Unembargoed: October 26 to November 1

Juju’s cousin also linked to VBS

R5.9-million is alleged to have been paid from Floyd’s brother to Malema’s relative

The finance minister details a plan to ‘rebuild the ancient ruins’

It’s not often that Bible verses and Dickens are quoted in the same speech, especially when the speech is to outline the medium-term budget

De Lille & Co implicated in reports

One recommends criminal charges against Cape Town’s mayor, an MEC and other city officials have been named

Motswako legend one of a kind

Jabba drew inspiration from everything and his response was emotional and spontaneous

‘It’ll happen again’ say Silvertown fire victims

Residents claim politicians flock to Khayelitsha in times of tragedy, but leave with empty promises

Silver Town: The picture of devastation

A single image of the aftermath of the blaze cannot tell the whole story

Gama wants Transnet board jailed

Axed Transnet chief executive Siyabonga Gama on Thursday brought urgent contempt of court proceedings against the state entity, asking board members to say why they should not be imprisoned for 90 days or fined.

Public sector squeeze has begun

Officials say vacancies for senior officials, including directors general, won’t be filled

Gauteng, Limpopo exact revenge on Mabuza for his ‘betrayal’

A backlash against ANC deputy president David Mabuza appears to be playing itself out in the governing party’s list process ahead of next year’s national and provincial elections, and he may fail to secure the number two position on the list.

Bapedi peace bid on shaky ground

The king designate wants reconciliation to rebuild the nation but his opponents are not bending

Paradise lost: Tourists ruin their spots

Here are some global hotspots overwhelmed by visitors that authorities have moved to protect

The Two Tales of ‘Tin Can Town’

An upsurge in violence in Blikkiesdorp is linked to residents competing for homes in a new housing scheme

Slice of life: Beads thread my life together

‘This business saved my life and I have no intention of doing any other work except this. I started this business because jobs were scarce’

KZN’s traditional councils can’t explain ‘lost’ R27m

They were also unable to account for more than R15-million in property under their control

Sky has fallen on Chicken Licken’s head

Poor practices in the industry lead to disease, use of antibiotics and contamination of water and soil

Apple wants US privacy law

The chief executive says internet users are under surveillance and companies use data as a weapon

Italy fines Apple and Samsung

Italy’s competition authority has fined Apple and Samsung €10-million and €5-million respectively for the ‘planned obsolescence’ of their smartphones

R72-million later and Delmas’s sewerage scandal still stinks

The town is failing to fix pollution, and oil, fats and grease from factories aren’t helping

Raw sewage flows as little changes

The Botleng wastewater treatment plant, despite its R60-million upgrade, is overgrown

HEALTH:

Tito, time to up tobacco

In his speech, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni reprioritised millions for new health workers and hospital upgrades.
Here’s what he needs to do next.

When being yourself comes at a price

For transgender people, daily hormone injections can be a matter of life or death.
But many medical aids still see gender-affirming treatment as a choice rather than a necessity.

AFRICA:

The AU’s powerless corruption-buster

Begoto Miarom leads the continental fight against corruption. But he is under-resourced and not especially well-informed

Madagascar’s prison shame

More than half of Malagasy prisoners have yet to face trial, but live in squalid, dangerous conditions

What if Khashoggi was killed here?

There is little outrage in our country for foreigners killed here by their governments

BUSINESS:

The showman must now deliver

Mboweni has been applauded for his opening performance. But can he steal the show?

Budget catches markets off-guard

This week’s medium-term budget policy statement (MTBPS) was a bitter pill for markets to swallow and could affect how ratings agencies, especially Moody’s, view the country’s prospects, according to analysts.

Govt ‘no’ to public service wage hikes

Government departments themselves are going to have find the money for unbudgeted increases

Sars to pay R20-billion owed in VAT refunds

More than 70% of the revenue shortfall that South Africa faces in 2018 is because of a four-year backlog of unpaid value-added tax (VAT) refunds. And, because of the tough economic climate, revenue collected in the coming years is not expected to improve.

‘Fraud, poor governance’ cause municipal crisis

A growing financial crisis and governance failures at local and provincial government level have been identified as a “serious fiscal risk” by the treasury in the medium-term budget policy statement (MTBPS).

Tough talk but SOEs score again

The finance minister has opened the door to decisions that may have serious ramifications for state businesses

Mboweni targets water crisis

The finance minister has vowed to tackle rampant corruption and municipal dysfunction

Mboweni misses the big picture

The rand dropped after the finance minister’s ‘lackadaisical’ maiden budget speech

COMMENT & ANALYSIS:

A humane court is not a bad court

A lawyer can be tough in their cross-examination of a rape survivor without retraumatising them

Editorial: At last, dignity for women

‘This week, South Africans overcame in some ways the silence and shame tied to menstruation’

Editorial: A letter to our leaders

‘Corruption is not a question of ethics. It is a criminal matter’

Letters to the editor: October 26 to November 1

Our readers write in about M&G’s bias, and constitutional reform

Sars makes my Monday

“I’d been dreading going to Sars. With all the filth that’s coming out at the Nugent commission into the tax authority I didn’t hold much hope that filing would be a particularly pleasant experience”

Khashoggi’s death rattles the world

It spells danger in the Middle East and will affect relations with the West (if trade doesn’t hold sway)

Yemenis’ blood is on SA’s hands

Despite the evidence of Denel’s missiles being used, the country is still fawning over its Saudi benefactors

ANC’s past policies worth revisiting

Its social and economic focus was in step with its emancipatory role before its 1993 volte-face

A compass for a feminist future

Exploring the violence of black men through the writings of Darnell Moore gives some answers

FIFTH COLUMN: Floyd, Iqbal and Mrs Doubtfire

‘According to Floyd, who is of course the Economic Freedom Fighters’ leading ideologue, Gordhan is actually the minister of everything’

To fix schools, fix society first

Criminal activity leeches into the education system because of what pupils are exposed to elsewhere

FRIDAY:

The Lists

In between working on Friday copy, this is what the team reads, listens to and watches

Don’t Miss

For good vibes and an arts fix, don’t miss this

Art news: Art news: Motswako icon HHP has died

Although he didn’t start the style, Jabba is considered a motswako pioneer, raising the bar for the style and influencing a generation of rappers

Love will win when I can’t protect him

“Perhaps a feminist deity gave birth to feminist sons so they could raise the sort of men they would have wanted to be surrounded by.”

On taking Love seriously

The world can be a hate-filled place but love, the essence of our being, makes it beautiful

The thrill of riding the love roller-coaster

Even though I have a pitifully large collection of rejections, blunders and heartbreaks, I’m willing to try again and again.

For the love of my roommate, my bestie, my brother

A young man’s heartbreak lands softly, though reluctantly into the nest of friendship that he has built with his favourite sibling

There’s a queer way to think about marriage

“Since when is marriage a path to liberation?”

Daddy’s girl seeks a prince familiar

Song ‘Princes Familiar’ gives an example of the importance of the first relationship some women have been privileged to have: our first love.

Self-love in a time of sickness is healing

“As a teen I worried about my dimpled thighs, but then I had to deal with mental and physical illness.”

A class photo and an us that never was

“I should have said it out plainly on that lunch break: she’s actually fucking beautiful, you numbnuts.”

A nose for the flavours of love

Research says people use smell to find mates and personal experience show women are better at it