Indholdsfortegnelse for 2024-09-12 i Mercury

boitshoko Shoke MY RECENT visit to FNB Art Joburg, which is Africa’s leading and longest- running contemporary art fair, was more than just a casual stroll through curated masterpieces. Accompanied by one of my closest friends, Lisa, the experience turned into a reflective exploration of the ever-evolving art landscape in Africa. We found ourselves immersed in a world where creativity and entrepreneurship blend seamlessly, showcasing the power of art to not only provoke thought but serve as a commercial and cultural force. In recent years, the global art market has seen a surge in interest in African art, with the continent’s artists gaining recognition on the world stage. According to the ArtTactic 2022 African Art Market Report, African art sales reached approximately $225 million that year, demonstrating a growing…

In the famous words of the ex-chairperson of British Leyland, Lord Stokes: “I am in business to make money, not cars!” This is a perfect expression of the aspiration of the entire capitalist class. At the start of the 2008 financial crisis, the queen of Britain met a British economist and enquired: “Did you not see this crisis coming?” In 2011, Dr Nouriel Roubini told the Wall Street Journal: “Karl Marx had it right!” At some point, capitalism can destroy itself. We thought markets worked. They are not working. Lawrence Summers, the former US Treasury secretary-turned-critic of establishment economics, argues that the world economy is gripped by “secular stagnation”. He concluded that the economic theory he taught for years was wrong. At the inaugural conference of the Institute for Economic…

EVERYONE wondered where the government was going to get the money to finance the National Health Insurance (NHI). The minister has now let the cat out the bag. The government is going to steal it from the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF). This is, of course, nothing new. The difference is that it will be done directly by the government and not via cadres. Steal? Yes, if you appropriate someone else's property for yourself, you are committing the crime of theft. About 82% of the money that the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) invests belongs to the GEPF. This will be the source for the NHI. The minister asks why the PIC can fund the building of private hospitals but not public hospitals? The answer is easy: first, because such investments…

LAWYERS representing former President Jacob Zuma have warned that the criminal case against him was unlikely to start next year as they plan to launch another appeal process that is likely to disrupt the start of the trial. Zuma’s legal team is planning to launch an application for leave to appeal the decision by Judge Nkosinathi Chili to dismiss Zuma’s application to have state prosecutor Billy Downer removed from the case. Dates between April and September next year had been reserved for the start of the arms deal trial that has been dragging on for almost two decades. Zuma faces corruption, fraud, theft and racketeering charges for allegedly taking bribes from French arms manufacturer Thales, the second accused in the matter. Two weeks ago, the parties met in the Pietermaritzburg…

President Cyril Ramaphosa cannot refuse to sign the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Bill for political reasons, says the presidency. He is expected to publicly sign the controversial bill into law tomorrow at a ceremony at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. However, this move has ruffled the feathers of ANC coalition partner, the DA, which claimed signing the bill threatened to shake the Government of National Unity’s (GNU’s) stability. The DA warned yesterday that if the signing proceeds despite their objections this will violate both the letter and spirit of the joint Statement of Intent that forms the basis of the GNU. DA leader John Steenhuisen said during the negotiations his party made it clear that the bill was unacceptable in its current form because it has constitutional implications for…

WHILE members of the provincial legislature are bracing to debate the imminent teacher post cuts in the Western Cape, education rights organisations have amplified the call for changes in budget policies to ensure the interests of children and education are paramount. The Western Cape Education Department has decided not to renew more than 2 400 contract teacher posts when they expire at the end of the year. The department attributes its decision to budget cuts, which it has blamed on the national government. The department noted that it had a budget shortfall of R3.8 billion, and that it was necessary to cut back on teacher posts to remain financially stable. Provincial Legislature Speaker Daylin Mitchell granted GOOD Party Brett Herron’s request to have the issue debated as a “matter…

WHAT became of nearly R38 million deducted from workers by Mafube (Frankfort) Municipality in the Free State as pension fund contributions has come under legal scrutiny because the deductions were never paid to the pension fund. The Municipal Workers Retirement Fund turned to the Bloemfontein High Court in a bid to get a closer look at the municipality’s banking records. The fund earlier obtained an order that the municipality had to pay nearly R38m to it with regard to the pension contributions. The municipality never paid the money and the fund subsequently obtained a writ of execution against the municipality. But it emerged that the municipality only had R97 000 left in its account. The fund now wants to know where the rest of the money went. Arrear…

Reports continue to emerge of the alleged looting of tens of thousands of artefacts from the Sudan National Museum in Khartoum. The museum, near the confluence of the White and the Blue Niles, holds a history of the region, home to ancient civilisations, temples and pyramids. But it has been caught in the crossfire in a war between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces that has left millions displaced and devastated the built environment. The Sudan National Museum is a testament to the region’s rich historical and cultural heritage and serves as an important repository for the country’s antiquities. It was founded in 1959, ahead of the construction of the Aswan High Dam. A Unesco-led salvage campaign was launched in 1960 to protect and preserve the…

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump set out yesterday to ride the momentum from their high-stakes debate into the final sprint to November as they seek to persuade undecided voters and shake up a presidential election locked in a dead heat. The Democratic vice-president and her Republican rival are neck-and-neck in both nationwide and swing state polling, days before first ballots are mailed out and early in-person voting begins in several key states. Both candidates declared victory in the debate after coming face to face for the first time on the biggest night so far of the campaign – although any boost or dent in support is unlikely to show up in polling for several days. Yesterday, Trump came out swinging in an early morning interview with Fox News, claiming, without…

HONG KONG: Hong Kong lashed out at the US House of Representatives yesterday for passing a bill that could potentially shut the Chinese city’s trade outposts across the US. The US House voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday in favour of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Certification Act, requiring a review of the exemptions and immunities enjoyed by the city’s trade offices located in New York, Washington and San Francisco. The offices would have to shut within 180 days if found not to be operating with “a high degree of autonomy” from China. China’s foreign ministry also heaped criticism on the bill. | AFP…

ONE of the consistent young batters in the country, Matthew Breetzke, fought a lone fight this week at the Diamond Oval in Kimberly where South Africa ‘A’ clashed with Sri Lanka ‘A’ in the first unofficial Test match. The 25-year-old scored a mature 213-ball 129, pushing the hosts to a decent 372-run first-innings total and bringing up his eighth career century in the process. However, the hosts went on to lose the match by six wickets and handed the visiting Sri Lankan side a 1-0 advantage in the two-match series. For a young man with dreams of earning a Test baggy green one day, the century came at a perfect time for Breetzke as the entire Proteas Test coaching staff, led by Shukri Conrad, watched his knock from the dugout…

The NATIONAL Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) yesterday told Parliament that it would appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) against the decision of the High Court judgement in which it lost an application to overturn the decision not to implement the Cost of Supply (CoS) method in determining municipal tariffs for the 2024/25 financial year. The decision to appeal to the Supreme Court comes after Nersa, along with the South Africa Local Government Authority (Salga), lost a judgment and appeal last month of an action launched by AfriForum seeking to stay the 2024/25 increases based on the CoS. In a presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Electricity and Energy yesterday, Nersa said it had outlined “the negative consequences of the order on the sustainability of munici- palities,…

SOME puns come this way, dedicated to connoisseurs of the noble craft of punnery. How does an attorney sleep? First he lies on one side, then he lies on the other side. I have a few jokes about unemployed people, but none of them work! How do you make hot water? You take some water and boil the hell out of it! Will glass coffins be a success? Remains to be seen! Two windmills are standing in a wind farm. One asks: “What’s your favourite kind of music?” The other says: “I’m a Big Metal fan.” Heard about the new restaurant called Karma? There’s no menu, you get what you deserve. I went to buy some camouflage trousers yesterday, but I couldn’t find any. What do you call a bee…

The DA in KwaZulu-Natal has noted the hysterical statement issued by Action South Africa’s (ActionSA’s) unelected provincial chairperson Zwakele Mncwango, accusing the DA of deliberately delaying the crucially important sewage court case that we have been the only party to relentlessly fight for. Last week, the municipality filed a 2 500-page response to our case. Suggesting that any legal team could be fully prepared to argue that in three weeks only proves how mediocre and unprepared ActionSA is for the case. It might be prepared to lose the case so long as it gains a few headlines but the DA is certainly not. Furthermore, ActionSA should be ashamed that it is prepared to risk the money it has fleeced from the public to fund its case. The DA has…

DR NICHOLAS Crisp cannot be serious? He is already paving the way to implement the National Health Insurance Act. All South Africans with common sense know the NHI will be a dismal failure. All state-owned entities have failed, so why should the NHI be a success? Wake up, Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, because if you do not change direction now, you are heading for disaster. It would be too late for tears. Basic education is the cornerstone of a prosperous South Africa. If we fail here, we are doomed. Readers, you will not believe it but this is what is happening right now. The Western Cape Education Department will have to cut 2 400 posts because the national government cannot provide the finances. Why, for heaven’s sake, will there be enough…

EThekwini Municipality mayor Cyril Xaba says the municipality is upgrading 10 wastewater treatment works to prevent sewage from polluting Durban beaches as the build up to the summer season starts. The mayor was speaking yesterday at the launch of the Durban Tourism Summer campaign under the banner “Endless Waves of Tranquillity” at Umgababa, south of Durban. The mayor said they forecast that more than 1.3 million visitors will visit eThekwini during the 2024/25 summer season with a hotel occupancy rate of more than 65%. eThekwini has faced challenges of high E coli levels due to sewage seeping into rivers and beaches and tourism organisations yesterday welcomed the mayor’s commitment to have beaches ready for the influx of visitors. Xaba said a lot of effort has been put into upgrading…

The Road Accident Fund (RAF) claims the arrest of an Eastern Cape lawyer who allegedly stole claimants’ money in his trust fund was indicative of a larger problem of fraud and corruption. East London-based Masixole Bangiso from Masixole Bangiso Attorneys appeared in the East London Magistrate’s Court on Monday and was released on bail. The matter was postponed to October 11. Detailing the history of the case, Hawks provincial spokesperson Yolisa Mgolodela said the complainant was involved in an accident as a passenger in a bakkie in April 2021 at Fitzpatrick Road “She was rushed to Frere Hospital in an ambulance where she was hospitalised for five weeks due to the severity of her injuries. “Upon discharge, she reportedly visited Masixole Bangiso Attorneys for an RAF claim. “The complainant was…

ANTI-gender-based violence organisations have lauded the appeal filed by the Centre for Applied Legal Studies (Cals) against a ruling that convicted a wo- man of killing her abusive husband, who had repeatedly raped and abused her. Cals contends that the magistrate did not adequately consider the evidence presented by the defence. In November 2022, the woman, whose identity is protected due to her HIV status, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for stabbing her husband in the neck three times. “Prior to her arrest in November 2018, she had spent a year facing beatings from her partner, so severe that she suffered a miscarriage. On the night she was arrested, she was held against her will and raped. This evidence was not challenged by the State at trial and…

A COUPLE who lost their family home through a fraudulent scheme, where they thought they were signing documents to obtain a loan but without realising it actually signed documents for the sale and transfer of their home to the company from which they sought the loan, turned to the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, to have the “agreement” set aside. The couple, only identified as Mr and Mrs S, turned to the court after they found themselves without their home, which belonged to a family trust. Realising that they have fallen victim to a fraudulent scheme, they successfully asked the court to declare all the documents they had signed in relation to the “sale” of their home to be declared null and void. As a consequence of the order in their…

NATIONAL police commissioner Fannie Masemola needs to familiarise himself with Western Cape High Court Judge Daniel Thulare’s scathing judgment which captures the essence of why public trust in the police service is fractured. If Masemola has not already done so, that judgment will shed light on how some police officers are deep into the pockets of gangs who are terrorising communities. Judge Thulare’s words may trigger a different approach in how police interact with communities. On trial were Gupta gang leaders Gcinithemba Beja and Fundile Maseti in Khayelitsha who were convicted and sentenced to seven life terms each for murder, attempted murder, unlawful possession of a firearm and one unlawful possession of ammunition. In part, the judgment states: “They (Beja and Maseti) made sure that the community lived in fear.…

NAIROBI: Hundreds of passengers were left stranded at Kenya’s main airport yesterday as staff went on strike over a planned takeover by an Indian company. The walk-out by the Kenyan Aviation Workers’ Union began at midnight, severely disrupting flights at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). The union said the strike would continue until the government scrapped a plan to lease the airport to India’s Adani Group for 30 years in exchange for a $1.85 billion (about R33bn) investment. “The strike is on and all shifts have been suspended,” union leader Moses Ndiema said. “Adani must go. That is not optional,” he said. | AFP…

Palestinian Territories: An Israeli air strike yesterday hit a central Gaza school, with the Hamas-run territory’s civil defence agency reporting 14 killed in the facility turned displacement shelter and the military saying it had targeted militants. Israeli forces have struck several such schools in recent months, saying Palestinian militants were operating there and hiding among displaced civilians, charges denied by Hamas. The Al-Jawni school in central Gaza’s Nuseirat, already hit several times, was struck again the civil defence agency said. The Hamas government media office said about 5 000 displaced people were sheltering at the school. | AFP…

THE Sharks need no reminding that their 24-18 Currie Cup pool game win last weekend in Durban amounts to nothing but a puff of dust ahead of the rematch in Pretoria this week. The teams re-engage at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday (5pm kick-off), with a place in the Currie Cup final at stake. “Last week it was our first game together as a United Rugby Championship (URC) group, so the win gave us confidence,” Sharks defence coach Joey Mongalo reflected at a media conference this week. “But we’ve had a good review of the amount of room for improvement going forward, as we move to a completely different game. “The Bulls are a different animal up at Loftus. They’ve got a great record of winning play-off games up there, and…

INACIO Miguel was very close to his late grandmother, and that’s why he has decided to honour her memory by donning the No 84 jersey at his new club Kaizer Chiefs. Defender Miguel recently joined Chiefs on a three-year deal from native Angolan side Petro de Luanda, where he won the league title last season. The 28-year-old is one of Amakhosi’s seven new signings, along with Gaston Sirino, Rushwin Dortley, Bongani Sam, Njabulo Blom, Bradley Cross and Fiacre Ntwari. Miguel is expected to fit like a glove in new coach Nasreddine Nabi’s system, given his defensive qualities and versatility, which includes playing as a left-back or centre-back. He also has experience under his belt, having represented the Angolan national team and plied his trade in Europe, specifically in Portugal, where…

Please, read this out loud … Finding my voice is much more than talking, writing or any of the arenas honouring self-expression. I was not created to be silent or to silence others. Every person has a voice – a life – designed for full expression. The wisdom of voice, and using it, involves discovering how best to package and express it so others will want to hear what I have to say. There are those who will try to silence, steal or suppress me. I will compromise myself, my talents and skills for no one. I will not be silenced or made smaller. There is no cause, no relationship, worthy of my silence. There is no person of any rank, no boss or spiritual leader deserving of downplaying who…

The DA, despite its fear of a doomsday coalition between the ANC and the EFF, or uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), should not have formed a Government of National Unity (GNU) with the ANC. The behaviour of the ANC in its formation of the GNU, constantly working behind the DA’s back, bringing new members on board without consulting original members, and reneging on deals and agreements, is unacceptable – the ANC has clearly not behaved in good faith. It was clear from the start that the DA should not enter into any form of coalition with the ANC, as doing so removes its important role as official opposition and risks exposing it to the corrupting influence of the ANC. The parties are diametrically opposed. The DA’s ideology of liberalism, responsible government…

The brutal murder of Misheck Sambani, well liked delivery man in the Bishop Lavis area, has jolted the entire area. An innocent law-abiding citizen was robbed of the right to life. The latest incidents have left the community in horror-struck convulsion. These ghastly deeds has shocked the collective conscience of society. This senseless murder was committed in an extremely brutal, grotesque, diabolical, revolting and dastardly manner. The gravity of these heinous crimes depicts hair-raising, beastly and unparalleled behaviour. These animals must be removed from society. They depict extreme mental perversion not worthy of human condonation. Our courts and the criminal justice system need to instil faith in society by adopting a zero-tolerance policy. Inaction will have a grave impact on our social order. We have only to feel the volume…

The Health Department has set its sights on introducing “fairer compensation” for patients who suffered medical injuries as one of the ways to reduce medico-legal claims. Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi disclosed this when briefing a joint meeting of parliamentary committees, saying a “fairer compensation” mechanism could be designed. He urged Parliament to support their planned move towards mediation of medico-legal claims as they were busy training mediation officers. “Many countries, especially Scandinavian countries, have proven that this is possible. This, whereby panels of retired judges, retired senior medical and nursing staff, solicitors, social workers and others are put together. “Their purpose is to determine and arrive at a fair compensation for those who have experienced medical injuries rather than a ‘legal shout in court’,” he said. He argued that…

THE prosecution team who secured a life term imprisonment relying on circumstantial evidence against a Knysna man who was found guilty of killing his lover almost 14 years ago has been hailed for ensuring justice was served. Chelry Smith was sentenced in the Knysna Regional Court on Monday for the 2012 murder of 33-year-old Hazel Georgina Shariefa Augustus. He pleaded not guilty to murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said Smith successfully applied for Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Act on the assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Prosecutor Aspirito Riccardo White relied on circumstantial evidence, medical reports, and witnesses who the accused spoke to after the murder. “White led six witnesses…

A lot is pinned on faster reform implementation supported by the GNU It would be unfair to gauge the progress of the South African economy under the GNU which has been in power for hardly two months, largely because of data and policy implementation lag. The narrative going forward implicit in the latest International Monetary Fund (IMF) Post-Financing Assessment (PFA) on South Africa released on September 4, has hardly changed over the last few years – a reality millions of compatriots are only too familiar with defined by an entrenched cost-of-living crisis and a motley of non-performing socio-economic metrics. South Africa’s economy, said the Fund’s Executive Board, “has shown resilience in the face of massive disruptions, but persisting structural challenges risk a further erosion of living standards. However, per-capita income…

Vietnam’s capital of Hanoi evacuated thousands of people living near the swollen Red River as its waters rose to a 20-year high, flooding streets days after Typhoon Yagi battered the country’s north, killing at least 179 people. Asia’s most powerful typhoon this year, Yagi brought gales and heavy rain as it moved westwards after landfall on Saturday, causing the collapse of a bridge this week while it scythed through provinces along the Red River, the area’s biggest. “My home is now part of the river,” said Nguyen Van Hung, 56, who lives in a suburb on the banks of the Red River. Across the country, the typhoon and subsequent landslides and floods have killed 179 people while 145 were missing, the government estimated. Vietnam’s state-run power utility EVN said yesterday…

AMMAN: Jordan’s moderate Islamist opposition made significant gains in Tuesday’s parliamentary election, initial official results showed yesterday, boosted by anger over Israel’s war in Gaza. The Islamist Action Front (IAF) also benefited from a new electoral law that encourages a bigger role for political parties in the 138-seat parliament, though tribal and pro-government factions will continue to dominate the assembly. The IAF, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, won up to a fifth of the seats under the revamped electoral law, which for the first time allocated 41 seats for parties, according to preliminary figures. | Reuters…

Professor Peter Njiforti, an economics expert at Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria, believes Russia’s proposed BRICS Grain Exchange and its shift towards local currency payments with African nations could be a game-changer for the continent’s food security. Highlighting the potential impact of the BRICS Grain Exchange, he argued that it would allow BRICS countries, responsible for a significant share of global grain production and consumption, to have greater influence in setting grain prices, independent of Western-dominated systems. “The BRICS Grain Exchange may weaken the US dollar’s dominance in global trade by promoting the use of national currencies,” Njiforti said. “The exchange could facilitate price regulation benefiting Russia and Brazil, major BRICS grain exporters. “By using national currencies, Russia and African countries can reduce their reliance on the US dollar, minimising…