Indholdsfortegnelse for 2025-01-08 i Mercury

THE passing of former US president Jimmy Carter at 100 has gripped many nations with deep sorrow. As we grieve, we thank Almighty God for the memorable years that he gave to this beloved purveyor of justice and humility. His death gives us cause to ponder how he touched our lives. His commitment to social justice and reconciliation, to human rights and dignity will be gratefully remembered. The world pays tribute to his immense and unique contribution to peace and justice and his emphasis on the dignity and worth of every individual from conception to the grave. His courage in denouncing international military intervention and his relentless fight against injustice during his political career will be remembered by many generations to come. We all are devastated to lose a global…

What will you do with your loneliness? Will you permit it to take you down, halt your activities, zoom your mind back to a time when you were surrounded by people, a time when your children were young and you had no time for loneliness? If you permit it, it will take up increased room in your thinking until there is not much room for anything else but the accentuated heaviness of your aloneness. Like you, I concede there are always exceptions, people crave connection, recognition. People want to be seen, heard, play roles in the lives of others. We are living pieces of a vibrant, multidimensional puzzle seeking our unique places – we have several – where we fit, where we give and receive and make our unique marks…

UMKHONTO weSizwe Party (MKP) leader and former president Jacob Zuma has warned that factionalism and infighting within the party will reduce it to a laughing stock in the eyes of the public. In a leaked audio recording of Zuma addressing MK Party members, he described this behaviour as intolerable and warned that it threatened to undermine the party’s ambition to grow and take over the governance of the country. The recording has been circulating on social media. The party confirmed the recording, saying it was made during a meeting last year. Recently, the rank-and-file members of the party protested outside Zuma’s home after three senior leaders in the KwaZulu-Natal legislature were suspended. In the recording, Zuma cautioned against the tendency to air the party’s issues in public. He emphasised that…

A North West family is urgently seeking financial assistance to repatriate the body of a woman who died in Nigeria. Make-up artist Primrose Vale, 29, died on December 22 while on holiday in Lagos. She had gone to visit friends in the country. Her father Orlando said he only found out about her death a week later. He said he was told that she died of malaria in Lagos. After hearing the news, the pensioner was informed that he would need funds to bring his daughter’s body back to South Africa. “I last spoke to my daughter on 21 December and after that when I called she didn’t pick up. Even on her birthday on Christmas Day, I called and texted but there was no response. He said he kept…

A man from Folweni, in Durban, has been charged with the gruesome murder of his girlfriend. Mduduzi Masuku, 32, allegedly dismembered his girlfriend, Bongekile Mkhize, 32, with a bush knife at Mangamazini Reserve, Folweni, on Sunday after he accused her of cheating. Masuku told the uMbumbulu Magistrate’s Court yesterday that he wanted to enter a guilty plea and did not want a lawyer. However, because Legal Aid is free, the court suggested that he use it. Masuku then changed his mind and said he would require a Legal Aid representative. The matter was postponed to January 15 for a bail application. Mkhize’s brother, Phindani Mkhize, said his sister had gone out with her friends on the day she was killed. When his sister returned she was allegedly confronted by the…

A Pretoria woman who wanted to continue living with her new partner in a house that was bought and maintained by her ex-husband, has lost her application for leave to appeal. The ex-husband divorced his then-wife in March 2016 after almost four years of marriage. Before their divorce was finalised, they signed a settlement agreement stating that the ex-husband would find the ex-wife a house in a suitable secure complex where she would live with their child. It stated that the ex-husband would be responsible for the levies, insurance, security, and municipal rates, water and electricity account. The one condition made by the ex-husband was that if the ex-wife married or cohabited with another person, he would no longer provide housing for her. In February 2017, he complied with the…

European have leaders expressed growing frustration with tech billionaire Elon Musk as a major row escalated between members of Britain’s government and US President-elect Donald Trump’s key ally. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer slammed those “spreading lies and misinformation” following days of incendiary posts by Musk on his X platform over historical sex offences against children in northern England. Musk, who is set for a role in Trump’s administration, then accused the Labour leader of being “deeply complicit in the mass rapes” and “utterly despicable”. European leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron have also weighed in against Musk. The French leader said the SpaceX boss was “directly intervening in elections”, including in Germany where Chancellor Olaf Scholz has condemned the Tesla boss for backing an extreme-right party. Norwegian Prime Minister…

At the dawn of the year 2025, dark clouds buried the warm African sun, leaving us with a gaping wound in our hearts. With no care or notice, the universe reminded us of the inevitability of death and that the eventuality of all human life is death. We have once again been reminded of our mortality when one of our own, the bone of our bones, a man of the people, Comrade Yusuf Bhamjee, was called to higher service. His demise reminds us that what matters is not the lengthy years we have lived but the impact we make in improving the human condition and development of humanity. We who were inspired by his sacrifices, astute leadership, and remarkable journey doff our hats in solemn remembrance of Cde Yusuf Bhamjee…

Hendrick ‘Pule’ Ekstein has been AmaZulu’s go-to-man this season, and that’s why he’ll be tipped to steer his side to three points when they face Sekhukhune United tonight (7.30pm) in Umlazi. Usuthu have had two coaching changes this season, with the duo of Arthur Zwane and Vusumuzi Vilakazi replacing Pablo Franco Martin late last year. Zwane and Vilakazi have done decently so far, moving the team from the foot of the table to the bottom half (12th), having bagged four wins from nine league games. But while their role is to prepare the team and coach on the touchline, Ekstein has heeded to most of their instructions, chipping in with four goals and an assist in the last eight games. The 34-year-old’s contributions have solidified his place in the team…

A former director of Mossad, the intelligence spy agency, once said words are more effective than a well placed bomb. He understood the value of shaping mindsets through the power of words. Another expression, the pen is mightier than the sword, has a similar connotation. Discussions about what is happening in the Middle East therefore must be approached with caution and sensitivity. Writers on both sides of the conflict need to know that certain words are loaded with context and that it is their responsibility to understand this context when they write. Many anti-Palestinian journalists and writers have weaponised words during the coverage of the genocide in Gaza by deliberately using words to minimise the devastation taking place. An example of these malicious attempts was seen when a reporter…

SARAH Baartman, a South African Khoikhoi, was exhibited as a freak show attraction in 19th century Europe. She was known for her large buttocks and was subjected to exploitation, racism and objectification. Carted off from her home in South Africa, she was displayed in cages where she was forced to perform for the crowds until her death. The tradition of parading women like prized circus animals, still continues today – whether it’s a go-go bar in Thailand, a parlour in Cambodia, or a beauty pageant in the Caribbean. I am convinced that a Phoenix car wash owner was so influenced by Nietzsche’s statement that most men have a penchant for two things in life – dangerous toys (cars) and women, that in an ambush marketing tactic, he yanked together a…

EARLIER this week I had occasion to remark on the welcome good humour of the English constabulary. Some further examples: ◆ I had just purchased a car and was driving it from the outer suburbs of London to a flat I shared in Earl’s Court. Three of my flatmates were with me in the car. “Turn right!” they cried as we reached a familiar road. I swung right. Er, as pedestrians we had failed to notice that this was a one-way street. It was temporarily empty of traffic. The four lanes of vehicles were held up ahead behind red traffic lights. The lights turned green. I swung on to the pavement, almost running over the boot of a copper. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I’m not familiar with these parts.” “I…

The affordability of school fees has been raised as a concern amid a rising cost of living crisis in the country. Riaan van der Bergh, of the Federation of School Governing Bodies (SGBs) for South African Schools, acknowledged the challenges fee-paying schools faced. “The school economy is under pressure, and there is concern about the affordability of fees,” he said. He noted that school fees had generally risen by 5% to 8%, but some schools reported higher increases due to rising operational costs, such as municipal fees and staff salaries. Van der Bergh added that recovering school fees had become more difficult. “We have seen a steady increase in bad debts and exemptions, particularly after the pandemic. Schools from all fee-paying sectors reported pressure on school fee recovery in 2024,”…

South African authorities have reported that 632 children were reported missing last year. National police spokesperson, Athlenda Mathe, said a total of 8 743 children were reported missing to police across the country in the past 10 years. Of those who never made it back home in 2024, was 6-year-old Joshlin Smith of Saldanha Bay. Joshlin’s mother, Racquel “Kelly” Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis and their friend Steveno van Rhyn, are facing charges relating to her disappearance and kidnapping. The matter is expected to be heard in the Western Cape High Court on January 31 for pre-trial proceedings. Mathe said many cases could be linked to gender-based violence in the home and said they had convicted 3 826 perpetrators of the crime. Missing persons organisations have yet to locate 14-year-old…

AfriForum has called on the South African Border Management Authority (BMA) and law enforcement agencies to intensify efforts to combat illegal border crossings, as unrest in Mozambique forces thousands to flee their homes. The civil rights group said the crisis, sparked by post-election violence in Mozambique, has led to some seeking refuge in neighbouring countries, including Malawi and eSwatini. According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), approximately 2 000 Mozambicans entered Malawi in the last week of 2024, while over 1 000 sought safety in eSwatini. The Malindza refugee reception centre in eSwatini, built for 250 people, is now housing over 1 000, highlighting the severity of the situation. In South Africa, concerns over border security have intensified. AfriForum noted that last month, officials at the Lebombo port of entry…

Airlink has suspended its flights to Nampula, in Mozambique, after two Mozambican nationals filed a lawsuit against the airline. The pair brought the legal action for damages after they were removed from a Johannesburg flight. Airlink said the “unruly and threatening behaviour” of the two passengers in Johannesburg led to them being offloaded and their accompanying family members disembarking voluntarily. The airline, which is regulated by the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between South Africa and Mozambique, is a designated South African carrier, providing about 70% of scheduled commercial air travel between the two countries. Airlink said the damages claim was accompanied by a court application in Mozambique to have its aircraft seized pending the outcome of the claim. “In terms of the BASA, both states’ respective authorities are bound…

The ANC has shockingly chosen the Mandela Park Stadium in Khayelitsha as the preferred venue to host its 113th anniversary celebrations on Saturday. This went against a proposal by the Western Cape provincial leaders to move the rally to Boland, DHL or Athlone stadium. According to ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, the national executive committee took a deliberate decision as part of rebuilding the ANC to reconnect with the people and go where they are. Mbalula told the media this week that the decision was taken because Khayelitsha is a big constituency of the ANC in the Western Cape. He was, however, confident that the disused Mandela Park Stadium’s open field with a carrying capacity of 22 000, will be filled to capacity by ANC members from Khayelitsha and the Western…

Developers and web operations (WebOps) specialists face a challenging year as organisations strive to drive more value from their ICT investments, ramp up cloud migration, fortify cybersecurity, and address sustainability and environmental imperatives. Here are five software skills we believe will be essential in 2025. 1. Cloud development and operations From remote work to digital transformation, the cloud underpins almost every business’s IT strategy today. It allows businesses to rapidly develop and deploy market-ready systems while taking advantage of the inherent flexibility, scalability, and resilience of as-a-service computing models. Yet almost 100% of organisations say implementing cloud technology is tricky, with managing costs and wastage being among the most significant challenges. Digital experts who can help enterprises use and provision cloud-based services efficiently will be in high demand. These experts…

Ten years ago, on January 7, 2015, atheist magazine Charlie Hebdo, which published an anti-Islam/anti-Semitic edition, suffered a ferocious response when two Paris-born brothers killed cartoonists for lampooning Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Typically, Al-Qaeda and/or Isis got the blame. Well, Charlie Hebdo, in defiance, intends to honour that day with anti-god depictions. France’s President Macron will attend commemoration events (obviously not the celebrations courtesy of this magazine), as will Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo. The contest between free-speech defenders and religiously inclined people carries on in an increasingly provocative manner, which requires restraint, not fetters. Charlie Hebdo exposes a world where hypocrisy rhymes with Islamophobia coming in the wake of two horrendous events in Germany and the US over Christmas and New Year. Right-wingers in the US and Germany with their…

NOW that the holiday season is over, it is time to take stock as we enter 2025. It is a tumultuous period. The political climate in our country has taken its toll. With the petrol price soaring and inflation on the rise, it is clear that the year will demand discipline, resilience and financial management. The increase in the petrol price will have far-reaching consequences, impacting not only our daily commutes but the overall cost of living. It is time to fasten your seatbelts and have a cautious approach. As we embark on this challenging journey it is important to remain proactive. If we are disciplined in our financial management, we can overcome the economic uncertainties of 2025. This quote from Warren Buffett is so true: “Do not save what…

THE thousands of learners who wrote matric last year will hear today whether their results will be published in the media. Judge Ronel Tolmay yesterday heard legal arguments by the Information Regulator (IR) on its submissions that the matter was urgent. The IR wants to interdict the Department of Basic Education (DBE) from publishing the 2024 matric results in the media. It maintained that the department has not obtained permission from the pupils for their results to be published and the department therefore must only issue the results via its SMS line or learners can fetch it at the schools where they wrote the exams. Judge Tolmay, at the start of yesterday’s proceedings, made it clear that she will at this stage only hear arguments regarding the urgency of the…

THE Department of Trade, Industry and Competition has defended itself against an allegation that it failed to act to prevent the downscaling of ArcelorMittal’s steel plant in Newcastle, saying that the intervention to avert the closure was deemed insufficient. The department said its efforts were not enough to save the thousands of jobs that would now be lost as a result of the ArcelorMittal South Africa (Amsa) plant’s downscaling. Members of the Newcastle Growth Coalition said they were extremely concerned about the impact this would have on numerous jobs, contractors’ livelihoods, and the economy of the town, as ArcelorMittal was a major employer. Ministerial spokesperson Yamkela Fanisi said: “The minister notes with concern the notification by ArcelorMittal SA of the imminent closure of the Newcastle longs steel plant. This will…

The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has joined Mpumalanga in declaring that it will not send branches to the party’s 113th birthday celebration in the Western Cape. This was confirmed by the provincial party spokesperson, Mafika Mndebele, yesterday. Mndebele said the ANC in KZN had not planned to bus people to the rally, however, supporters could make their way to Cape Town if they wished. He cited the possibility of road accidents as a reason to not transport people from the province by bus as they would have to travel 1 600km to Cape Town. He said it would be irresponsible for the party to take such a risk and load people in buses. Mndebele, who is a member of the provincial legislature, said he paid for his flight to and accommodation…

The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has urged motorists to avoid travelling at night in rainy conditions following a horrific accident on the N3 between Van Reenen’s Pass and Tugela Plaza on Monday that resulted in 18 deaths. RTMC spokesperson Simon Zwane said the crash, involving a truck, a minibus, and a light motor vehicle, caused the deaths of 13 adults and five children. A baby was seriously injured. “The Road Traffic Management Corporation would like to reiterate its calls to motorists to exercise extreme caution when driving in rainy conditions.” “Drivers are also advised to avoid night-time travel as evidence has shown that this is the time at which most fatal crashes happen,” he said. Zwane said members of the National Traffic Police and police worked through the night…

The date June 19, 1913, marking the implementation of the Native Land Act, is upheld as the cut-off for land restitution claims in South Africa. While this date symbolises the formalisation of land dispossession under the Union of South Africa, it is an arbitrary and deeply flawed marker. The historical reality of dispossession began centuries earlier, with Jan van Riebeeck’s arrival in 1652 and the systematic theft of indigenous land. By excluding claims predating 1913, South Africa’s restitution framework disregards foundational injustices and perpetuates inequities. This paper argues for a restitution model that addresses the full scope of dispossession. The arrival of Jan van Riebeeck in 1652 marked the beginning of European colonial settlement in South Africa. The Dutch East India Company (VOC) established a refreshment station at the Cape,…