Marché Arends

South African journalist

Semafor •

Thabo Bester saga reveals the dangers in South Africa's prison privatization | Semafor

This story is really about the dismal state of South Africa's prisons and the dangers of poorly considered privatization. The local media has seized on the Bonnie and Clyde narrative. That’s understandable — it's juicy and, as more details emerge, increasingly bizarre. But, on closer examination, the story raises questions about the safety and effectiveness of the private sector's role in running the country’s penitentiaries.
Thought Leader •

Walking down the street is an act of courage

When I was 13 years old, I started walking home from school. As soon as my talking, brown leather shoes hit the ground outside the school gates, however, I wasn’t 13 anymore.

I was guarded, suspicious and afraid. Walking down the street as a woman, of any age, can be a traumatic experience.

One particular day when I was walking home, jaw clenched, hands rolled into fists, eyes darting around corners, I saw a man leaning against a waist-high wall.

The vice grip in my stomach tightened.
Thought Leader •

The word fat is a descriptor that holds no moral value

Picture this: you have a sharp pain in your shoulder. It’s been plaguing you for a few days, so you decide to see a doctor. You explain what’s wrong and the doctor puts you on a scale. After a brief examination, the doctor suggests that you lose some weight.

Has this ever happened to you? Well, it happened to me.

Navigating this world in a fat body is like navigating a minefield. Only instead of landmines, we are confronted with fat-phobic medical professionals, a love life filled with fetish
The Mail & Guardian •

Privilege in a time of civil unrest

I sit here writing this from my house in Muizenberg, Cape Town. The heater is on, I am wrapped up in warm clothes and I am watching videos of the ongoing violence in Kwa-Zulu Natal and Gauteng, shaking my head.

This is one of the highest levels of privilege.

Sure, I belong to a historically disadvantaged group and on the hierarchy of marginalisation I rank pretty high up. I am a brown woman in a country that has suppressed and oppressed black and brown women for centuries.
Load More