Latest news with #SharpevilleMassacre
The Citizen
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
Steenhuisen's chief of staff Roman Cabanac's contract terminated
Cabanac's appointment last year was met with outrage and dissatisfaction from South Africans who accused him of racism. Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen's controversial chief of staff Roman Cabanac's contract has reportedly been terminated. Cabanac made the announcement in a social media post on Thursday. 'I received a letter that terminates my tenure as chief of staff to the minister of agriculture. I received it yesterday, which was my birthday, so fantastic timing. 'I believe there are a few flaws with the termination letter, so I will be looking at options going forward, Cabanac said. Alleged racism Cabanac's appointment last year was met with outrage and dissatisfaction from South Africans who accused him of racism. The Capitalist Party of South Africa member had previously tweeted that black people are not liberals. 'If you want to be a liberal party, it cannot be black-led,' he said, in reaction to Build One South Africa (Bosa) leader Mmusi Maimane's explanation in his book on why he left the DA. He also allegedly called black people 'Bantu people' and questioned the validity of the Sharpeville Massacre. WATCH: Roman Cabanac speaking about his termination My contract as chief of staff to the minister of agriculture has been terminated. Update: — Roman Cabanac (@RomanCabanac) June 4, 2025 ALSO READ: ANC labels Steenhuisen a hypocrite for appointing 'personal acquaintances' Pressure Pressure was mounting on Steenhuisen to reconsider his decision to appoint this controversial podcaster as a chief of staff, but he defended the appointment, saying Cabanac held the required qualifications as he had an LLB and had experience. In September last year, Steenhuisen admitted that he had made a mistake in the appointment. 'We don't always get it right. We never will,' the DA leader said during his appearance at the Cape Town Press Club. Steeping aside Steenhuisen at the time confirmed that human resource processes were underway and that he had asked Cabanac to step down. 'Frankly, I found it far too distracting from the work of my ministry and our government that he is the news story rather than the work of the department. I have asked him, therefore, whether he would consider stepping aside'. The minister added that he takes full responsibility for the appointment. NOW READ: 'There is doubt in Trump's head about genocide in SA,' Ramaphosa says [VIDEO]
The South African
14-05-2025
- Politics
- The South African
6 times South African refugees sought asylum abroad
As Trump's 49 South African refugees make headlines globally, we recap the history of asylum seekers. Owing to the country's cruel apartheid history and systematic discrimination, more South African refugees have been forced into asylum in the last seven decades than many care to remember. The first wave of South African refugees came about due to apartheid policies of 1948 that steadily increased institutionalised racial segregation. However, a turning point was the Sharpeville Massacre of 1960, in which 69 peaceful protesters were killed by police. Black South Africans and white anti-apartheid sympathisers truly feared for their lives … The anti-apartheid movement gained momentum all over the world, and asylum seekers were duly welcomed in throughout UK, Europe and Africa. Image: File According to records, between 1960 and 1990, roughly 40 000 South African refugees sought political asylum. These were predominantly black South African refugees fleeing racial persecution to Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Zimbabwe. Tanzania and Zambia emerged as a significant destination for South African refugees in this 30-year period. Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere established dedicated settlements and provided educational opportunities. Likewise, thousands of African National Congress (ANC) members, and members of other liberation movements, setup operational bases in Zambia. The nature of pre- and post-apartheid asylum seekers could not be more different. Image: File At the other end of the spectrum, the United Kingdom took in an estimated 15 000 South African refugees in the same three-decade period. This included political exiles, activists, journalists, and academics who faced imprisonment due to their anti-apartheid stance. Similarly, Sweden distinguished itself by welcoming as many as 3 000 South African refugees during the 1970s and 1980s. In turn, the Swedes provided comprehensive support for asylum seekers. This included language training, housing assistance, and educational scholarships. The current crop of Afrikaner refugees is making headlines. But Canada welcomed in as many back in 2018, citing farm attacks. Image: AFP Concurrently, the United States accepted approximately 6 000 South African refugees during apartheid. However, while asylum seekers cited political persecution based on opposition to racial segregation, this occurred primarily through specialised academic scholarships. 4. POST-APARTHEID MOVEMENT Following the dismantling of apartheid in the 1990s, the nature of South African refugees shifted dramatically. Many whites feared returning ANC exiles from Africa, now in power, would exact violent vengeance. As such, apartheid sympathisers left the country citing economic instability and rising crime rates. As such, it's believed as many as 3 000 South Africans sought a new life in Australia after the end of Apartheid. Leading to South African strongholds in the likes of Perth and other cities. However, the Australian government did not process these applications as refugees. Instead, it followed standard immigration channels but with higher scrutiny. White Afrikaner refugees are welcomed into the US this week. It is unknown how the US government will fund their asylum stay. Image: AFP Then, in 2018, the Canadian government made headlines by accepting approximately 50 South African refugees. These were 12 farming families who claimed persecution based on targeted farm attacks in their homeland. This controversial decision blindsided the South African government and had officials decrying that such attacks occurred or constituted persecution. 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.
IOL News
04-05-2025
- General
- IOL News
Present Day Chokeholds and how young people are fighting back
Unemployed graduates South Africa has a huge unemployment crisis, with over 45,6% of young people between the ages of 18-35 without formal employment, says the writer. Image: Phill Magakoe AFP Last month, we commemorated Human Rights Day by honouring the loss of life which occurred during the Sharpeville Massacre. This momentous day forces us to reckon with the sacrifices made by the many fallen soldiers who laid their lives down for the liberation of the oppressed. Years later, the generation of today is drawing strength from the courageous acts made by these stalwarts and breaking free from present-day chokeholds that continue to constrict the economic emancipation and true freedom of young people. The liberators from the apartheid era might have laid their lives on the ground for liberation for all, while their efforts and bravery were not in vain, young black people under the democratic dispensation continue to suffer new forms of oppression. South Africa has a huge unemployment crisis, with over 45,6% of young people between the ages of 18-35 without formal employment. In my community, the scourge of unemployment is widely visible. Young college graduates wander in the streets with hopes of securing jobs and making a living for themselves, still they are faced with an exclusionary system that continues to lock them out of economic opportunities. Even when some continue to study further, many end up becoming victims of a life of addiction simply to remedy their inescapable conditions. Mass unemployment and the widening inequality gap have led to mental health decline and a loss of hope and dignity for many. Unemployment: Pass laws are gone, but new systems suffocate us today! Youth unemployment sits at 40%, a stat that's not just numbers but locked doors for millions. In my township, Tsakane in Ekurhuleni, young people with matric certificates, with college diplomas and University degrees, are collecting dust instead of paychecks. This has led many young people to fall into depression as they no longer see the importance of obtaining higher education qualifications because of having no opportunities, even when they went to school and furthered their studies. Nyaope addiction is turning brothers into ghosts and families into wrecks, with no clear solutions to assist their loved ones to break free from this addiction, says the writer. Image: Supplied Addiction: Then there's Nyaope, this demon's hooks sink deeper every day, turning brothers into ghosts and families into wrecks, with no clear solutions to assist their loved ones to break free from this addiction. This has led to an innumerable number of our peers to end up thieving just so they can sell what they stole just so that they can feed their addiction. Inequality: a child in Sandton's got a strong Wi-Fi connection and tutors, and they are more advantageous to make it well in education, when compared to a child in Alexander, who is just metres away from Sandton. These aren't just challenges, they're chokeholds, squeezing life out of our generation. Leadership: We are not waiting to be rescued; we make it happen Activators understand that present-day issues such as inequality and unemployment will not be remedied by an uncaring government that has failed to prioritise them; instead, the onus is on them to band together to rise above these chokeholds. Last week, I came across a youth group from Duduza who turned a social media group into a job-sharing board that offers services to revamp CVs. While this action may seem small, it is one of the many ways in which young people are making opportunities widely accessible for those without access. Waiting for something to miraculously happen for you is not an option, not in 2025. Action is the solution right now, and it's in your hands. Young people have to understand that they have ample power at their disposal and nothing will be handed to them on a silver platter until they get up and adopt a can-do attitude. The theme of the South African Rugby national team (the Springboks) was 'Stronger together,' we can learn from this, the Springboks as a team is comprised of different players who play in different positions and each of them contributes effectively in the positions they are placed in on their line-up, no player has single-handedly made them win the World cup tournament, they played as a team, not as individuals, and that's what made the Springboks be. This demonstrates that it takes a team to come up with strong and practical solutions. Link up! It could be with like-minded youth entities or individuals, and as a collective or as a network, you will thrive, you will identify problems, and together you can take steps to find solutions and tackle the socio-economic challenges you've identified. Our efforts as young people shouldn't end on Human Rights Day; they should occur daily. Image: Leon Muller / Independent Newspapers Archives
Forbes
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
The Bully Or The Collaborative: How Will You Show Up?
The Bully of the Collaborative We are living through the bully's era. Taylor Swift, where are you to fix it? Certain politicians threaten openly. A pocket of CEOs has begun to lead through intimidation. Fear seems to fill the headlines daily. Don't even bother scrolling on social media. But if we put things into context, maybe there is a lesson. While the bullies may be currently having their time in the limelight, history tells us they often lose late. But only if something else happens: collaboration. Collaboration rarely makes news, but it always shapes history. Collaboration isn't a headline; it's that 'thing' taught in those leadership courses. But in those leadership courses—even the ones I teach—I often ask a simple question: 'How will you show up?' We all possess a choice. We can show up wanting to rule by force or lead through acts of collaboration. We can be selfish or selfless. One is temporary; the other endures. Let's look back into the history books to uncover a few examples. In 1930, during the Salt March, Mahatma Gandhi didn't throw a punch during his fight against British colonial rule. Instead, he threw salt into an empire's wounds. Britain had guns and jails and beer and gobs of money. They had it all. Instead of resorting to violence, Gandhi encouraged thousands of people to walk 240 miles from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi, enduring beatings and refusing revenge along the trek. The British responded and arrested Gandhi and over 60,000 people. Did the bullies wind up winning? No, it galvanized international support for Indian independence. Gandhi's strategy of collective and collaborative unity, rather than aggression, effectively dismantled British dominance. In the end, the Salt March's global impact was momentous. In 1930, Gandhi was named Time Magazine's 'Man of the Year,' and the notoriety helped to pressure the British government to reconsider its policies in India. In 1947, India happily gained independence from the British Empire. Another example is Nelson Mandela's leadership against the bullies of South Africa's apartheid regime. Mandela's collaborative strength and ability to rally further reinforces this maxim. Apartheid was ruled through brutal segregation and systemic oppression in South Africa when the National Party came to power in 1948. Throughout its tenure, the regime was heavily armed, violent, and ruthless in its pursuit and maintenance of rule. The regime's brutality was evident in incidents such as the 1960 Sharpeville Massacre, where 69 unarmed protesters were killed by police, which, like in Gandhi's Salt March, marked a turning point in international condemnation. Mandela mobilized diverse communities from across the country, unifying people through the principles of equality and human dignity. His ability to collaborate across racial, political, and economic divisions ultimately transformed South Africa. Even after 27 years in prison, Mandela was able to counter his bullies with patience, forgiveness, and artful negotiation. It's not perfect in South Africa these days, of course, but Mandela's collaborative vision overcame the entrenched bullying of apartheid and set a country on a better path than its inglorious past. Or how about in the early 1980s when Poland's Solidarity Movement took shape? Facing oppressive Soviet-backed authorities, Polish workers—led by Lech Wałęsa, an electrician from the Gdańsk shipyards—inspired a vast coalition that stood firmly against intimidation. Wałęsa was an ordinary worker, not a general, yet he organized labor strikes and other deterrents through his exquisite collaboration efforts. Through small moments of collaboration between workers, the Solidarity Movement became something to behold. In just over a year, the initiative boasted roughly 10 million members, representing the majority of Poland's workforce. Wałęsa's efforts—and those he inspired—created a collective resilience that eventually forced systemic change. Despite having to go underground for about a decade to evade the Soviet regime, the movement continued, and by 1989, it was strong enough to participate in Round Table Talks. Those talks led to semi-free elections where Solidarity candidates won a landslide victory. It marked the beginning of Poland's transition to democracy and replaced authoritarianism with democratic freedom. Bullying eventually failed in this example because the collective courage of Polish workers refused to yield to the tyrant dictators of the Soviet-backed oppressors. Similarly, Martin Luther King Jr.'s leadership during the Civil Rights Movement highlighted the effectiveness of his collaborative genius. Segregationists were often seen employing acts of violence, threats, and institutional racism to suppress and hurt African Americans. King's leadership, however, unified millions across America through peaceful protests, marches, and eloquent advocacy. One of the most iconic moments in history occurred in 1963 during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It's where King delivered one of the world's greatest speeches ever, 'I Have a Dream.' It happened with a crowd of 250,000 people in attendance. It was televised. Talk about collaboration. Shortly thereafter, the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 occurred. These were history-altering victories against the bullies. The Acts outlawed racial segregation in public accommodations while eliminating barriers to voting for African Americans. While informative, the examples of Gandhi, Mandela, Wałęsa, and King are also sublime collaboration exemplars against their bullies. They themselves chose not to be bullies, yet in the face of bullies, they collaborated with others to eventually achieve a better and more positive outcome. In these rather tumultuous, indecent, and integrity-eroding times, the question arises: how will you show up? By being the bully or employing the collaborative?
