Indholdsfortegnelse for 2021-08-03 i Mercury

Absa PMI plunges to a 14-month low but is expected to rebound Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za INDUSTRIAL activity in the South African manufacturing sector is expected to rebound to a respectable level this month after plunging to a shocking 14-month low in July. The Absa Purchasing Manufacturers Index (PMI) fell sharply to 43.5 index points in July, from 57.4 points in June, weighed down by the lockdown restrictions and civil unrest. This PMI reading below 50 index points was down to the lowest level since May 2020. This was a setback to manufacturing output recovery at the start of the third quarter of 2021. It also signalled the steepest deterioration in business conditions since the beginning of the lockdown. Absa said that July was a particularly challenging month, with the broader…

Lutho Pasiya Simba has announced that their traditional tomato sauce flavour has been voted out by South Africans, following their “Choose Me or Lose Me” campaign. The campaign invited fans of the crisps to choose which of the three iconic chip flavours – salt and vinegar, tomato sauce and cheese and onion – should survive, and which one would be discontinued. Simba salt and vinegar and cheese and onion have survived the cut. Simba gave consumers three months to participate before making the final decision, and the decision about which flavour will be saved also took into account the amount of sales per flavour. Senior Marketing Director for salty snacks at PepsiCo, and custodian of the Simba brand, Giulia Iorio-Ndlovu, said South Africans have a distinctive set of tastes, which…

Vernon Mchunu vernon.mchunu@inl.co.za THE KwaZulu-Natal ANC leadership is to engage eThekwini councillors in an attempt to resolve a stand-off over the election of the deputy mayor. The position has been vacant for the past five months following the resignation of Belinda Scott. ANC councillor Diana Hoorzuk was considered a front runner after she was deployed to the executive committee. But Hoorzuk is not favoured by some ANC councillors, including those who are concerned that she was formerly a member of the now defunct National Party. The council meeting last Thursday, at which councillors were set to vote on the post, could not sit because the majority of the ANC councillors were locked in a caucus meeting until the scheduled time for staging the meeting expired, forcing Speaker Weziwe Thusi to…

Drawn by sun, sea and speedy wi-fi, remote workers are converging on Europe’s southernmost islands to try “workcationing” before employers order them back to the office, giving battered tourism businesses a welcome boon. Olga Paul, 34, came to the Spanish island of Gran Canaria in May to work remotely for the first time, after long pandemic months cooped up in her flat in Munich, where she is a business analyst. “I think I’m more productive now,” she said, delighted with the sea view from her rooftop, where she goes for breaks. “I can concentrate on my work and explore the islands on the weekends. It feels great.” Combining holiday destinations with remote work is a growing trend in Spain and Portugal’s sunniest archipelagos, as travel bans ease and the starved…

MOHAMED SAEED | Pietermaritzburg The deployment of the army to support an overwhelmed police force was necessary to discourage lawlessness, restore public order and maintain safety in affected areas during last month’s looting and unrest. Given the recent orgy of looting, loss of lives, criminal behaviour and the unnecessary fear, anxiety and distress citizens of South Africa faced, influential leadership is now needed from all stakeholders to build sustainable peace, unity and a shared sense of identity underlining that South Africa belongs to all who live in it. There is a need to go back to the drawing board to ensure that the dialogues are genuine, inclusive and answer the relevant questions, such as who, what and why. Besides establishing the reasons for the recent civil unrest and…

A Thornville pensioner who killed his girlfriend and her two grandchildren in a drunken state a month after they met has been jailed for an effective 25 years. In a sentence and plea agreement, Themba Norman Mkhize, 73, told the Pietermaritzburg High Court that he and his girlfriend Khanyisile Sibiya got into an argument on December 6. Mkhize said that in a drunken fit of rage he took out his bush knife and struck Sibiya on the head and body repeatedly until she was motionless. He realised her two grandchildren had seen him kill their grandmother and he decided to kill them too, also using the bush knife. He woke up in the early hours of December 7 unable to recall what had happened. | Mercury Correspondent…

Sibusiso Mboto sibusiso.mboto@inl.co.za THE recent scenes of looting and violence, especially the vandalism of business properties and schools, have left a significant number of pupils mentally scarred, and this highlights the need to provide counselling to them. The warning was issued by Logan Govender, a former provincial chief education specialist for special needs education, who said failure to attend to these traumatised pupils’ needs could leave many of them scarred for life and even lead to some of them developing suicidal tendencies. “There’s huge concern currently of the mental health impact of the recent riots on everyone, but most especially on our children – particularly our pupils,” said Govender. Last month Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said 137 schools, three educational centres and eight circuit offices were damaged in KwaZulu-Natal…

Jolene Marriah-Maharaj jolene.marriah@inl.co.za A North West mom who is unemployed has come forward to claim the R158 million PowerBall jackpot. She has won the biggest Powerball jackpot this year, making her the second-highest PowerBall jackpot winner in the history of the South African lottery. The winner played using the Absa banking app and spent R15 on the winning ticket, using the manual selection method to select the winning numbers of 5, 12, 15, 28, 29, and the PowerBall number 14. The unemployed mother told Ithuba: “No, I’m not lucky, I’m blessed. “I’m still in disbelief, overwhelmed yet very excited. The money could not have come at a better time for my family as I lost my job last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.” On selecting the winning numbers, the…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za THE lifting of stringent lockdown restrictions has resulted in an increase in rhino poaching in South Africa in the first six months of 2021. Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Barbara Creecy revealed at the weekend that from January to the end of June, about 249 rhinos were poached for their horns in South Africa. “While this is higher than the number of rhino killed for their horns in the same period last year, at 166, it is less than the 318 rhino that were poached in the first six months of 2019,” the department said. South African National Parks recorded the most rhinos poached (132), while KwaZulu-Natal had 33 rhino poaching incidents and Limpopo had 30. Mpumalanga recorded about 20 rhino poaching incidents, North West 18…

The government needs to kick-start an effective communication strategy to encourage members of the public to get the Covid-19 jab, and counter the growing trend of vaccine hesitancy in society. There is enough evidence to suggest that the government has finally turned the corner after it acquired more vaccines. On Saturday, acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi, Deputy Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla and Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in South Africa, Todd Haskell, went to OR Tambo International Airport to receive 2.8 million Pfizer vaccine doses donated by the US government. The next and final batch of 5.6 million vaccines is expected to arrive this week. This is good news for the country’s vaccine roll-out programme, which has been moving at a snail’s pace. President Cyril…

Fox News has captured heartbreaking footage shot by an aerial drone showing hundreds of migrants in a makeshift holding pen set up by US Customs and Border Patrol under a large bridge in the city of Mission, Texas. The footage shows hundreds of people encamped at the facility, which appears to lack even basic amenities, with vehicles seen driving on a bridge above amid daytime temperatures of close to 37°C. Fox estimates that the facility may be holding up to 1 000 people. The bridge in the video is the Anzalduas International Bridge, which has customs points set up on either side. It is known as a hot spot for the cross-border illegal drug trade. The drone footage has racked up over 400 000 views in just over 12…

WASHINGTON: Former president Barack Obama, who turns 60 tomorrow, is reportedly planning to host a birthday party for himself on his nearly 12-hectare property in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama purchased the mansion in 2019 purportedly for $11.75 million (about R170m). “It’s going to be big,” a source was cited by The Hill as saying, as reports suggest dozens of friends will be invited, with celebrities like talk show host Oprah Winfrey and actor George Clooney tipped to be among the guests. Coming on the heels of recently updated federal mask guidance amid precautions prompted by the more-transmissible Delta variant of Covid-19, guests will reportedly be asked to take a coronavirus test and be vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated on July…

KABUL: President Ashraf Ghani yesterday blamed Afghanistan’s fast-deteriorating security situation on a “sudden” decision by the US to withdraw its troops, but said his government had a plan to bring conditions under control within six months. Taliban insurgents have made rapid advances since Washington said it planned a complete withdrawal of troops by next month. “The situation is due to the withdrawal of the international troops,” Ghani told the Afghan parliament. The Taliban would not move towards peace unless the worsening security situation was curbed, he said.…

Wynona Louw wynona.louw@inl.co.za “It’s not about being boring, it’s about understanding what we want to achieve.” Those were the words of Springbok assistant coach Deon Davids when asked what he made about the notion that the Boks’ gameplan doesn’t stretch much further than a physicality-filled forward game. At the weekend, the Boks set up the third Test against the British & Irish Lions as the series-decider as they pummelled the tourists 27-9 at Cape Town Stadium. Things didn’t go too smoothly in the opening half but, after the break, the hosts took complete control. The Bomb Squad made a massive impact as the coaching staff’s substitutions worked a treat, the line-out functioned better, and they used their kicking game effectively and set up both their tries with nifty attacking kicks.…

FORTY-SEVEN years ago almost to the day, the British & Irish Lions defeated the Springboks 28-9 at Loftus in what was the heaviest defeat in the history of the green and gold. Over 70 000 South Africans were crammed into a previously impregnable Bok citadel and in silent disbelief they witnessed the tourists score five tries to nil thanks to the wizardry of Phil Bennett, Gareth Edwards and JPR Williams. That Lions team razzled and dazzled across South Africa, winning 21 of 22 matches including three consecutive Test matches before the Boks scrambled to draw the fourth. I was reminded of that Loftus match, the second Test of that 1974 series, because I have been reading the most brilliant book on exactly that game. It is called Ja-Nee, written by…

Thobile Mazibuko Mandela Month ended on a high note. SABC1 aired the 27th annual South African Music Awards (SAMAs). Hosted by Bontle Modiselle Moloi and Lawrence Maleka, this year’s SAMAs were pre-recorded to adhere to the lockdown regulations.Modiselle looked ravishing in all her four outfits, as styled by Kgosi Lesego, and make-up by Zodwa. She wore her signature dreadlocks by kudatot_hair. For the first look, she wore a Willet Design Couture black sheath dress with leopard print on the corset and black pointed heels. For the second look, she donned a blue high slit tulle dress by Willet Design Couture and shoes by Europa Art. The third outfit was a black asymmetrical gown by Retha N and shoes by Preview Sandton. For the final look, she rocked a red drop-shoulder…

Sakhiseni Nxumalo sakhiseni.nxumalo@inl.co.za POOR ventilation, a leaking roof, visible deterioration of the building and non-compliance with various regulations are some of the defects identified at the Durban City Hall, the seat of government in the eThekwini Municipality. The city’s conditional assessment report revealed a number of the city hall’s shortcomings, including that it doesn’t meet Covid-19 regulations. The city’s report on the 110-year-old building was tabled at a full council meeting last week. The report identified several problems, including the visible deterioration of the building, manifested by ongoing building repairs, and challenges of non-compliance with building regulations. In the report, the structural engineer identified that poor ventilation throughout the building rendered it non-compliant with various regulations, including the Covid-19 regulations. An engineer had recommended that the timber section of the…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za AN ACT meant to prevent the re-emergence and spreading of informal settlements in KwaZulu-Natal warns land and building owners to take reasonable steps to prevent the illegal invasion of their properties. The move partially places the onus to fight the spread of slums in the province on property owners. The KwaZulu-Natal Elimination and Prevention of Re-emergence of Slums Act, 2007 was recently passed in the provincial legislature. It aims to provide for the progressive elimination of slums in the province. The bill also outlines measures to prevent the re-emergence of slums and guidance on how existing slums should be controlled and upgraded. The act first came into existence in 2007 but was amended recently following a court challenge by Abahlali baseMjondolo. Among several complaints, Abahlali was unhappy…

DUNCAN DU BOIS | Bluff THE debate concerning the rights of individuals to oppose Covid-19 vaccination and the obligation of employers to ensure a safe working environment (The Mercury, August 2), is unnecessary because it ignores an obvious solution. Degrees of exposure to viruses enable the human body to build an immunity, as Dr Edward Jenner observed more than 200 years ago when he discovered that the exposure of milk maids to cowpox immunised them against smallpox. Therefore, before anyone has the Covid jab, they should be tested to establish the extent to which their body has built a natural immunity. Consequently, they may not need to consider vaccination. In the first place, none of the vaccines has been approved by the US Federal Drug Administration. They are all on…

| Eddie Cantor THE forests that surround Maritzburg will be leased out to the private sector for the next 30 years. This follows the expiry in 2017 of a management contract with a service provider and failure since then to form a forestry board to take over management of the plantations. It’s a familiar enough story of shilly-shally. The municipality has voted to go for the leasing option. Maritzburg’s surrounding forests are a feature of the provincial capital. I wonder if the youngsters of the town go in for wattle-swinging? This was a popular pastime in days of yore. You would select a supple wattle sapling of the right height and thickness, climb it then, when in the topmost branches, hold on firmly and launch yourself out into…

Se-Anne Rall THE National Employers Association of South Africa (Neasa) has penned an open letter to Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula calling for free-flow at tollgates in the event of violence on the roads. Neasa’s letter comes three weeks after several trucks were torched at the Mooi River Toll Plaza when #FreeJacobZuma protests turned violent, leading to looting and riots in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. Neasa said the recent spate of violent attacks on trucks on the N3 highway had caused massive disruptions to the economy, the ability to transport goods, as well as millions of rand in damages and loss of income. Neasa chief executive Gerhard Papenfus said the losses have had a detrimental effect on the economy and the revenue of government. “It is our understanding that the majority, if…

FOURTH year psychology student Shayen Gomis says the kindness of strangers will now help her look after others in need as her tuition has been taken care of. From Rondeberg, a small town in the Western Cape, Gomis’s determination will not only help her complete her BA in Humanities (psychology) but also allow her to graduate from Stellenbosch University later this year. Her journey hasn’t been smooth sailing, as a lack of funds placed her hopes and dreams in jeopardy. As a result, Gomis created a profile on Feenix, the online student crowfunding platform where students can fund-raise for their outstanding university fees. Her tuition money has since been taken care of by Feenix and the V&A Waterfront. “My passion is to listen to and work with people, providing them…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za SENIOR managers in eThekwini Municipality should face disciplinary action over their failure to reduce the city’s annual overtime bill. This is the view of opposition party councillors who said they did not believe that city officials were doing enough to curb overtime spending amounting to more than R1 billion, calling for them to be held individually responsible. This after the municipality claimed it was making progress in containing its ballooning overtime bill, when it was responding to concerns raised by the audit committee. A few weeks ago, the committee tabled a report on the state of the municipality, flagging the overtime expenditure as a concern. The municipality responded to the committee’s report during an executive committee meeting last week. It said that over the past three…

China has made enormous strides in combating Covid-19 since its initial outbreak. President Xi Jinping lauded the “strategic achievements in the battle against Covid-19 demonstrating the notable advantages of the Communist Party of China (CPC) leadership, in Beijing, as early as September last year. Since my return to China in March this year, I have been astounded at the extent to which life in China has almost fully normalised. Although the Chinese remain concerned about the spread of Covid-19, the success of China’s efforts to contain the virus is evident throughout the country. The masses are increasingly continuing with their lives, with shopping malls, restaurants, theatres and sporting events all a hive of activity. Masks, however, are still often worn and remain mandatory in public buildings and on public transport.…

The cyberattack on Transnet is a wakeup call for all our financial and industrial institutions. Hackers acting alone or as part of hacker groups can leverage widely available tools to conduct cyber operations. The threat from cyber operations will increase in the years ahead, even with extensive information security. Cyber warfare is a tangible and relevant national security threat. The grim truth is that various critical infrastructures of our country are being stealthily targeted by dangerous forces operating in the realms of cyberspace where digital footprints are difficult to neutralise. If this was armed combat, then we would be fighting World War III. The critical question that remains unanswered is, if a sophisticated cyberattack does not result in physical damage or injury, can it nevertheless amount to an armed attack…

The EU imposed sanctions yesterday on Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega’s wife Rosario Murillo, who is his vice-president, as well as one of his sons and six more officials. The measures expand a previous sanctions list to a total of 14 individuals held “responsible for serious human rights violations in Nicaragua and/or whose actions undermined democracy or the rule of law” over ongoing repression in the country. “The detention of a seventh potential presidential candidate last weekend sadly illustrates the magnitude of the repression in Nicaragua and projects a grim picture for the upcoming elections,” the European Council said. The sanctions prohibit travel and transit in the EU for those targeted, a freeze on any EU-based assets and a ban on EU businesses or citizens from doing business with them. Ortega,…

JAPANESE authorities have confirmed to the Czech Republic that Belarusian Olympic sprinter Kristina Timanovskaya has received Prague’s asylum offer, Czech Foreign Minister Jakub Kulhanek said yesterday, stressing that his country is willing to help. “Japanese authorities have just confirmed that Belarusian athlete Timanovskaya has received our offer to grant asylum. If she accepts it, we will provide maximum assistance. The Olympic Games should not be associated with politics; the actions of the regime (of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko) are simply shameful,” Kulhanek wrote on Twitter. The Austrian Foreign Ministry said yesterday that Timanovskaya, who refuses to fly back to her homeland, did not get in contact with the embassy in Tokyo to request asylum. “We are aware of the media reports, but this athlete did not get in touch with…

ANTANANARIVO: Madagascar authorities have arrested 21 suspects over an assassination attempt on President Andry Rajoelina, local media reported yesterday. Berthine Razafiarivony, general attorney of the court of appeal of Antananarivo, said that based on material evidence in the hands of investigators, the main instigators of the plot have been identified, L’Express de Madagascar reported. The suspects intended to eliminate five Malagasy political figures, including president Rajoelina, she said. “Several people were involved in this affair,” including five generals from the army and the gendarmerie, Razafiarivony said.…

Fairvest board proposes acquisition of New Star rather than renewing lease EDWARD WEST edward.west@inl.co.za FAIRVEST Property Holdings, which plans a share swop merger with Arrowhead Properties, has proposed the acquisition of its outsourced management company New Star Asset Management for R133 million, rather than renewing the term for five years. The 10-year agreement between Fairvest and New Star was approved in 2011 and expires on November 30, 2021, but it could be renewed for a further five years, subject to shareholder approval. Renewing the lease, however, would not be fair to shareholders, according to an appraisal by professional services firm Mazars Corporate Finance. If the asset management agreement was not renewed, Fairvest would become obliged to acquire the business conducted by the asset manager. Fairvest said in a statement yesterday…

Sakhiseni Nxumalo sakhiseni.nxumalo@inl.co.za SEVERAL schools in KwaZulu-Natal have opted to continue with attendance on a rotational basis due to fears of overcrowded classrooms. The Department of Basic Education had instructed all primary school and special needs school pupils to return to full-time attendance from yesterday. In the gazette, Minister Angie Motshekga directed that pupils in Grade R to Grade 7 should return to the traditional daily attendance timetable, provided that the risk-adjusted differentiated strategy was implemented. But in a recent gazette, Motshekga noted that some primary schools and special needs schools would not be able to accommodate the return of all pupils as they did not have enough space to observe the 1-metre social distance regulation. “A school that is unable to return to the traditional and daily attendance timetabling…

ALLAN WOLMAN | Tel Aviv, Israel CLAYSON Monyela, spokesperson for the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco), wrote that his government was “appalled” by granting Israel observer status in the AU. With his head buried in the sand, like his counterparts in the “security cluster” did earlier this month, he’s lost touch with the reality of the modern world and the seismic changes that have taken place over the past few years. While the ANC still clings to the likes of Cuba and Venezuela, two of the “most progressive” political systems that they aspire to emulate, the rest of Africa is getting on with the job of looking to eradicate water shortage and ensuring food security for future generations. With Israeli know-how and technology, more…

ADDICTIONS and addicts are often in denial. The use of any substance or participation in any behaviour is a problem (and an addiction) for you if even one of the following is true: You’ve lost, or come close to losing, a significant relationship or your job. You’ve had a run-in with the law. Your children are unsettled by your activities. You have physical cravings when you have been without it for a few minutes or a few days. You violate your values, or appear to have no values, to sustain your activity. You build your life around something people who love you wish you wouldn’t consume or do. Your life – finances, faith, and relationships – has become progressively unmanageable. You hide or you lie about your whereabouts and/or…

MUHAMMAD OMAR | Durban North No matter how many times a troublemaker politician may try to stir the African/Indian race pot, they will not succeed. Individual acts of criminals are different from racial profiling. The recent looting events was a group of thugs who tried to cause mayhem and chaos by exploiting weaknesses in society. Why were there no riots in Cofimvaba? There is an Indian community living in Potchefstroom that is slap bang in the heart of an area called Ikageng. On every level the “Indians” are outnumbered. What I find strange is this has one of the simplest domestic security measures for their personal and household safety. Even after the end of group areas, there was no “exodus” by many of the pioneer families who are…

A security guard was killed and a farmer is fighting for his life following an early morning attack on a farm at Brondal, Nelspruit. Three others sustained minor injuries. ER24 spokesperson Russel Meiring said emergency services responded to a shooting at the farm in Brondal just after 6am. “When they arrived at the scene, they found a male security guard lying on the ground. “He sustained multiple gunshot wounds and succumbed to his injuries. He was declared dead,” Meiring said. The farmer was found lying in the kitchen and also sustained several gunshot wounds. “He was in a critical condition,” Meiring said. | Mercury Correspondent…

Xolile Bhengu xolile.bhengu@inl.co.za The Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF), South Africa’s biggest medical member body, says existing health laws prohibit any medical aid scheme from forcing members to vaccinate. The BHF comment follows an announcement by life insurance company Discovery Life, that from July 29, all new members would be asked if they had been vaccinated against Covid-19. The BHF represents 5.5 million lives, from 38 of South Africa’s 78 medical schemes. Charlton Murove, BHF head of research, said medical aid schemes applied community ratings. “Regardless of your health status or age, members pay the same amount. Whether you are 60 or 25, if you are in the same benefit package then you pay the same rate.” Murove said life insurance laws were not the same: “They can ask for…

Nkosikhulule Nyembezi TWO decades ago, the emergence of mass social grant recipients in South Africa could be described as shocking in a democratic country committed to the implementation of a Reconstruction and Development Programme. The image of individuals queueing at their local paypoint for a social grant has not only since been normalised, it has spread. This reality hit home again when President Cyril Ramaphosa made the welcome announcement on July 25 that the R350 Social Relief of Distress Grant (SRD), introduced in May last year, would be reinstated until March next year. Processing payments to nearly 6.5 million monthly SRD recipients since May last year has exposed the boasts by the elite in our society about the resilience of South Africa’s economy for the thinly veiled lie that…

TEHRAN: Iran will respond promptly to any threat against its security, a foreign ministry spokesperson said yesterday, after the US, Israel and Britain blamed Tehran for an attack on an Israeli-managed tanker off the coast of Oman. Tehran has denied any involvement in the attack on Thursday in which two crew members – a Briton and a Romanian – were killed. The US and Britain said on Sunday they would work with their partners to respond to the attack on the Mercer Street, a Liberian-flagged, Japanese-owned petroleum product tanker managed by Israeli-owned Zodiac Maritime. Britain summoned the Iranian ambassador yesterday. “Iran has no hesitation in protecting its security and national interests and will respond promptly and strongly to any possible adventure,” Iranian state television quoted Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh…

LOS ANGELES: The Duchess of Sussex has hired Oprah Winfrey’s party planner for her 40th birthday celebrations. The former actress – known as Meghan Markle before her marriage to Prince Harry – reaches the milestone age tomorrow and has enlisted the services of Colin Cowie to organise a bash at her home in Santa Barbara, California. A source told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “Megan wants a small gathering. About 65 people are invited, her closest friends and family. Colin was recommended to her by Oprah who always puts on fabulous parties.”…

For Beirut blast survivor Shady Rizk, time has stopped since August 4 last year when a stockpile of ammonium nitrate exploded in the Lebanese capital’s port opposite his office. “Every day is August 4, every day,” the 36-year-old said. “Every day, I remember the blast or remember what happened that dreadful day.” The gigantic explosion killed more than 200 people, injured thousands, and destroyed large parts of the city. Rizk was in the office where he works for an internet provider and was filming the smoke rising from an initial explosion at the port when the second blast hit. It left him with 350 stitches all over his body and face, and partially impaired his vision. Having survived the near-death experience, Rizk considers August 4 his rebirth and wants to…

Berlin: German prosecutors are weighing whether to open an investigation into manslaughter arising from failed or delayed warnings about July’s deadly floods. Some 180 people died in severe floods in western Germany over two days in mid-July, raising questions about whether enough was done to warn residents ahead of time. Prosecutors were looking into “negligent homicide as a result of possibly failed or delayed warnings or evacuations of the population”. Interior Minister Horst Seehofer last week said cellphone text alerts will be issued in future to inform citizens of impending dangers. Sixty flood victims are still missing.…