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Mail & Guardian
sarah smitlatest news & developments
Humanitarian crisis: Water is heavily rationed to Yemenis who have been displaced by the war in the country. It is only available during one-hour windows.

Water ‘wars’ wash over the world

Conflicts have doubled in the past decade, with 26% of these occurring on the African continent

EFF leader Julius Malema. Photo by Delwyn Verasamy/M&G

‘We don’t want fanatics here’ — Malema

In his closing address at the EFF’s elective conference on Monday, the party’s leader took aim at delegates for ‘personalising’ their victories

Economic Freedom Fighters chairperson Veronica Mente. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

Shoo-in Veronica Mente will be a ‘full-time’ EFF chair

The party’s new national chairperson takes over from Dali Mpofu, who had to recuse himself to allow him to juggle his schedule as an advocate

Julius Malema has come in for criticism for his conduct at the JSC, this time during its interviews in early February with the four shortlisted candidates for the vacant position of chief justice.(Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

‘You can’t come into my house and question my security’ — Malema

After a scuffle between a member of the EFF’s security and delegates on Saturday, Malema warned members not to air security concerns in front of media

EFF leader Julius Malema. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

Malema asks delegates for forgiveness after pepper spray incident

A scuffle involving a member of the EFF’s security unit risked spoiling an otherwise smooth elective conference

Red sea: The EFF has struggled to get the positive sentiment it gets at events, rallies and on social media to translate into actual voters at the polls. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

EFF top six: ‘Amatorokisi’ victorious

Amid reports of factionalism, all six positions in the EFF’s leadership race were uncontested

eNCA stops its coverage of the EFF elective conference. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

EFF says ‘good riddance’ to eNCA

The broadcaster pulled its coverage to highlight the party’s barring of other media. The EFF claims there were other reasons behind the decision.

High spirits at the EFF National People’s Assembly. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

Thousands of insourced workers counted among EFFSC wins

The student wing rose to prominence during the Fees Must Fall movement, which was accompanied by the call to end outsourcing at universities

(John McCann/M&G)

Emergency call centres can’t cope

The help-line workers and their union say there are not enough people to pick up calls — and sometimes people are shot dead while they are listening

No-nonsense fighter: Mandisa Mashego is one of those tipped to replace Godrich Gardee as the EFF’s secretary general. (Veli Nhlapo/ Gallo images)

Mandisa Mashego: The EFF ‘shit stirrer’

The party’s Gauteng chair and the only woman provincial leader reflects on her feminism and the possible establishment of a women’s command

Shut out: Some small-scale farmers, such as Johannes Ntuli, have not received a cent from government despite policies that are meant to uplift them and their agribusinesses. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

Land reform captured by the elite

According to a new report, the poor remain on the sidelines of farm redistribution

Out in the open: Willem Breytenbach was arrested on Tuesday on charges of indecent and sexual assault after Deon Wiggett accused him of rape during a four-part podcast, My Only Story. (Delwyn Verasamy)

Set a podcast to catch a rape suspect

In just four episodes, Deon Wiggett was able to talk about his rape, tackle the institutions that protect perpetrators and secure an arrest

Q&A: Sipho Pityana, who is on the council, has asked whether Nedlac is doing its job. (Jakob Polacsek/World Economic Forum)

‘Closed shop’ Nedlac grilled again

Critics are asking if the council, which debates social and economic policies, is fit for purpose

Colour: Children splash about in Alexandra’s clear blue pool on a hot summer Monday. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

Jo’burg pool in the deep end

Residents complained about noise and bad behaviour so the gates were closed on weekends, a decision some see as racist

An order by the Pretoria high court has put on hold the City of Tshwane’s efforts to cancel a contract to fix the Rooiwal wastewater treatment plant, which is at the heart of the Hammanskraal water crisis. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

Hammanskraal crisis: Slow tender stops clean water flowing

Little has changed in Hammanskraal since the Mail & Guardian last visited the area in August, when residents said the tap water had made them sick.

Hammanskraal residents have to go out and find water. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

Hammanskraal crisis: Slow tender stops clean water flowing

A previously undisclosed tender report reveals that the contract to fix a key wastewater treatment plant was delayed for over a year

Rights: Florence Sosiba, president of the South African Domestic Service and Allied Workers Union.  (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

Domestic workers are one step closer to workplace rights

The fight to ensure domestic workers are paid when they are injured or die at work does not stop with a high court victory

Resolute: Rosemary Hunter took up the case against the Financial Services Board after she was asked to cancel pension funds despite the fact that some still had assets and people were owed money from them. (Paul Botes/M&G)

She lost the battle, but won the war

Rosemary Hunter says it was inconceivable for her not to blow the whistle when people’s hard-earned pensions were at stake

Home is where the heart is: This 1974 Volkswagen Jurgens campervan became the Alfino family’s new home, a big adjustment from their house in Cape Town. (Zorann Elizabeth)

A family finds home on the road

So-called ‘van life’ has seemingly taken over. For one family of five, every breakdown and bump in the road was worth it

File photo by Delwyn Verasamy/M&G

A space to grow for Westbury youth

The volatile Jo’burg suburb’s youth centre provides respite from the harsh realities of crime, gang-related violence and unemployment