Colonialism did not just impoverish our beautiful continent economically, it systemically obliterated our institutions and structures - as a way of projecting Western hegemony.

Decades later, any attempt at restoration - at writing our true history or at correcting the falsified tales of the colonialists - is violently resisted, both metaphorically and literally.

It’s clear the West fears Africans becoming empowered with the truth about who we truly are, beyond the lies that have been taught to us about our supposed inferiority.

We must remain committed to the path of emancipation and true independence. As pan-African revolutionary Patrice Lumumba believed, the time will come when the lion speaks for itself.

Source;

https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/primary-documents-global-african-history/patrice-lumumbas-letter-pauline-lumumba-1960/

IS S. AFRICAN POLICE TO BLAME FOR MINER DEATHS?

A months-long operation by South African authorities to end illegal artisanal mining at an abandoned gold mine in the town of Stilfontein, southwest of the commercial capital Johannesburg, came to a tragic end on 16 January, when rescuers pulled out 78 bodies from the two-kilometre-deep mine.

Nine other bodies had already been retrieved in the days and weeks leading up to the four-day operation.

According to survivors and civil-society organisations, the men starved to death after authorities blocked food from reaching them in an attempt to ‘smoke them out,’ as per the words of one South African minister.

Continued……. The survivors have told harrowing tales of eating toilet paper mixed with toothpaste, cockroaches and, in extreme cases, the flesh of dead fellow miners.

High unemployment levels and poverty have, in recent years, driven tens of thousands of men (South Africans and foreign migrants alike) to scavenge for gold in mines abandoned by mining firms that deemed them no longer viable commercially.

SATIRICAL NETANYAHU SPEECH HITS HARD

This AI-generated satirical take on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s 24 July address to the US Congress, where he received 79 rounds of applause, with 58 of those being standing ovations, comes amidst growing criticism regarding escalating casualties in Gaza.

Rashida Tlaib, Michigan’s pro-Palestine representative, was one of the few legislators who did not applaud. Instead, she held up a sign referring to Netanyahu as a war criminal.

By the time of his address, the relentless Israeli bombardment had k*lled approximately 39,000 individuals, predominantly women and children. Yet, by early July, the British medical journal The Lancet had estimated that the death toll was likely more than 186,000.

Continued…….. In his speech, Netanyahu took the opportunity to emphasise the unique partnership between the United States and Israel, often referred to in mainstream media as the ‘only democracy in the Middle East.’ Yet, this ‘democracy’ had displaced 1.9 million Palestinians out of a total population of 2.2 million as of October 2024, according to the UN.

Just two months into Israel’s military onslaught, Human Rights Watch reported in December 2023 that Israel had employed starvation as a tactic of war, blocking humanitarian aid from reaching Gaza and cutting off essential supplies, such as electricity, water, and fuel. These actions violate the Geneva Conventions against collective punishment of civilians during wartime.

While this parody likens Netanyahu to a fictional horror character named ‘Freddy Krueger,’ who revels in the suffering of children, the reality for the children and families in Palestine over the past 15 months has been far more harrowing than any horror film.

It’s also worth remembering that Republicans and Democrats stood there, side by side, to applaud Netanyahu, showing that support for the settler-colonial and gen*cidal project of Israel has always been bi-partisan.

Video credit: @cspan / @means_tv

Sources:

https://www.hrw.org/report/2024/11/14/hopeless-starving-and-besieged/israels-forced-displacement-palestinians-gaza

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/15/the-human-toll-of-israels-war-on-gaza-by-the-numbers#:~:text=46%2C707%20Palestinians%20killed,number%20killed%20is%20far%20higher.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01169-3/fulltext

https://daily.jstor.org/freddy-krueger-folkloric-monster/

https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/12/18/israel-starvation-used-weapon-war-gaza

WHEN THE ZULUS SMASHED THE BRITISH ARMY

In January 1879, three columns of British colonial forces invaded the Zulu kingdom. This followed King Cetshwayo KaMpande’s refusal to adhere to a ridiculous order by the British High Commissioner for South Africa, Bartle Frere, demanding that the Zulu monarch dismantle his army and submit to the colonial settler administration. In their usual colonial arrogance, the British strolled into the kingdom, expecting an easy victory over the Africans; however, they could not have been more wrong. On the morning of 22 January, a 20,000-strong Zulu army under the command of Ntshingwayo kaMahole Khoza and Mavumengwana kaNdlela Ntuli attacked and annihilated the colonial forces that had established camp at Isandlwana mountain.

Continued……. They killed at least 800 British soldiers and more than 500 Africans serving under the colonial army. The defeat sent shockwaves all the way to London. The Zulus were eventually defeated months later when the British sent reinforcements, but one thing had been made clear: Africans were not going to accept colonialism lying down.

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Continued…..

Over the past several months, researchers have attempted to calculate the actual death toll, with figures ranging as high as a couple of hundred thousand.

While Israel claims its onslaught has targeted Hamas members, Gaza's most vulnerable, such as children and women, have suffered the most. Here, we sum up some of the impacts of the 15-month onslaught.

Sources:

https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/08/26/israel-palestinian-healthcare-workers-tortured

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/15/the-human-toll-of-israels-war-on-gaza-by-the-numbers

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2025/01/19/health-ministry-in-gaza-says-war-death-toll-at-46-913-

https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/10/1156016

https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/press-release/2024/10/war-on-women-women-killed-in-armed-conflicts-double-in-2023

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2025/01/19/health-ministry-in-gaza-says-war-death-toll-at-46-913-

https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2824%2902678-3

https://www.savethechildren.net/news/gaza-least-3100-children-aged-under-five-killed-others-risk-famine-looms

https://turkiye.un.org/en/263401-gaza-number-children-killed-higher-four-years-world-conflict

https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/more-women-and-children-killed-gaza-israeli-military-any-other-recent-conflict

https://www.trtworld.com/discrimination/un-women-and-children-make-up-shocking-70-of-gaza-war-casualties-18229980

https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/press-release/2024/10/war-on-women-women-killed-in-armed-conflicts-double-in-2023

https://pjs.ps/en/index.html

https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/memoriam-vaccineswork-remembers-health-care-workers-killed-2024

https://healthcareworkerswatch.org/

https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/08/26/israel-palestinian-healthcare-workers-tortured

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/14/health/gaza-death-toll.html

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2025/01/19/health-ministry-in-gaza-says-war-death-toll-at-46-913-

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have seized control of Minova, a vital trading centre situated just 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Goma, the capital of war-torn North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Minova’s fall comes two weeks after M23 captured Masisi, a significant location within the mineral-rich area. Fierce fighting erupted shortly after the cancellation of planned peace talks between Rwandan and DRC leaders, scheduled for 15 December, in Angola. Since then, M23 has successfully overrun several towns and settlements as it pushes toward Goma, a city it briefly occupied in 2012.

A June 2024 report from UN experts revealed that Rwanda had sent approximately 3,000 to 4,000 troops to bolster M23, aiding their territorial gains in eastern Congo. The M23 group has been accused of committing atrocities against civilians, further worsening the humanitarian crisis in the Great Lakes region.

Continued……. The ongoing resource-driven war, which has lasted for three decades, is recognised as one of the most destructive and prolonged conflicts in modern history. It involves over 120 militias and armed groups, many reportedly supported by foreign governments and interests. This enduring conflict has generated around 6 million deaths, more than 7 million internally displaced people and numerous reports of s*xual violence.

The DRC is estimated to hold a staggering $24 trillion in untapped mineral resources, including cobalt, gold, lithium and coltan, drawing the attention of powerful foreign entities eager to exploit these riches. Tech giants have come under fire for sourcing cobalt, a key component in rechargeable batteries, from mines accused of using child labour and operating under hazardous conditions. While a class-action lawsuit brought by child miners against several tech companies failed last year in the United States, similar legal action is now underway in Europe, keeping the spotlight on the exploitative practices tied to Congo’s mineral wealth.

Sources:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz9e57wln45o

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/congos-m23-rebels-seize-eastern-town-minova-2025-01-21/

https://apnews.com/article/congo-rebels-minova-m23-goma-kivu-30eb356bd6e6e6dc933fc5539b3054aa

https://thedefensepost.com/2025/01/19/m23-fighters-congo-town/

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/21/m23-rebels-seize-key-eastern-drc-town-of-minova

https://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing-notes/escalating-violence-eastern-dr-congo-displaces-more-230-000-start-year

https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n24/118/80/pdf/n2411880.pdf

https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/news/east-africa/new-refugee-wave-as-m23-rebels-seize-2-towns-in-north-kivu--4879026

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2024/10/why-is-the-democratic-republic-of-congo-wracked-by-conflict/

WHITE WOMAN APOLOGISES FOR ACCUSING BLACK MAN OF TRESPASSING

Real estate developer DaMichael Jenkins shared door-camera footage from a recent incident, where a white woman trespassed on his property in the US state of Ohio, claiming he was an intruder. Footage shows Michelle Bishop didn’t believe Jenkins when he said he lived there, prompting her to run away while screaming for help. When Bishop returned to the scene, Jenkins and his wife asked what prompted her to do that. Bishop stated, ‘Well, you just have to understand my point of view, being by myself with two kids.’

After many online accused Bishop of racial profiling, she released a video statement denying racist intentions.

This incident sheds light on a much deeper issue. Long-standing racist stereotypes about Black men lead to profiling and disproportionately higher rates of incarceration.

Continued……In a similar incident in 2020, on the same day as the arrest and murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, a white woman named Amy Cooper was walking her unleashed dog in New York’s Central Park when she encountered Christian Cooper (of no relation to Amy), a bird watcher. She declined Christian’s request that she leash her dog for safety. Amy was recorded on camera frantically calling 911, claiming, ‘An African-American man is threatening my dog and myself. Please send help!’ Shortly after, Amy apologised, claiming she was scared, but she lost her job at an investment firm as a consequence.

In the case of 14-year-old Emmett Till (1941-55), a false accusation of sexual harassment led to a white mob torturing and k*lling him in Mississippi. Six decades later, his accuser, Carolyn Bryant (1934-2023), admitted that she had lied.

So, while it may seem like not a big deal, the impact of these false allegations can devastate lives especially in a country with a trigger happy police force that have routinely killed black people on camera.

Video credit: @Raindropsmedia1 (X)

Sources:

https://theshaderoom.com/damichael-jenkins-ohio-woman-profiling-home-camera-video/

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/white-woman-apologizes-accusing-black-184917226.html

https://www.npr.org/2020/05/26/862230724/white-woman-who-called-police-on-black-bird-watcher-in-central-park-placed-on-le

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/26/central-park-new-york-white-woman-black-birdwatcher

https://eji.org/news/emmett-till-accuser-admits-she-lied

https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2023/04/28/carolyn-bryant-accused-emmett-till

ZIMBABWE: GEN Z SAYS ‘NO’ TO 3RD MNANGAGWA TERM!

On 20 January, a group of Zimbabweans protested against plans by the ruling ZANU-PF party to scrap presidential term limits to allow President Emmerson Mnangagwa to rule beyond his second term, which is set to expire in 2028. This video, posted by Zimbabwean journalist Hopewell Chin’ono, shows them chanting while marching through a suburb of the capital, Harare.

Their main rally cry is ‘2030 taramba,’ which in the local Shona language means, ‘We reject the 2030 project.’ Project 2030 is an effort by the ruling party to mobilise citizens to support its planned amendment to the country’s 2013 constitution, which restricts presidents to two five-year terms in office max.

Continued……At its annual congress in October 2024, ZANU-PF passed a resolution backing reforms that would enable Mnangagwa to stay in office until at least 2030. The party says the president, who has been in power since 2017, needs more time to complete projects his administration is implementing.

On 16 January, the country’s justice minister, Ziyambi Ziyambi, revealed that his ministry is ready to start amending the constitution as soon as parliamentarians table the bill before the National Assembly.

Mnangagwa has stated on numerous occasions that he has no plans to rule beyond his second and final term. However, his opponents insist that the president is behind the calls for a third bid, and that his professed rejection of the idea is merely an attempt to hoodwink the public.

ZANU-PF currently enjoys a two-thirds parliamentary majority, which will make it easy to pass the bill through the House. However, the real hurdle for the ruling party will be selling the idea to citizens, who will eventually have to vote on it in a national referendum.

Video Credit: Hopewell Chin’ono

Sources:

https://www.newzimbabwe.com/stop-this-nonsense-chamisa-blasts-zanu-pfs-push-for-mnangagwas-third-term/
https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/zimbabwes-zanu-pf-wants-extend-presidents-term-by-two-years-2025-01-14/

https://www.zimlive.com/zanu-pf-passes-resolution-to-allow-mnangagwa-to-extend-term-up-to-2030/

https://theafrican.co.za/politics/double-speak-in-third-term-bid-for-emmerson-mnangagwa-d18be85f-2e5e-470a-8a3c-64b8be70338e/

https://www.voanews.com/a/zimbabwe-s-leader-rules-out-extending-presidency-terms/7735025.html

THE U.S. IS THE MOST CORRUPT COUNTRY IN THE WORLD

For many years, stories about African leaders using their positions to economically empower their relatives or shield them from the law have been a staple in mainstream Western media outlets. These outlets have framed corruption, abuse of office and autocratic tendencies as African phenomena.

However, the last several years have shown that these tendencies are just as prevalent in the West. For example, former US President Joe Biden issued pardons to several family members and political associates hours before he departed the White House on 20 January.

Continued……Not to be outdone, hours into his presidency, Donald Trump also joined the pardon jamboree by offering clemency to the about 1,500 people involved in the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol over alleged fraud during the 2020 US presidential election.

In this December 2024 clip from a more extended reaction video on Biden pardoning his son, Hunter, African Stream Editor-in-Chief Ahmed Kaballo explained why the US is the world’s most corrupt country. Let us know your thoughts, too.

Sources:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8r5g5dezk4o

https://apnews.com/article/biden-pardons-family-trump-white-hous-caee326c4723a4ba6d972f7daf750a0b

https://breakingdefense.com/2024/11/pentagon-fails-7th-audit-in-a-row-eyes-passing-grade-by-2028/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-an-early-biden-crime-bill-created-the-sentencing-disparity-for-crack-and-cocaine-trafficking/2019/07/28/5cbb4c98-9dcf-11e9-85d6-5211733f92c7_story.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-58001750

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y7l47xrpko