Indholdsfortegnelse for 2023-12-01 i Mercury

South Africa’s BRICS Sherpa Ambassador Anil Sooklal said there was uncertainty over whether Argentina would join the grouping of Global South countries after the recent elections saw Javier Milei elected as its new leader. Sooklal, addressing Sous Sherpas from Brazil, Russia, China and India in Durban yesterday, said the rest of the BRICS grouping would have to watch developments with the new government in place. Argentina elected Milei as its new president in November, with the president promising voters that he would shut the central bank, ditch the peso, and slash spending to take the country out of its economic woes. Milei's team in charge of international relations is reportedly weighing up whether Argentina should proceed in joining BRICS or not. The BRICS bloc of developing nations agreed in August…

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa was on a charm offensive in KZN. He was seen in several places in the province, addressing the problems crippling the province’s economy while at the same time using the opportunity to celebrate its successes and drumming up support for his party in next year’s election. Two things stood out for me in his KZN visit. He was forthright about the congestion at Richards Bay, blaming incompetence and lethargy at Transnet and the port authorities for the long delays. But admitting the cause is one thing; rectifying it is another, more often, difficult thing. In any case, who is in charge of Transnet and the ports? Isn’t it the Department of Public Enterprises and the Department of Transport? And isn’t it ANC policy to fill all the…

The appointment of Jason Quinn as the CEO-designate of Nedbank has resulted in the now routine chorus of dismay from the transformation sentinels whenever a black person is not appointed to a top position (The Mercury, November 29; Business Report, November 27). Black Management Forum president Sibongile Vilakazi claims that by appointing Quinn, Nedbank has pursued “ineffective succession planning” and that it has “missed an opportunity for victory for the transformation agenda” (Business Report). As such, she clearly prioritises ideology above objectivity. Siyabonga Hadebe, a regular Mercury columnist, asserts that Quinn’s appointment “has sparked a heated debate” and that Nedbank has overlooked two highly eligible black candidates, Ciko Thomas and Mfundo Nkuhlu. For Hadebe, the appointment of a white man by the predominantly black Nedbank Board, somehow “perpetuates inequality.” What…

Alleged links between some police officers and gangsters were once again detailed in a recent Western Cape High Court judgment involving two men convicted of killing seven people in a Khayelitsha mass shooting. The details emerged when Judge Daniel Thulare convicted Gcinithemba Beja and Fundile Maseti on seven counts of murder and three attempted murder charges following a shooting at a tavern in Site B, Khayelitsha, in March 2020. The judgment details how a witness during the trial testified that many people knew and informed the police that the two were (protection) fee collectors from businesspeople. “However, the cases got cold as some people were scared for their lives to make formal statements to the police,” said Judge Thulare. “It has to be mentioned that there were witnesses who made…

Police at Thohoyandou, Limpopo have arrested one of their own, a 47-year-old warrant officer, on charges of negligent loss of a firearm, defeating the ends of justice and perjury. The policeman was arrested on Wednesday, according to Limpopo police spokesperson Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba. “It is reported that the suspect lied under oath on November 7 when he alleged that he was robbed of his service-issued firearm by unknown suspects while driving,” said Mashaba. The warrant officer, who cannot be named until he appears in court, claimed he was robbed on the street. “A case of common robbery was opened and investigations conducted.” Mashaba said the investigations revealed that the police officer was not robbed and that he had lost his firearm at Venda Plaza. “The suspect willingly made a misrepresentation…

THE government will soon release the National Logistics Roadmap as the reviewed policy guide that will deal with the logistics crisis at the ports. This comes as the government met with captains of industry earlier this week to discuss the economic recovery plan. Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said yesterday that the Cabinet held an eight-hour meeting on Wednesday to discuss issues of the economy, and the issue of the logistics recovery was top of the agenda. “Transnet is going to announce this implementation plan, and we’re going to consider and release the National Logistics Roadmap as a policy guide on the working of the logistics sector and the recovery of the logistics sector,” Ntshavheni said. Ntshavheni said the Cabinet welcomed measures and plans put in place to resolve…

For all the issues negatively affecting South Africa, one thing we can do is organise major sports events. Our track record speaks for itself – the 1995 Rugby World Cup, 1996 Africa Cup of Nations, the 2003 Cricket World Cup and of course the biggest one of them all, the 2010 Fifa World Cup, were all a celebration of sporting excellence and a vibrant country showing off its true colours. There was also the exciting Netball World Cup in Cape Town this year. The 2023 Rugby World Cup should have been added to that list after a World Rugby committee chose South Africa’s bid as the best, but then some shenanigans behind closed doors before the final vote resulted in France “stealing” the tournament. That is why the Springboks’…

The Palestinian group Hamas said its militants carried out a shooting in Jerusalem yesterday, killing three people despite agreeing to extend for a day a truce in Gaza and to release at least 10 more Israeli hostages. The threat of a renewed escalation in attacks came as Washington’s top diplomat, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, met officials in Israel to seek a longer pause in the devastating conflict. The fate of the truce is hanging in the balance once again. A Hamas source said 10 more Israeli hostages would be released from Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, after the warring parties agreed to extend the pause in combat operations until this morning. “All of them are alive,” said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. “Israel…

A massive transfer of wealth is gaining speed as billionaires are increasingly padding their vast fortunes with inheritance rather than entrepreneurship, a study by Swiss banking giant UBS showed yesterday. Over recent decades, the number of billionaires has ballooned, with surging entrepreneurial activity within tech and other areas ushering fresh members into the super-wealthy club. But in its ninth annual report on the world’s billionaires, UBS noted a significant shift in the way such fortunes are being made and expanded. “The heirs to billionaires are gaining prominence,” said the report. “This is a theme we expect to see more of over the next 20 years, as more than 1 000 billionaires pass an estimated $5.2 trillion (R100trln) to their children.” That forecast, UBS said, was based on the estimated accumulated…

WASHINGTON: Henry Kissinger, a US diplomatic powerhouse whose roles as a national security adviser and secretary of state under two presidents left an indelible mark on US foreign policy and earned him a controversial Nobel Peace Prize, died on Wednesday at age 100 at his home in Connecticut, according to his consulting firm, Kissinger Associates Inc. It said he would be interred at a private family service, to be followed at a later date by a public memorial service in New York City. Kissinger had still been active late in life, attending meetings in the White House, publishing a book on leadership styles, and testifying before a Senate committee about the nuclear threat posed by North Korea. In July he made a surprise visit to Beijing to meet Chinese President…

Hanoi: Trafficking victims held against their will in Myanmar and forced to work in scamming operations were being forced to sell their organs if they didn’t meet quotas, a charity in Vietnam said yesterday. At least 120 000 people – citizens of China, Vietnam and other countries – were being held in compounds in the country, the UN human rights office said. They were told to target and groom their compatriots, before cajoling them into ploughing money into fake investment platforms. The trafficking victims have been caught up in fighting that has raged across Myanmar’s northern Shan province. | AFP…

Proteas Women’s coach Hilton Moreeng is not overly concerned about the absence of captain Laura Wolvaardt for the start of the T20 series against Bangladesh. Wolvaardt was confirmed as the permanent Proteas captain this week across all formats after performing the role on a temporary basis in Pakistan and at home against New Zealand a couple of months ago. But Wolvaardt will now be absent for the start of her official captaincy tenure due to her Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) commitments in Australia. Wolvaart’s team, the Adelaide Strikers, have qualified for the final where she will open the batting tomorrow. Moreeng, though, is confident his team will adapt without Wolvaardt, even though the stand-in skipper for Sunday’s opener against Bangladesh at Willowmoore Park in Benoni is yet to be…

JUST like that we are in the last month of 2023. The fishing is picking up and I think we all can’t wait for the break at the end of the year. Let the festive season begin… The couta and tuna have been keeping the offshore anglers very busy. The north has been the place to go, but the local waters have held some proper yellowtail. The North Coast is the place to be if you are looking for couta. Vidal has come alive with fish and although most have been on the smaller side, the big fish are there. The shallower areas have held most of the smaller fish, so if the giants are what you are after and you don’t mind waiting it out, head for deeper water.…

The PAST YEAR has been challenging for most South Africans. It seems like the price of everything has been going up every month, from rising food prices to transport costs, electricity, and everything else. There is some good news on the horizon for many South Africans, though, because December is not only holiday time, it’s also stokvel season – which means millions of people will be getting the money back that they have been saving in their stokvel all year. However, it’s important to remember that it’s not just stokvel members who are eagerly awaiting their annual savings payouts. Criminals also know that many people will have more money in the coming months, and they are always looking for ways to steal it. If you are a stokvel leader or…

INDUSTRY bodies and labour unions have sounded the alarm on the severe pressures facing businesses due to load shedding and the logistics problems at the country’s ports. This comes after ArcelorMittal South Africa announced on Monday that it would be winding down its long steel operations at its Newcastle and Vereeniging Works and initiating a section 189 process putting 3 500 jobs at risk. Minerals Council head of communications Allan Seccombe said that the mining industry, like the rest of the economy, was under tremendous constraints due to shortages of electricity. “Decreased production during recent years is linked closely to the difficulties Eskom has experienced with load shedding. The cost of electricity for large industrial users like mines and smelters has increased more than 500% since 2008, leading to…

The report into teenage pregnancy has revealed that more than 90 000 young girls between the ages of 10 and 19 gave birth during the 2022/23 financial year. The Department of Social Development’s report stated that out of the 88 122 schoolgirls, between the ages of 15 and 19, who gave birth in hospitals, 25 239 were in KwaZulu-Natal. KZN was followed by the Eastern Cape, where 12 529 schoolgirls delivered babies. The next province where there was a high number was Limpopo, where 12 238 schoolgirls delivered babies in hospitals. In Gauteng, there were 11 653 girls who gave birth during the period under review. In Mpumalanga, there were 8 990 schoolgirls who gave birth during this period. In the North West, there were 6 190 schoolgirls who also…

Rugby fever takes over again as the Sharks tomorrow take on the auld enemy, the Bulls, in the URC, both sides bolstered since last week by again having available their Boks who had been on a rest to make up for the drama and fatigue of winning the World Cup. Both sides were highly successful last week against the Welsh Dragons and Connacht, respectively, and tomorrow’s encounter will surely be a humdinger. For us the URC has suddenly transformed itself from a dreary no-hoper to an exciting prospect, whatever happens. The match is at Loftus, which last week produced a miserably thin turnout of supporters (while King’s Park, by contrast, had a pretty good crowd), but that must surely change for this encounter of traditional rivals. Meanwhile, the damsels of…

The results for the South African trial of the four-day work week model are out and they show a resounding success among companies who participated. Despite early scepticism, the four-day week trial was conducted for the first time in a developing nation and on the continent. It has demonstrated significant benefits for both employees and employers. The six-month study that began in March 2023 has been completed by 26 companies. 4 Day Week Global organised it in collaboration with 4 Day Week South Africa NPC and academics from Boston College and Stellenbosch Business School. The pilot study findings, revealed yesterday, showed that businesses scored their experience an eight out of 10, with 92% expecting to continue or contemplating the four-day week. “Employees value their time off so much that 51%…

The parties said the DA and the EFF need to put their differences aside because, without the red berets, the chance of such a move being a success was non-existent. The IFP, ACDP, and ActionSA discussed the matter during a meeting with members of Durban ratepayers’ associations yesterday. The meeting between ratepayer groups and the opposition parties aimed to find solutions to the problems that plague the metro. The DA was not part of the meeting. On Tuesday, the DA announced it would table a motion to dissolve the council amid crippling service delivery failures. The IFP already has another motion in the works aimed at removing Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda. The motion is likely to be debated in the coming weeks. African Democratic Change (ADec) councillor Visvin Reddy said the…

THE cells and belongings of inmates at Westville Prison were searched for contraband yesterday during an early morning raid by Department of Correctional Services officials as part of a security operation. The department said cellphones, cellphone chargers, earphones, earbuds, a power bank, internet router and money were among the items found. Correctional Services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said the search, known as the National Festive Season Security Operations Plan, was aimed at getting rid of illegal items. “Those caught with contraband are criminally charged,” he said. National Commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale was present during the raid. Speaking at the launch of the operation, Thobakgale said the safety of both correctional officials and inmates was important. “The safety of our correctional officials is our number one priority. We continue to live under a…

GLOBALLY, people with disabilities are still under-represented in the workplace. The situation is the same in South Africa. While we have well-defined laws, we are still failing to ensure that employment targets for people with disabilities are met in both the private and public sectors. As we celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities this Sunday, we should also emphasise the need for disability inclusive employment that has received growing attention in response to this under-representation. Amid the guidelines and policies – such as the Technical Assistance Guidelines on the employment of people with disabilities, which includes specific guidelines on reasonable accommodation and fair recruitment procedures – companies still struggle to recruit and employ people with disabilities to meet the set employment equity targets. In addition to systemic exclusion…

Incoming COP28 president Sultan al-Jaber opened this year’s UN climate summit yesterday by urging countries and fossil fuel companies to work together to meet global climate goals. Governments are preparing for marathon negotiations on whether to agree, for the first time, to phase out the world’s use of CO²-emitting coal, oil and gas, the main source of warming emissions. Jaber, who is also the CEO of the United Arab Emirates’ national oil company, Adnoc, aimed to strike a conciliatory tone following months of criticism over his appointment at the head of COP28. In his opening remarks, Jaber acknowledged that there were “strong views about the idea of including language on fossil fuels and renewables in the negotiated text… I ask you to work together”. “It is essential that no issue…

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk said during an interview that he does not care if key US corporations stop advertising on his social media platform X in light of his endorsement of an anti-Semitic statement recently. “If somebody’s gonna try to blackmail me with advertising, blackmail me with money, go f*** yourself,” Musk said at the New York Times DealBook Summit this week. Musk has come under fire for endorsing a social media post that claimed Jewish communities were pushing hatred against white people, saying it was “the actual truth”. Film companies Warner Bros, Sony Pictures, Paramount, and Lionsgate suspended advertising on Musk’s social network X due to his comments. A similar decision was made by Walt Disney, IBM and Apple. Musk said the public would determine whether an advertising boycott…

KADUNA: Gunmen kidnapped at least eight people in an attack on the Dan Honu community in Nigeria’s northern Kaduna state, residents said yesterday. Kidnapping for ransom is rife in north-west Nigeria where armed gangs have targeted schools, villages and travellers, making it unsafe to travel by road or to farm in some areas. Police are investigating the incident, which occurred late on Tuesday in the state’s Chikum local government area. Attacks in northern Nigeria are part of widespread insecurity in the country that include a 14-year Islamist insurgency in the north-east and clashes between farmers and herders in the central region. | Reuters…

NEW YORK: An Indian government official directed an unsuccessful plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist on US soil, the US Justice Department said this week, in announcing charges against a man accused of orchestrating the attempted murder. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan said Nikhil Gupta, 52, worked with the Indian government employee, whose responsibilities included security and intelligence, on the plot to assassinate the New York City resident who advocated a sovereign Sikh state in northern India.Yester-day, India expressed concern about one of its government officials being linked to the plot, from which it dissociated itself, as being against government policy. | Reuters…

The inaugural campaign of the Carling Knockout Cup resulted in a lot of weight being placed on the KwaZulu-Natal contingent ahead of the semi-final stage. The lucrative competition has been one of many shocks, which was encapsulated in the elimination of favourites Mamelodi Sundowns in the opening round. With the likes of Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs and SuperSport United already dumped out as well, the pressure has shifted towards the unexpected final four sides remaining. Stellenbosch, TS Galaxy, AmaZulu and Richards Bay will duel over the weekend with a few milestones set to be reached, with just one major trophy between the four clubs. The weight of the entire province has been resting heavily on Usuthu and the Natal Rich Boyz since the beginning of the week, with many expecting…

FORMER Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng said the court-sealed CR17 bank statements, regarding the funding campaign which saw President Cyril Ramaphosa rise to power, should be made public. In a rebuke of Ramaphosa’s CR17 campaign, Mogoeng said there was no such thing as a free lunch and the public had every right to know who had helped fund Ramaphosa’s ascension to the presidency of the ANC and, ultimately, the country. Mogoeng was speaking at the inaugural SAfm public lecture at SABC in Auckland Park on Wednesday, where he referenced his dissenting judgment in the July 2021 matter of the Public Protector versus Ramaphosa. The Constitutional Court at the time set aside the findings of then public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane, who had found Ramaphosa had acted unlawfully relating to donations made…

Through comprehensive sexuality education, combined with the significant achievements in vaccinating more than 80% of Grade 5 girls against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), deworming over 3.5 million learners in grades R-7, and daily feeding 9.6 million learners, we are making strides. These efforts play a crucial role in combating the prevalence of HIV/Aids in educational centres. As we commemorate World Aids Day 2023, it is vital to reflect on both the progress made and the ongoing challenges in tackling the prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), especially among our younger population. The increasing trend of HIV prevalence among teenagers, who are at a pivotal stage of their development and education, is a matter of significant concern. According to data from 2017, HIV prevalence among adolescents in South Africa…

HIGH maintenance people require constant attention and seek constant approval. They crave to be the centre of almost every conversation and will often become moody, resentful, loud and threatening when they are not. They analyse every move, thought, word and action of others, and then read more meaning into statements, looks, sighs and attitudes than was ever intended. They are easily hurt, quickly offended and quick to rebuke when they do not get the kind of attention they think they deserve. Threats of withdrawal or desertion become a way of life. High maintenance people are difficult, sometimes impossible, even in the most relaxed of circumstances. They pick fights, find fault, and personalise almost everything. They argue with people who are closest to them for no apparent reason. They often pick…

THE Auditor-General has raised alarm about a number of infrastructure projects that have been left incomplete due to shoddy work yet the government has paid millions for those projects. Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke said this year they visited 132 infrastructure projects, ranging from schools to health facilities and housing and water projects, and most of them were lying idle or incomplete for various reasons. She said in 82% of the projects they found that the projects were either delayed or there were cost overruns. The incomplete projects have a direct impact on communities as they wait for houses, schools or healthcare facilities. Maluleke, who was briefing the standing committee on the auditor-general, said there were on average delays of 45 months on some of the projects, and yet the government had…

SUSPENDED Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, Judge Nomonde Mngqibisa-Thusi will face the Judicial Conduct Tribunal today for allegedly not delivering judgments on time. Constitutional Court Justice Chris Jafta will act as the tribunal president. Retired Judge Dennis Davis will also be part of the tribunal, while advocate Nasreen Rajab-Budlender SC will be part of the proceedings as a non-judicial member of the tribunal. The hearing follows a complaint lodged earlier by Gauteng High Court Judge President Dunstan Mlambo. The hearing is expected to last until next Thursday. President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier this year placed judges Tshifhiwa Maumela and Mngqibisa-Thusi on suspension to allow the Judicial Conduct Tribunal to investigate suspected misconduct regarding alleged excessive delays by the judges in handing down a significant number of judgments. The president has taken this…

An incident at a Pietermaritzburg school where matric pupils who were set to write English paper 3 were given a Religious Studies exam paper, was due to a “packing error”, and the integrity of the exams was not impacted, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) said. This comes after concern was raised by the DA about Wednesday’s incident. Dr Imran Keeka, DA KZN spokesperson on Education, said 30 pupils at the school were mistakenly handed the Religious Studies paper, which was due to be written in the afternoon. “When the error was raised by learners, it is alleged that only 29 of the 30 Religious Studies papers were initially recovered, with the last one only being recovered some time later.” Keeka said that while not all who received this…

WE NEED Earth observations to keep our planet habitable and to drive inclusive and sustainable development. This involves collecting data on the changing status of the environment – both natural and human – using a variety of tools, from buoys in the sea to satellites that scan the Earth from space. Most raw satellite data is freely available, as an open-source resource, but few people can work with raw data. The lack of access to analysis-ready data and technical resources is a disadvantage in Africa. With limited reliable data sources, specialised tools or training opportunities, it is difficult to leverage the potential of Earth observations to address pressing environmental and societal challenges on the continent. This is where Digital Earth Africa (DE Africa) comes in. An organisation that makes…

The US Democratic Party has no Plan B if President Joe Biden decided for any reason to halt his 2024 re-election campaign, and a sudden need to replace him as its standard-bearer would spark a messy intraparty battle. Despite weak poll numbers and questions, including from some Democrats, about his age, Biden has stuck to his plan to seek a second term after clearing the field of serious Democratic primary challengers when he announced in April that he was running again. Even if more Democratic candidates were to jump in now, the path forward would be unclear as deadlines to get on the primary ballot in critical states such as Nevada, South Carolina and Georgia have already passed. Biden loyalists, citing his record in office, argue that the party does…

LONDON: Piers Morgan has reportedly left the royal family considering legal action by naming the two senior royals at the centre of a Prince Archie race storm. The TV host, 58, decided to use his show this week to name the two royals who writer Omid Scobie, 41, claimed had “concerns” over the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son’s skin colour in the Dutch version of his book Endgame. Its publisher withdrew the copies. Royal experts said Morgan’s move was the “wrong thing to do”. | Bang Showbiz…

LONDON: The president of tech giant Microsoft said there was no probability of super-intelligent artificial intelligence (AI) being created within the next 12 months. Brad Smith’s comments come a year after Microsoft-backed OpenAI released AI chatbot ChatGPT to the public, sparking a flurry of investment and concern that such systems could pose an existential threat to humanity. Recent reports suggested OpenAI founder Sam Altman may have been ousted from the company following a potentially dangerous AI discovery. Smith rejected this. Altman was reappointed after public outcry. Smith said “It’s going to take years, if not decades, but I think the time to focus on safety is now.” | Reuters…

KAMPALA: A Ugandan woman, aged 70, has given birth to twins, her doctor said yesterday, in what the mother hailed as a miracle. Safina Namukwaya’s twins, a boy and a girl, were born on Wednesday at a medical facility in the capital Kampala, where she had received fertility treatment. “This is extraordinary achievement, delivering twins to Africa’s oldest mother at 70 years,” said Dr Edward Tamale Sali, at the Women’s Hospital International and Fertility Centre. Namukwaya said she previously gave birth to a girl in 2020. She said her first husband had died in 1992, leaving her without children, and she met her current partner in 1996. | AFP…