The highly public rush to pay respects to jailed former Democratic Alliance member, AbaThembu King, Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo, by an EFF entourage led by CIC Julius Malema last week as well as an emerging narrative by various prominent South Africans that the monarch “was charged in a Western legal way” and that he did not act criminally but out of custom, is a good measure of how the issue of traditional leadership and customary law is set to become political centrepiece. By MARIANNE THAMM.

The reactions to the sacking of Nhlanhla Nene as Finance Minister in December (exaggerated or otherwise) show the critical importance attached in the public mind to the Treasury. It is not often in this country that one sacking leads to ANC elders calling for Number One to be defenestrated. Some people have claimed that the Treasury is not that important, that it is just one Ministry. On Wednesday, a small document emerged and which showed just how important the Treasury is, and why so many people were prepared to fight for it. It is a simple circular to municipalities, and it tells them not to over-spend during this year, because of local government elections.

As it was announced that a task team had been set up to investigate the many fires that had ravaged the Cape over the summer, police remained tight-lipped about the process underway. For those affected, the long wait is just beginning. By MARELISE VAN DER MERWE.

Could there be any safety issues arising from delays in the Koeberg steam generator replacement project, and continued operation of the Koeberg reactors beyond the planned outage deadline of June 2018 for the replacement of the steam generators? That is one of the questions Eskom is simply not prepared to answer publicly at this stage. By AIMEE CLARKE and CHRIS YELLAND.

Protests at varsities in Gauteng continued on Wednesday, with workers leading the charge in Tshwane, shutting down institutions in the fight against outsourcing. In Johannesburg, Fees Must Fall members said they were committed to the fight for free education. By GREG NICOLSON.

The South African domestic T20 has come under scrutiny after it was revealed that a legal case is pending against a number of cricketers for their alleged involvement in corruption during the tournament. ANTOINETTE MULLER unravels some of the key points.

After spending the last 14 years in Guantanamo Bay, Muhammad bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih al-Dhuby have been released into exile in Ghana. While the pair deserve their freedom, having never been formally charged after their arrest in Afghanistan, they are still not free to go home, and their welcome in Ghana has been far from warm. By SIMON ALLISON.

South Africa have opted for a pace battery for the third Test against England beginning at the Wanderers on Thursday. The Test offers South Africa the opportunity to emerge from their transitional cocoon. By ANTOINETTE MULLER.

Obama’s state of the nation address, the Giraffe’s ancestor revealed, and Rams to move to LA.

DUBAI/WASHINGTON, Jan 13 (Reuters) – Iran freed 10 U.S. sailors on Wednesday, a day after detaining them aboard two U.S. Navy patrol boats in the Gulf, bringing a swift end to an incident that had rattled nerves just before the expected implementation of a landmark nuclear accord.

Ted Cruz did not disclose 2012 U.S. Senate campaign loan -NY Times

These days, even the experts are falling all over each other to predict the next economic crash (anytime soon, apparently). But then, who isn’t? In fact, for most of us, the situation since 2008 has felt like one long slide downwards with a couple of flattish bits along the way. The people with their hands on the levers have already deployed all the gears, brakes and parachutes at their disposal to slow our descent, from bank bailouts and quantitive easing to zero interest rates and public austerity. Now there is nothing left, not even China. And no-one in charge seems to have an answer. But then, they probably don’t understand the question.

It is something of a surprise to find that, notwithstanding the Zuma effect, South Africa still basks in something of the Mandela-era glow internationally, that we are regarded as an exotic and happy story, a country whose positive attributes have washed away much of the unsavoury past.

There seems to be agreement by the Economic Freedom Fighters, the Democratic Alliance and the African National Congress that we should criminalise racism. However, policing thoughts and determining what conduct amounts to racism that is actionable will not bring down this unequal and unfair system.