Indholdsfortegnelse for 2024-12-11 i Mercury

Government’s protectionism measures in the scrap metal industry are costing the economy some R8.5 billion a year without any tangible benefits in terms of job creation. This is according to XA Global Trade Advisors’ second Scrap Metal Report, which was released yesterday. The report details how companies that wish to sell scrap are penalised both for trying to sell the material locally as well as when they seek to export it. “Few sectors of the economy demonstrate the unintended consequences of industrial policy better than the scrap metal sector in South Africa,” read the report. “We have market failures, attempts to correct those failures with subsidies, export duties and preferential finance, resulting in suboptimal outcomes for almost everyone.” Donald MacKay, founder and CEO of XA Global Trade Advisors, told Business…

The December holidays are a time of joy, celebration and indulgence, but for women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), this time of year can feel more like a minefield of temptation than a season of relaxation. Between sugary desserts, salty snacks and carb-heavy dishes, staying on track with a PCOS-friendly diet seems impossible. However, the good news is that you don’t need to fear the holidays or throw away your health progress. With the right strategies, balance, and a little support, you can enjoy the festive season without guilt. Registered dietitian Ashley Solomon, who has partnered with Lamelle Pharmaceuticals to create accessible and PCOS-friendly recipes, says the key is making mindful food choices that nourish your body while still allowing you to indulge. “Festive feasting doesn’t have to mean overindulgence…

A BIZARRE twist in the fatal shooting in New York of United Healthcare chief executive Brian Thompson. Police have found Monopoly notes – as used in the board game – in Central Park in a backpack, thought to have been used by the gunman, according to Sky News. Police have taken a man into custody but we will have to wait to hear more about his motive. Thompson, head of the US's largest health insurer, was gunned down outside his company's annual investor meeting in midtown Manhattan. Video found by detectives shows the assailant riding a bicycle into the park and later taking a taxi to a bus station from where he could travel to New Jersey, Philadelphia, Boston or Washington DC. But Monopoly money? Has the board game taken…

For too many decades now, African countries have had to be babysat by their older brothers, the US and the UK. South Africa and America need each other, or so us sober-minded citizens have always thought.....but looking at how careless our beloved Mr Phala Phala, President and his ANC gang of looters and cadres have been marching on, paving the way for the Iranian regime to join the BRICS group and showing the West the proverbial middle finger, one has to conclude that Ramaphosa feels absolutely nothing for the citizens of this country! As long as he and his ANC friends can continue eating from the trough of dirty Iranian, Russian and Chinese proceeds, he is happy to play mind games with Trump and the West. What President Donald Trump…

The DA is deeply concerned that despite promises from both KwaZulu-Natal’s Department of Transport (DoT) and Office of the Premier (OTP) to ensure increased law enforcement on our province’s major routes—the reality on the ground is far from it. KZN’s roads have become a deathtrap, with horrific accidents occurring on our roads on an almost daily basis. It is critical that road traffic laws are properly enforced to ensure road safety and discourage lawlessness, particularly as we head into the busy festive season with higher traffic volumes. Law enforcement officials need to ensure that speeding, drunk driving and other dangerous behaviours that contribute to accidents and fatalities are penalised appropriately. Officials must also be held accountable for their roles and responsibilities and held to a higher standard to effectively carry…

EDUCATION experts are calling for a renewed focus on foundational teaching methods to address the decline in mathematics performance among Grade 5 and 9 pupils, as highlighted by the latest TIMSS results. The mathematics experts were reacting to the results of the 2023 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), which is released every four years. In the latest cycle, TIMSS measured mathematics and science achievements in the fourth and eighth grades in 64 countries. South Africa assessed students in their fifth and ninth years of schooling to better match curricula and maintain trend measurement. The study found that South Africa’s Grade 5 pupils ranked last in the maths results while the Grade 9 pupils ranked in the bottom 10 countries. Professor Nicky Roberts, who is the director of…

Deputy National Director of Public Prosecutions (DNDPP) Anton du Plessis met the requirements for the position he currently occupies. This is according to former justice and constitutional development minister Thembi Simelane when she was responding to parliamentary questions from uMkhonto weSizwe Party MP Sibonelo Nomvalo. Nomvalo wrote to Simelane on November 18, inquiring about the process followed with the appointment of Du Plessis. He also wanted to know whether Du Plessis met all the standard requirements for the position of deputy national director of public prosecutions (DNDPP). In her written reply dated December 2, prior to her removal from the position, Simelane said the DNDPP was appointed in terms of the National Prosecuting Authority Act. The legislation makes provision for the President to appoint not more than four deputy national…

An unemployed KwaZulu-Natal woman lost a legal battle with the Road Accident Fund (RAF) after she was unable to prove to the high court that she was entitled to receive financial support from the fund following the death of her partner. The ruling was made by the Pietermaritzburg High Court after Lulama Kunene failed to prove that her 13-year relationship with the deceased was legally recognised under customary marriage. Kunene failed to claim a portion from the deceased estate and sought relief in the high court, hoping to get compensation from RAF. RAF conceded 100% liability for the deceased's death, however, in order to pay Kunene loss of support, the fund wanted her to prove that she was legally married to the deceased. Explaining her relationship in detail, Kunene told…

EMPLOYMENT and Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth has debunked the so-called myth that there was an arbitrary age cap of 35 years for government jobs and opportunities. Meth said all job opportunity interventions and initiatives from the state catered to unemployed people across sectors, age, gender and race in a manner that fostered fairness, equity and justice. “There is no arbitrary age cap of 35 years for government jobs and opportunities. What is there is the unfortunate reality of high levels of youth unemployment amongst the 18 - 35-year-old age group,” Meth said. She was responding to Rise Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi, who asked about the reasons for the arbitrary age cap of 35 years for government jobs and opportunities and the steps she was taking to ensure that persons above…

A South African taxi driver has been taken into custody and issued with a conveyance fine of R375 000 for allegedly attempting to smuggle 25 undocumented people across the Beitbridge Port of Entry into South Africa. The incident on Monday comes just days after Border Management Authority (BMA) officers intercepted eight Bangladeshi nationals allegedly attempting to enter the country illegally without valid travel documents at the Beitbridge Port of Entry on Saturday. On Friday, vigilant BMA border guards intercepted a minibus taxi and arrested the driver for allegedly attempting to smuggle 14 undocumented children, aged between four and 16, from Mozambique into South Africa through the Lebombo Port of Entry. BMA spokesperson Mmemme Mogotsi said the authority had successfully disrupted another human and child smuggling operation, demonstrating its capability to…

JANETH, a nurse in Tanzania, sees the toll of gender-based violence (GBV)every day. Caroline, a young advocate in Malawi, educates her peers about abuse, hoping to break the cycle. Eric, a peer educator in Uganda, works tirelessly to improve HIV care in his community. These are the faces of resilience, working against the odds to build a better future for East and Southern Africa. When it comes to sexual and reproductive health and rights in Eastern and Southern Africa, the numbers are stark. The region has some of the world’s highest rates of GBV and adolescent pregnancy and it remains the epicentre of the HIV crisis. Two-thirds of the global population of adolescents living with HIV reside in this region. New HIV infections are more than six times higher among…

Chinese President Xi Jinping warned yesterday that there would be “no winners” in a trade war with the US and vowed the country would hit its growth goals for the year. Former US president Donald Trump – who returns to the White House next month – unleashed a gruelling trade war with China during his first term in office, lambasting alleged intellectual property theft and other “unfair” practices. He has pledged to impose even higher tariffs on China after taking office on January 20, as Beijing is grappling with a shaky post-pandemic economic recovery. “Tariff wars, trade wars, and technology wars go against historical trends and economic rules, and there will be no winners,” Xi said of China-US relations while meeting several heads of multilateral financial institutions in Beijing, according…

SAO PAULO: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was rushed to Sao Paulo overnight for emergency surgery to drain a bleed on his brain linked to a fall in October and he will remain in hospital for a couple more days, the government said yesterday. Lula, 79, is “well” and being monitored in the intensive care unit after the successful operation, the government said. “He is stable, conscious and calm.” There have been health concerns about the president, who is halfway through his third term. Weak results for his Workers Party in this year’s municipal elections underscored the lack of a clear leftist successor if he chooses not to run for re-election in 2026. | Reuters…

New York: A man was arrested and charged with murder this week in the targeted killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York. Luigi Mangione, 26, was charged in New York on suspicion of murder, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, second-degree possession of a forged document and third-degree possession of a weapon, according to court documents. Investigators continued to interrogate Mangione in connection with last week’s brazen murder, which triggered a nationwide manhunt. He is next due to appear in court on December 23. According to his friends, he lived with serious back pain and underwent surgery for it. | AFP…

Mobile data services provider, rain, saw significant growth in mobile customers in the three months to September 30, which was the first quarter of the 2025 financial year of African Rainbow Capital Investments (ARCI), which owns 20.35% of the 4G and 5G of rain. rain is unlisted, and the operational update of ARCI yesterday provided some insight into the financial position of South Africa’s fifth biggest cellphone company. The growth in mobile customers was fuelled by popularity of rainOne and rain mobile offerings, ARCI directors said. They said this further underscored by a major network upgrade to Huawei’s Apollo 5.5G, boosting performance and capacity. Additionally, rain expanded its connectivity options with new offerings, including the 101 pro and 101 extender, providing customers with more choices. Another ARCI investment is its…

International fashion label Balenciaga has unveiled its fall 2025 collection and one of the pieces that got everyone talking is the Zero shoe. Available in four colourways – black, white, tan, and brown – this shoe is perfect for people who love being barefooted but is mindful of germs on the ground. “The Zero: An ultralight 3D-moulded sole that redefines minimalism – bringing you closer to barefoot freedom,” explained the creative director of the brand, Demna Gvasalia. While the price of the shoe has not yet been announced, people hope that it will be cheaper due to how minimal they are and the material used. “I was thinking around $500 (R8 936) (hopefully) the trooper boot in this material was $700 (R12 510) and you’re getting like 95% less shoe…

It is not a new or unique revelation that people in many parts of the world are facing unusual challenges and struggles. We become part of the healing in our communities when and if we: Exercise patience and strive to understand the challenges others are facing. This requires us to acknowledge that we may have something to learn. It means unloading ourselves of preconceived notions in the face of what we all must face. Offer a helping hand to make someone’s heavy load lighter, rather than pointing a finger to blame what may have gone wrong when things are difficult or challenging. When we lend a helping hand, it should be to assist, not to teach or chastise. Try to understand the larger context of what is causing distress for…

The festive season is upon us; schools are closed and most workplaces are also closing. It is the season to be jolly. It is also a time to be water-smart and use this available resource wisely and sparingly. The weather is not that favourable with heatwaves and less rainfall, with South Africa being a water scarce country and one of the 30 driest countries in the world. Water is life; therefore, it is important that we conserve and use this precious resource with utmost care to ensure that it does not run out. Let us always remember that water has no substitute and ensure that we always think about tomorrow and the future when using the little water that is available. With the increasing demand, and South Africa’s status as…

THE eThekwini Municipality is facing accusations of misusing ratepayers’ money after it booked accommodation for its councillors during the South African Local Government Association (Salga) Games hosted in Durban last week. The revelations of Durban-based councillors being booked into accommodation in Westville have angered ratepayers who have threatened “action”, while one opposition party is demanding answers. The municipality confirmed that it had spent approximately R150 000 on this exercise. It defended the booking of accommodation for the councillors, arguing that it was to ensure the safety of participants who were staying at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Westville Campus. The councillors were part of the games promoted by Salga. ActionSA councillor Zwakele Mncwango has written to the city manager to demand an explanation regarding the expenditure. Mncwango revealed that one of…

The Information Communication Technology Union (ICTU) has slammed Nedbank and key individuals allegedly involved in the closure of Sekunjalo Group’s banking accounts, describing it as a co-ordinated attack that threatens the livelihoods of hundreds of workers. ICTU general secretary Vulture Ntuluki, in a hard-hitting statement, has specifically called out Aslam Moosajee, a senior attorney at ENS, for his alleged role in orchestrating the closures via the Banking Association of South Africa (BASA). “The actions of Nedbank, along with other banks, are not just harming the Sekunjalo Group – they are devastating the lives of ordinary workers,” said Ntuluki. “Our members, many of whom are breadwinners supporting extended families, are being forced into unemployment because of a targeted campaign that has nothing to do with compliance and everything to do with…

Amid the refuelling challenges experienced at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on Monday, the Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA) has called for the installation of a backup bypass line to be expedited. The Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) said the problem was resolved on Monday and the fuel system was “fully operational” again. The AASA said in a statement that “the failure of the main valve in the refuelling system at OR Tambo International Airport today (Monday)” caused lengthy delays and cancelled flights at the start of the summer peak holiday travel season. “Although AASA appreciates the efforts being made by the ACSA to restore fuel supplies at what is Southern Africa’s busiest air travel and air cargo gateway, we urge ACSA to expedite the installation of the…

A Mozambican national appeared in the Vredendal Magistrate’s Court this week in the Western Cape on charges of trafficking in persons and contravention of the Immigration Act. The alleged human trafficker, Moses Sithole, 38, made a brief court appearance after his arrest on December 5. The provincial spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (known as Hawks), Lieutenant Colonel Siyabulela Vukubi, said a multidisciplinary team conducted the arrest. “The team comprising the Hawks’ Economic Protected Resources (EPR), Crime Intelligence, Vanrhynsdorp South African Police Service (SAPS), and Department of Home Affairs arrested the 38-year-old suspect,” Vukubi said. This comes after the team received information about a girl being held against her will. “The team received information about a foreign national who allegedly kept a 17-year-old girl at his residence against…

A member of the South African Police Service (SAPS) appeared in court this week alongside two Mozambican nationals for allegedly kidnapping businessman Zakariyya Desai outside a mosque in KwaDukuza. Police officer Samkeliso Honest Mlotshwa appeared with Esmael Nangy and Stefan Brites in the KwaDukuza Magistrate’s Court to apply for bail. The trio was arrested in November 2024. Desai who owns, Desai's Cash & Carry, was taken by force in September 2024 by suspects driving a silver VW Polo after attending a prayer at the mosque. The suspects fired several shots as others tried to stop the kidnapping. Desai has been missing since. Police said the KwaZulu-Natal Hawks were investigating the case. Meanwhile, Nangy was arrested in January 2023 in Centurion, Gauteng, by SA authorities and Interpol following a request for…

HOW President Cyril Ramaphosa navigates the pending clauses of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Act may expose the strengths and weaknesses of the Government of National Unity (GNU). Early indications are that the president finds himself between a rock and the hard place, in the true sense of the phrase. The two clauses relate to the provincial departments being responsible for admitting pupils into a public school, taking away the responsibility of school governing bodies (SGB). The other sees the power of determining a school’s language policy move from the SGB to the provincial departments. On the one hand is the DA which has been opposed to the signing of the bill in its entirety with senior party member, now Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube, boycotting the signing ceremony…

Israel pounded Syrian army bases yesterday in strikes it says aim to keep weapons from falling into hostile hands, but denied its forces had advanced into Syria beyond a buffer zone at the border. In the Syrian capital, banks reopened for the first time since the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad, in a major step towards restoring normal life. Shops were reopening, traffic returned to the roads, construction workers were back fixing a roundabout in the city centre and cleaners were out sweeping the streets. In a sign foreign countries are ready to work with the former al Qaeda affiliate that led the anti-Assad revolt, the UN envoy to Syria played down the group’s designation as a terrorist organisation and welcomed its inclusion in a transitional administration. Since Assad’s flight…

A US judge in North Dakota has blocked the Biden administration from requiring 19 Republican-led states to provide health insurance coverage to immigrants brought to the US illegally as children. US District Judge Daniel Traynor this week said a rule adopted by the US Department of Health and Human Services in May likely violates a federal law that prohibits giving public benefits to people who lack legal immigration status. Traynor, who was appointed by Republican President-elect Donald Trump in his first term, blocked the rule from being applied in 19 states that sued in August pending the outcome of their case. Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, a Republican whose office is spearheading the lawsuit, called the decision a “big win for the rule of law.” The National Immigration Law Center,…

PARIS: France’s new prime minister should come from the left and any coalition government must commit to pension changes and helping with the cost of living, the Socialists said ahead of new talks with the president and other parties yesterday. In a letter to President Emmanuel Macron ahead of the talks at the Elysee palace, Socialist party chairperson Olivier Faure repeated his threat that he’d quit talks should Macron appoint another right-wing premier. Faure said that any guarantees not to vote the next government out of power, referred to as “non-censure” agreement, would depend on “a genuine shift in political direction”. | Reuters…

NEW DELHI: Indian opposition parties moved yesterday to impeach Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, a spokesperson said, accusing him of being partisan in his role as chairperson of parliament’s upper house. Government and opposition parties have accused each other of not allowing legislative business by creating political controversies. Although the move is symbolic as the opposition parties do not have enough votes to remove him, it is expected to worsen the fraught relations between the opposition and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government as Dhankhar was elected as a candidate of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). | Reuters…

The complex fractional factions in Syria, that overnight suddenly gilded and kicked Assad all the way past Anatolia to Moscow are now themselves under the microscope with the magnifying power and illuminating spotlight set on maximum. How long before each participating, contributing participant draws his sword on the other? Who will volunteer not to become the new king of the desert-sand-castle of Syria? Who is going to be the first to say, “Please not me, not me. You lead, I follow?” The world awaits the inevitable explosion. Not with bated breath. It's not about who, why or how. It’s just a matter of when. Why this loud demonstration of intense negativity? Why the cynicism? Well, it has happened everywhere else, has it not? The Arab Spring in 2010 initially gushed…

HOW sad to read in the paper that a total of 1 457 children under the age of five died of acute malnutrition in SA. And that’s only the ones we hear about. Then another article tells us that families are sinking into poverty and are experiencing hunger daily. The general household survey tells us that 71% of children are living in poverty. The Thrive by Five Index report found that a staggering 65% of children enrolled in preschool programmes fail to thrive by 5 and are not on track for cognitive and/or physical development. Surely this must ring alarm bells all over? But we get back to the elephant in the room—too many people. Families should limit their numbers to what they can afford to feed and clothe. But…

COGTA Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa said his department was toying with the idea of introducing a surcharge in all municipalities for residents who use rooftop solar systems in areas that receive municipal-supplied electricity. This comes after the eThekwini Municipality proposed a similar electricity reform strategy in October to deal with its declining revenue by charging separately for energy consumption and for infrastructure. At the time, The Mercury reported that Ish Prahladh of the eThekwini Ratepayers and Residents Association said they would challenge the proposal as the City has struggled to provide electricity for years and consumers have turned to alternative sources of energy. Hlabisa said his department is initiating several strategies to mitigate revenue loss due to municipal customers’ shifting towards off-grid and embedded generation solutions, including residents having to pay…

Showtime Australia’s groundbreaking tribute to the one and only Michael Jackson—a full-scale stage production honours the King of Pop with a powerful, immersive journey through his greatest hits and unforgettable moments. The show is currently on at Johannesburg’s Gold Reef City and is heading to Durban soon. Describing the show, the organisers said, “Michael Jackson is more than a name in music; he’s a phenomenon. From his early days as the boy wonder of the Jackson 5 to his 1980s reign as the most celebrated and daring artist in pop, and onward to his indelible influence in the 21st century, “Jackson set standards few could match. This tribute show celebrates this entire journey, bringing audiences right into the heart of Jackson’s world.” With an electrifying performance by Garth Field as…

A man who emerged from the disused mines at Stilfontein in the North West brought with him a letter that conveyed several requests from the illegal miners holed up underground. The miner returned to the surface on Monday. Some of the requested items in the long list in the letter included mayonnaise, washing powder, tomato sauce, beef, Koo canned beans, soap and deodorants. The letter seen by IOL stated that their relish had finished and therefore they were requesting beef and tinned fish. The letter also stated that rice has been finished and they were requesting additional portions. The illegal miners also wrote that their paraffin supplies had been depleted and they were requesting more. Last week, it was reported that while food was being sent to the miners at…

IN AN AMBITIOUS pursuit of adventure and environmental stewardship, a marine scientist from Cape Town is gearing up for an epic journey as a crew member in the Clipper Round the World Race. 27-year-old marine scientist Nina Faure Beaulieu will call a 70ft stripped-back ocean-going yacht home for two months as she ventures into the world's most challenging oceans next year. The yacht race is a biennial sailing event featuring identical yachts with qualified skippers and first mates, with teams of amateur sailors. The route is divided into eight legs including six ocean crossings. Beaulieu will take on Legs 1 and 2 of the race from August to October. The first challenge of Leg 1 will be to negotiate the fast running tides around the UK and Northern France. Covering…

THABAZIMBI. Mtubatuba. Matzikama. Tshwane. Symbols of the culture of hung metropolitan and local municipalities across South Africa’s nine provinces are on the ascent, bringing with them an army of observers and experts surmising that the series of election results in these municipalities show the progressive entrenchment of coalition politics, including at the provincial and national levels. But where do voters who choose their public representatives in this way come from? From among the masses choosing to vote for new parties and independents to reduce a single party dominance in our legislative bodies. We can see that a generation of party-affiliated voters are resentful because they have fallen behind independent voters in determining the composition of legislative bodies, especially at the municipal level, where independent candidates have always featured on the…

Nearly 200 people in Haiti were killed in brutal weekend violence reportedly orchestrated against voodoo practitioners, with the government this week condemning a massacre of “unbearable cruelty”. The killings in the capital Port-au-Prince were overseen by a powerful gang leader convinced that his son’s illness was caused by followers of the religion, according to civil organisation the Committee for Peace and Development (CPD). It was the latest act of extreme violence by powerful gangs that control most of the capital city in the impoverished Caribbean country mired for decades in political instability, natural disasters and other woes. “He decided to cruelly punish all elderly people and voodoo practitioners who, in his imagination, would be capable of sending a bad spell on his son,” a statement from the Haiti-based group said.…

China was deploying its largest navy fleet in regional waters in nearly three decades, posing a threat to Taiwan that is more pronounced than previous Chinese war games, the Taiwanese defence ministry said yesterday. It said the scale of the current Chinese naval deployment in an area running from the southern Japanese islands down into the South China Sea was the largest since China held war games around Taiwan ahead of 1996 Taiwanese presidential elections. China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory over the island’s rejection, had been expected to launch drills to express its anger at President Lai Ching-te’s tour of the Pacific that ended last week, which included stopovers in Hawaii and the US territory of Guam. The number of China navy and coast guard…

MAIDUGURI: A gang of gunmen kidnapped more than 50 women and children in a raid on Kakin Dawa village in Nigeria’s north-west Zamfara state, police said. Kidnapping for ransom by gunmen is rife in north-west Nigeria due to high levels of poverty, unemployment and illegal firearms. Zamfara police said the incident took place on Sunday and that additional security forces were being deployed to the area. Residents said dozens of assailants riding on motorcycles arrived in the village armed with assault rifles. “We are waiting to hear the kidnappers’ demands for the release of the abducted individuals,” said Abdulkadir Sadia, a villager. | Reuters…

San Francisco: Social media giant Meta announced a worldwide anti-scam awareness campaign this week aimed at protecting users from fraudulent schemes during the holiday shopping season. The company, which owns Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, revealed it has taken down over two million accounts linked to scam centres in Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, the UAE and the Philippines this year. Meta identified fake Christmas gift box promotions, fraudulent holiday decoration sales and counterfeit retail coupons. It said scammers were using sophisticated tactics. | AFP…

The Proteas women have named a strong squad as they gear up to face England in a one-off Test match in Bloemfontein on Sunday. Currently involved in a heated ODI series, which stands on a knife-edge at 1-1, the Proteas will soon shift their focus to the longer format of the game. Yesterday, they announced a 15-player squad to take on England in a four-day match at the Mangaung Oval. The last encounter between these two sides in the red-ball format ended in tension, as England posted an imposing score of 417/8 (declared) during their visit to the County Cricket ground in Taunton in 2022. However, the Proteas managed to clinch a nail-biting draw, showcasing their resilience and ability to compete at the highest level. This match will mark South…