Indholdsfortegnelse for 2024-06-24 i Mercury

IN THE PAST, the agricultural sector may have been accused of not proactively positioning itself as “youth-friendly”, failing to present accessible and rewarding career opportunities for most young people. However, this is now changing as opportunities within the sector emerge, driven by the advent of new technology. The Agbiz Congress 2024 took place recently in Sun City. The congress brought together agribusiness industry leaders, stakeholders and role-players across the length and breadth of the agricultural value chain, with the topics of discussion converging on a central theme: How the local agricultural sector can earn its place alongside leading competitors in the global arena. Key to realising this goal is inspiring young agripreneurs and innovators to step up and shape the industry of the future. The youth tend to associate a…

Competition for the job said to be a 3-horse race between Cyril Xaba, Bheki Cele and ex-premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube THE race for the new mayor of eThekwini Municipality is heating up, with ructions within the ANC over who should lead the province’s biggest municipality. Divisions have surfaced inside the ANC, with the province and the regional structures clashing. And the smaller parties who have kept the ANC in power since 2021 feel they are about to be dumped by the ANC in favour of its new partners in the Government of National Unity (GNU). Competition for the post is believed to be a three-horse race between Cyril Xaba, former police minister Bheki Cele and former premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube. Xaba is believed to be the front runner. He has served…

Today’s news, tomorrow’s history? RENALDO Gouws. To say I was disgusted, appalled and horrified at your social media video is an understatement, and am certain countless others feel the same. As an MP and member of the DA – now suspended – which preaches vociferously against racism, you have failed South Africa. Our Constitution speaks to “We, the people” – a validation that we are a non-racial society, where race and racism have no place for manoeuvre, noting our dark history of historical institutionalised racism that has led us to a new dawn, hoping that a paradigm shift would have been instilled in the likes of you. The toxicity and animosity in which you verbalise your antagonism towards fellow South Africans, only because they are another race, is unacceptable, intolerable…

Dogs are not the only animals that can transmit rabies to humans, although this is the most common cause of human rabies. Livestock, cats, wildlife, especially mongooses and bats, are all potential carriers of the disease, and new concerns have been raised after a Cape fur seal tested positive as well. “KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, the North West and Limpopo have seen the lion’s share of documented rabies cases in recent years, yet the detection of animal rabies in Cape Town is an important reminder that all animal bites should be medically assessed for rabies risk. Greater public awareness of rabies and ongoing vigilance is needed throughout South Africa,” Dr Pete Vincent of Netcare Medicross in Tokai, Cape Town, warned. He said previously seal bites have been considered low risk…

A first-time time mother who was healthy when she went to a state hospital to deliver her baby, but came out of a Caesarean section minus her uterus, thus not being able to have any more children, has sued the Gauteng Health MEC for damages. The woman told the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, that she was admitted to the George Mukhari Academic Hospital in 2016 to give birth. As she started bleeding while having a Caesarean section, her uterus was removed. The mother said she entered the hospital as a healthy woman and had no idea what led to her uterus being removed. She was never told about this prior to the operation, nor did the hospital offer her any counselling afterwards, she said. She blamed the medical staff of…

Too many of its politicians went from leaders to celebrities, bourgeoisie – power drunk The chickens are finally coming home to roost for the ANC. What goes around comes around and, as the saying goes, you reap what you sow. Former president Thabo Mbeki said it – that the ANC was under attack. It has itself to blame. When General Augusto Pinochet was on the path to overthrow Salvador Allende in Chile, a call came to “arm the masses”. The call was ignored. The same applies to the ANC government; people demonstrated their discontent, but it failed to arm the masses by continuing to not render services and ignore them. The major downfall for the ANC is mainly due to the internal factors. When the ANC was up there, its…

Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant was headed to Washington yesterday for “critical” talks on the Gaza war raging since October 7 last year and surging cross-border tensions with Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced hope for speedy progress on unfreezing US arms and ammunition deliveries from Israel’s top ally which he said had dropped off sharply in recent months. US President Joe Biden has been at odds with Israel’s veteran right-wing leader over Gaza’s surging civilian death toll, but US officials have said they were not aware of what Netanyahu was referring to on the arms issue. The Israeli premier yesterday told his cabinet that “about four months ago, there was a dramatic drop in the supply of armaments arriving from the US to Israel. We got all…

Three wolves in a zoo just outside Paris attacked a 37-year-old woman, leaving her fighting for her life, local prosecutors said. The woman was bitten “on the neck, the calf and the back” at the Thoiry Zoo, a source familiar with the case told AFP. Maryvonne Caillibotte, chief prosecutor in Versailles, said the woman’s life was in danger after she was believed to have gone out alone for a jog after spending the night with her family in a safari-style lodge at the zoo, which it advertised on its website. Lodges in the wolf zone promise “silence, rest and disconnection”, according to the zoo’s adverts offering “a one-of-a-kind, very intimate experience with the arctic wolves you’ll be able to see from the living room”. The woman “ended up in…

Cairo: The Egyptian government is set to ban the operation of 16 travel agencies for arranging “fraudulent” Hajj trips for unregistered pilgrims. At a Hajj deaths crisis unit meeting held at the weekend, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said he had ordered the licence of these agencies to be revoked and those involved people and entities transferred to public prosecution. Madbouly said that among more than 50 000 registered Egyptian pilgrims, a total of 31 people with “chronic diseases” were confirmed dead. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told the meeting that the crisis was most deadly to unregistered pilgrims, claiming that the tourism companies “did not provide any services”. | IANS…

Niamey: Niger’s army said yesterday that it had killed a key member of the Islamic State group during a military raid in the west of the African country. The clash took place in the Tillaberi region in the vast and unstable “three borders” zone between Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. Jihadist insurgents have staged attacks there for years despite the deployment of security forces. The army said it had killed Abdoulaye Souleymane Idouwal, whom it described as “an influential member of the Islamic State”, during a raid last week. It also said that nine “terrorists” were killed and 31 arrested in an anti-jihadist operation in the region. | AFP…

With wounds to dress and points to prove, Italy and Croatia face each other knowing their Euro 2024 survival is on the line in today's decisive Group B match. Italy’s chastening 1-0 defeat by a dominant Spain on Thursday and Croatia’s 2-2 draw with Albania after conceding a stoppage-time equaliser left both teams anxiously glancing at the table heading into their last game. Italy, second with three points after their opening win over Albania, will be through to the last 16 as runners-up if they avoid defeat. They will be unable to progress, however, if they lose and Albania beat group winners Spain in the other Group B decider. The situation is more pressing for Zlatko Dalic’s Croatia, who began the tournament with a thumping 3-0 loss to Spain and…

impeached former Western Cape judge president John Hlophe has called for the return of land to black people. Speaking at the launch of the African Legal Professionals Association at Blue Waters Hotel in Durban, Hlophe said the land in South Africa belongs to black people and they have every right to own it. In April 2021 the Judicial Conduct Tribunal found him guilty of gross misconduct which resulted in his impeachment in February this year. He was removed from his judicial position after 305 MPs voted in favour of his impeachment, with 25 opposing. Hlophe had faced allegations dating back to 2008. The 65-year-old, who holds a PhD in law, was once celebrated as a beacon of black excellence in the judiciary. Hlophe, who had attempted to interdict Parliament from…

I FIND myself lunching with pals at the Thistle Hotel in Maritzburg, also known as the Boshoff Street Country Club. Delicious! It’s one of the capital’s oldest such establishments and nothing seems to have changed over the years. They haven’t lost their touch. One reflects that other such establishments, rooted even earlier, have disappeared. The Black Horse, on a steep descent to the Msunduzi River, had a sign outside reading: “This hill is dangerous to rickshas”. But that didn’t deter a Victorian era headmaster of Maritzburg College who would drink his fill then take a ricksha down the hill and back to the school. This was during the Boer War when part of the College had been taken over by the military for a hospital. Confronted by sentries, the headmaster…

I strongly oppose the idea of bringing back the Natal Indian Congress (NIC). Indians are not and never have been a homogenous group. We have been let down by all those amnesiacs and deniers of truth, who failed to read the writing on the wall a long time ago. Also, our Constitution (the Bill of Rights) guarantees cultural, religious and linguistic rights, but not ethnic/racial rights, unlike in apartheid South Africa. But the ANC and the media still think in terms of race when it comes to so-called “Indians”. The NIC worked to some extent during colonial, apartheid and struggle days. It will not work today. We are not a culturally, religiously monolithic group. Surely it is time for all of us to acknowledge this fact? Lumping all Indians together…

Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) has confirmed the death of a woman at King Shaka International Airport (KSIA) shortly before she was to board a FlySafair (FA279) flight to Johannesburg on Friday. “Acsa can confirm that a call was reported at 8.35pm to the call centre requesting emergency medical response after a traveller was observed to be struggling to breathe at gate A12 of the airport terminal. “Shortly before medics arrived, a passenger services agent was dispatched and arrived on the scene at 8.40pm to discover the patient to be unresponsive,” Acsa said. Paramedics arrived on the scene minutes later and administered advanced life support to the patient. “Despite all efforts, the traveller was unfortunately declared deceased on the scene,” Acsa said, adding the cause of death was unknown and…

THE 2007 ANC national elective conference in Polokwane was a watershed moment, signalling the downfall of the party. It also signalled the importance of changing our electoral system to allow for South Africans to elect the president and members of the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces. This is because, as Mandy Rossouw reminds us, what happened in the ANC had no consequences for the party only, however, and by and large, had an impact on the state. The person who becomes the ANC president ultimately becomes the South African president. The election of Jacob Zuma as president at the Polokwane conference is a clear demonstration that the ANC cannot be trusted with the responsibility to elect capable leaders. The Polokwane conference elected the enemy of South Africa in…

Russia could change its nuclear doctrine – which provides for the use of nuclear weapons only in retaliation if the country is attacked with weapons of mass destruction or faces an existential threat from conventional warfare, if the threats and challenges to the country continue to grow – a top Russian parliamentarian said yesterday. Any changes to the rules regarding the use of nuclear weapons would depend on the international military and political situation, said Andrey Kartapolov, who chairs the parliament’s Defence Committee. He said, however, that it was “too early” to speak about any specific amendments that could be introduced to “Foundations of state policy of the Russian Federation in the area of nuclear deterrence”, signed by President Vladimir Putin in June 2020. Putin, during his visit to Vietnam…

Kenya’s President William Ruto said yesterday that he was ready for “a conversation” with thousands of “peaceful” young protesters who held nationwide demonstrations to oppose proposed tax increases. Organised on social media and led largely by Gen-Z Kenyans, the protests have caught Ruto’s government off-guard. “We are going to have a conversation so that together we can build a greater nation,” Ruto said during a church service in the Rift Valley town of Nyahururu. Rights campaigners reported two deaths following Thursday’s demonstrations in Nairobi. The Kenya Human Rights Commission said Evans Kiratu, 29, was “hit by a tear gas canister” during the protests and died in hospital. A police watchdog was investigating claims that a man, 29, was shot by officers in Nairobi after the demonstrations. Several organisations said at…

Beijing: Eight people died after a landslide in central China’s Hunan Province early yesterday, local authorities said. The landslide happened in Douxi Village, Xinhuang Dong Autonomous County of Huaihua City, and was reported to the county’s emergency response centre yesterday. It led to the collapse of four houses. All other people at the site were relocated to safe areas, and rescue work is under way.’ The National Meteorological Center renewed an orange alert for rainstorms yesterday, forecasting heavy downpours and rainstorms until this afternoon. | IANS…

SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook parent Meta Platforms has discussed integrating its generative AI model into Apple’s recently announced AI system for iPhones, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday. AI start-up Anthropic has been in discussions with Apple to bring its generative AI to Apple Intelligence, the Journal reported. The discussions have not been finalised and could fall through, it said. The iPhone maker announced long-awaited AI strategy this month, saying it would integrate new Apple Intelligence technology across its suite of apps, including Siri, and bring chatbot ChatGPT to its devices. | Reuters…

The Springbok Sevens booked their tickets to the Olympic Games with some brilliant defence in their 14-5 defeat of Great Britain in the final of the Olympic Repechage tournament in Monaco yesterday. It was definitely their toughest match of the tournament, but they thoroughly deserved the victory for the final spot at the Games next month in Paris. Two tries on either side of the half, created by captain Selvyn Davids, were enough to seal the win as they tackled ferociously to keep Great Britain from scoring. Their opponents were able to score one, but there was never any panic from the South Africans as they pulled through to win the tournament. After a disappointing Sevens Series, where they only won one tournament, the Blitzboks put that behind them to…

Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan can finally look forward to sleeping better after Saturday’s T20 World Cup win avenged last year’s loss to Australia in the 50-overs version. Cramped-up Glenn Maxwell’s incredible double-century helped Australia snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in November, leading to Afghanistan falling just short of qualifying for the semi-finals. But a 21-run win in Kingstown, Afghanistan’s first in the Super Eight stage, has reignited their hopes of making history by qualifying for a World Cup semi for the first time. “I can sleep better now, I think,” Khan told reporters. “That game kept coming in my mind... Maxi, the way he played that night, took the game away from us and I didn’t sleep the whole night. “Tonight, because of the happiness I won’t be…

THE GOVERNMENT of National Unity will soon be put in place. One of its most important tasks will be to accelerate and win the war against crime and corruption. These are cancers that have become endemic across society and have had a devastating impact upon working class communities; women and vulnerable persons; the economy and its ability to create jobs; and the fiscus and its resources to fund critical public services. We need a Cabinet comprising people of unimpeachable integrity, and with the capacity to hit the ground running. Women workers risk their lives walking to work during the dark. Girls are at risk of the most horrific crimes. Companies struggle due to load shedding and cable theft, creating pressure on their ability to pay workers or taxes. Key to…

Civil society groups fear that a new biometric system to prevent ID fraud could hamper grant payments. They said some grant recipients have had their profiles automatically flagged by the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) of being at risk of having committed or being the victim of identity theft or fraud and will need to go through an online biometric verification process. Francina Nkosi from #PayTheGrants said the biometric system was a serious challenge. “A lot of recipients don’t have internet access and also don’t have smartphones, so how will they be able to verify their details?” Evashnee Naidu, Black Sash’s KZN regional manager, said they had received reports that Sassa had instituted facial recognition verification for some of the grants that may have been flagged for fraud or other…

TWO PRIMAL desires, one complex goal. I want to be autonomous, occupy the driver’s seat of my life. Every now and then, for an hour or two, a day or two, even a week or two, I want to be alone to plan and do my own thing. Deep down in the core of my being exists a desire for autonomy. If ignored, it will be to my detriment. This is a gift, a primal urge, integral to who I am as a human, seated within the core of the human spirit and soul. The desire for intimacy is primal, it is deeply imprinted within me, just as deeply as the desire for autonomy. I want to belong. I want to be known. I want to be heard, and…

POLITICAL parties were happily coming together and joining hands to form a Government of National Unity (GNU) to take the country forward to peace and prosperity, then out pops a racist pig snorting and grunting the k-word, spoiling the GNU broth. Renaldo Gouws is seen on video hurling racist abuse at black people. What makes his behaviour outrageous is that he is not an ordinary citizen but a Member of Parliament from the DA. How could a man who uses such derogatory language against his fellow human beings sit in a democratic institution like our Parliament which is the highest legislative authority in the land? The video was made 16 years ago and lay hidden from public scrutiny. It now surfaces at the most inopportune time for the DA when…

IN A remarkable achievement for her personal and professional excellence, Dr Saloschini Pillay, Student Support Services manager in the College of Health Sciences (CHS) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), has been honoured with a coveted global award from Hyland UK. The award is for her groundbreaking development and implementation of the automated system that engages first-time students from their entry into university for their overall well-being. The UKZN’s Student Wellness and Academic Transformation (Swat) assessment and intervention system helps identify factors affecting student success. Pillay said that the system looks at what affects the students outside the classroom. “This model taps into all facets of a student’s life, not just the academics … we are not tracking pass and fail mark, we are looking at the whole student,” she…

ECONOMISTS are predicting a big drop in petrol and diesel prices next month, saying it will bring much-needed relief to under-pressure consumers. Experts have attributed the drop to relatively low international oil prices and a strong rand. Eleanor Mavimbela, Automobile Association (AA) spokesperson, said unaudited mid-month fuel data from the Central Energy Fund (CEF) is indicating a decrease in all fuels prices in July. “Based on the current data, ULP95 is showing a decrease of around R1.10c/litre, while ULP93 is indicating a decrease of around R1.15c/l. Diesel is again edging towards a decrease of 55c/l and illuminating paraffin is showing a decrease of around 45 c/l.” But Mavimbela added that the decreases would not move the price of fuel to the relatively low…

IN LIGHT of the Competition Commission’s extensive investigation into the R53 billion fresh produce sector, urgent action is needed to address the soaring prices of food that are placing a significant strain on consumers. The findings of the Fresh Produce Market Inquiry, following 14 months of thorough evidence-gathering and hearings, have unveiled a troubling reality: high mark-ups, barriers to entry for small businesses, market inefficiencies, and the impact of load shedding are all contributing to the financial burden faced by consumers as they struggle to afford fresh fruits and vegetables. The necessity for government intervention to subsidise food prices, particularly for the benefit of low-income individuals, has never been more pressing. The current situation, where spiralling prices are forcing consumers to tighten their belts, highlights the critical need for immediate…

Donald Trump made two speeches on Saturday, urging Christian supporters to go to the polls for him one last time and courting black voters in Philadelphia by promising to fix a city “ravaged by bloodshed” even as data shows a decline in violent crime. If elected in November, the Republican presidential candidate told a rally of several thousand at Philadelphia’s Temple University, he would give police “immunity” to do their jobs and “surge” federal resources to cities battling violence. Trump dismissed as “fake” FBI statistics that showed a continued drop in levels of violent crime and murder across the country in the first three months of 2024, and accused Democratic President Joe Biden of lying about the data. “Under crooked Joe Biden the City of Brotherly Love is being ravaged…

MOSCOW: French President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to dissolve the country’s parliament and hold snap elections could trigger France’s exit from the EU, its chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said. Barnier said that Macron’s hopes of beating the right-wing National Rally (RN) party in the elections are very risky. “I don’t think (the leader of the RN’s parliamentary faction, MarineLe Pen) and (president of RN party, Jordan Bardella) changed their minds. They are still anti-European,” Barnier said. Macron’s decision was made in the wake of the European Parliament elections in which the National Rally party emerged victorious. | Sputnik…

London: Flights at the UK’s third-busiest airport were being delayed or cancelled yesterday after a major power cut, the airport operator said. Power has now been restored at the international airport in north England, but passengers due to travel from terminals 1 and 2 were told to “not come to the airport” as all flights were cancelled “until further notice”. Passengers for terminal 3 were told to come to the airport as normal, but were warned they “could be affected by delays”. The airport operator said while passengers already checked in were due to depart as planned, the disruption meant “some baggage may not be on those flights”.The UK’s travel industry has been hit by a series of disruptions recently. | AFP…

South Africa’s hunt for their first win in four ODIs was fruitless as they lost the third and final clash of their three-match series by six wickets against India at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru yesterday. The result means that the Proteas women have failed to pick up any points towards the ICC Women’s Championship on this tour. The 50-over Women’s World Cup will be hosted by India next year. The Proteas failed to capitalise on their positive start as a cluster of wickets halted any momentum they attempted to build. They crawled to 215/8 and watched on as player of the series Smiriti Mandhana (90 off 83 balls, 4x11) piled on the runs as she fell just short of another century. Laura Wolvaardt’s decision to bat first after…