None of this makes sense

Facts around the narrative don’t add up

The saying “South Africans are resilient!” is frequently used.

“Resilient” means that South Africa is unstoppable. What makes South Africans that? Because Ramaphosa had travelled to America to “beg” for aid and financial gain, wasn’t it South Africa’s president who was made the laughing stock of the world by the entertainer of the day, the great clown of modern American and European politics, Donald Trump?

What’s resilient in South Africa is unemployment, inequality, and poverty –the “triple challenges” – instead of being addressed decisively.

But this is nothing compared to what this country has become: a nation that openly embraces all that is contrary to the Bible while dismissing everything that the God of the Bible invested in and developed leading up to 1994. In fact, all of the glory you see today is the result of the blessings of our forefathers and mothers, who prayed, fasted, and declared good for future generations while it was still dark and gloomy.

Then came these “struggle stalwarts” full of foreign spirits and imbued with Western deception about “freedom and democracy”, who dismissed God from their governance and imposed a secular constitution that promotes sin. So, what are the results? Relying on a return to “our roots” and unresolved tribalism, the demonic spirit of xenophobia resurrects long-­forgotten witchcraft and a vacuous moral compass.

Despite the prevalence of immorality at home, South Africans assert their moral superiority on a global scale. Prophets are silenced by the unyielding media, which drives the masses to ruin. By putting self-interest ahead of the truth, the South African media contribute to the country’s evils and misery.

By living sensuously while claiming spiritual insight, journalists who pose as “self-proclaimed” spiritual authorities deceive both political handlers and the uninformed. | Khotso KD Moleko (Mr) Mangaung

The hollow promise of ‘never again’

Brinkmanship is on display across the world as unstable leaders flaunt their military power. Innocent civilians are trapped in the crossfire as belligerence replaces diplomacy and genocide becomes a weapon of war.

Genocide did not die with the Holocaust.

The world’s cry of “never again” continues to ring hollow as we turn our backs on victims of tyranny and dictatorship in North Africa, the Middle East, and beyond.

Planet Earth is drenched with the blood of innocents.

Genocide today is an evil spawned by the hatred of a few, yet sustained by the apathy of the many.

At the root of these calamities lies the same force that has scarred human history – man’s relentless desire for power, which blinds his innate humanity. The oppressed hold fast to liberty even at the cost of their safety and comfort. They believe, with faith and courage, that God is on their side and that the freedom of future generations depends on their resolve.

Posterity will remember their sacrifices as acts of devotion. They have left many regions in ruins. Governments often argue that how they treat their own people is no concern of outsiders, but when regimes turn brutal against their citizens, the international community has a moral duty to respond.

War is inherently destructive – killings, assaults, deprivation of liberty, and devastation of property. Yet those who commit atrocities cannot hide behind the excuse of war, for war itself is increasingly recognised as a violation of international law and must be outlawed as an instrument of foreign policy.

Unless wise leaders act to alter the present course, the escalating crisis in the Middle East will surely plunge the world into deeper chaos and anarchy. | Farouk Araie Johannesburg

Our actions erode trust in the ICJ

South Africa cannot claim neutrality at the International Court of Justice while deepening a military alliance with Iran. By entering military co­-­operation with Tehran, our government steps out of the role of dispassionate petitioner and into the ranks of one of the US’s most implacable adversaries.

We thunder against Israel, but ignore Iran’s executions, suppression of women, and complicity in mass atrocities in Syria and Yemen. The ANC should immediately disclose the full scope of its agreements with Iran.

Standing shoulder‑to‑shoulder with a regime that executes dissidents, persecutes minorities, and exports terror fatally compromises South Africa’s credibility in The Hague.

In international law, a state bringing a genocide case is expected to act in good faith and with impartiality. This pact collapses that posture. Worse, it slots neatly into Iran’s hybrid warfare doctrine – mixing terrorism, proxy militias, and “lawfare” to isolate and weaken Israel. The result is a perception that South Africa’s ICJ case is driven less by facts and universal human rights than by geopolitical allegiance.

That perception doesn’t just damage our arguments; it risks eroding trust in the Court itself. | Daniel Jacobi Executive Director, South African Friends of Israel (SAFI)

DAILY NEWS