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The Performance of Allyship

Leave a Comment / April 2, 2025 / By

Every time South Africans take to the streets against gender-based violence and femicide, I can’t help but think back to the 2018 Total Shutdown march, and how women and gender nonconforming people explicitly asked men not to attend… But, as is usually the case in our morally depraved society, entitlement won. Some men ignored that plea and forced themselves into a space that was never theirs to occupy, convinced that this was an act of solidarity. It wasn’t.
It was another stark reminder of how men, even in moments of crisis, centre themselves.

Fast forward to today, and I see men marching again. The same men who rape infants, teenagers, mothers, and grandmothers. The same men who catcall schoolgirls and beat their partners to a pulp behind closed doors. The same men who control the entire criminal justice system — the police, the courts, the legislature — the very system that enables this violence. The same men who maintain an iron grip over the economy through patriarchy, the ones who could actually do something if they wanted to. However, instead of wielding their power to “pour sand in the gears of the machine,” they choose performative allyship. They march. They chant. They cry crocodile tears for the very same survivors they create. #JusticeForCweCwe rings hollow. The truth is there’s a time for protest and a time for action, and this moment demands more than empty rhetoric; it demands a real shift in power dynamics to create substantive change that lasts.

The Domestic Violence Act, though significant, is not enough. Laws mean nothing when enforcement is selective, biased, or simply non-existent. We need independent oversight bodies with actual powers to investigate and penalise inaction (and corruption) in GBV cases. The police, both men and women, fail survivors daily, and an external body with real authority would be able to hold them accountable. We need mandatory state intervention policies, similar to those in Sweden, where the justice system treats domestic violence as a state issue rather than a private (civil) matter. In Sweden, the police are required to intervene and investigate even if the victim does not file charges. Such a change would help survivors in South Africa feel less isolated and burdened, which could reduce the fear of retaliation and secondary victimisation. We need expanded legal protections to ensure restraining and protection orders are effectively enforced, with immediate consequences for non-compliance. There are numerous cases of women being repeatedly abused by people they have existing protection orders against, only for the system to fail them again. These measures must go hand-in-hand with the retraining of our police men and women to ensure proper enforcement and a more survivor-centred response.

Men control the economy — the corporations, wages, resources. If they refuse to use that power to end gender-based violence voluntarily, they must be compelled. This can be achieved by offering tax incentives for companies that fund women’s shelters, provide free legal services to survivors, or create rehabilitation programmes for abusers. Impose heavy penalties on corporations that fail to implement gender-based violence policies or support survivors within their workforce. There must be a zero-tolerance policy for voyeuristic bystanders. We must be intentional about funding women-led grassroots initiatives that bypass patriarchal gatekeepers and put money directly into the hands of those working to end GBV on the ground.

Ending gender-based violence also requires a fundamental shift in narratives and the systems that uphold them. The entitlement that fuels GBV isn’t biological, it’s taught. It’s in the way schools reinforce gender roles, the way media normalises male aggression, the way religion preaches female submission. These narratives must be disrupted before they become deeply entrenched. Schools must overhaul curricula to include comprehensive education on gender, consent, and power dynamics from an early age (not merely ‘sex-ed’). The media must reform its representation of masculinity and femininity, dismantling the glorification of toxic male aggression and ending the “Sarah Baartmanification” (the hypersexualisation and exploitation of Black women’s bodies) of South African women and teenage girls. Religious and cultural institutions must also be held accountable for the role they play in shaping attitudes towards gender and power, as well as their tendency to protect predators. Patriarchy in this country can never be separated from its historical entanglement with Christian Calvinism.

Marching, chanting, and catchy hashtags won’t break the back of a system that thrives on women’s subjugation. As Dr Claud Anderson reminds us: “We’ve been marching for 150 years and haven’t moved an inch.” The issue isn’t just about “raising awareness” — we’ve been aware!
Real change means dismantling the systems that enable and shield abusers, redistributing power and resources, and demanding accountability at every level of society. No more crocodile tears. No more performative activism.
Action. Now.

Peace and Black Power ❤ 🖤 💚

Waiting for Revolution, Watching the Betrayal

Leave a Comment / February 7, 2025 / By

Note: Waiting for Revolution was written in July 2021 as a letter to a close friend, during a time of intense political frustration and social unrest. I found myself reflecting on the ongoing struggles and the cycle of oppression that we seem unable to break. Although I never posted it until now, the message still feels just as urgent today. Sometimes, words need time to find their place in the world—and this letter, written in the heat of the moment, now serves as a reminder of the battles we’ve yet to win.**

Seems like ‘our govt’ is blaming just 7 people for the killings of over 100 Afrikans in the #PhoenixMassacre, hardly surprising given how they have been blatantly ignoring the murders right? 

“Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it” after all, and this is History indeed repeating itself, except the state is now ostensibly non-white.

It’s clear that this anti-Black govt will either kill us, imprison us, or turn us into pariahs… 

And if we continue in this vein they will emerge victorious, because as much as we may be pro black it’s high time we accept that many of our people are not. I’m not trying to suggest the majority of our people are anti-black by any means, I’m speaking of the ones with access to resources and agency who tweet among us but are seemingly indifferent, at least outwardly. 

We may have the drive and the passion to see our people emancipated but where/what is our strategy? We don’t even have a single litigation organisation like an AfriScrotum to deal with Phoenix or even apartheid murderers accordingly.

Anyway I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, and I’m left wondering: how many of us have actually accepted and made peace with the fact that “economic freedom” or “revolution” or whatever people want to call it will not be achieved in our lifetime? 

I see many who say they’re pro black spending far too much time deriding & criticising other Afrikans, which to me is not constructive. The very essence of Pan-Afrikanism is to unite all our people in spite of our differences, you should strive to bring your people home — not cast them further away. I said as far back as 2012 that we were fostering a culture of anti-intellectualism and this is the outcome. Instead of bringing forth ideas to move us forward we’re calling each other names like juveniles.

#PhoenixMassacre should have been the last straw, since it wasn’t we must re-evaluate our position in the revolution, and decide what foundations we can put in place to secure our great grandchildren’s futures. While it’s easy to spot the performative activism of liberal whites we must also confront the reality of performative pro blackness, such as calling for war in our present state, which isn’t pro blackness that’s suicide… and I’m unwilling to sacrifice any more black lives.

I have friends and family who refuse to vote but I’m yet to hear a single one of them tell me what it is they’re doing to actively de-legitimise the system, I do not believe merely abstaining from the vote is doing something since the system goes on with or without your input — as a matter of fact it’s a cop out because with that majority of +-18mn you could easily pass laws in parliament that are more favourable to Black people… Someone once said: Black people are power celibate.

I do not agree with the claim that “we got political freedom but not economic freedom” because economics is a by-product of politics. Even as Parliament was dealing with the land question many didn’t participate because “ANC will sell us out anyway” or some other weak excuses… at least put your suggestions on record for the benefit of future generations, no? How crazy is it that we’re allowing white people to ‘convince’ us that 5mn small scale farms is somehow less food secure than just 500 massive corporate farms producing all our food. 

Sounds a lot like Yurugu to me, and that’s our reality. That’s the depth of the unconsciousness of our people. I’m also starting to think that many pro black tweeps suffer from the same hubris as politicians, they believe or want/need to be part of ‘something bigger’, so they are unlikely to accept the role of a lowly worker bee. They are boisterous but is much of what they’re saying practical? James Baldwin said, “I can’t believe what you say because I see what you do”. 

Perhaps this is the Great War of our time, the war for our minds… because while many talk pro black their existence is a very Eurocentric one. A life of materialism, hyper consumerism, liberalism’s notions of individuality and competition, the hypocrisy of organised religion; these are all Eurocentric notions. Despite that on no less than 3 occasions I’ve witnessed as many pro black people defended Juju’s right to wear Gucci for example… what kind of psychosis is that?! 

I’m a real nigga, and I would never ask anyone to do something that I would not do myself – I practice what I preach. I buy local, I live well within my means, I have a little veg in my patch so I’m more than ready to upscale when we get back the land, I reduse, reuse & recycle waste because I’m at harmony with nature… these for me, are a few of the fundamental differences between myself and Yurugu and some of these non-white slaves masquerading ouchea. 

To be honest I’m done trying to ‘wake people up’. I’m trying to find people who accept the fact that some people are comfortably asleep in their queen sized beds with 1200 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets and the a/c all the way up. Why have we allowed the role of politics in society to be diminished? Why have we allowed the arts to be decimated? We are overrun by these bloody robots with their glossy STEM degrees but the consciousness of a 5yr old!

So many of these things are happening while we watch — we can only comfort ourselves by pointing fingers at those who are fully immersed in their illusion of freedom. People say the system is rigged and it’s true, but we can only change it from within — that’s partly why its so easy for our leaders to be co-opted by the establishment. We need to develop a new crop of leaders who are resilient, and that can only happen with time. We need to be realistic, pragmatic.

There are no short cuts, and if we are aware that revolution happens in stages, we need patience and dedication and most importantly, selflessness. The masses took to the streets recently and they found us “intellectuals” unprepared to implement phase 2 of the revolution. Marikana happened under our watch. Fees Must Fall happened while we looked on. Phoenix is still unfolding as we speak and we are failing our people once again.

I fear my children will one day spit on my grave. There are too many of us who are smart and well read and have a deep love for Black people and everything Blackness. We need more philosophical writers who can elucidate the present day black experience. We need to make music, movies and documentaries showcasing Afrika how we see her, so others can gain an understanding of the Afrika we want and why it is absolutely imperative they unite with us.

If people think the constitution is the problem then let’s change it! I could be wrong but there has been no referendum staged in this country since 94, given our poor electoral turnout, would people show up for that vote? Methinks not, and it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. We have barely used half of the tools currently at our disposal and we already want them discarded, why? Will we not institute a new constitution post revolution? It’s so counter intuitive… 

Our ‘servants’ are currently paying themselves millions and gorging themselves at the trough of corruption; and the easing of the alcohol ban and the promise of a paltry R350/month is seemingly sufficient to appease our people… it can’t be, and yet it is, and again just like before, we are watching… people despise politicians but refuse to accept the responsibility of removing them. Something has to give…

Convenient Amnesia

2 Comments / August 16, 2024 / By

South Africans are consistently inconsistent. An innocuous statement, I know, but one I repeat often as the phenomenon manifests itself daily. On this day, the 16th of August, we commemorate the lives lost at the hands of the so-called “Black government” in the mining town of Marikana in the North West province of South Africa. Instead of condemning and demanding the prosecution of all those involved in the Marikana Massacre, some are more inclined to paint their enemies/rivals as the solitary villain, while exonerating their favourites of any culpability in this most gruesome chapter of post- apartheid South African history. One of these days someone must guide me through the thought process that results in Cyril Ramaphosa, who was not even in government at the time, being held solely responsible for what happened in Marikana; while Jacob Zuma, who was the head of state, is somehow absolved. A most astonishing display of mental gymnastics…

Note: Objective neutrality is key.

During the heated internal contestations for control of the ANC in 2007, there were rumblings here and there from Zuma as well as his allies pertaining to the nationalisation of mines, banks and other strategic sectors of the South African economy. On the back of these and other fork-tongued promises, Jacob Zuma would emerge victorious in the battle for the ANC presidency by a landslide, and was subsequently inaugurated as state president on 9 May 2009. The murmurings about nationalisation continued immediately following his election, although nothing concrete ever came of it. At the ANC’s National General Council of 2010, it started to become clear that Zuma, like his predecessors, intended to moonwalk away from all that talk of nationalisation and socialist policies all the way to the right wing of free markets, de-regulation and more neoliberal mumbo jumbo. By 2012 it was routine for ANC heavyweights ranging from ministers (current & former) to members of the NEC (the highest decision making structure between Elective Conferences of ANC), led by their president of course, to “allay the fears” of the markets by renouncing all talk of nationalisation, “nationalisation is not ANC policy” was the soundtrack of sellouts — but fate however is awash with irony.

The protracted strikes would hit the platinum belt in 2012, which is when things really came to a head, and the internal contradictions of the aptly named “broad-church party” who speak out of both sides of their mouths became more evident. According to data from the Department of Labour more than 100 000 workers participated in the various platinum sector strikes of 2012, which began that January at the Implala Platinum mines in Rustenburg. The sporadic strikes spread throughout the platinum mining sector and into most other sectors, affecting most if not all mining houses including but not limited to Anglo American Platinum, AngloGold Ashanti, Kumba Iron Ore and Lonmin to name a few. Throughout the destruction and devastation left in the wake of these strikes, Zuma (and other ANC heavyweights) were unmoved, going as far as increasing the volume on the sellout soundtrack and putting that banger on three-repeat! Jacob Zuma even doubled-down on the ANC’s commitments to appease former colonisers, who underwent a successful rebrand post ‘94 and are now referred to as investors. When quizzed about the uncertainty surrounding the nationalisation of mines in Parliament the man had this to say: ”we’re very clear. It is not our policy. We’ve been saying this inside the country, outside the country. It cannot be.”

In August of 2012 nearly all 28000 mine workers at Lonmin in Marikana went on strike demanding increased wages, better working conditions as well as improved living conditions in their settlements and hostels. The wildcat strikes would continue for over a week, littered with incidences of violence and the deaths of six mine workers, two security officials and two members of the South African Police Service — this is important to note. On the 16th day of August the police converged on the koppie (a hill) known as Wonderkop, where the protesting mine workers would gather, and requested that the miners disperse. The situation was already tense, and then inexplicably, with the whole world watching, the police, armed to the teeth, opened fire on the miners, immediately killing 34 and leaving another 78 wounded.
This criminal colony called South Africa has a long and bloody history of violence, but the brutality and wanton disregard for Black lives on display in those moments… the very same Blavk bodies whom they had sworn to protect and serve, to provide a better life for, the very people who voted for these ANC charlatans to on the back of the promise of a dignified existence… a government that promised that they too would reap the rewards of this hard fought democracy.

Those tasked with resolving the impasse, particularly the resources minister Susan Shabangu, the police minister Nathi Mthethwa and police commisioner Riah Phiyega, and I’ll even include the finance minister Pravin Gordhan — were all appointed by the state president, one Jacob Zuma. The line of march from government in the immediate aftermath of the Marikana Massacre was clear… “why don’t you mention those killed in the days before; those miners had weapons; police lives were under threat…” Not one word of acknowledgment for the massacre of innocent people, nor a sincere offer of condolences was forthcoming from the ‘government of the people’. President Zuma would subsequently appoint the Farlam (Marikana) Commission; and then oversaw a government that failed to implement many of the inquiry’s recommendations…
To date, not a single leader from the government, nor a single policeman has been held accountable for the premeditated murder of thirty four (34) human beings.

Lastly, seeing as I’m focusing on Jacob Zuma’s numerous faux pas… Was it or was it not Jacob Zuma that brought Cyril Ramaphosa back from political hibernation or his deployment to the business sector or wherever? Oh and by the way, this happened after the Marikana Massacre! But as Rebecca Malope says: “birds of a flock, they fly together.” Mr concomitant action must be held accountable no doubt, however, the “father of RET” also has blood on his hands…

Collective accountability and whatnot.

Or Convenient Amnesia, because, South Africans are consistently inconsistent.

Peace and Black Power.

The GNU That Holds Us Together?

Leave a Comment / July 23, 2024 / By

First things first, concepts and definitions matter.
In that spirit, this current composition of government is what is
known as a grand coalition, as there was no political instability,
no conflict or war, nor any transition from one form of regime to
another (e.g. a change from authoritarian apartheid to democracy).
Those sympathetic to the marriage of inconvenience can refer to it
as a government of national unity (hereafter GNU) until the cows
come home, but that does not make it so. Allow me to add that I
fully expect the “GNU Dawn” to bow out with less of a whimper
than its predecessor from the glory days of Ramaphoria.


I read an article by Mosibudi Mangena titled: Will the GNU be
another bandage?, and while I don’t disagree with much of what
uBab Mangena says, the question about the figurative ‘bandage’ is
moot — as it has already been answered, emphatically, by the real
GNU of 1994. Unlike many thought leaders in the commentariat, I
do not believe there to be a ‘divergence in ideology’ between the
main actors of the so-called GNU, namely, the African National
Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA); both are
fiercely anti-Black, pro-capitalist, neoliberal right wing
organisations. Another big player within white power’s grand
coalition, the Freedom Front Plus (FF+), is situated even further to
the right of the political spectrum. A slave owner who ensures his
slaves are fed enough to work the next day cannot be said to be
acting out of benevolence…


The crucial question, according to Mangena, is “whether the GNU
could cure South Africa of its fundamental fault line, which is the
poverty of the majority Blacks, and the immense wealth of the
white minority,” and well, the ANC, which at one point enjoyed a
near two-thirds majority in Parliament, would often lament the
resistance to its transformative policies and legislation emanating
from the white power nexus of opposition parties in Parliament,
the white-owned media, as well as big business (SA inc.). One can
only wonder why, after losing a whopping seventeen(17)
percentage points in the recent general elections, this limping
former giant of African liberation politics chose to coalesce with
the very same forces it accused of stifling progress! President
Cyril Ramaphosa said in one of his speeches that “South Africans
were defined by hope and resilience,” the belief (or hope) that this
iteration of GNU will fare better than the original mishmash
reconciliatory pacifier of Mandela is folly.


Back in 1994, the ANC committed to transferring thirty (30)
percent of land to Africans who were dispossessed by centuries of
colonialism and apartheid, yet recent studies show that a paltry 4%
of land has been restored to its rightful owners. The mineral
wealth that lies beneath the soil continues to benefit a well
resourced (read: white) minority, and the spoils of democracy have
not accrued to the African majority, who constitute over eighty
(80) percent of the population. The DA faction of the GNU
recently announced its opposition to the amendment of Section 25
of The Constitution to allow for Expropriation Without
Compensation… affirming once again whose interests they serve.
If we continue to delude ourselves with euphemisms such as GNU
or Rainbow Nation instead of dealing with the proverbial elephant
in the room, the powder keg that is landlessness will eventually
erupt, engulfing us all in the ensuing chaos. Land first, the rest
shall follow, because as Malcolm X teaches us, “revolution is
based on land.”
Peace and Black Power.

BRIC(s) Plus… what?

Leave a Comment / November 20, 2023 / By

South Africa truly is a beautiful country, however, beneath the silky veneer of a newly formed “credit class” of Black people, zooming in and out of traffic in the latest shiny “German machine”, lies the reality that too many refuse to confront — the majority of this country is living under back breaking poverty! The rest meander from pay check to pay check, anxious about the banks seizing their homes and cars so they eschew all political speak. There’s a lot wrong with my country, I wont bore you with an exhaustive list, but in light of the recently concluded BRICS Summit held in Johannesburg this week, the focus will be loadshedding, foreign trade and relations as well as our future development as a country.


It’s as clear as day that all other members of BRICS+ know exactly what they want to extract out of the arrangement/grouping. But what does South Africa want? I get the platitudes about fostering partnerships and whatnot, and not to pour cold water on all the excitement emanating from this week’s festivities, but precious little by way of a South African agenda has come to the fore. It’s as if being accepted as a member to these exclusive groupings is our end, instead of a means to an end. Whether at BRICS, the UN, the G20 etc., our (mis)leaders are all too eager to maintain our status as vassal states. The laissez-faire approach to politics adopted by many South Africans doesn’t help either, the public is content to sit on the sidelines hoping for the best, when they should be applying pressure on leaders to ensure they negotiate the best deals possible re: foreign trade and domestic development.


Consider this: China is our biggest trade partner. One of our major exports is chrome. This ore is exported raw, meaning no additional value is created through refinement or beneficiation. In order to create the much needed jobs to grow our economy, a change in this philosophy is therefore a necessity. China likely won’t be happy… despite them having donated (read: DUMPED) about $170 million worth of emergency power equipment (generators and such), which will be dispatched in 500 public institutions to “alleviate the burden of loadshedding” or something to that effect. We need loadshedding to end, not be reduced! We need baseload capacity, not generators or so-called “Green solutions”… China is incidentally the leading manufacturer of solar PV, but they also lead the world in new coal power build projects. I see how China will continue to benefit through maintenance etc. but I ask, what does The Republic of South Africa want?


Brazil, another partner within the BRICS bloc, is partly to blame for the collapse of our poultry industry through the DUMPING of their unwanted chickens from San Paulo. Dumping, unlike normal imports, kills local industry. Dumping is where exports are sold at a lower price than the normal price in the domestic (exporting country’s) market, making it impossible for our local producers to compete. With friends like these who needs enemies? Speaking of, AmeriKKKa is also notorious for flooding our markets with their turkey-sized GMO chickens, half of all our imported volumes! Those with an affinity for western hegemony are too blind(or dishonest) to see that deals such as AGOA have disadvantages for the South African economy, no different to any deals that arise from BRICS. The key is to give primacy to your own interests (agenda), which is what has been conspicuously absent from this week’s happenings in Africa’s economic hub.


Another aspect worth considering is the fact that some of the newest members to the expanded BRICS+ arrangement or bloc, already have well established agreements, for example Egypt and Russia, who are collaborating to construct Egypt’s first nuclear power plant at El Dabaa. This project will add 4.8GW of power to Egypt’s power grid, almost equivalent to the entire coal powered fleet in Mzansi. Egypt will also become the beneficiary of a new $10 billion wind farm financed through the United Arab Emirates. The UAE has pre-existing trade relations with South Africa too and there is plenty of potential to exploit closer ties through BRICS+. SA should also look to expand trade in agricultural products (meat, fruits, vegetables) to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, instead of being bullied and victimised by the EU, as is often the case. The avenues for growth and development are endless: oil, gas, water, textiles and other industries stand to benefit.


All SA needs is a visionary, imaginative and courageous leadership to steer this ship through these choppy waters. Acting in one’s own interests is not commensurate with declaring anyone an enemy — Africans are not the world’s children! Our mineral resources should be the primary driver of the development of our industries and the related infrastructure benefits that accrue, therefore the betterment of the entire sociopolitical economy. The extraction of gas discovered in

Mpumalanga will require a lot of financial investment, our existing oil refineries that were shelved need to be fired up and the capacity increased, we also need to take the issue of water scarcity much more seriously and begin exploring partnerships in desalination with our new “mates” from the Gulf — who live in the literal desert. We must rebuild our textiles industry with a view to increasing exports to these same Middle Eastern “chums”.


In all our foreign policy endeavours, we should always have an eye on ensuring that Afrika’s resources are used primarily to uplift the native sons and daughters of these lands — there is no need for us to hold out a begging bowl to anybody. Western puppets must fall, but equally, those who have designs on selling out the masses to our newfound “allies” to the East should think again. “We the people” should play a more active role in politics, and deal harshly with corrupt officials to ensure that rent-seeking and corrupt practices and patterns of behaviour are eradicated. Politics is about decision making, but all too often things tend to just happen, haphazardly, because the electorate is divided (or distracted) along imaginary lines, which opens up opportunities for unscrupulous politicians to exploit the mineral wealth of this country in cahoots with economic elites for their personal benefit.


We need agreements that have the express intent of ending loadshedding, boosting trade and developing or building new infrastructure to grow this economy and create millions of jobs, with clear targets for implementation and an outline of the consequences for failure. MOU’s re: avocados and even beef are great, but this is more representative of a recovery to pre-Covid levels than the impact of new investment in manufacturing equipment and other implements boosting total output. We need new industries, we need increased agricultural output and new markets to export to, all of which is yet to become apparent in the aftermath of conference. South Africa is endowed with many of the minerals the world needs to manufacture technological products, machinery and other final goods, it’s time we stop paying lip service to the aspirations of the masses to share in the wealth of this country as is guaranteed by the Freedom Charter.


My greatest fear is that comrades will use BRICS+ as a vehicle to fundraise for next year’s general elections as well as funding the operations at Luthuli House — how else do we make sense of the scant planning and the lack of commentary from the “leaders of our society” pertaining to how they intend to leverage these latest geopolitical developments?
Who am I kidding anyway, the BRICS summit is over now; it’s the weekend so no doubt most are back to pretending we have capable leaders at the helm, armed with the “best policies”, life can once more carry on as (ab)normal in what remains the most unequal society in the world.

Peace and Black power.

I am (not) my hair

Leave a Comment / November 20, 2023 / By

So I went to a Catholic school (sticklers for the rules), and throughout most of my school career, I spent countless hours either in detention, in the principals office, and I was even suspended for a stretch… Not because I was some juvenile delinquent of a troublemaker oh no no no, the beef was all because of my luxurious natural Black hair, child.


I was neither trying to rebel nor make a statement or anything of that nature, it was not a form protest nor was it a demonstration, I most certainly did not possess the vocabulary to articulate about my crown — all I wanted was to be left alone to grow my hair out if I wanted, put cornrows if I chose, maybe do natty dread, or even shave a Mohawk… however these colonial institutions of indoctrination called schools are designed to essentially beat the Blackness out of us, at both a psychological and spiritual level.


Who knew merely existing as the Black kid I was could cause so many white adults such consternation?! My very Blackness was offensive to the school’s western sensibilities, because how dare this Black barbarian refuse to “comply and submit to the will of Jesus… uncombed hair is messy, therefore it’s ungodly because cleanliness is next to godliness…” and so on and so forth and stuff like that. I also distinctly remember how Black kids were prohibited from speaking vernac, meanwhile Frikkie & Marietjie could praat all day. Lol


The fact that natural Black hair is still an issue, here in apartheid, is more evidence of exactly how little things have changed in the last decade and a half since I completed school, and in the nearly 30 years under ANC misrule. To this day our Blackness remains a crime, to this day, it is only native sons and daughters of this land who’s hair is policed. To be frank, allowing ourselves to still be pathologised and to have every aspect of our lives interpreted through the prism of whiteness is sickening!


In this latest racist incident which took place at Crowthorne Christian Academy, which was found to be operating illegally amidst their atrocious acts of whiteness I might add, I noted how the parents stood up for their child and defended her right to just BE. In all my school years, not once did my folks stand up for me or defend my right to wear my hair how I liked, not one time was my Blackness affirmed… I don’t blame them however, because many a parent believe being a ‘good Black’ will shelter them and their children from racism.


We must resist any and all efforts by apartheid apologists who seek to claw back the tiny gains we got through democracy. The pencil test was discriminatory, and that expression of anti-Black racism is the genesis and the reason we still have nonsensical school policies that prescribe and proscribe Black children’s appearance. As the great Steve Biko warned in one of his few interviews: “In 1966, there was an anomaly where Whites participated in our oppression & in opposition to that oppression. A totality of White power…”


Precious little has changed since then as evidenced by the sheer number of Black people, still confused by the cognitive dissonance of their perceived inferiority, defending this racist school, it’s principal, as well as its archaic rules. The notion of white supremacy can never be uprooted for as long as Black people view themselves as less than or unworthy of being who they are, and looking how their maker intended them to look — the irony of course, is that this latest manifestation of apartheid was sparked at a Christian school… WWJD indeed.


There’s a sea change on the horizon, however, because a more socially and politically conscious, proud native is finally awakening from a rainbow delusion induced stupor. Black people who do not care for Eurocentric standards of beauty, or about being “acceptable to society” merely because they coddle whiteness (political correctness) or conform to the ridiculous notions of white supremacy.

We need more Africans who defend their children whenever racists attempt to deny them an opportunity to learn due to appearance… just focus on teaching and learning!


I’d like to end with the poignant words of Malcolm X: “There will come a time when black people wake up and become intellectually independent enough to think for themselves as other humans are intellectually independent enough to think for themselves. Then the black man will think like a black man and he will feel for other black… people. And this new thinking and feeling will cause black people to stick together, and then at that point we will have a situation where when you attack one black man you are attacking all black man. And this type of black thinking will cause all black people to stick together’ this type of thinking also will bring an end to a brutality inflicted upon black people all over the world. No system designed will help us except us.”


Peace and Black power

International Court of Criminals

Leave a Comment / April 18, 2023 / By

In a spectacular turn of events, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against
the incumbent president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, on 16 March 2023 — the first time an arrest
warrant has been issued against a sitting head of state from one of the permanent members of
the United Nations Security Council. Another interesting feature of this latest move by the ICC is
the swiftness with which president Putin has been indicted for crimes allegedly committed in the
war with Ukraine which only started last year; especially when one considers how long war
criminals such as George W Bush, Barack Obama, Tony Blair, David Cameron, Nicholas Sarkozy
and Francois Hollande have gotten away with their atrocities in various countries and regions from
the Middle East to Africa and Latin America without so much as a slap on the wrist — these gents
don’t even suffer from any negative publicity or coverage in the mainstream media.

I often say to my friends, jokingly, political education is essential, which is frankly an innocuous
statement, however a lot of truth is said in jest, and if we are to understand the machinations at
play presently, it’s imperative that we understand the geopolitics and the proxy wars that have
characterised the post Cold War “multilateral world order”. As far back as 1966, the General
Assembly of the United Nations passed a resolution that called for the speedy independence of
the last remaining colonies and colonial outposts. Calls were also made against the abhorrent
system of apartheid, more importantly, there were calls made to UN specialised agencies to stop
giving/loaning any money to the reprehensible regime from Pretoria. The Breton Woods
institutions, namely, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), who at one point
in time were specialised agencies of the United Nations (UN), gained their independence from the
UN in 1947 — thereby creating an avenue through which the world body could be undermined,
which would have dire consequences for the fledgling world body.

Following the Soweto Uprising and the Youth Day massacre of June 1976, wherein the genocidal apartheid government killed 174 Black students, the now “independent” IMF extended three loans to South Africa totalling more than $460 million. Funny thing that international law, since it isn’t entirely clear whether it is indeed law, because there is no legislator in international law nor is there a court to enforce international law. There is also no executive who could assure the adherence to judgements, and for the most part, subjects of international law remain states and international organisations. International law is a dynamic concept which is heavily influenced by whatever hegemonic power structures exist, as well as by any major ideological trends that may find resonance in an ever more globalised world that continues to evolve. Arguably the biggest obstacle to enforcing international law is the small matter of state sovereignty, which basically means a state is free to do as it pleases within its own territorial borders without any external interference by another state, and to date this remains one of the most pivotal principles of international law. International law can be defined as the rules
governing the relations between states, as well as between states and international organisations.

Contrary to what many believe, international law is binding on parties because the respective
parties involved elected to be bound by those particular laws. Now back to the warrant, it’s
evident that we have a war between two states, Russia & Ukraine, and there’s also the
involvement of an international organisation, the ICC, however the warrant was issued against an
individual, namely president Putin. The introduction of the individual as a quasi-subject of international law is a more recent development that arose after the international community agreed that steps needed to be taken to ensure the world does not suffer a repeat of the atrocities of White War One and White War Two of the twentieth century. At this point I’d like to borrow from Malcolm X who once said “I’m Black first… my sympathies are black, my allegiance is black, my whole objectives are black…” as such I care not for organisations such as the UN or ICC because they have never been interested in me
or my well-being nor that of any African for that matter — these institutions and the people who
run them are only concerned with what they can extract from Africa or how they can use Africans.

When the republic of South Africa was placed in a similarly invidious position by the same
organisation back in 2015, the Union Buildings decided to flout their own international law
obligations by failing to arrest then Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, who had been indicted by
the ICC for alleged war crimes committed in the Darfur region of his native Sudan. Among the most glaring inconsistencies that exists in these cases is that neither Russia nor Ukraine are
parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC, therefore neither of the two states falls within the
jurisdiction of the ICC, hence we have a bit of a quandary… Interestingly Sudan is not a party to the Rome Statute of the ICC either, although a draft bill to join the Rome Statute has been submitted. However, when the warrant was issued against Omar al- Bashir in 2009 it was on the back of a United Nations Security Council resolution being issued, something which has been conspicuously absent in this current chapter — in all probability due to the veto power of Russia, with the backing of China of course.

Although having said that, Ukraine has opted to delay the ratification of the Rome Statute “until after the war” which leaves much to be desired, what is it they fear investigators will uncover if they were to become a member with immediate effect, perhaps the presence of Neo Nazis and/or other far right extremists as Putin has claimed? This ratification process has already been drawn out since 2016 still with no end in sight. Once again, international law is dynamic and is influenced by the powers that be and ideological trends as they spread across the world. It will be interesting to see how this all plays
out as the BRICS Summit of August 22-24 draws nearer. Will South Africa withdraw their invitation
to Putin or maybe host him virtually? Or will the government opt to use “diplomatic immunity” as
they’ve done before, or maybe they’ll once again apply to withdraw from the ICC? Maybe they
should arrest Vlad to appease The West because “trade” as many local right wing (see: white)
politicians have quipped… whatever they do decide will no doubt have consequences for the
republic and her people. In my next piece I’ll expand on the options open to the government of
South Africa and the possible ramifications resulting from these decisions.
Peace and Black power.

ANC versus The People

Leave a Comment / March 21, 2023 / By

Today should be known as Sharpeville Massacre Remembrance Day as a
reminder of the sacrifice made by 69 people including 29 children, who were
brutally massacred at the hands of the white racist apartheid regime, when
they took a stand against pass (dompas) laws on 21 March 1960. It is said
that the police indiscriminately fired 700 rounds into the crowd of unarmed
protestors — many of whom were shot in the back as they fled. The
government of the day would have us all enable their convenient amnesia by
referring to it as Human Rights Day. It is truly fascinating how easily the
oppressed becomes the oppressor.

The African National Congress has presided over the highest levels of
inequality making South Africa the most unequal society in the world. They
are also responsible for economic policies that have resulted in half the
Black population being unemployed. In the calendar year of 2022 there were
a total of 202 days of rolling blackouts (loadshedding) in South Africa. The
irony of those responsible for this level of suffering commemorating a Human
Rights Day as they knowingly trample on so many human rights of the very
people they are meant to serve. This is hardly surprising if you know who you
are dealing with where the ANC is concerned, it was the ANC who changed
the name to Human Rights Day in an effort to assuage their white funders
(read: masters) after all. This same anti-Black anti-poor ANC, now in
government, forces the entire nation to embrace this continued erasure of
the atrocities perpetrated by the apartheid state such as the Sharpeville
Massacre.

It was this same ANC who declined an invitation from the PAC to participate
in the anti pass laws that would lead to the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960.
ANC said through spokesperson Duma Nokwe that they would not take part
in the proposed action as it “would not succeed”. This same yellow-bellied
ANC, spearheaded the disgusting anti national shutdown campaign that
dominated the media airwaves in the last week, relying on some bottom of
the barrel “swart gevaar” narratives that mischaracterise Black people as a
mindless, violent, barbaric bunch of subhumans who lack the ability to
behave appropriately in public. Others resorted to despicable red herrings,
seeking to draw parallels between the EFF’s proposed national shutdown
and the leaderless riots and looting sprees that gripped the country in July

The ANC government in unison with its backers in the media,
academia and business exposed just how little regard they have for Black
people, celebrating the deployment of 3400 soldiers at a cost of R166 million
when there is supposedly no money to feed hungry children.

The ANC often unleashes its thugs to brutalise Black people who exercise
their universal human right to protest, whether it be a service delivery protest
in Ficksburg or a wage dispute in Marikana… hence ANC participates in this
erasure of our history because it is expedient for them to do so, however we
have absolutely no reason to be their enablers. Black people need to stop
being satisfied with mere symbolic gestures that are not accompanied by
substantive changes — we should not only demand the name changes to
Sharpeville Massacre Remembrance Day but also demand the return of the
land, demand justice for apartheid crimes, and demand total freedom from
colonial domination.

Our Pop culture

Leave a Comment / March 17, 2023 / By

African people are defined by their culture, but many remain uncertain about what culture
actually is. Culture is our value system, a construct that defines the parameters of our
morality, as well as the institutions that we set up to maintain and develop this particular
way of thinking and way of living. Our culture not only influences how we think, but it also
influences the things we choose to believe in, it influences the food we eat, the places we
live and the many different traditional practices and customs we perform.

On this page I endeavour to keep Africans abreast of some of the latest pop culture from
movies to documentaries and television series made by Black creators or productions
with a particular focus on issues affecting the Black race globally. As a lover of music I will
also highlight some of my favourite musical selections by featuring musicians and their
works; art exhibitions, new shows on circuit at the theatre, any fruitful work that magnifies
the modern Black experience will be placed in the spotlight. I will also be discussing
certain ‘burning’ current affairs issues from time to time, and I will share some of my
personal interests such as farming and cooking periodically. Since we are all descendants
of Ntu, it goes without saying that I will peel back some of the layers of our old traditions
that exist within the South African native community, so we can understand how they
were practiced before colonialism and how these practices have evolved since.

“Music is ours… it is us… and like us, it is always here… surrounding us… like the infinite
particles that make up life, it cannot be seen… but can only be felt… like life!” Malcolm X
wasn’t wrong, but I would like to expand on that to say our culture is everywhere, if you
consider the African influences on music, painting, food & hygiene, hell even the African
influence on language, then it goes without saying that the total liberation of Africa is
strongly linked to our ability to reconnect to our culture. We must accept the duty and
responsibility of telling our own stories, in our own time, that we may eventually cease
with this culture of glorifying our conquerors.

UnJust transition

Leave a Comment / March 17, 2023 / By

“Mentacide occurs when you willingly think and act out of someone else’s interpretation of reality to their benefit and against your survival. It is a subtle state of insanity which, over the last few hundred years, has come to characterize more and more Afrikans globally.”

I don’t disagree with the great Mwalimu K. Bomani Baruti, but if we are to truly hold ourselves accountable, then we must be able to say that modern Africans are stupid AF. How else do you explain grown men and women from the motherland making decisions about their energy future based on the whims of some home-schooled European teenager? It’s a spectacular level of mental gymnastics to speak of a “just transition” if it’s underpinned by the very same capitalist system of exploitation that has exacerbated inequality worldwide. What is just about imposing high-interest loans on South Africa through the “Just Energy Transition Plan” or JET-P while wealthy nations of the world and multinationals benefit from a multitude of tax incentives, subsidies, and gains from the installation and maintenance of these renewable energy solutions?

The “unJUST transition” is the latest iteration of a very thinly veiled imperialist agenda to keep Africa enslaved. Imperialism is the domination of a weaker nation by a stronger one militarily, economically, politically, or culturally, primarily motivated by the desire to gain more territory, access to more land, and to gain more power and influence over the dominated nations. Imperialism is the mental affliction that spawned colonialism, and both deficiencies are driven by racism in a symbiotic nexus of subjugation. Imperialists believe they are fundamentally superior to those they oppress; as such, they view others’ cultures or way of life or even their way of thinking as inferior. According to Lenin, imperialism is the highest form of capitalism, which is why Black people can never claim to be free until we have completely destroyed the capitalist monetary system.

In contemporary politics, imperialism thrives under the guise of neoliberal capitalism — that insatiable greed is what brought the imperialists to Africa after all. Capitalism is how white people enforce racism, as Kwame Ture put it, meaning we cannot possibly utilize it as Africans to liberate the continent, by extension her people. Any plan that is intended for the benefit of Africans must first and foremost be in the interest of Africans. What is in the immediate interest of African people is that Africa exploit her abundant natural resources for the sole benefit of her people… The West pillaged and plundered these very resources to develop industries and infrastructure in their ignominious nation-states — it is these same natural resources that enabled them to establish institutions such as the World Bank and the international monetary fund, IMF which they now employ unashamedly to further exploit Africa!

Blind support of the unJUST transition and much of the rest of that green-washed gibberish is anti-Black and anti-poor — and at times even anti-science! The existing consensus within the scientific community only affirms that global warming/climate change causes a rise in sea level… all the other bits and bobs are nothing but politicking. Hence they dredge out b-grade celebrities and pseudo-scientists to peddle weak propaganda and hoodwink ignorant masses. In this year’s budget speech, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced a plan wherein privileged individuals (who can afford to go off-grid) will be able to claim up to a 25% tax rebate on installed rooftop solar panels, and companies can claim a tax deduction of 125% of the cost of any renewable energy project that come to use for the first time in the coming tax year. The median income of a Black man in this criminal colony is R3500 while a basic rooftop solar system costs upwards of R15000,

The green-washed peanut brains touting the unJUST transition routinely neglect to mention that most of the raw materials used in the manufacture of these clean renewable energy solutions are dirty and require a ton of fossil fuels (see: carbon emissions) to mine. These same hypocrites have precious little to say about their own household emissions as they fire up their diesel-powered generators for twelve hours daily, or whenever they need a little retail therapy, not to mention all that noise pollution… but as I’ve said a million times: South Africans are consistently inconsistent.

We would do well to be wary of doublespeak of a just transition that threatens so many jobs and livelihoods — as the bulk of jobs that the JET-P initiative would create would be in the build phase — these would therefore be “job opportunities” (i.e. temporary) and the operational phase will only require a handful of skilled(code for white) staff to run effectively. According to the UN, 80 million jobs will be lost by 2030 due to global warming, this will disproportionately affect will be the poor and underpaid. We sure as hell cannot speak of a just transition that will rob native sons and daughters of even more land. We dare not mistake any initiative or program spearheaded by the West to be for our benefit. We need to awaken to the reality that our so-called ‘allies’ act in their own interest, it is only right that we begin to do the same. Any self respecting African should reject this “just transition” for the conspicuous and vacuous imperialist gobbledygook it is. Africa is for Africans, and it is Africans who Will determine and shape the energy future of Africa. Stay woke.

Peace and Black power