FANCY A BANANA BEER?

Let’s make banana beer. Africans were using locally available crops to brew beer long before Europeans introduced their own techniques, but East Africans stand out in this respect. Their traditional beer is made with bananas. We travelled to Rwanda to find out how urwagwa - a local blend of crushed bananas - is made.

‘LIBERATE AFRICA LIBERATE MANKIND’

Mukasa Dada’s well known for his role popularising the slogan “Black Power.”
He did it alongside Kwame Ture as a youth organiser in the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).
That may have been a few years back, but he hasn’t stopped preaching the message.
In this clip, Dada talks at the recent Socialist Horizon conference in Atlanta, GA, USA.
From civil rights to anti-capitalism and anti-imperialism, many SNCC veterans like him have lived their lives fighting to build Pan-Africanism, which they define as “one united socialist Africa.”
His flair for public speaking has earned him the nickname “The Reverend”.
Listening to this, you’ll understand why.

NGO IMPERIALISM: TOOLS OF REGIME CHANGE

Aid organisations are generally thought of as good things. Humanity in action, as it were. But dig a little deeper, and it soon becomes clear that the primary purpose of some of the NGOs and humanitarian groups operating around the world today is not helping people - rather, it’s political: they are tools of regime change and Western-interest protection.

RUTO'S HAITI FAILURE EXPLAINED

The situation in Haiti reflects deep-seated global inequalities perpetuated by imperialist interests and systemic exploitation. Despite Haiti's challenges being in large part due to subjugation and political interference, figures such as Kenyan President William Ruto adopt positions that align with Western powers - all the while obscuring their culpability through progressive rhetoric. Ruto's involvement in Haiti, including deploying Kenyan police officers under the guise of a pan-African security mission, highlights how African leaders can be complicit in furthering imperialist agendas.

Continued…….. Ironically, Ruto's alignment with Western interests has not yielded tangible benefits, as Kenya's treasury foots the bill for an underfunded and ineffective mission while Haitian problems, such as gang violence and state collapse, persist unabated.


The destabilisation of Haiti parallels cases like Sudan, where Western-backed factions perpetuate conflict. The flow of arms into Haiti from the US, unchecked by Washington, suggests a deliberate perpetuation of instability, while NGOs exacerbate local problems rather than resolving them. Haiti's plight, rooted in centuries of exploitation, is emblematic of a global system where imperialist powers extract resources, destabilise governments and suppress progressive leaders, leaving nations in perpetual cycles of suffering and dependence.

SLAVERY, CHACHAÇA & JACK DANIEL’S

Jack Daniel’s whiskey might sound as American as it gets, but it owes much to Africans from the Congo-Angola region - as does Brazil’s most popular alcoholic beverage, cachaça. Both are made from sugarcane - which, of course, was farmed in plantations worked by slaves. And it was a formerly enslaved African who taught a certain Jack Daniel how to distil whiskey. Our video dives deeper.

THE AFRICAN QUEEN WHO DEFEATED THE BRITISH IN JAMAICA

This is the story of the legendary Queen Nanny of the Maroons. An African woman born in present-day Ghana, kidnapped and sold into slavery in Jamaica, she became a symbol of resistance, unity and power on the island.

She built an autonomous community of emancipated Africans, mounted raids to free others and was successful in defeating British colonials who were forced into a peace treaty with her community after nearly two decades of war.

She is a reminder of the African roots, pride and strength of African people, who did not submit to slavery but instead fought for their freedom until the end. This is also another example of women who played a pivotal role in anti-colonial struggles around the world.

Does she inspire you?

U.S. ECONOMIST: ‘EUROPEAN INVADERS WERE THE SAVAGES’

The typical Western movie or novel portrays Indigenous peoples as violent, bloodthirsty savages who posed an ever-present threat to the European colonialists who invaded their land. On the other hand, these pieces present European settlers as noble victims who are on Indigenous lands for noble purposes. History books and museums do no better in conveying the truth, as history is still mostly told through the European settlers’ lenses.

In this clip, Richard Wolff (@profwolff on X), a renowned economist and author, asked who the actual savage is between those who invaded other people’s land and the dispossessed peoples.

Video credit: @RobinsonErhardt (X)

WORLD HERITAGE STATUS FOR AMAZIGH STORES?

Morocco is seeking World Heritage status for its ancient Amazigh granaries - found mainly in and around Agadir. Back in the day, these storehouses functioned as early forms of banking vault. People would keep everything from silver and documents to wheat and spices in them. And unlike today’s banks, visiting them is a delight!

ORANIA: THE WHITE ONLY TOWN IN SOUTH AFRICA

2024 marked three decades since the fall of the apartheid system in South Africa. You might think whites-only settlements are a thing of the past in South Africa. But, even post-apartheid, they still exist. Welcome - or rather not - to Orania.

In August 2024, British seven-time Formula-1 champion Lewis Hamilton, speaking at the Dutch Grand Prix, said it was high time that African locations were added to the 24-race calendar.

It’s been over two decades since an African country hosted the F1 Grand Prix - that was in Kyalami, South Africa, in 1993. There’s been unconfirmed speculation that South Africa might host another F1 race - and Rwanda has officially made a bid to host the Grand Prix.

Hamilton highlighted the touristic appeal of our continent, noting that “people who haven’t been there don’t realise how beautiful the place is, how vast it is.” He also said that most people are unaware of what other countries are doing to hold Africa back. The racer added that Africa should stop being a mere resource-extraction hub.

Continued……. Sources:

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/13225722/lewis-hamilton-mercedes-f1-driver-says-formula-1-cannot-continue-to-ignore-africa-amid-rwanda-grand-prix-talks#

https://www.independent.co.uk/f1/f1-lewis-hamilton-south-africa-kyalami-rwanda-b2629721.html

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1285081705860930

THE WESTERN SUPERIORITY COMPLEX

In a striking critique, Shaeed Bolsen (@shahidkbolsen on X), founder of @MiddleNation_, challenged the Western narrative of superiority based on material wealth.

He noted that the West prides itself on its technological advances and ‘nice things,’ but this argument rings hollow for much of the Global South. Bolsen reminds those in the Global North that the resources extracted from Africa, Asia and Latin America are required to build sought-after technologies. It’s our minerals, our labour and our lands.

Just in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, foreign states, militias and corporations have been fighting it out to access the country’s estimated $24 trillion in untapped mineral reserves over the past three decades. It has come at a cost of at least 6 million dead Congolese and 7 million internally displaced people.

Continued…….. Bolsen urges Westerners to reconsider their tired argument, as it only serves to expose the violent, exploitative systems that underpin the wealth of the Global North.

Video Credit: @MiddleNation_ (X)

Sources:

1. https://medium.com/notes-and-theories/the-wests-embarrassing-complex-of-superiority-3fbf00b8bc2f

2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/eurocentrism#:~:text=Eurocentrism%20is%20defined%20as%20the,and%20representing%20progress%20and%20development.

3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YqBXqjYfMc

4. https://www.iom.int/news/world-must-not-ignore-dr-congos-worsening-humanitarian-crisis-iom

HOW SACRED STOOL SCARED BRITISH RULE

Here’s one African treasure the British could never get their thieving hands on. The Golden Stool is a sacred bit of furniture that’s been revered by the Ashanti people of Ghana for centuries. They believed it gave them special powers when fighting the colonial Brits. So much so, the British governor made it his mission to find it. Luckily, locals kept it safely hidden and it remains a central part of Ashanti culture today.
Fair to say, without that hidy-hole, The Golden Stool would have ended up in some British museum.
Anyway, let’s celebrate the fact it hasn’t!
It’s an amazing story. Enjoy.

HUMAN ZOOS

Belgium is being forced to cough up compensation for stealing mixed-race children from African mothers in their colony in Congo. Here’s another thing it should make amends for - organising human zoos. The last was held in Brussels in 1958.

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ILLEGAL MINERS TERRORISE SOUTH AFRICAN RESIDENTS

An estimated 2,000 illegal artisanal miners in South Africa - known locally as Zama Zamara - will be spending their Christmas underground in a disused mining shaft in the town of Stilfontein, following a police crackdown. For weeks, officers have surrounded the entrances to the mineshaft and prevented food from entering in a bid to force the Zama Zamas out.

The situation highlights the illegal-mining crisis that has bedevilled South Africa. The huge job losses in the country’s mining sector and widespread poverty have seen the illicit sector boom. And that’s also led to a boom in violent crime, as gangs vie for control of abandoned mines across the country.

Continued………Residents of one slum near Joburg have been pleading with the authorities to do more amid a surge in rapes and murders - blamed on illegal mining gangs. It’s led to a debate about what the root cause of this violence is: is it pure criminality or the lack of opportunity most face? Let us know your views on the issue in the replies.

RWANDA’S AMAZING COW DUNG ART

The traditional, bright and colourful Rwandan art form of Imigongo is being revived after almost disappearing during the country’s genocide in 1994. Looking at these beautiful works, you’d never guess they’re made from cow dung. But they have a rich, royal history and provide vital income and psychological benefits to locals.

HOW INTL OIL ‘SABOTAGED’ AFRICAN REFINERY

Neo-colonialism, as defined by Kwame Nkrumah, is the practice of using economic, political and cultural tools to control a country without direct military occupation. The effective sabotage in 2024 of Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery is a textbook example of neo-colonialism at play. It demonstrates how multinational corporations and foreign governments work together to maintain a system that benefits the West at Africa’s expense.

When Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, announced his ambitious plan to build a $20-billion refinery in Nigeria, it sent shockwaves through the oil industry. Its goal is nothing short of revolutionary: to meet Nigeria’s domestic demand for refined petroleum products, eliminate the need for imports and even export to other African countries.

Continued….. But such a move was never going to be welcomed by those who benefit from the status quo. One of the most blatant acts of sabotage came from international oil companies, which essentially refused to sell Nigerian crude oil to the Dangote Refinery. Instead, they demanded a $6 premium above the market price, a move designed to make the refinery’s operations financially unviable. Forced to look elsewhere, the Dangote Refinery had to source crude oil from Brazil and the United States at higher costs, further straining its operations, even though the local market desperately needs petroleum products and the country wastes fortunes importing them.

The sabotage of the Dangote Refinery is a stark reminder that the fight for African independence is far from over. While the days of formal colonialism may be behind us, the structures of exploitation remain firmly in place.

Over the years, numerous attempts by African nations to build refining capacity and move up the value chain have been thwarted by the stranglehold of foreign corporations. For example, Angola, Africa’s second-largest oil producer, exports most of its crude oil - while importing over 80% of its refined petroleum products. Efforts to build local refineries have been repeatedly delayed or derailed, often due to pressure from foreign interests.

The situation extends beyond oil. Africa’s vast reserves of minerals, timber, and agricultural products are similarly exported as raw materials, with the value-added processing taking place in Europe, North America, or China. Despite the interference, it’s hoped Dangote’s refinery will - eventually - boost pan-African integration and pave the way for a more self-reliant energy future across the continent.