Kenya rights activist freed on bail, charged with unlawful possession of ammunition
Kenyan activists have been on edge over the arrests of government critics since a political blogger died in custody in June, triggering weeks of violent demonstrations in which around 50 people were killed.
Police had arrested Mwangi, 42, on Saturday and said they had recovered unused teargas canisters, a '7.62mm blank round', two mobile phones, a laptop and notebooks.
Mwangi was 'found in possession of noxious substances to wit three teargas canisters without lawful authority,' according to a charge sheet seen by Reuters. He was also accused of illegal possession of a single round of blank ammunition.
The courtroom was packed with hundreds of activists, some wearing Kenyan flags.
'They have no evidence,' Mwangi told reporters, describing his prosecution as 'a big shame'.
His lawyer told Reuters he was grateful to the court for agreeing to release Mwangi on bail.
Mwangi, who once ran for parliament on an anti-corruption platform, has earned a reputation for speaking out against human rights violations in Kenya and abroad. He was expelled from neighbouring Tanzania in May, where he had travelled to observe a hearing in a treason case against an opposition figure.
Last month hundreds of Kenyans took to the streets to protest against the death in police custody of political blogger Albert Ojwang. Police initially implied that Ojwang had died by suicide but later apologised after an autopsy found that his injuries pointed to assault as the cause of death.
The demonstrations over Ojwang's death reignited protests that had erupted last year over the cost of living and alleged police brutality and corruption.
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IOL News
3 hours ago
- IOL News
Western media finally confronts Israel's actions in Gaza
An F-35 fighter jet flies during a graduation ceremony for Israeli Air Force pilots at Hatzerim Airbase, in southern Israel. In a relentless wave of reprisals, the Israeli Defence Force has killed, maimed and arbitrarily detained largely powerless Palestinians, many without charge. Image: Amir Cohen / Reuters THE silence, nay, collaboration of the Western mainstream media with Israel's genocidal military onslaught against Gaza and the Palestinian people in general has been mind-boggling. Since October 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise violent attack in Southern Israel that resulted in some 1 200 people killed, life for Palestinian men, women and children has been akin to hell on earth. Israel's fury, vengeance and retribution against the people of Gaza have been brutal, ferocious and limitless. In a relentless wave of reprisals, the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) has killed, maimed and arbitrarily detained largely powerless Palestinians, many without charge. The IDF's reign of terror in every corner of Palestine has known no bounds. Since October 2023, Israelis have killed no less than 60 000 Palestinians amid a systematic annihilation of the Gaza population, and displaced nearly 2 million, according to the UN. Thousands remain trapped under the ruins of what was once a normal Gaza Strip, despite occupation by apartheid Israel. What triggered me to pen this piece this week has been the rare public criticism of Israel by four leading Western media outlets that echoed the views of the UN and more than 100 aid organisations that have accused Israel of starving Palestinians. Although this deliberate mass starvation and killing of dozens queueing for food is ubiquitous, Israel has thus far enjoyed biased support by the West. The British public broadcaster BBC, Associated Press (AP), Reuters and Agence-France Presse (AFP) this week issued a statement they wrote collectively in which they decry Israel's deliberate use of starvation as a weapon of war. The media outlets above revealed that their own employees inside Gaza were starving and unable to fend for their families. 'We are desperately concerned for our journalists in Gaza, who are increasingly unable to feed themselves and their families,' the rare joint statement read, before continuing: 'It is essential that adequate food supplies reach the people there.' This departure from the norm is significant for many reasons. Finally, it removes the veil of Israel's protection from critical public scrutiny that has unwittingly aided the extinction of the people of Gaza. Together with CNN, among other impactful Western media outlets, the West has remained largely blind and speechless to Israeli excesses in its merciless military operation against the Palestinians. It is in this context, therefore, that the public denouncement of Israel by Western media carries massive weight. Inevitably, breaking the silence by the Western media and abandoning their apparently collective complicity in what South Africa and others have described before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as sheer unadulterated genocide changes the game altogether. Not only does it cause Israel to adjust its dubious public relations drive, but it also punches holes for the Western publics and their governments to reconsider the free pass that Israel has thus far enjoyed. In the last 21 months, some 200 Palestinian journalists have been killed by Israeli fire, without any iota of consequences. Of greater concern, in my book, has been the glaring absence of international outcry by the self-righteous Western media outlets in particular. The silence of Western governments has been utterly deafening, too. The Qatari news network, Al Jazeera, has lost some of its journalists to Israel's deliberate targeting of their staff due to their tough reporting approach that exposes the truth, as seen on social media worldwide. In fact, Al Jazeera is banned in Israel and the West Bank. Israel accuses their journalists as well as foreign correspondents as 'terror operatives' without evidence. Disturbingly, the Western media has turned a blind eye to the suppression of media freedom by Israel. Actually, the four media outlets that jointly issued a statement critical of Israel have themselves been previously criticised for their sheepish approach to news reporting. They have been accused of accepting the narrative of Israel about the war without any question — apparently too content to publicise the statements of the Israeli military officers as gospel truth. Last November, some 100 journalists from the BBC accused the corporation of Israeli bias and of lacking 'consistently fair and accurate evidence-based journalism'. The BBC denied the claims, just as AFP, Reuters, CNN, AP and others contemptuously reject any criticism levelled at them. Israel's genocide in Gaza has triggered the reconfiguration of global relations beyond measure. It has exposed the weakness and bias of Western-led global governance systems such as the International Criminal Court (ICC), the shortcomings of the ICJ's lack of enforceable rulings and the ugly spectre of unilateralism in international relations. Additionally, the persistent failure of the UN Security Council (UNSC) to obligate the cessation of hostilities in Gaza has further exposed the hidden rot that plagues global bodies. The veto power possessed by the five permanent members of the UNSC has also proved to be archaic and susceptible to abuse, particularly by the US in defence of attempts to rein in Israel. The US is one of the five permanent members of the UNSC. Others are the UK, France, China and Russia. The Majority World has been campaigning for urgent reforms of the UNSC, so that all nations can exercise equal authority reflective of the 21st-century architecture of the international world order. At the UN General Assembly, any condemnation of Israel remains largely muted and unenforceable anyway. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is all but a talk shop that is past its sell-by date. The UN Charter, which is supposed to be based on the principle of 'dialogue among equals', has become a doormat where heads of state wipe their feet on entrance. The plain disability to stop Israel's genocide against Gazans and the blatant fear by the large majority of the nations of the world to emulate South Africa and call it for what it is — genocide — is an indictment of our global governance system. Israel's impunity reminds the international community that Western hegemony still reigns supreme. Its various poles of power can be seen through the activities of the EU, Nato and the G7, among others. The concerns and voices of the Global South seldom make any impact. By and large, the persistent legacy of colonialism that thrives on the notion of divide and rule still keeps like-minded weaker economies apart and unable to cooperate. It is a separate development. In its defence, its architects describe it as 'separate but equal'. The role of the media in society is to hold authorities accountable. Anarchy thrives when the media shirks its fundamental responsibilities. Additionally, appropriate media is the one that consciously stands with the weak against the powerful. Pardon the cliché, but the media that is morally upright is the one that plays the role of being the 'voice of the voiceless'. Amid the ongoing Israeli genocide, it is refreshing to note the adoption of a more responsible posture by the leading Western media networks. This is highly commendable. As they say, better late than never. Their public rebuke of Israel will certainly not go unnoticed. It would most probably be safe, whatever is left of those that are still lucky to be alive in Gaza. A media that is embedded is a media that has outsourced its responsibility and function to its handlers, be they the IDF, politicians or big business interests. Journalism that fails to question authority is a dismal failure. It is nothing short of sunshine journalism whose modus operandi is to sing for its supper to the detriment of the public they are supposed to serve. It is tempting to lambaste the Western media outlets as a collective, but that would be tantamount to throwing the baby out with the bath water. The four media houses outlined above will go down in history as having broken ranks by speaking out against Israel's monumental war crimes, albeit belatedly. * Abbey Makoe is the publisher and editor-in-chief of the Global South Media Network ( The views expressed are personal. ** The views expressed here do not reflect those of the Sunday Independent, IOL, or Independent Media. Get the real story on the go: Follow the Sunday Independent on WhatsApp.
IOL News
5 hours ago
- IOL News
Community leaders call for action against illegal cannabis stores in Chatsworth
Residents said outlets were "freely selling" cannabis products close to schools and religious organisations. Image: Reuters COMMUNITY leaders in Chatsworth are urging authorities to take action against the proliferation of illegal cannabis stores, highlighting concerns about public safety and the impact on local youth. They said outlets were "freely selling" cannabis products close to schools and religious organisations. This comes soon after Mmamoloko Kubayi, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, confirmed that regulations required for the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act to be implemented would be finalised by March 2026. In a parliamentary response to DA MP Tobias Chance, Kubayi said the Act could only be implemented once her department had received feedback from all concerned departments. Video Player is loading. 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Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ These include the departments of health; agriculture; trade, industry and competition; social development; small business and development, the Presidency, and the SAPS. Yugen Pillay, chairperson of the Chatsworth Community Policing Forum (CPF), said despite the use of cannabis being decriminalised for private use, the public needed to remember that the sale of cannabis was still illegal. 'People are openly selling cannabis. The law regarding the sale of cannabis is quite clear. I have tried many times to get law enforcement to act on this, but they are still awaiting direction from their legal department. A directive that was unfortunately not forthcoming. 'It seems that the legal departments cannot decipher the legislation, and in the meantime, these stores are mushrooming all over. 'The use of cannabis can act as a gateway drug, and because it is so easily available, more and more people are using it. We are calling on the police to clamp down on these stores and start shutting them down," said Pillay. He said SAPS had issued a stern warning that the establishment of illegal dispensaries or outlets, online sites and social media platforms, which are marketing and selling cannabis and cannabis-related products to the public, remained illegal, except where specifically allowed in terms of the Medicines and Related Substances Act. 'Despite warnings, cannabis stores continue to open everywhere. Some of these illegal businesses, purporting to operate legally, are also being sold to members of the public as franchises authorised to deal in cannabis and cannabis-related products. 'Dealing in cannabis remains a serious criminal offence. Police are mandated to and will act, not only against businesses that sell cannabis illegally, but also against the customers who buy these products." Cyril Pillay, the chairperson of the Chatsworth Spiritual Crime Prevention Forum, said: "The increase in cannabis stores in our community is adding to all the social ills we are facing. It is compounding our problems and leading to the degradation of our society. This is also adding to the social economic challenges that already exist. 'People are complacent and due to poor monitoring, we have more than one cannabis store per area. We need proper monitoring and more police operations to curb this." Denzil Devan, a community leader in Mobeni Heights, said the sharp increase in cannabis stores across communities highlighted a significant gap in legislation. 'While liquor outlets are bound by strict zoning laws, such as maintaining a set distance from schools, cannabis stores are exploiting the absence of similar regulations, allowing them to operate virtually anywhere. This loophole poses serious concerns for public safety and urban planning,' he added. Devan said it was more concerning that outlets have included smoking lounges and cannabis bars. 'Many of these outlets have evolved into cannabis smoking lounges or cannabis bars, which likely goes far beyond what Parliament intended when it moved to decriminalise cannabis for personal use and regulate products like cannabis oil and hemp. Without clear policy direction and enforcement, we risk creating unregulated environments that normalise public consumption and weaken community standards." Jakes Singh, the former chairperson of the Chatsworth CPF, said various cannabis stores have opened near schools and religions institutions over the last two years. 'Not enough checks are done. While a few of the stores are operating legally, most are illegal. Tuck-shops are even selling cannabis. Stores are mushrooming everywhere. Raids are done, and regulators are visiting to check, but it is not done all the time. Too many loopholes are leading to the increase of cannabis stores,' said Singh. Colonel Booysie Zungu, the spokesperson for metro police, said the rapid increase of unlicenced cannabis stores and dispensaries within the municipal area was a serious concern. 'We are working together to identify and dismantle illegal cannabis operations, including unregistered dispensaries, storage facilities, and unlicenced retail stores. These establishments often operate outside the boundaries of national legislation, posing a threat to public health and safety. 'This is in line with our crime prevention mandate and the provisions of the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act and Medicines and Related Substances Act. 'We are committed to enforcing municipal bylaws, disrupting illegal trade, and working to ensure that all cannabis-related businesses comply with applicable laws. We encourage the public to report suspicious activity through official channels." Dr Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela, the chief executive officer of the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra), said cannabis dispensaries were mushrooming and blatantly displaying copies of Sahpra licences, which were issued authorising cannabis cultivation and exporting of the cannabis flower. "Such licences do not authorise these so-called cannabis dispensaries. This is a matter of concern," said Semete-Makokotlela in a statement. 'It is highly unethical and illegal for any individual or company to claim Sahpra authorisation through forged documentation. We take this matter seriously, and we will work with law enforcement agencies to ensure that offenders are dealt with swiftly and decisively. The public must be protected from such deceptive behaviour." Sahpra warned the public to be vigilant and cautious when engaging with service providers that claimed to be licenced by the authority. Semete-Makokotlela said Sahpra wasin the process of sourcing a system that used barcoding as a means of authenticating these certificates. If you suspect that a provider is using a fraudulent Sahpra licence, you can call the authority on 0800 204 307. THE POST
TimesLIVE
13 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
US-funded contraceptives for poor nations to be burnt in France, sources say
US-funded contraceptives worth nearly $10m (R177.15m) are being sent to France from Belgium to be incinerated after Washington rejected offers from the UN and family planning organisations to buy or ship the supplies to poor nations, two sources told Reuters. A spokesperson for the US state department confirmed to Reuters on Wednesday that a decision had been taken to destroy the stock. The supplies have been stuck for months in a warehouse in Geel, a city in the Belgian province of Antwerp, after President Donald Trump's decision to freeze US foreign aid in January. They comprise contraceptive implants and pills as well as intrauterine devices to help prevent unwanted pregnancies, according to seven sources and a screengrab shared by an eighth source confirming the planned destruction. The US government will spend $167,000 (R2.95m) to incinerate the stocks at a facility in France that handles medical waste, the US state department confirmed. The spokesperson said a preliminary decision had been made to destroy certain products from terminated US Agency for International Development contracts (USAID). 'Only a limited number of commodities have been approved for disposal,' the spokesperson said via email, adding that no condoms or HIV medications would be destroyed. US legislators have introduced two bills this month to prevent the destruction of the supplies after Trump's decision to shut down USAID, but aid groups say the bills are unlikely to be passed in time to stop the incineration.
