WINNIE VS NELSON

Today marks the seventh anniversary of the passing of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, a prominent figure in South Africa’s liberation movement, who died at the age of 81 in 2018.

Often referred to simply as ‘Nelson Mandela’s wife,’ her legacy extends far beyond that noscript. She was a powerful freedom fighter and organiser, known for her uncompromising stance, which at times surpassed that of her husband.

Winnie was also a political prisoner during the anti-apartheid movement, enduring imprisonment even while pregnant. She firmly believed that African people must liberate themselves by any means necessary, advocating for the right to use revolutionary violence in response to violent colonial oppression. This conviction created a rift between her and the African National Congress (ANC) in the 1990s.

Continued……Additionally, she argued for the redistribution of land in Azania - referring to regions in southern Africa, including South Africa and Zimbabwe - to the African populace. Her views on land reform clashed with Nelson Mandela’s more conciliatory approach, which many believe has contributed to ongoing inequality and the persistence of settler colonialism.

Winnie once stated, “I have a good relationship with Mandela. But I am not Mandela’s product. I am the product of the masses of my country and the product of my enemy.”

In a lecture delivered on 29 November 1993 at Kean College in New Jersey, pan-Africanist and former Nation of Islam leader Khalid Muhammad criticised Nelson Mandela while expressing his support for Winnie.

What are your thoughts on Muhammad’s comments?

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Continued……. Having filed its case on 6 March, Khartoum requested that ICJ officials order emergency measures to compel the UAE to take action against genocidal activities in Darfur.

Even though both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the UAE-backed RSF have been accused of war crimes, a UN Fact-Finding mission singled out the RSF’s involvement in alarming levels of sexual violence against civilians, including the abduction and prolonged detention of women and girls for sexual slavery.

UN experts monitoring the arms embargo on Darfur have previously reported credible allegations of the UAE smuggling weapons to the RSF via Chad. Additionally, the RSF has systematically undermined Sudan’s agricultural production by looting farms, contaminating water supplies, and setting crops ablaze. The Genocide Watch reported in October 2024 that the RSF has also raided World Food Programme warehouses, stolen humanitarian aid, and hindered the delivery of assistance to millions in need.

The UAE described Sudan’s g*nocide application to the ICJ as lacking any factual basis.

Sources

https://sudantribune.com/article280766/ https://www.genocidewatch.com/single-post/evidence-points-to-uae-involvement-in-sudan-civil-war

https://www.genocidewatch.com/single-post/sudan-humanitarian-aid-blocked-and-looted#:~:text=The%20RSF%20has%20looted%2086,Sudan%20due%20to%20the%20fighting.

https://www.newarab.com/news/world-court-hear-sudan-genocide-case-against-uae

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3w1nzpg5dgo

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20250329-world-court-to-hear-sudan-case-accusing-uae-of-genocide/

https://www.jurist.org/news/2025/03/icj-to-hear-sudan-genocide-claim-against-uae/

https://www.jurist.org/news/2024/10/sudans-rsf-guilty-of-staggering-sexual-violence-in-ongoing-conflict/

https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/sessions-regular/session57/A-HRC-57-CRP-6-en.pdf

https://archive.ph/iiHxd

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-uae-sudan-weapons-report/

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-sudan-paramilitary-group-is-preventing-life-saving-aid-from-famine-hit/

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-us-says-genocide-under-way-in-sudan-imposes-sanctions-on-rsf-commander/

SOMALIA OFFERS U.S. STRATEGIC PORTS

Why is Somalia offering the US access to key air bases and ports - especially given Washington’s role in destabilising the country? Our short video explains.

Sources

https://www.semafor.com/article/03/28/2025/somalia-offers-us-control-over-strategic-ports

https://www.semafor.com/article/03/28/2025/somalia-offers-us-control-over-strategic-ports

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/houthis-report-more-us-strikes-on-yemen-after-trump-warns-of-real-pain-to-come/ar-AA1C1QYO

https://jacobin.com/2022/11/somalia-cold-war-war-on-terror-us-intervention-destabilization

WHEN MALEMA TORE INTO WINNIE’S CRITICS AT MEMORIAL

Winnie Madikizela Mandela died on this day in 2018 at the age of 81. In honour of her fight against apartheid and oppression, we share this fiery and passionate speech from Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema at Orlando Stadium in Soweto during her memorial service.  In his eulogy, Malema hailed Winnie, whom he warmly referred to as ‘Mama,’ as a fearless anti-apartheid activist. But he also took the opportunity to call out individuals he believed had betrayed her during her lifetime.

Continued……Malema pointed the finger at African National Congress (ANC) figures who were praising Winnie at her funeral but who had previously abandoned, vilified and undermined her. In particular, he lashed out at the United Democratic Front (UDF) - an anti-apartheid coalition (operative 1983-1991, mostly while the ANC was banned) that had publicly disowned Winnie amid allegations her bodyguards had been involved in a murder and kidnapping case (one of them was indeed later convicted of murder). You can hear those he attacks in the crowd boo, but the packed stadium was overwhelmingly behind Μalema as he defended Winnie Mandela’s pivotal role in the anti-apartheid struggle. What do you make of his speech?

Video credit: SABC News

Sources

https://x.com/whatMackSays/status/1905207375209935254

Continued……. This new dossier comes on the heels of South Africa’s Memorial document. Filed in October 2024, it details evidence and legal arguments supporting claims of acts of genocide. While the complete Memorial is not publicly accessible, South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has released a public dossier containing evidence related to the case.

Sources

https://www.un.org/unispal/document/icj-southafrica-israel-genocide-29dec2023/

https://dirco.gov.za/south-africa-delivers-evidence-of-israel-genocide-to-icj/

https://www.icj-cij.org/node/203447

Continued….. This is not the first time the US has weaponised sanctions to shield its allies from accountability. On 6 February, US President Donald Trump adopted an Executive Order imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), authorising asset freezes and entry bans on ICC officials. The sanctions also extended to other non-US persons providing support to the court’s work. In a 10 February statement, UN experts condemned these sanctions stating that the US was empowering “war criminals by seeking to punish the ICC, denying justice and reparation to thousands of victims around the world, including women and children.”

The Lancet medical journal estimates that between October 2023 and July 2024, Israel k*lled more than 186,000 Palestinians. Another Lancet report estimates that the official death toll of 37,877 over that period, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, may have been under-counted by as much as 41 per cent.

Since World War 2, Israel has been the single largest recipient country of US aid, and since 7 October 2023, the US has provided a further $12.5 billion in direct military aid to Israel, according to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). It is widely accepted by experts and activists that Israel’s decades-long onslaught on Palestinians would not be possible - at least at such scale - without US funding and support. This begs the question, is the US government making threats against the ICC and the UN simply to protect Israel, a genocidal ally, or to protect itself as an equal partner and enabler?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Sources

https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/250331-TO-Sec.-Gen.-Guterres-Mast-and-Risch-HRC-IIM.pdf

https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/34/38

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/imposing-sanctions-on-the-international-criminal-court/

https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/02/united-states-un-experts-condemn-sanctions-against-icc

https://www.cfr.org/article/us-aid-israel-four-charts

https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/history-and-overview-of-u-s-foreign-aid-to-israel

https://asf.be/the-us-sanctions-against-the-international-criminal-court-curtails-the-ability-of-victims-globally-to-obtain-justice/

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

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)02678-3/fulltext

'AP DOING MENTAL GYMNASTICS TO AVOID SAYING CHILD'

Western media’s passive dehumanization of Palestinians amid Israel’s ongoing atrocities in Gaza and the West Bank, which the International Court of Justice ruled could amount to genocide, suppresses public understanding of the scale of Palestinian suffering and provides cover for Israel to keep committing crimes. In this instance, the Associated Press goes to great lengths to avoid mentioning that the detainee was a hostage held for half a year without charge, and that it would be much simpler to say ‘child’ than do mental gymnastics with ‘detainee under 18’.

Continued….. In this regard Western media has proved to be another arm of the Western states responsible for enabling Israel’s onslaught against Palestinians. The US, Italy and Germany are Israel’s biggest arms suppliers. Diplomatically the US and UK have vetoed ceasefire resolutions at the UN. Israel’s breaking of the January ceasefire received implicit support from Washington, as Tel Aviv had informed them of the plans beforehand.

Western media has proven to be more empathetic when White populations are under bombardment in comparison, as coverage of the ongoing Ukraine - Russia conflict indicates.

Sources

https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-palestinian-prisoner-teenager-dead-874271e9c7afe095310143233aec0d38?taid=67ebf3dae1586a00015f6f60

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-kyiv-attack-33aecd50cf252ff6184c0c14f90588b5

https://www.npr.org/2023/10/19/1207028384/western-leaders-are-showing-unified-support-for-israel-in-its-war-against-hamas

ELON MUSK’S DEEP ROOTS
IN APARTHEID

South Africa-born Elon Musk has been at the centre of tense relations between the Trump administration and his country of birth. Apart from Musk’s misinformation-laden X posts, accusing Pretoria of 'racist policies' that allegedly discriminate against White people, the tech billionaire is also believed to be a key part of the Trump team behind the recent policies against the African nation.

This has brought to the fore the question of why Musk might have a personal vendetta against South Africa's post-apartheid government and its policies, which often seek to reverse the legacy of apartheid.

In this video from an interview with Democracy Now , journalist and former South Africa correspondent for The Guardian newspaper Chris McGreal breaks down Musk's familial ties to the apartheid system. He points out how Elon's grandfather moved specifically to South Africa because of its racist policies against Black people.

Continued….. He also highlights how growing up in a pro-apartheid family and environment could have influenced Elon's political views as an adult. While he can not be faulted for the views of his grandfather and the other adults he grew up around, he can and should be held accountable for his fanatical opposition to policies that seek to redress the negative impact of centuries of racist oppression against Black South Africans.

Credit: Democracy Now!/YouTube

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.: I’M TIRED OF MARCHING!

The Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr (1929-68) was not just a civil rights leader. He was a revolutionary who fought tirelessly against racism, injustice and economic oppression, knowing that true freedom is impossible without equality. 

Fifty-seven years ago today, he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. While he led and participated in marches for the right to vote, desegregation and labour rights, his most dangerous act—at least in the eyes of the US establishment—was his unapologetic criticism of US imperialism. On 4 April 1967, he denounced the US war in Vietnam, exposing how war abroad fuels oppression domestically. This marked a turning point, and led to his assassination precisely one year later on 4 April 1968.

Continued……In this 1966 video clip, King lets people know that he, too, is exhausted from fighting for Black people’s rights. His struggle was not just for himself but for generations oppressed by systemic injustice. 

Today, the battle continues. Imperialism, in its many forms, still robs people of dignity, resources and genuine self-determination. King reminds us that justice delayed is justice denied, and though we, too, may grow weary, we must press on, as oppression anywhere is a threat to freedom everywhere.

Continue to rest in peace, King!

Credit: ‘Eyes on the Prize,’ @PBS (1987-90) / @TheKingCenter

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MOTHER OF THE NATION

This week, we mark the death anniversary of Winnie Madikizela Mandela, a fierce revolutionary who fought at the frontlines against the apartheid regime during her time. Winnie breathed her last on 2 April 2018. While Western media tried to reduce her to footnotes and controversy, Pan Africanists acrosss the world remember her not as a widow but as a warrior who never stopped fighting against imperialism. Today, we take a few moments to recall her efforts towards the emancipation of her people and why they still refer to her as ‘mama’