Indholdsfortegnelse for 2024-12-03 i Mercury

If your grief scares me, I will let you know. Until then, if you so choose, I’ll listen as you tell me as much or as little as you want about your losses. It makes no difference to me how much time has passed since your loss, your let-down, or your crises. I know that time passing makes little difference to your enduring pain, even if you sometimes manage to mask it. So, bring it on. I’m listening. I’m reading. I will be as present for you as is humanly possible. I’ll listen to every word you say and pay attention to those you don’t say. I’ll read every sentence you’ve written and ask you to say more if there’s any hint of necessity to read between the lines. When…

The arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for apartheid Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the country’s former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, for war crimes and crimes against humanity has merit, albeit with criticism from the United States of America and some other countries. The ICC arrest warrants are also backed by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) judgment, which has concluded that it is “plausible” that Israel has committed crimes in Gaza that violate the Genocide Convention. By raising Europe’s Holocaust and crying antisemitism is disingenuous. American president Joe Biden and Netanyahu want the global commu nity to believe that starving human beings, the daily harsh, inhuman, and cruel bombing of Gaza, the killing of innocent human beings, journalists and health care workers, and the…

The Border Management Authority (BMA) has announced the deployment of an additional 69 personnel to the busiest ports of entry across the country this festive season. As South Africa expects an influx of travellers, BMA commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato said there would be extended operating hours at some of the busiest ports of entry and additional staff. The BMA will also partner with the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development on the deployment of drones to enhance border security. The BMA’s festive season strategy will run from December 2024 to January 2025. Masiapato said the festive season campaign was designed to minimise cross-border crime and enhance the efficiency of service delivery at these critical checkpoints. He said about six million people are expected to cross borders, marking a…

ANC members have described the recent outburst by ANC provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo, demanding that the party’s president take responsibility for the May electoral setback, as a self-serving attempt to draw public sympathy. A video has been circulating, recorded at the meeting of the party’s Gen Gizenga Mpanza Region, where Mtolo can be heard saying that party President Cyril Ramaphosa and Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula should also take the blame for the party’s performance. The ANC at the national level dropped below 40% in the recent general elections and suffered catastrophic losses in KwaZulu-Natal, where it was upstaged by its breakaway party, Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP). The ANC KZN Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) were in a meeting with the party’s National Working Committee yesterday to discuss the election losses. It…

The South African Communist Party (SACP) has signalled a significant shift in its political strategy by announcing its decision to contest the upcoming 2026 local government elections as an independent party. This move marks a pivotal moment for the organisation, traditionally aligned with the African National Congress (ANC) and part of the tripartite alliance, as it seeks to redefine its electoral prospects and engagement with the electorate. Speaking after their Central Committee meeting, General-Secretary Solly Mapaila said their bilateral talks with the ANC in January will also discuss the matter. “We had indicated to the ANC that we have taken a decision to contest local elections as the SACP. So, officially and formally now, this has been communicated to the ANC. “We believe that standing as an independent party will…

A security guard at a local primary school in KwaZulu-Natal has been sentenced in the Empangeni Regional Court for rape and sexual assault. Ayanda Lembede, 37, a school security guard, was convicted of the crimes committed against two pupils at the school, aged eight and nine years old. The incidents took place in Empangeni between 2021 and 2022. He threatened to kill the girls if they told anyone of his evil doings. One of the girls confided in her mother and this led to the other girl also speaking up about the incident. Lembede was arrested after the girls’ parents reported the matter to police. The girls were taken to the Ngwelezane Thuthuzela Care Centre for medical and psycho-social assistance. State Prosecutor Lungisile Bhengu led the testimonies of the two…

There is a stark contrast between rich nations’ promises and the needs of poorer countries THE playbook is gratuitously familiar, as if the COP process is set in Groundhog Day stone. The 29th Conference of the Parties (COP 29) under the auspices of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which convened in the Azeri capital, Baku, from November 11 – 22 hosted by President Ilham Aliyev was no exception. Baku was busted on several fronts. Given the lacklustre coinciding G20 leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro hosted by Brazil’s President Lula da Silva on November 18 and 19 whose prime “achievement” was the launch of the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, the fate of COP30 in Belem, Brazil, in 2025, even before it has begun, seems to…

The US yesterday launched its third crackdown in three years on China’s semiconductor industry, curbing exports to 140 companies including chip equipment maker Naura Technology Group, among other moves, said two people familiar with the matter. The effort to hobble Beijing’s chipmaking ambitions will also hit Chinese chip toolmakers Piotech and SiCarrier Technology with new export restrictions as part of the package, which also takes aim at shipments of advanced memory chips and more chipmaking tools to China. The move is one of the Biden administration’s last large-scale efforts to stymie China’s ability to access and produce chips that can help advance artificial intelligence for military applications, or otherwise threaten US national security. It comes just weeks before the swearing-in of Republican former president Donald Trump, who is expected to…

New Zealand scientists yesterday began dissecting a whale considered the rarest in the world, a species so elusive that only seven specimens have ever been documented. The dead spade-toothed whale washed ashore on New Zealand’s South Island earlier this year, offering a chance to study a deep-sea mammal that has never been seen alive. Measuring 5m long, the whale was winched off the beach in July and has sat in a special freezer since. Whale expert Anton van Helden said it was the first time scientists had been able to dissect a complete spade-toothed specimen, which belongs to the family of beaked whales. “This is a remarkable and globally significant opportunity,” he said. The dissection will help to fill in gaps about the whale’s behaviour, its diet, and even its…

Port Sudan: At least two people were killed when Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacked a camp for displaced people in the North Darfur region, activists said yesterday. The Zamzam camp, south of the regional capital El-Fasher, was hit by heavy rocket and artillery fire from the RSF on Sunday morning, said the local resistance committee in El-Fasher. The “indiscriminate” attack killed at least two people and wounded a dozen others. The north-east African country has been gripped by a war between the regular army and RSF that has killed tens of thousands and displaced more than 11 million since April last year. | AFP…

SANTIAGO: The population of Latin America and the Caribbean reached 663 million in 2024, 3.8% short of the figure projected in 2000, according to a report released by the Chile-based Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean last week. The UN agency said that the birth rate had declined more quickly than expected at the start of the century and that the Covid-19 pandemic and migration flows also contributed to the trend. The agency called for “promoting the population’s healthy ageing and ensuring everyone, especially lower-income groups, access to healthcare and social protection systems that would reduce the impact of greater demand for care on families”. In 2000, experts projected that by 2024 the region’s population would reach 689 million. | Xinhua…

Pep Guardiola has made history at Manchester City. He became its most successful manager ever. In a short space of 8 years at Man City, the Catalan wizard has dominated English football winning 18 trophies, six of which were in the Premier League. Even better, he became the first manager in English football history to win four Premier League titles in a row. A remarkable achievement indeed. But now the wheels seem to be coming off for Man City. They have lost six games in a row. It’s the first time in Pep Guardiola’s illustrious career that he has suffered such heavy defeats. He lost 2-1 to Tottenham, 2-1 to Bournemouth, 4-1 to Sporting Lisbon, 2-1 to Brighton, suffered a 4-0 thrashing by Tottenham on their home ground and 2-0…

The ongoing issue of KwaZulu-Natal’s informal settlers building their own homes on dangerous servitudes, flood plains and unstable banks is of grave concern. Not only are lives endangered but rescue operations are also extremely difficult to conduct, while the resultant provision of emergency housing by the government is challenging. Regrettably, this alarming issue was recently placed in the spotlight yet again in eThekwini’s Umgudulu settlement. This after the main aqueduct near the M19 burst, destroying homes built on the pipeline servitude. Fortunately, due to the quick action of the ward councillor, the water supply was promptly closed, ultimately saving lives. The issue of building on unsafe sites must be addressed province-wide without any further delay. Municipalities must ensure that residents currently living in hazardous areas are provided with safer alternative…

The long-distance taxi operators strike, which saw key routes including the N3 highway in KwaZulu-Natal blockaded yesterday, will have a significant impact on the economy if it continues. This is according to economists after the strike, which entered day four, intensified yesterday with several major roads blocked. The long-distance taxi operators have accused the KZN Department of Transport and Human Settlements of withholding their permits and not allowing them to reclaim impounded taxis. The department said it was addressing the situation with urgency. Chairperson of the disciplinary committee for long-distance taxi operators in eThekwini, Bhekisisa Nzuza, denied that operators were involved in the blockading of roads. However, he said that they were frustrated over ongoing disputes with the government. “We did go to fetch the permits, but we did not…

Only two of the nine provinces are using a system the government spent close to R2 million on to help provincial health departments with the case management of medico-legal claims. This was according to a parliamentary reply from the Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, following questions by DA MP Michele Clarke. Clarke wanted to know the cost of the case management system and how widely it had been implemented. The minister said they paid R 1.8 million for the development and maintenance of the case management system. He noted that the system picks up the possible duplication of fraudulent medico-legal cases, the number of cases per hospital and notifications on cases coming to trial each month, among other things. However, he said of the nine provinces in the country,…

Police have seized counterfeit and illicit goods worth more than R66 million in Johannesburg in recent days, as government intensifies the crackdown on the sale of fake products. Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk said four Malawian nationals were also arrested for contravening the Immigration Act. “The takedown was led by the national counterfeit goods unit, joined by the Gauteng provincial counterfeit goods unit, SAPS’ operational response services, crime intelligence, SAPS’ chemical control unit, commercial crime investigations, the Department of Home Affairs, the Department of Agriculture, the South African Revenue Service (Sars), customs, brand protectors, Crime Prevention Wardens and private security,” said Van Wyk. She said the law enforcement team that was executing a search and seizure warrant targeted a shopping mall and a self-storage facility at the corner of Wemmer…

THE public has already voiced a clear desire for greater accountability and stronger connections between representatives and voters, with suggested reforms to the electoral system including introducing the ability to recall representatives. This is according to the Electoral Reform Consultation Panel’s (ERCP) discussion paper on electoral reform released last week. The ERCP was established in May in line with the Electoral Amendment Act, to conduct a review of South Africa's electoral system and provide recommendations for potential reforms. The discussion paper serves as a foundational document that comes after an initial round of written submissions. It has now been released with the aim of gathering diverse perspectives through the next phase of public consultation. The panel will gather views on ideas for reform through a series of events in every…

South Africa's agricultural landscape has navigated a tumultuous path this year, beset by challenges ranging from mid-summer droughts that have impacted field crops to the repercussions of animal disease affecting livestock. Yet, amid these adversities, a glimmer of optimism emerged within the horticultural sub-sector, with robust harvests in various fruits signalling a potential turnaround. Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz), yesterday said, “Several high-frequency data releases these past few quarters have mirrored this environment of mixed fortunes.” As the curtain fell on the third quarter, new data unveiled a promising story of resilience, particularly regarding the sector's export performance. According to Trade Map, South Africa’s agricultural exports reached an impressive $4.12 billion during the third quarter, marking a 5% increase compared to the same period last…

OVER a hundred years ago, my ancestors settled our people, the Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela, at Mmasobudule on the Elands River, within what is known today as the Pilanesberg. It is an area rich in platinum, and brimful of potential. Traditional leaders in South Africa are custodians of cultural traditions and practices, but it’s also incumbent upon us to bridge the past and the future; to celebrate our history, while still providing the leadership, innovative thinking, and commitment to socio-economic transformation that will uplift every individual in our communities. For too long, the role of South Africa’s traditional communities have been overlooked, simply because they exist outside of the larger, built-up zones. We need to address the ignorance, educational disparities and socio-economic exclusion that has pushed us into the shadows, and alert our…

Israeli forces bombarded houses in overnight attacks in the northern Gaza Strip, killing at least 15 people in one of the buildings in the town of Beit Lahiya, Palestinian medics said yesterday. Several others were wounded in the attack and others were missing after a house providing shelter to displaced people was struck, with rescue workers unable immediately to reach them, the Palestinian Civil Emergency Service said. The three barely operational hospitals in the area were unable to cope with the number of wounded, they added. Clusters of houses were bombed and some set ablaze in Jabalia and in Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun, where the Israeli army has been operating for several weeks, residents said. They said Israeli drones had dropped bombs outside a school sheltering displaced families, suggesting…

France’s far-right National Rally will force the collapse of Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s government unless in a “last minute miracle” he yields to their demands on the budget, its president Jordan Bardella said. As the political crisis worsened, investors punished stocks and bonds and sold the euro yesterday, with French borrowing costs rising above those of Greece for the first time on record. The RN, on whose tacit support the fragile coalition government relies, had given Barnier until yesterday to yield to its demands, including on pension hikes, or face it backing a no-confidence motion which would lead to the government’s collapse. No French government has been forced out by such a vote since 1962. If he sees he does not have enough support to get that bill voted, Barnier…

TBILISI: Georgia’s president, locked in a standoff with her own government, appealed to European countries yesterday to confront what she described as a Russian attempt to impose control on her nation. The Kremlin has denied this. President Salome Zourabichvili was speaking after a fourth night of clashes between protesters and police after the governing Georgian Dream party said last week that it was suspending talks on joining the EU. Critics saw that as confirmation of a Russian-influenced shift away from pro-Western policies, something the ruling party denies. Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev warned that Georgia was “moving rapidly along the Ukrainian path, into the dark abyss”. | Reuters…

ISLAMABAD: Four militants were killed and two policemen injured when police in Pakistan’s east Punjab province repelled a terrorist attack, officials said. The incident happened on Sunday in the Mianwali district of the province where about 20 terrorists stormed a police station. The attack triggered an exchange of fire between the two sides in which the terrorists were killed, it said. Police took custody of the bodies and an investigation is under way to probe their identities. No group has claimed the attack yet. | Xinhua…

The Proteas’ train to London for the World Test Championship final next year may be in express mode after their comprehensive victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test in Durban, but coach Shukri Conrad has plenty to ponder this week in Gqeberha. Much of his thinking will be focused on how he is going to assemble a bowling attack that is able to take a further 20 wickets to close out the 2-0 series victory, which will bring with it the invaluable 12 points that will take the Proteas ever so close to a place at Lord’s. Both all-rounder Wiaan Mulder and fast bowler Gerald Coetzee have been ruled out for the remainder of the series, with Coetzee likely to miss the entire home international summer. Considering the Proteas’…

The triumphant coach Steve Barker clocked his 100th win for Stellenbosch FC at Orlando's 'Slaughterhouse' on Sunday, in one of Mzansi's weekend football highlights. It was not a good weekend for Soweto's hordes of footy fans because 24 hours earlier, their hallowed Kaizer Chiefs left them with a sickening feeling after they were held to a 2-2 draw, despite leading 2-0 early in the match. Stellenbosch's win meant that no Premiership team was unbeaten at this stage and this hotly contested clash is one of the takeaways of Mzansi's weekend football. High-flying Bucs ambushed Orlando Pirates had boasted a remarkable start to their Premiership campaign, winning their first seven matches — a feat unprecedented in the PSL-era of the famous club's history. Yet, their momentum was abruptly halted by a…

AN AUSTRALIAN woman had the unnerving experience of the invasion of her personal space by an unwanted stranger, according to the BBC. The police were called to check on the woman who was acting hysterically on the roadside of a Melbourne motorway, attempting to signal passing cars for help. The unusual aspect of this invasion of a woman's personal space was a tiger snake – deadly poisonous – that had tried to slither up her leg while she was driving at 80km/h. Melbourne Snake Control was called in to retrieve the reptile. She was taken to hospital in case of a possible snakebite and is doing well, Melbourne Snake Control says. “Remarkably, she was able to fend the snake off her and weave through traffic before pulling over and leaping…

Donald Trump will inherit a fractured world that is breaking up in slow motion. The entire Middle East is on the verge of disintegration as the fight for military supremacy continues with brazen interference by those in the world’s corridors of power. World leaders remain unconcerned and unmoved by the thousands of innocent civilians killed by the architects of total warfare during 2024. The conflict and bloodletting continue unabated. These debacles will give birth to new and more brutal conflicts in the years ahead. It is a sad fact that the entire world is engaged in perpetual conflict, wars with no end. The entire fabric of stable global governance is being torn to shreds. Recovery, stability and sanity will evade the area for decades to come. The bloody carnage in…

As the holiday season approaches, the national Minister of Transport once again, as it happens every holiday season, appeals in the media to the populace to drive carefully on the roads and gives the road accident death rates for the year to date. Over about two decades these rates have shown very little improvement, if any, and about 40 percent are normally due to pedestrians on the road. I wonder if the messages are having any effect, judging by the fact that they (fatalities) do not improve over the years. People seem to be turned off by statistics. However, if the Minister publicised the fact that our road accident death rate is the equivalent of one fully loaded large passenger plane falling out of the sky and killing all on…

ITHALA SOC Limited is facing off against a repayment administrator in a fight for its independence and survival, seeking the court’s intervention to keep the administrator out of its daily affairs. The repayment administrator, Johannes Kruger, was brought in by the Prudential Authority to manage customer deposits that the bank had taken. These deposits are considered to have been taken illegally because they were collected after the bank had been ordered to stop taking deposits. A judgment handed down by Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Muzikawukhelwana Ncube last month lays bare the “fight” between the bank and the repayment administrator. The judgment shows that the administrator took the matter to court. Kruger had brought an application in which he sought a declaration that he be empowered to recover and take possession…

The trapped miners at Stilfontein may, for now, immediately be supplied with food, water and medication from the community and charitable organisations. This followed an urgent application on Sunday, after it was said that it is now a question of life and death for the trapped miners, with several already dead underground and those who are still alive likely to die as their bodies are wasting away, and they are trying to survive on anything they can find, such as toothpaste, vinegar and salt. This is according to a community-based organisation called the Mining Affected Community in Action (Macua) who turned to the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, calling for an urgent order compelling the government to provide aid such as food and water to the trapped miners. Judge Nicolene van…

Two female bank employees have been arrested alongside two suspects for their alleged involvement in a R3 million bank robbery in Ivory Park Mall, Midrand, Gauteng. Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo said the robbery happened on November 27 this year. Masondo said the bank employees, both aged 36, were arrested on Saturday. He said preliminary investigation suggested that the two bank employees colluded with the other suspects in connection with the robbery. The bank was robbed of more than R3 million. “After the robbery was reported to the police, a team comprising Gauteng police detectives, Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks, members from police crime intelligence, Gauteng Highway Patrol and bank investigators was established to trace and arrest the suspects. “Within forty-eight hours, information was…

While baseline unaudited figures from the Central Energy Fund (CEF) for fuel prices this month indicate a decrease of around seven cents a litre to ULP93 and a slight increase of three cents to ULP95, adjustments to industry margins could see prices for both fuels increase, the Automobile Association (AA) said. While motorists’ travel plans will be dampened by increases, they are unlikely to result in large-scale changes to holiday travel plans of those embarking on long year-end journeys, the AA said. “The Regulatory Accounting System (RAS) — the guidelines for the fuel industry that determine margins for petrol at wholesale, retail and secondary storage and distribution levels — could offset any gains and add to under-recoveries for petrol prices,” the AA noted, adding the full impact of the inclusion…

Eight suspects were killed in separate shootings with the police in Gauteng and Mpumalanga as officers thwarted an ATM bombing and a cash-in-transit heist over three days. Law enforcement agencies confiscated an AK-47, R5 rifles, 9mm handguns, explosives, ammunition, and suspected stolen vehicles during these incidents. In the early hours of yesterday, five suspected ATM bombers were fatally wounded, and one was arrested in a shootout with the Tactical Management Operational Section of the Hawks, the SAPS Special Task Force, and Falcon Risk Security in Emalahleni, Witbank. The team acted on intelligence regarding an impending ATM bombing in the Witbank area, leading them to Schoongezicht in Emalahleni, where the suspects were reportedly gathered at a safe house. When the suspects’ vehicle was spotted leaving the area, police attempted to stop…

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent announcement that he is still awaiting the outcome of deliberations on Clauses 4 and 5 of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act (Bela), before implementation can go ahead, is both disappointing and misguided. It raises significant concerns about Ramaphosa’s leadership and his commitment to inclusivity in South Africa’s education system. When Bela was made law, it came with an initial three-month delay for these two clauses, which grant greater control to the department over school admission policies and compelling school governing bodies to submit their language policies for approval by the provincial head of department. Ramaphosa’s hesitation over their implementation suggests a lack of commitment to fostering an integrated education system. This delay is not merely a procedural hiccup; it is a significant setback in South…

Romanian centrist and leftist parties looked to have fended off a surge by the nationalist right in Sunday’s parliamentary election, as attention turned to a top court ruling that was to take place later yesterday on whether to annul the results of a presidential vote. Romania, an EU and Nato member, was thrown into turmoil by a shock result in the first round of the presidential vote on November 24. A little-known far-right candidate surged to victory, raising suspicions of outside meddling in the electoral process of a country that has been a staunch ally of Ukraine. Romania’s Constitutional Court ordered a recount of the first-round vote and was due to announce its decision on whether to validate the results of the presidential ballot. If the court approves the result,…

WASHINGTON: US President-elect Donald Trump has said that Lebanese American businessman Massad Boulos will serve as senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs. Boulos, the father-in-law of Trump’s daughter, Tiffany, met with Arab American and Muslim leaders during the election campaign. Boulos campaigned for Trump to drum up Lebanese and Arab American support. Boulos has roots in both countries, and helped flip some of the 300 000 Arab Americans and Muslims in the state who supported Biden in 2020 but opposed Biden’s policies in Israel, Gaza and Lebanon. | Reuters…

OSLO: Norwegian seabed mining start-up Green Minerals said yesterday it expected a delay of up to 12 months in Norway’s first licensing round after the government had to scrap a planned announcement in return for support for the annual fiscal budget. A small left-wing environmenta-list political party in Norway succeeded on Sunday in blocking plans to mine the seabed at the bottom of the Arctic, by demanding that the government scrap its first licensing round in return for support for the budget. The government said preparatory work would still continue. | Reuters…

Being able to select players with an eye on the future and winning in the present is a tricky business. The ability to match promise and potential, and back a hunch is risky when the stakes are high. It could not have been any higher for Ricky Ponting ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction last week in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The former Australian captain was entrusted with a mountainous sum of money to put together a group of players that could win a first-ever IPL championship title for Punjab Kings. Ponting made his intentions clear early on when Punjab shattered the IPL record by signing Shreyas Iyer for $3.18 million (about R58m) – only to see Lucknow Super Giants eclipse the mark a few moments later with the…