Indholdsfortegnelse for 2024-02-20 i Mercury

SOUTH Africa’s steel industry is in a state of crisis and the metals industry, including the engineering sector, has been losing 40 jobs every day in South Africa since 2008. This was according to the Confederation of Employers of SA chairperson Dr Lawrence McCrystal, who in a statement shared a concern of the Steel and Engineering Industry Federation of South Africa (Seifsa) chief operations officer-economist Tafadzwa Chibanguza, that the sector’s employment trends spelt wide-scale social and economic disaster. Networth Investments CEO Harold Vermaak said yesterday that the bulk of the South African carbon steel production industry currently risked extinction by 2030 and in so doing was likely to take “200 000 jobs and a substantial portion of the Transnet and Eskom infrastructure with it”. The Saldanha Steel plant has…

ANGLO American Platinum (Amplats) is restructuring its operations which could result in the loss of 3 700 jobs and closure of the Mortimer smelter. The group is battling depressed platinum group metals (PGM) prices, load shedding from Eskom which reduced pro- duction by 82 000 ounces in the year to December 2023, and rising costs, its results showed yesterday. Amplats is the latest South African PGM miner to embark on a restructuring exercise as prices of the precious metal remain subdued. Last year, Sibanye-Stillwater and Impala Platinum also said they were reducing costs by offering voluntary retrenchment schemes to some employees. For Amplats, the restructuring has come against a dip in its financial perfor- mance for the year ended December 2023.…

OVER TWO AND a half days in September 2023, a luxurious Franschhoek wine estate venue played host to the inaugural Digital Transformation Strategy Summit Africa, curated by Novacom Summits. South African journalist and podcast producer Refiloe Mpakanyane joined the fray to spend time with C-suite leaders and innovative solution providers working in African telecoms; gleaning live dashboard insights about the state of digital transformation on the continent. Mpakanyane taped medium-length video interviews with four seasoned corporate C-suite executives and distilled them into a share-worthy podcast pulse-check featuring eclectic insights into the evolution of Africa’s telecoms-driven digital transformation. Digital economy participation is the new black In conversation with Mpakanyane and The African Pre-seed’s managing editor Adam Wakefield, former director of Google West Africa Dr Juliet Ehimuan put forward three pivotal pillars…

THE ANC yesterday complied with the Constitutional Court ruling and handed over cadre deployment records to the DA, accusing the opposition party of deliberate misrepresentation, threats and false expectations of what might be contained in the records. DA spokesperson for public administration, Leon Schreiber, said the ANC had provided the documents by the 5pm deadline. “The DA will now study the records to ascertain whether the ANC has complied with the court order in full, which directed it to hand over complete meeting minutes, email correspondence, WhatsApp conversations, CVs and all other relevant documentation dating back to January 2013,” Schreiber said. ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said the party had nothing to hide and that a number of the records for the period 2018 to 2021 were handed over to…

ON A RECENT recent trip to Gauteng, I pulled off at a rest stop on South Africa’s busiest freeway, the N3, in the Free State. The rest bay was in a filthy state. All the litter was lying on the ground. The motorists and their passengers sat in their cars, gobbled up the takeaways, flung the containers out the windows and left. What is shocking is that there were two big drums for refuse. On the drums were written, “Place your litter here”. But the bins were empty. The motorists and their passengers felt it was too much of a bother to get out of their cars and put the litter in the bins. And so they flung it out of their car windows and drove off. Our roads have…

Call me whatever you like, but placing a cellphone or electronic device in front of your child to keep your child quiet or occupied or “entertained” so you can do whatever you’re doing without interruption is probably going to come back to bite you. The choice you think you’re making will soon be a demand your child will make. You’re setting into motion a long-term test of wills you are unlikely to win. Your child’s electronic device – and I confess I don’t know you and so I may be very wrong – is probably far more interesting than you are and the day is already here when you cannot compete. The reward of the seduction and the power of the small screen in your child’s hands will far outweigh…

THE water crisis is the tip of the iceberg. The patience of some residents is dwindling as they are struggling with water disruptions. Over the past few months, certain municipalities have been working around the clock – with no success – leaving some communities abandoned and scrambling for water. The restoration of water services is urgent. This has resulted in violence and even death as people wage war to secure the fading drops of water. It has also exposed our vulnerabilities and dependencies on municipalities that cannot meet the basic needs of society. The shortage of water has exposed just how much more resourceful we need to be. It has been a hard lesson to learn, but it has taught us for the future that we need to save. The…

Parliament has hit back at the urgent application by Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe to interdict his impeachment vote scheduled for tomorrow. Judge Hlophe has argued in court papers that Parliament failed to adopt rules for the impeachment of a judicial officer and its failure to do so has resulted in a flawed constitutional process for his removal from office. The justice and correctional service portfolio recommended his impeachment last year, along with Judge Nkola Motata, following the Judicial Service Commission’s (JSC’s) determination of their guilt for gross misconduct. Judge Hlophe’s application for an interdict comes as he approached the Constitutional Court for direct access wherein he is raising issues about the processes followed in deciding to recommend adopting and voting on his removal from office. In his application…

The eThekwini Municipality has confirmed the postponement of a planned pipeline shutdown at the Northern Aqueduct. “Residents and businesses are informed that the planned shutdown of the Northern Aqueduct Pipeline scheduled to commence on Tuesday, February 20, has been postponed until further notice,” City spokesperson, Gugu Sisilana, said yesterday. She said the decision was taken after extensive assessments by the City’s water and sanitation technical teams. A new date would be communicated to the public, she added. Last week, the City said several areas north of Durban would be impacted by the pipeline shutdown, which was to install new valves. The pipeline carries water from Durban Heights Treatment Works to areas in the north. The City has been undertaking repairs to the old northern aqueduct following weeks of protests…

SOCIAL justice and welfare non-profit organisations (NPOs) which receive funding from the government say expected budget cuts will have a detrimental impact on them and the people they serve. Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana will tomorrow deliver a Budget speech that could see a reduction of billions of rand in government spending. Childline KwaZulu-Natal’s acting director Adeshini Naicker said the organisation was desperately seeking alternative funding streams, including donations from corporates and individuals. Naicker said that the late subsidy payments from the government had not helped either and had left staff disgruntled due to salaries being paid late. She said Childline KZN has been sent a notice that its funding will be cut in the new financial year. “We have been forced to relook at our current strategic plan. Sadly,…

The SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) in KwaZulu-Natal has called a meeting with water experts to help address ongoing water supply issues in Durban in violation of residents’ right to water. Provincial SAHRC manager Pavershree Padayachee said the commission has since January undertaken various initiatives, such as convening meetings with affected communities; participating in war room meetings; and liaising with various government actors across the three spheres of government. The commission was particularly concerned that the eThekwini Municipality has failed to meet its self-imposed deadline of last week to deal with the water outages, she said. “The metro had committed to resolve the ongoing water supply challenges to affected areas by Thursday, February 15.” In its 2022 inquiry report, the commission found that water services authorities, such as the metro,…

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa would have us believe that Tintswalo is the epitome of the ANC’s success. We went out in search of Tintswalo. Guess what? She’s a figment of his and his whole band of loyal ANC looters’ imagination. Trying to find Tintswalo was a by-product of Ford Motor Company’s annual Rally to Read project. Rally to Read delivers donations of educational material and resources to disadvantaged schools in the Gqeberha area of the Eastern Cape. It’s an initiative with the Department of Education and Read Foundation that includes Elukholweni Primary School, WB Tshume Primary School, Nomathamsanqa Primary School, Nkuthalo Primary School, Rocklands Primary School, David Vuku Primary School, Empumalanga Primary School, and Mzomtsha Primary School. Mr President, I doubt you or any of your executives have recently driven unaccompanied…

An intensifying conflict between the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) army and the Tutsi-led M23 rebels, allegedly backed by Rwanda, has disrupted food supplies to the eastern city of Goma, affecting over 2 million residents and displaced individuals. Clashes have escalated since the start of the year in towns and villages around the provincial capital as rebels seized territory, forcing thousands to seek refuge in the city. The use of heavy artillery and shelling has killed dozens, and hospitals in Goma have struggled to cope with the influx of injured civilians. The UN and other aid agencies have warned that the fighting risks worsening the humanitarian crisis in the eastern Congo region, where more than 5 million people have been displaced in the four provinces of the region due to…

A man who piloted a small boat carrying migrants to Britain from France in December 2022 was yesterday found guilty of manslaughter after four men died during the attempted crossing. Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said Ibrahima Bah was also convicted of one count of facilitating a breach of immigration law. Bah was pilot of the inflatable boat which started taking on water shortly after setting sail, witnesses from among the 39 people who survived said. The boat ripped apart and the survivors were rescued by a fishing vessel. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made stopping the thousands of migrants attempting to get to Britain in overcrowded small boats one of his priorities, saying the journeys are dangerous and benefit criminal gangs. | Reuters…

Yangon: Two people were killed in a crush outside a passport office in Myanmar yesterday, a rescue worker said, as thousands rush to leave the country to escape a junta military service law. Two women aged 52 and 39 died yesterday after hundreds of people surged to get in line at the passport office in second city Mandalay. “There was a ditch near the crowd. “They fell into the ditch and died from a lack of oxygen,” the rescue officer said, requesting anonymity for security reasons. Another woman was slightly injured. All three had been selling tokens assigning numbers in the queue. | AFP…

Bangkok: A Mongolian man has been arrested at Thailand’s main airport for allegedly trying to smuggle komodo dragons, pythons, tortoises and 24 live fish out of the country, authorities said yesterday. The man was arrested on Saturday after officials searched luggage he had checked for a flight from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport to Mongolia’s capital, Ulaanbaatar, customs department spokesperson Phantong Loykulnanta said. The search revealed two komodo dragons, six Indian star tortoises, eight iguanas, five pythons, one boa constrictor and 24 live fish. Authorities charged the man with smuggling protected animals. | AFP…

Kaizer Chiefs’ interim coach Cavin Johnson is not losing any sleep over his team’s bluntness in attack ahead of their Nedbank Cup last-32 clash this weekend. Chiefs have fallen on tough times in recent seasons as their trophy cabinet gathered nothing but dust for the last eight campaigns. So, having missed out on the MTN8 and Carling Knockout already this season, while the DStv Premiership is out of reach, they want to save their season by winning the Nedbank Cup. But that’s easier said than done. Chiefs will open their Nedbank Cup campaign against first division outfit Milford FC at FNB Stadium on Sunday afternoon. History doesn’t back Chiefs to win easily, though, as they’ve struggled against the so-called minnows, including losing to then-NFD side TS Galaxy in the 2019…

Having tasted the sweetness that comes with being the best team in Africa, Banyana Banyana are eager to succeed now more than ever, says coach Desiree Ellis. Banyana have had an incredible run in recent years. They won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in 2022 and finished in the last 16 at the World Cup last year. And while those two achievements were for a first, the pressure has mounted on the team to succeed whenever they compete. This includes qualifying for the 2024 Olympic Games, especially having missed out on the last edition in Tokyo four years ago. Banyana have done well in trying to achieve that feat so far, as they breezed through the first two rounds of the qualifiers, beating the Democratic Republic of Congo and…

TELKOM SA’s share price lifted more than 4% yesterday after it reported “good progress” in performance in the third quarter to December 31. This was after compelling value propositions drove next generation (NGN) revenue growth and operating earnings in line with the data-led strategy, CEO Serame Taukobong said in a trading update yesterday. Group revenue increased 2% to R11.31 billion, and group earnings before interest tax depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) was stable at R2.48bn. Mobile revenue was up 4.8% to R5.96bn. Mobile service revenue increased 7.1% and Mobile Ebitda was up 3.5% to R1.2bn. Openserve fixed data next generation revenue grew by 6.2% and its Ebitda was up 7% to R1.01bn. BCX’s revenue was marginally down at 0.7%. IT business revenue increased 13.1% to R2.12bn. Swiftnet revenue increased 4.7%…

THE EXCESSIVE heat across South Africa currently is a significant concern for the farming sector, according to the Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz). The agricultural organisation’s chief economist, Wandile Sihlobo, said the 2023/24 summer crop season started on a favourable footing. “We received widespread rains, which was unusual in an El Niño season, which would typically start with drier weather conditions. According to data from the Crop Estimates Committee, the farmers managed to plant a sizeable summer grain and oilseed area of 4.4 million hectares, up by 0.4% from the 2022/23 season. “For a while, it appeared as though South Africa was on track for yet another excellent harvest. But since the start of February, the rain has been scant across the summer crop-growing regions of South Africa, thus raising…

A National Treasury report on State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) has revealed the poor financial state of Transnet, Eskom and the South African Post Office (Sapo). The report, which provided an update on SOEs in respect of the third quarter, October to December 2023, was presented last week in Parliament. Experts have agreed that the report paints a realistic picture of SOEs that are in debt and relying on guarantees and loans from the government. The report said Transnet had recorded a decline in freight rail due to operational inefficiencies; theft and vandalism while port productivity is significantly lower than benchmark African and European ports. The report said Transnet’s financial position has led to it being unable to settle its 2023/24 debt maturities of approximately R14 billion. In November 2023…

TWO VITAL issues were raised again, this time at the Reservoir Hills “Goodwill Manor” where an interesting triple book launch was held on Saturday. What makes stories that occur in the northern globe (US, UK, Europe) so much more saleable than tales from the south (India, South Africa, South America) even if the same, late Queen Elizabeth’s English was used to convey these tales? What makes Tom Sawyer set in Missouri, along the Mississippi River, a timeless classic but an equally intriguing yarn that uses an Indian setting like Mayville’s Second River, off Bellair Road so different, and mostly ignored by international readers? Why do the Enid Blytons, the Charles Dickenses, and the likes of Edgar Allan Poe of Britain, the US … continue to attract so much of attention…

God, the Creator of all that exists, forbids injustice and cruelty and demands mercy and beauty. Thus, a Palestinian victory over a Zionist genocide is inevitable because light will conquer darkness and justice will always prevail over injustice as this is ingrained and weaved into the pattern of history. Zionists who migrated from Slavic Eastern Europe kill innocent Palestinian women and children and confirm this evil by celebrating their arrogance. The Creator forbids cruelty as this action is pagan. Zionists kill and starve millions of innocent Palestinians and this cruelty is watched by heaven above. Those who worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Ismail know the Palestinians are descendants of Abraham through the line of Jacob, whom God especially loved. God will not allow those who harm the offspring…

The strangle hold of unions over KwaZulu-Natal’s ANC-run Department of Education (DoE) has undoubtedly led to the deterioration of quality education in our province. Meanwhile, classroom time – the right of every learner and the primary reason why parents send their children to school – continues to face all manner of challenges. These include union meetings, remembrance services, and even time for certain NGOs to promote their products through the platform of public schools. Teachers can no longer be protected for late-coming, frequent absenteeism, early departure from school and even, as reported in some instances, choir practices. Their priority is to be in their classrooms doing the job they are paid to do. Of course, there are also those thousands of teachers who are hard working and dedicated to their…

While the latest crime statistics showed a decline in cash-in-transit (CIT) heists in the country, moving to cashless transactions for businesses may be a better long-term solution, a crime expert said. On Friday, Police Minister Bheki Cele released the third-quarter crime stats for the 2023/24 financial year, for the period between October and December 2023. He said the police’s strategy was helping to reduce CIT heists, kidnappings and extortion. Cele said there were 46 CIT robberies reported in the past three-month period, 11 fewer than reported for the same period in the previous year. The police minister said as many as 16 of the heists took place in Gauteng, 12 in the Eastern Cape and nine in KwaZulu-Natal. Despite the positive outcome of police efforts, experts said there was an…

IN yet another battle between two women who both claim they are the customary wives of their now dead husband, the court declared the first wife, – married to him for 26 years and bore him 13 children – is in fact the lawful wife. The first wife turned to the Bloemfontein High Court for an order forcing Home Affairs to register her marriage to her late husband, who died in 2018. Also, in terms of the Recognition of the Customary Marriage Act to note that they were married in community of property. She submitted a letter from the chief of the area where they lived, to the court as proof that she and the dead man were indeed married. But the second wife, who opposed the application, also issued…

The trial of 21-year-old Sifiso Mkhwanazi, accused of allegedly murdering six sex workers, will be back in court tomorrow for the defence to bring an application. Mkhwanazi is currently facing six counts of murder. The court yesterday heard from the investigating officer, Bongani Mbonambi, who stood by his version that the six murders were premeditated by the accused as he sought to seek revenge due to his earlier arrest on rape charges. Mbonambi said even though the State might find it difficult to prove rape charges against the 21-year-old, his own admission statement confirms that the crimes were part of an act of revenge and was planned over a period of time due to the circumstances leading up to the six murders. “It is the accused’s version that the sex…

As Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana prepares to deliver the Budget speech this week, the tragic loss of two SANDF personnel and the injury of three others in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) conflict serve as a stark reminder of the critical need to bolster South Africa’s defence capabilities. It’s imperative that Minister Godongwana prioritises increasing the SANDF budget to ensure the readiness and effectiveness of our armed forces, both in defending our nation and contributing to peacekeeping efforts on the continent. Over the years, the defence budget has experienced cuts, resulting in a weakened SANDF. These reductions have compromised our ability to adequately defend our borders against potential threats and fulfil our obligations in peacekeeping missions. The recent events in the DRC underscore the urgency of addressing this issue.…

The mother of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is being refused access to his body for a third day, his team said yesterday as his widow was to meet European foreign ministers. Navalny’s death in an Arctic prison last week has shocked the country’s exiled opposition which – along with the West – pointed the finger at the Kremlin. Navalny’s allies said investigators told his mother, Lyudmila, the investigation into his death in prison “has been extended”. Russia’s prison service said Navalny, 47, died on Friday after a walk in his remote prison above the Arctic Circle. His mother travelled to the isolated prison colony in the town of Kharp – 2 000km from Moscow – on Saturday but was told his body was not there. She was then…

BRUSSELS: European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen yesterday won the backing of her German centre-right party for a second term, putting her in a strong position to clinch another five years running the EU’s executive body. Germany’s opposition Christian Democrats gave their support to Von der Leyen to be their candidate for commission president. It confirms a widespread assumption that Von der Leyen would seek another term. The former German defence minister is now likely to become the candidate of the pan-European centre-right European People’s Party, at a congress in Bucharest in March. | Reuters…

London: Campaigners yesterday lost a legal challenge to stop a controversial road tunnel to ease traffic congestion near the prehistoric Unesco World Heritage Site of Stonehenge in southwest England. Druids, who celebrate the pagan solstice festival at the site each year, in December joined protesters outside London’s High Court. Opponents of the £1.7 billion (R40bn) project noted planning officials’ assessment that it could cause “permanent and irreversible damage” to the site. But High Court Judge David Holgate said ministers had “rightly focused on the relevant policies” and that the Save Stonehenge World Heritage Site’s evidence “provides no basis for undermining that conclusion”. | AFP…

Cricket S’s four-day competition heads into the final round this week. The competition has been fiercely contested and defending champions the Dolphins lead the standings on 103.52 points. The KwaZulu-Natal side is slightly ahead of the second-placed Titans on 102 points. The Lions are a bit further back in third on 95.5, while Western Province are in fourth spot on 92.5. The competition has also served up a perfect final round of group fixtures with the Lions and Titans set to do battle in the Jukskei derby, while the Dolphins head down to Cape Town to face WP at Newlands tomorrow. With 20 points allocated for an outright victory in addition to bonus points, both matches are virtual semi-finals. Here, we have chosen four players that could swing the tide…

This in view of the continued deterioration of South Africa’s fiscal position that has dampened investor sentiment THE BUSINESS sector wants Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana to table a prudent Budget Review tomorrow, amidst continued deterioration of the fiscal position, which has damped investor sentiment. Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) yesterday said that there were four key things that business was looking for in the Budget: a primary surplus, infrastructure investment, bailouts to troubled SOEs, and changes to tax rates. BLSA CEO Busi Mavuso said even though there has been a clear effort to rein in spending, economic growth has consistently disappointed. Mavuso said the revenue side has not been able to deliver enough money to fully restore government finances due to a number of bottlenecks such as the Covid-19…

PRICEwaterhouseCoopers (PwC) South Africa believes Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana will announce in the Budget tomorrow that the National Treasury will go ahead with a planned increase in taxes to raise R15 billion more revenue for the 2024/2025 fiscal year. “South Africa’s fiscal space will be constrained in 2024/2025 due to weak revenues and rising debt-servicing costs,” said PwC South Africa chief economist Lullu Krugel. The Finance Minister has acknow- ledged in recent months that increasing taxes in the current economic environment will be difficult. “By our estimates, to raise an additional R15bn in tax revenues would require increasing the personal income tax rates by 0.5 percentage points across all tax bands, or one percentage point on those earning more than R500 000 a year. “Alternatively, the National Treasury…

NORTHAM Platinum plunged 8.1% in opening trade on the JSE yesterday as investors responded negatively to the company’s R800 million loss on its disposal of Impala Platinum shares, following the world number two PGM miner’s mandatory offer to Royal Bafokeng Platinum shareholders. Northam’s price gap narrowed and it closed 4.23% weaker at R106.75 on the JSE yesterday. The stock is 15.18% weaker in the past 30 days, and softer by 20.63% in the year to date. “Northam dropped 8.1% on the open, thanks to the trading update. The market will never miss an opportunity to punish a share for managements’ stupidity (RBPlats deal),” said market analyst Martin Rogers. Northam disposed of all of its shares in RBPlat after Implats made a mandatory offer amounting to R90 per share to…

THE relationship between the ANC and EFF in KwaZulu-Natal appears to be on shaky ground after the EFF recently supported a motion to have eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda removed from council. Initially the fallout looked to be restricted to eThekwini, but EFF provincial chairperson Mongezi Twala said yesterday the party was still assessing its relationship with the ANC in the province. Last year the EFF withdrew from a coalition deal with the IFP, which saw all members serving as deputy mayors resign, allowing the ANC to run three district municipalities and five local municipalities. However, a split between the parties emerged when the EFF backed the IFP's motion of no confidence against Kaunda last month. At the council meeting, EFF caucus leader Themba Mvubu said there was no need for…

In another victory for the Sekunjalo Group (SG) of companies, the Western Cape High Court yesterday dismissed Standard Bank’s application for leave to appeal an interim interdict against the closure of the group’s bank accounts. Judge Judith Cloete heard Standard Bank’s appeal application on Thursday as to why her initial ruling on the interdict application should not stand. In a judgment handed down yesterday, she dismissed Standard Bank’s appeal with costs. She also ruled that the Sekunjalo Group, who have had judgments in favour and against it since she heard the case in 2023, “should be afforded the opportunity to place them, and their respective views on their implications, properly before the court at the next hearing”. The 12-month interdict was handed down against Standard Bank in September last year,…

IN THE interest of preventing mass swoonings, what follows should not be read by retired sergeant-majors. Sies! New recruits to the Japanese military will be allowed to have longer hair in a bid to attract more young people, the country’s defence ministry has said, according to the BBC. The announcement comes as Japan struggles with a shortage of soldiers in the face of growing concerns about China and North Korea. Only buzz cuts were allowed for male recruits, and short hair for females. But from next month the rules will be relaxed to allow troops to have longer hair. Male troops will be allowed to have short back and sides with longer hair on top. Females will be allowed to have longer hair – but it cannot fall onto the…

MY HEART aches deeply as I write these words, mourning the death of a dear friend and brother, DuEggie Saagries Naidu (Eggie). Today is a sombre day, as we bid farewell to a soul who illuminated our lives with kindness, generosity and unwavering support. Eggie, your presence was a beacon of light in our lives. Your restaurant, Saagries, was not just a place where we dined, it was a sanctuary where laughter echoed, ideas blossomed and friendships flourished. The countless hours we spent there, strategising, celebrating and simply enjoying each other’s company are etched in my memory forever. Your commitment to our community extended far beyond the walls of Saagries. You selflessly served on our first CSI Board at SAB, embodying the spirit of service and dedication. Through every trial…

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is hoping to engage Universities South Africa (Usaf) to make a request for universities to extend the registration period as delays including outstanding funding decisions have impacted many students. The NSFAS board met on Friday to consider operational and policy-related matters. According to the funding scheme, more than R3 billion in allowances should be paid by March to institutions. NSFAS acting board chairperson professor Lourens van Staden said a total of R2.8bn was disbursed to universities in January. The disbursement does not include the calculation of the tranche payments which are expected to be paid in April 2024. “This upfront payment covers one month of student accommodation and the book allowance. The book allowance is calculated at half of the total cost…

Recently established political party, RISE Mzansi has declared that it has received more than R17 million in funding following its registration last year. The bulk of funds come from the Oppenheimer family, with more than R15m coming from Rebecca Oppenheimer. The party is led by Songezo Zibi, who is a former editor of the Financial Mail and former editor of Business Day. On Saturday, the party disclosed its funding in terms of the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s Political Funding Act. The party’s chief organiser, Makashule Gana, in a statement said this is part of deepening democracy and transparency. “Today RISE Mzansi discloses the donors who have made contributions at the level that must be submitted and declared to the IEC as per the Political Party Funding Act. Political…

A study by advocacy campaign Youth Capital said that eight in 10 young South Africans have to choose between looking for work and buying food because of the high cost of job hunting. The report titled What does it really cost young people to look for work found that the cost of job hunting could be as high as R1 469 per month. “The cost of looking for work is one of the reasons why young people give up hunting for opportunities; for this reason, it has been the focus of a number of state-led interventions. We surveyed more than 10 000 young respondents to understand whether this cost is decreasing or not. “The findings indicate that the barriers to employment are too insurmountable for young people and lock them…

Fraud, corruption and crimes dealing with smuggling, theft and the sale of precious metal, diamonds, narcotics and non-ferrous metals are regarded as the top five national priority crimes in the country. This is according to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations’ (DPCI) which provided its third quarter update for the 2023/24 financial year yesterday. The DPCI, more commonly known as the Hawks, provided an update on its arrests, convictions and recoveries. Hawks head Lieutenant General Dr Godfrey Lebeya, said they made 724 arrests, including 156 for fraud involving 15 companies; 64 for precious metals and diamonds; 67 arrests for narcotics; 51 for non-ferrous metals and 51 corruption-related arrests. At the same time, the Hawks were able to seize precious metals and diamonds, endangered species, vehicles, cash, firearms, ammunition, counterfeit goods,…

Two very different realities collided during president’s Sona THE opposition parties’ debate on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation address (Sona) and their unreservedly critical approach to several poor governance issues masked in the speech set the scene for alternatives in their election manifestos. Why do I say this? The tension between the we-are-the-vanguard majority party and the cross-spectrum of opposition politicians has played out in stark form in the debate. Many focused on the policy implications – on what it had meant for the nation when the governing party treated the debate and, most concerningly, the sorry state of our nation as an election racket. I know what you’re asking: You mean there could be policy implications in the tail-end of this administration proceeding to the next? Yes,…

Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki told the UN’s top court yesterday that his people were suffering “colonialism and apartheid” under the Israelis, urging judges to order an immediate and unconditional end to the occupation. “The Palestinians have endured colonialism and apartheid ... There are those who are enraged by these words. They should be enraged by the reality we are suffering,” al-Maliki told the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The ICJ is holding hearings all week on the legal implications of Israel’s occupation since 1967, with an unprecedented 52 countries, including the US and Russia, expected to give evidence. Speaking in the Peace Palace in The Hague, where the ICJ sits, the minister urged judges to declare the occupation illegal and order it to stop “immediately, totally and unconditionally”. “Justice…

Houthi militants in Yemen said yesterday that they had attacked the Rubymar cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden and the vessel was now at risk of sinking – raising the stakes in their campaign to disrupt global shipping in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza war. The crew are safe, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement. The Houthis had also shot down a US drone in the port city of Hodeidah, he said. “The ship was seriously hit which caused it to stop completely. As a result of the extensive damage the ship suffered, it is now at risk of sinking in the Gulf of Aden,” Sarea said. The Rubymar sustained damaged after two missiles were fired at the vessel from Yemen although the crew were…

Paris: The Eiffel Tower, one of the world’s top tourist attractions, was closed yesterday after staff went on strike, unions said. The strike, which was called to protest over the way the monument is managed financially, could be extended, they said. The tower’s operator, Sete, said that “visits of the monument will be disrupted”. The stoppage is the second strike at the Eiffel Tower. Unions have criticised operator Sete for its business model that they say is based on an inflated estimate of future visitor numbers, while under-estimating construction costs. The Eiffel Tower attracts nearly 7 million visitors a year, about three-quarters of them foreigners. | AFP…

AMBALA: The Indian government has offered guaranteed support prices for pulses, corn and cotton in a bid to break a deadlock with protesting farmers, Trade Minister Piyush Goyal said after week-long clashes between security forces and protesters. Tear gas and barricades were used to deter the farmers, who form an influential voting bloc, months ahead of a general election due by May, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks a third term. The offer follows marathon talks with farmers’ unions after the protesters, who are demanding higher prices backed by law for nearly two dozen crops, were halted about 200km from New Delhi. | Reuters…

THERE ARE at least 30 000 reasons why many athletes will be out to outrun Kabelo Mulaudzi during this year’s Absa Run Your City Series that comprises five races in the country’s major cities. That’s how much in rand the athletes stand to swell their bank balance by should they win any of the 10km races in Gqeberha, Cape Town, Durban, Tshwane and Johannesburg. Mulaudzi was the star of last year’s series, the Boxer Athletic Club star winning the two of the five events. He is sure to be a marked man this year in the popular race series that boasts a little over R1.5m in overall prize money in a country where road running doesn’t pay particularly well. “We are proud to once again offer an impressive combined series…