Indholdsfortegnelse for 2022-02-14 i Mercury

Tawanda Karombo THUNGELA Resources shares leapt 11.8 percent to close at R120 on Friday after an impressive trading update that reflected “blow-out earnings” for the full year to the end of December. Formerly owned by Anglo American under its thermal coal business unit, Thungela was a top performer on the JSE on Friday, scaling to its highest share price. This came as investors cheered the group’s earnings, with market watchers saying its valuation has shot up to more than $1 billion (R15.2bn) from an initial valuation of $253 million when it was bundled off Anglo American last year. The company advised shareholders via a trading update that per share earnings for the year period to December 31, 2021 are expected to be between R60.32 and R61.27. This…

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za THE elbowing out of taxi moguls Santaco as the preferred bidders for fledging airline Mango has raised more questions than answers, which some analysts have argued is a systematic elimination of competition for SAA, which has yet to confirm a collaboration. There are also questions surrounding the R820 million price tag for an airline that has no tangible assets. Business rescue practitioners (BRP) led by Sipho Sono informed Santaco that their bid for Mango was unsuccessful, in spite of the transport organisation being cash-flush. “The BRP of Mango evaluated all expressions of interest received in relation to the proposed transaction, in accordance with the evaluation criteria and principles set out in the Bid Process letter. “After careful consideration, we regret to inform you that Santaco Services…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za SOUTH Africa’s ongoing electricity supply challenges could ease slightly as the government’s proposed amendments to the energy policy strip Eskom of its dominant position in the market. The Cabinet on Friday approved the publication of the Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill aimed to broaden the national regulatory framework for the electricity supply industry. The bill is envisaged to align the country with the international best practice in energy by enabling the trading and reselling of electricity among private players. This will relieve Eskom of the burden of being the only electricity supplier and take away its monopoly in this crucial industry to economic growth. The regulations also make provisions for the functions of a transmission system operator, and for a licensing framework for power generation, transmission, distribution and…

Yogashen Pillay yogashen.pillay@inl.co.za Two men charged with the murder of Amajuba District Municipality speaker Reginald Ndima are expected to make their second appearance today in the Newcastle Magistrate’s Court. Ndima was killed on January 29. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson Natasha Kara said that two men, Mhlonishwa Sokhulu, 43, and Sbusiso Chocolo, 29, made their first appearance in court on February 7. She said the matter was postponed to today for bail consideration, and for the accused to get legal representation. Mkhuleko Hlengwa, MP and IFP national spokesperson, said the arrest of the two suspects was welcomed. “As the IFP, we welcome the investigation and speedy arrests of the two suspects. However, we believe that the pair are only the implementers and we call for more investigations so…

Nicola Daniels and Jehran Naidoo THE R5 billion that has not been accounted for in the National Skills Fund (NSF) has robbed millions of young people of opportunities as it was meant for student funding shortages and skills infrastructure development at the country’s tertiary institutions. This is according to the South African Union of Students (Saus) following the auditor-general of South Africa’s (Agsa) report that the money could not be properly accounted for over two financial years. A forensic company has been appointed to conduct “a full-scale” investigation into the financial affairs of the NSF, Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande announced at the weekend. He also appointed a Ministerial Task Team (MTT) to conduct a “strategic review” of the NSF, “its general operations, its efficiency and relevance” with regards to…

VISVIN REDDY | President: African Democratic Change (ADeC) Morningside The announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa that the cannabis industry will be supported to create jobs is a step in the right direction. KwaZulu-Natal is ideally positioned to begin a thriving export business, hopefully led by the private sector, that will create 130 000 jobs. Those who have benefited from the R350 Social Distress Relief grant can breathe a sigh of relief, as this lifeline is to be extended by another year. About 10 million South Africans are beneficiaries of this social grant. The cost to extend the social relief is about R50 billion, the president said. Ramaphosa is no doubt an eloquent speaker, and inspires confidence with his words. Appealing for unity, and highlighting the resilient spirit of…

MARIANNE BAILEY | Sheffield Beach The many letters from Duncan du Bois refer, and the two sensible and interesting recent responses from Dr I Reuning, refer. I have no idea why The Mercury gives so much column space to the right-wing, anti-vax drivel continually spouted by Duncan du Bois, but I believe it is now high time for your publication to stop this. I believe you are doing the South African government and the South African people a grave disservice by constantly printing his views. At the same time that great efforts are being made to get our people vaccinated, thereby making South Africa a safer place to live and work in, these efforts are being consistently undermined by Du Bois and his ilk. So I say, “enough…

| Thomson Reuters Foundation British photographer Paul David Smith had long toyed with the idea of switching all his staff to a four-day week, but it was the flexibility and reliability they showed in the pandemic that gave him the confidence to take the plunge. Almost a year later and his trust has been rewarded. He says staff at his eponymous studio have kept on top of the workload despite their reduced hours. And they are far happier, too. Smith is part of a revolution under way in the world of work – staff do shorter hours for the same pay – which has been gathering pace as economies look to bounce back from Covid-19. From Iceland to Australia, governments and business are testing shorter work weeks, be it in…

An online auction of digital art raised more than $52 million (R791m) worth of cryptocurrency to help fund WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s legal defence, the winning bid coming from a group of supporters who had pooled their money. Australian-born Assange is battling extradition from Britain to the US where the authorities want him to face trial on 18 criminal charges including breaking a spying law, after WikiLeaks began to publish thousands of secret classified files in 2010. Last month, Assange, who remains in a London prison, was given the chance to challenge approval of his extradition at Britain’s highest court. The Supreme Court will now decide whether or not to hear his case. Assange collaborated with a crypto artist known as Pak to sell a collection of NFTs (non-fungible tokens).…

Tarryn-Leigh Solomons tarryn-leigh.solomons@iinl.co.za Parliament is expected to pick an Inspector-General of Intelligence before the end of March after MPs interviewed 10 candidates for the position. Setlhomamaru Dintwe, the current incumbent, is in the running for the top job, as is ANC stalwart Reverend Frank Chikane, as well as other senior officials in the office of the inspector-general. The joint standing committee on intelligence is expected to name the successful candidate soon. The name will then have to be sent to the National Assembly for approval. A two-thirds majority will be required in the House for the successful candidate to get the nod for the post. President Cyril Ramaphosa will then have to approve the recommendation of the National Assembly. During interviews last week, the candidates raised concerns about intelligence services…

The Durban University of Technology (DUT) has extended the online registration period to February 18. Online registration was scheduled to end on Friday, February 11, with lectures initially meant to start today. However, all lectures will now commence on February 21. The extension of registration by another week will not affect the 2022 term dates and Skeletal Academic Calendar, DUT said. However, all six faculties will devise a catch-up plan for the one week loss in lecture time, following the extension to the online registration period, DUT said. It said when lectures start, it will continue to offer multi-modal, online teaching and learning to returning students. Permits to access campus will be granted only to first-year students and students who are enrolled for exit modules, to attend mask-to-mask lectures on…

The Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa) in Gauteng has warned the public of a scam doing the rounds on social media platforms calling for money and food donations for the family of nurse Lebo Monene, who was murdered at Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital in Ekurhuleni last week. The 30-year-old enrolled nursing assistant was shot dead by her partner, 30, who is a police officer. The suspect arrived at the hospital last Wednesday in a state vehicle with flashing blue lights and called the nurse to the parking area where he shot her before turning the gun on himself. He is in a critical condition in hospital. Denosa said the note circulating on social media platforms was fake. Denosa said the union contacted the Monene family to check the validity…

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa’s admission in the State of the Nation address that it is up to the private sector, and not government, to create jobs also highlighted the challenges faced by the former in reviving the economy. The truth of the matter is that Eskom is the greatest inhibitor to job creation, investment and economic growth. There is hardly room to tout for international investment or indeed domestic investment if the power supplier is not stable. So if the private sector is to create these much-needed jobs, the government must do its part by at least ensuring that Eskom can provide a reliable source of energy. As billions of rand are poured into the state-owned enterprise so that it can self-correct, ongoing power cuts keep stifling any progress or investor…

DAMASCUS: After her son was killed fighting for the Syrian government in 2013, the state began paying Amouna al-Berri a monthly salary which easily covered all her household expenses. Today, the “martyrs salary” – given to families of people who have died for Damascus in the 11-year long war – barely pays for her diabetes medicine. Like many Syrians, Berri says getting by is harder today than at any point during the conflict, even though it has been several years since the last major battles and President Bashar al-Assad is firmly in control of most of the country. “It was easier in the war. Things weren’t as expensive as now,” said Berri, 50, at her home on the outskirts of Damascus, where she has lived since fleeing fighting in Aleppo…

Canadian police cleared protesters and vehicles that had blocked a vital trade route on the border with the US, making some arrests, but the bridge was not yet open to traffic yesterday. The officers moved in after a tense stand-off between Canadian police and demonstrators since Friday when a court order and threats of arrest failed to end the blockade of the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ontario, which entered its sixth day yesterday. “Enforcement actions continue at the demonstration area, with arrests being made. Vehicles being towed. Please continue avoiding the area,” Windsor Police said in a Twitter post early yesterday, without saying how many people had been arrested. Police stepped up their presence with more than 50 vehicles, including cruisers, buses and an armoured car yesterday, as the number…

MANILA: The son and namesake of late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos strengthened his lead over his closest rival ahead of the presidential election on May 9, results of a new poll released yesterday showed. Ferdinand Marcos jr garnered a 44-point lead over Philippine Vice-President Leni Robredo in the January 19-24 survey by independent pollster Pulse Asia, an 11-point increase compared with the previous poll in early December. A total of 2 400 respondents were asked to pick their first choice for president and vice-president, with 60% expressing preference for Marcos, while 16% chose Robredo. Boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao and Manila city mayor Francisco Domagoso trailed, each getting 8%. Marcos’ running mate, Sara Duterte-Carpio, the daughter of incumbent President Rodrigo Duterte, remained the top choice for vice-president. As frontrunner, Marcos…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za THE take-over battle for Royal Bafokeng Patinum (RBPlat) gathered momentum on Friday, after the board’s approval of Impala Platinum Holdings’s bid. RBPlat’s independent board on Friday advised their shareholders to accept a mandatory more than R40 billion offer from Impala, after Impala announced in December that it had already acquired 35.2 percent of RBPlat. But a Takeover Regulation Panel (TRP) probe and other negotiations following a R17bn bid by Northam Platinum Holdings to acquire just over a third of RBPlat, might still see RBPlat shareholders need to decide between two mandatory offers. Implat’s announced in November that it wished to acquire all of RBPlat’s shares. Its mandatory offer is pitched at 0.22 Implats shares for every RBPlat share held. RBPlat on Friday issued an offeree response circular…

The Coega Development Corporation has been appointed to carry out detailed assessments of the fire-damaged buildings at Parliament. In a statement yesterday, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) said that the company had been appointed. On January 7, Minister of Public Works Patricia de Lille said a team of professionals would be deployed to conduct an assessment of the damage. “The professional team comprising of structural, civil, electrical, and mechanical engineers conducted and concluded a high-level preliminary visual assessment of the damage, including the safety aspect of the site. “The professional team’s visual assessment started with the Old National Assembly, and they then proceeded to assess the structural damage to the New National Assembly. “There was evidence of severe structural damage to the slabs. The slabs affected by…

In a warm and humid Jurassic Period landscape lush with plant and animal life in what is now south-west Montana, an adolescent long-necked dinosaur was miserably sick with flu and pneumonia-like symptoms – probably feverish and lethargic with laboured breathing, coughing and sneezing. Some 150 million years later, the skeletal remains of that unfortunate beast, nicknamed “Dolly,” after singer Dolly Parton represent the first-known dinosaur with evidence of respiratory illness – abnormal growths resembling fossilised broccoli on three neck bones that formed in response to an infection in air sacs linked to its lungs. Scientists said the dinosaur appears to have suffered from a fungal infection similar to aspergillosis, a common respiratory illness often fatal to modern birds and reptiles that sometimes causes bone infections. The condition may have killed…

DAVID CARTWRIGHT | Hillcrest Dr Reuning’s letter in The Mercury (February 11) is indisputably brilliant, as an input from someone with tangible and verifiable credentials. Well-said Dr Reuning, and now I am confidently not alone in denigrating any and all input from Duncan du Bois. Dr Reuning has very accurately identified a “right-wing odour” in arguments presented by Du Bois, whose unbridled admiration of Donald Trump speaks volumes. Interesting also is the fact that Du Bois’s domicilium is a geographical location historically associated with what used to be known as a “verkrampte stronghold”. Well, that was way back when, Mr Du Bois, but you really do need to embrace the 21st Century and stop pontificating stunted views because, like the past political regime in South Africa, they’re hopelessly…

DUNCAN DU BOIS | Bluff AS THESE columns have witnessed previously, the standard canard to which adherents of the mainstream narrative resort when exposed to alternative facts and views is to dismiss them as “right wing and fringe”. Dr I Reuning’s response (The Mercury, February 11) is a case in point. Both the Epoch Times and World Net Daily are Christian publications whose information sources are honest and authentic, and include networks like Associated Press and Reuters. UK Column News is another reputable source. The reason such information is ignored by the mainstream media is because it deviates from the anointed narrative. What detractors like Dr Reuning should be asking themselves is who orders the prescribed narrative and why. Robert F Kennedy jr, who is not remotely right…

Police are investigating a case of arson after damage amounting to an estimated R80 million was caused due to a fire at a business park in Komani in the Eastern Cape. It is believed the fire broke out in the early hours of Saturday morning at Bowker Park Business Centre, affecting several warehouses as well as the police’s supply chain management offices. According to SAPS spokesperson Warrant Officer Majola Nkohli, an armed response team from a local security company responded to an alarm at the Bowker Park Business Centre in Creamery Road at about 3am. In a tweet posted on Saturday, the DA in the Eastern Cape said this was the fifth fire to have taken place in recent months. “The old creamery buildings in Komani have burned down. This…

FOUR men will appear in the KwaDukuza Magistrate’s Court today for theft of a motor vehicle and possession of vehicle break-in implements. Police spokesperson Thembeka Mbele said that on Saturday morning, a white VW Polo was stolen in Ballito and was spotted on the N2 near Ballito. Marshall Security spokesperson Tyron Powell said its team responded and pursued the Polo and the suspects’ vehicle, a Hyundai i20. Both vehicles were stopped on the N2 and the occupants arrested. Mbele said four computer boxes, a two-way radio, breaking-in implements and a vehicle key programmer device were found. | Nomonde Zondi…

Mwangi Githahu mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za ORGANISATIONS supporting sex workers have expressed happiness that, years after lobbying the government, their pleas for the decriminalisation of sex work will be initiated. This after the government initiated consultations with various interest groups hoping to advance the debate. Justice and Constitutional Development Deputy Minister John Jeffery held a closed-door meeting in Cape Town last week with representatives of the pro-decriminalisation sex work sector. “The issue of decriminalisation may be a contested one, but is also one that needs to be debated and a decision taken, as the issue has been one which has been delayed for far too long.” Among the groups he spoke with was the Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Task force (Sweat). Sweat spokesperson Megan Lessing said the talks focused on why sex…

Zama Ngcoya zama.ngcoya@inl.co.za THE eThekwini Municipality hosted the Inanda Heritage Route Tour at the weekend. The public tour aimed to highlight the importance of the area especially in the month of February. The late John Langalibalele Dube was born on February 11, 1871 near Inanda Mission and died on the same date in 1946. He was the founding president of the ruling party, the ANC. He was also a philosopher, publisher, educator, poet and reverend. Dube’s ideals were firmly rooted in the emancipation of Africans. The late former president Nelson Mandela was released from prison on February 11, 1990. Yesterday, those on the tour gathered at the North Beach Tourism Office before making their way to Inanda on the Ricksha bus. The bus made stops at the KwaMuhle Museum in…

Sona: a stark reminder of the sombre reality of present-day South Africa IT COULDN’T have been a more dramatic coincidence, intended or otherwise. That President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Thursday should have been held on the eve of the 32nd anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s rally address on the day of his release from Victor Verster Prison on February 11, 1990, after 27 years of incarceration by the apartheid regime. The sole standout similarity between the two speeches is the fact that they were both delivered from a podium at the historic Cape Town City Hall – one, the first speech by an iconic free man, and the other by a president desperately trying to re-establish the relevance of the governing ANC to South Africans, many…

Tunisia’s president cemented his grip over the judiciary yesterday with a decree that lets him dismiss judges or block their promotion, helping consolidate his power after he seized executive authority last summer in a move his foes call a coup. President Kais Saied outraged his opponents and alarmed democratic foreign allies with his announcement last week that he was dissolving the Supreme Judicial Council, a body that guaranteed judicial independence. Several thousand people took to the streets of the capital Tunis yesterday to protest against the measures. “Shut down the coup … take your hands off the judiciary,” some chanted as they gathered in central Tunis. The protest was organised by the moderate Islamist Ennahda, the biggest party in the suspended parliament that has emerged as Saied’s most vocal opponent,…

Hong Kong reported 1 347 new daily Covid-19 infections yesterday, down from the previous day’s record, but the spread, with 2 000 more suspected cases, threatens the city’s overstretched health-care system, authorities said. The surge in coronavirus cases, the biggest test yet for Hong Kong’s “dynamic zero-Covid” strategy, comes a day after the government said China would help the city with testing, treatment and quarantine capacity. Authorities warned food supplies into the city may be disrupted, after some cross-border truck drivers tested positive for coronavirus, but said they were doing everything to get the situation back to normal “as soon as possible”. Hong Kong imports 90% of its food, with the mainland its most important source, especially for fresh food. Consumers have felt shortages of some imported goods,…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za THE GOVERNMENT has given the business sector much-needed certainty of getting the economy going again by setting a final 1-month deadline for ending all restrictive Covid-19 regulations. This comes as President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a radical policy shift to put the private sector at the centre of economic recovery and enable business to thrive by cutting red tape. On Friday the Cabinet announced that it had approved the final extension of the National State of Disaster to March 15 as some of the key departments dealing with Covid-19 had not yet concluded their analyses. Ramaphosa already indicated in his State of the Nation address (Sona) on Thursday that the national disaster would end once measures to manage the Covid-19 response were in place. South Africa has seen…

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za PLAYERS in the cannabis industry were misty-eyed at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s pronouncements on fast-tracking the growth and processing of the plant to make it a major job-creating sector in the economy. But the president said further engagement was necessary to tighten regulatory loose-ends and propel the sector on to the main-stage. In his State of the Nation address (Sona), Ramaphosa told the nation that hemp and cannabis production could create about 130 000 new jobs. He said that the government would review the policy and regulatory framework for a number of processes which would come as “sweet news” for the people of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. This for industrial hemp and cannabis to realise “huge” potential for investment and job creation. The president said these…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za TEACHERS fighting, overcrowded classrooms and an allegation that R500 000 was embezzled from its coffers are among the problems at a northern KwaZulu-Natal school. This emerged during a visit to the school by the education portfolio committee at the weekend. The committee visited KwaNogcoyi Primary School after one of the committee members, IFP MPL Thembeni KaMadlopha Mthethwa, highlighted the issues. It is one of two schools visited by the committee because of many challenges. Committee members said they left the school fearing that the fighting could deprive the pupils of the necessary foundational education they needed to cope with the demands of high school as they were told that the school lacked a “good classroom environment”. The primary school has more than 1 000 pupils and a…

JABULANI MALINGA | Soshanguve, Gauteng As I was watching the proceedings before President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation address, one of the analysts said something profound – that the country needed policies that were precise and well-co-ordinated, such as the military formations on display, to yank itself from the stagnant economic quagmire. Although said in jest, it is indeed what the country desperately needs – to fight the ever-deepening challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality. Furthermore, the country is slowly emerging from the devastating effects of the Covid-19pandemic which exacerbated the challenges. A clear and concise plan is needed to pull every citizen, especially the most vulnerable, out from their dire situation. It was therefore encouraging to hear President Ramaphosa laying the groundwork by announcing that the…

| George Santayana WHAT better than to snuggle up against the pot-bellied pig on the couch to watch TV? “That’s a horrible thing to say about your girlfriend …” I can already hear you all saying it. But this is actually about a real pot-bellied pig on which this fellow relies for emotional support. It’s causing a huge row in the village of Canajoharie, in New York state, according to Associated Press. Wyverne Flatt says the pig, named Ellie, is “family”, an emotional support animal that helped him through a divorce. The hefty pig snuggles up to him when he watches TV and sometimes rolls over to let him pet her tummy. (We’re not told if this had anything to do with the divorce). But village officials see it…

THE man told me he recalled being about 7 or 8 years old and learning to play cards while seated on his daddy’s lap. They’d often play cards, he recalled, while his mom and sister were learning to read dress patterns. “There was no TV, well, not in our house, TV had just started. We played a lot of games around the table. But, dad also worked a lot. He was a very patient man,” he said, as tears rolled down his face. I asked if he minded if I probed further. “He died when I was 12. It was a very confusing time but we got through it. It has been so long since I talked about him, but I am glad to talk about him. Education was very…

Police were allegedly offered more than R300 000 when they pounced on a house in Springs, Gauteng, where 45 undocumented people were being held hostage. “The team arrested six suspects and seized a shotgun and ammunition as well as over R300 000 in cash that one of the suspects had brought to the house to bribe the members with,” Gauteng police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili said. In January, Gauteng organised crime investigation members arrested Abdi Mohammed Adri and charged him with human trafficking after five undocumented Ethiopian nationals were rescued from a house in Brixton. The five were being kept at the house against their will. “Adri has since appeared in court, and he is currently out on bail. He will be appearing again in court on February 28, 2022.…

A vault built on an Arctic mountainside to preserve the world’s crop seeds from war, disease and other catastrophes will receive new deposits today, including one from the first organisation that made a withdrawal from the facility. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, on Spitsbergen island halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole, is only opened a few times a year to limit its seed banks’ exposure to the outside world. Today, gene banks from Sudan, Uganda, New Zealand, Germany and Lebanon will deposit seeds, including millet, sorghum and wheat, as back-ups to their own collections. The International Centre for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (Icarda), which moved its headquarters to Beirut from Aleppo in 2012 because of the war in Syria, will deposit some 8 000 samples. Icarda…

Yogashen Pillay yogashen.pillay@inl.co.za CONCERNED residents in Sydenham say they are fed up with what they believe to be drug-related shootings in the area, and want a stronger police presence. They held a meeting last Thursday in Butcher Road, following the murder of 17-year-old Jarell Somana. Police have since arrested two suspects for the boy’s murder last Sunday. Ward councillor Remona Mckenzie said residents were living in fear and wanted a stronger police presence. Mckenzie said that Butcher Road residents were concerned after Jarell’s murder. Gunmen chased him down the road in broad daylight and gunned him down. “Residents are anxious. They want the selling of drugs in Sydenham to stop, and they want to take back their community. They are concerned that innocent people will be hurt in the drug-related…

Karen Singh karen.singh@inl.co.za A week after floods hit the town of Utrecht in KwaZulu-Natal, the eMadlangeni Municipality has said that repair work to restore water to the communities of White City and Bensdorp was 80% complete. This comes after the mayor, Mzwakhe Buthelezi, held a community meeting with residents who were concerned about the delay in repairs to the infrastructure that had been damaged by flooding a week ago. In a statement on Friday, the municipality said the mayor was also joined by senior officials from both eMadlangeni and Amajuba municipalities. “The meeting took place due to the long delay in restoration of the water supply to the communities of White City and Bensdorp, after the severe recent storms that led to major flooding in the town of Utrecht and…

| Sibusiso Mboto PLANS are under way for a series of nationwide festivities to celebrate Jacob Zuma’s birthday. He will turn 80 in April. This was revealed by Jacob Zuma Foundation spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi yesterday. He indicated that the celebrations would not be limited to his home province of KwaZulu-Natal as there was a lot of interest from different parts of the country about the birthday celebrations. “It is national celebrations that will take place in various parts of the country. Details are still sketchy at the moment,” said Manyi. The foundation spokesperson also reiterated that Zuma would not attend proceedings at the Pietermaritzburg High Court this week.…

JAMMU and Kashmir and Ladakh (JKL) were, are and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India. This includes parts of Indian territory in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, under illegal and forcible occupation of Pakistan (ie Pakistan occupied JK-PoJKL) since 1947. Since then, the people of PoJKL have suffered human rights violations, extre- mism and economic backwardness. In an attempt to monopolise control, Pakistan has systematically altered PoJKL’s demography using violence, enforced disappearances, murders, detentions, custodial deaths and torture of civil rights activists and local politicians over seven decades. A Human Rights Watch report titled, “With friends like these … ” has well documented the human rights abuses in PoJKL: “(It) is a land of strict curbs on political pluralism, freedom of…

The US said the diplomatic path remained open to end a stand-off with Moscow over Ukraine but said the risk of Russian military action was high enough to warrant pulling US embassy staff out of Kyiv. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was speaking after talks on Saturday with Japanese and South Korean counterparts, following Washington’s warning that Russia’s military, which has more than 100 000 troops massed near Ukraine, could invade at any moment. Moscow, which has repeatedly denied it plans to invade and said it is responding to aggression by Nato allies, has dismissed those warnings as “hysteria”. “The diplomatic path remains open. The way for Moscow to show that it wants to pursue that path is simple. It should de-escalate, rather than escalate,” Blinken said after…

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis yesterday led crowds in St Peter’s Square in silent prayer for Ukraine, appealing to the consciences of politicians to seek peace. “The news from Ukraine is very worrying,” said Francis, who has made many appeals for peace in Ukraine and last month led an international day of prayer for peace. Francis spoke a day after US President Joe Biden told Russia’s Vladimir Putin in an hour-long call that the West would respond decisively to any invasion of Ukraine, adding such a step would produce widespread suffering and isolate Moscow. | Reuters…

Mihlali Baleka mihlali.baleka@inl.co.za MAMELODI Sundowns might be cruising in the inside lane to the league title, but that does not mean that there are matches they are willing to yield to their opposition. Tonight’s clash at the Old Peter Mokaba, where they will endeavour to outclass Baroka FC, is one of those encounters. After a long break due to the Africa Cup of Nations, the second half of the DStv Premiership campaign will begin in earnest this week. Sundowns will be playing in their second league game of the year after hosting Chippa United. That was one of the Brazilians’ three games in a space of a week after beating Richards Bay and Al Hilal in the Nedbank Cup last 32 and the Champions League away in KwaMashu and at…