Weekend Thing: IPID vote-buying, DRC's opposition transition, that wall again

[Click here for the web version of this email]( [Daily Maverick]( Saturday, 12 January 2019 [Democratic Republic of Wrong-o]( "It’s one thing to convince a whole bunch of squabbling opposition parties that having Tshisekedi run the opposition means continuity, it’s quite another for Felix to have to wrangle a whole cabinet with no political experience." Stephanie Wolters In sum After years of delays, the DRC's President Kabila finally made way for a new leader. Elections in the country were always going to be fraught with an array of difficulties. Nonetheless, in the end, the Union for Democracy and Social Progress' man [Felix Tshisekedi was declared the victor.]( But not everyone was taking that with a cheer. Minerals and Resources Another opposition leader, Martin Fayulu, rejected Tshisekedi's victory, claiming that he, in fact, was the real winner. Indeed, pre-election polls had Fayulu pegged to win the presidency. More importantly, the Catholic Church, who had deployed over 40,000 observers nationwide, deemed Fayulu the actual winner. In a country that has seen a near-constant civil war, bubbling insurgencies, and the largest and most expensive peacekeeping mission in the United Nations' history, political uncertainty is a catalyst for conflict. Why should you care? Aside from the threat of widespread insurrection against an unpopular new leader, [South Africa's own response]( to the result has been tepid at best. Ramaphosa, believed to be on more favourable terms with Fayulu than Tshisekedi, welcomed the election process, despite over a million people in opposition strongholds being prevented from voting. Welcoming the process and welcoming the result, however, are two entirely different matters for South Africa's leadership. — [This weekend we're watching]( When music and scientific creativity collides, magical things happen. Start your 2019 with some genuine wonder. Power Button 22 The number of days that the US government shutdown has continued for. A new record. Stonewalling The 2019 working year began in earnest this week, with the government in a continued shutdown. President Donald Trump, front and centre, [initiated the shutdown]( over the refusal by Democrats to consider funding his controversial border wall. Something which Trump himself had promised Mexico would pay for in the first place. It's not about the wall While pundits illustrate the clear lack of security a wall would actually provide, and as Trump himself rattles his sabre on national television, threatening a state of emergency to fund his project, it has become quite apparent that this has very little to do with a wall and everything to do with the man who wants it. A man who has stylised himself around making a deal and getting things done is finding just the opposite is happening in the White House. As his cabinet's exodus continues, investigations pile up, and Democrats re-enter the House, Trump has never looked weaker. Indeed, even pro-Trump Americans are beginning to realise this, with over half of those [polled by Reuters]( blaming the Orange-in-Chief for the government shutdown. It's an ego thing. And for a man with an incredibly fragile one, having the government say "no" to his campaign centre-piece is a wound that Trump cannot suffer. If the entire United States needs to be put to the plank because of it, that is evidently just fine. — [“The Apple customers seem to be the worst.”]( A Pretoria family had suffered years of police raids, legal complaints and individuals claiming their phones had been stolen arriving right at their gates. Completely innocent of such widespread criminal activity, a Gizmodo report revealed how their home was being ringfenced by MaxMind, an IP-location firm. In other words, if you were tracking a stolen device by IP, MaxMind would be sending you straight to their location (incorrectly). According to John and Ann S. The "Apple customers" were by far the worst visitors to their geo-located criminal headquarters. — Key Reading [NASREC PLOT: IPID targets senior SAPS members and former ministerial adviser in ANC vote-buying scandal]( By Marianne Thamm A few days before the ANC’s watershed 54th elective conference at Nasrec in December 2017 where the President Jacob Zuma–supported ‘slate’ suffered a defeat by Cyril Ramaphosa with a slim 179-vote margin, there was a plot to funnel R45-million of public funds through SAPS Crime Intelligence to allegedly buy votes at the conference, claims IPID. Duchess of Whales Strictly-speaking, a 1324 law gives ownership of all whales and dolphins in UK waters to the Queen. [Support DAILY MAVERICK & get FREE UBER vouchers]( Not all memberships count points. Some memberships actually count FOR something and have tangible benefits. Maverick Insiders who contribute R150 or more per month, get R100 worth of free UBER vouchers every month. Yes, every month until October 2019. [Click here]( to sign-up. (Added bonus: you’re also now an even better, more mobile, person.) Weekend reading [Zuma: Popular for sure, but an ex-president nonetheless]( [Zuma: Popular for sure, but an ex-president nonetheless]( BY Ferial Haffajee [National police commissioner turns to court to flush out info on ANC vote-buying scandal]( [National police commissioner turns to court to flush out info on ANC vote-buying scandal]( BY Marianne Thamm [eSwatini’s NamBoard chief executive has a ‘conflicted’ business interest in the maize meal industry]( [eSwatini’s NamBoard chief executive has a ‘conflicted’ business interest in the maize meal industry]( BY Bodwa Mbingo for amaBhungane [FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO A FRIEND]( Copyright © 2018 Daily Maverick, All rights reserved. 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