Estaleto

@estaleto.bsky.social

426 Followers 598 Following

Politics, books, music. Never come across a rabbit hole not worth going down. "Don't listen to what they say. Go see." 🇿🇦 At various stages home was Syria, Lebanon, India, Yemen, Libya and Iraqi Kurdistan. Free Palestine.

A scenic panoramic view of a lush, hilly cityscape under a bright clear blue sky. In the foreground, dense green trees and vegetation frame modern houses and buildings (some with red roofs), while the midground and background reveal a sprawling urban area climbing rolling hills.
Photo at airport. Taken from stairs onto airplane. Shows body of airplane as well as the engine, with sunset in the background.
Wood carving that looks exactly like filligree lace.
Video of a group of seniors dancing to AC/DC's Highway to Hell. Elderly dude in a suit playing air guitar is the bomb!
Extracts from the article linked to below.
Flyer: The Long War on Palestine. A forum and Q&Q with Dr Salman Khan and Dr Avram Bornstein. Wed 20th May, 7pm. 368 Tompkins Ave, Bed-Study, Brooklyn.
Film poster for Rental Family.
Speaker Thoko Didiza Announces 31-Member Impeachment Committee Made Up of 16 Political Parties; ANC – 9 Members 🔹️DA – 5 Members 🔹️MKP – 3 Members 🔹️EFF – 2 Members 🔹️IFP, PA, FF Plus, ActionSA, ACDP, UDM, RISE Mzansi, BOSA, ATM, Al-Jama-ah, NCC and UAT – 1 Member each
Extract from article: If you are interested in donating to the flood-relief efforts, the City of Cape Town has activated donation drop-off points for non-perishable food items, personal hygiene items, nappies and baby formula, as well as blankets/bedding, at the following fire stations: • Bellville: Belrail Road. • Goodwood: Corner of Hugo Street and Frans Conradie Drive. • Lakeside: Corner of Main and Approach Road. • Milnerton: Koeberg Road. • Ottery: Corner of New Ottery Road and Strandfontein Road. • Roeland Street: CBD. • Strand: Corner of Broadway Boulevard and George Street. Donations to Gift of the Givers can be made here.
Flier for event "Scholasticide in Gaza". Saturday, 23rd May 2026, 3pm. Nelson Mandela Foundation, 107 Central Str, Houghton. Speakers include some of the compilers of the Scholasticide Dossier. RSVP by Monday 18th May to nompumeleloc@uj.ac.za
This is different from a normal motion of no confidence. Section 102 of the Constitution deals with a motion of no confidence. A motion of no confidence only requires a simple majority – 50% plus one vote. If it succeeds, the president and cabinet must resign, but the president does not necessarily lose his pension or the right to hold public office again. Section 89 is therefore much more serious and much more difficult to successfully implement. No South African president has ever been successfully removed under section 89. Jacob Zuma resigned in 2018 before a possible vote on his future was concluded. However, the Constitutional Court’s latest ruling means that section 89 is now central to the country’s politics again – and that parliament may once again be forced to properly deal with the Phala Phala issue.
Parliament can elect any member of the National Assembly as president. The deputy president can therefore be elected – but this is not guaranteed. Another ANC leader, or even someone from a coalition agreement, could eventually get the job. If Ramaphosa is removed under section 89 (which would be very difficult as it requires a two-thirds majority) for serious misconduct or breach of the Constitution or the law, the consequences are serious. The president: • loses the benefits of office; • cannot hold any public office again; • and immediately leaves the presidency.
If this succeeds, it also does not mean that the government falls. This is one of the biggest misconceptions about section 89. If a president is removed, it does not mean that parliament is dissolved or that South Africa must automatically hold a general election. The National Assembly simply remains in place. MPs do not lose their seats and the government continues to function. The Constitution stipulates that Parliament must elect a new president within 30 days. That president is elected by the existing parliament – ​​not directly by the public. It is therefore quite possible that the same ruling coalition or party simply appoints a new leader and remains in power. However, this does not mean that the deputy president automatically becomes president. The deputy president only becomes acting president until parliament elects a new president. Many people assume that the deputy president automatically becomes the new head of state, but that is not how the Constitution works.
The panel does not determine guilt or innocence. It simply decides whether there is sufficient reason for parliament to investigate further. It was precisely this process that was followed in 2022 around the Phala Phala saga. The independent panel found that there were sufficient grounds for further investigation, but the ANC majority in Parliament voted against continuing the process. The Constitutional Court has now ruled that that vote was influenced by an error of law. Following the Court's ruling, Parliament must now turn back the clock and re-investigate the matter. If the panel says there is a case, a committee of Parliament must formally investigate the evidence. Here the President gets the chance to present his side of the story. Ultimately, the National Assembly must vote on whether the president should be removed. The final vote is the biggest obstacle. To remove a President, two-thirds (66.6%) of the National Assembly must vote "yes". This is 267 out of the 400 members of Parliament. In practice, this means that a president usually cannot be removed without the support of a large section of his own party.
Many people talk loosely about “impeachment”, as in the United States, but South Africa’s system works differently. If the president is found guilty here, then the vice-president does not automatically become president as would be the case in America if he is found guilty. The removal of the president also does not automatically mean that parliament is dissolved or that the country must have a general election. Article 89 of the Constitution provides that the National Assembly can remove a president from office if he or she: • has seriously violated the Constitution or the law; • has committed serious misconduct; or • is no longer capable of performing the functions of the office. It is therefore not simply a political disagreement or an unpopular president that can be removed. The threshold is deliberately high. The process begins when a member of the National Assembly submits a formal motion to have the president removed in terms of article 89. An independent panel is then usually appointed to see whether there is sufficient prima facie evidence that the president may have committed serious offences.
Many people are asking what happens if Ramaphosa is removed under section 89 and whether that means parliament is dissolved and we have to hold another general election or whether Paul Mashatile automatically becomes the next president? Neither of the two. The Constitutional Court’s decision this morning on the Phala Phala case has sharply raised the political temperature in South Africa. The court found that parliament acted unlawfully when it stopped the section 89 process against Cyril Ramaphosa in 2022. The ruling does not mean Ramaphosa has now been removed from office. It also does not mean that South Africa is on the verge of a national election. But it does put the focus squarely back on section 89 of the Constitution – the mechanism by which a president can be removed from office.
A photorealistic, AI-generated or heavily edited picture showing three anthropomorphic rats dressed in ornate 18th-century aristocratic clothing (resembling characters from a show like Bridgerton or The Crown but with rat heads). They are standing on a balcony with classical columns in the background. The rats wear richly embroidered jackets, waistcoats, and white ruffled cravats. The middle rat (light brown) is the most prominent, wearing a small South African flag pin on its jacket. The rats have realistic fur, whiskers, and expressive faces, giving them a regal, dignified appearance. Below, a referenced tweet from the official Gauteng Health account (verified with a blue check):"SA rats don’t carry hantavirus, declares Motsoaledi" (with a link to sowetan.co.za)
South African Dpt of Tourism Health Notice. The Department encourages the public and tourism sector to stay informed following government updates on Hantavirus. SA is not an endemic country for the virus, and the risk of local transmission remains very low. Please rely on verified information and avoid spreading misinformation.
Poster for the TV series Years and Years.
Notice of webinar: The complicity of the United Nations in the ongoing genocide in Gaza A lecture by Prof. Norman G. Finkelstein, co-chaired by: PACSOC Steering Committee members Iman Hammouri, Executive Director of the Popular Art Centre in Ramallah, Palestine and Mike van Graan, a playwright and producer based in Cape Town, South Africa. In this webinar, Norman Finkelstein will speak to the final chapter of his forthcoming book, Gaza’s Gravediggers: An Inquiry into Corruption in High Places in which he argues that the Security Council’s Resolution of 17 November 2025 which outsources and ratifies the control of Gaza to Trump’s so-called Board of Peace, overturns decades of international law that declares illegal the Israel’s occupation of the territory and affirms the right of Palestinians to self-governance. If this is indeed the case, what then are the implications for the future of Palestine, for holding Israel accountable for the genocide and related war crimes, and for the relevance of the United Nations to uphold international law?
Report of a statement by Helen Zille, above a photograph of her: DA Johannesburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille says people must forget about any ideology she stands for. She says they vote for her because she wants to fix the city.
Flier for demo: Unite & Fight US Imperialism. Friday 17 April 2pm to 4.30 pm; Us Consulate, 1 Leila Khalid Drive, Sandton.
Extract from "On Stupidity - Letters and Papers from Prison" by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. ‘Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than malice. One may protest against evil; it can be exposed and, if need be, prevented by use of force. Evil always carries within itself the germ of its own subversion in that it leaves behind in human beings at least a sense of unease. Against stupidity we are defenseless. Neither protests nor the use of force accomplish anything here; reasons fall on deaf ears; facts that contradict one’s prejudgment simply need not be believed — in such moments the stupid person even becomes critical — and when facts are irrefutable they are just pushed aside as inconsequential, as incidental. In all this the stupid person, in contrast to the malicious one, is utterly self-satisfied and, being easily irritated, becomes dangerous by going on the attack. For that reason, greater caution is called for than with a malicious one. Never again will we try to persuade the stupid person with reasons, for it is senseless and dangerous
Two male mannequins standing side by side on a sidewalk. One is wearing a head to toe grass camouflage outfit, while the other is dressed stylishly in pants, shirt and jacket draped over the shoulders.
Screenshot of a post by Theto Mahlakoana: Do you NOT understand what this means for a household surviving on grants? On scraps from one working reltive supporting ten people? Paraffin is not a luxury. It is survival. Yet this is where the blow lands hardest?? A table shows March vs April prices per fuel type. Paraffin has the biggest increase, from R12.54 to R28.14.
Flier for the WITS event "In Conversation: Mahmood Mamdani & Angelo Fick on nationalism, ethnicity, and the turn to neoliberalism."
Post. Text: The Strait of Hormuz will be controlled by me and the Ayatollah. Picture: A car with a second, plastic children's steering wheel attached to the dash board.
A post by Larry Madowo. "Senegal’s president casually updates his social profile pictures to include the AFCON trophy behind him. How do you say “come and get it if you can” in Wolof?" The picture in the post is as described in the text.
Screenshot of an X post by Drop Site: New: Germany officially withdraws support for Israel in legal proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against accusations of genocide brought by South Africa in December 2023. Germany announced in early 2024 that it would intervene as a third party in the case, formally rejecting South Africa’s claims as "baseless" and "political instrumentalization" of the Genocide Convention. Berlin argued that Israel has been exercising its right to self-defense following the October 7 attacks.
Post by Gayton McKenzie. Outdoor picture of McKenzie and Bozell shaking hands and smiling. Text: Met US Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III today. An honest man with the ear of President Trump. We discussed a lot. Here is a golden moment to reset US relations & show him the real SA – a country of good people, not genocide. I’m confident he’ll share the truth with POTUS. 🇿🇦🇺🇸
Post by Ambassador Bozell. Photo of Gayton McKenzie and Brent Bozell, standing outdoors, shaking hands. Text: A pleasure to spend time with Patriotic Alliance President @GaytonMcK , a great friend of the United States. We discussed the importance of the U.S.–South Africa relationship and ways to strengthen our partnership.
Screenshot of a post by Mike Becker @mabecker17 "South Africa v Israel will the first “mass intervention” case where the views of intervening states will not be aligned with the main positions of only one of the parties to the case."
Statement by Ambassador Bozell: Thanks to @BizNewsCOM for hosting me yesterday. I want to clarify that while my personal view—like that of many South Africans—is that “Kill the Boer” constitutes hate speech, the U.S. government respects the independence and findings of South Africa’s judiciary.
Post by ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula: We must make it clear to all whom we welcome in our beautiful country including the new US ambassador. That South Africa’s international relations policy will not be dictated to by anyone else but South Africans and their government. Threats of investors pulling out such as Amazon, Google, VISA and Microsoft are unfounded. These companies came to the G20 even though the Trump administration didn’t show up. US companies are confident in the South African economy as seen by Walmart recently entering the South African market. South Africa is open for business and is a safe destination for global companies to do business. We reiterate that South Africa believes in a multipolar world which respects international law and international institutions that support a system of multilateralism.
Photo of Bozell with Western Cape Premier and Mayor of Cape Town. They are standing outdoors under a canopy of grape vines.
Screenshot of the typed poem: Aftermath Each time he finishes spraying, picking, or pruning, he gazes out over the vineyard as if the buried might rise again. Before resettlement, my dad drove a shovel truck the engine’s growl tearing through the grey air along mountain slopes. He carved roads that sometimes led to the darkest destinations. On his way to work, he’d pass bodies in uniform – piles of them and had to bury them, war after war after war. Now, forty summers on, dad stands among the vines, listening for voices we can never hear.
Screenshot of a post by AP reporter Seun Min Kim: Trump says he's ruled out having Kurds join Iran war, says they are willing but 'the war is complicated enough '.
The "Absolute Cinema" meme.
Extract from the article: "So how does Washington move partners it cannot honestly reassure? By manufacturing public pressure. A leak that frames Kurdish engagement as already underway creates expectations among regional audiences, among Iranian intelligence, and critically, within Kurdish political communities themselves that the train is leaving the station. Factions that hesitate risk being left behind, politically marginalized, or perceived as obstructing an American project. The leak thus does not just describe a policy; it creates the social conditions necessary to make that policy possible. This is coercion through publicity. It is Washington pressuring its own proxies via a press corps rather than a diplomatic channel because a diplomatic route would require accountability, which successive US administrations have spent the last decade showing they will not accept towards Kurdish partners."
Post by Israel Foreign Ministry: South Africa, a close ally of the murderous regime in Tehran, which slaughtered thousands of its own citizens, just organized another distorted anti-Israel meeting of the "Hague Group". These two corrupt regimes, united by their hatred of Israel, recently held a joint naval exercise. We can expect the outcome of the Hague meeting to be as successful as Iran's navy, which is probably why Bolivia and Honduras had the sense to leave this forum.
A screenshot of the lead of an i24 News article claiming that thousands of Kurdish fighters had launched a ground offensive into Iran.