--- title: "While you were sleeping: 11 October 2017" description: "KZN storm kills seven, Catalan independence announced, then suspended, and Trump lashes out at Tillerson." 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/2017-10-11-while-you-were-sleeping-11-october-2017/" published: "2017-10-11T06:03:38" lang: "en-ZA" word_count: 729 --- # While you were sleeping: 11 October 2017 > KZN storm kills seven, Catalan independence announced, then suspended, and Trump lashes out at Tillerson. By John Stupart · Published 11 October 2017, 08:03 SAST ## Content **Wednesday, 11 October 2017** *“The man who cannot visualise a horse galloping on a tomato is an idiot.”* **André Breton** ![Image](https://i2.createsend1.com/ei/d/CF/2D9/5FE/csimport/849x493q70scorpio-mckinseydossier41.050715.jpg) STORY OF THE DAY [Scorpio & amaBhungane: The McKinsey Dossier, Part 4 – Bending over backwards for Trillian](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-ujudity-l-p/) By Pauli van Wyk for SCORPIO and Susan Comrie for AMABHUNGANE Eskom paid Trillian R595-million without a valid contract while lying to the public about doing so. This is well established by now. But how the Gupta-linked company was sneaked onto Eskom’s payment system – a system designed to prevent fraud – has always been a mystery. A series of interviews and leaked documents show that suspended chief financial officer Anoj Singh and his management team stand accused of bending over backwards to get Trillian their payday, sometimes bullying mid-level officials into fabricating documents. [Seven dead in KZN storm](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-ujudity-l-x/) Two patients at the KZN Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital died after a wall collapsed, bringing the KZN storm death toll to seven. Flooded and destroyed cars, port-blocked cargo ships and a general sense of weather-based mayhem left a massive path of destruction in the province. Ultimately the N2 highway was shut down following heavy flooding and residents were encouraged not to go outside at all. Today's forecast, thankfully, is a little less rain and wind. [Jubilation and uncertainty after Catalan declaration](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-ujudity-l-m/) Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont declared independence on Tuesday but followed this with a request for its parliament to suspend the implementation thereof. A dialogue was called for by Puigdemont, but Spain and Catalonia's "remainers" are expecting article 155 - direct rule from Madrid - to be enacted. Not to be confused with Order 66 and the destruction of the Jedi, article 155 could nonetheless see a serious government crackdown in Catalonia. [Trump challenges Tillerson to IQ test](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-ujudity-l-c/) It had been relatively quiet on the Trump front this week, but eventually the Sentient Naartjie had to resurface. On Tuesday evening, in an ongoing feud with his Secretary of State, President Donald Trump challenged Rex Tillerson to an IQ test comparison. Initially dismissing Tillerson's comment that Trump was a "f\*\*king moron", the president then went to postulate that, if it were true, they should "compare IQ tests". [Child obesity soars since 1975](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-ujudity-l-q/) Ten times as many children are obese today than in 1975. Although underweight children still outnumbered them, The Lancet medical journal reported that obesity rates are fast increasing beyond malnutrition, meaning that by 2022 there will be more kids overweight than under. — IN NUMBERS $70 The amount the creators of That 70's Show's theme tune get paid each time the song airs. FACTS OF THE DAY Today in 1899 the **Second Anglo-Boer War** begins. **Domino's pizza** developed the world's first pizza box, but never patented it. ![Image](https://i6.createsend1.com/ei/d/CF/2D9/5FE/csimport/GleakswN24.190025.jpg) FEATURED ARTICLES ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Editorial-Mbalula.jpg) [Editorial: Minister Mbalula’s laughable attempt at defending the indefensible](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-ujudity-l-e/) BY DAILY MAVERICK ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70grootes-conspiracytheories.jpg) [Analysis: Mkhize as Zuma’s candidate? 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