Carrim says doctors backed Dubai trip despite commission no-show

Too ill to return to the Madlanga Commission but well enough for an overseas pilgrimage, Suliman Carrim faced tough questions in court about whether he could be trusted to stand trial if released on bail. For now, he will spend the weekend behind bars alongside Shadrack Sibiya and Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, whose names have also featured at the commission.

No-show witness Suliman Carrim nabbed at OR Tambo Airport

North West ANC member and businessman Suliman Carrim has been arrested for failing to appear as a witness at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry. He was detained just before boarding a flight out of South Africa and is now headed to a dock in a Pretoria court.

‘The judges in green’ — The story behind the Constitutional Court’s iconic robes

At one of the first meetings of the Constitutional Court, its president, Arthur Chaskalson, tasked Justices Albie Sachs and Yvonne Mokgoro with ‘décor’ and gave them R10,000. That’s where the story of the court’s iconic green robes begins.

Lions lock Hyron Andrews has died from suspected cardiac arrest — condolences pour in

Lions lock Hyron Andrews, 31, has died in a hotel room in France, where the South African team has been preparing for the Champions Cup debut against La Rochelle.

Cosatu calls for government ban of Shein and Temu to protect local jobs

Cosatu has endorsed Sactwu’s call for the South African government to ban Shein and Temu, warning that cheap imports could threaten up to 34,000 jobs in the local clothing, textile, leather and cosmetics industries by 2030. The unions say the platforms’ low prices, tax advantages and fast delivery are undercutting local manufacturers, reducing wages and worsening working conditions. Shein and Temu recorded R7.3-billion in South African sales in 2024, prompting Cosatu to urge members to delete the apps and support local retailers. Economists caution that a ban could encourage black-market trading, while structural problems such as high energy costs, unreliable rail infrastructure and administrative burdens continue to weaken South Africa’s manufacturing sector.

Rising tide of cancer diagnosis rates — inside the science, risk factors, human toll

It isn’t always easy to know what to believe when it comes to cancer. In part 2 of a Daily Maverick and Spotlight special series on cancer, Biénne Huisman asks whether cancer cases are on the increase in South Africa, and why. On the way, she visits academic corridors and a Limpopo citrus orchard, all while trying to make sense of the available data.

None Better

Agriculture Minister sounds ‘super El Niño’ warning bell and calls for water restrictions

Minister Willie Aucamp wants to see proactive measures in place to deal with the unfolding El Niño.

How a bullet has exposed battles between two of SA’s biggest biker groups

A MAC’s Motorcycle Club member was killed in a shooting in Pretoria recently, and a Crusaders biker was arrested. What followed was a stream of videos posted to social media showing individuals in MAC’s apparel clashing with Crusaders. While MAC’S says this is misleading propaganda, it all underscores the tensions between the two groups.

Test your general knowledge with the Maverick Mind quiz

Take a breather from your busy day and answer 10 questions to see whether your well-read instincts are as sharp as you think.

Loyiso Masuku promises culture shift in Joburg, says ANC could have done better

Johannesburg deputy mayor Loyiso Masuku, one of the party’s potential mayoral candidates, says the ANC must rebuild public trust through accountable councillors, better revenue collection and urgent action on failing services. But will voters buy it?

Renaye Kramer — the ‘formidable’ theatre producer who stayed out of the photograph

She ran the business behind David Kramer’s musicals, from District Six to Broadway, and built a Cape Town theatre that took no state money.

Herman Mashaba targets illegal immigration in bid for Joburg mayoralty

ActionSA leader and Joburg mayoral candidate Herman Mashaba’s ambitions for the city are inseparable from his resentment towards the political parties he once worked with and his increasingly confrontational approach to immigration.

Vindicated Masemola to return as SAPS boss as Idac clean-up continues

President Cyril Ramaphosa has lifted the precautionary suspension of police commissioner General Fannie Masemola, clearing the way for him to return to the helm of the South African Police Service on Monday, following the withdrawal of criminal charges against him. His suspension stemmed from charges levelled by Idac.

Watch — Ngobese-Zuma’s March and March: Tenders, funding and MKP

Watch — Ngobese-Zuma’s March and March: Tenders, funding and MKP

Shot while buying sweets: the little girl with a bullet in her spine

When a gunman opened fire on ANC Youth League members in Katlehong, killing four people, an 11-year-old girl buying sweets was among the surviving victims.

SA’s next generation of conservationists need laptops to turn qualifications into careers

Twenty young environmentalists are nearing the finish line to becoming the next generation in charge of protecting and restoring South Africa’s rich natural heritage. The only thing standing in their way is access to 20 laptops.

Drill, Baby, Drill — Who’s reading the fine print at African Energy Week?

Petrol has crossed R30 a litre, and the oil and gas crowd has rolled into Cape Town to tell us the answer is… more oil and gas. This week, KG, Zoë and Stephen read the terms and conditions on African Energy Week’s promise to end energy poverty, and find plenty of drilling, very little wind and a wine label you need to see to believe.

Cops on a hot tin roof: how scandals pummel SAPS’s plans

As corruption accusations spread among officers, SAPS bosses are scrambling to address a recruitment crisis, overworked detectives and the growing threat of transnational organised crime.

Cape Town’s baboon conflict — Do you have the full picture?

Daily Maverick’s Maverick Earth series examined Cape Town’s escalating baboon conflict from the perspectives of authorities, scientists, residents, conservationists and the baboons themselves. Now that you’ve had a chance to read the series, we want to hear from you.

Leave forms and bags of cash link Hawks member to alleged ‘kidnapping syndicate’

Leave forms, phone records and bags of cash. This is just some of the evidence the Hawks believe links one of their own members to an alleged criminal syndicate behind the murder of a Gqeberha prosecutor and at least two kidnapping and extortion rackets – all occurring within a space of three months in 2025.

Proteas make key tweaks for crucial second Test against Australia

The Proteas have made a couple tactical tweaks for the second Test match against Australia, dropping Tristan Stubbs for Matthew Breetzke and giving Ryan Rickelton the gloves in place of Kyle Verreynne. The match begins on Sunday, 18 October.

Panel recommends ‘removal’ of Athletics SA president over credit card abuse

Athletics South Africa president James Moloi has been found to have used his ASA credit facility as a ‘personal slush card’.

Hungry by design: hunger must be on the ballot on 4 November

The national food plan has lapsed, the coordinating council never met, and children are dying in our hospitals of preventable malnutrition. On World Food Day, hunger belongs on the ballot.

Katherine O’Regan receives George Bizos Human Rights Award, warns of shift to authoritarianism

On 15 October, former Constitutional Court Justice Katherine O’Regan received the George Bizos Human Rights Award, reflecting on the project of democracy and urging resistance to rising authoritarianism.

Government budgets R9.60 to feed SA’s young children – what it really costs

The ECD Nutrition Basket, a new tool tracking food costs in early childhood development (ECD) centres, spotlights the gap between the R9.60 allocation for nutrition under the government’s ECD subsidy, and the real cost of feeding a child an adequately nutritious diet each day.

School robotics team wins national prize for turning plastic waste into sports gear

With a clever machine, discarded plastic bottles and a determination to make a difference, five learners from Gqeberha special-needs school Cape Recife High School are turning waste into shin pads, rugby kicking tees and specially designed foot cups to support children with cerebral palsy in their wheelchairs — an innovation that has won them a national prize.

The battle for your pharmacy basket is waged by the loyalty cards

Clicks and Dis-Chem look evenly matched as they compete for pharmacy customers, impulse purchases and loyalty, while technology and share price moves reveal the stakes.

The Choice