We've mistaken expression for impact, conflating social media dust-ups with actual power. We've neglected the unglamorous work that holds societies together: governing, problem-solving, and cooperating across differences. My research shows that real change happens not in viral TikToks but in drab meeting rooms - the phones-down, notebooks-out work of local governance. It's there that we make progress and bridge divides.
Thakeli's video questioning Premier Matekane's job promises resonated with the youth, leading to his arrest for sedition and a police warning against mentioning the PM again.