In today’s Sunday Times:
On pages 1&2 the ANC’s RET faction argues that connected cronies who have been in the “tendering business” for years are being unfairly targeted as rent seeking opportunists and that the real scandal is Cyril’s election at Nasrec in 2017.

Also Judge Ingrid Opperman, rules that laws that permitted a 16 year old boy, who tested positive for marijuana during a school drug test to be arrested and detained for 11 weeks in a juvenile detention centre, were unconstitutional.

On pg. 3 Malusi Gigaba says that the fact that he laid criminal charges against his wife for keying his black MBenz G63 AMG and crimen iniuria, doesn’t mean he doesn’t care for her. The Hawks are investigating a plot to assassinate the fashion icon.

On Pg. 4 Eastern Cape Premier Iscar Mbuyane pays a glowing tribute to his Health MEC and ambulance scooter queen, Sindiswa Gomba, for her excellent performance during Covid. “She has tried her level best”, he said.

On Pg. 5 the police are puzzled by the motive behind the murder of a family in their farm in Hartswater. Bheki Cele asks “Why would people kill so brutally and take nothing from the farm? We will have to work on the motive.” The five youths who did the killing are keeping shtum.

Pg. 6 has a story about an anti poverty NGO that delivers food and medical aid by air to remote communities, that was grounded by the CAA. Spokesperson for the CAA says they had violated the Disaster Management regulations and that the Hawks had been asked to investigate.

On page 7 we learn that despite the COVID lockdown, the Dendron High School in rural Limpopo have completed this years matric syllabus and are on course to maintain their 100% pass rate. Teachers are housing students at their homes and all 50 of them are teaching.

A double spread of COVID news on pgs 8 and 9. ProVeg SA says eating meat causes pandemics and psychologists say that the pandemic causes loneliness, anxiety and stress aggravated by job losses and loss of income.

A profile of Mariana Mazzucato, Professor of Economics at University College London and special advisor Cyril Ramaphosa, graces pg. 10. Smart as anything and really impressive. So it’s hard to believe Ebrahim Patel is a fan.

A special feature on pages 11 on 12 deal with the critical shortage of female statues in public spaces. Pg. 13 is about how offices are still good places to work in.

On Pg.14 we learn that sport funding in SA goes mainly to pay top bureaucrats and not so much to athletes. Our medal prospects at the Tokyo Olympics not looking great.

On PG. 15 that SACP stalwart Jeremy Cronin, makes a powerful argument for profligate state spending as a means to eradicate poverty and inequality. He also argues that corruption is unhelpful.

The Editors bemoan the fact the corruption has become endemic, that Cyril is a disappointment and the ANC is beyond redemption. All the op-Ed writers agree.

The rest of the paper is devoted to sport.

The price of the paper has been slashed to R15.40 and it shows.