Mail & Guardian - Africa's Best Read

Millions of rand lost as SANDF returns unauthorised Cuban Covid-19 vaccine

Eunice Stoltz 26 Jan 2022

Remedial action against officials suspected of wrongdoing must be taken, says the ministerial task team investigating the defence department

New year, same rules: The science behind masks, ventilation and keeping a distance

mohale moloi & linda pretorius 26 Jan 2022

Wearing a mask, washing your hands, good ventilation and keeping your distance all help to lower your chances of getting infected by the virus that causes Covid-19

Red Cross makes first medical delivery to Tigray since September

Agence France presse 26 Jan 2022

The ICRC said the urgently-needed supplies and essential drugs, which were flown in, would be distributed to facilities across Ethiopia's war-torn Tigray

PODCAST: ‘I had R40m debt at 26 – it felt like the end of my life’

mg listen 26 Jan 2022

Busi Selesho chats to the M&G business journalists and podcast editor about why she became a money coach and shares some tips to financial freedom

West Coast seismic battle heads to court

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Business

Bonang Mohale: South Africa has all the markings of a failed state

Africa

Morocco drives a war in Western Sahara for its phosphates

Sport

Afcon: Ghana’s Black Stars need a fresh start and a long-term plan

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How homeschooling supports gifted children

Amazon’s colonial HQ in Cape Town must be stopped

Wealthy foreign corporations colonise local markets and impose technologies of violence and control on local populations

Michael Kwet & tshiamo malatji

Johannesburg needn’t be Fear City

Christopher Mcmichael

Caring for healthcare workers must be a priority

rene sparks

Andile Zulu: Sisulu obfuscates the true nature of power in South Africa

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Andile Zulu

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‘I was jailed for doing journalism – and the nightmare is not over’

Eight months ago, the Zimbabwean government arrested Jeffrey Moyo after he worked with colleagues from The New York Times reporting on Zimbabwe. His next court date is 14 February

From Algeria to Zimbabwe: How autocratic elites cycle in and out of power

Leaders typically spread power among their ‘rival allies’ to keep it and co-opt enough of those elites in exchange for political support.

‘The Girl in the Yellow Jumper’ is the first Ugandan film signed by Netflix

The Ugandan film, directed by Loukman Ali, teaches that the good thing to do is not always the right thing

Trends that will revolutionise the retail sector in 2022

From social selling and greenwashing to downtrading, analysts outline 2022 trends for the retail sector

World Economic Forum: ‘2022 will be like navigating an obstacle course’

Central banks massively underestimated inflation risks as economies bounced back from the pandemic-induced slump

Shrewd management of future Covid waves is key to the tourism industry’s recovery

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Stakeholders are cautiously optimistic about 2022, citing relaxed restrictions and discussions with the government as reasons for hope.

Winde does not rule out criminal charges against suspended Western Cape MEC Fritz

An independent legal counsel will investigate allegations made against the Democratic Alliance’s Fritz, and criminal charges are not out of the question

Fritz scandal casts another shadow over DA in the Western Cape

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Good party sees political advantage after the suspension of a ‘low-profile’ figure in local government

EFF axes Limpopo leaders over poor poll performance

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The party lost 25 council seats in what was one of its strongholds

Summer in the Cederberg region is rooibos harvest season

International demand for rooibos is expected to grow exponentially, according to the South African Rooibos Council

Eastern Cape learners’ project feeds school children

Locust fighters in a losing battle in the Nama Karoo

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Africa’s first green school ‘cultivates a love of nature’

My life and Andre’s: How André Leon Talley paved the way for black voices...

André Leon Talley injected much-needed intellectualism into fashion, inspiring others to find their feet

Sandiso Ngubane

Pelican fantasy: How the iconic Soweto club influenced South African music

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Kwanqingetshe: A navigation of stagnation

‘Any Given Sunday’: Public art as politics in the streets of Cape Town

International Day of Education: Countries set realistic goals for 2030

The original sustainable development goal for education treated all countries as equal; however, global targets have now been localised, providing a more realistic framework

Covid-19 can catalyse better education for all

Digital access to materials can be the equaliser needed for post-pandemic learning recovery.

Answer to youth unemployment lies in digital skill development

Had our institutions been keeping up with the fourth industrial revolution and providing skills training, our corporates would be happy to employ their graduates.

Motsepe blames closed gate for Afcon tragedy

A child was among the dead, while 38 were injured as fans attempted to enter the Olembe Stadium where the hosts Cameroon were playing the Comoros, according to figures released by the country's health ministry.

Eight dead in Africa Cup of Nations Cameroon stadium crush

Cameroonian President Paul Biya ordered an investigation into the tragedy that occurred on Monday as crowds attempted to enter the Olembe Stadium in the capital Yaounde to watch the host nation play the Comoros

Malawi’s flame ignited at Afcon

From being underwhelming underdogs going into the tournament to reaching the round of 16, the Flames have shown discipline, flair and dedication, to the utter delight of their fans.

World

Kremlin says sanctions on Putin would be ‘destructive’

"Politically, it's not painful, it's destructive," Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, after US President Joe Biden threatened personal measures against the Russian leader over the crisis.

IMF urges El Salvador to remove bitcoin as legal tender

The small Central American nation in September became the first country in the world to embrace the digital money, allowing consumers to use it in all transactions, alongside the US dollar.

UK PM Johnson fights back after defection

Wednesday's defection of Conservative Christian Wakeford to Labour served as a reminder of the high stakes at play, with the opposition party surging in opinion polls.