/ 4 February 2019

Unembargoed: January 1 to February 8

This week's M&G is now free to read.
This week's M&G is now free to read.

Court bid to freeze VBS’s R80m

Community schemes service says money meant for VBS went into an FNB account

The Bosasa tally: R12-billion

That’s what the company scored over 15 years, allegedly through corruption and bribery

Slice of life: Respect a mother’s word

‘In fact, the Sesotho word she kept using was ‘hlompho’, which means respect. In our culture, you don’t use that word lightly’

Cost of corruption – How a toddler  died at Bosasa’s detention centre

Bosasa bribed its way into contracts. Meet the four-year-old who paid the price.

We colluded in our land dispossession

Like Lekota, Agrizzi has revealed a dreadful truth — we gave away the state for measly trinkets

Cape’s race tensions fuel ‘Wexit’

Several political movements in the Western Cape are calling for greater autonomy for the province.

Makhanda’s thirst caused by inept officials and misrule

The town can’t afford to fix trucks to deliver water and mismanagement forces people to walk long distances to collect the precious resource

SA’s water debt grows by R8-million every 24 hours

At midnight on Thursday two municipalities failed to pay their water bills. They aren’t unique. Debt is wrecking water and sanitation services

Queers and the allure of gangs

People ostracised by society often have to make alliances with other outcasts in order to survive

Breytenbach holds firm on Mrewebi

His decision to drop charges against crimes intelligence boss Richard Mdluli was permanent

How to kill a ‘city-killing’ asteroid

The future of civilisation could be secured by nudging a space rock off course

HEALTH:

A dangerous gamble: Inside Zim’s abortion black market

Tight abortion laws aren’t curbing demand, they’re driving them underground — and it’s about to get worse

How far, how long – Why South Africa’s mothers are still dying

The struggle to survive pregnancy and death in a land of plenty and poverty hasn’t changed much in the past five years — there are lives to prove it.

AFRICA:

Ethiopian Airlines’ Achilles heel

Bole International Airport has not kept pace with the airline’s rapid expansion. But that’s changing

Unrest grows as Sudanese professors boycott al-Bashir

Deadly protests have rocked the East African country since December 19, after a government decision to triple the price of bread.

Mnangagwa’s pre-emptive strike

Zimbabwe’s president has wiped out any potential revolution before it can even begin

Morocco’s twin city blues

Geographically, the cities of Rabat and Salé could not be closer together, but they are worlds apartBUSINESS:

Edcon: Experts split on PIC lifeline

Analysts are at odds over the benefits and risks, and there are issues of contagion and knock-on job cuts

Culture of fear rules PIC

An official says he was forced to work fast to clear the Ayo deal because of Matjila’s and Survé’s friendship

Maria Ramos, the new captain of Ship SA?

Absa CEO Maria Ramos’s decision this week to quit with just a month’s notice led to immediate speculation that she is quitting for another job

SA motor industry’s sweet deal

Incentive scheme sees billions go to the industry, but supporters say incentives have knock-on benefits

COMMENT & ANALYSIS:

Voters are not to blame for opposition parties’ woes

Given the crises caused by the ANC, the DA and the EFF should eat into the ruling party’s vote

Editorial: Wealthy must pay their taxes and cut the crap

‘We are trapped in a vortex in which nothing really changes’

Little difference between politicians and journalists

‘The relationship between politicians and journalists is, or rather ought to be, adversarial’

An ethics committee’s nightmare Nine wasted years? Mara for who?

Election lists must be firmed up soon, but nobody’s saying who’s in or out – and Zuma’s tweets aren’t helping

EE inquiry will have lasting effects

The inquiry’s findings make it clear that to aim narrowly at making findings of innocence or guilt are not helpful

Internet shutdowns violate human rights

Social media has changed the way wars are fought and oppression is resisted, resulting in governments disrupting connectivity

Kabila co-opts the opposition to prolong a family dynasty

The highly contested elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are now over and Joseph Kabila Kabange handed over the presidency to Félix Antoine Tshilombo Tshisekedi on January 24

Go figure how women make a difference

At the current rate of progress, it will take more than 200 years to achieve gender equality and female empowerment at work.

Customary wives in fight against marital abuse

Depending on the resources they have access to, women can call family meetings to shame their husbands or use the full weight of statutory law

BODY LANGUAGE: Want your eggs black or white?

The fertility industry and technology are raising difficult questions about race

FIFTH COLUMN: Juju and the profits of doom

‘At any rate, whatever Zuma did or didn’t do, Juju has forgiven him’

Rethinking economics for Africa is a duty

Students must start a formal process to reform curriculums and fill gaps in a unitary approach

Bus does not stop for disabled learners

The KwaZulu-Natal education department in particular has done little to fulfil its constitutional obligationsFRIDAY

The portfolio

‘There is a heroism to photographing on film in the age of the fourth industrial revolution.’

This Weekend

Nonto R Women in Comedy, The Soweto Exchange, Sarafina!, Happily Never After

Bringer of fire lights the stage

Dladla Mshunqisi is a powerful presence but he is ever willing to stand back for his close-knit circle of colleagues

Advertising’s smart pantsula

Unorthodox creative Festus Masekwameng blasted his way into a closed industry

What’s the deal with Moja Love?

Jacqui Setai, the head of DSTV reality channel Moja Love, says the idea behind the venture is to bring positivity into the broadcasting industry.

‘St Agnes’ murder series promises more than red herrings

Set in the bubble of Midlands privilege, the series promises depth and cliffhanging twists

Festival to bookend all festivals

Once a year Jaipur becomes a literary wonderland, packed with people mad about the written word

Chefs switch to mini dynamos

The small but mighty microgreens are being grown in urban farms and used in local menus

A ‘madman’ who earned the tribute

A little over 31 years ago, in October 1987, the president of Burkina Faso, Thomas Sankara, was murdered in a coup instigated by his former friend and army captain, Blaise Compaoré.

Kingsolver evokes US turmoil

Her latest novel weaves the past with the present and people’s reponses to the present and future

SPORT:

The bizarre rise of Pyramids FC – and the Saudi billionaire bent on revenge

One man’s search for vengeance is challenging the natural order of African football

Oh, the sweet pain of Chiefs

Missed chances from Amakhosi’s front row and bad goalkeeping depress even ardent supporters

A footie-mad mother narrates for blind son

A passionate Brazilian football fan has drawn nationwide attention for narrating her local team’s football matches live to her blind and autistic son.

Proteas must dare to be elite

The womens’ team’s performance will decide whether they enter the upper echelon of cricket

 

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