Indholdsfortegnelse for 2023-03-16 i Mercury

THE COMPETITION Tribunal yesterday heard public interest and unfair competition concerns around the merger of Manta Bidco and Mediclinic International, the two large medical industry firms. This after South African Competition Commission approved the merger with conditions. Bidco is incorporated in England and Wales and is a joint venture controlled by Remgro Healthcare Holdings and SAS Shipping Agencies Services, while Mediclinic, incorporated in the UK, has a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange and secondary listing on the JSE and Namibian Stock Exchanges. The deal was announced in 2022 with a £3.7 billion price tag (around R82bn currently), However, Section 27, a public interest law centre, and other interested parties, said yesterday that the Competition Tribunal should enforce conditions stipulated by the Competition Commission and ratified by the…

THE electricity department in the eThekwini Municipality has come under scrutiny as the ANC in the region yesterday expressed concerns that good governance had collapsed. This, the party said, was compounded by the fact that the unit used to generate profit, but this was no longer the case. The party raised the issue of electricity and water challenges as it briefed the media on the outcomes of its engagements of its lekgotla at the Durban Exhibition Centre last Friday and Saturday. The eThekwini regional ANC leader Musa Nciki said: “Flowing from our lekgotla, the ANC is firmly focusing on ensuring energy sufficiency in response to rampant load shedding. “In particular, as the ANC we remain worried about the general collapse of good governance in the eThekwini electricity department. Apart…

KwaZulu-Natal has more than half a million people waiting for homes. This is while, during the past few years, KZN’s Department of Human Settlements has had to deal with providing emergency accommodation to flood victims. Regrettably – apart from this act of nature – the department also has many problems as a result of its own failure to act. In eThekwini, where the majority of flood victims were based, the ANC-run municipality has allowed residents to build on unsafe river banks. The lack of law enforcement, particularly from the Land Use Management Department, has led to the building of both formal and informal structures wherever people choose. This has affected the availability of usable land on which to build temporary and permanent housing. Yet another issue within the department is…

Eskom, SAA, the SA Post Office and other struggling state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have guzzled more than R331 billion in bailouts since 2013, MPs heard. Treasury officials appeared before the standing committee on public accounts (Scopa), where they painted a worrying picture about the bailouts granted so that SOEs could implement turnaround plans to repay debt and government guarantees, improve liquidity and for capital expenditure. “The government has granted R331.2bn in recapitalisations over the period 2013/14 to 2022/23, of which Eskom accounts for 55% of the total recapitalisations,” a report to MPs said. The report pegged the total recapitalisation amount for SAA – from 2007 until the airline was placed into business rescue in December 2019 – at R22.8bn. “An additional R16.4bn was allocated (to SAA) over the 2020 medium…

Front-line conservation organisations joined the private sector and law enforcement this week in a conference to tackle illegal wildlife trade across the region. Attended by leaders from government, business, law enforcement and NGOs, the two-day event came hot on the heels of recent commitments from the US Treasury to form a US-South Africa task force to “follow the money” and halt the illegal trade in wildlife. Hosted by United for Wildlife, at Timbavati Private Nature Reserve in partnership with the Global Conservation Corps (GCC) and the Greater Kruger Environmental Protection Foundation, Combating the Illegal Wildlife Trade in Southern Africa promoted greater engagement and collaboration between non-profit, public and private sectors, highlighting the crucial role they could play in supporting wildlife rangers, Africa’s first line of defence against poachers. The attendees…

Public Investment Corporation (PIC) listed equities general manager Lebogang Molebatsi, has told the High Court in the Western Cape that he considered the ICT investment Group, AYO Technology Solutions (AYO), to be a good investment and advised the PIC to buy shares. Molebatsi, who was testifying at the ongoing case in which the PIC is looking to dissolve and recoup its R4.3 billion subscription agreement in the listed technology firm, admitted saying on several separate occasions that he considered AYO to be a good investment. Molebatsi, who was being questioned about his role in the deal, admitted under cross-examination by AYO senior counsel Nazeer Cassim, to having signed memos supporting the transaction several months later. Molebatsi was part of the PIC transaction team, which also included the then PIC executive…

For any economist concerned about the impact of the world’s second largest economy on global economic growth, the “two sessions” in China provide a template as to how plans are turned into policies and actions. With development and reform priorities reviewed and discussed by over 5 000 national lawmakers and political advisers ranging from students and farmers to government officials, the annual meetings of China’s top legislature and political advisory body aim to build consensus and pool the intellectual resources of so many people. This year, the “two sessions” took place after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in October 2022. Before the “two sessions”, there was speculation that China would aim to double 2022’s economic growth rate of 3%, but instead of 6%, the…

The geology of Brazil’s volcanic Trindade Island has fascinated scientists for years, but the discovery of rocks made from plastic debris in this remote turtle refuge is sparking alarm. Melted plastic has become intertwined with rocks on the island, located 1 140km from the south-eastern state of Espirito Santo, which researchers say is evidence of humans’ influence over the Earth’s geological cycles. Fernanda Avelar Santos, a geologist at the Federal University of Parana, ran chemical tests to find out what kind of plastics are in the rocks. “We identified the pollution mainly comes from fishing nets,” she said. “When the temperature rises, this plastic melts and becomes embedded with the beach’s natural material.” Thousands of green turtles arrive on the island each year to lay their eggs. The only human…

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed discussed efforts to reach sustainable peace in Tigray yesterday, Blinken’s spokesperson said, as both sides seek to mend diplomatic ties damaged by the war there. During a two-and-a-half-hour meeting in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, Blinken and Abiy also talked about the importance of accountability for the atrocities perpetrated by all parties during the war, said spokesperson Ned Price. The Ethiopian government and forces from Tigray, a region in the north of the country, signed a peace deal in November, ending a two-year conflict that killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions. “The secretary reiterated US support for efforts by the parties to achieve full implementation of the agreement in order to lay the groundwork for…

SUSPENDED Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane believes that the parliamentary inquiry into her fitness to hold public office was “merely a politically motivated witch-hunt”. She said that retired chief justice (CJ) Mogoeng Mogoeng had once warned that investigations by her office were bound to attract unfriendly responses, and she said the inquiry was an example of this. “The prophecy of CJ Mogoeng Mogoeng is coming to fruition because exactly what he said is what I am currently going through,” she said. Mkhwebane made the statement when her legal counsel, advocate Dali Mpofu SC, led her in her testimony, which is set to run until March 31. Mkhwebane said the inquiry was a “special project” of the DA aimed at scoring political points. The impeachment process was far removed from the Constitution,…

Listening to SAfm the other day, I caught a snippet of a welcoming address by President Cyril Ramaphosa to a group of newly arrived ambassadors. And, by jiminy, it lifted my spirits! For, apart from the sort of stuff one would normally expect to hear, Ramaphosa reassured his listeners on a raft of issues which, hitherto, had been causing me sleepless nights. The government, for instance, was well on its way to eliminating corruption. And whereas load shedding still posed a bit of a problem it, too, would soon be resolved. I sallied forth with a spring in my step and a smile on my lips to face a brave new day in our country, and I would like to add my personal support to the newly arrived diplomats: Welcome,…

The rector of the University of the Free State, Mr Francis Petersen’s piece in The Mercury, on March 14 – “A culture of acceptance greatest threat”, refers: I myself, for many, many years had often thought about this virtually total lack of complaint by our society but could not find substantial and tangible evidence to actually write about it. I kept on making excuses for the apathy that I observed from all echelons of society. After all, firstly, black people (read: Khoisan, Koi Koi, Zulus, Basutos etc) began to include “oppression” into their vocabulary, the very second after Jan van Riebeck cleared the gangplank in 1652. This Act of God (promulgated by King, Country and Church of Europe) forcefully psyched the local black mind to remain forever in darkness. Next…

SITHULILE Zulu, the driver of the truck which was involved in last week’s multi- vehicle accident that left at least 16 people injured on the M41 near uMhlanga made a second appearance for a bail application in a packed Durban Magistrate’s courtroom yesterday. Zulu, 22, appeared for the first time in court last week after handing himself over to the police. He is charged with reckless and negligent driving, and failure to comply with the duties of a driver following an accident. The accident left more than 46 vehicles damaged and it took more than five hours before traffic authorities could clear the scene. Yesterday, the court heard that Zulu is from Mtubatuba in northern KwaZulu-Natal. The State is opposing bail. “The State considers the accused to be a flight…

IF PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to KwaZulu-Natal to launch the ANC’s election campaign was anything to go by, he and his party must brace themselves for what already appears to be a long and bumpy road to next year’s polls. Listening to him addressing the crowds, one was left with the impression that he was repeating a song many have heard for nearly 30 years. It now sounds like a broken record, as it has been repeated so many times with little to no results over the years. In fact, he faced a blockade of burning tyres in Dambuza, Pietermaritzburg, at the weekend, with one protester saying: “What is it he is going to do for us because we have had these promises before?” Ramaphosa, who has previously faced hostile…

Rescuers scrambled yesterday to reach survivors in Malawi’s battered city of Blantyre after Cyclone Freddy struck southern Africa for a second time, triggering floods and landslides that have killed more than 270 people across two countries. Weather conditions were expected to improve as the storm dissipated over land after days of torrential rains, but localised thunderstorms would persist, and flood levels remained high in some areas, hampering emergency efforts. “The death toll has risen from 190 to 225 with 707 injured and 41 reported missing,” the Malawi disaster management agency said. Red Cross Malawi spokesperson Felix Washon said they had been hoisting people from trees and rooftops. “It’s a challenge to reach them, water is high, and bridges are broken.” Freddy returned to south-eastern Africa at the weekend for a…

Tehran: Eleven people were killed and more than 3 500 injured during celebrations for Iran’s traditional fire festival ahead of the Persian New Year, state media said yesterday. The fire festival is celebrated on the night of the last Tuesday of the Iranian calendar year, which ends on March 20. Since February 20, 26 people have died in incidents related to Chaharchanbe Suri, including at least 11 on the day of the event along with more than 3 550 injured, emergency services said. During the festival, participants jump over bonfires to purify themselves. The festival is part of Iran’s pre-Islamic heritage and frowned upon by the establishment. | AFP…

LAHORE: A Pakistan court ordered police yesterday to suspend an operation to arrest former prime minister Imran Khan, bringing a halt to pitched battles in which police baton-charged supporters of the former cricketer and fired water cannon and tear gas. Security forces withdrew from around Khan’s home in the eastern city of Lahore, easing political instability in the nuclear-armed nation which is struggling with an economic crisis and awaiting an International Monetary Fund bailout. The operation to arrest Khan came after a lower court in the capital Islamabad issued a warrant against him for defying orders to go to court over charges that he unlawfully sold state gifts given to him by foreign dignitaries when he was prime minister from 2018-2022. | Reuters…

BAFANA Bafana coach Hugo Broos will have a tough time selecting his final squad for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Liberia this month as most of his men are on form. After playing only one game in Group K, losing to log leaders Morocco, Bafana are second in the group, leading third-placed Liberia, who also lost to the Atlas Lions, on goal difference. The three teams are vying for a qualification berth for the continental finals in Ivory Coast next year as Zimbabwe are out of the running following a ban imposed by Fifa. The South Africans could all but secure their spot in the finals as early as this month if they beat Liberia at home, Orlando Stadium, on March 24 and away four days…

THE MANGEMENT at Growthpoint Properties presenting South Africa’s largest primary listed real estate investment trust’s (Reit’s) interims yesterday adopted a tone of caution and defensive stance for the year ahead with muted growth on the horizon. Looking ahead, Growthpoint said, its diversified portfolio, strong balance sheet and stable hard currency dividend income streams position the company defensively for the rest of financial year 2023. “However, with elevated uncertainty in the local and global macroeconomic environment and rising interest rates and inflation, Growthpoint still expects to deliver muted full-year distributable income per share (Dips) growth,” it said. CEO Norbert Sasse, talking about the firm’s interim results for the period ended December 31, 2022, said that it would take about a three- to five-year period for property values to recover. This…

CIVIL society organisations have reacted with outrage to the Msunduzi Municipality’s proposed tariff increases, which include a 21.65% hike for electricity, saying the City wants to hike the cost of services but is struggling with water and electricity supply. They say the current consultative meetings, which the municipality is holding with different stakeholders, are an empty gesture and contend that the municipality simply wants to be seen to have involved all parties before arriving at a decision to increase tariffs. Following the publication this month of the municipality’s proposed tariffs increases for the 2023/24 financial year – which will include a 21% increase for electricity and a 35% increase for water – lobby groups said they would use all available platforms to express their opposition to the proposed increases which…

For any new regime or political system to function successfully and implement much-needed reforms, it has to be built on the ruins of the old system or at least sideline it, because the two systems cannot work together; otherwise, why do we seek change? This is essential to create the conditions necessary for a new, more efficient system to emerge and achieve the desired reforms and objectives. In this regard, President Cyril Ramaphosa, as usual, missed another significant opportunity, which could be his last, when he failed to make any meaningful changes in his recent Cabinet reshuffle. It was obvious that the removal and appointment process of some ministers were not done on the basis of satisfying the needs of South Africans at this critical moment in the history of…

Within each person is a holy place called The Self. It is here, in the deepest recess of who each of us is, that the human spirit, soul, intellect, meld and form the powerhouse or engine room for who and what each of us is. The subtle art of self-care – “subtle” because there is a delicate difference between being self-caring, selfishness, and being self-serving – is fundamental to good mental, emotional health and also relational health. Appropriate self-care is not selfishness or self-indulgent. It is not self-centeredness. It is not self-serving. It is self-awareness. It is self-monitoring with the firm understanding that each person is responsible for the condition of his or her self. Each of us is responsible for how we relate to all others (to neither dominate…

IN his first legal victory leading up to his future in the legal fraternity, a student took on Walter Sisulu University after it accepted him into its Bachelor of Laws degree programme but later told him it was already full. Milela Mbana, however, would not let this stumbling block stand in the way of his chosen career. He took on the university in the Eastern Cape High Court, sitting in Mthatha, and won. The court ordered the university to register him for this degree within two days of this order. The court said the conduct of the university “stands in the way of the applicant exercising his right to further education”. Mbana turned to court on an urgent basis to set aside the university’s decision to allocate his space to…

A study has found that although middle-income earners in the country have been severely affected by load shedding, they are not keen on the idea of solar energy and generators. The SA Blackout Report 2023 by Brandmapp has highlighted the damaging effect of load shedding on small businesses. The study surveyed 1 496 participants across South Africa, revealing that 73% of the mid-market population lose their internet/wi-fi access during load shedding and a large percentage have no practical power back-up. It targeted respondents living in households with a monthly income greater than R10 000 and those most likely to mitigate the effects of Eskom’s load shedding. The report said safety was also a concern during load shedding. “That 64% of people feel less safe at home is nothing short of…

South African women of all hues protested against racial oppression When Premier of KwaZulu-Natal Nomusa Dube-Ncube wrote last week (March 10) in The Mercury that women played an important role in the liberation of South Africa, she was absolutely correct. However, in largely acknowledging the role that African women played in the Struggle, she tended to overlook the fact that South African women of all hues had come together at various points in our history of this country to protest against racial oppression. In my research on Indian women from indenture to democracy, I found that the contribution of South African Indian women in the Struggle against apartheid was not well known. Little is known of their role in the Indian resistance movements as they fought alongside men to…

Concerned about China’s shrinking population, political advisers to the government have come up with more than 20 recommendations to boost birth rates, but experts say the best they can do is to slow the population’s decline. China dug itself into a demographic hole largely through its one-child policy imposed between 1980 and 2015. Authorities raised the limit to three in 2021, but even during the stay at home Covid-19 times couples have been reluctant to have babies. Young people cite high childcare and education costs, low incomes, a feeble social safety net and gender inequalities, as discouraging factors. The proposals to boost the birth rate, made at the annual meeting of China’s People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) this month, range from subsidies for families raising their first child, rather than…

Uncollected rubbish clogged streets in France’s capital yesterday as unions made an 11th-hour bid to stop a deeply unpopular pensions reform from being passed. Opinion polls show about two-thirds of French people are against the legislation to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64; extend contributions for a full pension and scrap some special privileges for public sector employees. But despite two months of protests and cross-sector strikes, the bill championed by President Emmanuel Macron appears to be on the verge of being pushed through parliament. Several demonstrations kicked off across France yesterday, including in the northern city of Calais and southwestern city of Bordeaux, in a new day of strikes and protests. Police were expecting between 650 000 and 850 000 demonstrators nationwide,…