Indholdsfortegnelse for 2024-12-24 i Mercury

More than diamonds and gold, give others the gifts they really want…. People want attention. To offer another your full attention is to offer a gift that will not be easily or quickly forgotten. We remember people who so valued us that they put off and put away their phones and offered their undivided attention. People want to be heard. Offer to listen to someone without interruption, interpretation, redirection, correction, or being “topped” (“You should hear what happened to me”) is a priceless gift. We remember those who listen and the times they did. People want to be forgiven. People who have wronged you and who have expressed their regrets want to know and be told they are forgiven. A fresh start, despite errors, failures and flaws, is an invaluable…

2024 will surely go down as one of the craziest, most full-on, hectic and politically explosive years! With the Israel-Iran war having reached terrifying proportions and the ANC taking Israel to the ICJ, the rise of Zuma's MK Party, the new Government of National Unity taking shape here on local ground and the much-debated Bela Act having been signed so unceremoniously by Cyril Ramaphosa, the toppling of Syria's terror mastermind Basheer Al Assad and the alarming attempts on Donald Trump's life, one could write a few books on the last 12 months! The world is indeed a crazy place and for those who are not connected spiritually or who do not hold onto the idea that there is something greater, or bigger, than themselves in this life, I struggle…

The holly and the ivy When they are both full grown, Of all the trees in the woods, The holly wears the crown. ER, THAT’S if an owl hasn’t plummeted down the chimney to perch on top of the Christmas tree, pushing aside the Star of Bethlehem and taking over. It happened the other day in Michigan, in the US, and the Barred Owl stayed there until people from an Animal Welfare Service arrived and gently took it down and transferred it to better surroundings. Yes, Christmas Eve, when cares are pushed aside wherever in the world we are; family and friends are fondly remembered and contacted and, if reasonably close by, met in person in a milieu of jollity. Meanwhile, in Wiltshire, in Merrie England, they’ve been busy for…

Police in North West are searching for a scam artist who targeted a woman, who was a member of SAPS; pursued a romantic relationship with her and then later conned her out of almost R3 million. During the romantic relationship, the Ugandan national pretended to be a medical doctor and swindled the unsuspecting police captain, aged 53. In July, North West provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabones said that the wanted man in his 30s was known as Kalvin Sofika by the conned policewoman. “The 53-year-old victim met the suspect at a certain shopping complex in Rustenburg (around September last year). He introduced himself as Dr Kalvin Sofika and they exchanged contact details. The woman and the suspect started dating,” said Mokgwabone at the time. “In the process of dating,…

TWO men who had been serving life imprisonment terms for the murder of a Knysna councillor have had their convictions and sentences overturned by the Constitutional Court. The sentences handed down in 2021 against Mawanda Makhala and Velile Waxa were set aside after the court found that the State failed to discharge the onus to prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. This was due to a state witness who made an about-turn during the trial and had told the court that he had lied to police in the two statements they relied on to convict the duo. Makhala, a former clerk in the housing department in the Knysna Municipality and Waxa, a former independent councillor, were sentenced for the 2018 murder of slain councillor Mzukisi Molosi. Molosi had attended…

Residents in Northdene, Durban, say they have been faced with intermittent water supply for more than 100 days and are frustrated by a lack of communication and support from the eThekwini Municipality. The residents said they wanted immediate action to be taken to tackle the water supply problem. “We are promised water tankers that either do not arrive or bring water that is unsafe for consumption,” said Maliska Stuart, a resident who returned to the area earlier this year. “I moved back because of the strong community spirit and low crime, but this water crisis has made life unbearable.” The elderly have been particularly affected. Daphne Gunston, an 80-year-old recovering from major back surgery, described her struggles. “I am not supposed to carry heavy items, but I have no choice.…

KwaZulu-Natal police have arrested two suspects who are linked to the attempted murder of Advocate Coreth Naudé. Naudé was shot at by two gunmen at the entrance of a hotel in Umhlanga, north of Durban, on July 18 this year. Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said that on the day, Advocate Naude was driving into the hotel when she was ambushed by two armed men who opened fire at her. “The advocate managed to drive inside the hotel, where she received emergency medical attention before she was rushed to hospital. The suspects fled from the scene in a silver Toyota Corolla. The case was assigned to the Provincial Serious and Violent Crime: Murder and Robbery Unit, which hit the ground running in search of clues and possible leads.” Netshiunda said…

In supporting SA designers, we should be careful not to desecrate our culture and heritage THERE is a moment in every black South African’s life when you end up at a traditional ceremony, surrounded by people dressed in overdecorated traditional attire. And you will find yourself thinking: “I am not sure this is okay”. Traditional ceremonies in our diverse communities are rarely a display of political correctness. But sometimes they cross the line between being “a bit of fun and fashion”, a phrase used frequently at traditional ceremonies, and full-on offensive. Not everyone in my social circles is good at choosing Umbaco or Imvunulo – the Xhosa or Zulu traditional attire. Some have the gift of sartorial certainty provided by the wisdom and guidance of strong intergenerational family and community…

Germany searched yesterday for answers on possible security lapses after a man drove his car into a Christmas market, killing at least five people and casting a renewed spotlight on security and immigration ahead of a snap election. The possible motive of the arrested suspect, a 50-year-old psychiatrist from Saudi Arabia with a history of anti-Islamic rhetoric and a sympathy for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, remains unknown. The man, identified only as Taleb A, had left video messages on his social media X account on the day of the attack. In rambling commentary, he variously blamed Germany’s supposed liberalism for the death of Socrates, an ancient Greek philosopher, and accused police of stealing a USB stick from him and destroying a criminal complaint he had filed. The…

US President Joe Biden yesterday commuted the sentences for 37 out of 40 federal inmates on death row, converting them to life in prison without parole before he hands over power to President-elect Donald Trump on January 20. Biden’s move will frustrate Trump’s plan to resume a rapid pace of executions. Unlike executive orders, clemency decisions cannot be reversed by a president’s successor, although the death penalty can be sought more aggressively in future cases. Trump restarted federal executions after a nearly 20-year pause during his first term in office from 2017 to 2021. Biden put federal executions on hold when he took office in January 2021. He has faced pressure from congressional Democrats to commute federal death sentences before he leaves. Biden’s decision also does not affect the nearly…

Cairo: Egypt’s foreign minister Badr Abdelatty said yesterday that his country would take part in a new AU peacekeeping force in Somalia, as the two countries draw closer amid tensions with Ethiopia. Tensions flared in the Horn of Africa after Ethiopia signed a maritime deal in January with the breakaway region of Somaliland, pushing Mogadishu closer to Addis Ababa’s regional rival Cairo. Abdelatty’s remarks came ahead of the end of the current AU Transition Mission in Somalia on December 31, to make way for a new force against Islamist Al-Shabaab insurgents, the AU and Stabilization Mission in Somalia. | AFP…

YAKUTSK: Researchers in Siberia are conducting tests on a juvenile mammoth whose remarkably well-preserved remains were discovered in thawing permafrost after more than 50 000 years. The creature, resembling a small elephant with a trunk, was recovered from the Batagaika crater, a huge depression more than 80m deep. The carcass, weighing more than 110kg, was brought to the surface, said Maxim Cherpasov, head of the Lazarev Mammoth Museum Laboratory in the city of Yakutsk. He said the mammoth was probably a little over a year old when it died, but tests would enable the scientists to confirm this more accurately. | Reuters…

Virgil van Dijk says there is "no deadline" regarding his contract situation as the clock ticks down to the end of his Liverpool deal. The Netherlands international's current contract expires at the end of the season and from January 1 he will be able to negotiate with overseas clubs. However, it is understood the 33-year-old's preference is to stay at Anfield. "There is no deadline at all. We will see what the future brings. Is there an update? No," he told reporters. Van Dijk is one of three key players whose deals are entering their final six months, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah the others. Salah moved fourth on Liverpool's all-time list of scorers, to 229 goals, after his two strikes in their 6-3 hammering of Tottenham on Sunday.…

Rape and murder are everyday crimes in our country. They happen so often that the media hardly pays much attention to them, unless one out of the ordinary happens, like Sbusiso Lawrence, who justified the gruesome killing of his ex-girlfriend, Ntobeko Cele, on social media. The callous killer then hung himself from a tree not far from the murder scene in Umzinto. This gender-based violence was followed by another copycat murder, this time in another South Coast town, Umgababa, where Mlondi Cele stabbed his girlfriend and their three-year-old son before killing himself. While we acknowledge that GBV is a worldwide phenomenon, it is especially rife in our country, where an average of 8 women are killed every day. All this shows that the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence…

The first sentence in an article published in The Times of Israel regarding the Christmas market attack in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt read as follows: ‘Yesterday, a radical Islamist terrorist from Saudi Arabia plowed his car…’ And that is where I stopped reading. This utterly incorrect characterisation of the Saudi Arabian as a radical Islamist terrorist and the tragedy that occurred is far from accidental. Despite news reports clarifying that the man was a Zionist sympathiser who hated Islam, the narrative is being twisted as usual; this time because the suspect is a Zionist. Any affiliation of the suspect to Zionism is certainly not something they would welcome, and they haven’t, as the article in the Times reveals. Perhaps it is difficult for them to reconcile the word Saudi…

The Department of Basic Education’s (DBE’s) legal team is studying an infringement notice by the Information Regulator (IR), which ordered the department to pay an administrative fine of R5 million. According to the IR, the fine comes after the department failed to comply with an enforcement notice issued by the regulator on November 18, after finding the DBE contravened various sections of the Protection of Personal Information Act (Popia). The enforcement notice had ordered the DBE to provide an undertaking “that it will not publish the results of the 2024 matriculants in the newspapers” within 31 days from the date on which the order was served. It also ordered that the department “must make these results available to the learners using methods that are compliant with Popia”. The regulator said…

Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has warned that the high cost of electricity is a ticking time bomb that could trigger “unrest” and undermine the government. He addressed the issue while highlighting that Eskom has successfully kept the lights on uninterrupted for more than 200 days. The minister stated that he had been briefed by Eskom officials who attended the public hearings regarding the tariff increases, where input was made regarding the pressure faced by vulnerable groups, including the poor and the elderly.The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) said last week that it expected to make a final decision on the tariff increases by the end of January 2025. It said this was due to the extended public hearing period. The power utility has applied for…

An operation in mining hotspot areas in the Northern Cape resulted in the arrests of nine suspects and the confiscation of unpolished diamonds. Operation Vala Umgodi members, including SAPS, South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and a private security company conducted the operation in Kleinzee on December 20. The provincial police spokesperson, Sergeant Molefi Shemane, said the teams received information regarding illegal activity at a farm near Koingnaas. “The members, together with Vetus Private Security, operationalised the information and tactically approached the farm and apprehended nine suspects.” “Suspected unpolished diamonds were found in possession of a 31-year-old suspect, and another suspected unpolished diamond was found in possession of another 33-year-old suspect. The nine suspects between the ages of 30 and 47 were apprehended for illegal mining, possession of suspected unpolished…

Three KwaZulu-Natal fighters represented South Africa at the World Association of Kickboxing Organizations (WAKO) African Continental Kickboxing Championship in Benoni, Gauteng, recently and walked away with gold, silver and bronze medals. Members of the Practical Combat Sport Scottburgh club, Bianca Arthur, 30, won gold in the over 70kg Tatami Kick Light, Nicole Tome-Alves, 26, competed in the elite K1 division in the Ring and won a bronze medal, and Kai Low, 17, won silver in the under 69kg Juniors in Tatami in the two-day competition two weeks ago. Arthur said the experience was something she will never forget. “The competition brought together top athletes from 16 different countries across the whole of Africa, showcasing elite levels of skill and sportsmanship,” she said. Arthur said when she stepped onto the Tatami…

The South African Medical Association Trade Union (Samatu) has urged members of the public to be responsible while celebrating during the festive season as this is the time of the year when healthcare facilities become overwhelmed. Samatu’s General Secretary, Dr Cedric Sihlangu, said hospitals and medical centres often face a surge in admissions due to road accidents at this time of year. “The prevalent cause of many road accidents during the festive season is drinking and driving. “Motorists must always wear seat belts, adhere to speed limits and avoid distractions such as using mobile phones while driving. These measures are crucial in reducing the risk of accidents. If feeling unwell or fatigued, refrain from driving. Samatu reminds motorists and road users that our hospitals, as is, face a significant burden…

The festive season is a time typically marked by joy, celebration and indulgence. Those of us fortunate enough to gather around an abundant table must spare a thought for the downtrodden and impoverished members of our communities. Extreme poverty in major cities such as Durban, Johannesburg, and Cape Town has become a grim reality, forcing many migrants to scavenge for food in affluent suburbs. These individuals are not merely statistics; they are mothers, fathers, children and the elderly and deserve dignity and compassion. The festive season often means buying and preparing an excess of food that many of us will casually throw away. Instead of discarding leftover food, donate it to those in need. Christmas time is often portrayed as a time for giving, but this spirit should extend beyond…

Tension was mounting in Mozambique yesterday when the Constitutional Council, the nation’s highest court, confirmed the disputed October election results that extended the ruling Frelimo party’s half-century grip on power. Ruling party presidential candidate Daniel Chapo secured 65% of the vote, the seven-judge Bench ruled, revising down the initial results of nearly 71%. Opposition leader Venancio Mondlane vowed that there would “chaos” if the ruling party was confirmed as the winner in a stand-off that has already claimed at least 130 lives. The southern African country has been rocked by unrest since the election commission said that the October 9 vote was won by the candidate of the Frelimo party, which has held power since independence from Portugal in 1975. The Constitutional Council was expected to announce that it validated…

DHARAMSHALA: When the Dalai Lama went to New York in June for knee surgery, his followers worried about his overall health and the future of Tibetan Buddhists without him. He has said there is nothing much to worry about. “According to my dream, I may live 110 years,” said the 89-year-old spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhists at his Himalayan residence in Dharamshala town in northern India. The 14th Dalai Lama fled to India with thousands of Tibetans in early 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule. Beijing says it will choose his successor, but he said his incarnation could be found in India and that any other named by China would not be respected. | Reuters…

JUBA: South Sudan was facing a “completely overwhelming” influx of refugees from war-torn Sudan as well as a rapidly growing cholera epidemic, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned yesterday. The medical charity said up to 5 000 people were crossing the border every day. The UN put it at 7 000 to 10 000 daily. Sudan is suffering one of the world’s worst humanitarian emergencies since conflict broke out in April 2023 between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, with tens of thousands killed and millions displaced. An MSF emergency co-ordinator said that they were working with the International Committee of the Red Cross to provide care. | AFP…

The South African sides resumed their United Rugby Championship (URC) campaigns with two humdinger clashes this past weekend. A late score saw the Stormers triumph over the Lions, but the win was all but comfortable in Cape Town, while a depleted Sharks side trumped the Bulls thanks to a late converted penalty. The local derbies are never without any controversy and again in Durban the visiting side will likely feel aggrieved by some refereeing calls that didn't go their way, especially when their scrum demolished the Sharks but in the end, received little reward for it. In the DHL Stadium, a red card tied one hand behind the Lions' backs and when they played with 13 men after a yellow card in the second half, the Stormers managed to score…

The SACP pays tribute to former Kaizer Chiefs legend Jackie ‘Asinamali’ Masike and conveys its heartfelt condolences to his family and the entire footballing fraternity of our country. One of the most respected central defenders our country has ever seen, Masike commanded respect in the South African footballing fraternity during his heydays in the 1970s and 1980s, his popularity and influence spilling throughout the African continent notwithstanding the suppressive policies of the apartheid system, which was later dislodged by the liberation movement. Masike was amongst the pioneers who contributed to the establishment of the legendary Kaizer Chiefs in 1970, making it a powerhouse in South African football. His contribution in the midfield, characterised by his tough tackling and commanding presence on the field, was instrumental in the team’s successes during…

A tribute to the doyenne of community football and netball. I was deeply saddened to receive the news about the passing of matriarch mother, Sundrie Moodley. She was not only a devoted matriarch but also a passionate soccer and netball enthusiast who tirelessly managed and promoted non-racial sports in the community. Together with her husband, Mannie Moodley, she played a pivotal role in uplifting and inspiring generations through her work with Bluff Rangers FC. Her legacy of community spirit and sportsmanship will forever be cherished. May her soul rest in eternal peace, and may you find comfort in the wonderful memories of her remarkable life. My heartfelt condolences to the family.…

There has been mixed reactions from political parties to government’s plan to move ahead with the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI) with a board expected to be appointed next year. ActionSA posed a parliamentary question to the Department of Health on what specific targets and benchmarks have been set for the implementation of the NHI. In response, the department said that Phase 1 of the implementation of the National Health Insurance is for a period of four years from 2023 to 2026. A board is expected to be appointed by November 2025, while draft regulations are expected to be published soon for public comment. The department said that the associated costs are part of the current Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) allocations to the department for this period of…

The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) is urgently calling for the nationalisation of traffic police officers under the Department of Transport, following the release of a mid-festive season safety report that showed a 3% increase in road fatalities since December 1. Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has recently revealed that the mid-season festive road safety statistics showed an increase in fatal crashes and fatalities compared to the same period last year. From December 2 to 15, the department recorded 439 fatal crashes nationwide, resulting in the death of 512 people, a 3.1% and 2.6% increase, respectively. There was yet another fatal crash on the N3 highway on Monday morning in which seven people died. Popcru’s president, Thulani Ngwenya, expressed concern about the working conditions and support for traffic officers…

The National Minimum Wage Commission has proposed the national minimum wage (NMW) hike for 2025, recommending an increase of CPI +1.5%, according to a statement from the Department of Employment and Labour. This is after the commission invited written representations on potential adjustments to the NMW for 2025. Last week the NMW commission published a report in the government gazette that outlined the commission's recommendations for the annual review of the national minimum wage as well as an invitation for the public to submit their written representations. The deadline for the written representation is January 14, 2025. According to the department, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures changes in the prices paid by consumers for goods and services over time, is a key factor in these considerations. For November…

IN yet another horrific gender-based violence (GBV) incident, a Hawks officer allegedly killed his wife inside a neighbour’s house he had chased her into. The 41-year-old warrant officer was expected to appear at the Stellenbosch Magistrate’s Court yesterday facing a charge of murder. This follows his arrest at the weekend. According to Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) spokesperson Phaladi Shuping, the police officer had an argument with his wife at their Khayamnandi home on Saturday. “The 41-year-old wife ran out of the house but the police officer allegedly followed her and fired several shots. “The wife ran into the neighbour's house but the police officer allegedly followed her inside the house and fired several shots again, in full view of the residents in the house,” said Shuping. The woman was…

THE year 2024 started with much hope and possibilities – an annus expectationem as opposed to an annus horribilis. But the roadmap for 2024 was already set in 2023 by the perversity of the ongoing internecine conflicts in Ukraine and in the Middle East. As we approach the close of the year, the two defiant protagonists in the Ukraine conflict were hellbent on bombing each other with tit-for-tat drone and missile attacks in Kyiv, western Kursk and as far afield as Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan, almost a thousand kilometres from Moscow. The political assassination of Russian Lieutenant-Genenal Igor Kirillov, head of the Radiation, Biological and Chemical Defence Forces, in December is simply adding fuel to the fire. In the Middle East, the unexpected collapse of President Bashar Al Asad…

The recent approval by the US Congress of the $895 billion defence policy bill for 2025 is a sobering reminder of Washington’s insatiable appetite for military spending. Behind the rhetoric of “defending the homeland” and “countering global adversaries”, the primary driver of the record-breaking National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2025 appears to be more about the expansion of US military hegemony, a goal that often destabilises other regions and feeds into its own military-industrial complex. The staggering US military outlay continues to rise, an endless cycle that has persisted from the Vietnam War to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, where US military intervention often exacerbated rather than mitigated conflicts. Today, the focus has shifted to the so-called “great power competition”, a narrative fuelling global tensions and justifying…

An official from one of only two functioning hospitals in northern Gaza said yesterday that Israeli forces were continuing to target his facility and urged the international community to intervene before “it is too late”. Hossam Abu Safiyeh, director of Kamal Adwan hospital in the city of Beit Lahia, described the situation at the medical facility as “extremely dangerous and terrifying” owing to shelling by Israeli forces. The Israeli military denied that the hospital was being targeted. Safiyeh said that the hospital, which was treating 91 patients, had been targeted yesterday by Israeli drones. “This morning, drones dropped bombs in the hospital’s courtyards and on its roof,” said Safiyeh. “The shelling, which also destroyed nearby houses and buildings, did not stop throughout the night.” The shelling and bombardment had caused…

LONDON: Donald Trump’s transition team is pushing to pull the US out of the World Health Organization (WHO), according to experts who warn of the “catastrophic” impact it would have on global health, the Financial Times (FT) reported. Members of Trump’s team told the experts of their intention to announce a withdrawal from the global health body on the president-elect’s January 20 inauguration. The departure would remove the WHO’s biggest source of funds. Lawrence Gostin, a professor of global health at Georgetown Law, said there would be “very lean years for the WHO where it will struggle to respond to health emergencies and will have to reduce its scientific staff considerably.” | Xinhua…

WASHINGTON: the US said yesterday that it was opening an investigation into China’s policies for its semiconductor industry, over concerns that Beijing was turning to “anti-competitive means” to undermine other economies. The probe centres on foundational semiconductors, which go into everything from cars to medical devices, and whether China’s actions create burdens for US commerce, according to the US Trade Representative’s (USTR) office. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said that an analysis of the US semiconductor supply chain found two-thirds of US products contain Chinese-made foundational chips. | AFP…