Indholdsfortegnelse for 2023-08-02 i Mercury

OPPOSITION parties in eThekwini Municipality have raised concerns about the recent overseas trips of eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda and the speaker of council, Thabani Nyawose, claiming these have been disruptive to council business. The councillors said Kaunda was in Russia, while Nyawose visited the US. In the past few weeks the Executive Committee has not been sitting and the full council meeting that usually sits at the end of the month has also been pushed to later in the month. Visvin Reddy, councillor for the African Democratic Change (ADeC) party, said the situation was tantamount to neglect of council duties by the leaders, adding that the meeting scheduled for tomorrow has been moved to 15th. “This lack of presence and engagement with their responsibilities is deeply concerning. It is simply…

Amazing local author Chris van Wyk – now late – wrote his famous book Eggs to Lay, Chickens to Hatch about 13 years ago. That book caught my eye at the 2011 Time of the Writer at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, where Van Wyk was a moderator for the other book simultaneously released that year (Zuma’s Bastard). I had never written a book before, but even barely halfway with Van Wyk’s, I decided there and then that this was it. I was going to also explore my childhood. I, too, had lots of shenanigans to share. I was captured by Van Wyk’s description of the dusty mining dumps around his Johannesburg suburban village where poor children like him used to explore every day after school. The dump was once a…

It is an acknowledged reality that the only structure keeping South Africa going is the private sector. The shambles that the ANC has made of governing is tragically obvious. Besides the failure of the socialist policies the ANC insists on applying, the government is dysfunctional because of its policy of transformation. By retiring institutional memory and marginalising minorities in favour of cadre deployment and demographic quotas, transformation has resulted in corruption, waste and the ineptitude that now passes for governance. Despite that reality, the transformation proponents hurl abuse at the private sector because the contents of its character have not been transformed to their liking. This is quite apparent from the regular articles in Business Report – July 31 being the latest. Journalism that does recognise that there is no…

Four members of a Cape Town family have died of what is suspected to be carbon monoxide poisoning. The family, from New Woodlands in Mitchells Plain, had a braai on Sunday. It is believed the hot coals from the braai were taken indoors afterwards and this led to the deaths. “Two adults died from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning in New Woodlands, Mitchells Plain on Sunday,” mayoral committee member for safety and security Alderman JP Smith said. “According to neighbours, the family had taken a drum of hot coals indoors and were overcome by the lack of oxygen. “Two victims were declared deceased on scene, while two children were transported to hospital. The SAPS has since confirmed that the children too, passed away.” He said Fire and Rescue Services recorded 14…

KWAZULU-NATAL’s flood victims are hoping they will be placed in permanent accommodation soon. Yesterday, the MEC of Human Settlements and Public Works, Sipho Nkosi, visited the victims who were left homeless after the April 2022 floods destroyed their homes, and have been living in Transitional Emergency Accommodation (TEA) units provided by the provincial government. The MEC gave an update on the progress in building permanent accommodation for the victims. He visited three of the temporary shelters in Mahatma Gandhi (Point) Road, as well as Astra Building in the CBD and Concost building in Che Guavara (Moore) Road. The department said 3 405 flood victims were housed in various TEAs across the province. It said 13 land parcels had been identified in the City for construction of permanent housing. Nkosi told…

More than 100 women business leaders from Brazil, Russia, China and India will join their South African counterparts in Durban this month for the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance (WBA) summit, Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube said yesterday. Speaking at the launch of Women’s Month at a BRICS business breakfast, Dube-Ncube said while the main summit would take place in Gauteng, the women in business event was an opportunity to interact with prominent business leaders from the global south. “There will be 50 women from China, another 50 from the continent, 20 from Russia and others from India and Brazil. These are women who are driving serious women-owned companies,” she said. The WBA summit takes place on August 20 and 21. Dube-Ncube said opportunities brought about by BRICS countries were continuing to grow…

On their tenth day at sea, the four Nigerian stowaways crossing the Atlantic in a tiny space above the rudder of a cargo ship ran out of food and drink. They survived another four days, according to their account, by drinking the sea water crashing just metres below them, before being rescued by Brazilian federal police in the southeastern port of Vitoria. Their remarkable, death-defying journey across some 5 600km of ocean underlines the risks some migrants are prepared to take for a shot at a better life. “It was a terrible experience for me,” said Thankgod Opemipo Matthew Yeye, 38, one of the four Nigerians, in an interview at a Sao Paulo church shelter. “On board it is not easy. I was shaking, so scared. But I’m here.” Their…

Los Angeles: Rapper Cardi B has been mocked online after the microphone attack incident as viewers noticed her voice kept singing in the background. The rapper threw her microphone at a fan in Las Vegas recently after being splashed with water by an audience member, revealing that she was lip-syncing. Social media users compared her to Milli Vanilli, a 1980s pop duo who were caught lip-syncing on stage but weren’t the actual singers on the track. Cardi B has gone to the police to report being hit but no arrests have been made. | Bang Showbiz…

TOKYO: Flights were cancelled and tens of thousands of people were advised to evacuate their homes yesterday as powerful typhoon Khanun approached Japan’s southern Okinawa island chain. Residents in a wide swathe of the tropical prefecture, a popular tourist destination 1 600km south-west of Tokyo, were advised to evacuate as the storm, with winds exceeding 200km/h, slowly moved north-west. Wind and rain were picking up yesterday, with the storm expected to escalate by today. The storm’s path remains unpredictable, with some meteorologists saying it could affect eastern China later this week. | Reuters…

Kirkwall: Mail on the Scottish isles of Orkney was to be delivered by drones starting yesterday, the first regular postal service by the aerial devices in the UK. Letters and packages will be transported from Royal Mail’s Kirkwall delivery office to Stromness, where the drone deliveries will bring them to staff on Graemsay and Hoy for postal workers to carry out their usual delivery routes. Royal Mail said the drones were expected to improve service levels and delivery times to Graemsay and Hoy, where weather and geography can cause disruptions to deliveries. While the service will initially operate for three months, it could continue on a permanent basis. | AFP…

The new Premiership season is on our doorstep as clubs from around South Africa put in their final preparations for this weekend’s first match day. AmaZulu, Royal AM, TS Galaxy and Golden Arrows made up the bottom half of the league standings last season, surviving an intense relegation battle, but also missing out on a top-eight spot. With the new season set to kickoff on Friday, Smiso Msomi takes a look at potential mid-table occupants. TS Galaxy Head Coach: Sead Ramovic Last Season: 10th The Rockets have undoubted potential to play any club off the pitch on a good day, with their head coach Sead Ramovic a big fan of entertainment. The Mpumalanga-based club’s biggest hurdle in previous years has been their inconsistency and lack of goal threat,…

While rhino poaching has declined overall in South Africa over the past six months, poachers continue to target rhinos in KwaZulu-Natal. According to statistics released by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, in the first six months of 2023, 231 rhinos were killed in South Africa. These figures represent an 11% decrease (or a decline of 28 animals killed for their horns) compared with the same period last year. Between January 1 and June 30, 2023, poaching trends also continued to show a move away from the Kruger National Park to provincial and private reserves. Forty-two rhinos were poached in the Kruger National Park and 143 in KZN, 15 in the Eastern Cape, 20 in Limpopo with the remainder of incidents taking place in Mpumalanga, North West and…

I am not a scientist nor a very learned person like Dr Duncan du Bois, but with a little common sense and open-mindedness, anyone can tell that there’s something seriously wrong with our blue planet. In my rebuttal to Du Bois’s letter “Climate and Covid narrative challenged” (The Mercury, July 28), I will not dwell on the plethora of mounting evidence that the Earth is in a crisis but rather focus on a few aspects. To be honest, I worry not so much about the pandemic and other illnesses that afflict mankind, but about the well-being of our planet. While modern medicine has been a boon for mankind, it has been detrimental to the Earth. Now there’s the possibility of man living to 120 years! (“Soon you could live to…

Four suspects, aged between 16 and 19, are expected to appear in the Balfour Magistrate’s Court this week, charged with the murder of 79-year-old Mpumalanga farmer Theo Frederik Bekker. The four were arrested in the Free State less than two hours after they allegedly killed Bekker at his home in Mpumalanga and fled in his vehicle. The farmer’s wife was also attacked during the incident in which three firearms and a vehicle were stolen from Grootvlei, next to Balfour. Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said the attack happened on Sunday morning. “It is alleged that the deceased was attacked by four suspects outside his house. They allegedly forced him to go back to the house where they demanded money and firearms. “It is further reported that the suspects assaulted…

It was third time lucky for a now- former Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department officer who was earlier convicted of murder and sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment after he shot dead a teenage robber. Rolston Pillay maintained all along that he had shot the alleged robber in self-defence, as the 17-year-old and his friends fired shots at him as they ran away. According to his version, he feared for his life and did not aim at anyone when he fired the shots in the direction of the fleeing robbers. A single witness, however, testified that the robbers did not have a firearm and that they thus did not fire at Pillay. The regional court in Benoni earlier convicted and sentenced Pillay to a maximum of 15 years’ in prison after the…

The Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein will hear AfriForum’s appeal against the Equality Court’s finding that the “Kill the Boer” chant was not hate speech. AfriForum made this announcement after EFF leader Julius Malema sang the song during the EFF’s 10th anniversary celebrations this past weekend to rousing applause from the more than 90 000 party supporters gathered at FNB Stadium. The appeal matter is set to be heard on September 4. On Monday, the DA’s John Steenhuisen said it would file charges against Malema with the UN Human Rights Council and approach Parliament’s ethics committee over the matter. In response to Steenhuisen yesterday, Malema tweeted: “Bring it on, small boy. We are not the ANC.” The EFF said the party was cleared by the Equality Court as the…

People Against Petroleum Price Increases (PAPPI) strongly condemns the latest fuel increases set to come into effect at midnight tonight. The astronomical fuel pricing will ultimately lead to a rise in the cost of living, causing people to bear the sudden added expenses they had no chance to prepare for. The worst affected will be the poor, considering that millions of people depend on a meagre R350 grant, and the unemployment rate in the country is at an all-time high. Other governments across the world have put in place measures to mitigate factors that would lead to higher fuel costs. They know that they will be removed from power if they cannot curtail high fuel costs. But, in South Africa, this government seems unashamedly careless in implementing fuel price increases…

Crowds of flag-waving pilgrims converged on Lisbon yesterday for the start of a week-long religious festival known as World Youth Day, a day before the arrival of Pope Francis. Around 300 000 people from around the world were expected to attend the opening mass at the hillside Eduardo VII park, which offers sweeping views of the Portuguese capital and the Tagus River. Pilgrims roamed around Lisbon in a festive mood ahead of the mass, waving national flags in the air, dancing and singing Catholic anthems from their home countries. “My goal is to recharge my spiritual battery because sometimes, as young people, we let it run low,” Xochilt Cecilia Velis, a 24-year-old from El Salvador, said in central Lisbon. The pope is set to arrive in Lisbon this morning to…

Police in Australia have charged a former childcare worker with over 1 600 offences following the alleged sexual abuse of 91 children, which he also filmed and distributed online.According to the Australian Federal Police (AFP), the 45-year-old accused, who was arrested in August 2022, carried out the crimes at 10 childcare centres in Queensland, and one each in New South Wales and an unnamed overseas country. The AFP said that the man targeted young girls over a 15-year period. He is facing 246 counts of rape and 673 counts of indecent assault against children, many of them in aggravated circumstances. The charges carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. He also faces hundreds of charges for filming and distributing child abuse material. Police have found 4 000 images and videos…

YANGON: Myanmar reduced ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s 33-year prison sentence by six years in a partial pardon yesterday, as the junta struggles to quell bloody resistance to its rule. The country has been ravaged by violence in the two years since Suu Kyi was deposed in a coup and hit with 19 criminal cases ranging from corruption to breaching Covid-19 rules. There have been concerns for the 78-year-old Nobel laureate’s health, and the junta moved her from prison to a government building last week. Suu Kyi still faces 14 cases. Rights groups have condemned the legal battle against her as a sham designed to remove a popular democratic leader from the public eye. Former Myanmar president Win Myint, who was also removed in the 2021 coup, was…

BUDAPEST: The US has tightened the conditions under its visa waivers programme for Hungarian citizens, due to what it called Budapest’s failure to “address the security vulnerabilities” emanating from passports issued since 2011. Washington has criticised Hungary’s fast-track passport system, brought in by nationalist leader Viktor Orban, in which about a million people have become naturalised Hungarians, for being prone to “security breaches”. In 2018, the US threatened to scrap visa waivers for Hungarian passport holders after officials uncovered a fraud scheme that let non-Hungarians “enter the US under false identities”. | AFP…

IMPALA Platinum (Implats) announced yesterday that the Royal Bafokeng Platinum (RBPlat) shares would be suspended from trading on the JSE on Wednesday – a bittersweet moment for RBPlat CEO Steve Phiri. In a statement, the group said it expected that RBPlat shares would be delisted from the JSE on Monday, September 18. On July 24, RBPlat shareholders, who held more than 90% of the RBPlat shares, accepted Implats offer to acquire more of the shares that it didn’t own. Implats currently holds 98.73% of RBPlat’s issued ordinary share capital. This will result in RBPlat becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Implats. Implats said if any of the remaining RBPlat shareholders wished to oppose Implats compulsorily acquiring their remaining RBPlat shares, such shareholders were advised that they are entitled to make an…

CONSTRUCTION work on the N3 between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, coupled with daily accidents, is causing severe congestion on the key route, with the taxi industry among the role-players who have seen their profits affected. In recent weeks, accidents mostly involving trucks have resulted in motorists travelling between the two cities enduring extended delays often lasting for several hours. South African National Taxi Council KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson Sthembiso Shangase said the roadworks had presented a massive challenge, but that the industry understood the need for the construction. “It is quite a challenge, without any doubt, especially during peak hours, and it means that for now during such a period the profits are not like they used to be,” said Shangase. “As a result of the frequency of the truck accidents, our drivers…

“I’m home. From work,” reads my son Nate’s text. A few minutes later, also from Nate, 21, comes, “I’ve let Duke out. I am going to Muncie.” “Why?” I replied. “Buy clothes,” he writes. Seconds later Thulani texts from New York City: “Checking in. Alaina and I are going to dinner. I’ll let you know when I’m home. Talk soon.” My sons are far from perfect but when it comes to keeping me “in the loop” they both get an A-plus. I am deeply grateful for this, knowing several parents who seldom (or never) hear from their adult sons and I know a few who seldom hear from their daughters. I value every text and every call, even the calls that are requests for cash. I try really hard to…

THE officials that approved this R1 billion RMS system should be investigated and prosecuted because this system failed the ratepayers of eThekwini. It became a burden when this system was more off-line than online and it created a complicated billing invoice for the average ratepayer, especially for our poor senior citizens who find it difficult to interpret. What was wrong with the previous revenue-collecting system? I was advised that the previous billing system was from Germany and could not be manipulated. Common sense would have been to upgrade the German system if there were limitations and it would have been far cheaper. Also, I would not like to compare Durban to Cape Town but I have friends and family living there, who advised that Cape Town Municipality just upgraded their…

Political party the African Transformation Movement (ATM) has filed papers in court to challenge the report of the public protector on Phala Phala in which she cleared President Cyril Ramaphosa of any wrongdoing. The report was released by Acting Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka a few weeks ago. Some parties, including the EFF, DA, ATM, have rejected the report and promised to take it on judicial review. DA leader John Steenhuisen said, when the report was released, that it read like a “pro-Ramaphosa public relations exercise”. “The DA will be consulting with our lawyers to take this report on review as we believe it contains a number of misinterpretations of the relevant pieces of legislation, and presents a worrying lack of evidence that the Office of the Public Protector itself has…

A man who bagged a whopping R12 million in the Lotto jackpot via the Capitec banking app plans to use his newfound wealth to better the lives of his family. The National Lottery Ithuba said the winner was from the jackpot draw from July 26, and won R12.1m. “When Capitec representatives contacted the winner’s wife to deliver the astounding news, he was initially in disbelief,” said Ithuba in a statement. However, as the reality of his win settled in, he expressed profound gratitude and joy, recognising the tremendous impact this jackpot would have on his family’s future.” Ithuba CEO Charmaine Mabuza shared her excitement about this latest life-changing win: “At Ithuba we are dedicated to creating dreams and changing lives.” | Jolene Marriah-Maharaj…

All eight members of Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s VIP protection detail were released on R10 000 bail each in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court yesterday. In delivering judgment in the eight’s bail application, Magistrate Hleziphi Mkhasibe remarked that the State had not managed to prove that it was the eight police officers who sent a threatening message to one of the witnesses – the person who recorded the video. “The applicants are ordered not to contact the State’s witnesses in any manner whatsoever, or use other people to contact them,” Mkhasibe warned the police officers. She said the eight had strong family and economic ties in South Africa, and they had surrendered their passports to the authorities. The magistrate also remarked that the accused police officers did not know the complainants…

A BEREA resident acted swiftly by throwing boiling water at a robber armed with a knife who broke into her house. The suspect died of his injuries. The incident took place before 5pm on Monday. Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said: “It is alleged that the woman was at her residence on Ferndale Road when an unknown man broke the kitchen door and entered the house armed with a knife. The victim poured boiling water over the suspect as she screamed for help.” According to Netshiunda, the suspect died from his injuries shortly thereafter. Berea police are investigating charges of attempted robbery and an inquest has been opened, he said. This incident is one of several recent home invasions where residents fought back. In December, another home intruder was…

High time Gauteng government acted accordingly in addressing disasters IN the past month, Gauteng has been the site of three explosions of sorts. The Johannesburg CBD explosion was essentially a prelude of a frantic 24 hours, where two other locations were beset with their own explosions. The biggest concern is not only the causes of these occurrences, but the contingency plans in the event of such disaster. Therefore, I argue that there is a need for clear and concise safety regulations regarding environmental and ecological damage. Firstly, it is important to emphasise that the Gauteng province comprises the mining industry as the foundation of the economy. As such, most parts of the province are in close proximity to various industries, such as factories. Evidently, there is always a possibility that…

France and Italy prepared yesterday to fly out their citizens and other Europeans from Niger, six days after a coup toppled one of the last pro-Western leaders in the jihadist-plagued Sahel and stoked anti-French demonstrations. In the region’s third military takeover in as many years, President Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown by his own guard, triggering alarm bells in France, Niger’s former colonial power and traditional ally. After hostile crowds gathered on Sunday outside the French embassy and Niger accused France of plotting to intervene militarily, Paris said yesterday it would withdraw citizens and offered to evacuate other Europeans as well. The initiative marks the first time that France has staged a large-scale evacuation in its former colonies in the Sahel, where there have been coups in Mali and Burkina Faso…

At least four people have been killed in violence between Hindus and Muslims near the Indian capital New Delhi, police said yesterday. Mobs hurled stones at a Hindu religious procession and set cars alight on Monday in the predominantly Muslim district of Nuh, about 75km south of the capital. The authorities sent hundreds of riot police to the area and cut mobile internet service in parts of Haryana state to curb the violence. A fourth person died in Gurugram, when a mob attacked a mosque in apparent retaliation. Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar urged citizens of the state to keep the peace. There have been numerous outbreaks of violence between majority Hindus and its 200-million-strong Muslim minority. Critics accuse the ruling Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party of marginalising Muslims since…

STOCKHOLM: Threats to Sweden have increased after recent Qur’an burnings, the country’s government said yesterday, adding that it would strengthen border and internal controls and give police wider authority to stop and search people as a result. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said sweeping changes to the Swedish freedom of speech laws were not on the table but the government was looking into changes that would allow police to stop Qur’an burnings in public if they were a threat to Sweden’s security. The 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Co-operation has called on member states to take action in countries where the Qur’an is being desecrated. | Reuters…

MENLO PARK: Meta Platforms is preparing to launch a range of artificial intelligence (AI) powered chatbots that exhibit different personalities as soon as September, reports said yesterday. Meta has been designing prototypes for chatbots that can have humanlike discussions with its users, as the company attempts to boost its engagement with its social media platforms, the report said. The California-based social media giant is even exploring a chatbot that speaks like Abraham Lincoln and another that advises on travel options in the style of a surfer. The report comes as Meta executives focus on boosting retention on its new text-based app,Threads. | Reuters…

Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis says reaching the World Cup last 16 would be historic and make a huge impact in the lives of her countrymen and players. Banyana are on the cusp of history as they could reach the World Cup knockout round for the first time if they beat Italy in Wellington and Sweden beat Argentina today. Having come into the World Cup as the African Champions, South Africa were expected to wrap up their last-16 fate early in Group G, but lapses of concentration resulted in a loss to Sweden and draw with Argentina. That winless streak means that Banyana are the only African representative without a win in Australasia after Nigeria, Morocco and Zambia recorded victories. So, with the clash against Le Azzure offering them a…

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp urged football authorities to address the late closure of the transfer window in the Saudi Arabia league, fearing it may have a detrimental effect on European clubs. Speaking in Singapore yesterday, on the eve of his team’s pre-season friendly against German champions Bayern Munich, Klopp voiced his concern while reacting to the news that former Liverpool striker Sadio Mane is set to leave Bayern to join Saudi side Al Nassr. Since the start of the year, clubs in the oil-rich Middle Eastern kingdom have spent generously to sign some of the world’s leading players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante. And Klopp appears concerned that the closure of the Saudi transfer window on September 20, three weeks after it shuts in Europe, could impact…