Indholdsfortegnelse for 2023-12-28 i Mercury

Craving Thai food? Skip the takeaway restaurant and try these quick and easy Thai meals. The cuisine of Thailand lures food lovers with its aroma. Its rich and creamy curries, fragrant sauces, flavourful snacks and sweets make you go back to them, time and again. According to experts, the key to cooking any Thai dish lies in balancing the five key flavours – sour, bitter, salty, sweet and spicy, which takes skill to master. Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand for the UK, Ireland and South Africa, Sadudee Sangnil, notes that a big part of the culinary tradition in Thailand involves people coming together to cook and share a meal. And for South Africans who are looking to bring a touch of Thai magic home,…

THE ANC in the eThekwini region, has started a process of identifying members who have joined the newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party after it was endorsed by former president Jacob Zuma. EThekwini, the ANC’s biggest region in the country by membership, has been a traditional stronghold of the party. Regional secretary Musa Nciki on Tuesday sent a letter to all branches calling for an assessment of the impact of the MK Party. The assessment will be presented to the party’s provincial leaders, chairperson Sboniso Duma and provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo, next month. “With the emergence of the MK Party, all ANC BECs (Branch Executive Committees) are instructed to convene special BEC meetings to make assessment of the MK Party impact in our branches. Reports emanating from those special BEC…

I LOVE families no matter how complex, and all are. No exceptions. After many years of being in a family and consulting with families, here are a few enduring truths: • Faith, language, culture, nationality, wealth or poverty, education or lack of education, make little difference in how people love and hurt one another. Jealousy is jealousy, selfishness is selfishness. Brave love is brave love and forgiveness is powerful, no matter where or who you are. • Themes repeat in families despite loving efforts to avoid negative generational patterns. An ignored problem does not disappear. It will go into hiding, brew and emerge into something more pernicious. • But change, real change, is possible. Authentic change comes at a cost that’s well worth it. Nonetheless, there will always be some…

ANC should not stoop to paying Zuma attention It is ironic that what the ANC failed to achieve when it was in Struggle mode, it has succeeded in accomplishing since 1994 – making the country ungovernable. It’s a remarkable achievement, considering the infrastructure and institutions – the hallmark of a functioning South Africa – were the product of more than 80 years of development and enterprise. With the ANC seeking re-election in 2024, a brief outline: Of the bloated 37 national government departments, only the SA Revenue Service functions efficiently, but on a diminishing basis. Since 2015, 914 000 taxpayers have left SA (Daily Friend, July 8). All state-owned enterprises are financially crippled, with Eskom being the worst. Law and order has been eclipsed by lawlessness – 70 murders a…

PUBLIC health facilities nationwide welcomed 1 708 healthy babies on Christmas Day this year, a significant increase from the 1 414 deliveries recorded in 2022. Statistics from the health department further showed 840 baby boys and 868 baby girls were born on December 25. The 1 708 births included babies born to more than 145 teen mothers. “The Department of Health extends its heartfelt congratulations to the dedicated health workers, particularly the midwives, for their tireless efforts in ensuring the safe delivery of these precious bundles of joy. Special wishes go out to all parents, including more than 145 teenage mothers, as they embark on the rewarding journey of parenthood,” health department spokesperson Foster Mohale said. The department, however, expressed concern about the increasing number of teen mothers because “this…

The National Union of Mineworkers has urged Impala Platinum’s Bafokeng Rasimone Mine management not to dismiss its workforce of more than 2 000 miners who staged a 3-day sit-in underground last week. The union has called on the mine management not to be hostile towards its miners as that could lead to more protests at the mine. Last week, the workers staged a sit-in to demand immediate payments from their pension fund. That came after the mine’s change of ownership and the reported tax deductions on bonus payments. On Wednesday, after spending three days underground, the workers returned to the surface. NUM spokesperson Livhuwani Mammburu said at least 2 205 workers were involved in the strike. Mammburu said the union was in talks with the mine management in a…

Police have arrested more than 70 000 people in the ongoing festive season anti-crime operations. Police Minister Bheki Cele, giving an update on December 24, said: “Since October 15 to date, police have arrested over 75 000 suspects for various crimes. This includes 560 murder suspects; 604 suspects have been charged with attempted murder; 470 rape suspects have been taken off our streets; 6 700 assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm suspects and almost 5 000 alleged assault suspects have been arrested for common assault,” said Cele. He added that 408 suspects who tried to break into business properties have been arrested, while 561 people found in possession of firearms and ammunition were also behind bars. “During this time, over 11 000 undocumented individuals have been arrested and…

THE movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever rewrote Hollywood’s script for superhero movies. I was recently involved in an academic roundtable that offered a critical conversation about it and another film set in an African kingdom, The Woman King. As big-budget productions with black female heroes, The Woman King and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever invite discussion and debate about Hollywood representations of Africa and the kinds of roles women and girls can and should play. They lend themselves to discussing topics ranging from the importance of historical accuracy to the power of imagining alternative histories and fantastical futures. One of my primary research areas is the representation of black women in literature and popular culture. My 2018 book, Where No Black Woman Has Gone Before: Subversive portrayals in speculative film and…

Marriage isn’t all sunshine and rainbows so when you can find a way to make things easier for both you and your partner, then of course you’re going to do so. This couple has found an unconventional way to avoid unnecessary arguments. Their solution is sleeping in separate bedrooms. While people might think that sleeping in separate beds means that there’s a problem with their marriage, TikTok user Tiffany Chesson assured followers that her marriage is in the healthiest and strongest place it has ever been. The reason it works for them is because they have extremely different sleep routines. For example, he will press the snooze button “30 times” before waking up while she has a sunrise lamp and as soon as the light goes on, she’s up and…

Legislation will make provision for disclosure THE Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Department is mooting a bill that will regulate land ownership by foreign nationals. This was revealed by Minister Thoko Didiza when responding to ATM MP Thandiswa Marawu when she enquired whether any legislation has been developed to limit the sale of land to foreigners since former president Jacob Zuma made the undertaking in his State of the Nation Address in 2015. While Didiza did not explain what the regulation would entail, in 2015, then president Zuma said that a ceiling of land ownership would be set at a maximum of 12 000 hectares and that foreign nationals would not be allowed to own land in South Africa but would be eligible for long-term lease. He had…

I FIND myself at the Old Mushroom Farm in the Karkloof, a stunningly beautiful Midlands setting. I am surrounded by a bunch of weeds. Not human weeds. These are edible weeds. A mob of people are there for the launch of a book, Wild About Weeds: An introduction to uncultivated food, by local lass Nikki Brighton. Most people have a negative perception of weeds. They’re something between a nuisance and a curse. You have to spend time and money getting rid of them. Nikki has other ideas. They are nature’s contribution to our well- being. Uncultivated they may be but many of them are a nutritious source of food, there for the taking. To prove her point, the tables at the launch are covered with a spread of dips, such…

Since December 1, more than 4 000 motorists have been arrested for drunk driving and other infractions across the country, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) said yesterday. The RTMC said 4 160 motorists had been arrested. “The majority were held for drunken driving while others were detained for producing false documents and driving public transport contrary to operating permits.” The RTMC said officers would not hesitate to discontinue or impound unroadworthy vehicles. “More than 1 738 vehicles have been discontinued and 3 340 impounded since the start of the festive season on December 1.” Public transport operators were reminded to ensure that their drivers had proper documents to drive the vehicles, the vehicles were used on permitted routes and were not overloaded. It added that there would…

Political parties in eThekwini have called for an emergency meeting to discuss the water crisis in areas in the north of Durban. DA councillor Johnson Chetty, in ward 106, called for an emergency community meeting yesterday afternoon to discuss the water crises affecting the area. The ward includes the Verulam area. Verulam and other parts of eThekwini have recently suffered water and electricity outages. Chetty said yesterday: “Due to the magnitude of the water crisis in Verulam and surrounding areas … I am calling for a community meeting in Mountview hall in Verulam.” Bradley Singh, DA MPL and political head for Phoenix, oThongathi and Verulam, said Christmas Day had been a sad and bleak day for many homes across Phoenix and Verulam due to water and electricity outages. He said…

High food prices in recent years have prompted farmers worldwide to plant more cereals and oilseeds, but consumers are set to face tighter supplies well into 2024, amid adverse El Niño weather, export restrictions and higher biofuel mandates. Global wheat, corn and soybean prices – after several years of strong gains – are headed for losses in 2023 on easing Black Sea bottlenecks and fears of a global recession, although prices remain vulnerable to supply shocks and food inflation in the New Year, analysts and traders said. “The supply picture for grains certainly improved in 2023 with bigger crops in some of the key places which matter. But we are not really out of the woods yet,” said Ole Houe, a director of advisory services at agriculture brokerage IKON Commodities…

HUNDREDS of destitute people – including the elderly and children – were spared a hungry Christmas after the Gauteng High Court Pretoria last week ordered the provincial Department of Social Development to immediately pay over the money it owed so that meals could be provided for them. The court was told that due to the non-payment in terms of a service level agreement to an NGO by the department, the vulnerable people had been without any food since November 1. Woolworths, however, assisted those who were on chronic medication for the time being. The volunteers which assisted in feeding them, were also left without their payment. In their opposition to the urgent application, the department was mum about the reason for not making the payment as earlier agree d to.…

The World Trade Organization (WTO) launched its Trade Policy Tools for Climate Action during the COP28 conference. Will the new Trade Policy Tools benefit Africa? What are the WTO’s new Trade Policy Tools? The new tools offer opportunities for countries to mitigate the climate change effect of their trade practices. The tools align with the Paris Agreement, the 2015 legally binding UN Treaty on Climate Change. However, the global contribution of African states to climate change remains low: 4%. African states’ contribution to global trade stands at 3%. There are socio-economic inequalities between African states and their Western counterparts. The wider historical context of the inequalities means that the WTO’s Trade Policy Tools for Climate Action will have different impacts on developing and developed countries. Notwithstanding Africa’s low contribution to…

There was good and bad news for Kaizer Chiefs ahead of Saturday’s Premiership match against Sekhukhune United at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane (8pm kickoff). The good news is that former Bafana Bafana midfielder Keagan Dolly has recovered from an ankle injury and is ready to lead the Amakhosi attack. “Keagan is probably 99.9 percent ready to play,” Chiefs interim coach Cavin Johnson declared. Dolly, who was out for five months with a knee injury earlier in the year, has been on an extensive recovery programme, which included gym work with a fitness trainer. In the past few days, he has been training with the squad, and it looks like his rehabilitation has been a success. He’ll lack match fitness, and Johnson is likely to name him on the…

RATEPAYERS are demanding that eThekwini Municipality write off the water debt that accrued as a result of a billing error when the municipality supplied “free water” to homes that did not quality. The ratepayers said they would not take the blame for municipal incompetence. Thousands of homes have received a “demand” to pay for water erroneously received after the municipality had provided free basic water to homes valued above R250 000 that do not qualify to receive the benefit. The matter dates back to 2020. The Mercury reported last week that residents now owe the municipality thousands. One municipal bill showed that a homeowner now owed the municipality more than R4 000 as a result of this error and has to pay more than R400 each month to settle the…

She was just a poor fisherman’s wife. She lived with her husband and her two grown-up sons in one of the poorest parts of Chatsworth bordering the Bangladesh area, in a tiny, cramped flat with one bedroom, kitchen and toilet. She died peacefully in her sleep a week after her 37th wedding anniversary. A simple, humble woman who had no claim to fame or fortune. She was deeply religious and followed all the Hindu traditions and rituals. Just a few weeks before she died I was surprised to see a Bible next to the god lamp. I asked her why she had the Bible in the room. She said she worshipped all religions. Her funeral wasn’t a colourful, glitzy affair like a Bollywood show to impress the world. It was…

Fuel prices are expected to go down next month. Experts said the decrease was expected due to a fall in the price of Brent crude for most of this month. Automobile Association spokesperson Layton Beard said that motorists can expect significant fuel price reductions in the new year. “According to the data, ULP93 will decrease by around 68 cents per litre, and ULP95 by 82c. Diesel is set to decrease considerably by around R1.50 per litre with illuminating paraffin also decreasing by around R1.42 per litre. The forecast reductions of diesel will bring the price down to around R20.32 a litre inland, a price lower than the same time last year.” Beard added that the expected reductions can be attributed to the lower international prices. “While the rand…

The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) has urged bathers, boaters and all other coastal water users to be aware of strong rip currents due to the full moon Spring tide. It said this tide phase will last into the new year and may contribute to stronger than normal rip currents around the coastline. “Public at beaches and along the coastline will experience the 2 daily high tides which will noticeably be higher than normal and the 2 daily low tides which will noticeably be lower than normal and stronger than normal rip currents will occur at places around the coastline. Swim at beaches protected by lifeguards.” This comes after the NSRI responded to a drowning at Klein Brak Beach in Mossel Bay in the Western Cape on Christmas morning. NSRI…

A Limpopo man aged 39 was set to appear in court after being arrested and charged for repeatedly raping his daughter – and twice making her pregnant. Police at Dennilton in Limpopo arrested the father for allegedly raping his 15-year-old biological daughter at Moteti village in the Sekhukhune District. It is alleged that the father initially raped the girl in March 2021, when she was 12 years old, and the child fell pregnant. Police said the first pregnancy was ultimately terminated, but the girl’s mother was not aware of it. The girl also did not reveal to her mother that she was pregnant. The second pregnancy has also been terminated, according to Limpopo police spokesperson, Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba. “It is alleged that the suspect continued to rape the daughter repeatedly…

As we bask in the joy of the festive season, it is heartening to celebrate the safe delivery of 1 708 healthy babies on Christmas Day this year. This remarkable achievement, an increase from the 1 414 deliveries last year, is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our health-care professionals, particularly the midwives who play a crucial role in ensuring the well-being of the mothers and their children. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the health workers involved and wish all parents, including the more than 145 teen mothers, the very best on their parenting journey. The work of these health-care heroes is indispensable, especially within the public health sector where challenges abound. The safe delivery of babies represents not only a medical triumph but also a…