THE ORIGINAL SOUTH AFRICAN CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

World class — and from our perspective, not that of the UK or USA

Multilingual — every crossword has one Afrikaans (marked A) and one isixhosa (marked X) word

Fresh & unique — compiled the previous week especially for the Mail & Guardian

Across

1 Penetrating beam at adored

fighter (7)

5 Compliment pruned fruit with

Australian dollars (7)

9A In confused state, down an ally

regularly (5)

10 Tirades about help to ethnic

groups (9)

11 Unfortunate AI error — cow becomes environmental champion! (3-7)

12 Support English in Scottish

bank (4)

14 Seal full of energy — frisky pet?

Nah, just a big seal (3,8) 18 Office of leader bloke has gear

spread about boat (11)

21 On radio employ colours (4) 22 Public correspondence over

writer character (4,6)

25 First silly story covered by

fellow — wise guy! (5,4)

26 Time-warp is a figure of

speech (5)

27 Notices article consumed by

fumes (7)

28 Pass old Mediterranean island

(7)

Down

1 Refuse-heap did disintegrate,

which guys gathered (6)

2 To a pet, playing is part of the

service (6)

3 No American soldiers return after a droll negotiation about $ (6,4)

4 It picks up things in umbra

darkness (5)

5 Greetings and thanks — yes —

to a rising leader (9)

6 Bonus for every 1 000 (4)

7 A right pain — a “student of

trees” (8)

8 Worried about sweets (8) 13 Raging at a father about

cuticle not proper (10) 15 Fortified hill has a harvest supported by ploughed soil (9)

16 Accent on “voetstoots” lies below Escort’s initial speed (8)

17 Come before criminal net

breaks an appointment (8) 19X One old and large in the

young calf (6)

20 Rear first ewes on Western

Cape river (6)

23 Lekker to secure hot

corner (5)

24 Dog loses her head with

desire (4)