Enlightening and entertaining excerpts from a recent judgment by Judge Nigel Willis, of strange bedfellows forced into unnatural relationships. The case related to various complicated contracts concluded in relation to the construction of a new high-security prison in Makhado, and to the applicant's right to withdraw the money held in a particular bank account.

Byzantine legal row rages out of control over struggling Louis Group’s Isle of Man and SA assets. Mark Thomas reports how anxious investors await clarity on the company's failed offshore operations.

Tony Beamish reports how legal authorities refuse to produce files on excessive liquidation fees. The fact that the liquidators were charging an unlawfully excessive fee was pointed out to them on a number of occasions by shareholders, yet they steadfastly maintained that possession was nine-tenths of the law. Since no-one had filed an objection to their account in the advertised period for objections, they believed they were safely home with their loot.

University of Pretoria staffer, Erma Viljoen, cannot verify whether there was insurance fraud because the fund administrator blocked access to her benefit statements several years ago at the behest of the University. But she realises they used every trick in the book used to delay medical aid benefits. However, a private disability consultant was able to accomplish in one hour what the university declared they could not finalise in five years.

In Sicily it might simply be called a Family business, but it’s another story when it comes to the South African Lieberthals – notorious surgeon Wynne, twin brother Hugh (after being diagnosed with cancer and collecting on a dread disease policy, he immediately made a miraculous recovery) and nephew Jayson (who does confidential printing jobs at a secret location)  ...

Old guard routed as SA’s oldest newspaper gets a face-lift.

Since Media24 swallowed up the oldest independent newspaper in the country, The Witness (established in 1846), it has been spitting out staff with a frenzy  hardly imaginable in the sleepy hollow of Pietermaritzburg.

The biggest casualty of the purge has been the managing director, Greg Orsmond, who was fired for unspecified reasons on 29 April after he stormed out of a disciplinary hearing declaring it was “a set-up”.

As SA’s northern neighbour is plunged into darkness and water shortages, President Khama is the only African leader querying Chinese bona fides on the continent, writes Susan Puren.

China’s ventures in Africa are not necessarily the answer to the problems of under-development. In fact, things could get worse, as has happened in Botswana's power struggle.

The reason? Eskom’s energy supply contract with BPC has come to an end and the Chinese have failed to deliver on time.

Now, maybe, finally it's really high noon at that East Cape Saloon!

Are you sure you want to live here? Think before you sneak off to Sydney – you may just find life in Australia disconcertingly familiar, says Anne Susskind.

Having lived in Australia for nearly half my life, it seems to me that country has become, for some South Africans, imbued with longing. As much as people claim to despise its banality, it has come to epitomise a good life, a sunny life, a free life, a lucky life.

Lawfare. Taking up cudgels for Julian Assange.

Australian celebrity human rights lawyer and key member of Julian Assange’s legal team, Jennifer Robinson, is a regular visitor to South Africa. Noseweek interviewed her when she attended the 18th Commonwealth Law Conference held recently in Cape Town

When Julian Assange’s whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks made its first major splash by releasing the shocking, classified Collateral Murder video in 2010 – showing a US Apache helicopter target a group of Iraqi civilians, 11 of whom died – Jennifer Robinson immediately recognised a challenge.

During dessert, rude conversation was silenced by the appearance of our hosts’ young daughter. Five years old and insomniac, she had stomped through to the adults to stand on tiptoe and whisper into her mother’s ear that she did not want to go to her pre-school’s athletics day tomorrow.

We were sympathetic. Most of us had disliked the sporting events we had endured during our childhoods. No matter how nurturing and supportive our parents or teachers had been, we had all feared failure.