Latest news with #ThuliMadonsela
The Herald
9 hours ago
- Business
- The Herald
Thuli Madonsela's spouse, ex PR exec Richard Edward Foxton, has died at 82
Experienced PR executive and spouse of former public protector Thuli Madonsela, Richard Edward Foxton, affectionately known as Dick or "Mr Foxton", has died at the age of 82. He passed away peacefully in his bed, the Thuli Madonsela Foundation announced in a statement. Foxton was a father, grandfather and founder of the South African communications firm Foxton Communicating. He was also a founding patron of the Thuli Madonsela Foundation. Beyond his professional success, the foundation remembered him as a devoted family man who was a deeply religious Christian. "He was a proud father and a loving grandfather to nine grandchildren, all of whom were a central part of his life. "His life partner, Madonsela, was his steadfast companion in personal and professional matters, and together they were a symbol of mutual respect, love and integrity. "Foxton's impact on South Africa's business and political landscape, his commitment to social change and his deep love for his family and faith will not be forgotten. His warmth, kindness, huge personality and boundless generosity touched the lives of many, and his contributions will continue to resonate for years to come. "His passing leaves an irreplaceable void, but his influence will live on in the lives he touched and the work he pioneered." A memorial service will be held at the Rosebank Catholic Church on Friday at 2pm, followed by a celebration of his life at the Bryanston Country Club. TimesLIVE
TimesLIVE
12 hours ago
- General
- TimesLIVE
Thuli Madonsela's spouse, ex PR exec Richard Edward Foxton, has died at 82
Experienced PR executive and spouse of former public protector Thuli Madonsela, Richard Edward Foxton, affectionately known as Dick or "Mr Foxton", has died at the age of 82. He passed away peacefully in his bed, the Thuli Madonsela Foundation announced in a statement. Foxton was a father, grandfather and founder of the South African communications firm Foxton Communicating. He was also a founding patron of the Thuli Madonsela Foundation. Beyond his professional success, the foundation remembered him as a devoted family man who was a deeply religious Christian. "He was a proud father and a loving grandfather to nine grandchildren, all of whom were a central part of his life. "His life partner, Madonsela, was his steadfast companion in personal and professional matters, and together they were a symbol of mutual respect, love and integrity. "Foxton's impact on South Africa's business and political landscape, his commitment to social change and his deep love for his family and faith will not be forgotten. His warmth, kindness, huge personality and boundless generosity touched the lives of many, and his contributions will continue to resonate for years to come. "His passing leaves an irreplaceable void, but his influence will live on in the lives he touched and the work he pioneered." A memorial service will be held at the Rosebank Catholic Church on Friday at 2pm, followed by a celebration of his life at the Bryanston Country Club.
News24
14-05-2025
- Business
- News24
Inside the minds of the Santam Women of the Future Awards Judging Panel
As the Santam Women of the Future Awards, in proud partnership with FAIRLADY and TRUELOVE, celebrates its 11th year, the search is on for South Africa's most dynamic, purpose-driven women entrepreneurs. At the heart of this celebration is a powerhouse panel of judges. A formidable collective of thought leaders, business trailblazers and social advocates who are setting the bar high for this year's contenders. If you're a woman building more than just a business – a vision, a legacy, a solution, this is your moment to be recognised. Meet the judges and what they're looking for: Professor Thuli Madonsela Director, Centre for Social Justice – Faculty of Law, Stellenbosch University A stalwart of integrity and justice, Prof Madonsela seeks entrepreneurs committed to shaping a fairer world. 'I'm looking for a woman who is building a just world that she'd want to live in, someone who is environmentally conscious and using technology, digitalisation, and AI to improve lives now and in the future,' she says. Nondumiso Mabece Executive Head of Brand and Marketing at Santam Focusing on scale and socio-economic impact, Mabece is looking for businesses that can go big and make a difference. 'I want to see potential for job creation, especially for South Africa's youth. Small businesses can be powerful engines of employment,' she notes. Dawn Nathan-Jones Entrepreneurial leader, social advocate, and CEO of Over the Rainbow Resilience and purpose are front and centre for Nathan-Jones. 'I am looking for women entrepreneurs who lead with purpose and resilience. I value leaders who can turn challenges into opportunities, showing that success is about adaptability and courage.' Boitumelo Ntsoane Founder and MD of On Point Healthcare Disruption is the name of the game. 'I am looking for a self-starter, a disruptor with a unique product or service and clear financial goals,' says Ntsoane. Suzy Brokensha Editor-in-Chief of FAIRLADY With an eye for ideas that travel, Brokensha wants scalable brilliance. 'I'm looking for an idea that has legs – something that I feel has international potential as well as a local application. We're in a great position to trade with the rest of the world. Let's do it!' Mbali Soga Editor-in-Chief of TRUELOVE/DRUM Soga is all about innovation with heart. 'I am looking for entrepreneurs whose ventures are both innovative and transformative. I'm on the lookout for individuals who have spun a unique yet seemingly evident idea into a venture that not only propels their financial success but also addresses societal challenges head-on.' Whether you've just launched your business, are uplifting your community through your venture, or have been leading a successful enterprise for years, this is your opportunity to shine. Know a remarkable woman entrepreneur? Nominations are open, too, because greatness deserves a spotlight. Entries close 3 June 2025.
The Star
22-04-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Exiled Afghan women visit SA in bid to end gender violence
A delegation of exiled Afghan women is in South Africa for a week-long visit, on a mission to share their stories, and to create a knowledge and insights-sharing platform in their search for solidarity to end gender apartheid. Malala Fund, in partnership with End Gender Apartheid Campaign, the Civic Engagement Project and Lawyers for Human Rights, has hosted a series of roundtable dialogues and discussions with some of South Africa's leading human rights activists as well as members of the judiciary. At a roundtable hosted at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg, panellists included Professor Thuli Madonsela, Professor Farid Esack, Judge Margie Victor, and three Afghan women who are part of the delegation. Escaping a forced child marriage. Suffering a broken nose for lifting a Burka in public. Shutting down beauty salons and schools. Keeping women and girl children 'in line' with physical punishment. These were not sub-plots of a movie; instead, the horrifying truth of the lived experiences of the Afghan women in the room. An activist and human rights defender for nearly 30 years, *Horia said she believes the Taliban's rule in Afghanistan is a silent tsunami: 'This is not our religion, this is not Islam, this is the Taliban. In Afghanistan, women who are found guilty of 'moral crimes' are subjected to 'honour violence', in the form of public beatings, torture and imprisonment. Horia said that the delegation is in South Africa to draw on the experience of women who were subjugated under apartheid, and to learn more about the role the judiciary, civil society and the media could play in their fight for freedom. Commenting on the voice of the judiciary, Judge Shehnaz Meer remarked: 'Judges generally don't have conversations. We talk through our judgements, in so doing be both apply and interpret the law, and it is open for us to do so in a humane manner and in a way that advances humankind. In a society like Afghanistan, where gender apartheid is legislated, there are no raw materials available for judges to converse about human rights through their judgments. This is reminiscent of a period in South Africa, post-apartheid, where judges had very few raw materials and were, by and large, state sympathisers.' Meer went on to describe what she refers to as 'the activist judge', who is mindful of respecting the dignity of women in court, not shying away from intervening to protect their dignity in the case of gender-based violence or other. She also said that the activist judge does not preside as a silent arbiter, and ensures this standard is upheld at all times, without fear, favour or prejudice. 'This is the judicial voice that must be brought to bear in discourse on global gender apartheid. If the blueprint of judges in this country can be applied internationally, then judges would lend their voices in a meaningful and productive way to end the scourge that has resulted in women in Afghanistan being excluded from society and rendered invisible, in the workplace, education and (barred from) operating as human beings in society.' Storyteller and activist *Gaisu said: 'The stories I've been collecting, women of Afghanistan as a grassroots movement have come together globally to unite, to use 'Gender Apartheid' as a tool or a framework for us, and serve as a reflection of what's happening in our country.' Gaisu referenced the story of women in Afghanistan about the clothing she is required to wear, a black burka: 'What once felt elegant, now feels suffocating to me'. Another woman shared with Gauri that her life is marked by 'There is no laughter, I'm just trying to survive'. Her collection of stories offers a vivid picture of Taliban oppression, which arguably, mutilates the voices and the lives of women in her country. Professor Thuli Madonsela says she has seen just how unsustainable injustice is: 'Ubuntu teaches us about our interconnectedness. It doesn't matter where you are, injustice catches up with you. So what is happening in Afghanistan will happen in another country, and another. What we tolerate, we are indirectly condoning.' The delegation visited other countries before this trip to South Africa, where they were asked similar questions: 'What is South Africa saying about gender apartheid? Do you have their support?' While the acceptance and universal adoption of 'gender apartheid' remains a subject for discussion and review, the Afghan women who participated in this exploratory visit to South Africa are clear: 'We want our stories to be told. We want to be heard. We want our mothers, sisters, and daughters to live in a free society that no longer oppresses or silences them.' Horia offered the first roundtable food for a little more than thought: 'We will remember the words of our enemies. We will remember the silence of our friends'. Diane Naidoo is a freelance writer with 30 years of experience in PR and communications. She lends her voice to stories about social impact, climate action, and sustainability. While she led the advocacy and lobbying campaign for renewables in South Africa in 2010, she is also an avid cricket fan, working on the IPL and SA20, as she believes in the transformative and unifying power of sport. *Full names of the Afghan delegation are not used to protect the identities of the women and their families who still live in Afghanistan.
IOL News
22-04-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Exiled Afghan women visit SA in bid to end gender violence
A delegation of exiled Afghan women is in South Africa for a week-long visit, on a mission to share their stories, and to create a knowledge and insights-sharing platform in their search for solidarity to end gender apartheid. Malala Fund, in partnership with End Gender Apartheid Campaign, the Civic Engagement Project and Lawyers for Human Rights, has hosted a series of roundtable dialogues and discussions with some of South Africa's leading human rights activists as well as members of the judiciary. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ At a roundtable hosted at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg, panellists included Professor Thuli Madonsela, Professor Farid Esack, Judge Margie Victor, and three Afghan women who are part of the delegation. Escaping a forced child marriage. Suffering a broken nose for lifting a Burka in public. Shutting down beauty salons and schools. Keeping women and girl children 'in line' with physical punishment. These were not sub-plots of a movie; instead, the horrifying truth of the lived experiences of the Afghan women in the room. An activist and human rights defender for nearly 30 years, *Horia said she believes the Taliban's rule in Afghanistan is a silent tsunami: 'This is not our religion, this is not Islam, this is the Taliban. In Afghanistan, women who are found guilty of 'moral crimes' are subjected to 'honour violence', in the form of public beatings, torture and imprisonment. Horia said that the delegation is in South Africa to draw on the experience of women who were subjugated under apartheid, and to learn more about the role the judiciary, civil society and the media could play in their fight for freedom. Commenting on the voice of the judiciary, Judge Shehnaz Meer remarked: 'Judges generally don't have conversations. We talk through our judgements, in so doing be both apply and interpret the law, and it is open for us to do so in a humane manner and in a way that advances humankind. In a society like Afghanistan, where gender apartheid is legislated, there are no raw materials available for judges to converse about human rights through their judgments. This is reminiscent of a period in South Africa, post-apartheid, where judges had very few raw materials and were, by and large, state sympathisers.' Meer went on to describe what she refers to as 'the activist judge', who is mindful of respecting the dignity of women in court, not shying away from intervening to protect their dignity in the case of gender-based violence or other. She also said that the activist judge does not preside as a silent arbiter, and ensures this standard is upheld at all times, without fear, favour or prejudice. 'This is the judicial voice that must be brought to bear in discourse on global gender apartheid. If the blueprint of judges in this country can be applied internationally, then judges would lend their voices in a meaningful and productive way to end the scourge that has resulted in women in Afghanistan being excluded from society and rendered invisible, in the workplace, education and (barred from) operating as human beings in society.' Storyteller and activist *Gaisu said: 'The stories I've been collecting, women of Afghanistan as a grassroots movement have come together globally to unite, to use 'Gender Apartheid' as a tool or a framework for us, and serve as a reflection of what's happening in our country.' Gaisu referenced the story of women in Afghanistan about the clothing she is required to wear, a black burka: 'What once felt elegant, now feels suffocating to me'. Another woman shared with Gauri that her life is marked by 'There is no laughter, I'm just trying to survive'. Her collection of stories offers a vivid picture of Taliban oppression, which arguably, mutilates the voices and the lives of women in her country. Professor Thuli Madonsela says she has seen just how unsustainable injustice is: 'Ubuntu teaches us about our interconnectedness. It doesn't matter where you are, injustice catches up with you. So what is happening in Afghanistan will happen in another country, and another. What we tolerate, we are indirectly condoning.' The delegation visited other countries before this trip to South Africa, where they were asked similar questions: 'What is South Africa saying about gender apartheid? Do you have their support?' While the acceptance and universal adoption of 'gender apartheid' remains a subject for discussion and review, the Afghan women who participated in this exploratory visit to South Africa are clear: 'We want our stories to be told. We want to be heard. We want our mothers, sisters, and daughters to live in a free society that no longer oppresses or silences them.' Horia offered the first roundtable food for a little more than thought: 'We will remember the words of our enemies. We will remember the silence of our friends'. Diane Naidoo is a freelance writer with 30 years of experience in PR and communications. She lends her voice to stories about social impact, climate action, and sustainability. While she led the advocacy and lobbying campaign for renewables in South Africa in 2010, she is also an avid cricket fan, working on the IPL and SA20, as she believes in the transformative and unifying power of sport.
