Innehållsförteckning för 2024-08-28 från Mercury

HEY, happy days are here again! Perhaps it’s the return of the Sharks to their traditional colours of black and white, but suddenly they’e playing as in days of old. They dominated Western Province last Saturday and the superb final touch was when flyhalf Lionel Cronje slotted that drop goal in the closing minutes, putting the result beyond doubt. The black-and-white jerseys bring back memories of Manie Blom running onto the King’s Park field before the match, with a banana tree. To roars of applause as he bowed to every quarter of the crowd, he then set off on a zigzag run to dive under the posts. Blom, who was barman at a pub in nearby Umgeni Road, was an integral part of Natal rugby. Perhaps someone will…

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa could not have appointed a better candidate to our most demanding and challenging Home Affairs Department than Leon Schreiber who, soon after his appointment, demonstrated unmatched capabilities in handling the demands and challenges that characterise this department. His impressive performance during the first two months in the job was so amazing that I had to find out what secrets might be associated with the outstanding performance. Academically, he is quite an achiever. He holds a Bachelor’s degree, Honours and Master’s degree in International Studies and Political Science from the University of Stellenbosch. He seems to be very much at home identifying the immediate needs that need urgent attention as he sets his priorities. The success of any management process is to determine the priorities first, set short-term…

I COULD’NT believe my eyes when it was alleged that my once-beloved Department of Justice was delaying the prosecution of potential criminals. The department denied it, saying it had encountered technical problems. Experts say that’s nonsense but the reports in the newspapers remain persistent and pointed. The explanations the department has given are not accepted by everyone. Such allegations against a respected department sound almost slanderous to me but where there is smoke … Who should the public believe? Unfortunately, the situation and level of accusations and denials have descended to that of a primary school Grade 3 debate. This is not what is expected from a Department of Justice. MP Glynnis Breytenbach, an experienced former justice official, says: “We do not see state capture or, in fact, any large-scale…

The Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) had to apologise in Parliament after suggesting that their appearance to account for a R4 million planned trip abroad which included pocket money for board members during the tour was based on rumours. CETA top brass, including board members, appeared before the portfolio committee on higher education and training following allegations of corruption and governance irregularities. Committee chairperson Tebogo Letsie said: “CETA has been making headlines on a number of allegations, and we want to be taken into confidence because Setas are accountable to the department and us. CETA is planning a five-country trip to study best practices to improve the work of CETA, but we want to put it on record and be clear that it will be a wasteful expenditure. If…

IN a claim with a twist against the Road Accident Fund (RAF), a man who lost his leg after an industrial roller crushed his foot, is set to receive more than R4 million in damages from the fund. Ettiennne Steyn turned to the Bloemfontein High Court, where he initially claimed R9.2m from the RAF. He was working at a road construction site in July 2020 in Bloemfontein when he was struck by an eight ton SAKAI tandem vibrating steel drum roller, operated by Pieter Mpempe. On that fateful day Steyn sustained serious multiple fractures to his lower left leg as well as multiple fractures to his right foot and upper right forearm. The injuries sustained on his leg resulted in an amputation above his knee. Steyn claimed his…

KwaZulu-Natal Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (Edtea) MEC Reverend Musa Zondi said external threats, in the form of banking interests and politics, were behind the challenges faced by Ithala bank. Zondi was speaking to media yesterday in Ballito, north of Durban where he said the mainstream banks in the country would like to benefit from Ithala’s clients. He said that he was also concerned that national government policies could have an impact on the regional bank. The Mercury reported that Ithala SOC Ltd, a financial institution established by the government to mobilise financial resources and provide supportive services, particularly in rural areas, is at a crossroads following the suspension of its Financial Service Provider (FSP) licence by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA). Zondi said that Ithala is probably…

THE 2026 local government elections cannot come soon enough for Johannesburg, for the current term has been nothing short of a disaster for South Africa’s golden city. In a not too distant past, they had the likes of Thapelo Amad and Kabelo Gwamanda, who should not have been anywhere near the mayoral chain to begin with. Just as they thought things would be better now that the ANC’s Dada Morero is at the helm, he proposes the hiring of legally documented foreign nationals to boost the Joburg Metro Police Department’s crime-fighting capacity. On Sunday, Morero suggested that hiring foreigners as metro police would help fight crime and solve the language barrier in the case of arrests, sparking outrage among jobless locals as well as the ANC and igniting calls for…

BRITISH Prime Minister Keir Starmer said yesterday that he would have to take unpopular decisions, raising the possibility of “painful” taxes on the wealthy and spending cuts to try to fix Britain’s myriad problems he blamed on Conservative misrule. In a speech in the rose garden of his Downing Street office, Starmer promised to end politics as usual, telling voters that Britain’s problems would only get worse before getting better. Starmer has vowed to rebuild British society, saying this month’s anti-migrant riots reflected divisions, stoked by what he described as the Conservatives’ preference for populism. He also blamed the last government for leaving him with a £22 billion black hole, forcing him to limit fuel payments to the elderly. Starmer said he could not believe he had to count…

LOS ANGELES: Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg said senior officials in the Biden administration had pressured his social media company to censor Covid-19 content during the pandemic, adding that he would push back if this were to happen again. In a letter dated August 26, Zuckerberg told the judiciary committee of the US House of Representatives that he regretted not speaking up about this as well as some decisions the Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp owner had made around removing certain content. “I believe the government pressure was wrong, and I regret we were not more outspoken about it,” he wrote. | Reuters…

British Paralympian John McFall will be taking a stand for sports and space this week after becoming the first person with a physical disability to be cleared for future missions by the European Space Agency. The 43-year-old surgeon, who won a 100m bronze medal in the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, is in France to back Team GB at the Paris Games and to show how elite competitors can go on to break through ever more formidable barriers. “I think sport has been a hugely powerful vehicle for making people appreciate what anybody is capable of. But now that we have Paralympic sport on the radar much more ... it’s a really powerful platform to see what people with physical disabilities are capable of,” he said. McFall was visiting Thailand at the…

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has confirmed that the selection of Aphelele Fassi ahead of a fit Willie le Roux is the beginning of a changing of a guard that also includes the grooming of flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu. “Willie is at the stage of his career where he accepts his role in the team and the importance of transferring his knowledge to the younger guys,” Erasmus said. “It is his job to tell Aphelele how to handle situations and read the game.” The coach said that Le Roux, who turned 35 earlier this month, will still play for the Boks but on a lesser scale. “We want Willie to get him to his 100th test cap, he is on 94. “He can play for another two years but he is not…

Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali will be included in the squad to play Nottingham Forest in the League Cup second round today after completing a 10-month ban for breaching betting rules, manager Eddie Howe said yesterday. The 24-year-old Italian was banned by the Italian Football Federation in October last year, and was given a two-month suspended ban by the Football Association for contravening betting rules after his move to the Premier League. The former AC Milan player attended treatment sessions for problem gamblers and has given talks to warn about the dangers of gambling addiction. “He’ll definitely be in the squad providing he comes through training today,” Howe told reporters. “He’s fit. He just hasn’t had the match time, the 11v11, which players will tell you is the most important…

THE NOTION of a just transition has been increasingly endorsed, largely to support carbon emissions reduction targets and in recognition of potential new green employment and economic diversification opportunities. The Paris Agreement of 2015, being the first international treaty to recognise its centrality to climate action and economic prosperity, highlights the imperative of a just transition. In the case of South Africa, the creation of decent work and quality jobs in accordance with nationally defined development priorities is fundamental as we transition to a low carbon future. Since 1996, various climate change-related national policies, frameworks and legislation have been drafted to support South Africa’s climate initiatives across scales and frame the country’s transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient country. Beyond global and domestic policy and legislative commitments, the transition to…

Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) might sound daunting but understanding them can help you manage and prevent them more effectively. What is a UTI? Pharmacist Nonkululo Cingo of Medipost Pharmacy says UTIs are bacterial infections of the urinary system. “UTIs may affect any part of the urinary tract,” says Cingo. “This includes the kidneys, the bladder, the ureters that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder, and the urethra, which is the tube that urine travels through from the bladder to exit the body.” UTIs usually occur when bacteria enter the urinary tract through the urethra and multiply in the bladder. While our bodies are equipped to fend off these bacteria, sometimes they manage to take hold and cause an infection. UTIs are incredibly common, especially among women. Due to…

TODAY, be the adult you want your child to become. Negotiate deals, resolve conflicts and compromise in exactly the manner you hope your child does when they are an adult. Powerful learning happens by experience and observing, but it’s more than that. Your personal transformations will shape and “lift” your family beyond the power of role-modelling. How you are sets the path for how your children will probably be. Use money, save money and leverage resources in the manner you hope your child will one day use money and resources. Attitudes and actions are yeast-like. Your behaviour shapes and becomes the norm. Treat your parents in the manner you hope your adult children will treat you in your advancing years, and then expect nothing more or less. Love and serve…

THE collective sigh of relief felt by South Africans since March, as load shedding remains suspended for nearly 150 days, might be short-lived. A new challenge, water shedding, has emerged to rival its predecessor, threatening to push the country deeper into crisis. In eThekwini Municipality, the issue has been escalating since the 2022 floods, with widespread water supply disruptions a harsh reality. Multiple areas face regular water pressure drops or complete shut downs, with northern regions bearing the brunt of supply interruptions for several months. Western suburbs like Asherville, Sydenham, Sherwood, Mayville and Bonela, frequently experience water cuts. Compounding the issue, the water department’s inadequate response, including insufficient water tanker dispatches, leaves affected communities incensed and having to fend for themselves or rely on private sector, humanitarian and activist assistance.…

In a specialised operation led by Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and the KwaZulu-Natal police, more than 123 undocumented foreign nationals were taken into custody, 117 rounds of ammunition and R4.1 million worth of counterfeit US dollars was recovered in Durban yesterday. During the operation, six buildings were raided in efforts to tackle issues related to hijacked buildings, illegal firearms and the presence of undocumented foreigners. The reclaiming of hijacked buildings is part of a larger effort to rejuvenate the city and make it more attractive to investors, according to eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba. He noted that 76 derelict buildings had been identified, some hijacked, abandoned, or used as hideouts for illegal activities. “We plead with Public Works to fix these buildings, if they no longer want them they should…

Durban football club Golden Arrows has received a three-year sponsorship deal worth R11.4 million from the eThekwini Municipality. A report was tabled before council yesterday and the City’s administration said the deal was being renewed. The City has similar sponsorship deals with the Amazulu FC, the Sharks and the Dolphins cricket team. The deal with Golden Arrows is worth R3.8m every year for the next three years and comes into effect from the current financial year. Opposition party councillors demanded to be briefed on the marketing value derived by the municipality from such sponsorships, and whether there were other sporting clubs queuing outside the City’s doors waiting for their sponsorship deals. The municipality said this and other similar sponsorships were an excellent opportunity to promote Durban as a tourist destination.…

THE Law Society of South Africa has come out in defence of the legal profession, saying Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi’s “reckless” and “misinformed” remarks relating to medico- legal claims painted the entire profession with the same brush in the eyes of the public. Speaking at a media briefing at the weekend about the ongoing investigations by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) into medico-legal claims lodged against the Department of Health, Motsoaledi said they found lawyers who submitted fraudulent claims, embezzled trust funds, tricked people into signing a power of attorney to sue, and collusion between attorneys, touts, nurses and doctors in both public and private health care, as well the Office of the State Attorney. The lawyers were demanding R298 million, with most of it found to be fraudulent. Law…

The Commission on Restitution of Land Rights (CRLR) says that the delay in the development of a new, more secure and efficient bulk payment processing method has led to a temporary suspension of bulk payments to land claimants. This comes after the recent blockage of the N2 in the Eastern Cape, reportedly linked to delays in financial compensation payments to claimants. “We deeply regret the inconvenience this has caused to the public and the frustration experienced by the affected communities,” the CRLR said yesterday. “National Treasury has withdrawn approval for the CRLR’s continued use of its current payment system and has mandated the development of a new, more secure and efficient bulk payment processing method. Unfortunately, the time required to develop this new system has exceeded initial expectations, leading to…

Scientists studying the new mpox strain that has spread out of the Democratic Republic of Congo say the virus is changing faster than expected, and often in areas where experts lack funding and equipment to properly track it. That means there are numerous unknowns about the virus itself, its severity and how it is transmitting, complicating the response, half a dozen scientists in Africa, Europe and the US said. Mpox has been a public health problem in parts of Africa since 1970, but received little global attention until it surged internationally in 2022, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a global health emergency. That declaration ended 10 months later. A new strain of the virus, clade Ib, has the world’s attention again after the WHO declared a new…

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sent out a global climate “SOS” at a Pacific islands summit yesterday, unveiling research that shows the region’s seas rising much more swiftly than global averages. “I am in Tonga to issue a global SOS, Save Our Seas, on rising sea levels. A worldwide catastrophe is putting this Pacific paradise in peril,” he said. Sparsely populated and with few heavy industries, the Pacific islands collectively pump out less than 0.02% of global emissions every year. But this vast arc of volcanic islands and low-lying coral atolls also inhabits a tropical corridor that is rapidly threatened by encroaching oceans. The World Meteorological Organisation has been monitoring tide gauges installed on the Pacific’s famed beaches since the early 1990s. A new report released by the top UN climate…

London: Eight people were stabbed and police arrested hundreds during last weekend’s Notting Hill Carnival, one of the world’s largest street festivals held annually in west London. Updating on their policing operation late on Monday, the capital’s Metropolitan Police said five people were stabbed on the final day of the three-day celebration of British Afro-Caribbean identity. That followed three knifings on Sunday, with three of the victims of the violence over the weekend left in a life-threatening condition. Officers made at least 230 arrests on Monday, including 49 for possession of an offensive weapon, on top of scores of arrests. | AFP…

Pick n Pay chairperson Gareth Ackerman would step down once the supermarket group’s recapitalisation was complete and the turnaround was in place, and the board would announce a successor in due course, he said at the annual meeting yesterday. He said also that long-standing board members would be replaced over the next 12 to 18 months, the gradual approach being adopted because of the “extent of the change required and the work needed to execute that change” in the turnaround of the group. At the meeting the required majority vote from shareholders on its two remuneration-related resolutions was not met, and the board intended to engage with shareholders on the resolution. “Part of looking to the future is the role of the Ackerman family. We have recognised that this was…

TO A large extent, the distortion of political realities and understanding is due to the misappropriation attached to the term “liberal”. Liberalism has lost its identity because as a reference it has been appropriated by the Left. The association of liberalism with tolerance has been exploited by the Left to the extent that tolerance is no longer bound by the core principles of liberalism – merit and liberty, individual rights and the rule of law. Unbounded tolerance leads to anarchy and revolution – the instruments of the Left. DEI – diversity, equity and inclusion, the strategy of the Left to upend and transform societies, runs counter to the philosophy of liberalism. And so-called liberals have succumbed to it. Liberalism embraces free enterprise capitalism and opposes socialism. But thanks to the…

THE sale of water in rural areas is a troubling phenomenon that raises significant ethical, economic, and social concerns. Water as a fundamental human right, should be accessible to all, regardless of where people live or their economic status. In many rural areas water has become a commodified resource, sold to those who can least afford it. This situation reflects deep inequities and a failure of governments and institutions to provide basic services to their most vulnerable populations. Is water a right or privilege?…

HUNDREDS of people who had their homes repossessed – primarily due to missed bond payments – which were then sold for a fraction of their true value are anxiously awaiting the start of a R60 billion class action against major banks. Many of these people had their homes auctioned off for as little as 10% of their market value, and have been homeless and destitute for more than a decade while the banks recovered the debt. Most of these people are poor and not able to recover their losses after losing their homes to the banks. The class action against banks such as Absa, Standard Bank, FirstRand Bank, and Nedbank was filed in 2020 in the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg. However, the quest for justice began much earlier. In 2017,…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has finally implemented the long-standing resolution of the ANC to house the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) that were previously under the defunct public enterprises department to the line-function ministries. On Monday, the Presidency announced that Ramaphosa has signed proclamations which transfer the administration, powers and functions of the SOEs to their respective line-function ministries. The SOEs, following the dissolution of the DPE, were moved to the Presidency under the minister for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Maropene Ramokgopa. Opposition parties had complained about the Presidency overseeing SOEs instead of moving them to line-function departments. Alexkor will now be moved to the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources under Minister Gwede Mantashe, and Denel will move to the Department of Defence and Military Veterans under Minister Angie Motshekga. Power utility…

Emergency responders were scrambling yesterday to find out how many people remained missing after waters burst through a dam in eastern Sudan, resulting in the worst in a series of floods that have devastated a country already torn by 500 days of war. The collapse of the Arbaat Dam on Sunday killed 30 people and likely dozens more, in the latest in a series of inundations around the country as this year’s rainy season hits heavier, and in places earlier, than in past years. War-shattered Sudan is already suffering from the world’s largest hunger and displacement crises, and the flooding has impeded aid delivery already disrupted by the conflict between the army and its rival, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. A single excavator carried people and food across the water…

US President Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan is embarking on several days of talks with top Chinese officials in Beijing this week, aimed at quieting tensions between the two superpowers before the November 5 election. Sullivan, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi and others met for the talks as the two countries are at odds over the Middle East and Ukraine, Chinese territorial claims from Taiwan to the South China Sea, and trade. Upon arrival in Beijing yesterday, Sullivan met first with Wang at a lush resort on the northern outskirts of the Chinese capital, where they shook hands in front of Chinese and American flags. In his remarks in front of journalists, Wang described China-US ties as “critical”, with a bearing on the world, and which have taken…

WINDHOEK: Namibia plans to cull 723 wild animals, including 83 elephants, and to distribute the meat to people struggling to feed themselves because of a severe drought across southern Africa, the environment ministry said. The cull will take place in parks and communal areas where authorities believe animal numbers exceed available grazing land and water supplies, it said this week. Southern Africa is facing its worst drought in decades, with Namibia having exhausted 84% of its food reserves last month, according to the UN. Nearly half of Namibia’s population is expected to experience high levels of food insecurity in the coming months. | Reuters…

Arsenal completed the signing of Euro 2024 winner Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad yesterday. The Spain midfielder will reportedly cost the Gunners an initial €32 million with a further €5m in add-ons. “|Mikel is a player who will bring us huge quality with his experience and versatility,” said Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta. “He has played at the top of the game at both club and international level for a number of seasons now. Mikel will make our squad significantly stronger, with his technical ability, together with his strong and positive character and personality.” Merino scored the winner in Spain’s dramatic Euros quarter-final win over hosts Germany. The 28-year-old has spent the past six years at Sociedad, but does have prior experience of English football. Merino spent a season at Newcastle…

The saying goes that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”, but while Jannes Kirsten has still got a few good years of rugby in him, he probably didn’t think that he would learn to play No 5 lock at the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup this year. The 30-year-old utility forward, who normally plays blindside flank or No 4 lock, has had to manage and jump in the line-outs regularly at provincial level due to the absence of Springbok Ruan Nortjé, as well as the unavailability of United Rugby Championship (URC) stalwarts and departures of others. Kirsten had a celebrated career at Exeter Chiefs in England after leaving the Bulls in 2018 – via Toyota Verblitz in Japan – winning the Champions Cup and Premiership at Sandy…