South Africa

SERVICE-DELIVERY ANGER FLARES IN LENASIA

Service-delivery protests just outside Lenasia, south of Johannesburg, flared into violence on Monday. PHILLIP DE WET spent the day talking to the protesters, and the night steering clear of their hurled rocks.

ANC LEADERS SLAM YOUTH LEAGUE PROTESTS SOME MORE

Having won most battles so far in their disciplining of the ANC Youth League, ANC bosses are on a roll and condemned last week’s violent protests on the sidelines, promising further action against troublemakers, which is likely to include Julius Malema’s best buddy. CARIEN DU PLESSIS reports.

JUDICIAL SERVICE COMMISSION, A BODY NOW FIRMLY IN THE ANC’S HANDS

The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) is designed to be one of the pillars of our democracy, a body that literally appoints the people who judge over us. It is, rather unsurprisingly, in the spotlight at the moment because of this last weekend’s public interview of Judge Mogoeng Mogoeng, President Zuma’s nominee to the post of Chief Justice. While the Constitution went to great lengths to ensure that the ruling party of the day doesn’t get full-blown majority control of JSC, it does it look like the ANC has it firmly in its grip. By STEPHEN GROOTES.

DA ROPES IN YOUNGER MBEKI ON ECONOMIC FREEDOM

The ironies in South African politics never cease to amaze. While former president Thabo Mbeki is the ANC Youth League’s new best friend, his little brother Moeletsi is cosying up to the DA. CARIEN DU PLESSIS heard out his tips to the opposition party on economic freedom in our lifetime.

MOGOENG MUST THANK THE LORD – AND MALEMA

When Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng goes down on his knees to thank God for his appointment, the faithful pastor would do well to spare a thought for ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema. Without him, the DA and others might still have been able to change President Jacob Zuma’s mind. CARIEN DU PLESSIS reports.

A STRANGELY COMPLICATED QUANDARY OF SELI 1

Some bits of Blougbergstrand have been sullied, and a few animals bathed in oil as a slick moved from the remnants of Seli 1 towards the Cape Town coastline. But the Mother City has been spared a major environmental disaster this time around. At what point do the authorities salvage the wrecked ship to prevent this sort of thing from recurring? By SIPHO HLONGWANE.

RHODES’ JANE DUNCAN ON HOW THE ANC CREATED ‘THAT MONSTER’, THE ANCYL

A failure by the ANC to take its own politics seriously has spawned the unruly mess that is the ANCYL, say Duncan, who believes that when it comes to discipline the ruling party is doing too little too late. By MANDY DE WAAL.

Opinionistas

GARETH CLIFF: BEWARE OF DIVINE JUDGMENT

Judge Mogoeng Mogoeng said he asked God for guidance. He said he believes he received a ‘sign’ of God’s approval. In our world of comfortably ring-fenced pigeonholes, is this blurring the secular and divine or acknowledging that they might overlap?

Africa

NEW COUNTRY, NEW CAPITAL: SOUTH SUDAN DITCHES JUBA

South Sudan is keeping African cartographers and GPS programmers busy. In addition to having to update maps to include the boundaries of Africa’s newest state, they now have to reflect South Sudan’s decision to change its capital city only two months after independence. By SIMON ALLISON.

MUGABE’S CANCER SPREADS: IS THE NIGHTMARE’S END IN SIGHT FOR ZIMBABWE?

Bob’s sick, and despite indications to the contrary it’s not syphilis (or not just syphilis). Unconfirmed Wikileaks cables indicate that the Zimbabwean president has prostate cancer, and it’s spread. If true, this means he’s not much longer for this world, and might go some way to explaining why Zanu’s been so fractious recently. By SIMON ALLISON.

CHINA AND THE NEW LIBYA: THE PLOT THICKENS

The Chinese government has confirmed that Gaddafi did indeed seek Chinese arms in July this year, but they stress no shipment was made. While aspersions grow on the roles played in South Africa and Algeria in the Libyan war, the de facto government of Libya is taking the fight to Beijing, insisting that they will be made to pay for aiding Gaddafi. By KHADIJA PATEL.

MALAWI: ECONOMIC HARDSHIP WEAKENS THE ALREADY-SQUEEZED MEDIA

The 16.5% VAT that the government slapped on newspapers in June has had a devastating impact on an industry that was already finding it tough going, with 250 journalists losing their jobs in the last few months. Malawi’s president is no big fan of the media, and there are fears that he is using the economic meltdown as an excuse to exercise greater control over the country’s press and broadcasting industries. By JIMMY KAINJA.

World

FOXY KNOXY BACK IN THE DOCK FOR THE LAST TIME

The appeal trial of Amanda Knox, the 24-year-old American student convicted of killing her British roommate in Italy, resumed yesterday. This is the final phase of the appeal, so there’s a lot at stake for the young woman the media has dubbed ‘Foxy Knoxy’. By REBECCA DAVIS.

NETANYAHU PROMISES QUICK ACTION ON SOCIAL CONCERNS

These are difficult days for Israel. Currently embroiled in plans to thwart the Palestinian bid for statehood, while at the same time suffering the defection of Turkey, domestic strife will prove an added challenge to the embattled government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. By KHADIJA PATEL.

PUBLIC OPINION TURNS AGAINST JULIAN ASSANGE

How times have changed for Julian Assange. The man once feted as a hero and game-changer is now facing the music from commentators who are increasingly fed up with his publicity-seeking antics. By REBECCA DAVIS.

Business

THE WEIRD WORLD OF NEWS CORP

James Murdoch declines his bonus, it turns out Tony Blair is godfather to Rupert’s youngest child and the family is increasingly divided over recent scandals. Here’s your latest daily dose of the News Corp soapie. By REBECCA DAVIS.

ALLEGED IPHONE ‘THIEVES’ DIAL ‘NG’ FOR NOT GUILTY

Two men suspected of selling an iPhone 4 prototype they found in a San Francisco bar pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanour theft charges. It’s not clear what their defence is. Perhaps they will suddenly reveal that they work in Apple’s marketing department? By SIPHO HLONGWANE.

DAVE DUARTE’S NOMADIC LEADERSHIP – PRODUCTIVITY DURING DIGITALLY DISTRACTED TIMES

Time is a scarce commodity for leaders who are bombarded by electronic stimuli which demand attention. In a digital world where there is so much that can distract, how can ‘Nomadic Leaders’ cultivate a focus that enables productivity and efficiency? Dave Duarte believes he has the answer. By MANDY DE WAAL.

THE POSTMAN COMETH NOT: ON THE IMMINENT FINANCIAL COLLAPSE OF THE US POSTAL SERVICE

The US Postal Service is more than $9 billion in debt and counting. If it doesn’t slash its deficit, it could close shop for good. How did the mail carrier get mired in this much red ink? By RICHARD POPLAK.

Life, etc

CONFIRMED: THE END OF THE PAPERBACK ERA

In 1935, when Allen Lane of Penguin Books built on the idea of an innovative German publisher whose business had been appropriated by the Nazis, a revolution occurred in the publishing industry. Throughout the 20th century and into the first few years of the 21st, cheap paperbacks entertained hundreds of millions of people across the world. But not for much longer, according to a recently released survey. By KEVIN BLOOM.

Sport

PITSO PROUD OF LOSING TEAM

South Africa coach Pitso Mosimane is proud of his charges despite their 2-1 loss to Niger in a 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Niamey on Sunday. By Football365.com

WHO’S THE BEST CRICKET IN THE WORLD, WHO’S THE BEST CRICKETER IN THE WORLD, v20.11

The 2011 ICC Awards take place in London on 12 September. The shortlist for the main prizes has been in the public domain for a week now and, as usual, has sparked heated debates. By TIM ELLIS.