Latest news with #ZulaikhaPatel
The Citizen
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
Zulaikha Patel: Former Pretoria Girls High pupil who protested against discriminatory hair policies joins Newzroom Afrika
Zulaikha Patel came to public prominence as part of the silent march at Pretoria High School for Girls against discriminatory hair policies. The month of August is a significant one for women in South Africa, owing to the 1956 Women's March, which saw more than 20 000 women head to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against the apartheid government's extension of pass laws to women. That march birthed what today is celebrated as Women's Day. However, for Zulaikha Patel, who came to public prominence as part of the silent march at Pretoria High School for Girls against discriminatory hair policies at the institution in 2016, the month of August has a deeper meaning. 'My activism has thrust me into the public domain from a tender young age, and ultimately I spent all my teenage years growing up directly in the public eye, which at times became difficult as I had to grow up much quicker than my years in order to navigate public commentary and critique,' Patel tells The Citizen. Patel was 13 when she protested in high school; she is 23 now. ALSO READ: WATCH: Aldrin Sampear bows out of Newzroom Afrika Patel in August It was in August that the silent march at her former high school took place, and yesterday, Patel was announced as one of the new faces on Newzroom Afrika. 'I find this quite ironic that two significant moments in my life both took place in the month of August,' she said. She says as a woman in South Africa, she holds the month close to her heart because of the selfless acts of 1956 by the likes of Lilian Ngoyi and Helen Joseph, among the slew of female activists. Patel says the 1956 march continues to remain a 'source of inspiration for me on the power that women's voices hold and a source of inspiration to continue advocating for justice and human rights.' ALSO READ: Newzroom Afrika attracts heavies in new staff line-up Patel on joining Newzroom Newzroom Afrika shuffled its programming as a way of refreshing the channel, and Patel's face will be one of the new ones on screen. Patel will contribute to the AM Report and is part of the team that Iman Rappetti and Arabile Gumede spearhead with Vaylen Kirtley on the sports desk. 'With August marking the ushering of spring, which is symbolic of new beginnings, my new role with Newzroom Afrika marks a new chapter in my life, and this chapter of my activism is called 'giving the citizens the mic to define the country through their voices',' she said. She says her contribution to the AM Report will be bringing a new segment that focuses on the voices of the citizens of the country on various socio-economic challenges that the nation faces. She doesn't describe her move into journalism as being bitten by the journalism bug but rather the ''storytelling bug', which bit me a while ago when I began writing books,' she says. 'A huge part of my activism has been to empower people to use their own voices to change the world and their circumstances. The world is changed by ordinary people that have the audacity to use their voices for change.' She shares that this value is one that she's carrying with her into her new role at Newzroom, to focus on handing the mic to citizens to define and shape the country through their voice and lens. ALSO READ: Refilwe Modiselle gently tackles misconceptions and myths about albinism with her children's book Patel, the author In 2021, Patel debuted her children's book, My Coily Crowny Hair, a book encouraging young black girls to embrace their natural hair in a world where African hair is seen as uncouth. 'The book was received incredibly well, as African children with Afro hair and dreadlocks felt empowered, seeing African identity positively represented,' shared Patel. 'I strongly believe that seeing yourself represented in the pages of books empowers one's existence.' The success of My Coily Crowny Hair birthed a second book, Brave Like Me, that was published earlier this year. 'Brave Like Me is published in five languages: English, Afrikaans, isiZulu, isiNdebele and isiXhosa,' says Patel about the book that empowers children to use their voices to change the world. NOW READ: Radio 2000 broadcaster Ntombi Meso mends childhood traumas through her children's book
News24
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News24
Youth Month spotlight: Zulaikha Patel and crowning the glory
Zulaikha Patel is the author of children's book called Brave Like Me. She believes people should be able to live freely and boldly. Zulaikha says memories of high school hair policies still linger. ____________________________________________________ Nine years ago, Zulaikha Patel, the fearless founder of Dare to Change, sparked an anti-racism movement that ignited a global conversation. The world watched, mesmerised, as a harsh reality set in: the past isn't just a distant memory but a reflection of the present – and a reminder that the fight for justice is far from over. The members of that movement still grow, fuelling a new generation of change-makers. As Zulaikha's journey continues, her latest milestone – the release of her second book, Brave Like Me – shines a light on her personal story of childhood bravery forged alongside her dad. This heartwarming biographical children's book intertwines with her courageous stand in 2016, revealing a powerful intersection of the past andpresent. It raises the question: how do you make your voice echo through the noise? As we step into Youth Month this June, this question becomes a rallying cry. It reminds young people to reflect on the world they want to create. What kind of country do they envision? What barriers hold them back from unleashing their full selves? How do personal expressions like hair become a battleground, colliding with restrictive policies? And how can one dare to challenge the status quo and spark real change? View this post on Instagram A post shared by Zulaikha (زليخة) Patel🇿🇦 (@zulaikhapatel_) Hair tangled in politics From the outside, contemporary South Africa is a beautiful place. Visitors flock from around the world to witness its beauty, but beneath the surface, the past continues to cast a long, silent shadow. It's a past marked by painful reminders, like the 'pencil test' that once determined your race and dictated your future. Zulaikha notes how for many young South Africans, this past feels distant, disconnected from their daily lives. Yet, despite this disconnection, they're still grappling with the weight of identity and belonging. They're searching for their place in the world, with the complexities of growing up in a country where history and culture are intertwined. And as they look to the future, they're faced with reconciling their own stories with the ones that have shaped their nation. The world around them, from the streets they call home to the schools they attend, shapes their voice and molds their sense of self. And surprisingly, something that can seem as mundane as hair policies in schools can have an increasing impact, influencing how they see themselves and their place in the world. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Zulaikha (زليخة) Patel🇿🇦 (@zulaikhapatel_) Hair policies in schooling systems The memories of high school hair policies still linger, a strict code that governed every strand. Only neutral-coloured hair pieces are allowed, and no bold dye jobs to express individuality. Hair had to be tied back, never framing their faces or obstructing their eyes. Beads and other hair accessories? Forbidden. For Samki and Ntsephe, these rules left them trapped and restricted. Their hair was reduced to a conformist norm. But Orethabisitse saw it differently – a line had to be drawn somewhere, a balance between personal style and school regulations. However, for Zulaikha, it exceeds the simple notion of school regulations. 'People should exist boldly and freely, without any control or surveillance,' she notes. Zulaikha points out the elephant in the room: many of these hair policies have their roots in the apartheid era, and it's time we stop beating around the bush. The racism isn't 'underlying' – it's blatant, it's real, and it's still perpetuated today. For her, this conversation also serves as a stark reminder that, as Black people, there's still a long journey ahead. 'As Black people, we still have a long way to go because our minds tend to be our oppressors,' she says. This internalised oppression can be subtle, yet powerful. Even something like wearing your hair in its natural state can be a radical act. 'When you wear your Afro out, you are already stating your politics,' she notes. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Zulaikha (زليخة) Patel🇿🇦 (@zulaikhapatel_) Rooted in identity, Zulaikha, with her proud Ndebele and Indian roots, has always celebrated her mixed-race heritage. She reminds people to think about how they express their politics through the way they wear their hair. For those looking to challenge restrictive hair policies that stifle self-expression, she offers some practical advice: - Write the concerns: This simple act can be powerful. By putting your thoughts and feelings into words, you're able to clarify thoughts, identify patterns of injustice, and create a paper trail that can be used to advocate for change. - Go to the district managers of your school: They have the power to implement policy changes and address specific issues within your school. - Go to external governing bodies: The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has the authority to investigate and address human rights violations, including those related to discriminatory hair policies. By involving the SAHRC, you can bring attention to the issue and work towards creating systemic change that benefits not just yourself, but future generations. Being brave 'It's the small waves of change in societies and communities that get blown into greater waves of change in societies,' Zulaikha shares. 'Small acts begin in your home, community, circle, and spaces that you're in.' She emphasises that Youth Day is about the younger generation pushing forward, building on the progress made by those who fought for freedom and equality. As she eloquently puts it, hair is a symbol of resistance and a continuation of the fight for freedom. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Zulaikha (زليخة) Patel🇿🇦 (@zulaikhapatel_) Show Comments ()
TimesLIVE
07-05-2025
- General
- TimesLIVE
Carrot salad recipe to spice up your winter blues
We are living in ridiculous times that require we remain reasonable and do our part to fight injustice while consuming absurd news about cruel politicians. How do we remain sane and take care of our hearts, ourselves and our communities in this crazy world? Usually, I seek refuge in cooking and eating with loved ones, in nature adventures, in comedy and in reading the writing of others, specially about food. I recently read an article in Goya Journal about decolonising the word 'curry' and how we talk about Indian food. It triggered me because I felt it implied words such as curry or curried can be replaced by other words used by Indians in India, without considering the word curry in the diaspora and rest of the world has taken on a flavour of its own. I don't think we can decolonise the phrase 'Durban curries', for example. It's too far gone for that. Curry is a word that came with British colonisation and spread throughout the British Empire. People like me, born in Durban, the city that had the most Indians outside India at one point, are descendants of indentured slaves. There have been several documented waves of Indians/South Asians arriving in SA from the 1600s at the Cape as slaves along with Indonesians, Southeast Asians and East Africans. Later the indentured Indians moved to KwaZulu-Natal from the 1860s to 1910s, and after that many waves of freer, wealthier Indian traders and businesspeople arrived in the country. The British colonised India and SA. There are parallel slavery and indentured histories in Guyana, Belize, Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Fiji, Malaysia, Mauritius and more. Each with its Indian influence in the food and culture merged with African, Southeast Asian and European flavours in different ways to create Caribbean and SA food, for example. Most South Africans of Indian descent, like me, have never been to India, neither have their parents or grandparents. There are many more South Africans who don't identify as Indian who have Indian ancestry and were classified or culturally assimilated into different groups, from Tyla to Zulaikha Patel to Bianca Naidoo (wife of the late Riky Rick) to FW De Klerk and Simon van der Stel. Indian blood runs through the veins of this country. I thought I had a deeply rooted love for Indian food. But as time passed, I realised what I call 'Indian food' and what I long for when I am feeling blue is 'SA Indian food', not Indian food from India. Local Indian restaurants serve north Indian food mostly, where the dishes are foreign to me and far from what I was raised on. Though there are similarities with flatbreads, dhals and some of the same ingredients, it is a world away. Curry, like English, does not belong to the British. We have seasoned everything here with our own mix masala, in ways that make no sense to India either. We are nuanced. Curry, like English, does not belong to the British. We have seasoned everything here with our own mix masala, in ways that make no sense to India either. We are nuanced. In the Indian and African diasporas, from the Global South to the Global North, we make and eat curries and curried dishes. The risk in trying to decolonise 'curry' is to continue a different form of colonial thinking and not consider us as part of the discussion — Indians of Africa, Africans of the Caribbean, descendants of people who originate in one place and end up in another, with mixed heritage and different narratives that are not easily understood. Some of my fondest memories from my childhood were spent at kitchen tables and kitchen counters where I was given tasks such as peeling vegetables or grating them. No matter the worldly chaos, this provided some calm. Sometimes I was made to write down recipes while they were narrated to me. This made me feel useful, in touch with my roots, a skilled and a necessary cog of the family machinery. At my mother's brother Pat and his wife Radha's house at their kitchen counter, I loved and continue to love sitting in front of the stove while the food cooks and we catch up. Making carrot salad seemed like an unimportant job for kids then but I am grateful I had the experience of grating, peeling and chopping, a kind of soothing, rhythmic healing in preparing a meal together. I never thought of what we ate as unique or specifically South African. We call it Indian — sometimes we have bread and butter with sugarbeans curry, 'doll' curry, mutton curry, chicken curry, green beans curry, potato curry and there is always yoghurt (which we don't call raita) and carrot salad, which is the one thing I have never seen anywhere else except in SA. Our cold carrot salad is a staple on South African spreads. It is often overlooked, but this carrot salad dressed in vinegar or lemon juice and salt with raw onion, green chilli, coriander, cucumber or variations thereof (starting with the basic grated carrot and vinegar) appears only in SA in the way it does. It's a sign to you that you're eating South African Indian food and not Indian from India food. Ingredients 3 large carrots 2 radishes half a cucumber 2 medium green chillies 1 onion handful coriander 100ml apple cider vinegar juice of one lemon 1 tsp salt Instructions Prepare the vegetables by washing them in cold water. Peel and grate the carrots. Dice the radish, onion, cucumber, coriander and chillies To make the dressing, mix vinegar, lemon juice and salt. Mix until the salt is dissolved then pour over the salad and serve Use apple cider vinegar to turn this into a treat for your microbiomes.
