Toh Unplugged

President Ramaphosa and Ambassador Bozell III Diplomatic relations between South Africa and the United States have hit rock bottom. There is no other way to put it. From lies about the so-called white genocide, to President Cyril Ramaphosa's ambush in the White House , and now visa restrictions, the strained relations were bound to reach boiling point sooner rather than later, as neither party looked prepared to compromise. For South Africa, refusing to be dictated to by Washington, D.C. is a matter of sovereignty, as stressed by international relations and cooperation minister Ronald Lamola. Speaking to the public broadcaster SABC in New York, where he is attending the UN General Assembly, Lamola did not sugarcoat the strained relations between the two countries, saying: "I think the South African public has to prepare itself for the worst case scenario, because the reality is that we are expected to surrender our sovereignty on issues related to BEE, to issues related to l...

US President Donald Trump Hey guys, It’s been a while since I last jotted something down here, and a lot has happened since my review of The Dark Prince. Frankly, the world has been on fast-forward, and Donald Trump, once again, is at the centre of the chaos. Internationally, we’ve watched Trump lurch from one provocation to the next: from the United States’ brazen illegal invasion in Venezuela and the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on drug charges; to US Embassy wagging its finger at South Africa over maritime drills that included Iran; to Trump openly floating the idea of taking Greenland out of Danish control. Trump used his address at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos this week to do what he does best: talk about himself. He cast himself as the last true defender of “Western values” while berating European leaders for weakness, dependence, and a lack of spine. Then came the Greenland comments. With the world watching, he casually stated: ...

As we step into a new year, I would like to extend a warm welcome back and express my gratitude for your continued commitment to reading, engaging, and sharing your thoughts.  The arrival of a new year often encourages reflection on themes such as leadership, power, and the pathways that shape those who aspire to govern. It feels particularly fitting, then, to revisit the stories that lie behind South Africa’s political elite . I recently completed The Dark Prince by investigative journalist and author Pieter du Toit. The book offers a detailed account of Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s formative years, beginning with his modest upbringing on a farm outside Johannesburg where he lived with his parents, and moving through his early involvement in anti-apartheid movements during his high school years. These formative experiences became the foundation from which Mashatile immersed himself fully in the struggles of ordinary South Africans , aligning with the masses and the marginal...

Saturday, 22 November 2025 Distinguished Heads of State and Government of G20 Members and Invited Guest Countries, Heads of Regional Economic Communities, Secretary-General of the United Nations , Mr António Guterres, Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Paul Mashatile, Ministers and Deputy Ministers, Heads of International Organisations, Members of the diplomatic corps, Ladies and gentlemen, Distinguished Guests, It is an honour and a privilege to welcome you all to the first G20 Leaders’ Summit to be held on African soil. We gather here at the Cradle of Humankind to affirm our common humanity. We gather here to affirm the value of partnership and cooperation, to finding common solutions to shared problems. Shortly before the dawn of a democratic and free South Africa in 1994, the founding father of our democracy President, Nelson Mandela, said:  “The time has come for South Africa to take up its rightful and responsible place in the community of nations.” Today, a...

Click  here  to read the G20 Leaders' Summit Declaration

Cameroon's President Paul Biya What will it take to truly transform how we relate to politics and hold those in power accountable across Africa? From Antananarivo to Yaoundé, the continent’s youth are signaling that complacency is no longer an option.  In Madagascar, we witnessed a wave of youth-led protests that ultimately ushered in a change of guard — a new president now sits at the helm, propelled by the demand for transparency and renewal. Meanwhile, in Cameroon, the story unfolds differently.  A 92-year-old incumbent was declared the winner of what many describe as a sham election , one largely boycotted by young voters disillusioned with a stagnant political order. Frustration has boiled over into the streets, where young people have taken to protests, some resorting to torching politicians’ homes to make their anger and disillusionment impossible to ignore. And in Tanzania, President Samia Suluhu Hassan is running virtually unopposed after jailing key opposition figure...

Outgoing president Lazarus Chakwera I can’t think of any groundbreaking projects or wide-ranging reforms that Lazarus Chakwera , the outgoing president of Malawi, implemented during his five years in the corridors of power at State House. The one thing that stands out is from November 2023, when it was reported that Chakwera’s administration had sent over 200 young Malawians to work on Israeli farms. This l abour export deal was pitched as a way to fight unemployment and boost economic recovery. But the initiative quickly came under fire. Opposition leaders and rights groups raised concerns about transparency and safety, especially given the ongoing conflict in Israel. That Chakwera lost to his 85-year-old predecessor-turned-successor, Peter Mutharika , is nothing short of a resounding vote of no confidence in his leadership—or lack thereof. According to the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), Mutharika secured 56.8% of the vote, while Chakwera trailed far behind with just 33%. Ch...

    U.S. President Donald Trump U.S. president Donald Trump has made a dramatic return to the global stage with a no-holds-barred address at the United Nations General Assembly, in New York on Tuesday, September 23, 2025. In typical Trump fashion, he drew sharp contrasts between his first term, which he said delivered “peace and prosperity”, and what he slammed as years of “weakness, lawlessness, and radicalism” under Joe Biden. Trump painted a picture of an America bouncing back under his watch , taking aim at everything from the economy and foreign policy to immigration, security, and the role of global bodies like the UN . Here are the key issues he touched on, highlighted with direct quotes: Peace vs. chaos under Biden -  “When I was here as your President , we had peace and prosperity. Under Biden, we got weakness, lawlessness, and radicalism.” Economy & inflation -  “We defeated ruinous inflation, brought down energy costs, grocery costs, mortgage rates...

President Cyril Ramaphosa President Cyril Ramaphosa , who had summoned thousands of African National Congress (ANC) councillors from across the country to FNB Stadium for what was effectively a roll call, stunned his comrades when he instructed them to look to Democratic Alliance (DA)-run municipalities as the benchmark for well-governed local councils. Ramaphosa openly lamented the fact that well-run municipalities are seldom ANC-controlled. Instead, he noted, they are often DA-controlled. “We need to ask ourselves what it is they are doing that is better than what we are doing … And there’s nothing wrong with us saying we want to go and see what Cape Town is doing. We want to go and see what Stellenbosch is doing,” he said. This is not the first time Ramaphosa has brought the ANC into disrepute. A few years ago, he conceded that the ANC was “number one when it comes to corruption”, a statement that also infuriated his comrades. Yet they could do nothing; he is, after all, t...

The Traveller . Wow, what a book! Reading it has rekindled my dream of visiting all 54 countries in Africa. Through this masterpiece, Bro @ThebeIkalafeng has shown me that it’s not just a fantasy: it’s possible, it’s doable. And so, I'm putting it out into the universe! What I've learned from this book is that every African country has its own soul, its own rhythm, its own story. I want to experience it all: the different cultures, the food that tells a people’s history, and the strangers that become friends. I want to sit around fires listening to stories, dance to drums and collect lifetime memories that no money can buy. My vision is to criss-cross Africa in every way possible: by bus, by taxi, by train, by plane, even by boat. To keep this dream alive, I now need to get my hands on the following books: Boipelo Tladinyane Hlubi’s A Safari Back to Self: Backpacking 54 Countries in Africa , and Sihle Khumalo’s Dark Continent, My Black Arse . Bro Tee’s book is a powerful remin...

Nobuhle Nkabane The nonchalant, borderline disrespectful conduct of Higher Education & Training Minister Dr Nobuhle Nkabane left a sour taste in the mouths of many South Africans. Her refusal to account to the people, during her appearance before parliament's portfolio committee on higher education, was a slap in the face to transparency. Her behaviour echoed the infamous antics of former president Jacob Zuma, who, like Nkabane, regularly dodged accountability with smirks, giggles, and evasive responses. I'm not exaggerating: Watch this short clip of Zuma in parliament if you need a reminder. For those unfamiliar with the drama surrounding Nkabane, here’s a quick refresher: She recently caused an uproar by appointing politically connected individuals to chair Sector Education and Training Authority (Seta) boards. The backlash was swift, with parties like the DA and EFF slamming the decision, especially since the appointees included Buyambo Mantashe, son of ANC heavyweight  ...

BY PHUTI MPYANE It could be argued that growing up during the dark period of apartheid, black youngsters wouldn’t be expected to have a keen interest in motorsport, yet this was largely a falsehood. Soccer, which I happened to be adept at, was the expected norm. As a grown up adult on the cusp of hitting the big Five-Oh, I recognise that maybe I was cut from a different cloth from my peers, and my own Father hadn’t recognised this. For instance, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates rang true and hard in my peer and other circles yet, there I was as a 10 year old, circa 1985, and a big fan of Moroka Swallows. Many young boys in those days can trace their football allegiances to a Father, Uncle or peers in general. Mine has no origins to some level. My Father was not a soccer fan, and neither were most of my immediate male relatives. Memorable influences were a Swallows player who gave me the first glimpse of a ‘Bicycle Kick.’ The team’s Burgundy kit, perhaps, too, which I would later don f...