5 Mid Mornings

What is the sexiest job?

If you had the ability to erase bad memories, would you do it? Or do you think bad memories make up who we are?

In the 14th episode of 16 Days, 16 Voices we hear how Jes Foord is out walking with her father in Kwa Zulu Natal when 5 armed men held them up. They tied her father to a tree and threw her into a ditch where she was gang raped. When the attackers fled, she had to find the strength to report what happened. At the police station she's told there is no private room available, so she waits in the...

What would your younger self not believe about your life today

Michaela van Nierop shares a story that begins in her 1st year of university, when a night out with friends ended in her being drugged, abducted, and taken to a BnB where she was raped. She was a virgin with a strict Catholic upbringing, carrying shame that was never hers to carry. Years later she met someone online and was raped again. Like so many women featured in "16 Voices", the justice syste...

This 16 Days of Activism, Impilo Collection Foundation's founder, Angela Yeung brings a conversation about period poverty to the airwaves. We learn about the organisation's EmpowerHer initiative and the symbolic display of bras at Constitution Hill.

The key to happiness is confidence.

What are some of the qualities that make someone popular?

In the 10th episode of 16 Days, 16 Voices we hear from Merlize Jogiat. She is a survivor of gender based violence and now works as the Advocacy and Operations Coordinator for Woman For Change. Her story began in a home where her father used violence and fear as discipline, shaping her earliest understanding of love and authority. As an adult she entered a marriage where the cycle continued. She an...

In the 9th episode of 16 Days, 16 Voices we hear from a survivor who can't share her name because the violence she lived through still threatens her safety. She was on set to film a gospel music video when a group of men armed with guns and knives stormed in. They dragged her and her friends into the bushes and gang raped them repeatedly, she was four months pregnant at the time. She did everythin...

3 December is International Day of Persons with Disabilities and Michel'le Donnelly joins us for a conversation about inclusivity and how communities can observe this day. She also tells us about the efforts of the organisation to fight for the rights of persons with disabilities and how we can look after our mental health as we approach the new year.

What are the things you need to experience to be a true South African?

In the 8th edition of 16 Days, 16 Voices we hear from Bulelwa Adonis. She is a psychology student and former Woman for Change spokesperson who has used her own experience to fuel her activism. Bulelwa has been a driving force in calls to recognise GBV as a national emergency, lending her voice to push for real change.

You can love someone and still not like them!

⁠If you could instantly become an expert in any field, which one would you choose and why?

In the 7th episode of 16 Days, 16 Voices we hear from Leyonie Marais, the author of the book "Dethrone the Rapist". Her experiences with gender‑based violence (GBV) started at the age of 5. Having been assaulted six times by six different men, she turned her terrifying ordeal into fuel for healing and advocacy. Rather than disappear into silence, Leyonie reclaimed her story, not just for hers...

In the fifth episode of 16 Days, 16 Voices we hear from Allison Iris, who is a survivor and musician. Allison explains how a family member sexually assaulted her, and how that changed her perception of how men show woman love. At the age of 13, Allison shared her story with a series of other young girls, all of whom had horrific stories to tell. A group of 13 year old girls needed to comfort her,...

In the sixth episode of 16 Days, 16 Voices We hear from Nonhlanhla, a medical student from Wits who is a poet and activist that focuses on the way woman are treated in south Africa. In this clip we hear her poem “How Dare You?”. A powerful piece of audio, where she explores how woman in South Africa are constantly punished for just existing, how GBV is constant and how men is South Afr...

In the 4th episode of "16 Days, 16 Voices" we hear from Nikita Ruthven, a GBV survivor and speaker.  Nikita opens up about staying with her ex even as the relationship turned violent, holding on to the hope that he would change. Instead, things worsened, and one night on the drive home he put her safety at risk and attacked her. It became the moment she realised how dangerous the situation ha...

The words “love you” and “I love you” do not mean the same thing!

What is your earliest childhood memory?

Helping Those In Need (HTIN)Based in East London, Helping those In Need's Marion Peake explains how the organisation has been inundated with requests from across the country, but can only prioritise and accomodate the needs of East London residents. The organisation shares their goal to open a new drop-in centre and Marion explains how the Child Protection Register needs to be adapted and imp...

In the 3rd episode of "16 Days, 16 Voices" we hear from Kazi, a poet and activist. Her work captures the realities of being a woman in South Africa with unflinching honesty. Her piece is structured around the alphabet, each letter unfolding a new truth, a new challenge, or a new fear that women face every day. It’s a poem that is as creative as it is urgent, using language to hold a mirror u...

In the 2nd episode of "16 Days, 16 Voices" we hear from Melissa Shawe, who shares the reality of growing up in a home marked by violence at the hands of her stepfather. She speaks about years of sexual assault and ongoing physical abuse, and the fear that became part of everyday life. Melissa describes how she would sometimes barricade her younger sisters in a room with her to keep them safe, the...