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IOL News
a day ago
- Politics
- IOL News
The disillusionment of South Africa's youth: a 31-year reflection on democracy
The writer shows the ink on his thumb after having voted. Image: Supplied Youth Month in South Africa prompts a critical examination of the political and economic realities faced by the youth today, highlighting disillusionment, unemployment, and the urgent need for reform writes NIKIEL MOODLEY YOUTH Month (June) in South Africa, is a time to commemorate the courageous students of 1976 who stood up against an oppressive regime. Their fight, most vividly captured in the tragic yet galvanising Soweto Uprising, was not just about language policy but about systemic injustice, inequality, and a yearning for dignity and opportunity. 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. 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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. Next Stay Close ✕ Fast forward to 2025, we are now 31-years into a democratic dispensation. But the question worth asking is: where are we now - politically and economically as youth of a democratic South Africa? It's a question that demands uncomfortable honesty. The political landscape: a crisis of trust In 1994, political freedom was the defining achievement of our time. Millions queued to vote, inspired by the dream of a Rainbow Nation. Our Constitution became a global model for inclusivity, human rights, and reconciliation. Yet for many young South Africans born into democracy, often referred to as 'born frees', political promise feels distant, if not broken. Today, young people are disillusioned. Voter turnout among the youth is at record lows, and their distrust in political parties is rising. The 2024 general election was a historic turning point: the ANC lost its majority for the first time since 1994. This seismic shift was not only a repudiation of poor governance, but a loud cry from a generation that feels ignored, exploited, and left behind. For many young people, politics has become synonymous with corruption, nepotism, service delivery failures, and stagnant promises. The political space is saturated with recycled rhetoric and aging leadership that fails to represent or understand the modern realities facing youth. We have 20 year olds being governed by 70 year olds who built their political capital in a pre-digital, pre-globalised era. How can we expect policies that reflect innovation, inclusion, and urgency in such a system? However, this doesn't mean the youth are apathetic. Quite the opposite. Young people are engaged, just not in the traditional sense. They protest, they mobilise online, they campaign for climate justice, LGBTQIA+ rights, gender equality, and economic reform. But they are not voting in droves because they no longer believe that voting changes anything. That in itself is a dangerous sign of a democracy in decay. The economic reality: a generation in crisis If politically we are disillusioned, then economically we are devastated. Youth unemployment is arguably the most pressing issue in post-apartheid South Africa. The expanded definition of youth unemployment places the figure above 60%, an astonishing statistic that points to a national emergency. Imagine a room of ten young people, and six of them have no formal work. This is not a temporary recession or cyclical downturn, it is a structural crisis. The implications are profound: a generation that cannot find work cannot build wealth, cannot afford housing, cannot support families, and cannot contribute meaningfully to the economy. The result? Rising dependency on already overburdened family members, growing mental health challenges, and in many cases, migration abroad, the so-called brain drain. Many young South Africans are incredibly talented, educated, and driven. Yet, they are being asked to survive in an economic environment marked by load shedding, rising inflation, deteriorating public services, and an education system that too often fails to equip them for the future of work. Despite their efforts, they are told to 'hustle,' to become entrepreneurs in an economy with little to no access to funding, mentorship, or safety nets. We have created an environment where success is the exception, not the norm. Youth disengagement or structural exclusion? One of the most frustrating narratives that gets pushed during Youth Month is that young people are 'lazy' or 'entitled.' This is not only insulting, it's false. The youth of today are more educated than any generation before them, more connected through digital platforms, and more aware of global trends. But opportunity is not a function of willpower alone; it is shaped by access, resources, and systemic support. When the doors to higher education remain unaffordable, despite #FeesMustFall; when internships are unpaid or only available to the well-connected; when starting a business is tangled in bureaucracy and black economic empowerment policies are manipulated by elites. Then we must ask whether our system is designed for the success of the few, rather than the many. Where to from here? So, where are we now, 31 years into democracy? Politically, we are in a state of flux, potentially a rebirth, potentially a regression. Economically, we are standing on shaky ground, with young people bearing the brunt of a system that has failed to evolve fast enough. Yet, despite this bleakness, I remain hopeful. The youth of this country have not given up. They are building new political movements, creating alternative media, driving social enterprises, and innovating in ways that challenge traditional structures. The rise of youth led civic tech, fintech, and activism shows that we are not idle, we are just not waiting for permission anymore. However, this hope needs more than words, it needs policy. We need a government that prioritises youth employment, vocational training, digital transformation, and mental health. We need public private partnerships that genuinely invest in young talent, not just through glossy campaigns but through tangible, funded programmes. We need education reform that starts in primary school and prepares learners not just to pass exams, but to solve problems, think critically, and adapt to change. And we, the youth, must continue holding those in power accountable. We must demand equity, not charity. Representation, not tokenism. Transformation, not slogans. Youth Month cannot be reduced to hashtags, photo ops, or recycled speeches. It must be a mirror held up to our country's conscience. We owe it to the brave youth of 1976 and the generations yet to come to ensure that 31 years of democracy means more than just the right to vote. It must mean the right to thrive. Our future is not a privilege. It is a promise. And it's time we start demanding its fulfilment. Nikiel Moodle Image: Supplied
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Naive to think Australia won't bring up Kagiso Rabada's positive drug test: Daryll Cullinan before WTC final
South Africa have a long history of failing at the crucial and final hurdles. But the Rainbow Nation will hope for the tide to turn when the Proteas step out at the Lord's Cricket Ground for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia on Wednesday. Pat Cummins and co are the hot favourites for the contest but if there was any year for teams to break their title drought, it is 2025. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) winning their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) winning the Champions League for the first time, and Crystal Palace winning their first major trophy in 120 years all give South Africa reason to believe. The Temba Bavuma-led team was the first team to seal their qualification for the WTC final. The side achieved the feat after beating Pakistan in the Centurion Test in December 2024. Critics have argued that South Africa had an easier path to the WTC final as compared to the other teams, but one cannot complain as the Proteas reaching the final of a major Test championship makes for a good story. Ahead of the WTC final between Australia and South Africa, all eyes are on the latter's maverick pacer Kagiso Rabada, who recently made headlines after testing positive for a recreational drug. Rabada served a one-month suspension and is now back playing competitive cricket. One needs to see whether the ever-so-chirpy Australia try to get under the skin of Rabada by bringing up his positive drug Test. Hindustan Times spoke to former South Africa batter Daryll Cullinan regarding the WTC final and whether he sees Bavuma and co mounting a challenge. He also advised Rabada to have a thick skin as he expects teams to have a crack at Rabada by mentioning his recent drug Test. Excerpts: South Africa's chances are good, just as Australia's chances are good. Neither side is coming off a good bit of Test cricket, so that will leave them in terms of Test cricket preparation not at the levels in terms of the game and the mental side of things. We have to consider the weather. It is pretty early in the English season, so we need to see what sort of wicket is going to be prepared. Either side can win it. I don't think either side is the favourite. Whoever plays the better cricket over 4-5 days and wins key moments with the ball and bat will come out as the winner. Unfortunately, Rabada is going to deal with, for the rest of his career, comments being made relating to off-the-field matters, not only on the field but also by spectators. Only he can deal with it. The best would be just to take wickets. That'll settle that side of things too, but I think it'd be naive to think that comments won't be made and his attention brought to it, but it's going to be something that he's going to have to live with for the rest of his career, even if he's taking wickets. But that's something that he has to face. I think he'll be fine with it, but I don't think any cricketer or person would like to be in a working environment, be reminded about your indiscretions, so he's going to have to live with it. As I said, good performances will go a long way to putting that to bed, but as long as he's playing cricket, he'll always be reminded of it. To be honest with you, in terms of Bavuma, I've never really watched enough cricket. Just to be able to judge him as a captain, I don't think he's a bad captain. I don't think he'll go down in this cricket as a great captain. He's certainly not a bad one. And I do think he has the players' support. And he's consistently been the number-one South African batter for quite a while now. So he warrants his place. He deserves his place. And I don't think he's shown himself to be a bad captain. So I think right now he's doing nicely as long as he's getting runs, like all captains. There are better captains when they are getting runs. It just takes the pressure off them and they can be more bold and confident as leaders. But if I had to sum it up, I think he's done a very good job for South Africa and I think he'll continue to do a good job. I think he's a smart guy. He relies on what's around him and will be the first to recognise that he needs that help. So I think from a leadership style and qualities, he's doing a good job. As long as South Africa play cricket, the chokers title will come up. I am not too sure whether it will apply too much necessarily in this aspect. If they don't win, it will be thrown at them again. How they deal with it, the best way is to win trophies and put that tag to rest. The key players for me would be South Africa's pace attack. I think both teams have good pace attacks. South Africa have good variation, both left and right arm. They have a real consistent spinner in Keshav Maharaj. Ultimately, South Africa's strength is in their pace attack.
Mail & Guardian
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Mail & Guardian
Romania recognises Africa's essential role
President Cyril Ramaphosa and Romania's ambassador to South Africa, Monica-Cecilia Sitaru. (DIRCO/X) Please share some of your highlights as a diplomat and in your personal capacity since arriving in South Africa. I was impressed by the meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa on the occasion of presenting my credentials, and the meetings I had with the South African officials at all levels. The warm way in which I was received by the South African authorities at the local/regional level and by the people in the rural area left a positive and long-lasting mark on me. From personal experience, it is the outstanding natural beauty of South Africa; the jacaranda season in Pretoria, where the trees flourish with a deep purple colour. I have to mention the beautiful fauna and flora of South Africa, represented through the King Protea, a flower of unique beauty, a beauty as diverse and as powerfully moving as the Rainbow Nation in which it resides. It has been impossible not to be impressed by South Africa's strong sense of unity, when it comes to rugby, a sport which is celebrated with a pride hard to fully transmit in mere simple words. Please provide some background on the relationship between Romania and South Africa. Official relations were established in 1990 at the consular level and then upgraded to diplomatic level in 1991. Since the opening of the first Romanian mission in South Africa, there have been many achievements at the diplomatic level, visits at all levels, including at the level of the president and prime minister, very good cooperation in various fields, but also extremely valuable people-to-people programmes, including at the sportive and educational level, cultural, but also in medicine, which created a beautiful bond between the citizens of the two states, between young people, between athletes, between inspirational cultures. But even before the opening of the first Romanian diplomatic mission, during 1960s, 70s and 80s Romania actively supported the liberation movement in South Africa, sponsoring or co-sponsoring a number of resolutions at the United Nations and other international fora and was among the first countries to praise the abolition of the apartheid regime and to re-establish diplomatic relations with the new South Africa. Romania adopted the National Strategy for Africa, titled Romania – Africa: Partnership for the Future Through Peace, Development and Education. How have you implemented this in South Africa? Due to the strong ties with African continent in the past, in November 2023 Romania launched a new Strategy for Africa, designed to revive the country's relations with African continent and strengthen cooperation with African states in education, peace and security, economic cooperation and agriculture. The document recognises the essential role of the African continent in shaping global trends in the 21st century. Elements such as Africa's demography and resources or the role of African states in the United Nations are duly recognised, as well as in major global debates on the impact of climate change, ensuring peace, security and development, the fight against terrorism, etc. The strategy aims to restore Romania's relations with Africa, starting from the existence of a promising basis for collaboration, as well as a potential in various fields. The document details the defining elements of Romania's profile in Africa, with the aim of outlining a specific role for our country in relation to the African continent, starting from the significant capital of sympathy that Romania benefits from in Africa. The document reflects our engagement to support Africa in a spirit of pragmatic, honest and balanced cooperation between equal partners. We want to make this a turning point in our political and strategic approach towards Africa and South Africa ranks among our top priorities. We attach great importance to the economic dimension of our cooperation. South Africa is Romania's most important commercial partner in sub-Saharan Africa and also the most important sub-Saharan African investor in the Romanian economy. We are committed to stepping up our involvement in our value-added fields, such as food safety and agriculture, education and training, security and protection, IT and cybersecurity, emergencies and disaster management. Since your tenure began in South Africa you have given special focus to the assistance programme for township and rural schools. In 2023 the Romanian embassy in Pretoria launched the assistance programme for township and rural schools. In the past two years, eight schools received electronics and IT equipment as well as learning and teaching materials, in Gauteng, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. In total, 7 742 students have benefited of these programme in the educational domain, which is part of the Official Development Assistance for South Africa and is financed by the Romanian government through Romanian Agency for International Development. Africa will remain a priority region for the period 2024-27. Therefore, starting with 2023, at least 17% of the Official Development Assistance of the ministry of foreign affairs funds will be allocated to Africa. The decision to involve our embassy in this initiative had the starting point also in the programme to help schools from disadvantaged backgrounds, deriving from the understanding that education is the only option for these children to have a chance at a better life. There is a big difference between rural and urban schools, with the former having far fewer opportunities. I visited several rural and township schools. I met and spoke to students, parents and teachers and I have tried to understand their needs, wishes and aspirations. This programme is a flagship and impactful initiative. Romania's commitment to South Africa's educational sector does not end with these donations. It will continue in the years to come and will strengthen the ties between Romania and South Africa. We believe that such kinds of projects are really useful for the South African learners and teachers as well as the local communities. It is also important to underline that to every event in which we supplied schools in rural areas and townships, present were the deputy minister and directors of the department of international relations and cooperation, MECs, the ministry of basic education, local authorities and ambassadors. I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation for their support. How many projects do you aim to complete while you are the ambassador? What has been your embassy's most promising programme? Together with my colleagues from the ministry of foreign affairs and the embassy, I want to carry out as many such projects in the field of education as possible because I am convinced they have and will have a very big impact in the education of these children in the future. This year we will exceed 10 schools that will receive assistance in the educational field. Also, we funded several knowledge transfer projects in the field of food safety and regulation, building media resilience to disinformation, diplomatic training and management of emergency situations where specialists from South Africa took part in our capacity-building programmes. Recently nine learners from disadvantaged communities were awarded scholarships to study in Romania… The scholarships granted this year by Romania to many African states are circumscribed by Romania's Strategy for Africa as well as the achievement of its objectives, South Africa being a priority state. The students studying at present in Romania are from Eastern Cape and these scholarships are a continuation of the rural school programme that started in 2023. The scholarships cover enrolment and tuition fees, monthly scholarship allowance, accomodation in student dormitories, access to the student canteens and local transport facilities — in accordance with the conditions offered to Romanian students. I have also good news about the first recipients of the Romanian scholarships. Despite only being in Romania for almost three months, the nine scholarship holders have immersed themselves in the local culture and communities of Brasov and Sibiu. One of the student finds joy in sharing her origins with curious locals and embracing the diversity at a small church services in Sibiu. Another student excels in the cultural and language programme, particularly shining in his presentations in the Romanian language. The culinary delights of Romania have also been appreciated. Overall, the students have been welcomed by the Romanian people and universities. And what demonstrates Romania's commitment to Africa, South Africa in particular, is that this 2025-26 academic year we will continue granting scholarships and equipping schools in rural areas and townships. How do you describe Romania as a travel destination, what are some of the major attractions and do South Africans require a visa? Romania is a country, like South Africa, of unique beauty, hard to capture in images or words. From the crowded yet lively streets of Bucharest and the historic and natural beauty of Transylvania to the quiet, peaceful wonders of the Danube Delta, Romania is a country embellished with natural wonders that impress all those who visit it. I come from a country with a diverse amount of architectural beauty, such as the traditional monasteries in Moldova and Bucovina, but also the Parliament Palace in the capital, and the Presidential Residence, Cotroceni Palace. Areas such as the Transfagarsan and Transalpina Highway, Prahova Valley resorts and the many castles were crafted hundred years ago. We would be keen and happy to welcome more South African tourists in our beautiful country. Concerning a visa, on 1 January 2025 Romania became a full Schengen member state. The Romanian authorities have been issuing full Schengen visas since that date. The maximum duration of authorised stay in the territory of the states in the Schengen area for third-country nationals, regardless of whether they have the obligation to hold a visa or are exempt from a such obligation, cannot exceed 90 days during any 180-day period, regardless of the type of passport held. This includes South Africans, who require a visa to enter the Schengen area. The ministry of foreign affairs of Romania has operationalised the eViza electronic portal, The long-stay visa requires a different procedure. What would you like South Africans to know about Romania? I think it is essential that the world knows that after a communist regime of totalitarianism, after a brutal revolution, Romania has learned from its past, and has thrived since it become not only a democratic country, but also a respected country, as well as a member of both Nato and the European Union, which has had an important influence on Romania's political stance and development. I also believe that people should know more about Romania's rich culture, natural beauty, friendly citizens and standard of living.
The South African
29-04-2025
- Politics
- The South African
South Africa should be charging, not charfing, war criminal Zelensky
While it made for endearing, virtue-signalling, political theatre, Volodymyr Zelensky's meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa last week was a well-intentioned waste of time, money and state resources and a lost opportunity. Know what we should've done instead..? Rather than welcome him, with open Rainbow Nation arms, our government should've arrested the illegitimate, self-appointed, de facto Ukrainian 'president' Zelensky the moment his corrupt, c*kehead, Banderite Nazi a** touched down on beloved, sacred, S'African soil. Then, instead of entertaining and treating him to Zulu sushi and koeksisters, we should've charged him with corruption, treason, Nazism and genocidal war crimes against humanity – particularly his own people – and threatening the planet with a third (possibly nuclear) world war. Once charged, he should then be dragged off to the Hague, ICJ or ICC for prosecution. Or at least handed over to the Russian Embassy. Could we legally do any of that…? While the SA government's mediation attempts to consider 'both sides' are laudable, they should be politically and legally consistent. The ANC bravely brought charges of genocide against the Zionist, psychopathic, apartheid regime of Israel – and for good reason. But, if you're going to hold Israel to account, the same should apply to Zelensky and his corrupt, drug-addled, suicidal Nazis in Kyiv for provoking and prolonging this conflict. Here are just a few reasons to arrest, charge and prosecute Zelensky and his regime for war crimes… Lest we forget, soon after the Ukraine conflict broke out in late February 2022 (when Russia launched its SMO to de-Nazify and demilitarise Ukraine), a peace deal was on the table, negotiated in Turkey between Russia and Ukraine in April. It was called the Istanbul Accords. That treaty officially ended the Ukraine conflict, and Zelensky initialled it. All that remained was for it to be signed and ratified by both parties. But that never happened. Instead, at the behest of US/NATO, the mass-murdering, warmongering, war criminal, ex-British PM Boris Johnson made a surprise visit to Kyiv in late April and pressured President Volodymyr Zelensky to cut off peace negotiations with Russia. Johnson convinced Zelensky to renege on the treaty – with the promise of support, funding and weapons from the West – and NATO membership (which, so far, has not happened and probably never will). Boris Johnson scuttled peace, right there, and Zelensky went along with it. That decision…between those two men…would end up unnecessarily costing more than a million Russian and Ukrainian people their lives. Zelensky later denied that any such agreement had been reached in Istanbul and stated no deal had been signed. But then…in June 2023, at a meeting with African leaders in St Petersburg, that pesky, pedantic, nitpicking Putin went and did a contrary thing. In a room full of the press and African delegates – including Cyril Ramaphosa, he pulled out a signed draft of the Istanbul agreement and held it up for the world to see. He accused Kyiv of throwing the peace deal into the 'garbage of history'. Proving, right there, that Zelensky, NATO's patsy…is a warmongering liar. Remember, Zelensky ran for office on the campaign promise he would end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Instead, he ramped it all the way up to a full-blown war. On 18 March, President Putin shocked the world and stunned his critics when, after a phone call with President Donald Trump, he made an extraordinary and totally unexpected decision. He agreed to Trump's proposal of a 30-day ceasefire on Ukrainian energy infrastructure and immediately instructed his military to implement that directive. Kyiv agreed to reciprocate. Practically the same day the ceasefire was agreed to, 19 March, Ukraine began violating it, and repeatedly violated it dozens of times over the next month. According to Russia's Ministry of Defence, since the truce was agreed upon, Kyiv has carried out countless strikes on numerous Russian energy facilities including oil pipelines and pumps, gas metering stations, power lines and substations. The Russian ministry said these repeated premeditated provocations by Kyiv were aimed at derailing the US president's peace initiative. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated at a press conference that 'Ukraine's constant continued attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure proves that Kiev clearly does not want peace.' One of the more recent energy ceasefire violations by Ukraine was over the Easter weekend on Saturday 19 April when, according to the Russian MOD, Kyiv reportedly launched ten strikes within 24 hours, targeting energy facilities in Belgorod, Bryansk, Donetsk and Kherson. Despite yet another ceasefire violation from Ukraine, on that same Saturday, President Putin, once again, went and did the totally unexpected… Over the Easter weekend, on Saturday 19 April, Putin announced a temporary 30-hour Easter pause in hostilities with Ukraine. Commencing at 18:00 Moscow time on Saturday and ending midnight on 21 April, Easter Monday. Putin expressed hope that Kyiv would demonstrate goodwill and adhere to the ceasefire. 'Ukraine's reaction to the ceasefire would be a clear indicator of whether Kiev is sincerely willing to engage in negotiations to end the conflict,' he said. The Russian DefenCe Ministry called on Kyiv to reciprocate, stating: 'The ceasefire is being introduced for humanitarian purposes and will be mutually observed by the Russian Joint Group of Troops and the Kiev regime.' On Easter Sunday evening, 20 April, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced on Telegram that, predictably, Ukraine failed to uphold the 30-hour Easter ceasefire. She accused Kyiv of violating the truce with American HIMARS systems. On 21 April, Easter Monday, Russia's Defence Ministry reported Kyiv's forces had continued military operations throughout the 30-hour truce, logging approximately 4,900 violations during this period – including the deployment of short-range drones targeting areas outside the combat zone. At the close of Zelensky's visit to SA last Thursday (which he cut short after being told we won't be providing Ukraine with any weapons), Cyril Ramaphosa praised Zelensky for agreeing to an 'unconditional ceasefire' in the war with Russia. 'It is a good signal from President Zelensky that Ukraine is agreeable to an unconditional ceasefire so that discussions and negotiations can ensue,' Ramaphosa told reporters after talks with the Ukrainian leader. On 25 April, the day after Ramaphosa said that, the Kyiv regime killed a top Russian military general in a terrorist attack with a car bomb. Does any of this sound like Ukraine sincerely wants to end the war with Russia? Just before Kyiv's terrorist attack, Trump posted on his Truth Social that Zelensky is stalling peace in Ukraine. According to the South African Presidency, Ramaphosa and Zelensky were coming together to explore cooperation in trade, agriculture, and education. While continuing discussions on peace efforts related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Really…? There's just one problem. Zelensky's not in any position to negotiate anything. He's an illegitimate president. Any 'negotiations' our government has with Zelensky are redundant. Zelensky recently delayed elections, again, and extended his own illegitimate 'presidency' by prolonging martial law measures and general mobilisation in the country for another three months. Ukrainian (state-run) media reported that Zelensky would not extend his regime – but he did. The measures were set to expire on 9 May, but will now be extended to 6 August. Zelensky initially invoked martial law following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. Since then, he has extended the measure more than a dozen times and has cited it as the reason for not holding elections in the country. Officially, Zelensky's presidential term expired nearly one year ago, and Moscow has since repeatedly rejected his legitimacy as Ukraine's leader. Even Trump insisted that Zelensky has to hold elections at some stage. Trump was right about something else… When Trump blasted Zelensky in the White House in late February he told him, 'you don't have the cards right now'. In other words, Zelensky is not in any position to demand a goddamn thing. Like military analyst, former Marine Intell officer Scott Ritter recently said in an interview, 'Zelensky needs to shut up and sit down. He's done.' Because Russia's holding all the cards. Speaking of…back in late March 2022, barely a month into the Russian SMO, Scott Ritter said; 'Russia is holding on to so many cards right now, and when they start slapping them down they're gonna pick us apart at the seams.' Well, the Russians are slapping those cards down now, and most of them are non-negotiable – like the issue of returning Crimea to Ukraine. Not going to happen. Right now, as we speak, the real adults and chief negotiators in this saga are Trump and Putin – through their reps, Witkoff and Lavrov. The US and Russia are negotiating Ukraine's fate and future, nobody else. Not Zelensky. Not Europe. Not Ramaphosa. All Zelensky gets to do now is submit to whatever peace deal Trump and Putin agree on. By now, we've all seen numerous videos of Ukrainian military 'recruitment' officers dragging random, reluctant men off the streets and busses, and out of nightclubs and cafes, to be sent to the 'meatgrinder' frontline – without adequate training – as cannon fodder. Does that sound 'democratic' to you? That sound like respecting human rights and individual freedoms? Also, does that sound like an army on the verge of victory? Or rather, one on the verge of defeat and throwing everything but the kitchen sink at the conflict in final desperation? And why is Ukraine so desperate for cannon fodder..? Yes, you read that right. Western MSM has been telling you it's only a few hundred thousand Ukrainian soldiers killed and a few hundred thousand more Russians. That's a lie. More than one credible source, including and Consortium News, military analysts Col. Doug McGregor and Scott Ritter, and ex-CIA analysts Ray Mc Govern and Larry Johnson – to name a few – have claimed that more than a million Ukrainians have lost their lives to date in that conflict, and the Russians have lost around 90-100k. That's more than a million Ukrainians who, as we established upfront, never needed to die in the first place. If only Zelensky had ratified that treaty in Istanbul back in April 2022, instead of selling out his country and sacrificing his people…for personal wealth. Zelensky's culpability can perhaps best be summed up by a message Scott Ritter posted to former US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken in January this year: 'You are singularly responsible for the deaths of more than a million people as a result of a conflict you could have avoided but facilitated. You took us to the brink of nuclear war with Russia. You are a war criminal in every sense of the word. I hope you are investigated, charged, and found guilty of betraying your nation. And I hope you are given the justice you so richly deserve.' Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X , and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
29-04-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Together we can save the country
What good is political freedom if you do not have the economic freedom you need to build yourself a better life out of the hole of poverty? Nelson Mandela said that 'to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others'. It's something to ponder – for us as individual citizens … but even more so for the politicians who control our lives. On the 31st anniversary of the first democratic election in our country – the one which should have dispatched apartheid to the dustbin of history – the very word 'freedom' seems mocking in so many ways, to so many people. What good is political freedom? What good is political freedom, many would ask, if you do not have the economic freedom you need to build yourself a better life out of the hole of poverty? We need to be frank with ourselves when we think about that question. If much of our economy is still in the hands of whites, why is that the case? Why have successive ANC governments failed to bring about real transformation – and the sharing of South Africa's wealth? Is it because they have been too busy looting and ensuring the transfer of money from one corrupt elite to another? Why is it that race-based laws – and they are there, if not in the hundreds as claimed by some right-wingers – are still necessary? Is that not more an indictment of the ANC's failure at nation-building than the refusal of white people to become truly part of a non-racial society? What happened to that spirit of co-operation of the 'Rainbow Nation' years? Our story today – about a community in Pretoria coming together to restore water supplies to 15 000 households, with municipal workers offering their labour for free in a common cause – shows we can still work together. And we're going to have to work together – without the politicians if necessary – to save this country. NOW READ: Freedom Day: 'SA a free and sovereign country, not a province of US,' Mantashe says [VIDEOS]
