Cartoon of the day: 9 June 2025
Not all comrades are equal.
While South Africa celebrates the winners of this year's Comrades Marathon, the political comrades are far from winning the country they run.
Tete Dijana won his third Comrades Marathon Down Run on Sunday, beating last year's champion Piet Wiersma.
In the ladies' race, Gerda Steyn won her fourth Comrades Marathon title. She finished ahead of Russia's Alexandra Morozova, while Shelmisth Muriuki became the first Kenyan woman to make the marathon's podium, finishing in third place.
Steyn became only the second woman, after Russian athlete Elena Nurgalieva, to win the race more than three times.
'So many things have to go right in the lead-up to the race, and in your life, to get to the point where you're in the finishing straight, just about to win the Comrades.
'It takes so many pieces of the puzzle for that to happen, and that moment is short, but it is so meaningful and impactful. So I try and share it a bit because that moment is so big you can't experience it all by holding it in yourself,' she said after the race.
ALSO READ: 'It changes me': Emotional Gerda Steyn delighted with fourth Comrades win
Comrades of the worst kind
Meanwhile, comrades of a different kind have been competing for political moemishes.
Jacob Zuma last week reminded the country that his MK party is still incredibly divided after it redeployed secretary-general Floyd Shivambu over his visit to Malawi and fugitive pastor Shepherd Bushiri.
EFF leader Julius Malema reacted to his former deputy's troubles but had drama of his own. US President Donald Trump's advisor, Pastor Mark Burns, last week called on Malema to apologise for singing 'Kill the Boer.'
SA President Cyril Ramaphosa has also been battering off critics, this time of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE). On Friday, he questioned whether their opposition was rooted in 'greed' or 'jealousy'.
Meanwhile, Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe is still licking his political wounds after his son was appointed chairperson of the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Seta board, and then dismissed amid public outcry.
NOW READ: 'We should be grateful we have a government that listens': Ramaphosa says Seta board appointments a 'mistake'
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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ As the court session resumed on Monday, the judge made a public apology. "There is one thing I must attend to, all of us I am sure we read newspapers. It is proper that I should address this issue. Initially I want to say, I have been 26 years on the bench, as an acting judge, and as a judge. I have never ever behaved the way I did (on Thursday). I have been 30 years as an attorney before I became a judge," the judge addressed those in court. "I spoke to the JP (judge president) and the JP spoke to me together with the DJP. The JP rightfully excoriated me for my conduct, that it is not befitting of a judge of my experience and my stature that I should have behaved like I did. And I agree, my conduct was questionable and incorrect. My wife also, who I thought is afraid of me, told me that I should apologise to the whole of South Africa because I am worse than the attorneys who apparently steal the monies of clients in the RAF (Road Accident Fund) matter. She was reading the newspaper the other day about the fact that attorneys apparently (steal from clients) and they are colourless, they stole about R1.5 billion of RAF funds which belong to clients,' the judge said. Judge Mokgoatlheng said he wished to tender his "sincerest" apologies because the way he had behaved was contrary to his nature. In response to Judge Mokgoatlheng's apology, the BLA said while it was welcomed, it was not good enough given the severity of what was said. The BLA planned to reach out to call for further engagement on the issue. 'We welcome (the apology) but there must be a deeper conversation about what the judge has raised. Maybe we are not understanding the context. I personally want to understand how he thinks in terms of the issues of black lawyers. Once you start questioning the ability of practitioners on the basis of skin colour, you are raising a different topic altogether. I don't want to assume he is saying he does not trust in the abilities of black lawyers because there are exceptional legal minds out there, including him who is a judge today. He can't be casting aspersions on himself, that's why I'm saying a deeper conversation is needed,' BLA secretary general, Takalani Chris Mamathuntsha said.
