SOUTH AFRICA POLITICIAN: IT'S NOT A RELIGIOUS WAR

The Israel-Palestine conflict should not be framed as a holy war. It’s a war of evil based on racism. That’s the assessment of South African politician Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, who spoke his mind 7 November in the National Assembly.

In a passionate summary, Ndlozi, who represents Pan-Africanist party Economic Freedom Fighters in the South African legislative body, called out Israel over its continued destruction of Gaza, killing of hundreds of Palestinians every day. Since the 7 October escalation in the 75-year conflict, the Israeli military has killed more than 11,000 Palestinians in the besieged strip. Water, food and fuel have only recently been allowed to enter via 4-hour 'humanitarian pauses.' Meanwhile, thousands of Palestinians have fled northern Gaza for Egypt.

Continued….South Africa announced 6 November it was recalling its ambassador in Israel. The government's international relations department also read aloud the riot act on 10 November to Israel's ambassador to South Africa after he allegedly made disparaging comments about Palestine supporters.

Let us know what you think of Ndlozi's remarks.

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PALESTINE VS ISRAEL: THE SOUTH AFRICAN FRONT

South Africa's Cape Town was witness to violent confrontations between Palestine and Israel supporters on 12 November. In what took stun grenades and water cannons to disperse, South African police arrested several people.

The incident happened after the rival protests took place in the city, where Nelson Mandela's grandson, Zwelivelile, spoke. Tens of thousands of demonstrators that day demanded the closure of the Israeli embassy over that country's air, sea and ground attack of the Gaza Strip. The attacks have so far killed more than 11,000 Palestinians—including at least 4,000 children—since the 7 October escalation.

Continued….South Africa's government has taken a pro-Palestine stance, announcing 6 November it was pulling its ambassador out of Tel Aviv. Israel's ambassador to South Africa, Eliav Belotsercovsky, was summoned to the country's international relations department, where he was read the riot act over comments he reportedly had made in public. Like other major Global South powers, South Africa has pointed to Zionist Israel's more than 75 years of systematically oppressing Palestinians as the root cause of the violence.

The Jewish population in South Africa—the largest on the continent—is split in its loyalty.

Let us know what you think of South Africa's support for Palestine.

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WE MUSN'T FORGET DARFUR!

The genocide happening in Darfur and wider Sudanese civil war are at risk of being forgotten. The world is understandably preoccupied with the horrors of Gaza right now, but attention - and action - must also be brought to this African tragedy, which has claimed 10,000 lives since the outbreak of hostilities on April 15th. The conflict’s also created a massive refugee crisis, with six-million people fleeing the violence. This violence has turned even uglier in the country’s Darfur region, where RSF and Arab militias are conducting a campaign of ethnic cleansing, something the region was already scarred by two decades earlier. Not everyone’s taken their eye off the ball, though - among them, US influencer Lynae Vanee. This African sister in America is using her reach to get the word about Sudan out. Have a watch and share, share, share - Sudan’s war and genocide must stop!

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CORNEL WEST: PALESTINE IS NOT FORGOTTEN

Activist, philosopher and presidential candidate Cornel West spoke out 12 November in New York City in favor of a free Palestine.

As West explains, Africans in the United States have long taken clear positions siding with oppressed peoples all over the world. We remember the position of our freedom fighters during the US war on Vietnam and during the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. Now, as Palestine is under attack, we are called upon to continue our heritage of resistance and solidarity to stand against ethnic cleansing in Gaza. Thus far, the Israeli military has killed more than 11,000 people in the besieged enclave.

Let us know what you think of West’s remarks.

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VANISHING TOWN PAYS ULTIMATE PRICE

In a bitter twist, a mining town with a rich history could vanish as residents lock horns with multinationals looking to exploit its vast cobalt reserves.
Kolwezi in DRC has prospered for over eight decades but locals fear it could disappear completely within the next ten years.

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CARVING UP AFRICA

138 years ago, European powers redrew the map of Africa and kick-started an era of colonisation and resource-exploitation - at what is known as the Berlin Conference. We break down how this occurred, who the main players were and its negative legacy and effects on the continent.

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THE MAN BEHIND AFRICA’S PARTITION

On the 15th of November 1884, European powers came together and carved up Africa with not a single African in the room in what’s called the Berlin Conference. This was the brainchild of German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, and his thirst for German colonies in Africa led to a catastrophic tragedy. The Conference sparked the scramble for Africa among European powers. Participants drew arbitrary borders, disregarding cultural and political groups, causing disruption and conflicts. The result was the exploitation of Africa’s resources by colonial powers. Bismarck’s actions had devastating consequences for the African continent.

There is also a hotel named after Otto von Bismarck if you want to leave a review please be our guest 😉

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A large billboard has gone up in Johannesburg, South Africa - calling Israel out for what has been called by many its genocide, occupation and ethnic cleansing. South Africa has long been a stronghold of Palestinian solidarity within the African continent. The situation in Gaza and the West Bank resonates deeply with South Africans, who see parallels between Israeli military law and apartheid in South Africa. Many South African activists have participated in delegations to Palestinian territories and continue to raise their voices. From Nelson Mandela to Desmond Tutu to Julius Malema to Mandla Mandela - some of South Africa's most prominent and admired figures have spoken out consistently against Zionism and Israeli settler-colonialism in Gaza and the West Bank.

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VITAL SUDAN BRIDGE DESTROYED

Sudan's Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have accused one another of destroying a strategic bridge in Khartoum state. The bridge linked the city of Omdurman with the city of Bahri, both north of the capital of Khartoum. Loud explosions were heard early on Saturday morning, the 11th of November.

Since fighting broke out in mid-April, more than 9,000 people have been killed and about 6.2 million displaced, both internally and externally. Many urban areas have been ruined, such as the Justice Ministry headquarters and Khartoum's iconic landmark, the 18-storey Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company tower. Fighting has been especially brutal in the western region of Darfur, where the United Nations has raised the alarm on human rights violations.

Continued...Since the long-time president, Omar al-Bashir, was ousted in a 2019 coup, the oil-producing country has failed to establish a stable power-sharing deal between the military and civilians. Recent ceasefire negotiations between the RSF and the Sudanese Army also have failed, only leading to more fighting.

Let us know what you think of this development.

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The conflict in eastern DRC gets little attention - despite it having internally displaced over 7-million, and a recent spike in genocidal violence that’s killed thousands in the last year.

Complicating the picture are the country’s abundant mineral resources. Western nations have provided military funding to help secure multinational mining ventures.

These companies exploit poverty and desperation, effectively enslaving people - including children - to work in dangerous conditions. In fact, children make up a huge share of DRC’s mining workforce. They often drop out of school and are at risk of sustaining life-alternating injures from tunnel collapses. Many have died in accidents in the mines.

Continued….60% of the world’s cobalt is extracted from Congo and this rare mineral is used in the manufacture of almost all lithium-ion rechargeable batteries used in the world today. As depicted in this image, your smartphone is powered by cobalt that may well have been extracted by child slaves - as are our computers and electric vehicles.

Perhaps if the West cared more about the people of DRC and less about the profits it reaps by exploiting them, a resolution to the conflict in the country would be more tangible.

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MALI RECAPTURES KIDAL!

Since 2014, Mali’s northern town of Kidal has been in the hands of rebels. The occupation was brought to halt on Tuesday, when Mali’s military rolled in after a nine-year absence. It comes days after UN peacekeepers abandoned their camp near the town due to the ‘worsening security situation.’

The roots of Mali’s security crisis - as elsewhere in the Sahel - lie in the NATO intervention in Libya that toppled Muammar Gaddafi, which saw fighters flood the region after the war. For over a decade since, the most vulnerable have paid the highest price for the West’s misadventures. 40% of Burkina Faso, for example, lies under rebel control.

Continued…The Sahelian security crisis has led to a round of coups, resulting in the eviction of French troops from Mali, Burkina Faso and, most recently, Niger. These countries have since formed a military alliance.

The recapture of Kidal shows that this was a wise move. African nations are better off relying on each other than on outside ex-colonial powers. The recapture of Kidal saw jubilant celebrations in the Malian capital Bamako, and encourages optimism among Sahelians everywhere.

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LET'S UNITE TO FREE DRC - MALEMA

We need to come together and find a solution to the conflict in the DRC, Julius Malema has urged. The leader of South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters party says imperialist forces are responsible for fuelling conflict in the resource-rich central African giant.

One example is Western military aid for Rwanda, which backs the M23 rebels in DRC. However, the US has recently pulled the plug on such funding - precisely over Kigali’s backing the militia group, which uses child soldiers.

Malema wants Africans to unite in silencing the guns in order for the long-suffering Congolese to know peace. Malema was speaking on November 9th upon arriving in Kenya as a guest at the launch of the Pan-African Institute.

Continued…..The DRC is Africa's most complex and long-standing humanitarian crisis. Years of fighting have led to nearly 7-million internally displaced persons, according to the UN. Recently, there has been a sharp spike in violence in the eastern part of the country. NGOs say nearly 3,000 civilians have been killed there since the beginning of 2023.

Malema echoes the last words of Patrice Lumumba in a letter to his wife: "We are not alone. Africa, Asia, and the free and liberated peoples in every corner of the globe will ever remain at the side of the millions of Congolese who will not abandon the struggle until the day when there will be no more colonisers and no more of their mercenaries in our country."

Let us know in the comments if you share Malema and Lumumba’s sentiments.

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NO JUSTICE FOR AFRICANS IN AMERICA

The worst miscarriage of justice is the conviction or sentencing of an innocent person. According to one study on race and convictions, Black men in America are seven times more likely to be falsely convicted of serious crimes than their White counterparts. This is largely a result of racial profiling. One particularly egregious example is the case of Clarence Moses-El, who became another statistic when he lost 28 years of freedom for a rape he never committed. Even though he was finally exonerated and paid compensation, that will never make up for his having had his life stolen.

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KWAME TURE: VISIBILITY OR POWER

As revolutionary Pan-Africanist Kwame Ture stated, "We want power. We don’t want money, we don’t want fame, we don’t want fortune, we don’t want popularity, we want power. Power comes only from the organised masses." In this short clip, Kwame Ture talks about the difference between visibility and power. Africans can be seen these days appearing to have succeeded in politics. These can range from former US President Barack Obama and current US Vice President Kamala Harris to Rwanda President Paul Kagame and Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo.

But do we have power? What is the difference between visibility and power? Ture, who transitioned into an ancestor on this day in 1998, broke it down in this 1993 interview with US journalist Charlie Rose.

Let us know in the comments what you think.

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REDVEIL TO FANS: PLEASE, DEMAND CEASEFIRE NOW!

At the recent Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival music festival in Los Angeles, California, rapper Redveil rallied the crowd around the cause of Palestinian liberation.

He displayed the names of hundreds of Palestinian children under the age of four that have been killed in Gaza since October 7th. Like many other artists and musicians right now, Redveil is speaking out publicly against what he sees as the genocide of Palestinians.

African artists from across the continent and the diaspora have long understood that music and artistic expression are deeply political. From Miriam Makeba, to Fela Kuti, to Paul Robeson to Nina Simone - these artists used their platform and their work to promote liberation and resist imperialism.