Author: Nadia Kamies
-
Namibia’s Genocide Remembrance Day
Namibia held its first Genocide Remembrance Day on May 28, 2025 to commemorate the genocide of the Nama and Herero people by German colonisers during the early 20th century. This is the first time that an official memorial has been held in spite of Namibia having been an independent democracy…
-
Standing Vigil
When I wrote my last piece for Reclamation Magazine in November last year, I had just been to a protest march in Cape Town. I was actively collecting what I called “pebbles of hope”, hoping that our shared humanity would bring an end to the merciless killing of thousands of…
-
Showing Up with Joy
There’s a story I’ve seen on Instagram recently about a man who staged a lone protest outside the White House with a candle during the Vietnam War, and, when he was challenged about whether he thought his little protest would really make any difference, he replied that he wasn’t coming…
-
More than a fairytale
My nine-year-old nephew recently performed in the Cape Town Opera’s production of Cinderella/Cendrillon at the Artscape Theatre Centre in Cape Town in the July school holidays. I am very proud of this young boy who has wanted to be on the stage since he was about two years old and…
-
Banning Books, Silencing Voices
Featured Illustration: Jane Mount . . . I have been watching the escalating trend of banning books in the USA with a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach. It’s a bit like reliving a nightmare, since the banning of books was an apartheid staple. Having travelled through…
-
A Colonial Parable
A long, long time ago, some travellers from a northern country sailed into a bay to seek shelter on their journey around the world. They were weary from months at sea, hoping for fresh water, fruit, and vegetables, or even some kind of meat would be wonderful. They found all…
-
This Writing Life
Featured Image: Etienne Girardet I’ve been struggling to write the last few months. Well, the truth is that I write every day in some form or another, but I don’t feel that I have been particularly productive this year. The work that has gone to print was available online last…
-
Embracing Ageing
I spent the morning at a chair yoga workshop recently, talking about the effects of ageing on the body. While I’m not quite ready to get off the mat, there were definitely pointers to share with my mum and adaptations to consider when aches and pains give me a nudge…
-
What’s in a Name?
Up along the west coast of South Africa, towards its border with Namibia, lies the Kamiesberg (or Kamies mountain), about five hours drive on the N7 from Cape Town. The mountain range is in a semi-desert area, the largest and most sparsely inhabited province of South Africa. For millennia the…