Indholdsfortegnelse for 2022-11-25 i Mercury

DURBAN is gearing up to host the All Africa Karate Championships next week. The event will be held from December 2 to 4. Thirty countries from across the African continent will converge on Durban for the three-day event that will be hosted at the Olive Convention Centre. Among those expected to attend is Olympic gold medallist from Tokyo 2020, Feryal Abdelaziz from Egypt. President of Karate South Africa (KSA) Sonny Pillay, who was one of the main role-players in bringing the event to the city, said he believed it would bring an important boost to the city’s tourism economy before the festive season. “This took a huge amount of lobbying on behalf of the city to get the event here. Karate South Africa, together with our Durban city fathers, firmly…

Retailers are expecting large crowds to descend on stores this Black Friday. However, with another interest rate hike and rising inflation, experts have warned consumers to be cautious with their spending. Andrew Mills, group executive for marketing at Pick n Pay, said the retailer was expecting customers to be hunting for more value as they remained under pressure after a tough year. “We now have two store brands, Pick n Pay and Pick n Pay QualiSave, so we can tailor our offers and savings to make them even more relevant for our customers. We are excited to give customers massive Black Friday savings this year after a very tough year for many. Customers have been faced with load shedding and rising petrol prices so they deserve some relief.” Mills added…

I am surprised I do not hear of any nominations for the Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi to become the president of the ANC, after all the xenophobic workouts that kept him busy and propelled him suddenly into the headlines in the past few months. These so-called leaders sleep the entire term only to wake up a few months before an election with exaggerated details of little importance. And if they are not sleeping then they are either shocked or rushing to the scenes, and this is the highest standard of service delivery and governance. Just think of the transport minister who waited until a few months before an elective conference to announce the big news the department responsible for “constructing” roads will now strive with all its might to…

It is sad and hurts that most women in Zimbabwe are sexually attacked and are silenced. There has been an unprecedented increase in the levels of violence against women and President Mnangagwa’s government is not taking meaningful action to address these issues affecting women. Politically-motivated sexual violence against women is prevalent under Zimbabwe’s current oppressive regime. Women are frequent victims of brutality at the hands of the police and other security forces, subjected to torture, beatings, rape and displacements. Politically-motivated Zimbabweans are becoming more and more violent, especially towards women and children who are vulnerable. Toffa Jasmine, an MP for the Citizens Coalition for Change party, got brutally attacked by thugs. The government should stop using violence against women and take tangible action to stop deplorable actions against women.…

INDEPENDENT Media, Independent Online (IOL) and journalist Thabo Makwakwa were yesterday granted leave to appeal against a ruling handed down by the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria which interdicted the publishing of an intelligence report on alleged activities of the the US’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in destabilising the ANC. Titled “US interest In ANC party dynamic”, the report in question was compiled by the State Security Agency (SSA). The report was handed to Makwakwa by concerned sources from within the SSA in December last year. The SSA had previously obtained an interdict preventing Independent Media from publishing the report. Independent Media editor-in-chief Aziz Hartley said the publisher, Makwakwa and IOL, all cited as respondents of the original interdict, were of the professional opinion that it was the media’s right and…

And, as with rugby, former president Nelson Mandela was closely identified with the outcome. He attended the final against Tunisia at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, accompanied by former deputy president FW de Klerk and former sports minister Steve Tshwete. Bafana Bafana beat Tunisia 2-0, an astounding result as they came to the competition as newcomers. The tournament had not been scheduled to be played in South Africa, but was switched to this country when the designated hosts, Kenya, withdrew. South African football had only recently returned to the international stage, being readmitted to Fifa after the formation of a new multiracial football association in 1991, as the apartheid system began to be dismantled. Bafana’s performance throughout the tournament astonished the world. They have since reached the quarter-finals twice, in…

AN EARLY confirmation that South Africa had decisively entered a new era came with the Rugby World Cup in 1995. This was important enough in rugby terms, but it went far beyond rugby. Rugby – and the Springbok green and gold – had become identified with apartheid, quite deliberately in the minds and actions of its practitioners, inevitably in the minds of the excluded black majority. South Africa had been excluded from world rugby because of apartheid, yet now, suddenly, with the constitutional negotiations that reached fruition in 1994, it was not only readmitted but was honoured by playing host to the World Cup. Newly elected president Nelson Mandela was alive to the significance of the change. He seized the moment, identifying fully with the Springboks and when they reached…

Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa committed to work together at the G20 Leaders Summit held in the Republic of Indonesia on November 15 and 16. The G20 Leaders Summit in Bali was hosted by His Excellency President Joko Widodo, under the theme “Recover Together, Recover Stronger”. The summit grouped world leaders with the notable exception of Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose economies account for 85% of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 80% of world trade and two-thirds of the world’s population. The summit discussions focused on food and energy security, health, digital transformation, infrastructure and investment. “We meet at a time of momentous changes unseen in a century, changes that are consequential to the world, to our times, and to history. The Covid-19…

Pakistan yesterday named Lieutenant-General Asim Munir as chief of its army, an organisation that plays an extraordinarily influential role in the governance of this nuclear-armed nation. Munir, who also headed both of Pakistan’s powerful spy agencies, will take over from outgoing General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who retires later this month after a six-year term, the defence ministry said. His appointment coincides with a dispute between the military and former prime minister Imran Khan, who blames the army for playing a part in his ousting earlier this year and who has been leading anti-government protests since then. The army has rejected involvement. Khan was wounded in a gun attack earlier this month during anti-government protests. The army has played a huge role in domestic and foreign politics, and Munir’s appointment…

A slightly different career path could have seen Yunus Musah lining up alongside fellow 19-year-old Jude Bellingham for England against the US today. He could even have been playing for Ghana against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal yesterday. Instead, the teenaged midfielder will pull on the US shirt for the 20th time in today's World Cup Group B clash in Al Khor when his side will try to spring a major upset. Musah was born to Ghanaian parents in New York's Bronx, spent his early years near Venice and moved to London with his family in 2012 and came through the ranks at Arsenal's academy. His path into the Premier League looked mapped out when he represented England from Under-15 to Under-18 level but he opted for a move away from Arsenal…

GERMANY have their backs to the wall after losing their World Cup opener to Japan and cannot afford another slip up against Spain on Sunday if they are to have any chance of advancing, coach Hansi Flick said. The four-time world champions suffered a shock 2-1 loss to the Japanese on Wednesday, after having led 1-0 and wasting scores of chances. The Germans inexplicably took their foot off the gas in the second half and conceded two late goals to suffer their third consecutive defeat at a major tournament opener. "We have no free shots any more," Flick told an online news conference yesterday. "We wasted the first one. We now need to work on things and improve them. Now we will go forward and we need to show character…

THE Human Settlements and Infrastructure (HSI) services committee in eThekwini Municipality has approved an additional R67 million to fund overtime pay in the water and sanitation unit to restore order after workers downed tools, protesting against cuts to overtime pay. The funding approval came as councillors in the committee and elsewhere accused the workers of extortion and holding the city to ransom. They also accuse them of sabotaging infrastructure, leaving thousands of residents without water. The staff in the water unit have been protesting since last week. The sabotage being alleged was that staff members tasked with turning water valves on and off, had failed to arrive for work, leading to supply issues. The report on the matter tabled by the unit shows that it requested R48.1m to be transferred…

HEY, it’s Black Friday. The shops are offering all kinds of deals. But where did all this spring from? Like so much in the world of commerce, it originated in the US. The day following Thanksgiving, which is the fourth Thursday in November, has become one of America’s busiest shopping days. All kinds of deals are offered and the crowds attracted are immense. Some say the word “black” comes from businesses shifting from being “in the red” – struggling – to “in the black” – in profit. But the term “Black Friday” actually was coined by the American cops who had to organise overtime shifts to deal with huge crowds, traffic jams, shoplifting and other issues. What this has to do with South Africa and other parts of the world…

THOUGH the history of South Africa is marked by brutality, oppression and injustice, there are aspects of our past that birthed our present strength. Among them is the arrival of indentured labourers from India. On November 16, our country marked 162 years since the Truro docked at the Port of Natal. In the 50 years that followed, some 200 000 Indians were brought to Natal through the indentured labour system. Thus Natal become home to a people who would enrich South Africa for generations to come. I believe it is important for us to celebrate this milestone in our country’s history. We should not allow such anniversaries to go unmarked or unnoticed. The simple fact is that South Africa would not be the democracy it is today without the presence…

Cadres and comrades will congregate in December to elect a new Lord of The Ring to govern a country in complete despair. The new leader will inherit a shattered economy, a destroyed rail and road system, crime on an epic scale, an energy system on the verge of collapse, critical infrastructure that is decayed, critical life support systems that no longer exist, brazen legal defiance that is causing seismic shock waves across the temples of law enforcement, corruption on a scale that is so vast, its scope will take at least 30 years to codify. Among the gathering, will be the facilitators of human corruption, in proud self–adulation, readying themselves with millions of rand celebrations of pomp and bundu bashing, enjoying the comforts of luxury and unfettered power spun by…

THE KWAZULU-NATAL government and lawmakers will be hoping there is no emergency that will require funds after it emerged that there are no cash reserves in the provincial coffers. This news was revealed to members of the provincial legislature (MPLs) who serve on the Finance Portfolio Committee ahead of the tabling of the provincial mid-term budget yesterday. The revelation means that KZN will have to wait until the next financial year in April 2023 before getting any more money from the national government as part of its budget allocation. Senior Provincial Treasury official Tanya Stielau told committee members that the province found itself in uncharted territory in not having money in its reserves. “We have not been in this situation before. “The money in the reserves was used to cover…

AT PROVINCIAL level, rugby in Natal evolved into a pattern very different from the rest of the country. Coached by the visionary Izak van Heerden, the side developed a style of fast, open play, handling interaction between forwards and backs that bewildered their opponents who were still in another mindset. This attractive rugby became known in The Mercury and elsewhere as the “Natal game”. The new-style game was further developed by coach Ian McIntosh, who took the side to a shock 18-12 Currie Cup victory over Northern Transvaal in 1999, the Natal Rugby Union’s centenary year. Elements of the “Natal game” spread fast to other provinces. Meanwhile, Natal (who became the Sharks in the professional era) went on to win the Currie Cup again in 1995, 1996, 2008, 2010, 2013…

For the first time, a majority of Americans dying from Covid-19 received at least the primary series of the vaccine. Fifty-eight percent of Covid-19 deaths in August were people who were vaccinated or boosted, according to an analysis conducted for The Washington Post’s Health 202 newsletter, by Cynthia Cox, vice president at the Kaiser Family Foundation. It’s a continuation of a troubling trend that has emerged over the past year. As vaccination rates have increased and new variants appeared, the share of deaths of people who were vaccinated has been steadily rising. In September 2021, vaccinated people made up just 23% of coronavirus fatalities. In January and February this year, it was up to 42%. “We can no longer say this is a pandemic of the unvaccinated,” Cox said. Being…

Kyiv: Ukraine struggled yesterday to repair its battered power and water services after Russia targeted the electricity grid with dozens of cruise missiles and temperatures plunged. Millions of Ukrainians have been subjected to emergency blackouts for weeks due to systematic Russian bombardments of the grid. More than two-thirds of the capital was still cut off yesterday despite workers in Kyiv restoring some water service. Moscow said it had issued tens of thousands of Russian passports to residents of four Ukrainian territories that it claimed to have annexed last month. | AFP…

SOUTH Africa is still the land of the bloodthirsty fast bowler, right? Newlands offered a hint of evidence that that was the case with Western Province’s seam quartet dismissing the woeful Knights for 110 in 40 overs on the opening day of their Cricket SA 4-Day Series clash yesterday. Elsewhere however, spin dominated. That is unsurprising for Kingsmead, but the Wanderers? There was bounce but typically at “The Bullring”, the pace on the opening day was sluggish. However, what was unusual was the amount of spin on offer which Simon Harmer used to his advantage. The Lions’ batters looked bemused when the second delivery from the off-spinner did strange things. Rassie van der Dussen beckoned opener partner, Josh Richards to have a look at the surface with the Proteas batter…

It is BLACK FRIDAY time again. This year we are going big with all our branches running the sale up until Sunday! We have branches in Durban, (Hunter Street as well as at Tackle Centre), Warner Beach, Kloof, Pietermaritzburg, Ballito and Salt Rock. All items are less 20%, excluding bait and items already on special (while stocks last). Pop into your nearest Kingfisher branch to make the most of the awesome deals. The rock and surf fishing has been interesting ... The fish have been around, but the fishing has been tough. Put the time in and you will reap the rewards. The north coast has seen the bulk of the early summer flatfish and sharks. There have been some decent blackfin and sandies hooked already with the fish leading…

Former president Jacob Zuma wants the Department of Correctional Services to take responsibility for granting him medical parole and for him to be left out of the ongoing court processes. On Monday, the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) upheld a lower court’s judgment that found that Zuma’s medical parole was unlawfully granted by former Correctional Services Department commissioner Arthur Fraser. The SCA said it was up to the current commissioner to determine whether the time Zuma spent on medical parole should be considered as part of his sentence. The Department of Correctional Services has decided to appeal the SCA decision, with spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo saying the department was convinced another court might arrive at a different conclusion. Nxumalo said the department was considering this course of action on the…

Regrettably, we have come to that time of the year when far too many schools become embroiled in the unlawful activity of withholding academic reports of those pupils whose school fees are not paid up. There is an equal responsibility for parents to pay school fees as there is for schools to collect these fees. Schools need fees in order to provide an efficient educational environment. For this very reason, fees must be paid. It is, however, illegal for schools to refuse to release results when fees are not paid. Principals know this. They receive annual notifications from the Department of Education (DoE) not to do this – and they must not. By the same token, parents also need to step up. Those who owe school fees must make arrangements…

If you accept the expectations of others, especially the negative ones, you will never change the outcome. Seeing your future is an integral part of creating it. Brainstorm possibilities. Write general, then detailed, plans. Create flow charts, timelines and deadlines. Resist the fear to dream great dreams. Go ahead. Create a wish list. This is not a selfish thing to do – unless, of course, the plans you create are. Great futures don’t just happen. Of course, no one knows or controls the future, but a great one is far more likely to occur if it is planned than if it is not. So put a great future for yourself on paper and a plan to implement it. Include a list of absolutes, things you won’t do – like lie,…

More than two years after the government announced a plan to restructure the struggling state-owned entities (SOEs), a business case about how the restructuring plan will be done has now been deferred to the next financial year. In addition to that, the department has not implemented a “corporate agreement” to reduce infrastructure vandalism. The Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) plan to restructure SOEs is still in its infancy stages and the process will thus be completed in the next financial year, DPE acting director-general Jacky Molisane told MPs. The DPE and SOEs appeared before the portfolio committee to deliver their mid-year performance reports. DPE Minister Pravin Gordhan’s absence from the meeting frustrated DA MP Ghaleb Cachalia, who accused the minister of being nowhere to be found when serious issues were…

UMGENI Water says power supply issues are impeding the distribution of drinking water from the Hazelmere water treatment plant to consumers in Waterloo, Verulam, La Mercy, Ndwedwe, Ballito and Umhlali. Corporate stakeholder manager for Umgeni Water, Shami Harichunder, said over the past seven days potable water distribution from the treatment works, outside Verulam, had been severely constrained. “The plant is currently supplying, on average, only 50% of the 75Ml/d (75 million litres a day) of the drinking water it produces,” he said. “In a series of electricity-related occurrences there was, first, a complete break in power supply to the Hazelmere water treatment plant caused by damage to an eThekwini Electricity cable that was discovered by Umgeni Water staff and reported to eThekwini Electricity on Monday. The problem could not…

My dream of working for The Mercury got real in November 1995 when I answered an advert in its pages for a “Special Projects” reporter, and my heart sank only a little when the actual job proved to be some margin from its lofty title. It was really about writing for companies that had bought space in the newspaper, I wasn’t being sent to exotic locations to cover breaking news, but I had my foot in the door. I had grown up reading my father’s Mercury every morning and, as an avid sportsman, I was drawn to the back pages, and that is where I wanted to be – if not good enough to be written about, then doing the writing! After three unedifying months of writing advertorial, I thought…

The International Cricket Council reinstated South Africa as a Test nation in 1991. In the second part of the 1990s, South Africa had the highest winning percentage in One-Day Internationals of any team, but were knocked out of the 1996 World Cup in the quarter-finals. They won the inaugural Champions Trophy in 1998, as well as the Commonwealth Games Gold Medal. They hosted the ICC World Cup in 2003. In February 2014, South Africa took on Australia in a Test series, with the winner to be ranked No 1 team in the world. Australia won the series 2-1 (South Africa would regain the No1 ranking later in the year). As of May 4, 2020, South Africa were ranked sixth in Test cricket.…

No political will from ANC-led government to confront apartheid past On February 4, 2015, I penned an opinion piece entitled “What about De Kock’s victims?”, just after the apartheid prime evil, Eugene de Kock, was released on parole by then Minister of Justice, Michael Masutha. Driven by a deep-seated pain and agony and sympathy for the victims of many family members whose loved ones were brutally murdered by De Kock, I lamented this insensitive decision, which at the time seemed to both provoke and test the limits of our people’s resolve. Later on I learnt that De Kock was actually getting paid approximately R40 000 a month and living a luxurious life, while the families of the people whom he mercilessly murdered continue to languish in squalor on the…

China has ordered 6 million people into lockdown in a city where violent protests broke out at an iPhone factory over Covid-19 isolation policies and working conditions. Hundreds of workers took to the streets around the vast iPhone factory in Zhengzhou this week, confronting hazmat-clad personnel wielding batons in a rare display of public anger in China. In the wake of the unrest, Zhengzhou authorities ordered mass testing and an effective lockdown for several districts in the central Chinese city starting today. City centre residents cannot leave the area unless they have a negative Covid-19 test and permission from local authorities, and are advised not to leave their homes “unless necessary”. The restrictions will affect more than 6 million people but do not cover the iPhone factory, where workers have…

LONDON: Net migration to the UK rose to a record of 504 000 in the year to June 2022, official statistics showed yesterday, driven by an increase in the number of non-EU nationals. An estimated 1.1 million long-term immigrants arrived in the year to June, an increase of 435 000 on the previous year. Three new visa schemes – for Ukrainians fleeing the war, Afghan nationals and Hong Kong British nationals – added 186 000 to the numbers. Separate figures released by the British government showed 33 029 people were detected arriving by small boats across the Channel between January and September. | Reuters…