The Rise of Instant Karma: Navigating Racism and Accountability in South Africa's Digital Age
Image: Picture: David Ritchie/ Independent Newspapers
I DO NOT know who needs to hear this, but from where I am sitting, observing what goes on in the world I have reached a conclusion that we have entered a timeline of instant karma.
Gone are the days where people could say or do whatever they wanted with impunity and get away with it.
Issues such as racism, apartheid denialism, and accountability are reshaping our public discourse in the digital age and now, more than ever we need to practice not just extreme caution against misinformation, but oversight as well, especially on unregulated platforms where the basic principles of journalism do not apply.
In the unpredictable world of South African politics and culture, the past few months have underscored the intricate and often troubling relationship between social media and public discourse.
From the growing notoriety of podcasts to the dangerous rhetoric they can propagate, it has become abundantly clear that these platforms are now at the forefront of a societal reckoning, one that is marred by racism, cancel culture, and, arguably most insidiously, the denial of the apartheid past.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Next
Stay
Close ✕
Ad loading
The Podcast and Chill crew finds itself embroiled in controversy, facing a R2-million lawsuit after making disparaging comments regarding beloved TV personality Minnie Dlamini.
The ensuing fallout led to the cancellation of their show on DSTV, a mere snapshot of the broader tumult that has gripped the podcasting landscape.
Similarly, the attracted ire from parts of the South African 'coloured' community after their comments labelled coloured individuals as 'incestuous' and 'crazy'.
This prompted Gayton McKenzie, leader of the Patriotic Alliance, to demand accountability and action against such inflammatory statements.
However, McKenzie also faces backlash himself for alleged offensive remarks of his own, highlighting the deep-rooted issues that often taint the conversation around race in South Africa.
The airwaves are further rattled by the recent pronouncements of businessman Rob Hersov, who, in a UK podcast, made inflammatory claims about black people, dismissing them as 'barbaric' and suggesting that historical figures like King Shaka and Nelson Mandela were not the hero figures often celebrated in South African history.
Such remarks, claiming Mandela was a 'terrorist' and downplaying the complex narrative of apartheid, have raised alarm. Yet, it's not merely the offensive nature of these comments that is alarming, it is the potential for their wide-reaching impact.
The dark underbelly of apartheid denialism raises urgent questions about the narratives being shared on global platforms.
Denialism itself manifests through a variety of tactics, including minimising the impact of apartheid, romanticising the past, and downplaying the suffering of those affected.
South Africa faces significant risks if the stories of heritage are distorted or neglected. As a nation, the willingness to engage with these narratives critically has never been more essential.
The fabric of our society can unravel if we allow poisonous, outdated and outlandish views to warp the truths of our shared history.
Instead of perpetuating divisive stereotypes and engaging in blanket condemnations, the discourse should target issues that matter such as poverty, violence, and the complex consequences of apartheid that continue to permeate throughout communities of all racial backgrounds.
Also, what I find more alarming is the potential return to ignorance when it comes to the historical realities of apartheid, which leaves younger generations robbed of the whole truth and the real story.
Recollections need to honour the struggles and injustices faced, acknowledging the generational traumas resulting from colonial oppression.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
an hour ago
- The Citizen
Hlabisa is a lesson on getting things done behind chaos
While the GNU continues to be chaotic, Cogta Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa has kept calm and done the unthinkable. The GNU presents a laugh a day. In the last month, Andrew Whitfield got axed, setting an awkward precedent for President Cyril Ramaphosa's defence chief. While bus drivers are taking their own lives, having not been paid since January, a dialogue is on the go that increasingly seems to be evolving into a monologue. Gayton McKenzie has been doing his thing, whatever that might be on the day, and team DA is patting themselves on the back for outsourcing state work to the banks. And we all applauded it, such is our disdain of home affairs. Oh, and the ministers appointed to fix load shedding were busted doing what we already knew they were doing; burning diesel as ferociously as Christians burned Beatles albums. Amid all the chaos and lack of time to consider which connected cadre should feast on which deal, some real good has been done; Transnet even seems to be on the rise, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi's revelations are promising to unlock some gems and South Africa's economic kingpin, Thabo Mbeki, has finally found some guts to start saying some things. Amid the chaos, some things are improving The weather is perfect for sowing the seeds of ideas that may be great for the country and good for the fiscus, even if they aren't politically popular. In a country where a small minority are being squeezed for funding, it's difficult to make financially prudent decisions. But since that money isn't getting to the people it's supposed to, it makes it somewhat easier. Add to that the warring internal factions and it shouldn't be surprising that as the castle of patronage comes down, a couple of things can be improved with the resources. A minister who seemingly gets this and has largely kept a calm demeanor throughout the GNU is Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Velenkosini Hlabisa. During lockdown, we learned just how much power Cogta has and Hlabisa has been wielding it pretty impressively. ALSO READ: IFP reaffirms GNU role, slams NPA and urges reforms within justice system Halbisa takes on municipal functionality On natural disaster management, he's done the unthinkable in South African terms; enhancing the implementation of a 10-year-old framework. It shouldn't be impressive, but since we tend to have a kink of jumping from one policy to the next, doubling down and anchoring a belief in a policy's execution is quite a brave and functional thing. When last have you heard a minister insistent on implementing the plan of a predecessor and making it work? Hlabisa genuinely seems to want to do what's good for the people and when it comes to preventing them from dying, that's quite nice. I'm not sure if it's because nobody knows how to get in his way or whether it's just not profitable to impose themselves on him, the minister has been given some room to manoeuvre and it appears he knows this. It shouldn't be surprising that he's taken on what is probably going to be the most difficult reform of this administration; municipal functionality. Ten years ago, you wouldn't dream of anybody in Jacob Zuma's cabinet thinking of claiming that the national government is bloated, let alone municipalities. ALSO READ: Cogta warns municipalities against wasting R1.2 billion disaster relief Now, the minister is having a right go at the state of municipal affairs and fairly so. It's not like John Steenhuisen is going to criticise anybody's literacy because it will come off poorly, but the way Hlabisa puts it makes it pragmatic in the eyes of the public. 'You can't monitor billions if you can't read,' he said. Why on earth we're even in a position where he's got to say that is beyond me, but thank goodness somebody has finally said it. What's most exciting about this shake up is that it's clearly a long term investment and he's set milestones allowing him to take his time on the matter. It shows a degree of seriousness rather than politricking and perhaps we don't see the results in his lifetime. It feels so good to hear a minister commit themselves to a long term solution to an issue that nobody has really tried to address in 30 years. There's a saying about great men planting trees and I really hope this one grows. We could do with the shade. READ NEXT: Almost 40 municipalities facing sanctions from Treasury over mismanagement
IOL News
2 hours ago
- IOL News
SA Falls Prey to US Playbook on Human Rights, Regime Change
A worker checks the first copy of "The Star", the biggest and most respected South African daily, hot from the printing press on May 02, 1994 in Johannesburg, South Africa, as it headlines Nelson Mandela as next president of the country following the ANC victory in the first all-race elections. Thirty years of governance have taken their toll on the ANC. This vulnerability created the ideal conditions for a regime change strategy to advance, says the writer. Image: AFP Dr. Reneva Fourie The pattern is well-worn. Regardless of the issue or the president in power, if a country refuses to toe the Washington line, accusations of human rights abuses become the weapon of choice. Cuba and Venezuela were targeted primarily because of their economic policies, which diverged from the model preferred by Washington. Iran and China were labelled for achieving successes that rivalled or surpassed Western capabilities. Now the target is South Africa. The offence is that the country dared to take Israel to the International Court of Justice and lay bare evidence of genocidal acts. When pressure failed to deter the government from this principled course, the United States released a plethora of destabilising interventions, the most recent being a report alleging that the human rights situation in South Africa had worsened significantly. In the past, millions accepted the official story told about countries placed on Washington's list of offenders. They defended sanctions that crippled economies and harmed civilians. Those who challenged the propaganda were branded as conspiracy theorists or apologists for despots. South Africans are now watching this process unfold in real time. Narratives are created and disseminated through a system of media, think tanks, and lobbying networks, until repetition renders them true. This is not a new phenomenon. Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman's Manufacturing Consent detailed how media and political elites shape public perception to align with imperial interests. The same playbook is being used against South Africa. The US government, alongside its allies in the corporate media and right-wing NGOs, is constructing a narrative of a 'failing state' to justify intervention. Several sources, including Dale McKinley's The ANC and the Liberation Struggle: A Critical Political Biography, indicate that the seeds of regime-change had been planted well before the democratic transition. Knowing that the fall of apartheid was imminent, and that the vast socio-economic disparities due to apartheid policies would compel some form of social protection, deliberate efforts were made to secure capital control of the economy and progressively erode the highly popular power of South Africa's liberation movement. Thirty years of governance have taken their toll on the ANC. Internal disputes, corruption scandals, and declining service delivery have eroded public trust. This vulnerability created the ideal conditions for a regime change strategy to advance. In the run-up to the 2024 general election, large sums were poured into a coordinated effort to remove the ANC from power. One significant step was a meeting held in Gdańsk, Poland, in 2023. Out of this gathering came plans for a political coalition to challenge the ANC, then known as the Moonshot Pact. The return of the Trump administration to power in the United States gave impetus to the regime-change agenda. Backed strongly by the Zionist lobby, the administration re-established links with figures and groups rooted in the apartheid era. It embraced false claims promoted by AfriForum and Solidarity about state-sponsored genocide, land seizures, and restrictions on cultural rights. These are being weaponised to discredit progressive forces inside the South African government. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading The United States' 2024 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices in South Africa presents itself as objective but is a work of distortion. It accuses the government of complicity in extra-judicial killings, repression of free expression, and antisemitism. It claims the state had failed to take credible action against officials responsible for human rights abuses and included allegations of inflammatory racial rhetoric and violence against racial minorities. The Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation rejected the report outright. It described it as inaccurate and deeply flawed, and said it ignored the reality of South Africa's constitutional democracy. Despite this, Solidarity announced plans to travel to the United States in September. Its stated purpose is to propose ways for Washington and other foreign actors to improve human rights in South Africa. There is no moral or political justification for such an appeal. The United States is a country that fails to address its own deep racial and economic inequalities and that has fuelled human rights abuses globally through war, sanctions, and covert operations. South Africa already has the National Dialogue, which provides a platform for honest discussion and collective problem-solving. Solidarity's actions are treasonous. They seek to restore the racial hierarchy of the past and place South Africa under a form of minority rule that would guarantee elite privilege. What Solidarity and its allies may not realise is that they are not the architects of this agenda but the instruments of it. The real prize for Washington and its corporate backers is a government that will embrace neoliberal policies without question. That role fits the Democratic Alliance perfectly. The United States is becoming more open in its regime change tactics, confident that the same methods used in Latin America, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe can work in Southern Africa. It is aggressively forging ahead to undermine South Africa's ability to determine its policies, protect its resources, and shape its future free from foreign control. The answer is not to retreat into denial or partisanship. It is to recognise that the struggle for sovereignty is a shared one. External actors can exploit the divisions that exist within South African society unless they are addressed honestly and directly. That is why the National Dialogue process is critical. It provides a forum where competing visions can be debated without the interference of those whose only interest is to control outcomes for their gain. South Africa has faced powerful adversaries before. The defeat of apartheid was not a gift. It was the result of unity, sacrifice, and a refusal to accept the idea that the powerful always win. The same spirit is needed now. We need to be united on the principle that the people of South Africa, and no one else, must decide the country's future. If South Africans adhere to that principle, the current campaign of manipulation and pressure will fail, just as previous attempts to crush the people's will have failed. * Dr Reneva Fourie is a policy analyst specialising in governance, development, and security. ** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL, Independent Media or The African.
The Citizen
15 hours ago
- The Citizen
The SACP comes to General Maphwanya's rescue after criticism for controversial foreign policy comments
South Africa has been criticised for its unclear foreign policy of non-alignment. The South African Communist Party (SACP) has come to the defence of South Africa's army chief, General Rudzana Maphwanya. This comes after the government distanced itself from controversial comments made by Mphwanya during his recent trip to Iran. Maphwananya came under fire for suggesting that South Africa and Iran have common goals. He also criticised Israel for its actions in the ongoing war in Gaza. In a statement on Saturday the SACP said there was nothing wrong with the comments Maphwanya made. 'The SANDF chief's comments in Iran regarding political and policy questions reportedly included South Africa's adopted and correctly articulated policy positions on Palestine.' it said. 'This reflects South Africa's international relations and cooperation policy, including solidarity.' The SACP believes that the government seems to be punishing Maphwanya for his comments. 'The government and the Presidency in particular, appears to have begun to act to isolate and punish the chief of the military for the alleged contravention of military code regarding political statements and policy statements made during the trip. 'This action is not an objective act of correcting the defence conduct of a soldier but is a political capitulation to Western-aligned imperialist, right-wing pressure directly influenced by the imperialists' political interests.' South Africa's foreign policy dilemma The SACP accused the South African government of mixed messages concerning its foreign policy. 'It clearly appears that the government is being cajoled to project itself as pro-West and anti-Iran.' Will action be taken against Maphwanya The party also said Maphwanya's comments should not be compared to the actions of DA MP Andrew Whitfield who went to the US on an unapproved trip during his time as deputy minister of trade, industry and competition. President Cyril Ramaphosa subsequently removed Whitfield as the deputy minister. 'This comparison is incorrect, as Maphwanya's visit took place within the framework of military regulations with the full knowledge of the Minister of Defence whereas Whitfield's visit was unauthorised. 'The SACP rejects the impending acts of isolation and scapegoating of Maphwanya to appease Western imperialist forces and their domestic agents. compromising South Africa's sovereign right to formulate and implement its own foreign policy, including on defence cooperation.' The party said any actions by the government towards Maphwanya as military chief must be based on strengthening the country's military institutions and their capabilities. 'The SACP rejects any attempt at dictating which nations South Africa may have bilateral relations with, including defence, trade and investment. 'We will defend our country's right to build relations based on mutual respect, equality and solidarity, free from the dictatorship of Washington, Brussels or their local political surrogates.' ALSO READ: Ministries distance themselves from SANDF chief's comments in Iran Tensions with the U.S The SACP's remarks come as South Africa is on a mission to reset relations with the US. The Trump administration has also slapped South Africa with a 30% tariff on exports. Relations with the US have been strained since the spreading of misinformation by some civic organisations. NOW READ: Ramaphosa unaware of 'ill-advised' Iran trip by SANDF chief – Magwenya
