1. BELL ROTTINGER GONE FOREVER? -- Disgraced PR firm Bell Pottinger is gasping for air, while undoubtedly seeped in agonising regret, after its notorious work for the Gupta family backfired ... and then some. If it wasn't enough to get the boot from the UK's Public Relations and Communications Association, its remaining clients then left in droves. Now the firm could reportedly go into liquidation by next week. Good riddance to the colonisers, argued Ferial Haffajee. Read more here.
2. 'KENNY-THE-MATRIX-KUNENE' -- Following a bizarre alleged hit on Kenny Kunene, the businessman and socialite has been at pains to dismiss allegations it was a staged assassination. First, Twitter detectives went to town on the story, largely dismissing his version of events as poorly orchestrated drama. The ANC Youth League's Collins Chabane subregion then released a press statement unlike any other, saying Kunene could "win an Oscar" for his performance. However, eyewitnesses began to emerge, some confirming there were gunshots. A private investigator on Friday then told EWN the police may have failed to collect crucial evidence.
3. REGGIE AND BEAUTY'S 'STATEMENT CAKE' -- The ANC Youth League's treasurer-general and head of record label Mabala Noise, Reggie Nkabinde, forked out at least R60,000 for his wedding cake. The cake was covered in pearls and over 2,000 sugar flowers, and weighed over 100kg. Read about it here and when you're done,here's the wedding gallery. It'll leave you speechless.
More top stories you can't miss from the week that was:
1. TAKEOVER AT TREASURY? -- Finance minister Malusi Gigaba is busy building his empire. In fact, some insiders believe that everything he does at Treasury is with an eventual presidential bid in mind, writes Editor-in-Chief Pieter du Toit. And the victims of his power drive are apparently both experienced civil servants, who have been swept aside in favour of his allies, and potentially the economy. Read here.
2. MINNIE IN PARIS -- Media personality and businesswoman Minnie Dlamini was giving us serious FOMO by living the good life in Paris for her bachelorette. She was in the city of love ahead of her white wedding to Quinton Jones on September 16. Read here.
3. KZN: THE EYE OF THE POLITICAL STORM -- Vanessa Burger does an astute job of connecting the dots between Glebelands and the latest political killing in KZN of Sindiso Magaqa. "The bottom line is the ANC is busy eating itself and anyone who disturbs the feeding frenzy will become easy prey to our country's only employment sector that offers real growth -- contract killing," she writes. Read her blog here.
4. RAMAPHOSA'S SEX SCANDAL -- On hearing of Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa's infidelities, Jeanette Buis' thoughts immediately turned to his wife, the "strong, confident and stylish Dr Tshepo Motsepe. Now it turns out that in his personal life, he has disrespected at least two women: his wife and his mistress", she writes.
5. SA'S FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME CRISIS -- Fetal alcohol syndrome has become a massive crisis in SA. Out of 187 countries, a study found that South Africa has the highest prevalence rate of FASD, at 111 per 1,000 people. Here's everything you need to know.
6. HOT DAMN, THANDO -- Thando Thabethe is so hot, and she knows it. In a series of stunning pictures the actress and TV presenter works it, telling her minions "that's your competition". Fry us, girlfriend, we are your eggs. Read here.
7. SAY YAY TO GAY, AUSTRALIA -- In an open letter from HuffPost SA writer Garreth van Niekerk to Australia, he wants them to know Down Under that voting to allow gay marriage is okay. "You see, South Africa was the first country in the world to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation in 1993, the fifth in the world to legalise same-sex marriage and the first (and only!) country in Africa to do so. And somehow, 26 years later, our country is still standing," he writes. Read here.