Oasis | Su-Mari Kemp
I breathe out the pain, The hurt, the words. My life becomes a single grain In the sands of my oasis. I am calm now, The chaos in my mind at rest. I do not bother with why, when or how. This peace is my oasis. That one pure moment in the dark, [...]
Look for me in the Whirlwind | Zwelakhe Thwala
The Pan-Africanist leader and political activist, Marcus Garvey, once said that “with confidence, you have won before you have started.” CEO Dispute Resolution Official, Zwelakhe Thwala has confidence in spades. It’s a self-assurance that’s rooted in a keen sense of his responsibility to society, to young black professionals and to the employers he advises and [...]
But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve | Arlene Jacobs
Legend has it that, in the Middle Ages, when participating in a joust, knights would often dedicate their performance to a lady of the court and wear something of hers, such as a scarf or ribbon, around their sleeve of armour - thus indicating to the tournament's spectators which lady the knight favoured. This chivalrous [...]
No Plan B | Ivan Mashwengane
Ivan sat at the red light, taking the time to re-examine the interior of his brand-new Mercedes Benz S500. The tan leather was butter soft to the touch - and it smelled great. Its light colour was a nice compliment to the pearl white exterior of the powerful car. He glanced out and up at [...]
The Saffron Road | Avy Bartosch
There’s no doubting that saffron is the most expensive and labour-intensive spice in the world. Remarkably, it is a difficult plant to reproduce without human intervention, and there is no way to harvest the delicate crimson filaments of the Crocus Sativus mechanically. The strands, or stigmas, must be carefully removed from the small violet blooms [...]
Plaas Meisie | Yolandi Tinkler
I look high, I look low, Looking for a home in the heart of the country. Paul McCartney Over half a century ago, Paul McCartney moved to rural Scotland to escape the post-Beatles public eye. Still today, perhaps spurred on by the pandemic, many urbanites aspire to flee to greener pastures for the sake of [...]
The Daring Adventure | Carlien Nienaber
“Her road is the road less travelled. ‘Vellies’ in the sand, red lips, and a glass of wine in her hand - the pureness of her heart mirrored in the sunset. Family and friends as close as she can draw them near.” Carlien Nienaber lives by the mantra, “If not now, when?” For her, life [...]
The Importance of Being Ernest | Ernest Masupye
Innovation is an important source of growth and a key determinant of competitive advantage for many organisations, such as CEO. And innovation is the journey of creating value by applying novel solutions to meaningful problems – a concept not lost on Collective Bargaining Coordinator, Ernest Masupye. “We need to be cognisant and respectful of the [...]
He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother | Ruaan Heunis
In the late 1960’s, songwriters Bobby Scott and Bob Russell collaborated to write the ballad “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother.” The song about helping others would eventually become a worldwide hit for the English rock band, The Hollies, as well as Neil Diamond. The ballad’s key phrase was originally borrowed from the Boys Town [...]
Fetch and Drive | Carl Ranger
The German shepherd looks lost – out of his depth - way out in the middle of a big Queenstown cricket pitch. He doesn't know where to look. At his owner? The crowd? That stupid dirt-cloud of fleece!? His owner urges him to herd. Commands are shouted: "Fetch" and "Drive." Still, the now-unshepherd German, looking [...]
Why be normal when you can be magical? | Nataly van der Westhuizen
They won’t tell you fairytales of how girls can be dangerous and still win. They will only tell you stories where girls are sweet and kind and reject all sin. I guess to them it’s a terrifying thought, a red riding hood who knew exactly what she was doing when she invited the wild in. [...]
Change my Mind | Tiaan Visagie
The American Debate League reports that students who actively participate in debate teams or activities are twice as likely to graduate High School as their peers who do not. In fact, it is shown that learning to debate and speak publicly reaps life-long benefits such as developing excellent oral and written communication skills, improved critical [...]