S.AFRICA WILL ‘PROVE’ ISRAEL COMMITTING  G*NOCIDE

South Africa has vowed to press ahead with its g*nocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). And it says it’s got facts that prove Israel is committing war crimes in Palestine.

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, also said Pretoria will hand the evidence to the UN’s top court by October 2024. He made the statement after claims in ‘some quarters’ South Africa was planning to drop its lawsuit.

The case, initiated in December, has garnered global support, with countries including Libya, Spain, and Mexico joining proceedings. It saw the ICJ order Israel to take steps to prevent g*nocide, but the massacres in Gaza continue, with tens of thousands of Palestinians k*lled and millions displaced.

Continued……Israel denies the accusations and has launched a diplomatic campaign to pressure South Africa to back down. According to US news outlet Axios, a leaked cable revealed Israeli diplomats have been instructed to lobby US lawmakers and Jewish organisations to lean on Pretoria, warning it will face ‘consequences’.

It follows reports that Israel had allegedly threatened Fatou Bensouda, while she was the International Criminal Court’s Chief Prosecutor. In 2021 she opened a formal investigation into claims of war crimes in Palestinian territories.

Earlier this week, the ICC’s Chief Prosecutor, Karim Khan, called for urgent arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif.

‘DON’T VOTE FOR GEN*CIDE, HOLD THE LINE’

Hold the line and don’t vote for g*nocide. That’s what Sabrina Salvati recently argued on the ‘Bad Faith’ podcast.

The podcaster (@SabbySabs2) and member of Revolutionary Blackout Network (@revblacknetwork) argued that if left-leaning voters had organised to build an independent party rather than backing Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016, perhaps that could have changed the duopoly that defines U.S. politics today, where presidential elections are a contest on who is the ‘lesser of two evils’ candidate. Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris asks voters who question her record over Palestine if they want Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in office. At the same time, Trump tries to scare voters by inaccurately describing Harris as a Marxist.

Continued……Fearmongering on both sides is what the US ruling class is forcing people to choose between in the 2024 presidential election coming up in November. Meanwhile, progressive and socialist candidates offering real solutions to people’s everyday problems while advocating to end aggressive U.S. imperialist policies abroad and its support for pariah states like Israel barely get mainstream media coverage and are barred from televised debates.

What do you think? Is there hope in the US breaking away from the duopoly of Republicans vs Democrats? Can there really be a third-party option that can alter the direction of US imperialism without the billions of dollars that both Democrats and Republicans raise through their connections to Wall Street and domestic and foreign lobby groups? According to OpenSecrets’ in 2020, Trump’s campaign raised $774 million, while Biden’s campaign became the first to raise over $1 billion from donors. Can third parties compete when Democratic and Republican candidates spend that money?

Video credit: @badfaithpod (X) @briebriejoy (X)

‘I’M NOT A KIDNAPPER’ - HAITI’S JIMMY ‘BARBECUE’ CHÉRIZIER

Former Haitian police officer Jimmy ‘Barbecue’ Chérizier, the head of G9 Family and Allies, has become the face of the Caribbean state’s gang violence, thanks to international media plastering him on their front pages. The 47-year-old faces accusations of human rights violations, including k*llings and r*pe.

In this clip from an exclusive interview with African Stream’s freelance journalist Maud-Salomé Ekila (@ekilaaa on IG and X), Chérizier responded to the allegations.

If you’d like to hear more, you can watch the whole conversation on our YouTube channel. It is by no means a softball interview.

In the meantime, let us know in the comments what you make of Barbecue. Are you convinced by his answers?

‘WHITE K*LLER PREFERABLE’ - GRIEVING DAD DENOUNCES TRUMP

There’s perhaps no greater pain than the loss of a child, but for the Clark family of Springfield, Ohio, mudslinging by right-wing Trump supporters in the run-up to the US presidential election has added to their grief.

Social media users took issue with Nathan Clark wishing at a public hearing that his 11-year-old son, Aiden, had been ‘k*lled by a 60-year-old white man.’ Instead, a Haitian immigrant named Hermanio Joseph drove a minivan that crashed into a school bus that Aiden rode, k*lling him on 22 August 2023 and injuring other children.

Unfortunately, political figures like Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump have weaponised the situation against immigrants in the lead-up to the November presidential election, part of a larger trend of demonising immigrants from the Global South, particularly immigrants from Haiti.

Continued……. Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, referred to Aiden in a post on X, saying, ‘a child was murdered by a Haitian migrant.’

Clark asked politicians to stop exploiting the tragedy, which only makes it more painful for his family.

What do you think of Clark’s comments? And what do you think about how race and immigration status have been weaponised in the US political arena, particularly by Trump’s camp and their supporters? Let us know in the comments.

IS THE NFL ‘PLANTATION CAPITALISM’?

Another NFL season has got underway, with one statistic remaining the same. Despite around 70 per cent of players being Black, there’s not a single Black principal owner of any NFL side.

Overall, the majority of NFL owners are White, with a couple of notable exceptions, as of 2023. The owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, who has Pakistani heritage, and the co-owner of the Buffalo Bills, who has Korean heritage.

In this clip, Former NFL star, Anthony Prior, argues it’s a moral issue that needs to be addressed. He points out before World War II, the all-White NFL didn’t want any Black players. Since then, Black stars have turned it into a billion-dollar industry, although they still don’t have a ‘voice’ in the game. As far as Prior is concerned, all the power remains at the top, where White NFL owners dominate and enjoy guaranteed profits without ‘a fan going into the stadium [to see them]’

Continued……He made the speech in 2007, but he’s not alone. A similar accusation made headlines in 2022 when Brian Flores, a Black coach, filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against multiple teams and the NFL, likening the professional football league to a plantation that exploits Black labour. His case said the NFL’s ’32 owners — none of whom are Black — profit substantially from the labour of NFL players, 70% of whom are Black.’

The Miami Dolphins fired Flores after three seasons. Since then, he’s failed to land another head coaching job and is currently defensive co-ordinator for the Minnesota Vikings. His legal case is ongoing.

And then there’s Colin Kaepernick, who couldn’t find a NFL club and alleged NFL owners refused to sign him after he parted ways with the 49ers in 2016. He filed a lawsuit against the NFL, arguing the league’s owners blackballed him because he’d protested racial injustice and police brutality. It ended with an undisclosed settlement.

Video credit: Socialism Conference in Chicago, May 2007

‘AMERICA IS THE BIGGEST GANG IN THE WORLD’

On this date, September 13, 1971, legendary rapper Tupac died six days after he was shot in Las Vegas in the United States.

Also known by his stage names Makaveli and 2Pac, Tupac was a politically conscious artist, and some say his political education began in the womb.

His mother, Afeni Shakur, was a former Black Panther Party member. And when her son turned a year old, she named him Tupac Amaru Shakur, after the 18th-century Peruvian revolutionary Túpac Amaru II.

Continued………In this clip, Tupac eloquently draws parallels between US foreign policy and the gang mentality prevalent on America's streets. His unique perspective sheds light on the aggressive nature of US interventions, whether it's in Cuba in the late 1950s and early 60s to Yugoslavia in the 1990s, where war was raging when this interview took place. Since then, the US has continued its pattern of interventions, including the invasion and destruction of Libya in 2011.

Tupac was more than a hip-hop hero; he was an activist dedicated to African liberation in America. And his way of speaking resonated with millions.

Does his view of US foreign policy strike a chord with you? Have a listen and share with us.

SWIMMING IN THE SAHARA

Torrential downpours have been wreaking havoc across southern Morocco - destroying homes and reportedly claiming at least 18 lives. The freak weather has, however, also created an unusual - and beautiful - phenomenon in the country’s Saharan regions: lakes in the desert.

Instagram travel guru @barefoottripsmorocco posted this video of himself taking a refreshing plunge amidst the arid dunes - calling the rains a blessing.

Interestingly, scientists think the Sahara actually used to be full of water - in the form of rivers flowing through woodlands teeming with life. That was some 5,000-11,000 years ago though!

Would you like a swim in the Sahara?

Video credit: @barefoottripsmorocco (Instagram)

TUPAC: SISTERS, KEEP YA HEAD UP

The great Tupac Shakur - rapper, actor, and activist - died on this day, 13th September, in 1996.

There’s no better tribute to the legendary rapper than his own music. In this clip, he delivers an ‘unplugged’ rendition of his classic ‘Keep Ya Head Up’ - performed in the intimate setting of a classroom of students.

And what an education the lyrics are. The song’s message - about respect for women and female empowerment - still packs a punch.

Tupac was a master at articulating the struggles of his community, particularly the marginalised Black people in America.

An authentic music revolutionary, he deserves to be remembered not just for his controversial death but also celebrated for his life and the passion of his powerful lyrics.

Rest in power, brother!

Video credit: @Adzmoose (YouTube)

ISRAELI PODCAST DEMANDS GAZA ‘CLEANSED’

There’s outrage over a shocking Israeli podcast that called for Gaza to be ‘cleansed.’ Hosts from the inappropriately named ‘Two Nice Jewish Guys’ channel have now made their YouTube video private, but not before it went viral.

During the chilling discussion, host Eytan Weinstein says, ‘There needs to be no Palestinians left in there. And we need to re-inhabit it with Jews.’

He and his co-host Naor Meningher have faced a massive backlash online and calls for Apple and Youtube to ban their show. However, it’s still available and boasts to be Israel’s longest-running English-language podcast. They’ve also championed the sexual abuse of Palestinian prisoners.

Such horrific rhetoric mirrors that of some Israeli politicians who’ve advocated for genocidal destruction and for the rape of detained Palestinians by Israeli soldiers.

A word of warning, this clip is extremely offensive.

Video credits: Two Nice Jewish Boys

HOW SUDANESE SUFFERING IS DEHUMANISED

The war in Sudan has left some 11-million people displaced, 18,000 (confirmed) killed and 33,000 injured since its outbreak in April 2023. Tom Perriello, the US special envoy for Sudan, says the number of people killed in Sudan is likely closer to 150,000.

On top of this, the country is in the grip of a famine, with the UN reporting that “Sudan faces the worst levels of acute food insecurity in its history, with more than half of its population - 25.6-million people - in acute hunger.”

Despite being recognised as the largest humanitarian crisis in the world at the moment, there seems to be no international urgency to open up humanitarian corridors.

Continued……. In this clip, a Sudanese activist (@bsonblast) responds to a question raised by another content creator (@seij): why are other crises and the people affected by them generally treated more humanely? Her answer is that this simply comes down to anti-Blackness and the ‘othering’ of African people for centuries - to a point where their suffering has been normalised.

What are your thoughts? Why has Sudan’s conflict been largely ignored?

Video credit: @bsonblast

DRC PRESIDENT EXPLAINS EAST’S ADVANTAGE OVER WEST

China and Russia are beating the US in Africa, according to Democratic Republic of Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi who said in a recent interview that the difference comes down to attitude, or lack there of. The West is preachy, paternalistic when dealing with Africa and Africans. Even worse, their leaders say one thing and usually do the opposite. Take the concept of press freedom and objectivity as prime examples. Western journalists and media pundits continue to shout themselves hoarse over Venezuelan election results, whereas, comparatively, they’re as silent as a church mouse concerning France’s subversion of their own election results.

Continued……Russia and China peg their international relations and cooperation on the principle of non-interference in other countries’ affairs. Add to that the fact that Chinese inroads into Africa can point to some (not all) positive outcomes for the people through initiatives such as infrastructure development. Many African nations view China’s no-strings attached approach as more attractive than loans from the US-based financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, which provide loans but demand reforms like privatisation and fiscal liberalism which have attracted criticism of infringing on nations’ sovereignty and serving US interests.

China’s experience in matters important to Africa, such as poverty eradication, have made it a model for development. For Russia, as Burkina Faso’s president Ibrahim Traore said, it does not impose conditions on weapons purchases, compared to Burkina’s traditional ‘partners’ such as France.

Have a watch and please share your thoughts.

SENEGAL’S FAYE DISSOLVES PARLIAMENT

Only six months in office, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has announced the dissolution of the National Assembly and called for elections on November 17. Swept into power based on his vision for radical transformations of the political system and promises of more sovereignty, the 44-year-old head of state believes lawmakers from his party can win a majority in the legislature.

On Thursday, Faye said, “I dissolve the national assembly to ask the sovereign people for the institutional means to bring about the systemic transformation that I have promised to deliver”. He called for support and asked voters to mandate his party to carry out governmental changes.

The Benno Bokk Yaakar opposition movement, led by former President Macky Sall, condemned Faye’s decision to dissolve Senegal’s National Assembly.