Indholdsfortegnelse for 2024-10-14 i Mercury

South Africa’s mining sector investment climate has improved, said Pan African Resources CEO Cobus Loots on Friday, highlighting that the gold miner was set to benefit from years of investment into alternative electricity, which would lower the company’s production costs. Eskom electricity supplies have improved but the Minerals Council South Africa is concerned about the cost of electricity. On the other hand, Pan African Resources has solar power plants and has a renewable power supply agreement for another. “We were the first miner to commission large scale solar mine at Evander. We are at the same time accruing savings of R4 million a month in terms of solar,” said Loots. Other miners in SA, he added, have been slow to deepen investment over the past few years due to elevated…

I hope the youth direct their anger towards those who opened our borders for millions of Zimbabweans, large numbers of refugees and all other foreigners to enter South Africa and take our jobs. So they must ask their ANC aunts and uncles why they handed over South Africa and to the lawyers who stand against the citizens in the courts of law. Instead of marching to JSE, they should also be marching to the Minister of Home Affairs to suspend all types of work permits for 10 years until all the citizens are employed. 80 000 Zimbabweans with special work permits should leave the country and be special in their country. Schreiber, please brief the nation about the so-called scarce skills. SABC, please call all the unemployed graduates to list…

Cyril Xaba The surging demand for treated water in eThekwini Municipality significantly outpaces the available supply. Currently, there is insufficient water resources to meet the growing population demands. Some of the contributing factors to the increasing demand can be attributed to rapid urbanisation, high-water usage, illegal connections, and ageing infrastructure which leads to frequent water leaks. The average water consumption in eThekwini is very high, and is currently between 270 and 298 litres per capita (person), per day (l/c/d) compared to the international average of 173 l/c/d. To manage the demand and to prevent depletion of available water resources, the uMngeni-uThukela Water Board has implemented water curtailment throughout eThekwini Municipality for a period of 12 months, which came into effect from October 10, 2024. The decision was taken to ensure…

Eskom’s recent achievement of 200 days without load shedding is expected to positively impact South Africa’s GDP, with economists predicting a growth rate of at least 1.6% yesterday. Eskom announced yesterday that the country had reached the 200-day milestone as a result of the Generation Operational Recovery Plan. It said unplanned outages had been reduced by 8.6% and the Energy Availability Factor (EAF) had gone up by 7.7%. EAF refers to the percentage of available electricity that is being generated by the power utility. Eskom said the plan was expected to contribute to a potential growth of 2% in the South African economy, however, economists predict growth will be closer to 1.6%. Asked about Eskom’s milestone, an energy expert said a change in leadership and a reliable maintenance plan…

THE South African Revenue Service (Sars) has to date received more than 1.2 million applications for tax directives for withdrawals from the Savings Withdrawal Benefit of the two-pot system. Of the 1 213 646 total applications, 1 148 729 tax directives were approved for funds to be released. A total gross lump sum of R21.4 billion has been paid out to date. The remainder were declined for a variety of reasons, including incorrect identity numbers and incorrect tax numbers, among others, Sars said. “Sars reminds taxpayers who want to apply for a withdrawal to make sure that they verify their tax numbers, have supplied the correct identity numbers and they do not have any outstanding debt with Sars,” the tax authority said. “After a registered taxpayer has applied, a successful…

The Minister of Correctional Services, Dr Pieter Groenewald has revealed that there are just 75 psychologists and 602 social workers rendering services to inmates across the country. This week in a Parliamentary written reply, Groenewald’s office revealed that the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) faced a reduction of the budget of R11.7 billion over the past five years. Janho Engelbrecht, DA MP, said data supplied to him by Correctional Services in response to a parliamentary question, showed that there were 14 184 sentenced offenders participating in programmes as of October 1, 2024, with a total of 100 979 across the country. Groenewald said there were 13 non-therapeutic correctional programmes that were offered to sentenced prisoners while 18 programmes were offered by social workers and psychologists. He said the department provided…

The ANC and the DA in KwaZulu-Natal said the decision by DA federal council chair Helen Zille to end negotiations for a metro stability pact between the two parties will have no impact on the eThekwini Municipality. Tensions have emerged between the two parties after the ANC refused to reinstate Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink, who was replaced by ActionSA’s Dr Nasiphi Moya, in a vote last week. Zille told the Sunday Times that as a consequence of Brink’s removal, the DA had pulled out of the metro stability pact discussion between the two parties. She said the stability pact included Ekurhuleni, Nelson Mandela Bay and ‘potentially eThekwini’ and would have involved agreements on not passing motions of no confidence against one another’s mayors unless there was egregious wrongdoing. Zille said…

Challenging common misconceptions about Palestinian history IT IS disconcerting that South African newspapers give such a lot of space for Zionist propaganda either as lengthy articles or as letters, while Israeli newspapers do not allow the same for anyone putting forward an alternative view to Zionist propaganda. Given Israel’s stance in banning journalists and media houses, it does not wash that in South Africa a political movement – racist Zionism which violates our Constitution, bill of rights and values, should be given media space because of a “balance of views”. In this context I wish to counter the ignorant, false history and propaganda in a recent letter, which falsely contends that Palestine is a 20th century creation. I draw on the work of Dr Mahmoud Hawari and Dr Ghada Karmi…

The UN said yesterday that Israeli tanks had burst through the gates of a base of its peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, the latest accusation of violations and attacks that have been denounced by Israel’s own allies. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the UN to evacuate the troops of the UNIFIL peacekeeping force from combat areas in Lebanon. Hours later, the force reported what it described as additional Israeli violations, including tanks forcibly entering through the gates of a base. “The time has come for you to withdraw UNIFIL from Hezbollah strongholds and from the combat zones,” Netanyahu said in a statement addressed to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. “The IDF has requested this repeatedly and has met with repeated refusal, which has the effect of providing Hezbollah…

SpaceX successfully “caught” the first-stage booster of its Starship megarocket yesterday as it returned to the launch pad after a test flight, a world first in the company’s quest for rapid re-usability. The “super heavy booster” had blasted off attached to the Starship rocket minutes earlier, then made a picture-perfect controlled return to the same pad in Texas, where a pair of huge mechanical “chopsticks” reached out from the launch tower to bring the slowly descending booster to a halt, according to a live stream from Elon Musk’s SpaceX company. While the booster returned to the launchpad, the upper stage of Starship was due to splash down in the Indian Ocean within the hour. During its last flight in June, SpaceX achieved its first successful splashdown with Starship, a prototype…

PORT SUDAN: A Sudanese network of volunteer rescuers reported that the military conducted an air strike on a marketplace in Khartoum, killing 23 people. The market is near a camp where the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been battling the military amid a civil war that has claimed tens of thousands of lives. Fighting has intensified around Khartoum, with the military attacking from the air. According to the World Health Organization, at least 20 000 people have died since the conflict began in April 2023, with some estimates suggesting the toll could be as high as 150 000. The UN states more than 10 million have been displaced. | AFP…

Istanbul: Hundreds of women protested yesterday in Turkish cities against rising violence following the murders of two young women in Istanbul. Demonstrators chanted slogans against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his AKP party, with rally organiser Gunes Fadime Aksahin accusing the government of allowing such violence. The outcry follows the discovery of the women’s bodies and the suicide of the suspected murderer. Erdogan pledged to strengthen the justice system amid a grim report of 299 women murdered in Turkiye this year, highlighting the issue of gender-based violence. | AFP…

The Lions have said they want to be taken seriously as United Rugby Championship (URC) contenders and while that remains a touch ambitious, how they beat the Dragons yesterday suggests they could get there. The Lions yesterday won their tour opener 23-19 and showed a maturity in their game that was absent last season. Simply put, the Lions team of the previous URC campaign would have lost this game but yesterday they had the composure to close out a very tight game. The Lions have now beaten Ulster 35-22, Edinburgh 55-21 and the Dragons. They will travel to Zebre this week high on confidence, before travelling to tough asks at Leinster and Munster. The impressive thing about the Lions is that they tackled this first overseas game with the same…

WE live in an age of unprecedented contact, local, national, international and possibly one day interplanetary. The messaging beams out. Yet last week I found myself having to dictate the Idler’s column over the phone to a lass who was faithfully taking it all down on her own keyboard. Yikes! Why? It came about after somebody (not myself) accidentally dropped my laptop. We immediately switched it on to see if it was still working. All seemed OK. It was only next day when I started on the Idler’s column that it turned out all was not OK. The thing was playing silly buggers, as the technicians put it. It was jumping about, switching off unbidden, doing all kinds of things that do nothing to produce a newspaper column. With the…

The IFP in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature is devastated by the gruesome accident on the N2 in Mandeni, northern KZN, that claimed eight lives, including that of school pupils. We are deeply saddened by this loss of life, and we would like to convey our sincerest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives. This tragedy highlights the alarming rate of road accidents in our province and country at large. And serves as a reminder of the urgency of building and maintaining transport infrastructure, but also calls for road users to take responsibility for the lives of other drivers and drive responsibly on the roads. To combat this, we call upon the authorities to take stern action against reckless drivers, enhance enforcement and surveillance, with traffic…

As the sixth child, who allegedly consumed contaminated snacks in Naledi, Soweto, died at the weekend, calls have been made for municipalities to take stringent measures to ensure the safety of food sold by small businesses, especially spaza shops. Five of the children who died after they allegedly consumed contaminated snacks from a foreign-owned spaza shop in Naledi were laid to rest yesterday. The deaths of these children have ignited a national outcry over the safety of food being sold especially at small, often unregulated businesses. Asked about food product inspections in shops in eThekwini Municipality, the City’s spokesperson, Gugu Sisilana, said the City maintains a register of small businesses that sell food. “Routine food inspections are conducted based on risk-based operational plans, incorporating minimum inspection schedules and joint compliance…

A KwaZulu-Natal mother is mourning the loss of her three children who were among the eight people killed in a road crash in Mandeni. On Friday, a head-on collision between a vehicle and a truck took place on the N2 near Mandeni. Grade 10 pupil from Mathubesizwe High School, Banele Sishi, 18, who was driving the vehicle that collided with the truck, and passengers – taxi driver Sphelele Ngcongo, 27, farmer Simphiwe Ngcongo, 25, Sifundo Zikhali, 18, Nkanyiso Zikhali, 25, Mpumelelo Innocent Dladla, 23, Sikhuthele High School pupil Velangenkosi Ncwane, 19, and grade 11 pupil Siphile Dladla, 17, were declared dead at the scene. The truck driver sustained critical injuries. According to reports, the deceased were believed to have attended a party prior to the accident. Yesterday, KZN Transport and…

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has secured Acknowledgement Of Debt (AOD) agreements valued at R85 million in connection with monies paid irregularly to non-qualifying students by the national Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). This was revealed by Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane in a reply to parliamentary questions posed by DA MP Desiree van der Walt. Van der Walt enquired whether the R112 billion SIU established was paid to “undeserving students” had been recovered in full and what other action had been taken against the students besides the signing the AOD agreements. In August 2022, the SIU was authorised by President Cyril Ramaphosa to investigate maladministration in the affairs of the NSFAS. The investigation started in September 2022 and was expected to take about 18 months to complete.…

THE eThekwini Municipality has been found to be the best performer among metropolitan municipalities in South Africa when it comes to using the national grants set aside for “upgrading informal settlements and delivering housing projects”. The National Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements, which visited the province last week to assess the state of housing, found that eThekwini was leading the pack compared to other metropolitan areas in terms of spending the Human Settlement Development Grant (USDG) and the Informal Settlement Upgrading Partnership Grant (ISUPG). During their visit, the committee toured several housing projects currently under way in Durban. In a statement by the municipality, it was reported that the national committee acknowledged that the Durban metro is outpacing all other metros in South Africa in terms of expenditure on these…

nicola.mawson@inl.co.za The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, commonly known as the Hawks, arrested 818 suspects during the 2nd quarter of 2024/2025, including several people involved in fraud at the now defunct Steinhoff – the biggest corporate scandal in South Africa to date – and other people who had stolen money from the State. Briefing the media yesterday, Lieutenant-General Advocate Dr Godfrey Lebeya said that the Directorate “has made significant inroads in apprehending individuals involved in high-profile cases, thus ensuring accountability and justice for the victims”. These arrests targeted people involved in corruption, organised crime, commercial crime including fraud, theft, money laundering, and other crimes. Lebeya said the Serious Economic Offences Unit of the Hawks and the National Prosecuting Authority secured arrest warrants for four people involved in the Steinhoff implosion,…

“MORE time” is a vague assurance or aspiration, not a definition. How many will suffer human rights violations in South Africa by the time President Cyril Ramaphosa’s appeal for “more time” to decide how – or whether – to act against Justice Minister Thembi Simelane over her dodgy R575 000 VBS-linked loan to buy a coffee shop is over? On October 1, Vincent Magwenya, the presidency spokesperson, unconvincingly explained Ramaphosa’s appeal for “more time”, noting that the president had a full schedule since receiving a report on the issue more than a fortnight ago, including addressing the 79th session of the UN General Assembly. He added that the decision involves potential consequences for the composition of the Cabinet as “in the process of applying his mind, the president is not…

Pakistan authorities were preparing yesterday to shut down the capital ahead of a Shanghai Co-operation Organisation summit, overshadowed by recent militant violence and political unrest. Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Chinese Premier Li Qiang will be among senior regional government officials attending the two-day conference tomorrow and Wednesday. In the weeks leading up to the summit, Pakistan’s authorities have cracked down hard on dissent, banning an ethnic nationalist movement and introducing new laws that restrict protests in the capital. They have also arrested hundreds of supporters of jailed opposition leader Imran Khan who attempted to march in Islamabad this month. A deadly attack on a convoy of Chinese engineers in the port megacity of Karachi last week has also deepened security fears in a…

Two major rivers have flooded across central Nigeria displacing tens of thousands of people, the Red Cross said at the weekend. Rescue workers in Kogi State have been helping residents move away from the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers to displacement camps or nearby villages. Umar Y Mahmud, the Red Cross disaster management officer in Kogi, said there were more than 60 000 people displaced and about 60 000ha of land under water. Kogi state officials said displacement camps were becoming “overwhelmed”, and estimated that more than one million people could be in the affected areas. The floods have been mounting for the past month, hitting densely populated areas. | AFP…

CARACAS: In an alleged assassination bid, Venezuelan authorities have detained at least four US citizens, along with two Spaniards and a Czech national. These detentions are linked to claims by the Venezuelan government that the foreign nationals were involved in a CIA and Spanish intelligence plot to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro. Both the US and Spanish governments have denied this. Venezuela’s Interior Minister, Diosdado Cabello, has alleged that the detained individuals were part of a unit tasked with assassinating Maduro. As per his claims, the group was motivated by a $15 million reward. | IANS…

Bogotá: A Colombian guerrilla group on Saturday urged delegations not to attend the COP16 biodiversity summit beginning in the south-western city of Cali on October 21, after Bogotá launched a military offensive against the rebels. “Faced with the war with which (the authorities) responded to our desire for peace for COP16, we invite delegates from the national and international community to refrain from attending this event,” the Central General Staff (EMC) group said in a post on X. About 12 000 people, including representatives from 200 countries, are expected to be at the UN-led conference. Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro said that “the security of COP16 is guaranteed”. | AFP…

The Titans faced another setback in their T20 Challenge campaign, suffering a 32-run defeat against the Knights at SuperSport Park in Centurion yesterday. This match marks the second consecutive loss for the Pretoria-based side, leaving them struggling to find their rhythm in the tournament. Chasing a daunting target of 224 runs, the Titans faltered early on, stumbling to 74/4 as their batsmen fell in quick succession. Notable performances came from Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Rivaldo Moonsamy, who managed 21 and 31 runs, respectively, but their efforts weren’t enough to lift the home side as they grappled with the necessary run-rate. Heinrich Klaasen's contribution was disappointing, with only four runs, leaving the Titans in a precarious position. In the midst of the struggle, Sibonelo Makhanya (34) and Donovan Ferreira (48 off 28…

Following his win at UFC Fight Night last night, Themba Gorimbo praised his Xtreme Couture MMA coach, Eric Nicksick, for helping him grow. The former EFC Welterweight champion and current UFC 170 pound star (14-4-0) secured his fourth straight win on the UFC Fight Night: Royval v Taira card when he beat USA’s mixed martial arts veteran Niko Price (16-8-0 NC 2) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas last night. Shortly after the fight, Gorimbo took to social media to share his fresh thoughts: “Sore body after that one, but winning by any means necessary,” said Gorimbo on Instagram after dominating Price over three rounds in the Octagon. “Trust me, I wanted to finish him, but he just would not go away. I…

Malnutrition in South Africa is an ongoing challenge that directly undermines human potential and social progress. While the South African Constitution guarantees everyone’s right in South Africa to food, a recent national survey undertaken by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) revealed that 63.5% of South African households face food insecurity. These results were launched by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) on 10 October 2024. Perhaps most tragic of all is that among them are families with children up to the age of five, where hunger and severe malnutrition are a daily reality. This grim scenario reflects a larger crisis: childhood malnutrition, which stunts both cognitive development and future opportunities for a large segment of the population. The human cost of malnutrition is far-reaching, and…

Workers have a lot riding on the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBS) due to be tabled by the Minister for Finance, Enoch Godongwana, at Parliament on 30 October. It is no exaggeration to say workers are under siege in an economy barely growing at 1%, a 42.6% general and 70% youth unemployment rates, retrenchments across sectors, rising costs of living and increasing levels of indebtedness. Workers expect government, that they fund with their taxes, to take decisive steps to grow the economy, rebuild public and municipal services, tackle crime and corruption, and provide relief to the poor and working class. Tragically Treasury has presented Budgets that would make sense in a well-off country with few pressing issues besides a debt to GDP ratio. Whilst no sober person denies the need…

AS WE age, the importance of nurturing a positive relationship with our body’s natural processes becomes increasingly apparent. Collagen, the protein that serves as the scaffolding for our skin, de- clines as we step into our twenties, and this marks the beginning of visible ageing signs such as wrinkles and sagging skin. While we cannot halt time, understanding and respecting the relationship between genetics, environmental factors and lifestyle choices can make a world of difference to our skin health. The primary role of collagen in skin rejuvenation cannot be over- stated: it fosters the growth of new cells, thus promoting the skin’s youthfulness and elasticity. The external factors, along with our choices like smoking, hitting the bottle a bit too often, poor eating habits and being under stress, can mess…

Love and trust are the gold and the glue in all relationships. The one who says “I love you; I trust you” is the one doing the loving and trusting. When I love and trust my sons — or anyone — I am the one who is choosing to place my fallible love and my capacity to trust in them. My willing choices have nothing to do with them but reflect the kind of person I want to be. By loving and trusting my sons, others, I am minding my own business. My sons, and anyone else, do not have to do anything in return. They do not have to love or trust me back. Of course it is wonderful when things are reciprocal but love and trust (and honesty…

I want to respond to Ebrahim Essa's attack on Jews and Christians in his scathing letter: “Even Israel will not win this war” (The Mercury, October 10). Mr Essa clearly doesn't understand the technicalities of this war on terror, nor how the Biden/Harris administration keeps limiting Israel in fear of the war jeopardising their election campaign! If Donald Trump was in office, we would've really seen “Big Brother America” come to Israel's rescue, but what we have seen so far from the spineless Biden is nothing more than a helping hand in defence of the barrage of rockets and drones launched by the radical, loose cannons under Ayatollah Khamenei. Biden, on the contrary, has made Iran more emboldened than ever before by lifting oil sanctions since taking office…

TRIBUTES continue to pour in for former finance minister and SA Reserve Bank governor Tito Mboweni. Mboweni, 65, who died on Saturday, was remembered yesterday for his sharp focus on fiscal discipline, economic transformation and steering the country through difficult times. His family said he died on Saturday night at a Johannesburg hospital after a short illness. In a statement, the family said he had passed away surrounded by his loved ones. ANC Veteran’s League president Snuki Zikalala said Mboweni had served the ANC and the government in many capacities, including as the minister of labour, finance and as Reserve Bank governor. Zikalala said Mboweni had returned to the country after spending time in exile in the early nineties. “He was one of the architects of economic policy that Nelson…

South African Airways (SAA) has announced a significant increase in its flight frequencies to key African destinations, starting November 2024. SAA will also increase its flights to Mauritius in December and to Perth in January next year. Starting in November, SAA will operate 12 weekly flights to both Harare and Lusaka, up from the current 10 times a week to Harare and up from 7 to Lusaka. Flights to Lagos and Accra will increase to four times a week, up from three weekly flights. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), SAA will enhance its presence by flying five times a week to Kinshasa. Domestically, SAA will increase its flights to Gqeberha to three times a day. SAA’s interim CEO, Professor John Lamola, highlighted that after a rapid route expansion…

jonisayi.maromo@inl.co.za A Mpumalanga woman will return to court in November to answer charges of fraud after she earned more than R1.2 million working as a school teacher. It has been alleged that Ntombelanga Pretty Labane, 40, does not have matric, although she holds a Bachelor of Education (B-ED) degree. She allegedly used a fraudulent matric certificate to apply at the Walter Sisulu University, where she obtained her degree. Mpumalanga provincial spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Monica Nyuswa, said the case against Labane was postponed to November 21 for trial. Following her arrest by the Hawks, Labane made a court appearance on October 3 before the Amersfoort Magistrate’s Court, on charges of fraud. Provincial Hawks spokesperson in Mpumalanga, Captain Dineo Sekgotodi, had previously explained that Labane had been working…

IN A HEART-wrenching account, a South African mother has shared her sorrow after her son died in hospital after being assaulted in New Zealand. Luke Smith, 21, recently moved with his parents Natasha and Brian from Cape Town to Upper Hutt in Wellington, where they wanted to start their lives anew, away from the crime faced daily in South Africa. However, rather than finding the safety and stability they sought, they now confront a tragedy. Now they are battling to return his body to Cape Town for a burial after he died following an early morning altercation. According to a grief-struck Natasha Smith, Luke went out with a friend who was visiting from South Africa. “I can still see him walking out the door. They dressed smart in case they…

THE Msunduzi Municipality is grappling with ballooning consumer debt with the latest figures showing it’s owed R7.6 billion by its customers. The Midlands municipality detailed the extent of its debt problem last week during a meeting with the national portfolio committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta). The committee was visiting municipalities in the province to assess their state and performance. In the case of Msunduzi, the committee was informed that the City had made significant strides since being placed under administration, with provincial Cogta revealing that the municipality had addressed all the challenges that led to its previous status. The municipality briefed the members of the portfolio committee on its finances, including the debt to Umngeni-UThukela Water as well as Eskom. It has entered into a payment arrangement…

The Department of Tourism’s suggestion to establish a specialised police unit dedicated to tourist protection is a brilliant proposal in light of the recent tragic incidents involving tourists. This initiative promises to bolster the safety of both international and domestic tourists while simultaneously addressing the pressing issue of unemployment in our communities. The alarming rise in robberies and even murders of foreign visitors in recent years has cast a sombre shadow over our tourism sector. Minister Patricia de Lille aptly emphasises that drastic measures are necessary to ensure that tourists visiting our shores feel safe. If we want to pave the way for a sustainable recovery, a dedicated police unit focused on tourist safety could become a game changer for our economy. The brilliance of this proposal lies not only…

US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump wants to bring back US manufacturing and lower costs, relying on tariffs to boost US coffers and exert pressure on other countries – but the reality is less straightforward. Ahead of next month’s election, economists warn his policies could raise consumer prices and shake up global trade – with unclear benefits to US production. The pitch is for tariffs to add billions in revenue and take aim at countries like China, which have been “ripping us off”, while pushing businesses to bring production back on US shores. “Other countries are going to finally, after 75 years, pay us back for all that we’ve done for the world,” Trump said in his September debate with Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. He told a rally in…

London: Former UK prime minister Tony Blair, King Charles III and a host of British personalities yesterday paid tribute to former Scotland figurehead Alex Salmond after his sudden death at the age of 69. “He was a huge figure in Scottish and UK politics and was clearly dedicated to Scotland and its people,” Blair said. Salmond, a figurehead of the independence movement and leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) during two 10-year spells, died on Saturday while in North Macedonia. He had fallen ill after giving a speech. Salmond’s electoral high point was Scotland’s devolved parliament’s 2011 election, when the SNP delivered an outright majority. The win smashed the two-party system of Labour and the Conservatives, transforming Scottish politics. | AFP…

BANGKOK: Southeast Asian leaders yesterday called for swift agreement on a code of conduct for the South China Sea based on international law, while demanding an immediate halt to fighting in Myanmar and inclusive peace talks to end its civil war. They reached a consensus from meetings that ended last week of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Laos, which included diplomats from the US, Russia, China, Japan, India and South Korea. Confrontations have been rising in disputed waters of the South China Sea between China, which claims sovereignty over almost all the vital waterway, and ASEAN members. | Reuters…

Last week, Sharks coach John Plumtree said he would wait until after the tour finale against Benetton to make decisions on how to bring back a host of Springboks for Saturday’s home game against champions Glasgow. No doubt a number of decisions have become clearer for the coach after a fatigued Sharks side delivered a sloppy performance, going down 38-10 to the previously winless Italians. Plumtree’s Boks have not played since September 28 at Mbombela, and judging by social media, they have enjoyed fun in the sun — and deservedly so after their Rugby Championship heroics. But the vacation is over, and superstars Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche, Vincent Koch, Aphelele Fassi, Makazole Mapimpi, Lukhanyo Am, and Grant Williams will report to Sharks training today. That is…

Thabo Nodada remains ambitious as ever before. And that’s why the injury that kept him out in the past few months gave him time to do some introspection, instead of derailing him. Nodada has been one of the cornerstones of Cape Town City. He was part of the group of players who were with the club when it was launched in 2016. The 29-year-old has grown in leaps and bounds over the years, with his tenacity, eye for passes and goals, and solid defensive work helping the team to reach greater heights. Nodada helped the Citizens reach four finals and bag a coveted second-place finish in their eight-year existence, a feat that put him and the club on the map. So, thanks to thanks exploits, the Ixopo-born midfielder has been…