EDITOR’S NOTE: Intriguing tales of corruption, abuse and what drives a terrorist

FEW people would have been unhappy with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to fire Tom Moyane as Commissioner of the South African Revenue Service (Sars).

It followed a recommendation by retired Judge Robert Nugent and his assistants who headed a commission of inquiry into Sars. They found that Moyane did not have the character of a person fit to lead Sars and should be removed as a matter of urgency.

Yet just over four years ago, Moyane’s appointment by former president Jacob Zuma was celebrated. We were told he brought more than 30 years of experience to the position.

What was not emphasised was the fact that he had no experience in taxation or tax collection. And, as a result, we now bear the consequences of yet another poor appointment made by our former president.

Just how bad the Zuma years were for South Africa was highlighted during a recent survey by CNN.

When viewers were asked which country would lead Africa in the next 20 years, Nigeria came first with 43%, Kenya second with 41%, and South Africa was third with 9%.

This week there was further bad news when the latest job numbers came out. They merely reflected what most of us know from what is happening to family and friends – people are losing their jobs.

Interestingly, our province is doing a lot better than the others (see page 5).

Our Influence section once again has some really good reads. I suggest the piece on the Leicester City owner who died last Saturday in a helicopter crash (page 16).

For something lighter, you can read about how socialite Heather Kerzner lost valuables by not paying rent on a storage unit.

This week, we heard the harrowing testimony of South African women who have been abused. They spoke out at the Presidential Summit on Genderbased Violence and Femicide.

It is a world-wide problem. On page 17 are stories from women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo who were abused by armed men.

The page 19 report on how our oceans are getting warmer is a cause for concern and is creating “an epic underwater refugee crisis”.

Finally, on page 20, there is an interesting read on what makes someone become a terrorist.