Indholdsfortegnelse for 2024-12-23 i Mercury

FAMILY matters, immediate and extended family matters – positive and negative – will tend to surface and re-emerge during the festive season and other times of celebration. Togetherness will do that. Not only will togetherness do it, it will be exacerbated when there are outside pressures like politics, disappointments and financial pressures. Don’t be surprised if tempers are short and fuses are even shorter when the family congregates for a day or two of celebrations. There are, limited as they may be, several choices we have in times of family stress. We can escalate or de-escalate, push harder or retreat, turn away or turn toward. We can forgive and we can love. There are no easy options and there is no set formula for our unique family constellations, shared histories…

TLU SA has noted that all members of the Government of National Unity appear to have agreed on Friday, 20 December 2024, that the BELA Act will be fully implemented. This announcement marks a watershed moment for minority groups. While the timeframe for implementation will be determined by the Minister of Basic Education and norms, standards and regulations for application are yet to be finalised, the reality is that the ANC will act unilaterally despite previous agreements. TLU SA is deeply concerned about the broader implications of this legislation, particularly the unacceptable state interference in the foundation of children’s education. Parents from Christian households make a baptismal promise to educate their children in the fear of the Lord and to ensure they are taught accordingly. The state is in effect…

WAS THIS not a humdinger? The Sharks, with an under-powered scrum thanks to a spate of injuries, somehow hung in there for the 80 minutes to defeat the old enemy, the Bulls, by a hair’s breadth of three points. King’s Park was packed as in the good old days. You could almost imagine old Manie Bom running on with a banana tree. (He was the barman from a pub across the road who would run on, bow to all four quarters of the ground to great applause, then zigzagged to the goalposts and dove over to thunderous applause. Yep, those were the days). It was a breathless game, the lead changing back and forth and courageous stuff from all our guys, not least the youngsters drafted in because of the…

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has laid down the law against ANC leaders who have been undermining President Cyril Ramaphosa by speaking on the sidelines, calling for the implementation of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Act. His statements come after Ramaphosa’s steadfast commitment to the full enactment of the act, announced on Friday. Mbalula addressed the media on Saturday, stating that any discourse suggesting there is uncertainty or hesitation regarding the Bela Act’s implementation would face consequences. “To those who were going around preaching as though it would not happen … Even within our ranks there were people who were shouting on top of their voices saying Bela Act, Bela Act must be implemented. There is leadership here in this country, led by Cyril Ramaphosa of the ANC. It is…

The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has revealed the Sassa grant payment and the Covid-19 SRD (Social Relief of Distress) payment dates for January 2025. Sassa, an entity of the Department of Social Development, has announced that these are the grant payment dates for January 2025: An older person's grant will be paid from Friday, January 3, 2025 (this includes grants linked to these accounts). Disability grants will be paid from Monday, January 6, 2025 (this includes grants linked to these accounts). Children’s grants will be paid from Tuesday, January 7, 2025. For the Covid-19 SRD grant payment, the January payment dates are as follows: Payments for clients who were approved for the month of January 2025 will be processed from January 25 to 31, 2025. Clients need to…

As Mozambique awaits the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the disputed election results, opposition leader Venancio Mondlane has vowed to bring “chaos” to the southern African country should the court uphold the result that put him second with 20 percent. The court’s decision is expected today. The opposition leader, 50, known simply by his first name, claims to have won the October presidential vote, rejecting as rigged the election commission announcement that the Frelimo candidate Daniel Chapo came out on top with 71 percent. Already at least 130 people have been killed in two months of violence, most of them opposition demonstrators shot by security forces, according to local NGOs. Cities, mines, borders and ports have been affected by protest action. An engaging and forthright speaker, Mondlane’s searing criticism of the…

Service providers for KwaZulu-Natal’s National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) are raising alarm again over delayed payments. They have also alleged mismanagement by the provincial Department of Education. In a letter addressed to KZN Premier Thami Ntuli, the NSNP Service Providers Association detailed how non-payment has left many suppliers in financial distress, despite directives issued in Circular No. 83 of 2024. Chairperson Lindani Matiwane warned that these delays in payment threatens the sustainability of the programme, which provides meals to thousands of schoolchildren. “This failure to adhere to payment timelines has created a dire financial crisis for our members, threatening not only their livelihoods but also the sustainability of this critical programme,” Matiwane wrote. The letter also alleges that the department has violated Section 83 of the Public Finance Management Act…

SOUTH Africa, with its rich tapestry of cultures and languages, is uniquely positioned to embrace multilingual education as a cornerstone of academic and professional success. With 12 official languages, including sign language, the country’s linguistic diversity provides an unparalleled opportunity to foster multilingual learning, a need that grows more pressing with each passing year. Globally, bilingualism and multilingualism are now common. Research suggests that at least 40% of the world’s population is bilingual, and as much as 50% may grow up in multilingual households. These numbers translate to billions of individuals navigating daily life in two or more languages. In South Africa the figures are even more striking. Census data indicates that over 80% of the population speaks a home language other than English, while many South Africans are fluent…

A man suspected of ploughing a car through crowds at a German Christmas market in an attack that killed five people and injured scores faces multiple charges of murder and attempted murder, police said yesterday. Friday evening’s attack in the central city of Magdeburg shocked the country and stirred up tensions over the charged issue of immigration. The suspect, who was in custody, is a 50-year-old psychiatrist from Saudi Arabia with a history of anti-Islamic rhetoric who has lived in Germany for almost two decades. The motive for the attack remained unclear. There were scuffles and some “minor disturbances” at a far-right demonstration attended by around 2 100 people on Saturday night in Magdeburg, police said. They added that criminal proceedings would follow. Protesters, some wearing black balaclavas, held up…

THE African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has highlighted two working hypotheses regarding a deadly illness of unknown origin which has so far caused 37 deaths in health facilities, primarily among children under five. Public Health Minister Roger Kamba said that since October, 592 cases of the illness have been recorded in the Panzi health zone of the southwestern Kwango province. Symptoms exhibited by patients are “similar to the flu”, he said. Investigators were also examining whether an additional 44 community reported deaths are linked to the outbreak, which has a case- fatality rate of 62%. The Africa CDC said that the first hypothesis suggests a combination of severe malaria, malnutrition, and a viral infection, while the second points to a viral infection co-occurring with malaria and…

Guwahati: A crackdown on illegal child marriages in India’s northeast has resulted in nearly 5 000 arrests, 416 people were detained in the latest police sweep, a minister said yesterday. “We will continue to take bold steps to end this social evil,” said Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam state. India is home to more than 220 million child brides, according to the UN, but the number of child weddings has fallen dramatically this century. The legal marriage age in India is 18 but millions of children are forced to tie the knot when they are younger, particularly in poorer rural areas. | AFP…

Beijing: China said yesterday that it “firmly opposed” US President Joe Biden’s approval of $571.3 million in defence assistance for Taiwan. The White House said last week that Biden had authorised the drawdown “of up to $571.3 million in defence articles and services of the Department of Defense, and military education and training, to provide assistance to Taiwan”. The White House statement did not provide details of the military assistance package, which comes less than three months after one worth $567 million was authorised. “This move gravely infringes on China’s sovereignty and security interests,” Beijing’s foreign ministry said. | AFP…

In recent years, the phrase “sex work is work” has become a rallying cry for progressive activists advocating for the decriminalisation and destigmatization of the adult entertainment industry. While this perspective highlights the autonomy and rights of sex workers, it also raises important questions about the physical, mental and emotional toll that certain aspects of the profession can take on individuals. One of the most extreme and controversial examples of this is Lily Phillips, a 23-year-old OnlyFans creator from Derbyshire, UK, who recently made headlines for sleeping with 100 men in a single day as part of content creation for her platform. While the stunt garnered immense attention and was chronicled in a YouTube documentary by Goon Squad Productions, it also revealed the darker side of pushing boundaries in the…

The ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) in the Johannesburg Region strongly condemns the violence that occurred on December 12, 2024, during a peaceful protest by members of the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) in Braamfontein. The workers were protesting for the implementation of the Politically Facilitated Agreement (PFA), among other pressing issues. During the protest, members of SAPS responded with rubber bullets and tear gas, resulting in injuries that required hospitalisation. In addition, numerous workers were arrested. This violent response is completely unacceptable, and the ANCWL stands in full solidarity with the workers who were subjected to such brutality. This violence is in direct contradiction to the principles of the National Democratic Revolution (NDR), which commits the African National Congress (ANC) to being biased towards the poor, particularly the working…

The SACP welcomes the proclamation for the full implementation of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act, also known as the BELA Act, by President Cyril Ramaphosa. Equally important, the SACP will oppose any regulations by the Minister of Basic Education that may have the effect of either watering down the full implementation of the Act or preserving discriminatory practices based on school language or admission policies and thus defeating the purpose of the Act. No school in our country must be reserved for one or another particular racial group based on any ground. Apartheid practices in education, as everywhere, must be obliterated in their entirety. Every school in our country must be a non-racial and non-sexist centre of learning for all South Africans regardless of language and admission policies. Passed…

MORE than 20 positions at senior management level are vacant in the eThekwini Municipality, the City has revealed. At least four of these posts are for deputy city managers (DCMs). Two senior managers recently left the municipality, including deputy city manager for Community and Emergency Services, Dr Musa Gumede, who relocated to another government organisation in Gauteng. The head of the eThekwini Transport Authority, Thami Manyathi, is also said to have retired recently. The municipality has struggled to fill the key position of the deputy city manager for economic development and planning. This position has been without a full-time head since the departure of Philip Sithole in December 2022. Additionally, The Mercury understands that the head of electricity, Maxwell Mthembu, is on suspension, while the deputy city manager for trading…

Electricity contractors, who work for the eThekwini Municipality, say they have not been paid by the City over the past few months and therefore will not be able to carry out work over the festive season. On Friday, the contractors staged a march to the Durban City Hall where a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was handed over to eThekwini officials, calling for unpaid invoices to be paid. President of the eThekwini Electrical Workforce, Bandile Sibiya, said that they (contractors) are frustrated about the unpaid invoices. “We had the same situation last year where workers were not getting paid before Christmas, and we can’t keep having the same situation (again).” Sibiya added that contractors would not be able to do any work during the festive season. “It’s something we want…

Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau has postponed his decision on the awarding of the fourth National Lotteries licence pending the consideration of matters that required further evaluation. The running of a lottery is a complex undertaking upon which many vulnerable people and important organisations depend, Tau said in a statement yesterday. Tau added that he must ensure that the owners and managers of the successful applicants are, as the National Lotteries Act states, “fit and proper persons” and that no political party or political office-bearer has any direct financial interest in the applicant or a shareholder of the applicant. “I must choose an applicant that has demonstrated the necessary commitment to the social responsibility programme and to the advancement of those disadvantaged by unfair discrimination. For this reason,…

MORE than 35% of children are dating someone they met online and have never met in real life. Children as young as 12 were also found to be accessing dating apps, often bypassing age restrictions with ease. This was according to the latest annual statistics report from the National Centre for Child Protection (NCCP), which raised the alarm around the dangers of cellphone use as it pertains to children, who are often exposed to predatory strangers seeking them out via social media and gaming platforms among others. Data used to compile the statistics was gathered through direct and personal engagement with children during educational school talks, as well as from reports and communication via SMS, WhatsApp and phone calls to their Child Protection Hotlines and Counselling Hotline. In South Africa,…

In recent weeks, our nation has been gripped by the scourge of gender-based violence (GBV), particularly highlighted by horrific incidents in KwaZulu-Natal. The killing of 25-year-old Ntobeko Cele by her partner, Sibusiso Ntaka, who callously posted a video of her lifeless body on social media, sent shockwaves throughout the country. This brutal act should have served as a wake-up call, instead, we were forced to confront another tragedy when a 24-year-old man stabbed his girlfriend and their three-year-old son before taking his own life on the South Coast. These events are not isolated, they are part of a larger epidemic that is deeply embedded in the fabric of our society. Despite our progress in many areas, the reality remains that women are still living in fear of their partners, often…

For generations, the small Hindu temple outside the capital in Muslim-majority Bangladesh was a quiet place to pray – before arsonists ripped open its roof this month in the latest post-revolution unrest. It is only one of a string of attacks targeting religious minorities since a student-led uprising toppled long-time autocratic leader Sheikh Hasina in August. “We don’t feel safe,” said Hindu devotee Swapna Ghosh in the village of Dhour, where attackers broke into the 50-year-old family temple to the goddess Lakshmi and set fire to its treasured idols on December 7. “My son saw the flames and doused them quickly,” said temple custodian Ratan Kumar Ghosh, 55, describing how assailants knew to avoid security cameras, so they tore its tin roof open to enter. “Otherwise, the temple – and…

WASHINGON: US President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Mark Burnett, the prominent reality TV producer and creator of The Apprentice, to serve as special envoy to the UK. The pick hands a diplomatic post to the creator of the popular show that boosted Trump’s celebrity status as reality TV’s most famous boss. Burnett, who was born in London, is widely credited with expanding reality TV in the US. “Mark will work to enhance diplomatic relations, focusing on areas of mutual interest, including trade, investment opportunities, and cultural exchanges,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. | The Washington Post…

GRAMADO: A small plane with 10 people aboard crashed into shops in the centre of the tourist city of Gramado in southern Brazil yesterday, civil defence officials said, and initial reports indicated that there were no survivors. According Rio Grande do Sul state officials, at least 15 people were taken to the city’s hospital, most of them suffering from smoke inhalation caused by the fire triggered by the crash. The plane reportedly first struck the chimney of a building, then the second floor of a house, before crashing into a furniture store, authorities said. | Reuters…

The DA welcomes the statement by Minister Gwarube, taking control of managing the timetable for the implementation of the BELA Act and ensuring that norms, standards and regulations are in place to give clarity to the contested sections of the act. The DA also welcomes the fact that the minister will not allow the existing rights to mother tongue education to be undermined by those who wish to abuse the BELA Act to eradicate Afrikaans single-medium schools, a right protected by the Constitution. The purpose of the norms, stand ards and regulations will be to advance mother tongue for all language communities, not to make English the only language of instruction in schools. It is highly ironic that in the name of advancing mother tongue education, a faction of the…

As I watched the musical live show at the Artscapes (My Fair Lady), my mind couldn’t help, again, sneaking outside the 1400 seat mega-auditorium and instead of focusing on the overworn-yet-forever unresolved clichéd theme on stage, about class and caste, as usual, began contemplating the thousands of unfairnesses all over. There was firstly the positive side of a minor miracle being performed on stage. Probably, some sincere, out of genuine recognition that colour doesn't matter after all. I, however, want to believe that much of it has to do with BEE, the new legislation, the new Constitution, the new anti-apartheid acceptance, etc. Whatever it is, it was great to see that race and colour did not seem to matter on stage. In fact, I suspect that all skins were purposely…

THE legal storm surrounding Ace Magashule, the former ANC secretary general and Free State Premier, has intensified once again as the asbestos court matter falls under scrutiny due to a contentious request from the provincial Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Advocate Navilla Somaru. Deputy Judge President of the Free State division of the High Court, Nobulawo Mbhele, has fiercely criticised Somaru’s recent attempt to persuade Judge President Cagney Musi to appoint an ‘out of town’ judge to oversee the complex and high-profile asbestos case. In a robust response delivered in a letter, Deputy JP Mbhele outlined the ethical implications of Somaru’s request, stating that it undermines the integrity of the Free State bench and questions their competence to handle the case. Somaru’s letter, which was hand-delivered just over a week…

Police in the Western Cape arrested a foreign national allegedly transporting drugs from Cape Town to George. The 27-year-old woman was travelling on a bus when she was arrested. The provincial police spokesperson, Captain Frederick van Wyk, said the Provincial Anti-Economical and Extortion Task Team and the Provincial Counterfeit and Illicit Goods Policing Team made the arrest. “On Friday, December 20 2024, at approximately 3.30pm, the members conducted a crime intelligence-led operation about a foreign national female suspected of transporting drugs from Cape Town to George by bus,” Van Wyk said. “The team intercepted the bus upon their arrival in Swellendam and conducted a search. During the search, they identified the suspect, a Malawian woman, who was holding a bag on her lap. “Upon inspection of the bag, members discovered…

A SINGLE mother’s plea to the public to join the stem cell registry and potentially save a life through stem cell donations comes after having painfully lost her nine-year-old daughter, Oratilwe, to a rare blood disorder. Oratilwe was diagnosed with Aplastic Anaemia, Rubella and Fungal leukaemia. After seven months of searching for a matching stem cell donor, Oratile passed away. Her mother, Mapula Molusi, said, “The day Oratilwe was diagnosed with Aplastic Anaemia—a rare but serious blood disorder—my whole world came to a halt. I couldn’t go to work; I couldn’t focus on anything else. I was consumed by my daughter’s illness and I was helpless.” She said Oratilwe was a joyful, energetic child who filled her days with dancing, singing and making TikTok videos. Her symptoms began in April…

Harsher penalties and rigorous enforcement of the laws already in place are crucial THERE has been a spike in the number of children either getting sick or dying from eating snacks bought in spaza shops. It is known that consumption of fake food poses a danger to one’s health. Such foods contain toxic chemicals and ingredients that may not be safe for human consumption. Below, I analyse the regulations and legislation in place to regulate and penalise businesses that sell food products not fit for human consumption. The recent deaths of dozens of children who consumed unsafe food sold in unregulated spaza shops shocked the nation and caused outrage, emphasising the need for change in the informal food retail sector. According to media reports, since the beginning of September…

Gaza’s civil defence agency said Israeli strikes overnight and early yesterday killed at least 28 Palestinians, including at one family’s home and at a school building the Israeli military said was used by Hamas. More than 14 months into the Israel-Hamas war, there was no let-up in the violence in the Gaza Strip even as Palestinian groups involved in the fighting said a ceasefire deal was “closer than ever”. Israel has faced growing criticism of its actions during the war, triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, including from rights groups accusing it of “acts of genocide” which the Israeli government strongly denies. Pope Francis on Saturday condemned deadly bombardment a day earlier that killed several children as “cruelty”, prompting a sharp response from Israel which accused the pontiff of…

Incoming US president Donald Trump has slammed what he called unfair fees for US ships passing through the Panama Canal and threatened to demand control of the waterway be returned to Washington. He also hinted at China’s growing influence around the canal, a worrying trend for American interests as US businesses depend on the channel to move goods between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. “Our Navy and Commerce have been treated in a very unfair and injudicious way. The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous,” he said in a post on his Truth Social platform. “This complete ‘rip-off’ of our country will immediately stop.” The Panama Canal, which was completed by the US in 1914, was returned to the Central American country under a 1977 deal signed by Democratic…

Moscow: Russia has seen a wave of attempted arson attacks targeting banks, shopping centres, post offices and government buildings over the last three days, reports said. About 20 separate cases of individuals trying to set off small explosive devices or launching fireworks into buildings have been recorded since Friday, mostly in Saint Petersburg, Moscow and the surrounding suburbs. A law enforcement source reported that the people had been recruited by online fraudsters offering money for the attempted attacks. Most of those detained after the attempted attacks were pensioners. | AFP…

MAPUTO: Mozambique’s death toll from Cyclone Chido has risen to at least 94, the country’s disaster management agency said. The cyclone had made landfall in northern Mozambique a week ago and Mozambique’s institute for natural disasters on Thursday last week had given the death toll at 73. The Indian Ocean archipelago Mayotte bore the brunt of the storm. Officials in Mayotte, which is one of France’s poorest overseas territories, have only been able to confirm 35 fatalities from Chido, but some have said they fear thousands could have been killed. | Reuters…