Indholdsfortegnelse for 2024-02-21 i Mercury

A 30-year-old employee of the eThekwini Municipality was arrested yesterday at the Municipal Disaster Management Centre in Durban in a multi-disciplinary operation after he was allegedly caught on surveillance footage vandalising and stealing CCTV infrastructure. Speaking moments after the employee was whisked away by police in handcuffs, Vincent Ngubane, head of the city’s Disaster Management and Emergency Services Unit, said the suspect had been employed as an operator in the CCTV surveillance room for more than three years. He said the city had worked hard to repair the cameras just before the festive season and there had been an outcry that the CCTV cameras were not working. “Besides the weather that had an impact on the infrastructure, we didn't know that one of our own was behind the sabotage.” He…

A FASCINATING little book comes this way, titled Durban at Your Feet: An alternative guide to a city. Published in 1979, it’s written by Professor Barend van Niekerk, once in the Faculty of Law at Natal University (as it was then still called). The preface is written by Alan Paton, then leader of the Liberal Party. Van Niekerk sketches Durban’s Portuguese origins and early days, then takes the reader on a sort of foot tour of the city and its older buildings, lamenting the way so many of them have been demolished for vulgar profit or neglected and allowed to deteriorate. (This is set in the late ’70s of course. We can only guess at what he would have made of today’s shambles.) On “Memories of Point Road today Mahatma…

The claim by Donald McKay of XA Global Trade Advisors that “deglobalisation is more expensive and less innovative” (Business Report, February 19) is grossly at odds with reality. In the first place the socialist-motivated state-owned enterprises in South Africa, which are inherently sluggish, expensive monopolies, have nothing to do with “deglobalisation”. Inefficiency and waste are the hallmark of governments worldwide. Where McKay’s argument in favour of globalisation goes off the rails is his assertion that it “means everyone who produces a product is potentially in competition with the world and competition is what drives innovation”. That is emphatically not the case. Although Ronald Reagan was hailed for deregulating the US economy, the unintended aspect of his policy was the tremendous surge in mergers and takeovers that followed in the wake…

FEW lives have been improved by the land restitution process and in many ways, families and communities have been shattered even more, utterly forgotten and abandoned. This is according to University of Pretoria Professor and author of Impossible Return, Siona O’Connell, after the Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Department yesterday presented the findings of a study on land restitution and financial compensation paid to beneficiaries. About 2.3 million people, according to the department, have benefited from land restitution and R25 billion was spent on the purchase and transfer of 3.9 million hectares. “When we evaluate the success and failure of land restitution, it is important for us to understand it was not only about asset loss but psychological impact that went with it,” Minister Thoko Didiza said. “Without…

The shooting of a school principal at a Gauteng primary school by a Grade 6 pupil was an unfortunate incident which would have been difficult to prevent. This was the view of the National Professional Teachers Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) after last week’s incident. Naptosa executive director Basil Manuel said schoolteachers had a way of dealing with unruly learners, but in this case, no one could have anticipated that a 13-year-old boy from Primrose Primary School would be capable of arming himself with a firearm and pulling the trigger on the principal. “It’s really difficult to say how this matter should have been handled, because teachers didn’t see this coming. How were teachers supposed to know that such a young boy would come to school carrying a gun? The…

ADVOCATE Dumisa Ntsebeza has made damning findings against the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for its handling of the prosecution of apartheid-era crimes. In his report, he said the NPA, the state entity responsible for discharging the mandate to bring justice to the victims and survivors of apartheid-era crimes committed between March 1, 1960 and December 5,1993, failed to do so. “The consequences of this failure have manifested themselves in the vast number of cases that have now become irredeemable – memories have faded, witnesses have died, perpetrators have died, evidence which should have been archived, has, over time, got lost or destroyed or both,” he said in his report. Ntsebeza was commissioned by the NPA in January 2022 to review its Truth and Reconciliation component, established in September 2021, and…

The Cape Town Magistrate’s Court has ruled that the alleged members of the Black Axe syndicate must be extradited to the US. Magistrate Ingrid Arntsen ruled yesterday that there was sufficient evidence to warrant their prosecution. According to the Western Cape National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) the court found that the certificate that was issued by the US binds the court and there was enough evidence to prosecute. The seven accused are all Nigerian nationals. The eighth accused, Toritseju Gabriel Otubu, won his application to have his extradition inquiry separated from his co-accused. The accused face charges of wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy and aggravated identity theft. The State alleged the accused would contact potential victims by email or reach out to them on social media. NPA spokesperson…

IT HAS been almost two years since Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said discussions over the scrapping of the Gauteng e-tolls had started. And it has been just over a decade since e-toll gantries went live on a 187km stretch of Gauteng highways, as part of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project. Launched in October 2007, the project was deceiving in that it happened during the preparations for the Fifa 2010 World Cup, while the country was a construction site, literally. Thus the highway improvement appeared to be part of the preparations. But as time went on, it came to light that the South African National Roads Agency Ltd had borrowed billions to upgrade the highways, and needed the user-pays model to help service the debt. After several years of delays due…

Britain’s National Crime Agency yesterday said that it had disrupted “the world’s most harmful cyber crime group” in an international operation targeting ransomware specialist LockBit. NCA director general Graeme Biggar said the agency had “successfully infiltrated and fundamentally disrupted” the organisation which last year attacked Britain’s Royal Mail and a Canadian children’s hospital. “We have hacked the hackers. We have taken control of their infrastructure,” Biggar said, adding that in the past year LockBit had been behind 25 percent of all attacks. “As of today LockBit is effectively redundant, LockBit has been locked out,” he said. LockBit was targeted as part of a dedicated taskforce called Operation Cronos involving the NCA working with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and agencies in nine other countries. LockBit’s website – selling services…

LONDON: British foreign minister David Cameron vowed yesterday to help protect the Falkland Islands as long as they wanted to remain under British control despite attempts by Argentina’s new leader to reopen negotiations on their sovereignty. Argentina has sought to resume talks on the Falklands, over which Britain and Argentina fought a brief war in 1982, but Britain says that is not on the table. “As long as the Falkland Islands want to be part of the UK family, they are absolutely welcome to be that, to be part of that family,” Cameron said on a visit to the Falklands. “And we will support them, and back them and help protect and defend them.” | Reuters…

Seoul: More than 6 400 trainee doctors have resigned in protest over the South Korean government’s plan to boost the number of medical students, leading to delays in surgeries and medical treatment, officials said yesterday. Talking to reporters, Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-said the ministry has ordered 831 trainee doctors to return to work. Tensions brewed over the government’s plan to add 2 000 places to the medical school enrollment quota next year. The government would extend operating hours at 97 hospitals and emergency rooms at 12 military hospitals will be opened to cope with the disruption of services. | IANS…

Proteas Women’s coach Hilton Moreeng has praised his team’s character on their recently-concluded tour of Australia. Moreeng’s charges may have gone down heavily in the one-off Test and lost both the T20 and ODI series, but he feels his team were never out of the contest, especially in the white-ball matches. Australia are the undisputed heavyweight champions of the cricket world across all formats and a tour Down Under is the most daunting prospect in the women’s game. Prior to the trip, the Proteas had not beaten the Aussies in any format before. But they broke through that barrier on both the T20I and ODI front setting up deciders in the final game of both series. Moreeng, who has overseen the Proteas for more than a decade, believes his team…

Martin Odegaard has urged Arsenal to use the momentum from their recent goal spree to fuel the club’s historic bid for Champions League and Premier League glory. The Gunners head to Porto today for the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie in buoyant mood after demolishing Burnley 5-0 last weekend. Mikel Arteta’s side started a calendar year with five successive league wins for the first time in their history, scoring 21 goals in those games. Arsenal are just two points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool and can turn their attention to Porto safe in the knowledge they are firmly in the hunt for a first title since 2004. The north Londoners are convinced they can reign supreme in England for the first time in 20 years, and conquer…

AmaZulu head coach Pablo Franco Martin was confident ahead of his side’s Nedbank Cup clash with KwaZulu-Natal rivals Royal AM. Usuthu will begin their pursuit of cup glory at the Moses Mabhida Stadium against an inconsistent Thwihli Thwala side at 7pm today. The two teams have already met once this season in competitive action in the DStv Premiership with AmaZulu walking away convincing 3-0 winners on the day. AmaZulu are also yet to lose a KZN derby this season and have recorded two draws and three victories against Royal AM, Richards Bay and Golden Arrows in all competitions. Having demolished their provincial rivals before the mid-season break, Martin presented a positive figure in the Nedbank Cup media conference yesterday. The Spanish-born coach expressed that although he remains alert and aware…

THE Black Lawyers Association (BLA) has raised questions over whether it is necessary to appoint retired justices in an advisory role at the Constitutional Court. This comes as questions have been raised by others about the impartiality of retired justices, especially those who have been vocal since retirement about their political views. Last week Chief Justice Raymond Zondo said Justice Zak Yacoob, along with retired Justice Johan Froneman, would be fulfilling a support service to the ConCourt justices because of the huge workload they faced since the expansion of the court’s jurisdiction. He was replying to a letter from the Council for the Advancement of the Constitution (Casac) which sought clarity on retired Justice Yacoob’s role at the ConCourt, especially as he had served a non-renewable 12-year term at the…

I love being in the land of my birth for a few weeks. I find I “revert” to the comforts of being a local. There is a humour here and an odd “intimacy” I so miss. “Maputo?” I said, cracking no smile. “Nairobi,” she replied. I boarded the plane for Durban. It’s dry. Ridiculous to outsiders. Hilarious to me. South African humour? Perhaps. “Old Man still travelling,” yells the uniformed security officer. “We are about the same age,” I reply. He shakes his head, laughs out loud, reverts to English. “I didn’t know you’d understand me. I’m sorry, Old Man,” he chuckles. At the bank, in no time at all the banker – whom I’ve waited more than an hour to see – tells me of her marriage, her disobedient…

On Wednesday morning, we took my son to the airport for his return to the UK. We left Bergvliet at 6.45am and faced a huge shock on the M3 to the airport turn-off. We did manage to get there in reasonable time, but what a stressful experience – drivers changing lanes for no apparent good reason, taxis coming up the road reserve and pushing in. We had breakfast at the airport to kill time but the return trip was no better. The road from the airport to the Muizenberg turn-off was bumper-to-bumper. I have never seen so many taxis. How do people cope with this daily? My nerves were in shreds by the time we got back home. Also, I noticed the river as we were crawling along – non-flowing…

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has been given the green light to investigate the ghost employees at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa). The SIU’s probe will also look into two lucrative contracts related to procurement of trains and a security system. President Cyril Ramaphosa signed proclamations authorising the unit to investigate allegations of maladministration and improper or unlawful conduct by officials or employees. The state’s anti-corruption agency is also tasked with recovering financial losses suffered, the gazette dated February 14 stated. The rail agency revealed to Parliament’s standing committee on public accounts in 2022 that after launching their Operation Ziveze, 1 159 employees suddenly resigned and they had uncovered 3 000 ghost employees. The entity’s top brass also stated at the time that it had referred the…

Two men are due in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court this week in connection with fraud amounting to R17 million. The KwaZulu-Natal Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (known as the Hawks), said the duo, aged 31 and 43, were arrested on Monday in Durban. The suspects, who allegedly have businesses in their name, also face a charge of money laundering. Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Simphiwe Mhlongo said the alleged fraud took place at the Justice and Constitutional Development Department offices in Pietermaritzburg on April 6, 2023. “It is alleged that fraudulent payments were made from the Department of Justice’s banking system to businesses that were not entitled to receive the funds,” Mhlongo said. “An amount of R17 782 132 was fraudulently transferred from the Guardian Fund held by the department.” Mhlongo…

THE roll-out of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) Amendment Act has been greeted with mixed reaction by various stakeholders in the transport sector. The act will see motorists introduced to an enforced demerit points system for traffic offences and the diversion of 50% of the traffic fine revenues from municipalities to the Road Traffic Infringement Authority (RTIA). Aarto has been in operation in Gauteng since 2008 without the demerit point system that was expected to be rolled out in February but has been delayed. MasterDrive welcomed the system to encourage safer driving while the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) and the SA Local Government Association (Salga) KZN raised concern about the impact on municipalities. MasterDrive CEO Eugene Herbert said: “By adhering to traffic rules, individuals can significantly…

Godongwana beholden to ANC’s competing and latterly self-serving and corrupt factions A FORTNIGHT ago, President Cyril Ramaphosa took centre stage with his State of the Nation address (Sona). This afternoon it is the turn of Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana when he presents the 2024 National Budget to Parliament – perhaps the most important one in his political career, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the country’s nascent democracy. Never mind the rhetoric of disappointment, disillusionment and despair of huge swathes of his compatriots, and the seamless never-ending vitriol of a disparate and fragmented opposition and media. I wonder whether when Godongwana became finance minister in August 2021, he envisaged that his job was beyond the task of merely balancing the national Budget, to that of permanent crisis management as…

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was yesterday absent due to illness from a London court hearing: his final appeal against extradition to the US to face trial for publishing secret military and diplomatic files. Opening the two-day hearing in Assange’s absence, his lawyer Edward Fitzgerald said his prosecution could not be justified. Washington wants the Australian extradited after he was charged there multiple times between 2018 and 2020 over WikiLeaks’ 2010 publication of files relating to the US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. “He is being prosecuted for engaging in ordinary journalistic practice of obtaining and publishing classified information, information that is both true and of obvious and important public interest,” Fitzgerald said. Earlier, he told the judge, Victoria Sharp, at London’s High Court that his 52-year-old client was “not well…

The World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday that it had completed a second evacuation mission from Gaza’s Nasser Hospital but voiced concern for nearly 150 patients and medics who remain at the site amid the Israel- Hamas war. The Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza’s second-largest, stopped working last week after a week-long Israeli siege followed by a raid, the UN agency said. The WHO staff and other aid groups have so far evacuated 32 critical patients including injured children and those with paralysis, but the agency is concerned for those left behind with supplies dwindling. Israel says Hamas uses hospitals for cover. Hamas denies this and says Israel’s allegations serve as a pretext to destroy the health-care system. The site has no electricity or running water, and medical waste…

Geneva: The World Health Organization voiced alarm yesterday at the rapid spread of measles, with more than 306 000 cases reported worldwide last year – a 79% increase from 2022. Natasha Crowcroft, a WHO adviser on measles and rubella, said measles cases were typically under-reported. To get more accurate figures, the UN health agency modelled the numbers each year, with its latest estimate indicating that there were 9.2 million cases and 136 216 measles deaths in 2022. She warned that more than half of all countries were believed to be at high risk of measles outbreaks by the end of the year and an estimated 142 million children were susceptible to falling ill. | AFP…

SEOUL: The family of a South Korean man forced to work for a Japanese company during Japan’s 1910-1945 occupation has received money from the Japanese company he worked for, marking the first time a forced labour victim has secured such funds in a legal case. The family of the now-deceased man received a deposit of 60 million won (about R8.47m) from Hitachi Zosen, a family lawyer said. South Korea’s Supreme Court has upheld a series of rulings ordering Japanese companies to compensate its citizens who were forced to work for them, drawing protests from Japan, but until now companies have refused to pay compensation. | Reuters…

Ange Capuozzo is best known for his attacking forays down the touchline but the Italian fullback showed the other side of his game when he leapt to the defence of Italy’s record in the Six Nations. After two defeats in their opening matches, Italy head to Lille on Sunday to play France facing the possibility of adding another Six Nations wooden spoon to the 18 they have registered since they joined the old Five Nations in 2000. Further failure would undoubtedly add fuel to the arguments of critics who question their right to an automatic place in Europe’s top international competition, ahead of the likes of Georgia and Portugal. “The Six Nations has always been a closed league so it’s not meant to be up and down,” the 24-year-old Capuozzo…

Ithala has won the sympathy of the portfolio committee on finance, which has resolved to urgently engage the Minister of Finance on accelerating the entity’s legal status to become a commercial bank. This came after Ithala said that it had secured another sponsor bank from May 1 after its contract with Absa expired. Ithala has been facing challenges as the exemption notice under which it was allowed to operate expired in December. In addition, a court order that was granted by the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, in December ordered that due to the lapsing of the exemption notice, it was prohibited from directly taking deposits and to deal with any deposits already received otherwise than under the direction of a repayment administrator appointed by the SA Reserve Bank (SARB) Prudential…

THE national and provincial elections will take place on Wednesday, May 29, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced last night. The elections will coincide with South Africa’s celebration of 30 years of democracy. Ramaphosa called on all eligible voters to participate in the elections. “Beyond the fulfilment of our constitutional obligation, these upcoming elections are also a celebration of our democratic journey and a determination of the future that we all desire. “I call on all South Africans to exercise their democratic right to vote and for those who will be campaigning to do so peacefully, within the full observance of the law. “We also urge unregistered voters to use the online registration platform to register,” said Ramaphosa. The Presidency said in line with section 17(2) of the Electoral Act 73 of…

So another of our dear cricketers has returned to the pavilion, this time forever. It seems like just the other day when Mike Procter was preparing the Proteas for our return to normal sports in the very early nineties. As much as all of those years were based on racist, white supremacy, as far as the selection process was concerned, there is no debate that those were really, astoundingly, the most exciting days of local interest in international cricket. In spite of the greatest sin under the sun – match-fixing – Hansie Cronje remains an untouchably nice guy and loved by many. And Allan Donald? Few as passionate @160mph to blow the brains out of the cheeky Indian team led by the likes of master of the wrist Mohammad Azharuddin.…

South Africa faces a general election, probably in May 2024. An edgy nation trembles at the prospect of an upheaval when the count is over. Victory will be celebrated, defeat will probably be declared and the losers will be vanquished and sent into political oblivion. A new leader will be crowned amid the mayhem and uncertainty. It was John F Kennedy, who said: ”Victory has a thousand fathers, defeat is an orphan.” Abstaining or not registering as a voter would be a fatal mistake. Our fractured country is in societal and political turmoil as answers are sought for inequities, monumental poverty and dangerous economic imbalances. Many of us will accept the results of the election, pained by the division and polarisation of our beloved country. As the political tempo settles…

NEW research published in the International journal Mining shows that 48 of South Africa’s 230 operating mines could close in the next 10 years. The research by UCT academic, Dr Megan Cole, quantified the risks associated with closing down mines across South Africa. Mine closure is a growing concern in mining countries worldwide due to environmental and social impacts. This is particularly true in developing countries like South Africa, where poverty, social deprivation and unemployment are widespread and environmental governance is not strong. “The majority of these mines are coal mines in Mpumalanga, where coal reserves are running out and pressure to mitigate climate change is limiting investment; and gold mines in the Free State and Gauteng, which operate at very deep levels in challenging conditions,” said Cole from UCT’s…

Two suspects allegedly linked to a spate of inter-provincial cash-in-transit (CIT) heists were killed in a gun battle with police over the weekend in Durban. According to KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda, the two suspects were on the SAPS “most wanted” list. In addition to CIT heists, the suspects were also wanted in connection with house robberies and farm attacks. Netshiunda said they were killed in a shoot-out with police in Verulam, on the KZN North Coast on Saturday. He said the take-down operation involved private security companies and the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (known as Hawks). Netshiunda said the suspects were seen travelling on Jabu Ngcobo Drive. “Upon noticing the presence of police, the suspects started firing shots at the men of law. Police retaliated and a…

We, as a country, have an unending problem of national morale. Everywhere you look – be it at individual, collective or organisational level - you can sense that “something is wrong”. No doubt, over the last 30 years since the dawn of a democracy and freedom, we have produced bright and charismatic leaders in business, sports and entertainment. Many have risen to global stature to head international institutions to be significant global players. In fact, South Africa has gained a reputation as a country that punches above its weight. But our own house and family named South Africa is faltering. There is a lot of gloom and doom to pick up when you attentively listen to the voice of the people on the ground from all backgrounds, races, creeds and…

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken headed yesterday on his first trip to Brazil, days after President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s enraged Israel by comparing its Gaza campaign to the Holocaust. Blinken is starting in Brasilia, and will also go to Rio de Janeiro for the Group of 20 summit, followed by a stop in Argentina, where he will see new President Javier Milei. For the top US diplomat, the belated first trip to the Latin American powers had been seen as an opportunity to build ties with two key leaders, in a break from his exhaustive trips to the Middle East. But the turmoil engulfing that region will unexpectedly follow him to Latin America after Lula, on the heels of the announcement of his meeting with Blinken, sharply…

A group of international students who were falsely accused of cheating in English language tests in the UK, have launched legal proceedings against the Home Office. The students, many of them from India and Pakistan, were seeking compensation for unlawful detention, false imprisonment, loss of earnings and damage to their mental health. Bindmans, a law firm representing 23 students who have already won immigration appeals and had their visas returned, is now working to obtain a blanket compensation scheme for them. Between October 2020 and March 2022, the firm issued 23 claims with only one case being settled so far. The move comes 10 years after the Home Office abruptly terminated the visas of 35 000 international students, making their stay in the country illegal overnight. A 2014 BBC documentary…

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign and his Democratic Party allies raised more than $42 million (about R794m) in January and have $130m cash-on-hand as they prepare for a likely general election contest against Republican Donald Trump. The fund-raising figures, released by Biden’s campaign, were propelled by small-dollar donors giving money online, officials said. Biden kicked off a fresh fund-raising trip to California yesterday. He is expected to attend fund-raisers in Los Angeles and San Francisco before returning to Washington tomorrow. Biden and Trump remain neck-and-neck in the contest for the White House. | Reuters…

BUDAPEST: Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party proposed yesterday that parliament should vote to ratify Sweden’s bid to join Nato on February 26, a move that it would support. “Our group wishes to support” Sweden’s Nato bid, the Fidesz party said in a document, asking the Speaker of Parliament to include the vote in its agenda next week. Fidesz has a huge majority in parliament. Sweden applied to join Nato nearly two years ago, in a historic shift in policy prompted by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Hungary will be the last Nato member to approve the Nordic country’s bid to become the bloc’s 32nd member. | Reuters…

The Cricket SA 4-Day Cup competition is set for a thrilling final showdown with the Jukskei derby between the Titans and Lions at Centurion taking centre stage from today. The other high-stakes clash sees defending champions the Dolphins take on Western Province at Newlands. All four teams, along with the fifth-placed Warriors, have a chance of finishing in the top two to qualify for the final. The Titans will be looking to start strong at their home ground. After the draw against the Tuskers in Pietermaritzburg, there is no doubt that they will be eager to put one over their cross-town rivals. Head coach Mandla Mashimbyi believes “trusting their processes” and “wanting it more” will be the qualities that ensure his side gets over the line. The Titans will, however,…

Even at the age of 34, Rosko Specman doesn’t like missing any tournaments for the Blitzboks. Having returned to sevens this season after a few years in the 15-man code – where he earned a Springbok Test cap against Georgia in 2021 – Specman was in the thick of the action as the SA Sevens team won the Dubai tournament, while he was also part of the squad that had a forgettable weekend at the Cape Town event. He was then left out of the group for the Perth Sevens, where they finished fifth, but has been recalled for this weekend’s Canada Sevens in Vancouver. “The coaches told me that I will be rested, and I understood their reasons, but it still hurt,” Specman, who most recently played provincial rugby…