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BELLARMINE BOOTED: Mugabe avoids jail time, is deported and fined R600,000 over shooting incident
The trial of Bellarmine Mugabe, son of late Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, and his cousin Tobias Matonhodze has concluded with Mugabe’s immediate deportation and a R600,000 fine. Matonhodze, who pleaded guilty to the more serious charges, has been sentenced to three years in prison.
FONTS OF WISDOM: I collect headlines and I am upset by headlines that begin with I
The sacred script banning the I word has been trashed and the Me Generation, the I Specialists and the Lived Experience Battalion all have got hold of headlines to a laughable and astoundingly dull degree.

Tshwane officials in Rooiwal saga approached city for settlement: SIU
Some of the five City of Tshwane officials found to have irregularly awarded a R292m tender to a joint venture involving tender baron Edwin Sodi’s companies approached the city to have their services terminated, Scopa heard on Wednesday.

Fellow Africans, patronage is not patriotism
In a country where leadership fears dissent and where the spoils system defends itself through intimidation and force, patronage is often mistaken for patriotism. It is therefore necessary to clarify the distinction

Unity in Struggle: ANC–SACP alliance remains central to South Africa’s political future
South Africa’s experience is not unique. Across Africa and beyond, progressive forces have historically united, often overcoming ideological and organisational differences to achieve common national objectives

Fuel price pain to continue in May: what you’re likely to pay
Ongoing conflict in the Middle East and its impact on global oil prices are set to drive another round of fuel price hikes in South Africa in May.

When service becomes a favour: Reclaiming accountability in South Africa’s public sector
South Africans deserve better. They deserve a public service that works, that listens and that cares. They deserve assurance, not uncertainty that when an issue is reported, it will be resolved. They deserve a government that understands that behind every service request is a human story

Zimbabwe embassy denies free deportation rumours, urges safety
Protesters march to demand removal of undocumented foreign nationals

MOREMI NKOSI | The dilutionary effect of placing healthcare delivery reform before financing
Financing reform is essential for sustainable healthcare delivery
FORE PLEASE: SA’s LIV Golf team insist league is going nowhere but acknowledge challenges
The uncertainty over the future of LIV Golf remains opaque but South Africa’s team, the Southern Guards, believe it’s not the end, but a new start.

Sudan’s Silent Scourge
The war in Sudan, which has escalated into a major humanitarian crisis, has largely been overshadowed by global political and military developments in Europe, the Americas, and West Asia (the Middle East).
News24 | North Korea troops choose ‘heroic suicidal explosions’ rather than capture in Russia’s war
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reaffirmed Pyongyang’s support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, vowing to help Moscow achieve victory in its “sacred” war, state media reported.
Democracy is a muscle that must be exercised, or it will be lost
Many South Africans feel politically homeless, reducing democracy to a mere voting menu. Democracy must be actively pursued through involvement in the community and workplace, or risk being permanently lost.
News24 | Proteas spinner Maharaj returns to India as IPL’s Mumbai replace Santner
The Indian Premier League’s Mumbai Indians have signed South African spinner Keshav Maharaj as a replacement for the injured Mitchell Santner.
Why BBBEE must shift from ownership deals to productive participation
A shift towards productive participation and improved financing for SMEs is essential for South Africa to escape its low-growth trap and drive economic transformation.
GROUNDUP: ‘Nightmare’: Joburg mom faces bankruptcy over R2.9m water bill
Experts say a leak this size on her property is unlikely, while the City insists on a 50% payment before engaging in dispute resolution.
News24 | North West municipality awarded R25m contract over the phone, SIU reveals
The Ditsobotla Local Municipality in the North West granted a service provider a R25-million contract over the phone for the supply of generators for a pump station.