--- title: "While you were sleeping: TGIF 5 May 2017" description: "House votes to repeal Obamacare, Boko Haram leader hale and hearty, and USA-Australian ties mended." type: "NewsArticle" publisher: "Daily Maverick" site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za" section: "South Africa" author: "John Stupart" author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/johnstupart/" canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2017-05-05-while-you-were-sleeping-tgif-5-may-2017/" published: "2017-05-05T06:03:02" updated: "2017-05-05T06:05:51" lang: "en-ZA" word_count: 762 --- # While you were sleeping: TGIF 5 May 2017 > House votes to repeal Obamacare, Boko Haram leader hale and hearty, and USA-Australian ties mended. By John Stupart · Published 5 May 2017, 08:03 SAST · Updated 5 May 2017, 08:05 SAST ## Content **TGIF. 5 May 2017** *“Shoelaces are the first way society ties up the individual.”* **Jimmy Breslin** ![Image](https://i1.createsend1.com/ei/d/92/4D8/016/csimport/849x493q70Ranjeni-Zuma-survive1.050518.jpg) STORY OF THE DAY [Surviving against all odds – and court judgments: How Jacob Zuma does it](http://subscriptions.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-krdyhrt-l-n/) By RANJENI MUNUSAMY President Jacob Zuma suffered yet another blow on Thursday when he was ordered by the North Gauteng High Court to provide reasons for his firing of Pravin Gordhan and Mcebisi Jonas from the Cabinet – and pay the costs of the application. You would think that these numerous losses in the courts, as well as being booed, mass protests and mounting calls to step down, would eventually break the President’s obstinacy. But Zuma remains impervious. “I am not leaving the office right now,” he casually told journalists at the World Economic Forum in Durban this week. Zuma’s resilience is related to how the ANC failed to hold him accountable and his ability to manipulate and manoeuvre behind the scenes. [House passes Obamacare repeal](http://subscriptions.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-krdyhrt-l-p/) The House voted to repeal Obamacare by a single extra vote. President Donald Trump lauded the victory, but now faces an uphill battle overcoming tougher political foes in the Senate. The House was meant to be the easy part. Now, four months since taking office, it appears as though Obamacare's legislative walls have begun to crack. [Boko Haram leader claims no injury](http://subscriptions.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-krdyhrt-l-x/) Despite two airstrikes and Nigerian military claims of injuring Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, the leader has published a new video insisting on fine health. Appearing in a seated position flanked by two armed men, Shekau professed ignorance at the knowledge of an attack or the deaths of any of his militants. [Iceland tunnels into volcano to harness energy](http://subscriptions.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-krdyhrt-l-m/) "Thor", a drilling rig place on top of a volcano, has drilled 4,7km down into a volcano in order to harness thermal energy in Iceland. If successful, the drilling will yield 10 times more electricity than currently generated through coal and oil. If unsuccessful, the Icelandic drilling could unearth eldritch gods from a nether world, buried deep inside Iceland's lava'd depths. [Trump mends Australian ties](http://subscriptions.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-krdyhrt-l-c/) Freshly-invigorated after chipping away at Obamacare, President Donald Trump met with Austrlian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, calling their once-damaged relationship "all worked out". Labelling the initial spat fake news at the time, Trump admitted at a dinner on Thursday night that it "got a little bit testy". America, it seems, will accept the contested Obama-era refugee transfer from Australia to America. — IN NUMBERS 224 The number of words in a palindrome poem about alcoholism by Demetri Martin. FACTS OF THE DAY Today in 1981 IRA stalwart**Bobby Sands** died after 66 days hunger-striking. **Glasnost's reforms** unveiled so many cover ups in the Soviet Union that all history exams were cancelled in 1988. FEATURED ARTICLES ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Ranjeni-Zuma-survive.jpg) [Surviving against all odds – and court judgments: How Jacob Zuma does it](http://subscriptions.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-krdyhrt-l-a/) BY RANJENI MUNUSAMY ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Marianne-BridgetMasango.jpg) [Many Rivers to Cross: Bridget Masango – from barefoot schoolgirl to Parliament](http://subscriptions.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-krdyhrt-l-z/) BY MARIANNE THAMM ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Greg-Zumacourt.jpg) [Judge Vally to President Zuma: Time to explain why you fired Gordhan and Jonas](http://subscriptions.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-krdyhrt-l-e/) BY GREG NICOLSON ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70merten-Ipid.jpg) [McBride: Ipid investigators ‘targeted for doing their jobs’](http://subscriptions.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-krdyhrt-l-g/) BY MARIANNE MERTEN ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Grootes-WEF-Africa-Day-Two.jpg) [Reporter’s WEF Notebook: Day Two – Ben Ngubane fires on all cylinders](http://subscriptions.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-krdyhrt-l-yd/) BY STEPHEN GROOTES ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70devos-energy.jpg) [Op-Ed: Can any South African Nuclear Energy Procurement ever Succeed?](http://subscriptions.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-krdyhrt-l-yk/) BY DIRK DE VOS ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Merten-Hawks-Not.jpg) [Parliament: Acting police commissioner Phahlane asserts his authority over ‘independent’ Hawks as its acting head looks on](http://subscriptions.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-krdyhrt-l-jl/) BY MARIANNE MERTEN ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70gwen-flemmingrose.jpg) [Op-Ed: Why the IRR has decided to invite Flemming Rose](http://subscriptions.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-krdyhrt-l-jy/) BY GWEN NGWENYA ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Rebecca-d6-MAIN-PHOTO.jpg) [District Six, 2017: A bittersweet homecoming](http://subscriptions.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-krdyhrt-l-jt/) BY REBECCA DAVIS OPINIONISTAS ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/190x170q70irvin-jim.jpg) [Numsa demands a socially owned energy renewables programme](http://subscriptions.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-krdyhrt-l-jd/) A column by IRVIN JIM ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/190x170q70e41a4dfa4a643c00376ac2cc63396bfb.jpg) [Dagga Judgment: There are less drastic ways to deal with its harmful effects](http://subscriptions.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-krdyhrt-l-jk/) A column by PIERRE DE VOS ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/190x170q70Eddy-Maloka.jpg) [We need a probe into why there are so few black PhDs](http://subscriptions.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-krdyhrt-l-tl/) A column by EDDY MALOKA ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/190x170q70murray-ingram.jpg) [Let’s talk about the meaning of ‘merit selection’](http://subscriptions.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-krdyhrt-l-ty/) A column by MURRAY INGRAM ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/190x170q70Siya-Khumalo-and-Dionne-Makuwaza.jpg) [Has BEE Failed? Smoking out Malikane’s and Diko’s agendas](http://subscriptions.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-krdyhrt-l-tt/) A column by SIYA KHUMALO & DIONNE MAKUWAZA ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/190x170q707fc6b61188b1c5c5e41f8b57f7356f0c.jpg) [The Other News Round-Up: Liars, wastrels and scamps](http://subscriptions.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-krdyhrt-l-td/) A column by MARELISE VAN DER MERWE — **Weather** BFN: min: 13° max: 24°, cloudy CPT: min: 16° max: 28°, sunny DBN: min: 19° max: 28°, cloudy EL: min: 19° max: 24°, rainy JHB: min: 11° max: 21°, cloudy KIM: min: 14° max: 26°, cloudy NLP: min: 8° max: 27°, sunny PMB: min: 10° max: 31°, cloudy PE: min: 18° max: 31°, cloudy PTA: min: 10° max: 24°, cloudy **Financial Data** Oil=$48.38 Gold=$1,228.05 Platinum=$902.46 R/$=13.64 R/€=14.98 R/£=17.63 $/€=0.91 JSE All Share=53,406.31 DJIA=20,930.79 FTSE 100=7,248.10