All the articles in this week's M&G are free to read
‘We are a country where democracy extends beyond the ballot. We live politics. It is our national conversation topic of choice and our soapie’
Ramaphosa needs to lose the unity narrative if he is to dispel the stink of the Zuma years
A party divided, disappointed voters, ‘clever blacks’ and flawed polls; everything is in play in the prized province ahead of the May 8 election, as the ANC tries to cling to its slim majority
Mpofu shows that he can get down and dirty
A Gauteng elections research team says an ANC win in the province will mean the party has one last chance to ‘get it right’
It’s all systems go as parties consolidate their campaigns ahead of next week’s election
The ANC is most likely going to win South Africa’s elections on May 8. For many South Africans who have faced declining economic and social conditions over the past two decades, that’s a scary prospect.
The youth of Jozini are determined to make a better future for themselves despite record unemployment
‘Why do I write? Being born as the light-skinned girl in a dark-skinned neighbourhood gives you an interesting perspective’
Students are the future. That’s what politicians keep saying. They will unlock the much-hyped fourth industrial revolution and move this country away from being the most unequal in the world.
The DA is working hard at wooing the province’s voters, but its electorate would rather abstain than not vote for the ANC
Residents of the Matlosana local municipality in North West have approached lawyers to force the municipality to remove its municipal manager, claiming that he failed to disclose his alleged criminal record.
The M&G returns to the Mayixhale household, in the Eastern Cape, for the fifth time since the 2004 elections. In that time, the family says it has given up on believing that change will come to the ANC stronghold
In court, everyone agreed that the apartheid flag is a symbol of racism. But the two sides could not agree on how it plays into the Equality Act
New Zealand’s major media outlets vowed on Wednesday to prevent the man charged with the Christchurch mosque shooting from using his trial as a platform for extremist propaganda.
Opposition parties are eager to pick on this blot on the ruling party’s copy book
May Day rallies across the country showed that trade unions have lost their lustre and are no longer the political force they were a decade ago.
HEALTH:
South Africa’s top public health experts sat down to discuss the safety of e-cigarettes. The verdict? Stay away
Political leaders ought to consider moms’ needs when campaigning for votes. In short, motherhood should be treated as the serious and life-altering process that it is.
AFRICA:
Rapid loss of primary rainforests is a double blow to the planet’s biodiversity
Our hearts belong with the revolution at home, say Sudanese exiles based in South Africa
BUSINESS:
South Africa’s power utility has become a bottomless pit of expenses; it’s debatable as to whether it can feasibly ever be saved
Even one-year sentences will effectively disqualify state capturers from the realm of politics
Self-made billionaire Patrice Motsepe embraces disruption and renewables in growth strategy
After footage went viral of a baby turtle struggling to breathe because a plastic straw was trapped in its nose, it didn’t take people long to denounce plastic straws. But are reusable or collapsible straws the answer?
COMMENT & ANALYSIS:
‘This is the most important election since 1994. Yet, strangely, it has been the most boring’
‘We have come to expect discrimination from world athletics bodies. Witness the ongoing battle to force Caster Semenya off the track’
‘Media ownership is becoming increasingly politicised, further undermining the independence of major broadcasters and titles’
Our readers write in about plastic waste, SMEs, humanism, and restitution
A hot day at Sugar Ray Xulu with campaigning almost over may show why the ruling party should be worried
Black women are the most common victims, especially because of socioeconomic hierarchy
It’s perfectly normal for the ongoing stress of load-shedding and water outages to leave you feeling blue
Our Constitution requires a humane treatment of people but functionaries fail to recognise this
Now, with a new reformist prime minister Abiy Ahmed in office, Ethiopia has made so much progress in freeing jailed journalists and lifting press controls that it is hosting World Press Freedom Day on May 3. But don’t celebrate yet.
The Western mass media misuses the term ‘burkini’ for the mainstream gaze
‘Most days, however, looking at it from my side of the fence, the idea of a parent company is somewhat jaded’
EDUCATION:
Secrecy and the selective education of a few led to the fall of the Ancient Egyptians
Although the education of children of immigrants is protected in the Bill of Rights, it is labelled an offence in the Immigration Act
FRIDAY:
For good vibes and an art fix, don’t miss this
Balancing the horn with the DJ set from Hillbrow to Ibiza, George Sax is a master of mixology
“I try to make sure that wherever I am, my camera settings are right for that location and my film is fully loaded.”
Albert Adams worked in self-imposed obscurity, but his work speaks boldly for himself and others
Black South Africans were excluded from galleries, and still don’t purchase much art
Kanye West’s Sunday Services continue to gain popularity – but what’s really good?
“Gospel’s journey continues today producing musicians of extraordinary dedication who continue to carry the word.”
Filled with the great skill and craftsmanship, Fred Khumalo’s short stories are exceptional
Sophie Pons speaks to Abdelkader Ouazzani about how his profession of weaving is dying in Morocco
The Bookshop may not have all the answers about literature’s role in society, but it raises the questions.
SPORT:
Winning the Champions League may be the only way that this extraordinary young squad can be kept together
Dominating at a pivotal time in the sport, Olympique Lyonnaise Féminin will go down as the first of its kind
The plot sickens with Liverpool forced to sit on the sidelines rooting for the failure of a rival team
The rejection of her appeal flirts with scientific facts, leaving room for ambiguity