After 8 is After 8: Spring Day Celebrations gone too far?

Spring Day is meant to signal a new season — warmer weather, brighter days and, for many young people, the familiar tradition of splashing water. But this year, celebrations in parts of Tshwane have sparked serious concern after videos showed people being targeted without consent, vehicles being st…

SA sisters arrive home after Malawi trafficking ordeal (Dr Tebogo Mabe - Director for Adoptions and International Social Services - Department of Social Development)

Tonight, we turn to a harrowing case that has shaken communities in South Africa and beyond. Two young South African girls, aged nine and 15, have finally returned home after nearly two years of alleged trafficking in Malawi. According to authorities, the children were lured across the border by pe…

AFTER 8 IS AFTER 8: What About the Boys? Are We Failing South Africa’s Boy Child?

We spend a great deal of time, and rightly so, talking about the challenges facing the girl child. We talk about gender-based violence, teenage pregnancy, abuse, safety and the need to empower young women. But in the middle of all these important conversations, there is another child we need to ask…

THE ANC IN KZN ASKING FOR ANOTHER CHANCE ( Mayor of eThekwini Cyril Xaba )

The election season is officially heating up, and in KwaZulu-Natal, the ANC has now put its promises on the table. The party launched its provincial election manifesto in Cornubia, in the eThekwini region, outlining what it says it will do to improve the lives of communities ahead of the 2026 Local…

After 8 is After 8: When the Child Becomes the Parent

A child is supposed to worry about homework, friendships, school trips and what they're going to wear tomorrow. They are not supposed to worry about whether there is enough food in the house. They are not supposed to be checking whether their mother has taken her medication, making sure their young…

The 19-year-old who went from MK youth leader to starting her own political party

Imagine being 19 years old and already having a political history. Before most young people have even figured out their first career move, Kwanda Summers had already entered the political arena. Growing up in Nkandla, she met former president Jacob Zuma and, as a teenager, approached him with an id…

AFTER 8 IS AFTER 8: Postpartum Mental Health — The Lindsay Clancy Trial and South Africa

When a mother gives birth, we expect joy. The baby arrives, the congratulations pour in, and everyone asks about the newborn. But sometimes, beneath the smiles and the pictures, a mother is falling apart. The trial of American mother Lindsay Clancy has put one of the darkest sides of maternity back…

FILL UP OR PAY UP: FUEL PRICE SHOCK HITS SOUTH AFRICANS

South African motorists are being given one last chance to fill up before another painful fuel-price increase kicks in. From Wednesday, petrol will cost R1.34 more per litre, while diesel motorists face an even bigger shock — with increases of up to R3.15 a litre. And the pain won’t stop at the pet…

IFP PUTS MKHULEKO HLENGWA FOR ETHKWENI — CAN HE WIN DURBAN?

The race to control eThekwini is heating up ahead of the 4 November local government elections, and the Inkatha Freedom Party has now put one of its biggest political names on the ballot. The IFP has named 39-year-old Deputy Transport Minister and party spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa as its mayoral …

AFTER 8 IS AFTER 8: South Africans Are Running on Empty – But Can’t Afford to Stop

We often talk about burnout as though it’s simply a matter of working too hard — take a holiday, switch off your phone, get some sleep and come back refreshed. But what happens when the reason you can’t switch off is bigger than your workload? What happens when your salary is paying the rent, the b…