Her Throne Africa

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The ministry of defence has promised to throw their weight behind Class two Warrant Officer Helalia Johannes and support her during her preparations for two upcoming competitions. Warrant officer and marathon runner Helalia Johannes presented her medals to her employer, the Ministry of Defence. During the event, the Deputy Minister of Defence, Billy Mwaningange, said he appreciates all the sportsmen and women within the ministry, especially Helalia Johannes. Mwaningange also assured her of the ministry's support during her preparations for the upcoming international games that she qualified for. “The ministry of Defence and Namibia Defence Force wish Warrant officer class two Helalia Johannes all the best especially on her upcoming international games that she qualified for. One is Nagoya Woman's Marathon that will be on the 8th March 2020 in Nagoya Japan and other one is Olympic Games on the 8th August 2020, In Tokyo, Japan” Mwaningange said. Johannes was the ...

Many people wonder how much sex they should be having. They wonder how much sex is enough for a married couple, or if they are “normal” compared to others. Just how important is sex, anyway? These are common questions asked in the offices of  couples therapists  and sex therapists (and maybe just as commonly, worried about but not asked). It’s risky to cite  statistics  on sexual satisfaction for a few reasons. This is because much of the data is from self-reported information. We really aren’t 100% confident about the accuracy of the results. While it is important to have an initial reference point for different groups of people, it is typically not what someone is really asking. People actually wish to know if their relationship is healthy. They are wondering if they are enough for their partner or if their partner is indeed enough for them. They are wondering if “too much” or, typically, “too little” sex is at issue in their relationship. Sometimes ...

President Cyril Ramaphosa has praised Zozibini Tunzi for her work in battling the scourge of femicide and gender-based violence (GBV) on the African continent, electing her an ambassador in the fight. The announcement was made as Ramaphosa took his place as AU chair at the weekend. He will share the position with arts and culture deputy minister Nocawe Mafu. Speaking at a homecoming celebration for Zozi in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, Mafu said the president had been asked to address the issue of violence against women on the continent. “He said: 'I can do it because already I have an ambassador in SA. Her name is Zozibini Tunzi. She has already committed to this challenge, so I can take it, as president and as the government of South Africa, that she will be championing it on behalf of the government,” Mafu said. The government would fight GBV and femicide on the continent “using the face of a women from Esidwadweni in Tsolo”, she said.

Farai Diza (FD): What inspires your poetry? Natalia Molebatsi (NM): I am inspired by words and how they are able to influence conversations. Through poetry we can also navigate our emotions and experiences, including the joys and trauma that our bodies carry. I’m inspired everyday to use my poetry to speak truth to the ills of the erasure of black women, racism, misogyny and capitalism and how these phenomena impact the lives of our people. FD: Having edited a number of poetry anthologies, do you think African poetry is still relevant? NM: I have actually edited one poetry anthology called We Are and working on the next one. However, I have published two collections of my own poetry. Our stories, visions, and experiences are valid and important. We need to hear them and affirm them, locally and globally. Our poetry is relevant now than ever before and it will never cease to be exciting because we live against the odds and continue to push through the violence of colo...

I would like to highlight the growing artificial hair (wigs) industry and the money spinner the modern woman has made it. The main players here are people with frizzy hair (Afro) who crave straight hair through the use of home hair straighteners, treatment at exclusive hair studios or using designer wigs as well as tinting. I agree that an individual’s hairstyle (especially in women) defines their physiognomy, beauty and character. The fairytale fables once again peeps into our lives when I think of “Rapunzel”. Hair industry trends estimate that the industry in Africa was penned at R6.3 billion in 2015. But why the desire to change your natural hair? Why pretend to be something you are not? Natural Afros, dreadlocks, braids and weaves are our birth-right and people should embrace it. Straight hair was traditionally a mainstream requirement to access professional, social and academic opportunities, a legacy from a time when people of colour were treated unjustly. Cape Town a...

Do you have a habit of starting projects but not finishing them? Perhaps it’s the business you want to launch but you’re still stuck in the planning phase. Maybe it’s the album you stopped working on after the first song or the book you stopped writing after the first 500 words. If you’ve been working towards your goals, that’s a big achievement and you should be proud of yourself! Acting is your first step to realising your objectives. Yet if you have a habit of starting many new things but not finishing them, that’s something you may need to change. We all have it in us to follow through and reach our goals, no matter what those goals might be. When a goal is new it’s exciting, but over time we lose that initial zeal. We reach some plateaus and ultimately, we give up. We forget that nothing good comes easy and quickly lose motivation when we encounter challenges. But there’s beauty in overcoming these challenges because you emerge a better and wiser version of ...