Order! Order! When politics and the courts collide

What’s in the M&G this week [View this email in your browser]( April 16, 2021 [Mail & Guardian]( [Mail & Guardian]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [YouTube]( Hi there, Politics this week was a pugilist’s dream. What a bruising week. Ramaphosa, Malema, Magashule, Gordhan, Mogoeng. Read our feature on the collision of politics and the judiciary. Get it in print and online. Cyril & co rise as Ace’s plot bombs: President Cyril Ramaphosa and his supporters in the ANC appear — for now — to have gained the upper hand over the faction led by secretary general Ace Magashule. Paddy Harper outlines a last-ditch attempt by Magashule to [delay or derail the party’s stand-aside rule]( — by broadening the list of those who should step aside to include members accused of corruption but not facing charges, rather than leaving them to the ANC’s integrity commission to deal with — has failed. Q&A sessions: Where are the Zuckerbergs of South Africa?: Haroon Meer, the founder of the multimillion-dollar tech startup Thinkst, speaks to Athandiwe Saba about international acclaim, [the need for more South African tech builders]( and taking care of his four-year-old at his home office while his wife sleeps in. Africa could produce a Covid-19 vaccine sooner than you think: In mere months, Moderna transformed an old Polaroid factory in the US into a state-of-the-art vaccine-production centre. Why can’t we do the same? Laura López González delves into how our own premises could help to [finally put African countries in control]( of their Covid-19 vaccine supplies. Environmental organisations demand halt to unnecessary plastic production: Chris Gilili reports that a group of NGOs are calling for environmental department deputy director-general Anben Pillay to [introduce stricter regulations for companies]( that manufacture and sell plastic products. “The plastic industry continues to capitalise on ‘false solutions’ to the plastic pollution crisis and promote recycling as the sole solution, we know that this is not enough,” the coalition said in a statement. “We call on Pillay to apply meaningful measures that stop unnecessary plastic production at the source, long before it enters our lives.” Ramaphosa announces ‘substantial changes’ to armed forces leadership: President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced [five new appointments to the Military Command Council]( bidding farewell to the controversial chief of the South African National Defence Force, General Solly Shoke. Eunice Stoltz reports on the “most substantial change of command of the armed forces in several years”. Condemnation of UCT lecturer misses context: Remarks made by University of Cape Town professor Dr Lwazi Lushaba during a pre-recorded Zoom lecture last week instantly drew condemnation and accusations of anti-semitism from civil society, with some requests that Lushaba be suspended from his position pending investigation. The offensive clip was 12 seconds of an hour-long lecture. The Democratic Alliance has announced plans to lodge a complaint against the lecturer with the South African Human Rights Commission. Lushaba has now been declared Mampara of the Week by the Sunday Times. Only that’s not the full story, as Andile Zulu writes. Context is key. To fairly give judgment requires we do the [actual work of examining the content]( people’s words and ideas. Insecurity and Covid-19 – Threats to electoral democracy in Africa: Politically, Covid-19 has created conditions that have worsened the state of insecurity on the continent. It has also impacted on the electioneering process and political campaigns by providing justification for leaders with authoritarian ambitions to restrict rights and oppress opposition. Jibrin Ibrahim breaks down the [serious implications for democratic accountability]( on the continent. #SayHerName – The faces of South Africa’s femicide epidemic: The Bhekisisa team deliver an [ode to the victims whose names made it into news outlets]( from 2018 to 2020. It’s also a tribute to the faceless, nameless women whose stories remain untold. Student funding scheme drops Wits law students: University of Witwatersrand students doing the three-year law programme say they are stunned and fear for their futures after an email from the university informed them that the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) [would not fund their studies in 2021]( and in the future. The students were also told that their 2020 funding had been revoked, and they owed Wits the tuition fees, allowances and accommodation costs. The bombshell was dropped on the students in the last week of March. Bongekile Macupe is working on a follow-up that will be up soon. Plus with news of Pfizer’s demands with regards to the vaccine deal with the South African government we urge you to revisit this story from February. ‘Held to ransom’: Pfizer demands governments gamble with state assets to secure vaccine deal: Pfizer has been accused of “bullying” Latin American governments in Covid-19 vaccine negotiations and has asked some countries to put up sovereign assets, such as embassy buildings and military bases, as a [guarantee against the cost of any future legal cases](. If any of these stories have sparked strong emotions in you it’s likely you have an affinity for M&G opinion. If so, please do us a favour and [take this survey]( so we can make ThoughtLeader more engaging, accessible and relevant. After that, we hope you’re able to put your mind at ease and enjoy a peaceful weekend. Until Tuesday, Kiri Rupiah & Luke Feltham [Subscribe now]( Enjoy The Ampersand? 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