Past his cell-by date

What’s in the M&G this week [View this email in your browser]( The Protection of Personal Information Act (“POPIA”) is effective in South Africa from 1 July 2021. POPIA regulates how we use, store, and destroy any information we receive about you. Rest assured, we only store the very least amount of data possible, we store it securely and we do not share it with anyone other than those who use it to send these emails (i.e. Mailchimp). At any stage, you can change the types of communication you receive from us or unsubscribe from this list at this [link](. July 2, 2021 [Mail & Guardian]( [Mail & Guardian]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [YouTube]( Hi there, Jacob Zuma’s tiresome, long-running saga will soon be hosted by the department of correctional services but there’s no chance the ANC, and South Africa, will soon be free of it. There’s more on this in the M&G, available in print and online. Any ardent mafia movie watchers will know that nothing changes when the boss goes to prison. He always has ways of siphoning out instructions and ensuring his tentacles remain as strong as ever. But what about in real life? This weekend President Cyril Ramaphosa meets the national executive committee (NEC) just days after his predecessor, Jacob Zuma, was sentenced to 15 months for contempt of court. It is also the first NEC meeting since perpetual thorn-in-his-side ANC secretary general Ace Magashule was suspended. How will these momentous events affect proceedings? Lizeka Tandwa [has the answers](. The ramifications of Zuma’s impending incarceration extend far beyond this weekend. Police Minister Bheki Cele is one who has found himself in a particularly odd position. Fired by Zuma as the national commissioner in June 2012, it will now fall on him to reverse roles and arrest the former president should he not hand himself over to a police station in Johannesburg or Nkandla by Sunday. “The instruction is going to be the national commissioner and the minister of police to act,” Cele said of the constitutional court’s order. “That will be within three days after five days have lapsed. We are instructed by a court and when the court instructs law enforcement agencies, we have to act.” Khaya Koko [explores this peculiar political pirouette](. Also on Ramaphosa’s mind will be the impending Special Investigating Unit report into the role of Health Minister Zweli Mkhize in the R150-million Digital Vibes Covid-19 communications contract. Paddy Harper reports it was [delivered to the president]( by the last day of June, as planned. Eunice Stoltz, meanwhile, continues our mission to provide you with the most accurate, up-to-date information on the Covid-19 pandemic. She reports that despite the limited data available on the highly-transmissible Delta variant, the evidence suggests the Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer [vaccines remain effective](. To the business world, a [lower inflation target could be on the table]( as early as next year. This is according to the treasury, which said this week that the target is part of its broader macroeconomic policy research agenda. Sarah Smit breaks it down in an interview with central bank chief Lesetja Kganyago. Before we went to print yesterday the supreme court of appeal [overturned a much-criticised high court ruling]( made in the early days of South Africa’s Covid-19 lockdown that struck down most of the restrictions imposed by the state as unconstitutional. Emsie Ferreira reports that the court said the challenge to the lockdown regulations had been improperly pleaded from the outset and the North Gauteng high court had chosen to see a case where there was none. The award-winning music icon and humanitarian, [Yvonne “Princess of Africa” Chaka Chaka, speaks to]( Ntombizodwa Makhoba on being a strict gogo to her three adorable grandchildren, her new hobby of hiking and her current favourite track, Ibhanoyi, as well as launching WOMan Radio, and other ideas the 55-year-old has dreamed up for artists to earn a living during the pandemic. Last month, Hollywood star Thandiwe Newton was on the cover of British Vogue. This month, she’s on the cover of The Continent. In an exclusive interview with Violet Gonda, Newton speaks about the importance of spelling her name correctly — it’s really not that hard — and political violence in Zimbabwe. In case you missed The Continent, it’s not too late for you to sign up for a free copy this week and every Saturday. To get your copy, say hello on WhatsApp or Signal on +27 73 805 6068. Alternatively you can join the mailing list by sending an email to TheContinent@mg.co.za with the word “subscribe” in the subject line. It’s fair to say that we’ve had an eventful week (is it ever not?). We only wish your weekend is decidedly more peaceful. 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. 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