🔅 Will the ANC's Rainbow Fade?
Israel's Covert War, and Senegalese Veterans' Bittersweet Victory.
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South Africa's Election Showdown: Will the ANC's Rainbow Fade?
South Africans are flocking to the polls in what's being called the country's most important election in 30 years. The African National Congress (ANC), the party that led South Africa out of apartheid's brutal grip in 1994, is facing a serious threat to its three-decade dominance.
South Africa may be Africa's most advanced economy, but it's also home to some of the world's deepest socio economic problems. With half of the country's 62 million people estimated to be living in poverty and a 32% unemployment rate, the lingering inequality is fueling a new generation of discontent.
The ANC, which once promised to end these issues, is now the target of their frustration.
If the ANC loses its majority in Parliament for the first time, South Africa could be in uncharted territory. The party might have to form a coalition to stay in government and keep President Cyril Ramaphosa in power for a second term. This has never happened before, and it could be a game-changer for the young democracy.
The opposition to the ANC is fierce, but it's also fragmented.
The two biggest opposition parties, the Democratic Alliance and the Economic Freedom Fighters, aren't expected to increase their vote enough to overtake the ANC. However, disgruntled South Africans are moving to an array of new opposition parties, with more than 50 contesting the national election.
One wild card is the MK Party, led by former President Jacob Zuma, who has turned against his former ANC allies.
While the ANC is confident in retaining its majority, the election will showcase the country's contradictions. From the economic hub of Johannesburg to the picturesque tourist destination of Cape Town, South Africa is a far better place than it was under apartheid. But as time goes on, fewer people remember that era, and this election might give voice to a younger generation who weren't born when apartheid fell.
South Africa is a diverse, multiracial country with 12 official languages. Nelson Mandela, the country's first Black president, referred to it as a "Rainbow Nation." But with the emergence of many new opposition parties, that rainbow might now be reflected in its politics.
Israel’s Nine-Year ‘War’ on the ICC Exposed: Spying, Hacking, and Intimidation
In an intriguing exposé, an investigation by the Guardian, +972 Magazine, and Local Call has revealed how Israel waged a nearly decade-long covert campaign against the International Criminal Court (ICC). This secret “war” involved surveillance, hacking, and alleged threats aimed at derailing the ICC’s inquiries into alleged war crimes by Israeli and Hamas leaders. Central to this narrative is Fatou Bensouda, the former ICC chief prosecutor, who faced significant harassment and intimidation.
The covert operations included intercepting communications of senior ICC officials, including both Bensouda and her successor, Karim Khan. Israeli intelligence agencies, with direct oversight from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, captured phone calls, emails, and documents, providing advance knowledge of the ICC’s intentions. Netanyahu’s fixation on the ICC was evident, as intelligence gathered was shared with various government ministries to thwart potential legal actions against Israeli leaders.
Bensouda’s tenure, beginning in 2012, was particularly tumultuous.
In 2021, she initiated the ICC’s investigation into the situation in Palestine, a move that significantly escalated Israeli counter-efforts. Notably, a covert operation against Bensouda was orchestrated by Yossi Cohen, then director of Mossad and a close ally of Netanyahu. This operation included personal threats and a sophisticated smear campaign, involving an attempt to discredit Bensouda through compromised information about her family.
Despite these efforts, Bensouda persisted. She reported her encounters with Cohen to ICC officials, emphasizing the personal threats she received. This exposé also highlighted the Trump administration’s collaboration with Israel, imposing sanctions on ICC officials, including Bensouda, in a bid to impede the court’s work.
Khan, Bensouda’s successor, inherited this politically charged investigation. Although initially deprioritized, the inquiry into alleged war crimes in the Gaza conflict gained momentum, especially after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
If you want to learn more on this intriguing case, visit this link.
Senegalese Veterans Score a Bittersweet Victory Against French Bureaucracy
In long-overdue justice, nine Senegalese veterans, aged 85 to 96, are finally heading home to their families after years (and in some cases, decades) of being stuck in France.
Why, you ask?
Because until recently, these brave soldiers who fought for their colonial master in wars spanning the 20th century were forced to live in France for half the year or risk losing their hard-earned pensions.
In January, the French government had a sudden change of heart and decided to drop the residency requirement. Now, these veterans can return to Senegal for good and still receive their monthly allowance of 950 euros.
The French state even promised to cover the cost of their flights and moving expenses, which is the least, really.
The Fight for Recognition
The Association for the Memory and History of Senegalese Infantrymen, led by the formidable Aissata Seck, has been campaigning for the rights of these veterans for over a decade.
When Seck first met these former infantrymen, many were living in deplorable conditions, stuck in tiny hostel rooms far from their families. And it wasn't even until 2017 that they were finally granted French nationality.
While the government's decision to lift the residency requirement is a step in the right direction, it comes too late for some veterans who are now too frail to make the journey home. All have suffered great personal loss due to the six-month rule, with many stuck in France as they lost loved ones back home.
As these veterans prepare to board their flights to Senegal, there's a sense of bittersweet victory in the air. These men gave their youth to France, fighting in the Indochina and Algerian wars, losing countless friends and loved ones along the way.
They've had to endure years of separation, all for the sake of a pension that was rightfully theirs.
Food for Thought
“When the shepherd comes home in peace, the milk is sweet."
— Ethiopian Proverb