Indholdsfortegnelse for 2023-06-22 i Mercury

A chief director within the Department of Health accused of corruption linked to a multimillion-rand tender awarded to Digital Vibes has been granted bail by the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court. Popo Maja, the chief director of communications within the Department of Health in Pretoria, appeared in court yesterday on corruption charges. State prosecutor Phumla Dwane- Alpman said Maja was facing a schedule one offence and was charged with two counts of corruption for his alleged role in awarding a contract worth more than R140 million to Digital Vibes. The company was awarded the tender to provide communication services to the department for the National Health Insurance campaign and vital public communications around the Covid-19 pandemic. Dwane-Alpman said it was alleged that Maja, who was a part of the bid evaluation…

What the ANC government has been unable to achieve through the promotion of enabling skills and initiative they are now seeking to achieve sneakily through legislation while they still have a majority in Parliament. In my mind I still recall hearing former president Nelson Mandela loudly proclaiming “Never again”. However, now almost 30 years later the failed and incompetent ANC government basically admits its failure to achieve “a better life for all” by legislating racially exclusive legislation. They still do not realise that for every correctly employed skilled person – technically and professionally – more gainful employment is created on average for at least four additional persons, and that the additional employees will each be able to sustain on average four to six dependants. The high unemployment rate (between 30%…

I ATTENDED a celebration of life held in honour of a former colleague and treasured friend. Among several outstanding speakers, it was her son’s content and delivery which caught my attention. Luke Macdonald wrapped his mourning in the sheer delight of remembering his mother. With his permission, here are a few nuggets from which I think all parents can learn. “If I close my eyes and think of my mom, I’m usually met with the same image. “She’s standing in an apron, while her white hair is littered with varying streaks of colour because she has scratched her head with the wrong end of a paintbrush. “She is laughing, always laughing, even though there’s probably a pot of rice burning in the background in the kitchen somewhere. “For my mom,…

The genocide suspect accused of ordering the brutal deaths of 2 000 people during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, Fulgence Kayishema, has abandoned his bail application and instead wants to be granted political asylum in South Africa. Kayishema's lawyer, Juan Smuts, told the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court his client had instructed him to suspend the bail application, which the State was set to oppose, and to change tack. Smuts said Kayishema fled Rwanda in 1994 out of fear for his life and that before he arrived in South Africa in 2001 or thereabouts, he had attempted and failed to secure refuge in a number of other African countries. Smuts did not indicate whether his client intended to bring a bail application at a later stage. However, National Prosecuting Authority advocate…

KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Health Nomagugu Simelane says if parents do not take responsibility for their children, teenage pregnancies will continue to be a problem in the province. She revealed last week that there were 26 515 pregnancies in KZN among girls between the ages of 10 and 19 between April and December 2022. A total of 1 254 girls were between the ages of 10 and 14. “We can talk until we are blue in the face, but if we as parents and guardians don’t take responsibility for raising our kids properly, nothing will ever change. It is not a disgrace of the government, but a disgrace for the parents.” Simelane said that young people should abstain from sex and focus on their education. “Government is not there when those…

IF THERE was one report that should keep South Africans awake at night, it’s Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke’s alarming findings pointing not only to incompetence but lack of care in the provincial government’s response to the devastating floods in KwaZulu-Natal and parts of the Eastern Cape last April. It reads like a script from a horror movie or a never-ending nightmare about dead people, and others with invalid ID numbers, emerging as beneficiaries of disaster relief aid in eThekwini Municipality. While this sounds like something we have heard about before, especially within the South African Social Security Agency at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, little to no change has taken place, judging by Maluleke’s findings. But perhaps more concerning was the fact that KZN had spent less than a tenth…

AmaZulu unveiled former Real Madrid assistant coach Pablo Franco Martin as their new head coach on Tuesday. Since taking over the club in 2020, Usuthu owner Sandile Zungu has repeatedly emphasised that he wants the club to become regular top four finishers in the league and to challenge for the major trophies on offer. The 43-year-old will be tasked with helping AmaZulu win their first major trophy since they claimed the Coca-Cola Cup in 1992. Martin becomes the fourth full-time head coach to be appointed under Zungu’s ownership, following in the footsteps of Benni McCarthy, Brandon Truter and Romain Folz. Time will tell whether he will succeed. Martin’s managerial career so far has not really been noteworthy but AmaZulu will hope to benefit from the experience he gained while working…

GOOD sportsmanship expresses an aspiration or ethos that the activity, while supporting the will to win, is enjoyed for its own sake with proper consideration for fairness, ethics, respect and a sense of fellowship with one’s competitors. The game of lawn bowls is steeped in ethics and etiquette, both of which play an important role in preserving the traditions of the game. Spectators at the Port Natal Bowls Junior Masters Singles Championship over the past weekend witnessed this sense of fellowship and etiquette among the 12 contestants as they made every effort to gain the upper hand in each game played, yet applauded any opponent’s victory. After five demanding games, the leaders of the two sections were last year’s runner-up, Awongiwe Somtseu from Durban Wanderers BC, and Umhlali CC’s Ruaan…

Percy Tau’s terrific form for Al Ahly has prompted the Egyptian giants to present the South African with a new improved contract. Although Al Ahly are yet to make an announcement, the well-known Egyptian football journalist Mohamed Shabana shared the information during a Cairo TV broadcast on Monday night. Tau’s contract expires at the end of next season and the club are keen to add another year’s extension. Tau has proved to be one of Al Ahly’s most valuable players. Now that he has shaken off injuries he is on top of his game. He played a massive role in guiding Al Ahly to the Caf Champions League title, scoring five goals and providing five assists in 12 games. After two seasons with the Red Devils, Tau’s honours list includes…

The SACP, the architects of the state bank initiative in South Africa, said they would support KwaZulu-Natal bank Ithala being a subsidiary in a national banking system. At the weekend ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula told a workshop held by the ANC in KZN that the government should work quickly to implement a state bank. Mbalula was discussing the SA Postbank Limited Amendment Bill. The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) passed the bill on Tuesday. The bill essentially proposes unbundling Postbank from the beleaguered Post Office ownership into an independent government-owned bank. ANC provincial chairperson Siboniso Duma, while addressing the workshop, said the move was in line with the governing party’s 2017 resolution to establish a bank. Duma added that while the bill specifically dealt with Postbank, Ithala bank in KZN,…

Kim Jong Un and his inner circle have, in this day and age, managed to successfully treat their citizens like medieval serfs … they are poorly treated and malnourished. No one can visit that impoverished state and, if you are allowed in, you are under constant scrutiny. Their dumpling leader and his family partake of all the goodies the West has to offer, yet his people are starving. Kim has redefined the term autocracy … that one man can have so much power in this day and age defies all logic. Yet he is being allowed to continue unhindered, and is propped up by none other than China. Ask yourself the question: why? As it seems that North Korea will at some point in the future become the battleground where…

Election fever has enveloped the US and Donald Trump stands a reasonable chance to regain the presidency despite the determination of those in the corridors of power to eliminate him politically. Should he win in 2024, the political realignment will change the landscape of the US for the next 10 years. The FBI, the Justice Department, the Education Department and other critical political institutions could be overhauled drastically. Trump’s political foes will face persecution and prosecution that will force them to flee America. Nato shudders at the thought of a Trump presidency. The Democrats are lurching to the left of the political spectrum, while the Republicans are leaning to the right. He might be a bombastic clown, but is the only high-profile person to openly acknowledge that the claim that…

Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane says he had to “pick” a fight to protect his rights when launching his now-successful interim court application stopping the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) from probing him over the qualifications saga. Mabuyane won the first round of a legal battle against President Cyril Ramaphosa and the SIU on Tuesday. The president had authorised an SIU investigation into alleged malfeasance at the University of Fort Hare (UFH). Part of that probe included the issuing of degrees by the Bhisho campus, where Mabuyane was enrolled. Mabuyane was accused of fraudulently gaining admission into a Master’s programme, and faking his way into a PhD in public administration. It is further alleged that Mabuyane was assisted by disgraced UFH professor Edwin Ijeoma and his team. In the first…

An online survey conducted recently has highlighted a concerning lack of safety systems within the road freight sector among small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs). JC Auditors managing director Oliver Naidoo said the survey was conducted with SMME road freight companies from across the country. The objective was to evaluate safety practices and measures in the industry. “The key findings from the survey indicate a widespread absence of robust safety protocols that, in turn, jeopardise the well-being of both heavy vehicle drivers and public road users.” Naidoo said alarming trends were discovered in the survey. “The survey findings revealed a concerning lack of compliance with the relevant requirements of the National Road Traffic Act and other industry standards, with 64% of participating companies lacking proper compliance measures. A striking 68%…

South Africa has just over 22 000 nurses in the public sector to care for more than 50 million people living in the country. The highest number of nurses are in KwaZulu-Natal, with more than 7 000 while Gauteng has almost 5 000. The Northern Cape has the lowest number of nurses in all age categories in the country’s public health sector. This was revealed by the Minister of Health Joe Phaahla in his written reply to questions by the DA’s national spokesperson on Health, Michéle Clarke, in Parliament. According to the reply, South Africa has only 22 090 nurses to serve the country’s more than 50 million people dependent on the public health sector – one for every 2 300 people – and of these more than 30% will…

In today's world, inclusive education is not just a buzzword. It is a fundamental principle that seeks to provide equal opportunities for all learners, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. The class of 2022 saw blind learner Tshepo Makwela, emanating from the Rivoni School for the Blind in Limpopo, acknowledged as a top achiever in the National Senior Certificate Examination (NSCE). Special schools play a crucial role in ensuring that learners with visual impairments, such as Tshepo, receive quality education and have access to a wide range of subjects, including technically oriented ones such as mathematics and physical science. However, teaching these subjects to visually impaired learners comes with its own unique set of challenges. While specialised consideration, strategies, and resources to ensure that visually impaired learners can actively participate…

THE ANC’s Mervyn Dirks says he does not see his return to public office as an election gimmick by the ANC, after being sworn in as a Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL) in Pietermaritzburg on Tuesday. Dirks made headlines when he defied the party’s orders last year, along with Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, and voted for the implementation of the Phala Phala panel report, which would have paved the way for President Cyril Ramaphosa to face impeachment. When he resigned in January as an MP, there were rumours that he had been forced to do so, after Ramaphosa had won his second term as party president at the elective conference in Nasrec in December last year. There have been suggestions in some quarters that his recall to public office…

ETHEKWINI Municipality’s health workers are under siege from brazen criminals, and many have been attacked and robbed inside municipal clinics. The SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) and the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (Imatu) said attacks directed at municipal employees had become regular. The City said that this year alone, staff members in at least five clinics had been victims of crime while performing their duties. According to Samwu, members had reported serious security breaches at the unit’s offices and clinics. It said on March 27 at the Austerville Clinic, gunfire was exchanged between drug lords in the vicinity of the clinic. At the Merebank Clinic in March, a person allegedly selling drugs came to collect his chronic medication at the clinic and was approached by other drug dealers…

Dear opposition political parties in eThekwini Municipality, I am writing to urge you all to support my motion against the current ANC speaker of eThekwini Municipality. This motion will be tabled at the full council meeting later this month and presents an opportunity for us to unite against the ANC and take action to restore eThekwini to its former glory. As you are all aware, the ANC did not receive an outright majority in the last election, and it was through much of our support as smaller parties that they were able to regain control of the municipality. However, it is evident that under the control of the ANC, eThekwini is now another failed state. It is left up to us to correct the mistake we made to save our…

THE concern expressed by IFP MP Duduzile Hlengwa at the fact that 28 million doses of Covid-19 so-called vaccines will go unused (The Mercury, June 20) provides shameful evidence of how ill-informed politicians are about the true facts on this issue. In the first place, as the World Health Organization announced on May 4, Covid-19 is no longer a global emergency. So those 28 million doses have no purpose. But now that hundreds of millions of people worldwide were recipients of the Covid so-called vaccines, the truth about the jab is dripping out. US Health Department records obtained in a lawsuit under Freedom of Information legislation show FDA officials knew of the adverse effects of the so-called vaccines two years ago but nonetheless promoted vaxxing. Pfizer was also aware…

The management and board of power utility Eskom have the responsibility to take seriously the allegations made by former CEO André de Ruyter earlier this year. “Many of the averments made are not new to Eskom. Issues highlighted have been in several platforms on different occasions, maybe not packaged in the way it was,” said Eskom group executive for legal and compliance, Mel Govender. Govender made the statement when she was briefing the standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) during an oversight visit at Eskom’s headquarters. She told Scopa that Eskom had appointed an external legal firm to assist the entity to deal with the averments made by De Ruyter. Outlining steps taken since a television interview that De Ruyter gave that saw his contract terminated while serving notice, Govender…

A 45-year-old Ballito woman who allegedly drowned her toddler daughter in a bucket of water in April 2022 made another appearance in court this week. The woman who cannot be named because she has another minor child, appeared in the KwaDukuza Magistrate’s Court this week. Facing a charge of murder, the court heard the woman is expected to report to Fort Napier in Pietermaritzburg on November 29 for a psychiatric evaluation. The State has been waiting for an available bed at Fort Napier for the evaluation to take place. At the time of the incident, provincial police spokesperson Thenjiswa Ngcobo said the mother allegedly told police that the child was difficult and troubling her and she decided to drown the child in a bucket of water until she stopped moving.…

The “sudden and unexplained death” of former ANC MP and Cabinet minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson, will be probed by the police. On Monday, June 5, 2023, the death of the 59-year-old was confirmed by the ANC, a party she served for the better part of her life. Her death came weeks after Joemat-Pettersson was named as a central figure in the bribery and extortion allegations made by suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s husband, David Skosana. Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed in a statement this week that they have opened an inquest docket after Joemat-Pettersson’s death was determined to be “unnatural”. “ANC MP Tina Joemat-Pettersson’s death has been determined as unnatural and will now be the subject of an inquest investigation. An inquest docket has been registered and is under investigation.…

Many countries on continent opt for its investment programmes in social infrastructure On Friday, June 2, at the Symposium on Cultural Inheritance and Development in Beijing, President Xi Jinping asserted the primacy of culture and the evolution of civilizational developments in the history of China’s development. The theme of Xi’s presentation resonated with the three initiatives that he has underlined over the recent past. Together, global civilization, global development and global security initiatives have become an integral part of Xi’s standing globally. Not since Chairperson Mao and Deng Xiaoping has a leader from China received such international publicity. I returned from China at the end of last month after spending seven weeks at the Zhejiang University International Business School (ZIBS) and, on the flight back, the media on board and…