ campaign

How To Fix It: Why South Africa needs a ‘Don’t Mess With Texas’ campaign

South Africa is literally running out of places to store its rubbish: the City of Johannesburg has warned that its landfills are almost full. Who wants to live in Trashzania? In this episode, we are taking on the country’s littering epidemic. We’re talking to an academic and an activist who help explain why this issue is neither trivial nor middle-class; exploring one of the most successful anti-littering campaigns in history: and speaking to someone on the team which designed a simple but brill

Mar 21, 2021 • 20:57

Could giving people free money revolutionise SA society?

Could giving people free money revolutionise SA society?

Giving people free money? That might sound like the last thing South Africa can afford. But numerous studies have found that giving people a universal basic income grant leads to the funds being used in productive ways which both improve people’s quality of life and boost the economy more widely. In a country with SA’s levels of unemployment, it just might be the only sensible next step. Don’t Shoot the Messenger is produced by Haji Mohamed Dawjee and written and presented by Rebecca Davis with

Mar 14, 2021 • 27:02

How To Fix It: Could giving people free money revolutionise SA society?

How To Fix It: Could giving people free money revolutionise SA society?

Giving people free money? That might sound like the last thing South Africa can afford. But numerous studies have found that giving people a universal basic income grant leads to the funds being used in productive ways which both improve people’s quality of life and boost the economy more widely. In a country with SA’s levels of unemployment, it just might be the only sensible next step. Don’t Shoot the Messenger is produced by Haji Mohamed Dawjee and written and presented by Rebecca Davis with

Mar 14, 2021 • 25:44

How To Fix It: What Finland and reverence for teachers can teach SA's school system

How To Fix It: What Finland and reverence for teachers can teach SA's school system

We’re constantly told that education is the single most important service to get right to secure South Africa’s future. In this episode, we’re speaking to an expert on probably the world’s most respected school system, chatting to someone who toured schools all around South Africa to get a sense of what makes the good ones good, and along the way we are busting some of the myths that have built up over the years around this troublesome topic. Don’t Shoot the Messenger is produced by Haji Mohame

Mar 7, 2021 • 21:04

What Finland and reverence for teachers can teach SA's school system

What Finland and reverence for teachers can teach SA's school system

We’re constantly told that education is the single most important service to get right to secure South Africa’s future. In this episode, we’re speaking to an expert on probably the world’s most respected school system, chatting to someone who toured schools all around South Africa to get a sense of what makes the good ones good, and along the way we are busting some of the myths that have built up over the years around this troublesome topic. Don’t Shoot the Messenger is produced by Haji Mohame

Mar 7, 2021 • 22:21

How To Fix It: Crime

How To Fix It: Crime

The latest crime stats prove that the violent crime rates in South Africa are getting worse. In this episode, we hear about a country which turned around its crime situation in the 90s, talk to a woman with a simple but brilliant solution to keep people safer in high crime areas, and learn what’s regarded as the most important measures to take towards establishing a crime-free society long term. Don’t Shoot the Messenger is produced by Haji Mohamed Dawjee and written and presented by Rebecca Da

Feb 28, 2021 • 24:10

The country that turned its crime rate around

The country that turned its crime rate around

The latest crime stats prove that the violent crime rates in South Africa are getting worse. In this episode, we hear about a country which turned around its crime situation in the 90s, talk to a woman with a simple but brilliant solution to keep people safer in high crime areas, and learn what’s regarded as the most important measures to take towards establishing a crime-free society long term. Don’t Shoot the Messenger is produced by Haji Mohamed Dawjee and written and presented by Rebecca Da

Feb 28, 2021 • 25:28

SEASON 3: How To Fix It - Coming 1 March

SEASON 3: How To Fix It - Coming 1 March

This season, we are banishing the doom and gloom that so often surrounds the South African context. We all know the problems: education, crime, poverty, inequality. In our third Season we’re going to investigate and experiment with local and international innovations through solutions based storytelling. Join us for Season 3 of Don’t Shoot The Messenger, launching on the 1st of March 2021.

Feb 22, 2021 • 0:52

SEASON 3: How To Fix It - Trailer

SEASON 3: How To Fix It - Trailer

In our third season we're exploring ideas on how to fix things in South Africa. We all know the problems: education, crime, poverty, inequality. Now we want to focus on how they can overcome, looking at innovative local solutions and answers that have worked elsewhere in the world. Join us for Season 3 of Don’t Shoot The Messenger, launching on the 1st of March 2021.

Feb 22, 2021 • 0:52

The plot to blow up Koeberg, Part 2: The man with the bombs

The plot to blow up Koeberg, Part 2: The man with the bombs

As a young man, Rodney Wilkinson won Springbok colours in fencing - but he would enter the South African history books in a different way. On 16 December 1982, Rodney set four bombs inside the Koeberg nuclear power station in Cape Town. They were timed to explode 24 hours later - and explode they did, while Rodney had already ridden to safety on a bicycle across the South African border. We travelled to hear the story from Rodney Wilkinson himself. Don’t Shoot the Messenger is produced by Haji

Oct 25, 2020 • 25:05

The plot to blow up Koeberg, Part 2: The man with the bombs

The plot to blow up Koeberg, Part 2: The man with the bombs

As a young man, Rodney Wilkinson won Springbok colours in fencing - but he would enter the South African history books in a different way. On 16 December 1982, Rodney set four bombs inside the Koeberg nuclear power station in Cape Town. They were timed to explode 24 hours later - and explode they did, while Rodney had already ridden to safety on a bicycle across the South African border. We travelled to hear the story from Rodney Wilkinson himself. Don’t Shoot the Messenger is produced by Haji

Oct 25, 2020 • 23:50

The plot to blow up Koeberg, Part 1: The man with the blueprint

The plot to blow up Koeberg, Part 1: The man with the blueprint

Professor Renfrew Christie risked death by hanging to spy on the apartheid government’s power stations - using his doctoral thesis as a pretext to gain access to the plants in order to gather intel. He became South Africa’s pioneering nuclear whistleblower. In this week’s episode, he explains how he wrote a confession read aloud in court to provide information on how Cape Town’s nuclear power station could be bombed without loss of human life. Don’t Shoot the Messenger is produced by Haji Moham

Oct 18, 2020 • 17:48

The plot to blow up Koeberg, Part 1: The man with the blueprint

The plot to blow up Koeberg, Part 1: The man with the blueprint

Professor Renfrew Christie risked death by hanging to spy on the apartheid government’s power stations - using his doctoral thesis as a pretext to gain access to the plants in order to gather intel. He became South Africa’s pioneering nuclear whistleblower. In this week’s episode, he explains how he wrote a confession read aloud in court to provide information on how Cape Town’s nuclear power station could be bombed without loss of human life. Don’t Shoot the Messenger is produced by Haji Moham

Oct 18, 2020 • 19:03

The worst that could happen: How ready are we to face disaster?

The worst that could happen: How ready are we to face disaster?

On 26 September, Cape Town was rocked by tremors after an earthquake occurred off the South African coast. The incident was minor, but it got a lot of people wondering about South Africa’s preparedness in the event of a(nother) major disaster. In this episode, we speak to a disaster management specialist, an earthquake expert, and an activist who has been horrified for years by the risk posed by Koeberg nuclear power station. Don’t Shoot the Messenger is produced by Haji Mohamed Dawjee and pres

Oct 11, 2020 • 23:56

The worst that could happen: How ready are we to face disaster?

The worst that could happen: How ready are we to face disaster?

On 26 September, Cape Town was rocked by tremors after an earthquake occurred off the South African coast. The incident was minor, but it got a lot of people wondering about South Africa’s preparedness in the event of a(nother) major disaster. In this episode, we speak to a disaster management specialist, an earthquake expert, and an activist who has been horrified for years by the risk posed by Koeberg nuclear power station. Don’t Shoot the Messenger is produced by Haji Mohamed Dawjee and pres

Oct 11, 2020 • 25:11

In the Rough: Golf courses may be South Africa’s most wasteful luxury

In the Rough: Golf courses may be South Africa’s most wasteful luxury

When legal advocacy group Ndifuna Ukwazi launched a 2019 campaign to have Rondebosch Golf Club land re-allocated for affordable housing, it was revealed that the club was paying less than R1000 rent a year for hectares of public land. In this episode, we take a look at those crazy leases - and find that around the country, some golf courses on municipal land are paying as little as R20 rent per year. You read that right: R20 annually. In this episode, we have no trouble making the case against

Oct 4, 2020 • 23:32

In the Rough: Golf courses may be South Africa’s most wasteful luxury

In the Rough: Golf courses may be South Africa’s most wasteful luxury

When legal advocacy group Ndifuna Ukwazi launched a 2019 campaign to have Rondebosch Golf Club land re-allocated for affordable housing, it was revealed that the club was paying less than R1000 rent a year for hectares of public land. In this episode, we take a look at those crazy leases - and find that around the country, some golf courses on municipal land are paying as little as R20 rent per year. You read that right: R20 annually. In this episode, we have no trouble making the case against

Oct 4, 2020 • 22:17

QAnon: How the world’s fastest-growing conspiracy theory is spreading to SA

QAnon: How the world’s fastest-growing conspiracy theory is spreading to SA

Daily Maverick — On this week’s show, we’re exploring the global movement called QAnon: a web of conspiracy theories, fantasies and lies which may have started in the head of a former tech journalist from Johannesburg, but which has spread to the United States Congress and the White House. And we’re looking at its growing hold on South African social media users too – many of whom may not even realise that they are playing into a vast and very dangerous game. Additional Resources: For fur

Sep 27, 2020 • 0:22

QAnon: How the world’s fastest-growing conspiracy theory is spreading to SA

QAnon: How the world’s fastest-growing conspiracy theory is spreading to SA

On this week’s show, we’re exploring the global movement called QAnon: a web of conspiracy theories, fantasies and lies which may have started in the head of a former tech journalist from Johannesburg, but which has spread to the United States Congress and the White House. And we’re looking at its growing hold on South African social media users too – many of whom may not even realise that they are playing into a vast and very dangerous game. Additional Resources: For further information on the

Sep 27, 2020 • 23:21

Roll-Call by Emoji: The battle to use technology to save SA’s schooling

Roll-Call by Emoji: The battle to use technology to save SA’s schooling

A teacher logs on to a WhatsApp group at a specified time. All students who are present send emojis to indicate their readiness. And so class begins. This is what education has looked like in some parts of South Africa during the Covid-19 lockdown, with teachers, NGOs and businesses scrambling to find ways to keep pupils learning from afar. The innovation is there, the technology is available, and online teaching does away with some of the practical problems which plague the local education sys

Sep 20, 2020 • 21:54

Roll-Call by Emoji: The battle to use technology to save SA’s schooling

Roll-Call by Emoji: The battle to use technology to save SA’s schooling

Daily Maverick — A teacher logs on to a WhatsApp group at a specified time. All students who are present send emojis to indicate their readiness. And so class begins. This is what education has looked like in some parts of South Africa during the Covid-19 lockdown, with teachers, NGOs and businesses scrambling to find ways to keep pupils learning from afar. The innovation is there, the technology is available, and online teaching does away with some of the practical problems which plague

Sep 20, 2020 • 0:21

Can life be normal after kidnapping by Al-Qaeda?

Can life be normal after kidnapping by Al-Qaeda?

Stephen McGown is regarded as Al-Qaeda’s longest surviving hostage. Since his release in 2017, he has been putting his life back together, and is working on a book about his experience. In this episode, he discusses the profound strangeness of trying to readjust to normal life after losing 6 years - and his ultimate feelings on Al-Qaeda may surprise you. Six Years With Al-Qaeda: The Stephen McGown Story will be published by Maverick 451 in late November. Keep an eye on the Daily Maverick websit

Sep 13, 2020 • 18:15

Can life be normal after kidnapping by Al-Qaeda?

Can life be normal after kidnapping by Al-Qaeda?

Daily Maverick — Stephen McGown is regarded as Al-Qaeda’s longest surviving hostage. Since his release in 2017, he has been putting his life back together, and is working on a book about his experience. In this episode, he discusses the profound strangeness of trying to readjust to normal life after losing 6 years - and his ultimate feelings on Al-Qaeda may surprise you. Six Years With Al-Qaeda: The Stephen McGown Story will be published by Maverick 451 in late November. Keep an eye on th

Sep 13, 2020 • 0:17

Where are South Africa’s superheroes?

Where are South Africa’s superheroes?

Your local bookstore will definitely stock ‘Harry Potter’, but when it comes to South African kids’ books featuring children of colour, all bets are off. The local publishing industry admits there’s a big problem - but just how big, nobody knows. In this episode, we speak to local writers Buhle Ngaba and Mohale Mashigo about the crisis in representation that led to them creating their own work for South African children. Pan MacMillan publishers Miemie du Plessis and Sibongile Machika talk fra

Sep 6, 2020 • 21:46

Where are South Africa’s superheroes?

Where are South Africa’s superheroes?

Daily Maverick — Your local bookstore will definitely stock ‘Harry Potter’, but when it comes to South African kids’ books featuring children of colour, all bets are off. The local publishing industry admits there’s a big problem - but just how big, nobody knows. In this episode, we speak to local writers Buhle Ngaba and Mohale Mashigo about the crisis in representation that led to them creating their own work for South African children. Pan MacMillan publishers Miemie du Plessis and Sib

Sep 6, 2020 • 0:20

Puff & Pass: The legal limbo of SA’s marijuana laws

Puff & Pass: The legal limbo of SA’s marijuana laws

Since a March 2017 Western Cape High Court ruling, you can’t be arrested for smoking marijuana within your own home in South Africa. But that doesn’t mean marijuana is legal: you still can’t buy it or sell it anywhere. It’s also been totally unclear how much weed you’re allowed to possess for your own use. The courts gave Parliament two years to draw up the necessary laws to take South Africa out of legal limbo. With the deadline about to run out, a draft bill has been produced - which both wee

Aug 30, 2020 • 23:30

Puff & Pass: The legal limbo of SA’s marijuana laws

Puff & Pass: The legal limbo of SA’s marijuana laws

Daily Maverick — Since a March 2017 Western Cape High Court ruling, you can’t be arrested for smoking marijuana within your own home in South Africa. But that doesn’t mean marijuana is legal: you still can’t buy it or sell it anywhere. It’s also been totally unclear how much weed you’re allowed to possess for your own use. The courts gave Parliament two years to draw up the necessary laws to take South Africa out of legal limbo. With the deadline about to run out, a draft bill has been pr

Aug 30, 2020 • 0:22

The Long-Haulers: When Covid-19 doesn’t go away

The Long-Haulers: When Covid-19 doesn’t go away

Daily Maverick — Seven months into the Covid-19 pandemic, frighteningly little is still known about this new disease. But one thing that is now clear is that Covid-19 is not simply a lung disease. It can attack the brain, the kidneys, the gut, the blood system and more. And for the people now known as the Covid Long-haulers, the effects of Covid-19 can persist for month after month - laying them low with over 60 separate physical symptoms. There are over half a million Covid Long-haulers i

Aug 23, 2020 • 0:17

The Long-Haulers: When Covid-19 doesn’t go away

The Long-Haulers: When Covid-19 doesn’t go away

Seven months into the Covid-19 pandemic, frighteningly little is still known about this new disease. But one thing that is now clear is that Covid-19 is not simply a lung disease. It can attack the brain, the kidneys, the gut, the blood system and more. And for the people now known as the Covid Long-haulers, the effects of Covid-19 can persist for month after month - laying them low with over 60 separate physical symptoms. There are over half a million Covid Long-haulers in the UK alone, and it’

Aug 23, 2020 • 18:19

The New Underworld: How Covid-19 helps create new kinds of criminals

The New Underworld: How Covid-19 helps create new kinds of criminals

Lockdown conditions imposed all over the world have succeeded in halting certain types of illegal trade – but also given rise to new and expanded black markets. And while some of them are relatively benign, others are anything but. In this episode we’re taking a look at the Covid-19 underworld: how the global lockdown has both disrupted traditional black markets, but also birthed new kinds of criminals. We’re taking a trip to the underbelly of the Dark Web, where the illegal products for sale

Jun 1, 2020 • 28:19

The New Underworld: How Covid-19 helps create new kinds of criminals

The New Underworld: How Covid-19 helps create new kinds of criminals

Daily Maverick — Lockdown conditions imposed all over the world have succeeded in halting certain types of illegal trade – but also given rise to new and expanded black markets. And while some of them are relatively benign, others are anything but. In this episode we’re taking a look at the Covid-19 underworld: how the global lockdown has both disrupted traditional black markets, but also birthed new kinds of criminals. We’re taking a trip to the underbelly of the Dark Web, where the ill

Jun 1, 2020 • 0:27

Inside the bizarre world of the Zumas’ new YouTube series

Inside the bizarre world of the Zumas’ new YouTube series

Daily Maverick — “Zooming With The Zumas” is the real title of a real YouTube series offering the public a front-row seat to intimate video chats between former South African president Jacob Zuma and his son Duduzane. In this episode, we rope in Daily Maverick journalist Marianne Thamm to help unpack the perplexing world of Zooming with the Zumas: fact-checking some of the confounding claims made by the Zumas, analysing what it tells us about their undeniably curious family dynamics, and

May 24, 2020 • 0:25

Inside the bizarre world of the Zumas’ new YouTube series

Inside the bizarre world of the Zumas’ new YouTube series

“Zooming With The Zumas” is the real title of a real YouTube series offering the public a front-row seat to intimate video chats between former South African president Jacob Zuma and his son Duduzane. In this episode, we rope in Daily Maverick journalist Marianne Thamm to help unpack the perplexing world of Zooming with the Zumas: fact-checking some of the confounding claims made by the Zumas, analysing what it tells us about their undeniably curious family dynamics, and interrogating what on e

May 24, 2020 • 26:56

The Big Chill: What lockdown can teach us about the benefits of slowness

The Big Chill: What lockdown can teach us about the benefits of slowness

Daily Maverick — The great global slowdown imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic is forcing a slower pace of life on most of us, whether we like it or not. There’s something about hitting the brakes for this amount of time that can feel deeply anxiety-inducing - so we thought we’d use this moment to explore the benefits of taking it nice and slow. In this week’s episode, we’re investigating the virtues of slowness: learning about the secrets of the world’s slowest mammals, exploring the deligh

May 17, 2020 • 0:21

The Big Chill: What lockdown can teach us about the benefits of slowness

The Big Chill: What lockdown can teach us about the benefits of slowness

The great global slowdown imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic is forcing a slower pace of life on most of us, whether we like it or not. There’s something about hitting the brakes for this amount of time that can feel deeply anxiety-inducing - so we thought we’d use this moment to explore the benefits of taking it nice and slow. In this week’s episode, we’re investigating the virtues of slowness: learning about the secrets of the world’s slowest mammals, exploring the delights of the Slow Food Mov

May 17, 2020 • 22:19

The White Coat Army: Why is South Africa paying Cuba for doctors?

The White Coat Army: Why is South Africa paying Cuba for doctors?

In late April, Cuba sent 217 healthcare workers to South Africa to help fight Covid-19. A tremendous humanitarian gesture involving heroic doctors? Perhaps. But the deployment looks likely to cost the South African government almost half a billion rand - at a time when South Africa has its own doctors and nurses sitting unemployed. What’s really going on? Cuba has been lending its doctors to other countries since the 1960s as a gesture of international solidarity, and those doctors have won pra

May 9, 2020 • 21:13

The White Coat Army: Why is South Africa paying Cuba for doctors?

The White Coat Army: Why is South Africa paying Cuba for doctors?

Daily Maverick — In late April, Cuba sent 217 healthcare workers to South Africa to help fight Covid-19. A tremendous humanitarian gesture involving heroic doctors? Perhaps. But the deployment looks likely to cost the South African government almost half a billion rand - at a time when South Africa has its own doctors and nurses sitting unemployed. What’s really going on? Cuba has been lending its doctors to other countries since the 1960s as a gesture of international solidarity, and tho

May 9, 2020 • 0:19

Tomorrowland: The effects pandemics have on popular culture

Tomorrowland: The effects pandemics have on popular culture

Daily Maverick — On this week’s show, we’re thinking about Tomorrowland: the fascinating connections between pandemics and pop culture. The Bubonic Plague struck Europe more than 650 years ago, yet its impact is still felt in art today. As we face the greatest social disruption since World War II, with COVD-19 killing hundreds of thousands of people globally, we’re asking: What mark will this moment leave on art, fashion, film and literature? To help us explore ‘Tomorrowland’, we’re talkin

May 1, 2020 • 0:24

Tomorrowland: The effects pandemics have on popular culture

Tomorrowland: The effects pandemics have on popular culture

On this week’s show, we’re thinking about Tomorrowland: the fascinating connections between pandemics and pop culture. The Bubonic Plague struck Europe more than 650 years ago, yet its impact is still felt in art today. As we face the greatest social disruption since World War II, with COVD-19 killing hundreds of thousands of people globally, we’re asking: What mark will this moment leave on art, fashion, film and literature? To help us explore ‘Tomorrowland’, we’re talking to experts in fashion

May 1, 2020 • 25:31

Unintended Consequences

Unintended Consequences

What happens when a country suddenly makes the sale of alcohol and tobacco illegal? It turns out the answer is: quite a lot. Suddenly the trauma units of some of the busiest hospitals in the world are virtually empty, as drunk driving ceases to be such a serious social problem and bar brawls and other forms of interpersonal violence virtually disappear. That’s a great result. But some of the other effects are not so positive. In this episode, we look at the impact of South Africa’s lockdown ban

Apr 24, 2020 • 21:15

Unintended Consequences

Unintended Consequences

Daily Maverick — What happens when a country suddenly makes the sale of alcohol and tobacco illegal? It turns out the answer is: quite a lot. Suddenly the trauma units of some of the busiest hospitals in the world are virtually empty, as drunk driving ceases to be such a serious social problem and bar brawls and other forms of interpersonal violence virtually disappear. That’s a great result. But some of the other effects are not so positive. In this episode, we look at the impact of South

Apr 24, 2020 • 0:19

The Endearing Elders of the Eastern Cape

The Endearing Elders of the Eastern Cape

Daily Maverick — When the regulations for COVID-19 kicked in, Dave Martin actively disseminated information to the community about safety practices and different ways people could practice social distancing - like how to create isolation spaces for the elderly who live in rondawels and assisting spaza shop owners by providing them with Jik to sterilise their spaces. Dave is also the original founder of Bulugule Lodge, so he rushed to get the eco-friendly space ready for the most vulnerable

Apr 19, 2020 • 0:19

The Endearing Elders of the Eastern Cape

The Endearing Elders of the Eastern Cape

When the regulations for COVID-19 kicked in, Dave Martin actively disseminated information to the community about safety practices and different ways people could practice social distancing - like how to create isolation spaces for the elderly who live in rondawels and assisting spaza shop owners by providing them with Jik to sterilise their spaces. Dave is also the original founder of Bulugule Lodge, so he rushed to get the eco-friendly space ready for the most vulnerable members of the Nqileni

Apr 19, 2020 • 20:50

The New Normal

The New Normal

Ian Goldin, Professor of Globalisation and Development at the University of Oxford and author of The Butterfly Defect chats to us about the effects pandemics have on global co-operation, what technological advancements are being used and should be used when dealing with global emergencies and how COVID-19 will change our physical landscapes and impact the relationships younger generations have with elders. He discusses how ultimately, times like these are a test of human character while reflecti

Apr 10, 2020 • 21:52

The New Normal

The New Normal

Daily Maverick — Ian Goldin, Professor of Globalisation and Development at the University of Oxford and author of The Butterfly Defect chats to us about the effects pandemics have on global co-operation, what technological advancements are being used and should be used when dealing with global emergencies and how COVID-19 will change our physical landscapes and impact the relationships younger generations have with elders. He discusses how ultimately, times like these are a test of human c

Apr 10, 2020 • 0:21

Love in the time of Corona

Love in the time of Corona

The coronavirus pandemic is already taking a significant toll on human relationships. In this episode, we look at the separations between loved ones created by the South African lockdown, and one way people are finding to deal with separation. Rebecca also talks to a couple whose relationship has survived a situation far more intense than a 21-day lockdown: just the two of them, in a confined space, with limited supplies, at the mercy of terrifying external forces, for six months... To report d

Apr 2, 2020 • 22:32

Love in the time of Corona

Love in the time of Corona

Daily Maverick — The coronavirus pandemic is already taking a significant toll on human relationships. In this episode, we look at the separations between loved ones created by the South African lockdown, and one way people are finding to deal with separation. Rebecca also talks to a couple whose relationship has survived a situation far more intense than a 21-day lockdown: just the two of them, in a confined space, with limited supplies, at the mercy of terrifying external forces, for s

Apr 2, 2020 • 0:20

Covid-19: How Pandemics Give Birth to Revolutions & Dictatorships

Covid-19: How Pandemics Give Birth to Revolutions & Dictatorships

Daily Maverick — It’s now clear that the Covid-19 pandemic is going to have effects that we’ll be dealing with for quite some time afterwards - not just in terms of public health, but also economically and perhaps also politically. We wanted to know: what does history say about the likely political fallout of this kind of health emergency? Can pandemics foment revolutions, or birth dictatorships? In this episode, Rebecca speaks to Yale Professor Frank Snowden, who has studied the effects

Mar 26, 2020 • 0:21

Covid-19: How Pandemics Give Birth to Revolutions & Dictatorships

Covid-19: How Pandemics Give Birth to Revolutions & Dictatorships

It’s now clear that the Covid-19 pandemic is going to have effects that we’ll be dealing with for quite some time afterwards - not just in terms of public health, but also economically and perhaps also politically. We wanted to know: what does history say about the likely political fallout of this kind of health emergency? Can pandemics foment revolutions, or birth dictatorships? In this episode, Rebecca speaks to Yale Professor Frank Snowden, who has studied the effects of pandemics throughout

Mar 26, 2020 • 23:21

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