Arts aficionado Martha Mukaiwa waxed lyrical this year about everything from art to food, film and the black experience. Providing insight into the trials and triumphs of life as a talented freelance writer, she always brings heaps of humour and heart. She’s taken us along for the ride through her rich and captivating travel writing and has championed worthy causes through online activism.
Alongside winning short stories, Martha has been featured on radio shows in Cape Town and Johannesburg and has been featured in and republished in publications in Washington DC, New York and the United Kingdom.
2015’s ‘it’ girl?
Doing it for the dames in both business and the performing arts, my 2015 girls who’ve got it are cute creative Tanya Stroh and comedy queen Sibongile Tshabalala.
2015’s ‘it’ boy?
Ashwyn Mberi is this year’s entertainment man of the moment. From hosting the NAMAs to stepping out as a male feminist, slaying his solo poetry show and making money of that Barry White bass, this man has been in it to win it. Stay tuned.
What 2015 song describes your year?
‘Uptown Funk’. I live uptown and this year has been a sometimes grand, sometimes grotesque oscillation between existential funk… and drinking whisky.
2015’s best chill spot?
Jojo’s for sophisticated slow burn shows like Malkovich Music’s Walkabout. Slowtown at Grove Mall for some highly caffeinated slaying of personal demons. Chopsi’s if you wanna get all dressed up, dance to some dope tunes, wait a lifetime for a drink and leave smelling like braaivleis.
The last three things you spent money on?
Crutches (KeDecember, baby!), bottled water for my painkillers and the essential expense that is SuperAweh.
Hero of the year?
Humans of New York (HONY)’s Brandon Stanton. Whenever I start feeling like my life is about 80% toilet, I go and read his Syrian refugee stories and it ebbs away at my *ssholery like nothing on earth.
So if you need a dose of reality, to fan the flames of gratitude or to see someone making a difference in this world through art, visit HONY. Every day. It’s humbling, humanising and I’m sure starting your day with tears is good for…err… something.
Funniest social media moment of the year?
Pope Bars was a pretty good time to be alive specifically but this year has been all about sipping tea. Actually, memes have been on all day fire in this our 2015.
Biggest bandwagon cause?
Cecil the frikkin’ lion. Seriously, how was that such a thing? This world has ISIS, planes being shot out of the sky and Beijing issuing red alerts because they’ve polluted their air just short of choking to death and we’re here mourning Mufasa.
Biggest blunder of 2015?
Sips tea with Sean Kamati. But does throw out a few key words: Allgemeine Zeitung. Blackface. Explain your answer for 50 marks.
2015’s biggest fool?
Anyone who’s still excusing or enabling rape culture, misogyny, GBV and gender inequality.
Favourite slang term of 2015?
I think ‘lit’ was pretty lit.
What put Namibia on the map in 2015?
2015 taught me… at the end of the day, you’re on your own. So get to know yourself, get to like yourself and get to making things happen with or without intermittent pats on the back.
Most overrated trend of 2015?
The high art of elevating your eyebrows from figment of imagination to on fleek.
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