Daily Maverick

The World

Mandess of King George. George Papandreou: snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, the Greek way; Malema's human rights; the Unesco mess; Russell Tribunal controversy; and the app economy. By iMAVERICK TEAM.

One planet, 15 minutes BRIEFS It happened overnight; South Africa; Africa; Wolrd; Business; Life, etc; and Sport. JACQUES ROUSSEAU: M&M & THE MEDIA – PLAYING THE BALL OR THE MEN? There is a difference between exposing hypocrisy for the sake of satisfying the public’s desire for scandal, and doing so in a way that makes the hypocrisy part of a larger story. Much of the weekend coverage of Malema and Mbalula’s various indiscretions seemed to prefer the former, leaving at least this reader with the question: Why should I care? 10 more minutes UN UP IN ARMS OVER LOOSE LIBYAN… More

2 November 2011

US

Kim and Kris kash in as marriage heads for Splitsville

Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries may have lost out in the love stakes, with their marriage lasting all of 72 days before Kardashian filed divorce papers. But they can take consolation in their bank balances, which are in rude health after sales of media rights to the wedding ceremony. By THERESA MALLINSON.

Even if you somehow managed to miss Kim Kardashian's marriage to NBA star Kris Humphries on 20 August this year, you're sure to hear more than you want to about her divorce. The star of Keeping up with the Kardashians (not to mention other less family-friendly entertainment, such as the infamous sex tape with R&B singer RJ), filed for divorce on Monday, citing irreconcilable differences. Kardashian stated: “I had hoped this marriage was forever, but sometimes things don't work out as planned. We remain friends and wish each other the best.” Instead of “forever” the marriage lasted all of 72… More

2 November 2011

The interwebs

RIP Harry Potter's parents

Are Harry Potter fans some of the weirdest in the world? It would seem so: this week Potter aficionados took to Twitter to express condolences over what would have been the 30th anniversary of the death of Harry Potter’s (fictional) parents. Completely normal behaviour. By REBECCA DAVIS.

The phrase “RIP James and Lily Potter” has been trending on Twitter over Monday and Tuesday as Harry Potter geeks realised that in JK Rowling’s series of novels, the pair are mentioned as having died on 31 October 1981. (In case you inexplicably require this information: Harry Potter’s parents were also wizards, who went into exile during Voldemort’s reign and then gave their lives while fighting him. Yes, there are obvious Struggle parallels). Tweets devoted to mourning the pair – who do not actually feature in the books, which are set well after their death – seemed a curious mixture… More

2 November 2011

The World

iMaverick, Tuesday 1 November

Jackie Selebi: the final judgment looms; ten tips for a budding philanderer; Unesco, Palestine, and the US; Nato out of Libya; and Cinderella grows up this pantomime season. By iMAVERICK TEAM.

One planet, 15 minutes BRIEFS It happened overnight; South Africa; Africa; World; Business; Life, etc; and Sport. OP-ED: FINDING THE FUNDS TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE As President Zuma sets off for next week’s summit of G20 leaders in Cannes, France, he will rightly have one eye on the UN climate change conference his government will host in Durban, South Africa, before the end of the year. On the critical issue of long-term finance to help developing countries tackle climate change, the president can use the G20 meeting as a springboard for success in Durban. By KUMI NAIDOO AND JEREMY HOBBS.… More

1 November 2011

Johannesburg, South Africa

Cinderella shows signs of growing up a little this year

This may take some living down, but I actually caught myself enjoying this classic pantomime. Smiling and laughing and singing along too, to be honest. I even stood up with the rest of the audience to shake my bootie. How embarrassing, confesses LESLEY STONES.

Yes, I admit, I enjoyed Cinderella despite a long-enduring dislike of pantos. The thing is, South African pantos rarely have enough of that two-tier level of comedy that lets the children laugh innocently while the adults chuckle at the clever satire or hidden innuendoes, so all ages have an equally good time. The local productions are usually brilliant for kids, if a touch too long, but pretty damn tedious for adults. This year Janice Honeyman’s Cinderella is again mostly for the kids, but with a smattering of adult-orientated jokes to keep us entertained too. There are still not enough, but… More

1 November 2011

South Africa

Album review: Hurry Up, We're Dreaming by M83

There have been very few defining musical moments of my life. I can distinctly remember three. The first was when a friend of mine gave me Pink Floyd’s The Division Bell album as a throwaway gift. The second was when I heard Bon Iver for the very first time. And the third “Road to Damascus” moment was when I came across M83’s Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming. This is very possibly the most important album of 2011. By SIPHO HLONGWANE.

I belong to a select society* on Facebook which swaps and shares what can be broadly called indie music. Our mission is to scorn popular tunes in favour of obscure indie bands like Snowmine, the Jezabels and This Will Destroy You. The group is thoroughly snobbish and smug, and I love it. I love it because someone will insist on Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming by M83, and I instinctively know it’s a good album. A few days after M83 released its sixth studio album, I got my hands on it. And spent that weekend in a fizz. Let’s get right… More

1 November 2011

UK and Libya

Hammerl's wife appeals to Libyans for help

Penny Sukhraj-Hammerl, the wife of South African photojournalist Anton Hammerl who was killed by Gaddafi loyalists near Brega in April, has penned an open letter to the people of Libya. In her missive, which has been sent to the Libyan media, she asks Libyans to be her family's 'hearts, eyes and ears' in their search for Hammerl's remains. Almost five months after his death, the location of his body is still unknown.

Dear people of Libya, On 5 November it will be seven months since our lives became inextricably linked with your struggle for liberation. On 5 April my husband, photojournalist Anton Hammerl, was gunned down by Gaddafi forces in the desert outside Brega. On that fateful day he rode out with the rebels in the company of fellow journalists, James Foley, Manu Brabo and Clare Morgana Gillis, to document what was happening on the frontline. I know your fight for freedom has come at a huge cost and immeasurably broken the lives of far too many families, who have been cruelly… More

31 October 2011

The World

iMaverick, Monday 31 October

Mbalula: the next Icarus of ANC politics?; Machiavelli, Mao, and Malema; Sata: Zambia's wildlife is fair game; Steve Jobs' biography review; and how primitive emotions predict our political leanings. By iMAVERICK TEAM.

One planet, 15 minutes BRIEFS It happened overnight; South Africa; Africa; World; Business; Life, etc; and Sport. CHRIS VICK: HAS MBALULA BECOME THE ANC’S LATEST POLITICAL ICARUS? Two weeks ago, the only thing on Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula’s mind was probably who was threatening to kill him for investigating who really runs South African cricket. A week ago, his attention would have shifted to wondering why the promise of him becoming police minister had not materialised because of ANC in-fighting. Today, he could use his political sense and join the dots and work out why a burst condom is causing… More

31 October 2011

Johannesburg, South Africa

Kings of Leon: anything but a royal performance

Call me old. Call me grumpy. Call me anything you like, but please just don’t call me the next time Kings of Leon are in town. A live concert review by STYLI CHARALAMBOUS.

The day started with an air of excitement even as Jozi’s place on the live concert calendar had been firmly cemented with the deluge of great acts recently. The Killers, U2 and Coldplay are just some of the biggest acts to have rocked Jo’burg’s arenas in recent times. Yet there was a still an eager anticipation to see this genuine American rock band strut their stuff at what must surely be one of the best live-event venues in the world, FNB Stadium. Having postponed the earlier April tour date due to a broken arm by drummer Nathan Followill, fans would… More

31 October 2011

World

Book review: Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson

The response to Steven Paul Jobs passing, on 5 October was not measured. The encomiums flowed like, well, encomiums usually do in our culture. But in many important respects, Steve Jobs deserved the accolades. He was a lousy person who shepherded amazing technological products into being. Steve Jobs, the just-released biography by Walter Isaacson, will remain the definitive account of his life for decades to come. By RICHARD POPLAK.

Last week, I paid a visit to iTunes, via the “Store” function on my iBooks app. I searched “Steve Jobs”, was offered several options, and pre-ordered his biography. A day later, I was flipping through the digital pages, virtually highlighting passages, double-clicking the home button when my email bleeped an alert. This represents a once in a lifetime reading experience, and it should not pass unnoticed. Firstly, though, some housekeeping: Steve Jobs did not “invent” the Apple II – the computer that revolutionised personal computing. Nor was he responsible for engineering or conceptualising its clunky predecessor, Apple I. Both those… More

30 October 2011

The World

iMaverick, Friday 28 October

A march to remember; arms-deal breakthough; Lindiwe Mazibuko makes history; Euro zone survives, for now; and the Nissan Juke. By iMAVERICK TEAM.

A march to remember MALEMA'S TRUDGE WINS HEARTS, CHANGES MINDS It's not much of a political victory, not yet, but Julius Malema walked himself into renewed favour with his Youth League supporters on Thursday (and early Friday morning), and, thanks to some fortuitous timing, built a whole new category of people who may give him the time of day, now. BY PHILLIP DE WET. One planet, 15 minutes BRIEFS It happened overnight, South Africa, Africa, World, Business, Life, etc, and Sport. CARIEN DU PLESSIS: GATEKEEPERS TO BLACKNESS SHOULD CONTEMPLATE THE CAMEMBERT What’s up with some black people? They’ve been going… More

28 October 2011

UK

Mylo Xyloto? We have no idea either. But Coldplay is back

It’s Coldplay time again. Yes – the best band in the world, as far as weepy drunk people are concerned, is ready for download with an unpronounceable album and a South Africa shot video clip. Rejoice – your karaoke selection just broadened. By RICHARD POPLAK.

It’s indicative of Coldplay’s status as the world’s other, other falsetto arena band that few critics have summoned the energy to bash their new record, Mylo Xyloto. Since their incomparably vast sophomore effort, Rush of Blood to the Head, with ubiquitous wedding songs Clocks and The Scientist, they have come in for all measure of opprobrium. To mushy, too pretentious, too popular, too pretty. All of which is entirely valid. And yet, Coldplay have delivered fresh verse-chorus-verse hits for over a decade, and the same cannot be said of anyone else. Rock has all but disappeared from the charts; they… More

27 October 2011

The World

iMaverick, Thursday 27 October

Cape Town, design capital of the world; ANC comes to terms with Malema march; the problem of overpopulation; Somalia for dummies; and John Cleese in South Africa. By iMAVERICK TEAM.

One planet, 15 minutes BRIEFS It happened overnight; South Africa; Africa; World, Business, Life, etc, and Sport. CAPE TOWN HAS DESIGNS ON 2014 Social media were abuzz on Wednesday with the early morning announcement that Cape Town is to be 2014’s World Design Capital. The bid committee says this will guarantee economic growth, jobs and a place in the international spotlight in two years’ time. And an influx of tourists who not here to watch football, of course. By REBECCA DAVIS. A LETTER TO A FELLOW ALMOST- REVOLUTIONARY As ANC Youth League President Julius Malema leads a revolutionary march from… More

27 October 2011

US

Beavis and Butt-head returns: Why the US needs all the 'stupid' it can get

After a 14-year hiatus, Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butt-head return to American television on Thursday night. The comeback was initiated by MTV president Van Toffler, who noticed that US media now offers a lot more to comment on than music videos – like reality TV and viral Youtube clips. How stupid is the mainstream landscape at the moment? The boys could be the ones to tell us. By KEVIN BLOOM.

Two barely literate male high school students without adult supervision. A media diet of rock videos, hardcore violence, and robotic sex. A keen interest in human genitalia – and any word or innuendo that references such genitalia – and an almost complete lack of empathy for the sufferings and subjective experiences of others. Following from the last part, an almost complete lack of insight into the sufferings and subjective experiences of the self, with situations that involve pain or humiliation being met with an idiotic chuckle. A penchant for destructive behaviour. Self-confidence that borders on the sociopathic. This, ladies and… More

27 October 2011

The World

iMaverick, Wednesday 26 October

Malema's three days of candour; Zuma's reshuffle, revisited; Gordhan's fight for jobs; Kenya's war, week two; and the power of words. By iMAVERICK TEAM.

One planet, 15 minutes It happened overnight; South Africa, Africa, World, Business, Life, etc, and Sport briefs. JACQUES ROUSSEAU: TWITTER – FAST FOOD FOR EVER- FATTENING EGOS Most of us have heard the aphorism: “Know yourself”. Its meaning and implications have titivated minds both great and not-so-great for centuries. A Greek encyclopaedia from the 10th century explained it as "applied to those whose boasts exceed what they are" and that "know thyself"was a warning to pay no attention to the opinion of the multitude. Sounds a lot like the Twitterati. 10 more minutes MALEMA HEARING RESUMES AS YOUTH GET FIRED… More

26 October 2011

The World

iMaverick, Tuesday 25 October

Chuck Norris, meet Jacob Zuma; Malema's long walk to Pretoria; WikiLeaks on the ropes; Race & media; and the Tunisian election. By iMAVERICK TEAM.

South Africa CHUCK NORRIS, MEET JACOB ZUMA We've said it before, and we'll probably say it again. Jacob Zuma is the MacDaddy of South African politics. And one of the joys of being president, is that you are, in fact, The President. So when you move, it's as if, to use one of the ANC's favourite metaphors, an elephant has moved. If someone’s in the way, they get trampled. By STEPHEN GROOTES. WHILE ZUMA GETS ON WITH REAL BUSINESS, MALEMA WHINES ABOUT PLANNED MARCH Soon after rumours snowballed that President Jacob Zuma would announce a reshuffle (as we advised him… More

25 October 2011

United States

Media diversity: lessons from the US

A seven-year study in US media history shows democracy flourished when media systems were autonomous. News for All the People – a landmark investigation that plots the long history of racism and government in North America’s press offers profound insights to local print media owners who refuse to embrace diversity. By MANDY DE WAAL.

Regrettably almost everyone in the US, and much of the rest of the world, has heard of Rush Limbaugh, the conservative who’s not too fond of liberals, Obama, other nations, feminists, to name a few. His show, The Rush Limbaugh Show, is still the highest rated talk-show in the US. But ask who Pedro Gonzalez is and they’ll likely draw a blank. That’s because Gonzalez was written out of US media history by a government quick to silence his inconvenient voice. Gonzalez was a singer who came to the US and had a radio programme that spoke to migrant Mexican… More

25 October 2011

London, U

WikiLeaks suspends publishing, fights banking blockade

Several of the world's major finance institutions have been trying to plug WikiLeaks' flow of information by refusing to process donations to the NGO. On Monday, founder Julian Assange announced that the organisation will temporarily suspend publishing while it concentrates on combatting these efforts. It's fight that'sbecome not only about the organisation itself, but the principles of freedom of speech. By THERESA MALLINSON

A year ago things were looking good for WikiLeaks. The organisation had gained some heft with the publication of the Afghanistan war diaries and the Iraq war logs, donations to the cause were flowing in steadily and WikiLeaks was becoming increasingly prominent in the public consciousness. Never mind that spokesman Daniel Domscheit-Berg had recently left; the organisation was full-steam-ahead in preparation for publishing – in conjunction with the Guardian and the New York Times, among others – the US diplomatic cables. How different it all looks 12 months later. The US diplomatic cables were a bit of a damp squib,… More

25 October 2011

The World

iMaverick, Monday 24 October

A generation later: All Blacks, the World Champions; Alex quiet, no thanks to government; Ndebele's U-turn on toll roads; Malema drums up support for economic freedom march; and where are the Gaddafi boys? By iMAVERICK TEAM.

South Africa CELE’S SACK-O- RAMA DRAMA – TO BE CONTINUED The Sunday Independent declared on its front page it stood by its story that police chief General Bheki Cele was on his way out, while the international affairs department denied he’s off to become a diplomat. CARIEN DU PLESSIS reports. DA WANTS ELECTIONS TO REACH SA EXPATS TOO As DA big shots outline plans for increasing the party’s support to 30% of the national vote, one of its MPs announced it would submit a bill that would reach out to South African voters overseas. CARIEN DU PLESSIS reports. ALEX FIRE… More

24 October 2011

Libya

Where are the Gaddafi boys?

After a coroner’s report revealed Muammar Gaddafi died of a gunshot wound to the head, Libya’s National Transitional Council (NTC) announced on Sunday that they would hand over the former Libyan leader’s body to his extended family. It is unclear exactly who is brave enough to own up to being a relative of the Colonel. The Gaddafis have already paid a hefty price for the pomp and privilege the Gaddafi name had afforded. By KHADIJA PATEL.

In early 1999, I was 15 when Gaddafi’s eldest son Mohammed visited Al Madina in Saudi Arabia on his way to perform the “umrah”, or minor pilgrimage, in nearby Makkah. He took residence in the royal suite, one floor beneath my family’s holiday residence in the Green Palace Hotel. The hotel was a flurry of activity as everybody from the doormen to the general manager scurried around to adequately cater to the whim of little Gaddafi. I remember the feeling of relief that descended on the hotel when he did eventually leave. I remember too the confusion that gripped the… More

24 October 2011

Belgium

Tintin and the court case

Over the past fortnight, intrepid comic-book sleuth Tintin has been both in the cinemas and in the dock. As Stephen Spielberg’s 3D Adventures of Tintin opened, less attention was paid to the closing of a four-year-long court case about Tintin in the Congo happening in Brussels. By REBECCA DAVIS.

A Congolese man called Bienvenu Mondondo, 41, has been petitioning the Belgian courts for the last four years to have Tintin in the Congo declared “a justification of colonisation and of white supremacy” and banned as “racist”. The publishers’ lawyers defend the comic, which has sold 10 million copies since its publication in 1931, as not racist but merely reflecting “kind paternalism”, and say that to view Tintin by the standards of contemporary norms on race would be a “totally twisted reading”. This isn’t the first time the comic has been in trouble. In the UK in 2007, the Commission… More

20 October 2011

London, UK

Fourth time a fitting ending: Julian Barnes wins the Booker

Julian Barnes, thrice a bridesmaid at the Man Booker awards, famously derided the award as “posh bingo”. Where Borges once claimed there was a cottage industry keeping him from the Nobel Prize, so it seemed for Barnes and the Booker. That’s all in the past now. By RICHARD POPLAK.

“I don’t believe in God,” Julian Barnes once wrote, “but I miss him.” This playful approach to metaphysics—the vaunted light touch—isn’t shared by his contemporaries, who have become more shrill by the year. Christopher Hitchens wants to kick Yahweh’s ass; Martin Amis has advocated death chambers for the aged; Salmon Rushdie has become a parody of the author of Midnight’s Children; Ian McKewen followed up Saturday with Solar, which is the equivalent of replacing a Chevy Nova with an ’84 Lada. Barnes has been a member of this exalted company at least since the publication of Flaubert’s Parrot in 1984—his… More

20 October 2011

The interwebs

Analysis: If Amazon ruled book publishing, too...

The world’s largest book retailer offers royalties to authors of self-published digital editions that traditional publishers can’t hope to match. But this is not the real reason that Amazon may be about to upend the publishing game as we know it. With 122 titles set for release this season, Amazon’s own imprints have the major New York houses in a panic. Who will the upheaval benefit? By KEVIN BLOOM.

In August this year, an award-winning Hawaiian author of three internationally bestselling novels posted an item to her blog that shook the upper echelons of New York publishing to its core. It had been four weeks since her last posting, wrote Kiana Davenport, and in that time she had learned first-hand how deeply the digital revolution could affect her life. By way of explanation, she referred to a decision she’d made eight months previously, a course of action taken “in innocence and exuberance, and [out of] a need for income,” the consequences of which had ruined her credibility among book… More

19 October 2011

Pretoria, South Africa

Barry Bateman; the newsman vs Tshwane Corrupt Ltd

An investigative radio newsman with fire in his belly, Eyewitness News’ Barry Bateman loves his job and he’s really good at it. Much to the chagrin of crooked metro cops and city officials getting rich on corrupt tenders. By MANDY DE WAAL.

“What can we go on record with? Is there going to be an additional cost to the city because of the previous cock up?” Eyewitness News’ Barry Bateman is on the phone to a source about yet another tender graft story involving the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality. In front of him, a computer screen running a ticker of stories from the South African Press Association. Next to that, an imposing microphone plugged into a small mixing desk, and a cascade of papers sliding onto the floor. There’s the odd child’s toy in between the morning papers in what is… More

19 October 2011

The World

iMaverick, Tuesday 18 October

Bheki Cele's warning to journalists; Zuma's reckless claim about a plot to kill him; ANCYL vs Blade Nzimande, again; Drum magazine turns 60; and the Top 20 Global Brands. By iMAVERICK TEAM.

South Africa POLITICAL GUNPOWDER, TREASON AND PLOT There’s nothing our politicians like more than a good plot. It keeps everyone going for months, revs up their engines and gets the juices flowing. You would think they were journalists by how they react to the mere whiff of something exciting. So you can imagine how much fun we’re all going to have with the latest claim by President Jacob Zuma that there was a plot to kill him while he was Deputy President. The problem is, no one knows if what he said is really true. And that could be the… More

18 October 2011

South Africa

Drum, the original beat of Sophiatown's heart, 60 years later

These days, Drum is a different beast from its 1950s heyday under Jim Bailey – the magazine enters its 60s as a sister publication to Huisgenoot and You. While current owners Media24 are planning a big birthday later this month, and a commemorative edition will be released in November, the real story of Drum magazine is the one that happened in 1950s. J BROOKS SPECTOR looks back on the magazine's glory days.

In its heyday in the 1950s, Drum magazine was unique. It was both arbiter and mirror of the evolving tastes – of the urban, polyglot society taking hold in post-war Johannesburg. It was also a vehicle for crusading journalistic exposés, an exultation of an emerging celebrity culture, a space for black literature to reach a large continental audience, and some reasonably modest “cheese cake”. And it conveyed all of this with a right-in-your-face English that owed much to the dialogue of cinema noir detective stories. Drum was fun to read and audiences in South Africa – and later throughout the… More

18 October 2011

The World

iMaverick, Monday 17 October

Paul Mashatile: ready to roll the dice; Malema's economic freedom lecture; Kenya goes to war against al-Shabaab; Nkosinathi Biko on race and reconciliation; and the failure of Occupy JSE.

South Africa CELE WAITS FOR ZUMA TO RESPOND TO HIS RESPONSE Police chief General Bheki Cele is not on his way out, yet, as President Jacob Zuma is, as usual, taking his time to read and consider Cele’s response over why he shouldn’t be sacked. But if he goes, the DA doesn’t want him to go far. CARIEN DU PLESSIS reports. ZILLE WANTS ZUMA TO STOP CELLPHONE SPOOKING While President Jacob Zuma is still trying to get through some of his reading, among others a response on why he shouldn’t sack his police chief, DA leader Helen Zille spent her… More

17 October 2011

The World

iMaverick, Friday 14 October

Thibeti Ramotja: the man for the job that nobody wants; Zuma decodes SA's foreign policy; Matric: the truth; Obama breaks fund-raising record; and Walking Dead. By iMAVERICK TEAM.

South Africa DiD THE KING GET A CAR FOR CHOSING THE KLAMP? When KwaZulu-Natal’s department of health decided to introduce a circumcision device called the Tara Klamp in 2010, health activists were outraged, saying the clamp was unsafe and expensive. Now reports say that the Tara Klamp’s director gave Goodwill Zwelithini a car worth R1 million. By REBECCA DAVIS. ANC YOUTH LEAGUE YOUTUBE CLIP NOT EXACTLY A VIRAL SENASTION “Julius Malema’s Clarion Call to Economic Freedom”, the YouTube clip uploaded by the ANC Youth league last Wednesday, had been viewed 1,416 times as of yesterday evening. “Buck Norris”, the video… More

14 October 2011

The World

iMaverick, Thursday 13 October

Mazibuko & her game-changing run; economic Codesa, SA's last chance?; great WiFi in the sky; and the Joburg Motor Show: ready... steady... Go! By iMAVERICK TEAM.

South Africa DA DEBATES ITS RULES AS MAZIBUKO'S CAMPAIGN GOES OUT-THERE Like the ANC, the DA seems to be constantly grappling with the rules of the game when it comes to campaigning for the election of its leaders. And the nuances are interesting, especially with its caucus elections nearing. CARIEN DU PLESSIS checked out where the main opposition party’s at. IS ECONOMIC CODESA SA'S LAST CHANCE? Our economic woes are so great, and anger over them so palpable at the moment, that there is a tendency to hark back to the past. We look to our successes, the things that… More

13 October 2011

The World

iMaverick, Wednesday 12 October

RIP the white far right; Occupy South Africa; why George Bizos is worried; JuJuTube video clip; darkness in the Eurozone; and Saddam the economist. By iMAVERICK TEAM.

South Africa COMPETITION COMMISSION ALLOWS FUEL COLLABORATION Turns out that normal anti-competition rules don’t apply if you sell something considered absolutely vital to the survival of the nations. That’s what we’re gleaning anyway from the Competition Commission’s decision to grant the petroleum industry certain exemptions from the Competitions Act. By SIPHO HLONGWANE. PARLIAMENT AND JOURNALISTS FAIL TO MEET OVER THREATS Relations between Parliament’s press office and journalists aren’t getting any better following a threat to bar a journalist from the institution. Now a meeting planned for Tuesday was cancelled in a huff. CARIEN DU PLESSIS reports. JUJUTUBE FOR ECONOMIC FREEDOM… More

12 October 2011