Indholdsfortegnelse for 2025-02-07 i Mercury

As the world’s most powerful man, President Donald Trump is very busy, both with his pen and mouth. So occupied is he, I don’t think he sleeps much at night, pondering and planning his next move to assert his power. Claiming he had been cheated of the presidency in the last election, he certainly seems to have missed the White House and wants to make up for lost time. He doesn’t want to waste a minute, unlike the ANC leadership which has still to deliver on its promises to make this country a rainbow nation. As soon as he was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States he got busy at his desk, stamping his authority at the White House with a flurry of executive orders. He…

The Africa Centre for Inclusive Health Management commends the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ), the #PayTheGrants coalition, and other civil society organisations for their successful legal challenge leading to the Pretoria High Court’s landmark ruling on Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant regulations. This victory not only ensures greater inclusivity and fairness in social assistance, but also highlights the critical role of advocacy in shaping public policies that promote equity and social justice. On January 24, the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria found several SRD grant regulations unconstitutional. Notably, the court invalidated the online-only application requirement, recognising that it excluded individuals without internet access. Additionally, the court deemed the fixed income threshold of R624 per month and the grant’s value insufficient, ordering the government to progressively increase both to align with…

A farmer has been arrested in Mpumalanga for allegedly repacking expired and rotten food for resale. The Hawks said the food was destined for human consumption. Hawks spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Magonseni Nkosi said: “The farmer allegedly collects expired food from chain stores and other distributors to feed to his domestic animals.” When the Hawks and Govan Mbeki Local Municipality’s health inspectors visited the farm, they found two warehouses packed with food which they described as “not fit for human consumption”. Nkosi said four cold rooms on the farm were filled with expired canned products, rotten red meat and chicken meat. There were about 1 000 crates of expired dairy products. A truck, fitted with a cold room, two delivery vans, one loaded with meat, were found. There were seven freezers…

The financially struggling Mooi Mpofana Local Municipality in Mooi River in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, has established a special team to collect revenue in its attempt to deal with spiralling Eskom debt. With only a R209m million budget, the tiny municipality owes Eskom R400m. This means the municipality has a negative budget which forces the provincial government to keep it under administration. The provincial Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Department has recently appointed an administrator to assist the municipality in shaping its finances, however, mayor Maureen Magubane said she and her council are trying hard to turn things around by improving the revenue collection to reduce debt. She said as part of the plan to turn around the financial status of the municipality, a team has been established to focus on…

THE fighting between M23, the Congolese army and their respective allies recently reached the city centre of Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Doctors Without Borders (MSF) teams have reoriented part of their activities to respond to emergency needs, such as caring for war-wounded people. The situation was very chaotic. In the beginning, there were clashes with artillery. We also heard a lot of gunshots crackling in the city, very close to homes and workplaces. When we finally managed to go out for our activities, we saw military uniforms lying around in the streets, as well as many gun shells. There were also a lot of weapons in the streets, some of which were recovered by people or armed groups. We know that there has been a lot of…

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order this week seeking to ban transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports, in his latest move targeting transgender people since returning to office. “From now on women’s sports will be only for women,” Trump said before he signed the order at the White House, surrounded by dozens of children and female athletes. “With this executive order the war on women’s sports is over.” Top Republicans including US House Speaker Mike Johnson and firebrand Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene were among those in the audience to watch the signing ceremony. “We will defend the proud tradition of female athletes, and we will not allow men to beat up, injure and cheat our women and our girls,” Trump added to applause and cheers. Trump’s order…

TUNIS: Tunisia’s President Kais Saied has sacked his finance minister and appointed a magistrate to the role. Michket Slama Khaldi will take on the country’s finance portfolio, the presidency announced on Facebook, in a post that showed her being sworn into office by Saied. The presidency initially gave no details for the decision, nor did it mention outgoing minister Sihem Boughdiri Nemsia. A video on facebook showed Saied, visibly unhappy, going to several government buildings. Khaldi, the new finance minister, has headed a national commission tasked with recovering embezzled public funds during the period prior to the 2011 revolt that ousted longtime president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Tunisia’s annual economic growth is projected at just 1.6% for 2025, according to the IMF. | AFP…

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global watchdog for money laundering and terrorist financing, requires that country supervisors identify compliance issues and demonstrate that their efforts have led to changed behaviour and improved compliance through remedial actions. In the FATF Mutual Evaluation Report, published in October 2021, the mutual evaluation assessors indicated that the Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs) sectors were considered high risk as a result of a lack of understanding of their money laundering and terrorist financing risks. The report also cited that it was evident that these sectors were not adequately supervised. Established in 2002, the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) is South Africa’s national authority responsible for gathering, analysing, and disseminating financial intelligence. It assists in identifying the proceeds of crime within the country. The…

IN THE Dortmund region of Germany, at times you are likely to come across hundreds of fellows in green hats, each with a tuft of chamois hair. They will be emitting a bellowing noise through trumpets made of ox horns, triton snail shells, glass cylinders, the hollow stems of the giant hogweed, and a number of artificially produced instruments to amplify the sound and resonance. This would be the annual Dortmund Stag Calling, or Hunting and Trade Fair, which took place about a week ago, but which participants seek to make a national festival, according to Associated Press. The idea is that hunters imitate the bellowing of a red deer stag during the rutting season. This then attracts other male red deer out of the undergrowth to see off the…

The DA will hold the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) to account in ensuring it is ready to assist all scheme beneficiaries, including the “missing middle”, at the start of the higher education academic year. Past years have seen students’ studies interrupted or derailed, as they suffered hunger, destitution and unpaid studies due to failures at NSFAS. The DA raised numerous concerns last year and we will ensure significant progress has been made to resolve these. Among the changes we hope NSFAS has implemented is increasing the number of personnel to deal with student complaints and queries, as well as appeals. We have yet to receive clarity on appeals of students wrongly defunded last year and who are now struggling with registration this year. We also hope that considerable…

Service delivery issues were high on the agenda during the State of the Nation address last night with President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledging that in many cities and towns across the country, “roads are not maintained, water and electricity supply is often disrupted, refuse is not collected and sewage runs in the streets”. Delivering his first State of the Nation Address (Sona) after the establishment of the Government of National Unity (GNU), Ramaphosa also said that the country is facing a water crisis. Against the backdrop of these persistent service delivery challenges, the president outlined an ambitious medium-term strategy aimed at revitalising the nation’s fragmented service systems. During his address, Ramaphosa highlighted three key areas of focus that the government intends to prioritise: inclusive economic growth, reduction of poverty, and building…

THE Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA) wants individual members and auditing firms found guilty of committing severe transgressions to face fines between R10 million and R25m for each charge. The range of fines meted out to auditing firms will depend on whether the transgression is priority or high priority. For severe transgressions, the fines will be set between R5m and R25m, moderate transgressions between R3m and R15m, and between R1.5m and R7.5m for minor transgressions. Priority matters will attract fines between R300 000 and R12.5m, depending on the severity of the transgression. According to the IRBA, individuals could be fined between R100 000 and R10m, also depending on severity. The board explained that the primary purpose of sanctions is to hold registered auditors and candidate auditors accountable for improper…

Rape, corruption and assault cases against the police have been in the spotlight after the release of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate’s 2023/2024 annual report. The report deals with cases reported against the SAPS and Metro Police services in the provinces. A recent police assault incident in the Free State has drawn national attention after a video of it went viral on social media. It showed two female officers allegedly assaulting a woman who had gone to the police station to report a domestic violence case. According to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) report, there were 110 rape incidents by police officers nationally, however this was down from 122 incidents in 2022/23. KwaZulu-Natal had the most cases reported – 26, followed by Gauteng which had 20 cases. The Eastern…

A bullet was found on the doorstep of the office of the KwaZulu-Natal Public Works and Infrastructure MEC Martin Meyer earlier this week. This is the second incident in which a bullet has been found outside the office. The department reported that the bullet was discovered by staff members arriving at the office on Monday. “As usual, the relevant authorities were contacted, and MEC Meyer was alerted to the findings, as he was not in the office at the time. This marks the second bullet incident involving MEC Meyer; the first incident occurred shortly after he took office last year, following his declaration of war against construction mafias,” said the MEC’s spokesperson, Steve Bhengu. “KZN Public Works and Infrastructure is currently taking a strong stance against corruption and fraud, with…

This weekend is going to be a special one for South African sports fans, and one that will hopefully live long in their memories. They’re all nicely spaced out as well, so we should be able to watch them all. The first major event is the Stormers’ United Rugby Championship showdown with the Bulls at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday at 2pm. Over the last few years, the Stormers would be considered the favourites against the Bulls as they have won seven out of eight encounters against their Pretoria rivals. But they have lost their last two matches, have had to deal with a number of injuries to top players such as Damian Willemse, Steven Kitshoff and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, and are 12th on the log. In contrast, the Bulls are…

Israel’s defence minister ordered the army yesterday to start making preparations to allow for “voluntary” departures from the Gaza Strip, after US President Donald Trump floated a proposal to move Palestinians out of the territory. The idea sparked uproar from leaders in the Middle East and around the world, and the Trump administration appeared to walk back some of the suggestions. Hours later, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said he had instructed the military to formulate a plan for voluntary departures of Palestinians from Gaza, which has been ravaged by more than a year of war. “I have instructed the IDF (military) to prepare a plan to enable voluntary departure for Gaza residents,” Katz said, adding that they could go “to any country willing to accept them”. “The plan will…

A Russian woman whose elderly parents disappeared after Kyiv launched an offensive into the Kursk region pleaded this week for an evacuation “corridor” via Ukraine, saying thousands were still trapped by the fighting. Kyiv launched the surprise cross-border assault on the Russian region almost six months ago, capturing dozens of villages and the regional hub of Sudzha. Many civilians were caught on the opposite side of the front line and cut off from their relatives, with discontent growing at the lack of information from regional officials. “I want my parents back. We are Russian citizens. And we demand a corridor for our relatives,” resident Lyubov Prilutskaya said on the VKontakte social media platform this week. Prilutskaya confirmed she had made the post. The 37-year-old has for months been trying to…

HONG KONG: China and Pakistan will upgrade and reconstruct Pakistan’s railway network and further develop its Gwadar port,while Chinese companies can invest in the South Asian nation’s offshore oil and gas developments. The comments came as Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari is visiting China, where he will also attend the opening ceremony of the Asian Winter Games. The two countries have had close ties underpinned by long-standing wariness of their common neighbour, India, and a desire to hedge against US influence. Pakistan and China recognised the importance of Pakistan’s “Gwadar Port and agreed to fully unleash its potential as a key node for connectivity and trade,” a statement said. Enterprises would be encouraged to “carry out investment co-operation in Pakistan”. | Reuters…

Investing in buy-to-let property offers the potential for both steady rental income and long-term capital appreciation. However, from fluctuating interest rates, unpredictable tenant behaviour, and erratic maintenance costs, buy-to-let investments can come with significant challenges. In this article, we explore a number of key risk factors that property investors should consider before buying a rental property. Ongoing maintenance Owning property comes with the responsibility of ongoing maintenance, and it’s crucial to consider how much time you can realistically dedicate to it, especially if you work full-time. For those with day jobs, property maintenance may need to be handled after hours or on weekends. Self-employed individuals must ensure that managing an investment property doesn’t interfere with their primary income-generating activities. If you choose to manage the property yourself, be prepared to…

What will you offer those who are close to you on this beautiful coming weekend? I have a few suggestions: Offer others screen-free, face-to-face time, time to listen so heads and hearts may reconnect after days of immersion in the demands of business and careers. Make the offer of extended time to do something all or both enjoy, like a walk on the beach, a hike in a forest, or an afternoon watching a long-anticipated movie. Meaningful and kind conversations help families to breathe. Open conversations are a means of offering support and love and will feed the hope you all share, so offer the willingness to talk about things that are easier to avoid or seem to gravitate to the back-burner, like future dreams, new aspirations, shifts in goals,…

IN a series of unprecedented actions, US President Donald Trump has drawn sharp criticism for violating international laws and norms, further destabilising global relations. Trump’s recent renaming of the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” has been widely condemned as a brazen overreach, with legal experts arguing that it violates the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which prohibits unilateral territorial claims over international waters. Adding to the controversy, Trump has reportedly threatened to seize control of the Panama Canal. Experts warn that this move would breach the 1977 Torrijos-Carter Treaties, which guarantee Panama’s sovereignty over the canal. Such actions undermine decades of diplomatic agreements and risk escalating regional tensions. Trump’s foreign policy decisions have also drawn ire for their impact on the Palestinian issue.…

THE Minister of International Relations and Co-operation, Ronald Lamola, has pushed back against the criticism directed at South Africa and the upcoming meeting of the G20 foreign ministers, which is set to be held in Johannesburg this month. Lamola pointed out that South Africa was a sovereign state with laws governing it. This criticism stems from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he would not be attending the meeting, implying that it would be a waste of time as it would address issues that the USA considers meaningless, such as diversity programmes and climate change. South Africa is scheduled to host the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting from February 20 – 21 in Johannesburg, having assumed the G20 presidency from December 2024 to November…

THE Gauteng High Court, Pretoria was tasked with the question of whether a chambered barrel consisting of a chamber and barrel made from a single piece of steel – ie they can’t be separated – requires the separate engraving of a serial number on the barrel to comply with the Firearms Control Act. This issue arose after the South African Arms and Ammunition Dealers Association and some of its members experienced problems in dealing in imported firearms. The Central Firearms Registry, the SAPS watchdog over the distribution and ownership of firearms, withdrew its permission for the applicants to sell these firearms. The applicants include one of the largest and oldest importers of firearms into South Africa, having been formed in about 1960. This dealer is an authorised agent for Glock…

Financial uncertainty and workplace pressure are driving up stress levels among South African professionals. This is according to the 2024 Profmed Stress Index which found that financial uncertainty (35.16%) and workplace pressure (26.10%) were emerging as primary stressors. The annual survey was conducted among 2071 graduate professionals across a range of industries. The healthcare industry accounted for the most professionals (53.53%), followed by the built environment (12.26%), and legal industry (9.80%), among others. More than 20% of professionals said they were currently highly stressed, while 7.24% were extremely stressed, and 30.27% were moderately stressed. The survey reported that stress affected 19.54% of South African professionals’ mental state, 21.99% were affected emotionally, 10.82% were affected physically and 10.32% said stress affected their behaviour. A concerning 37.27% said stress affected them in…

A new report by Stellenbosch University’s Research on Socio-Economic Policy (Resep) group highlights critical challenges in South African education, presenting new insights drawn from administrative data. The study finds that children who enter Grade 1 at the minimum age of five-and-a-half years old, face a significantly higher risk of repeating the grade than those who wait until age 6 to enter school, with boys being particularly affected. Furthermore, boys transitioning to English as the language of instruction in Grade 4 encounter more difficulties than girls, even when beginning with similar proficiency in an African home language. Drawing on data from six provinces, the report underscores persistent gender disparities in school progression. In Grade 12, there are nearly 100 000 more girls than boys in the education system, a disparity attributed…

AT THE end of a marriage, most couples have to deal with the consequences of the dissolution of marriage such as the fate of matrimonial property acquired during the subsistence of the marriage. Many times, the process of division of matrimonial property upon divorce is heavily contested, painful and difficult. A divorce has particularly deep and enduring economic consequences for women; and most women have generally shared their experiences as being worse off economically and socially than men following the dissolution of marriage. This case seeks to question the legal requirement for proving contribution made by a party to a marriage towards the matrimonial property during the subsistence of the marriage as a basis for division of matrimonial property. The issue of proving contribution has had different reiterations within the…

Bare-chested Maori bellowed haka chants yesterday to mark New Zealand’s national day, holding spirited ceremonies as critics accuse the government of eroding Indigenous rights. The national holiday marks the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi between Maori chiefs and colonising British forces, widely seen as the birth of modern New Zealand. More than 80 000 people were expected to travel to Waitangi in northern New Zealand for the annual procession of speeches, song and protest. This year’s events have been charged by the introduction of a bill that seeks to redefine the founding treaty. “It seems our spouse, the Crown, has filed for divorce while we were blissfully unaware,” Methodist Church leader Te Aroha Rountree said in an early-morning Waitangi Day speech. Scores of Maori men in traditional garb lined the shore…

MANILA: Philippine troops killed two alleged rebels during clashes in Samar province in central Philippines, the military said yesterday. The military said fighting broke out between the troops and the New People’s Army (NPA) insurgents in Paranas town while the soldiers were on patrol. The troops pursued the fleeing rebels, resulting in more brief clashes with the rebels. The military said the troops recovered some weapons and ammunition at the encounter site. NPA rebels have been fighting government troops since 1969. Military data showed that the NPA’s personnel strength has declined since its peak of around 25 000 armed members in the 1980s. Despite its dwindling fighters, the NPA continues to launch small-scale attacks in the countryside. | Xinhua…

Tel Aviv: More than 10 000 aid trucks have crossed into Gaza since a fragile ceasefire took hold on January 19, the UN humanitarian chief said yesterday. “We’ve moved over 10 000 trucks in the two weeks since the ceasefire, a massive surge,” Tom Fletcher said. The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Co-ordinator added that he himself was “about to cross into northern Gaza with a convoy of aid”. “Thank you to the many people making it possible to get these trucks of vital, lifesaving food, medicine and tents through,” he said. His comments come as Israel and Hamas prepare to negotiate the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, which has paused 15 months of relentless fighting and bombing, unleashed after Hamas’s deadly October 7, 2023 attack.…

Here we go! February is finally here, and the excitement is unreal. The heat is on, the days are long, and it’s the time for sharks, rays, and gamefish – this is the month we’ve all been waiting for. The summer swelter is making air-conditioning a must, but the action on the coast is heating up even more. The north-east wind is starting to blow steady, and you know what that means – it’s game time! The North Coast is where you want to be, no question. It’s time to get serious – make sure your traces are prepped, your reels serviced, and your braid is top-tier quality because in this game, preparation is EVERYTHING! It’s the difference between an epic day on the water and a frustrating day stuck…