Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian
Christian Stephen

Creator

Christian Stephen

Dribs and drabs: Suburbs in the east of Joburg have spent eight days and counting without water. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy

Dry humour isn’t funny

Showers and dishes must wait – even the dog’s bowl is rationed – as Joburg experiences yet another sustained service delivery failure

The Mail & Guardian matters: Looking back in admiration

As staff face retrenchments, a print dinosaur gives three (relative) hatchlings the microphone

Purple haze: Jacaranda in bloom are beauties, but condemn the aliens.

There are new killers on the loose

They come in the form of the shot borer beetle and people who don’t appreciate the shade, leaves and flowers of trees in urban areas

One example of the risks of shutting off a water system is causing more leaks. A rapid pressure drop can cause water hammer, a shockwave that can be damaging. Photo: WaterCAN

Consequences be damned

But we suffer even if we did not make the decision – like not having water or electricity for 48 hours

Mom’s the word: The second Sunday in May, like Valentine’s Day, has been hijacked by commercialism.

The holidaze of our lives

The mother of all celebration days should be extended to specials available the whole year round

Fork off!: Jason Statham rocks the chrome-dome look in The Beekeeper. Photo: Supplied

Hairy situations: The bald facts

The barber’s mental health advice might be a cut above the barman’s but let’s not split ends about men’s suffering in this regard

(Graphic: John McCann/M&G)

How to humanise a robot

The robots could fix the street robots, replace the raggedly traffic controllers and fill in the potholes

It seems ridiculous that with all this fabulous food on offer, many of the people who are strict adherents of these religions still prefer the bitter taste of conflict.

The God Edition | Making a meal of religion

Is reconciliation through food hard to swallow? Perhaps we should emulate John Lennon and give peas a chance

New beginnings: There’s treasure to be found in places such as the flea
market at Uncle Tim’s Lifestyle Centre in Benoni. Photo: Supplied

Old dog has to learn new tricks

Donald’s trumped-up ‘liberation’ chart of tariffs has reset the world order – and my need to make my side hustle more lucrative

President Cyril Ramaphosa inspecting a pothole repair. (X)

A crater, a curry and an arthritic baboon saved my sanity

One person’s pothole is another’s route to millions … how online content helps us to navigate the rough ride that life can be

‘Got money on my mind’: Pick n Pay’s ad features US rapper Rick Ross (left), local comedian Schalk Bezuidenhout (right) and DJ Khaled ‘s tune.

An indigestible helping of hype

If stores must wheel out celebs to make us buy what we can’t afford, make it Snoop Dog and Martha Stewart

Bin there, done that: Trash collection in Joburg leaves a lot to be desired. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy

Talking trash in suburbia

I don’t mean to rubbish their efforts but Pikitup needs a better plan before Joburg residents drown in their refuse

The OG: Manny Cabeleira bought The Radium Beer Hall in the 1980s. Photo: Seth Thorne

The Radium’s authentic brew

A good, old-fashioned bar is like print media: distinguished by its charming, convivial, if slightly dog-eared nature

After you: In the Maasai Mara migration, the early bird – or beest – is more likely to be eaten by a crocodile. Photo: Supplied

It’s cool to be kind … in traffic

As Trump cuts through cultural norms faster than through executive orders, there is still value in politeness

Graphic: John McCann/M&G

Trapped in an extreme world

The real Slim Shady of the M&G newsroom is surprised to find even Trump is just imitating – or so his younger colleagues reckon

Hospital plan: It’s a middle class emergency. Photo: Guillem Sartorio/AFP

Trapped in the middle class casualty ward

As the economy bites, you must scrimp and save on little luxuries like DStv – but don’t touch your medical aid

Rage Against The Machine. (File photo)

Why newspapers are all the rage

Dinosaur? Maybe. But there is an artistry to blending research, headlines, words and images, to make a real-world product we can be proud of

Indelible: Paddy Harper blazed a trail through the news and our hearts. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy

Paddy Harper, the humble warrior

He was a seasoned journalist who saw through the bullshit, got to the point – and his wry wit in his weekly column lampooned many a politician

Snoop Dogg blowing a joint, Snoop Dogg, Ancienne Belgique (AB), Brussels, Belgium, 23/11/1998. (Photo by Gie Knaeps/Getty Images)

It’s high time for a joint traffic calming operation

A judicious puff of weed by those who cause carnage on our highways and byways would make driving a pleasant experience, writes Christian Stephen

Shower hour: Water has become a dirty joke

The trials of living a life around the capricious temperament of water scheduling