Duma seizes the moment… and the microphone:
Thursday.
The fur is still flying days after ANC KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Sibonso Duma seized the moment — and the microphone — to shut down Zulu traditional prime minister Thulasizwe Buthelezi mid-sentence in front of the king and the president.
So are the insults, accusations and counter-accusations, along with a multitude of media briefings — I counted four on Wednesday alone — a cacophony of words, noise and outrage in the wake of the seizing of the mike.
Apologies too.
Ever since there’s talk of royal bans and 100 head of cattle fines for Duma — and loss of votes on 29??May for the governing party — along with a call for a calming of the waters in a province where politics and death have a history of walking hand in hand.
Duma, the leader of government business in KwaZulu-Natal, is a renowned seizer of both moments and microphones — ask Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube — or his predecessor as ANC chairperson, Sihle Zikalala, for that matter.
On Saturday the shadow premier — or is that the premier’s shadow — kept up his impeccable record when he silenced Shenge at KwaCeza within seconds of Buthelezi going off script.
Buthelezi, the Zululand district mayor and a member of the Inkatha Freedom Party’s (IFP) national council, was appointed as traditional prime minister by the Zulu king at the end of January.
Since then, Shenge has been living up to his clan name — and the example set by the man who came before him, IFP founder Mangosuthu Buthelezi — and has been giving the ANC leadership in the province chest pains at public events involving the king.
Buthelezi clearly shares the old man’s sense of drama — and eye for an opportunity to embarrass the governing party — but appears to lack his technique when it comes to keeping control of the microphone.
On Saturday at the event to honour King DinuZulu ka Cetshwayo, Shenge channelled his inner Karen and decided to talk to the manager — Cyril Ramaphosa — about the conduct of Duma’s comrade, ANC provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo.
Buthelezi has a history of slugging it out in public with Mtolo — and the rest of the ANC provincial leadership — and appeared to have confused the state podium at the weekend with an IFP rally and let fly at his opponents.
Shenge quickly found that it wasn’t Open Mic March or Say What You Want Saturday at KwaCeza.
Buthelezi had barely got going before Duma swooped, ending his 15 seconds of glory with an admonishment about his decision to be “clumsy” in front of the head of state and the king.
Duma has put in the practice at man-marking Dube-Ncube since she was appointed and cut Buthelezi off with the speed and dexterity of an Idols judge in their 37th season.
Freedom of speech — but watch what you say.
One wonders if the president was shocked and surprised by what unfolded in front of his eyes?
My money is, as always, on yes, although it is an election year and no ground — royal, presidential or otherwise — is likely to go uncontested.
From the president’s subsequent call for talks between the parties and restraint from all sides, the president is definitely concerned by what went down.
It certainly wasn’t the behaviour — or the optics — that the president and King MisuZulu ka Zwelithini would have been hoping for when they went on stage on Saturday morning for the commemoration.
Neither would have wanted a public tussle between the government and the monarchy for authority at an event meant to honour a long-dead king — a crude display of thirst for power, while the water taps of the spectators remain dry.
That’s what they got.
The current — and future — leaders of the two biggest parties in the province wrestling for the microphone in front of the heads of state and kingdom while people with no jobs, no electricity and little in the way of a future look on.
Presidential and royal protocol thrown out the window: gone, just like the Gupta brothers in February 2018 — just faster, and with less decorum and dignity — no event bigger or more important than the egos of our political class.
An embarrassing, unnecessary situation, laughable almost, except for the fact that 19 people were beaten up afterwards, and two of them are still in hospital with serious head injuries, five days later.
It’s a timely reminder of where we are — and where we’re at — historically, geographically and politically.
And it’s a reminder of the fact that in a couple of months’ time, these are the leaders who will ask us to vote for them.
We are, once more, led.
Denim designer reaps what he sews:
Even in a mall as swanky as Joburg’s Hyde Park Corner, this cathedral of cloth stands out. The dramatic circular entrance of Tshepo Jeans’ flagship store, with its red, yellow and indigo colours and “TSHEPO” in caps, already tells you that you have arrived, in every sense of the word.
Well, I am still heading there and, in front of me going in the same direction is someone with a coffee in his hand, dressed in well-cut jeans, a red checked shirt and trendy sneakers. Based on the pics I have seen, it must be him — Tshepo Mohlala, founder of Tshepo Jeans.
Yes, he realises I am following him.
He stops and his warm smile immediately puts me at ease. He embraces me and we walk into his shop filled with meticulously crafted denim pieces. It’s understated cool, with a soundtrack of pleasant soul.
After a quick look around, we go to the restaurant across from Tshepo Jeans for our interview.
Patience is required, though. Everyone wants a moment — from the waiters to a typical well-heeled Hyde Park patron. And he gives it to them, after a quick apology to me.
Then the personable Mohlala checks in about my career, my wellbeing and views on politics.
His brand is hugely popular but he is also aware of the controversy around sustainability and how denim is a thirsty product to turn into clothing.
But back to the beginning.
Mohlala was born and bred in the East Rand township of Tsakane. His roots are still crucial to him. In the store, there is a huge Tshepo logo — a three-pronged crown. Each one represents a person who is dear to him and who helped to shape him.
“I was raised by three strong women. My mother, Masesi Mamba, who taught me how to hustle, my grandmother, an Apostle and masterful storyteller, whose words, ‘Tshepo, you’re a gentleman and should always look like one,’ echo in my head as I get dressed every morning,” he says.
“Then there is trendy aunt Takalani, the first person to graduate in our neighbourhood.
“She would visit us in Tsakane dressed head to toe in denim. She ignited my interest in fashion and love for denim.
“Founded in 2015, Tshepo Jeans is my story and you’ll find the three women who raised me in the crown, ever present in my creative process.”
Mohlala’s upbringing was steeped in spirituality and community. His grandmother instilled in him a deep sense of empathy from an early age.
“The product is not just a product, it’s got layers to it. It is spiritual, it carries a message of hope,” Mohlala reflects, drawing parallels between his denim brand and the resilience he witnessed in his grandmother.
Seeing her help others and fearlessly telling her story throughout his life is one of the major foundations of his brand.
For some, their environment determines their career path but that was not the case for Mohlala.
“I was never surrounded by art or fashion, however, I was surrounded by stories,” the 32-year-old says.
After high school, Mohlala studied film at Afda in Cape Town but quickly became aware of his love for fashion.
“Both these mediums — film and fashion — are about storytelling. One tells stories through cloth while the other tells stories through motion pictures. So, I wanted to use clothing as my vehicle to tell my stories.”
He would go on to study fashion at the University of Johannesburg but dropped out because he could no longer afford the fees. However, that did not deter him. Mohlala continued in the fashion industry as a stylist and photographer.
“I attended fashion shows and introduced myself to other designers, so I made sure that I immersed myself in the fabric of the South African fashion industry, so the love never left me,” he shares.
Eventually, he started a brand with a friend but it lasted only two years.
“I left everything behind and it took a bit of time to find myself. I was couch-surfing just for me not to go back home to Tsakane,” he recalls. “I took a seven-month gap and I suffered from deep depression.”
Mohlala felt a change of name was what he needed after the failure of the brand and made his Instagram name “Tshepo the jean-maker”.
“I then wrote, ‘Something big is coming!’”
Two months later, Tshepo Jeans was born and nine years later the label that bears his name continues to thrive.
“I remember writing a long Facebook post about who I was and where I come from and my passions for jeans. People started re-posting and sharing and we started getting media attention and, most importantly, people started buying our pieces,” he says.
Nowadays, Meghan Markle, England’s Duchess of Sussex, President Cyril Ramaphosa and many other famous bodies are covered by Tshepo jeans.
The process of being where he is today did not come without hurdles along the way. Mohlala says it was a difficult business to fund. However, people took a strong liking to Tshepo Jeans — some even went as far as injecting funds into it.
Creative steps
Mohlala’s creative process is founded in storytelling and he finds those stories everywhere he goes.
“I get inspired by people and conversations. I get inspired by taking long drives and by spaces. So, once I have an idea, I sit down with my team and we take a jab at it.
“I am also blessed to have talented young people to work with who look at things from a global perspective. You will find them asking, ‘What would Gucci do?’” he laughs.
The creative process differs with every product, he says, and that has made them shift from operating in a hand-to-mouth way to being more cognisant of seasons and collections.
“This year October is probably the first time we are going to do a proper collection. We have never had a collection before, so that’s what we are currently working on.”
Sustainability
According to the United Nations, “a typical pair of jeans takes 10?000 litres of water to produce, equal to what a person drinks in 10 years”.
Mohlala is aware of the effect the industry has on the environment.
“We source friendly and we make sure that every product we source is checked, approved and has the relevant certification.
“We also work with a green factory in Mauritius — they also produce for big brands and have good practices,” he says.
The designer says they are finding small but meaningful ways of being sustainable and one of them is putting employees first.
“For us, it is about looking at sustainability from a social impact point of view. We hire people who live close to the area, so they don’t have to spend money and hours on the road trying to get to work.
“We brought in people from overseas to train them how to make a pair of jeans of the highest level. They will forever have these skills — far beyond Tshepo Jeans,” he says.
Mohlala says they also have a collaboration with Sappi, the South African paper company.
Over the years, Sappi has become a leader in green fashion, providing a sustainable fibre called lyocell. They blend this with cotton to create a sustainable fabric.
Lyocell is used to make garments such as jeans, T-shirts and dresses and two-thirds of the world’s supply is produced at a Sappi mill.
“So, we reached out to them and they said they would love for us to use this fibre to continue telling proudly South African stories.
“This was a surreal moment for us — a paper company that has been in existence for 88 years, a company that is known for paper, but is actually killing in sustainable fashion, and they want to associate with us.”
Building a name is tough. But building a brand with a name is the most common one in South Africa —especially if you don’t have big bucks to fund it — is even harder.
However, everything is falling in place organically for Tshepo Jeans.
“I think my legacy will be this brand … moving from one generation to the next using the same methods of how we make a pair of jeans today and passing the knowledge.
“I want them to say, ‘He became a master of his craft.’”
To be arrested or not? Mapisa-Nqakula, lawyer differ on her corruption case:
Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula’s refusal to be arrested on corruption and money-laundering charges involving R4 million puts her at loggerheads with her lawyer, who said the embattled speaker would hand herself to the police “in due course”.
A letter dated 18 March 2024 to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and authored by Mapisa-Nqakula’s attorney, Stephen May, stated that the lawyer would accompany his client “to facilitate her being processed at the Lyttleton police station, and then be taken to the Pretoria magistrate’s court [to be charged]”.
The letter, which forms part of the beleaguered speaker’s Pretoria high court application filed on Friday morning halting her imminent arrest, echoes what May told the Mail & Guardian on Thursday; that Mapisa-Nqakula would present herself for arrest “in due course”.
“There is certainly no desire to avoid a truth-finding process. We do have grave concerns about the timing at which this comes and are very concerned about the nature and strength of the case of the state,” May said.
“It would certainly appear that it is flimsy at best and now what it seems or looks like might be an opportunistic time [to charge her].”
Mapisa-Nqakula is expected to be charged with multiple corruption and money-laundering charges involving more than R4 million for allegedly gratification” — the legal term for cash bribes — worth more than R4 million from a former South African National Defence Force contractor between 2016 and 2019.
The alleged bribes happened during Mapisa-Nqakula’s term as defence and military veterans minister, a post she held from 2012 to 2021.
Mapisa-Nqakula took “special leave” from the National Assembly’s speaker chair on Thursday in a move the Democratic Alliance labelled a “cop-out”, calling on her to resign in a statement announcing a motion of no confidence against her in parliament.
In her high court application affidavit, contrary to her lawyer’s assertion, the speaker said she wanted “disclosure” of the case docket before handing herself over, saying getting the docket would “shine a light on [the] unlawful conduct” she accused the state to have committed in a case she said had no merit.
Her affidavit’s contentions were reiterated in a statement she issued on Friday, “demanding” the “full disclosure of all material information relating to the case, including the full docket in order to be able to prepare [the] defence against…baseless allegations against her”
“In her [court] papers, the speaker urges the NPA to provide to her the details of the case against her as this seems to have already been given to the media, subjecting her to a trial by the media, without any means to defend herself against these public allegations.”
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