Blossom of Thought

My guest in this episode is Ahjamu Umi (from Sacramento, USA) and we speak about the radical side of Marthin L. King. Ahjamu is a dedicated activist/organizer/author who has engaged in on the groundwork throughout Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, and throughout the U.S. for about 4 decades now. His latest work is "A Guide for Defense against White Supremacist, Patriarchal, and Fascist Violence....

Sandile Bhembe, a Swazi historian, business analyst, and political activist returns to the show to talk about the origins of the Police Force in Swaziland. Police in Swaziland, like their counterparts elsewhere in the world, have increasingly become very violent and brutal to civilians agitating for democratic changes. Sandile tells us that the Police Force was established to protect  Europea...

This episode is on King Mswati III - the King of Swaziland - as a businessman and the effect that has on the rule of law, the economy, the political landscape and the business community. To talk about this subject, I'm joined by a very decorated leader - Mandla Hlatjwayo. Mandla Hlatshwayo is an activist and founding member of the Peoples United Democratic Movement [Pudemo]. He is also the Chairma...

Friends/comrades Saneliswa Magagula , Temazulu Zulu , and Sylvester Mhlanga meet up with me for a book review on the history of Swaziland. The book under review is “The Kingdom of Swaziland: Studies in Political History (Contributions in Comparative Colonial Studies) authored by D. Hugh Gillis. The book entails Swaziland’s history from the 18th century to 1921 – before Sobhuza II ascends to power....

An esteemed human rights lawyer from Swaziland, Sibusiso Nhlabatsi speaks to me on terrorism legislations, Swaziland’s Suppression of Terrorism Act, 2008 ("the Act"), and judicial crisis. Mr Nhlabatsi is known for his fortitude and taking critical human rights cases in Swaziland - even against the machinary of government. In this episode we talk about: most terrorism legislations have been promulg...

In this episode, we sit down with Erica Caines to discuss Anti-Consumerism. Erica is a poet, writer, and organizer in Baltimore, D.C, Maryland, and Virginia. She is an organizing committee member of the anti-war coalition, the Black Alliance For Peace as well as an outreach member of the Black-centered Ujima People’s Progress Party. Caines founded Liberation Through Reading in 2017 as a way t...

In this episode, I connect with Maxine Davis in England and we are discussing England's Underdevelopment of Africa over the past 500 years and Queen Elizabeth II's legacy and brutality against Africa and Africans. Sister Maxine is a committed Pan-Africanist born in England, of Jamaican parentage. She describes herself as an African born away from home. She's been a member and organizer for 30 year...

Mr. Dumsane Tembe comes to the platform to talk about confusing liberal democracy with liberation in Swaziland. Mr. Tembe has a master’s in political science. He is a governance specialist, and political analyst, has experience in public policy development in RSA, writer, columnist, and blogger (Kunjalo D.co.za). He is doing his Ph. D. on the relationship between political leadership and governmen...

Dr. Jabulani Matsebula returns to the show to converse with me about Good Governance relative to Swaziland. Dr. Matsebula has a Ph. D. in political sociology. He has held various positions in academia and government in Australia, including international multilateral engagement in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC), G20, and OECD. He is also a founding member of PUDEMO one of the la...

My guest in this episode is Sandile Bhembe - a Swazi historian, business analyst, political activist, and member of the Peoples United Democratic Party (one of the political parties in Swaziland). Our discussion is on King Sobhuza II and his cunning traditionalism/elite culture based on the controversial belief that the people of Swaziland are Swazis before they are Africans. The highlights of our...

I talk to Dr. John Trimble on Imperialism and Settler-Colonialism in this episode. John Trimble is an educator and organizer with the Azania chapter of the All African People's Revolutionary Party. John holds a Master's degree from Stanford University in computer science and from UC Berkeley in operations research as well as a Ph. D. in systems engineering from Georgia Tech. In 2015 John retired a...

Pius Vilakati is the guest for this episode. Pius is a political activist and International Secretary of the Communist Party of Swaziland. He is a political exile, resident in South Africa. He is a former president of the Student Representative Council (SRC), a student board, of the University of Swaziland. In this episode, we explore the subject of Class Struggle in Swaziland: Pre-and-Post-Indepe...

Onyesonwu joins me for this episode on the Cuban story and socialism. Onyesonwu is A Cadre and organizer of AAPRP, editor with Hood Communist (an anti-imperialist online publication), on the national coordinating committee of the Venceremos brigade (an organization o pposing the U.S. embargo and travel ban, supporting normalized relations and recognizing Cuba’s accomplishments) . We Discussion: Th...

On his return to our platform, distinguished Dr. Jabulane Matsebula speaks economic crisis in Swaziland and provides solutions. Dr. Matsebula has a Ph. D. in political sociology and has held various positions in academia and government in Australia, including international multilateral engagement in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC), G20, and OECD.  He is also a founding memb...

Legislator, Mduduzi G. Simelane returns to our show to give an update on the current political conundrum in the kingdom of Swaziland/eSwatini. More arrest and brutalizing of protestors and pro-democracy movement leaders by the king's armed forces continues.   The legislator talks about: The main objective of Swaziland Liberation Movement (Swalimo) in the struggle. What can be done to force th...

Dr. Jabulane Matsebula is the guest for this episode . Dr. Matsebula completed a Ph. D. in political sociology in 2005 focusing on political developments in South Africa during the apartheid period and the transition to inclusive democracy. Dr. Matsebula has held various positions in academia and government in Australia, including international multilateral engagement in the Asia-Pacific Economic...

Jacqueline Luqman is the guest for this episode. She co-hosts “By Any Means Necessary” on Radio Sputnik, a daily show that analyzes current political and social events through an anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist, radical Black internationalist tradition and lens. She is also a contributor to The Real News Network, Editor-In-Chief of the social media program Coffee, Current Events & Politics i...

The subject of this episode is trauma on mind and body. My guest is Emerald Wilkins from Florida, US. She is a Life Coach and has a Youtube channel - Diamond Net where she shares her perspective on the topics of wisdom, spirituality, enlightenment, depth psychology, the psyche, creativity, altered states of consciousness, and many other forms of exploration of Self and reality. We divide deep on:...

In a quest to find healing for our bodies and minds, we find ourselves confronted with huge medical bills. Our world is one of complex medical issues. Western medicine's inadequacies are indisputable. Are there other healing modalities or alternatives to western medicine? Today we can draw so much from eastern wisdom and ancient traditions or spiritual practices to address the forever growing medi...

Music artist, minister of religion, teacher, legislator, and activist of social justice - Honorable Mduduzi 'Gaw'zela Simelane, a man, amongst others, at the heart of political turmoil in Swaziland records with me his sentiments on the political warfare in Africa's last absolute monarch. A black cloud continues to hang over the kingdom of Swaziland. Calls for democracy are as vibrant as never befo...

Armed forces in eSwatini continue to brutalize and kill emaSwati who are calling for a democratic dispensation in the country. During recent protests, police and the military fired live ammunition, killing over 80 unarmed civilians, while hundreds of others sustained major injuries and were left permanently disabled or in need of continued medical care. Most of their stories have not been reported...

In the height of a pandemic, while many were still mourning lives lost to COVID19, political unrest ensued in Swaziland. Armed forces brutalized and killed dozens of emaSwati who were calling for political reforms and even some who were bystanders. The tremendous impact of such traumatic events on the mental health of all affected has been a subject of discussion on social media. We speak to Swazi...

In light of the recent Swaziland massacre, many believe the monarchy has no place in future democratic Swaziland they envision. We speak to Virginia-based accountant and activist Mandla Monty Nkosi on his vision for how Swaziland can transition into the new democratic dispensation. Born and raised in Swaziland, Monty obtained his Association of Accounting Technician (AAT) Level 1 certificate from...

In this episode, I’m joined by Aaron Steven Thoming, a US citizen. We speak about democide, liberties, and freedoms - a citizen's perspective. Aaron has lived for years in the east (Taiwan, China, and South Korea). He is a Strategic Communications expert. Highlights of the conversation: A comparative analysis of pre-democratic Taiwan and current eSwatini. How Taiwan transformed into a democratic s...

To discuss crimes against humanity, with a particular focus on eSwatini, I’m joined by Prof. Angelo Dube. He is a professor of International Law at the University of South Africa. Prof Angelo is an expert in international criminal law, universal jurisdiction, comparative constitutionalism, amongst other things. He is also the Chief Editor of the South African Yearbook of International Law Highligh...