Innehållsförteckning för 2024-08-23 från Mercury

The beauty world has seen its fair share of wild ideas and celebrity ventures, but rapper Sexxy Red’s new lip gloss line might just take the cake – or the cringe. If you’ve wondered why celebrities are moonlighting as beauty moguls, look no further than Rihanna, Selena Gomez, Kylie Jenner and many more who have all made waves – and cash – with their successful beauty lines. But when it comes to Sexxy Red’s latest venture, Northside Princess, we’re left scratching our heads and maybe even cringing a little. Here’s the tea: Sexxy Red recently launched her revamped lip gloss line and let’s just say the shade names are not inviting nor inspiring. We’re not talking about the usual Coral Crush or Midnight Plum. These names are a far cry…

BUSA has consistently supported the goals of the Presidential Health Compact since its inception in 2018. These goals were based on the need for the public and private health-care sectors to work collaboratively to improve the overall health system, focusing on urgent projects related to health infrastructure, human resource planning, management capacity building, medico-legal risk management, and health IT system interoperability, amongst others. BUSA remains committed to these projects and objectives. However, BUSA has not signed the current new version of the Presidential Health Compact because it has been unilaterally amended by government, transforming its original intent and objectives into an explicit pledge of support for the NHI Act. These changes to the Health Compact were made without consultation. While reference was made to the NHI in the previous version…

My involvement with the National Health Insurance (NHI) and the Universal Health Care (UHC) Presidential Support Unit began in 2018, when I was approached by Dr Olive Shisana, the head of the NHI and UHC war room, to assist the then-incoming health ministry with the introduction of NHI and UHC. While I couldn’t figure out how she got hold of my contact details, I was happy to be part of such a globally important project, and thus agreed to help. I thought it was a great strategy to thoroughly interrogate all areas of health-care services, including the enormity of the demands and challenges that needed to be met and what it would entail to strive for a safe, successful and sustainable implementation. What was more challenging was the World Health…

The National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) Service Providers Association in KwaZulu-Natal is threatening to stop the service due to ongoing issues of non-payment by the Department of Education. NSNP KZN spokesperson Thabang Mncwabe warned service providers may be unable to continue delivering food to schools in the province from Monday next week if payments are not received by today. Mncwabe said some service providers had not been paid for three months and, as a result of these ongoing payment delays, many were now facing insurmountable debts with some even facing the repossession of their properties. Mncwabe said they had hoped these issues would have been resolved after the recent budget in the provincial legislature, where an additional R19 million was allocated to the programme by finance MEC Francois Rodgers. The…

Charity foundations plan to hold an annual walk commemorating five years since the brutal attack and murder of student Uyinene Mrwetyana at a post office on August 24, 2019. The Uyinene Mrwetyana Foundation (UMF), UCT, Langa for Men, and the Makazole Mapimpi Foundation have partnered for a powerful “Walk against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF)” in Cape Town under the theme “Eliminate the Fear: Prioritising Safety and Security”. The walk will honour Mrwetyana and all GBVF victims as they march from Darling Street to Parliament, and it will underscore the importance of continuing the fight against GBVF. UMF managing director Thobeka Msengana emphasised the event’s critical role in both remembering Mrwetyana and educating the public about GBVF. “As we commemorate the fifth anniversary of Uyinene’s passing, this event holds immense…

The number of paternal orphans in the country was high because of the relatively high mortality rates among men as well as a greater probability that the vital status and perhaps the identity of children’s fathers were unknown. This is according to the South African Child Gauge 2024, launched by the Children’s Institute at UCT on Wednesday. According to the Child Gauge, in 2022 there were 2.8 million orphaned children in South Africa. These included children without a living biological mother or father or both parents, and is equivalent to 14% of all children in South Africa. The majority (64%) of all orphans in South Africa are paternal orphans with deceased fathers and living mothers. The report said: “Orphan status is not necessarily an indicator of the quality of care…

THIS year is a critical time for South Africa as the country celebrates 30 years of democracy. The three decades offer us a moment to reflect on our progress in the efforts towards gender equity in all spheres of life. For example, there have been positive shifts and policies that have greatly contributed towards increasing the involvement and inclusion of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem). But the shifts are not enough. In her 2017 article, “Looking through the Glass Ceiling: A Qualitative Study of Stem Women’s Career Narratives”, Mary Amon highlights how, despite efforts having been made to advance women in Stem, many continue to lack social capital, which leads to challenges of work-life balance. Such challenges lead to some women struggling to attain and maintain leadership…

Canada’s top two railroads locked out more than 9 000 unionised workers, triggering an unprecedented rail stoppage that could cause billions of dollars worth of economic damage and roil North American supply chains. The companies, Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), and the Teamsters union blamed each other for the work stoppage after multiple rounds of contract talks failed to yield a new agreement. “Throughout this process, CN and CPKC have shown themselves willing to compromise rail safety and tear families apart to earn an extra buck,” Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) president Paul Boucher said, adding that the parties were continuing the talks. The two railroads said in separate statements that they bargained in good faith and had made multiple offers with better pay and…

Fast-fashion retailer Shein found two cases of child labour at its suppliers last year, it said in its 2023 sustainability report, as it stepped up audits of manufacturers in China to assuage criticisms of its low-cost business model ahead of a planned flotation. Shein said in the report yesterday that it had suspended orders from the suppliers that had employed children under 16, sourcing from them again only after they had strengthened their processes, including checking workers’ identity documents. The company said both cases had been “resolved swiftly”, with remediation steps including ending underage employees’ contracts, arranging medical check-ups, and facilitating repatriation to parents or guardians as necessary. Shein said 3 990 audits were conducted in 2023. | Reuters…

Paris: A Paris court yesterday rejected an appeal by a French-Vietnamese woman who has been trying to sue Monsanto and other makers of Agent Orange for the chemical’s use in the Vietnam war. Tran To Nga, born in what was then French Indochina, accused 14 agrochemicals firms of causing grievous harm to her and others by selling Agent Orange to the US military, which used the herbicide to devastating effect in Vietnam. She lost her initial case in 2021, when a French court ruled that the companies enjoyed legal immunity from prosecution because they worked for a sovereign government. The Paris Court of Appeal used the same argument. | AFP…

Gaborone: A massive 2 492-carat diamond, the second largest in the world, has been discovered in Botswana, the Canadian mining company that found the stone announced yesterday. The diamond was discovered in the Karowe Diamond Mine in north-eastern Botswana using X-ray detection technology, Lucara Diamond Corp said. Lucara did not give a value for the find or mention its quality. But in terms of carats, the stone is second only to the 3 016-carat Cullinan Diamond discovered in South Africa in 1905. The diamond is as large as the palm of a hand. Botswana is one of the world’s largest producers of diamonds. | AFP…

The Proteas’ road to their Barbados redemption begins just 290km away in Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago tonight (9pm start, SA time). It was only six weeks ago that the Proteas came closer than ever to lifting the T20 World Cup trophy when they went down by seven agonising runs to India in the final at the Kensington Oval. But now back at the Brian Lara Stadium, where they rolled Afghanistan to win their first World Cup semi-final, they will press the restart button. And that’s why the three-match T20 series is of great consequence to Proteas white-ball coach Rob Walter. “We’re only 18 months away from the 2026 World Cup in India in 2026, and we’ve got nine series between now and then,” Walter told the media ahead of the…

THE summer is trying to push winter out of the way with the fight causing quite a lot of interesting weather. Rough seas have made for bumpy rides out and difficult fishing. Those salty sea dogs that have braved the conditions have benefited. The North Coast has seen a lot of action on the gamefish front. There have been couta, snoek, dorado and tuna as the main catches. Live bait remains the most successful of all the reported methods. Remember to fish a trap stick when you are catching bait as you never know what is lurking around the baitfish. The sharks have taken their “fair” share but some very impressive fish have been landed. There have been a large number of bigger kingfish around this past week. These hard-fighting…

Statistically, one in 27 South African women will be affected by breast cancer in their lifetime. The National Department of Health says breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer and a leading cause of death among South African women. The increasing incidence of breast cancer is a major health concern with 19.4 million women aged 15 years and older at risk of contracting the disease. This Women’s Month, renowned breast specialist surgeon and breast disease specialist, Professor Carol-Ann Benn, has made a heartfelt plea to women to commit to regular breast health checks. “Early detection means timely intervention. Caught early, breast cancer is highly treatable, and here is where public awareness is really needed. “Mammograms and self-examination are so important because an early diagnosis, coupled with the great strides made…

“My husband and I agree we cannot remain married but will remain friends. We broke the news to our three young adult sons and daughter. It did not go well. Even though they have all left the house, they want us to stay married. “We have reached this point by mutual agreement after years and years of trying. We are just very different people without any common joys or cares. We don’t fight. We may as well be siblings who even enjoy each other. “As a couple we are holding each other back from finding someone that’s a better match for each of us. How do we manage this with our children?” I am not going to try to persuade you to stay married. You seem determined to divorce and…

We honour his legacy, and wish to express our deepest condolences to his loved ones and all who were guided by the man many to have been the teacher of the nation. In 2021, Rhodes University conferred a degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD honoris causa on Smith, already the 2019 recipient of the coveted Distinguished Alumni Award. Smith completed his BSc and his BSc (Hons), both with distinction, at Rhodes University. His parents, JLB Smith (who identified the coelacanth), and Margaret Smith (ichthyologist and accomplished fish illustrator) both had deep-rooted ties with the university and Makhanda (then Grahamstown). His first project in the education sector was establishing Star Schools to provide value-for-money education with top-class teachers. During 20 years with Smith at the helm, Star Schools was responsible for…

ON 10 January 2022, The Mercury newspaper published a letter titled “Electricity unit failure leaves frustrated Durban residents in the dark”. The letter mentioned is not an article but a reader’s opinion of Phumzile Sibisi’s performance as a deputy head in eThekwini Municipality’s Electricity Unit. The views expressed in the letter are those of the writer and not of The Mercury newspaper. The Mercury newspaper apologises for any harm caused to Ms Sibisi as a result of the publication of the contents of the letter.…

The 2025 Comrades Marathon race will go ahead as planned despite suggestions that the annual “ultimate human race” may be cancelled over internal divisions and legal battles within the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA). Internal tensions within the CMA culminated in the resignation of four board members this week alone. In June, the association was rocked by allegations of racism when board member Zinhle Sokhela accused former acting race director Ann Ashworth on a social media platform of hiring only white candidates. Ashworth left the CMA at the end of June after her contract came to an end, with the association stating that allegations made by Sokhela had no bearing on her departure. KZN Athletics (KZNA) president Steve Mkasi said when Ashworth’s contract came to an end, the CMA offered her…

Dr Nonhlanhla Mkhize, the director-general in the Office of the Premier in KwaZulu-Natal is under fire from the DA in KZN, which has called for her removal. DA Member of Provincial Legislature and spokesperson on finance, Tim Brauteseth, said Mkhize was implicated in and even arrested for allegedly meddling in processes surrounding forensic investigations, which had “damning findings in terms of the dealings of former KZN administration senior officials”. In 2022 Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Thandi Mbambo had confirmed Mkhize’s arrest. At the time Mkhize was arrested at her home, along with an alleged accomplice “on allegations of defeating the ends of justice and intimidation”. Mbambo had said an extensive investigation by the National Clean Audit task team of the Serious Commercial Crime Investigation Unit had led to the…

UNDER CONSTRUCTION government projects worth hundreds of millions of rand in the Pietermaritzburg city centre have been disrupted by “communities” looking for job or business opportunities. There are currently 12 projects that are under way in ward 27 of the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Eight of them have endured disruptions since they started and on Wednesday there were disruptions across eight of them. Some of these projects are of critical importance in that they are meant to revive the “crumbling” image of the CBD of the provincial capital. Public Works MEC Martin Meyer yesterday visited the Thembalethu Heritage Building site which is one of the affected sites. Shortly after he arrived, a small group of protesters gathered outside the gate, displaying placards demanding they be considered for opportunities on the site.…

WHILE Springbok fans have been rejoicing the Test wins over Australia over the past fortnight, there were a few giant leaps forward for the women’s game in South Africa as well this week. The Springbok Women’s team has been improving steadily over the last few years, and is currently ranked 12th in the world in the 15-player format, and qualified for the recent Paris Olympics in the sevens arena. But now, with Women’s Month still being celebrated in Mzansi, the SA Rugby Union has added considerable weight to the Women’s Boks coaching ranks to be real contenders at next year’s World Cup in England. The governing body has brought in former Lions head coach and Springbok assistant Swys de Bruin as a “performance coach” – which effectively puts him in…

Israeli forces pressed deeper into areas of the central and southern Gaza Strip as they battled Hamas fighters, while Palestinian health officials said yesterday that Israeli strikes had killed at least 27 people across the enclave. The new escalation comes hours after US President Joe Biden pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the urgency of sealing a deal for a truce in Gaza and the release of hostages, the White House said. Months of on-off talks on a ceasefire have circled the same issues, but Israel and Hamas have stuck firmly to their demands. In the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya, a strike on a house killed 11 people, including children and women, the bodies of some of whom had been burnt, according to the Hamas-run territory’s Civil…

San Francisco: Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk yesterday said that if all goes well, there would be hundreds of people with Neuralink brain chips within a few years. The brain-computer interface company has confirmed early progress with its second participant. The chip can help restore full body control in people suffering from paralysis. Last month, the second participant received his Neuralink implant and has been improving his ability to play video games and learning how to use computer-aided design software. The first recipient had enabled “telepathic control of a computer or phone just by thinking”.…

Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday accused Kyiv of trying to attack the Kursk nuclear power station, 50km from where Ukrainian forces were mounting a cross-border offensive. The claim comes after the IAEA said its chief would visit the facility next week, with Russia having sounded the alarm since Ukrainian troops and tanks stormed into its western Kursk region on August 6, where Kyiv has laid claim to dozens of Russian border settlements. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday visited the Sumy border region, from where Ukraine is pouring troops into Russia, and Russia claimed to have captured another village in the eastern Donetsk region. | AFP…

I LOVE TikTok hacks as much as anyone else. They’re fun, creative, and sometimes surprisingly useful. But it’s important to remember that some things are best approached with caution, especially when it comes to your skin. If something seems too good to be true, it might be worth consulting a professional instead. Trends come and go, and chances are, in a few weeks, everyone will have moved on to the next big thing. The latest TikTok trend taking the internet by storm involves a DIY treatment for body spots, using common household items like vinegar and baking soda. While this might sound like a convenient solution, beauty experts are warning against it. Popular beauty brand Beauty Pie has issued a warning about this viral TikTok hack. They recommend avoiding…

AN ASTONISHING video comes this way of a large, reddish-brown dog, possibly an Irish terrier, riding on the back of a dolphin. Where this footage was shot I’ve no idea, but the sea is so placid I doubt it’s our coast. The dog and the dolphin eventually reach a kind of floating platform alongside a moored yacht and the dog climbs onto it from the dolphin’s back, shakes himself in a cloud of seawater and gives tongue. The dolphin swims away at high speed and then leaps from the water high into the air. Absolutely spectacular! It then turns about and makes its way back to the dog who is waiting on its platform, barking encouragement. Then – and this is the extraordinary part – the dolphin puts its snout…

The failure by the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) to appear before the portfolio committee on public works and infrastructure to give an update about the fire-damaged Parliament buildings is outrageous and disappointing. The DBSA was expected to present critical updates on the restoration of the fire-damaged old and new Assembly buildings – a project of national importance that demands transparency, accountability and diligent oversight to remain within budget and on time. Given the significance of the undertaking, which is arguably one of the most important construction projects of Parliament’s seventh term, it is imperative that rigorous oversight and accountability are maintained. Despite this, it is regrettable that the DBSA has chosen to hinder Parliament’s oversight role by failing to attend a meeting this week, despite receiving ample notice.…

A R1.1 billion venture between Ogihara South Africa (OSA) and Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) will create jobs, fortify the automotive sector and grow the economy. The operation was launched yesterday at Dube Tradeport in Durban. The venture, which also includes Toyota Tsusho Africa (TTAF), has already seen the start of construction on a 32 000m² site at Dube Trade Port’s TradeZone 2. It will operate a manufacturing and assembly plant, relocated from Thailand, for the production of press parts for Hilux and Fortuner models that will be deployed at the Toyota plant in Prospecton, Durban. TSAM said that the investment would also create 250 direct jobs and boost the manufacturing and automotive sector in KZN. Production of the press parts is expected to commence in 2025. Andrew Kirby,…

Long-standing rivalry between Nigeria and SA fuelled tensions MY INITIAL indifference to former Miss South Africa contestant Chidimma Adetshina’s case was short-lived, as the fervent discussions and debates that ensued caught my attention and sparked my curiosity. This prompted me to engage in some careful introspection about the broader implications for South Africa and its people. Rather than reiterating the familiar facts of the Adetshina case, I endeavour to offer a more reflective analysis, teasing out the potential significance of this incident for South Africa’s collective identity, institutional frameworks and social cohesion. Firstly, the Adetshina incident and the ensuing debate have highlighted that South Africa continues to wrestle with complex and contentious issues, including identity, nationalism, ethnicity and Afrocentrism – often uncomfortably so.…

The daughter of a Jamaican father and Indian mother, both immigrants, Kamala Harris reflects the US’s changing demographics. Accepting the Democratic Party’s nomination as their presidential candidate last night, she is to represent the country’s fastest-growing racial category. About 42 million Americans now identify as multiracial, or 13% of the country, according to the US Census Bureau. That is up from 2% in 2000 when the census first allowed people to select multiple races. America has long been a self-styled “melting pot” of people who trace their origins around the world, but in practice some states legally segregated citizens by race until the civil rights laws of the 1960s and laws prohibiting interracial marriage were not overturned until 1967. Social change since, though, has been rapid. Barack Obama was elected…

The body of UK tech tycoon Mike Lynch was recovered yesterday from his sunken yacht off Sicily, as the search continued for the last of the six people missing. Specialist divers were still looking for a missing woman, a coastguard official said, with a source having earlier indicated Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter Hannah had yet to be found. On Wednesday they pulled up four bodies from the wreck of the “Bayesian”, while another was brought to shore in Porticello, on the north of the Italian island near Palermo, yesterday. This brings the death toll to six, after the body of a man believed to be the yacht’s chef was found after the ship went down in a storm before dawn on Monday. The 56m British-flagged sailing boat had been anchored 700m…

LONDON: The number of British visas granted to foreign health and care workers and family members of international students fell sharply after the previous Conservative government imposed restrictions to reduce net migration. High levels of legal migration have long dominated Britain’s political discourse and were one of the major drivers for the Brexit referendum in 2016. Britain granted 89 095 health and care worker visas in the year ending in June, down 26% compared with a year earlier. The total number of visas issued to foreign students to study at British universities was 432 25 in the year ending in June, down 13% compared with a year earlier. | Reuters…

Algiers: An Algerian oil tanker set sail yesterday for power-hungry Lebanon, official media said, with 30 000 tons of fuel destined to restart turbines in the country grappling with years of economic meltdown. Clashes in Lebanon’s south since last October has added to the troubles of a country whose economy collapsed five years ago and where power blackouts are routine. Algeria’s President Abdelmajid Tebboune decided to help after Lebanon’s state-run electricity company said turbines would stop due to lack of fuel. Lebanese, long used to long power cuts, have relied on small electricity generators.…