Innehållsförteckning för 2021-09-17 från Mercury

Baldwin Ndaba baldwin.ndaba@inl.co.za THE ANC yesterday vowed to remove councillors who were fraudulently elected and those imposed by bypassing party-sanctioned community meetings, adding that the manipulation of candidates lists would be dealt with. This was the statement made by the ANC’s head of elections Fikile Mbalula while addressing the media at Luthuli House yesterday. Reacting to a series of protest marches to Luthuli House and other provincial headquarters about the alleged manipulation of candidate lists, Mbalula said ANC councillors who were fraudulently elected and others imposed by bypassing party-sanctioned community meetings would be removed as party representatives in various municipal councils across the country. Mbalula also wanted to retain the support and votes of these aggrieved members, saying he did not want to see a repeat of what happened in…

DR IMRAN KEEKA | DA KZN spokesperson on education Recent reports that Phoenix-based Solvista Secondary School allowed Covid-19 positive pupils to come on to the school premises to write exams on two separate occasions are of extreme concern. Further claims that pupils were placed in a position where they were obliged to do so – when they should have been isolating under strict conditions – are equally alarming and require a full investigation. According to the Covid-19 protocol, no known positive pupils are allowed, under any circumstance, to be on school property. Isolation facilities in schools are, as per the regulations, only there for those identified during screening processes. If they are not fit for learning and teaching then they are certainly not fit for writing exams, as…

MARY DE HAAS | Durban LIKE Busi Mtabane of Right2Know, I am worried about employers, and now the High Court, demanding proof of vaccination, which seems another instance of how Covid-19 is facilitating authoritarianism (September 14). What remains unsaid, but very important, is that even vaccinated people may contract Covid-19, yet remain asymptomatic and able to pass it to others. For that reason, it is essential that rules about masks and social distancing remain in place, even for the vaccinated. Vaccination is a medical procedure so, in terms of the National Health Act, informed consent is mandatory. Informed consent means that full information about the vaccine must be provided, and consent given voluntarily. A choice of vaccines should be given, as some may not suit people with severe allergies. It…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za THE Pietermaritzburg suburb of Scottsville is being rezoned as a “student village” to make it easier for students to find accommodation in the area. The move is part of the city’s broader ambition to create an environment that is conducive to student life. Msunduzi mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla said rezoning was necessary as the city aimed to capitalise on the presence of the large student population. Pietermaritzburg has at least four institutions of higher learning that are a few kilometres apart and three are located in or near Scottsville. Over the years the number of students attending tertiary institutions has increased and on-campus student accommodation has proved to be a challenge. This has led to the growing number of student digs – houses being bought by landlords…

| Mercury Correspondent A crew of 100 firefighters and their management team have returned to South Africa after they helped fight wildfires in Canada. The crew and a nine-person management team from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment’s Working on Fire programme had been deployed to Manitoba, Canada. The group left on August 10, and at the time of their arrival, Winnipeg, Canada, was experiencing high fire dangers, and their available wildland fire management resources within the country were exhausted. The firefighting divisions were deployed to various active fires in Manitoba from August 13. This is the fourth deployment of firefighters to Canada. The request for assistance came from the Canadian Inter-agency Forest Fire Centre. There is an exchange of Wildland Fire Management Resources between South Africa…

With China and SA at helm of organisation, the next two years should be fruitful ThIS year marks the 15th anniversary of BRICS. The past 15 years have delivered for BRICS-enhanced mechanisms, expansion of areas of collaboration and stronger international influence. BRICS has thus become a model for co-operation between emerging markets and developing countries. Recently, Chinese president Xi Jinping attended the 13th BRICS Summit. He pointed out that the BRICS countries have grown into a crucial force to be reckoned with in the international arena. He also stressed that BRICS countries need to promote true multilateralism, global solidarity against Covid-19, openness and innovation-driven growth and common development. He also put forward initiatives to strengthen BRICS co-operation in public health, Covid-19 vaccines, economic, political and security affairs and people-to-people exchanges.…

Sakhiseni Nxumalo sakhiseni.nxumalo@inl.co.za EDUCATION bodies have slammed the announcement by KwaZulu-Natal Education MEC Kwazi Mshengu that the Education Department could be forced to retrench 2 000 teachers due to budget constraints. This follows an instruction by the provincial Treasury to the department to reduce the headcount, affecting 6 114 staff, including 2 000 educators. Mshengu said the department was in a precarious position due to a R6.3bn budget cut and this meant it also could not fill about 2 000 vacant teacher posts. The department previously revealed that there were at least 2 000 vacant posts that needed to be filled in the province. Speaking to eNCA, Mshengu said the retrenchments were not a sustainable solution as the removal of teachers would lead to the system being crippled because there…

Sihle Mavuso sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za FORMER president Jacob Zuma will know today whether his application to have his jail term rescinded is successful. This, as the Constitutional Court will hand down its long-awaited judgment after oral and written arguments from all parties involved. The court said the judgment would be handed down at 10am. The matter was first heard by the court on July 12 this year, four days after Zuma had started serving his 15-month sentence at the Estcourt prison in KwaZulu-Natal. Zuma and his lawyers had earlier approached the Pietermaritzburg High Court to interdict the SAPS from arresting him, but the late Judge Jerome Mnguni dismissed his application, saying he had no powers to rule on a case from a higher court. Zuma’s team then dashed to the Concourt. In…

DAVID CARTWRIGHT | Hillcrest I wish to add comment to those points raised in the letter from Richard Herbert in The Mercury (September 15) concerning that section of road around the intersection of Old Main and Inanda roads in Hillcrest. I gather that in keeping with the practice of buck-passing between provincial and metro authorities, so-called “responsibility” for this bit of tarmac is unclear. What is very clear, however, is that the original work of upgrading, modernising and widening the street a good few years ago remains unfinished. Visible evidence of this lies in the fact that the top layer of “blacktop” is missing, which is why the concrete edges of the pavements and islands still stand proud above the bitumen level. Of course, also consistent with corruption…

DUNCAN DU BOIS | Bluff The promoters of the planet’s most failed ideology, socialism, never cease to amaze at finding a new reason to foist their brand of servitude on humanity. The article by “internationally renowned researcher”, Julian Kunnie (The Mercury, September 15) takes that odyssey to a new level. According to Kunnie, capitalism is to blame for the spread of Covid-19 because of the unhealthy lifestyles which it promotes. He bases his theory on the very low number of deaths allegedly attributed to Covid-19 in socialist Cuba and China compared to the US. In his view, the “solution to the capitalist-generated world of disease is unquestionably socialism”. Clearly the realities of food rationing in socialist states have not penetrated Kunnie’s mind. Food production in the USSR frequently…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za LAWYERS for Human Rights (LHR) scored major legal victories in two separate cases on behalf of people who have been fighting the various arms of government for years in a bid to simply continue with their lives in the country. In the one case before the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, a man born in the country at last obtained citizenship through the court's intervention. In the other case, two men who fled their countries of origin as they feared for their lives have now received refugee status – a major relief for them. In the first matter, LHR assisted Emmanuel Bukweya Ngenani, who wanted to be recognised as a South African citizen and to receive a South African Identity document. LHR successfully argued that the Department of…

Sibusiso Mboto sibusiso.mboto@inl.co.za Durban will roll out the red carpet welcoming more than 10 000 visitors, which will include exhibitors, investors and captains of industry, for the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) in November. The event will be the biggest gathering in the city since the Covid-19 lockdown began, and will breathe much-needed life into the hospitality industry, which has been severely battered by the pandemic. This was the observation by eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda as he welcomed guests to the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre for the hosting agreement signing ceremony yesterday. Kaunda said eThekwini was ready to deliver a memorable IATF event. “We are excited about this opportunity because it has the potential to boost our tourism industry, which has been adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. We…

CAN the real Springboks please stand up? Our world champions didn’t look like the top dogs of rugby by losing 28-26 to Australia on the Gold Coast last Sunday. One positive was how the South Africans used their driving maul from line-outs, scoring three tries on the night at the Cbus Super Stadium. But that was as good as it got for Siya Kolisi and his team. They got a raw deal from referee Luke Pearce in the scrums, missed 21 tackles and conceded so many penalties that Wallaby flyhalf Quade Cooper scored 23 points out of his team’s 28 with his right boot. The referee also failed to pick up many infringements from the Aussies, especially how their players blocked Bok wings Makazole Mapimpi and Sbu Nkosi from chasing…

So much of the South African rugby supporter’s thinking plays out on social media every day, and every day provides a marketing sample of trends. One trend that is disturbing among black supporters is the belief that a black player is beyond criticism, especially if the analyst is white. Victor Matfield, in his role as a SuperSport analyst, criticised the selection of Damian Willemse on the bench if his role was to be a back-up goalkicker, as well as fullback, wing, centre and flyhalf cover. For those not versed with the Boks’ selections, having a player of Willemse’s versatility allows the Springbok coach to pick six forwards and only two backs in his match day 23 when it comes to the substitutes. Willemse, asked to kick a late conversion to…

IF ANYONE doesn’t need reminding that banknotes are just worthless pieces of paper, it is Zimbabweans: more than a decade ago, they watched as hyperinflation obliterated their currency and led to the printing of a 100 trillion Zimbabwean dollar note. Zim dollars were abandoned in 2009, after inflation caused by rampant money printing under the late president Robert Mugabe erased everyone’s savings and pushed millions into poverty. Most bills ended up in the trash, but Zimbabwean visual artist Prudence Chimutuwah has found value in the unloved old bank notes – by using them to make art. Chimutuwah wants Zimbabweans to look beyond the ugly history of the inflation – considered by the International Monetary Fund as the worst of any peacetime country – to see something beautiful in the bills.…

Stuart Hess stuart.hess@inl.co.za A major part of the groundwork for many national teams’ challenge at the T20 World Cup will be laid over the next few weeks when the IPL resumes, following a four-month Covid-induced hiatus. Cricket’s most lucrative competition, had started in India in April but after a month of play, with some teams having players test positive for Covid-19 and with India in the midst of a devastating wave of infections, the tournament was suspended in the first week of May. Financial demands meant it had to be completed this year and with India still in the grips of a Covid-19 crisis, and the logistical problems created by bio-secure bubbles, the tournament was moved to the United Arab Emirates. The ICC piggy-backed on that, and moved the T20…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za SOUTH Africa’s bid to boost its electricity supply in the short-term through renewable energy could face further blackouts as legal challenges mount over the country’s 2 000MW Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP). The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) said yesterday that it was considering opposing the legal challenge brought against it by a renewable energy producer over local content exemptions in the programme. Suntech Solar Power South Africa earlier this month went to court to challenge the dtic’s decision to retrospectively grant exemptions to rival bidders for designated local content requirements. The RMIPPPP provides detailed local content requirements for 14 components plus subcomponents that might be used in the power projects such as electric cables and steel products. The Solar PV…

Loyiso Sidimba loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za HOME Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has been asked to appeal to President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare the day of the local government elections, on November 1, a public holiday. The Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) announced yesterday that it had written to Motsoaledi to facilitate its request. IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said: “This intervention is aimed at affording all voters an equal footing to participate in the elections, without being encumbered by business and employment considerations on the day of voting.” Mamabolo also indicated that the IEC was grateful that Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga adjusted the national senior certificate exam time- table to accommodate the municipal polls on November 1. The IEC also assured voters that voter registration stations would be safe and…

Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong Under the shade of a coolibah tree And he sang as he watched and waited ‘til his billy boiled … YES, strange lyrics – swagman … billabong … coolibah tree … billy … What gives? And perhaps it’s the strangeness of the lingo down in Oz, the strangeness of the surroundings, the brashness of the sheilas maybe, that always puts the Boks slightly off their stroke when they play in Australia. Not just last Saturday, but just about every time they play away in Australia. The records show it. Does it unnerve them? Is that why the ball behaves like a boomerang when they take a place-kick? What I’m getting at is that it’s all in the kop. And the Boks have…

THYAGARAJ MARKANDAN | Kloof Schoolteacher and anti-apartheid activist Ahmed Timol died 50 years ago. His family never got to know the truth about his death while in police custody in 1971. The police claimed he had committed suicide by jumping from the 10th floor of then John Vorster police station. But his family never believed it. Was he beaten up and then pushed from the open window? Was he tortured while in detention and his brutalised, lifeless body thrown out the building? An inquest in 1972 concluded that Timol had committed suicide. But in 2017 the reopened inquest found he had been murdered. We will probably never get to know the truth, as the last person to see him alive has gone to his grave without shedding any…

This summer I had the joy of a week in Iowa teaching a group of about 50 11- to 14-year-olds about the intricacies of leadership. What a joy it was. There were three students whose observations and questions stuck with me. “I want to be recognised, I want to be successful, and yet you are saying I must be the same size as everybody else?” “Yes,” I said, “and it is possible for you to be recognised and successful without ever having to be a bully to do so.” I had earlier used the idea of size as a metaphor for bullying. The 12-year-old liked the answer. “You said that good fiction writing involves ‘showing’ and not ‘telling.’ I think I know the difference. Could we discuss it over lunch?”…

Tarryn-Leigh Solomons tarryn-leigh.solomons@inl.co.za PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has called on the public to nominate the next chief justice of South Africa. Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng’s term comes to an end on October 11. The inclusion of the public is a first for the country since the dawn of democracy. The decision was made by the president after consulting the Judicial Service Commission and the leader of parties represented in the National Assembly. Once nominations have been submitted, a panel of eminent persons with relevant experience will shortlist between three and five candidates. The panel includes former Judge of the International Court of Justice and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, who will act as chairperson of the panel, Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola, former justice minister…

Many South Africans will be surprised to learn that there are Palestinian political detainees who are close to death, who have been on a hunger strike for more than two months. Anger in the occupied territories over Israel’s treatment of Palestinian prisoners has reached its zenith, and this week the Palestinian Authority (PA) warned against Israel’s retaliatory measures and crimes against Palestinian detainees, including torture. The PA has called on the international community and organisations to intervene and prevent the collective punishment Israel is threatening against the 4 600 Palestinian political prisoners, including women and children, in clear violation of international law. It is reported that Israel intends to worsen the prison conditions for all Palestinian prisoners. In a desperate attempt to bring attention to their plight, six Palestinian…

MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin yesterday urged Russians to vote in parliamentary polls this week in which most vocal Kremlin critics have been barred from running as part of an unprecedented crackdown. The run-up to the ballot has been marred by a sweep of dissenting voices and pressure on independent media, beginning in January with the arrest of Putin’s most prominent critic, Alexei Navalny. Putin’s United Russia party is expected to retain its majority in the lower house State Duma but has been struggling with low polling figures days ahead of the vote. “I’m counting on your responsible, balanced and patriotic civic position,” Putin said in a video address, calling on voters to back deputies who will work towards the interests of “every citizen”. The Russian leader is self-isolating after…

TOKYO: The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said yesterday that severe tropical storm Chanthu is forecast to approach Japan, calling people to stay alert for landslides, heavy winds and high waves in western Japan, as rough weather is projected from northern to western Japan through to Saturday. Chanthu, now heading north-west after spinning over the East China Sea the previous days, is expected to alter its tracks. It will possibly turn into a low-pressure system today, carrying gradually intensifying rain and winds to western Japan, the JMA said. The storm is expected to bring rainfall reaching in the region of 150mm.…

BOTH the men’s and women’s pairs winners in last weekend’s Port Natal Pairs Championship are no strangers to the winner’s podium. In the men’s final, it was the formidable pairing of Wayne Rittmuller and Dougie Bashford, from Stella Park Bowling Club, that managed an unblemished morning to retain the trophy they won in 2019 (the last time the championship was contested). Ritmuller and Bashford began the pairs career in 2015 and in 2018 won the KwaZulu All Natal pairs championship and, in the same year, teamed up with Nick Horne and Wayne Roberts to claim the All Natal fours title. The winners of the women’s title, Jeanne Alexander and Jane Coetzee from Amanzimtoti Bowling Club, present another resolute pair of bowlers that has demonstrated that determination wins reward. Also…