NL

' I am a storm of a woman. I am not meant for those who hide from the rain’.

[Mr Dlamini @Ant_089]

African leaders will continue being incompetent because there are always people willing to defend their behaviour. People are blaming the Queen for recording footage instead of being disgusted by the King’s behaviour. I’ve seen people defend Pres Mnangagwa’s extension. Yah neh.

[Zuleika Somuhle @somuhlezu]

How big of a force do we have to exert on your brain cells to get them moving? Pls, we’re willing.

[Shezi @__Shezi]

The only one I just can’t get myself to believe people on is a big bum. Nobody wants a big bum for themselves. I’ve never seen anyone with a big bum who didn’t look inconvenienced.

[a return to love 🦋 @venusdefined]

my woke take is you shouldn’t be classist about hair that doesn’t grow on your scalp 💀

[Öfentse Senganga @Ozza_T]

This one right here 😭😭😭😭😂😂😂😂

[Prof Thuli Madonsela #KindnessBuilds @ThuliMadonsela3]

NO TO HATE
Hate is not the answer!

Can we be honest and agree that the anti-foreigner sentiments are rooted in unaddressed economic and social wants that are plaguing black communities exacerbated by uncontrolled immigration.

Can we be honest that townships and black rural areas are bearing a disproportionate share of the uncontrolled inflows and consequent socio-economic pressures that such inflows place on economic opportunities, housing and shared public services such as schools and hospital spaces, water and electricity.

Can we admit that the absence of a national economic policy framework that seeks to reverse the colonial and apartheid disablement of rural and township economic ecosystems and related livelihoods is a major contributory factor.

That said, hate is not the answer!

If you harm anyone or anyone’s property, that is a crime and you must and will go to jail.

Stay safe and disciplined. Say
#NOTOHATE ⚖️🕊️🦋🇿🇦

[Sabelo R. Mkhabela @SabeloMkabela]

We occupy different worlds, geographically and financially. Tomorrow’s march may not affect your livelihood, but don’t be so quick to call it stupid or unnecessary. For many South Africans, it’s about survival, dignity and being heard. The masses are tired and fed up.

[Dr. Hood Possum @DrLungi_Mashele]

And before you tell me about stats, “oh but there are only xx people”

Yes, seen as aggregates, they make up a small percentage.

However disaggregate the data between townships and suburbs and the story changes.

[Tlalane @tlalane]

This is why some of us need to stay out of this and just listen to what people are saying because we’re not all affected in the same way. Spot on!!

[Fix Your CV With Me @_Bonga]

Looks like people want our laws applied based on how sad the story sounds. The more sad it is, the more weaker the enforcement should be. Hypocrisy.

[John Perlman @JohnPerlman]

In January 2015 @DreamfieldsP launched our very first DreamLeague at Setlabotjha Primary in Sebokeng. 146 learners signed up for to play 5-a-side football so they could learn the game. Last night in Monterrey one of those boys, Thapelo Maseko, made all our dreams come true

[🌙 @_Nwai]

growing up means realizing that even if I am no one's pick, I have to be my own.

there must be some boundaries and some things I just do not tolerate. This is how I affirm that I truly do love myself. This is how I affirm my trust towards myself.

[Vuyiswa Ramokgopa @VuyiswaRamokgop]

A short Tribute to Maria:

You embodied Johannesburg in a way that very few people ever could.
Not the polished, curated version of the city… but the real Joburg. The gritty, stylish, endlessly creative heartbeat of it. The version that lives in back alleys, market stalls, rooftop conversations, vintage rails, late-night chats, and the beautiful chaos of the CBD you loved so much.

You moved through this city with effortless cool. Your style never chased trends because you *were* the mood long before everyone else caught up. Through every era of Joburg, you remained unmistakably yourself; bold, creative, elegant, eccentric, hilarious and warm.

You were the proverbial cool aunty. Somehow timeless. Seemingly untouched by age. At 50, you still carried the same magnetic energy, curiosity and originality that made people gravitate toward you decades ago.

But what made people love you most was that beneath all that style and edge was someone deeply easy, deeply kind, deeply human. You could disarm people instantly. You made people feel seen. You made this city feel smaller, softer, more connected.

As a publicist, you didn’t just tell stories about Johannesburg’s culture- you helped define it. You gave platforms to brands, artists, musicians, designers and creatives long before the world recognised their brilliance. You understood this city instinctively. You knew where the energy was moving before the rest of us did.

For me, I’ll always remember how you got me into thrifting. I think about our market days in Maboneng and the many times we drove home from groove in the early hours of the morning blasting music in my little aveo.
That period will forever be etched in my memory; the music, the energy, the feeling that Joburg was alive and becoming something new every weekend. Those memories feel inseparable from you.

And what a gift it now feels that this year, the people who loved you got to celebrate you properly. To honour you while you were here. To gather around you and reflect back the love, admiration and community you spent your life building. Watching that celebration, watching your people show up for you felt so deeply special. It was beautiful to see the family you created around yourself, across generations, industries and communities.

The CBD was your stomping ground. You didn’t just exist in Johannesburg, you curated it. You shaped its cultural texture. Its look, its feeling, its mythology.

Your passing feels like the end of an era.
Joburg will never quite be the same without you in it.

Rest beautifully, Maria.
The city you loved so fiercely will carry your fingerprints forever.

[RiSA @RiSARAV]

In Loving Memory of Maria McCloy 1976 - 2026

In the late '90s and early 2000s she played a big part in the rise of local hip-hop and urban music. She co-created some of the country’s first urban culture and helped launch Outrageous Records – one of the earliest labels dedicated to South African hip-hop artists such as Zubz, Proverb and Pebbles.

RiSA would like to send a heartfelt condolences to the McCloy Family, Friends and Fans for their loss.
#RIPMariaMcCloy

[TKZee @tkzeeband]

You wrote the very first article published about us. Thank you for being a day 1 believer and a foundation stone that shaped the “New South Africa’s” youth culture. Rest now Maria McCloy. You race is run. Thank you for time and we’ll see you out there 🙏🏾

[NomaL @lungeIo]

futhi when someone passes, we can’t approach grief as something we “own”

umamawakho is a sister, aunt, church member, colleague. they belong to many people outside of you.

so it’s natural that people will want to come and pay their respects, even immediately

grief is shared.

[Kgadi Ya Bakone💜💜💜💜 @MatlalaMiss]

People that should be talking ke di podium finishers with serious coaches and sponsors. If your fast pace and my slow pace ere fa the same medal eno homola

[A Black Doltjie @B____D___]

If we apply ourselves, both kids are young and sometimes it’s easier to have mothers there. It simply tells me both moms are confident in who they are and where life has them now. These kids are siblings after all

[AthaBaby 🎀 @Athabzz]

We have no idea what we’re arguing anymore. We don’t know how to say “I don’t like something but I can recognise why the rest of the world does” because we think our opinions mean more than they do. They don’t, that’s just real life. Today accolades don’t matter, then what’s it