The Democratic Socialist

24/03/2023

Christians could face one year prison sentence for encouraging conversion to their faith, according to a new controversial legislation being introduced in Israel. The legislation which is being propos...

28/02/2023

*SANEF'S TRIBUTE TO RAFIQ ROHAN*

27 February 2023

*SANEF mourns the passing of Rafiq Rohan*

The South African National Editors Forum (SANEF) mourns the passing of veteran journalist, Mahroom Muhammed Rafiq Rohan, 69, who was found dead by neighbours in his Durban apartment on Sunday, 26 February 2023. Rohan was born on 16 July, 1953.
For much of the 1980s and early 1990s, Rohan, who had been a journalist for more than 40 years, straddled the difficult divide being a journalist and a political activist, finally ending up on Robben Island, where he was sent for 15 years for his activities in uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), the military wing of the then-banned African National Congress. He spent three years on the Island.
Rohan was sentenced in 1988 and was the last person to occupy Nelson Mandela’s famous cell. He was released from Somerset Hospital in 1991 after he went on hunger strike against his continued imprison despite the release of Nelson Mandela and the unbanning of the ANC and other organisations by FW de Klerk in February 1990. He was among the last 10 prisoners to be released before the prison on Robben Island was closed.
Rohan, a former teacher, became a journalist at Muslim News from 1980 to 1983, when he became a freelancer, often reporting for overseas agencies and publications.
His then editor at Muslim News, Farid Sayed, said that, despite Rohan moving on, their friendship remained.
“Rafiq was forthright, did not compromise his principles and was prepared to challenge people in power even it meant sacrificing any position he may have held. It was this commitment to truth and justice that shaped his journalism. He was an activist journalist and if there was any bias in his coverage, it was a bias in favour of justice,” he said.
“It was this commitment to truth and justice that drew him to join the armed struggle against the apartheid regime. May Rafiq's revolutionary spirit be a legacy for all journalists to challenge the continuing injustices and not step back from speaking truth in face of the powerful and arrogant elite class.”
Rohan had, over the years occupied many senior positions in the media world, including as editor of the Independent on Saturday in Durban, as News Editor and Political Editor of The Sowetan, as a senior editor at Al-Jazeerah, and, from 2005 to 2010, as the editor of the government newspaper, Vuk’uzenzele.
Moegsien Williams, a former SANEF Chairperson who worked with Rohan at South Newspaper in the 1980s and later at Independent Media, said: “Rafiq as a journalist was a consummate professional, always prepared to go the proverbial extra mile to get a story.
“He was a dedicated and an extremely loyal staffer on all the publications we had worked on over the years.
“He was also a very good cook on the occasions I had the pleasure of being served by him. May his soul rest in peace after he had spent a better part of his life fighting some inner demons.”
Ryland Fisher, another former SANEF leader, said he has known Rohan for about 40 years and they had been close friends for much of that time. “Rafiq was the one who drove my wife and me to maternity hospital in 1985, for the birth of our first child. He also took part in our discussions on a possible name for her.
“But I also knew him as a dedicated and professional journalist, and a committed anti-apartheid activist. He would often write on a voluntary basis for Grassroots community newspaper, where I worked in the mid-1980s.”
Hoosein Ismail, a South African now living in Perth, and who was a close friend of Rohan for more than 40 years, said Rohan had converted to Islam after being inspired by Malcolm X.
“I first got to know Rafiq when he worked at the Iranian Interest Section in Morningside in Johannesburg.
“When Rafiq was arrested in Durban in 1987, Faizel Dawjee, who was Editor at Al Qalam, broke the news to us. Receiving the news on his arrest, I knew this was going to be a long road for Rafiq.
After I migrated to New Zealand (now living in Perth, Australia) in 1999, Rafiq and I remained close friends and we were in almost daily contact via WhatsApp. He was a kind and caring person and would enquire about my family and I daily.
“Rafiq was an excellent cook and would often send me recipes to try out.
“A year ago, Rafiq entrusted me with his unpublished book. I will forever remember my dear friend as outspoken, kind and caring and strong willed. May Allah grant him a high pillar in Jannah (heaven).”
SANEF extends its heartfelt condolences to Rohan’s daughter, Shahista, his grandchildren and extended family and friends.

29/12/2022

Meet Fulufhelo Ndifuna Manngo, who feeds the hungry for free.

We posted about her earlier this year and she left our readers inspired.

She's always giving out free food to those in need in Thohoyandou. She once fed 142 people in a day.

This woman is amazing! 🤩

Photo: (Instagram)

11/11/2022

04/08/2022

If you want to give me budget support ► https://bit.ly/3FSVICFI attended to a magical ritual with a witch in Tanzania ► https://youtu.be/trwlmW-127cAfrican A...

02/08/2022

The private sector has the potential and the will to help rebuild South Africa, but investors need to know if the odds are in their favour. Leaders in the agri sector will watch the ruling party’s …

26/07/2022

Muslim and Arab shops have been shut in Chicago...

06/07/2022

Even in death, Gaddafi is perhaps still one of the most popular African leaders of 21 century who has fascinated many people both within and outside the con...

11/06/2022

26/05/2022

A boy who loved to dance and a teacher who shielded students from the gunman are among those killed.

20/05/2022

100%
Our phenotypes are physical appearances yet, most of our genotypes reveal a different DNA! Humanity n our ancestors knew no colour or racism!

14/04/2022

To all family n friends...
God bless stay safe!

08/03/2022

Last night, Russia launched a brazen attack on the people of Ukraine, in violation of international law and basic principles of human…

16/02/2022

Democracy was never implemented in socio-economics or business decision-making processes, but instead implemented with much failure & futility in politics, yet because of the lack of infrastructure or services, & through it's improper implementation, created uncertainty over service delivery rollout in a broader context.

Rather, we should all agree to launch impactful projects & efforts, develop well-planned, & positive initiatives and programs together, without undue objection, which mostly hinders progress, & holds us back from achieving an acceptable state of self-sufficiency, often due to just one of us being "difficult", yet every opinion must also be respected and heard.

Every citizen is a beneficiary of the reward associated with staying involved in community, state & business development, while building community economic solidarity remains imperative

Members & supporters, their benefactors may freely offer their support; are invited to unanimously agree with progressive proposals, especially where decisions promote the majority of members, unity is protected, legally recognized resolutions are adopted, worker & human rights are more urgently protected, & we move forward as a formidable unit where decisions reached are respected.

Every resolutions adopted should exist as an official mandate to be fully utilized in business development in order to carry out the economic will of the people more expediantly.

It is very important for healthy business, socialism, & communism that Democracy remains protected.

Attempts to misconstrue the nature of democracy, corrupting & misrepresenting it, may lead to the removal of our voices, unless a proven alternative system is swiftly adopted.

Unless a system is proposed which could succeed in restarting our economy, we will do well to remember that every economic system above only exists because democracy is an integral core in it's fundamental composition.

An ultimate solution is to dissolve all political parties, as is currently being promoted across Africa by Russia & China, and to establish a non-dictatorial economic system.

Democratic Coalitions, Alliance & Parties shouldnt undermine democracy because of ignorance and misrepresentation, since less than 10% democracies potential is currently harnessed through politics. Democracy isn't the best Economic system, but lacks a ready alternative, and attacking democracy only impacts us all negatively.

01/02/2022

'The poor children lost their education'...
We Khoi lost our identity n land!

What about insisting that the true colonialist history of genocide, r**e, land theft n racism be included in the curriculum also?

The only country in the world that classified its citizens into white, black n Coloured, in turn to Indians, griqua, cape Malay, etc.

The DA welcomes the announcement that children will be allowed to go back to school full time. However, we will only withdraw our court action once the new regulations have been officially promulgated. We note that this announcement comes six months late for primary schools, as the government’s ow...

01/02/2022

[02/01, 06:57] Hanif: 🙏🏽🛐🌹
From a chat:
[02/01, 02:24] Solwethu Cj Poultry: From selling amasi in the hood to supplying Woolies
https://www.foodformzansi.co.za/zolile-soka-from-amasi-in-the-hood-to-supplying-woolies/

[02/01, 06:27] : Good morning leader.
This is the same manipulation to prop Zionism; divide n selectively promote.
Africans are not allowed in Israel n those managed to get in were expelled into Sinai desert.
Even recently, Adrican Jews were kicked out.
Clover belongs to an Israei Zionist apartheid state that has illegally occupied Palestine.
We have the same problem here with the colonisers.
Why cant our people refuse to deal with Clover n Woolies (both Zionist entities).
We should set up our own independent outlets, whether formal or informal.
These WMC chains will not only charge our people double n triple, but also prevent the setting up of our own local or national chains.
That is the bigger picture besides Zionist control of our production, exploitation of our economy n division n undermining Africans / blacks.
For instance, magnum ice cream is claimed to be made from Belgian cocoa.
Yet, Belgium has no cocoa plantation n gets it from Africa!

Not too long ago, Zolile Soka and his family sold amasi and raw milk from the back of a bakkie because they could not meet the demands of the formal market. Today, their family-owned enterprise sup…

11/01/2022

One Grande Sindicato, please! Workers in Buffalo have won a union at Starbucks!

On Tuesday, January 18th, join them and organizers from coffee shop unions around the country in a discussion hosted by about how they did it, why it matters, and what’s next.

Whether you work in a coffee shop or are an ally of baristas from the outside, what better way to usher in the New Year than coming together to keep the momentum going.

Let’s unionize the coffee industry! Register: bit.ly/grandeunion

10/01/2022

I'm excited for today! I'll be addressing the US Embassy on the state of democracy in Africa, and how we can imagine a new role for South Africa.

The speech is on the request of the United States Deputy Chief of Mission for South Africa, Heather C. Merritt.

08/01/2022

29/12/2021

Happy Birthday to one of South Africa’s finest poet and writer Don Mattera. In his autobiography Memory Is the Weapon he writes: "Sophiatown also had its beauty; picturesque and intimate like most ghettoes.... Mansions and quaint cottages ... stood side by side with rusty wood-and-iron shacks, locked in a fraternal embrace of filth and felony.... The rich and the poor, the exploiters and the exploited, all knitted together in a colourful fabric that ignored race or class structures."