Remember Riah?

What’s in the M&G this week [View this email in your browser]( August 13, 2021 [Mail & Guardian]( [Mail & Guardian]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [YouTube]( Hi there, Although the proverb about bad pennies turning up was coined in the Middle Ages, it could well have been about Riah Phiyega. She's back with zombie litigation, to milk the government to fund her defence against scathing Marikana commission findings. Get the full story in this week’s Mail & Guardian, available in print and online. Does her name ring a bell? It should but we might forgive you if you’ve blocked it from memory. Phiyega followed the tradition of non-cops being appointed into the top-cop position of national police commissioner. As per her own rationale: “You don’t have to be a drunk to run a bottle store.” On a far more serious note, she was just two months into her job as national commissioner when police shot dead 34 striking miners at platinum-mining company Lonmin’s Marikana operation in the North West on 16 August 2012. Niren Tolsi reports that the government has thrown R5.5-million — and counting — [into a black hole of litigation for Phiyega to clear her name]( in relation to the massacre, despite a high court finding her application was threadbare and not in the public interest. That number is set to increase exponentially. Tolsi and M&G photo editor Paul Botes have been covering the aftermath of Marikana for close to a decade. On the ninth anniversary of the tragedy, they have revisited those left behind who have [been denied justice](. Someone who has been able to escape the past is President Cyril Ramaphosa. On Thursday he completed his fourth and final day of testimony at the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture. Faced for two days by well-prepared evidence leaders pulling no punches, Emsie Ferreira reports, Ramaphosa’s claim that he sought to stem state capture while deputy president, and the past three years as head of state, [faltered on three years of evidence to the inquiry]( and the bloody events of July. In other interesting developments, Sheree Bega reports that United States company Jacobs has been [appointed to carry out essential engineering modifications]( as part of a R20-billion contract to extend the operational life of South Africa’s only nuclear power plant, Koeberg, by about 20 years. The two-reactor plant near Cape Town, operated by Eskom, generates 5% of the country’s electricity. Eunice Stoltz reports that the constitutional court on Thursday [heard an application for leave to appeal a labour appeal court ruling]( in a case between the City of Cape Town and injured firefighter Adam Damons. The labour appeal court previously found in favour of the city that physical ability was an inherent requirement of the job and that all firefighters, regardless of disability, were required to undergo a physical assessment before promotion to a senior position. Athandiwe Saba speaks to 35-year-old Kgothatso Montjane about entering tennis late and knowing nothing about the sport, becoming the [first black woman South African player]( reach the Wimbledon final, her “robotic” leg, being a DJ and the love of her parents. Even if you’re not a sports fan you’re probably aware that Lionel Messi — the greatest player of all time (bring on the hate mail) — has found a new home in Paris. His two-decade love story with Barcelona was severed thanks to a financial swamp of debt and regulations. Carlos Amato asks why his friends at [Lay’s didn’t lend a helping hand in this week’s Screen Grab](. And finally, in this week’s cartoon, Amato notes our very unique leadership issue: Small Man Politics. It is Friday, dear readers, which is fantastic news for most of us. If you have tips, queries, complaints or compliments you can reach us on theampersand@mg.co.za. 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