A NATION THAT NORMALIZED BROKENNESS AND BURIED ITS RESISTANCE  By Thami aka Mbongo Manzana The Illusion of Speaking Truth to Power There was a time in South Africa when speaking truth to power came at a cost. It meant exile, imprisonment, or death. It was not fashionable — it was necessary. So what is it today? We speak louder than ever. We trend. We post. We debate. But what changes? Has truth to power become a performance rather than a disruption? Are we mistaking visibility for impact? If power is no longer threatened by our voices, are we really speaking truth — or simply echoing within a system that has learned how to absorb dissent? When the Mirror No Longer Reflects Artists were once the moral archive of this country — the mirror that forced society to confront itself. Theatre challenged power. Music mobilised communities. Poetry unsettled comfort. But today, what does the mirror show? Has art become too careful, too dependent, too safe? Are artists still confronting society...

  A bold intergenerational line-up celebrates the lives, work, and community legacy of Bongani Linda and Peter Ngwenya The stage is set for a powerful celebration of South African theatre as the Bongani Linda & Peter Ngwenya Soweto Theatre Festival officially unveils its highly anticipated programme line-up.  Taking place from 23–25 April 2026 at Uncle Tom’s Hall, the festival stands as a moving tribute to the enduring legacies of Bongani Linda and Peter Ngwenya—two cultural icons whose work shaped community-driven theatre in South Africa. More than a traditional festival, this gathering is a living expression of memory, performance, and dialogue , bringing together generations of artists to reflect, reinterpret, and carry forward the work of these legends. A Festival That Begins with the Process In a rare and intentional move, the festival extends beyond the stage through a pre-festival programme , inviting audiences and community members into the rehearsal process: 20 ...

  GRAMMY-NOMINATED R&B SUPERSTAR TAMIA SET TO HEADLINE SOUTH AFRICA’S BIGGEST WOMEN’S MONTH CELEBRATION TOUR 15 April 2026 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE South Africa – Internationally acclaimed, six-time Grammy Award-nominated singer, songwriter, and multi-platinum selling R&B superstar Tamia is set to grace South African stages this August as she headlines The Biggest Women’s Month Celebration Tour Experience. The much-anticipated tour will take place across three major cities: • 6 August 2026 – Grand Arena, GrandWest, Cape Town • 7 August 2026 – Durban ICC, KwaZulu-Natal • 10 August 2026 – SunBet Arena, Time Square, Pretoria Celebrated globally for her soulful voice and timeless catalogue, Tamia has captivated audiences with chart-topping hits including “So Into You,” “Stranger in My House,” “Spend My Life With You,” “You Put a Move on My Heart,” “Still,” “Officially Missing You,” “Who Do You Tell?,” “This Time It’s Love,” “Careless Whisper,” and “Rain on Me,” among many ot...

  Why This Festival Matters Ntsikelelo Ngcanga speaks on the thinking behind the “Bongani Linda & Peter Ngwenya Soweto Theatre Festival" In a time where the South African theatre landscape is constantly evolving—often at the cost of forgetting its own foundations—there is a growing urgency to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the thinkers, makers, and community builders who shaped its very existence. To understand a festival of this magnitude is not only to look at its programme, but to engage deeply with the intention, philosophy, and cultural responsibility behind it. The festival is not merely a commemorative event—it is a deliberate intervention. It asks difficult questions about memory, access, and continuity in the arts. It challenges the sector to reconsider where theatre lives, who it serves, and how its history is preserved. At the centre of this vision is festival organiser Ntsikelelo Ngcanga, who speaks with clarity and conviction about why honouring Bongani Linda...

Share Your Memories & Be Part of the Legacy As South Africa prepares to honour two towering figures of its theatre heritage, Bongani Linda and Peter Ngwenya, practitioners across the creative sector are being called upon to play an active role in preserving their legacy. AmaXhanti Projects & Services Pty Ltd invites artists, collaborators, students, and community members to contribute to a living archive of memories, stories, and images that reflect the profound impact these two legends have had on South African theatre and community life. This is more than a tribute—it is a collective act of remembrance shaped by those who experienced their work, their mentorship, and their presence. In the true spirit of African storytelling and collective memory, the call recognises that these were not only theatre-makers, but community builders who nurtured, guided, and inspired generations. As the African proverb reminds us, “it takes a village to raise a child,” and in the same way, it...

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AmaXhanti Projects & Services Pty Ltd Announces a Landmark Theatre Festival Honouring South African Legends Bongani Linda and Peter Ngwenya Johannesburg, South Africa — 13 April 2026 AmaXhanti Projects & Services Pty Ltd proudly announces the “Bongani Linda & Peter Ngwenya Soweto Theatre Festival”, a landmark cultural event dedicated to celebrating the enduring legacies of two of South Africa’s most influential theatre practitioners, Bongani Linda and Peter Ngwenya. The festival will take place from 23–25 April 2026 at the iconic Uncle Tom’s Hall, bringing together artists, scholars, cultural workers, and audiences in a powerful tribute to South Africa’s theatrical heritage. This three-day programme seeks not only to honour the lives and work of these theatre legends, but also to reintroduce their artistic contributions to a new generation of practitioners and audiences. By revisiting seminal works and fostering intergenerational dialogue, the fe...

A STRIKE, A WARNING IGNORED, AND A SECTOR ON THE EDGE By Thami aka Mbongo Manzana Day 21 of the National Arts Council (NAC) staff strike. Three weeks of silence. Three weeks of institutional denial. Three weeks of a government watching a crisis unfold — and choosing not to act. But let’s be clear from the beginning: This did not start 21 days ago. This crisis was diagnosed, documented, and debated in Parliament nearly a year ago. Parliament Saw It Coming On 27 May 2025 , the Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture convened to engage the NAC and the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC). What happened in that meeting should disturb every single stakeholder in the arts sector. “The Committee unanimously agreed that proceeding with a presentation by the NAC would amount to legitimising a potentially unlawful board… the Council was not properly constituted… decisions taken by the current Council could be legally questionable.” Read that again. Parliament refused to even engag...