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Eusebius McKaiser (28 March 1978 – 30 May 2023) was a South African political analyst, journalist, and broadcaster.[1][2] Among others, he wrote for the Mail & Guardian, the Sunday Times, Foreign Policy, The Guardian, The New York Times, and Business Day, for which he wrote a weekly column.[3][4] He gained prominence as a Radio 702 talk show host, and also wrote three books about South African politics and society.

Eusebius McKaiser
McKaiser in 2015
Born(1978-03-28)28 March 1978
Grahamstown, Cape Province, South Africa
Died30 May 2023(2023-05-30) (aged 45)
Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
NationalitySouth African
Alma materRhodes University; St Antony's College, Oxford University
Occupations
  • Political analyst
  • journalist
  • broadcaster
  • author

Life and career

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Eusebius McKaiser was born on 28 March 1978,[5][6] in Grahamstown, Cape Province, where his working-class family lived in a coloured township. He attended St Mary's Primary School and Graeme College, and matriculated from the latter in 1996.[6] From 1997, he attended Rhodes University, graduating with distinction with a bachelor's degree in law and philosophy, an honours degree, and, in 2003, a master's degree in philosophy, with a thesis on moral objectivity.[6][7][8] Between 2005 and 2006,[9] he attended the University of Oxford (St Antony's College) on a Rhodes Scholarship, where he received a BPhil[10] and did doctoral research – never completed – under Ralph Wedgwood and John Broome, also in moral philosophy.[6][11][12] He was also an Oppenheimer Memorial Trust Scholar.[9]

McKaiser later worked as an associate consultant at McKinsey & Company, and by 2012 was a political and social analyst at the Wits Centre for Ethics and at the University of Johannesburg Centre for the Study of Democracy.[8] The first radio show he hosted at Radio 702 was a weekly late-night talk show called Politics and Morality.[1] He hosted the SABC 3 current affairs programme Interface until 2011,[13][14] and later anchored 702's Talk@9 show on week nights.[15]

When Power FM launched on 18 June 2013, he began as host of Power Talk, a three-hour weekday morning talk show.[16] In October 2014, he left Power FM – according to the station, due to insoluble disagreements between him and the station[17] – and returned to Radio 702 in July 2016, taking over from Redi Thlabi with a weekday morning talk slot.[18][19] According to the Mail & Guardian, through his radio work, McKaiser had "etched himself on the national psyche" by 2013.[3] Pumla Dineo Gqola later said that his morning show on 702, the Eusebius McKaiser Show, "shaped everyday dialogue and, with it, the culture of our time," and compliment McKaiser's "heartbreaking, illuminating and often joyful intellectual work."[20]

McKaiser left Radio 702 in June 2020,[21][22] because the station had not been prepared to dedicate adequate resources to the production of his show.[23] He then hosted a podcast called In the Ring and, on YouTube, an Exclusive Books show about books called Cover to Cover.[24][25]

McKaiser died due to a suspected epileptic seizure on 30 May 2023, at age 44.[26][27]

Bibliography

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  • McKaiser, Eusebius (2012). A Bantu in My Bathroom!: Debating Race, Sexuality and Other Uncomfortable South African Topics. Bookstorm. ISBN 978-1-920434-66-3.
  • McKaiser, Eusebius (2014). Could I Vote DA?: A Voter's Dilemma. Bookstorm. ISBN 978-1-920434-56-4.
  • McKaiser, Eusebius (2016). Run Racist Run: Journeys into the Heart of Racism. Bookstorm. ISBN 978-1-928257-16-5.

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Faull, Lionel (14 June 2010). "200 Young South Africans: Civil Society". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  2. ^ "Public Life: Past, Present and Future". Archive & Public Culture Research Institute. University of Cape Town. 2020. Archived from the original on 17 September 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  3. ^ a b Zmomuya, Percy (20 June 2013). "Eusebius McKaiser: Presenter pumps up the power". Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  4. ^ Kings, Sipho (5 August 2011). "My Cultural Life: Eusebius Mckaiser". Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  5. ^ Eusebius McKaiser [@Eusebius] (28 March 2021). "Thanks for your birthday wishes so early in the day already!" (Tweet). Sandton, Johannesburg – via Twitter.
  6. ^ a b c d e "He's clever, talented and famous... and he's ours". Grocott's Mail. 27 January 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  7. ^ McKaiser, Eusebius (2002). In defence of moral objectivity (Master's thesis). Rhodes University.
  8. ^ a b c "Mr Eusebius McKaiser (Emerging Old Rhodian Award)". Rhodes University. 2 May 2013. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  9. ^ a b "Eusebius McKaiser". The Oppenheimer Memorial Trust. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  10. ^ "Eusebius McKaiser: a tribute to a much-loved and brilliant Antonian". St Antony's College. 5 June 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  11. ^ McKaiser, Eusebius (20 March 2015). "Degrees of excellence: Eusebius vs Godzille". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  12. ^ "I never claimed an Oxford degree – Eusebius McKaiser". Politicsweb. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  13. ^ "SABC axes two over 'politics'". Citypress. 17 July 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  14. ^ Zvomuya, Percy (5 October 2012). "#AngryBlacks: Seeking out the Bantu in his bathroom". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  15. ^ Ndlovu, Andile (9 May 2013). "McKaiser turns down Power FM". Sunday Times. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  16. ^ Nicholson, G.; Eaton, J. (5 June 2013). "Power FM to the people". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  17. ^ "Power FM Radio Host Azania Mosaka resigns". The Mail & Guardian. 18 December 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  18. ^ Oberholzer, Gary (10 July 2016). "Listeners can tune in to new voices on 702". 702. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  19. ^ Smith, David L. (24 June 2020). "An honest look back at radio amid Eusebius McKaiser storm". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  20. ^ Dineo Gqola, Pumla (2 July 2020). "The cultural impact of The Eusebius McKaiser Show". New Frame. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  21. ^ Morkel, Graye (11 June 2020). "Eusebius McKaiser leaves Radio 702". News24. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  22. ^ Jordaan, Nomahlubi (11 June 2020). "Eusebius McKaiser to leave 702". Sunday Times. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  23. ^ Jika, Thanduxolo (20 August 2020). "702: Vitriol dims the radio's star". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  24. ^ "In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  25. ^ "'Cover to Cover': Jonathan Jansen to talk about his new book". The South African. 16 February 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  26. ^ "Eusebius McKaiser dies from suspected epileptic seizure".
  27. ^ Bhengu, Cebelihle. "BREAKING | Author, broadcaster Eusebius McKaiser has died". News24. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
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