The passing of Mam' Winnie Madikizela-Mandela shook many South Africans, and the tributes have been pouring in from across the globe, expressing both condolences and sending love to the firebrand. Amid this loss, Jacob Zuma also appeared in the high court in Durban on 16 charges including fraud and corruption to overwhelming support, so it's been a busy week all-round. Browse through our blogs desk to catch up on the current events unfolding – and enjoy this selection of the best blogs.
1. Winnie Madikizela-Mandela's Numerous Deaths Came With Numerous Lives
The life of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela speaks of the damage of apartheid. Damage so extensive that it cannot be fully captured – not even by the phrase "crime against humanity", writes sociopolitical analyst Christi van der Westhuizen.
2. Ramaphosa Needs To Move On The NPA
In delivering the state of the nation Address in February this year, President Ramaphosa said, "We will urgently attend to the leadership issues at the National Prosecuting Authority to ensure that this critical institution is stabilised and able to perform its mandate unhindered."
What better way to start than with an effective and impartial prosecution of a former president, asks the executive secretary of the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution, Lawson Naidoo? Read more.
3. Dear Julius, Your Words Matter
Since Zuma's disappearance from the political arena and his absence as our perpetual punching bag, you, dear EFF commander in chief Malema, seem to have upped your rhetoric to levels that are potentially destructive to our country and its people, writes Jeanette Buis.
4. Land Reform: The 'Greedy' Are In The Firing Line
There may well be a legitimate democratic debate about land use, about market dominance and the concentration of ownership. But this requires a two-way exchange of ideas, the collection of evidence, and not cheap moralising. This is not simply a question of faux politeness or pro-forma "consultation". It is part of trying to understand what is possible in the grubby realities of the world we live in, not of our ideological and political fantasies, writes Terence Corrigan, project manager at the Institute of Race Relations (IRR).
5. Food Quality And Safety Just As Important To Food Security
Food safety risks are quite concerning. Going forward the discussions about food security shouldn't only lean on availability and affordability. More and more emphasis should be placed on quality and safety. This task lies squarely on the shoulders of everyone; consumers, food producers and regulators. Consumers should be more discerning about the food they eat, writes agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo.
6. Mama Winnie And Madiba: A Love Crushed By Apartheid
HuffPost had a chat with Verne Harris, director of Archive and Dialogue at the Nelson Mandela Foundation. He was Mandela's archivist from 2004 to 2013, and he reflected that "there is an incredible letter that Madiba wrote to her when she was in prison as well, in which he talked about being in a prison cell (both of them) and inviting her to reflect on what one could learn as a prisoner about oneself, and how one could reckon with human weakness in a way that is really not possible outside of that kind of intense, raw experience. That is for me a really vital element of context". Read more.
7. New Aussie Cricket Ethos On Stunning Display At Wanderers
A brand-new chapter is underway for Australian cricket. It was launched to stunning effect as hastily flown-in replacement batsmen Matt Renshaw, Joe Burns and Peter Handscomb immediately got to work in the first innings of the test at Wanderers following the recent Newlands ball-tampering scandal. Read more.