columnslatest news & developments
Legendary:  At its height, The Ritz had a classy revolving restaurant on its top. (Supplied)

A new chapter in the life of the glitzy Ritz hotel

After seven years of standing empty, the slender building with its glamorous past has finally been sold

A weaker dollar could lower South Africa’s import costs, especially oil, which affects everything from fuel prices to transport tariffs.

From groceries to bonds: How a 3% inflation target will affect you

The Reserve Bank’s plan to narrow the inflation target to 3% for stability, lower costs and growth should be positive for households and businesses

Paternity disputes are common in cases involving minors. (File photo)

To dig or not to dig: When paternity requires proof from the grave

High court case explores whether a court can order adults to take DNA tests for paternity — or get a body exhumed for this purpose

For the many who rightly feel abandoned by the government, and are sick of the state’s failures, the private sector stepping in to solve problems with energy, water and logistics might appear rational and necessary. (John McCann/MG)

The privatisation agenda will not save South Africa

The state has tried the neoliberalism model in various forms for 31 years, and it has not worked

The required reforms appear straightforward but enacting them is a formidable task because the obstacles are not technical, but political. File: Photo

The UN at 80 must not be sidetracked by global hegemons

The UN80 initiative weakens multilateralism and empowers a minority of self-interested nations, prioritising military spending over global crises

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

Former South African President Jacob Zuma speaks during a media briefing for his party uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), on June 16, 2024, at Capital Hotel  in Sandton, outside Johannesburg. (Photo by Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images)

MK party’s power problem: The fragility of proximity politics

Floyd Shivambu’s removal as secretary general points to the real issue – proximity to power

US President Donald Trump. Photo: Supplied

Reimagining SA-US relations in the aftermath of the Oval Office spectacle

South Africa needs a diverse group of allies and partners in a world undergoing seismic geopolitical changes

Housing crisis: The City of Johannesburg must take action now to prevent a repeat of the 80 Albert Street building fire in which 88 people were injured and 77 died. (Delwyn Verasamy)

Ask Ash | Johannesburg’s housing crisis is like a movie on loop

The hijacking of buildings is a symptom of seriously deep-seated social problems in our society

It’s time to talk about weaponising visas against Africans

Most rejections by European countries and the US are based on ‘reasonable doubts about the visa applicants’ intention to return home’. Many Africans believe otherwise

Elon Musk. (File photo)

EDITORIAL | We must all reclaim our information space

A few powerful men control the dominant means of creating and sharing information in 2025

Let’s fall back in love with journalism

The M&G is not immune to criticism. We have made many mistakes over the years. What we can be unequivocal about, however, is that a blow to anyone in the news media is a gut punch to all of us.

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

Upshot: Just maybe the burst pipe in the neighbouring suburb is the cause of our latest water woes. 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

The discovery of a new species of human relative, Homo Naledia was unveiled at The Cradle of Human Kind at Maropeng in Johannesburg, South Africa. Naledi was discovered in a hard to reach chamber in the Rising Star Cave which has led scientists to believe that the Hominids had a understanding of the finality of death.  Naledi stood about 1,5m high, had a unique mix of primitive and modern features with a tiny brain about the size of an orange, a slender body and unusually curved fingers. (Photo by Denzil Maregele/Foto24/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

The no-prisoner Naledi wars

DREW FORREST looks at the fierce academic controversies ignited by South Africa’s most recent hominin find

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

(Dean Hutton/Bloomberg via Getty Image

South Africa’s energy future lies in innovation

Consumers responded to load-shedding by installing solar energy. In response, Eskom chose higher tariffs instead of encouraging the move to clean energy