Kayfabe is the suspension of disbelief that is essential for any enjoyment of professional wrestling. It is a useful thing to employ when observing South African and international politics and the language used.

Language reveals, conceals and perverts in equal measure. In Soweto in 1976 young people were "rioting". The government of the United States had Nelson Mandela on a terrorist watch list until 2008. Conservative activists to this day believe that children are the "property" of their parents. Vaporising children is called "collateral damage". A "plausible genocide" is not a suitable topic for discussion at a University Senate meeting. The Israeli Defence Force killing at least 270 people and wounding 1,000 to rescue four hostages is described as "surgical in its precision".

When young people rose up in 1976 against the lies, racism, and ideology and said 'this shall not continue', they were providing us all a lesson which, as I hope to show in this article, may be more necessary than ever.

There have been a number of events recently that have surprised even the dystopian cynic in me. In October 2023, Joe Biden stated that "respect for international law" was imperative for Israel in its response to 7 October 2023.

In May 2024 the International Criminal Court (ICC) requested arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant. To remind you, Gallant has been quoted as saying...