488Pista

Life-long Learner. Partner/Director: LearningLeaders Shanghai 🇨🇳 Coach kids to argue for a living 📚🗣 ❤️

[488Pista @Pstar4]

I know with depth that effective communication education can be a powerful force for good. Thus, I hope I can share so much more of what I have learned about Communication over the years. For now, this is the least I can do. From my Soul to you... LOVE AND LIGHT ❤️

[488Pista @Pstar4]

A movement that stirs the soul! 🖤🧡

[Queen's College Boys' High School @QueensCollegeEC]

Here’s the full 4-minute audio-visual premiered at last night’s Kudu Launch. 🎥

[Seyed Mohammad Marandi @s_m_marandi]

All 6 journalists inside the tent were slaughtered, bringing the total number of journalists murdered to 7 in a single day. These were the last international journalists in northern Gaza.

With no media presence, the extermination of Palestinians becomes easier for the Zionists.

[Phumzile Van Damme @zilevandamme]

I’ve been thinking about this for hours, especially the looming risk of AGOA’s collapse. A long post. A heartfelt one, dedicated to those it applies to.

Now, I’m not one for doom and gloom, but what’s coming for South Africa’s agricultural sector looks like serious economic ruin. The broader economy will likely hold, largely because South Africa’s mineral exports remain essential to the US. In fact, minerals are now exempt from the tarrifs, but agriculture? Very tough times are on the horizon.

We could debate blame and spiral into Parkinson’s Law of Triviality. I have my views. You have yours. That's life.

But let’s talk about the simple, cold, hard facts.

All the fearmongering about South Africa has failed.

The loud narrative of genocide, racial persecution, and mass land grabs has garnered no meaningful sympathy. No policy shift. No international solidarity. Just quiet disengagement and a shrug from the world. The immigration promise? The messaging has shifted to refugee camps in Pretoria. The face-eating leopard and other tales.

Why the lack of international mobilisation? Because people aren’t moved by stories told in bad faith. When you distort your reality to extract pity or political leverage, it breeds mistrust. It feels manipulative. People don’t rally behind that - they retreat. Not because they’re heartless, but because they can’t connect with a version of your life that feels dishonest, exaggerated, and devoid of dignity.

Constantly framing South Africa as broken doesn’t build solidarity. It doesn’t inspire support. It certainly doesn’t generate love. If you want people to care about your fate, they need to hear the truth, not a performance.

And here’s the hardest part: you’ve let the loudest, most dishonest and theatrical voices speak for you.

The influencers.
The ex-swimmer with American citizenship.
The YouTube musician.
The 3-day MP.
The outrage machines.
The so-called “civil rights” organisations peddling catastrophe.

They are not farmers.
They are not exporters.
They will not be there when you cannot export.

They’ve sold you a version of your life that you know isn’t true, and yet, you’ve made them your spokespeople. They’re here for the clicks. The donations. The performance of crisis. They are using your lives to build their brands. The rest of us have nothing to gain or lose in this. I for one, most certainly do not. But I can see when a car crash is looming and people standing in the road.

I'd say:

A change of tone is long overdue.
A change of messengers too.

Stop pinning your hopes on charlatans whose only talent is setting fires and calling it light.

South Africa deserves better, and so do you.

Speak for yourselves. Not through the mouths of those who see you as little more than a cheque in waiting.
Speak for yourselves, and change the tone.

I say this with my whole heart and deep concern: it’s sink under the weight of lies… or swim in truth and good faith.

You attract more bees with honey than vinegar.

Take this from the good place it comes. ♥️🇿🇦

[Matshidiso Madia @tshidi_lee]

I dunno man but you listen to Songezo and there’s so much clarity in his messaging. In a sea of screaming matches and potshots here is someone sound and sober… interesting

[Lukhona4JoburgMayor @LukhonaMnguni]

I have been for some time lamenting the quality of politician in South Africa. Mainly about show boating, little compassion and empathy for society. Point scoring rather than demonstrating solidarity with society. Much of the political noise is about boosting egos than justice.

[Lukhona4JoburgMayor @LukhonaMnguni]

Politicians along AfriForum have entered the fray with little evidence that this is indeed about justice or just grabbing headlines.

Society is going to continuously reject politics if political actors continue on this path of profiting on social problems than solving them.

[Lukhona4JoburgMayor @LukhonaMnguni]

The Bergview College matter shows exactly why our politics is broken. The rape took place in October 2024, but the political noise & opportunism is only heightening 5 months later. Politicians are making a show for it. Thanks to the citizens who kept the fire burning on the issue

[Yanis Varoufakis @yanisvaroufakis]

Day in day out, Israel is adding war crime to war crime, with the world looking for something 'new' to worry about. We are running the danger of becoming de-sensitised. Resistance now takes more than to condemn the genocide. We must also oppose the de-sensitisation of our souls!

[حسام شبات @HossamShabat]

This is Hossam’s team, and we are sharing his final message :

“If you’re reading this, it means I have been killed—most likely targeted—by the Israeli occupation forces. When this all began, I was only 21 years old—a college student with dreams like anyone else. For past 18 months, I have dedicated every moment of my life to my people. I documented the horrors in northern Gaza minute by minute, determined to show the world the truth they tried to bury. I slept on pavements, in schools, in tents—anywhere I could. Each day was a battle for survival. I endured hunger for months, yet I never left my people’s side.

By God, I fulfilled my duty as a journalist. I risked everything to report the truth, and now, I am finally at rest—something I haven’t known in the past 18 months . I did all this because I believe in the Palestinian cause. I believe this land is ours, and it has been the highest honor of my life to die defending it and serving its people.

I ask you now: do not stop speaking about Gaza. Do not let the world look away. Keep fighting, keep telling our stories—until Palestine is free.”

— For the last time, Hossam Shabat, from northern Gaza.

[488Pista @Pstar4]

@PestaMzazi You are from Queenstown. Susihlaza Mfo

[488Pista @Pstar4]

😂😂😂

[SNOWEY✨ @snowey_ls]

🤔

[488Pista @Pstar4]

😂😂😂😂

[DummySwitchPod @DummySwitchPod]

Daan Human:

[488Pista @Pstar4]

😂😂😂

[488Pista @Pstar4]

😂😂😂

[Pepper Ann @Hebethuna_yho]

My sober app imane isithi congratulations, andinxile Nkosi yam 😭

[Squidge Rugby @SquidgeRugby]

Siya Kolisi dedicating the win to the homeless people of South Africa and calling for harsher legislation on gender-based violence in the same interview after playing like that in a win like that is why he is who he is.

[488Pista @Pstar4]

😂😂😂

[Nchema @ShottaZee]

Mandela Day ayisafani. What happened to you guys painting schools and your CEOs playing hobo at Mandela Bridge?

[488Pista @Pstar4]

@PestaMzazi Shenzen is a cheap Shanghai. Yiza ebahlalini!

[488Pista @Pstar4]

😂😂😂

[Sdudla Mafehlefeezy♥ @lulu_luwela]

Guys my mom’s dog doesn’t let anyone sit on this couch 🤣

And nathi we’re not trying to pick a fight with boerboel so ke yisofa yakhe le 🤣

[488Pista @Pstar4]

@PestaMzazi Where in China are you going Bud?