Indholdsfortegnelse for 2024-02-05 i Mercury

EQUITY markets on the JSE continued to recover last week. This despite the hawkish tone of the US Federal Reserve (Fed) on the prospects for interest rates in the US. The Fed announced at a press conference last Wednesday that it keeps its bank rate at its current level of between 5.25% and 5.5%. The Fed hinted that it is done raising interest rates, but made it clear that it is not ready to start cutting, with a March move lower increasingly unlikely. The Fed emphasised that it had no intention in cutting rates while core inflation was still above the central bank’s target of 2%. US core inflation came down to a two-and a-half year low of 3.9% in December 2023, down from 4% in the prior month and…

In South Africa, people are gearing up to enjoy the great outdoors before winter arrives. It’s the perfect time to bask in the sun and relish the benefits the outdoors has to offer. However, from November to March, summer temperatures can hit 40ºC. As the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change highlighted, the risk of heat stress is growing, with up to 76% of the global population potentially facing deadly heat conditions by the end of the century. To help South Africans stay safe while enjoying the sun, Lamelle Research Laboratories has five tips: Avoid the sun during peak hours Between 10 am and 2pm, the sun’s UV rays are at its strongest. Try to schedule your walks and swims for the early morning or the afternoon. Cover up when…

THE new national minimum wage (NMW) of R27.58 an hour which takes effect from March 1, 2024, has attracted a mixed reaction from labour and employer groupings. The NMW, up from R25.42 an hour, was announced by Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi on Friday. The NMW now also includes farm and domestic workers previously excluded since 2022. It comes against the backdrop of the high youth unemployment rate and inequality that the World Economic Forum says is stunting South Africa’s gross domestic product per capita. Onyi Nwaneri, a spokesperson for youth development organisation Afrika Tikkun Services, said the NMW had brought “mixed feelings” across the South African economy. “What we see in terms of youth unemployment is not good with unintended consequences such as drugs, crime, etc. South Africa…

CHIEF Justice Raymond Zondo has given controversial retired Judge Zak Yacoob a new role at the Constitutional Court. There has been no official announcement of the move and Judge Yacoob yesterday would not comment on the appointment, instead referring queries to the Office of the Chief Justice. Judge Yacoob told The Mercury yesterday that he had not confirmed his appointment with anyone. “If I was appointed by the Chief Justice and the Department of Justice to do work, then it is not for me to talk and it is for them to talk about it,” Judge Yacoob said. He also questioned why the media was interested in such an appointment. The Sunday World reported that it was believed that Judge Yacoob was hired to look at all the appeal…

AS THE water crisis within eThekwini – KwaZulu-Natal’s only metro – continues to cause widespread suffering, the stark reality remains that if eThekwini fails, our province fails. Currently, long-term outages continue to affect large parts of the metro, including uMlazi, Inanda, Phoenix and Durban North. Regrettably, the crisis also comes as the municipality is unstable, both financially and politically. Given the current tensions, the DA has now called on KZN Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi to take the drastic step of dissolving the eThekwini Metro Council, given that eThekwini is no longer able to provide constitutionally mandated services to the people of the metro. Another reason is the Auditor-General’s flagging of serious concerns around the municipality’s cash flow, which raises serious doubts around whether eThekwini is still…

ALAS ... the spectral figure I always felt would continue forever in a physical, yet immortal, form even after the incredible age of 98, doing security checks in the space around Truro Hall and continuing to advise people of all denominations, all genders, all ages and all races, of the need for a true love for all religions, true artforms, all shapes of cultures, especially the original Indian-Muslim-Arab genre and encouraging young people to write books and articles in the media, on especially human rights, is now, sadly, gone. Zuleikha Mayat passed away at the weekend. Her political activism began the day her husband, Dr MGH Mayat, himself an iconic, most progressive medic and well ahead of his contemporaries was denied urgent medical attention after a vehicle accident. Dr…

A 35-year-old former government official has been sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for insurance fraud. Siyabonga Ndwandwe was convicted in the Durban Regional Court this past week. Ndwandwe worked as a clerk at the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Hawks spokesperson Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo said that in October 2017 Ndwandwe took out funeral policy insurance with five different insurance companies. “He covered three non-existing children as his dependants. The following year, Ndwandwe submitted claims, citing that his children were deceased,” Mhlongo said. An amount of R96 500 was paid to him, but one of the insurance companies “smelt a rat” and launched an internal investigation. A case of fraud was opened at the Durban Central police station and the case docket allocated to Durban Serious Commercial Crime Investigation, Mhlongo…

YOU cannot just go awol (absent without leave) from work without notifying your employer, and simply refuse to answer the employer’s calls because you “fear” it might cause a relapse in your depressed state. This is a hard lesson that a member of the Motor Industry Staff Association (Misa) recently learnt. He was employed as a sales executive at a dealership in the Eastern Cape, but was later fired for going awol. The union member, who simply left his workplace on December 20 and was “missing in action” for 10 days because he was upset with his employer, claimed that he suffered from depression. He, however, could not prove to the employer that he visited a doctor for the depression. Although he had six days’ leave due to…

PARLIAMENT has started the process of searching for a deputy Public Protector. The position became vacant when former incumbent Kholeka Gcaleka was appointed as the Public Protector last year. Gcaleka took over from Busisiwe Mkhwebane, who was impeached following an inquiry into her fitness to hold office. The justice and correctional services portfolio committee last week put out an advertisement calling for nominations and applications for the deputy position. According to the Constitution, the deputy Public Protector must be a South African citizen and “fit and proper person to hold the particular office”. It provides that the office-bearer must be a person, who for 10 years, was a judge, practised as or was an admitted advocate or attorney or qualified to be admitted as an advocate or attorney and has…

South Africa’s application to the ICJ has implications for Cape Independence SOUTH Africa’s application to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has commanded enormous media attention, both domestically and abroad. Quite correctly, the focus has been on the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Middle East. A preliminary order has now been issued, while the case itself will take several years to finalise. South Africa’s actions, however, have had far wider implications, some of which are very significant domestically. As an advocate for Cape Independence, the legal formalities of the case have been very helpful. Is the Constitution supreme? Whether Cape Independence is legally possible has been a recurring theme of the secession debate. Many South African legal scholars who oppose the idea have sought to frame the legality…

BEIJING: China’s meteorological authority has renewed an orange alert for snowstorms in some regions of the country, beginning yesterday. The National Meteorological Centre said that from yesterday morning to this morning, heavy snow will hit parts of Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu and Shandong, with snowfall expected to reach 2 to 5cm. It advised authorities to be aware of the impact of extensive snow and freezing weather during the ongoing Spring Festival travel rush, in which hundreds of millions of people return home to reunite with their friends and families. Pedestrians and drivers were advised to be extra careful concerning roads, railways, electricity and telecommunications.…

FRANCE: A migrant found shot in northern France died of his wounds overnight, prosecutors said yesterday, with a second person injured. The fatally wounded man was “found, still alive, on the side of the A16 road near the town of Grande-Synthe,” said Charlotte Hutet, prosecutor in adjacent Dunkirk. “This man was living in a migrant camp near to the spot where he was found” at Loon-Plage, she added, saying his identity had yet to be confirmed. He had been shot in the chest, a police source said. The second person, a 33-year-old Iraqi also believed to be living in the camp, was wounded in the hand, the source said on condition of anonymity.…

Harare: Zumbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF now commands a two-thirds majority in parliament and could amend the constitution and prolong President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s control, after by-election results were released yesterday. The party won a clean sweep in six constituency elections held on Saturday after a peculiar political manoeuvre that was denounced as a fraud by the opposition saw six opposition MPs sacked. Zimbabwe Electoral Commission chairperson Rodney Kiwa told AFP: “Elections went well. ZANU-PF has won in all the six constituencies. “I do confirm that position.” This was the second time Zimbabwe has held parliamentary by-elections since the start of a political crisis that has hobbled the opposition and may now cement 81-year-old Mnangagwa’s control. Analysts and opposition activists warn that ZANU-PF could now wield their super-majority – of 190 seats out…

The Springboks are set to warm up for this year’s international season with a Test against Wales at Twickenham in June. The Boks demolished the All Blacks 35-5 at the venue in September, and a return to the home of rugby will generate much-needed revenue for SA Rugby but also serve as a warm-up for the two-Test home series against Ireland in the first two weeks of July. The Boks can expect plenty of support from expatriate South Africans in London, while Wales, who lost 27-26 to Scotland in a Six Nations thriller at the weekend, will give them a tough workout ahead of the matches against the No1 team in the world. Ireland enjoyed an emphatic victory over France in Marseilles on Friday night and will be hell-bent on…

India produces some of the best vegetarian recipes in the world. From onion bhajis and vegetable samoosas to saag paneer and vegetable korma. When you have such intense flavours, meat often seems a bit redundant. One of the most popular staples of Indian cuisine is dhal. Dhal is one universal Indian dish that transcends culture, race and gender, old and young, and is served in restaurants across the world. The reason? It has a universal taste: not spicy, vegetarian, mild, or kid-friendly, and can be the main dish or side dish, ideally eaten with roti, naan (flatbread), poppadoms, humble plain rice or the fit-for-royalty breyani rice. This dish is also rich in micro- and macronutrients such as carbohydrates and protein, so it nourishes your body perfectly. The ingredients are inexpensive…

H&M chief executive Helena Helmersson has resigned following low profits in the business. According to the Financial Times, the Swedish fashion group has been failing to increase its profits for over a decade. This is due to the high competition in fast fashion. Its competitors – Zara, owned by Inditex; and Shein, owned by Chinese entrepreneur Chris Xu – are thriving while it sinks. Helmersson will be replaced by Daniel Ervér, who has been with the company for 18 years. “The H&M group is in a strong position, with a positive profitability trend and good conditions to make further improvements in 2024. “Ervér is a competent, experienced and respected leader and has the qualities needed to continue to develop the H&M group,” Karl-Johan Persson, H&M’s chairperson and a former chief…

A Student union wants universities to scrap the application fees paid by prospective students looking for a place to study, saying the fees impede access for poor students. The South African Union of Students (SAUS) said the fees were unjust and at the very least, this money should not be kept by universities but should rather be used to assist students that are already enrolled and struggling financially. With the exception of applications within KwaZulu-Natal, which has a Central Applications Office through which prospective first-year students pay a single fee to apply to all four universities and some private colleges in the province, applications to other universities must be done individually with an application fee applying to each of the institutions. Theses fees are non-refundable. With the recent figures showing…

Regarding the report “Plans for desalination plant revived” (The Mercury, January 31), and other reports relating eThekwini’s water problems, I would like to comment as follows: In the late 1990s and early 2000s, whenever the Water and Sanitation Department presented their budget, it was always the “Repairs and Maintenance” and “Capital Expenditure” budgets that were cut drastically, as the consensus was that “if it ain’t broke, why fix it”, which ethos apparently continues to this day. Now we live with the consequences of those decisions: old pipes breaking as they have not been replaced, and equipment failures due to lack of maintenance. I’m led to believe that some time ago a report on how to tackle the problem – prepared by Water Affairs and experts such as Neil MacLeod –…

While the letters page is at this stage dominated by the Israel/Gaza matter, I want to address something closer to home. Apparently municipalities across the country owe Eskom billions of rand. How is this possible? We pay our electricity accounts – because if we don’t, we get cut off. This is a payment that is easily identifiable as being for electricity. Now the question is: Where does this money go? Surely it should be credited to the Eskom account? While one can understand about illegal connections, etc, it is still strange that the amounts owed by various municipalities are so high. What are the municipal chief financial officers doing with the money? Perhaps it is time for an independent external audit? Perhaps the municipalities should make their financial statements open…

WHAT a great start to the Six Nations Rugby Championship. Ireland beating France. Is this not a major turn-up? How about Italy’s showing against England? Yes, they lost, but they never gave up. That final try of theirs in extra time, several minutes after the hooters had sounded, was a marvel of keeping possession, then building up to a beaut of a try. Italy are no longer the minnows of world rugby. They’ve travelled a long way and are a force to be reckoned with. Then Scotland versus Wales. The Scots were way ahead at half-time, the game over virtually, and everyone thinking: “Poor old Cymru, what’s happened to them?” Then they end up losing by a single point. What a comeback! Sensational stuff! The Morningside damsels of the Pub…

Public Protector, advocate Kholeka Gcaleka, has sounded a warning about the potential of South Africa becoming a welfare state, with the ever increasing number of people who rely on social grants. Gcaleka said in a country where millions of people depended on social grants, it leads to low economic growth. South Africa should not be proud that millions of its people depended on the government’s social security system, she said. More than 18 million people receive the old-age, disability, child support and foster care grants. Another 8 million receive the R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant. The SRD grant was introduced in 2020 following the outbreak of Covid-19 but the government has extended it several times. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced in the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement…

A TOTAL of 31 educators have been removed from the SA Council of Educators (SACE) roll indefinitely. The council reported that 734 cases, including 254 misconduct cases, were investigated. Out of 73 018 registered teachers, 61 had criminal records. The SACE reports showed 21 were for theft, 16 for traffic offences, six for assault, one for public indecency and two for domestic violence, among others. The SACE said it was gravely concerned about the assault of learners, sexual misconduct and assault of colleagues and added that corporal punishment of learners still took place. In 2022/23, nationally, the figures revealed the following: absenteeism – 91, abuse of learners (bullying, humiliation, defamation of character and disrespect) – 58, assault of a colleague or learner – 212, corruption related to the post…

Organisations against gender-based violence have said that urgent action was needed to protect women and children at risk. The groups were commenting after a man allegedly shot dead his wife and 3-year-old daughter before turning the gun on himself in Clayfield, Phoenix, on Saturday. KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said that Phoenix police were investigating two counts of murder and an inquest docket. “This follows a shooting in which a man allegedly shot the mother of his child and his child before turning the gun on himself in Phoenix on Saturday afternoon.” Netshiunda said police responded to reports of a shooting on Pipeclay Place and on arrival found the body of a woman lying in a pool of blood. “It is reported that the suspect arrived at the scene…

OVERCRIMINALISATION occurs when a state passes vague, broadly worded and incredibly hard to enforce laws that create a plethora of criminal offences. Due to the inherent deficiencies in these laws, when promulgated they lead to widespread criminalisation of citizens who inadvertently or unknowingly break the law. I believe the term precisely illustrates what will happen should the Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill be signed into law by the President in its current form. The very same custodian of the bill, the Department of Justice and Correctional Services, has recently admitted that “many aspects of the regulations in process are still unclear, including the permitted quantities involved and many definitions of the bill, at the foremost the question as to what constitutes a private space”. The department has noted that regulations…

ISTANBUL: Two pilots have died and a technician has been injured after a helicopter crashed in the Turkish south-central province of Gaziantep, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said yesterday. “The helicopter of the aviation department of the general security directorate, which took off from Hatay to Gaziantep, crashed near the village of Kartal in Gaziantep province. Two pilots have died and a technician has been injured,” Yerlikaya said on X. Türkiye’s interior minister has expressed condolences to the families of victims and wished a speedy recovery to an injured police officer. The cause of the helicopter crash has not been specified.…

MOSCOW: Over 6.2 million voters in El Salvador were set to vote in the presidential, mayoral and legislative polls yesterday. Sitting president, Nayib Bukele, has sidestepped constitutional limits to run for a second six-year term and is widely expected to win. A November 1 opinion poll by CID Gallup showed his approval rating at 90%, the highest among a dozen of Latin American leaders. Bukele’s running mate, Vice-President Felix Ulloa, promised that the government would continue its controversial war on gangs and violent crime, which has drawn accusations of human rights violations but also allowed the country to mark 500 days without homicides in December.…

RUSSIA said yesterday that Ukraine killed at least 28 people, including nine women and a child, when its armed forces struck a bakery and restaurant in Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine with Western-supplied rockets. Russian-backed officials said that Ukraine struck the bakery in the city of Lysychansk on Saturday with US-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). Emergency workers worked through the night searching for survivors in the rubble of what remained of the shattered Adriatic Restaurant on Moskovska Street, where Russian officials said a bakery had been set up for civilians. “The armed forces of Ukraine opened fire on a bakery in Lysychansk,” said Leonid Pasechnik, the Russian-installed head of the Luhansk region which is now controlled by Russian forces. Pasechnik said the bakery was crowded with civilians when it was…

Rawalpindi, Pakistan: Former prime minister Imran Khan’s party has redefined election campaigning in Pakistan with its social media rallies and use of AI technology in a bid to sidestep a nationwide crackdown that has followed it online. Khan was jailed in the build-up to the campaign, while his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) has been heavily restricted from campaigning for Thursday’s vote and banned from the TV airwaves. Censorship followed as the party pushed its election drive online. “They can ban what they want, they can ban YouTube and TikTok, whatever they want but our vote is for Imran Khan,” 18-year-old Imran Aziz, a first-time voter, told AFP at a bustling electronics market in Rawalpindi. Pakistani internet freedom watchdog Bytes 4 All recorded four hours-long social media shutdowns in January, cutting off…

The astonishing performance of Ronwen Williams in Saturday’s Afcon quarter-final against Cape Verde could well be the premier individual achievement of the 2023 continental marquee event. Ronwen Williams 10/10 Another brilliant performance by South Africa’s shot-stopper. He was deservedly named player of the match after four stunning saves in the penalty shoot-out. One could not ask for more from the goalmouth custodian. Aubrey Modiba 7 Modiba showed composure at left back in a workmanlike performance. He fought hard in the duels and made first-time clearances. He is always up for sending in goalmouth crosses when he moves down the flank, as he tries to spark attacking forays from deep options. Mothobi Mvala 8 Mvala is becoming the darling of the fans after solid performances in the centre of defence. He…

Fashion exists everywhere, even in sports. Last year, we saw a rise in sports fashion, particularly football, where several clubs partnered with fashion designers for stylish kits. Since African countries are united for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), Africa Fashion International (AFI) has decided to take that opportunity to host a continental fashion show. On February 9, ahead of the Afcon finals, AFI, in partnership with the Ministry of Culture and La Francophonie, will host an Africa Fashion Unites fund-raising fashion show on the esplanade of the Sofitel Abidjan Hôtel Ivoire, Ivory Coast. The purpose of the fashion show is to raise funds for the ABE APO ÉLISABETH Artisanal Centrein Motézo in the Alépé region. Founded by Ivorian cultural entrepreneur Michèle Yakice, this centre is dedicated to…

Bafana Bafana are delicately poised for Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) glory after they ended a 24-year absence from the semi-finals, following their 2-1 penalty shoot-out win over Cape Verde in Saturday’s quarter-final in Ivory Coast. Coach Hugo Broos’s charges have been giant killers, eliminating Morocco, the World Cup semi-finalists, and then defeating Cape Verde, previously also unbeaten. They have now fixed a semi-final date with the Super Eagles of Nigeria on Wednesday (kick-off at 7pm) at Stade de la Paix in Bouaké. In their last semi-final appearance, South Africa suffered a 2-0 loss to Nigeria. Cape Verde, seeking to be inspired by Madiba Magic, were floored by Bafana Bafana’s power in Saturday’s Afcon semi-final in Ivory Coast. On the eve of the match Pedro “Bubista” Brito, the national team…

As World Wetlands Day was commemorated on February 2, it is important that we commit ourselves to protecting and preserving the wetlands in our communities as wetlands are crucial for the wellbeing of humans and other living creatures. World Wetlands Day is an important day in the environmental calendar as it aims to raise global awareness and enhance people’s understanding of the critical importance of wetlands. This year, World Wetlands Day was celebrated under the theme “Wetlands and Human Well-being”, which highlights the interconnectedness of wetlands and human life and well-being. Healthy wetlands equate to our well-being, whether it is through the provision of clean water, as a source of food, or protecting us from extreme weather events. Human beings have depended on wetlands for centuries, drawing sustenance, inspiration and…

When it seems that things are coming at you from all sides… Hold onto yourself. Even if you are surrounded by supportive loved ones, you are all you’ve got. You are your own constant companion and your relationship with yourself is the longest relationship you will ever have. So you might as well be best friends. You might as well learn to enjoy yourself. How you treat yourself is (already) the platform from which you see others. It also forms the lens through which you see all things. When under pressure, don’t talk to everyone about what you are facing. It’s a hopeful myth that all talking is helpful. It’s not. Choose a few trusted people and talk only to them. Spewing – freely-recalling, random mumblings, blaming others, yelling, speaking…

Police in KwaZulu-Natal said they had made strides in addressing crime in the province by removing firearms from the streets and arresting over 10 000 people for various crimes in the first month of 2024. Shooting incidents have plagued the province in recent months. Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said a total of 258 firearms, 24 of them rifles, and 2 796 rounds of ammunition were seized. A total of 10 070 people linked to various crimes were also nabbed, some of them wanted suspects. “Of this number, 190 suspects have been arrested in connection with murder cases, while 232 were arrested on attempted murder charges.” He said almost 200 people were arrested on charges of rape and over 200 suspects linked to house robberies, business robberies, robbery…

Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula says Pariament is weighing options in securing a venue for members to attend sittings physically. They want to get the venue by April 1 and at the moment they are looking at various options. But Mapisa-Nqakula warned that the costs would be high. She added that just for one day, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) costs would amount to about R500 000. The Speaker told parties that if they want to have physical sittings, they must ensure their members attend those sittings to avoid fruitless expenditure. At present Parliament was looking at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, the City Hall and the Good Hope Centre. Parliament has not been able to convene in the parliamentary precinct since the fire that swept through it on January 2,…

The ANC is hoping to convince former president Thabo Mbeki to join its campaign ahead of the national and general elections this year. This comes as the governing party faces many challenges, including former president Jacob Zuma endorsing and campaigning for the newly formed uMkohonto weSizwe (MK) Party. According to reports, the ANC has deployed former KwaZulu-Natal provincial secretary, Mdumiseni Ntuli, to convince Mbeki to campaign for the party. Mbeki has in recent months been a vocal critic of the ANC’s failure to deliver on its conference resolution to renew itself. The former president suggested he was not interested in campaigning for the party. Last year, Mbeki told a national broadcaster that he had not taken a decision on whether to vote for the ANC or not. “There are…

“We cannot live with criminals. It’s either them or us.” These were the stern words of national police commissioner Fannie Masemola after police thwarted a cash-in-transit (CIT) heist in Dobsonville, Soweto, at the weekend. Following up on supplied information, police proceeded to Dobsonville where the suspects were intercepted before they could execute their plan to bomb a CIT cash van. A shootout ensued between the police members and the suspects, leaving two of the suspects dead. Police have since launched a manhunt for the remaining suspects, who fled the scene on foot. An R5 rifle, three AK47s and three vehicles that were to be used in the commission of the crime were recovered by the police. Masemola applauded the team involved in foiling the planned heist, adding that the police…

‘THERE can be miracles when you believe.’ Bafana Bafana’s progress to the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) semi-finals is confirmation of the truth of the popular song by the late Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. No one, except perhaps only themselves, believed South Africa’s senior national team would still be standing with just two rounds of matches left to go in the Ivory Coast. And with good reason, too, for such had been Bafana’s poor showing in recent years at the showpiece event that many expected them to merely add to the numbers. But coach Hugo Broos and his team believed. They believed they had it in them to compete on an equal footing with the continent’s best. They believed they had it in them to reach the knockout stage.…

ANKARA: At least 34 foreign nationals have been arrested over their suspected links to the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group in an operation across seven provinces in Türkiye, official sources said. Taking to X, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said that the suspects, including some wanted with an Interpol red notice, were arrested in “Cage-35” anti-terror operations carried out simultaneously in the provinces of Istanbul, Kocaeli, Yalova, Kayseri, Bursa, Duzce, and Yozgat. During operations, unauthorised firearms, a significant amount of foreign currency, and digital materials were also seized. Türkiye listed IS as a terrorist group in 2013.…