On Monday, as I sat on stage at the South End Museum in Gqeberha, participating in a community dialogue about the state of our democracy, organised jointly by Nelson Mandela University and The Herald (https://www.heraldlive.co.za/), I was moved by a poignant story told by a fellow panellist.

Lorenzo Davids, Urban Issues Consulting CEO, recalled giving a lift to a 68-year-old woman he had met while driving around the Western Cape on one of his many fascinating travels. She had been hitchhiking, and he had obliged her, even though her destination was off the beaten track...