July’s People- Collective Listening and Discussion | 18 July 2026

July 2021 remains a rupture in South Africa’s democratic story. In just over a week, more than 350 lives were lost, thousands were injured, and billions disappeared from the economy. This period has been called many things; “the unrest, the food riots, the looting, the Zuma Insurrection” (as you will hear in the listening) yet what has often been missing are the voices of those who lived through it.

The Wabhubha uMhlaba Podcast, directed by Kneo Mokgopa, produced by the Nelson Mandela Foundation with the South African Human Rights Commission, seeks to centre those voices. It is a resource for reflection and for imagining how we might move forward. The title July’s People is borrowed from the podcast title, which is, in turn, taken from Nadine Gordimer’s novel (published 1981) of the same name.

We invite you to this collective listening which is immediately followed by a panel discussion reflecting on the various kinds of losses over the period. Moving beyond the sensationalist to tease out the nuanced dynamics which shaped that catastrophe.

At a time when public life is once again marked by unrest, demonstrations and uncertainty, this moment of reflection feels especially urgent. The unrest of 2021 is not a closed chapter but it continues to shape our politics, our communities, and our everyday lives. Listening now is part of understanding how we got here, and how we might chart a different path.

Hosted by: KZNSA Gallery

Conversation moderated by: Dr Kira Erwin (sociologist) – Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning Campaigner at GroundWork

Panelists:
Thapelo Mohapi – Former General Secretary, Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement SA

Hamish Erskine – Chief Executive Officer, Dube TradePort Corporation

Dasen Thathiah – Senior Report, eNCA

Event details: 

Date: 18 July 2026
Time: 10h00- 12:00
Venue: KZNSA Gallery, 166 Bulwer Road, Glenwood Durban