SOUTH AFRICA

Flight of the Boers

South Africa’s lead anti-land reform organization is cultivating its relationship with the international far right. Earlier this month, Kallie Kriel and Ernst Roest, the CEO and deputy CEO of AfriForum, undertook a trip to the United States to spread their message that land reform in South Africa must be stopped. africasacountry.com/

Trump wades into SA land debate with ‘large scale killing of white farmers’ tweet

On Thursday‚ Trump tweeted that he was looking into South Africa’s land seizures. If ever there was a time for him to commiserate with his fellow white racists, it was the week his former lawyer confessed to paying hush money to a porn star and others. timeslive.co.za/

ANC on trial as election looms, says analyst

Raymond Zondo’s judicial commission investigating the alleged plunder of state funds during former president Jacob Zuma’s rule began public hearings on Monday. The probe is likely to implicate a number of the ANC’s past and serving leaders in state capture, which will inflict reputational damage it can ill afford as it gears up for elections in 2019. businesslive.co.za/

The Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy has released is latest outlook on the affordability of an average shopping basket and the news is bleak, unless you opt to reduce your consumption of meat. It is, on the upside, healthier. businesstech.co.za/

NUMSA mourns revolutionary fighter, Comrade Fieldmore

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) dips it red revolutionary banner in mourning the passing away of comrade Fieldmore Mapeto also affectionately known as “Phopho”. He passed away on the 16th of August, 2018. wwmp.org.za/

After Marikana, what really changed?

On the sixth anniversary of the Marikana massacre, Police Minister Bheki Cele announced a series of arrests of serving police officers for involvement in serious crimes. News of the arrests was eclipsed by the release on Wednesday of a new, independent report on what happened that day on August 16, 2012, when 34 striking miners were gunned down. fin24.com/

REGION

Zambia’s journalists, bloggers challenge gov’t decision to tax internet calls

On Monday, the Zambian cabinet approved the introduction of a charge on online phone calls. Critics say the proposed levy is a form of double and punitive taxation targeting individual users in lieu of the social media companies that are the ones actually making money. xinhuanet.com/

INTERNATIONAL

Julian Assange and the Fate of Journalism

What is happening in the case of Julian Assange is that many American news outlets are willing to selectively use the documented evidence made available by Wikileaks, but they will not stand up and publicly defend the “whistleblower” who makes the information public. counterpunch.org/