Stephan Hofstatter

Investigative journalist and author

[Richard Spoor @Richard_Spoor]

Damage to homes caused by blasting is a huge problem for communities living near mines, resulting in damage running to millions of rands each year, that poor people must bear. I know of no successful claim for damages ever.

[Oxpeckers Center @OxCIEJ]

ICYMI: #MineAlert ⚠️ Families in South Africa’s Kalahari say blasting shakes their houses. Livestock are dying. Jobs and development promised by the manganese mines driving the global green economy rarely materialise.

This in-depth investigation uncovers:
• Cracked homes from constant blasting
• Toxic dust killing crops and livestock
• Water sources under threat
• Communities seeing little benefit from the boom

As demand for battery minerals surges, these voices risk being ignored. Read all about it ➡️ https://t.co/91Zsq7HTt2

#Mining #EnergyTransition #SouthAfrica #EnvironmentalJustice #Climate

🤝 @journalismfund
@gijn @gijnAfrica @NewEconomyHub @ClimateZA @WoMin_Africa

[Oxpeckers Center @OxCIEJ]

#MineAlert⚠️ South Africa is powering the global green transition, but at what cost?

A new investigation reveals how booming manganese mining in the Northern Cape is leaving communities with cracked homes, toxic dust, failing crops, and contaminated water. Meanwhile, demand for this "critical mineral" is set to skyrocket as electric vehicles and renewable energy scale up.

This is the hidden cost of clean energy.

Read the full investigation here: https://t.co/91Zsq7HTt2

#Mining #EnergyTransition #SouthAfrica #EnvironmentalJustice #Climate

@journalismfund
@gijn @gijnAfrica @ClimateZA @NewEconomyHub @WoMin_Africa

[Stephan Hofstatter @Hofstatters]

Carmody Grey says AI labs are asking the wrong questions in their drive to court the humanities. They want to focus on LLM morals & metaphysics – 'I wanted to talk about the user, about addiction and dehumanisation, about power and accountability’ https://t.co/jgX6rAmhi0 via @ft

[Tumi Sole @tumisole]

#CountryDuty

#JusticeForCatorManorVictims

28 people were killed and murdered by the #CatorManor Squad

Below are some of their names and how they died.

Hope their families will get justice and their killers be indicted in this lifetime!

1. Lindelani Buthelezi

How he was killed:

Police broke into his rented house. He allegedly surrendered with his hands raised and was taken into another room, where he was shot in the head and chest.

Mangena found that he was first shot while standing and was shot further after falling to the floor.

Why police version was improbable:

His girlfriend said he was unarmed and had surrendered. At least one bullet ricocheted from the floor into his head, and another struck him while he was supine. The firearm found beneath his head was inconsistent with the wounds and body position. 💔💔💔🕊️🕊️🕊️

2. Kwazi Ndlovu

How he was killed:

Mistaken for another person and shot with an R5 rifle while lying asleep or resting on a sofa. Four shots were fired and three struck him.

Why Police version was improbable:

Mangena found unilateral rifle fire directed at Kwaziwhile he was lying down, not a dynamic exchange of fire. Blood spatter showed minimal movement. The firearm beneath his arm was inconsistent with the blood patterns and body movement.

3. Musawenkosi Aubrey Ngcobo

How he was killed:

Police broke down a bedroom door and allegedly immediately opened fire on the occupants while they were asleep on their beds.

Why Police version was improbable:

The witness account indicated that the deceased were asleep. Firearms were allegedly placed beside the bodies, and the ballistic reconstruction supported the conclusion that they had been planted.

[Carissa Véliz @CarissaVeliz]

It's not OK to wear smart glasses around other people. It's not cool. It's creepy, disrespectful. It pollutes the public sphere with the oppression of surveillance. It puts the onus on non-Glassholes; that's not asking for consent.

https://t.co/Wwj1HYiPtr

[Kwena Molekwa @Miz_Ruraltarain]

🚨 THE HOUSE OF CARDS IS COLLAPSING! 🚨

Retired Hawks Colonel Kobus Roelofse just took the stand and came in GUNS BLAZING!

Oom Kobie delivered the shortest, most lethal testimony in history. He absolutely mopped the floor with IDAC’s Andrea "Mama Winnie" Johnson and General Khan, then went straight home to his wife. Efficient and devastating!

The allegations are staggering: criminal conduct, political interference, and deep corruption. Shamila Batohi’s name also dropped heavy and it’s not looking good.

For over a decade, General Khan & our Indian Mama Winnie have allegedly been baie stout acting as bullies of note. The playbook?
■ Indirect intimidation of witnesses.
■ Leaking sensitive info to the media to squeeze complainants.
■ Docket hijacking General Khan allegedly intercepted SAPS dockets against him before they hit court to terrify whistleblowers.

The ultimate institutional betrayal. But the tide is turning! Two more witnesses are dropping absolute BOMBS on Mama Winnie today.

The shadows are shrinking. Her day of reckoning is FINALLY here! #MadlangaCommission #ProtectGeneralMkhwanazi

[Stephan Hofstatter @Hofstatters]

Essay | It smells like burning skin: A witness to xenophobia https://t.co/mB6DUZ2ASQ

[Songezo Zibi @SongezoZibi]

These are the journalist questions attached to the affidavit of the NYDA chair that she says constitute harassment.

[Stephan Hofstatter @Hofstatters]

Infamous askari Joe Mamasela, charged with apartheid-era crimes, gets bail https://t.co/MO1ogPI4pw

[Daily Maverick @dailymaverick]

Judge orders Department of Defence to explain ongoing secretkeeping of Cradock 4 documentation https://t.co/RoHAIj5D6j

[Karen Hao @_KarenHao]

On the one-year anniversary of EMPIRE OF AI, I am so, so excited to announce The AI Resist List, a new project that documents examples of resistance to the AI empires around the world.

https://t.co/mJqk5FxkFY

[Stephan Hofstatter @Hofstatters]

Wouter Basson could have been charged for atrocities, Rev Frank Chikane tells inquiry https://t.co/57X7RPsiBW

[Mark Barnes @mark_barnes56]

🇿🇦the numbers reveal the extent of deceit and ignorance - at least we still get to see them - thank you Minister🇿🇦 @Treasury_RSA

[Michael Savage @michaelsavage]

NEW: A new type of lawfare is emerging, the Wall Street Journal's editor has warned - powerful people suing for the act of reporting.

Lawsuits are arriving before a word of a story has been published, says Emma Tucker.

A depressing development:

https://t.co/nWdZmaUk6R

[Melissa Chan @melissakchan]

China is the reason why @rightscon, one of the world's largest human rights conferences attended by thousands, has been canceled in Zambia — a location specifically chosen to honor the Global South. I've been to the past three (Taipei, Costa Rica, online). Some thoughts... 1/5

[John Scott-Railton @jsrailton]

PAY ATTENTION: China just figured out a global veto on who gets to speak.

#RightsCon is a massive tech & rights conference.

Thousands attend from everywhere.

It was scheduled for next week in #Zambia with their gov's full cooperation.

Then, 🇨🇳#China made a call. 1/

[Geoffrey York @geoffreyyork]

Why a major human-rights conference was cancelled in Zambia: "Diplomats from China were putting pressure on the Government of Zambia because Taiwanese civil society participants were planning to join us in person."
Beijing's bullying of African governments again.

[Stephan Hofstatter @Hofstatters]

Belgium orders ex-diplomat to stand trial for 1961 murder of Congo’s Lumumba https://t.co/2ZBzchtkIH

[Thomas van Linge @ThomasVLinge]

These are the people that have absolutely no means to leave the country.