Indholdsfortegnelse for 2024-03-15 i Mercury

The numerous laws that govern the operations of the local government sphere are an expensive burden that is strangling municipalities and taking resources away from service delivery. This was the view shared by delegates attending the South African Local Government Association’s (Salga’s) municipal legal practitioner forum at the Inkosi Albert International Convention Centre (ICC) in Durban yesterday. Salga president, councillor Bheke Stofile, said the sector was struggling, and spent more time and money complying with regulations that governed it while falling behind on its mandate. The delegates said the sector was over-regulated, with one delegate describing municipalities as being seen by the national or provincial governments as “children they have to control”. Another said the regulations were so intense, two national departments put out two separate regulations on how to…

Despite the fact that entities within the ports authority have long been compliant with B-BBEE scores of between Level 1-4, the sudden signing of a MOU to refresh impetus towards B-BBEE has all the hallmarks of political electioneering aimed at May 29 (The Mercury, March 14). If the ANC was not so ideologically hidebound, it would have noticed that the functionality of the ports has not improved as a result of B-BBEE. The reasons are obvious: fast-tracking people up the ladder of promotion into the top echelons based on skin colour and in fulfilment of equity is not how one improves functionality. The hard fact is that equity has no place in the hierarchy of competence. Citing the Constitution’s call for active measures to promote the so-called previously disadvantaged may…

THE DA in KwaZulu-Natal is appalled by information suggesting that the prime Virginia Nature Reserve, north of Durban, may be partially developed for luxury housing and is committed to fighting the proposal at every level of government. Nestled between Durban North and La Lucia, Virginia has for decades remained a safe refuge for small mammals and has served as a unique ecosystem in an urban environment. The reserve also serves as a green lung for the community and hosts hikers and nature enthusiasts on a daily basis. Documents now indicate developers have made a proposal to forever change the region with a proposed housing estate on a substantial portion of the reserve. The veracity of these developmental proposals will be subject to parliamentary questions by the DA, to ascertain the…

THE Brits used to export fancy cars to Russia worth hundreds of millions of pounds – Rolls-Royces, Bentleys and Land Rovers. How heartening to realise that the Ruskies have abandoned their distaste for the high-life values of the West. Then came Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and the exports stopped as the Brits imposed sanctions on Russia. But now, according to an investigation by Sky News, the exports to Russia have been replaced by exports to Azerbaijan, a country on the Black Sea, which also has a border with Russia. And here’s something startling. The graph of vehicle exports to Russia pre-Ukraine is exactly the same zig-zag climb of Rolls-Royces, Bentleys and Land Rovers now going to Azerbaijan. Suspicious? Watch this space! Six Nations THE damsels of the Pub With No…

The increasing influence of climate change on human mobility and immobility, coupled with misleading narratives surrounding mobility, underscores the pressing need for in-depth research into climate-induced migration patterns. This is according to recently published research led by Dr Nicholas Simpson, associate at the African Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI) at UCT and a senior research fellow for the climate and sustainability programme at global affairs think tank ODI, along with a diverse team of scientists, including ACDI-UCT researchers Drs Petra Holden, Andreas Meyer and Christopher Trisos. The team emphasised the crucial role of understanding how nature-based adaptation influences (im)mobility in relation to climate risks. As climate change continues to escalate, its impacts on the movement and settlement of people become more pronounced. Extreme weather events, sea-level rise, and resource scarcity…

TWO of the seven men accused of the 2023 murders of Kiernan (AKA) Forbes and chef Tebello Motsoane started their bail applications in the Durban Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Lindokuhle Thabani Mkhwanazi and Siyanda Eddie Myeza intend to plead not guilty. Mkhwanazi and Myeza appeared in court alongside Lindani Zenzele Ndimande, Mziwethemba Harvey Gwabeni and Lindokuhle Lindo Ndimande, whose lawyers said they were not ready to proceed with their bail applications. The extradition procedure involving the remaining two accused in eSwatini is ongoing. During the proceedings it was revealed that Mkhwanazi and Myeza had been out on bail in other cases. Mkhwanazi in his affidavit read out by his attorney, advocate Simphiwe Mlotshwa, said there was no evidence that linked him to Forbes’s murder. “If you look at the timelines,…

Can you imagine seeing a Springbok team without Siya Kolisi as the captain – or even a player? Well, that unpleasant thought would have crossed the minds of all Bok fans this week after coach Rassie Erasmus mentioned it at a press conference in Cape Town. Erasmus, in presenting his new assistant coaches Tony Brown and Jerry Flannery, was asked what the future holds for Kolisi after he stated that he would still want to use the “old dogs” in the crunch July Test series against Ireland. But Erasmus added that the Boks have a system “where we gradually think okay, this papa is going to say goodbye”, and that he hopes to again have an average age of 29 or 30 in the Bok squad for the 2027 Rugby…

A US government weather forecaster projects El Niño conditions will likely end by spring this year but saw a 62% chance that a weather pattern characterised by unusually cold temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, La Nina, will develop during June-August. The ongoing El Niño weather pattern will continue to fuel above-average temperatures across the globe, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said last week. Last year’s El Niño, which followed three La Nina years, saw hot and dry weather in Asia and heavier rains in parts of the Americas that boosted farm output prospects in Argentina and the southern US Plains. The high probability of a strong La Nina arriving this year has put grains farmers on alert in Argentina, where the climate phenomenon usually brings dry weather with lower rainfall.…

ROME: As many as 60 people are feared to have drowned on a vessel carrying migrants across the Central Mediterranean from Libya to Italy or Malta, the operators of a charity rescue group said yesterday. SOS Mediterranee said it rescued 25 people in a “very weak” condition in co-ordination with the Italian Coast Guard. According to the UN migration agency, almost 2 500 migrants using the Central Mediterranean died or went missing last year, and 226 since the start of 2024. Data from the Italian Interior Ministry record that 5 968 migrants have arrived by sea so far this year, down from 19 937 at the same stage in 2023. | Reuters…

France coach Fabien Galthie said yesterday it was “ideal” to be able to name an unchanged side to face England in a potential Six Nations decider this weekend. Galthie kept faith with his squad from last week’s 45-24 win over Wales for the home match in Lyon against Steve Borthwick’s England tomorrow. He had made eight changes before the win over Wales after a drab draw with Italy previously, but has no injury or suspension worries before this weekend’s match. “It’s ideal to be able to keep the same team. The team won, put in a great performance last weekend,” Galthie told reporters. Gregory Alldritt captains the side, with Leo Barre, Nicolas Depoortere, Emmanuel Meafou and Georges-Henri Colombe keeping their places after making their debuts in Cardiff. It is the…

JUST SA’s WEEKLY jargon buster aims to give simple, plain English explanations for typical words and phrases used in the financial industry, in particular, words relating to guaranteed life annuities and living annuities. This week, we look at the letter: G Source: Just Retirement SA, info@justsa.co.za. The jargon buster is intended for information purposes only. It should not be regarded as advice as defined in the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act 37 of 2002, or any form of advice in respect of the policy, retirement, tax, legal or other professional service whatsoever. You are encouraged to seek advice from an authorised financial adviser or to independently decide what financial product is appropriate for you based upon your own judgement and understanding of your financial needs. Just Retirement Life (South…

Many Jews around the world have strangely and unexpectedly shown support for the Palestinian cause by joining numerous public protests, openly condemning an evil mutation of their own community, loosely termed and defined by the “Z” word. This ironic outcry begs a brief analysis as it also carries an important message for the rest of us “nobler-than-thou” members of other religions, and even other institutions. The Jewish community is a relatively tiny fraction among the other major religions of the world – Christianity, Islam, Hinduism – constituting less than half a percent, and arguably must therefore be well interconnected. So any Jew anywhere, openly decrying the specific or even general behaviour of some of the members of his own community, is leaving himself and his immediate family open for…

A PARAGRAPH in T Markandan’s letter, “Two-faced US salving their conscience”, caught my eye. He states: “Yet both the Israelis and the Palestinians are blood cousins. They are the descendants of Moses”. Could he clarify and give proof of just how they are related? Could he also give confirmation of the statement: “They have the blessing of Jehovah to wipe out the Palestinians living in Gaza”? Where can this “blessing” be found? Hamas is hell-bent on driving the Israelis into the sea, but that’s okay. Whose “blessing” has Hamas got? The US does supply arms and ammunition to Israel just as Iran and Russia are supplying rockets, arms and ammunition to, not only Hamas, but other terrorist organisations as well, plus supporting them financially. The people of Gaza are not…

The further budget cut of R1.1 billion in 2024/25 for the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) means planned performance and new programmes of interventions will continue to be negatively impacted. In October last year, the Medium- Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) announced a budget cut of R311.2 million, reducing the 2023-2024 allocation from R10.9bn to R10.6bn. The budget for 2024/2025 currently stands at R9.7bn. This was according to the portfolio committee on higher education’s adopted Legacy Report, which was presented yesterday at the NRF-iThemba LABS in Eerste River. The report of the fifth Parliament committee covered its oversight work over the department and its entities, as well as challenges in the sector such as transformation, and made recommendations for the seventh administration to carry through. Committee chairperson Nompendulo Mkhatshwa…

While there is a general view that there is a need to have an alternative to the ANC, and the DA for that matter, some new parties that present themselves to be an alternative are questionable from the outset. When you say you are going to be an alternative to something that is in existence, you are not just talking about replacing it in one form but about coming up with something new. When the likes of Songezo Zibi came out as younger leaders, compared to the ageing comrades in the ruling party, people’s hopes were high. Though education must not be put at the centre of a political party, it is very much relevant. People pin their hopes on the likes of Zibi because of the education, knowledge, and…

When President Vladimir Putin ran for re-election in 2018, he promised a “decisive breakthrough” in living standards. Six years later, as Russians go to the polls again, he is recycling old promises with new deadlines. In a major speech last month, Putin pledged more than 11.5 trillion roubles (about R2.3 trillion) of spending on areas ranging from mortgage subsidies and tax breaks for young parents to sweeping upgrades to public infrastructure. He played up the fact that Russia’s economy expanded faster last year – with 3.6% growth in GDP – than any of the Group of Seven nations that have hit Moscow with waves of sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine. But other data paint a gloomier picture. Russia’s war-focused economy, where arms factories are working in three shifts round…

Starship, the world’s most powerful rocket, flew further and faster than ever before during its third test flight yesterday, although it was eventually lost as it re-entered the atmosphere over the Indian Ocean, SpaceX said. Lift-off from the company’s Starbase in Texas came around 8.25am local time and was carried live on a webcast that was eventually watched by more than 3.5 million people on social media platform X. The mega rocket is vital to Nasa’s plans for landing astronauts on the moon later this decade – and Elon Musk’s hopes of eventually colonising Mars. Two prior attempts have ended in spectacular explosions, although that’s not necessarily a bad thing: The company has adopted a rapid trial-and- error approach in order to accelerate development, and the strategy has brought success…

DEPRESSED platinum group metals (PGM) prices could affect sentiment in Southern Palladium’s flagship Ben- gwenyama project, the company said yesterday. The Bengwenyama project is an advanced exploration stage project focused on PGM mineralisation run by Southern Palladium in the Bushveld Complex of South Africa. The share price rose 6.58% to close at R5.99 yesterday on the JSE. Southern Palladium is worried that platinum, palladium and rhodium prices can fluctuate significantly and cast doubt and uncertainty on the company due to factors beyond its control. “A significant decrease in commodity prices is likely to adversely affect sentiment towards the company and market support towards the company’s development of the project,” Southern Palladium said. Despite the depressed platinum prices that have forced some bigger South African miners of the precious metal to…

DESPITE efforts by the metro to ease the financial burden faced by ratepayers, consumer debt at the eThekwini Municipality continues to balloon and now stands at R28 billion. Opposition parties said billing errors contribute to residents being faced with huge bills that overwhelm them. The City budget statement for the month ending in January was discussed during a council meeting on Tuesday and it raised concerns among the city councillors. Councillors said that the close to R20.7bn owed by the City’s households and R6bn by commercial enterprises was an indication that residents and business are battling. The report detailing the City’s finances ending in September last year showed the debt was R27bn – an increase of R5.6bn from the same period last year and R2bn more than in June…

THE Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has warned political parties that it will take legal action against those who continue to make inflammatory public utterances that seek to undermine the credibility of the electoral body and the electoral process. The deputy CEO of the IEC, Mawethu Mosery, said they had taken note of the parties making inflammatory public statements that tarnish elections and would engage them on these statements. At least two parties, the DA and the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), have been making public statements that have been seen as undermining the May 29 elections. The DA has asked Western countries, including the US, to monitor the election, thereby calling into question the credibility of upcoming elections. It was reported that the DA wrote to the foreign…

News that a church youth leader is suspected of grooming young girls has sent a wave of shock and disgust through Chatsworth and surrounding areas. Again, the community of Chats- worth walks with its head held low in the dark shadow of shame. This incident made me hang my head in shame. I mourn the loss of humanity. What else can I call it? Who do we trust? What mind could do something like this? Even the heavens will shudder. We are humans, the highest form of life on Earth, and we do such despicable acts? We must never allow another child to be violated and betrayed in this manner. We are generally a community that is trusting; sadly, it’s a wake up call for all of us. The emotional…

I love readers’ letters and Hugh gave me his permission to publish this response to Monday’s column: “Good day Rod, I like your question – what kind of person do you want to be? It came when I needed a wake-up call, not only for this week, but also for the rest of my life. I will stick to my exercise routine as it makes me like myself more. I have found my 20-year-old wish list – apparently a “bucket list” nowadays – and am planning to do what I still can and add to it in the unlikely event of doing everything on it. I will spend as much time as possible with younger people without being a pain, listen and only give advice to those who want it.…

Israeli fire killed six Palestinians and wounded dozens as crowds of residents awaited aid trucks in Gaza City, Gaza health ministry officials said yesterday. Palestinians were rushing to get aid supplies at the Kuwait Roundabout in northern Gaza City late on Wednesday when Israeli forces opened fire, residents and health officials said. The conflict in Gaza has displaced most of the enclave’s 2.3 million population and there have been chaotic scenes and deadly incidents at aid distributions as desperately hungry people scramble for food. On February 29, Palestinian health authorities said Israeli forces shot dead more than 100 Palestinians as they waited for an aid delivery near Gaza City. Israel blamed the deaths on crowds that surrounded aid trucks, saying victims were trampled or run over.…

Senegal’s President Macky Sall has told his government to enact an amnesty law as soon as it is officially published, amid hope a jailed main opposition candidate could be released ahead of the presidential poll in 10 days’ time. In a bid to end weeks of crisis after he postponed the February 25 presidential vote, Sall proposed a bill granting amnesty for acts committed in connection with political demonstrations since 2021. The law, adopted by MPs last week, is expected to be published imminently but there is no official information when this might be. Imprisoned anti-establishment candidate, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, and his coalition’s detained firebrand leader, Ousmane Sonko, could be the main potential beneficiaries. Unconfirmed rumours about their release have swirled, but it’s unclear whether they would fall within the…

THE weather and conditions have lined up a few times in recent weeks. When they have, the fishing has been wild! The North Coast has been the place to go when the summer conditions line up. The usual areas where deep water can be found, or shallow banks that allow you to get to the deeper water, have been the hot spots. Fleshy baits and FMJ traces have been the key. A 10/0 circle hook on a 120lb wire trace rigged with a bonito or mackerel head and you are in the pound seats for the summer fight. There have also been some big shad and snapper salmon around these areas as well. Shorter throws in the inshore gullies will often produce these fish. The beaches in and around Durban…

IT has not been an exciting start to the year for AmaZulu as they are yet to register a league win in 2024. That is why Mlondi Mbanjwa’s inclusion in the Bafana Bafana 23-man squad for the upcoming Fifa Series in Algeria received ululations from the Durbanites’ coach Pablo Franco Martin. The Fifa event is set for March 18-26, and Mbanjwa is one of the beneficiaries of Bafana coach Hugo Broos seeing this as a “great opportunity to call some new players” as he aims to expand the pool ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. “We are proud of him and for the club. Mbanjwa, I think he made his PSL (Premier Soccer League) debut this season (he was playing for Uthongathi FC in the Motsepe Foundation Championship last…