The Cinderella effect - a term coined by evolutionary psychologists, refers to the higher incidence of abuse and mistreatment that stepchildren face compared to children living with their biological parents.

The Cinderella effect - a term coined by evolutionary psychologists, refers to the higher incidence of abuse and mistreatment that stepchildren face compared to children living with their biological parents.

METRO FM Talk with Faith Mangope

METRO FM Talk with Faith Mangope

After 8 Is After 8: We Unpack The Cinderella Effect

Imagine finding yourself in the worst moment of your life. You hear someone breaking into your home. You witness a violent crime. A loved one collapses and every second suddenly matters.
Your instinct is immediate — grab your phone and call for help. You dial the police emergency number expecting that on the other side of the line someone is ready to respond. But instead, the
phone rings ... and rings ... and rings. No answer. No reassurance. Just silence. For many South Africans, these are not stories from a movie or worst-case scenarios imagined in fear — they are experiences that people claim to have lived through during moments of panic, danger and desperation. Complaints about police emergency numbers allegedly going unanswered have surfaced repeatedly over the years, leaving many questioning whether emergency systems designed to protect the public are functioning as they should. Tonight we ask whether these are isolated incidents or warning signs of something much deeper within South Africa’s policing
and emergency response system. Are emergency call centres overwhelmed by high volumes of calls? Are there staffing shortages, resource constraints or technological failures affecting
response times? Or are deeper systemic challenges within policing beginning to show themselves in ways that directly affect ordinary citizens? Because beyond the frustration of a missed call lies a much bigger issue — public trust. What happens when people begin to lose confidence in the very systems meant to protect them? If South Africans start believing that help may not arrive when they
need it most, what does that do to feelings of safety, to confidence in law enforcement and to the relationship between communities and police? Tonight we hear from policing experts, authorities and most importantly from you — our listeners. Have you ever called for help and received no response? What happened and how did it affect you? When South Africans call for help, is help answering?

Imagine finding yourself in the worst moment of your life. You&nbsp;hear someone breaking into your home. You witness a violent&nbsp;crime. A loved one collapses and every second suddenly matters. Your instinct is immediate &mdash; grab your phone and call for help.&nbsp;You dial the police emergency number expecting that on the other&nbsp;side of the line someone is ready to respond. But instead, the phone rings ... and rings ... and rings. No answer. No reassurance.&nbsp;Just silence.&nbsp;For many South Africans, these are not stories from a movie or&nbsp;worst-case scenarios imagined in fear &mdash; they are experiences that&nbsp;people claim to have lived through during moments of panic,&nbsp;danger and desperation. Complaints about police emergency&nbsp;numbers allegedly going unanswered have surfaced repeatedly&nbsp;over the years, leaving many questioning whether emergency&nbsp;systems designed to protect the public are functioning as they&nbsp;should.&nbsp;Tonight we ask whether these are isolated incidents or warning&nbsp;signs of something much deeper within South Africa&rsquo;s policing and emergency response system. Are emergency call centres&nbsp;overwhelmed by high volumes of calls? Are there staffing&nbsp;shortages, resource constraints or technological failures affecting response times? Or are deeper systemic challenges within&nbsp;policing beginning to show themselves in ways that directly affect&nbsp;ordinary citizens?&nbsp;Because beyond the frustration of a missed call lies a much&nbsp;bigger issue &mdash; public trust. What happens when people begin to&nbsp;lose confidence in the very systems meant to protect them? If&nbsp;South Africans start believing that help may not arrive when they need it most, what does that do to feelings of safety, to confidence&nbsp;in law enforcement and to the relationship between communities&nbsp;and police?&nbsp;Tonight we hear from policing experts, authorities and most&nbsp;importantly from you &mdash; our listeners. Have you ever called for&nbsp;help and received no response? What happened and how did it&nbsp;affect you? When South Africans call for help, is help answering?

AFTER 8 IS AFTER 8: When Help Doesn't Answer: Are Police Emergency Lines Failing South Africans?

Close to three million South Africans have answered the Electoral Commission’s call to either register or update their voting details ahead of next year’s local government elections — and perhaps
one of the biggest surprises is who is showing up. For years there has been a narrative that young people are disengaged, politically disconnected and simply not interested in participating in
democracy. But according to the IEC, that narrative may be shifting. During this weekend’s voter registration drive, nearly 2.9 million registration transactions were recorded — a significant
jump from the 1.7 million recorded during a similar registration period before the 2021 local government elections. More strikingly, young people between the ages of 16 and 29 accounted for 80% of all new voter registrations. The Commission says these figures suggest youth-focused campaigns are beginning to resonate and challenge long-held assumptions that young South Africans are apathetic about politics. But does registering necessarily translate into voting? And what does this growing interest tell us about the state of our democracy ahead of 2026?

Close to three million South Africans have answered the Electoral&nbsp;Commission&rsquo;s call to either register or update their voting details&nbsp;ahead of next year&rsquo;s local government elections &mdash; and perhaps one of the biggest surprises is who is showing up. For years there&nbsp;has been a narrative that young people are disengaged, politically&nbsp;disconnected and simply not interested in participating in democracy. But according to the IEC, that narrative may be&nbsp;shifting. During this weekend&rsquo;s voter registration drive, nearly 2.9&nbsp;million registration transactions were recorded &mdash; a significant jump from the 1.7 million recorded during a similar registration&nbsp;period before the 2021 local government elections. More strikingly,&nbsp;young people between the ages of 16 and 29 accounted for 80% of&nbsp;all new voter registrations. The Commission says these figures&nbsp;suggest youth-focused campaigns are beginning to resonate and&nbsp;challenge long-held assumptions that young South Africans are&nbsp;apathetic about politics. But does registering necessarily translate&nbsp;into voting? And what does this growing interest tell us about the&nbsp;state of our democracy ahead of 2026?

Nearly 3 Million Respond: Youth Drive Voter Surge Ahead of 2026 Elections

Another activist has been killed, adding to growing fears over violence targeting community leaders and political figures in South Africa. This time, a Democratic Alliance by-election candidate and respected community activist has been shot dead in Dunoon in the Western Cape. Sinovuyo Dyokwe was reportedly returning home after spending the day helping residents register to vote when gunmen opened fire. Her death is now raising difficult questions about political safety, intimidation and whether
community activists are increasingly paying for public service with their lives.

Another activist has been killed, adding to growing fears over&nbsp;violence targeting community leaders and political figures in&nbsp;South Africa. This time, a Democratic Alliance by-election&nbsp;candidate and respected community activist has been shot dead&nbsp;in Dunoon in the Western Cape. Sinovuyo Dyokwe was reportedly&nbsp;returning home after spending the day helping residents register&nbsp;to vote when gunmen opened fire. Her death is now raising&nbsp;difficult questions about political safety, intimidation and whether community activists are increasingly paying for public service&nbsp;with their lives.

After 8 Is After 8: We Unpack The Cinderella Effect

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