To be inaugurated president twice in nine months is a rare honour, even if you need the army and a compliant judiciary to keep the opposition at bay. So it was that Emmerson Mnangagwa after a bitterly disputed election again took the oath of office in Zimbabwe, having done the same last November after toppling his mentor, Robert Mugabe, whom he, more than anyone, helped to keep in power for 37 years. Whether he can keep the military sweet and revive the economy he helped run into the ground remains to be seen.

Athol Trollip was unceremoniously ousted as mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) after one DA member abstained from the vote which ousted speaker Jonathan Lawack. With the speaker out of the way, the road was open for the opposition to elect a new speaker who oversaw the motion of no-confidence in Trollip. With Trollip and his caucus absent, his nemesis Mongameli Bobani (UDM) was voted in as mayor. The DA says it was a sham and will take it on review, but as it stands NMB h...

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