Indholdsfortegnelse for 2024-09-10 i Mercury

TRANSNET is set to get a R140 million shot in the arm from the about R630m grant funding announced by the EU Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, towards building up South Africa’s green hydrogen production capabilities, as the EU spreads its sources of clean energy to support the market, which currently consumes 10 million tons of clean energy a year. This comes as the EU yesterday announced two grants with a sum of R633.4m (€32m) in support of South Africa’s green hydrogen agenda. At a briefing on the announcement alongside the Department of Electricity and Energy as well as the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) yesterday, it was said that a R490m tranche was expected to leverage R10 billion in private and public sector…

WHAT matters? People matter. How we treat people matters. How we treat all people matters. How we respect and treat those with whom we are close, say we love, those whom we encounter at arm’s length, or may never encounter at all, matters. It matters and it matters much. How we treat those with whom we disagree matters as least as much as how we treat those who are on “our side”. How we treat all others (near, far, loved, known, unknown, different, current family, former family, those on the other side of the political aisle) is a litmus test of our character and spirituality. Every human encounter is a biopsy of our integrity, no matter who we are and what positions we may hold. How we treat others says…

My message with best wishes for success to the matriculants of 2024 is not another senior citizen’s old-school thoughts on the future of the Class of 2024 on the cusp of carving a niche for each one. Matrics, you hold in your hands the power to unlock the prison bars of mediocrity. May your hard, industrious work, sacrifice and dedication pay off and may you achieve your dreams. Don’t just carpe diem (seize the day). Remember to stay focused, persistent and true to yourself. You have the potential to achieve greatness – go out there and make it happen! Believe in yourself. This 71-something-year-old did just that in 1971. It is fitting that you read my congratulations on reaching this milestone. Wishing you all the best for your future endeavours.…

NEXT month will mark 100 days of the Government of National Unity (GNU). Ministers must be asking themselves how they can capitalise on the trust placed in them by South Africa. For those of us determined to inclusively grow our economy and create sustainable jobs, coupled with ensuring future-fit skills that will equip our people to compete in domestic and international markets, we are trusting the GNU to get on with the structural reforms needed in the business of government. We need the GNU to create an enabling environment for business and investment and deliver essential and meaningful services to the public so that we can grow our economy and jobs. In short, we’re trusting the GNU to “geshido” (get s*** done). We know that economic growth is driven by…

WHILE the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) says raiding hijacked buildings is necessary to disrupt criminal networks, foreign nationals living in the Point area of Durban, where more than 120 undocumented foreigners were recently taken into custody, have called for better treatment from police and the government. Last month, in an effort to reclaim hijacked buildings and rejuvenate the City, police raided six buildings in South Beach and more than 123 undocumented foreign nationals were arrested. Gareth Newham, director of the Justice and Violence Prevention Programme at ISS, said law enforcement raids on hijacked buildings is necessary to disrupt criminal networks that make use of them. However, he said that often the people who orchestrate the hijackings of buildings do not live in them. Newham said that ideally, police should…

A convicted brothel operator from Milnerton took the stand in the Western Cape High Court on Friday as she pleaded her case after being found guilty of human trafficking. Leandre Williams, originally from Springbok, returned to court alongside her estranged husband, Edward Ayuk, and his cousin, Yannick Ayuk, as sentencing proceedings got under way. The trio, who were accused of running the brothel in Brooklyn and trafficking women from Springbok and the Eastern Cape, went on trial in November 2021 in what was dubbed the biggest human trafficking case before a local court. The accused were slapped with more than 40 charges including rape, kidnapping, assault and various other offences for running the brothel. During the mammoth trial, several of the women were transported from their hometowns to take the…

AN ACTING judge frowned upon a defence raised by the Road Accident Fund that a man who fell off the back of a bakkie when the driver struck a pothole at high speed, was to blame for his injuries as he did not wear a seat belt. The court also questioned how the fund could blame a passenger for being the cause of an accident. Oliver Mukansi turned to the Limpopo High Court, sitting in Polokwane, where he claimed millions in compensation from the RAF following the accident. Mukansi, 41, a farm supervisor at the time of the accident, was a passenger when the speeding vehicle hit a pothole on the Nkowankowa Road in Limpopo. Mukansi fell off the back of the bakkie onto the road. He suffered a right…

The ANC Youth League (ANCYL) in KwaZulu-Natal brought Durban to a standstill yesterday when they marched against the ongoing unemployment crisis in eThekwini. Hundreds of young people, led by ANCYL president Collen Malatji, braved the rain and marched through the streets of eThekwini, demanding urgent government intervention to tackle youth unemployment. The march follows a series of calls by the ANCYL for decisive action on what they have labelled a “national disaster” of joblessness among the youth. Among the participants was ANC eThekwini region secretary, Musa Nciki, and deputy chairperson, Thembo Ntuli. In high spirits and chanting Struggle songs, the ANCYL marched from King Dinuzulu Park through Pixley KaSeme Street (West Street) to the Durban City Hall where they handed over a memorandum of demands to City officials. Some of…

THIS year’s general election results and the subsequent formation of the coalition government in the name of a government of national unity is an unequivocal demonstration that ideology, and in particular as far it is concerned with politicians and a political party, is a utopia. However, interest/s in politics are the first and last instance in determining a political engagement in lieu of ideology. To understand the ANC and DA+ coalition in the name of government of national unity it’s important to appreciate how it came about and why I argue the establishment of the government after the general elections is not a government of national unity but a coalition euphemised by the ANC to justify forming a government with the DA and to maintain the façade of being a…

Typhoon Yagi, Asia’s most powerful storm this year, left dozens dead in northern Vietnam and widespread damage to infrastructure and factories as it churned westwards, government estimates showed yesterday. Forty-nine people have died and 22 are missing, mostly because of landslides and floods triggered by the typhoon, the government said. The typhoon made landfall on Saturday on Vietnam’s north-eastern coast, home to large manufacturing operations of domestic and foreign companies. It was downgraded to a tropical depression on Sunday but the meteorological agency warned yesterday of further floods and landslides. Yagi cut power to millions of households and companies, flooded highways, disrupted telecommunications networks, downed a medium-sized bridge and thousands of trees and brought economic activity in many industrial hubs to a halt. Managers and workers at industrial parks and…

The new school year in the Palestinian territories officially began yesterday, with all schools in Gaza shut after 11 months of war and no sign of a ceasefire. As fighting continued, Israel announced new orders to residents of the north Gaza Strip to leave their homes in response to rockets fired into Israel. The Palestinian Education Ministry said all Gaza schools were shut and 90% of them had been destroyed or damaged in Israel’s assault on the territory, launched after Hamas gunmen attacked Israeli towns in October last year. The UN Palestinian aid agency UNRWA, which runs about half of Gaza’s schools, has turned as many of them as it can into emergency shelters housing thousands of displaced families. In addition to the 625 000 Gazans already registered for school…

BEIJING: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez yesterday called Monday for a “fair trade order” during a visit to China, where he met leader Xi Jinping and aimed to boost ties despite a tariff stand-off between Beijing and the EU. Xi called on the two sides to “jointly promote development in AI, the digital economy, new energy and other hi-tech fields”. Sanchez’s trip will also take him to Shanghai today and tomorrow, where he will meet local officials and businesses and inaugurate a new Cervantes Institute cultural centre. Sanchez also met with the Spain-China Business Advisory Council, amid efforts to “deepen trade and investment relations”. | AFP…

White-ball coach Rob Walter has remained steadfast in his bid to grow the Proteas’ depth of talent in line with “Project 2027”. Despite the Proteas being trounced 3-0 in the recent T20 series against the West Indies – the second successive drubbing sandwiched between the dream run to the ICC T20 Men’s World Cup final – Walter is steadfast in his aim to develop the next tier of players below the first-choice starting XI. None of Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen, Tabraiz Shamsi, Gerald Coetzee, David Miller or Heinrich Klaasen feature in either of the ODI or T20 squads selected to face Afghanistan and Ireland in the United Arab Emirates later this month. Instead, Walter has added some fresh faces in the form…

WHO realised, as the Springboks again beat the All Blacks in Cape Town last weekend, that they were, in a way, emulating a four-match blitz against the Kiwis way back in 1949? Rugby writer Mike Greenaway wrote an entertaining piece for last week’s Saturday paper, on the way the Springboks’ ace place-kicker Okey Geffin had his skills honed under the direction of the great Bill Payn when both were taken prisoner in north Africa during World War II. They spent years in a German POW camp where there was not much else to do but practise place kicking. After the war, the All Blacks toured South Africa, determined to avenge a 2-1 defeat by the Boks in New Zealand in 1937. But they reckoned without the deadly accurate boot of…

ISRAELI Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant said they were fighting “human animals”. The real question is, who is behaving like animals in the Gaza-Israel War? Dr Mark Perlmutter, a humanitarian surgeon with 30 years of volunteering who has worked on more than 40 surgical missions in developing countries on four continents and volunteered at a Gaza hospital, said what he saw was unspeakable. Perlmutter said: “All of the disasters I’ve seen combined, 40 mission trips, 30 years, ground zero, earthquakes, all of that combined doesn’t equal the level of carnage that I saw against civilians in just my first week in Gaza. I’ve seen more incinerated children than I’ve ever seen in my entire life combined. I’ve seen more shredded children being crushed by buildings, the greatest majority, or bomb explosions.”…

THE ongoing budget cuts by the national government have eroded needed funding for the Department of Education in KwaZulu-Natal, leaving it with just enough to pay its staff and unable to fully meet other operational needs. The department, along with those of the eight other provinces are looking to meet with the National Treasury in the coming days to address the issue. The KZN department said consistent budget cuts from 2020 have left it with only enough funds to pay its employees and little else. MEC for Finance Francois Rodgers revealed recently that over the past few years, billions have been cut from the provincial budget, affecting the different departments’ abilities to deliver on their mandates. This financial year, the department received R67 billion including about R5bn in grant funding.…

POLITICAL parties and governance experts have supported comments by Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO Palesa Phili that the lack of visible change in eThekwini Municipality is because officials are failing to perform their duties. Phili warned that despite interventions, eThekwini was still struggling to overcome its challenges. Speaking to a weekend newspaper, Phili said the City was still facing challenges of water shortages, electricity, not enough tourism and a lack of investment opportunities. She said she believed that officials were not performing their jobs properly and this was preventing the City from being turned around. So immense are the challenges faced by eThekwini that President Cyril Ramaphosa established the Presidential eThekwini Working Group (PWG) so the government and business could offer solutions to the challenges. The City was…

THE Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) had until the weekend to return building materials and personal property of people occupying an area in Old Marine Drive in the Western Cape following a court order on Friday. Ndifuna Ukwazi (NU) secured an interdict after Prasa Protection Services and other security officers allegedly demolished homes, confiscated building materials and confiscated people’s personal belongings. Western Cape High Court Judge Thandazwa Ndita on Friday confirmed a temporary interdict granted on August 29, and ordered Prasa to return and restore the applicants’ materials and personal property, that they were dispossessed of on August 19 and 22. The parastatal was also ordered to reconstruct the applicants’ temporary dwelling structures within 24 hours of the granting of the order. “In the event that the…

PERSISTENT delays by the Independent Remuneration Commission (IRC) have frustrated the Lower Courts Remuneration Committee (LCRC), with calls for urgent address and accountability. The portfolio committee on justice and constitutional development was briefed on the Draft Notices on the determination of salaries of magistrates, when the matter was raised on Friday. LCRC chairperson, Modibedi Djaje, said the challenge faced by the committee was the low morale of the magistracy, in that every year, they faced the same problem of delays by the IRC of its submissions to the president over salary adjustments. “This delay is unacceptable. We are fully aware that the IRC is an independent body established by the president because it is the IRC that recommends to the president. But I do not think that the IRC can…

A ZULU cultural expert believes that ANC KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Siboniso Duma, has taken a step in the right direction by apologising to Zulu king Misuzulu kaZwelithini over a microphone-grabbing incident that happened earlier this year. Duma snatched the microphone from Traditional Minister Thulasizwe Buthelezi in the presence of King Misuzulu and President Cyril Ramaphosa in KwaCeza, northern KZN, during the 110th commemoration of King Dinuzulu’s death. On Friday, Duma, who is the MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, paid a visit to the king at his palace in Phongolo where he apologised for the incident and as a gesture handed over six cows to the king. Duma said after engaging with the king he was happy that the matter has now been put to bed. “Following our successful meeting with…

If the Springboks were a political party in government, South Africa would undoubtedly be a more peaceful, prosperous, and united nation. This observation stems from the national rugby team’s incredible success and ability to put aside differences – be they racial, cultural, or historical – in pursuit of a common goal. Comprised of black, white, and coloured players, the Springboks have done what many have deemed impossible: worked together as a cohesive unit to become the best rugby team in the world. Their World Cup victory in France was not a fluke but the product of years of hard work, discipline, and unity. Beating the all-conquering New Zealand four times in a row since 1949 is a feat that has catapulted the Springboks to legendary status. There are vital lessons…

Pope Francis yesterday called for action on abuse of young people after arriving in East Timor, the Catholic-majority nation that has been shocked by several child sexual assault cases involving clergy members in recent years. The pontiff, 87, is set to host a huge mass today, expected to draw more than half the country’s population, but in a speech made earlier to a smaller crowd of officials he tackled the most sensitive issue of his trip head-on. “Let us not forget the many children and adolescents whose dignity has been violated. The phenomenon is manifesting all over the world,” he said in a speech in the capital Dili. “We are all called to do everything possible to prevent every kind of abuse and guarantee a healthy and peaceful childhood for…

A group of 10 retired top US military officials endorsed US Vice-President Kamala Harris in a letter made public yesterday, saying she is the only presidential candidate fit to serve as the nation’s commander in chief and calling her Republican rival Donald Trump “a danger to our national security and democracy”. The letter, signed by retired General Larry Ellis and retired Rear Admiral Michael Smith, among others, cited Trump’s comments disparaging members of the military and his own “chaotic approach” to Afghanistan ahead of the US withdrawal, including negotiating a deal with the Taliban that allowed 5 000 of the group’s fighters to return to the battlefield. In contrast, they wrote, Harris “has demonstrated her ability to take on the most difficult national security challenges in the Situation Room…

NAIROBI: Kenya’s finance ministry will seek suggestions from the public on new legislation to boost revenue and tackle other challenges, Finance Minister John Mbadi said yesterday, after protesters forced the government to withdraw its financing law. President William Ruto discarded tax hikes worth more than 346 billion shillings (R48 billion) in June after protests that killed more than 50 people. The move left the heavily indebted government with a bigger budget deficit for this financial year, mounting pending bills, and a delay in funding from the International Monetary Fund. Kenyans have until September 20 to submit their views. | Reuters…

Sacramento: Fuelled by excessive heat and drought, several large wildfires raged across the western US yesterday, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes and worrying climate experts about more fires in the coming days. In Southern California, a fire in San Bernardino County scorched about 71km2 with 0% containment, forcing mandatory evacuation orders for over 11 000 people and putting more than 35 000 structures at risk. California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in San Bernardino County. The area was under a red flag warning for wildfires. More than 600 firefighters had been dispatched but battled to access the fires. | IANS…

THE TECH GIANT has “heard concerns from victims, experts and other stake- holders” over the years when it comes to intimate imagery of people being shared online without their consent and has teamed up with StopNCII.org to combat the issue. In a blog post, Microsoft said: “On July 30, Microsoft released a policy White Paper, outlining a set of suggestions for policymakers to help protect Americans from abusive AI deepfakes, with a focus on protecting women and children from online exploitation. Advocating for modern- ised laws to protect victims is one element of our comprehensive approach to address abusive AI-generated content – today, we also provide an update on Microsoft’s global efforts to safeguard its services and individuals from non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII). We have heard concerns from victims,…

American fashion brand Tom Ford has a new creative director and it’s Haider Ackermann, pictured. In a statement released by Tom Ford, the brand expressed how delighted they were to welcome the Colombian-born French designer who takes over from Peter Hawkings, who resigned from the position in July this year. “I have long been a great fan of Haider’s work. I find both his womenswear and menswear equally compelling. He is an incredible colourist, his tailoring is sharp, and above all, he is modern. “We share many of the same historical references, and I could not be more excited to see what he does with the brand. I suspect that I will be the first on my feet to applaud after his show in March,” said Ford, who retired from…

THE news coming out of Gaza and the occupied territories is like a filthy black river. Every single day, there is a new piece of news that supersedes the previous days in dreadfulness. Only suspending belief will make it possible to even read the headlines from publications which dare to print the truth about what is happening in Gaza these days. The latest one from Quds News Network reads: Israeli forces kill Palestinian teen, drag body using bulldozer in Tubas Raid. Yes. You have to read that one with your eyes closed and a fist stuffed inside your mouth to stifle the screams. Another article details the death of a young girl who was rollerblading in Gaza when she was killed by an airstrike. Most cruel is perhaps, the airstrike…

IF THERE is one team of a certain sporting code that unites the nation and brings all people from all spectrums of life together, it has got to be our rugby team, the Springboks. They first did it in 1995 and they continue to do so, with utmost aplomb. I wonder if our rugby coach, Rassie Erasmus, is being given the credit he deserves. The man has clearly put his head on the block, defying all the forced quota systems, racial divisions and so on. He took another risky decision by waiting until the last-minute for the recovery of Siya Kolisi and Handre Pollard in their hospital wards amid calls for their immediate replacements. And who made enemies eat humble pie and had the longest laugh? Arasmus did. I don’t…

JACOB Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has successfully defended its decision to axe 10 MPs, with the Western Cape High Court finding that their court papers omitted important factual issues. The 10 MPs turned to court in their bid to be reinstated and stop the filling in of their positions by the National Assembly. Their move came after they were notified by National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza last month that the party’s chief whip Sihle Ngubane informed her that their membership was terminated and all internal processes were exhausted. The MPs’ application to stop the filling of their parliamentary seats pending the consideration of the application to review and set aside the termination of their membership to the party and the National Assembly, was heard by the Western Cape High…

NATIONAL Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola has expressed deep concern about what he described as under-reporting of extortion-related crimes in the Mthatha area, where businesses, schools and organisations were being forced by criminals to pay a “protection fee”. A police officer attached to the National Intervention Unit recently came under fire from a suspect who was subsequently wounded and remains under police guard in hospital. The Mthatha CDB has been in headlines following brazen extortion-related crimes, where schools, businesses, health facilities and NGOs were forced to pay a protection fee or risk being targeted by criminals. Among those alleged to have been at the centre of extortion-related crime was self-proclaimed chief Daluxolo Mareke, who along with two accomplices, was killed in a police shoot-out last week. During his visit to the…

A large number of properties in the Pietermaritzburg CBD are owned by one family, which is complicating efforts to rehabilitate, rid the city of bad buildings and restore the CBD to its former glory. This is according to the MEC for Public Works, Martin Meyer, during an interview with The Mercury where he also revealed that some of the buildings were not being properly maintained. He said he planned to call for a meeting with the municipality's mayor, Mzimkhulu Thebolla, property owners and developers in the city to find a way to arrest the decay of the CBD. The government is under pressure to address the issue of bad buildings in KwaZulu-Natal’s major economic hubs of Durban and Pietermaritzburg. Some buildings are hijacked and used as makeshift accommodation where people…

Apple yesterday was set to unveil its iPhone 16 line-up, focusing on how its flagship device’s features have been infused with artificial intelligence (AI), rather than its usual emphasis on hardware upgrades. The event at the tech giant’s Apple Park headquarters follows its developer conference in June during which the company unveiled Apple Intelligence, its take on generative AI that can conjure text, images and other content on command. It had also showed off an improved version of voice assistant Siri, featuring an integration with ChatGPT, the chatbot developed by Microsoft-backed OpenAI. The refresh comes as iPhones face stiff competition from HuaweiHWT.UL in China, where consumers are hankering for more AI features and are willing to pay for them. Huawei itself has scheduled its own product announcement mere hours after…

LONDON: Kate, Britain’s Princess of Wales, said yesterday that she had finished her course of preventative chemotherapy for cancer and would be carrying out a handful of public engagements later this year, but said her path to full recovery would be long. Kate, 42, wife of heir-to-the-throne Prince William, underwent major abdominal surgery in January which revealed the presence of cancer and has been undergoing treatment since then. “The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown … The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you,” she said. | Reuters…

Stockholm: An exiled Iranian opposition group said yesterday that its offices in Stockholm were firebombed overnight. According to the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the political wing of the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (MEK), the building had been hit “with several Molotov cocktails” in a “terrorist attack” the group blamed on Iran’s intelligence service. Police were investigating. The MEK backed Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in the 1979 revolution that ousted the shah but swiftly went into opposition, and was blamed for a series of attacks that rocked Iran in the early 1980s. | AFP…

Paris: The descendants of the Eiffel Tower’s designer say they will fight to stop the Olympic rings being left on the tower as the mayor of Paris plans. The family of the legendary engineer Gustave Eiffel said they “oppose any alteration that negatively impacts respect for the work” of their ancestor, adding they had already consulted lawyers about blocking the change. Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo plans to keep the massive multicoloured rings that were attached to the tower for the Paris Olympics until at least 2028. But the descendants argued that the symbol “creates a strong imbalance” in the tower’s shape. | AFP…