Charting African intellectuals between 1836 and 1914
Sanele Ntshingana is heading to Harvard University to participate in the Du Bois Research Institute Fellowship.
He's been recognised for his groundbreaking research into African political thinking between 1836 and 1914.
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The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Zim activist Duke Maplanka Atterbell criticises South Africa's treatment of foreign nationals
Hope Ntanzi | Published 18 hours ago Zimbabwean activist Duke Maplanka Atterbell says the South African government is complicit in systemic discrimination against foreign nationals and has failed to act in the face of escalating xenophobic violence and medical exclusion. In a formal letter dated 27 July 2025, addressed to President Cyril Ramaphosa, Minister of health, Minister of home affairs and the South African Human Rights Commission , Atterbell accused the state of both silence and active neglect, warning of formal complaints to African and international human rights bodies if urgent action is not taken. "I write this letter as both a concerned African citizen and a representative voice of thousands of foreign nationals, especially Zimbabweans, living in South Africa," Atterbell said. He described a worsening situation where 'foreign nationals are being chased out of hospitals, clinics, and even maternity wards. Others are beaten in the streets, publicly humiliated, or threatened by vigilantes emboldened by government silence.' His letter denounced what he calls a double standard in South Africa's global human rights stance, referencing Pretoria's condemnation of injustice abroad while allegedly turning a blind eye at home. 'How can South Africa claim the mantle of human rights defender abroad, while at home it presides over de facto ethnic cleansing through economic and medical exclusion? This hypocrisy is staggering,' he said. Atterbell warned that if no action is taken, he will escalate the matter by filing complaints with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and the South African Human Rights Commission. He also promised to engage in public advocacy and international media exposure. 'This is not governance, it is abandonment,' he wrote. 'This is not the South Africa that the continent stood behind during the anti-apartheid struggle. This is not Ubuntu.' Atterbell's appeal comes amid rising tensions in the country over undocumented migration, especially concerning access to jobs and healthcare. In March 2024, radio personality Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma launched March and March, a non-governmental organisation that actively campaigns against the employment and public healthcare access of undocumented foreign nationals in South Africa. What began in KwaZulu-Natal has now spread nationally, with March and March volunteers stationed at entrances of hospitals including Addington Hospital, RK Khan Hospital, and various Gateway Clinics across the province. The group screens patients before entry, turning away those unable to produce South African ID documents. 'We operate where the government has failed,' the group has said. While critics have labelled it a vigilante operation targeting vulnerable people, the organisation continues to draw strong support from South Africans who believe hospitals are being overrun by foreigners. Responding to Atterbell's letter, Ngobese-Zuma posted on Facebook: ' He is Zimbabwean and writes to OUR President and not HIS… Kshuthi ngampela they believe they are South African‼️ Kshuthi we owe them‼️ Kshuthi we must intensify our fight because mentally these ppl don't think that we are serious.'' (Translated : He is Zimbabwean and writes to OUR President and not HIS… Maybe, seriously, they believe they are South African! Maybe we owe them! Maybe we must intensify our fight because mentally these people don't think that we are serious.'') Atterbell was quick to respond addressing Ngobese-Zuma in defiant terms. 'When Dudula royalty thinks they can intimidate you,' he said, in reference to her association with nationalist movements. 'Jacinta Zinhle MaNgobese Zuma, let's get one thing straight. I am not here to bow before self-appointed foot soldiers of hate. ''I am an enigma, not because I hide, but because I refuse to allow you to spread your bitter view of patriotism unchecked. I am a fearless advocate for human rights, not because it's easy, but because people like you have made silence a weapon. And yes, I am a hater of bigotry — proudly, loudly, and unapologetically.' He continued, accusing Ngobese-Zuma of masking fear as nationalism: 'You walk around with your chest puffed out like you're some gatekeeper of South Africa's soul. But what you really are is a loud emblem of fear, disguised as pride. You lead mobs, I lead with conscience. You shout in mobs, I speak in truth. You weaponise suffering, I document it.' Addressing her direct challenge, Atterbell wrote: 'You asked, 'Who are you?' Let me answer clearly: I am the one your hate cannot reach and your intimidation cannot shake. ''I am the storm you didn't see coming, and the voice you'll wish you hadn't tried to silence. Because while you scream for borders, I fight for bridges. While you hunt the vulnerable, I summon accountability. And while you wave your flag with fury, I carry the Constitution with fire.' 'So no, MaNgobese. I won't be quiet. Not now. Not ever,'' said Atterbell. Atterbell, however, insists that the fight is not against South Africa, but for human dignity. 'If your government fails to act, history, and international law, will remember it not for its silence, but for its complicity.' [email protected] Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel. IOL News
IOL News
15 hours ago
- IOL News
Muzi Sikhakhane's 'Odyssey of Liberation': A Rebel Advocate's Journey
Muzi Sikhakhane's 'Odyssey of Liberation': A Rebel Advocate's Journey with Rev Dr Allan Boesak Image: Supplied He is a rebel with a cause, and he is drawing attention to struggles and prejudices that the previous and present generation of African lawyers are saddled with. Advocate Muzi Sikhakhane, a respected figure in the country's legal circles, shared profound insights into the experiences of black professionals, particularly in his field of trade, in the book that he penned. Sikhakhane's first book; Odyssey of Liberation: A Memoir of a Rebel Advocate, underwent its Durban launch on Friday at the Playhouse. Odyssey of Liberation: A Memoir of a Rebel Advocate, a book by advocate Muzi Sikhakhane Image: Supplied Rev Dr Allan Boesak, a well known prominent cleric, politician, and anti-apartheid activist wrote the book's foreword. The book was originally launched privately in Muldesdrift, Gauteng, in December 2024. A public launch of the book happened, also in Gauteng, in April, before last week's Durban showing. The book is a culmination of Sikhakhane's long-held ambition to narrate not only his journey but also the collective struggles of his fellow African brothers. At the core of his message lies the poignant reminder of the harsh judgments faced by black professionals, even by their own communities. "I have always wanted to chronicle my own history which is the history of most African people, the hardships they endured, the perpetual violence of poverty and the never-ending persecution they face in the land of their birth," Sikhakhane explained. This urgency to document their experiences stemmmed from the recognition that the adversity faced by black advocates is often exacerbated by societal biases. "Black advocates tend to be judged harshly for who their clients are, while their white counterparts never face such criticism," he noted, underscoring a critical imbalance that persisted within the legal framework. The advocate's narrative transcends personal experience; it serves as a mirror reflecting the broader societal bigotry rooted in pervasive white power. "In my story, I wanted to shine the light on the bigotry in our society," he remarked. Sikhakhane's work does not shy away from confronting uncomfortable truths, aiming to foster honest dialogue about the betrayal and disillusionment that has accompanied the African journey to independence. His decision to conduct multiple book launches was intentional, as he seeks to stimulate discussions centred around the future of African people. His new book aims to educate readers and initiate a constructive conversation on true liberation, a concept that he argued as being largely unfulfilled. "It's about mental emancipation and breaking the chains that tie African people to their own oppressors," he elaborated. Sikhakhane emphasised the importance of owning the narrative. "I do it on my own as I realise that mainstream media is engineered to avoid the discussion," he said, contending that it remained an extension of white control in the public dialogue. His work, standing apart from unusual media narratives, called for an awakening that challenged existing power dynamics. While the book was ultimately his, Sikhakhane acknowledged contributions from individuals like Professor Isaac Shai and his dedicated team. Their collaborative efforts in editing have enriched his narrative tapestry, allowing his voice to resonate more profoundly with readers. DAILY NEWS
Eyewitness News
16 hours ago
- Eyewitness News
Questions swell in Eswatini over five men deported from US
MBABANE - In the small African kingdom of Eswatini, the arrival of five men deported from the United States under Washington's aggressive anti-immigrant measures has sparked a rare wave of public dissent. The five, nationals of Vietnam, Laos, Yemen, Cuba and Jamaica, were flown to Eswatini's administrative capital of Mbabane on 16 July on a US military plane and incarcerated after US authorities labelled them "criminal illegal aliens". The US Department of Homeland Security said the men were convicted of violent crimes "so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back". The government of Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, has confirmed their presence. But spokesman Thabile Mdluli said they would not stay permanently, and "will be repatriated in due course to their different countries". That assurance, though, has not quelled a tide of questions and concerns that has risen within the kingdom about the operation. Civic and rights groups are wondering whether further deportees from the United States will arrive, and what rights the five men detained have. Public outrage at the lack of transparency led to 150 women protesting outside the US embassy in Mbabane on Friday. The protest, organised by the Eswatini Women's Movement, demanded the prisoners be returned to the United States and queried the legal basis Eswatini relied on to accept them. The five men are being held in the Matsapha Correctional Centre, 30 kilometres (20 miles) south of Mbabane. The facility, notorious for holding political prisoners and overcrowding, has been undergoing renovations and expansions since 2018, reportedly funded by the United States as part of a program covering all 14 of the country's penal centres. SOLITARY CONFINEMENT Sources within the penitentiary administration said the men were being held in solitary confinement in a high-security section of the facility, with their requests to make phone calls being denied. The sources said the men have access to medical care and the same meals as the thousand other inmates, as well as a toilet, shower and television in their cells. Prime Minister Russell Dlamini has dismissed calls by lawmakers and from other quarters for the secrecy surrounding the agreement with Washington to be lifted. "Not every decision or agreement is supposed to be publicly shared," he said. Eswatini is the second African country to receive such deportees from the United States, after South Sudan earlier this month accepted eight individuals. The situation has sparked concerns about the potential implications for Eswatini, a country already grappling with its own challenges under the absolute monarchy of King Mswati III. The 57-year-old ruler has been criticised for his lavish lifestyle and has faced accusations of human rights violations. US President Donald Trump has used the threat of high tariffs against other countries, such as Colombia, to coerce them to take in people deported from America. Eswatini is currently facing a baseline US tariff of 10 percent - less than the 30 percent levelled at neighbouring South Africa - which the government has said will negatively impact the economy. Trump has directed federal agencies to work hard on his campaign promise to expel millions of undocumented migrants from the United States. His government has turned to so-called third-country deportations in cases where the home nations of some of those targeted for removal refuse to accept them. Rights experts have warned the US deportations risk breaking international law by sending people to nations where they face the risk of torture, abduction and other abuses.
