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Articles by Hassen Lorgat
Ke Nako — Now is the time
By Hassen Lorgat 1 Ke Nako… Now is the time Turning up is always half the battle won When a partner is beaten by the patriarchal muscle of power Turning up, holding hands around the victimised survivor Being there to witness and lend a hand It is turning up And that is half the battle 2 When it comes to taking action To plant, sweep, to clean and care, or even to vote Kick cynicism aside and say Turning up Turn up to make your mark And as we know It is only half the battle But we have made...
De Kock’s crow is not just noise — and the De Klerk Foundation’s silence speaks volumes
By Hassen Lorgat Eugene de Kock’s recent pronouncements on apartheid death squads were again in the news. The man the media has called Prime Evil is always interesting to national media houses, and it became a spectacle — easy meat for talk-shows — and he has not failed to capture attention. See here, here and here.
October 7: A Red-Letter Day
By Hassen Lorgat Reading—or rather re-reading—The Holocaust for Beginners by Haim Bresheeth, Stuart Hood, and Litza Jansz (Icon Books) in its graphic form, I was stunned to find a reference to October 7 in connection with prisoners awaiting death at the hands of the Nazis. The context is Hungary, with the Red Army advancing. Desperate Nazi leaders ordered the gas chambers, crematoria, and all evidence destroyed.
ZONKE SKAT - Media Review Network
Courtesy https://mediaenviron.org A Short Story By Hassen Lorgat Zonke Skat is a work of literary fiction that explores the lives of migrant mineworkers in apartheid-era South Africa. The title, drawn from Fanagalo (the lingua franca of the mines), means “all the time” — a phrase that captures both the endless shifts underground and the broader theft of workers’ lives by an economic system built on extraction.
Nove Dedos – nine fingers for democracy A-Poem for Lula
By Hassen Lorgat Nove Dedos – nine fingers for democracy Nove Dedos, he screamed Flavio fascinaro thought he could throw insults Like his mentors mentor Trump But it did not land Calling Lula nine fingers was too much for the president -Flavio, the militiaman never had to work a day in his life -Was never hungry Whilst he, Lula, was forced to work as a teenager, only to lose a finger but the people’s history remembers how the brave Lula, working night shift was called out to fix a broken...
Open letter to eNCA, the ANC, the Democratic Alliance and others
OPEN LETTER Hassen Lorgat|Published 16 minutes ago The exclusion of major political parties from an upcoming local elections debate raises serious concerns about media accountability and the principles of democracy in South Africa. What does this mean for voter representation in the run-up to the elections? Image: Supplied / Hassen Lorgat This open letter was inspired by Martin Jansen, coordinator of the Peoples Media Consortium, who wrote to me asking deep questions about these debates.
Open Letter to ENCA, the ANC, the Democratic Alliance and Others
By Hassen Lorgat, Media Justice Activist This open letter was inspired by the coordinator of the Peoples Media Consortium, Martin Jansen, who wrote to me asking deep questions about these debates. As a member of the Consortium, as well as a member of Media Justice Afrika—both of which support the spirit of this letter—I pen it in my name to avoid delays.
Celebrated by Many, Not the Few: A Reply to Paula Slier
By Hassen Lorgat Paula Slier, a veteran journalist who has been in the trenches, has nonetheless surprised me—and, I suspect, many others—with her latest piece, headlined “Nobel Prize for Pillay: Applause from the Wrong Side.“ The headline, delivered without irony, fails to read the room and implies that Judge Pillay’s detractors constitute both the moral and numerical majority. She is wrong on both counts.
South Africa's tailings dams: A regulatory nightmare with deadly consequences
INFRASTRUCTURE Hassen Lorgat|Published 48 seconds ago South Africa's tailings dam crisis has escalated, with only a handful registered under law and a regulatory system exposed as dangerously inadequate. Recent findings call for urgent reform and community involvement to avert potential disasters that could devastate lives and ecosystems. Image: Supplied A recent study by the CSOs Tailings Working Group found that only 29 tailings dams are registered in terms of the law.
Never Again - Media Review Network
Painting by Vann Nath, cambodia genocide (https://thesentinelproject.org/) By Hassen Lorgat A Never again for ALL not for some This has been the law of nature, long before Nuremberg Our movements spoke it in tongues differently but always the same tune An injury to one is an injury to all All for one and one for all Never again means Never again for ANYONE B It’s a crying shame that leaders, resort to the deadly blame game Talk of final solutions Breed new revolutions Dread and red drapes our...
The showdown in Norwood: when will SAJBD take responsibility for anti-Palestinian hate?
It is the time of Atonement, but this comes with an open heart and accountability. The news over the recent few days brought the stories of Gaza massacres literally into our streets. The video, which has since gone viral, shows an incident in which young Abdur Rahmaan Aziz is verbally abused by Rodney Plett, a businessman. It happened on Monday, September 21, the final hours of Yom Kippur, one of the holiest and most solemn days of the year in Judaism, also known as the Day of Atonement.
Appeal for protest rights: Palestine Solidarity Campaign challenges ruling against Cape Union Mart
SOLIDARITY Hassen Lorgat|Published 20 minutes ago This court ruling marks a critical juncture for protest rights in South Africa, raising pressing questions about freedom of expression. As the Palestine Solidarity Campaign gears up for an appeal, the stakes in this narrative battle are higher than ever.
The Krawitz ruling overblown: The battle for Madiba’s soul
Photo PSC supporters outside court: courtesy:https://groundup.org.za/article/cape-union-mart-pro-palestine-activists-gear-up-for-court-battle/ By Hassen Lorgat The Palestinian Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and four individuals have just approached the court, seeking leave to appeal a Western Cape High Court order that restricted their protest statements and conduct involving Cape Union Mart.
Mis-Judging Complicity?
By Hassen Lorgat Judging complicity is not an easy task, as the case heard in the Western Cape High Court—Cape Union Mart International (Pty) Ltd and Another v Ockards and Others (2025/092980) [2026] ZAWCHC 477 (4 September 2026)—has revealed. While the case has generated considerable discussion, there is no consensus. I wish to address only one aspect, and even then, not fully about business and their commitment or adherence to human rights.
KAMOHELO CHAUKE fights Section27 and Dr Tlaleng
Section 27 Is Correct: An Injury to One is an Injury to All By Hassen Lorgat This recent opinion piece by KAMOHELO CHAUKE | Section27’s troubling choice in representing Tlaleng Mofokeng is a case of being proactive by muddying the waters.
Press Freedom – A morning wake-up call Comment on BCCSA ruling on 702
By Hassen Lorgat This morning I woke up to the message that the SA Zionist Federation is quoting me favourably. I smiled and wondered: have they come around to the principles of one person, one vote in a unity state in Israel-Palestine? But no, it was more mundane.
Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng vs the HPCSA: Justice Prevails as Zionist Federation fails
Hassen Lorgat|Published 21 minutes ago Medical doctor, human rights advocate, and global health policy expert, Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng is also the EFF's mayoral candidate for Johannesburg. A court order has set aside the HPCSA’s finding of unprofessional conduct and R10,000 fine against UN Special Rapporteur Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng. The case followed a complaint by the South African Zionist Federation over posts about Benjamin Netanyahu.
Don't Hide Your Skirt, Kgwadi: The Genocide We Can't Ignore in the Fight for Quality Services at Home
Hassen Lorgat|Published 13 minutes ago Hassen Lorgat argues that Johannesburg’s service-delivery crisis should not be used to dismiss South Africa’s solidarity with Palestinians, while challenging Kenneth Kgwadi’s framing of local and international politics as separate issues.
Don’t Hide Your Skirt, Kgwadi: The Genocide We Can’t Ignore in the Fight for Quality Services at Home
By Hassen Lorgat When Kgwadi writes that the mayor should not “use Johannesburg as a vehicle to pursue foreign conflicts,” he is really saying: do not talk about Palestine. He is asking us to look away from genocide while pretending to care about potholes. The recent article by Kgwadi in IOL makes a seemingly reasonable argument: that Johannesburg’s next mayor must focus on local service delivery rather than foreign conflicts .
The Professor Who Reads History (Selectively)
By Hassen Lorgat The professor teaches, but does not learn. History is of the classes, and not the classroom. We all know that people, and every generation, make their own history… in struggle. But for the learned ones, history and politics are only the art of the possible— always the lesser of two evils, never contemplating the best of the best.
Potholes and Palestine
We Can, and Must, Do Both By Hassen Lorgat Our democracy has ultimately boiled down to this: potholes. Not to say that it is not important, but the framing during these times—after years of neglect, austerity, underinvestment, and corruption from incumbents and opposition groups—has resulted in pothole populism being the in-thing. It is also coached as apolitical and implied professional—no-nonsense service delivery. But is it really?
Where truth resides / hides
By Hassen Lorgat Where truth resides, the world we inhabit, the word becomes a casualty. Truth is a multiple choice question with options including: — I do not remember — I did not lie — I do not want to self incriminate — never get caught out. And ceasefire justifies killing the other mercilessly without end. And Never Again means only for my tribe and or clan, but okay to do to others. The book is googlerised; soon it too will evaporise in the moneyed atmosphere of everyday life.
They Fear Kites, Don’t They? A-poem
By Hassen Lorgat 1 They fear kites, don’t they? They fear kites. They do. 2 Israel’s Katz is in a mess. The cage in his head cannot fathom how those starved and denied the basics can choose joy.
Another hatchet job on Megan Choritz—but is it journalism?
Hassen Lorgat|Published 15 minutes ago Hassen Lorgat reads a copy of the SA Jewish Report. He writes that activist Megan Choritz, already facing litigation, is also being targeted across media. Image: Supplied Talking, writing, or even thinking about the SAJR in many circles invites labels like "rag", "yellow press", "Zionist front for Netanyahu", and much worse. I confess that I have never shied away from reading it—or those I disagree with.
*Reading Another United Nations Report on the Killing of Palestinian Children* A-Poem
by Hassen Lorgat (poem written after hearing Naazim Adam and Rev Allan Boesak speak at the PSA function 16 August 2026 about the UN report august 2026) The essence of childhood has been destroyed — the headlines read, but the bullets and bombs do not stop. Words cannot explain. The old poet croaks. The poet cannot speak— this unspeakable cruelty of the baby killers, who starve, maim, and kill the young before they know what’s right and who is wrong because they hold the license to kill.
Ramaphosa's meeting with IDF officer's family raises controversy amidst Gaza genocide claims
Hassen Lorgat|Published 57 seconds ago GAZA CONFLICT:President Cyril Ramaphosa's meeting with the family of a South African-born Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officer has prompted controversy. Image: Supplied President Cyril Ramaphosa's meeting with the family of a South African-born Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officer has prompted controversy.
KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE VICTIMS OF GENOCIDE, MR PRESIDENT
By Hassen Lorgat President Cyril Ramaphosa’s meeting with the family of a South African-born Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier has prompted controversy, as the family asked Ramaphosa to assist them in retrieving his remains. They point out that the young soldier, Daniel Perez, was a platoon commander in the 7th Armored Brigade’s 77th Battalion, from Yad Binyamin. Many believe that the President, in this action, was outplayed.
Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng's final UN report highlights reproductive genocide as a public health crisis
Hassen Lorgat|Published 4 minutes ago COURTESY:Al jazeera Gaza al shifa hospital Image: Supplied Dr T officially ended her UN mandate on July 31 – a moment South Africans should be proud of. Yet the day before, a local newspaper sought to garner negative mileage from her departure by reporting another bout of spurious complaints. Her final report was released under the heading: A Compendium on Medicide: A Sub-text to Reproductive Genocide – A Public Health Crisis.
Data Centres Take a Beating in the US: Any Lessons for South Africa?
Hassen Lorgat|Published 6 minutes ago The City of Cape Town's Municipal Planning Tribunal has approved a contentious rezoning application for a new hyperscale data centre by Equinix, despite significant opposition from local groups concerned about environmental and community impacts. Are South Africa's data centres a ticking time bomb?
Data Centres Take a Beating in the USA This Past Week: Any Lessons for South Africa?
By Hassen Lorgat The public discourse—at least that I have been privy to—about AI data centres on our airwaves and in street talk is not sufficiently critical or vigilant about the dangers these centres pose. It is not uncommon to hear mainstream media full of self-praise: “South Africa is Africa’s largest economy and is said to possess advanced digital infrastructure—including connections with international sub-sea cables—helping to make it home to 70% of the continent’s data centres.
Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng goes out on top – despite attempts to distract her
By Hassen Lorgat Dr T officially ended her UN mandate on July 31 – a moment South Africans should be proud of. Yet the day before, a local newspaper sought to garner negative mileage from her departure by reporting another bout of spurious complaints. Her final report was released under the heading: A Compendium on Medicide: A Sub-text to Reproductive Genocide – A Public Health Crisis. Dr Mofokeng did not get distracted.
MARCHING TO THE BEAT OF AN OLD DRUMPF?
By Hassen Lorgat 1. vignettes in slow motion… This too shall pass The pol-ICE in the UK arresting poets for being poets, protestors for clapping for Palestine, for breaking the silence. Even the 74-year-old Scottish granny from Dunoon— arrested during prayer for Palestine— whilst reading Rosen’s poetic cry against genocide: “Don’t Mention the Children.” We must not forget: the Right of Return to Palestine is sacrosanct in the liberation texts.
FIFA World Cup | Spain is the People's Choice: Decency On and Off the Field
Hassen Lorgat|Published 6 minutes ago Spain's 1–0 victory over Argentina in the World Cup final was a triumph for decency—on and off the field. Argentina, by contrast, let themselves down. They were no match for Spain, and their aggression—Fernández's red card during the match and Paredes's dismissal post-match—underscored a lack of discipline. But the spectacle is one thing. The political response to it is another—and that is where the Left/Progressive bloc has failed.
World Cup: Spain is the People’s Choice: Decency On and Off the Field
“Milei and his Zionist allies’ attempt to claim Messi and the Argentina team has backfired spectacularly” By Hassen Lorgat Spain’s 1–0 victory over Argentina in the World Cup final was a triumph for decency—on and off the field. Argentina, by contrast, let themselves down. They were no match for Spain, and their aggression—Fernández’s red card during the match and Paredes’s dismissal post-match—underscored a lack of discipline. But the spectacle is one thing.
More Than a Game or El Choque de Gigantes (The Clash of Titans)
Hassen Lorgat|Published 8 minutes ago Beneath the spectacle of a 'World Cup' or continental final lies a much bigger, more complex story—one that drags the ghosts of colonialism, the sharp contrasts of modern populism, and the ongoing battle against racism onto the world's biggest stage. Image: IOL Graphics Bill Shankly's famous quote is very apt about the final between Spain and Argentina, and people have taken sides—some good, bad, and ugly.
More Than a Game or El Choque de Gigantes (The Clash of Titans)
Hassen Lorgat|Published 2 days ago Beneath the spectacle of a 'World Cup' or continental final lies a much bigger, more complex story—one that drags the ghosts of colonialism, the sharp contrasts of modern populism, and the ongoing battle against racism onto the world's biggest stage. Image: IOL Graphics Bill Shankly's famous quote is very apt about the final between Spain and Argentina, and people have taken sides—some good, bad, and ugly.
More Than a Game or El Choque de Gigantes (The Clash of Titans)
Hassen Lorgat|Updated 13 minutes ago Beneath the spectacle of a 'World Cup' or continental final lies a much bigger, more complex story—one that drags the ghosts of colonialism, the sharp contrasts of modern populism, and the ongoing battle against racism onto the world's biggest stage. Image: IOL Graphics Bill Shankly's famous quote is very apt about the final between Spain and Argentina, and people have taken sides—some good, bad, and ugly.
More Than a Game or El Choque de Gigantes (The Clash of Titans)
By Hassen Lorgat Bill Shankly’s famous quote is very apt about the final between Spain and Argentina, and people have taken sides—some good, bad, and ugly. Shankly’s legendary quote about football goes like this: “Some people believe football is a matter of life and death… I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.” This was spoken by a football manager who loved the game, which he believed was intertwined with community, passion, and his socialist ideals.
FIFA and the Case of the Mistaken Identity Original
Hassen Lorgat|Published 27 minutes ago An in-depth analysis of FIFA's VAR controversy during the World Cup, exploring the implications of mistaken identity on the game and its players. Image: Gemini AI FIFA is in the news for all the wrong reasons. It reads like an Agatha Christie novel—filled with whodunnits and shadowy figures lurking just beyond the spotlight.
FIFA and the Case of the Mistaken Identity
A dark look from the bottom of Africa By Hassen Lorgat FIFA is in the news for all the wrong reasons. It reads like an Agatha Christie novel—filled with whodunnits and shadowy figures lurking just beyond the spotlight. I shall pretend to be Christie’s famous Hercule Poirot, though I lack his magnificent moustache, writing from the bottom of the African continent. This is the case of the mistaken identity, and the scene is set.
A poem: When Silence speaks
When Silence Speaks By Hassen Lorgat When silence speaks, those silenced are heard— the broken branches, the dislocated wing, the gagged. The noise in the world is made of silences— some stillborn, others maturing with wisdom. The poet’s spoken word does not begin with the pen but is galvanised in silent lungs, propelled through the cave’s mouth, only allowed to sail by the controllers of the strait— the tongue, the teeth, the lips— greeted with joy, laughter, at times threats.
FIFA Must Go! FIFA Must Go! – It Cannot Be Reformed
Hassen Lorgat|Published 27 minutes ago PROBE: Fifa president Gianni Infantino Image: AFP FIFA's president Gianni Infantino, called this World Cup "the greatest event humanity has ever seen," and it's definitely going to be the most money-making sports competition ever. FIFA expects to earn about $13 billion from the four-year period ending with this tournament, with nearly $9 billion coming just this year. For comparison, the 2024 Paris Olympics only made about $5.24 billion.
FIFA Must Go! FIFA Must Go! – It Cannot Be Reformed
By Hassen Lorgat FIFA’s president Gianni Infantino, called this World Cup “the greatest event humanity has ever seen,” and it’s definitely going to be the most money-making sports competition ever. FIFA expects to earn about $13 billion from the four-year period ending with this tournament, with nearly $9 billion coming just this year. For comparison, the 2024 Paris Olympics only made about $5.24 billion.
Activist Megan Choritz resists SLAPP suit
Hassen Lorgat|Published 1 hour ago Anti-Zionist activist and campaigner Megan Choritz at the annual Nabil Basil Swart Memorial Lecture at Alexander Sinton High School in Crawford. Image: Phiri Cawe The SA Jewish Report piece "Professor Mendelsohn sues anti-zionist Choritz for defamation"—by Tali Feinberg, published on or about 24–25 June 2026—is a hatchet job on activist Megan Choritz. Feinberg's article is more an instrument of lawfare than quality, independent journalism.
FIFA World Cup 2026: FIFA and the US caught offside
Hassen Lorgat|Published 16 minutes ago Iranian football fans receive their men's national football team upon their return from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, at Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport on July 1, 2026. Image: AFP Trevor Noah seems to have gotten into some hot water. During one of his shows, he made comments that angered the elites in football's controlling body — this time, the leadership of the game and the US government.
FIFA WORLD CUP 2026: FIFA and the US host caught Offside
By Hassen Lorgat Trevor Noah seems to have gotten into some hot water. During one of his shows, he made comments that angered the elites in football’s controlling body — this time, the leadership of the game and the US government. But this is not the first time that politics and sports have mixed for him.
If It’s Public and in Good Faith, Why This Vindictive Action?
By Hassen Lorgat This is a battle of narratives where a man who once stood for diversity and free speech finds himself on the wrong side of history and the struggle for a vibrant and sustainable democracy. Professor Adam Mendelsohn joined the University of Cape Town (UCT) as Director of the Kaplan Centre for Jewish Studies in 2015. This he combined with the responsibilities of the Isidore and Theresa Cohen Chair in Jewish Civilisation and Head of the Department of Historical Studies.
Activist Megan Choritz resists SLAPP suit
How journalism fuels elite lawfare and propaganda Photo: https://www.972mag.com/israeli-anti-zionists-palestinians/ By Hassen Lorgat The SA Jewish Report piece “Professor Mendelsohn sues anti-zionist Choritz for defamation”—by Tali Feinberg, published on or about 24–25 June 2026—is a hatchet job on activist Megan Choritz. Feinberg’s article is more an instrument of lawfare than quality, independent journalism.
Iran: The Most Oppressed National Team in this World Cup 2026
By Hassen Lorgat After Sunday’s 0-0 draw at SoFi Stadium in California, Iran’s head coach Amir Ghalenoei expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance against Belgium, FIFA’s No. 10-ranked team. “We came into the World Cup under the worst possible conditions,” Ghalenoei told reporters after the Group G match left Iran on two points from two games. “And still we got a result against a great team and a great manager.
Africa, I Am Sorry A-poem
By Hassen Lorgat Africa, I’m sorry For misunderstanding you, Ignoring your love and knowledge that we sucked from your breast Before and after they came to steal you from us. Oh! Mother Africa, I beg for your forgiveness. No amount of intelligent talk of our internal causes, Nor the Trumped-up hate for the other and the avaricious appetite for things All over the world, can explain away Why you hate yourself so — Oh Mama Africa, Did not the great poets from here and there sing about your beauty?
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