Indholdsfortegnelse for 2024-11-22 i Mercury

A giant ginger cat called Kevin. A tiny guinea pig named Didi. Cheetah the Doberman. We all have pets we’ll never forget. They love us unconditionally, they are our faithful companions, they help us stick to daily routines, they lower our stress levels, and aid our mental health. An estimated 1.4 million South African pet owners do not have a valid will. Part of caring for our faithful furries is ensuring they are looked after when we are not around to do so ourselves. Here, are five of the most common questions from pet owners. Can you write your pets’ care into your will? Yes, in your will you are free to note, for example, that your Labrador, Bella, must be placed in the care of your brother, Brian, but…

The education department has been forbidden from releasing matric results to the media because of the Popi (Protection of Personal Information) Act, it would seem. There were reports of pupils committing suicide in previous years when the results showed that they had not passed; however, as I recall, results were released to the media not with the name of the pupil but merely the exam number. That being the case, no one but you, as the one who wrote the exams, would know who that number belonged to. So the rationale, logic, purpose and motivation to prevent exam results from being released to the media has to be devoid of logic, common sense or there is some other unknown reason. It defies common sense and falls into the category…

We will remember 2024 as the year our clueless leaders lost complete control of every aspect of sound governance. Most citizens have little or no faith in their leaders and the public’s confidence in our government is shrinking rapidly. Many of our past and current leaders are congenital liars. Years of lying has made our politics morally bankrupt. As a writer, I have never witnessed such degradation and destitution for over 50 years. A combination of factors has mushroomed over time and has raised serious concerns about the threat that rampaging corruption poses to the very fabric of our nationhood. With the larger public disdainful of our current and previous politicians, how can so many continue with the tactics of public obfuscation and diversion? Many of our current crop of…

ANOTHER Big ’Un tomorrow. What’s that you say? It’s only Wales? Look, this is top-flight international rugby. Anything can happen and so often does, especially if one side is lulled into thinking this is just a formality and soon we’ll be on the plane home. That’s when disaster strikes. My prediction: the Taffies will give us a very good run for our money, but the Boks will prevail. But in rugby predictions, it’s very easy to be wrong. Whatever the levels of achievement, rugby remains an unpredictable game played with an oddly shaped and oddly bouncing ball. The damsels of the Pub With No Name appear to share my sentiments because Morningside already resounds to a strumming of knicker elastic as the damsels anticipate being called upon tomorrow to supply…

As the recent spate of foodborne illnesses has been classified a national disaster, the government has intensified inspections of businesses selling food and other enterprises in the food value chain while tests of contaminated products will be fast-tracked. Cabinet ministers yesterday discussed the issue of foodborne illnesses, which has resulted in 22 deaths in the past few weeks, after President Cyril Ramaphosa issued a 21-day deadline on Friday for spaza shops and small businesses to be registered. In at least one of the incidents, the deaths of six children in Naledi, Soweto has been linked to a pesticide. Foodborne illnesses were classified as a disaster on November 19, however, it has not yet been declared a disaster as deliberations were still ongoing, Co-operative Governance Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa explained. Health experts…

The Sport, Arts and Culture Ministry came in for criticism for rejecting the proposed board members for the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB). Minister Gayton McKenzie took issue that there was no white person selected for the board. This emerged when the sport, arts and culture portfolio committee discussed the letter McKenzie wrote, rejecting the PanSALB board nominees, after the committee made its recommendation on its preferred candidates. The committee heard that former minister Zizi Kodwa in consultation with the committee appointed an ad hoc committee which facilitated the process of inviting the members of the public to nominate persons for the appointment to serve on the board last year. The nominations were forwarded to the portfolio committee in January this year and a report was adopted and tabled…

Three hijacking suspects were shot dead in a shoot-out with police in Mariannhill this week. South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson in the province, Colonel Robert Netshiunda, said the trio had just hijacked a Hyundai H1, loaded with home appliances on Wednesday. “Police intelligence traced the hijacked vehicle to the Klaarwater hostel in Mariannhill and information indicated that the suspects were loading the hijacked goods into a bakkie,” Netshiunda said. He said when police approached the area, they spotted the identified bakkie and signalled for the driver to stop; however, the driver chose to ignore the police’s instructions and sped off, and police gave chase. “During the high speed vehicle chase, the suspects started firing shots at the police and a shoot-out ensued. The suspect’s vehicle came to a standstill…

WORLD Fisheries Day, observed annually on November 21, serves as a poignant reminder of the significance of fisheries the world over. The observance of the day also recognises the challenges facing the world’s fisheries and underscores the need for responsible management and sustainability. With rapid population growth, climate change and increasing food insecurity, the countries face challenges. However, amid these challenges lies a beacon of hope – aquaculture. As the fastest growing food production system globally, aquaculture provides more than 50% of the world’s aquatic products, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. The growth is pronounced in Africa, where aquaculture is expanding at a rate almost double the global average, with growth rates reaching up to 23% in certain regions. South Africa has recognised aquaculture as a priority for…

The US government has asked a judge to order the dismantling of Google by selling its widely used Chrome browser in a major antitrust crackdown on the internet giant. In a court filing this week, the US Department of Justice urged a shake-up of Google’s business that includes banning deals for Google to be the default search engine on smartphones and preventing it from exploiting its Android mobile operating system. Antitrust officials said in the filing that Google should also be made to sell Android if proposed remedies don’t prevent the tech company from using its control of the mobile operating system to its advantage. Justice officials “chose to push a radical interventionist agenda,” Google president of global affairs Kent Walker said in response to the filing. Calling for the…

A fresh draft of a climate pact unveiled yesterday at COP29 failed to break an impasse between nations, with negotiators racing against the clock to broker a trillion-dollar finance agreement. The UN climate summit is scheduled to conclude today but the latest draft deal released by hosts Azerbaijan was spurned by rich and poor countries alike. The main priority at COP29 is agreeing a new target to replace the $100 billion a year that rich nations pledged for poorer ones to fight climate change. Developing countries plus China are pushing for $1.3 trillion by 2030 and want at least $500bn of that from developed nations without strings attached. Major contributors like the EU have baulked at such demands, and insist private sector money would be needed to meet a larger…

RIO DE JANEIRO: G20 leaders this week reaffirmed their commitment to multilateralism and pledged to reform the global governance system, as stated in the G20 Rio de Janeiro Leaders’ Declaration. They are aiming for a strengthened multilateral system aligned with the UN Charter and international law, advocating for a reformed UN Security Council that better represents developing countries. The leaders emphasised the need for a fair and transparent multilateral trading system, with the WTO at its core, and expressed support for reforms to ensure an effective dispute settlement system accessible to all members by 2024. | Xinhua…

NEW YORK: US police this week arrested a homeless man suspected of plotting to bomb the New York Stock Exchange this week after he shared his plans with undercover officers, according to a court filing. The suspect, identified as Harun Abdul-Malik Yener, was arrested after a months-long investigation by agents with the FBI, who were allegedly asked by Yener to help find explosive components to build a pipe bomb. Yener, a Florida native born in the US in 1994, thought the undercover agents were members of a militia he had sought to join. His motive for the bombing was to create a “reboot” of the US government, according to the FBI. | Xinhua…

The Chatsworth Post Office has faced unprecedented challenges, struggling to recover from rampant vandalism. I am a proud resident of Chatsworth but sadly, in some instances we are seriously wanting. Looking at the Post Office, which was the pride of Chatsworth, it is now a far cry from its former glory. To all councillors and activists, it's time to up your game. Put our residents foremost, stopping the bickering and political differences is important. It was refreshing to note that the Human Rights Activist Forum, comprising Rocky Naidoo, Suran Gounden and team, is playing an active part in restoring the Post Office. If there is one thing that should unite the community of Chatsworth, it is the destruction of the Post Office. What we don’t need are assurances from…

Crushed, partially buried living corpses that still show signs of life, with protruding fingers that move slightly, pleading for somebody to notice, somebody to get help, to be able to lift those massive, heavy concrete blocks are real-time images flashing around the entire circumference of this planet. In this very second that you are reading this. Almost 70% of the Earth's eight billion adult population is potentially watching this nightmarish sequence being repeatedly enacted for the last thirteen months. Normal people born as humans, with the usual sensitivity of basic mercy, morals and compassion continue watching in anger and agony. Waiting for governments of all countries to shout out loudly, “Stop it now, already!” And the majority of countries actually did that at the last UN Resolution sitting. Everybody…

I have had the privilege of visiting South Africa many times since my January 1990 move to the USA. I have gone most to KwaZulu Natal, where I have family, and, in more recent years, to the Western Cape. I find myself driving a lot. It is as if I am looking for something, searching for an item left behind that I am sure, with enough exploring, I will ultimately find. Alas, I do know it takes more than renting a car and hours on familiar and unfamiliar roads to journey into the heart of my search. I have never questioned my move nor did I ever believe Lady Liberty’s grass was greener. On rare occasions I listen to South Africans who have made the move and some recurring observations…

Although yesterday’s interest rate cut by the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) bodes well for homeowners and could encourage first-time buyers, it fell short of expectations and did not decrease monthly repayments substantially, leaving more to be done to kickstart the economy. Taking a conservative stance, the SARB’s Monetary Policy Committee unanimously decided to cut interest rates by 25 basis points (bps) from 8.0% to 7.75%, taking the prime lending rate from 11.50% to 11.25%, a level last seen in April last year. This is the second cut in a row, although economists had hoped that it would be trimmed by 50bps. SARB Governor Lesetja Kganyago said the risks to the inflation outlook appeared to be balanced as it was contained in the near-term. “However, the medium-term outlook is highly…

The conviction rate for sexual offences in KwaZulu-Natal courts stands at around 70%. This is according to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) which appeared before the Commission for Gender Equality’s investigating hearings in Durban this week. The hearings focused on the KZN Criminal Justice departments’ response to gender-based violence cases. NPA State Advocate Nonhlanla Dlamini said they had made significant progress in prosecuting sexual offences cases in KZN. “In KZN, we have 73 regional courts with eight courts dedicated to sexual offences cases. We also have hybrid courts that deal with sexual offences and other courts. As the province, we have identified that sexual offences are reported to police but not all of these cases make it to court.” Dlamini said to tackle this, a local structure has been set…

The Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (Casac) has urged Parliament to ensure that the protections contained in the Rica amendment Bill remain when it is reviewed by the National Assembly. President Cyril Ramaphosa has sent the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-related Information Amendment (RICA) Bill back to Parliament for review. The new Rica Bill follows a 2021 Constitutional Court judgment that ruled that Rica is unconstitutional as it fails to provide sufficient safeguards to protect the right to privacy, including with regard to the surveillance of journalists and lawyers. The Presidency yesterday said that Ramaphosa is concerned that a number of constitutional matters in the Bill passed by Parliament “require reconsideration so that this important statute achieves its intended purpose…

Not too long ago, Bafana Bafana battled to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations – and the Fifa World Cup seldom entered the conversation. South Africa missed out on the 2017 Afcon in Gabon and 2021 in Cameroon, despite reaching the quarter-finals in Egypt in 2019. But there has been a turnaround in consistency, performance and squad depth under veteran Belgian coach Hugo Broos – so much so that there were nearly 50 000 people at Tuesday’s final Afcon qualifier against South Sudan at the Cape Town Stadium. Broos has spread the net wide and selected players from various clubs instead of just the major Gauteng outfits. That has helped to bring in big numbers. No longer do Bafana have to play in front of empty stands. What made…

Kenya deployed a heavy police presence yesterday ahead of President William Ruto’s state of the nation speech, which comes as he faces criticism over abductions, corruption and unpopular economic policies. There were some calls online to protest Ruto’s speech to parliament. But the energy behind the mass demonstrations between June and August, sparked by proposed tax rises, has petered out. Rights groups say people have been cowed by the violent police response, which saw more than 60 killed during the protests and dozens of abductions targeting organisers in the following months. Human Rights Watch said this month that Kenyan security forces “abducted, arbitrarily arrested, tortured, and killed perceived leaders of the anti-Finance Bill protests”. The road to parliament was blocked, with police trucks stationed at key intersections, and no sign…

BERLIN: Former German chancellor Angela Merkel describes her dealings with world leaders such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump during her 16 years in power in her new memoir, Freedom: Memories 1954-2021, which comes as her legacy is under fire. In excerpts from the book, to be published next week, Merkel tells of how she sought advice from the pope on dealing with Trump when he was first elected US president, hoping to convince him not to quit the Paris climate accords. “Bend, bend, bend, but make sure it doesn’t break,” the pope said. Merkel has faced criticism for allowing Germany to become more dependent on cheap Russian gas and Chinese trade. Critics also blame the rise of the far right on her decision to open Germany’s borders…

SEOUL: South Korean police said yesterday an investigation confirmed that hackers linked to North Korea’s military intelligence agency were responsible for an Ethereum cryptocurrency heist in 2019, worth 58 billion won ($41.5 million) at the time. More than half of the stolen assets were laundered through three crypto exchanges set up by the hackers themselves at a discount to Bitcoin, and the rest were laundered through 51 different exchanges, the National Police Agency said. The hackers infiltrated a crypto exchange where the Ethereum was being kept and stole 342 000 tokens, now valued at more than 1.4 trillion won ($1bn), the police said. | Reuters…

Investor confidence in South Africa's Collective Investment Schemes (CIS) industry showed a significant recovery in the third quarter of 2024, resulting in net inflows of R5.0 billion from July to September. This turnaround marks a positive shift following the net outflows experienced in the previous quarter, according to the latest data from the Association for Savings and Investment South Africa (Asisa). In addition to these inflows, existing investors reinvested R37.3 billion in income declarations, such as dividends and interest, bringing the total net inflows for the quarter to R42.3 billion. Over the 12 months to the end of September 2024, the CIS industry saw R86.0 billion in net inflows. Asisa's CIS industry statistics for the quarter and year ended September 2024 reveal that assets under management grew by 4.3% during…

Investec increased adjusted operating profit by 7.6% to £475 million (R10.85 billion) in the first half of its 2025 financial year following a solid performance in both SA and the UK, and a record interim dividend of 16.5 pence per share was 6.5% higher. Pre-provision adjusted operating profit increased 11.1% to £541.6m, as revenue grew by 5.6% against operating cost growth of 0.8%. The dividend translated to a 41.7% payout ratio, which is within the 35% to 50% payout policy. Group chief executive Fani Titi said they had delivered “a solid performance…in an evolving environment.” Titi said revenue had benefited from balance sheet growth, the depth of the client franchises, as well as the elevated interest rate environment. Net interest income (NII) was supported by higher average lending books and…

Despite there being numerous organisations to assist mothers with unwanted babies, women continue to abandon babies in plastic bags in KwaZulu-Natal. Last week Thursday, a baby was found dumped on the side of the road in Amanzimtoti. SAPS had to deal with the newborn baby until the Department of Social Development (DSD) could intervene. This week, there were two more incidents where a foetus and another newborn baby were abandoned. The foetus was found in a plastic bag in a dumpster in Durban’s Berea area. The baby was unfortunately already dead. In another incident, the body of a newborn baby was found in a plastic bag in Silverglen, Chatsworth. While there are various organisations in KwaZulu-Natal where mothers with unwanted babies can get assistance, it appears that this is not…

In response to ‘Health symposium should not host Israeli speakers’ (The Mercury, November 20), since when, Mrs Khan, have you become the minister of righteousness? You have so much to say and 100% of the time you are taking aim at Israel! Your ongoing attacks on anyone who supports or recognises Israel or its people is a very telling reflection of what goes on in your sorry little world of hating the Jewish nation. Be careful, Mrs Khan, that your whole existence doesn’t depend on your desperate agenda of portraying your so-called ‘enemies’ as the oppressors! This is starting to become a little bit predictable now, and not only that— the majority of South Africans are Christians and support the Jews, whether you like it or not. Regarding your laser-focused…

Consumers are being warned to recode their prepaid electricity meters, whether they are supplied by Eskom or a municipality, before the November 24 deadline. With a few days remaining until the deadline, Eskom is urging all prepaid electricity customers to update their meters immediately to avoid an unexpected loss of electricity. The power utility said that meters still using KRN1 (Key Revision Number 1) will no longer accept electricity tokens after Sunday. These meters have to be updated to KRN2 (Key Revision Number 2). If the upgrade to KRN2 is not done, Eskom said: “Once your current credit is depleted, you will lose power and the meter will become inoperable, necessitating a meter replacement that could cost up to R12 000, which the customer will have to pay. “Customers with…

South Africans living and working abroad have been warned to check their tax residency status with Sars to avoid any serious tax implications. The South African expats who are working or residing overseas may potentially find themselves liable for penalties from the South African Revenue Service (Sars) if their tax residency status is not in order. The expats have been urged to check their status ahead of the tax filing season. Lovemore Ndlovu, the Tax Consulting SA head for SARB Engagement and Expatriate Compliance, said that after recent system changes at Sars involving the declaration of tax residency status, many SA expatriates are discovering that the Sars eFiling platform still sees them as SA tax residents, despite their emigration being formalised. He said some expats have the Sars Notice of…

In asking for a final order that government must be compelled to assist the miners “trapped” underground in Stilfontein, in the North West, the lawyer acting for the Society for the Protection of Our Constitution said that using tactics such as starvation to try and force them out is tantamount to brutality. “All we ask is for government to comply with the Bill of Rights,” Yasmin Omar yesterday told the Gauteng High Court. Judge Brenda Neukircher reserved judgment in the application for the court to urgently come to the aid of the miners, who are said to still be trapped underground. The court on Saturday issued an interim order that, pending finalisation of the application, the mineshaft must be unblocked and must not be locked by any person or institution,…

Promoting collaboration between the parties is a choice that lies with the ANC FIRST, the good news. The GNU continues showing signs that it is here to stay and defies swirling questions and perceptions that it is teetering on the edge of a cliff. Take, for example, the recent Cabinet establishment of an Inter-Ministerial Committee to enhance public participation ahead of the local government elections scheduled to be held between November 2, 2026 and February 1, 2027. Then the bad. The future of policy decisions and legislation, such as the SABC Bill, has erupted into a political row that reveals the tensions and strengths of the GNU. As a case in point, the recent row started when Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Solly Malatsi said he had withdrawn the…

India’s Adani Group yesterday called US charges that their billionaire tycoon founder Gautam Adani had paid more than $250 million (R4.5 billion) in bribes “baseless”, as the opposition leader demanded his arrest. The stiff denial came after shares in the industrialist’s conglomerate nosedived more than 23% in Mumbai, the morning after a bombshell indictment in New York accused him of deliberately misleading international investors. Adani, once the world’s second-richest man, is a close ally of Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi and critics have long accused him of improperly benefiting from their relationship. “The allegations made by the US Department of Justice and the US Securities and Exchange Commission against directors of Adani Green are baseless and denied,” the conglomerate said in a statement. “All possible legal recourse will be…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was “now officially a wanted man” after the International Criminal Court’s decision yesterday to issue arrest warrants for the Israeli leader, Amnesty International said. The ICC issued warrants for Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant, as well as Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif “for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least October 8, 2023 until at least May 20, 2024”. “We urge all ICC member states, and non-states parties including the United States and other allies of Israel, to demonstrate their respect for the court’s decision, by arresting and handing over those wanted by the ICC,” said Amnesty Secretary General Agnes Callamard. The ICC’s move now theoretically limits their movements, as any of the court’s 124 national members would be…

MOSCOW: Russia’s natural gas exports through Ukraine to Europe were stable yesterday, Kremlin-controlled gas giant Gazprom said, despite a contractual row with Austrian energy company OMV. Gazprom said it would send 42.4 million cubic metres of gas to Europe via Ukraine yesterday, the same volume it has shipped each day since November 12. Russia’s Gazprom halted supply to OMV on Saturday over a contractual dispute, the Vienna-based company said. It is still not clear where the gas volumes intended for OMV have been redirected. Data from transmission system operator Eustream showed that nominations for gas flows to Austria from Slovakia remained stable. | Reuters…

New Delhi: India warned Canada of “further damage” to already strained ties after Toronto’s Globe and Mail newspaper alleged Prime Minister Narendra Modi knew about a purported campaign targeting Sikh activists. India has dismissed the allegations, and both nations last month expelled another round of senior diplomats. Canada is home to the largest Sikh community outside India and includes activists for “Khalistan”, a fringe separatist movement seeking an independent state. Ottawa has previously accused India of orchestrating the 2023 killing of naturalised Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar,a Khalistan campaigner, and targeting other Sikhs. | AFP…

Shore-based fishing has been as hot as the summer sun, with anglers reeling in impressive catches across the board! The action has been non-stop, offering plenty of excitement for all fishing styles and skill levels. From trophy catches to abundant bites, it’s been a rewarding time to be casting lines along the shore. The lower North Coast has been buzzing with non-edible catches, featuring a range of species from grey sharks to honeycomb rays and nearly every skate in between. Shad have been especially abundant, and KZN anglers have shown great responsibility by releasing their catches as the season is still closed for another two weeks. Mackerel bait has been the top choice this week, whether rigged dead or alive, with live bait yielding a quicker strike-rate. In the rocky…