society
Chains to Contracts: The Evolution of Slavery in the Modern Age
Chains to Contracts: The Evolution of Slavery in the Modern Age
By George Omagbemi Sylvester
When we speak of slavery, the mind drifts to shackles, auction blocks, and the haunting cries from the belly of slave ships. Yet, the horror of slavery is not buried in the past. It walks among us in suits, uniforms, sweatshops, and the dimly lit rooms of human trafficking dens. Slavery has not died, it has evolved. The faces are familiar, the chains invisible, the cruelty repackaged.
It is not that humans today are still being bought and sold in open markets though in Libya and parts of the Middle East, they are but that their dignity continues to be auctioned off for profit, power, and silence.
As the American philosopher Noam Chomsky once said, “The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion but allow very lively debate within that spectrum.” This is the nature of modern slavery: hidden beneath systems, laws, and economics that present themselves as “normal.”
A Mirror to the Past
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Africans were deemed subhuman beasts of burden, creatures of muscle without mind or soul. Slave traders and their wealthy patrons justified this evil with religion, pseudoscience, and imperial law. French philosopher Voltaire once wrote shamefully that “negroes are inferior to whites.” Such beliefs laid the foundation for centuries of inhuman treatment.
Today, slavery has become more sophisticated, but no less brutal. According to the Global Slavery Index 2023, over 50 million people worldwide are currently trapped in modern slavery. This includes forced labor, child marriage, debt bondage, and sex trafficking. India, China, Pakistan, and Nigeria rank among the highest in prevalence. In the Gulf States, African and Asian workers live under “kafala” sponsorship systems that rob them of freedom. In Eritrea, conscription is lifelong. In parts of Southeast Asia, women are groomed, raped, and sold. Slavery now wears a suit and calls itself industry.
Yet what binds the slavery of the past to that of the present is one thing: a lack of understanding and empathy.
Understanding Is the First Step Toward Justice
In the days of the transatlantic slave trade, African slaves were deemed less than human. Today, victims of trafficking are called “illegal immigrants.” Workers in sweatshops are seen as statistics. Street children are dismissed as delinquents. Refugees fleeing war are labeled threats.
This is not just ignorance, it is the weaponization of ignorance.
As Ghanaian philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah argues in The Ethics of Identity, the failure to see the other as fully human “with dreams, fears, histories, and hopes” is what makes exploitation possible. “Recognition is the first human gift we owe one another,” he wrote. Without that recognition, oppression festers.
Philosophers, Prophets, and the Common Man
Frederick Douglass, an escaped slave turned intellectual giant, once declared, “Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave.” That is as true today as it was in 1855. The more we understand the interconnected systems that perpetuate human suffering, the less likely we are to participate in them silently.
Jean-Paul Sartre, a French existentialist, warned us that freedom is what you do with what’s been done to you. The enslaved of old were beaten into obedience; the modern slave is conditioned into silence by poverty, patriarchy, and precariousness.
Listen to the market woman in Lagos who cannot afford to send her daughter to school, only to later find out that child has been trafficked to Europe. Hear the cries of the boy from Bangladesh, working 16 hours in a factory for global brands. Are they not as human as the plantation slave of Georgia or the rubber-tapper of colonial Congo?
Capitalism, Complicity, and the New Chains
Karl Marx once said, “Capital is dead labor, which, vampire-like, lives only by sucking living labor.” That vampire has grown fangs. Under today’s global capitalism, workers are expendable, outsourced, and underpaid. Tech companies boast billions while their workers sleep in tents. Brands celebrate “diversity” while profiting off child labor in cobalt mines.
Even in developed nations, slavery thrives, subtly. Undocumented immigrants labor in farms, homes, and factories, afraid to speak out. Domestic workers suffer abuse behind closed doors. Prisons, especially in the U.S., operate as labor mills, where disproportionately Black inmates work for pennies.
Slavery is no longer a crime against humanity, it has become a business model.
Black Child, Think!
The hashtag #THINKBLACKCHILD is a cry for mental emancipation. It is not enough to learn about slavery in school and shake our heads in pity. We must trace its living roots in our modern institutions, from education and law enforcement to global trade and entertainment.
Bob Marley once sang, “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery; none but ourselves can free our minds.” The Black child must learn to question systems, to trace patterns, to see the world through the lens of justice, not convenience.
Solutions or Silence?
We must start by naming the evil. Modern slavery must be declared a global emergency. Governments must criminalize and dismantle the structures “legal or illegal” that permit exploitation. Rich nations must stop preaching democracy while buying cocoa, diamonds, and garments harvested through suffering.
Education must be decolonized. Economic systems must be people-centered. And every citizen must ask: Who is paying the price for my convenience?
A quote often misattributed to Edmund Burke says, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Whether said by Burke or not, the truth stands.
The Fire Next Time:
The legendary James Baldwin warned, “If we do not now dare everything, the fulfillment of that prophecy, recreated from the Bible in song by a slave, is upon us: God gave Noah the rainbow sign, no more water, the fire next time.”
We have run out of excuses. The chains may look different, the auctions may be digital, and the plantations may be replaced by factory floors, but the crime remains. Slavery still walks among us. What are we doing about it?
To compare animals to enslaved humans, as some do, is not only offensive to history but distracts from the ongoing slavery of humans today. The better comparison is between the enslaved of yesterday and the exploited of now, both victims of a world that too often sees people as tools, not souls.
Until every child walks free, until every laborer earns with dignity, and until every woman’s body is hers alone; the fight is not over.
society
Diplomacy Under Fire: South Africa’s Anti-Apartheid Vanguard Challenges U.S. Ambassador Nomination
Diplomacy Under Fire: South Africa’s Anti-Apartheid Vanguard Challenges U.S. Ambassador Nomination
By George Omagbemi Sylvester
Published by saharaweeklyng.com
“How history, sovereignty and global justice are colliding in Pretoria’s political theatre.”
South Africa stands at the intersection of memory, morality and contemporary geopolitics. In a dramatic and deeply symbolic challenge to international diplomatic norms, the South African chapter of the Anti-Apartheid Movement (AAM) has publicly urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to exercise his constitutional right to reject the credentials of Leo Brent Bozell III, the United States’ ambassador-designate to South Africa. This demand is not merely about one diplomat’s qualifications but it represents a broader contest over historical interpretation, national sovereignty, human rights and the ethical responsibilities of global partnerships.
The statement issued by the AAM, drawing on its legacy rooted in the nation’s hard-won liberation from racial oppression, argues that Bozell’s track record and ideological orientation raise “serious questions” about his fitness to serve in South Africa. The movement insists that his appointment threatens to undermine the country’s independent foreign policy, particularly in the context of Pretoria’s pursuit of justice at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, where South Africa has taken the rare step of challenging alleged atrocities in Gaza.
The Roots of the Dispute.
At the heart of the controversy is the claim by activists that Bozell’s public remarks over time have been disparaging toward the African National Congress (ANC) and the broader anti-apartheid struggle that shaped modern South Africa’s democratic identity. These statements, which critics describe as reflective of a worldview at odds with the principles of liberation and equity, have animated calls for his credentials to be rejected.
South Africa’s constitution empowers the head of state to accept or refuse the credentials of foreign envoys, a power rarely exercised in recent diplomatic practice but one that acquires urgency in moments of intense bilateral tension. As the AAM’s leadership frames it, this is not about personal animus but about safeguarding the nation’s right to determine its own moral and geopolitical compass.
Historical Memory Meets Contemporary Politics.
South Africa’s anti-apartheid legacy holds deep cultural, political and moral resonance across the globe. The nation’s liberation struggle (led by giants such as Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu and Oliver Tambo) was rooted in the universal principles of human dignity, equality and resistance to systemic oppression. It transformed South Africa from a pariah state into a moral beacon in global affairs.
As the AAM statement put it, “We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of others.” This invocation of history is not ceremonial. It frames South Africa’s foreign policy not just as a function of national interest but as a commitment to a universal ethos born of struggle.
Renowned scholars of post-colonial studies, including the late Mahmood Mamdani, have argued that anti-colonial movements inherently shape post-independence foreign policy through moral imperatives rooted in historical experience. In this view, South African diplomacy often reflects an ethical dimension absent in purely strategic calculations.
The Broader Diplomatic Context.
The dispute over ambassadorial credentials cannot be separated from broader tensions in South African foreign policy. Pretoria’s decision to take Israel before the ICJ on allegations of violating the Genocide Convention has triggered significant diplomatic friction with the United States. Official U.S. channels have expressed concern over South Africa’s stance, particularly amid the conflict in the Middle East. This has coincided with sharp rhetoric from certain U.S. political figures questioning South Africa’s approach.
For instance, critics in the United States have at times framed South Africa’s foreign policy as both confrontational and inconsistent with traditional Western alliances, especially on issues relating to the Middle East. These tensions have underscored how global power dynamics interact (and sometimes collide) with post-apartheid South Africa’s conception of justice.
Within South Africa, political parties have responded in kind. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have condemned Bozell’s nomination as reflective of an agenda hostile to South Africa’s principles, even labelling his ideological lineage as fundamentally at odds with emancipation and equality. Whether or not one agrees with such characterisations, the intensity of these critiques reveals the deep anxiety amongst some sectors of South African civil society about external interference in the nation’s policymaking.
Sovereignty, International Law and National Identity.
Scholars of international law emphasise that the acceptance of diplomatic credentials is not merely ceremonial; it signals a nation’s readiness to engage with a foreign representative as a legitimate interlocutor. Legal theorist Martti Koskenniemi has written that diplomatic practice functions at the intersection of law, power and morality, shaping how states perceive each other and interact on the world stage.
In this light, the AAM’s appeal to Ramaphosa reflects a profound anxiety: that South Africa’s sovereignty (and its moral authority on the world stage) is being tested. To refuse credentials would be to affirm the nation’s agency; to accept them without scrutiny could be interpreted, in some quarters, as a concession to external pressure.
President Ramaphosa himself has, in recent speeches, stressed the importance of upholding constitutional integrity and South Africa’s role as a constructive actor in global affairs. His leadership, shaped by decades as a negotiator and statesman, walks a fine line between defending national interests and maintaining diplomatic engagement.
Moral Certainties and Strategic Ambiguities.
What makes this situation especially complex is the blending of moral conviction with strategic diplomacy. South Africa, like any sovereign state, depends on a web of international relationships (economic, security, political) that require engagement with powers whose policies and values do not always align with its own.
Yet for many South Africans, drawing a line on diplomatic appointments is not just about personalities but about reaffirming the values fought for during decades of struggle. As anti-apartheid veteran and academic Professor Pumla Gobodo-Madikezela once observed, “Our history is not a relic; it is the compass by which we navigate present injustices.” This idea captures why historical memory acquires such force in debates over current foreign policy.
Towards a Resolution.
Whether President Ramaphosa will act on the AAM’s call remains uncertain. Diplomatic norms usually favour acceptance of appointed envoys to maintain continuity in bilateral relations. However, exceptional moments call for exceptional scrutiny. This situation compels a national debate on what it means to balance sovereignty with engagement, history with pragmatism, values with realpolitik.
Experts on international relations stress the need for South Africa to carefully assess not just the semantics of credential acceptance but the broader implications for its foreign policy goals and relationships. Former diplomat Dr. Naledi Pandor has argued that “diplomacy is not merely about representation, but about conveying what a nation stands for and will not compromise.” Whether this moment will redefine South Africa’s diplomatic posture or be absorbed into the standard rhythms of international practice remains to be seen.
Summation: History and the Future.
The AAM’s call to reject a U.S. ambassadorial nominee is more than an isolated political manoeuvre, it is a reflection of South Africa’s evolving self-understanding as a nation shaped by legacy, committed to justice and unwilling to dilute its moral voice in global affairs. The controversy casts a spotlight on the tensions facing post-colonial states that strive to be both sovereign and globally engaged.
At its core, this debate is about who writes the rules of international engagement when history has taught a nation never to forget what it fought to achieve. It is a reminder that in a world of shifting alliances and competing narratives, moral clarity, historical awareness and strategic foresight are indispensable.
South Africa’s decision in this matter will not only shape its diplomatic engagement with the United States but will reverberate across continents where questions of justice, human rights and national dignity remain at the forefront of global discourse.
society
Fatgbems Group Commissions Ultra-Modern Mega Station in Opic, Expands Footprint in Nigeria’s Energy Retail Sector
Fatgbems Group Commissions Ultra-Modern Mega Station in Opic, Expands Footprint in Nigeria’s Energy Retail Sector
PUBLIC NOTICE: STRONG WARNING & DISCLAIMER
The general public is hereby strongly warned to exercise extreme caution regarding any dealings with Joseph Enyinnaya Eze, popularly known as Dracomiles who claims to operate as a Forex trader in Nigeria and the United Kingdom. Multiple reports and complaints have raised serious concerns about his business activities, dubious act. warranting immediate public attention.
Anyone who has already engaged with or been affected by these activities should urgently report the matter to the EFCC (Nigeria), Action Fraud (UK), or their nearest law enforcement authority.
This notice is issued in the interest of public safety and financial protection and should be treated with the utmost seriousness.
Signed,
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS
PRINCE EMMANUEL BENNY DANSON.
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