South Africa

IN THE END, ANC WAS NO FRIEND OF BROTHER LEADER

The ANC-led government in South Africa will struggle to quiet rampant suspicions of a sinister relationship between itself and the late Muammar Gaddafi. If anything, Gaddafi’s death will inspire a renewed curiosity of the relationship between Luthuli House and “Brother Leader”. By KHADIJA PATEL.

COSATU’S CONUNDRUM – TO MARCH WITH MALEMA OR TO LEAVE A VACUUM

The ANC Youth League’s open invite to all who sympathise with its call for economic freedom to participate in its marches next week has created a bit of a Catch-22 for Cosatu – something its affiliates are set to clash about in the next few days. CARIEN DU PLESSIS reports.

PUBLIC WORKS PR CRASH AND MINISTER GWEN BLAMES BLADDIE OFFICIALS AGAIN

Public works minister Gwen “my staff are out to get me” Mahlangu-Nkabinde has denied that R170 million will be spent to renovate the presidential residence in Pretoria, as she had told Parliament, while the ANC and government spin doctor Jimmy Manyi scrambled to defend the make-over. CARIEN DU PLESSIS reports on another lesson on how not to do PR.

Opinionistas

PHILLIP DE WET: MALEMA GETS A BOOST, COURTESY OF ‘MAKULA’ AND AFRIFORUM

I’m a journalist and a once-Afrikaans mlungu, and I’m feeling sorry for Julius Malema after the treatment he received this week. I can only imagine how much sympathy he has gained within the ANC at this crucial time, and how his death grip on the Youth League has grown tighter still. Unless that’s the plan, in which case it’s an ingenious one.

OSIAME MOLEFE: LANGUAGE IN A TIME OF DIALOGUE

For someone who loves language and words, I don’t hold them in much regard or believe them to be of much use in a world (or country) this complicated. Don’t get me wrong. Like colours on a palette or shapes in design, words are beautiful, especially when put together in language, but that just about sums up their usefulness. A chatty country should keep this in mind.

Africa

BOTSWANA’S FORMER PRESIDENT CALLS FOR LEGALISATION OF HOMOSEXUALITY, PROSTITUTION

African politicians aren’t known for their liberal social views. So Botswana’s former president Festus Mogae’s position on sex work, homosexuality and Aids comes as a welcome surprise. Pity he isn’t in office any more. By SIMON ALLISON.

THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING OF KINGS. MUAMMAR MUHAMMAD ABU MINYAR AL-GADDAFI: 1942-2011

Brother leader, revolutionary guide, autocrat, colonel, dictator, mad dog; call Gaddafi what you will, he won’t mind. He’s dead. SIMON ALLISON looks at the unusual life of Libay’s most infamous son.   

FACED WITH OWN CRISES, EU TIGHTENS DEVELOPMENT AID PURSE-STRINGS

Europe might be heading into another recession (and might be taking the world with it), but the budget for development aid remains unaffected, for now. Europe says it will still give out aid money, but with some serious strings attached. By SIMON ALLISON.

World

SYRIA’S ENIGMATIC FIRST LADY

The wife of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, Asma, was once the darling of Western media – but has revealed herself to be apparently indifferent to the brutality of her husband’s regime. By REBECCA DAVIS.

UKRAINE: BETWEEN A RUSSIAN ROCK AND AN EU HARD PLACE

When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers, the old Kikuyu proverb holds. The Ukraine may well feel it is the proverbial grass, being trampled underfoot as a gigantic power struggle between the European Union and Russia is waged. But this didn’t happen by accident. Thanks to its internal divisions and colourful politics, the Ukraine itself is perhaps most to blame. By SIPHO HLONGWANE.

TURKEY HITS BACK AFTER DEADLY PKK ATTACK

Hours after rebels Kurdish rebels killed 24 Turkish soldiers and wounded 18 more in attacks along the Turkish-Iraqi border, Turkey launched a military operation against the militants in northern Iraq. By: KHADIJA PATEL.

Business

MICROSOFT LAUNCHES ‘E-CADEMY’ IN KENYA

Microsoft recently opened the Virtual Academy in Kenya, aimed primarily at students and IT professionals. Behind all the feel-good rhetoric, there’s a cold, hard reason for this: it’ll make better employees. By SIPHO HLONGWANE.

VODACOM AIMS AT QUANTITY OVER QUALITY WITH NEW WEBBOOK

Vodacom became the first Vodafone affiliate to launch the Vodafone Webbook – a bog-standard, mass- appeal netbook – in South Africa this week. It’s supposedly perfect for the emerging market. By SIPHO HLONGWANE.

MARTIN LINDSTROM: HOW BIG BRANDS OWN YOUR BRAIN

If you’re a big brand these days, perhaps now’s the time to be nervous. Particularly if you haven’t got your house in order and have been doing bad, bad things, says self-titled brand “guru” Martin Lindstrom. By MANDY DE WAAL.

TOP GEAR VS TESLA: THE ECO-CAR LOSES FIRST ROUND

In the spring of 2008, Top Gear reviewed a near car – the Tesla Roadster, and declared it to be quick, quiet, but somewhat rubbish on range. Nothing unusual about that, except that this happens to be an electric car, and the owners took grave exception to Top Gear’s portrayal of the vehicle’s performance on the review. This week, a judge ruled that Elon Musk’s Tesla had no case for libel. However, before you start leaping about delirium, this isn’t the last shout from Tesla. By SIPHO HLONGWANE.

BBX, BLACKBERRY’S LATEST PURPORTED SAVIOUR

Research in Motion has recently announced a new direction for its smartphones and tablet devices that will place it closer to its rivals in terms of integration between the two. Much like the way Apple and Google operating systems work, the BlackBerry smartphones and tablets of the future will share a single OS. SIPHO HLONGWANE spoke to the managing director for Benelux, Central Europe and Africa at RIM as well as the director for product management in Africa about the new developments.

NOMADIC LEADERSHIP – LET’S KILL OFF THE CARROT & STICK MENTALITY

Why are we using remuneration systems that seriously should have gone out of style with the end of the industrial age, or that are commonplace in sweat shops in economies that have no respect for human rights? With research showing that more money doesn’t bring better performance, isn’t it time we stopped handling talent like workhorses and started treating them like humans? By DAVE DUARTE and MANDY DE WAAL.

Life, etc

SOME IDEAS FOR HAROLD CAMPING

If you’re reading this, Harold Camping was wrong again. The doomsday prophet claimed that 21 October would herald the Rapture (after bluffing about 21 May). What are his options if he’s messed up again? By REBECCA DAVIS.

FACEBOOK MAY BE EXPANDING YOUR BRAIN

This week scientists announced that they had found a direct link between the number of Facebook friends a person has and the size of certain brain regions – which seems to contradict previous theories by anthropologists about brain size and social relations. By REBECCA DAVIS.

Sport

REFEREE JOUBERT ON LONG WHITE CLOUD NINE

Craig Joubert will achieve a long-held ambition when he referees the World Cup final between New Zealand and France at Eden Park in Auckland on Sunday. By PLANETRUGBY.COM.

PGA TOUR STILL BREAKING PAR IN RECESSION

The PGA Tour has announced it will stage a full schedule of 45 events for the up-coming 2012 season. By GOLF365.COM.

MONDAY FINISH MOOTED FOR US OPEN TENNIS

Organisers of the US Open are considering switching the men’s final from Sunday to Monday in an attempt to give the finalists more time to rest. By SPORT365.COM.

SHARKS SHOW PLENTY OF BITE FOR SEMI-FINAL

Sharks coach John Plumtree has named a powerful team to play the Free State Cheetahs in Saturday’s Currie Cup semi-final at Kings Park. By PLANETRUGBY.COM.

WORLD CUP FARCE PREVIEW

He knows he should be a better man, accept the fate and swallow that bitter tasting medicine of defeat. But he just can’t. Rather than achingly anticipating a splendid spectacle of World Cup final rugby, STYLI CHARALAMBOUS previews the acrimonious match that is sans his beloved Springboks.

BRONZE FINAL PREVIEW: WALES VS AUSTRALIA

Australia and Wales will battle it out for third place at the Rugby World Cup at Eden Park on Friday after their hopes of winning the tournament were extinguished. By PLANETRUGBY.COM.