The good, the bad, and the ugly. How did South Africa’s Cabinet members fare this year? Starting at the top, President Thabo Mbeki is now officially a lame-duck. In Polokwane this week, he was trounced by African National Congress deputy president Jacob Zuma in the race for the party’s top job. While Mbeki’s legacy will be written in time, he has not had a great year.

Which Brazilian footballer, who plays for AC Milan, recently won the European player of the year award? Who is the new Anglican archbishop? What will South Africa’s newest coal power station in Limpopo be called? Who received the first Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership this year? These are some of the brain teasers for our end-of-year quiz.

The scantily dressed actress waltzes majestica lly on to the Mannenberg theatre stage, jutting breasts noticeable beneath the red silky lingerie that reveal the curves of her body. She cuddles a teddy bear close to her chest, caressing its fur, as she gets lost in fantasy to the lyrical soundtrack of Love Is Not Supposed to Hurt by U Meleni.

Staying away from Polokwane’s excitement, I thought that in the spirit of the season we should look at the giving that corporate South Africa should be doing. This happens through corporate social investment/responsibility (CSI/R), or whatever title it might be given.

The ANC Youth League (ANCYL) was the undisputed kingmaker. ”People did not believe us when we told them we were going to rewrite history at this conference,” ANCYL president Fikile Mbalula was quoted as saying by the Times newspaper this week.

Newly elected ANC president Jacob Zuma used his first speech to urge ANC members to move away from the Zuma-camp, Mbeki-camp laagers. Zuma spent time relating the warm nature of his relationship with Thabo Mbeki and how they had worked together for more than 30 years. “He’s my friend, comrade, brother, father, and indeed my leader.”

”Can a condom protect your heart? Can a condom protect your mind? Can a condom protect your virginity?” asks a crew member from Silver Ring Thing, an international purity organisation. It is a Saturday night in Eldorado Park and the community hall is packed with young people who have come to see the Silver Ring Thing show.

The Family Life Centre in Parkwood, a stone’s throw from Zoo Lake, Johannesburg, was once a sprawling suburban home. Today its immaculate garden is still intact, but it has a street-facing notice board that at times boldly advertises “Divorce Recovery” or “Effective Parenting”. The place has an air of sadness, writes Matthew Krouse.

A man chooses to have many wives. Each wife has her own household. They bear his children and, together, they are a large number. This has been the custom among the Nguni people of South Africa for many generations. Jacob Zuma practises it, as does King Zwelithini and other Zulu tribesmen. But many women have spoken out, saying it is demeaning to women and gives a great sense of inequality.