EDITOR’S NOTE

CUTTING back on advertising to save money is like stopping the clock to save time.

I’m not sure who came up with this between Henry Ford and Thomas Jefferson. But it makes sense.

Krish Kumar, a veteran in the finance management of ethekwini Municipality, told a briefing of Independent Media editors this week that it would be a tragedy if Durban lost the opportunity to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games. I agree.

Sadly we have no official word on the final and very important decision that was supposed to be made last week. Thus we have no update in this edition.

But we have plenty of stories. Never mind the fashion wars involving Gavin Rajah, it’s the alleged Hawks versus cop wars that worry me. Let’s hope Rajah steals the show, not the designs this time (see page 3).

Do the cop wars have something to do with the unbelievable robbery at OR Tambo International Airport (see page 7)?

And while Parliament’s transport committee probes our troubled Passenger Rail Agency of SA, we went to check what it’s like for the long-suffering train commuters on the ground who play a vital role in our economy (page 8).

Former KZN Premier Sbu Ndebele is planning to hang up his political gloves. But what about the criminal charge hanging over his head and the ANC elective conference in December? We visited him at his Maritzburg farm (page 16).

This week’s Big Issue is the land question. And despite the promises of 1994, land reform for agricultural redistribution has been very slow. But there’s still an opportunity to “do what’s right”, argues Zohra Teke. The ANC’S Sihle Zikalala hasn’t thrown down the gauntlet... yet (page 21).

But has the ruling party left it too late?