Forty-five Christians are dead and a young girl seriously injured after a bus crashed off a cliff in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/south-africa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">South Africa</a> en route to an Easter church service.
The bus crash <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DoTransport" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> took place in Limpopo, the northernmost province of South Africa, and occurred after the vehicle veered off a cliff and burst into flames upon hitting the ground. According to various reports, the lone survivor of the accident was an 8-year-old girl who was now receiving medical attention at a nearby hospital.
The group was reportedly from Botswana and headed to Moria, South Africa, for Easter church services as Christians around the world prepare to commemorate the resurrection.
&#8220;I am sending my heartfelt condolences to the families affected by the tragic bus crash near Mamatlakala,” <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DoTransport" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> South African Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga. “Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time. We continue to urge responsible driving at all times with heightened alertness as more people are on our roads this Easter weekend.”
The South African Police Service and Limpopo Accident Response Team responded to the crash.
“It is alleged that the driver lost control, colliding with barriers on the bridge causing the bus to go over the bridge and hitting the ground, where it caught fire,” the South African Transportation Ministry said in a statement. &#8220;The Minister assures the public that the precise cause of the crash is under thorough investigation.&#8221;
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The Limpopo Department of Transportation said in a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LimpopoInMotion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> on Facebook that the truck had a Botswana license plate and that both South Africa and Botswana would be working to verify the citizenship of the victims of the crash.
“According to reports, the driver lost control, and the bus fell onto a rocky surface, some 50-metres under the bridge and caught fire,” the department said. “Rescue operations continued until the late hours of Thursday evening, as some bodies were burned beyond recognition, others trapped inside the debris and others scattered on the scene.”
Photos posted online showed Florence Radzilani, a member of the Executive Council for Transport and Community Safety for Limpopo, visiting the site of the disaster alongside police.

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45 Dead After Bus Crashes Off Cliff En Route To Easter Church Service

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Last week, the U.N.’s International Court of Justice <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/01/12/1224363666/israel-hamas-war-palestinians-south-africa-genocide-case-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">convened</a> at The Hague to hear arguments from South African representatives <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/01/10/south-africa-israel-icj-genocide-case/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accusing</a> the State of Israel of violating international law by carrying out a genocide to “destroy Palestinians in Gaza.”
Many influential figures across social media have agreed with the accusation, such as former UFC fighter Jake Shields who <a href="https://x.com/jakeshieldsajj/status/1745592245615558846?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claims</a> America is clashing with <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/01/11/1223238786/us-strikes-houthis-yemen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yemen</a> so that “&#8230; Israel can continue their genocide in Gaza.”
South Africa has also been backed by many in the film industry. A video <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcwdep4oM5M&amp;t=8s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> last week by the Palestine Festival of Literature shows 29 actors from television series like “Game of Thrones” reading South Africa’s official case file.
So, is Israel actually committing genocide? The answer is simple — absolutely not.
The term “genocide” was originally <a href="https://www.facinghistory.org/ideas-week/where-did-word-genocide-come" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coined</a> in 1944 by Jewish-Polish lawyer Raphäel Lemkin in his book “Axis Rule in Occupied Europe.” Lemkin created the term as a response to the systematic killing of the Jews in Nazi occupied Europe. He chose the Greek prefix ‘genos,’ meaning race, and the latin suffix ‘cide,’ which means killing.
So, to claim the only Jewish nation in the world — formed by Holocaust survivors — is carrying out the same crime that befell its ancestors just eight decades ago is something that should not be taken lightly.
According to <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-prevention-and-punishment-crime-genocide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Article II</a> of the United Nations’ Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the term is defined as a group of acts “committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.”
All it takes is a single word in that definition to establish their innocence, “intent.”
A quick glance into Israel’s conduct in Gaza shows they have no intention of eradicating the Arabs who live there.
As Israeli Defense Forces combat Hamas, a terror organization who purposely embeds themselves in hospitals and civilian areas to use the general population as human shields, they take countless steps to save as many innocent lives as possible. For example, before an airstrike occurs, Israel often sends <a href="https://www.idf.il/en/mini-sites/the-hamas-terrorist-organization/how-is-the-idf-minimizing-harm-to-civilians-in-gaza/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warning signs</a> to civilians in the strike zone. These signs include roof knock warning bombs, leaflet droppings, direct phone calls, and even complete abandonment of strikes they can&#8217;t clear out in time. One could argue that no nation on earth does more to prevent harm to civilians, because doing so can ultimately compromise the effectiveness of the operation.
A <a href="https://x.com/hashtag_NP/status/1744384492180021458?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">common argument</a> made by critics, especially in response to the aforementioned point, is the casualty count coming out of Gaza. Before addressing it directly, it should be understood that the number, which is now reportedly over 20,000, comes <a href="https://scrippsnews.com/stories/gaza-health-ministry-says-at-least-23-469-palestinians-killed-in-war/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">from</a> the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. Hamas is a terror organization who purposely places their own civilians in harms way, so their numbers should be taken with not only a grain, but a truckload of salt. Taking Hamas at their word is comparable to <a href="https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2022-03-04/la-fg-russia-ukraine-military-casualties" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trusting</a> the Kremlin to give accurate figures for the number of Russian casualties sustained in their current war.
If the numbers are accurate, however, it is important to understand a high casualty count does not equate to genocide. During World War II, the United States and Britain <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51448486" target="_blank" rel="noopener">carried out</a> a joint bombing campaign against Dresden, Germany. While their overall goal was to defeat the Axis powers, 25,000 people died as a result of the campaign. To this day, the bombing of Dresden is not considered a genocidal act and rightfully so.
Another example from World War II are the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States. The damage caused by these operations was so extensive, historians have never been able to produce a concrete casualty count. <a href="https://thebulletin.org/2020/08/counting-the-dead-at-hiroshima-and-nagasaki/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Some estimates</a> place the figure around 110,000. Despite the soberingly large figure, America never went on trial for genocide against the Japanese because (similar to Israel) they never showed any intent to wipe out an entire race.
Many critics of South Africa’s actions at the U.N. have responded by criticizing them in return. British author and commentator Douglas Murray <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/preposterous-douglas-murray-rips-south-africa-for-accusing-israel-of-genocide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a>, “Its government is profoundly anti-Semitic, has been anti-Israel for years.” He also said they, “&#8230; always do this sort of thing to try to sort of distract attention among their own population from the failings of their own government.”
Similarly, Pennsylvania Democratic Senator John Fetterman has shown a surprising willingness to differ from his party by openly defending Israel. At a luncheon hosted by the Orthodox Union, Fetterman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sit-this-one-out-fetterman-blasts-south-africa-for-accusing-israel-of-genocide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticized</a> South Africa by saying they should “sit this one out.”
Israel is not committing a genocide in Gaza. For almost two decades they have worked tirelessly to defend their citizens from Hamas and other terrorist organizations. At any point, Israel’s superior military could have wiped out their enemies in the Gaza Strip, but they haven’t. The population in Gaza, on the other hand, has <a href="https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/HRV/palestine/population-growth-rate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">grown</a> consistently at an unprecedented rate. Hamas started this war on October 7, 2023, with a massacre of innocent civilians, and it will continue until the terrorists who carried it out are no longer a threat. Let&#8217;s hope that happens soon, so civilians on both sides can live safely.
* * *
Jacob Falach is a writer and student in Nashville, TN. You can find him on Instagram at: @jacobfalach
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

The International Court of Justice Public Hearing On South Africa’s Gaza Genocide Case Against Israel

Why South Africa’s Claims Of Genocide In Gaza Are False

Why South Africa's Claims Of Genocide In Gaza Are False

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British author and commentator Douglas Murray blasted South Africa for accusing Israel of genocide in its war against Hamas, calling the claim “preposterous.”
This week, South Africa accused Israel of genocide at the United Nations’ top court, the International Court of Justice.
Murray appeared on Talk TV with host Julia Hartley-Brewer, who asked if claims of genocide against Israel had any foundation, Murray replied, “Absolutely not. As I’ve mentioned before to you, Julia, the population of Gaza has grown by almost a million in the last 16 years, so it’s a very strange type of genocide where the population actually increases.”
“You mention, of course, this preposterous action by this South African government,” he continued. “If you go to South Africa, as I have been, you’ll find that South Africa is one of the most beautiful and amazing countries in the world — and it’s one of the most hideously run. Major cities like Johannesburg have massive electricity blackouts. There’s horrible corruption by the government; they can’t provide the most basic things to the people. Terrible violence and much more, and horrible, horrible poverty in the townships.”
“Its government is profoundly anti-Semitic, has been anti-Israel for years,” Murray said of South Africa’s government. “And they always do this sort of thing to try to sort of distract attention among their own population from the failings of their own government.”
Murray pointed out that one of Great Britain’s leading anti-Israel advocates had joined with South Africa in its efforts: “It’s very telling, by the way, Julia, that one of the people that’s joined this initiative of the South Africans to try to take Israel to the Hague for a non-existent war crime, one of the people who’s joined that effort is Jeremy Corbyn.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Douglas Murray slams South Africa’s “preposterous action” in The Hague after they accused Israel of committing ‘genocide’ in Gaza.
“South Africa’s government is profoundly antisemitic &#8211; has been anti-Israel for years.”<a href="https://twitter.com/JuliaHB1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JuliaHB1</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/DouglasKMurray?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DouglasKMurray</a> <a href="https://t.co/K4gde1ZpP1">pic.twitter.com/K4gde1ZpP1</a>
&mdash; TalkTV (@TalkTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/TalkTV/status/1745447275911057824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Murray followed by tweeting, “South Africa support[s] Hamas which carried out the 7th October massacres. Hamas is not a state, but South Africa is. So they should be taken to The Hague for supporting genocide. Please report this to the Met Police and others so South Africa can be held to account for its crimes.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
South Africa support Hamas which carried out the 7th October massacres. Hamas is not a state, but South Africa is. So they should be taken to The Hague for supporting genocide. Please report this to the Met Police and others so South Africa can be held to account for its crimes.
&mdash; Douglas Murray (@DouglasKMurray) <a href="https://twitter.com/DouglasKMurray/status/1745834929097761121?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Edinburgh International Book Festival 2017

‘Preposterous’: Douglas Murray Rips South Africa For Accusing Israel Of Genocide

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Pennysylvania Democratic senator John Fetterman, who has recently shown a willingness to publicly differ from the party line espoused by his Democratic colleagues, harshly denounced South Africa — which has a history of racial violence — for accusing Israel of genocide in its war against Hamas.
South Africa accused Israel of genocide at the United Nations’ top court, the International Court of Justice. Eylon Levy, a spokesman for Israel, said Israel would send a legal team “to dispel South Africa’s absurd blood libel.”
“Who are &#8230; they really fighting?” Fetterman declared about Hamas at a luncheon hosted by the Orthodox Union. “It’s a group of cowards. They hide in tunnels; they hide behind civilians. They attack, kill, mutilate children, women; and they do that. Stop talking about proportion on that. They shot their best shot on October 7, and they would have taken more lives if they could have &#8230; but they couldn’t do it.”
Then he turned to South Africa’s accusation targeting Israel: “And now let’s also talk about that: Now we’re talking about genocide. And now, South Africa now, is bringing that kind of a trial. Maybe South Africa &#8230; ought to sit this one out when they’re talking about criticizing Israel. Sit it out!”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
“Maybe you ought to sit this one out!” A fiery <a href="https://twitter.com/SenFettermanPA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenFettermanPA</a> responds to the libelous claims made against <a href="https://twitter.com/Israel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Israel</a> by South Africa at the International Court of Justice.<a href="https://t.co/7pKvOr1eKA">https://t.co/7pKvOr1eKA</a> <a href="https://t.co/1I9BJoSAdW">pic.twitter.com/1I9BJoSAdW</a>
&mdash; Dovi Safier (@safier) <a href="https://twitter.com/safier/status/1745237454070681725?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Fetterman also spoke of pro-Palestinian demonstrators who have created havoc in American cities, saying, “Protests all around the nation. They’re blocking tunnels; they’re blocking roads. Why? Why aren’t they protesting, ‘When will we get the hostages back home?’ Why aren’t they protesting Hamas? Why aren’t they protesting systemic rape and torture of Israeli woman and children? I will never get it.”
“Hamas is anathema to peace,” he stated. “We’ll never have a stable two-state solution. We will never have any peace for Israel until they are fully eliminated. It is the right for Israel to eliminate them. That right doesn’t come from me or anyone other than from Israel, and not only do they have the right to do that. I encourage them to do that. I hope they do that. Every last one.”
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NEW — Fetterman, at <a href="https://twitter.com/OrthodoxUnion?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OrthodoxUnion</a> luncheon, on nationwide pro-Palestinian protests: 
“Why aren’t they protesting, ‘When will we get the hostages back home?’ Why aren’t they protesting Hamas? Why aren&#39;t they protesting systemic rape and torture of Israeli women and children?&quot; <a href="https://t.co/kkfzh9nSZj">pic.twitter.com/kkfzh9nSZj</a>
&mdash; Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) <a href="https://twitter.com/jacobkornbluh/status/1745233087099727981?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Soon after the October 7 Hamas massacre of 1200 Israelis, Fetterman released <a href="https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/press-releases/statement-from-senator-fetterman-on-israel/">a statement</a> expressing strong support for Israel and even countered the political Left&#8217;s false claims that Israel bombed a hospital inside Gaza when, in reality, the parking lot at the hospital was struck by a rocket that was launched by Palestinian terrorists.
“Innocent Israelis were the victims of a terrorist attack that resulted in the largest loss of Jewish lives since the Holocaust,” Fetterman <a href="https://twitter.com/SenFettermanPA/status/1714776985098940706">wrote</a> on X. “Now we know that the tragedy at the Gaza hospital was not caused by Israel. I grieve for every innocent person and brave Israeli soldier killed since Hamas started this war.”
“If not for the horrific attacks by Hamas terrorists, thousands of innocent Israelis and Palestinians would still be alive today,” he <a href="https://twitter.com/SenFettermanPA/status/1714776987816910959">continued</a>. “Now is not the time to talk about a ceasefire. We must support Israel in efforts to eliminate the Hamas terrorists who slaughtered innocent men, women, and children.”
“Hamas does not want peace, they want to destroy Israel. We can talk about a ceasefire after Hamas is neutralized,” he <a href="https://twitter.com/SenFettermanPA/status/1714776990589325759">concluded</a>. “In the meantime, I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to quickly deliver the aid our ally Israel needs.”
After Reps. Rashida Tlaib (MI) and Ilhan Omar (MN) promoted accusations from the Hamas-run Palestinian Health Ministry that falsely claimed that Israel killed 500+ people after bombing a hospital inside Gaza, Fetterman wrote, “It’s truly disturbing that Members of Congress rushed to blame Israel for the hospital tragedy in Gaza. Who would take the word of a group that just massacred innocent Israeli civilians over our key ally? I will always stand with Israel and look forward to supporting any military, intelligence, or humanitarian aid to get the job done.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I will always stand with Israel and look forward to supporting any military, intelligence, or humanitarian aid to get the job done.
&mdash; Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenFettermanPA/status/1714724242040770887?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Senators Meet For Their Weekly Policy Luncheons

‘Sit This One Out!’: Fetterman Blasts South Africa For Accusing Israel Of Genocide

John Fetterman

Convicted murderer and former South African Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius, who competed with carbon fiber prosthetic legs, was granted early release and will go on parole in January. 
Pistorius was granted parole on Friday by the Department of Correctional Services in South Africa, which will go into effect on January 5, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/blade-runner-oscar-pistorius-granted-parole-10-years-killing-girlfriend-valentines-day">reported</a>. The sprinter, nicknamed “Blade Runner,” was convicted of murdering his girlfriend, 29-year-old model Reeva Steenkamp, after shooting her multiple times on Valentine’s Day morning in 2013. Pistorius was initially sentenced to 13 years and five months in prison for the slaying.
The sprinter gained popularity and fame after qualifying for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Pistorius was born without fibula bones, requiring doctors to amputate both of his legs when he was just 11 months old. He was the first amputee to <a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/africa/athletic-legacy-the-first-amputee-to-win-able-bodied-track-medal-1.1927516">win</a> a world track medal among nondisabled participants at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics and became the first double amputee to compete against able-bodied Olympians in 2012. 
Less than a year after shocking the world and competing in the Olympic Games, Pistorius fired four shots into a closed bathroom door at his Pretoria, South Africa, home, killing Steenkamp. Prosecutors argued that Pistorius shot Steenkamp, whom he had been dating for three months, in a fit of rage after the model had fled to the bathroom during an argument with the Olympian. Pistorius pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder and a gun charge, arguing that he mistakenly shot Steenkamp thinking she was an intruder. 
He was convicted of manslaughter in 2014 and sentenced to five years in prison, but that conviction was overturned by a higher court, and Pistorius’ conviction was changed to murder with his sentence increasing to six years. Prosecutors appealed the ruling, arguing the sentence was too lenient, and in 2017, the sprinter’s sentence was increased to 13 years and five months by South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeals, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/24/africa/oscar-pistorius-parole-intl/index.html">according</a> to CNN.  
Earlier this year, it was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/blade-runner-pistorius-who-murdered-model-girlfriend-might-get-24-hour-guard-if-freed-on-parole">reported</a> that Pistorius would be given 24-hour police protection upon his possible release. A police source told The Daily Mail that Pistorius would be a target for criminal gangs after getting out of prison.
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“Pistorius killed a young woman and that in itself is a major no-no as far as Johannesburg’s criminal fraternity is concerned,” the source said, adding, “Oscar is a murderer, but once he has served his sentence, he should be able to rebuild his life and live safely.”

Oscar Pistorius

Former Olympic Sprinter Oscar Pistorius To Be Released On Parole Less Than 11 Years After Murdering Girlfriend

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When I moved to Tennessee, my cat died. I didn’t talk about it publicly because no one cares when your cat dies. But my cat’s death was traumatizing to me. 
I adopted her when I was living alone in New York City. I got caught in a festival while trying to cross the street. At the end of it was a truck with animals who were going to die if they were not adopted. My soon-to-be-adopted cat had her head down, as though she had accepted defeat and was going to die. So, I decided I need that little ball of drama in my life. She was so sweet, practically human, and also so scared. She was afraid of every single sound in the city, and she would run under the bed and hide all the time. And she remained a true scaredy cat when we moved to Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C. But when we moved to Tennessee, something changed. Maybe the air was different, but she started just bolting outside. Every day she would go a little farther in the backyard. She had been terrified of everything and all of a sudden she was trying to get outside. One night, she ran out and did not come back; two coyotes killed her on our front porch. It was devastating. She didn’t know the outside. Four years old but she had never lived outside. She didn’t even know what a coyote was.
Over the past few years, I have felt more and more like we aren’t even human anymore; we are more like droids and robots, walking around and not even knowing our surroundings. Around the time we came to Tennessee, I started really leaning into my humanity, wanting to know how to survive. I began growing my own food, raising chickens, and hunting — but it  took me a while to come around to hunting. I had grown up thinking it was horrific, and I was against it on a spiritual level. But the reality was, I knew nothing about hunting at all. In fact, most people who think hunting is terrible don’t know the truth, which is that hunters are, in fact, the number one animal conservationists on the planet — not vegans.
The reason hunters buy into a hunt is because they are either saving an animal or they are saving humans. In Africa, for example, lions often become overpopulated in various regions. When that happens, they begin attacking and killing entire villages of Africans — and they do it in as little as minutes. Hunters can then buy into a hunt because the region needs the population of lions to go down. Otherwise, Africans continue to get slaughtered. Hunters will pay a million dollars to hunt one lion, and that money goes directly to save other animals. There are serious restrictions around hunting: what animals can be hunted, the cost to pay for the hunt, certain types must be bulls, species numbers cannot be low, and so on. You could never kill a black rhino, for example, because there are few in the world.
These hunters know about the wilderness. They actually care about the animals and are often trying to preserve other animals. Poachers, however, are a different story. There is a gaping difference between poachers and hunters. When hunting is banned, it becomes open season for poachers. Poachers will land a helicopter in the middle of a field in the dead of night, take a rhino’s horns, and leave it to bleed to a slow death. Poachers love hunting bans because bans mean no hunters. Poachers are scared of hunters because a hunter will shoot a poacher — but if hunters can’t hunt, poachers have free reign.
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/candace" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: Candace Owens</a></h4>
All this new-to-me information, coupled with my desire to learn to survive in the wilderness, made me want to learn how to hunt my own food. So when I went to South Africa earlier this year, I decided it was time. Plus, what better place to hunt than a place where the meat is turned into food for the villagers? (That is what happens with every hunter: Every piece of animal meat is used for the Africans’ survival.) The morning we left on our hunting excursion, I felt different; I knew this was going to be successful, and I knew that I could do it. I felt good about my practice shots at the shooting range in the Kalahari Desert, and I decided I wanted to shoot gemsbok. A tracker is present on the hunt, of course, and they can see animals no one else can. They know the land, the animals, the expectations. They also warn you of the dangers because it’s Africa, not an American zoo where animals are imprisoned for viewing pleasure. These animals are in the wild and they are wild. They told us critical information, like why to stay away from a rhino and its calf. While white rhinos are safe, they will still charge if they think their young is threatened. Any of these animals will attack if that’s the case.
<div id="attachment_631701" style="width: 335px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-631701" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-631701" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/Gemstock.png" alt="" width="325" height="217" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/Gemstock.png 325w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/Gemstock-300x200.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 325px) 100vw, 325px" />African Gemsbok. Owens.</div>
When we made it to our location, our tracker pointed out the gemsbok. Though he could see them, I could not until we had run quite some distance and were probably within 500 meters of them. The tracker told us the wind was not good — right as I was thinking how great it felt. We were in the desert, it was hot, and the wind felt like a small sprinkling of relief from the heat. But the wind was not “good” because the gemsbok caught our scent — and vanished. I realized quickly that everything becomes a predator; the elements are a predator. The wind drives the animals off, the terrain is rugged, and the blazing sun is an hourglass ticking away time. The obscure bushes cover the land as they protect the animals and clawed at us as we passed. The sand is a deep red, deceivingly beautiful as it is unbelievably difficult to trek through. But even with the battle against the elements, I was acutely aware that this was a special moment, and I did not want to forget it. I wanted to pause and create memories in my head. While the elements don’t work in your favor, the landscape is breathtakingly beautiful.
<div id="attachment_631703" style="width: 211px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-631703" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-631703" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/Land-and-sky-Africa.png" alt="" width="201" height="356" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/Land-and-sky-Africa.png 201w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/Land-and-sky-Africa-169x300.png 169w" sizes="(max-width: 201px) 100vw, 201px" />Owens.</div>
When the tracker spotted another gemsbok, we started to run which quickly became a sprint as we tried to keep up with him. My husband was in front of me, holding the rifle, and I was giving it my all. I kept thinking about how I wake up every morning and run on the treadmill — and in this situation, it was utterly meaningless. Nothing can compare to running across this terrain. It seemed that everything I was wearing was wrong, including my shoes, and when my husband would look back, I would whisper as we continued running, “Go, go ahead. I’m fine.” I wasn’t fine. But, I felt so alive. I had a burning in my chest. And while the treadmill didn’t touch this exercise, I still knew this was the point of why I train — because these are the things that actually matter. This is the reason God designed us with this body and with this ability to run: to run after prey and to run from predators.
In the middle of these thoughts and in the middle of my sprinting, my heart felt like it stopped: I suddenly realized we were completely surrounded by rhinos. They were only about ten feet away from me, and I froze in my tracks. Questions raced through my mind: Does the rhino have a calf? Does she think I’m crossing her? Where is the baby? Is there a baby? I started scream whispering to my husband, trying to get his attention by jumping, all while feeling as though my feet were cement. I was terrified. The tracker assuaged my fears, telling me the rhinos have bad vision and they did not have any calves with them. We kept running.
I was overcome wishing I could live this day over and over. Everything matters in these moments. It’s either hunt or be hunted. My senses were heightened, my adrenaline was pumping, and I felt alive. It was as if nothing else mattered outside that moment, outside of that hunt. I thought back to my cat and realized this must be how she felt. When we came to Tennessee, she finally became a cat. As I was running through the Kalahari Desert in Africa, I finally felt human.
<div id="attachment_631709" style="width: 211px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-631709" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-631709" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/Land-of-the-sage-brush.png" alt="" width="201" height="354" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/Land-of-the-sage-brush.png 201w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/Land-of-the-sage-brush-170x300.png 170w" sizes="(max-width: 201px) 100vw, 201px" />Owens.</div>
We ran for an hour and a half, stopping, pausing briefly — but the journey felt like it was only 10 minutes. Finally, I looked up, and I saw her in the distance. And I just knew. I knew I was going to get that gemsbok. The shot was 250 meters away, and the tracker helped me set up, told me to take a deep breath, and instructed me to be calm. But I wasn’t nervous at all. I felt incredibly calm and so sure of myself in that moment. I took a deep breath, fired, and shot the animal directly. When we ran to her, we discovered she was a queen; she would go in a record book because she had horns.
I am smiling in the photos I took with her. I used to wonder how people could smile next to an animal that’s dead, that they’ve killed. But I want to make it clear: I was not gloating that I killed an animal. I smiled because of the beauty in it. This experience gave me a tremendous respect for life — and for death. I reached another level of my own development. In these photos, I don’t see a person who just wants to believe food comes from a grocery store; I see a person who can now hunt her own food. And that’s what this animal did: The meat in these pictures went on to feed African children in nearby villages, children who are ecstatic when hunters come because they know they will eat.
I don’t want to be a conservative coward who will not post nor talk about hunting for fear that people will not understand. I’m proud. I am tremendously proud of this moment. And I know in the future, all my children will learn to shoot, hunt, and live off the land. When things get bad — and they will because good and bad times are cyclical — I want to know how to survive. We live in times of prosperity, but we have also seen grocery stores with shelves cleared. The vegans won’t be the ones to survive if times get tough. It’s the hunters who will be able to survive.
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Candace_516x9 copy 29

Why I Am Not Afraid To Talk About Hunting

Africa

Candace Owens

Hunting

A South African rapper died over the weekend after a video emerged showing him collapsing on stage at a music festival.
The rapper, Costa Titch, whose real name is Constantinos Tsobanoglou, was 28 years old.
CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/12/africa/costa-titch-death-intl/index.html">reported</a> that the musician was performing at Ultra South Africa on Saturday when the incident happened. No cause of death has been given.
&#8220;Death has tragically knocked at our door. Robbing us of our beloved son, brother and grandson, Constantinos Tsobanoglou (28), who South Africa had come to love and idolize under his stage name &#8216;Costa Titch&#8217;. It is with deep pain that we find ourselves having to acknowledge his passing at this time,&#8221; the musician&#8217;s family said in a statement. &#8220;We are thankful for the emergency responders and all those present in his last hours on this earth.&#8221;
&#8220;As a family we are faced with a difficult time as we try to make sense of what has befallen us and ask that we be afforded the time and space to gather ourselves,&#8221; the statement continued. &#8220;The Tsobanoglou family thanks you for the love and support you have given to our son and may you continue to uplift him even in spirit. Please keep us in your prayers and uplifted in the Lord.&#8221;
USA Today <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2023/03/12/south-african-rapper-costa-titch-dead-28/11459806002/">confirmed</a> that videos circulating on social media did show the moment that the musician collapsed on stage.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This is how it happened. 💔
Rest in peace Costa Titch.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RIPCostaTitch?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RIPCostaTitch</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CostaTitch?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CostaTitch</a> <a href="https://t.co/BTRm0Gy6JR">pic.twitter.com/BTRm0Gy6JR</a>
&mdash; MDN NEWS (@MDNnewss) <a href="https://twitter.com/MDNnewss/status/1634692006717865984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The musician had a successful career in dance before getting into music. His song &#8220;Big Flexa&#8221; was popular across the country and was a hit on TikTok, CNN added.
Ultra South Africa released a statement on Sunday: &#8220;We are devastated by the sudden loss of the beloved South African artist Costa Titch, who tragically passed away this weekend.&#8221;
&#8220;Costa was a galvanizing voice amongst South Africa&#8217;s amapiano scene &#8211; a talented rapper, dancer, songwriter, collaborator, and friend to the festival,&#8221; the statement said. &#8220;Our deepest thoughts and most sincere sympathies are with his family, friends, and our entire community who are together mourning this heartbreaking loss.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://t.co/kmayVxV0AR">pic.twitter.com/kmayVxV0AR</a>
&mdash; Ultra South Africa (@UltraSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/UltraSA/status/1634839273827598337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Family and friends bid farewell to Riky Rick at Wanderers Stadium in South Africa

South African Rapper Dies At 28 After Video Shows Him Collapsing On Stage

Celebrities

Music Industry

Rap Music

Oscar Pistorius — the man nicknamed “the fastest man alive with no legs” and “Blade Runner” — who murdered his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp in 2013, will reportedly be given 24-hour police protection if he is freed in March on parole.
On Valentine&#8217;s Day 2013, Pistorius shot Steenkamp four times in the bathroom at his home in Pretoria, South Africa. He claimed he thought she was an intruder.
In July 2008, Pistorius, born without fibula bones thus requiring the amputation of both of his legs below the knee at the age of 11 months, failed to qualify for the 400 meters at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games by a scant 0.7 seconds, but in 2012, he competed against able-bodied runners at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
The trial of Pistorius featured pro soccer player Marc Batchelor sitting with Steenkamp’s family. He had previously clashed with Pistorius over Samantha Taylor, whom Pistorius had dated before dating Steenkamp. Batchelor claimed Pistorius threatened to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBO3yXjmPdY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">break his legs</a> because he <a href="https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/oscar-pistorius-nemesis-marc-batchelor-gunned-down-in-car-in-south-africa/news-story/57d04166af995eba93d3fc66b09332c1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">believed</a> he had slept with Samantha Taylor.
Batchelor, who had connections to underworld figures,  was murdered in July 2019 by two masked gunmen. Batchelor had told <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2013/06/oscar-pistorius-murder" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Star</a>, “He called me ‘boy’ and &#8230; said he wasn&#8217;t afraid of me. The man I heard on the phone is a different man from the image given out there. He carries a gun everywhere, and I have seen him [being] controlling to women.”
Taylor <a href="https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/oscar-pistorius-nemesis-marc-batchelor-gunned-down-in-car-in-south-africa/news-story/57d04166af995eba93d3fc66b09332c1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a> after her relationship with Pistorius was over, “I think I started noticing within three months of [the] relationship, definitely his temper concerned me … not necessarily towards me but towards other people. There was one time, he had been drinking and he fell and he thought I had beat him up. He would say things like, ‘you b****, you beat me in the face’ and you don’t know how to react.”
“He was definitely verbally abusive, emotionally abusive, he was controlling and always wanted to know where I was, who I was with,” she continued. “If he didn’t believe me he would phone my family. He would ask me to send photos of what I was wearing, the person I’m sitting next too.”
A police source told <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11748513/Oscar-Pistorious-Killer-given-24-hour-police-protection.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Mail</a>: &#8220;Pistorius killed a young woman and that in itself is a major no-no as far as Johannesburg&#8217;s criminal fraternity is concerned. He had also threatened Batchelor who still has many friends in the city and who have a huge distaste for Oscar Pistorius. Oscar is a murderer, but once he has served his sentence, he should be able to re-build his life and live safely.&#8221;
&#8220;The police do not, of course, have any liking of murderers but they deserve full protection from any harm and that is what he will be given,&#8221; the source continued. &#8220;South Africa cannot afford to have any more violence connected to Pistorius and police will work very hard to ensure his safety. We have received information that there are people who say he deserved to pay for killing a young woman.&#8221;
Steenkamp’s father Barry told ITV’s Good Morning Britain, “When I went to the [prison] and met Oscar, I asked him certain questions. All June and I wanted to know was the truth, that what we feel was the truth – that he actually killed her because of anger. I didn’t get the answer that I wanted.”
Barry told <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11736061/Oscar-Pistorious-wailed-like-child-prison-confrontation-Reeva-Steenkamps-parents.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Mail</a>, “I told Oscar directly that he shot my daughter deliberately, and he denied it. He stuck to his story that he thought it was an intruder. After all these years we are still waiting for him to admit he did it in anger. That is all we wanted. If he told me the truth, he would have been a free man by now and I would have let the law take its course over his parole. But I was wasting my time. He is a murderer. He should remain in jail.’’

SAFRICA-SPORT-CRIME

‘Blade Runner’ Pistorius, Who Murdered Model Girlfriend, Might Get 24-Hour Guard If Freed On Parole

Sports

Wherever you live, are you self-sufficient enough that you know how to grow and hunt for your own food? Have you ever thought about learning those skills for a New Year&#8217;s resolution?
I just spent the past two weeks in Africa on an amazing trip where <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-68-why-i-m-not-afraid-to-talk-about-hunting-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I did some hunting for the first time in the Kalahari Desert</a>. It was a catalyzing trip that made me determined to learn those basic survival skills — for my personal and spiritual growth. It is essential that as conservatives we know how to be truly independent.
<h2>What My Cat Taught Me About Nature And Humanity</h2>
I actually first started thinking about this concept when my husband and I moved our family to Tennessee. I had a cat then who was used to living in New York City and other areas of the Northeast. Prior to moving south, she was an indoor cat.
Yet, when we moved to Tennessee, she changed. She wanted to go outside. Perhaps it was seeing the rolling hills and fresh air, but her personality changed. She used to be terrified of everything, but then she became fearless. She&#8217;d explore more and more each day, so much so it was a headache keeping track of her.
One night, she was killed on the back porch. It was irresponsible of us, but we accidentally forgot to check to make sure she was inside before locking. A coyote killed her that night and it was truly devastating.
Yet, before she died, perhaps she was truly happy because she was reawakening her true nature, she was leaning into being an animal by being outside. She was just learning the real world. 
<h2>Why Hunting And Self-Survival Is Essential</h2>
We can learn a lesson from this: We need to lean more into our humanity by moving away from the screens, fast food, and dependency on the government so that we can learn how to survive.
In recent years, I have become obsessed with gardening so that I can know how to grow my own food. Next, I wanted chickens.
Recently, I started to think I wanted to learn how to hunt. Until recently, I had never been a fan of the sport. It was almost foreign to me how anybody could kill a defenseless animal. I thought &#8220;trophy hunting&#8221; was horrific.
In hindsight, I  knew absolutely nothing about it at all.
It wasn&#8217;t until a conversation with the wonderful Donald Trump Jr. that I began to see it in a different light. He explained to me why the number one animal conservationists in the world are hunters.
As Trump Jr. explained it, big hunts, especially in countries in Africa, are often done to either protect villages from being eaten by wild animals to protect endangered animals from being killed by overpopulated predators and to help guard against poachers. An entire industry is born out of those needs and in turn, provides jobs for locals in these areas.
Those who lead the hunt are often paid handsome money to kill the beast and it serves a necessary purpose — these hunts aren&#8217;t done for the gruesome cruelty of just killing an animal.  The meat from these hunts is used in turn to feed villagers previously terrified.
<h2>My First Gemsbok Kill</h2>
Since that conversation, I wanted to go on one of these hunts and I finally did.
It was incredible. You can listen to a full description of it in today&#8217;s podcast.
Led by a tracker, my husband and I went on an exhilarating hunt where I learned more about survival than I ever could have dreamed.
On the hunt for Gemsbok, I learned how in the wild — every single element around you is a predator.
Wind can be a predator — it picks up your scent and notifies an animal targeting you, or a creature you are trying to kill, that you&#8217;re nearby, thus either putting you in danger of either losing the kill or being killed.
The sun is your enemy — you have to complete your mission before it goes down and nightfall comes. Your terrain can hold you back — where I was literally. The bush was so thick, with so many thorns, that if you weren&#8217;t careful you would get caught in it. Other animals trying to survive themselves can view you as a threat — and try to kill you.
That day on the hunt, I remember feeling so alive despite gasping for breath. For an hour and a half, my husband, the tracker, and I sprinted and stopped. I laughed thinking about my morning treadmills which prepared me so little for this.
Yet, I also thought of that cat. This must have been what she felt like experiencing nature for the first time. God didn&#8217;t make our bodies for treadmills, he gave us the ability to run so that we can provide food for our families and escape danger when needed.
Finally, after darting and diving for ninety minutes, I saw her in the distance. I just knew that I was going to get that Gemsbok. I saw her horns first, actually, and she was about 250 meters away. The tracker and my husband stopped and they set up the rifle on the rifle stand. The tracker asked me to look through the scope, and I confirmed that I could see her.
And he whispered, &#8220;You just want to calm down. You know this is the part where people lose it. It&#8217;s a very long shot. Just take a deep breath. Don&#8217;t be nervous, it&#8217;s going to be fine.&#8221;
At that moment, I wasn&#8217;t nervous. I felt so calm and sure of myself.
I took a breath, fired the gun, and killed the animal directly in the heart. In the photo taken right after, I am standing there next to the deceased Gemsbok, smiling.
<h2>A Spiritual And Personal Moment Of Growth</h2>
Prior to this day, I always remember seeing similar photos and wondering how individuals could gloat over the killing of a living creature.
But, that day I realized that it wasn&#8217;t about holding up a &#8220;trophy&#8221; at all. The entire experience provided me with tremendous respect for life and for death.
I was smiling because I realized that I had reached another level in my own development. That Gemsbok was going to be used to help feed those in need. It was the first time I provided food for another human by killing it myself. It was a spiritual moment — God wants us to have dominion over nature while being stewards of the earth.
So I realize that this has been my New Year&#8217;s resolution for several years now. I want to become truly &#8220;native&#8221; —  to know how to survive where I live, while battling physical, animal, and other natural elements.
When things get bad, you are going to have to know how to survive. Food in grocery stores won&#8217;t always be there. Your government won&#8217;t always be able to provide for you.
The best way to protect yourself is to practice true self-governance — and learn the skills needed to cultivate fruits and vegetables that can grow in your habitat while knowing how to hunt should you ever truly need to depend on it.

Candace_3b16x9 copy 16

Are You Learning How To Grow Produce And Hunt For Food? As A Conservative, You Should Be. 

wildlife

President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> admitted once again to a false story he repeatedly told about himself during his 2020 presidential <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/2020-election" target="_blank" rel="noopener">campaign</a>.
The president’s admission came during a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office Friday while he was rehashing a story he has told multiple times. Biden reiterated that he was not arrested by authorities when he tried to visit former South African President Nelson Mandela in the 1970s. He told voters on at least three occasions during the 2020 campaign that he was arrested in South Africa.
“One of the great moments of my career was when — the first time Nelson Mandela came to the United States [in 1990]. And we were in — I was a senator at the time, and we met in the Senate Foreign Relations executive committee room,” Biden told Ramaphosa, <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/09/16/biden-admits-to-lie-i-wasnt-arrested-trying-to-see-mandela/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the New York Post.
“And I said once — I said I got arrested. I wasn’t arrested, I got stopped, prevented from moving. But he was extremely gracious,” Biden admitted.
The president’s admittedly false claim was picked apart by The New York Times, who <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/21/us/politics/biden-south-africa-arrest-mandela.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> in February of 2020 that Biden had told the story about his fictional arrest three times in two weeks.
“This day, 30 years ago, Nelson Mandela walked out of prison and entered into discussions about apartheid,” Biden said at a South Carolina campaign event, the Times reported. “I had the great honor of meeting him. I had the great honor of being arrested with our U.N. ambassador on the streets of Soweto trying to get to see him on Robbens Island.”
The president also claimed that Mandela personally thanked him for being arrested. “After he [Mandela] got free and became president, he came to Washington and came to my office. He threw his arms around me and said, ‘I want to say thank you.’ I said, ‘What are you thanking me for, Mr. President?’ He said: ‘You tried to see me. You got arrested trying to see me.’” Biden <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/02/25/bidens-ridiculous-claim-he-was-arrested-trying-see-mandela/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
The New York Times asked Andrew Young, the former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. who traveled with then-Sen. Biden to South Africa, if Biden’s story sounded legit. “No, I was never arrested and I don’t think he was, either,” Young told the Times.
Biden’s claim was also <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/02/25/bidens-ridiculous-claim-he-was-arrested-trying-see-mandela/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fact-checked</a> by The Washington Post, who gave him four Pinocchios for his “ridiculous” story.
Shortly after Biden’s fib, his campaign cleaned up and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/joe-bidens-campaign-admits-he-wasnt-arrested-in-south-africa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">admitted</a> that he was not arrested in South Africa, but was rather “separated” from members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Biden then personally <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/28/biden-south-africa-arrest-118134" target="_blank" rel="noopener">addressed</a> his story in late February of 2020 and set the record straight.

Joe Biden

Biden Mentions Lie He Told During 2020 Campaign Speeches

2020 Election

Biden Administration

Nelson Mandela

A toxic chemical has been found in the bodies of 21 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/south-africa">South African</a> teens who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/death">died</a> under mysterious circumstances last month.
Methanol, a toxic form of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/alcohol">alcohol</a> often used as an industrial solvent, was found in the bodies of all of the victims of a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mysterious-deaths-of-21-teens-prompts-arrest-of-south-african-bar-owner">tragic incident</a> at the Enyobeni Tavern in the Scenery Park Township of East London, South Africa. Methanol poisoning is often the result of ingesting contaminated alcoholic drinks &#8211; the 12 girls and nine boys who were killed were reportedly out drinking to celebrate the end of their June exams.
“Methanol has been detected in all the 21 individuals that were there, however there is still progressive analysis of the quantitative levels of methanol and whether it could have been the final cause of death,” Dr. Litha Matiwane, provincial deputy director for clinical services in the Eastern Cape, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-africa-bar-teen-deaths-menthanol-f953297cd8fdb1fa80943f3bff30e15a">told</a> reporters at a press conference on Tuesday.
Dr. Matiwane reported that authorities are waiting on further results from a lab in Cape Town before drawing definite conclusions. 
While trace amounts of methanol are not dangerous, the substance is extremely toxic in higher concentrations. Alcohol poisoning and the intake of carbon monoxide had been ruled out by investigators as possible causes of death.
The previously unexplained tragedy has garnered national attention in South Africa, where binge drinking culture often has deadly consequences. Thousands attended the shared funeral of the teens, including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who delivered their eulogy.
“Our hearts are broken. We have lost our children. In one night, here in Scenery Park, 21 bright lives were snuffed out,” he <a href="https://www.gov.za/speeches/president-cyril-ramaphosa-eulogy-mass-funeral-victims-enyobeni-tavern-tragedy-6-jul-2022">said</a>.
The owner of the bar as well as two employees have been arrested for serving alcohol to minors, and are currently out on bail. Further charges may come if the investigation firmly establishes a cause of death and can demonstrate culpability on the part of the owner or the staff.

SAFRICA-ACCIDENT-NIGHTCLUB

Toxin Found In The Bodies Of 21 Dead South African Teens

Alcohol

Death

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/south-africa">South African</a> bar owner has been arrested following the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/death">deaths</a> of 21 teens under mysterious circumstances.
Siyakhangela Ndevu, 52, who owns the Enyobeni Tavern in the coastal town of East London, was arrested over the weekend, according to authorities, and <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/arrested-mysterious-deaths-21-teenagers-south-african-nightclub/story?id=86727467">two</a> bar employees were arrested on Tuesday. The cause of the shocking deaths has not been determined, although theories involving a gas leak or accidental poisoning have circulated. 
Ndevu will appear in court on August 19 to face charges of providing alcohol to minors. The two workers have been fined 2,000 rand ($118). More serious charges could follow, depending on the investigation.
“Just as we said in the beginning, investigation is a process and needs to be treated with extreme care,” Lt. Gen. Nomthetheleli Mene, provincial commissioner for the South African Police Service in the East Cape, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/owner-south-african-bar-21-teens-died-arrested-police-say-rcna38092">said</a> in a statement.
<div id="attachment_408249" style="width: 703px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-408249" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-408249" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/AFP-via-Getty-Images-300x169.jpeg" alt="" width="693" height="390" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/07/AFP-via-Getty-Images-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/07/AFP-via-Getty-Images-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/07/AFP-via-Getty-Images.jpeg 992w" sizes="(max-width: 693px) 100vw, 693px" />AFP via Getty Images</div>
The victims, 12 girls and nine boys ranging in age from 13 to 17, were <a href="https://www.dispatchlive.co.za/news/2022-06-26-premier-calls-for-taverns-closure-after-patrons-die/?utm_medium=Social&amp;utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1656238524">reportedly</a> celebrating the end of their June exams. Eighteen were later found dead at the bar with no physical sign of injuries and three died later at the hospital. The tragedy has garnered national attention and inspired a mass outpouring of grief in a country where binge drinking culture is pervasive and often lethal. Thousands of people attended the mass funeral of the children in the township of Scenery Park, including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who delivered the eulogy for the young victims.
“Our hearts are broken. We have lost our children. In one night, here in Scenery Park, 21 bright lives were snuffed out,” he <a href="https://www.gov.za/speeches/president-cyril-ramaphosa-eulogy-mass-funeral-victims-enyobeni-tavern-tragedy-6-jul-2022">said</a>. “&#8230;I have heard some say I have no business coming here to Scenery Park. Some have said I have bigger problems to fix. But I ask them, what is more important in this country, and on this earth, than the lives of our children?”
<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/tear-gas-pepper-spray-south-african-nightclub-teenagers/story?id=85989119">ABC News</a> reported that an unknown chemical agent may have been responsible for the deaths at Enyobeni Tavern. A reported eyewitness, 22-year-old Sibongile Mtsewu, claimed that tear gas or pepper spray was released into the room, with locked doors trapping the patrons inside.
&#8220;The tear gas suffocated many people,&#8221; he said. &#8220;That&#8217;s why people died.&#8221;
Authorities have not confirmed Mtsewu’s account.
A string of deaths have occurred in South African bars in recent days. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/at-least-19-killed-8-injured-in-pair-of-south-africa-mass-shootings">Two mass shootings last week killed at least 19 people</a>.

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Mysterious Deaths Of 21 Teens Prompts Arrest Of South African Bar Owner

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