Innehållsförteckning för 2023-11-01 från Mercury

Civil society organisations and unions have raised concerns over anticipated budget cuts to health, education and criminal justice when Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana delivers his Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) today. They say austerity measures will not stimulate the economy and bring down the unemployment rate, and will further stagnate economic growth as the country deals with corruption, crippling load shedding and dysfunctional municipalities. Godongwana has warned that if the country does not cut expenditure and increase borrowing, it will be out of cash by the end of March 2024. A joint statement by organisations including the Institute for Economic Justice, Black Sash, the SACP, South African Federation of Trade Unions and others, said previous budgets have revealed National Treasury’s continued commitment to curbing spending on services, grants and infrastructure.…

“The media must remain objective” by Mr Malcolm Mitchell (The Mercury October 30 refers.) I totally agree with this gentleman’s grouse regarding biased reporting. He makes reference to similar complaints from Mr Sewlall. Mr Sewlall compares past “first grade apartheid” of our own country with the “lower grade” of segregation in the Middle East. Lots of paradoxes abound around. Selective amnesia has probably caused both gentlemen to forget that whites and non-whites were standing on opposite sides of apartheid, with different players at different positions and places experiencing different degrees of the same basic legalised punishment and, at the other end, the same officially-approved privilege. Does Mr Mitchell recall any unbiased reporting in our mainstream media during the grand old apartheid days when “Europeans” ruled in this country, and…

The recent rejection of ADeC councillor Visvin Reddy’s motion calling for the reinstatement of the Public Employment Programme (PEP), is a failure of leadership on the part of all political parties represented in council. The PEP programme, which employs over 8 000 unemployed persons in the City of eThekwini, has been abruptly ended, leaving thousands of families without an income. This decision by the municipality came as it is claiming it has no funds, yet over R1.9 billion was unspent in the last financial year. This reveals the level of incompetence and lack of political will on the part of the parties that rejected the motion. It’s a shame that in the current economic climate, where unemployment is recorded as being the highest in the world, political parties have chosen…

I suppose one should not blame Minister Enoch Godongwana for needing to raise a further loan to balance his budget. I believe he had no option and was pressured by the ANC caucus to resort to “borrowing more to balance” rather than do what he considered the right thing. After all, it is too close to the election to raise taxes. With unemployment at 35%, including youth unemployment at 60%, because of bad economic policies, borrowing today to expect the next generation to worry about yesterday’s financial problems is the easy, but wrong, way out of the government’s dilemma. More than 80% of the population is unaccustomed to high finance – when it is discussed in Parliament and they see huge figures, it might be easier to confuse them rather…

Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan has maintained that the price of South African Airways (SAA) shares to be bought by the strategic equity partner Takatso Consortium will be determined through negotiations and after a valuation of the shares. Gordhan revealed this when responding to parliamentary questions from DA MP Alf Lees, who asked about the SAA-Takatso Consortium deal that is shrouded in secrecy. Among Lees’s questions was whether Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) as a transaction adviser included Takatso on the shortlist of suitable purchasers of SAA shares. Lees also asked whether Takatso provided any guarantee and the purpose of conducting the valuation of SAA, among other things. Gordhan said when RMB assessed and evaluated the expression of interest of potential strategic equity partners (SEP), none had an offer that could…

Five suspects who were allegedly terrorising the Inanda community, were killed in a gun battle with police on Monday. Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker said intelligence led a team to a house near the Dube Village Mall in Inanda at around 11pm. “As the police officers approached the house, they were met with gunfire. A member of the National Intervention Unit was shot in the leg and was transported to hospital where he remains in a stable condition.” Naicker said four suspects were killed and the body of a fifth person was found in a house in Inanda. “It is believed that he (fifth suspect) fled the scene during the shoot-out and sought refuge in a nearby house. The suspect passed away due to his injuries while hiding from…

IN THE modern-day South Africa, the concepts of “spaza shops” and the “township economy” have been subjects of considerable debate and controversy. They are often romanticised as symbols of black resilience and entrepreneurship as well as mechanisms to address the historical marginalisation of the black majority from the mainstream economy. However, it is important to recognise that these entities are a product of desperation and economic marginalisation. Black South Africans have been forced to find creative ways to survive in a system that has historically excluded them from mainstream economic opportunities. Thus, this article sheds light on the misconceptions surrounding these concepts and the underlying economic challenges that persist in South Africa. Ghanaian economist George Ayittey was critical of the lack of serious economic thinking by post-colonial states in Africa.…

Israeli troops pushed deeper into Gaza yesterday, driving tanks and armoured bulldozers through the rubble of shattered buildings and hunting for Hamas militants who carried out the worst attack in Israel’s history. Army footage showed soldiers, who are also seeking to free at least 240 hostages, advancing through a devastated landscape, with buildings reduced to a mangled mess of stone and twisted metal by weeks of relentless Israeli bombing. Israel said it had struck 300 targets in the fourth night of land operations in Gaza, coming under Hamas anti-tank and machine-gun fire, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed growing international calls for a ceasefire. AFPTV footage over Gaza showed a huge plume of smoke billowing up from another Israeli strike. The bombing campaign has killed 8 306 people, according to…

Two people have been killed and dozens of homes destroyed in bushfires raging across Australia’s northern Queensland state, as firefighters travel from across the country and from New Zealand to try to contain the blazes. Residents have been told to evacuate from two massive bushfires in south-east Queensland, even as dozens of fires continue to burn across the state where at least 45 homes have been destroyed and two people killed since last week. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the fires “devastating” in a visit to the state yesterday and said the federal government would provide extra support to deal with what it estimates will be at least 42 000 claims for assistance as a result of the destruction. “These are heartbreaking scenes when people lose their houses,” Albanese said…

LOS ANGELES: Matthew Perry was in the starting stages of setting up a foundation to help substance abuse sufferers before his sudden death. The Friends star, 54, was found dead in his hot tub at his home in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles at the weekend. After his own sobriety battle, Perry focused on helping others with drug and alcohol problems. It is believed his family will continue the work to get it up and running in his memory. No illegal drugs were found at his home. | Bang Showbiz…

NAIROBI: Britain’s tarnished colonial past took centre stage in Kenya yesterday as King Charles began a four-day state visit, poised to acknowledge “painful aspects” of the countries’ long shared history as local leaders press demands for reparations. Accompanied by Queen Camilla, Charles was welcomed to the Presidential Palace by a 21-gun salute and a guard of honour and, accompanied by President William Ruto, planted trees in the palace grounds. The royal couple then laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Uhuru Gardens, where Kenya declared independence in December 1963. | Reuters…

EFF councillors were thrown out of a eThekwini Municipality full council meeting yesterday by security officers after the meeting degenerated into chaos. EFF councillors demanded that city manager Musa Mbhele should not preside over the meeting. They had tried to remove him shortly after the meeting got under way in the morning. In scenes reminiscent of clashes that involve the EFF’s members in the National Assembly, security officials including the eThekwini metro police were called into the chamber after the party’s councillors had become unruly and had been ordered to leave the meeting, but refused. Security officers walked in and started trying to remove the party members. In one instance, a security official and an EFF member became engaged in a scuffle, while another female councillor charged at the security…

Much of life is characterised by uncertainty and the fear of the unknown. In the world we live in, these are daily occurrences that we have to learn to deal with or become despondent. In 1979, Skylab, the first US space station, fell out of orbit. This sparked fear among Earth’s inhabitants due to it being a massive 85-ton structure. The prospect of huge chunks of metal raining from the sky was scary and caused a great deal of concern and public interest. Fortunately, the structure disintegrated in the atmosphere, scattering debris across the Indian Ocean and Western Australia. The events of September 11, 2001 served as a huge turning point in the 21st century and brought with it an overwhelming sense of anxiety as people did not know what…

The challenge is simple: be a presence of grace and healing wherever you are. Think “forgive” not retaliation. Answer quietly, even if another roars. Listen, even when it is something you’d rather not hear. Resist return attacks with your own verbal volley when words are thrown at you, even if those words are untrue, unfair, and unwarranted. Don’t defend yourself, or attack anyone. Grace is about presence, and service. It is about declaring your willingness to comfort, to assist, to encourage. Grace is not demonstrated in blind giving, or indiscriminate enabling of the poor manners or the laziness of others, but it is shown when burdens are shared or when friends ‘clear the deck’ and so empower others to find their greatness. Grace is about perseverance, perseverance in love, truth,…

A stuntman injured during a stunt in an ice-cream van during the filming of a advert has lost his legal bid to claim R20 million in damages from the Road Accident Fund (RAF). Etiene du Toit turned to the Western Cape High Court where he claimed damages against Farm Film Productions after he had signed a contract with the company to do a television advert. The agreement required Du Toit to “jump or ramp” a vehicle, modified to resemble an ice cream truck, over Long and Leeuwen streets in Cape Town. In terms of the agreement, Du Toit would be comprehensively insured for any loss, damage, or injury sustained. He was given the assurance that the filming location of the commercial would be safe, and all people on the set…

Minister of International Relations and Co-operation Naledi Pandor says the country spent more than R104 million to host the BRICS summit in Johannesburg a few months ago. This was the third BRICS summit South Africa had hosted since it joined the bloc more than 10 years ago. It hosted the first summit in 2013, another in 2018, and this year it was South Africa’s turn again. Next year, the BRICS meeting will take place in Russia. This will be with new members after the August gathering in Sandton agreed to the membership of Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. Pandor, replying to a written parliamentary question from DA MP Emma Powell, said government spent more than R104m for the summit. “The expenditure incurred by the…

Twenty-two eThekwini Municipality-run beaches in Durban are open to the public. The City said yesterday that only Warner Beach remained closed. “All beaches were recently closed after the Natal Sharks Board advised the city to do so. This was because of murky water full of logs and unsafe objects following recent heavy rain,” said City spokesperson Gugu Sisilana. She added that the downpour caused shark nets at most beaches to break, making beaches unsafe for bathing. However, questions have been raised over whether beaches could face closure again in the coming days following further heavy rains in KwaZulu-Natal. Sisilana said they did not want to pre-empt further decisions. “We will not pre-empt but rather we will wait for advice from the Natal Sharks Board. As things stand, they have…

THE Constitutional Court this week slammed the government for not amending immigration law on detained immigrants. In addition, the apex court slapped Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi and his director-general, each with a personal costs order. Six years ago, the court issued an order declaring sections of the Immigration Act invalid, which meant that detained immigrants had to be brought before the court within 48 hours – but to date, the government has not amended the law in this regard. In showing its disdain, the Concourt now ordered that Motsoaledi pay 10% of the legal costs, while Director-General Livhuwani Makhode had to pay 25%. Justice Steven Madjiet, who wrote the judgment, said: “The legitimacy of our judicial system, particularly the courts, will fall into disrepute if…

A PUBLIC holiday in celebration of the Springboks’ momentous achievement at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in Paris on December 15, a month and a half later. Addressing the nation on Monday evening, President Cyril Ramaphosa explained that as much as many wanted a holiday now, most would agree that matriculants must be given time to focus on their exams, after which the celebrations will continue. He said this could be a day of hope, celebration and unity. Hours before the World Cup final kicked off on Saturday, there was already a buzz about an expected public holiday. This kind of holiday, where a nation declares a public holiday to celebrate a sporting victory, is nothing new. Saudi Arabia declared a public holiday to mark the national team’s stunning World…

More than 10 000 Afghans living in Pakistan rushed to the borders yesterday, just hours before a deadline for 1.7 million people to leave Pakistan voluntarily or face arrest and deportation. The Pakistan government has said it would begin arresting undocumented Afghans and taking them to new holding centres from today, from where they will be processed and forcibly returned to Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, the Taliban government has imposed a harsh interpretation of Islamic law since seizing power in August 2021, banning girls from secondary and university education and forcing women to stay out of work. While hundreds of thousands of Afghans are estimated to have fled to Pakistan since the Taliban’s return to power, millions more had already settled there over decades of conflict, making Pakistan the host of…

Paris police shot and critically wounded a woman wearing a hijab in a metro station yesterday, after commuters reported her shouting Jihadist slogans and behaving in a threatening manner, the government said. France is on its highest state of alert after the October 13 murder of a schoolteacher in a suspected Islamist attack, which officials have linked to what they called a “Jihadist atmosphere” linked to the Israel-Gaza war. The fully veiled woman was shot at the Bibliotheque Nationale de France station. Commuters had earlier reported her “uttering aggressive, Jihadist comments”, government spokesperson Olivier Veran said. When police arrived, “they pulled the woman aside and first asked her to calm down but also to show her hands to show they presented no particular danger,” he added. “Law enforcement officers had…

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden said yesterday that he intends to end the participation of Gabon, Niger, Uganda and the Central African Republic (CAR) in the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) trade programme. Biden said he was taking the step because of “gross violations” of internationally recognised human rights by the CAR and Uganda. He also cited Niger and Gabon’s failure to make progress towards protecting political pluralism and rule of law. Biden intends to terminate these countries as beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries under the Agoa, effective from January 1. He said he would continue to assess whether they meet the programme’s eligibility requirements. | Reuters…

Copenhagen: Nordic migration and justice ministers yesterday announced a deal to strengthen efforts for migrants to return to their countries of origin, and to deport illegal residents to third countries. Denmark has spearheaded harder lines on migrants in the Nordics and stepped up initiatives to discourage immigration. The deal followed a two-day meeting with ministers from Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland and Denmark in Copenhagen. They will increase collaboration between migration attaches tasked with deportation, co-operate on joint flights from “a Nordic country to a third country” and increase support for “stranded irregular migrants in North Africa”. | AFP…

Rulani Mokwena stopped short of calling Al Ahly ‘cry babies’ as he anticipated Mamelodi Sundowns’ African Football League (AFL) semi-final second leg clash with the Egyptian giants at the Cairo Stadium tonight (kick-off 8pm). He probably should have given the African Club of the Century’s history of succeeding courtesy of their propensity to intimidate and dupe match officials. Mokwena’s South African champions have a precarious 1-0 lead and at a pre-match media briefing in the Egyptian capital yesterday, the Sundowns coach sounded irritated by a question about the officiating from the first leg at Loftus Versfeld. The Al Ahly coach had claimed that his team should have had a penalty in the first leg that they lost to a Thapelo Maseko goal and an Egyptian journalist questioned Mokwena about it.…

KwaZulu-Natal’s international traveller numbers are on the rise and tourism bodies are hoping there will be a further boost to business when the province is presented as a holiday destination at the 2023 World Travel Market in London next week. Tourism KZN acting CEO Sibusiso Gumbi said the number of international tourists from the UK increased greatly in 2023. “According to insights received from South African Tourism, during the second quarter of 2023, UK arrivals in KZN amounted to 147 800 people, accounting for 1.5 million bed nights and contributing R1.4 billion to the provincial economy. Although not yet at the same level as quarter two in 2019, there are signs of recovery and encouraging opportunities for sustained growth going forward.” Gumbi added that they were working around the clock…

Thousands of South Africans braved cold, wet weather to greet the Rugby World Cup-winning Springboks when they arrived in Johannesburg yesterday. Many wore green and gold, the colours of the national team, as they filled every available space at OR Tambo International Airport to greet the team. South Africa edged greatest rivals New Zealand 12-11 in a gripping final in Paris last Saturday to achieve back-to-back titles and to become the first team to win four titles. Supporters cheered in unison as captain Siya Kolisi emerged into the public area, waved at the crowd while holding the Webb Ellis Cup, and took selfies with jubilant supporters. “Thank you to the people of South Africa. We have had a long and tough 20 weeks, but it was worth it,” said Kolisi.…

Inclement weather on the night of the 2023 Rugby World Cup final did not deter the citizens of our country from gathering in their numbers with family and friends as South Africa took on New Zealand. Young and old shone in their green and gold as they joined millions in support of our beloved Bokke, who did not disappoint as they took the coveted cup in a nail-biting finish that had us all on the edge of our seats. The DA congratulates the Springboks on their incredible win and on bringing home the trophy for the second consecutive time. We are very proud of you and thank you for representing our country and showing the world that we are a force to be reckoned with. What truly stood out in…

AIBO! What’s this on Weibo? A now-viral video on the Chinese social media platform Weibo shows a fellow in overalls widdling into a tank at the Tsingtao Brewery in Pingdu City. It’s caused a brouhaha according to the BBC, as well as some humour. Tsingtao has not confirmed whether the culprit worked at the brewery. However, it has released a statement saying the batch of malt in the tank has been sealed off from use and the urination was reported at the first opportunity. Social media users joke: “I’ve always said the beer here is like horse pee. Turns out I was wrong”. Plus: “Thanks, I think I’ll have wine instead.” Fie! This is no laughing matter! Let local brewers not get ideas! Rats and romance TWO rats sharing a…

South Africa has received the lowest score out of 17 countries in a survey conducted to find out which nation has the most stringent traffic laws. The study by ‘Compare the Market Australia’ examined six distinct indicators from each of the countries, such as blood alcohol content limits, speed limits, cellphone limitations and seatbelt regulations. Based on the chosen variables, South Africa is the least strict country; it received the lowest score of 3.13 out of 10. The survey showed that US speed limits on residential and rural roads are higher than those of practically every other country. At the other end of the scale, Norway was ranked as the strictest country on the list, with an index score of 7.09 out of 10. That country has a low blood…

FOUR cash is transit suspects were fatally shot by Gauteng police on Monday after a foiled attempted robbery on the N4 in Mmakau near Garankuwa. Police spokesperson, Colonel Katlego Mogale said they were able to foil the attempted robbery after a multi-disciplinary team received intelligence on the suspects planning to commit a cash-in-transit robbery between North West and Gauteng. The unit consisted of the Hawks, the anti-gang unit, tactical response team, provincial traffic saturation unit, Gauteng traffic police choppers and various security and car tracking companies. She said the information led the team to the N4. “The police spotted the suspects’ vehicle as it turned towards Mmakau and a high-speed chase and shoot-out ensued as soon as the suspects realised they were about to be captured. The driver lost control…

Companies have long known that their information may be open to attack from digital pirates. The digitisation of most aspects of business and the growing sophistication of hackers’ strategies, results in the average company not keeping pace in employing adequate cyber risk control measures. The current economic crisis creates a real threat of losing clients but to lose clients and your reputation because of the actions of external parties is much more devastating. The need for cyber security insurance continues to increase whether your business is small or large, in construction or finance, in the field or in an office. General insurance policies do not include cyber risk cover, some specifically exclude it. Where included, specific requirements need to be met for indemnification of a claim and thus policy interpretation…

Fast forward to this year and there are almost as many schools operating without SGBs in place as there are those with these legislated structures as part of their operations. That is actually the least of the challenges faced by SGBs in existence. If asked, the majority of school principals will choose to operate without an SGB in place. This is entirely because educators take their lead from the administrators who take their lead from the political principals who oversee the sector. I once suggested that to counter the high turnover in School Governing Bodies around the country, parent members should be paid a moderate stipend as a thank you and to help bring it in line with boards in other sectors. I was laughed out of the room…

Two Bangladeshi opposition activists were killed yesterday after police clashed with hundreds of anti-government protesters launching a three-day strike blocking roads and railways after their top leaders were charged with murder. Police said violence broke out in multiple cities and towns as members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami, the country’s largest Islamist party, demanded Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina step down from power ahead of elections due by the end of January. The BNP said it launched its transport blockade after police broke up a rally on Saturday, when more than 100 000 supporters of the two major opposition parties demanded Hasina allow a free and fair vote under a neutral government. On Sunday, police charged BNP leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and more than 150 other top…

MADRID: Princess Leonor, the heir to Spain’s throne, formally stepped into the spotlight by swearing allegiance to the constitution on her 18th birthday yesterday, although boycotts by leftist and separatist politicians underlined divisions over the monarchy. The ceremony in parliament marked her coming of age, meaning she will now directly become queen after her father King Felipe VI, assuming he does not go on to have any male children. The princess, who went to school in Wales and started three years of military training in Spain in August, vowed to uphold the law, respect the rights of citizens and regions and be faithful to the king. A 2022 poll by Sinaptica found that 51.6% of Spaniards wanted the country to become a republic while 34.6% preferred a monarchy. |…

TOKYO: A suspected gunman took at least two people hostage in a post office in Japan after wounding two other people in a shooting at a hospital, authorities and media said yesterday. The government of the city of Warabi, north of Tokyo, said an undetermined number of hostages were taken by a man “in possession of something like a handgun”. Two female post office workers in their twenties and thirties were taken hostage, local media reported. A woman in her twenties later walked out of the building into police custody, national broadcaster NHK said. The suspect, apparently aged 40 to 50, was earlier involved in a shooting at a hospital. | Reuters…

Beijing: Tens of millions of people across northern China were under severe pollution warnings yesterday, with authorities urging them to reduce outdoor activities as a greyish smog enveloped the region. Several areas of north China’s Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region are suffering the worst pollution in months. Air quality monitoring firm IQAir listed Beijing as the fifth most-polluted major city on Earth, ahead of Indian megalopolis Mumbai. Authorities urged residents “to reduce going out and strenuous outdoor exercise in the near future”. Forecasters say the smog will linger until temperatures drop from mild highs later this week. | AFP…

A troubled Orlando Pirates side will look to revive their DStv Premiership aspirations tonight with a positive result away at Cape Town Spurs. The Urban Warriors have been the league’s whipping boys in their first season back in the top-flight and will arguably provide the Buccaneers with their best chance to get back to winning ways. The two teams will meet at the Cape Town Stadium tonight (kick-off 7.30pm) in a match that is expected to provide mouth-watering action. Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has seen his side fail to make use of their cup form in the league, drawing two and losing one of their last three outings. That has seen their chances of chasing down Mamelodi Sundowns halted as they currently occupy 12th spot on the league standings, 15…