Indholdsfortegnelse for 2023-08-21 i Mercury

May you meet gentle and warm-hearted people and be warm hearted and gentle towards yourself and towards others. There appears to be so much fury and anger and so many people living on edge. May you and I offer a counter experience and offer others a place of welcome and safety. In doing so we may not change the world or make a shift or dent in our immediate environments, but we will lift and encourage the hearts of a few. May you be firm in your decisions and be confident in your dealings with yourself and others. There is a vast difference between confidence and arrogance and, while they are often confused, may you and I have only confidence. Inner-confidence permits others to take a stand, for themselves. Confidence…

The contrived indictments against Donald Trump (The Mercury, August 16) reflect the desperation of America’s elitist political establishment known as the “Deep State” to prevent his return to power and his promise to end their oligarchical dominance and submission of the US to the un-American globalist agenda. However, the mistake his detractors are making with regard to the indictments is that they have baited themselves. The truth Trump’s lawyers will present will expose the lies and double standards of the Deep State and backfire on the Democrat Party. Soros-funded Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s indictment of Trump on the basis of an issue that has expired in terms of the statute of limitations, has no basis in law. But as such, it reflects the weaponisation of the justice system for political…

THERE was no singing in the valleys after the Boks’ trouncing of Wales in Cardiff by a massive 52-16 in the Rugby World Cup warm-up match. Nor was there much singing at Twickenham of the traditional Sweet Chariot as Ireland demolished England 29-10. For the Boks, skipper Siya Kolisi made a spectacular return from serious injury, playing a blinder of a first half before retiring from the field. That is a great relief. The Bok scrum was rampant throughout and Jessie Kriel and Canan Moodie notched two tries each. This was sparkling stuff. A concern was a lapse in the goal-kicking of flyhalf Manie Libbok, obscured by the blizzard of tries. This is something he has to get right, and quickly. It’s usually decisive. And now the countdown begins to…

The recently formed Multi-Party Charter (MPC), which is better known as the moonshot pact, has been hailed by analysts as a step in the right direction to galvanise support against the ANC, which has been in power for 30 years. The MPC was recently formed by leaders of seven political parties: the DA, ActionSA, IFP, Freedom Front Plus, United Independent Movement, Spectrum National Party, and the Independent South African National Civic Organisation. These parties met at the National Convention in Kempton Park, Gauteng, in a two-day meeting to create a coalition which they believe could unseat the governing party in the upcoming general elections. DA leader John Steenhuisen said they had collectively agreed on a shared vision, principles for a new government, and a minimum programme of action to address…

Consuming a diet rich in carotenes – bioactive compounds found in yellow, orange and green fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, bell peppers, mangoes, papayas, apricots, among others, can help reduce build up of fats in arteries, and blockage, finds a study. The study showed that a high level of carotenes in the blood is linked with a lower degree of atherosclerosis in the arteries. Atherosclerosis is the build-up of fat, generally the LDL or “bad” type of cholesterol, on the inner walls of the blood vessels. This build-up, in the form of atherosclerotic plaques, causes a narrowing of the vessel’s internal diameter, thereby hindering blood circulation. Furthermore, these plaques can rupture and form clots that obstruct the blood flow, which can lead to heart attacks, when…

A woman believed to be in her twenties was killed in a fire at the Mkolombe informal settlement in Port Shepstone on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast on Friday. KZN Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi confirmed the death yesterday. “With profound sorrow and deep concern, we regret to confirm yet another devastating loss of life due to a fire disaster in the Mkolombe informal settlement,” she said. The MEC said the department’s disaster management team from Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality responded to a distress call at about 11pm on Friday. She said Ray Nkonyeni Fire Services were rapidly dispatched, supported by the Ugu disaster team. “On their arrival, they encountered a dire scene. Unfortunately, five shacks were engulfed in flames, tragically resulting in the loss of one life…

THE grim picture presented by the recently released crime stats would have spelled the end of Police Minister Bheki Cele’s career if competency was measured based on his track record, and not political favours. In fact, his entire Cabinet colleagues, including President Cyril Ramaphosa, would find it difficult to stay in the job if one looks at the state of affairs in our country. But for purposes of this editorial, allow us to limit ourselves to the crime statistics released on Friday and what it says about Cele’s leadership, or lack thereof. Out of the 6 228 people killed between April and June, 1 188 were reported to be women and children. The overall decline in the number of murders by 196 and the drop in rape cases…

Seoul: Suspected North Korean hackers have attempted an attack targeting a major joint military exercise between Seoul and Washington that starts today, South Korean police said. South Korea and the US will kick off the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield drills today through August 31 to counter growing threats from the nuclear-armed North. Pyongyang views such exercises as rehearsals for an invasion and has repeatedly warned it would take “overwhelming” action. The hackers – believed to be linked to a North Korean group dubbed Kimsuky – carried out “continuous malicious email attacks” on South Korean contractors working at the allies’ combined exercise war simulation centre. | AFP…

Officials in western Canada’s British Columbia implored tens of thousands of residents to heed evacuation orders as “rapidly evolving” wildfires threatened large parts of the scenic Okanagan Valley, including the city of Kelowna. The situation in the popular boating and hiking destination was “highly dynamic”, said Bowinn Ma, the province’s minister of emergency management. About 30 000 people were under evacuation orders while another 36 000 were under alert to be ready to flee, she said. “We cannot stress strongly enough how critical it is to follow evacuation orders when they are issued,” Ma said at an afternoon news conference. “They are a matter of life and death, not only for the people in those properties but also for the first responders who will often go back to…

Russia’s first moon mission in 47 years failed when its Luna-25 space craft spun out of control and crashed into the moon after a problem preparing for pre-landing orbit, underscoring the post-Soviet decline of a once mighty space programme. Russia’s state space corporation, Roskosmos, said it had lost contact with the craft at 11.57 GMT on Saturday after a problem as the craft was shunted into pre-landing orbit. A soft landing had been planned for today. “The apparatus moved into an unpredictable orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the surface of the Moon,” Roskosmos said. It said a special commission had been formed to investigate the reasons behind the loss of the Luna-25 craft, whose mission had raised hopes in Moscow that Russia was…

Spain won the Women’s World Cup for the first time in their history with skipper Olga Carmona sweeping in the only goal for a deserved 1-0 victory over England in yesterday’s final. In front of a packed crowd of nearly 76 000 at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Spain were the more accomplished side and had more chances, including missing a second-half penalty. Spain’s triumph is vindication for Jorge Vilda and the Spanish football federation, who stuck with the coach even after 15 players last year said they no longer wanted to represent their country under him. Defender Carmona scored what turned out to be the winner, rampaging from left-back to thrash the ball in low and hard on 29 minutes past England goalkeeper Mary Earps. “It’s difficult to describe, immense…

A recent report released by Statistics South Africa has shed light on the alarming prevalence of hunger among South African households with children aged 5 years or younger. More than 500 000 households are experiencing food insecurity, raising concerns about the impact on the well-being and development of young children. Numerous studies have shown that children who lack consistent access to high-quality nutrition face a range of challenges. These include physical and cognitive impairments, difficulty focusing and erratic mood swings. These challenges not only affect the child but also place a significant burden on caregivers, who often find themselves frustrated and exhausted. Recognising the crucial role that nutrition plays in a child’s health and happiness, experts emphasise the importance of a balanced and nutritious diet. A well-rounded meal not only…

If you want to build strength at home, then a humble dumbbell is your new best friend. You can use this bit of kit to target all the major muscle groups without ever stepping into the gym. Dumbbells are versatile and accessible fitness tools that can help individuals achieve their fitness goals, whether it be toning up or building muscle. Try to incorporate dumbbell exercises into your workout routine. Goblet squats These are excellent exercises for targeting the lower body, particularly the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings. Hold a dumbbell vertically against your chest, gripping the sides of the weight. Lower into a squat position by bending your knees and hips, keeping your chest up and core engaged. Push through your heels to return to the starting position. Perform 3 sets…

August 11 was a bad day in Chatsworth. It was harrowing as three children and a driver were killed in one accident. It is said no parent should have to bury their child. No wound can compare to the pain of losing a child. When will this end? We have almost become inured to the carnage on our roads, it seems nobody shows respect to our laws. What on earth do we have laws for when nobody bothers to enforce them? Without a doubt we are among the worst in the world for accidents and carnage. In truth, even one death is one too many. Every year, hundreds of accidents occur and the never ending dialogue continues about accidents and what should be done, but no solution ever transpires. In…

Cable theft and Transnet sabotage are probably the most crippling factors to South Africa’s economy. The destruction of our major road network by road truck transport to Richards Bay and the reduction of port capacity to handle our exports – both in Durban and Cape Town – have been immense. The squatters living on the Cape passenger rail system preventing passenger rail services and forcing workers to rely on more expensive taxis is one example of “cutting off their noses to spite their faces”. The apparent slackness by the state’s criminal justice system in preventing and stopping the theft and sabotage is equally disconcerting. That, coupled with Eskom’s inability to provide sufficient power to enable the government to encourage the increase in industrial productivity and job creation (to reduce the…

Family and neighbours of Lavona Solomon, the woman who kidnapped baby Zephany Nurse more than two decades ago, gave her a warm welcome after she spent seven years imprisoned and was released on parole on Saturday. Her family said they were relieved and excited to have the former machinist back home, however they declined to say anything further . For Solomon, among the smiles and hugs, is sadness as she is returning to an empty home she had once shared with her “daughter” Miche (Zephany) and husband, Michael. According to friends and family, Michael has now entered into a new relationship and Solomon was served with divorce papers while imprisoned at Worcester Female Prison. When approached for comment by Independent Media, Michael said he was not ready to speak.…

The families of two Durban women, who were found murdered after they were reported missing on August 9, want justice to be served. Monica Xulu, 70, and Zanele Mbuso, 60, were reported missing on August 9 from eThembeni crèche in Umgababa, where they worked. The two were found buried in a shallow grave on Friday by the SAPS search and rescue K9 unit. They had been buried next to the day-care centre where they worked, their hands had been tied and they had plastic bags over their heads. Police said the security guard who worked at the crèche had been arrested in connection with the murders. Dawn Gounden, of Renegades Search and Rescue, speaking on behalf of the Mbuso family, said they were distraught. She added that Mbuso had been…

Police in KwaZulu-Natal have arrested an illegal scrapyard owner and four others and seized stolen copper valued at R2.3 million. The arrest and seizure came as the police kicked off Operation Shanela in the province. KZN SAPS spokesperson, Colonel Robert Netshiunda, said just a few hours after the operation was launched, officers from the Economic Infrastructure Task Team gathered intelligence about copper cables stored in a truck, parked in an Isipingo warehouse. “Officers discovered that an illegal scrapyard was in operation. A search inside the yard resulted in the recovery of copper cables and bus bars,” he said. Netshiunda said the owner failed to account for the illegal copper cables and the bus bars stored in his yard. “He and three other people working at the warehouse were arrested for…

LAHORE: At least 18 people were killed after a bus crashed and caught on fire in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province yesterday, authorities said. The bus collided with another vehicle in the early hours of the morning while carrying 33 passengers from the southern port city of Karachi to the capital, Islamabad. “The unfortunate bus ... collided with a mini-truck loaded with three small tanks of petrol at around 4.30am,” said Fahad Ahmad, the police chief of Punjab’s Hafizabad district. “The bus and the truck caught fire immediately, the result of which 18 people including the mini-truck driver died on the spot.” He said another 16 people had been transferred to hospital. | Reuters…

TENERIFE: A wildfire on the Spanish island of Tenerife that has forced thousands of people to flee their homes remained out of control yesterday, despite a slight improvement in weather conditions during the night. Orange flames lit up the night sky from Saturday into yesterday on hillsides just above the lights of inhabited areas, while thick black smoke billowed high into the air. Late on Saturday, emergency services said the fire was affecting 10 towns, although 11 had been evacuated as a precaution. It covered an area of over 8 000 hectares with a perimeter of 70km, spreading from 5 000 hectares and a perimeter of 50km early on Saturday. | Reuters…

Japanese premier Fumio Kishida said yesterday his government had not yet decided when to begin releasing treated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean. Media reports suggest that the discharge of some of the 1.34 million tons of water, which Japan insists is safe, could begin as soon as this month, despite anger from China and concern elsewhere. Speaking at the Fukushima site, wrecked by a tsunami in 2011 in one of the world’s worst atomic accidents, Kishida said he would first meet fishing industry officials to discuss their concerns. “I must refrain from commenting on a concrete timing of the release into the ocean at this point, as the decision has to be made after the government as a whole looks at measures to…

Former Olympic and double world champion Wayde Van Niekerk of South Africa looked to be back towards his best form after a long injury absence, running an impressive 44.57 second in the 400m heats yesterday at the World Athletics Championship in Budapest. A loaded morning of qualifiers saw two-time former world champion Van Niekerk, who also set a world record when winning gold at the Rio Olympics, win his heat to advance to the semi-finals with the second fastest time. “These championships are just about putting my best foot forward and seeing what happens,” said the South African, beset by injuries since his victory in Rio. “I’ve been running some solid times, so I feel I’m coming back towards my best. “Only time can tell when I get back where…

Swedish clothing giant H&M said on Friday that it would begin closing its operations in Myanmar, after reports of abuse against garment workers in the wake of the 2021 military takeover. “After careful consideration we have now taken the decision to gradually phase out our operations in Myanmar,” H&M said. The South-east Asian country has been ravaged by deadly violence since a coup deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s government in February 2021, unleashing a bloody crackdown on dissent that has sparked fighting across swathes of the nation. “We have been monitoring the latest developments in Myanmar very closely and we see increased challenges to conduct our operations according to our standards and requirements,” the company said. A report published last week week by rights group Business & Human Rights…

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has reiterated South Africa’s support for the expansion of BRICS, saying the bloc’s value extends beyond the interests of its current members. He addressed the country last night ahead of South Africa hosting the BRICS Summit from tomorrow until Thursday at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The presidents of Brazil, India, and China are expected to attend the gathering while their Russian counterpart will attend virtually. Ramaphosa said more than 20 countries have formally applied to join BRICS and several others have expressed an interest in becoming part of the bloc. “For its efforts to be more effective, BRICS needs to build partnerships with other countries that share its aspirations and perspectives. “An expanded BRICS will represent a diverse group of nations with different political systems…

I have written about this before and I support what Zoe Cronje said on August 16. There is a massive fraud going on with the refuse bags. Every household is being short-changed and they have been for a long time. All ratepayers are footing the bill for this nonsense. One of the reasons is the shoddy quality of the bags so that 26 no longer fit in the packet. So instead of fixing the problem, DSW’s supplier just packs less and hopes nobody will notice. Or is there another reason someone is coining it in the background? Shame on all responsible, this is another case of blatant misuse of ratepayers’ money and the “we don’t care” attitude.…

I remember Thabo Mbeki’s book Africa – The Time has Come around 1997 when he assumed office. Mbeki’s book was a delicate egg-dance of an African elephant tip-toeing away from the false rainbow of Mandela nestled on a clutch of dinosaur eggs. I think that I’m getting good at connecting the dots with the march towards “de-dollarisation” as sycophantic politicians and their parties berate the ANC-led government beating it up about “Agoa” and how it will devastate our economy. Who wrote “fortune favours the brave and those who dare”? It has started. The recent changes in global events indicate that BRICS could weaponise oil and gas to benefit native currencies such as the South African rand. BRICS kick-started the de-dollarisation efforts by settling oil and gas trade with local…

A fraudster has been impersonating Constitutional Court Justice, Mbuyiseli Madlanga, and is using his name to extort money from various high-profile public figures and state entities. The Office of the Chief Justice issued an alert to warn the public of the scam, saying the alleged fraudster also demands personal information about certain individuals. However, the office did not specify how the fraudster carried out the illegal deeds and did not name the figures that have fallen victims. “An individual impersonating Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga has contacted individuals and entities using the name of the judge. “The impersonator is said to extort money, intimidate individuals, public officials, public office bearers and entities, including organs of state, including attempting to access personal information of certain individuals. “He does all this purporting…

THE Msunduzi Municipality has had to call on experts from neighbouring municipalities to assist with disciplining its errant employees because staff are refusing to take part in disciplinary processes against their colleagues due to intimidation. Municipal manager Lulamile Mapholoba told The Mercury recently that they had called on the eThekwini and Umgungundlovu Municipalities to help Msunduzi with capacity. In his reports to council recently, Mapholoba listed persistent challenges faced by the municipality. Among these were the protracted appointments of presiding and prosecuting officials for disciplinary cases and the high rate of recusal by these officials due to fear and intimidation. In this monthly report to council, Mapholoba said City officials do not want to take part in disciplinary processes which had led to the stalling of these matters. “There…

THE 6th BRICS Media summit ended on a successful note yesterday, with media houses from the bloc countries as well as those from the potential expanded grouping discussing issues in the industry. About 200 deputies from around 100 media outlets, think tanks and international organisations from about 30 countries held discussions under the theme, “BRICS and Africa: Strengthening Media Dialogue for a Shared and Unbiased Future”. Industry players discussed the exchange of ideas and knowledge, how to promote cross-border collaboration and the need to support local content development. The sixth forum, co-hosted by Xinhua News Agency and the China Energy Investment Corporation (China Energy) as well as organisations from South Africa, aims to promote practical co-operation among BRICS media outlets Xie Songxin, chief and editor of China Daily Africa Bureau,…

Islamabad: Eleven labourers were killed in a bomb blast in north-western Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan, a local government official said yesterday. The device exploded after being attached to the vehicle they were travelling in on Saturday evening. This was according to Rehman Gul Khattak, a senior government official for North Waziristan, in a statement released yesterday. “The labourers were working at a construction post for the Pakistan army,” Khattack said. Amir Muhammad Khan, a senior police official in the area, confirmed the bomb blast and the number of casualties. | AFP…

Baghdad: Iraqi authorities yesterday ordered the shutdown of LED advertisement screens installed across Baghdad after a hacker managed to show a pornographic film on one, security forces said, announcing the arrest of a suspect. A person managed to hack into an advertising screen in Uqba bin Nafia Square, a major intersection at the centre of the Iraqi capital, a security source who requested anonymity told AFP. The hacker “showed a pornographic film for several minutes before we cut the power cable”, he said. Videos of the pornographic film were widely shared on social media. | AFP…

Schools were shut yesterday in the occupied West Bank town of Huwara as troops searched for the suspected killer of an Israeli father and his son who were shot dead over the weekend. The two Israeli men were gunned down on Saturday at a car wash in Huwara, in the latest attack to rock the territory where violence has surged this year. Israeli media identified the two as Shay Silas Nigrekar, 60, and Aviad Nir, 28. Nablus’s acting governor Ghassan Daghlas ordered the closure of Huwara’s schools “after requests from parents who are afraid of reactions from settlers”. Huwara, a Palestinian town near the city of Nablus, has seen a number of attacks on Jewish settlers or the Israeli military since early last year. Settlers responded with revenge attacks on…

Just as Springbok supporters cheered when a rejuvenated Siya Kolisi created a try for Malcom Marx, so there was a collective sigh when Manie Libbok’s first two kicks at goal drifted wide of the uprights during the weekend’s emphatic defeat of Wales. Libbok, the only genuine flyhalf named in the Boks’ World Cup squad, continues to have issues with his kicking radar and it is a massive concern with only a few weeks left now before France — it is a World Cup axiom that the bigger and tighter the games, the more important accurate goal-kicking becomes. Libbok missed his first two kicks against Argentina three weeks ago and in Cardiff, he left 10 points on the table (two conversions and two penalty attempts). Some of his early efforts did…