Innehållsförteckning för 2025-01-13 från Mercury

It’s normal for your relationship with your parents or loved ones to evolve as you grow older. Your parents will always be your parents but that doesn’t mean the dynamic has to remain the same. Establishing healthy boundaries is one of the most empowering things you can do for yourself and your relationships. For many South Africans, family ties are deeply intertwined with culture and tradition. While this connection is beautiful, it can also make setting boundaries difficult. Saying “no” or asserting your needs might feel like disrespect or rejection but boundaries are actually about crea- ting healthier, more respectful relationships – not breaking them. Why boundaries matter Boundaries are a form of self-care. They communicate what you will and won’t tolerate in your interactions with others. This might include…

Besides the outpouring of emotional and environmental horror and compassion at the inferno engulfing large swathes of Los Angeles, focus on the occurrence of these fires and the state of fire fighting preparedness should raise outrage. Predictably, adherents of the climate change narrative are citing it as the cause of the fires. But as usual they are dead wrong. Police have arrested arsonists and gang members who are responsible for the devastation. One arsonist, an illegal alien, was in possession of five cellphones and a UN pre-paid debit card. His flame-throwing efforts are believed to be responsible for wiping out 800 acres of the West Hills area of LA. Gangs are setting fire to neighbourhoods and looting homes once the owners have evacuated them. But apart from that criminal aspect…

WHEN Trump takes office the ANC will have to get its house in order, otherwise he will cancel Agoa and this will cost SA thousands of rands and jobs. You cannot be a member of BRICS and the West at same time. Cyril thinks he can belong to both sides, but I’ve got news for him, Trump will walk all over him and SA will be the loser in the end. The ANC is a spent force and we need a new democratic party to govern this country that can fix all the failures that have occured, otherwise we are on a course to self-destruction, as I cannot see the GNU solving unemployment and crime. They are only there to enrich themselves and corruption is still the norm. Communism has…

Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean Macpherson said a significant outcome of the Summit on Crime-Free Construction Sites was the agreement to enhance security on construction sites through a joint task force and a data-driven approach to crime management. This was revealed in a written parliamentary response by the minister to the IFP’s Siphosethu Ngcobo. Ngcobo, who is a member of the Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure, asked Minister Macpherson about the agreements made by the parties involved to address this issue and what the cost to the government would be? The summit held, last year, at Durban’s International Convention Centre was organised by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) in November to address construction-related security issues. The construction mafia uses tactics such as extortion,…

AS financial pressures on higher education institutions across South Africa mount, donor funding remains a pillar of sustainability. This is according to Josiah Mavundla, senior manager of advancement and databases at the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Department of Institutional Advancement. He said the university could not rely solely on government subsidies and tuition fees, which were insufficient to cover operational costs. “Donor funding is essential for bridging the gap. This income stream, referred to as a ‘third-income stream’, not only supports UP’s overall financial sustainability but also enables targeted assistance for students, particularly those in the ‘missing middle’,” he said. The missing middle are students who do not qualify for National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funding but also cannot afford university fees. Mavundla said that 50% of current UP…

The Judicial Conduct Tribunal is due to hear evidence today on a complaint of sexual harassment made against Eastern Cape High Court Judge President Selby Mbenenge. The complainant, Andiswa Mengo, a secretary who works for another judge in that division, and the SABC had requested that the hearing should be open to the public. However, retired Gauteng Judge President Bernard Ngoepe, who will lead the tribunal, ruled that parts of the hearing will take place behind closed doors. The complainant and the SABC largely based their argument on the importance of a public hearing and that the matter was of public interest. Judge Ngoepe pointed out that even in criminal cases, there were instances where the public would not be allowed in. The judge added that the Judicial Service Commission…

South Africa is on the edge of a precipice. More than three million South Africans lack access to basic water provision and 19% of rural communities in South Africa lack access to a reliable water supply. An estimated 26% of our schools are facing severe water supply challenges and only 23% of our municipalities achieved good capacity scores for effective water management. Economic forecasts suggest that by the year 2030, water demand could exceed supply by 10%. Given the grim picture painted by the data, how do we address the water problem and end water poverty? This is an essential question for not only the chemical industries, but society as a whole. A root cause analysis points to failing municipal infrastructure, climate change leading to changing rainfall patterns, and the…

A magnitude 6.2 earthquake rattled a region of south-west Mexico yesterday, the US Geological Survey said, but there were no reports of casualties or damage. The tremor was centred 8km from Coalcoman de Vazquez Pallares, a municipality of around 20 000 people which is about 600km west of the capital Mexcio City. The quake struck at a depth of 86.2km. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on X that the national emergency services had reported “there are no new developments and are initiating review protocols” in Coalcoman. | AFP…

Somalia and Ethiopia announced Saturday they would restore full diplomatic relations following a visit by Somalia’s president to Addis Ababa to heal a year-long rift that threatened further instability in the Horn of Africa. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed “agreed to restore and enhance their bilateral relations through full diplomatic relations in their respective capitals,” they said in a joint statement. Land-locked Ethiopia’s desire for access to the sea had deepened long-standing grievances between the two neighbours. Somalia was outraged when Ethiopia signed a deal one year ago with its breakaway region of Somaliland, reportedly to recognise its independence in exchange for a port and military base on the Red Sea. Ethiopia’s ambassador in Mogadishu was expelled last April and the countries broke off their…

PARIS: Two trams collided on Saturday evening in the eastern French city of Strasbourg, leaving several dozen people injured but no fatalities, confirmed Jeanne Barseghian, the mayor of Strasbourg. Speaking to French news channel BFMTV, Barseghian said that while about 100 people were involved in the accident, there were no deaths or critically injured individuals. She explained that the collision occurred due to one of the trams moving backward. “For the moment, we do not know what caused this backward movement of the tram.” The Strasbourg public prosecutor’s office announced the opening of an investigation into “unintentional injuries” following the collision. “The initial investigations have allowed us to rule out the hypothesis of a voluntary act,” the prosecutor’s office said in a press release. | Xinhua…

Ten-man Manchester United beat Arsenal 5-3 on penalties after a dramatic 1-1 draw in the FA Cup third round, while Tottenham needed extra time before seeing off non-league Tamworth 3-0 on Sunday. Defeated 2-0 by Arsenal in the Premier League in December, FA Cup holders United exacted revenge on their return to the Emirates Stadium to extend their revival after last weekend's impressive draw at Liverpool. Ruben Amorim's troubled side took the lead through Bruno Fernandes, who smashed a superb strike into the far corner from the edge of the area in the 52nd minute. United defender Diogo Dalot was sent off for a second booking after fouling Mikel Merino nine minutes later. Gabriel Magalhaes grabbed Arsenal's equaliser in the 63rd minute, the Brazilian defender swivelling to hit a low…

Liverpool manager Arne Slot complimented fourth-tier Accrington Stanley for posing a challenge to the Premier League leaders despite losing 4-0 in Saturday's FA Cup third round clash. Accrington, with only just over 21% of possession, tried hard to hold off Liverpool but were left licking their wounds as the home attack found their mark after initial misses. “They are not afraid to press high, they're not afraid to play one-v-one, but then you wonder, will they do this at Anfield as well? But they definitely did. They were not afraid," Slot told a post-match press conference. The Dutchman made eight changes to the Liverpool starting lineup that he fielded in Wednesday's 1-0 League Cup semi-final first leg loss at Tottenham Hotspur. “For us it was all about the players that…

I quite often ask myself this question. I ask it when I monitor and reflect on my behaviour, replay the day’s conversations and decisions. I don’t always like an honest reply. Humane people see, notice, respond to the sufferings of others. Humane people assist as much or as little as they are able. Humane people are kind, merciful, good, gracious, and they are a rare find. When I am unmoved by the needs of others, indifferent to the needs of others, I give way to my inhumanity. It seems, as I look within and look around, that to be inhuman – cruel, harsh, brutal – is easier, more natural, the default. If it were not so, hearts of stone would not be two a penny. I wonder what it takes…

The DA calls on Minister Angie Motshekga for her urgent plan of action, following a scathing Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) finding against the previous director-general of the Department of Military Veterans (DMV) and now Ministerial special adviser, Tsepe Motumi. In December, the SCA found that Motumi, who acted as director-general for the Department of Military Veterans in 2015, had unconstitutionally committed the department to a liability for use of unappropriated funds. As the acting DG, Motumi was not privileged to deviate from the department’s allocations of resources. Motumi issued and signed a supplier’s advice (Government Order) to facilitate payment of R60 million for the provision of healthcare and wellness services to 16 000 military veterans. Over the past years, the DMV has consistently been one of the Auditor-General’s biggest…

AT the 113th ANC birthday celebrations in Mandela Park, in Khayelitsha, we witnessed an ageing liberation movement that’s suffering from senility. Senility is defined as a weakness or mental infirmity associated with deterioration of the body and mind in the elderly. Its symptoms are intellectual impairment, progressive memory loss, poor judgement, impaired concentration and confusion. One of the symptoms was displayed by the ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile, who employed the usual dishonest diversion tactics and claimed that the DA only delivers services to the suburbs and neglects places like Khayelitsha. This is untrue. The DA delivers more to poor communities than any ANC government anywhere in the country. We do not steal money and we spend it on what the Constitution requires us to deliver to people. The ANC…

As KwaZulu-Natal awaits the release of the 2024 matric results, education experts have shared their predictions, pointing to a mix of stability and potential challenges for the province’s pass rate. Last year, KZN achieved an 86.4% pass rate, ranking among the top-performing provinces. Professor Labby Ramrathan, of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), was optimistic about consistency in KZN’s matric performance. He said he did not see a “major shift” in the results but expected the pass rate to be around the 80% mark. Ramrathan attributed this stability to a relatively disruption-free academic year. “We have had a fairly stable academic year with very little disruptions. Support systems at a systems level as well as at the school level continued, and no major curriculum issues were experienced,” he said. He also…

Police have arrested three people on charges of human trafficking in an operation which saw the rescue of 26 people, suspected to be Ethiopian nationals, in Johannesburg. The arrests on Friday were part of a collaborative effort involving the Sandringham SAPS, Gauteng Hawks, and the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD). The operation was reportedly initiated following a tip-off from concerned neighbours, who alerted authorities about suspicious activities. Upon their arrival at the scene, officers discovered that the victims had managed to escape by breaking a window and burglar bars. Some were picked up near the scene while others fled. Hawks spokesperson LieutenantColonel Philani Nkwalase said three suspects linked to alleged human trafficking were arrested. They were found in illegal possession of a firearm. Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru)…

The Fuels Industry Association of South Africa (Fiasa) said it was working around the clock to ensure continued fuel supply to the OR Tambo International Airport following a fire at the refinery, earlier this month. The Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) said it was collaborating with Fiasa and the National Petroleum Refiners of South Africa (Natref) to implement risk mitigation and prevent disruptions in fuel supply. The Crude Distillation Unit damaged by the fire was expected to be back online by February 21, Acsa said. It added that a jet fuel delivery of 17 000m³ was expected to arrive at OR the airport by yesterday, while a planned injection of 31 000m³ from Durban was set for tomorrow with delivery to the airport expected by January 27. “Furthermore, rail deliveries…

Security is expected to be tightened today at the Ingonyama Trust headquarters in Pietermaritzburg following the Zulu warriors’ (amabutho) threat over the board and CEO’s alleged defiance of the “king’s word”. The king and Trust are at loggerheads following the king’s decision to dismiss the entire board apart from Dr Thandiwe Dlamini last year. At the centre of the impasse is who is legally running the Trust – the king’s legal team or the trust. Minister of Land Reform Mzwanele Nyhontso reinstated the board, however, the king has ignored the order as his legal firm continues to give instructions to the staff. Culturally, the king’s order is final, however, in a constitutional democracy this is not the case. The trust’s offices were closed on Thursday and Friday after amabutho announced…

Eskom has continued to use the summer break over the past week, along with the lower demand from industry, to increase its planned maintenance and further improve the reliability of its generation fleet for winter. Winter starts on April 1. The utility, which reached 289 consecutive days without load shedding on Friday, stated that its maintenance averaged at approximately 8 000 MW (megawatts) last week. It has accumulated year-to-date diesel savings of R16.28 billion. This means that it has spent 63.4% less than the R25.67bn spent on diesel during the same period last year, due to the ongoing improvements in generation performance. Over the past seven days, average unplanned outages stood at 14 155MW, reflecting a slight improvement compared to the 14 611MW recorded in the same period last year…

‘The killing of women and children is not normal and should not be normalised’ Gender-Based Violence and Femicide remain a multifaceted social issue in South Africa, particularly with the country’s violent history. We have just concluded the festive season which coincides with the commemoration of the country’s 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children Campaign which commenced on November 25 and ended on December 10, 2024. Last year’s campaign fell under the theme: “30 Years of Advancing Collective Action to End Violence Against Women and Children”. At its core, the theme aimed to accelerate and amplify multisectoral and whole-of-society accountability. Sadly, the country continues to witness heinous crimes committed against women and children at alarming rates. For example, three children suffered unthinkable violence this past week…

Residents of the French territory of Mayotte braced yesterday for a storm expected to bring strong winds and flash floods less than a month after the Indian Ocean archipelago was devastated by a deadly cyclone. Mayotte was placed on red alert on Saturday in anticipation of the passage of Dikeledi, a storm forecast to skirt about 100km south of the territory. It hit the northern coast of Madagascar as a cyclone on Saturday evening and weakened into a severe tropical storm, but is expected to regain intensity as it moves towards Mayotte. It was to be reclassified as a cyclone by today, according to French weather service Meteo-France. At around 6.00am (7am South African time) local time the storm was around 260km south-east of Mayotte, moving at 22km per hour.…

WASHINGTON: US President-elect Donald Trump accused California officials yesterday of incompetence over their handling of deadly wildfires raging in the Palisades. “The fires are still raging in LA. The incompetent pols (politicians) have no idea how to put them out,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform. “This is one of the worst catastrophes in the history of our Country. They just can’t put out the fires. What’s wrong with them?” he wrote. The speed and intensity of the blazes ravaging Los Angeles have tested its firefighting infrastructure and given rise to questions and criticism about the state’s preparedness. Hydrants ran dry in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood as it was ravaged by one of the region’s five separate fires. | AFP…

SAO PAULO: Three farmers were shot dead and five others injured in an attack on a workers’ settlement in Brazil’s Sao Paulo state, local authorities said at the weekend. Ten armed men stormed the Olga Benario agricultural settlement of Brazil’s Landless Workers’ Movement (MST) in the city of Tremembe late Friday, opening fire on families living there, said the local police. The land where MST farmers have been working for 20 years is home to 45 families, who produce food in the area. Paulo Teixeira, minister for agrarian development and family farming, condemned the incident as “a heinous crime” and called on Sao Paulo’s regional government to arrest the perpetrators. Gilmar Mauro, an MST co-ordinator, said that the attack is linked to real estate pressures in Sao Paulo targeting land…

Pumped storage hydropower (PSH) is the best solution for long-duration energy storage (LDES), Eddie Rich, the CEO of the International Hydropower Association (IHA), told the Pre-Assembly Day of the Fifteenth session of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Assembly in Abu Dhabi. The theme of the event was: Accelerating the Renewable Energy Transition – The Way Forward (Energy security, Socio-economic development and Financing options). Participants in the round table discussion highlighted the importance of grid and storage solutions for accelerating the energy transition and their crucial role in achieving renewable energy and storage targets by 2030, which amounted to 1 500 Gigawatts (GW) of energy storage and 25 million kilometres of transmission lines. PSH uses off-peak power to pump water to an upper dam and then releases this water to…

The holidays are officially behind us and for South African pupils, it’s time to return to the classroom. As the new school year commences, excitement fills the air, but for many children, it also marks the beginning of increased anxiety. The start of a new school year brings excitement. Still, it can also trigger anxiety – especially for those entering new phases, like starting high school or adjusting to new teachers and unfamiliar environments. Social anxiety, coupled with the fear of fitting in, peaks at this time of year, making the 2025 school year especially challenging for many families. But what causes this anxiety? Young Minds cites that young kids may feel nervous about school for various reasons. They may be concerned about making friends or fitting in, finding…

If you happen to be visiting Florida in the US in the coming weeks, make sure you don’t get caught in a blizzard of falling iguanas. When temperatures drop in Florida, so do the iguanas, according to HuffPost. Meteorologists are predicting a cold spell in Florida and other parts of the south-east through this week and, with it, a potential uptick in falling iguanas. The cold-blooded creatures commonly live in treetops in the Sunshine State but tend to pass out when temperatures drop. As a result, the hibernating lizards lose their grip on branches or rooftops and fall to the ground, often onto an unfortunate passer-by. Considering that iguanas can grow up to 1.5m and weigh as much as 11kg, it’s no wonder that experts are issuing a warning about…

This past week, social media has been filled with videos of tearful Californians urging the world to pray for them as wildfires ravaged the Pacific Palisades region. The scenes of destruction are not dissimilar to those seen in Gaza, but in the case of the wildfires, the destruction is not man-made, unlike in Gaza, where the Israeli army has bombed nearly every inch of Gaza. Americans took to social media, urging the world to pray for LA, to pray for California, just as the helpless people of Gaza have been pleading for over 14 months. Yet, their plight has not received nearly the same level of coverage as the wildfires. The mainstream media has described the situation as heartbreaking and tragic, which it is. However, this should not come at…

LOCAL government stakeholders are proposing drastic changes to the funding model of municipalities, including giving municipalities the ability to charge their own taxes to enhance sustainability. One municipality pointed out that there are minor taxes municipalities could charge without overtaxing or negatively affecting the local population. Additionally, they could be given creative licence to explore different areas with economic potential. The Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) is collaborating with stakeholders in the local government sector to develop a new funding model that could help municipalities become more self-sustaining. This process is led by Cogta along with the Department of Treasury, with stakeholders including the South African Local Government Association (Salga)and various municipalities. A working document outlining the proposed funding model is expected by the middle of the…

A rental dispute between the ANC in the eThekwini region and its landlord has led to the party being locked out of its offices in Durban. Recently, it emerged that ANC staff members had been unable to enter the offices in a building in the CBD because the party had failed to pay rent. There were also allegations from sources with knowledge of the affairs of the party, who suggested that the ANC staff members in the office had either not been paid at all or had not been paid their full salaries. However, the party dismissed the allegations yesterday. The ANC did acknowledge the rental issue, saying that it had withheld payment to compel the landlord to negotiate the rent being charged. The latest challenges facing the region comes…

The KZN Ubumbano Driving School Operators Association has urged KwaZulu-Natal Transport and Human Settlements MEC Siboniso Duma to tackle the issue of bribes being demanded by examiners to ensure that a learner passed a driver’s licence test. The association’s chairperson Mzwandile “MG” Zondi said: “Some things are not going right in testing grounds in the province because people are asked to buy inspectors a cold drink in order to pass the driver’s licence test. If we work with the department this will be reduced. We need to make sure that people don’t pay bribes to get their driver’s licences. MEC Duma said: “It is commendable that the driving schools have pleaded to work with the department to root out corruption in testing centres. We will also work with municipalities that…

The SANDF says it did not receive a complaint from the City of Tshwane regarding the state of a block of flats in the Pretoria CBD. City of Tshwane member of the mayoral committee Obakeng Ramabodu recently took to social media to express his outrage over the SANDF’s alleged neglect of flats at the corner of Steve Biko and Justice Mahomed streets. The building recently experienced a sewage spill, which overflowed on to the streets. SANDF spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini said: “The SANDF confirms that the property has been allocated to the SANDF and there is no official correspondence of complaint from the City of Tshwane.” Ramabodu warned that the severely deteriorated structure posed a significant risk of collapse. Dlamini said an assessment conducted by the Department of Defence (DoD)…

A law expert has said the chances of Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini’s wife obtaining an interdict to stop his traditional wedding to his new wife are slim. Attorney Mpumelelo Zikalala was commenting after Queen Ntokozo Mayisela-Zulu filed papers in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Friday in a bid to interdict the traditional wedding of her husband, the king, to a new wife, Nomzamo Myeni. In the court papers, the queen argued that if the king continued with the wedding, he would be committing bigamy – marrying someone while still legally married to another person – which she said was punishable by law. Weighing in on the matter, Zikalala said the court could stop the wedding if harm to the applicant could be proved. However, the court might have a problem…

In a staggering move that sends shivers down the spines of many South Africans, the government’s decision to cut over 67 000 public service jobs poses a severe threat to service delivery at a time when it is already critically low. This decision, ostensibly aimed at cost-cutting measures to reduce the government wage bill, risks compromising vital services essential to the nation’s poorest citizens who rely on the public sector for basic needs such as healthcare, education, and social services. Cost-cutting measures are undoubtedly necessary in today’s economic climate; however, terminating contracts for nearly 67 000 workers, including over 31 000 aged 55 to 59 and nearly 36 000 aged 60 and above, can have catastrophic unintended consequences. These experienced civil servants possess institutional knowledge and expertise that are crucial…

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai urged Muslim leaders yesterday not to “legitimise” the Afghan Taliban government and to “show true leadership” by opposing their curbs on women and girls’ education. “Do not legitimise them,” she said at a summit on girls’ education in Muslim nations being held in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad. “As Muslim leaders, now is the time to raise your voices, use your power. You can show true leadership. You can show true Islam,” said 27-year-old Yousafzai. The two-day conference has brought together ministers and education officials from dozens of Muslim-majority countries, backed by the Muslim World League. Since sweeping back to power in 2021, the Taliban government has imposed an austere version of Islamic law that the UN has labelled “gender apartheid”. Their curbs have shut women…

The Indian Ocean nation of the Comoros headed to the polls yesterday to elect lawmakers, with many opposition groups planning to snub a vote they say lacks transparency. Comorian President Azali Assoumani’s eldest son, Nour El Fath Azali, who is 39 and the country’s secretary-general, is running to represent a constituency just outside the capital Moroni. Several voting booths opened late after material failed to materialise in time for an official 7.00am start. One US observer, James Burns, said officials had to “improvise” one booth comprising two panels around a table. Nearby, another booth consisted of a simple box placed on a chair – making it nigh on impossible to preserve voter privacy as ballots were cast. Before he was appointed to the post in July 2024, Nour had…

ALGIERS: Algeria said on Saturday that it has no intention of escalating tensions with France, despite a “vindictive” and “hateful disinformation campaign” led by “the French far-right,” according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Community Abroad, and African Affairs. Algeria “has no intention of pursuing a strategy of provocation or humiliation; on the contrary, it is the far-right and its supporters within the French government who are attempting to impose their agenda on Algerian-French relations through threats, intimidation, and confrontational tactics,” the ministry said. “This group views this campaign as an outlet for their resentment, frustrations, and historical grievances,” it added. The tensions stemmed from the controversial expulsion of an Algerian national from France. | Xinhua…

Australian fast bowler Jhye Richardson faced an extended period away from cricket as he prepares to undergo surgery later this week to fix his shoulder after a dislocation sustained in November. The injury occurred during a Sheffield Shield match in a freak incident when Richardson dislocated his shoulder while high-fiving a teammate in celebration of a wicket. As a result, Richardson will miss the rest of the Big Bash season but after consultations with medical experts and Cricket Australia, he is aiming for a return next summer, with the Ashes in sight. “Jhye Richardson will miss the rest of the 24-25 season after electing to have surgery this week to stabilise his right shoulder. “Richardson made the decision following extensive consultation with Cricket Australia and medical specialists,” Perth Scorchers posted…

Henk Lategan’s overall lead was slashed to 21 seconds as a road book note error caused many drivers at the front of the field to lose their bearings, forcing Dakar Rally organisers to erase any gains or losses for a 20km stretch during yesterday’s stage seven. South African Lategan finished 15th in the 419km special in Al Duwadimi, with his closest challenger in the overall standings, local hero Yazeed Al-Rajhi, coming seventh to throw the championship battle wide open. Lucas Moraes, who lost nearly three hours on Saturday due to a shock absorber problem, bounced back to win the stage, as Mattias Ekstrom finished second to remain third overall. "We didn't have anything to lose today, so we pushed a lot," Moraes said. Five-time Dakar winner Nasser Al-Attiyah was fourth…

ORLANDO PIRATES (0)(2) Mofokeng 20’, Mbatha 61’ CR BELOUIZDAD (0)(1) Benguit 82’ Orlando Pirates cruised to the clear waters of the Caf Champions League’s quarter-final after beating CR Belouizdad 2-1 in Orlando yesterday afternoon. The Sea Robbers beat the Algerians via goals from Relebohile Mofokeng and Thalente Mbatha – as they top Group C with 11 points. Pirates will face Al Ahly in the last game of the group stage away on Saturday, but that match will serve as a decider for the team that will top the group as both sides are through to the last eight. Pirates will fancy their chances of cruising to Cairo…