It so easy for officials to cry “I was misquoted” when a story for which they were interviewed turns into a bombshell. This happens at the Sunday Times all the time because the paper has such a big national impact.

Megan Power at the Sunday Times is feeling the heat at the moment after the doctor who told her that he discharged Jacob Zuma’s former financial advisor was well enough to leave hospital four months before he got parole on the grounds that he is in the final stages of terminal illness. I’ve worked with Megan in the Durban office of the Sunday Times and she is an extremely thorough, highly principled hack.

Look here, it says Mr Shaik has high blood pressure like half the middle-aged men in South Africa

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Our social fabric is ripe for smart people spotting the gaps and creating businesses that plug into how we interract with each other. The Daily Dispatch has a fascinating story about a Joburg man who is a lobola broker and the Natal Witness has one about a Maritzburg woman who does tasks — any task — for busy, stressed out people. Hmm, I don’t need someone to speak for my cows but I could do with someone to unpack my dishwasher. Cool news I can use, ek se! And check out that last line in the lobola story about money laundering. Now that’s a fascinating throw-away line worth the Dispatch pursuing.

Santa’s little helper… all year round

Ever thought that the day is not long enough to do absolutely everything you need to do? Maybe the day goes by so quickly that you hardly see the kids, as you scurry about from one queue to the next. Well, there is help at hand, and it’s a step up from the standard.

Meet Nomfundo Khabela, the brains behind Personal Runnerz, a “lifestyle management” service that thrives to allow you those precious few hours to yourself.

“It is basically putting a monetary value on one’s time,” says Khabela, as she explains how the business plan came to her.

Smoothing the cultural way

Mpho Lebogo, of Johannesburg, is the mastermind behind the Lobola- Magadi Institution, which draws up contracts to formalise lobola negotiations and set out what happens in the event of death or divorce.

“These are contracts that legally binds both families, showing what was requested for lobola, what has been paid and what is outstanding,” said Lebogo.

He said he saw a need for the service to make sure that after lobola had been paid, spouses knew where they stood in terms of their marital status.

His service even reduced money laundering exchanges between corrupt families.

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