Indholdsfortegnelse for 2023-11-22 i Mercury

As the WORLD shifts to renewable energy options and companies target zero carbon goals, closer to home in South Africa, Zero Carbon Charge has started construction on a national network of 100% renewable energy-powered electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. This week, at a ceremony in Wolmaransstad in the North West province, Zero Carbon Charge broke ground on its first 100% renewable energy charging station in what the company says will become South Africa’s first national network of 120 solar-powered charging facilities spaced out at 150km intervals. This is a significant milestone in South Africa’s transition to EVs. “Unlike other charging stations that connect to Eskom’s grid (and thus use coal as their primary energy source), Zero Carbon Charge’s charging stations are powered by South Africa’s abundant and renewable supply of…

Truck drivers have spoken of the challenges they face waiting for days in long queues to enter the Port of Richards Bay. The Mercury visited Richards Bay yesterday after Transnet Port Terminals announced that it was suspending the processing of trucks carrying coal, to restore order after unprecedented traffic on the N2, John Ross Highway and surrounding roads coming into the port. This came after the City of uMhlathuze threatened legal action against Transnet over what it said was the failure to address truck congestion. Transnet said they would engage the City regarding the matter. Truck drivers, who did not want to give their full names as they were not authorised to speak by their companies, said they were faced with trying circumstances, including sleeping in their vehicles on the…

Wastewater management is one of the most important areas in the water cycle to ensure water security and protect the environment, but of late it has been seen as a major contributor to pollution of water resources, leading to environmental degradation. Most wastewater treatment plants in municipalities are not functioning optimally, leading to effluent that does not meet the required standards being released into the water resources and thereby polluting the resources and the environment. Sewer pipelines are also prone to blockages and overflows, creating an unhealthy environment for the communities and polluting the water resources and the environment. This is basically the result of poor operations and maintenance and community members throwing foreign objects that cause blockages in the sewer system and manholes. We need to work together as…

Would articles exhorting people to drink less water because the planet was drying up find ready acceptance? Certainly not. And that would be dismissed as “misinformation”. Yet, despite not an iota of proof that climate change is caused by human exploitation of carbon, the misinformation is fervently posted as dogma without reference to opposing views. Carbon is the DNA of life on the planet. It has nothing to do with climate change. To remove carbon would dial back the planet to pre-Industrial Revolution days in terms of technology. Life as we know it would revert to an agrarian, subsistence age. Thus, the claim by Dipak Patel, of the Climate Commission (Business Report, November 15), that “the just transition (to zero greenhouse emissions) is a pathway to ensure a quality…

A Durban woman who turned to the High Court to appeal a 10-year jail term has been dealt a blow. Convicted fraudster Sharitha Hariram, 57, was convicted of fraud and theft amounting to over R2.7million in September 2020. According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) she was sentenced to an effective 10 years behind bars. However, Hariram turned to the high court to appeal her sentence. According to provincial NPA spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, the Durban High Court dismissed the appeal and confirmed the sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment. Explaining the case, Ramkisson-Kara said Hariram was granted special authority to represent racehorse owners who were not registered for VAT. “This permitted her to register as a VAT vendor and submit a combined VAT return to the South African Revenue Service (SARS)…

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) in KwaZulu-Natal recorded more than 119 000 new voter registrations over the past weekend, most being 18 to 35 years old. Those who visited the 4 973 voting stations in the province either registered for the first time, re-registered at a different voting district, or confirmed their registration. Provincial Electoral Officer Ntombifuithi Masinga yesterday said more than 534 000 people showed up at voting stations at the weekend with the number of eligible voters who had previously not been in their system pleasing the committee. “More than 100 000 were new voters, who have not been on the voters roll before and among those were 21 000 between the ages of 16 and 17, who will be on the voters roll but will…

The Middelburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court has struck off the roll the matter against former Eskom boss Matshela Koko and several others, including his wife and stepdaughters, due to delays. Koko, his wife Mosima Koko, stepdaughters Koketso Aren and Thato Choma, as well as former SA Local Government Association (Salga) chief executive Thabo Mokwena, Eskom project director at Kusile Hlupheka Sithole, Johannes Coetzee, Watson Seswai, and Lese’tsa Johannes Mutchinya, appeared in the Middelburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court yesterday. The court said there had been unreasonable delays in the case when it ruled to strike the matter off the roll. In short, the ruling means that the charges can be brought against the accused at a later stage when the State is ready. It was previously reported that the accused face…

AS SOUTH Africa’s political honeymoon at the global level slowly fades away, it is becoming increasingly apparent that it is engaged in a protracted struggle with the obligations imposed by international law. The country’s adherence to international legal norms has become a significant battle, giving rise to interesting questions about its ability to balance domestic imperatives with international obligations. Additionally, South Africa’s approach to international law has been influenced by its foreign policy priorities and political considerations. This article considers three examples where these tensions are particularly evident: the recent proposition to review the international treaty governing refugee protection, the decision to terminate bilateral investment treaties (BITs) and the indecision concerning the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Department of Home Affairs proposes to review the international refugee protection treaty, acknowledging…

SENTIMENT in the business sector re- mained firmly in the contractionary terri- tory in the third quarter, as the majority of senior executives were dissatisfied with prevailing business conditions, especially the logistical nightmare caused by the congestion at the Port of Durban. The RMB/BER business confidence index, released yesterday eased to 31 points in the fourth quarter, down from 33 points in the previous three-month period, moving further into pessimistic territory below 50 points which separates expansion from contraction. The survey, which was conducted by the Bureau for Economic Research (BER) on behalf of Rand Merchant Bank (RMB), covered 1 050 senior executives in the building, manufacturing, retail, wholesale, and motor trade sectors between October 25 and November 13. The main drag on the…

CORONATION Fund Managers’ fund management earnings fell sharply by 57% to 165.2 cents per share in its 2023 year, mainly due to the impact of a write-down relating to a tax dispute with the SA Revenue Service (Sars). When adjusted for the tax matter, fund management earnings per share were down 4%. Fund management earnings are used by Coronation’s management to measure operating financial performance. The group’s directors said yesterday that the Constitutional Court had agreed to hear its case and an outcome might be only expected in the second half of the 2024 calendar year. “This dispute has no material impact on our long-term sustainability, and we remain a well-capitalised and successful business,” they said. The R716 million tax matter related to a dispute with Sars in…

Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has warned that there would be consequences for banks implicated in manipulation of the rand. She said Standard Chartered was now working with the Competition Commission to give more information on other banks that were involved in currency rigging between 2007 and 2013. Ntshavheni said on Monday that they had been warning that the private sector was trying to collapse the economy of the country. “We have maintained that the performance of the rand and sometimes the performance of the economy has been manipulated by the private sector, who have no interest in the development of this country. People cannot be left untouched because they wanted to collapse this country. There must be consequences and there will be consequences.” British bank Standard Chartered has…

Parliament yesterday passed an amended draft motion put forth by the EEF calling on the government to close the Israeli embassy in South Africa and suspend all diplomatic relations with Israel. In its amendment, the ANC called for a ceasefire to be agreed between the two countries and that they commit to binding UN-facilitated negotiations for “a just, sustainable and lasting peace”. The passing of the amended motion took place against the backdrop of Israel recalling its ambassador to South Africa, Eliav Belotserkovsky, back to Jerusalem for consultations. The ANC and EFF massed 248 votes to push through the motion with votes from the ATM, PAC and Al Jama-ah. The DA along with the IFP, Freedom Front Plus (FF+) and ACDP garnered 91 votes. “The motion as amended is accordingly…

There can be no doubt any longer that South African politicians, in particular those from the ANC and the EFF, are now more nefarious, greedy and ruthless than ever before. A political party that openly condemns Israel for defending itself against the heinous attacks from the stone-cold Hamas group, is a far cry from what is expected from a predominantly Christian nation. The ANC has exhausted its obsession with apartheid in an attempt to hide its multiple failures and inadequacies from its enslaved supporters. Social grants have been used as a secret weapon to brainwash most poor and rural communities to keep voting for a party who feels no regard or sympathy for the very people it claims to want to set free from being historically disadvantaged. If only there…

Are you discouraged? Are you at the end of your tether? Seeking questions? Looking for “new” answers? Seek rather the spark, the spark of life. It lies within, deep within you – within your spirit – and it is a good place to find when wrestling with discouragement. Finding “new” answers, uncovering the antidote for whatever is at the heart of your discouragement is not somewhere “out there” and hidden from you. It is not some empowering truth to be uncovered in a new, or old, book you are yet to discover. It is not in some PowerPoint or YouTube presentation from a speaker of whom you are yet to hear or on a social media platform looking for “hits” in its attempt to solve therapeutic issues. It’s not lurking,…

About 3 677 public schools in the country still have some form of inappropriate structures, with the Eastern Cape (1 538), KwaZulu-Natal (978) and Limpopo (562) together accounting for the bulk (84%) of this critical backlog. This is according to a report released this week by Equal Education (EE) titled: “Schooling under unusual conditions: Research into how school infrastructure shapes teaching and learning in South Africa”, which looked into the relationship between the physical conditions of the school environment and teaching and learning. The report examined how school infrastructure shapes teaching and learning, and how addressing infrastructure conditions can improve learning outcomes. Key findings include that not having enough classrooms, having overcrowded classrooms and facilities in poor condition, harms the motivation of both learners and teachers. EE says that during…

A KwaZulu-Natal man accused of killing his elderly mother and then staying with her corpse for three nights, allegedly tried to plan a memorial lunch for her a day before he was arrested. The 33-year-old was arrested on Friday in Hazelmere. A source has since revealed that the day before his arrest, the accused contacted a well-known eatery on the Durban beachfront and asked if he could arrange a get-together in memory of his mother. According to Reaction Unit SA's Prem Balram, an off-duty police officer was called for assistance after a homeowner discovered the 72-year-old woman's body in a room. The accused had been renting a room on the landlord's property. Balram said other residents claimed that the woman was last seen on Tuesday last week. “Her son initially…

Concerns have been raised about the country’s biosecurity system after the outbreaks of several animal diseases in the country over the past two years. Chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz), Wandile Sihlobo, said the fact that the country has had so many outbreaks suggested that there were weaknesses in the biosecurity system. The biosecurity system refers to measures to reduce the risk of infectious diseases being transmitted to crops, livestock and poultry. Sihlobo who is also a member of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (Peac), said outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in cattle, African swine fever in pigs and avian influenza in poultry had become frequent. He acknowledged that biosecurity breaches were not unique to South Africa, and that the country has had to deal with…

A National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) student accommodation pilot project currently under way at Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges is expected to be rolled out at universities in the 2024 academic year. The entity’s board chairperson, Ernest Khosa, said lessons had been learnt from the damning Werksmans Attorneys and Tembeka Ngcukaitobi report into the direct payment system. The system led to challenges for students to access their allowances and NSFAS has cancelled its contracts with the service providers. The forensic report found no feasibility study was done before the implementation of the system, a critical part of preparation for the execution of a project. “We took note of that finding and NSFAS is acting upon it. The pilot project at colleges which will also be implemented at…

The history of liberation against the apartheid regime often portrays the roles of organisations, civil society and sanctions in effectively making South Africa ungovernable and essentially making apartheid South Africa financially unsustainable. However, it is fair to argue that this simple understanding of our liberation struggle overlooks the significance of the “South Africa-Angola Border War”. As such, this piece seeks to elucidate the importance of the Border War in the liberation of South Africa The war essentially was an extension of the Angolan Civil War, which began soon after the declaration of Independence on November 11, 1975, by Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) leader Agostinho Neto. This followed a war of independence from Portuguese rule that spanned 14 years. The historical implications of this conflict would have…

The uMhlanga Ratepayers and Residents Association says it is exploring its “legal options” against the eThekwini Municipality because of unreliable water supply to the area. This after parts of La Lucia, uMhlanga Ridge and Glenashley experienced water supply problems for several days prior to the scheduled shutdown yesterday, said the organisation. Chairperson of the association Terri MacLarty said residents were frustrated by the lack of a solution which has left them contemplating legal action. The interruptions, it seemed, were affecting some areas and not entire suburbs, based on the reservoir supplying each place. MacLarty said the reservoir that supplies her area was affected, and other reservoirs in uMhlanga north and uMhlanga south. If the ratepayers go ahead with this action, it will be the second time this year that eThekwini…

I have always believed that education cannot be separated from politics. The two go together. Obviously, as a teacher, one has to academically meet the highest standards required. However, what I have found in schools is that few teachers are prepared to state their views at education department meetings, staff meetings and public meetings. There is a long history behind this. During the apartheid years, teachers who were critical of the education department were identified and ruthlessly dealt with. Since 1994, some major changes in education have been brought about and one has to commend the governing political party for changing education for the better. The creation of one education department was a major step forward. Compulsory education up to Grade 7 or the age of 15 was another step…

DESPITE numerous written and oral submissions from KwaZulu-Natal’s people, indicating concern and confusion around the Expropriation Bill, the ANC and EFF in the province have bulldozed ahead in a bid to finalise a negotiating mandate. This after a recent KZN public works portfolio committee meeting saw the doomsday coalition vote in support of a vague and problematic piece of legislation in the face of strong objections raised by opposition parties. The ANC/EFF stance smacks of self-interest. The bill is in favour of the government and offers no protection to KZN citizens. The DA has highlighted numerous concerns which include: The bill provides for “expropriation for public good or interest”, with the result that the government could arbitrarily decide what constitutes public good or interest. The bill adopts the constitutional definition…

THE Ukraine war has revived a traditional Russian occupation, according to the BBC – “snitching” to the authorities on neighbours, colleagues and even strangers. This was common during the Soviet era. Now, as the government cracks down on critics of the Ukraine war, people with personal grudges and political ideals are again denouncing others. The BBC has interviewed one of the snitchers. “I was taught how to snitch by my grandfather who was a snitch himself,” says a woman who goes by the name of Anna Korobkova. She says her grandfather was an anonymous informant for the Soviet secret police during Stalin’s reign, when denunciations were part of everyday life. Korobkova says she has written 1 397 denunciations since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. People have been fined, fired and labelled…

Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga said the Road Accident Fund (RAF) had carefully considered its decision when it cancelled post-retirement medical aid benefits for its employees. Chikunga said the post-retirement medical aid benefit was a historical condition of service benefit provided to employees who were permanently employed with the RAF prior to May 1998. She said in terms of the benefit, the RAF would subsidise 50% towards the medical aid contributions on and throughout the retirement of such employees until the death of the retired employee or voluntary termination by the employee. “The post-retirement medical aid benefit was discontinued due to not only the dire financial status of the fund, but also the long-term unsustainable financial liability that such a benefit would have on the RAF,” she said. Chikunga said the…

THE government is yet to decide whether or not to challenge the Labour Court’s judgment declaring the law rendering ordinary municipal workers ineligible to hold office in political parties unconstitutional and invalid. Labour Court Judge Andre van Niekerk on Friday ruled in favour of the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu). The union had challenged the Municipal Systems Amendment Act of 2022 signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa in August last year. In terms of the act, a staff member was not allowed to hold political office in a political party, whether in a permanent, temporary or acting capacity. Judge van Niekerk found that the act’s prohibition extended to all municipal employees, whatever their status. ”In consequence, technicians, secretaries, receptionists, clerks, gardeners, drivers, cashiers, plumbers and other artisans, librarians and…

The Border Management Authority (BMA) has made a “major drug bust” at the OR Tambo International Airport cargo terminal, where more than eight kilograms of Rohypnol had arrived on a flight from Nigeria. Spokesperson for the BMA, Mmemme Mogotsi said the Rohypnol drugs, commonly known as the “date rape drug” were found concealed in a consignment of dried fish. In South Africa, the BMA said Rohypnol is classified as a Schedule 6 drug. The Wits University website, citing the US Department of Health and Human Services, states that Rohypnol is a drug which is commonly used as a date rape drug internationally. “It is a powerful and dangerous drug sometimes used to assist sexual assault and rape. Date rape drugs are used on both females and males. It is used…

Orlando Pirates star Thembinkosi Lorch must have breathed a sigh of relief when the Randburg Magistrate’s Court handed him a suspended jail sentence and imposed a fine of R100 000 for assaulting his girlfriend. Lorch was granted a three-year direct imprisonment order, which was suspended for five years, with conditions. In June, the court had found Lorch guilty of assault with intention to cause grievous bodily harm. Generally, this crime carries a prescribed sentence of a fine or 18 months imprisonment, suspended for five years on condition that the person is not convicted of a similar charge during the period of suspension. The court was thus within the confines of the law in handing down the sentence to the footballer, coincidentally on the eve of the 16 Days of Activism…