Innehållsförteckning för 2022-02-09 från Mercury

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za THE AGITATED waters of KwaZulu- Natal’s biggest bulk water supplier, Umgeni Water, with its board woes, were somewhat calmer yesterday after the entity appointed Thamsanqa Mkhwanazi as its chief financial officer (CFO) and debt officer. “The board confirms it has considered and is satisfied with the competence, qualifications and experience of the newly appointed debt officer. “Mkhwanazi is an experienced chartered accountant and has extensive experience in leading finance teams. He is the executive responsible for interacting with stakeholders going forward on all finance related matters,” the board said. Mkhwanazi takes over the position from Kajal Singh, who was appointed the acting CFO in November 2020. The entity has had tumultuous times recently with apparent political fights between former KZN Premier Senzo Mchunu reversing fiery initiatives of…

Marchelle Abrahams marchelle.abrahams@inl.co.za When it comes to family planning, the onus is usually on women to get the job done. After all, we are the vessels anatomically created to carry precious cargo. But it takes two for conception to take place. Why aren’t men doing their part in taking preventive measures? When Johannesburg photographer Jag, 29, announced on social media last week that he had undergone the “Big Snip”, he had not anticipated the knee-jerk reaction it elicited. Posting photos of himself during recovery, he wrote: “I did it. I just got my irreversible vasectomy done. “I’m 29. Unmarried. No children and no intention of ever having any. I’ve wanted this for years. It’s surreal.” The pinned post immediately went viral on Twitter, with more than 900 likes and 5.3K…

The designer who won a competition last week for creating Croatia’s first one-euro coin said this week he was withdrawing his entry and returning the prize money after social media users suggested the image was plagiarised. The central bank held the design competition in preparation for Croatia adopting the euro as its currency, which it hopes to do in January 2023. On Friday, designer Stjepan Pranj- kovic was declared the winner for his image of an animal, the pine marten, a reference to Croatia’s current currency. The Croatian kuna is named after the pine marten, whose pelts were once a valuable trading commodity. But as soon as the winning entry was announced, social media users pointed to the design’s strong resemblance to a photograph by Scottish author Iain Leach, which…

COLIN BURGER | Assagay Having read the leading article in yesterday’s edition of The Mercury relating to last year’s “failed insurrection” it is plainly visible and blatantly obvious that the ANC is totally incapable of governing this country in any responsible or diligent manner. The report is scathing in its criticism of the government and its shortcomings in so many of its departments, it is frightening. Can ANC supporters not see that their party is rapidly leading South Africa into yet another failed African state? The adage still applies: “You get what you vote for.” Are people in this country scared of change or are they simply happy with what the ANC has provided over the past 27 years – billions of rand lost to the economy through…

| S James Reston ’TWAS a vibrant and festive gathering at the St Clement’s arts soirée this week, our first of the year. It was outdoors under the stars and also marked the birthday of soirée kingpin Professor Pieter Scholtz, followed up by a factual and thrilling account by Paul Mikula of his experiences in Germany during World War II. Pieter spoke with feeling of what he has got out of his many years with the soirée. He also announced the release of a lovely book of paintings and poems by local artists, the original of which is lodged with the Phansi Museum. Paul, an architect and leading honcho of the Phansi, told how, as a small boy of five in Bavaria on the banks of the Danube,…

VACCINE hesitancy in South Africa declined slightly from 28% in July to about 25% in November last year, showing stability among the doubtful adult population. This is according to findings of the Vaccine Inequality and Hesitancy and Barriers to Covid-19 Vaccination research, conducted by the Centre for Social Change at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) in collaboration with the Developmental, Ethical and Capable State research division of the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC). Overall the level of vaccine hesitancy was stable, but there were some important positive shifts, the report found. “The level of vaccine hesitancy among those aged 18-24 years has declined by 16 percentage points and by 9 percentage points among 25-34 year olds. It has, however, remained stable in older age groups. “Vaccine hesitancy among white…

Kamogelo Moichela The Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE) says construction “mafia” groups and general lawlessness in the industry needed to be dealt with. Ann Bernstein, executive director of the CDE, which is an independent policy research and advocacy organisation, said the issue was preventing private investment in projects. “Construction mafias are local groups that demand a significant portion of the project’s contract, who if thwarted, resort to violence and intimidation to prevent the project from continuing. “This is a big hurdle preventing increased private sector investment. They are criminals who deserve the full force of the law if we want to encourage investment and also get the most out of our existing infrastructure.” The CDE’s comments come after the Department of Public Works in KwaZulu-Natal said last week that…

Sibusiso Mboto sibusiso.mboto@inl.co.za IFP KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Thami Ntuli has expressed confidence in the party’s coalition governments in the province’s municipalities, saying while it would not compromise on its commitment to good governance, it would continue to engage with political parties with whom it had working arrangements. His comment comes in the wake of views expressed by others that some of the municipalities which the IFP leads could fall into the hands of the ANC because of the latter’s volatile relationship with its coalition partners, especially the EFF. On Monday, ANC KZN spokesperson Nhlakanipho Ntombela questioned whether IFP-led coalition governments in KZN’s municipalities would last their full term. “Let us wait and see what happens in the coalitions in the next few months. The IFP did not win the popular vote…

Karen Singh karen.singh@inl.co.za A 55-YEAR-OLD response officer from Eagle Eye Protection Services (EEPS) was shot dead during a robbery in Gwala’s Farm informal settlement in oThongathi on Monday. This comes after Blue Security officer Innocent Simphiwe Ntaka was killed while responding to a robbery at a shop in Doonside, eManzimtoti, on Saturday. Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said the incident in oThongathi took place just after 5pm when the man was approached by three suspects. “A 55-year-old man was seated in a car at Gwala’s Farm informal settlement in Tongaat when he was shot while he was paying the security guards,” she said. Mbele said the man was declared dead at the scene. “The suspects robbed him of his firearm with 17 rounds of ammunition as well as cash…

VIENNA: Talks to revive a deal with Iran on its contested nuclear programme were set to resume in Vienna yesterday after both Washington and Tehran signalled their willingness to clinch an agreement as soon as possible. The negotiations – attended by Britain, China, France, Germany, Iran, Russia and indirectly the US – were halted at the end of last month. The resumption of talks comes after parties in recent weeks cited progress in seeking to revive the 2015 accord that was supposed to prevent Iran from acquiring an atomic bomb, a goal it has always denied pursuing. “A deal that addresses all sides’ core concerns is in sight, but if it is not reached in the coming weeks, Iran’s ongoing nuclear advances will make it impossible for us to return…

Reverends, rabbis and other religious leaders urged Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to permanently stop the company’s plan for an Instagram version aimed at young users yesterday, in a letter sent by advocacy group Fairplay and their Children’s Screen Time Action Network. Since last September, Instagram has paused its plans to introduce a version of the photo-sharing app for kids, as opposition to the project grew. “We assert that social media platforms that target immature brains, practise unethical data mining, and inspired by profit motives, are not a tool for the greater good of children,” said the letter. | Reuters…

GENEVA: The UN World Food Programme (WFP) yesterday said that 13 million people across the Horn of Africa face severe hunger, calling for immediate assistance to avoid a repeat of a famine a decade ago that killed hundreds of thousands of people. Three failed rainy seasons have created the driest conditions since the 1980s, with forecasts of below-average rainfall set to increase suffering in the coming months. “Harvests are ruined, livestock are dying, and hunger is growing as recurrent droughts affect the Horn of Africa,” said Michael Dunford, regional director in the WFP Regional Bureau for Eastern Africa. The conditions have decimated livestock, forcing thousands in a region where many are farmers into displacement camps. “We never experienced this before, we only see dust storms now. We are afraid that…

Lutho Pasiya lutho.pasiya@inl.co.za Nando’s South Africa has got Mzansi laughing again, this time with a tweet to Big Brother Mzansi’s ex-contestant Rethabile Potsane, aka Dinky Bliss. On Sunday, Big Brother Mzansi season three housemates Rethabile Potsane and Mvelo Ntuli got evicted from the reality television show as they received the least number of votes from the public. Potsane’s eviction did not sit well with many viewers as she was more entertaining than most housemates and created a lot of content. Having hugged everyone, she twerked at the exit door before going to meet Lawrence Maleka, the host, on stage. Potsane’s fans are sad about her eviction, some even saying Saturday parties will never be the same without her. Among the tweeps who have taken to social media over the “shocking…

Tarryn-Leigh Solomons tarryn-leigh.solomons@iinl.co.za Parliament’s joint standing committee on intelligence yesterday interviewed three of the 10 candidates contesting for the position of Inspector-General of Intelligence (IGI). The term of the chief of the spy watchdog, General Setlhomamaru Dintwe, comes to an end on March 31. Dintwe is, however, vying to serve a second term. Besides Dintwe, candidates include Reverend Frank Chikane, advocate Jayashree Govender and Nomsa Dlamini. Others include Imtiaz Fazel, Brigadier-General Phumzile Fongoqa, Smanga Jele, Faith Makhobotloane, Mampogoane Nchabeleng and Dr Clarence Tshitereke. The role of inspector-general includes monitoring intelligence and counter- intelligence activities of the State Security Agency and the Intelligence Divisions of SAPS and SANDF. First in line was Govender, who is employed as the legal adviser in the office of the inspector-general, a position she has held…

JOHN GARDENER | Howick IN MAY and July 2021, my letters appeared in The Mercury in which I praised the excellent service and staff at the Umgeni Hospital in Howick, where my Covid-19 jabs were administered, and, at the risk of repeating myself, here I go again. I returned the other day for the “booster” jab and I encountered a sea of smiling faces and staff again, who were cheerful, helpful and a pleasure to deal with. Sure, the numbers are down now and the in-out process took but a few minutes, but it occurs to me that if more government offices operated in a similar vein, our daily lives might be less stressful (are you listening, uMngeni/Howick Municipality)? The ultimate accolade for such service to the public…

Dr I Reuning | Gillitts I refer to the letter by Mr Du Bois (The Mercury, February 3). He is the champion of twisting facts and figures in line with his radical right-wing and extremist views. I don’t know where he gets his statistics and figures from, but the reality about the effects of Covid-19 vaccinations are totally different. He writes that in New South Wales (NSW) in Australia, 90% of hospitalisations have been vaccinated. I don’t know where he gets these figures from. Let me quote what the Government of NSW says in its Weekly Surveillance Report: “Of the 780 unvaccinated cases in the 70 to 79 age group, there were 171 people who either died or ended up in ICU, giving a severe outcome rate…

COLIN BOSMAN | Cape Town RECOMMENDATIONS to President Cyril Ramaphosa in the build-up to the appointment of a new Chief Justice seem farcical. There will be those in the nomination process who will have personal reasons for throwing a name into the hat. How many were thinking about the judicial process and the effect the appointment will have on the rule of law? The shouting match between Julius Malema and the Minister of Justice Ronald Lamola speaks to the lunacy of this nomination platform. Furthermore, the choice of a female Chief Justice by majority vote, while taking nothing away from a super efficient applicant in Judge Mandisa Maya, nevertheless suggests a politically correct choice rather than looking at the experience and wisdom, for example, of a man like…

Yogashen Pillay yogashen.pillay@inl.co.za FOSKOR has said a suspected gas leak, which saw schoolchildren from Richards Bay being hospitalised on Monday, had not emanated from its plant. The company released a statement yesterday after a local councillor and residents said they had suspected that the foul air came from the plant. Paramedics said on Monday that pupils and some residents experienced nausea, vomiting and breathing difficulties after inhaling the noxious air. Hulisani Nemaxwi, group manager for corporate affairs at Foskor said in the statement that they received a complaint of a possible gas leak at their acid plant from the uMhlathuze Municipality. “Foskor received a complaint from the uMhlathuze Local Municipality regarding a possible gas leak from our acid plant at a localised area of Richards Bay High School. “A detailed…

FORMER Thulamela mayor Avhashoni Tshifhango, 52, and municipal manager Hlengani Maluleke, 49, were granted R30 000 bail each by the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court for their alleged role in the VBS Mutual Bank scandal. They were arrested on Monday morning, with Tshifhango facing corruption charges and Maluleke charged with contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Mashudu Malabi- Dzangi said the State did not oppose bail during court proceedings. She said: “The suspects were released because the NPA did not see any reason to oppose bail.” She said the case was postponed to May 24 at the Polokwane Specialised Commercial Crimes Court. On Monday it was reported that the pair were arrested by the Hawks after investigations by its Serious Corruption Investigation unit into inappropriate administering…

Sihle Mlambo sihle.mlambo@inl.co.za An accounting student who was mistakenly credited with R14 million in her National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) student account at the Walter Sisulu University has been convicted in the East London Regional Court of theft. The student, Sibongile Mani, 31, who was also reportedly a student leader, spent more than R818 000 of the funds when R14 million was mistakenly credited to her account in 2017. She spent in excess of R800 000 on alcohol, cigarettes, blankets, clothes for men, jackets, handbags, furniture, beauty products and groceries at a supermarket over two months. She reportedly also spent the money at 48 retail stores in different towns. Her monthly stipend for food from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme was R1 400. She denied wrongdoing, but admitted…

The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games have begun in earnest featuring nearly 3 000 athletes from more than 90 countries. These Olympics, running from February 4 to 20, are hosted under the motto: “Together for a Shared Future”. This motto is not an empty meaningless slogan, but has, undoubtedly, rich resonance with the foreign policy of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). In its full expression of “promote a sense of community of shared future for mankind”, it was pronounced and propagated by President Xi Jinping, in November 2013, at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. What did President Xi mean by this phrase, and how can it possibly be relevant, inarguably, for the present global community beset by the colliding pandemics of Covid-19, economic uncertainty and…

TUNIS: Tunisia’s main Western donors voiced “deep concern” yesterday at the president’s move to dissolve a body tasked with ensuring judicial independence after he seized wide powers last year in a move critics call a coup. President Kais Saied declared the abolition of the Supreme Judicial Council on Sunday, a move the body rejected as illegal and an attempt to undermine judges’ independence. Ambassadors to Tunisia from the G7 group said “a transparent, independent and efficient judiciary and the separation of powers are essential for a functioning democracy”. Tunisia faces a massive crisis in public finances, with Tunisians complaining of shortages of some goods and with the central bank governor warning of an economic collapse like in Venezuela or Lebanon. Tunisia has started talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF)…

George Crumb, a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer who challenged musicians and listeners with his unconventional scores – incorporating curiosities from whale calls to thimbles – that epitomised the originality of the avant-garde, died on Sunday at his home in Media, Pennsylvania. He was 92. Crumb was one of the most prominent American composers of his generation, at times ranked alongside John Cage and Henry Cowell in his place in contemporary classical music. He was most active in the 1960s and 1970s, winning the 1968 Pulitzer Prize in music for his orchestral suite Echoes of Time and the River. In 2001, he received a Grammy Award for best classical contemporary composition for Star-Child, his most ambitious work. Crumb was influenced by Eastern music as well as by late 19th and early 20th-century…

Mike Greenaway mike.greenaway@inl.co.za THE pressure is mounting on the Sharks in the United Rugby Championship after an indifferent performance in losing to the Stormers, but Bongi Mbonambi says the team are blocking out the “white noise” as they prepare for the Bulls on Saturday. The Sharks have been heavily criticised for what seemed to be a less than energetic showing in sinking to a 20-10 defeat, which could have been a lot worse had the Capetonians taken all their opportunities. Now they have the tough task of getting back on the horse at Loftus Versfeld (5.05pm kick-off), with the Bulls in ominously good form. Springbok hooker Mbonambi has personally been in fine form for his new province, and he said yesterday that the Sharks have done some serious introspection. “Firstly,…

DAY two of the Cricket South Africa T20 Challenge got under way at St George’s Park yesterday with the North West Dragons surprising the Lions, while the Dolphins crushed the Knights by eight wickets in the afternoon match. Cricket writer Zaahier Adams picks five “Plays of the Day’ from yesterday’s matches … 1. The “other” Jansen Part of Proteas rookie Marco Jansen’s claim to fame is that he has an identical twin brother, Duan, who is also a promising first-class cricketer. Well, they are indeed a spitting image of each other. and also both bat right-handed. Duan certainly has plenty of potential too, as he played a match-winning knock of 32 not out off just 18 balls, while also impressing with the ball at the death to spearhead the Dragons’…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za OUTGOING chief executive of the Land Bank Ayanda Kanana has vowed that the embattled financial institution will plug the holes that led to a qualified audit outcome this past year. Addressing the parliamentary standing committee on finance yesterday, Kanana said the Land Bank had been let down by one of its intermediaries that did not submit financial statements, resulting in a scope limitation. In December, the Land Bank received a qualified audit outcome from the Auditor-General (A-G) for the year ended March 31, 2021. Kanana said the qualified outcome was an “improvement” from a disclaimer the bank had received the previous year. “The qualification that we’ve got, sadly, is not a representation of where we should be. We should be sitting at an unqualified audit opinion with…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za OVER the next 15 years, the Keystone logistics precinct could see as much as R200 billion in investments and provide employment to more than 50 000. The precinct, in the Hammarsdale area, is set to become a critical logistics hub for the distribution of goods, coming through the Durban harbour, to the rest of the country and continent. To date, several multimillion-rand facilities have been built there and more are under way. In the eThekwini Municipality’s Mid-Year Budget and Performance Assessment Report, dated December 2021, it was noted that facilities for key retailers had been completed or were in the process of being built. The report said: “This regional catalytic development is more 70% sold, has attracted capex of R4bn and generated over 2 500 jobs.”…

MALCOLM MITCHELL | Hillcrest I COMMEND the excellent letter by Mr Walker on the subject of the involvement of the taxi industry in the “Go!Durban” project which appeared in your February, 7th edition. We are all aware of the importance of an effective and efficient integrated public transport system in the economy and well-being of a metropolitan area. This facility seems to be missing in eThekwini. Integrated public transport as such, is of relatively short duration, only becoming necessary with the densification of city areas some 60 or so years ago. Initially, this service was provided by rail and bus, however in the late 1970s black taxi operators used sedan cars, mostly Valiants and large Chevrolets, later replaced by “Volkswagen kombis” to enter the public transport market. During…

FORMER Durban resident and Glenwood High School Old Boy and East Coast Radio coach Stephen Light is in KwaZulu-Natal this week, visiting from the UK. We go back a few years. He was about 13, delivering a prepared speech in my classroom and alluded to eating polony in Smith’s tearoom that he visited in Red Hill as a very young boy. Stephen, always a very bright light, quickly made the connection once it was clear his English teacher knew the same shop and was also a Mr Smith. Stephen Light is an executive coach with a remarkable list of international clients. “I challenge people. I go beyond the obvious, showing them what they don’t see, helping them change themselves,” writes Stephen. Stephen is also an accomplished actor. He brought Charles…

| Reuters The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) has approved a Covid-19 vaccine from China’s Sinopharm. Sahpra said the Sinopharm approval was based on “acceptable safety, quality and efficacy data submitted by MC Pharma”, referring to a local regulatory pharmaceutical company that has partnered with Sinopharm. It said the vaccine was indicated for those aged 18 and over, subject to conditions including that it was administered in line with the national vaccination programme and periodic safety updates were submitted. However the Health Department said there were no immediate plans to order doses of the vaccine. “We are not procuring (the) vaccine as we have plenty (of other vaccine) in stock,” said Nicholas Crisp, deputy director-general in the Health Department. Sahpra also said that it had registered Pfizer’s…

Siyabonga Mkhwanazi siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (Natjoints) said yesterday it had put in place security measures around Cape Town ahead of the State of the Nation address (Sona). Tomorrow’s event will take place at the City Hall after the fire at Parliament last month. “Security forces have been deployed and are on high alert to ensure that the Sona takes place in a secure environment, with no incidents of crime before, during and post the Sona,” said the Natjoints. It called on the public to co-operate with the security agencies during this period. Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said they were ready to host the Sona despite the challenges faced by the institution. “I confidently say that we are ready to host this auspicious event. Our team has…

THE attacks on the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) for recommending the president of the Supreme Court of Appeal, Judge Mandisa Maya, for appointment as chief justice are a threat to the judiciary and our constitutional democracy. After interviewing four candidates for the position of head of the judiciary last week, the JSC recommended Judge Maya for appointment by President Cyril Ramaphosa. They gave her the nod ahead of Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga and Gauteng Judge President Dunstan Mlambo following an intense interview process. The JSC is an inclusive 23 member body – which includes the chief justice, heads of superior courts, MPs, legal practitioners, law academics and members designated by the president – which has been interviewing and recommending judges for more than 20…

Military prosecutors in Burkina Faso have requested 30 years in jail for former president Blaise Compaore over the 1987 murder of his predecessor, revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara. It asked a court to find Compaore guilty in absentia of an “attack on state security”, “concealment of a corpse” and “complicity in a murder”, accusing him of being the main sponsor behind the killing. Sankara and 12 of his colleagues were gunned down by a hit squad on October 15, 1987, at a meeting of the ruling National Revolutionary Council. Their assassination coincided with a coup that brought Sankara’s former comrade-in-arms, Compaore, to power. He ruled for 27 years before being deposed by a popular uprising in 2014 and fleeing to neighbouring Ivory Coast. Fourteen people stand accused in the trial, 12…

The Kremlin denied yesterday that Vladimir Putin had promised French President Emmanuel Macron that Russia would stage no further manoeuvres near Ukraine for now, pouring cold water on a tentative French assertion of diplomatic progress. Macron, who visited Moscow on Monday, is the highest ranking Western leader to have met the Russian president since Moscow massed more than 100 000 troops near the Ukrainian frontier in what Nato countries fear is preparation for war. Putin and Macron announced no breakthroughs at a news conference on Monday but a French official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said overnight that Putin had promised to hold no new manoeuvres near Ukraine for now. The official also said Putin had promised to withdraw Russian troops from Belarus at the end of exercises there,…

Stuart Hess stuart.hess@inl.co.za THE chairman of Cricket South Africa’s board, Lawson Naidoo, told the parliamentary portfolio committee on sports, arts and culture that a detailed plan to implement the recommendations of the Social Justice and Nation-Building report will be presented next month. Senior administrative officials from CSA appeared before the committee yesterday to outline how the organisation was dealing with various issues related to the SJN’s findings, including the legal proceedings related to Proteas coach Mark Boucher. CSA informed the committee, chaired by Beauty Dlulane, that the board of directors had assigned various topics highlighted in the report to different sub-committees. The organisation’s cricket committee will deal with player remuneration and selection, the social and ethics committee with allegations of racism and racial slurs and the nominations committee with women’s…