Tabla de contenidos para 2022-01-06 en Mercury

Nomonde Zondi nomonde.zondi@inl.co.za CLOVER said that investigations were being carried out after one of its trucks was set alight yesterday in the Durban city centre. The incident happened as workers at the company are striking over a range of issues. Ethekwini Fire Department divisional commander Nkulumo Dube said they responded to a complaint of a truck burning in Monty Naicker (Pine) Street at about 8am. “When we arrived at the scene the cab of the truck was burning. It is alleged that the driver was offloading products from the back of the truck when the people passing by informed him that the front of the truck was burning,” he said. A source, who was at the scene and did not want to be named, said that the fire was started…

Sibusiso Mboto and Robin-Lee Francke Questions have emerged about whether an act of vandalism at the Constitutional Court (Concourt) yesterday was linked to the fire at Parliament earlier this week. A man was arrested after he was caught hitting the glass doors at the Concourt with a hammer. After the incident, people took to social media to question whether there was a link between the fire in Parliament on Sunday and the vandalising of the country’s highest court yesterday. KwaZulu-Natal violence monitor Mary de Haas said it was a cause for concern that within a space of a week two incidents had taken place at institutions that were symbols of the country’s democratic order. “It is hard to determine whether there is a link between the two incidents. “Because up…

PATRICK PILLAY | DLC Leader Lies will become truth if lies and their perpetrators are not exposed and rebutted. Therefore, I am prompted to reply to a ridiculous, misleading and well-orchestrated letter to the editor against the Democratic Liberal Congress (DLC) by the DA’s lackey Nethraj Rampersad titled, “Councillor sold out Indian votes” (Post, December 22). The recent attacks on the DLC through this medium is suspicious and is clearly an attempt to undermine the DLC. However, the DA has pulled it off and earned the title as the biggest sell-outs of Indians to the EFF of all times. It is obvious that the DA is now stuck between a rock and a hard place with its deceitful acts and sell-out of the Indian voters after the party…

THYAGARAJ MARKANDAN | Kloof WHAT madness! R1.2 million to sit next to the president and R1m for a seat next to the deputy president at the gala dinner? Who do they think they are – a Nelson Mandela or Desmond Tutu? What fool would throw so much money away just for the privilege to sit next to the president and deputy president, unless, of course, to take a photograph to show your grandchildren you were dining with the ANC leaders or to gain their favour for some lucrative government deal? Would they be so charitable and make a generous donation to the poor and needy? President Cyril Ramaphosa has been a terrible disappointment. After nine wasted years under Jacob Zuma, we expected a dramatic change of leadership for…

Jolene Marriah-Maharaj jolene.marriah@inl.co.za Police have warned the public to refrain from taking the law into their own hands after three people were arrested in connection with the murder of a 22-year-old man who was accused of stealing speakers. Police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said: “The community is urged to let police continue doing their job by investigating and arresting suspects involved in criminal activities. There is no place in society for vigilantism and we will not tolerate those with no respect for the rule of law.” She said it was alleged that five people went to the victim, Sanele Kunene’s residence in Majuba Lane in Wyebank and assaulted him. “He was accused of stealing speakers belonging to one of the suspects. “Kunene sustained assault wounds to the body and head…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za THE legal challenge by the ACDP and other concerned organisations to halt the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccine to children between the ages of 12 and 17 is still on track. This is according to ACDP lawyer Bongani Luthuli, who yesterday said the parties were waiting for a date to be allocated for the matter to be heard. Luthuli said the matter still remained urgent, but had been delayed as several other parties, including Section27, had applied to join the proceedings as friends of the court. According to Luthuli, the Gauteng High Court deputy judge president this week sent out a directive that all parties must file their heads of arguments regarding the joinder application made by the interested parties. The court must first decide on whether…

ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver the party’s January 8 statement on Saturday, knowing all too well that this organisation resembles a sinking ship that is its own worst enemy. He will once again highlight “achievements”, well aware that the ANC has done very little if anything considering the promises made during his previous address. In fact, the ANC heads to this weekend’s 110th birthday celebrations more divided than ever before and is still recovering from the huge nosebleed it suffered following the November 1 elections. No amount of spinning or rhetoric can change that. The fact that the party has yet to resolve the issues with its Secretary-General Ace Magashule is an indictment that Ramaphosa’s much-hyped renewal project has failed. Just look at the tainted individuals occupying his Cabinet,…

TORONTO: Canadian officials said that they have reached $31.5 billion (about R500bn) in agreements in principle with Indigenous groups to compensate First Nations children who were unnecessarily taken from their homes and put into the child welfare system, a major development in a dispute that has long been a sticking point in Ottawa’s efforts to advance reconciliation with Indigenous people. Under the agreements, half of the money would go to children and families harmed by an underfunded and discriminatory child welfare system on First Nations reserves and in the Yukon, while the rest would be earmarked over five years for long-term reforms, the Indigenous services ministry said in a statement. Final details are to be settled between the government and Indigenous advocates over the coming months. A final agreement will…

Madrid: After a divorce, who keeps the family cat or dog? Spain has ruled that, as with children, parents should in some cases share custody. A law that came into effect yesterday, recognises pets as “living, sentient beings” for the first time, not mere objects. As a result, family courts must consider the animal’s welfare, not the family’s needs, when deciding who looks after the pets. Spain is the latest European country to recognise animals as sentient beings, joining a group that includes France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Portugal. The legislation was drafted by the ruling Socialists and their leftist coalition partners, Podemos.…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za ELECTRICITY contractors who were employed by the eThekwini Municipality fear there will be “war” in the streets of Durban following the city’s decision not to renew their contracts. They have been holding protests outside the Durban City Hall over the past two days. The group first marched to the city hall on Tuesday where they delivered a memorandum to the city and demanded a response by yesterday. When there was none, they continued with the protest. The contracts were not renewed because the municipality had embarked on a process to appoint “new contractors”. But when a complaint was lodged against this process, it was halted. The contractors implied that if their contracts were not renewed, or they were not reappointed, those who did get the contracts…

SOME puzzles of our age are worth reflecting on as we ask the question: “Why?” Why do supermarkets make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get to the pharmacy for their prescriptions, while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front? Why do people order double cheeseburgers and large fries, yet get a Diet Coke? Why do banks leave vault doors open yet chain the pens to counter tops? Why do we leave cars worth thousands of rand in our driveways and put our useless junk in the garage? Why don’t you ever see the headline: “Psychic wins lottery”? Why is “abbreviated” such a long word? Why is it that doctors and attorneys call what they do “practice”? Why is lemon juice…

MADINY DARRIES | Pinelands, Cape Town THE burning of Parliament carries such strong symbolism. This is an institution whose benches are filled with an elite political class that has overseen the destruction of most facets of our beautiful country – the economy, the education system, an incompetent civil service, health care and the list goes on. During the past two years, the only thing that overshadowed the pandemic was the scale of government corruption and incompetence. Last year saw a seismic shift in our political landscape when the people of South Africa said enough is enough. The problem we are faced with is that this self-serving political class will continue their wicked ways. The honest and principled comrades must stand up and be counted. The late Desmond Tutu…

Tattoo parlours across the EU were in crisis this week as a new rule came into force which effectively banned many of their most popular inks and which one artist described as like “taking the flour from a bakery”. Tattoo artists say alternatives to the inks do not yet exist or are in short supply, and the law deals a blow to an industry already reeling after repeated lockdowns. The law limited the use of certain chemicals which the EU said were hazardous, with some linked to cancer, reproductive difficulties and skin irritation, and which were contained in mixtures for tattoo inks and permanent make-up. The law was agreed in December 2020 but the industry was given a year to adjust and find alternatives. Star tattoo artist Tin-Tin, who heads…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za “Please Call Me” inventor Nkosana Makate says he is patiently waiting for the verdict in the application he has brought to get what he claimed was owed to him. It has been about eight months since judgment was reserved in the case. Speaking to The Mercury’s sister newspaper, Pretoria News, this week, Makate said he understood the delay by Judge Wendy Hughes to deliver the judgment, as she had just been appointed to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) and was obviously extremely busy. “I have been patient and will continue to be so. I understand that Judge Hughes, after hearing my matter, was also promoted to the SCA and that this might impact on the delay in the judgment,” he said. It is understood that…

Howard S Armistead Pregnancy is a special time for a woman. It can also be a difficult and dangerous time. When a woman is pregnant, her body’s selenium resources are redirected away from maintaining immune vigilance against invading microbes, and towards facilitating the rapid development and growth of new foetal cells. Every new foetal cell requires selenium. The immune system evidently sacrifices to provide part of the extra selenium the unborn child needs. Thus, a pregnant woman has a slightly higher need for selenium. A pregnant woman’s immune system is so delicately sensitive that if the foetus is not developing correctly, is malformed or has a genetic defect, it triggers a spontaneous abortion – a miscarriage. The hypersensitive maternal immune response may also be key to understanding autoimmune disease and…

An Indonesian court has sentenced two former heads of state insurer Asabri to 20 years in jail for graft after blaming them for causing 22.7 trillion rupiah (R25 trillion) of losses to the state, the Antara news agency reported. A panel of judges on Tuesday also ordered Adam Rachmat Damiri and Sonny Widjaja, who were chief executives at Asabri between 2012 and 2020, to repay the state a total of 82.47 billion rupiah and pay fines. Prosecutors at the special corruption court in Jakarta had sought a 10-year jail term and fines, accusing the two of being involved in high-risk investment decisions that turned sour. Priyagus Widodo, Sonny’s lawyer, said the sentence was too harsh and his client was considering an appeal. Adam’s legal counsel could not immediately…

RIO DE JANEIRO: The city of Rio de Janeiro has cancelled its famous carnival parade for a second year due to the spread of the Omicron variant in the country, but will allow Rio’s samba schools parade to go on, Mayor Eduardo Paes said. The carnival traditionally takes place in February and includes competitions at the Sambadrome exhibition place, with street processions attracting millions of spectators. According to the mayor, a parade of Rio’s samba schools will happen this year at the Sambadrome. He said it was impossible to establish effective epidemiological control in a street carnival, which is necessary given the spread of the Omicron variant.…

Baldwin Ndaba and Loyiso Sidimba The Hawks and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) are now facing immense pressure to act against all those accused of malfeasance by Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo in his first report on state capture in the country. Justice Zondo – who chaired the judicial commission on allegations of state capture – made damning allegations against former president Jacob Zuma, former SAA board chairperson Dudu Myeni, former Sars national commissioner Tom Moyane as well as former Transnet boss Brian Molefe. The report recommends that Molefe be referred to law-enforcement agencies to conduct further investigations with a view of possible prosecution for fraud and/or contravention of the Public Finance Management Act. Justice Zondo found that Molefe made a misrepresentation when he claimed that some of the contracts…

“Hope you’re having a great week! I want to thank you for our friendship. As I reflect, a year ago I was reading To Kill a Mockingbird on the beach based upon your recommendation. Fast forward to today, I’m on the beach reading The Cow in the Parking Lot, and it relates to the teachings of Mockingbird’s Atticus Finch. This year has been tough. I wouldn’t be here today without a few close friends. For that I’m grateful.” Thank you for your warm and welcome letter. It’s my joy to be your friend. Don’t be fooled by my often brash confidence. I’m as vulnerable as the next person. We all need each other and I need you. I need the knowledge that the connection we have, as infrequent as it…

VISVIN REDDY | National convenor, People Against Petroleum Price Increases (PAPPI) While fuel prices have come down and there is some reprieve for motorists, it is premature for celebrations. The decrease is due to the strengthening of the rand and stable oil prices. We must remember that there are two factors that make up the price of fuel: the basic fuel price (BFP) as well as taxes and levies. The latter is determined by Parliament and remains constant. With the current decrease in the BFP, our tax contribution exceeds 55%. This means that South African motorists pay more in fuel taxes than any other country in Africa. This is the reason that fuel is cheaper in neighbouring countries. Twenty percent of what we pay at the pumps goes…

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) will tomorrow hold a virtual extraordinary summit of heads of state and government to review the progress made by its mission in Mozambique, the regional bloc said. The mission was deployed last July to support Mozambique in combating terrorism and acts of violent extremism in some districts of its northern Cabo Delgado province. Malawian president Lazarus Chakwera, in his capacity as the chairperson of SADC, will preside over the extraordinary summit. Ahead of the summit, the SADC organ on politics, defence and security, which is chaired by President Cyril Ramaphosa and also includes the leaders of Botswana and Namibia, was expected to hold a meeting yesterday which was expected to also be attended by Mozambique. Violence erupted in late 2017, when local Muslim militias,…

| Mercury Correspondent A Gauteng pupil who was snatched from her school in Mayfair has been returned to her family. “According to information at our disposal, the pupil’s mother received a call from the police this morning asking her to come and fetch her child at the police station,” said Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi. The 11-year-old Grade 5 EP Baumann Primary School pupil was kidnapped at gunpoint by three men travelling in a silver/white Toyota Yaris on November 17, provincial education authorities said at the time. The girl was snatched outside the school gate as she was waiting in line to be screened and sanitised for Covid-19. “We will avail our psycho-social unit to provide additional counselling to her, given the trauma she has faced during this unfortunate…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za THE eThekwini Municipality is in desperate need of cash and has pinned its hopes on several projects to increase its rates base, create jobs and generate revenue. It is therefore proceeding with seeking an “expression of interest” from investors to develop the Virginia Airport and Gugu Dlamini Centrum sites. The municipality said in a report tabled last month that its executive management structures had authorised the Economic Development Cluster to proceed with the process of seeking an “expression of interest” from potential private investors for the sites. The municipality wants to redevelop Virginia Airport into a viable mixed-use node, which would include high-end residential, tourism and leisure elements. Between 2012 and 2019, the city resolved to undertake feasibility studies on the site. The plans to redevelop the…

It would be a mistake for the continent to abandon its abundant natural resources NJ Ayuk For more than a year, the African Energy Chamber has been pushing back against steadily mounting pressure to halt new foreign investments in Africa’s oil and gas industry. To prevent catastrophic climate change, environmental organisations, financial bodies and governments across Europe and North America have insisted that developing nations, including those in Africa, must immediately transition from fossil fuel production and usage to renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydrogen. Mind you, the majority of those making these demands are based in industrialised nations that were built on fossil fuels – oil and gas fuelled their economic engines – yet they are unwilling to allow less developed nations to use fossil fuels to…

Doctors in Ethiopia’s war-hit Tigray region say patients are needlessly dying of treatable conditions because a de facto blockade is preventing medicines and other life-saving supplies from reaching stricken hospitals. A dire shortage of oxygen, intravenous fluids and other critical equipment had made surgery and essential procedures almost impossible over the past six months, according to doctors from Tigray’s biggest hospital. “As a result, children who needed shunt surgeries are left to die, those with treatable cancers are denied their rights and those with fractures are forced to wait while being immobilised,” said a statement from doctors at Ayder Referral Hospital. “Patients who have had dialysis for years at our hospital are forced to die just because the supplies that could have been brought are not allowed to reach us.”…

KARACHI: The International Civil Aviation Organization said Pakistan’s civil aviation regulator had resolved significant safety concerns that arose from a 2020 scandal over fake pilot licences, Pakistani authorities said yesterday. Pakistan grounded 262 airline pilots in June 2020 after they were suspected of cheating on mandatory licence tests. “It has withdrawn its objection on significant safety concerns,” a spokesperson for Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority said. Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority has said it hoped it could resume licensing pilots next month.…