Toh Unplugged

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu In a largely symbolic move poised to reshape geopolitics, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former defence minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Mohammed Deif , accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity amid Israel's ongoing war with Hamas. While Israeli’s allies, led by the world’s superpower, United States, dismissed the warrants as “outrageous”, South Africa, which has taken Israeli to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on charges of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, welcomed them saying they are “a significant step towards justice for crimes against humanity and war crimes in Palestine.” Chrispin Phiri, spokesperson for South Africa’s International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola, emphasised the country’s unwavering commitment to international law, stating: “South Africa urges all state parties to honor their oblig...

  Podemos leader Venâncio  Mondlane It is extremely infuriating that the toothless Southern African Development Community (SADC), supposedly a guardian of regional peace and security, is sitting back as post-election violence rages on in Mozambique. The nation of 34-million people is part of the impotent SADC bloc aimed at achieving peace and security, economic growth, democratic principles and equitable and sustainable development within its 16-member states. While African leaders like South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa were quick to congratulate U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on his sweeping victory, their silence on the crises unfolding across their own continent is deafening. It appears that African leaders remain unmoved and could not be bothered that Mozambique’s October 9 general election has been tainted by rampant irregularities, brutal violence, mass protests, and targeted political assassinations. I couldn't help but compare Mozambique’s election to Botswana’s recent...

Botswana's former president Mokgweetsi Masisi Botswana's former president Mokgweetsi Masisi deserves high praise for breaking a stubborn pattern in African politics by gracefully conceding defeat during the recent general election in the landlocked country. While many leaders across the continent cling fiercely and brutely to power, often at the expense of democracy and stability, Masisi has set a powerful example that should be emulated by his peers across the continent. Masisi’s decision to accept the will of the people not only upholds democratic values but also signals a refreshing commitment to peaceful transitions of power—something still all too rare in the region. When it dawned on him that his Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), of which he was a presidential candidate, had lost its parliamentary majority by a landslide, Masisi addressed a hastily convened a media briefing, even before the official results had been announced, and declared: “My fellow Batswana, I stand bef...