Shades of Humanity

We discuss our experiences of the recent looting in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, and attempt to grow our understanding of the behaviours of people involved. 

"People are now more open to understand each other; to understand where they come from, to understand 'why do I cry this way, why don't I cry that way'."  We talk to Tebello Mabusela, psychologist and lecturer at North West University, School for Psychosocial health. She presents us with challenging questions, which guides us to new self-insights during the interview. 

"We didn't fight, we didn't go through a war to get to this equality, this great country that we have now." We have a talk with Mr. Tebogo Rakhongoana, who we also know as Mr. Most Read Up on our county's history, Mr. Financial and Economical News, Mr. Connect with anyone from any culture or religion, and Mr. Real Talk.   He challenges what we think we know about our country's history, and illustrates how ignorance and one sided thinking impairs growth.  "If we start to read more as people, all the answers are there. Every answer that you are looking for is out there." 

We hear from Dr. Tertia Oosthuizen, counselling psychologist and senior lecturer, who has a special interest in community psychology, and violence and reconciliation in South Africa. She shares her experiences of community projects that overcame racial barriers, as well as moving personal stories. She also gives her suggestions on how we as individuals can further defeat racism. 

We interview Mrs. Boitumelo Mustapha, young psychologist who works at a local government hospital, and explore why a part of the younger generation want to pursue new ways of relating to each other, and how to go about it in spite of generational traumas.  

Whose responsibility is poverty? We interview young farmer Dries Botha from North-West province, and explore issues such as anger, unfairness and other real experiences of black and white South Africans.  Warning: Some references are made to violent content. 

We interview clinical psychologist Thandazile Mthetwa, who references the Willie Lynch Letter: The Making of a Slave, and shares an invaluable cause-symptom understanding of racism today, informed by her personal experiences. 

Send me. We know there will be more individuals willing to take responsibility in defeating racism and creating a better climate for our children and generations after us. We discuss what we can start doing as individuals, and share our aims and who some of our guests will be in the first 8 episodes. 

Hope, Skye and Johan start to plan a social project aimed at understanding and reducing racism.