[Daily Maverick]
FIRST THING with JOHN STUPART
TGIF, 15 September 2017
"Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity, nothing exceeds the criticisms made of the habits of the poor by the well-housed, well-warmed and well-fed."
Herman Melville
STORY OF THE DAY
[Analysis: Could Zweli Mkhize take the Number One spot? And if he did... then what?](
By STEPHEN GROOTES
Reports emerged this week that the ANC in Mpumalanga was going to support ANC Treasurer Zweli Mkhize for the position of party leader in December. Coming in a week in which the partyâs KwaZulu-Natal leadership lost a crucial court case, and as divisions in the party deepen, it appears that a realisation is dawning of just how close the party could be to an irrevocable split. Coming with that realisation is the search for candidates who can keep the party together, and get it over the existential hurdle that December is becoming. This means it may be time to consider the possibility of Mkhize becoming leader of the ANC, and then President of South Africa. On the national campaign trail he may be the one person who could bridge the urban/rural divide. But his Achillesâ heel could well be the ANC itself, and whether he would be able to exert control over it.
[North Korea fires missile over Japan](
For the second time in less than a month, North Korea has fired a missile over Japan. This time, a ballistic missile was sent soaring overhead Hokkaido. The move was a direct reaction to Security Council sanctions put into effect against the country. The United States called on China and Russia to take "direct actions" in retaliation, effectively attempting to hand over the diplomatic mess it created to neighbours of North Korea.
[Bin Laden's son calls for Syrian jihad](
Hamza bin Laden, Osama bin Laden's son, has called for Muslims to wage jihad against "crusaders" and Shiites in Syria. Bin Laden the younger had become a vocal propagandist in the wake of bin Laden the senior's death in 2011. Intelligence analysts have Hamza pipped as the next leader of al-Qaeda. Expect his face on a deck of cards near you.
[Pope calls DRC 'predatory state'](
The Papal representative has stated that the Pope will not visit Kinshasa until elections are held. Calling the DRC a "predatory state", Monsignor Luis Mariano Montemayor noted that the Pope was "saddened" by the political divide between Congolese people and its political fat cats.
[Last farewell for Cassini](
Nasa's Saturn explorer Cassini has run out of fuel as expected, putting it on a collision course with its host planet. Launched 20 years ago, Cassini circled Saturn and contributed to an enormous amount of knowledge about the solar system. Cassini will make one final contact with Nasa this morning, following which it will plunge into Saturn, allowing it a heroic Viking-esque end to its life.
â
PICTURE OF THE DAY
By EPA-EFE/NIC BOTHMA
Residents of Hangberg run from tear gas fired by police as they clash during protests in Cape Town, South Africa, 14 September 2017. The fishing community of Hangberg in Hout Bay have been protesting for four days against the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Department's decision to cut fishing quotas but say criminal elements within the community have hijacked the protests. The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Department announced that rock lobster quotas would be cut from 110kg to 50kg. Residents claim that fishing is their livelihood and cutting the quota will deprive them of it.
IN NUMBERS
2
The years in prison an ex-Mckinsey CEO was sentenced to. His name? Rajat Gupta.
FACTS OF THE DAY
Today is International Day of Democracy. Otherwise known as World Opposite Day in North Korea.
Taylor Swift owns the rights to "This Sick Beat"
FEATURED ARTICLES
[Zuma may yet get his day in court â but donât underestimate the chess master](
[Zuma may yet get his day in court â but donât underestimate the chess master](
BY Rebecca Davis
[Analysis: Mkhize steps up his charm offensive but the clockâs ticking â 90 days and counting](
[Analysis: Mkhize steps up his charm offensive but the clockâs ticking â 90 days and counting](
BY Carien du Plessis
[Reporterâs Parliamentary Notebook: Tooth extraction pulls SAAâs Dudu Myeni out the House, while bailouts could bite the national purse](
[Reporterâs Parliamentary Notebook: Tooth extraction pulls SAAâs Dudu Myeni out the House, while bailouts could bite the national purse](
BY Marianne Merten
[Analysis: SARS Wars â Moyane's word vs evidence on Gordhan witch hunt, who's fooling who?](
[Analysis: SARS Wars â Moyane's word vs evidence on Gordhan witch hunt, who's fooling who?](
BY Marianne Thamm
[Op-Ed: Did Iqbal Survéâs personal agenda influence newspaperâs coverage of UCT?](
[Op-Ed: Did Iqbal Survéâs personal agenda influence newspaperâs coverage of UCT?](
BY Ricky Stoch
[Reporterâs Campus Notebook: Varsity protests â Negotiation vs Perspective](
[Reporterâs Campus Notebook: Varsity protests â Negotiation vs Perspective](
BY Marelise van der Merwe
[Book Review: The anti-psychotic case for a post-GDP growth world](
[Book Review: The anti-psychotic case for a post-GDP growth world](
BY Kevin Bloom
[Mbalulaâs Six-Point Plan: Much talk but little action as cops on the ground clueless about it](
[Mbalulaâs Six-Point Plan: Much talk but little action as cops on the ground clueless about it](
BY PUSELETSO NTHATE
OPINIONISTAS
[The Other News Round-Up: The AI Gaydar](
[The Other News Round-Up: The AI Gaydar](
A column by Marelise van der Merwe
â
Weather
BFN: min: 13° max 32°, sunny
CPT: min: 12° max: 16°, rainy
DBN: min: 17° max: 22°, rainy
EL: min: 14° max: 22°, rainy
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NLP: min: 12° max: 27°, sunny
MHK: min: 16° max: 32°, sunny
PMB: min: 13° max: 26°, cloudy
PE: min: 10° max: 24°, sunny
PTA: min: 13° max: 29°, sunny
Financial Data
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