Kaya 959 Point of View with Phemelo Motene

UJ Prize Shortlist Revealed

Loading player...
The University of Johannesburg has unveiled the shortlist for its prestigious UJ Prize for South African Writing. Celebrating excellence across genres, the prize recognises outstanding books published in 2024. In the Debut Prize category: Khumisho Moguerane’s Morafe, Siphokazi Jonas’s Weeping Becomes a River, and Anna Stroud’s Who Looks Inside. For the Main Prize: Uhuru Portia Phalafala’s Keorapetse Kgositsile and the Black Arts Movement, Barbara Boswell’s The Comrade’s Wife, and Shubnum Khan’s The Lost Love of Akbar Manzil. Winners will be announced later this month, with R75,000 for the main prize and R45,000 for the debut. Phemelo speaks to UJ’s Associate Professor in the Department of English, Siphiwo Mahala about the power of South African storytelling.
9 Sep 2025 4PM English South Africa Education · Careers

Other recent episodes

Internationals: US Independence Day and tensions in Iran

From celebrations marking US Independence Day to the latest developments involving Iran, major international events continue to shape the global agenda. Phemelo speaks to global affairs specialist and Senior Fellow at the Montreal Institute of Global Security, Dr Terence McNamee, for analysis of the key stories and what they could…
6 Jul 3PM 17 min

ConCourt ruling marks major win for affordable housing in Cape Town

A landmark Constitutional Court judgment has ordered the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape government to prioritise affordable housing in well-located inner-city areas, calling it a constitutional duty to reverse apartheid-era spatial inequality. The ruling ends a nearly decade-long legal battle over the Tafelberg School site and could…
6 Jul 3PM 6 min

Joburg refuse backlog grows as Pikitup faces debt and labour woes

Overflowing bins and missed collections are frustrating Johannesburg residents as Pikitup grapples with mounting debt and labour unrest. The entity has confirmed it owes contractors and suppliers more than R1.3 billion, with over 70 businesses still awaiting payment. So, what's causing the delays, and when can residents expect refuse collection…
6 Jul 3PM 10 min

SANEF clears Sefara, but he will not return as chair

The South African National Editors Forum (SANEF) has cleared former chairperson Makhudu Sefara of wrongdoing following an independent inquiry into his links to a National Lotteries Commission grant. Despite the outcome, SANEF says Sefara will not return to the organisation's top leadership position. The inquiry followed his decision to step…
6 Jul 2PM 9 min

State of SITA report exposes governance failures and irregular spending

A new investigation into the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) has uncovered serious governance failures, weak financial controls and more than R2 billion in irregular expenditure over four audited years. Speaking in Pretoria, Solly Malatsi said the failures have delayed critical ICT projects, forcing departments such as Home Affairs, Police…
6 Jul 2PM 17 min
All episodes