Indholdsfortegnelse for 2024-12-09 i Mercury

On Saturday, I revisited a resonant memory lane, reflecting on the fading echoes of what the liberation Struggle was all about. Yet the indomitable spirit of that Struggle still endures. Justice Albie Sachs captures such moments eloquently, reiterating Nelson Mandela’s profound statement, “It is in your hands now.” While Mandela spoke of averting rivers of blood by coming to the negotiating table, Sachs was himself a river of blood – losing an eye and nearly his life to the apartheid regime’s brutal machinery. Sachs said that when his body was torn apart, he was liberated from fear, as the very thing he had dreaded most had already happened. His reflection underscores a profound point: the country was saved through the sacrifices of countless individuals, but the lingering question is whether…

Nomzamo Mbatha is one of the most beautiful Mzansi actresses. The actress-turned-producer who rose to fame following her role in Isibaya, portraying the character of Thandeka Zungu-Ndlovu, has created a successful name for herself. As a humanitarian on the go, she always looks radiant and her supporters have always been curious about how she maintains her beauty. “Honestly, it’s all about making small habits part of your daily routine. I always make time for a quick skincare routine before bed, even if it’s just a gentle cleanser and moisturiser. It doesn’t need to be complicated, just consistent. After a long day of shoots, my skin craves that moment of care,” she said. Mbatha added that if there’s one step she doesn’t skip in her skincare routine it has to be…

I want my sons….and daughters-to-be….and all whom I know…. To know and to love the world, to be as comfortable abroad as they usually are in their neighbourhood and always are in their home. To be aware and proud of their race and history, without allowing bigots to determine anything about their futures or wield any power over them. To know and to love a small group of peers and discover the power that friendships have to shape, steer and inspire. To live in respectful, equal, and mutual intimate relationships where they may speak their minds, explore their hearts, share dreams, and deploy the qualities of mercy, freedom, reciprocity, humility and creativity. To understand the power of generosity, forgiveness, humility and hospitality to heal the wounds and scars of meanness,…

Two articles appearing side by side in Business Report on December 5 have a glaring disconnect. One claims the Climate Response Fund can drive fiscal reform. The other notes the international distress debt is causing. Currently, it costs South Africa R1 billion a day in servicing and amounts to almost 75% of its GDP. Emphasising this disconnect, Blessing Manale of the Presidential Climate Commission enthusiastically punts fiscal reform as (somehow) benefiting by increasing “climate finance” by up to R535 billion annually. As the head of communications for the Presidential Climate Commission, Mr Manale’s mission is to promote the implementation of Act 22 of 2024. The entire Act is premised on the belief that climate change is man-made and that a low carbon footprint will “create decent work for all,…

Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini has written to Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development Mzwanele Nyhontso asking him for his urgent co-operation and to endorse the decision for a full forensic investigation into the Ingonyama Trust and its board. The Ingonyama Trust administers about a third of the land, or almost three-million hectares of land in KwaZulu-Natal and it is administered by Nyhontso’s department. The king, the sole trustee of the trust, earlier this year axed Inkosi Thanduyise Nkosinathi Mzimela as the chairperson of the Ingonyama Trust Board (ITB) and said he would chair the board. The king has repeatedly called for the dissolution of the current board, citing concerns mentioned in the media and in Parliament and has highlighted the entity’s failure to provide the required financial accountability. Earlier…

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) says it will examine the Record of Decision regarding the 4.4% weighted tariff adjustment that was approved by the Ports Regulator of South Africa. TNPA said the 4.4% weighted average tariff adjustment resulted in a revenue requirement of R15.31 billion. The ports authority had applied for a 7.90% tariff adjustment, with a revenue requirement of R15.66bn. “The Record of Decision will be examined against considerations made in the application and if deemed necessary, further communication will be made with the Regulator,” TNPA said. It said the regulator’s decision had been made after presentations during public consultations, stakeholder feedback and with regard to the updated inflation as per the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement of November 2024. TNPA added that marine services and related tariffs will…

A Bergville man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for killing five members of his family. Mlamuli Mondli Khoza, 28, pleaded guilty to the murders and was sentenced by the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Friday. Khoza stabbed his relatives — an elderly woman, a woman with a disability, his uncle and two girls aged two and eight — in October this year. National Prosecuting Authority provincial spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said Khoza claimed that a day before the murders, he had been watching soccer and drinking at a tavern. “He suspects that at some point, someone had put something in his drink. The following day, on October 2, 2024, he was at his home when his aunt and her family came over to visit. They were sitting at the dining room…

A GROUP of organisations, academics and unions have sent Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen a 17-page letter of demand calling for the immediate ban of the lethal chemical, Terbufos, which has been implicated in the deaths of six children. The deaths linked to the pesticide Terbufos came amid a recent spate of foodborne illnesses that prompted investigations by authorities. The group includes the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), a coalition of farm workers and civil society organisations including the Women on Farms Project (WFP), the Commercial Stevedoring, Agricultural and Allied Workers Union (CSAAWU), Groundwork, Friends of the Earth SA and Professor Leslie London, among others. They are calling on Steenhuisen “to exercise his powers in terms of section 7 bis of the Fertilizers; Farm Feeds Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act”…

THE International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3) falls during the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children (November 25 – December 10). These two global campaigns provide a perfect opportunity to pay closer attention to the alarming rise of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV). According to the UN Regional Information Centre for Western Europe, TFGBV is “any act that is committed, assisted, aggravated or amplified by the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) or other digital tools, that results in or is likely to result in physical, sexual, psychological, social, political or economic harm, or other infringements of rights and freedoms”. Some of the most known forms of TFGBV faced by women with disabilities include: • Cyberstalking and tracking • Non-consensual image sharing and…

South Korea’s leadership crisis deepened yesterday as prosecutors named President Yoon Suk Yeol as a subject of a criminal investigation over last week’s martial law attempt, a media report said, and his former defence minister was arrested. Yoon survived an impeachment vote in the opposition-led parliament late on Saturday, prompted by his short-lived attempt to impose martial law on Tuesday last week, but the leader of his own party said the president would effectively be excluded from his duties before eventually stepping down. That proposal, which appeared to win tacit approval from the Yoon-appointed prime minister yesterday, drew condemnation from opposition MPs who said it was another unconstitutional power grab to delegate authority without resignation or impeachment. Thousands of people rallied in front of the parliament in Seoul yesterday, calling…

Ghana’s former president John Dramani Mahama has staged a political comeback by winning the west African nation’s presidential election after his rival Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia conceded defeat yesterday. Bawumia said he had called Mahama to congratulate him, adding that Mahama’s National Democratic Congress (NDC) also won the parliamentary election. Bawumia said he conceded before the official results to ease tensions. Before his concession, scuffles had been reported in several local constituency centres where results were still arriving from polling stations. “I am making this concession speech before the official announcement by the Electoral Commission to avoid further tension and preserve the peace of our country,” he said. “It is important that the world investor community continues to believe in the peaceful and democratic character of Ghana.” | Reuters…

The Hague: At least five bodies have been pulled from the wreckage of a block of flats in The Hague, authorities said, bringing the total number of victims to 10, as recovery efforts stretched into a second day yesterday. Elite rescue teams picked through the debris, searching for victims of a huge explosion and fire that destroyed at least five homes early on Saturday. It remained unclear how many people could still be buried under the rubble. Police were investigating possible causes for the blaze. Around 40 residents of other blocks near the collapsed building had been evacuated. | AFP…

MOGOSOAIA: The Romanian far-right presidential candidate at the centre of a Russian electoral meddling scandal turned up at the place he would have voted in yesterday, saying the Constitutional Court’s decision to cancel the ballot was fatal for democracy. The court annulled the ongoing presidential election after accusations of Russian meddling and on Friday ruled that the entire process would have to be re-run. Russia denies interference in the process. Yesterday’s second round would have pitted Calin Georgescu, a far-right, pro-Russian candidate, against pro-EU leader Elena Lasconi. Georgescu wants to end Romanian support for Ukraine in the war with Russia. | Reuters…

South Africa 136 all out Tryon 45, Wolvaardt 35; Ecclestone 3/27, Dean 4/45 England 137/4 Beaumont 34, Bouchier; Dercksen 2/22 The Proteas women failed the spin test in the second ODI as they fell to a thumping six-wicket loss to England at the Kingsmead Cricket Ground in Durban on Sunday. The three-match series is level at 1-1, with the third and final encounter set to be played at the JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom on Wednesday. Charlie Dean and Sophie Ecclestone backed up Lauren Filer’s quick start with the ball, as they restricted the Proteas to a below-par score of 135 all out in just 31.3 overs. The visitors needed just 24 overs to chase down the target to set up a winner-takes-all final ODI. Tamsin Beaumont and Maia Bouchier…

THE Sharks beat Exeter 39-21 at King’s Park on Saturday, but the game of rugby was the overall winner. What a seesaw of a match, the visitors scoring first and keeping the pressure piled on; the Sharks responding and overtaking with some brilliant running and handling. Then a sudden dip in the seesaw. The Sharks managed to have three players yellow-carded at the same time for misdemeanours, 10 minutes each to watch from the sidelines. It was bizarre, something I have never seen in rugby before. But somehow the Sharks managed to survive this setback and they hung on to win. It’s a happy augury for the matches that are coming up overseas. The damsels of the Pub With No Name in Morningside were ecstatic as they plucked at their…

1 457 children died of acute malnutrition in the past two years in South Africa, the majority of which were due to severe acute malnutrition (SAM). KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, the Eastern Cape and Gauteng were the hardest hit, with 265, 230, 190 and 172 deaths respectively between 1 January 2023 and 8 November 2024 when the department extracted the data from the District Health Information System. This tragedy was revealed by the Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, in answer to a written parliamentary question from the DA. He has further revealed that newborn mortality rates and stillbirth rates have shown a little decline and that there are “limited mechanisms in place for ensuring that services for mothers and children are protected” given a declining budget and rising cost of…

The Employment Equity Amendment Act (EEAA), aimed at easing regulatory burdens on small businesses and promoting workplace transformation, will come into effect on January 1, 2025. The amendment act exempts small businesses with fewer than 50 employees from complying with Chapter III of the Employment Equity Act, 1998, which includes submitting employment equity (EE) reports. For the 2024 reporting period, which closes on January 15, 2025, employers must still adhere to the current EE legislation. Starting in the 2025 reporting cycle, which begins on September 1, 2025, all employers will be required to follow the amended legislation. The amendments also empower the Minister of Employment and Labour to set sector-specific numerical EE targets and strengthen compliance measures through the issuance of EE compliance certificates. Minister of Employment and Labour, Nomakhosazana…

The festive season is a time for celebration, but for current students and matrics preparing to start their studies next year, it’s also a time to prepare for the year ahead. This includes registering with a higher education institution or college, securing accommodation and transport, sourcing textbooks, purchasing educational tech such as laptops and more. But scam artists are also on the lookout for potential victims from among prospective students. “Scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, exploiting the trust and urgency often associated with online transactions and the need to secure study placement, accommodation and so forth. Students are particularly vulnerable as they may be unfamiliar with common scams or eager to secure deals quickly, amid tough competition for limited space and resources,” said Adrian Garden, Acting Dean of Academics at…

Two incidents of alleged people smuggling were uncovered by Border Management Authority (BMA) officers at the Beitbridge and Lebombo border posts. BMA spokesperson Mmemme Mogotsi said on Sunday that recent operations at the Beitbridge and Lebombo Ports of Entry have resulted in significant breakthroughs in disrupting illegal activities, including people smuggling. Mogotsi said on Friday that vigilant BMA border guards intercepted a minibus taxi and arrested the driver for allegedly attempting to smuggle 14 undocumented children from Mozambique into South Africa through the Lebombo Port of Entry. The children were aged between four and 16 years. “The driver was immediately arrested and charged with aiding and abetting illegal entry in accordance with the Immigration Act. The rescued children were handed over to the Department of Social Development for care and…

The recent strike by taxi operators demanding the issuance of permits served as a stark reminder of the taxi industry’s complex relationship with the South African economy. While it is undeniable that the right to protest is a fundamental democratic right enjoyed by every citizen, including taxi operators, the destructive methods employed during these protests can no longer be tolerated. The economic disruptions caused by violent demonstrations and road blockages bring entire sectors to a standstill, harming businesses and everyday commuters who rely on this mode of transport. The grievances of the taxi industry are legitimate. Many operators face longstanding issues, including bureaucracy and the struggle for fair representation in an evolving transport sector. However, these grievances are not grounds for lawlessness, intimidation and violence. Last week’s strike exemplified this…

China’s retaliatory export controls could take a toll on the growing US clean energy sector and its defence industry, analysts say, as a trade tussle escalates between the world’s two biggest economies. Beijing announced this week it would ban exports of gallium, germanium and antimony to the US, targeting materials used for everything from semiconductors to solar cells. China also tightened restrictions on graphite, which is key to the electric vehicle industry. The moves, which Beijing said were to safeguard national security, swiftly followed Washington’s own curbs to hobble China’s ability to make advanced computer chips. While trade tensions have been simmering, US President-elect Donald Trump’s arrival at the White House in January is likely to ratchet up the temperature on trade – with the Republican already vowing sweeping tariffs…

Singapore: Indian teenage challenger Gukesh Dommaraju beat China’s Ding Liren in the eleventh game of their world championship match yesterday, taking a crucial lead as the tournament entered the final stretch. Gukesh, 18, whose win gave him a 6-5 lead with just three games to play, forced a resignation from Ding after the defending champion made a blunder under time pressure. The victory ended seven consecutive draws and gave Gukesh a big advantage into the homestretch of the series. Gukesh is the youngest player to compete in the World Championship and he is looking to surpass Garry Kasparov as the youngest undisputed world champion. | AFP…

SYDNEY: Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said yesterday that suspected arson at a Melbourne synagogue appeared to be an act of terror, a day after his Israeli counterpart said the Labor government had motivated the crime with anti-Israel policies. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that the Adass Israel synagogue blaze, which broke out early on Friday, could not be separated from the “anti-Israel spirit” of Albanese’s centre-left government whose policies include support of a recent UN motion backing a Palestinian state. Police are still looking for two people suspected of deliberately starting the fire. | Reuters…

It is time that the Road Accident Fund (RAF) is lifted from the clutches of vultures and overhauled to serve workers and the poor. The RAF, like many other embattled state institutions, has occupied headlines for all the wrong reasons. Many of these were due to an outdated model, mismanagement of the RAF and internal corruption. Others were due to road accident claims lawyers seeing a weak institution and the desperation of claimants, and exploiting these for their own self-enrichment. For many years, management at the RAF, was at best negligent, and frequently appeared in fact to be complicit in its decay. More recently we have seen a positive shift with the RAF admitting the extent of the crises and raising the alarm bells on what needs to be done,…

In the world of adult play and erotic toys, nothing seems to surprise us anymore. From devices designed to mimic the real thing to products that push the boundaries of imagination, these items are not new to the market. Yet, every now and then, something emerges that raises an eyebrow, and recently, that something is the Infinity Pillow. While this seemingly innocent product was designed for comfort and support, it has become the star of an unexpected viral moment on TikTok. What started as a simple travel pillow has morphed into an object of curiosity, confusion, and humour. But why? What is it about this product that’s gotten so many people talking, laughing, and even scratching their heads? The Infinity Pillow was thrust into the spotlight by TikTok user @cazzaCreatesLDN,…

In a small South African township, a grieving mother clutches a photograph of her child—one of 23 young lives tragically cut short by tainted food purchased from a local spaza shop. This heart-wrenching scene represents more than an isolated tragedy; it reflects a growing crisis. Across the country, nearly 900 children have fallen ill from food poisoning linked to these establishments. These avoidable losses expose glaring failures in regulation and enforcement, demanding urgent attention. The government’s recent flurry of inspections targeting foreign-owned spaza shops, supermarkets and warehouses appears less like a committed strategy and more like a desperate scramble to manage public outrage. Reactionary campaigns and symbolic crackdowns, while superficially impressive, fail to address the systemic neglect that allowed such dangerous conditions to persist in the first place. Authorities tout…

President Cyril Ramaphosa finds himself in the middle of a tug-of-war over the finalisation of the Bela Act with the South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) threatening to strike if it is amended while other organisations have threatened to take him to court if he implements the disputed clauses. Ramaphosa signed the act into law on September 13 but due to opposition from the DA, delayed the implementation of clauses four and five for three months – until this Friday – to allow for negotiations with parties in the Government of National Unity (GNU). Clause four of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Act relates to the provincial department being responsible for the admission of pupils into a public school, taking away the responsibility of school governing bodies (SGB), while…

After a tumultuous week that saw SAA pilots engaging in industrial action, a conditional agreement has been reached between the airline and SAA Pilots Association (Saapa) and the National Transport Movement – Pilots Forum (NTM-PF). Over the next eight weeks, discussions will focus on restoring pilot benefits and managing rosters more fairly, acknowledging the sacrifices made during the difficult periods of business rescue and the Covid-19 pandemic, analysts said at the weekend. The strike, which started on Thursday, resulted in the cancellation of approximately 60% of SAA’s flights, highlighting the frustrations of pilots who have battled excessive workloads without adequate rest. Unionised pilots reported feeling fatigued due to an overwhelming schedule, with many working beyond the recommended limits set by the Civil Aviation Authority – over 1 000 flight hours…

THE South African Post Office (Sapo) has put on hold capital expenditure at the financially strapped state-owned enterprises after it failed to secure a bailout from the National Treasury. This comes hot on the heels of Sapo informing Parliament three months ago that it was facing what it called “Day Zero”, a situation where it could run out of funds in October. It had stated that the situation was so serious that should the funding not be found, it could be at risk of being liquidated. Sapo, which was placed under business rescue last year, had informed Parliament that it received R2.4 billion from the National Treasury for the business rescue and had expected an outstanding R3.8bn. However, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana dashed their hopes when he tabled the medium-term…

As the first long weekend in December approaches and traffic volumes increase, there have been a spate of fatal road crashes across the country leading to the loss of more than 20 lives. In the Free State yesterday, 10 people were killed and one sustained injuries on the N1 near Kroonstad when a minibus crashed into a truck. Also yesterday, two people died in a crash involving a bus and two cars on the N1 in Mookgophong, Limpopo. It is believed that the bus was coming from Zimbabwe to Durban. On Saturday, in the Free State, five people were killed and one sustained injuries in a head-on collision on the N3 highway near Harrismith, while three people died in a collision between two bakkies on the R30 between Allanridge and…

A huge task lies ahead to address the challenges in the early childhood development sector AS WE wind down the academic year, we know that the country has their eyes on the matriculants. Success in matric and the overall matric results have become a benchmark for the government to measure success and overall progress in the country. It is however important that we put the situation for young children into perspective against the overall South African education system: For the past 15 years at least one million children started school in Grade 1 each year. However, each year the number of matriculants were on average about 500 000 – with a dropout rate of about 50% by the time learners reached Grade 12. There is no rocket science to…

Islamist-led rebels took Damascus yesterday after a lightning offensive, sending President Bashar al-Assad fleeing and ending five decades of Ba’ath party rule in Syria. Residents in the capital were seen cheering in the streets as the rebel factions heralded the departure of “tyrant” Assad, saying: “We declare the city of Damascus free.” AFPTV images from Damascus showed rebels firing into the air at sunrise, with some flashing the victory sign and crying “Allahu Akbar”, or God is greatest. Some people climbed atop a tank in celebration, while others battered a toppled statue of Assad’s father, Hafez. Assad’s reported departure comes less than two weeks after the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group challenged more than five decades of Assad family rule with a lightning offensive. “After 50 years of oppression…

More than 1 000 EU citizens have joined the legal action against European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen in the case of violations during the purchase of Covid-19 vaccines, the Belgian activist who filed the complaint, Frederic Baldan, said on Saturday. “We have over 1 000 plaintiffs,” Baldan said. These people include members of non-governmental organisations and professional organisations, such as trade unions of pilots, as well as Hungarian and Polish officials, the activist said. There is evidence that the vaccines approved for use in the EU “have not been sufficiently tested” for effectiveness in combating the pandemic, although Brussels introduced restrictive measures against those who opposed mandatory vaccination, Baldan said. A Belgian court in Liege was unable to consider the charges against von der Leyen on Friday and…

CAIRO: Palestinian health officials said yesterday that Israeli forces had shelled the Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya, damaging electricity and oxygen pumps and disrupting urgent surgeries. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of the hospital, one of only three barely operational on the northern edge of the enclave, said the facility was hit by around 100 tank shells and bombs, wounding several of the medical staff and patients. The hospital is treating 112 wounded people, including six in the intensive care unit, he said. The health ministry of Hamas-run Gaza said a doctor was killed with his family in an Israeli air strike near the hospital on Saturday night. | Reuters…

Mexico City: Three men accused of kidnapping and robbing a girl were lynched by a crowd in central Mexico on Saturday, authorities said. Lynchings have increased in Mexico in recent years, with experts saying the perception of impunity leads communities to take justice into their own hands. The trio were killed on Saturday afternoon in San Juan Amecac, 68km southeast of the capital Mexico City, a local government statement said. Police rushed to the scene but the men “no longer showed vital signs” by the time they arrived, it added. About 300 people participated in the lynching – hanging and beating the men until they were dead. | AFP…