OPINION

Thabo Mbeki's vanishing doctorate

And nine other of the best articles from the weekend papers

10. Makhudu Sefara's article in the Sunday Independent on how the University of Limpopo failure to award former President Thabo Mbeki an honorary doctorate, as promised:

It seems that the University decided to award the honour to Mbeki before the ANC national conference in Polokwane in 2007. However, shortly after Mbeki was recalled by the ANC as South African president in September 2008 the university decided to postpone the granting of the degree. According to Sefara the feeling was that "it would not be ‘acceptable' for the university to be seen to be bestowing its highest honours on someone out of favour with the current ANC leadership."

9. The lead story in the Saturday Star by Kashiefa Ajam on the efforts by Chivas Regal to displace Johnny Walker Black as the preferred whisky of the ANC elite:

The article quotes an anonymous spokeswoman for a public relations company for Chivas as saying: "They are drinking whisky and Chivas wants to be the whisky that they drink - instead of the opposition, Johnnie Walker." Presumably the brand sees no clash between its "live with Chivalry" campaign, and the conduct of the whisky drinking ANC elite and their BEE cronies.

8. The lead story ($) in the Sunday Tribune explaining the state's case against Sheryl Cwele, wife of minister of state security, Siyabonga Cwele:

Niyanta Singh and Matthew Savides report that the key witness against Cwele is Charmaine Moss. The allegation is that Cwele approached Moss, "whom she had previously known as their children had attended choir practice together", and indicated that she could secure a job for her to London. Together with her co-accused, the Nigerian Frank Nabolis, Cwele arranged for Moss to travel to Turkey. When Moss asked Cwele what the purpose of the trip was "Cwele allegedly explained that she would have to bring back a parcel from Turkey for Nabolis. At that point, Moss refused to get involved."

7. Earl Coetzee's reports in Die Volksblad on Saturday (see here and here) on the chaotic National Police Day in Bloemfontein:

Coetzee reports that although 50,000 policemen attended the event,  the 48,000 seater stadium, Vodacom Park, was only half full. It seems most of the missing cops were hanging out around liquor stores in the city, getting sozzled.

6. Jan-Jan Joubert's lead article in City Press on a confidential auditor general report on the shocking state of South Africa's arms control regime:

Joubert quotes DA MP, David Maynier as saying, the report provides "solid evidence of administrative meltdown in the NCACC. Politicians unlawfully left decisions to be made by officials. These decisions are about arms with which people are killed and about laws which are supposed to keep these deadly weapons out of the hands of rogues and rogue states."

5. Adriaan Basson's report in the Mail & Guardian on the tendertrepeneurship of Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda:

Basson reports that Nyanda owns a fifty percent share in a company - GNS [General Nyanda Security] Risk Advisory Services (Pty) Ltd -has "at least five contracts with government agencies, bringing it millions of rands in government business."

4. Kim Hawkey's article in the Sunday Times on the ANC's failure to pay an outstanding R17,5m debt from the elections:

Hawkey reported: "Advertising agency Ogilvy was granted a default judgment against the ANC to the tune of R17.5-million by the High Court in Johannesburg earlier this month for the balance of a R56-million invoice for the ruling party's 2009 campaign."

3. The City Press report by Piet Rampedi on how it took Co-Operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister, Sicelo Shiceka two years to pay Johannesburg a municipal bill of R40,000:

Rampedi states that, "Shiceka, who last November settled his bill for electricity and refuse removal, municipal rates and taxes, claimed he would not pay because his neighbours were stealing his electricity. But this week City Press visited the leafy suburb of Vorna Valley in Midrand, north of Johannesburg, and spoke to the neighbours, who rubbished the minister's claims."

2. Rian Malan's article in Rapport on the heroism of FW de Klerk's speech of February 2 1990:

Malan explains how he wanted to moer an Engelsman who told him that De Klerk was "a loser" and a racist who had been forced by sanctions, global isolation, strkes and violence in the townships to do the honourable thing, and surrender power, decades too late. In truth, Malan writes, De Klerk's actions were heroic and "almost without parallel in the history of humanity."

1. Prega Govender's lead story in the Sunday Times on how Jacob Zuma fathered a child "with the daughter of powerful soccer administrator and long-time friend, Irvin Khoza":

This is the now the second week running that the Sunday Times' lead has set the news agenda for the following week.

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