We’re in a spiritual war for attention, language and sovereignty. In South Africa, fear marketing around AI and cannabis keeps people as consumers, not creators. This post sets out a practical doctrine for our context: focus on real risks (SIM-swap, phishing), ignore hype (voice clones—for now), and practice Responsible Adult Consumption. Build language/data/distribution sovereignty. Don’t panic. Verify. Adopt. Sun-grown minds, sun-grown plants.
The spiritual war (SA, 2025)
We’re fighting for consciousness sovereignty—who frames reality, which languages count, who gets to think with tools. Fear is profitable. It sells security contracts, PR roadshows, and compliance theatre. It also keeps the “Natives” consuming, not creating.
Bra Peter stance: Fear sells contracts. Literacy builds power.
What’s real vs what’s noise (right now)
- Real risk today: SIM-swap + OTP theft + phishing. That’s how accounts get emptied.
- Emerging risk: Voice cloning & deepfakes. Quality is improving but not the main threat for ordinary people yet. Treat as “verify unusual requests,” not “panic now.”
- Banks: App approvals + biometrics. No voice-as-identity for your money.
- Practical defence:
- Set a family/club passphrase for money requests.
- 10-minute pause rule for anything “urgent.”
- Second-channel verification (call a known number; no transacting from calls/voice notes).
- Reduce SMS OTP dependence where possible (use app authenticators).
Motto: Don’t panic. Verify. Adopt.
Cannabis: reality over stigma
- SA recognises private, responsible use & cultivation. Sales remain restricted—operate clearly and within the law.
- RAC (Responsible Adult Consumption): start low, 5-on/2-off rhythm, avoid alcohol mixing, be honest about set & setting.
- Clubs & co-ops: protect privacy; use NPCs where appropriate; keep tight records and clear codes of conduct.
- Our philosophy: sun-grown (Ramasedi), diversity of landrace + exotics, full-flower respect, no cannabinoid apartheid.
The Ramasedi Doctrine (7 shields)
- Language sovereignty — Build a word vault (letlole la mafoko) in Setswana/S’Pitori; your language is a first-class citizen in your tools.
- Data sovereignty — Keep a local knowledge base (sermons, RAC guides, club SOPs, proverbs). Encrypt, version, mirror.
- Compute sovereignty — Run a small open model locally for core tasks; use cloud as backup, not master.
- Distribution sovereignty — WhatsApp PDFs, email list, website first. Social platforms are funnels, not homes.
- Botho Protocol — Truth, transparency, consent, minimal data, no voice as identity, adult-only cannabis guidance, model/version logging.
- Skills pipeline — Nerds of Ramasedi micro-cohorts : prompt craft, data cleaning, small-model ops.
- Legal hygiene — POPIA-friendly consent & deletion, no OTP/PIN requests, clear disclaimers, written approvals for money.
Language is land. If our language isn’t in the model, we aren’t in the future.
Botho pele. Nnete, Lerato, Tebogo.
This is not about hype. It’s about discipline: daily, boring, sun-lit practice. Adopt tools that serve our people. Verify before you pay or share. Don’t panic when vendors sell fear—smile, say “sharp,” and keep building.
Sun-grown minds, sun-grown plants.
Ga re boife. Re a tlhatlhoba. Re a aga.
When we grow we grow