Manifesto by Songezo Zibi

Ashleigh Pascoe

Megan Theunissen

Eddy was brought to the Onderstepoort Cat Interest Group when he was only one week old and in a severe condition as he needed to be tube-fed every two hours. Fortunately, he had been taken into the Interest Group’s representative, Helena Veysey’s care. A short while thereafter, Eddy was adopted into a loving home with veterinary nursing students, Nicola van Rooyen and Andre Louw. However, Eddy’s journey to recovery is far from over, as he continues to suffer from an inguinal hernia. In other words, his intestines fell through a small crack in his stomach’s lining, creating a hanging bulge that sits in the middle of his fluffy tummy. This means that his intestines could twist and cause severe discomfort and pain for Eddy.

The Onderstepoort Cat Interest Group recently decided to spring into action, hosting a cupcake-selling spree for everyone who wished to support Eddy’s recovery at a campus night market event on 19 August. The cupcake sale was a success and the entire night market experience brought a lot of attention to the Onderstepoort Cat Interest Group. The group also sells merchandise to raise funds for the many kittens that need care and/or medical attention.

Thanks to this event centred around the well-being of the campus’ animals, Eddy’s operation has been completed by Dr Hermien Viljoen. The group looks forward to hosting many more fundraising events to help save many more kittens like Eddy, the Onderstepoort kitty. This group has an Instagram account (@catinterest_op) and a TikTok account for those who wish to see their extraordinary work and announcements of upcoming fundraising events.

This month’s local book, Manifesto by Songezo Zibi, is not a doom and gloom text regarding everything that is ‘wrong’ with South Africa. Rather, it is more of an optimistic take on how South Africa can strive towards “something bigger [...] a belief that we can be the steward of our down destiny”.

This local book has a more serious undertone than previous recommendations, as the “promise of our Constitution” is a conversation that is repeatedly being had within the country, especially in educational institutions such as UP. The relevance of this book can also be attributed to its publication falling within this year.

A motif within the piece is the anti-immigrant mentality that has surfaced within South Africa and is acutely observed as a response to the broken elements of the country. The mentality is presented as a scapegoat upon which South Africans can cast their worries regarding; the abysmal unemployment rates, the inability of minimum wage to provide livable conditions, the price of food, petrol, etc.

Zibi says that “South Africa is in the hands of the old elite”, which further emphasises the role of the youth, especially their role in the maintenance and fair application of our democratic society in our current and future decisions. This role is designed to be practised through the “space of organised public contribution”, and not simply through beliefs shared within a private place or on social media platforms. For any substantive change to occur, whether within the the university, prospective municipalities, or government - the professional class (the people the country has educated), cannot continue to participate in forms of “activism that does not involve too much personal inconvenience”.

The book’s title reminds readers that change occurs within a culture where active involvement is the foundation of striving towards a country that accommodates all within it. The book has been written with the intention of helping readers with no background or understanding of politics, to understand the sociopolitical sphere South Africa currently resides in, and it can be said that the purpose of this piece has been successfully achieved.