Indholdsfortegnelse for 2024-09-09 i Mercury

Wait! Don’t dump that leftover pickle juice down the drain. The briny solution is actually like liquid gold when you are seeking a way to add a bit more tang to sauces or an option for tenderising meat. So, the next time you think of tossing this leftover tangy elixir, reduce your food waste by reusing your left- over pickle juice with these simple tips. Use it like hot sauce Think of pickle brine as a vinegar- based hot sauce. It has that seasoned acid but it’s not spicy. Add a dash to soups or stews that need a little boost of flavour; the acidity will brighten and enhance the existing flavours. Use it as a seasoning for scrambled eggs and tacos, drizzle over greens, or use in place of…

The full page, comprehensive account by the chairperson of the China Africa Development Fund, Shaodan Wang, (Business Report, September 2) extolling the virtues of China’s investment and development projects is significant for its silence on the intentions of China’s strategy. The Belt and Road initiative, sometimes called the New Silk Road, is a geopolitical strategy to achieve international trade choke points by having regional control over countries and resources. Africa is a key piece in the strategy. As Shaodan Wang points out, there are now 3 000 Chinese enterprises in 50 African states. Globally 147 states have agreed to Chinese development projects. Packaged as “a shared future”, the range and appeal of the China Africa Development (CAD) programme is indeed rosy and alluring: industrial, agricultural, digital, infrastructural,…

The news that Canada’s Revenue Agency (CRA) will revoke the Jewish National Fund’s charitable status is a huge achievement for the Palestine movement in Canada. For those of you who aren’t in the know, the Jewish National Fund is a Zionist organisation that was founded in 1901 in a bid to ‘purchase’ land for Jewish settlers in Israel. It spread ideas about Zionism, a homeland and Jewish heritage. It can be more accurately described as a land-grabbing organisation since it has a long history embedded in the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and offering material support for the Israeli Occupation Forces. (So not a good look for any organisation’s image) Currently, the JNF has branches across the world, including in South Africa, but more on that later. Canada’s tax code dictates…

Drastic changes have been proposed by the eThekwini Municipality to manage the movement of goods and people in and out of the city to reduce congestion on roads, which is threatening to overwhelm the metro’s infrastructure. The changes are detailed in the City’s plan, titled “Comprehensive Integrated Transport Plan 2024–2029”, which aims to promote a co-ordinated approach to transport and traffic management. The report was published by the City recently and members of the public have been urged to provide comment. One of the pillars of the plan is the Travel Demand Management (TDM) strategy, which proposes a variety of initiatives to reduce congestion. TDM seeks to reduce vehicle kilometres travelled while at the same time increasing travel options, to change travel behaviour patterns and reduce the need for travel…

INTERNATIONAL Spinal Cord Injury Day was commemorated on Thursday, creating awareness of prevention and highlighting the possibilities for a fulfilling life after injury. According to the World Health Organization, globally, more than 15 million people are living with spinal cord injuries. Most cases are due to trauma, including falls, road traffic injuries or violence, said Jessica Morris, an occupational therapist at the Netcare Rehabilitation Hospital in Auckland Park. One of the most critical aspects of care for those impacted by spinal cord injuries is rehabilitation. At 14, Kamogelo Sodi of Alberton enjoys listening to music, chatting with his friends on social media and working hard at school towards his dream of becoming a neurosurgeon one day. He cooks for himself and loves looking after his three little brothers. He also…

Police have arrested a 29-year-old man in connection with the murder of 4-year-old Liyolatha Baliso, who was shot and later died in hospital during an incident now confirmed to be extortion-related in Joe Slovo, Milnerton, Cape Town. It has also emerged that another person, a 22-year-old man, was killed and four more, including a 4-year-old boy, sustained gunshot wounds during the incident on August 24. Liyolatha succumbed to her injuries days later, on September 3, in hospital. Her distraught family were making arrangements for her remains to be buried in the Eastern Cape this weekend. In response to questions about the incident, police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi confirmed on Thursday that the man was arrested on murder and attempted murder charges. “The circumstances of the incident are still under investigation.…

RECENTLY retired chief justice Raymond Zondo, has promised to fight attempts challenging his state capture commission report, saying the battle against corruption was far from over. In an exclusive interview with Indepndent Media, Zondo who looks forward to resting and travelling in the next year, said upon his return he will continue to fight corruption. “I think I might be involved in the practical training of young lawyers, imparting skills to them, but there is a good chance I’m going to be involved in some way or another in the fight against corruption. “The levels of corruption are so high in this country that all of us should really be playing a role to strengthen the fight against it so even those who are retired must continue in the fight…

Under the new dispensation, will change be faster and more apparent? THE recent elections have demonstrated that South African voters may be thinking differently about the power of voting. There seems to be a willingness to use the ballot box strategically to register their impatience with waiting for change. The president has set the government’s agenda in his first address to the Parliament. There is a consistency to the policy issues on the government’s agenda, namely high levels of poverty, inequality and unemployment. The consistency of these foci on the policy agenda also highlights that ‘the people’ whose life experiences these issues represent have suffered for a long while. The question is whether, under the new dispensation, change will be faster and more apparent. The context of governing this democracy…

A truck driver shot dead three Israeli guards at a border crossing between the occupied West Bank and Jordan yesterday before being “eliminated”, Israel’s military said, as it pounded Hamas targets in Gaza. The rare attack at the Allenby Bridge crossing comes amid soaring violence in the West Bank with major Israeli raids and attacks by Palestinians, and against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas Gaza war, now in its 12th month. The military said “a terrorist” reached crossing area, also known as the King Hussein Bridge, in a truck “from Jordan”. The driver “exited the truck and opened fire at Israeli security forces operating at the bridge”, a military statement said. “Three Israeli civilians were pronounced dead as a result of the attack,” it said, later clarifying that they were…

Typhoon Yagi weakened to a tropical depression yesterday, after killing over a dozen people, tearing roofs off buildings, sinking boats and triggering landslides across Vietnam. The typhoon had left a trail of destruction and two dozen people dead across southern China and the Philippines before it ravaged Vietnam. A family of four was killed yesterday after heavy rain caused a hillside to give way and collapse onto a house in the mountainous Hoa Binh province of northern Vietnam, according to state media. Since Friday, 10 others have been killed in storm-related incidents, some crushed by falling trees or drifting boats, the defence ministry’s disaster management agency. Yesterday, six more people, including a newborn baby and a one-year-old boy, were killed in a landslide in the Hoang Lien Son Mountains of…

PARIS: French far-right leader Marine Le Pen yesterday urged President Emmanuel Macron to hold a referendum on key issues such as immigration, suggesting that giving the French a direct vote might help break the political deadlock. Last week Macron appointed the centre-right Michel Barnier, 73, a former foreign minister who acted as the EU’s Brexit negotiator, as prime minister, after June-July snap elections that resulted in a hung parliament. But analysts say the country is set for a period of instability. More than 100 000 left-wing demonstrators rallied across France on Saturday to protest against his nomination and denounce Macron’s “power grab”. | AFP…

PITTSBURGH: US Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, will tour several battleground states after her debate tomorrow with Republican Donald Trump, her campaign said yesterday. With less than 60 days until the November 5 presidential election, Vice- President Harris will kick off the tour in North Carolina on Thursday and travel to Pennsylvania on Friday. Walz will travel to Michigan and Wisconsin. Polling averages show a tight race in the handful of swing states. The battleground states also include Georgia, Wisconsin and Arizona. Harris’s campaign raised $361 million in August, leaving her with a clear cash advantage over Trump. | Reuters…

CHINA’s State-owned construction company could soon be contracted to build some of South Africa’s landmark construction projects. The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, on Friday concluded his visit to China by signing two declarations of intent with the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) and ASI Global in China. This followed an official State visit by President Cyril Ramaphosa to help achieve the vision of turning South Africa into a construction site, growing the economy and creating thousands of new jobs. The CCCC is a leading global comprehensive service provider of ultra-large infrastructure, mainly engaged in the investment, construction and operation of transportation infrastructure, equipment manufacturing, real estate and urban comprehensive development. It erected the Hong Kong-Zhuhai- Macao Bridge, the longest sea crossing bridge in the world, with…

THIS WEEK has seen an interesting shift in how stock prices are reacting. Instead of broad market swings driven by political factors like the Government of National Unity (GNU), stocks are now moving based on company-specific earnings releases. From July to August, there was little variation among stocks within sectors. However, with the recent flood of first-half results, we’re finally seeing divergence in how individual companies’ share prices respond to earnings reports. This trend is likely to continue, with top-down economic events shaping the broader market direction. Pharmaceuticals Aspen was the JSE’s biggest loser this month, following the release of its disappointing earnings last week. The stock had performed well in recent months, benefiting from the overall positive sentiment in South Africa. However, the market had high expectations for…

CCAXTON & CTP Publishers & Printers’ share price gained a strong 9.7% to close at R12.22 on the JSE on Friday after it reported a 4% rise in headline earnings a share to 196.1 cents for the year to June 30, and a big increase in cash resources. Revenue was down 4.7% to R6.65bn, and profit from operating activities after depreciation and amortisation fell 11.4% to R657.9 million. Profit for the year fell 12.6% to R657.36m. Cash and its equivalents were up 32.7% to R2.51bn. The group’s market capitalisation on Friday stood at R4.15bn. The ordinary dividend was maintained at 60c. The group publishes a number of regional community newspapers, The Citizen daily newspaper and one major magazine, as well as commercial printing, packaging, stationery manufacture and book…

South African sport star Makazole Mapimpi shocked most fans when the news that he is expecting a child with his wife went viral. It is reported that the Springboks star, also a fashion model, missed the recent game between New Zealand and South Africa in Ellis Park because his wife is due to give birth anytime soon. “Mapimpi spent the week in KwaZulu-Natal for the birth of his child, and will remain in the province where he will be available for selection for the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV for their Carling Currie Cup clash against the Vodacom Bulls in Durban on Sunday,” read a statement from SA Rugby. Mapimpi’s supporters were shocked that he had a wife and they were having a baby because he has always kept his love life…

HEY, hey, hey! What a game to tell your grandkids about! And your great-grandkids. On Saturday the Kiwis threw at us everything including the kitchen sink. They opened the scoring with penalties. They were dangerous every moment of the game, right up to the final whistle as they sought the converted try that would bring them victory. What running and handling by both sides! What tackling by both! This was R-r-r-rugby with a capital “R”. The game seemed to last just a few minutes in each half. The spectators, on the spot or viewing TV were totally involved. Yet the Boks ended up with the only two tries of the match. One to Skipper Siya, the other to Bomb Squad maestro Malcolm Marx. There can now be no argument as…

Last Wednesday I drove from Benoni down to Durban. The N3 was relatively quiet. But in a short distance of 50km from the Benoni on-ramp to the De Hoek Toll Plaza, I came across traffic police six times – three roadblocks and three speed traps, as well as one in the Free State. The officers manning the cameras were not easily visible as they blended in with the surrounding fry grass in their khaki uniform. I was surprised, but also happy that the police were keeping a vigilant eye on the motorists on South Africa’s most important national road. But still, I was baffled at the number of times I saw traffic police on the road. Perhaps, I thought, it was to catch the errant motorist off his guard. Once…

With each passing year the African continent becomes increasingly engaged in global politics and activities of international organisations. One of the most promising areas of co-operation for Africa is BRICS membership. Thus, on September 2, at the meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation (FOCAC), South African President Cyril Ramaphosa once again confirmed his intention to strengthen co-ordination and interaction within BRICS. Since South Africa joined BRICS in 2011, the African agenda has become an inherent part of the alliance strategy. Over the past years of partnership, the continent has become accustomed to the fact that it is possible to co-operate with other countries not according to the “neo-colonialist rules” of the West, but on an equal footing. The BRICS summit,…

In the wake of the recent ruling by the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) on an interdict, which is an interim order to keep Sekunjalo’s accounts open, it is important to note that the Court has not yet ruled on the main case against Nedbank, which still needs to be heard. The Sekunjalo Group, a black-owned conglomerate committed to transformation, remains resolute in its fight for justice against the discriminatory practices of South African banks, particularly Nedbank. Despite the media spin propagated by journalists like Karyn Maughan, the Concourt ruling is not the final chapter in this ongoing legal battle. Sekunjalo remains confident that the real fight, which is yet to take place in the Equality Court, will vindicate it and expose the deeply ingrained racial and economic prejudices at play. It…

Five years after the father of a teenager was sentenced to life imprisonment for raping her and after she gave detailed accounts of how she was raped while she had to dance naked for her father and his friends, the teenager claimed that the accusations were false. The father turned to the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, in a bid to appeal his rape conviction and subsequent sentence. He called on the court to allow him to present further evidence which would “prove his innocence”. The “new evidence” he wanted to place before the court was that of his daughter, the victim, who now claimed that she had lied all along and that it was actually her brother who had raped her. But the court frowned upon this “new evidence” –…

THERE is concern that drought in parts of the country could drive up prices of essential foods such as bread, cereal maize and meat. While headline inflation declined to 4.6% in July, the lowest since July 2021, and South Africans have experienced positive effects in the economy in recent months with the fuel price having dropped for four consecutive months, expectations remain high that an interest rate cut is on the cards when the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meets later this month. Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz), said that South Africa’s consumer food price inflation slowed to 3.9% in July 2024, from 4.1% in the previous month. “This is the lowest level since January 2020 and was underpinned by the continued moderation…

IN THE 2022-2023 Local Government Audit, the Auditor-General (AG) notes inadequate skills and capacity, a culture of no accountability and consequence, together with governance failures, as the main weaknesses impeding progress in municipalities. But this is not new, we have heard this before. A predictable surprise, argues Michael Watkins, the Canadian-born author of books on leadership and negotiation, arises out of failures of recognition, prioritisation, or mobilisation – when leaders inevitably had all the information about an imminent disaster but failed to act. In April 2024 the University of the Free State handed over a report commissioned by the Local Government Sector Education and Training Authority (LGSeta) titled: “An evidence-based human resource development (HRD) assessment to measure and manage its implementation in South African municipalities”. HRD not effectively measured and…

Pope Francis flew deep into the jungle of the south-western Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea yesterday to visit Catholics living in one of the most remote areas of the world and deliver medical supplies and other aid. Travelling 1 000km in a C-130 cargo aircraft provided by the Royal Australian Air Force, Francis arrived with a small entourage in Vanimo, a township of about 12 000 people in the north-western corner of Papua New Guinea’s main island, with no running water and scarce electricity. The 87-year-old pope brought items to help support the local population, said Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni. They included various medicines and clothing, as well as toys and musical instruments for school children, Bruni said. The pope is visiting the nation of 600 islands…

New Delhi: Indian rescuers yesterday pulled out eight bodies from the wreckage of a three-storey building in the city of Lucknow, reports said, with the state minister calling the deaths “heartbreaking”. The Press Trust of India news agency broadcast images of piles of concrete, and state rescue teams with heavy digging machines searching for bodies. The commercial building collapsed on Saturday afternoon. Officials said eight bodies were pulled out, and 28 people were injured. The cause of the collapse is not known, but building accidents are common during India’s Jmonsoon season, with old and rickety structures buckling under days of non-stop rain. | AFP…

Manila: A Philippine pastor wanted in the US for child sex trafficking has been arrested, officials said yesterday, two weeks into a massive police manhunt. He has also been charged with human trafficking in a Philippine court. A self-proclaimed “Son of God” and ally of former president Rodrigo Duterte, Apollo Quiboloy is the founder of the Philippines-based Kingdom of Jesus Christ church that claims millions of members. The US Justice Department charged Quiboloy in 2021 with sex-trafficking of girls and women between the ages of 12 and 25 to work as personal assistants, or “pastorals”, who were allegedly required to have sex with him. | AFP…

South Africa men’s Cricketer of the Year Marco Jansen believes it’s the competitive nature of the Proteas squad that drives him to the heights he has achieved in his international career. Jansen was the big winner on the night at the SA Cricket Awards in Midrand last week, based on his performances across all three formats. He was influential at last year’s ODI World Cup in India where he finished second on the Proteas’ wicket-taking list with 17 scalps, while his contribution with the bat, particularly in the crunch game against England where he shared a match-winning 161-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Heinrich Klaasen, was immense. Jansen delivered similar match-winning performances in Test cricket, notably in the Boxing Day Test victory over India at Centurion last year when…

NEDLAC has played a critical role in bringing together government with business and labour to craft various interventions on how we can collectively tackle our common problems as a nation. Its role as our legislated social dialogue forum is one that must be jealously defended and nourished if we are to overcome our many challenges as a young democracy. This year marks the 30th anniversary of our young democracy, it also marks a new chapter in our democratic journey where for the first time no single party emerged from the elections with an outright majority. The ANC as the largest party felt it critical to forge a Government of National Unity to help forge a national consensus on uniting society, growing the economy and rebuilding the State. On Friday, the…

Maxims ... for the Friday water-cooler chat. (Do people still do that?) Nobody is all good. Very few are all bad. The best of humanity are in some way tarnished; the worst possess some redeeming qualities. Make no heroes, and take no victims; fear nobody, fawn over nobody. Stand on your own two feet without pushing anyone over. If you skate on thin ice you may as well dance. There are no knights in shining armour unless you sharpen your own sword, so stop behaving like a damsel in distress. Victimhood will get you nowhere worth going. Quick fixes lead to deeper problems than the original problem you tried to fix. All growth requires some loss. Sometimes you have to leap before you look. The only things that disappear if…

THE Treasury must now intervene as front-line services are facing an urgent crisis. The threat to teaching and other front-line service jobs due to severe underpayments of budgets has now come to the fore. Provinces like KwaZulu-Natal are at the greatest risk, with projections showing that as many as 11 000 teaching positions may be lost if urgent budgetary interventions are not made. This funding crisis has largely been triggered by a centrally agreed, and fiscally irresponsible, public wage increase in the October budget last year that is now forcing provinces to slash front-line service posts to the detriment of the most vulnerable. The DA has long advocated for the protection of front-line services in the budget, and we urgently call on the Treasury to intervene to avert these budget…

THE management of the Hilton Hotels group plans to open other hotels in South Africa following the reopening of its premier hotel in Durban. The group said in a statement that Durban’s Hilton hotel was undergoing a phased re-opening and areas of the hotel would continue to be refreshed to drive an enjoyable stay. Durban’s Hilton hotel closed down almost four years ago as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and its reopening has been welcomed by the political, business and tourism community in the city, who described it as “fantastic news”. The Hilton said in a statement: “We are delighted to confirm that Hilton Durban has re-opened its doors and is welcoming guests. The hotel is undergoing a phased re-opening and areas of the hotel will continue to…

UNDER-FIRE Justice Minister Thembi Simelane’s VBS woes intensified when she apparently attempted to stop the alleged capture of the justice system, in particular the National Prosecuting Authority’s Investigating Directorate (ID). Independent Media understands that the alleged capture also involved the appointment of consultants to assist with “specialised aspects” relating to the investigation and prosecution of “complex crimes”. Simelane has recently been thrust into the spotlight over allegations that while she was mayor of Polokwane Municipality in Limpopo, she received at least R500 000 in a loan from an investment brokerage, Gundo Wealth Solutions, with alleged links to VBS bank. Simelane has maintained that she has nothing to hide, as she last week told the Justice Portfolio Committee that the loan, which she made in her personal capacity to buy…

The justice, crime prevention and security (JCPS) cluster has set its sights on amending the laws to strengthen the work of the police during violent encounters with criminals. “The JCPS cluster will meet next week to finalise a comprehensive plan in this regard. (Police) Minister Mchunu did present a detailed report to the cabinet yesterday (Wednesday) and next week the JCPS cluster will meet where it will bring all role players – defence, SAPS, intelligence and justice – together to ensure a comprehensive approach,” Deputy President Paul Mashatile told MPs on Thursday. His remarks come as police have intensified their fight against crime, with daily reports of suspected criminals being shot dead during the exchange of fire with officers. The latest incident in Mthatha on Wednesday saw a police officer…

THE Abathembu Royal House in the Eastern Cape says self-proclaimed chief Daluxolo Mareke, who was killed in a shoot-out with police, repeatedly failed to provide minutes of the meeting that elected him as a Mthatha West chief. Before his killing last week, Mareke had told journalists he was elevated to the position of chief by residents. He was said to be at the centre of extortion-related crimes, which gripped Mthatha and at the time of his killing, police had identified him as a suspect. The Abathembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo had told a community meeting that the royal house never recognised Mareke. In an interview with The Mercury’s sister title the Cape Times, AbaThembu senior royal adviser, advocate Matthew Mpahlwa, again moved to clarify that Mareke was never a traditional leader…

LOVE or hate him, Abathembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo continues to dispel the short-sighted notion that seeks to undermine the role and authority of traditional leaders in a constitutional democracy. As controversial as the king is, his people respect his authority and often turn to him when confronted with challenges. King Dalindyebo too does not shy away from tackling matters many may consider too big for him. For example, he was the first to call out self-proclaimed chief “Daluxolo” Mareke, whom police wanted for crimes including extortion of individuals, businesses and schools in the Mthatha area, Eastern Cape. The Abathembu king was quick to denounce Mareke, rubbishing his claims that he was affiliated with the Abathembu royal house. In fact, the king was unequivocal that Mareke was nothing but a thug…

Madrid yesterday said it would grant political asylum to Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who was heading into exile in Spain after a month in hiding in the crisis-hit South American country. Urrutia, who disputed President Nicolas Maduro’s July 28 re-election, left Venezuela after ignoring three summonses to appear before prosecutors, arguing that attending the hearing could have cost him his freedom. Madrid’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said Urrutia had requested political asylum, and that Spain would “obviously” grant it to him. He earlier confirmed on X that the opposition leader had departed on a Spanish military aeroplane, adding that Spain was “committed to the political rights” of all Venezuelans. Caracas said it had agreed to his safe passage. Venezuela has been in political crisis since July when…

ALGIERS: A candidate in Algeria’s presidential election has alleged irregularities in the vote count, with results due later yesterday expected to give President Abdulmadjid Tebboune a second term in office. The preliminary turnout in Saturday’s election contest between Tebboune and Abdelaali Hassani Cherif, a moderate Islamist, and Youcef Aouchiche, a secularist, was 48%. Hassani Cherif’s campaign said polling station officials had been pressured to inflate results and alleged failures to deliver vote-sorting records to candidates’ representatives, as well as instances of proxy voting. Tebboune has pledged to raise unemployment benefits. | Reuters…

DARFUR: Sudan has rejected a call by UN experts for the deployment of an “independent and impartial force” to protect millions of civilians driven from their homes by more than a year of war. The conflict since April last year, pitting the army against paramilitary forces, has killed tens of thousands of people and triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. The UN experts said their fact-finding mission had uncovered “harrowing” violations by both sides, “which may amount to war crimes”. Some 8 million civilians have been displaced; another 2 million have fled to neighbouring countries; and more than 25 million people face food shortages, they said. | AFP…

ARYNA Sabalenka dedicated her US Open title to her family who “never gave up on my dream” after a third Grand Slam title was achieved in a year of personal torment. World No 2 Sabalenka defeated Jessica Pegula 7-5, 7-5 to add a maiden New York crown to her back-to-back Australian Open titles. This US Open was the first Grand Slam she had won since the death of her former boyfriend in March – she only made the last-eight at the French Open and missed Wimbledon with injury. Ice hockey player Konstantin Koltsov, once a star of the National Hockey League, died from apparent suicide at the age of 42. Five years ago, Sabalenka’s father, Sergiy, passed away from meningitis at just 43. “After I lost my father, it has…