The first rule about YouTube is don’t talk about what’s happening in the Palestine and Lebanon. The second rule of YouTube is you do not talk about what is happening in the Gulf and Middle East. And the final rule? If this is your first free speech rodeo, you have to fight. It sounds like #TylerDurden entered the script.
I woke up on Sunday morning to find that a corker of a video, which took me and my team two days to put together, resulted in a threatening message from YouTube. The message read like something you’d expect for Mossad. Apparently I would have my entire YouTube account wiped and I would never be allowed access to YouTube again.
I touched them on their (YouTube) studio that was for sure. Here’s the good news. The video #NoFortunateSons is still up on Facebook and Instagram. The first rule of free speech is you have to fight. Here’s the thing about that video that really irks me about YouTube’s response.
Almost all the content was pulled from … YouTube, from so-called ‘credible’ news sites like CNN and Sky News. So, to be accurate, YouTube censored their own content because I put my narrative to it. #WorldWar3 and #FortunateSons.
I’m Tonya Khoury and I will not be silenced but I must say I’m a little depro.
Keeping it local
Let’s keep it local because let’s face it, when you look at the world, it’s a bit extra out there isn’t it? Hurricanes, wars, human predators that were once household names and far too much censorship on how Bibi called Lebanon the next Gaza. Let’s keep it tame.
Five children died from food poisoning, they were our littlies, aged between six and 10 died within minutes of each other on Sunday. Tame enough? Thirty-five kids were poisoned. One is critical in ICU. I tuned into the press conference where the Presidency addressed us. Ntshavheni told us that the foreign-owned #SpazaShops in Naledi, Soweto were to blame. She told us we “couldn’t have our cake and eat it too”; yes, she used that analogy.
She said it was the nation’s responsibility to check the validity of the spaza shop’s right to trade. This was a ridiculous statement, the kids are too tiny to be given any responsibility at all and that particular responsibility a fully grown adult wouldn’t even manage.
The result? Many of the shops were forcibly closed and looted by the community. Yes looted. The vigilantes stole the very food that poisoned their kids.
I was still digesting this story when we heard that 70 matrics were admitted into hospital with food poisoning too. They’re still investigating if that was a spaza shop. I know the answer to this awful set of stories, and you do too. And you know who else knows? #JohnSteenhuisen. He came out this week to say food scarcity affects over 60% of our nation. That’s three out of every five people in our country are struggling to afford eat.
Eat cheaper
The natural thing is to eat cheaper. What is cheaper? Cheaper is packed in some back ally surrounded by rats. And if rat poison gets into a couple of those biscuits/sorghum/chips well, hey it’s cheap. We must do better, South Africa.
Politrix is running around like a scalded cat. #PanyasaLesufi and #FikileMbalula have been in a public spat. I call him #MinisterOfAlles, Mbalula, but and it turns out I’m right, apparently #Razmatazz wants to be president; please no.
Cast your mind back a bit, remember #Mbaks was running the negotiations with the DA during the time Zille was still partial to an ANC coalition and since then he’s become very aspirational and quite the little dictator. Helen taught him well.
Panyasa #Lesufi was called to order for putting the “ANC into disrepute”. Fikile issued this official order. We still haven’t worked out what Panyasa did exactly, maybe he criticised the DA? But Lesufi had to go to see Cupcake and everything.
What mister fear fokol has forgotten is that the real President is still in the room, and he’s been using Mbaks as a chess piece throughout the past 100 days. The prez said Panyasa did nothing wrong and called Mbaks back into line. I know. Much ado about nothing.
Stellenbosch jam
Well, unless you listen to Julius who says that Mbaks is being filled with sweet Stellenbosch jam. Only then does the penny drop. But who’s Julius anyway. Guys, I’m grumpy, ne? Sorry.
We finally got a new mayor. Brink exited stage right and enter #DrNasiphiMoya from ActionSA who is heading up the capital city. She got her ketang so let’s see how quickly she moves water to #Hammanskraal. That’s all we care about right? Our human rights! Or was it the budget?
Back to the #EFFPresser, to moot Julius; wow he even changed his get up, he’s no longer in a branded T-shirt. It seems the emperor has new clothes. For the first time in my career, Julius bored me to tears. There were glaring omissions like #Ndlozi and a #DeputyPresident and even the people on the stage looked bored, tired and weary.
One of the journalists asked why the EFF hasn’t stood by clothing manufacturer and aspirational label #Drip? Drip slid past business rescue straight into liquidation which is highly unusual for such a massive brand. Julius laughed and asked where the EFF should find R20 million from to rescue the failing business? The journalists laughed back. And it was dropped.
Insurance serial killers
We witnessed the death of #RayMcCauley the head of the #RhemaChurch; we were told what a wonderful man he was. I don’t know much about the fella but it seems his congregation had only accolades for the charismatic church leader. He wasn’t the only big name that passed on this week.
Gospel singer #SollyMoholo and head of Tata Group #RatanTata all left us. And then we saw mass killings in the #EasternCape again. What on earth is going on at that coast line? It’s out of control.
Remember Rosemary Nomia Ndlovu, the cop that killed her family members one by one for insurance policies to support her gambling debt? Well, there’s another one, another female cop, she has been killing off her disabled relatives, her body count is as high as six.
I think it’s time these insurance companies stopped advertising all day on the teevee, people think it’s some get rich quick way out. Just pop off a couple of your kin if you’re a cop. Talking of dirty cops, you may remember that 11-year-old girl that was caught in the car in a hijacking gone awry, turns out the hijacker is a cop. Yip, I don’t see my mood improving, trigger warning.
Senzo, still
Infuriatingly #LongweTwala, murder accused, will not take the stand. I’m not sure why, maybe because Chicco is his dad? This case is a farce isn’t it? We’re 11 years in and no closer to justice for Senzo. Madam Mkhwebane didn’t get her R10 million from the coffers. How she thought that we’d just hand over ten bar when she was impeached is beyond me, but it’s the kind of entitlement of these politicians carry.
Take a look at impeached judge and leader of the #MKParty in Parliament, John Hlophe. He was squealing about not being allowed to sit on the interviews to appoint South Africa’s judges. He’s impeached. What bit of that is unclear? He went on to “resign” from the JSC; how do you resign if you were fired? Asking for a friend, nah I’m asking for myself. Entitled much?
And then, this, that Middleburg farmer that is accused of kidnapping, assaulting and murdering of two suspected livestock thieves was also caught paying his two co-accused R50 000. I hope they swing him from the rafters. They won’t. But I hope. Yeah that mood ain’t shifting ,chaps.
There was a massive #Cosatu march across Durban and Bloemfontein. The march was against joblessness and the work crisis we are facing in our country. The government’s answer of R370 isn’t sufficient and telling us not to buy cheap food during the rising cost of living won’t work either. Nor will saying, “You can’t have your cake and eat it”.
And Chris Brown?
And then these two ridiculous stories. A man was arrested in the Cape with R200 000 worth of outstanding traffic fines. Ya, you can read that again. And Chris Brown, don’t get me started on Chris Brown. A documentary was released two week ago called Chris Brown: A History of Violence and here comes this chop to tour South Africa like it was some kind of prelude to his concerts?
And as if that wouldn’t make me grump, remember that UCT boss, Professor Phakeng? Well, she got hammered in social media when she announced that she has the best seats in the house for concert.
After Twitter raged at her she then had the audacity to say this: “If you think boycotting this one concert is going to end GBV in South Africa you are delulu [delusional] and unfortunately I can’t help you. The number of people who have bought tickets is enough to secure a political party at least three seats in the National Assembly. That’s what should worry you.”
It starts with you, Professor. One woman with a strong media presence is enough to start. Enjoy dancing on the graves of your sisters that night.
I got to stop writing, you may not come back and read the next piece. YouTube stole my mojo. I have a plan though; I’m going to take a couple of weeks off. Throw in some sharks and some bait and lets see what happens?
I’m Tonya Khoury and yeah, ya know. Oh, and about the video for this piece, it will be on Facebook and Instagram on Sunday. It will stay up and Facebook will take my money.