‘He’s gone too far’

A very expensive tea date, Zondo’s pressure, party over state and gaming the JSE [View this email in your browser]( February 12, 2021 [Mail & Guardian]( [Mail & Guardian]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [YouTube]( Hi there, Senior Economic Freedom Fighter members say they are outraged by Julius Malema’s tea party with former president Jacob Zuma. His successor, meanwhile, delivered the State of the Nation address (Sona) to an almost vacant parliament — we unpack why his promised rebirth is unlikely to survive ANC battles. For a change of pace, we also explore how traditional healers have adapted to the pandemic. EFF leaders say the party’s executive did not sanction Malema’s meeting with Zuma: The EFF’s highest decision-making body, its central command team was apparently not consulted on Malema’s recent visit to former president Jacob Zuma’s homestead in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal. Lizeka Tandwa reports that sources within the team, who wish to remain anonymous for fear of intimidation, say they were [“frustrated” when they learned that the party’s leader would be having tea with Zuma](. Having spent the past weekend antagonising South Africans [with a tweet about an alleged “obsession” with her person]( it is with great interest that we report that Presidency spokesperson Khusela Diko has been placed on precautionary suspension pending the outcome of her disciplinary hearing. [Diko was charged with failing to disclose her financial interests]( acting presidency spokesperson Tyrone Seale confirmed to the Mail & Guardian. Last week — as expected — Zondo sought yet another extension for the commission to complete its work, primarily because of the loss of time in 2020, when the commission suspended its hearings during the hard lockdowns, creating a backlog. [Can Zondo deliver the goods in time?]( Khaya Sithole asks. Sona 2021: Ramaphosa offers a hope that his own party seeks to destroy: President Cyril Ramaphosa’s big speeches tend to go the same way: filled with plans and promises, hope and hyperbole, but delivered to an audience that knows internal party politics will render them pointless. Thus it has been for his past five State of the Nation addresses. [This year’s pitch focused on four areas]( defeating the coronavirus pandemic; accelerating economic recovery; driving economic reform to ensure “sustainable jobs and inclusive growth”; and fighting corruption while strengthening the state. Does the ANC care about South Africa? What matters to the ANC is the ANC, [not the country it governs]( as evidenced by deputy secretary general Jessie Duarte's words. Former Eskom board member Pat Naidoo on Wednesday claimed at the Zondo commission that he endorsed the utility’s R1.68-billion [prepayment for coal to Optimum, without knowing]( that it would pave the way for the mine passing from Glencore’s hands to those of the Gupta family. There’s plausible deniability, then there’s this, as Emsie Ferreira explains. Traditional healers zoom in on new ways of practice: In the next few weeks, traditional healers will form part of the country’s [most significant adult vaccination programme](. The past year, however, has forced traditional healers in South Africa to adapt, cope with losing work and perform rituals online. Minister had ‘no interest’ in military veterans’ woes or wisdom: The urge for Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula to announce her new advisory council after their previous term of office came to an end last October does not seem too pressing. Eunice Stoltz reports that members of the previous council claim their efforts in the past five years to [advise the department have gone unnoticed](. On Wednesday, council members briefed the portfolio committee on defence and military veterans for the first time since they were appointed in 2015. The council was initially established in 2011. The retail investor-driven rally in United States equities that cost hedge funds more than $20-billion has come to an abrupt end. This [signals the end of fears]( that the Reddit-inspired surge in equities would spread to the JSE. What does this mean? Siqalane Taho breaks it down for you. We are consuming more news than never … and yet trust is diminishing in tandem with that upward trend. Fake news is easy to make and share. Our issue at the M&G is neither quality nor credibility, but we need your support to keep producing journalism that stands the test of time. Please consider taking out a subscription, [from as little as R99 a month](. Until Tuesday, Kiri Rupiah & Luke Feltham [Subscribe now]( Enjoy The Ampersand? Share it with your friends [Share]( [Share]( [Tweet]( [Tweet]( [Forward]( [Forward]( [Share]( [Share]( Copyright © 2021 Mail & Guardian Media LTD, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in to receive communications from the Mail & Guardian either at our website or by taking out a print subscription. Our mailing address is: Mail & Guardian Media LTD 25 Owl St BraamfonteinJohannesburg, Gauteng 2001 South Africa [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences or unsubscribe here.]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} [why did I get this?]( [unsubscribe from this list]( [update subscription preferences]( Mail & Guardian Media LTD · 25 Owl St · Braamfontein · Johannesburg, Gauteng 2001 · South Africa