Toh Unplugged

13 SANDF soldiers have been killed by M23 rebels in Goma since January 24 The question I would like to ask the spineless and supposed commander-in-chief of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF), President Cyril Ramaphosa, is why is he allowing our troops to die like flies in unstable African countries like the Central African Republic (CAR) and most recently the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)? Whose interests are these soldiers serving/protecting in these godforsaken regions? Will Ramaphosa be pulling our troops out of these UN-/SADC-/AU-backed suicide peacekeeping missions? If yes, when, and if no, why? In a hard-hitting statement on Sunday, the far-left EFF reiterated its "long-standing warnings that SANDF troops deployed in the DRC are under-resourced and ill-prepared to face the dangers posed by the well-equipped M23 rebels". "In fact, it is reported that our soldiers had no supplies or ammunition as of Friday, a glaring case of neglect on the part of our governm...

U.S. President Donald Trump U.S. President Donald Trump’s election victory over former Vice President Kamala Harris brings a sharp upside: his indifference toward Africa and its development.  Unlike past administrations that poured resources into the continent, Trump’s focus is clear - America First, no costly foreign aid, and by extension no charity diplomacy. For those weary of endless U.S. meddling abroad , this hands-off stance signals a shift: African nations will be left to forge their own paths, without American interference. Who could forget his infamous 2018 remark about “ shithole countries ” in Africa? During his entire first term, Trump didn’t set foot on African soil, making his disdain unmistakably clear. His presidency signaled a blunt disregard for the continent, unapologetically dismissing its importance on the world stage and geopolitical affairs. During his first term (2017–2021), Trump made around 19 international trips, visiting 24 countries across five contine...

Donald Trump taking the oath of office as the 47th U.S. President on January 20, 2025. Donald Trump is back in the driving seat of the world's biggest economy following his swearing in as the 47th U.S. president on Tuesday, January 20.  His first day back in the Oval Office kicked off with the populist Trump signing a number of executive orders that are set to have lasting geopolitical implications and could negatively affect the role multilateral organisations play in the global political system. Here is Trump's inauguration speech Vice President Vance, Speaker Johnson, Senator Thune, Chief Justice Roberts, justices of the United States Supreme Court, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, President Biden, Vice President Harris and my fellow citizens: The golden age of America begins right now. From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world. We will be the envy of every nation. And we will not allow ourselves to be take...

It’s 17:41 on Saturday, December 14 2024, and I have just come back home from the last day of the four-day SACP special national congress in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg, when I receive a frantic call from my sister Loyiso screaming, “ Luyolo, ndiyafa [I am dying!]”. My wife was about to serve supper. I had just put my laptop bag down and was busy filling her in about my day with the communists and other general stuff. I casually answered the phone thinking Loyiso was probably calling to check up on the kids as she is wont to do, especially on weekends, but it was not to be. With the call now on loudspeaker, we quickly try to ascertain where she might be and she responds by mentioning familiar landmarks around her: “I’m by Banoyolo’s school [which is Halfway House Primary in Midrand], I was driving to the Mall of Africa.” With Loyiso’s house in Centurion, we quickly work out that she must be somewhere on the N1S. We jump on the car and hit the road. When we join the N1S from the Oli...