Indholdsfortegnelse for 2023-07-28 i Mercury

Economists have questioned the “massive salaries” being earned by elected office-bearers while the large majority of the country’s citizens battle with inflation eating into their pay. The approved 3% salary increments backdated to April 2022 for ministers, deputy ministers, premiers, MECs, Members of Parliament, Members of Provincial Legislatures and other public office-bearers was gazetted recently. This comes as the latest Bankserv- Africa Take-Home Pay Index (BTPI) reported the average nominal take-home pay in South Africa for June this year was R14 596. In contrast a premier took home R199 839, if you were an MEC your salary was R174 853 and MPLs got R97 368, following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent announcement of the determination of their salaries. In the Western Cape, the new salaries were tabled in the legislature on…

THE DA in KwaZulu-Natal has called for an urgent report from law enforcement in the province following a dramatic surge in attacks on Durban’s N2 freeway. The call, made in writing, to Mondli Chiliza, the chairperson of KZN’s transport portfolio committee, comes after numerous recent incidents which include: A motorist shot dead on the N2 at Tugela River bridge after his vehicle broke down on July 20. A motorist robbed and stabbed after his vehicle crashed into a barrier on July 17. This after rocks were placed on the N2 before Spaghetti Junction. A woman becoming the victim of rock-throwing on the N2 at the Yellowwood Park Bridge. Fortunately, she managed to continue driving to safety. A man being killed after being struck by a passing vehicle. This while trying…

Our president’s recent approval of a 3% increase in salary retroactive to April last year for various categories of public officials, namely the deputy president, ministers, deputy ministers, premiers, MECs, MPs, mayors and councillors, as well as judges and magistrates, is beyond belief when one looks at what they have done. The increase is a slap in the face of the working class, with the exception of the judges and magistrates. The rest of the public officials, including the president, should have taken a 10% cut in salaries for the way they have performed over the past two years. What the increase basically means is that the politicians have been rewarded for the decline in overall services and our economy. The question that needs to be asked: Is this the…

CIVIL society organisations have reacted with dismay to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) granting Karpowership SA condonation for the late submission of its final Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report in Richards Bay. The organisations launched a joint appeal in May, saying if the condonation was approved it could have far-reaching implications for marine life and fishing communities. They also questioned the government’s support of Karpowership. The DFFE this week gave the Turkish company another lifeline to proceed with its application to provide power to South Africa. In a statement, Karpowership SA termed the decision a boost towards the finalisation of their Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme projects, adding that they will now move forward with a public participation process followed by the submission of…

A DURBAN bride-to-be has refused to let a robbery spoil one of the most important days of her life. Jennine Naidoo, of Shallcross, was robbed of her wedding dress in peak-hour traffic in the Durban CBD on Monday morning. Her wedding will take place on August 5. Naidoo took to social media to express her disappointment at the level of crime and urged motorists to be careful at the spot where she was robbed. Many social media users sent their messages of support and wished her well for her wedding. Naidoo said she and her father had been on their way to work in a bakkie. She said her wedding dress, which was worth R15 000, was in the back of their bakkie, which was locked. She had been taking…

Senior officials at the City of Johannesburg have made a U-turn on the cause of the Joburg CBD explosion, saying the cause was now “inconclusive”. Last week, Joburg City manager Floyd Brink said the cause of the explosion was “definitely a gas leak”, but on Wednesday, he doubled down, saying results were “still inconclusive on the cause of the explosion and what may have ignited the gas or the source of the gas in the underground tunnels”. Brink made the comments on Wednesday during a technical media briefing where officials gave a seven- day outlook report after the explosion. Officials have been using advanced technology to inspect tunnels underground, and as of Wednesday, they had restored water, sanitation and electricity services in the inner city. Brink said work was continuing…

Minister of International Relations and Co-operation Naledi Pandor has once again called for South Africa to take a firm stance against the “bullying tactics” of Western countries. Pandor, who is part of the delegation that includes President Cyril Ramaphosa for the Russia-Africa Summit under way in St Petersburg, added that there needs to be fair trade so the world is not held hostage by one system. She said the world’s financial systems and institutions must not be politicised. But there must be fairness in world trade. Pandor, who was being interviewed by the suspended Russian TV (RT), said there must also be diversity in the financial system around the world, adding that the continent should not be blamed for its relationship with Russia. “Africa has built up its relationship with…

ALL eight accused in the “blue light” highway assault case will know on Tuesday whether they will be released on bail. They appeared in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court this week and applied for bail, which is being opposed by the State. The VIP protectors attached to Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s security detail were recorded allegedly assaulting civilians, from a VW Polo, on the N1 highway in Joburg on July 2. The accused are charged with assault, malicious damage to property, discharging a firearm, contravening the Road Traffic Act, reckless and negligent driving, and attempting to defeat the ends of justice. The State revealed to the court that one of the witnesses in the matter had received a threatening message. “You have made enemies by supplying the video to the media,”…

The BRICS grouping has been urged to share knowledge on making cities water-resilient against floods and drought to transform the lives of people living in developing countries. The BRICS urbanisation summit in Durban, “Advancing urban resilience for sustainable cities and towns for future generations”, brought together key leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to play a significant role in localising the UN Sustainable Development Goals and implementing actions at the local level to address challenges related to sustainable development, urban resilience and rapid urbanisation. Yesterday, the focus was on water resilience, with delegates from BRICS countries and international entities sharing ideas and innovations that have made some cities resilient to the threats posed to their water systems. The eThekwini Municipality is currently embroiled in court action after…

KwaMashu police have launched a manhunt for the suspects who blew up and robbed a cash-in-transit van and its guards of an undisclosed amount of money and firearms on Wednesday. KwaZulu-Natal provincial police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said KwaMashu police were investigating cases of armed robbery, attempted murder and malicious damage to property following the brazen heist on Khumzana Road on Wednesday night. Netshiunda said that cash-in-transit security guards had just collected money from a nearby shopping mall when they found themselves under fire from an unknown number of suspects. He said the suspects were travelling in two vehicles. “When the cash truck finally came to a standstill, the driver and his crew were allegedly forced out of the vehicle and were robbed of their firearms before the suspects blew…

There is no need to wait until next month to celebrate women in South African sport. Banyana Banyana are already doing the nation proud at the Fifa Women’s World Cup in New Zealand, where they nearly caused an upset in their opening match against Sweden last Sunday. They took the lead through a Hildah Magaia goal, but after conceding an equaliser, Banyana’s hearts were broken when Sweden scored the winner in the final minute. They hopefully produced another inspirational performance in the early hours of this morning against Argentina at the Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin. But now it’s the turn of the Proteas ladies to fly the flag at the Netball World Cup in Cape Town. Captain Bongi Msomi and her team will be going all out to conquer…

Greek fire crews yesterday scrambled to douse deadly wildfires raging for two weeks around the country before strong winds forecast for the day rekindled blazes. Hundreds of firefighters backed by EU reinforcements were struggling to contain the flames on the islands of Rhodes, Corfu and Evia, in addition to a new front that erupted on Wednesday in central Greece. “These are difficult and very sad days,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said. Mitsotakis said Greece was “mourning four fellow citizens, the two aircraft pilots ... and two who could not distance themselves from the inferno in time”. Five bodies have been recovered from fire-stricken areas this week, but a police source said a cattle farmer found burned on the island of Evia on Tuesday had disappeared before the fire and was…

LONDON: Britain has been unlawfully accommodating unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in hotels on a routine basis for more than a year, London’s High Court ruled yesterday. Judge Martin Chamberlain upheld a legal challenge brought by Every Child Protected Against Trafficking (ECPAT) over the accommodation of unaccompanied children seeking asylum. ECPAT said Britain’s Home Office was unlawfully housing children in hotels and had unlawfully agreed that Kent County Council, the local authority in which most asylum seekers arrive, would only accept a capped number of children. | Reuters…

THE cold is almost gone and the summer months are coming. Bucktail jigs are one of the most versatile lures that you can own. They come in a variety of sizes from 1/16th on an ounce all the way up to 6oz (and more). Bucktails are essentially a lead head (hook with a sinker moulded to it) with some bucktail tied to the shank. They come in a variety of colours and all of them produce fish. For the surf and offshore, chartreuse/white, all white and pink/white are the three best colours. The key to success is allowing the bucktail to bounce up and down on the retrieve. Cast the lure out, allow it to sink and then work it back with a jigging action. The pace of the retrieve…

People can get really serious when it comes to movies, forgetting that it really is just a movie. This guy got so serious about the new Barbie movie that it caused his girlfriend to break up with him. The 23-year-old girlfriend took to Reddit’s AITA (Am I the A**hole) group to find out if she was the a**hole for dumping him because of the comments he made after they watched the Barbie movie. She starts by saying that because she is a huge fan of Greta Gerwig and her 23-year-old boyfriend likes Ryan Gosling, she was excited to see the movie. However, other than the fact that Gosling was in the movie, her boyfriend didn’t know anything else about it. She, on the other hand, was well aware of its…

Something strange was waiting for Jessica Means inside the postbox at her house in Portland, Maine – a postcard of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Means, 46, flipped it over. It was addressed to a Mr and Mrs Rene A Gagnon. At first, she figured the mail carrier had delivered it to the wrong house. But then she noticed the address was correct. Looking closer, she saw an original postmark dated March 15, 1969, and a far more recent one from seven days earlier out of Tallahassee. Means was holding a piece of mail that had travelled at least 5 700 miles (9 173km) over more than 54 years to get to her house. Means read the postcard’s message, written in faded ballpoint ink: “Dear Folks “By the time…

It is time for the government to admit its failures in improving the public health-care system. For over 20 years, access to quality health care has been a resolution taken at all ANC conferences, yet nothing has seriously been done to address the dire state of health care. With elections looming, the party now appears to be acting out of desperation, with a poorly thought-out NHI bill being fast-tracked through Parliament. Less than 16% of South Africans have access to medical aid schemes, leaving the majority of citizens with the burden of dealing with a deteriorating public health system. It is clear that something needs to be done to address this issue, but in its current form, the NHI bill is not the answer. Medical aid schemes and doctors have…

STAND Against Legal Exploitation South Africa (SALE!SA) says there needs to be discussion around partial decriminalisation of sex work. It said Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, John Jeffery, had said that the “Prostitution Bill” would not be tabled due to concerns around its constitutionality. The organisation said the bill referred to full decriminalisation of prostitution which they did not agree with. “This would mean decriminalising not only prostituted persons but also those who exploit them – the facilitators, pimps, brothels and sex buyers. “As SALE!SA, we have been taking a strong stand against the full decriminalisation of the prostitution system, and continue to advocate for the protection of prostituted persons. They are daughters, sisters and mothers who are being exploited,” added SALE!SA. The civil society organisation said that…

Eskom has warned job seekers to be aware of recruitment fraud. The beleaguered power utility posted a notice cautioning job seekers against being conned by internet recruitment scam artists targeting people seeking work at its power stations. Interim Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokoena said the latest scam was directed at the Medupi Power Station where the scam artists advertised jobs on the internet purporting to be for vacant positions at the station. Mokoena said: “Unsuspecting job seekers from all over the country would then apply and be lured to bogus interviews in Gauteng.” On receiving several complaints from members of the public, Eskom launched a joint operation with the police, which led to the arrest of three suspects. She advised job seekers to be aware that vacancies in the organisation were…

An allegedly racist substitute teacher at Crawford International Pretoria College has been dismissed after she was caught in a video that has gone viral writing racist phrases on a classroom board. In the video that has caused outrage, the 82-year-old Grade 8 substitute teacher was captured by a pupil writing racist phrases, such the N- and K-word, during an English class on Monday. The footage surfaced on social media later that afternoon, and the teacher was dismissed by the school that same evening. The pupils were seen taking out their cellphones and recording in the video, while some were heard shouting: “Absolutely this right here … no, no, no … “Not in my country, Ma’am”. However, the white teacher seemed unperturbed as she continued writing on the whiteboard as pupils…

AS PART of a commitment to accountability and transparency in political party funding, My Vote Counts will launch an interactive online tool called Whose Vote Counts? My Vote Counts says the tool, developed by Open Up, aims to provide information about who private political donors are and what we know about their business interests. “Since 2021, 22% (over R61 million) of all disclosed private funding donations have been from the mining industry, followed by the energy industry at 19.4% (R54 million), and 16% from online gambling businessman Martin Moshal (just over R44 million). “With Whose Vote Counts? you can see not only the sources of funding for parties and their numerous interests, but also understand in more detail how trusts are set up to fund political parties. It…

A PRAYER session was held with the Myeni family in Joburg yesterday after the body of 28-year-old Snegugu Myeni, who died in the Philippines, arrived in the country. Myeni’s body arrived at OR Tambo International Airport on Wednesday night, and KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube and eMadlangeni Local Municipality mayor Mzwakhe Buthelezi hosted the prayer for the family. Myeni, who was doing her final year in psychology at Cebu University, died in hospital on July 10 after falling sick at the airport while awaiting a flight back to South Africa. Her mother Lindiwe Myeni shared an appeal on social media for assistance to repatriate her daughter’s body as she said the family did not have the funds to pay for the process. This prompted the provincial government to step in and…

The EFF has shown more than 400 public representatives – mainly councillors – the red card after they failed to provide transport for their constituents to the party’s 10th anniversary celebrations. The party said the 428 councillors, MPs and members of the provincial legislatures, would be banned from attending the EFF’s 10th anniversary celebrations at the FNB Stadium in Nasrec, Johannesburg, this weekend. The “red berets” have also promised to crack the whip on the more than 400 public representatives who have been implicated. The decision to name and shame and ban the public representatives, is likely to fuel sentiment that EFF leader Julius Malema runs the organisation like a dictatorship. The EFF was recently criticised for inviting controversial Kenyan academic Prof Patrick Lumumba, who spoke at a party lecture…

THE Department of Justice and Constitutional Development is set to table a bill in Parliament that will pave the way for the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Investigative Directorate (ID) to become a permanent agency. This emerged when Minister Ronald Lamola was responding to parliamentary questions from DA MP Glynnis Breytenbach about the undertaking made by President Cyril Ramaphosa nine months ago. In October 2022, Ramaphosa said in his implementation plan to the State Capture Commission report that the ID would be established as a permanent entity within the NPA as part of efforts to further strengthen the anti-corruption capabilities. Chief Justice Raymond Zondo had recommended the establishment of an independent public procurement anti-corruption agency and a permanent anti-corruption commission. “The Investigating Directorate will be established as a permanent entity within…

WHEN President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law the South African Sign Language Act during a ceremony at the Union Buildings in Pretoria last week, it was a moment of celebration for many who have worked tirelessly to build the institutional framework to promote the language in our country. As we prepare for the 2024 national and provincial elections, I hope most South Africans will make an effort to promote sign language in election campaigns and the overall voting experience of the citizens. As a former chairperson of the Western Cape Language Committee, I have taught human rights education to citizens from a variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds, and those with varying educational needs and abilities. I adapt my teaching style, learning environment and activities to suit every participant in…

Now Moscow has the opportunity to sign direct agreements with the states of the continent, focusing primarily on their needs, as well as to look for new routes for transporting grain, bypassing European neo-colonial countries that take away what rightfully belongs to us in order to put it up for sale to us later. The continuing Africa-Russia Summit in St Petersburg and the upcoming Johannesburg BRICS summit are expected to become platforms for negotiating and concluding supply deals. Given the high levels of crop production in Russia in recent years, there is no doubt that Moscow will find an opportunity to help us ensure food security. Under the circumstances, the hysteria unfolding in the Western media is hardly surprising. The EU appears to finally realise its mistake, as evidenced by…

Rockets pummelled the capital of Sudan yesterday, witnesses said, as paramilitaries attacked a key air force base north of Khartoum and claimed to have killed and wounded “dozens” of soldiers. Residents reported “heavy artillery shelling” and fighter jets overhead the north-west of the city, while drones belonging to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacked the Wadi Seidna air base, witnesses told AFP. The RSF said in a statement it had “destroyed three fighter jets, as well as stores of weapons, military equipment and supplies”, adding that its forces had “killed or wounded dozens”. Since April 15, Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has been locked in a war with his former deputy, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. The fighting, concentrated in Khartoum and the western region of Darfur, has…

LONDON: The searing temperatures experienced in Britain last year, when the country recorded its hottest day on record, will be considered average by 2060 and “cool” by the end of the century, the Met Office national weather service said yesterday. Temperatures exceeded 40°C in Britain in July last year for the first time, and the Met Office said 2022 was the warmest year since records began in 1884 for the UK. Studies found both the record warm year and the July heat wave were made more likely by climate change. The office predicted by 2060, a year like 2022 would be considered average and by 2100, it would be considered a “cool” year. | Reuters…

Russia, sidelined from many international sports events over the war in Ukraine, said yesterday it would organise a competition next year for members of the Brics alliance – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Speaking at the Russia-Africa Summit in St Petersburg, Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin said athletes from Brics countries would be invited to take part in the event in the south-western Russian city of Kazan next June. “We are developing new types of competitions,” RIA news agency quoted him as saying. “I stress again: we are not creating an alternative to the Olympic Games and so on. “We are a self-sufficient country.” The Brics Games, which Matytsin said would feature 25 disciplines, will take place just a month before the start of the Olympics in Paris.…

Noman Ali took seven wickets to lead Pakistan’s rout of Sri Lanka by an innings and 222 runs to clinch the second Test inside four days and sweep the series 2-0 yesterday. The left-arm spinner took the first seven wickets and fast bowler Naseem Shah took the final three to bowl Sri Lanka out for 188 in the evening session in Colombo. Noman returned career-best figures of 7/70 in his 15th Test to hand Pakistan their biggest Test win over Sri Lanka and fourth overall in innings victories. Sri Lanka suffered their heaviest Test defeat at home. “Everyone stepped up and showed hunger to win this series,” skipper Babar Azam said. Pakistan, who won the opening Test by four wickets, declared their first innings on 576/5 after just two overs…

THE Automobile Association (AA) has forecast more bad news for struggling consumers as it predicts another fuel price increase for next month. An economist who spoke to The Mercury yesterday attributed the expected increase to the higher price of Brent crude oil. Economist Dawie Roodt said the country should expect an increase in both grades of petrol of at least 35 cents a litre. “There are two major contributing factors to the expected increase. The first issue is the price of Brent crude oil that has increased by four dollars more for the month of July, which is equivalent to an increase of about 5%. “On the other hand the rand was stronger. Unfortunately the strengthening of the rand was only about 2% and is the reason we will be…

While there has been little, if no intervention from the government amid ever-rising concerns about South Africa’s banks that are accused of tampering with the ideals of freedom of speech through targeted closure of banking facilities of the likes of Sekunjalo Investments Holdings, the UK government is taking bold steps to end the banks’ abuse of targeted individuals. Similar to the recent events in South Africa where political parties, unions, and other formations have been expressing their concerns about banks wielding too much power, political meddling, and closures of accounts belonging to certain individuals, banks in the UK are being taken to task. This follows the closure of the accounts belonging to the former leader of the UK Independence Party, Nigel Farage, based on what he described as “personal and…

MONSTERS have been discovered crawling underground in Los Angeles. Well, tiny monsters, that is. The Los Angeles Thread Millipede is about the length of a paperclip but skinny as pencil lead. It’s translucent and sinuous like a jellyfish tentacle. The creature burrows a few centimetres below ground, secretes unusual chemicals and is blind, relying on hornlike antennae protruding from its head to find its way. The tiny arthropod was recently found just underground by naturalists at a Southern California hiking area. Under a microscope, the millipede with its 486 legs and helmet-like head resembles a creature in a Hollywood monster film, according to Associated Press. “It’s amazing to think these millipedes are crawling in the inner cracks and crevices between little pieces of rock below our feet in Los Angeles,”…

DIFFERENTIATION of self is an internal condition of health. It’s the progressive interplay between personal autonomy and togetherness while moving towards known and evolving goals. It is: Growing in the ability to see where and how I fit into my family, the position I hold and the power that is, and is not given to that position. Growing in the ability to be fully responsible for my own life, while, at one and the same time, actively growing closer to those whom I love. Clearly defining who I am and who I want to be while understanding the natural tendency that exists for others to try and tell me who I am and who and what I should be. Staying in touch with others while there is tension and disagreement.…

THERE IS still no certain conclusion on the source of the cholera outbreak that rocked Hammanskraal in May. This is according to the Water Research Commission, which gave details of their independent analysis of the cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal during a National Press Club media briefing in Pretoria yesterday. The investigation’s focus was on the spread of the disease in Tshwane, zooming in on the role of water, sanitation and hygiene in the crisis. The area was hit by a cholera crisis in May that claimed more than 30 lives, with scores showing symptoms of the water-borne disease being admitted to various hospitals in Pretoria. There were also minimal infections in other areas of the country, with Hammanskraal taking the bulk of the infections and deaths, prompting the Department of…

A 41-year-old Eastern Cape former bank employee has been arrested for fraud amounting to R2.2 million. Thembisa Qinga, a former Absa bank Business Development Officer, appeared in Mthatha Specialised Commercial Crime Court yesterday. Provincial Hawks spokesperson Captain Yolisa Mgolodela said it was alleged that during the period between March 2012 and July 2013, the forensic investigator in Mthatha Absa Bank received several complaints of disputed personal loans and flexi-loans allegedly created fraudulently under clients’ names at Absa Bank in Mthatha Plaza. Mgolodela said an internal investigation was conducted before it was referred to the Hawks. “The investigations revealed that Qinga allegedly orchestrated the fraudulent loan applications using the clients’ credentials without their consent. “It is further alleged that Qinga transferred funds to two accounts that belonged to her minor child…

KwaMashu police have launched a manhunt for the suspects who ambushed two security guards and shot them dead yesterday. The guards were escorting cellphone tower technicians in A section in KwaMashu when the shooting occurred. KwaZulu-Natal provincial police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the police were investigating two counts of murder. Netshiunda said the guards were ambushed. “Reports indicate that the two security guards were escorting technicians who were due to work on a cellphone tower when they were accosted by the suspects, who fired several shots at them,” he said. He said that both victims were declared dead at the scene. “The suspects allegedly fled the scene on foot with the victims’ firearms,” said Netshiunda. The police said a manhunt was under way. Meanwhile, a security guard was killed…

ONE of the Zulu royal household factions opposed to reigning King Misuzulu KaZwelithini has called for unity and reconciliation among royals, saying this would be the best way to honour the memory of the late king. Yesterday, the late King Goodwill Zwelithini KaBhekuzulu would have celebrated his 75th birthday, and according to his brother, Prince Mbonisi Zulu, the late monarch would not be pleased with the current state of disunity within the royal household. The prince, however, contradicted himself by insisting that the current court challenge against King Misuzulu as reigning monarch should be allowed to continue. According to the royals, the late king’s birthday should be observed nationally each year as he had been a unifying figure in the Zulu nation. Prince Vulindlela Zulu said that July was significant…

Building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future DURING the past decade, China has witnessed the leap forward of science and technology (S&T), the rapid improvement of sci-tech innovation ability, and the prominent role that S&T plays in production. China has been ranked 11th among the 132 economies featured in the 2022 Global Innovation Index, jumping from 34th in 2012. This progress reflects the improvement of the country’s innovation inputs and outputs, with contributions from the government, enterprises and international co-operation. Through systematic reforms, the overall effectiveness of the China national innovation system has improved significantly. Universities and research institutes play key roles in carrying out major national sci-tech tasks. Twenty-three national innovation demonstration zones and 177 national high-tech zones are leading the high-quality development of the country. High-tech…

Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday offered free grain to six poor African countries as he launched a summit with leaders from the continent days after withdrawing from the Ukraine grain export deal. The two-day summit in Putin’s native Saint Petersburg is being scrutinised as a test of his support in Africa, where he retains support despite international isolation sparked by his military intervention in Ukraine last year. Russia last week refused to extend a deal under which Ukrainian grain exports passed through the Black Sea to reach global markets, including Africa, easing pressure on food prices. In a keynote address at the summit, Putin promised to send grain to six African countries. “In the coming months we will be able to ensure free supplies of 25 000 to 50 000…

A burning car carrier was drifting off the Dutch coast yesterday, the coastguard said, a day after the Panamanian-registered ship caught alight, causing the death of an Indian crew member and injuring several others. The 199m Fremantle Highway caught fire overnight on Tuesday and several of the 23 crew jumped overboard to escape the flames and were rescued by the Dutch coastguard. The coastguard said yesterday that the cause of the fire was unknown, but an emergency responder was heard in a recording saying “the fire started in the battery of an electric car.” About 25 out of 2 857 vehicles on the ship, en route from Germany to Egypt, were electric. A probe has been launched by the Panama Maritime Authority and the Netherlands was expected to assist…

Marvin Orie was two years old when the Springboks beat the All Blacks in the epic 1995 World Cup final at Ellis Park, but he knows his history well enough to understand the significance of that nation-building match. Orie knows the stadium like the back of his hand — he played for the Lions for four years — and he says there is something unique about a packed Ellis Park. “The special thing about this stadium is what happened in the World Cup in 1995. What that did for not only rugby in South Africa, but for the country itself, is incredible,” Orie said ahead of tomorrow’s Rugby Championship match against Argentina. “I perceive Ellis Park to be the home of the Springboks. “Most countries have one main stadium where…

The Proteas are expected to be successful at this year’s Netball World Cup, given their opponents, but the game isn’t played on paper. South Africa have had a less than ideal year in terms of results. They were winless in the Quad Series that was played in Cape Town earlier this year. They managed a commendable draw against England, but weren’t able to notch up a victory. However, something teams prioritise over results is getting to face top-class international opposition. And this is something that will be no different for Norma Plummer’s team, who took on World No 1 side Australia, current world champions New Zealand and highly fancied England. Here is who Proteas captain Bongi Msomi will be leading her team against at the World Cup... Wales: First up,…

The Lionesses play every game with a target on their backs, said coach Sarina Wiegman, who was not surprised Denmark coach Lars Sondergaard pegged his team as underdogs facing a “superpower” England side. Wiegman’s fourth-ranked European champions take on World No 13 Denmark in their second game of the Women’s World Cup at Sydney Football Stadium today. The teams are level on three points atop Group D. “Of course (Sondergaard) wants to put us in that position,” Wiegman said. “We’re always the team to beat. I’ve never experienced anything else. “I think (today) we will have more of the ball, but we’ll see how it goes.” England are among the favourites at the World Cup, but opened with a nervy 1-0 win, thanks to a penalty against minnows Haiti, in…

Mamelodi Sundowns and SuperSport United will enjoy some breathing space when the CAF inter-club competitions kick off in mid-August. Sundowns, the reigning Premiership champions, and SuperSport, who finished in third place last season, will enjoy byes in the preliminary rounds. Orlando Pirates, the Premiership runners-up, and Nedbank Cup runners-up Sekhukhune United have been thrown into the deep end, and will play CAF preliminary round fixtures after playing two early-season league matches. They will play home and away preliminary round fixtures on consecutive weekends. Coach Jose Riveiro’s Pirates will travel just under 3000km to the tiny Indian Ocean state of Comoros, off the coast of Mozambique, to play Djabal FC. Sekhukhune will kick off their local season with a home fixture against Sundowns next Friday. Five days later, they travel to…