Indholdsfortegnelse for 2024-07-30 i Mercury

A new project aiming to accelerate the development and accessibility of human avian influenza (H5N1) messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine candidates for manufacturers in low- and middle-income countries was launched yesterday by the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO announced that the Argentinian vaccine manufacturer, Sinergium Biotech, would lead this effort leveraging the WHO and the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) mRNA Technology Transfer Programme. WHO director-general, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, said this initiative exemplified why WHO established the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme – to foster greater research, development and production in low- and middle-income countries, so when the next pandemic arrived, the world would be better prepared to mount a more effective and more equitable response. The programme, jointly developed by WHO and MPP, was launched in July 2021 with the aim…

UBER drivers are still to challenge the South African division of the global e-hailing service on its stipulation for a three-year age limit for cars on entry onto the platform as the company clarified its requirement as only applying to new entrants. The global e-hailing service said the guideline not only helps contribute to the safety of both riders and drivers, but also helps ensure that the quality of the vehicles available on the platform remains high. The clarification yesterday came as the e-hailing service came under criticism as the standard period for hire-purchase agreements on new vehicles was five years, raising concerns there would not be sufficient period to pay off a new vehicle on hire purchase. The rule means that, from this year, only 2021 models and newer…

“I hate being in the middle. My son tells me stuff about his wife’s family. My neighbour tells me things about the people over the road (also our friends but she doesn’t know we are friends) and even my grandchild, 12, tells me things going on in his family that I have to keep quiet about. I feel like I am living on eggshells every time I meet people who are close to me.” If you hate being in the middle, then get out of it. You’re there only because you have co-operated with the gossip that has flowed your way and perhaps helped you feel trusted and included. All you had to say to your neighbour is: “You do know you are talking about people who are my friends.”…

EBRAHIM Essa, has inadvertently allowed the mask to slip off in his letter, “Pay attention if you want a zombie for US president”, in The Mercury of July 25. Using the word “zombie” in this context is racist, considering the racist origin of the zombie myth – believed to be rooted in racist caricatures of Haitian slaves. Harris’s father was Jamaican, another link to slavery. Given the exaggerated grotesque portrayals of Black and dark-skinned people in Western and Islamic writings and of similar portrayals of zombies, use of the term is offensive, especially by this individual and in this context. Cunningly trying to dilute his racist intent he uses the term “Indian origin”. In her 2019 memoir “The Truths We Hold” Harris is specific: she and younger sister Maya…

SOCIAL scientist Professor Ashwin Desai believes the country is sitting on a crisis with the prevalence of internet sport gambling. “Online sport gambling is a major problem especially, among the youth. We understand the passion of youth supporting their favourite soccer or cricket team, however where it becomes a concern is when youth start wanting to predict the outcomes of matches and this is a big problem, as having smartphones means it is easily accessible to place bets.” Desai said that horse racing gambling online is also a concern. “This is something that we are not addressing enough. Horse race betting takes place seven days a week and with global time zones, people can bet 24 hours a day on horse races. This is a worrying factor as youth can…

The Department of Agriculture has declared parts of the Eastern Cape a Disease Management Area (DMA), to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). “The DMA will make it possible to control movements of animals out of, into and within the affected area. The main aim of the DMA is to prevent outward spread of the outbreaks, to areas not previously affected. In addition, the DMA aims to decrease further spread of the disease,” the department said. According to the DMA, no cloven-hoofed animals, animal products derived from cloven-hoofed animals or genetic material of cloven-hoofed animals may be moved from, to or within the Disease Management Areas of the Eastern Cape “except under authority of a state veterinary permit contemplated in Regulation 20 (1) of the Regulations and in compliance…

THE eThekwini Municipality yesterday said that it had resumed with refuse collection services. Residents can now expect services on their scheduled days. Street sweeping and refuse collection services had been disrupted since last week after staff members in the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) downed tools. Thousands of workers in the programme could lose their jobs by the end of this month as the municipality does not have the funds to pay for the programme. The news that the workers were about to lose their livelihood triggered a protest that caused disruption in refuse collection. City workers who opted to continue with their duties had to be escorted by metro police amid concerns of intimidation. The Municipal and Allied Trade Union of South Africa (Matusa) said it met with City…

Impact measurement, far from being an exact science, remains a dilemma of the data collation, processing, estimation, and storage ecosystem. We are hopeful of the promise of revolutionary developments in technology and digitalisation, warts and all, especially in generative AI, tokenisation, and blockchain, which are already defining key sectors of society, inclusion and, unfortunately, also exclusion. These include the economy and industry, investment, medicine and health care, and the whole gamut of societal metrics. Healthcare is a primaeval and basic desire of human beings. Globally it is a very emotive issue, like others such as climate action, food security and eradicating income and access inequalities, especially in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, the geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, and the resultant global economic downturn with…

Airlines suspended flights to Lebanon yesterday as diplomatic efforts were under way to contain soaring tensions between Hezbollah and Israel after deadly rocket fire in the annexed Golan Heights. Mourners gathered in the Golan Heights town of Majdal Shams for the funeral of 11-year-old Guevara Ibrahim, the last of 12 victims, all aged 10 to 16, of the rocket that hit a football pitch in the Druze Arab community on Saturday. Israel and the US have blamed the attack on Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group, which has traded near-daily fire with Israeli forces since the start of the Gaza war in early October. Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said a flurry of diplomatic activity had sought to contain the anticipated Israeli response, after Defence Minister Yoav Gallant threatened to “hit…

NUSANTARA: Indonesian President Joko Widodo spent his first night in the eagle-shaped palace of the country’s proposed new capital, Nusantara, yesterday, as the outgoing leader works to allay fears about the beleaguered infrastructure project. Widodo has been rushing to complete as much of the new capital as possible before he steps down in October, despite Nusantara facing multiple construction delays, a lack of foreign investment, and managerial and land issues. “This is a big job. It can take 10, 15, 20 years,” he said outside the new Garuda Palace yesterday. Carved out of jungle on the island of Borneo, the $32 billion (about R591bn) infrastructure project is about 1 200km from the current capital, Jakarta. | Reuters…

ANKARA: Türkiye’s parliament approved yesterday a move to euthanise some of the country’s 4 million stray dogs, a measure opponents say could lead to a vast animal cull. The controversial article, part of a draft law on the fate of the animals, says those who are sick or deemed aggressive must be put down. The rest of the bill is being debated today and expected to be adopted in the next few days. The government says the euthanasia clause is needed to prevent dog attacks and the spread of rabies. It says the other homeless dogs should be captured en masse, placed in animal shelters and put up for adoption. | AFP…

In recent years, both the financial services industry and the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) have worked together to make hedge funds more accessible to South African investors. This shift represents an opportunity for retail investors to reassess their portfolios in light of their newfound access to an asset class that has demonstrated consistent and meaningful outperformance when compared to the broader equity market, and which was formerly only available to high-net-worth individuals. Enhancing risk-adjusted portfolio performance A core tenet of investing is that achieving returns typically requires taking on some level of risk. Without taking risk, it’s challenging to outpace inflation or grow wealth in real terms. The ideal amount of risk varies depending on your investment goals, but even a rough approximation of the right risk level can…

Welcome to the vibrant world of fitness, where sweat meets social graces! Stepping into a gym isn’t just about lifting weights or hitting the treadmill; it’s also about embracing a community built on respect and a shared passion. In this bustling hub of health, understanding the unwritten rules of gym etiquette can make all the difference between a mundane workout and an uplifting fitness experience. Whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned gym-goer, navigating the unwritten rules of gym etiquette can be as important as perfecting your deadlift form. From towel habits to equipment sharing, let’s uncover how a touch of courtesy can elevate your gym sessions from routine to remarkable. Whether you’re a gym aficionado or a curious newcomer, mastering these social niceties will not only enhance your…

THE FW de Klerk Foundation calls on the government to ensure the safety of investigative officers of the court. This comes after the attempted assassination of advocate Coreth Naudé, who was acting for SA Revenue Service in a high-profile tax inquiry. Earlier this year, the foundation called upon the State to ensure the safety of the judiciary when it was revealed that a third of magistrates were threatened or harmed in 2021/2022. This violent, cowardly act aims to intimidate legal officers and obstruct the administration of justice. It is a direct assault on the rule of law and the integrity of our judicial system. The foundation calls on law enforcement agencies to swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice. It urges the government to implement measures to identify “at risk”…

In May 2024, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act of 2024 into law. While this represents a step towards realising the rights of bodily autonomy that ought to be enjoyed by everyone, it also highlights the inherent uncertainty in society caused by laws that regulate behaviour that does not infringe upon the rights of others. The Cannabis for Private Purposes Act (the Cannabis Act) decriminalises the cultivation, possession and use of cannabis by an adult in a private dwelling. Commercial activities related to cannabis are not decriminalised. Therefore, while it is legal to possess and use cannabis in a private dwelling, selling or buying it is prohibited. In the interests of the rule of law and its implications of legal certainty and reasonableness, we must mention…

POLITICAL analysts have predicted that the recently expelled former president Jacob Zuma may appeal his expulsion from the ANC. In a press briefing on Monday, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula confirmed that Zuma had been expelled from the ANC after the ANC’s national disciplinary committee (NDC) found him guilty of two charges of misconduct. The charges were in relation to the announcement Zuma had made on December 16 last year, that he would neither be campaigning nor voting for the ANC in the May 29 national and provincial elections. Zuma was also charged for his role in the registration of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) as a political party and giving it his blessings. Mbalula said Zuma has the right to appeal to the NDC within 21 days. “Former president Jacob…

The School Governing Body (SGB) at Pinelands High School has precautionarily suspended a number of Grade 8 learners amid racism and bullying allegations after they were captured on video footage “selling off” their black peers as slaves. In the video with the caption “Slavery at schools is crazy”, black learners are caged in what appears to be a storage space while their coloured peers pretend to auction them off to bidders. One of the learners is heard shouting “going once, going twice, sold!” Another mentions different prices including R2 000 and R10 000, the prices gradually increasing. Once a learner was “sold”, he was removed from the cage and made to stand next to the learner who “bought” him. Western Cape Education Department (WCED) spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said the department…

THE legacy of Krotoa – Mother of the Nation – was told as a story of hope through cultural activities such as a play, poetry, music, dialogue and exhibitions in commemoration of the 350th year of her death at the weekend. Activities included visits to three significant Krotoa-related sites – Robben Island, where she was banished, lived with her husband and ultimately died, the Castle of Good Hope where she was initially buried, and Die Groote Kerk, her final place of rest. The chairperson of the Western Cape First Nations Collective and leader of the Gorinhaiqua Cultural Council, Garu Zenzile Khoisan, said the story of Krotoa was one of recognition, restitution and restoration. “The person of Krotoa represents an important figure of anchorage for the First Nations people for our…

GETTING your wife pregnant before being arrested is not an automatic Get Out of Jail Free card, a judge said in refusing an accused bail. A judge sitting in the Limpopo High Court in Polokwane, said: “it surely cannot be that our courts are seen to be sending an unintended message that all a would-be criminal has to do to ensure post-arrest release on bail is to ensure that he leaves a spouse expectant with child”. Accused John Obinyeluba turned to the high court after the lower court had refused to give him bail. He told the judge his bail appeal was based on a new fact – he had learnt only after his arrest that his wife was pregnant. He said he needed to be with his wife…

Recent events have exposed an urgent need to beef up our law enforcement agencies against the threats posed by foreign nationals determined to establish criminal networks within our borders. The arrest of 95 Libyan nationals allegedly receiving military training at a clandestine base in Mpumalanga has sent shockwaves through the nation. While the police’s successful uncovering of this operation is commendable, it leaves us with a slew of unanswered questions: How did such a facility operate unnoticed? What is the legal status of these Libyan nationals within our borders? And crucially, how could such an operation have been sanctioned? The situation highlights a glaring deficiency in our intelligence services, whose inability to detect and thwart these threats before they materialise is a grave concern. This is not merely a matter…

President Nicolas Maduro and opposition rival Edmundo Gonzalez yesterday both claimed victory in Venezuela’s presidential election as Washington and other foreign governments cast doubt on official results that kept the incumbent in power. The national electoral authority said just after midnight that Maduro had won a third term with 51% of the vote – a result that would extend a quarter-century of socialist rule. But independent exit polls pointed to a big opposition win following enthusiastic shows of support for Gonzalez and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado on the campaign trail. Gonzalez won 70%, said Machado, who had been barred from holding public office in a decision she says is unfair. Gonzalez told supporters that rules had been violated on polling day. “Our message of reconciliation and peaceful change still…

US President Joe Biden was to propose sweeping reforms yesterday to the Supreme Court, including term limits and a binding code of conduct for its nine justices, but a deeply divided Congress means the changes have little chance of becoming law. Biden was to propose the changes, and a constitutional amendment to eliminate broad presidential immunity, during a speech in Austin, Texas. Biden’s push for reforms comes a week after he ended his re-election bid and endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris to square off against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in November. It also follows the Supreme Court’s ruling that there is no Constitutional right to abortion and other decisions that blocked Biden’s agenda on immigration, student loans, vaccine mandates and climate change. The Supreme Court’s life-tenured justices have no binding…

Paris: France’s meteorological agency issued a weather warning for Paris and the surrounding areas with storms and highs of 35°C expected yesterday as the capital hosts the Olympic Games. The agency put in place a “yellow alert”, the second of four levels, as a heatwave arrives from southern France. The alert was issued because “very hot” conditions across Paris were forecast to linger overnight, the mercury not expected to drop below 22°C between today and tomorrow. Parts of southern France were on orange alert, the third highest warning, temperatures pushing 40°C in places. The scorching heat will be keenly felt by Olympians in outdoor events during the afternoon. | AFP…

Dhaka: Bangladeshi students held scattered street protests yesterday after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government ignored an ultimatum to release their leaders and apologise for those killed in deadly unrest. Student rallies against civil service job quotas this month sparked days of violence that killed at least 205 people including several police officers, according to police data. Hasina’s government has largely restored order by deploying troops, imposing a curfew and shutting down the internet nationwide. Several protests were staged in the capital Dhaka and elsewhere in Bangladesh yesterday, but they were only a fraction of the size of those seen earlier in the month. | AFP…

Kaizer Chiefs’ new coach Nasreddine Nabi had mixed emotions after his team’s 4-0 drubbing by Young Africans in the Toyota Cup in Bloemfontein on Sunday. While the Tunisian was disappointed with the result, he said he learnt valuable lessons about his team’s readiness for the new season. Nabi, the club bosses, technical team, players and fans must work as a collective to ensure that the team is ready for the start of the Betway Premiership on September 10. So, that’s why MIHLALI BALEKA has put together a list of things that all the stakeholders associated with the club must do to ensure Chiefs strike up a winning combination. SHOW PATIENCE It’s well-documented that everyone who is associated with the club, especially the supporters, is hungry for success after a nine-year…

For rugby traditionalism, few can compare with the damsels of the Morningside Pub With No Name, who were ecstatic in their delight as they strummed at their knickers before surrendering the elastic for the time-honoured fashioning of catapults for the feu de joie in which the street lights are shot out. And it happened twice. The Sharks have turned the corner. ’Erewego, ’erewego ’erewego! Oh dear! OLYMPICS officials have “deeply apologised” for announcing South Korean athletes as North Korean during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics last Friday. As South Korean athletes travelled along the River Seine as part of the ceremony, they were wrongly announced as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea – the official name of North Korea. South Korea’s full name is the Republic of Korea.…

Do not let the kids play outside without sunscreen! Organic vegetables only! Cut down on screen time! Play baby Mozart! Breastmilk is best! Mask up! Make sure they have their vaccine shots! Sterilise! Sanitise! We even baby proof our goddamn houses to make sure our toddlers don’t knock their wee heads on the vicious edge of a coffee table, or plug their fat fingers into a wall socket. But. But. But. We can drop 2 ton bombs on some of them while they sleep. We think nothing of starving some of them, bombing their water supplies, smashing hospitals and schools to smithereens. It is okay for some children to go without clean water, much less have a decent meal. We care so much because children are God’s gift. We care…

InfoQuest, an online research company, and Responsible Gambling have raised concerns after research indicated an increase in online gambling among the youth. Experts say access to smartphones and laptops, along with the social and entertainment aspect of gambling, posed significant risks to young people. InfoQuest, an organisation that specialises in research into addictions, carried out a recent survey among 300 gamblers, 139 of whom were younger gamblers (aged 18 – 34 years). This indicated that online gaming and sports betting were the two most popular gambling activities among the youth, with playing the national lottery in third place. The organisation’s managing director, Claire Heckrath, said that younger gamblers participated in more types of gambling activities than their older counterparts. “The accessibility of online gambling platforms means that gambling is now…

The Freedom Front Plus (FF+) has blamed the DA for their coalition being in a shambles as Oudtshoorn Municipality mayor Chris Macpherson was ousted through a motion of no confidence. DA mayor Macpherson was removed from office in Oudtshoorn during a special council meeting. The motion was tabled by the ANC, supported by the FF+ and the Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa (Icosa) who both worked with the DA. This effectively terminated the coalition which also included the Suid-Kaap Saamstaan party. The municipality assured residents of Greater Oudtshoorn that all administrative duties will continue as normal. “A council meeting will be called within seven days for the election of a new executive mayor. During a special council meeting on July 25 a motion of no confidence was passed against…

Parliament will consider the cost implications of extending interpreting services beyond the plenary sitting to include meetings of the committees. This comes after MPs wanted interpretation services not only on request at the meetings of the portfolio committees. “Clearly, what is coming from the members is that this is an important issue. It can’t be an ad hoc matter. It can’t be on request only,” National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza said. “We need to find a way in which the translating simultaneously to our language is actually undertaken. “My proposal is to give us time so that in the next joint standing committee of Parliament we can indicate the cost implications for the full House service and we can all agree as parties how gradually we would like to work…

We need to expand new dimensions of opening up RECENTLY, the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) was successfully held in Beijing. It was held at a critical time as China advances the cause towards a strong and prosperous country, and national rejuvenation in all respects through Chinese modernisation. It drew up a grand blueprint for further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernisation, and demonstrated the strong determination of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core to reform in the end. It is not only a continued practice of deepening reform comprehensively, but a new chapter of advancing Chinese modernisation on the new journey. More than 300 important reform initiatives were put forward, which captured worldwide…

France was yesterday probing the possible involvement of ultra-left movements in attacks that paralysed the rail network at the start of the Olympic Games, as new sabotage acts affected fibre optic cables in several areas. With the government vigilant over the risk of more such attacks during the Games, French authorities on Sunday arrested an activist from an ultra-left movement at a site belonging to national rail operator SNCF. Police said the cables of several telecoms operators had been sabotaged in six areas of France overnight from Sunday into yesterday, but Paris was not affected. AFP confirmed with major carriers including Free and SFR that they had been affected, although no major disruptions had yet been reported. “It’s vandalism,” said Nicolas Chatin, spokesperson for SFR, one of France’s four biggest…

A Ugandan court charged 36 opposition supporters yesterday with terrorism-related offences after they were deported from neighbouring Kenya where they had travelled to attend a training course. The 36 accused, members of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), one of Uganda’s biggest opposition parties, deny the “ridiculous” charges. The case comes amid protests by young people in both Uganda and Kenya against corruption, high taxes and other grievances. Kenyan authorities detained and then deported the 36 people after they had travelled to the western Kenyan city of Kisumu on July 23 to take part in a leadership and governance training course, their lawyer said. During their detention in Kenya “they were tortured and several injured”, the FDC said. Critics have long accused President Yoweri Museveni’s government of using fabricated charges…

LAGOS: Fuel queues lengthened across major Nigerian cities yesterday after state-oil company Nigerian National Petroleum Corp (NNPC) faced problems supplying gasoline to local traders and depots. Last year President Bola Tinubu’s government opened up gasoline imports to private companies but foreign currency shortages and a cap on the price of petrol has mean that NNPC remains the only importer. Nigeria’s new Dangote Refinery is yet to start processing gasoline. Gasoline prices at retail stations have risen to over 800 naira (about R9) from around 617 naira a litre in May 2023 when the government announced it was ending gasoline subsidies. | Reuters…

Tehran: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have seized a Togo-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf and arrested its nine-person crew over alleged fuel smuggling, it said yesterday. The vessel is “owned by an Iraqi resident of Dubai, United Arab Emirates”, and was carrying 700 000 litres of fuel, it said. The Guards’ naval forces captured it near the Arash oil field, a disputed rig between Iran and Kuwait “while loading smuggled fuel from Iranian barges”, it said. “This oil tanker and its nine Indian crew members have been transferred to Imam Khomeini harbour.” It is the second such seizure in less than a week. Fuel prices in Iran are among the lowest, increasing the profitability of smuggling. | AFP…