IN CONVERSATION WITH SELEPE MADISHA

Freedom can mean so many things to different people. For some, it’s about movement — the ability to go where you want, when you want. For others, it’s about opportunities — the chance to learn, to work, to build a future. But there’s one powerful, universal thread that binds all ideas of freedom together: the ability to be yourself.
In South Africa, a country with a deep and painful history of fighting for liberation, the meaning of "freedom" has evolved beyond political rights and voting power. Today, in a democratic society, freedom also lives in the personal choices we make every day — the freedom to live openly, to speak our truth, to pursue our dreams without fear.
In today’s times, when division and uncertainty still linger in different forms, the call to be alive and freely express who you are is louder and more urgent than ever. True freedom cannot exist where people feel forced to hide their identities, beliefs, or aspirations.