Quotes

 ‘If the president is innocent, as he proclaims, he ought to let a trial court decide on his innocence. His actions over the last decade smack of a desperate attempt to avoid this eventuality. These are the actions of a man who knows he has a lot to answer for.'

– DA leader Mmusi Maimane on President Jacob Zuma

 

'The expiration of the threatened state of emergency should not be taken advantage of as other existing laws still remains enforce.'

– Justice Minister Given Lubinda confirming that Zambia has ended emergency measures

 

‘If a sitting deputy president cannot take over from the incumbent‚ the organisation is owed an explanation. If Pres (Jacob) Zuma‚ with experience‚ refuses to handover to DP‚ we will be in a crisis. Let us find a woman to be DP‚ for succession to be managed.'

– ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe (in a tweet) throwing cold water on Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s main campaign point – that it is time for a woman leader

 

'I am very worried about what would happen if the wrong things happen at the end of the year. But not in the long term. I believe in this country. We are like a nuclear power reactor. If those fuel rods get too warm, it automatically sinks into the coolers. And since 1652, the worst never happens, the coolant thing happens. But we lose so much in development and the expectations of the people are high, which could lead to violence in the short term. This worries me a lot.'

– Analyst Max du Preez on South Africa

 

‘Matammud was a case of someone losing all moral compass, of being overcome by a delirious sense of power as a result of having the lives of others in his hands.’

– Prosecutor Marcello Tatangelo after Somalian Osman Matammud was convicted of torturing dozens of his compatriots and other migrants in a Libyan camp

 

‘I did not kill Susan and I did not stage a suicide.’

– Property mogul Jason Rohde who pleaded not guilty in the Western Cape High Court to killing his wife