Indholdsfortegnelse for 2023-04-03 i Mercury

ABSA GROUP is planning a massive BEE transaction to increase black ownership to over 25% and benefit communities and staff, the lender said yesterday. Absa said Friday the details of the new deal had been finalised and would be implemented later this year, subject to shareholder approval. The transaction would strengthen the group’s BEE credentials in South Africa and provide communities and staff with an opportunity to benefit from the value generated by the group. Through the transaction 7% of the group’s shareholding would be allocated to structures to benefit ordinary black South Africans through a Corporate Social Investment (CSI) trust, and employees through a staff trust. The 7% stake equates to about R11.2 billion based on Absa’s recent share prices, making the deal one of the largest…

The DA re-elected party leader John Steenhuisen and federal council chairperson Helen Zille to lead their party a year before the elections. The DA’s 2 000 delegates closed the federal congress in Midrand, Johannesburg, yesterday where Steenhuisen, Zille and eight others were elected into the party’s most senior leadership positions. The conference spent Saturday debating constitutional matters, while delegates discussed resolutions yesterday. Delegates elected the leader, federal chairperson and three deputy federal chairpersons, while federal council members voted for the council’s chairperson, three deputy chairpersons and the federal finance chairperson. The new leadership includes Ivan Meyer as federal chairperson; Dr Dion George as federal finance chairperson; JP Smith, Solly Malatsi and Anton Bredell, respectively, as first, second and third deputy federal chairpersons; and Ashor Sarupen, Annelie Lotriet and Thomas Walters…

The result of the recent Mangaung (Bloemfontein) election of the speaker graphically illustrates the farcical political system we have. It is obvious that a certain number of ANC councillors were so disillusioned with the lack of service delivery by the ANC majority-managed council that they – against all odds – decided to vote in accordance with their conscience and against the continued inefficiency (or political turmoil) of the factionally divided ANC. Now the newly elected “boss” of the ANC – former minister of transport, Mr Fikile Mbalula – has announced that action is to be taken against those ANC councillors who eventually voted in accordance with their conscience. He thereby confirmed that once politically elected ANC councillors are enslaved to the ANC – irrespective of the subsequent factions in…

I have great respect for Narendh Ganesh and his call to prioritise the development of maths and science in our education systems (The Mercury, March 29). However, I have to encourage the parents of kids who won’t make it in those fields, not to give up. I’ve worked in the motor industry for many years, and there’s something that being a mathematician or scientist could not have helped me with in my life-long trade. The “something” I speak of is the basket of analytical skills of my trade, learnt over the years. Neither mathematician nor computer can tell me exactly what’s causing the noise that comes from the back of my client’s vehicle at 140kph, or why the car pulls to one side when he accelerates but goes straight when…

Drinking moderate amounts of alcohol every day does not – as once thought – protect against death from heart disease, nor does it contribute to a longer life, according to a sweeping new analysis of alcohol research. The review, which examined existing research on the health and drinking habits of nearly 5 million people, is one of the largest studies to debunk the widely held belief that moderate drinking of wine or other alcoholic beverages is good for you. Last year, researchers in Britain examined genetic and medical data of nearly 400 000 people and concluded that even low alcohol intake was associated with increased risk of disease. The new study, which appeared in Jama Network Open, also found that drinking relatively low levels of alcohol – 25 grams a…

Police management in Mpumalanga has “strongly” condemned the behaviour of a police captain who was arrested for allegedly trafficking dagga. Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said the captain was arrested on Friday after allegedly being caught in the act. “According to the report, on that day it is said that security guards were busy patrolling the premises at a certain plantation in Sabie when they noticed a police van in the bushes. “They (security guards) then went to check as to what was happening. To their surprise, the guards reportedly saw two males, one being a SAPS captain, though not wearing uniform at the time whilst the other one was wearing SAPS boiler suit (police reflective jacket),” Mohlala narrated. The captain was the driver of the SAPS service…

Tough economic conditions are facing middle to lower income groups in the country, as the South African Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee announced a 50 basis points increase in a repo rate. The move last week shocked economists across the board, with civil society organisations raising concern about the cost of living. The Alternative Information and Development Centre said while the Reserve Bank acted according to its mandate of inflation targeting, even with interest rates up, prices would still rise faster than wages, as the vast majority of wages were stagnant or declining in real terms. “In addition, the debt crisis in working-class households will worsen as a result of interest rate hikes. On average, more than 60% of household incomes are already spent on debt, and many of…

The government, through its Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council, has sealed a 7.5% wage offer deal with the majority public sectors unions, including the Cosatu-aligned SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu). Sadtu was the only Cosatu union which formed part of the swift wage negotiations since February this year while other affiliates such as National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu), the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) and the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) did not form part of the negotiations. Announcing the 2023 deal, bargaining council general secretary Frikkie de Bruin said the government and the majority of trade unions in council had agreed on a multi-term agreement for the financial years 2023/24 and 2024/2025. This includes an average salary increase of 7.5% for…

‘Bottom up’ financial plan equates to Mickey Mouse economics THE history of economic policy in South Africa over the past two centuries shifted from white colonial robber baron laissez faire imperialism to neo-liberal economic orthodoxy with minimal state intervention – both of which marginalised and brutally dehumanised the majority black population. This was true during British colonial rule and the nefarious apartheid capture of the South African state based on a curious mix of race-based supremacist policies and a neo-Keynesian dispensation whose very ethos was to promote and preserve white privilege and control over political and economic governance. Almost 30 years into the post-apartheid democratic dispensation, President Cyril Ramaphosa is now championing a new “bottom-up” economic vision for the country. The ethos seems to be unsustainable welfare spending to stimulate…

A second Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps member who served as a military adviser in Syria has died following an Israeli air strike near Damascus. “Meqdad Mehghani Jafarabadi was wounded in a criminal attack of the Zionist regime on Friday and martyred due to the severity of his injuries,” the Revolutionary Guards said in a statement published yesterday. “The Zionist regime will pay for this.” Israel has for years carried out attacks against Iran-linked targets in Syria, where Tehran’s influence has grown since it began supporting President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war. The air strike also killed another Revolutionary Guards officer and military adviser, Milad Haydari. | Reuters…

Can posing for Playboy be a feminist statement? A French government minister thinks so and has defended her decision to appear – clothed – on the front cover of the magazine. Marlene Schiappa, 40, a feminist author who was plucked from obscurity by President Emmanuel Macron in 2017, is no stranger to controversy. But even the prime minister and critics feel the minister for the social economy has made a mistake: posing for Playboy to accompany a 12-page interview on women’s and gay rights, and abortion. The decision has irritated some colleagues in the government battling strikes and increasingly violent demonstrations against plans to raise the retirement age. Some thought it was an April Fool’s joke. | AFP…

Britain’s interior minister Suella Braverman said yesterday that the UK government was “in negotiations” after three British men were detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Media reports have identified the men as charity medic Kevin Cornwell, 53, the unnamed manager of a hotel for aid workers and YouTube star Miles Routledge. “The government is in negotiations and working hard to ensure people’s safety is upheld,” Braverman told Sky News. The non-profit group the Presidium Network said on Twitter that it had been “working closely with two of the families”. “We are working hard to secure consular contact with British nationals detained in Afghanistan and we are supporting families,” the UK’s foreign ministry added in a statement. Scott Richards of the Presidium Network told Sky News: “We believe they are in…

The patch of irregular vertical lines that revolutionised checking out at the supermarket and facilitated the globalisation of retail is turning 50. But as the barcode celebrates its birthday today, its days might be numbered as it faces competition from the younger QR code, the information- filled squares used in smartphones. The trademark beep as a product is scanned is heard about 6 billion times per day across the world as around 70 000 items are sold each second. The technology revolutionised retail by speeding up checkout and giving retailers the ability to trace products and better manage inventory. The barcode not only identifies a product, but “gives professionals in stores access to other functionalities”. Barcodes were initially patented by Norman Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver in the US…

Rassie Erasmus says he would “like to have another go somewhere” else before he hangs up his coaching whistle. Erasmus is currently the SA director of rugby, where his main priority is ensuring that the Springboks are successful and defend their World Cup crown in France later this year. With Jacques Nienaber being the Bok coach, Erasmus has many other responsibilities as the director, where he oversees the various programmes such as the women’s game, Sevens, youth teams and referees. He was initially contracted until the end of 2023 along with Nienaber, but his lawyer Frikkie Erasmus told Rapport earlier this year that his deal is now until 2025, “but in terms of the contract, he has the right to end his contract earlier”. In interviews with UK newspapers…

RENERGEN has completed geological surveys showing potentially larger reservoirs than originally anticipated, the owner of South Africa’s first onshore gas production site said in a quarterly update Friday. A due diligence was being completed for Phase 2 funding with US DFC and Standard Bank, finalising credit submissions. On the geological surveys, the group said full 3D modelling and inversions of gas bearing features have been completed, the results of which were being incorporated into an updated 3D geological block model. In addition to magnetic data collected, the gravity gradient data had indicated further areas of interest within the field, specifically a series of low-density areas. “These low-density features, mainly attributable to previously undiscovered faults that are potentially gas bearing, are more numerous than previously thought and of significant extent, which…

BUILD One South Africa leader Mmusi Maimane yesterday said the Hawks were now investigating his criminal complaint in connection with reported widespread looting at Eskom. Maimane in February laid a criminal complaint at the Cape Town police station to compel authorities to get former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter to share the details of allegations he made against senior ministers and others allegedly with knowledge of corruption at the state power utility. De Ruyter last week indicated his willingness to appear before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) later this month to unpack the allegations he made in an interview with a national broadcaster. De Ruyter said during the interview that the governing party had treated Eskom as a “feeding trough” and that a certain minister was behind the…

THE eThekwini Municipality may find itself without key economic zones, including King Shaka International Airport and parts of Cato Ridge, if boundary proposals before the Municipal Demarcation Board get the green light. Among several proposals made is a call for the airport to fall under KwaDukuza Municipality which is part of iLembe District Municipality, while another calls for part of Cato Ridge to be incorporated into uMgungundlovu District Municipality which is made of Pietermaritzburg and surrounding areas. Another proposal calls for oThongathi and Hazelmere Dam to fall under the Ndwedwe Municipality, which is under iLembe District. EThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda alluded to the boundary proposals in a meeting of the executive committee held in oThongathi Town Hall last week. He said some were eager to take over the airport,…

SO THE esteemed John Steenhuisen of the DA wants South Africa to arrest President Putin when he visits South Africa later this year. Naturally, his American masters have probably given him their instructions as they have done to Europe and the International Criminal Court. Amazingly enough, America is not a signatory to this agreement, which is not surprising as they are the largest terrorist organisation on earth. The war in Ukraine didn’t start in 2022 but in 2014. Russia warned the world that it would not tolerate Ukraine joining Nato but America wanted it so the rest of the world had to follow or risk sanctions. The Minsk Accord 1 and 2 were signed but as we have learned recently, Nato had no intention of honouring them. They only wanted…

The ICC has issued an international arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. South Africa’s desire to quit the ICC is understandable. The ICC’s preamble to the Rome Statute clearly states: “The most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole must not go unpunished.” Without African support, the Rome Statute might never have been adopted. The ICC was presented with 9 000 complaints about war crimes in 139 countries. It investigated and indicted 36 Africans in eight countries on the continent. It is this act of selective prosecution that will ultimately cause the collapse of the ICC. It has chosen to ignore the massive war crimes of all the major powers and their subservient allies. A classical example is the…

Colette Maze has been playing piano for more than a century, and is still drawing thousands of fans on social media. Born in June 1914, before the outbreak of World War I and when one of her favourite composers, Claude Debussy, was still alive, the French pianist practices four hours a day and is about to release her seventh album, 108 Years of Piano. From her flat overlooking the Seine river in Paris, Maze moves cautiously between the three pianos in her living room, but retains a youthful enthusiasm. “Me? I’m young,” she says with a smile. “Age is not something I’m interested in. There are people who are forever young, amazed by everything, and then there are people who don’t care about anything and never loved anything, even their…

STRAIGHT to jail and no getting out for three months. This was the message conveyed to a father of three who simply ignored the orders made in the past that he had to pay maintenance towards his wife and children. He also, among others, had to give his wife money to buy another house for her and the children. These orders were made during previous court hearings and following a settlement agreement between the couple when they got divorced. None of these orders, which the husband had earlier agreed to, were adhered to. It was calculated that he owed the wife more than R7 million. She told the court that when he did not pay as promised, she had to sell one of their other properties to make ends meet.…

The council for quality assurance in general and further education and training, Umalusi, has launched an online application system to replace damaged or lost certificates. The system was launched during a recent webinar held by the council, titled “Innovatively replacing your lost or damaged certificate issued by Umalusi”. It said the system had significantly reduced the turnaround time and costs involved in replacing a lost or damaged certificate. “Candidates can access the system from anywhere via a cellphone or personal computer to apply directly to Umalusi to replace their lost or damaged certificates,” it said. Candidates can collect their replacement certificates from Umalusi within two working days after applying. The application fee is R137. “Alternatively, a candidate can pay R202 (R137 for the certificate and R65 for courier fees) to…

THE inquiry into Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office could be in jeopardy after she terminated instructions to her lawyers following the Public Protector South Africa’s (PPSA) decision to stop paying her legal costs this month. The turn of events was a sequel to a letter Acting Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka wrote, confirming that the office of the PPSA was unable to commit any further funding towards Mkhwebane’s legal costs for the inquiry beyond March 1. Gcaleka said the expenditure for legal services for the institution in 2022-23 already exceeded the allocated budget by R12 million as of February. Mkhwebane’s legal costs billed for the inquiry exceeded R6.1m. “The processing of the latest batch of invoices, which still excludes the legal fees for March 2023, is likely to…

More than 6 000 spaza shops were assisted with funding to the tune of R58 million as at January 2023, since the introduction of the Spaza Shop Support Programme (SSSP). This was revealed by Small Business Development Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams when she was responding to written parliamentary questions from GOOD Party MP Brett Herron. Herron wanted to know about the number of spaza shops that applied for support after President of the Republic Cyril Ramaphosa announced in April 2020 that economic and social relief measures aimed at assisting SMMEs, spaza shop owners and other informal businesses in the form of loans, grants and debt restructuring would be introduced. He also enquired about what became of the unallocated funds. In her response, Ndabeni-Abrahams said a total of 10 446 spaza shops…

Politically a shutdown means bringing the country to a standstill. Julius Malema said the EFF were going to do that. It did not happen. The best way to prove that is what the media showed. For example, nothing was at a standstill in the Western Cape. When Malema left the ANC, the situation was conducive because the party was blundering, and he raised genuine issues. Within a short space of time, he formed a political party that grew using ANC blunders as its stepladder. But in Parliament the EFF always engages in violence and expects no retaliation. When action is taken against it, it cries foul. It is against that background that security was beefed up for its “shutdown”. The EFF, through its leader Malema, said the country would come…

SEOUL: A forest fire raged in central Seoul yesterday, forcing the evacuation of at least 120 homes in the densely populated capital, authorities said. The fire, which started on a mountain in the middle of Seoul at about 11.53am local time, razed forests the size of some 30 soccer fields before it was nearly extinguished as of 5pm local time, according to officials. No casualties were reported. Smoke billowing from forests was seen across the city as firefighters battled to put out the fire with water-bombing aircraft. Multiple helicopters were seen flying over the Han River in an apparent effort to supply water to extinguish the fire, a Reuters witness said. | Reuters…

Two people have died after a hot-air balloon flying near Mexico’s famed Teotihuacan archeological site caught fire. “The passengers jumped from the balloon,” the government of the state of Mexico said, adding that a child suffered burns. It identified the victims as a woman, 39, and a man, 50. It said the minor had suffered second-degree burns to the face as well as a fracture of the right femur. It did not say whether the balloon had any other passengers. A video posted on social media shows the balloon’s gondola on fire. Balloon flights over Teotihuacan offer views of the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon, and its Avenue of the Dead. | AFP…

Burkina Faso has expelled two French journalists working for newspapers Le Monde and Liberation, the two newspapers said yesterday, accusing the authorities of seeking to stifle freedom of speech with an escalating crackdown on foreign media. Liberation said its correspondent Agnès Faivre and Le Monde’s Sophie Douce arrived in Paris early yesterday after they were summoned separately for questioning by the military authorities on Friday and later notified of their expulsion. The two are “journalists of perfect integrity, who worked in Burkina Faso legally, with valid visas and accreditations … We strongly protest against these absolutely unjustified expulsions,” Liberation said in an editorial statement on its website. There was no statement from the authorities in Burkina Faso and it was not immediately possible to reach them for comment. Relations between…

World champion Max Verstappen and teammate Sergio Perez were among drivers to criticise the officiating at a chaotic Formula One Australian Grand Prix yesterday, which finished under a safety car after the race was restarted three times. Verstappen won his second race of the season at Albert Park, ahead of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso third, following a series of incidents that led to only 12 cars finishing. Red Bull’s Verstappen said afterwards the decision to restart the race from the grid a second time, for what should have been a two-lap sprint to the finish, led to multiple collisions that took four cars out of the race. “I think if we would have had a safety car and then just have a normal rolling start, we…

HOUSEHOLD finances in South Africa are expected to deteriorate as pressure from rising interest rates and elevated inflation could shrink personal disposable income, after real consumption expenditure rose modestly in the last three months of 2022. Data from the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) on Friday showed that real final consumption expenditure by households reverted to an increase in the fourth quarter of 2022, following a small decrease in the third quarter. According to the SARB’s Quarterly Bulletin, household consumption expenditure grew by a subdued rate of 0.9% quarter-on-quarter, and 1.9% year-on-year, in the fourth quarter. Consumption was partly lifted by higher tourist arrivals during the festive season and Black Friday sales. Real personal disposable income also grew by a seasonally adjusted 0.8% quarter-on-quarter, following a 0.3% contraction in the…

FIVE years ago, geopolitical relationships were relatively stable, technology evolved at a manageable and predict- able pace, and the economic growth of countries showed steady improvement following the 2008 financial crisis. In 2023, record inflation levels are threatening global recession, simmering conflicts may spill over into full scale war in eastern Europe, and technology has rapidly accelerated – catalysed and precipitated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Digital technologies are transforming markets and creating novel economic opportunities pervasively across all sectors. According to the World Bank, strengthening digital inclusion is of paramount importance for any nation’s competitiveness and social stability. ChatGPT, launched towards the latter part of 2022, caused a step change in the impact that technology has in its potential to redefine all sectors, including education. It has had the fastest…

Five suspects, who were linked to a drug syndicate and the murder of three people last month, were killed in a shoot-out with police on Saturday in Morningside. Police Minister Bheki Cele praised the police for what they described as a significant breakthrough in investigations into a spate of shootings and drug-related crimes in the city. KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the police’s anti-gang unit was searching for suspects linked to a murder case when they spotted a vehicle fitting the description of one used in the commission of the crime. Netshiunda said after the arrest of one suspect, further investigation led the team to a premises in Morningside. “Five other suspected drug dealers were killed during a shoot-out with the police’s anti-gang unit. Five firearms, including three…

KING Charles was a big hit in Germany last week as he addressed the Bundestag, the first British monarch ever to speak to the German Parliament. He switched from German to English and then back again, mixing earnestness with humour that had them just about rolling in the aisles. “The British and the Germans have been laughing together for 50 years,” he told them. “We’ve been laughing at them and they’ve been laughing at us.” That had the Bundestag just about in hysterics and yet another round of hand-clapping applause followed, not just from the Bundestag but from the packed public galleries as well. Refreshing it was in this dire situation of the war in Ukraine and other human calamities. Charles didn’t ignore the world’s problems but he managed to…

HAS anybody picked up on how justice in America now requires the accused to prove his innocence in place of the traditional rule that a person is innocent until proven guilty? Yet that is how former House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, views due process in the indictment of Donald Trump. Following the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton falsified the use of campaign funds in her submissions to the Federal Election Commission. She was never charged or had her home raided. That same charge is now the basis of the indictment against Trump despite it having no basis in terms of expired documentation, relying on a witness, Michael Cohen, who was jailed for perjury, concerning a liaison between Trump and a woman that never occurred. Even the anti-Trump Washington Post has opined…

At the start of a new work week, may I offer you encouragement? Stop hiding who you are behind a desire to be accepted or to fit in. Let people know who you are and what you want. This does not mean you have to be pushy or overbearing. In both strong and subtle ways, define yourself. Leave little up to guesswork. Do this, even if you start in very small and incremental ways, with the people you are close to and to the people whom you love. This may take some people by surprise and even catch them off guard, but the people who love you will be delighted to hear your voice. You will immediately begin to feel less anxious when you begin to define yourself. As you…

Private security firm Fidelty ADT has offered a R100 000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of escaped rapist and murderer, Thabo Bester. Also known as the “Facebook rapist”, Bester escaped from the Mangaung Correctional Centre, which is managed by the G4S on behalf of the Department of Correctional Services (DCS). The escape took place in May last year but was only discovered this year after a news agency GroundUp published a story detailing how Bester allegedly faked his death and escaped. The escape was confirmed by DCS and police are investigating a murder case in connection with the body found in Bester’s cell which was initially believed to be him. DNA tests confirmed that the body was not Bester’s. “Help us bring this criminal to book.…

A 45-year-old woman has been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for defrauding the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) through a disability grant scam. Angelina Morongwe was sentenced in the Polokwane Specialised Commercial Crimes Court. Captain Matimba Maluleke, spokesperson for the Hawks in Limpopo, said that between April 2018 and December 2020, Morongwe, conspired with three Tzaneen-based Sassa officials to recruit people from the local community to apply for disability grants. Those recruited to receive the disability grant were not disabled. “Sassa forensic investigators discovered the criminal activities of the syndicate. A case of fraud was opened and referred to the Hawks’ serious corruption investigation unit,” he said. It was discovered that after recruiting the community members, Sassa officials would process the applications and the money would be paid out.…

SLAIN Luyanda Cele, who was an intern at the eThekwini Municipality’s Occupational Health and Safety Unit, was laid to rest on Friday in uMlazi. Cele’s mutilated body was found at South Beach near the Metro Lodge last month after she had been reported missing. The last time she was seen by her colleagues was when she was leaving her workplace. The mayor of eThekwini Municipality, Mxolisi Kaunda, attended the funeral. Kaunda said it was important for him to attend and bid Cele farewell. He said Cele had been a valuable asset to the municipality. “We are very saddened and still shocked by the passing of our child. We lost someone who was an inspiration among her peers. We say go well, you have done your part although you were still…

THE KwaZulu-Natal government will be investing in modern transport technology in the fight against crime. This was revealed by Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube yesterday when she unveiled the government’s Easter Safety Plan and held the pre-Easter prayer in Pietermaritzburg. The premier said it was time that the government put a stop to runaway criminal activity in the province by closely monitoring the province’s roads using modern technology to nab criminals. The event was held at KwaNgcedomhlophe Sport Ground, Makafatini, near Pietermaritzburg. “We have an opportunity to use technology to integrate the activities of road traffic authorities together with those of SAPS and other law enforcement. Criminals should not be able to drive away from the scene without our intelligent transport systems intervening to halt their getaway,” said Dube Ncube. She noted…

A planned strike by e-hailing drivers has been put on hold. Last week, it was reported that drivers of the two biggest e-hailing providers, Bolt and Uber, were planning a strike to demand a better working environment. As part of their demands, drivers wanted the app owners to decrease the commission by less than 15% and to put 360-degree cameras into their cars for safety and for clients to be verified. “I can confirm that after receiving a statement from a group of drivers’ representatives, the strike has been put on hold. We will communicate if there are further developments,” said E-hailing Partners Council spokesperson Kgomotso Senokoane. He said on March 28, the council had a consultative meeting with organisers of the national shutdown. “The meeting was fruitful. The council…

THE time has come for the South African government to take a decisive decision and withdraw its membership from the International Criminal Court (ICC). It is the second time that South Africa has found itself in the spotlight regarding inconsistent decisions taken by the ICC that compel the government to arrest leaders who are visiting our shores. The first time the government found itself in this predicament was in 2015 when it was expected to arrest former Sudan president Omar al-Bashir for war crimes. Recently, the ICC issued a warrant of arrest against Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. He is accused of involvement in the illegal deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia. The Russian president is an invited guest of the South African government to the 15th BRICS Summit to…

Caracas: More than 40 people have been arrested in Venezuela in an anti-corruption sweep of state oil company PDVSA and other related government bodies, the prosecutor’s office said. The crackdown began on March 17. This followed a communique issued by the anti-corruption police. They called for the prosecution of officials who “could be involved in serious acts of corruption and embezzlement”. So far, the country’s powerful oil minister, Tareck El Aissami, has resigned over the graft probe. This, while the anti-corruption drive has targeted officials in PDVSA as well as other public entities. | AFP…

The death toll from a major storm system that has lashed the south-central and eastern US with devastating winds and powerful tornadoes has risen to 22, with dozens of others injured, officials said. A spokesperson for the emergency management agency in Tennessee, one of the states hardest hit since the storms began on Friday, confirmed seven weather-related fatalities. That came on top of 15 deaths reported in Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama in the south, Indiana and Illinois in the Midwest, and Delaware in the mid-Atlantic. The storm system was bearing down on the US east coast, with thunderstorms, hail and powerful winds predicted. The storm had sent multiple tornadoes – some of exceptional size and power – sweeping through Arkansas, where they killed at least five people, the state’s governor…

Pope Francis led a Palm Sunday service the day after he was discharged from hospital following a bout of bronchitis, and urged the world to take better care of the poor, the lonely and the infirm. Thousands of people waved palm and olive branches as Francis was driven into St Peter’s Square sitting in the back of a white, open-topped vehicle, before descending and starting the service from beneath an ancient Egyptian obelisk. The pope, 86, was taken to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Wednesday after complaining of breathing difficulties. However, he recovered quickly following an infusion of antibiotics and returned to his Vatican residence on Saturday. Looking to allay concerns about his health, the Vatican has said he would take part a full array of Easter events this week, the…

South Africa 370/8 Markram 175, Miller 91; F Klaasen 2/43, Van Meekeren 2/79 The Netherlands 224 all out Ahmed 61, O’Dowd 47; Magala 5/43, Markram 2/40 South Africa win third ODI by 146 runs to win three-match series 2-0 This has been Aiden Markram and Sisanda Magala’s summer. Markram’s 50th one-day international for South Africa in the final match of an unforgettable season was simply an extension of the time of his life he has been having these past couple of months. After leading the Sunrisers Eastern Cape to the inaugural SA20 title, to rubber-stamping his return to the Test squad with a century, and then being elevated to the national T20 captaincy, Markram added the one last missing element to his golden season. He had never struck an…