Daily Maverick

Dear fans of 'The South Africa Show', we have now reached Stage 10 Mbalusion — welcome to the real 'Upside Down'.

I’ve just about broken my brain trying to figure out a scenario in which zaddy is to blame for the country’s situation, and this makes the most sense. [events that befell](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-02-22-inside-vice-chancellor-mamokgethi-phakengs-messy-exit-from-uct/) AK-47 enthusiast, Instagram influencer, and vice-queen of the lands below Devil’s Peak, Lady Phakeng the benevolent. The ANC will not protect corrupt individuals,” the Mbalusional one said with a round-ish straight face. We have not put it behind a paywall because the truth should not be a luxury. The man has seriously underrated potential to become a very successful influencer for a shampoo and conditioner line. The ANC is not corrupt. Anyway, this character gave a mind-blowing interview where he accused the country’s ministers of corruption and basically using the energy company as a feeding trough. A few seconds later, the generous Lord Fikile reached for peak Mbalusion, otherwise known as Stage 10 Mbalusion; a state of Mbalusion so Mbalusional, I believe one day it will be honoured with the George Santos Lifetime Achievement award for the performing arts: “The ANC does not support corruption. Zaddy Andy is trying to shift the blame from his own shortcomings, Lord Fikile told the people. I too would have never suspected that there’d be widespread corruption in the show’s government, were it not for the greylisting and the junk status and the State Capture and the frequent political assassinations and class-leading unemployment and the poverty and the findings of the Zondo Commission and the load shedding and the many ex-cons who seem to find their way back into governance. Remember the hot zaddy who ran the country’s main electricity company? …but we are not going to force you to.

No ruling class anywhere in the world voluntarily relinquished power to those they used to dominate. This meant creating 'ANC Billionaires'.

This is the opportunistic symbiosis between the SACP and ANC in the 21st century. This is to say, the racial inequalities of white supremacy are replaced by the class inequalities concealed in the shadows of the racial ones. As though the ANC Billionaires are able to — or ever could and would — lead the workers’ struggle to socialism! The party’s secondary gift was its deep-seated and longstanding lack of confidence in its stand-alone appeal. This is the meaning of the National Democratic Revolution. This meant re-training them in the ways of the real world, according to the orthodoxy of global Big Capital. Even if all this equates to opportunism, it’s an opportunism made easier by the circumstances of the period and nature of the settlement. Facilitating this transition from radical black nationalist or committed communist — often involving the same people — to comfortable capitalist or would-be capitalist was the sense of entitlement they “exuded” [p. The black elite had to own a chunk of the country’s wealth so that the system could survive” [p.xxv. The book doesn’t appreciate the full enormity of the challenge Big Capital faced. Reflecting the book’s own position, Big Capital is thus made the arbiter of what is “modern economic thinking”. Triggering this assessment, both Du Toit and Big Capital — like a bull seeing red — have been inflamed by the mere thought of nationalisation.

Where a Communist Party no longer adheres to the ethics of communism, it is important to find a way of realising those ethics, of helping others who ...

I am not a communist in the sense of loyalty to the SACP – but I still remain committed to the ethical values that drew me to communism more than 50 years ago. There is a body of ethical thinking and practice not only for communists but for every person who believes in a cause or is a freedom fighter (a word that needs to be retrieved and its meaning renewed) who will go beyond understanding and act on their beliefs. I came to believe that the strategy for change that the ANC and Communist Party had developed was a realistic way of achieving freedom in South Africa. Their tools for understanding the question of association with a cause embodying one’s life in that of the oppressed may enrich the understandings of those who do not, like me, come from a position of religious affiliation. My way of practising and understanding Marxism started not purely or even primarily from Marxist doctrine but from a sense that if I were to be a communist, I had to relate to the pain that people experienced and make it my own. My reading of feminist theology helped me to understand commitment as forming a connection between myself and the organisation I joined and the pain of the oppressed. This is the case in South Africa because of the recent record of the SACP that has betrayed its own constituency. Now that I’m no longer a member of the party, I ask myself whether that definition is wrong, and I believe it is. His communist ethics in fact exhorted the youth to care about the fate of the downtrodden and make that question their own. “When the workers and peasants proved that they were able by their own efforts to defend themselves and create a new society, a new communist schooling began, a schooling in the fight against the exploiters. Other belief systems may not require extreme sacrifices, but they may entail a measure of suffering or loss for those who subscribe to the doctrine and act it out. When asked this question, that I have not yet answered, I initially reacted like a scholar and looked to see what Marx, Engels and Lenin said on ethics and found that much of what I found was not immediately helpful to me.

Retaining and securing medical specialists for Africa is a necessity, not a luxury, for quality integrated public healthcare, say experts who warn of coming ...

Government needs to understand that specialist medicine is not ‘too expensive’ and healthcare is not a consumptive sector – it is a productive sector.” DM/MC For Dr Jane Obudu Fualal, president of the College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa, that means patients from countries like hers, Uganda, are forced to travel to South Africa or overseas for specialist treatment. We’ve been arguing against this – economists and politicians need to start thinking about values differently, other than GDP and profit and that what matters are the lives of people.” So, the pipeline is too small to produce the number of specialists required to meet the national needs.” Not being able to help their patients in the way they are trained to do also amounted to moral injury, burnout and ultimately exiting the public healthcare system. Data presented also showed a growing reality that many doctors and health workers are dependent on alcohol and drugs to cope. It was about African specialists fighting for a seat at the table to shift agendas. Representatives at the conference also homed in on the wellness, support and leadership development of doctors. These challenges are tipping points for worst-case scenarios for public healthcare, said Eric Buch, chief executive of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (CMSA) and a professor in health policy and management at the University of Pretoria. A WHO survey released in June 2022 and published in the British Medical Journal Global Health found that even at a primary healthcare level – never mind specialist level – the continent falls short of the WHO’s threshold density of 4.45 health workers (physicians, nurses and midwives) per 1,000 people. The code is meant to prevent “brain drains” but has become too easily circumvented and doesn’t carry adequate consequences for non-adherence. We have not put it behind a paywall because the truth should not be a luxury.

Police are investigating the origin of 44 firearms, huge quantities of ammunition, gunpowder and other weapons discovered in a locked warehouse in an ...

The current intervention in the amendment to the Firearms Control Act is to stop illicit dealing of guns and ammunition, and pressure must be applied on the government to pass it through,” Vearey said. “A few years ago, the SAPS [SA Police Service] apprehended a woman in Manenberg who was loading rounds and selling them to the Hard Livings gang. The gravity and scope of this problem became clear in 2016, following the arrest of former police colonel Chris Prinsloo, who sold confiscated guns destined for destruction to gangsters. In February 2021, the Western Cape High court ordered that arms dealer Alan Raves stand trial with Cape Town businessman Irshaad Laher on charges of supplying stolen police firearms to gangs. The proliferation of firearms and ammunition in South Africa continues to worry authorities. On Thursday, a local community leader told Daily Maverick the arms appeared to be destined for gang-ravaged areas of Cape Town and that the bust had infuriated gang kingpins. The matter will then again be postponed to allow the new lawyer time to consult with the client and prepare for a possible bail application. Gun Free SA director Adèle Kirsten says close to 120,000 public submissions were made opposing the bill – We have not put it behind a paywall because the truth should not be a luxury. Police are investigating the origin of 44 firearms, huge quantities of ammunition, gunpowder and other weapons discovered in a locked warehouse in an industrial area in Malmesbury. Elaborating on the guns and ammunition discovered in Malmesbury, Patekile said a police contingent consisting of crime scene experts, organised crime and Hawks detectives, firearms and explosives experts, and local police scoured the scene for two days. …but we are not going to force you to.

The cigarette manufacturer says illicit tobacco is driving out legal operators and depriving South Africa of billions in excise duty.

It is believed a significant percentage of illegal cigarette sales in SA, about 4.4 billion or 12%, are smuggled across the Zimbabwean border. “We are in a complete state of disarray, just like any other industry in the country. Was SARS able to do this with all the other local manufacturers, he asked? In a population of 40.53 million adults in SA (Batsa, which contends it markets and supplies to adults, not children, so therefore does not factor in younger age groups into this calculation), 27.94% are smokers. An estimated 37 billion sticks are put on to the Southern African Customs Union each year. Contrast that with the other nine known cigarette manufacturers, who have seen a steady drop-off in declared volumes over the same period, from 4.45 billion to 2.11 billion. Smoking in public spaces will be prohibited and, much to the chagrin of the cigarette companies, uniform plain packaging with graphic warnings will be compulsory. Multinationals such as British American Tobacco South Africa (Batsa), who deem themselves to be good corporate citizens, say they are held to higher standards and feel “punished” for compliance. It’s high time because the market is flooded with vape “juices” that are untested and potentially unsafe. The proposed tobacco legislation calls for all enclosed public areas and certain outdoor spaces to be 100% smoke-free, providing protection for non-smokers. We have not put it behind a paywall because the truth should not be a luxury. Non-smokers (and ex-smokers) might not have been fazed by South Africa’s ban on cigarette smoking in the first pandemic year.

The Centre for Social Justice at Stellenbosch University will host a roundtable discussion on the Expropriation Bill, World NGO Day will provide an ...

Because when we talk, debate and share, we can shift norms and transform health outcomes,” according to the World Obesity Day website. The book is a compilation of these columns, aimed at a younger audience of empowered women. On Tuesday at 2pm, the DG Murray Trust (DGMT) will host a virtual discussion on “Escaping the Inequality Trap”. The goal is to change perspectives, correct misconceptions and end stigmas around obesity. In 1977, she returned home from overseas and wrote a weekly column in the Daily Dispatch. “However, it is notably in the context of formal democratic institutions that popular protest has become an increasingly normalised mode of influencing policy, demanding service delivery and forcing change. The report considers the legislation governing key state institutions and asks what minimum criteria it requires for senior officials.” We have not put it behind a paywall because the truth should not be a luxury. Speakers include Ivor Chipkin, director of the New South Institute, and advocate Michelle le Roux, adjunct professor. We note, however, that the recent State of the Nation Address by President Cyril Ramaphosa in February gave no indication of progress or implementation. “Cabinet has approved a framework for professionalising the public service. “Civil society organisations organised under the Fair Finance Coalition of Southern Africa argue that South Africa’s JETP-IP can only deliver a just transition if all processes are informed by meaningful participation of affected communities.

Western Province opening batter Tony de Zorzi has come a long way since captaining South Africa Under-19 to an 11th-placed finish at the 2016 World Cup.

There’s no doubt De Zorzi has the talent to excel in 20-over cricket as well. And that hard work has paid off as De Zorzi faced a mammoth 381-balls in his record-breaking knock and forced new Proteas Test coach Shukri Conrad to take notice. The young batter now sits on the cusp of a well-deserved Test match debut. He currently averages just over 20 with a strike rate of 115.5 in the format. “He really takes the time to try to get to know the players on and off the field. “[Former Northerns cricket coach] Mark Charlton gave me a chance after scoring a club 100 for Tuks and playing in the Varsity Cup. Luckily enough I scored a little bit quicker towards the end and was able to keep going,” he said about his record innings. “I’d seen the younger guys that had come through at Province such as Zubayr [Hamza], [Kyle] Verreynne and Janneman [Malan]. We have not put it behind a paywall because the truth should not be a luxury. We were in a foreign country, in Bangladesh. He came around the wicket, tried to bounce me. “Kudos to [Gerald] Coetzee, he ran in all day.

In declining to bring criminal charges against consultants hired by Karpowership South Africa, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has prompted ...

Karpowership was ultimately appointed as a preferred bidder to provide 1.2GW of power under the RMI4P. We have not put it behind a paywall because the truth should not be a luxury. Triplo4 Sustainable Solutions for Karpowership, had consulted with the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy with regards to their application for a directive or authorisation to generate electricity”. It would be significant if DMRE had been smoothing the way for Karpowership in June. In January, the company resubmitted its application. Triplo4 stated that they never consulted or negotiated with any government entity at the time they applied for the Verbal Directive. …but we are not going to force you to. “In the media … Unlike our competitors, we don’t force you to pay to read the news but we do need your email address to make your experience better. Over 10 million users come to us each month for the news. Register for free or log in to read this article. We would like our readers to start paying for Daily Maverick...

Glencore Plc was told to pay almost $30-million in restitution to the founders of a company that provided healthcare-related services in the Democratic ...

But the manager had a close relationship with Glencore and an executive at the subsidiary threatened Ian Hagen’s family and warned he would get Crusader shut down in the country unless the issue was “swept under the carpet”, according to the ruling. The company “terminated the two contracts, placing Crusader in a dramatically weakened financial position. Schofield in New York on Monday ordered Glencore to pay $29.6-million to the company, Crusader Health, for bribing a public official in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in exchange for dismissing a lawsuit brought by Crusader against a Glencore subsidiary. The company is scheduled to be sentenced by Schofield on Tuesday. When Crusader was unable to verify his credentials, a probe was started by the local medical council, the judge wrote. We have not put it behind a paywall because the truth should not be a luxury.

Cumulatively, the alleged annual loss to corruption within just one of South Africa's 24 state-owned enterprises costs the country more than all of its ...

Could voters and opposition leaders ask for a better reason to demand a tougher stance on State Capture in the lead-up to the 2024 elections? In the plainest terms: the money De Ruyter alleges is being stolen from Eskom is enough to eradicate child hunger in South Africa. Cumulatively, the alleged annual loss to corruption within just one of South Africa’s 24 state-owned enterprises costs the country more than all of its school feeding, ECD feeding and emergency food aid programmes combined. With what De Ruyter claims is being stolen from Eskom in just one month, we could extend this programme to an additional 600,000 children for an entire year. We have not put it behind a paywall because the truth should not be a luxury. There, supported by funds from the Department of Basic Education, these volunteers prepare and serve a nutritionally balanced meal to 9.5 million children. That’s R12-billion per year – not to mention the far greater knock-on effects of Eskom on our crippled economy. [National School Nutrition Programme](https://www.education.gov.za/Programmes/NationalSchoolNutritionProgramme.aspx). It costs you and I, the taxpayer, about [R8,8-billion a year](https://www.treasury.gov.za/documents/national%20budget/2022/review/FullBR.pdf). …but we are not going to force you to. Unlike our competitors, we don’t force you to pay to read the news but we do need your email address to make your experience better. Register for free or log in to read this article.

Opened in 1976 and built to last 300 years, the Orange-Fish Tunnel remains one of South Africa's most outstanding engineering feats.

You don’t have to read between the lines to realise that the Tunnellers of Teebus worked hard – and possibly partied even harder. Some of the pines, poplars and beefwood trees have survived. ](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-02-20-gariep-the-story-of-south-africas-largest-dam/)But the engineering villages of Teebus and Midshaft have long been abandoned and fallen into ruin. A bicycle was attached in case the vehicle had a problem, allowing the driver to ride back through the tunnel. The first water from the Gariep flowed through in 1976. By the time it was completed, the 5.33m-wide tunnels had been smoothly lined with 842,000 cubic metres of concrete with a minimum thickness of 230 millimetres. Opened in 1976 and built to last 300 years, the Orange-Fish Tunnel remains one of South Africa’s most outstanding engineering feats, critical for millions of people in the Eastern Cape. Picture two Empire State Buildings, and you’d have an idea of the volume. The construction project – too huge to entrust to one civil engineering contractor – was split into three. All the way, there were rockfalls of mudstone and sandstone, explosions and floods of groundwater, as they drilled through iron-hard dolerite. This underground aqueduct is so long that engineering calculations had to take the curvature of the Earth into account. We have not put it behind a paywall because the truth should not be a luxury.

This nonprofit organisation has been internationally recognised for its efforts to uplift local residents through various projects, starting with cleaning ...

This is to ensure that children in Ida’s Valley schools have the necessary supplies for their classes. His sincere love for Ida’s Valley is evident in the way he interacts with other residents. We encourage him to attend the upcoming IDP [integrated development planning] public participation meetings in his area, where he can lodge his complaints and make suggestions.” “We started to volunteer in Ida’s Valley, just picking up waste.” Then the nonprofit organisation was formalised. “Ida’s Valley Community Trails taught us self-confidence, cleanliness, discipline and communication skills,” says Devino Meyer, one of the three former part-time workers, who now works at Spar Tops. Hendrikse calls Ida’s Valley a community that was “previously dispossessed, currently disadvantaged” owing to historical forced removals. We have a duty to look after what we have so that the next generation can live from it,” says Eon Hendrikse (28), co-founder of Ida’s Valley Community Trails. He is referring to more popular nature areas in Stellenbosch, such as Coetzenburg and Jonkershoek, which are accessible and safe. Then the second thing that triggered me [was] how nature areas and open spaces are treated in other areas.” The organisation also wants to create job opportunities for residents through its projects. Hendrikse believes that a community’s natural resources, such as dams, rivers and nature areas, can contribute to self-sustainability. We have not put it behind a paywall because the truth should not be a luxury.

The CEO of the Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra denies this is 'irregular expenditure' and says it is not obliged to reveal details of operations and ...

She said because the funding was ring-fenced and the NAC had been instructed by the department to pay the national orchestra, the usual procedures for the adjudication of grant funding did not apply. Responding to the questions, Tembe said that the Mzansi orchestra is not a funding agency. NAC chief financial officer, Reshma Bhoola, told the committee the funding was in line with the NAC Act. He said the Mzansi orchestra was working with 40 other organisations and had provided 1,010 job opportunities. She also asked whether those who receive funding would be monitored to ensure the funding is used in the way it is intended. Van Dyk said she had not been able to get a detailed breakdown of how this money was used. The CEO, Bongani Tembe, is also CEO of the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic and Johannesburg Philharmonic orchestras. We have not put it behind a paywall because the truth should not be a luxury. They urged the committee to launch a full investigation. Its objectives include contributing to social cohesion, bringing orchestral music to more regions in the country, developing young musicians and strengthening “cultural diplomacy”. R20-million has been allocated to fund other regional and local orchestras and music development programmes. It has also recruited fellows and cadets to receive training and financial support.

Perhaps South Africa only ever paid cursory lip service to a foreign policy based on morality and international law. In hindsight, its foreign policy seems ...

Such a myopic and self-harming course of action is detrimental to all South Africans who hope to live in a country respectful of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Foreign policy is indicative of what a country sees itself as being, what it wants to be, and who it aspires to emulate. If South Africa’s economic and social decline is plainly evident in any human development indicator, only now has the extent of its moral decay become clear. Anecdotally, European corporates are openly reviewing investments in South Africa, while Peter Fabricius reported in Daily Maverick: “The US House of Representatives is considering a resolution to oppose South Africa’s current military exercise with Russia and China and to call on the Biden administration to thoroughly review America’s relationship with South Africa.” It might not seem such an extraordinary act of self-harm if the EU and the US did not comprise almost a third of South Africa’s trade, roughly twice that of China and Russia. South Africa abstained from yet another motion condemning the Russian breaches of international law and allegations of war crimes last week, making that five in total. While Martin Luther King Jr argued that “the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice”, South Africa seems determined to prove him wrong.