Ramaphosa 'foreign meddling' spectre, election date, EFF out in the cold, missing Zuma link, Stormont slumber ends, Overberg burns!

Hi readers.

A lot has been written about the International Court of Justice’s swift decision on South Africa’s application against Israel. Despite claims from both parties of some victory or lack of a firm decision, this was a diplomatic win for South Africa. The question is whether it will use the moral fibre that was buried deep in a cupboard somewhere at the Union Buildings in Pretoria consistently in other cases of human rights violations, especially when it comes to its dictator buddies.

Feathers have been ruffled in the West by South Africa's ICJ court case against Israel and commentators say it could have consequences for South Africa. It seems that President Cyril Ramaphosa is going to use the West’s reaction as a ‘foreign forces interfering into the election’ narrative, as an election tool.

I have more on Mmusi Maimane’s visit to the U.S., where he told his audience that South Africa is not the ANC and that it remains committed to the West.

Additionally, there’s information on the release of a report by the Human Rights Commission on whether Jacob Zuma’s incarceration could be linked to the July 2021 riots. They could not find a link, prompting countless laughing emojis from South Africans on social media.

All eyes are on Parliament’s opening next Thursday, 8 February, to see if President Cyril Ramaphosa announces an election date. A couple of EFF members have been banned from attending this event.

Further afield, Northern Ireland’s largest political party ended a two-year boycott that left the region without a power-sharing administration for two years. Brits have been also been told that Brexit red tape is ‘the price you pay’ for freedom.

I am stumped why U.S. voters are stuck between the choice of Biden and Trump as the President for the next four years. We explore some opinions on this matter in this newsletter and came up with the answer: It is the system, stupid!

We can’t end off the newsletter without referring to Elon Musk and all the billions he earned at Tesla. The sum is so eye-watering, I could not find a superlative adequate enough to describe it! There is also bit of cheer coming from Bafana, Bafana.

Happy reading!

SA DIPLOMATIC VICTORY AGAINST ISRAEL

Remarkable achievement: A top United Nations Court ordered Israel to prevent genocide against Palestinians, but it stopped short of calling on Israel to suspend its military operation in Gaza, as was requested by South Africa. The decision was seen as a remarkable achievement for South Africa, while others noted that the court did not call for an immediate cease-fire that South Africa sought. Israel said the accusation of genocide was “outrageous and that decent people everywhere should reject it.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the ICJ saying it had “justly rejected” the “vile attempt” to deny his country’s right to defend itself.

ANC hypocrisy: One of the opposition political parties in South Africa, Build One South Africa of Mmusi Maimane, criticised South Africa’s intervention as ‘polarising’ saying it did not help achieve a two-state solution. He also accused the ANC of hypocrisy in taking on this issue, while building relationships with dictators who do not care for human rights and he told U.S. senators during a visit to Washington that South Africa remained committed to its Western partners.

RAMAPHOSA WARNS OF FOREIGN MEDDLING

Regime change: Political analysts have raised red flags about consequences for South Africa with diplomatic writer, Peter Fabricius warning of a diplomatic fallout from the ICJ ruling. Fabricius writes that the case has soured relations with the U.S. and officials are warning that agile diplomacy would be needed to save the all-important AGOA trade agreement.? President Ramaphosa went one step further issuing a warning about foreign meddling in the South African election. Did he say that because it is an election year and he needs to find an adversary or threat that he can rally the voters against?

Iran funding allegation: There have been suggestions that Ramaphosa is raising the spectre of a regime change agenda to counter rumours circulated by Israeli sources that the ANC was paid by the Iran government to start the ICJ case.

SA banks drawn into the fray: A Jerusalem Post article claimed that major SA banks, Absa, Nedbank and Standard bank could be involved as conduits to fund Hamas, but these claims were rubbished by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana.

THE MISSING ZUMA LINK IN THE JULY 2021 RIOTS

It swims, quacks and looks like a duck, but it isn’t: This is the ambivalence of the Human Rights Commission’s report on the unrest from July 8-19 in 2021 that led to the deaths of 350 people and a hit of R50 billion to the South African economy. The HRC could find no direct link to the incarceration of former President Jacob Zuma. They pointed to agitators that stoked the violence but did not name them. University of Johannesburg's, prof. Theo Venter believes that the architects of the KwaZulu-Natal riots are sitting in the upper echelons of the ANC in KZN.

THE ELECTION DATE: IS SOON SONA?

Ready, steady, when is go? “Soon,” President Cyril Ramaphosa told the SABC when asked when he will announce the election date.?

Does “soon” mean SONA – President Ramaphosa kept that card up his sleeve and did not want to reveal whether he will announce the election date during his speech of the national address in Parliament, known as SONA. Opposition parties have urged President Ramaphosa to declare a provisional election date. The elections have to take place somewhere between May and August, and Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo said in an interview with Biznews that the IEC will be ready for the elections despite uncertainties and can’t ask for a postponement.

Extremely busy fake news peddlers: The World Economic Forum has singled out mis- and disinformation as the biggest short-term threats to international stability. The Editor of the Sunday Times, S’thembiso Msomi writes that South Africa and its neighbours have already seen some of the fake news that the WEF has warned against and says that during the elections fake news’ peddlers will be extremely busy. He argues that traditional news organisations - remember we are limited by laws and watch dogs on what we can publish – “remain the most credible sources of news and information,” and I can’t agree more.

Red berets will miss SONA: Will anybody miss their antics? Six Members of Parliament of the Economic Freedom Fighters will have to sit SONA out after their attempt to lift the ban Parliament imposed on them, was dismissed in court. It includes their leader, Julius Malema. They are barred from Parliament until 29 February.?

ELON MUSK’S X REFUSING TO COOPERATE WITH IEC

A bit difficult: That is how the Chief Electoral Officer described the process of trying to get the social media platform X, formerly Twitter to agree to a cooperation framework to combat misinformation.

Musk gets paid WHAT? It is hard to discuss the son of South African soil – I’m not so sure he describes himself like that – without mentioning the pay packet that Tesla granted Musk in 2018.? It is a cool $56 billion that a Delaware judge voided on 30 January, ruling that the company’s board of directors failed to prove that the compensation plan was fair. No shit Sherlock!

NORTHERN IRELAND POWER-SHARING BACK ON TRACK, BREXIT HIT

Two years of doing diddly-squat: A deal was reached earlier this week between the British government and the pro-union party in Northern Ireland, the Democratic Unionist Party to return to power-sharing in the province. It has been hailed as a significant step by the U.K. government who is so keen to get the MPs back to work that they are fast-tracking it through Parliament. The DUP blocked Northern Ireland’s devolved government for nearly two years in protest against post-Brexit trade agreements.

Brexit gloom: It has now dawned on Brits that Brexit has a price in the form of repeated delays, soaring costs and disruption to supply chains. “It is the price of freedom,” insisted UK minister Andrea Leadsom who downplayed the delays.

Economic hit due to Brexit: Here’s an interesting figure from the UK Trade Policy Observatory that they based on government figures, “The economic hit from leaving the EU single market is as much as 178 times larger than the likely gains from signing post-Brexit free trade agreements.”

VOTERS CHOICE IN THE US – OLD WHITE MAN OR OLD WHITE MAN

Change the system, stupid!- If you are also stumped by the limited choice for U.S. voters in this year’s Presidential elections; here is an explanation by George Cowan who is a professor at the University of Southern California on why they are stuck with Trump versus Biden. Cowan’s explanation is that while the two candidates do not reflect the preferences of a majority of Americans? - ?an Ipsos poll found that 67% of respondents were as tired of seeing the same candidates as we are who don’t even live there - it is because the system “locks out alternatives” and the concept is called “frontloading.” The solution appears to be developing new guidelines for the selection of the presidential candidates that allow the public to play a role in the nomination process. ?

BAFANA BAFANA BEATS MOROCCO

SA good news comes from sport, again: The national soccer team surprised the nation when they pulled off a surprise win over Morocco to reach the quarterfinal in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Hopes have flared up that they could march on and steal ?a win from Cape Verde.

Spare a thought for the Overberg: Multiple fires in the Overberg in the Western Cape have wreaked havoc this week with residents of Pringle Bay ordered to evacuate. This is a photo that one resident took.? If you want to know more or help residents whose homes have burnt down, here is a link to a Facebook site where their stories are told.

Thanks for reading!