Indholdsfortegnelse for 2024-08-13 i Mercury

Emira Property Fund has invested €55.5 million (R1.1bn) in the Luxembourg-headquartered Polish property developer and investor DL Invest Group. Emira has acquired a 25% initial stake in DL Invest Group, which has a gross asset value (GAV) of about €730m and a net asset value (NAV) prior to Emira’s investment of some €278m. Emira’s equity interest has a face value of €101.5m. Emira, which currently has properties in SA and the US has also secured an option to acquire a further interest for €45.5m. If exercised, this second tranche will result in Emira holding 45% of DL Invest Group. This initial shareholding will increase Emira’s international investments to 32% of its portfolio – with 19% in the US and 13% in Poland –while 68% remains in SA, further strengthening its…

Tacos, the quintessential Mexican street food, have taken the world by storm with their delicious simplicity and incredible versatility. A taco, at its core, is a traditional Mexican dish consisting of a tortilla, typically filled with a variety of ingredients. These can range from seasoned meats to fresh vegetables, all garnished with an array of toppings. Whether you prefer the classic street taco with its soft corn tortilla or the crispy crunch of a hard-shell taco, there is a version of this dish to satisfy every palate. Below, recipe developer and photographer Caitlin Prettyman has shared her crispy poblano chicken tacos with avocado-jalapeño salsa recipe. Crispy poblano chicken tacos with avocado-jalapeño salsa Serves 6 Ingredients For the chicken tacos 1kg boneless skinless chicken thighs Cooking spray 2 tbs olive oil…

My head is full of experiences in which I’ve been subjected to the innocence random people frequently display towards the country of my birth (South Africa) and, when I’m abroad, my country of residence (the US). Regarding the land of my birth, it might go something like – and both occurred – “Who helps you write good English?” and “Do you know my exchange student who was also white and from Africa?” It was once suggested I claim to be African to garner sympathy. Regarding the US, it might be: “Can you see Hawaii from New York City?” or “Do you see movie stars every day?” Having spent 10 days in India, I more than doubly confess my ignorance regarding the vast sub-continent, its billions of people, thousands of languages…

I am shocked at the shameless double standards and duplicity of certain local and international media (including Post), and the very vocal self-proclaimed “human rights activists” and Hindumisic countries such as the US, UK, Canada and some European ones as well over the silence on what has been happening to all non-Muslims, especially Hindus in Muslim Bangladesh. Hindus were 20% of the population in 1971, but now they have been reduced to 8% through ethnic cleansing. More than 800 Hindu houses have reportedly been attacked, looted and destroyed in just one village, and so far Hindus in 27 villages have come under targeted attacks. Homes and temples have been torched and Hindu temples in Jashore, Bagerhat, Magura, and Dhaka damaged as police officers across the country have gone on strike…

The sky was the start but never the limit for newly crowned Miss South Africa, Mia le Roux, who trail-blazed her way into the pageant as the the first differently-abled woman to reach the finals and win the title. DeafSA said Le Roux’s resilience during the pageant elimination stages was inspiring and gave hope to differently-abled communities. In her acceptance speech, Le Roux reflected on how she never would have thought that “someone like me could become Miss South Africa” and said her winning the title was a message to other little girls that they can achieve their dreams with determination and hard work. Le Roux was born in Sasolburg, Free State, raised in Oudtshoorn and currently lives and works in Cape Town as a marketing manager, model and part-time…

WITH two contempt of court orders against him and a stint in jail for not adhering to a court order issued six years ago to stop bad mouthing the Liberty Group and some of its employees, a man has now earned himself a third contempt order, coupled with a year in jail if he did no desist. The Liberty Group once again turned to the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, as it said that Bob Mano, will simply not refrain from sending hundreds of emails to hundreds of recipients, in which he is making defamatory remarks about them. Some remarks also include excessively vulgar language and suggestions regarding family members of some of Liberty’s executives. The court interdicted Mano in 2018 to stop these emails and remarks. Yet, Mano has forged…

The impact of floods on women’s health is devastating, new research has found, and the lack of clean running water and inadequate sanitation, also contaminated during flooding, make using the toilet a daunting task and increase the risk of contracting water-borne diseases like cholera and other viral and bacterial infections. A study by Palesa Base, a research assistant at UCT’s African Climate and Development Initiative, has uncovered the plight of women in Khayelitsha during floods. The study is part of her Honours research in environmental and geographical science, and was made possible by working with the Informal Settlement Network and the Community Organisation Resource Centre, two non-profit organisations. “We see in the news that Khayelitsha is one of the communities hardest hit by the rain. It always is, which…

The 2024 Paris Olympics have come to a close, and as the dust settles, we must take a moment to congratulate and celebrate the incredible achievements of the athletes who represented South Africa on the world stage. With six medals to their name – one gold, three silver, and two bronze –Team South Africa has made us proud, not only by doubling their medal tally from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics but by proving that our nation belongs among the world’s sporting elite. Some might argue that six medals are not a lot in the grand scheme of things, especially when compared to powerhouse nations like the US or China. However, it is important to remember that at the Olympic Games, only the best of the best compete. For South Africa,…

The leader of a Kenyan starvation sect went on trial for manslaughter yesterday over the deaths of more than 400 of his followers in one of the world’s worst cult-related tragedies. Self-proclaimed pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and dozens of other suspects pleaded not guilty in January to multiple counts of manslaughter, one of several cases against them over what is known as the “Shakahola Forest Massacre”. Mackenzie appeared in a magistrate’s court in the Indian Ocean port city of Mombasa along with 93 other suspects, prosecutors and court officials said. “There has never been a manslaughter case like this in Kenya,” prosecutor Alexander Jami Yamina said, adding that they will be charged under a Kenyan law dealing with suicide pacts. “This is going to be a very unique manslaughter case.”…

Mumbai: India’s opposition Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi has called on the chief markets regulator to resign after US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research claimed past investments compromised an investigation into the Adani Group. The sprawling conglomerate, saw $150 billion wiped from its market value last year after a bombshell report by Hindenburg accused it of “brazen” corporate fraud. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) was asked to investigate the allegations. However, Hindenburg has now accused Sebi chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch of having investments in offshore funds that a senior Adani family member also allegedly used. Gandhi said the securities regulator had been “gravely compromised”. |…

Nairobi: Aviation staff at Kenya’s main international airport will go on strike from next week over a contested investment proposal from an Indian conglomerate, their union said yesterday. About 10 000 members of the Kenya Aviation Workers Union will walk out from August 19, its secretary general Moss Ndiema said. The dispute centres on plans by the Kenyan government to enter into an investment agreement with India’s Adani Group to expand, modernise and operate Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. “We are opposed to the Adani deal which we think has not followed the due process of the law,” said Ndiema.…

The Springboks are paying special attention to their breakdown play on defence this week to limit the amount of penalties they are giving away, especially after making tackles. Assistant coach Duane Vermeulen, who described his role as the link between the players and coaches on game day, said even after their comprehensive win over the Wallabies last weekend, there are things they have to fix before the second Test on Saturday. The Boks will take on Australia in Perth looking to make it a clean sweep in their first two games of the 2024 Rugby Championship. They produced a commanding display in Brisbane on Saturday to win 33-7, but some parts of their game still need sharpening ahead of the duel at the Optus Stadium. There was no real update…

Atletico Madrid have signed Argentine forward Julian Alvarez from Premier League side Manchester City on a six-year contract, the La Liga club said yesterday. Financial details about the transfer were not disclosed by either club, but British media reported that the deal was worth around €75 million (about R1.495bn) plus €20m (R399m) in potential add-ons. “I say goodbye to this wonderful club with many emotions. They were two very special years. “During this time, I grew and learned a lot as a player and as a person,” Alvarez wrote on Instagram yesterday. “I will always be very proud to have been part of this family. Manchester City will always have a special place in my heart. “I wish you every success in the future and will continue to support the…

Shares in Super Group plunged nearly 13% after it said yesterday that its annual headline earnings per share (heps) could fall as much as 30% amid a challenging trade environment. By 4.30pm its shares were12.66% lower at R25.80. In a trading statement and operational update, it said a review by management of the year-end financial results for the 12 months ended June 30, 2024 had indicated that projected heps would decline by between 20% to 30% to between 334.2 cents and 382c per share. This as earnings per share were likely to fall between 94% and 104% (19.2c to 28.9c per share). Projected revenue was expected to rise between 0% to 10% – beween R62 billion and R68.2bn – while operating profit was expected to decline by…

Picking up from the final line of my previous Tech Tides Africa column, “Beware of lazy oversimplifications regarding origin stories, the framing of social impact, and the who or what drives economic progress”, I’ve been reflecting on a recurring debate within Africa’s tech start-up ecosystem. Some have drawn comparisons between impact investing and foreign aid, raising concerns about their effectiveness and unintended consequences. In my experience over the past couple of years, this debate often involves well-intentioned, multidisciplinary industry stakeholders earnestly discussing how to better support innovative tech entrepreneurs. The aim is to harness technology to build businesses that deliver outsized performance in terms of both commercial success, and social impact (ideally in that order, for more hard-nosed capitalist-types). Critics worldwide argue that impact investing, much like foreign aid frequently…

Stem cell therapy has emerged as a groundbreaking field in medical science, offering hope for treating a range of diseases and even advancing techniques like 3D bioprinting of human tissues and organs. In South Africa, stem cell transplants are currently the only effective treatment for blood cancers. However, despite the critical need, only 0.04% of South Africans are registered as stem cell donors, and someone is diagnosed with blood cancer every 72 minutes. “Stem cell therapy represents a significant advancement in medicine, but many people still have misconceptions about what stem cells are, how they are matched, and how transplants work. “It’s crucial to address these issues to overcome the stigma associated with stem cell use,” said Theo Gerdener, the Medical Director at DKMS Africa. A big problem with stem…

White House resident Joe Biden’s assertion that Trump is a “danger to the security of the US” (The Mercury, August 12) is simultaneously an honest and a dishonest statement. It is dishonest because the unambiguous goal of Trump and the Republican Party is defence of the US constitution, defence of states’ rights, secure borders and the prioritisation of the interests of the American people. How such policies could possibly pose a threat to the US is baseless propaganda, which the Democrats have been parroting for eight years. But what that propaganda mantra conceals is the commitment of the Democratic party and its adherents in the mass media, academia, Big Tech, Big Pharma and Wall Street to globalism. National sovereignty is anathema to the globalists. It is the reason open borders…

Miss Kamala Harris has bought a cheap ticket – “Tour America” – on her roundabout rally to convince dunderheads to vote her in for the softest sofa seat in the White House, against Maverick without the clear flush, Mr Trump. Trump whose first name is the counterpart of Walt Disney’s Daisy Duck, ducked just in time to dodge that cowardly assassin on the roof and retained his webfeet on this earthly Disneyland. Hypothetically, of course, killing fields are very portable. Flexible. One bullet and Ms Hopeful Harris could also be joining all the Minnie Mouses and Past Goofy Presidents up there. Heaven and Hell forbid! It happens. The best security guard is no security guard. Like Lal Bahadur Shastri. Narry an enemy in the world.(But that sudden heart attack after…

Department of International Relations and Co-operation Minister Ronald Lamola has called for calm in Bangladesh following widespread protests that have targeted minority groups, including Hindus and Christians, and led to the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Lamola was updating the media on a range of international relations issues yesterday in Pretoria, including the government’s response to protests allegedly started by students to reform Bangladesh’s job quota system in July. Hundreds of people have been killed due to the protests which have also seen Hindu monuments and churches targeted. It has been reported that several student organisations and youth wings have volunteered to guard and ensure the safety of churches and temples. A protest was held in Durban at the weekend, where a call was made for the violence…

TRADE, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau said the adjudication of the fourth national lottery and sports pools licence operator was still under way. This comes almost 12 months after the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) board asked prospective applicants and interested parties to attend a briefing session to obtain critical information relating to the bidding document for the new operating licence. The operating licence of current operator Ithuba Holdings expires in May, 2025. The prospective applicants were required to submit their application for a new operator’s licence by February 3, 2024. In parliamentary questions, uMkhonto weSizwe Party MP Des van Rooyen asked whether the National Lotteries Commission has made any progress in the allocation of the new operator’s licence for the national lottery. Van Rooyen also enquired about the…

A HUSBAND discovered the hard way that he couldn’t simply kick his wife, who he is divorcing, out of the house and expect her to financially take care of herself because she is a housewife. The Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, ordered the husband to pay maintenance to his wife until she found a job. Acting Judge JA Kok noted that in a traditional marriage, the male partner earned an income by doing paid work while the female partner performed unpaid domestic work – running the household and caring for the children. “By earning an income, the male partner is able to financially maintain his female partner and children, and to maintain or acquire assets. “But for his female partner’s contribution, he would have had to perform these domestic duties, leaving…

News articles should do more than inform, they should inspire empathy and action WITNESSING the news about the devastating flooding in black informal settlements located in Cape Town’s low-lying areas, I felt a familiar sense of despair. Listening to the affected individuals narrate their struggles in these terrible conditions, it struck me that the way these disasters are portrayed in the news seems like the same narrative repeated across multiple communities facing similar issues. These problems are rarely properly contextualised, with news reports often failing to make connections between climate change, big industry, and their impact on vulnerable communities. The repetitive, decontextualised storytelling makes even me, as an activist, feel helpless and inept when confronted with the insurmountable injustices that economically poor communities face daily. Reflecting on this problem, I…

International pressure mounted yesterday for a ceasefire in Gaza, with Britain, France and Germany issuing a joint plea for an end to fighting between Israel and Hamas with “no further delay”. The call came a day after Palestinian group Hamas – whose October 7 attack on Israel triggered the war – urged mediators to implement a truce plan presented by US President Joe Biden instead of holding more talks. “The fighting must end now, and all hostages still detained by Hamas must be released,” French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a joint statement. “The people of Gaza need urgent and unfettered delivery and distribution of aid,” it said. “There can be no further delay.” International mediators invited Israel and Hamas…

Esther Nalukwago, a 42-year-old mother of twins, fled half-dressed in panic when a torrent of rotting garbage engulfed her home in Kampala’s northern district of Kiteezi. The disaster claimed the lives of at least 23 people, including children. “I saw one side of my room collapsing. I dashed out half-naked,” said yesterday. “When I was out of the house, shaking out of fear and panic, the surrounding houses were covered by an avalanche of black soil and shortly after people were wailing.” Scores of rescuers clad in scant protective gear searched through the fetid landslide, believed to have been caused by recent heavy rainfall. The death toll rose to 23 yesterday, with the authorities saying previously that the victims included five children. Unfazed by the stench and oblivious to…

The Hague: The International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Karim Khan said yesterday that he is “actively monitoring” tensions in Venezuela over the result of the country’s presidential election. Khan also said his office had received “multiple reports of instances of violence and other allegations” following the July 28 presidential election. Long-time socialist leader Nicolas Maduro was declared the winner of a new term but opposition leaders say their candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, was cheated of victory. Protests since the vote have left at least 24 people dead while 2 200 people have been arrested, according to rights groups.…

LONDON: British police said they arrested a man after a stabbing in London’s Leicester Square, which left an 11-year-old girl needing hospital treatment and a 34-year-old woman with minor injuries. The police said the incident in the central London square, which is popular with tourists, was not being treated as terror-related. Britain’s police forces remain on high alert after days of riots, which were triggered by false online posts wrongly identifying the suspected killer of three girls in northern England as an Islamist migrant. There were no other outstanding suspects, police said.…

Manqoba Mngqithi is thrilled to have striker Iqraam Rayners at his disposal as he believes he fits in like a glove in their plans for continental football. Rayners had a brilliant outing last season, scoring 17 goals and registering eight assists in 38 games across all competitions for Stellenbosch. And while he missed out on the Lesley Manyathela Golden Boot by one goal, he still got some notable recognition. The 28-year-old was nominated for the PSL Footballer of the Season award, and became a key member of the national team, Bafana Bafana, under coach Hugo Broos. Amid those exploits, reports have been rife that he’ll be joining Mamelodi Sundowns during the course of the week after his release clause was triggered by the local champions. The Brazilians’ head coach Mngqithi…

ARE the Olympic medals up to standard in terms of quality? US skateboarder Nyjah Huston says the bronze he won about a week ago has started to visibly deteriorate, appearing to chip and lose its colour. “These Olympic medals look great when they are brand new but after letting it sit on my skin with some sweat and letting friends wear it over the weekend, they are apparently not as high quality as you would think,” he says on Instagram, according to Sky News. “Even the front is starting to chip off a little. Olympic medals – maybe they’ve got to step up the quality a bit.” Kleinhuis THE Smallest House in Britain – a tourist attraction – is in danger of flooding, according to the BBC. It has suffered…

Out damned spot, lady Macbeth laments in the latter half of Shakespeare's famed tragedy, Macbeth. All the perfumes of Arabia will never sweeten this little hand, she weeps in delirium and guilt. And in the last scenes of the play, unable to wrestle with her bloodstained conscience any further, she throws herself out of the window and commits suicide. Famed as one of the most machiavellian female characters in the Shakespearean universe, it is Lady Macbeth who comes to mind as I contemplate the horrors coming out of Gaza. The lines that she uttered, urging the forces of darkness to stop her from feeling any sort of remorse about the murder she forced her husband to commit, seem eerily relevant when contemplating the sheer horror, the mindless cruelty that the…

The curtain has come down on the biggest, most spectacular event on the planet – the Olympics. It brought together the nations of the world in the Olympic spirit of peace, regardless of race, creed, colour and sex. An incredible 10 714 athletes from 206 countries tried to outdo each other to get that most sought-after medal in the world. While some were over the moon and went back to their countries proudly displaying their Olympic medals around their necks, many others went back home downcast, no medal to show for all their years of training and sacrifice. And some of these unfortunate ath letes were from India. The world’s most populous nation had no gold to show off to the world. Its medal tally stood at one silver and…

ETHEKWINI Municipality has revived its plans to conduct a feasibility study to build a 100 megalitre a day desalination plant to boost its efforts to ensure water security through alternative sources of water. The municipality last week appointed finance and technical experts that will conduct a feasibility study, leading to the formation of a public private partnership (PPP) to build a desalination plant. The municipality said the private partner would assume all risk and responsibility for the project. It said it was engaging with the SA Development Bank as well as the International Finance Corporation on transaction advisory services capacity as the project needed a feasibility study. Desalination refers to the process of removing salt from seawater. The report tabled before council last week revealed that the City was looking…

Ratepayers and resident associations said while they welcomed Transnet’s plan to rehabilitate the roads leading to the Port of Durban, they wanted solutions to the truck congestion that has plagued the surrounding communities for years. Transnet National Port Authority (TNPA) announced last week they were making good progress in a two-year project that started in September last year to comprehensively rehabilitate roads leading to the port. In July, The Mercury reported that eThekwini Metro had approved a R50 million environmental impact assessment (EIA) aimed at helping alleviate truck congestion and to prevent damage to road infrastructure near the port. TNPA said it was steadily moving ahead with interventions to improve access to facilities at the Port of Durban. “This 24-month project is aligned with the Transnet Recovery Plan…

DISEASE outbreak and pandemic unpreparedness is the bane of creaking global health systems irrespective of their economic status. The ‘once-in-a-century’ Covid-19 pandemic which hit the world in March 2020, brutally exposed the inadequacies of public and private health systems, although in a twisted way it unleashed human ingenuity in developing a vaccine in a record one year, instead of the normal decade or so gestation of bringing a major drug to the market. Vaccine deniers and sceptics apart, ideological hubris, bureaucratic complacency and policy drag are not options. South Africa, for instance, is amid a wave of community transmission of mpox following its reporting to the World Health Organization (WHO) a few days ago of 20 confirmed cases between 8 May and 2 July 2024, including three deaths (with a…

Russian forces have reduced the number of guided bomb attacks on border settlements in Ukraine’s north-eastern Kharkiv region, the local governor said yesterday, while Moscow troops struggle to repel Ukraine’s cross-border assault in the Kursk region. Ukraine’s top commander said yesterday that Kyiv controlled around 1 000km² of Russia’s Kursk region, his first public comments since Ukraine launched its biggest cross-border attack in almost 30 months of full-scale war. With Russia still struggling to repel the incursion seven days after it began, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy published a video clip of Oleksandr Syrskyi, the head of his armed forces, delivering a report on the fighting. “We continue to conduct an offensive operation in the Kursk region. Currently, we control about 1 000km² of the territory of the Russian Federation,” he said.…

Penteli: Thousands of people fled their homes around Athens yesterday as strong winds fanned a wall of wildfire flames closer to the Greek capital. A 30km-long frontline of fires, more than 25m high in places, was moving towards Athens, the ERT public broadcaster reported. Nearly 700 firefighters and more than 30 aircraft battled the blazes that had advanced into the city’s outer suburbs near Mount Pentelikon. The authorities opened the Olympic stadium in northern Athens and other stadiums to house those fleeing. Three major hospitals have been placed on standby. One firefighter suffered serious burns, another was hospitalised and 13 other people were treated for respiratory problems, the fire brigade said. |…

Dhaka: Bangladeshi police resumed patrols of the capital Dhaka yesterday, ending a week-long strike following the abrupt ousting of autocratic ex-premier Sheikh Hasina. Officers vanished from the streets of the megacity of 20 million people last week after Hasina’s resignation and flight abroad. The police were loathed for spearheading a lethal crackdown on the weeks of protests that forced her departure, with 42 officers among the more than 450 people killed. They vowed not to resume work until their safety on duty was guaranteed, but they agreed to return after talks with the new interim government, helmed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.…

WASHINGTON: Elon Musk was due to interview Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on the X social media network yesterday in an event that could inject more surprises into the turbulent November 5 US presidential election. Trump’s Democratic rival, Vice-President Kamala Harris, has erased his lead in opinion polls and energised Democratic voters with a series of high-energy rallies. The interview will be hosted live using Trump’s official X account. His account, @realDonaldTrump, was restored a month into Musk’s X ownership after being suspended by the previous owners following the January 6, 2021, attack on Congress by his supporters.…