1. Public enterprises minister Lynne Brown had a close working relationship with Gupta associate Salim Essa, former Eskom board chairperson Zola Tsotsi revealed on Wednesday. Testifying before the parliamentary inquiry into state capture, he gave details of how, in December 2014, shortly after the new Eskom board had been appointed by Brown, the minister called him to her home. "When I arrived there, she was with two individuals. One was Tony Gupta, and the other was Salim Essa." Read more.
2. Robert Mugabe's resignation as president of Zimbabwe will go down as one of the most important events in African history. His tenure as the leader of the country has been characterised as a reign of terror that leaves a legacy of violence and fear. In the 1980s, Mugabe spearheaded a brutal crackdown on his political opposition, led by late Zimbabwe African People's Union (Zapu) leader Joshua Nkomo, that claimed more than 20,000 lives. More recently, he is believed to have been involved in various abductions and the oppression of opponents. Read more.
3. The Zimbabwean Solidarity Forum held a conference in Johannesburg on Wednesday in light of the resignation of Robert Mugabe from the Zimbabwean presidency. There was a jubilant atmosphere in the room, as the people of Zimbabwe expressed their excitement, but there was also an air optimism about the future of the country. Read more.
4. There's no doubt that the future of gqom queen Babes Wodumo is bright and her star is shining, but one hopes in her reflections of the year that was, she can learn from mishaps past and plan better for the year ahead. While she's not the only celebrity who has some stock-taking and introspection to do (there are plenty of them), many say Babes -- real name Bongekile Simelane -- would have had a "banger" of a year had she taken her brand just a little more seriously. Read more.
5. Rapper Cassper Nyovest reckons he's on the verge of making history, and he's got a new body to match. Cassper, real name Refiloe Phoolo, is looking buffer by the day –– he says the key is consistency. In August, during an interview with iHeartRadio's "Breakfast Club", Cassper said the theme for the show would be African -- "Lion King" kind of African. Read more.
6. Actress and media personality Enhle Mbali Maphumulo recently sat down with HuffPost SA to share her top money tips. The businesswoman said stokvels were among her top savings vehicles of choice. She believes they will never become obsolete. Watch:
7. An indigenous plant that grows wild in the rocky hills of Limpopo, South Africa, could be the answer to the world's sugar woes. The plant -- known as Arruva, Monatin, or sometimes Molomo Monate -- is reportedly 3,000 times sweeter than table sugar, and contains no carbohydrates. Read more.