Monica Mark

Good morning! Some very exciting ~personal~ news: I have officially started as The Financial Times’ Southern Africa bureau chief, based in Joburg. I will (maybe) be using this hellsite a bit more -- so pls send tips, ideas etc DMs are open!

A scoop with @nickswicks on South Africa’s golfing diplomacy ahead of Cyril Ramaphosa’s vital and perilous White House meeting with Donald Trump ft.com/content/dec51c… via @ft

Donald Trump takes his trade war to the world’s tiniest nations ft.com/content/df5d80… via @ft @davidpilling @nickswicks

South Africa has a fantastic HIV program. If this is what abruptly pulling the plug looks like here, imagine other less well-off countries Maybe development aid has to end but unquestionably the way the Trump administration has done it is deeply cruel 2/2 ft.com/content/533bc6…

I wrote on how Trump pulling $43bn in aid has affected the fight to end the Aids pandemic 20 million people - the population of Chile - depend on US aid to get their ARVs. When drs, researchers, NGOs tell us many will now die, this is how that looks 1/2 ft.com/content/533bc6…

One of my favourites for the ages from the excellent @nickswicks on how a craze for adorable little succulents is driving a brutal illegal trade on.ft.com/40wbbVt

From @FTMag: The Rise of Plant Poaching: How a Craze for Succulents is Driving a New Illegal Trade by @nickswicks In the wilds of South Africa’s Northern Cape, poaching ‘green diamonds’ has become an almost irresistible temptation. #Longreads #Longform ft.com/content/13af6c…

Edition #59 features fantastic long reads from: @jbienkahn @PAPPADEMAS @andrewkeh @AbramskySasha @lpandell @AndrewGumbel @nickswicks @_pem_pem @mkerrhardy @helenlewis @AllisonPDavis @ScottOake @Ffranciscodgf @lisabachelor @siisiikostagner longformprofiles.substack.com/p/edition-59-l…

“Can I hold my inauguration?” “Do it!” came a cheer from the crowd Tens of thousands on streets for exiled opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane after his own swearing-in ceremony at airport What happens next is anyone's guess but what a day for Mozambique! ft.com/content/ece975…

Visual journalism at its best. Every paragraph is a gut-punch. “At the beginning of the war I would have said my dearest wish was to go back to my home in Gaza City, but now I would give that up if only Mostafa could come back.” ig.ft.com/gaza-one-year/

👀

“Do they want to be a party that governs from the centre and defends the constitution or do they want to be pulled to extreme where the populist tail wags the dog?” ANC weighs coalition options after South Africa electoral blow via @davidpilling ft.com/content/51ff4e… via @ft

SCOOP: The South African political party led by ex-president Jacob Zuma will not work with the ruling ANC in a coalition government unless President Cyril Ramaphosa steps down, a senior party official told me and @msmkokeli for @SemaforAfrica. buff.ly/3yPKQay

BREAKING: Donald Trump becomes the first actor from Home Alone 2 to be convicted of 34 felonies stemming from hush money payments to a porn star

In other election news...two-thirds of national ballots have been counted and the ANC is still on the ropes at 42%. MK at 12% - !! CSIR now projecting 160 national assembly seats for ANC, but some big key districts (Soweto, Tembisa, EC) will be among last to be counted.

The 5-year-old informs me that the real 🚨election breaking news 🚨 is that she voted at playschool today. In an unprecedentedly close race, the Fizzers beat the Ziffers, 10 - 12. Apparently Ziffers are nicer but "too small." Savvy voters.

Someone in Orania voted for EFF. Be the change you want to see? 😇 #ElectionResults

Still early doors and there are lots of caveats before we get to the final count but the numbers so far really do look grim for the ANC. There’s going to be an insane amount of back door wheeling and dealing over the next couple weeks…

Thank you! 🙏🏾