--- title: "While you were sleeping: 3rd March 2017" description: "Trump's attorney general recuses himself over Russiagate, Nintendo Switch goes on sale, and Murray survives epic quarter-final bout at Dubai Championships." type: "NewsArticle" publisher: "Daily Maverick" site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za" section: "Newsdeck" author: "John Stupart" author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/johnstupart/" canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2017-03-03-while-you-were-sleeping-3rd-march-2017/" published: "2017-03-03T05:51:52" lang: "en-ZA" word_count: 755 --- # While you were sleeping: 3rd March 2017 > Trump's attorney general recuses himself over Russiagate, Nintendo Switch goes on sale, and Murray survives epic quarter-final bout at Dubai Championships. By John Stupart · Published 3 March 2017, 07:51 SAST ## Content **TGIF, 3 March 2017** *"Thou shalt not sit with statisticians nor commit a social science."* **WH Auden** ![Image](https://i2.createsend1.com/ei/d/FF/6F5/4C1/csimport/849x493q70Ranjeni-ANC-shambles1.050426.jpg) STORY OF THE DAY [ANC in 2017: The year of a shambolic free-for-all](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hiirwl-l-n/) By RANJENI MUNUSAMY The ANC ought to be in a flat panic about the chaos over the social grants system, considering the impact on its constituency. Or they should be reassuring South Africans that their deployees in government, President Jacob Zuma and Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini, have a grip on matters and all grants will be paid come April 1. But the ANC is silent on this issue, on the attacks by its youth league on another of their deployees, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, and on the aggressive campaigning for Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to be president. In a year when the ANC should be directing the political agenda, it is paralysed, diminished and full of contradictions. [Trump's Attorney-General recuses himself](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hiirwl-l-p/) US Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced late on Thursday that he would recuse himself from any probe into the presidential election. Calls to resign echoed throughout Washington as information emerged that Sessions met with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak before the US elections. Sessions had earlier testified that he had held zero communications with Russia. "Russiagate", as it is now being called, is rapidly turning into something more than just Democrat hysteria. [Nintendo Switch goes on sale](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hiirwl-l-x/) The Japanese video game console that hopes to rival Playstation and Xbox has gone on sale. Retailing for $299, the Switch is able to be used at home and on the go. Although shipped with just eight games, one of the offerings is a new Zelda, something which gamers are only too eager to get their hands on. [Elections on Lesotho's horizon](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hiirwl-l-m/) Lesotho's Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili has refused to step down after losing a vote of no confidence on Thursday. Because he refuses to step down, the country is now set to hold elections. In the mountain kingdom, this is no easy prospect, with a string of coups under its belt and an unhealthy reputation for political violence. Mosisili has three months to schedule new elections. [Murray survives Dubai crucible](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hiirwl-l-v/) Andy Murray has weathered seven match points to get to the Dubai Championships semi-finals. Defeating Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (20/18), 6-1, Murray conceded that this was the longest tiebreak of his entire career, and would probably remain so. He now faces French seventh seed Lucas Pouille. — IN NUMBERS 75 The number of litres of urine found on average in an Olympic-sized public swimming pool. FACTS OF THE DAY Today is **Julius Malema's birthday**. The red-clad EFF leader was born in 1981. The**late Bill Paxton** is the only actor to have been killed by an Alien, Predator, and a Terminator. FEATURED ARTICLES ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Ranjeni-ANC-shambles.jpg) [ANC in 2017: The year of a shambolic free-for-all](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hiirwl-l-yk/) BY RANJENI MUNUSAMY ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Thamm-sash-sassa.jpg) [Sassa Grants: While pressure mounts from all quarters for a solution, Bathabile Dlamini remains silent](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hiirwl-l-jl/) BY MARIANNE THAMM ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Greg-CosatuBathabile.jpg) [Cosatu: Bathabile Dlamini must go](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hiirwl-l-jy/) BY GREG NICOLSON ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Merten-Reporters-Notebook.jpg) [Reporter’s Parliamentary Notebook: Not. A. Single. Word. On. Sassa. Grants.](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hiirwl-l-jt/) BY MARIANNE MERTEN ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Street-Talk-Pollsmoor-Inmates-MAIN-PHOTO.jpg) [Street Talk: Pollsmoor Inmates (Video)](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hiirwl-l-jd/) BY STREET TALK ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70bank-of-baroda.jpg) [Report: Another bank seems to be closing its doors on Gupta-controlled companies](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hiirwl-l-jk/) BY JILLIAN GREEN ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Seils-mandela-beacon.jpg) [Op-Ed: In South Africa’s date with ICC destiny, Mandela’s legacy is a beacon to follow](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hiirwl-l-tl/) BY PAUL SEILS ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Brooks-Sessions.jpg) [US: Donald Trump’s very own Russiagate in the making](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hiirwl-l-ty/) BY J BROOKS SPECTOR ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70gastrow-NGOs-subbed.jpg) [Op-Ed: Philanthropy is never without risk](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hiirwl-l-tt/) BY SHELAGH GASTROW ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Muntingh-Life-imprisonment\(1\).jpg) [Op-Ed: Rethinking life imprisonment](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hiirwl-l-td/) BY LUKAS MUNTINGH ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70becs-jadeklein.jpg) [Let the mind games begin: SA’s newest ‘sports’ aim for the stars](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hiirwl-l-tk/) BY REBECCA DAVIS ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Chronicle-DustSettles.jpg) [Chronicle: When the Dust Settles](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hiirwl-l-il/) BY DAILY MAVERICK AND CHRONICLE OPINIONISTAS ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/190x170q707fc6b61188b1c5c5e41f8b57f7356f0c.jpg) [The Other News Round-Up: Restoration Station](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hiirwl-l-iy/) A column by MARELISE VAN DER MERWE ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/190x170q70Andrew-Gasnolar.jpg) [‘Moonlight’ is our story too](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hiirwl-l-it/) A column by ANDREW IHSAAN GASNOLAR ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/190x170q70Oscar-van-Heerden.jpg) [Putting our heads in the sand will not solve our xenophobic/racist attitudes](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hiirwl-l-id/) A column by OSCAR VAN HEERDEN ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/190x170q70richard-raber-and-Francesco.jpg) [Global Connectivity to Personal Disconnect: The collapse of public discourse in the digital era](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hiirwl-l-ik/) A column by RICHARD RABER & FRANCESCO FANTI ROVETTA — **Weather** BFN: min: 18° max: 30°, rainy CPT: min: 16° max: 25°, sunny DBN: min: 24° max: 39°, sunny EL: min: 22° max: 29°, rainy JHB: min: 16° max: 29°, PM rain KIM: min: 22° max: 32°, cloudy NLP: min: 16° max: 34°, sunny PMB: min: 17° max: 34°, rainy PE: min: 19° max: 25°, cloudy PTA: min: 16° max: 30°, PM rain **Financial Data** Oil=$55.21 Gold=$1,232.70 Platinum=$986.38 R/$=13.11 R/€=13.78 R/£=16.09 $/€=1.05 JSE All Share=51,893.19 DJIA=21,050.64 FTSE 100=7,382.35