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Politico
2 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
Zohran Mamdani takes family trip to Uganda
Mamdani, who was born and raised in Kampala, is a dual citizen of Uganda and the U.S., according to The New York Times . His father's side of the family belongs to a community of East Africans that have lived in the region for generations and are originally from the Indian state of Gujarat. After Uganda, Mamdani moved with his family to South Africa and then finally to New York at the age of seven. Mamdani said he would be back in the city by the end of the month. He was legally married to his wife Rama Duwaji in New York City in February. The two also celebrated their marriage in Dubai in December. The mayoral nominee's announcement of the overseas trip comes after the candidate told voters, 'I would stay in New York City' when he was asked in the first primary debate what his first international trip would be as mayor. 'My plans are to address New Yorkers across the five boroughs and focus on that,' Mamdani said. He was one of the only candidates on the stage to say he would not visit Israel as mayor. He has also said he wasn't sure if Israel would allow him entry given his history of supporting an economic boycott of the country in response to its treatment of Palestinians. Mamdani identifies as Ugandan and was naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2018. One right-leaning House Republican has called for an investigation into his naturalization proceedings, and President Donald Trump said earlier this month that he would look into whether Mamdani is 'here illegally.' In the video, the Democratic mayoral nominee sarcastically described the trip as a response to xenophobic comments on social media telling him to 'go back to Africa.' 'Being a politician means listening, not just to your supporters, but your critics, too,' Mamdani says in the video. 'And some of these critics, especially on a certain website, have been giving me consistent advice.'
TimesLIVE
13-07-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Banyana need a point to be sure against Mali, but might be safe with a defeat
Caf competitions use the head-to-head results in matches between sides level on points as the first level of criteria. If South Africa lose and Ghana beat Tanzania, Mali would end in first and Banyana and the Black Queens would be level on four points. Banyana beat Ghana 2-0 in their opener so would progress on the head-to-head rule. If Banyana lose and Tanzania beat Ghana, the East Africans (who have a -1 goal difference and drew 1-1 against South Africa) would have to win by four clear goals against the Black Queens to proceed. Article 71.1 of the competition regulations states if teams end level on points the side that progresses will be decided by: The greatest number of points obtained in the match between the two teams concerned; The goal difference in all group matches; The greatest number of goals scored in all group matches; A drawing of lots conducted by the organising committee. If Banyana lose against Mali and Tanzania win by three clear goals against Ghana, South Africa and Tanzania would be on the same goal difference (+2). In that event goals scored would count and Tanzania, presently on one, would be likely to go above South Africa's present three (which could change depending on the losing scoreline against Mali), and should progress. All of which is a somewhat complicated way of saying South Africa should get a point or better to make sure against Mali, though seem relatively safe even in the event of a defeat.
The Sun
10-07-2025
- The Sun
I saw French cops turn up an HOUR after migrant ‘hop-on service' set sail – deal with Macron is too little too late
HOPELESS French cops arrived an hour after a group of migrants waved au revoir from a packed dinghy and headed to Britain yesterday. Around 50 young East African men wearing life jackets were crammed into the inflatable which set sail near Dunkirk around 5.30am yesterday. 6 6 6 One put two fingers up in a Churchill-esque V for victory as the black vessel returned to shore a few miles down the coast at Gravelines. The migrant 'taxi boat' bobbed along in near-perfect sea conditions while waiting to pick up any stragglers who had spent the night sleeping in the sand dunes. But it powered off into the sunrise over the Channel without any new passengers before French search and rescue vessel Ridens escorted them to Border Force. An hour later, police arrived in a 4x4, with four hapless cops seen with their hands on their heads looking out to sea from the dunes. One joked around with his baton as colleagues laughed shortly after missing the crossing which made a mockery of the Government's immigration deal with France to crack down on illegals reaching the UK. The Sun found abandoned life jackets, discarded coats and shoes, punctured PVC dinghies and fuel cans left on the beach where the boat is believed to have left from. A second group of around 20 migrants simultaneously grounded their vessel in the canal, running inland through Gravelines before they could reach the Channel. They abandoned ship around 5.30am to evade the authorities but many got stuck in the estuary as they waded through thick waist-high mud. 'Children can get stepped on or squashed' One was heard yelling 'I'm dying, I'm dying' as cops and firefighters came to their rescue by pulling them to safety with ladders and ropes. Shocked locals watched as machinery was used to winch the inflatable out of the foul-smelling waters around 1pm. Starmer & Macron unveil 'aggressive' one in, one out deal to RETURN small boat migrants to France At least 200 migrants were believed to have arrived in the UK yesterday. Border Force vessels Hurricane, Ranger and Typhoon were all involved in rescuing people, including women and children. It came on the final day of President Emmanuel Macron's visit to the UK to thrash out details of a new policy aimed at stopping the boats. Just 50 migrants a week are expected to be returned during a trial period — with PM Sir Keir Starmer admitting a deterrent is needed after axing the Tories' scheme to relocate asylum seekers to Rwanda. At least 250 migrants were believed to have arrived in Dover on three boats before Macron and Starmer announced their 'aggressive' policy It was initially hoped the new agreement would be a 'one in, one out deal' — but 17 migrants will enter Britain illegally for every one returned to France, amounting to just 2,600 booted out each year. At least 250 migrants were believed to have arrived in Dove r on three boats before Macron and Starmer announced their 'aggressive' policy. Crossings continue to soar despite Britain giving £771million of taxpayer funding to the French since 2018 and £ 480million in the past three years. Smugglers have adapted to avoid law enforcement by learning local canal systems and loading boats with people inland instead of on beaches. They now operate a hop-on service by picking up passengers who lift sluice gates along the winding route before zooming into the Channel. Boats are almost full by the time they reach open water — leaving powerless cops unable to slash them with knives like they can when on shore. They are also launching from more secluded and wider beaches which are not used as regularly. On Wednesday evening, migrants cleared out of their camp in Loon-Plage and caught buses to hotspots ahead of their early hours crossings. Dozens were prepared to risk their lives in budget orange life jackets bought from superstore Decathlon. The French sports shop near Dunkirk sells a variety of buoyancy aids for as little as £14. Migrants were observed queuing among locals to pay for them in full knowledge of why they were being purchased. Osman, a migrant from Turkey, said: 'The smugglers don't care about our protection so it's on us to try to make sure we don't die. 'Sometimes the smugglers will give us cheap life jackets which are so bad. They act like sponges and soak up water which will only help you sink and drown.' Sales of kayaks and dinghies which may be used to cross the Channel were previously banned but locals are now allowed to buy them by showing ID cards. Other small boat passengers desperate for safety have even carried blow-up rubber rings designed for kids playing in the waves. Armed police are fighting a rise in IRA-style kneecap shootings carried out there by criminal people smugglers using scare tactics to spread fear and threaten rivals The Sun can reveal greedy people smugglers are dangerously cramming more Channel migrants into small boats than ever before. An average of 64 people made the journey in each unsuitable dinghy in June — the first time the monthly number has surpassed 60 per boat. So far this year, each vessel has averaged around 58 people — up 41 per cent from when the figure stood at 41 in 2022. 6 6 Experts fear it will lead to more mass tragedies as evil human traffickers only focus on lining their pockets with bumper profits. Increasing overcrowding also causes huge problems for Border Force, who can only carry a total of 95 people on board their rescue vessels. Lucy Moreton, ISU trade union officer representing Border Force staff, warned they may need to ask for help on busy days. She said: 'We can take maybe one or two loads of people before we need to offload — whereas before it was three or four. 'On busy days this could mean relying on other agencies such as the coastguard or the RNLI. 'Saving lives at sea is what they do, so they would come and assist us — but it causes big problems for them. 'The other thing overcrowding does is put the vulnerable at risk — children can get squashed or stepped on. 'Unstable boats make getting people off them more difficult, and overcrowded boats are more unstable. 'There is always a risk of death, but we do what we can to prevent it. 'I think the smugglers do it because they can get away with it and profit from it.' 'Gun violence is getting worse every day' Hundreds of migrants live in the Loon-Plage tents which have been gripped by warfare this week as Kurdish, Somalian and Afghan gangs battle for control. Armed police are fighting a rise in IRA-style kneecap shootings carried out there by criminal people smugglers using scare tactics to spread fear and threaten rivals. The punishment, involving firing bullets into the middle of the leg to cause extreme pain and even disability, is used to settle scores and territorial gangland feuds. Some also punish migrants who try to organise their own voyages or board boats without paying — but victims are almost always too scared to ID the gunmen. Migrants had claimed any return deal between France and the UK would only drive them to make the dangerous 21-mile journey sooner before it is implemented A senior French cop said: 'The gun violence is getting worse every day. 'We're used to gang fights with knives, but now guns are becoming more and more common. 'We're dealing with extremely dangerous people – ones who think nothing of wounding through the worst non-lethal attacks.' An Iraqi-Kurdish migrant was rushed to hospital after being shot four times in one leg and once in the other shortly after 3pm on Tuesday. The 44-year-old was rushed to hospital in Dunkirk where he remained last night in a condition described as 'serious by not life-threatening'. Another man required a tourniquet after being shot in the knee on Wednesday at the camp used as a 'feeding station' by aid charities handing out food and water. Dunkirk's judicial police are investigating both incidents, according to the local prosecutor's office. Gabriel, 17, from war-torn South Sudan, said: 'It's not safe for us here. The people-smuggling Mafia are shooting innocent people in the forest. I will do anything to get out.' Last month, two Iranians died after being shot while a Sudanese baby was also injured. Anthony Quenson, a 38-year-old public service worker, hears gunshots reverberate around his house on the doorstep of the Loon-Plage camp. The Frenchman said: 'Macron is doing nothing about the migrants and it is getting out of control. It feels very dangerous to live here now. 'The authorities here don't do anything to sort this problem out.' Migrants had claimed any return deal between France and the UK would only drive them to make the dangerous 21-mile journey sooner before it is implemented. Khalif, a 19-year-old Somalian who had been unsuccessful in crossing five times due to onboard motor issues, paid £1,200 euros to try again yesterday. He said: 'I'm not worried about Macron trying to make a deal and will keep trying. In France they don't help us but in England they look after us. All I want is a better life than here.' Somalian refugee Ibrahim, 32, added: 'Politicians may try to stop us but we will go anyway for our safety. 'Macron is the problem. He makes us feel unwelcome as we have nothing here, unlike in England.' Yesterday's small boats were the first successful crossings since 517 migrants arrived in eight dinghies on Friday. Another window of opportunity this morning could see hundreds more capitalise on 5mph wind gusts to make the treacherous trip across the Dover Strait. More than 21,000 migrants have arrived in over 350 boats so far in 2025 which is a record for this point of the year, according to official Government stats. 6
TimesLIVE
30-06-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
The thing around your neck: how do youth throw off the leash?
Pali Lehohla and Nomvula Mabuza of IDS compare young South Africans with their Kenyan counterparts as the East Africans confront a cannibalistic state By Pali Lehohla and Nomvula Mabuza engage in deliberative polemics of a country silenced in what historian Martin Legassick characterises as the dissolution-preservation dichotomy and uncover the classical apartheid management framework that has fossilised in our current and like cancer survives by devouring its host. When you get asked a million dollar question, what do you do? Obviously you answer. But suddenly the discourse uncovers more than you sought to answer. A relevant concerns Kenya and South Africa, which represent two settler colonial experiences, and an unfolding crisis of existence, one with deep apartheid structures, the other cutting not as deep. To try to answer, the immediate obvious is about the necessary intervention that government has put in place to avert cannibalism as explicated in the Indlulamithi Scenarios as a Vulture State. This perhaps is what the national dialogue should be about. But necessary as it is, the intervention tends to be a palliative consisting of grants and the like. In Kenya the assistive government system is far lower than in South Africa. This to an extent exposes the youth of Kenya to the immediacy of their challenge, whereas in South Africa that immediacy is muted by R350 per month and an apartheid infrastructure that has kept the native populations hidden far from power centres. These centres of power, by being occupied by populations largely from the continent, Asia and South Africa's middle class, act as a buffer relative to the in-your-face experiences of Kenya. So here is the metaphor for the situation represented by a dog and a hyena that meet one day. The hyena admires the fur of the dog. Asking the dog why when times are so tough, the dog's fur is so smooth and not scrubby like that of the hyena, the dog replies that its master feeds and takes care of it, and it even has a house. Impressed, the hyena wants to join the dog at its master's place, until it notices a ring around the neck that looks unnatural and where the fur has disappeared. The hyena asks the dog about the collar. The dog replies, master keeps me on a leash. That's it, the hyena says, no leash for me. Freedom is what I need. So it looks like the R350 and other programmes are these multiple leashes. The contemplative polemic buried in your question, Mabuza tells me, addresses the form and palliative nature of these multiple leashes that lull the nerves of the youth who often sit heads in their hands, eyes fixated on an empty future. And, she adds, each of your columns seek to undo the links of these chains. The deliberative polemic brought even more clarity as Mabuza began to plough into my metaphor: 'Your parable of the dog and the hyena so elegantly captures the psychological and structural trade-offs that we've normalised in South Africa: the appearance of care, comfort and protection masking a deeper restraint on agency, imagination and action. That collar — soft but constraining — is precisely what so many of our young people wear. Not visible, yet profoundly shaping posture, movement, and ultimately, destiny. 'What struck me most in your reply was the idea that the R350 and other social grants, while vital in a context of deep deprivation, have inadvertently become part of a broader architecture of containment. They soothe but do not solve. They stabilise but do not transform. And, as you rightly point out, they lull the nerves while futures remain locked behind structural bars. 'Your framing also challenged me to reflect more critically on what I've been trying to do through my columns. You've helped me see that what I am writing is not just analysis — it is an attempt to unhook the leash, one link at a time. Not to attack the dog or romanticise the hyena, but to ask a more fundamental question: what kind of freedom are we prepared to fight for, and what are we willing to give up to claim it?' This perhaps is what the national dialogue should be about. • Nomvula Mabuza is a risk governance and compliance specialist with extensive experience in strategic risk and industrial operations and an MBA candidate at Henley Business School • Dr Pali Lehohla is a Professor of Practice at the University of Johannesburg, a Research Associate at Oxford University, a board member of Institute for Economic Justice at Wits and a distinguished Alumni of the University of Ghana. He is the former Statistician-General of South Africa
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Tortured' Ugandan activist dumped at border following arrest in Tanzania
A Ugandan human rights activist, arrested in Tanzania after travelling to the country to support an opposition politician at a trial for treason, has been tortured and dumped at the border, according to an NGO. Ugandan rights group Agora Discourse said on Friday that activist and journalist Agather Atuhaire had been 'abandoned at the border by Tanzanian authorities' and showed signs of torture. The statement echoes reports regarding a Kenyan activist detained at the same time and released a day earlier, and supports complaints of a crackdown on democracy across East Africa. Atuhaire had travelled to Tanzania alongside Kenyan anticorruption campaigner Boniface Mwangi to support opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who appeared in court on Monday. Both were arrested shortly after the hearing and held incommunicado. Tanzanian police had initially told local rights groups that the pair would be deported by air. However, Mwangi was discovered on Thursday on a roadside in northern Tanzania near the Kenyan border. Agora Discourse said it was 'relieved to inform the public that Agather has been found'. However, the rights group's cofounder Jim Spire Ssentongo confirmed to the AFP news agency on Friday that there were 'indications of torture'. Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been accused of increasing authoritarianism, amid rising concerns regarding democracy across East Africa. Activists travelling to Lissu's trail accused Tanzania of 'collaborating' with Kenya and Uganda in their 'total erosion of democratic principles'. Several high-profile political arrests have highlighted the rights record of Hassan, who plans to seek re-election in October. The Tanzanian leader has said that her government is committed to respecting human rights. However, she warned earlier this week that foreign activists would not be tolerated in the country as Lissu appeared in court. 'Do not allow ill-mannered individuals from other countries to cross the line here,' Hassan instructed security services. Several activists from Kenya, including a former justice minister, said they were denied entry to Tanzania as they tried to travel to attend the trial. Following his return to the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, Mwangi said that he and Atuhaire had suffered a brutal experience. 'We were both treated worse than dogs, chained, blindfolded and underwent a very gruesome torture,' he told reporters. 'The Government of Tanzania cannot hide behind national sovereignty to justify committing serious crimes and human rights violations against its own citizens and other East Africans,' the International Commission of Jurists in Kenya said in a statement.
