First Thing with John Stupart
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Here you go (at last): The State Capture report – Read all about Eskom, Alexkor, EOH Holdings, Free State and National Treasury
The Presidency received the fourth part of the report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector at the Union Buildings on Friday, April 29, 2022. The fourth report, which makes damning findings and recommendations, is in four volumes. Here…
Ukraine’s mosquito strategy highlights crucial military lessons and exposes Russia’s failures
As Russia’s war with Ukraine drags on into the sixth week, and as Moscow retreats from Kyiv, leaving hundreds of dead civilians in its wake, several immediate military lessons are becoming clearer. This is the first of three articles from a front-row seat in Ukraine. The first of these lessons…
It’s put-up or shut-up time for ‘step-aside’ – ANC’s decision on Dlamini, Msibi & Gumede may shape its future
Recent developments again show how deeply the ANC’s ‘step-aside’ resolution is intertwined with the struggle between President Cyril Ramaphosa’s stated agenda of renewal and the RET faction of the party. The conviction of the ANC Women’s League leader, Bathabile Dlamini, and the election of new leadership for the Mpumalanga ANC,…
First Thing with John Stupart - Wednesday, 6 April 2022
“The map? I will first make it.” Patrick White STORY OF THE DAY The artists, the forgers and the murky market of fake art in South Africa By Rebecca Davis After centuries of neglect by the global art establishment, African art is finally becoming big business. This creates the conditions…
ConCourt candidate David Unterhalter faces unexpected grilling at JSC interviews
On Tuesday, the Judicial Service Commission began interviewing candidates for two vacancies at the Constitutional Court. Interviews on Tuesday for two vacancies at the Constitutional Court were smooth sailing for four of the five candidates. The exception was Judge David Unterhalter, who was grilled about not recusing himself in a…
The artists, the forgers and the murky market of fake art in South Africa
After centuries of neglect by the global art establishment, African art is finally becoming big business. This creates the conditions for a perfect storm locally. While the demand for, and value of, African art is rapidly increasing, the South African art market is notoriously under-regulated and vulnerable to exploitation and…
Gunmen kill 15 Nigerian soldiers in attack on base, sources say
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, April 5 (Reuters) - Gunmen killed 15 Nigerian soldiers and wounded more than a dozen others during an attack on an army base in the northern state of Kaduna, two army sources said on Tuesday, in the latest attack on security forces by armed gangs. The gangs, designated…
Ivanka Trump Questioned for Eight Hours in Capitol Riot Probe
(Bloomberg) --The House panel investigating the Capitol insurrection questioned Ivanka Trump for eight hours on Tuesday, asking about her recollections of that day inside the White House with her father, former President Donald Trump. By Billy House Apr 5, 2022, 5:10 PM – Updated on Apr 6, 2022, 2:38 AM…
Ukraine’s President Zelensky accuses Russia of worst war crimes since WW2 in UN speech
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the United Nations Security Council that 'accountability must be inevitable' for Russia, accusing invading Russian troops of committing 'the most terrible war crimes' since World War 2. President Volodymyr Zelensky showed a short video of burnt, bloodied and mutilated bodies, including children, in Irpin, Dymerka,…
A guide to the new Covid rules, what you can and can’t do
Despite the National State of Disaster in South Africa coming to an end at midnight on Monday, certain coronavirus regulations and policies will remain in place for the next 30 days. Daily Maverick has put together a guide to help readers with the dos and don’ts of the post-disaster transition…
As refugee central, Ukraine’s Lviv lives between air-raid sirens and flashing blue lights
Refugees are now totalling a quarter of Ukraine’s 44 million people. Lviv’s population alone has swelled from 700,000 to over a million people. In this, the second in a three-part series on the war in Ukraine, we report from Lviv as fighting rages in other parts of the country. The…
SA’s fuel price goes up despite government’s levy cutback – but retailers soon able to sell for less
Despite the government reducing the tax on petrol, prices went up on Tuesday night, but a month from now petrol retailers will be able to sell at less than the government-specified price. On 31 March, the government announced it would reduce the general fuel levy temporarily by R1.50 per litre…
Parliament building is still a restoration in progress three months after devastating fire
The Cape winter rains are coming. And not a shred of tarpaulin covers the damaged roof and broken windows of the National Assembly. It’s been more than three months since the devastating fire. Right now, it’s not clear whether the structure of the National Assembly building where most of the…
Sweden and Finland would be welcomed into Nato, says US ambassador
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is driving the two Nordic states into the arms of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. The US would welcome Sweden and Finland into Nato if they requested membership — as they are showing signs of wanting to do after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The US ambassador…
The ugly truth about how the ‘War on Leaks’ project became a looting ‘scam’
Six years and some odd findings in the making, the War on Leaks project has been short on outcomes and rich in shortcomings. Its deficiencies have been so severe that the current administration at the Department of Water and Sanitation has been left wondering how even the basics could have…
A competent SARS is at the heart of building a capable state, and finally we have one again
After Jacob Zuma appointed Tom Moyane as SARS commissioner, the institution went to the dogs. Now, with SARS under the leadership of Edward Kieswetter, we can again aspire to be a capable state. Over the years, many people have asked me, “Is everything still okay in our country?” To which…
Will Smith had his amygdala hijacked and it triggered his fight-or-flight response
The only difference between Will Smith and the rest of us is that our public meltdowns won’t be watched by tens of millions of people all over the world, repeated for eternity or until Google implodes. The consequences though can be just as humiliating and catastrophic. There’s a small cluster…
Sihle Zikalala’s trashing of the Constitution signals a personal political agenda
The timing of Sihle Zikalala’s trashing of the Constitution and the judiciary must be seen in the light of 2022 being the year of internal ANC contestation and Zikalala’s fight for relevance and position. ANC KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Sihle Zikalala’s recent comments at a Human Rights Day commemoration in Ixopo are…
First Thing with John Stupart - 5 March 2022
Quality can't be automated. Subscribe to Daily Maverick's flagship newsletter First Thing, curated by John Stupart. Written for humans, by humans
Mpumalanga murder-accused Mandla Msibi steps aside almost immediately, issuing another challenge to ANC
The weekend election of murder-accused Mandla Msibi to the ANC’s provincial executive in Mpumalanga was short-lived, leaving the party without a functional treasurer-general – and another challenge to overcome in the build-up to the ruling party’s national elective conference in December. Mandla Msibi stepped aside after he ascended to the…