Fly Around The World

powers to appoint ministers and judges as well as fire Parliament. Erdogan has turned Turkey, which was a secular and genial country just a few years ago, into a strident Islamist country ruled by a single man.

He recently built himself a Presidential Palace with 1 100 rooms that cost £500m (R8.5 billion). He said that Ak Saray, (or White Palace) was necessary to show that Turkey had “arrived” on the world stage. Remind you of anything.

Payday, Payday!

Just two weeks after being fired as Minister for Public Service and Administration, Ngoako Ramatlhodi has also resigned as ANC MP. He follows three other axed ministers‚ Dipuo Peters (Transport)‚ Tina Joemat-Pettersson (Energy)‚ and Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jona‚ who also quit as ANC MPs, just a week after Zuma’s chop.

Word on the realto is that the resignations were prompted by government pension rules which pay about double for a minster than a ordinary MP. So if you quit while you’re “still ahead”, you get to keep the entire loot. On a salary of about R2.3m, it's easy to see why these guys want to have “left” government and Parliament on the same day.

Make a Wish

On Wednesday 12 April, the Big Man from Nkandla turned 75, with a big soiree planned in in Kliptown‚ Soweto. Those who scoff at this, in light of recent, er, changes, were obviously not invited! The good