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Sars A-team tackles state capture

The beleaguered tax agency will probably miss its revenue target again, but is on the road to recovery as the new commissioner revives critical units

Mswati wanted Trillian to turn his country into a tax haven

The Gupta-linked company that had an ‘interest’ in South African state-owned enterprises used a similar modus operandi to try to get a slice of the pie in Eswatini’s government projects

Mo Sa-la-la-la-lah reduces Islamophobia

Salah’s popularity is particularly notable. One popular chant heard around Anfield these days goes like this: ‘Mo Sa-la-la-la-lah, Mo Sa-la-la-la-lah’

Child offender closes the circle

Children commit crimes.
The reasons they do are rarely simple and the solution is not a criminal record.
In the second part of a series about children in conflict with the law, Athandiwe Saba talks to youngsters who have turned their lives around, thanks to government programmes

Saul’s bold last stand for the ANC

The fate of the ANC is on the line as the next generation of party leaders fight to ‘reinvent the future’ in contested provinces

‘Accidental’ author climbs bestseller list

Yusuf Daniels, a former auctioneer, describes himself as someone who became an author by mistake

Fun and games that change lives

Professional gaming can mean earning big bucks for elite competitors. It also fosters problem-solving skills in casual players

Vegan bottles to the rescue

Two local companies have come up with a way to reduce the harm caused by plastic polluting rivers and killing ocean life

How to catch a serial killer – and why South Africa is good at it

The country may have the third highest number of repeat murderers, but the police’s elite profiler unit has never lost a single case

The father of Alexandra: ‘I was born to serve, it’s my calling’

Linda Twala, 75, was born to one of the original residents of Alexandra, which has come to represent South Africa’s inequality, with wealthy Sandton across the road. He buries people and creates safe spaces for young and older people, making him an invaluable member of the impoverished township. Twala spent a day last week with Mashadi Kekana for the Good News Edition. This is his story

HEALTH:

This pee test could save your life

What if diagnosing South Africa’s deadliest disease was as simple as taking a pharmacy pregnancy test? That day may be a day closer than you think

Life and love in the cancer ward

Death comes for all of us and when it does, we hope it’s a good end. We hope it has meaning, we hope it’s painless and those we leave behind are cared for. Turns out it’s a shared hope, whether you’re aged 80 or eight.

AFRICA:

The hopeful continent

Last week, the Mail & Guardian put out a call on Twitter for inspiring, uplifting and positive stories from around the African continent. The response was overwhelming. We received dozens of examples of courage, hope, resilience and ingenuity. What follows is a small selection, compiled by Simon Allison

Our fears don’t tell the whole story

Don’t let negative headlines blind you to the fact that humanity is healthier and wealthier than ever before

BUSINESS:

Raw power dumped on farms

About 500 tonnes of sewage is trucked daily across Gauteng and disposed of on mielie fields instead of being used to make biogas

Fintech fills the funding gap

New companies are filling the funding gap for small businesses, especially in townships

CCMA cases pile up with new law

But both the commission and the department of labour say they have everything under control

Greener cars have truly electrifying potential

But South Africa will have to adopt proactive policies to increase demand and manufacturing

Failure to fix the economy will undo Cyril

The president can get rid of the loathsome political figures but he can’t control everything

EDITORIAL: The hypocrisies of the EFF and the twists of our prejudice

It is important to acknowledge that journalism does not happen in a vacuum, prejudices seep into the tone and focus of our work

Youth, dare to dream

Young people need to be able to imagine a better future if they are to stand a chance of creating it

Why I support active euthanasia

People’s morality, religion or culture should not override other people’s right to end their lives

Beware the psychopath boss

Their behaviour causes stress, burnout, thoughts of suicide, high absenteeism rates and physical illness

Trump pays in messiah money

The Trump coin, at least, echoes another element of the BIN story about the Pilgrim’s Road. It mentions some coins found during the excavations

EDUCATION:

Leadership can fix poor schooling

School district officials and principals can achieve great results if they collaborate meaningfully

What’s the real value of a PhD?

The qualification must evolve beyond the niche to improve the society in which academics live

WINTER READING:

ANC spy under gunfire

Bradley Steyn worked for the apartheid security police, but was recruited to Umkhonto weSizwe and infiltrated right-wing conspiracies. He worked with novelist Mark Fine to turn his story into a book, Undercover with Mandela’s Spies (Jacana). This is an edited extract, telling of one frightening operation

FRIDAY:

Makhanda: No more lullabies

The National Arts Festival offers space for reflection about our fractious global moment

The abject are the subject

Through a personal lens that appreciates the fluid nature of femininity, magic is created

SPORT:

Bafana and Egypt in pressure pot

South Africa will be forced to demonstrate some grit on Saturday evening or face an early exit