Phillip du Toit, the man behind the city council spy saga involving Cape Town mayor and leader of the opposition, Helen Zille, is a colourful man. Du Toit has worked for the National Intelligence Agency (NIA); has supplied the Scorpions with information; and has been employed on contract by former police commissioner George Fivaz.

The Special Investigation Unit (SIU) is to probe black empowerment mining tycoons accused of cheating the Mpumalanga government out of millions of rands in royalties and share dividends. Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency (Mega) chairperson Phillip Dexter declined to name either the individuals or the companies, but confirmed he had requested the probe.

The booing of Limpopo Premier Sello Moloto at the funeral of former ambassador to Indonesia Norman Mashabane was the result of a well-orchestrated plan by supporters of African National Congress deputy president Jacob Zuma to humiliate Moloto, it has emerged.

A clash between secular and religious conscience could unfold in South Africa’s education system — and different interest groups are set to line up against one another. The teaching of evolution to grade 12 learners from next year might trigger an uproar among South African parents, teachers and religious sectors.

The controversial clause in the Children’s Amendment Bill, which allowed for parents to be fined R300 for spanking their children, has been removed. This week the parliamentary portfolio committee on social development agreed to remove Section 139 from the Bill after the ANC caucus moved to block the Bill being approved last week.

”It’s true that we are getting resistance from the executive. For instance, I served in one committee for six years and left it because I got tired of wasting my time with a minister who refused to listen to me.” With his head bent in despair chairperson of the environmental affairs portfolio committee Langa Zita recently told a panel of experts how African National Congress MPs struggled to get their voices heard by ministers.

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) has rejected an application by the Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) to subpoena the transcript of proceedings of the Sisulu Commission of Inquiry into alleged blacklisting at the SABC. The move prompted a sharp response from FXI executive director Jane Duncan, who said she was disappointed by the decision.

Saeed Jalili, who replaced Ali Larijani as Iran’s top nuclear negotiator at the weekend, is a man of strong moral views who believes spiritual values should inform political actions. His absolute conviction of the rightness of Iran’s cause, and his loyalty to his old friend, Iran’s hardline president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, may make him an awkward interlocutor in nuclear talks with the European Union in Rome.