Mary Pais on Human Rights And Pro Democracy Activism in Eswatini/Swaziland

Dialogue With Activists Queen - Tessa Dooms

South Africa's history is rich with pivotal activists who shaped its path to democracy. Today, the call for activism rings louder than ever. Join us in this episode as we engage with Tessa Dooms, an esteemed activist and author. Discover her insights on the South African voter, the essential ingredients for change, the hurdles we face, and much more. Tune in for a compelling discussion on the state of activism in South Africa.

Dialogue With Queens In Politics - Gugu Ndima & Kathryn Berman

On 29 May 2024, South Africa holds its' seventh democratic election, that marks 30 years of democracy. The country is at its most unequal, with a barely stagnant economy, and extremely high unemployment rate. In this episode we speak to two women from political parties that will be contesting elections for the first time. Ntombenhle Khathwane, speaks to Gugu Ndima from Rise Mzansi, and Kathryn Berman from Build One South Africa (BOSA), on the state of the political space for women in this election cycle.

South Africa, A Faux Democracy?

In this episode, I speak to Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster, a young South African woman, who is seeking to deepen democracy in South Africa as co-founder of a new political party called Build One South Africa (BOSA). South Africa goes to a crucial election in early 2024, and Nobuntu shares the difference that she as deputy leader to Mmusi Maimane, former leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA), seeks to see in the short term and long term, in making South Africa a true democracy.

Mary Pais on Human Rights And Pro Democracy Activism in Eswatini/Swaziland

Eswatini, formerly, Swaziland, is ruled by an absolute monarch, and has been under a state of emergency since 1973, when a decree was issued to ban all forms of political activism. It essentially banned the recognition of human rights, such as the freedom of expression, freedom of association, eg, all media is state-controlled. Thank goodness for social media and the internet! Political parties are banned, and the elections that take place, are cosmetic, the King controls parliament and government. Mary Pais is a leading activist for the democratisation of Eswatini, she shares her journey, progress being made to lobby for democracy, in a time when many political activists are fearing for their safety and lives.

One Zambia, One Nation? A pipe dream or a reality.

Linda Kasonde born in Zambia, completed high in Swaziland, studied for her law degree in England, her LLM in South Africa, speaks to us about her journey to becoming a top human rights and democracy defender in Zambia, and shares her views on why democracy and a culture of human rights matter in Africa.