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...

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...

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...

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 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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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.

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.

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...

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...