Table of contents for 2021-12-07 in Mercury

Sibusiso Mboto sibusiso.mboto@inl.co.za EMBATTLED Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) vice-chancellor Dr Enoch Malaza has approached the Labour Court in a bid to challenge the council’s decision to force him to retire two years before the end of his five-year contract. Malaza, whose contract as vice-chancellor was to end in 2023, believes the decision amounts to unfair labour practice. In an unusual move, the council, the institution’s highest decision-making body, informed Malaza of its decision to have him retire this year. “Through my legal representative we have approached the Labour Court and we hope that the decision to force me to retire this year (will be seen as) a breach of contract and illegal and unlawful and will be set aside,” Malaza said yesterday, adding that the matter was set down…

PROF BRIJ MAHARAJ | Durban Musa Khanyile’s sudden passing on December 2 was a shock to all who worked with him in the geography discipline, and especially his students at UKZN. He was a selfless individual who always put himself last. He seldom spoke about his role in the anti-apartheid Struggle for freedom and democracy. Musa had completed his training as a teacher in the late 1970s, when he was forced into exile as a member of uMkhonto we Sizwe, the military wing of the ANC. When he returned to South Africa in the early 1990s he chose to study at the former UDW. Musa’s principles were unimpeachable and he turned down lucrative positions in the government because he felt that his integrity would be compromised. He remained…

RAY LALOUETTE | Berea As the years roll by or trundle by, in my case, I realise that I know less and less about more and more. This Covid-19 and its treatment is a case in point. I am well aware of my ignorance in matters epidemiological, but that does not render my level of common sense void. I read about the various “vaccines” (developed at a seemingly miraculous speed, post the declaration of the pandemic by the authorities) and that stimulated my curiosity. I was well aware of the various vaccines developed over many, many years which saved countless billions of children from a variety of hitherto deadly diseases. I am aware of one recognised definition of a “vaccine”, namely, “a substance used to stimulate the…

BE committed to listening and learning. There is something to learn and hear from every encounter and within every environment if you have the heart, mind and ears for it. Try it. Just for today. Try it, even if it is only for the next hour. If we want to be people who learn and hear, it will require a determined effort to slow down and embrace the following attitudes. I acknowledge: I have more to learn than I have to teach, no matter what the topic, circumstance, and no matter how learned, qualified or skilled I may already be. I can learn something from anyone, no matter how unskilled or unlearned they may be or I may perceive them to be. Some things I think to be true are…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za Pioneer Foods has launched a recall of specific batches of its peanuts & raisins and cashew nuts products, sold under its Safari brand in South Africa, Botswana and Namibia. “Routine testing at the Safari production site in KwaZulu-Natal identified a batch of products which tested positive for low levels of salmonella typhimurium (salmonella). “Based on safety protocols, production was immediately halted, the product was placed on hold and ring-fenced. The production site was then deep-cleaned, and vector sampling completed,” Pioneer Foods said. Salmonella is a group of bacteria that causes a wide spectrum of diseases. Salmonella typhimurium causes gastroenteritis, leading to diarrhoea, vomiting, fever and abdominal cramps. These symptoms may last up to seven days. People infected by salmonella typhimurium rarely require antibiotics or hospitalisation. So far,…

A picture published by The Mercury showing thousands of holidaymakers enjoying themselves at the Durban beachfront on Sunday sparked a debate on national TV news channels yesterday morning. Both eNCA and Newzroom Afrika questioned the picture, saying it was an old image because the holidaymakers were not wearing masks. Even on our online news platforms, readers accused us of using an old picture, charging that it was taken in 2016. While a separate process is already under way to get the two TV news channels to correct these claims, we want to set the record straight to the readers of The Mercury and those of several Independent Media titles across the country. We will not stand aside and keep quiet when our competitors on national TV seek to tarnish our…

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s Mount Semeru spewed more ash yesterday, hampering the search for survivors as aerial images showed the extent of the devastation unleashed by the volcano’s deadly weekend eruption. The biggest mountain on the island of Java thundered to life on Saturday, ejecting a mushroom of volcanic ash high into the sky and raining hot mud as thousands of panicked people fled their homes. At least 15 were killed. Aerial photos showed entire streets filled with grey volcanic ash and mud, which had swallowed many homes and vehicles, including whole trucks. Indonesia’s national disaster agency said 27 people were still missing. “I’m still hoping my son will be found. Every time I hear victims have been found, I hope it is my son,” said Maskur Suhri of Sumberwuluh village, who…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za HIJACKINGS targeting eThekwini Municipality employees has seen the city forking out in excess of R30 million each year for private security to escort workers attending to service delivery problems such as water leaks in areas that are “known hot spots”. Workers in the water unit are among those that have to be escorted when they attend to water leaks, especially in townships. City officials declined to name the townships that were considered dangerous. EThekwini head of water Ednick Msweli told The Mercury on Sunday that the municipality was spending close to R90m each year protecting staff members, assets and depots. He said R30m was spent on security companies that escorted workers to fix water leaks among other services. Msweli said security guards escorted city workers in the…

MASHUDU SADIKE mashudu.sadike@inl.co.za THE head of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Investigating Directorate (ID), advocate Hermione Cronje, leaves her job without having successfully prosecuted a single case since the unit’s inception two-and-half years ago. This emerged at a media briefing addressed by the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), advocate Shamila Batohi, yesterday following Cronje’s resignation last week. Batohi tried to paint a rosy picture of Cronje’s track record, saying she laid a solid foundation for the ID to build on by assembling a team of experienced investigators and securing the ID its own state-of-the-art headquarters. However, when asked whether Cronje successfully prosecuted any case, Batohi said: “What is a successful prosecution? A successful prosecution is charging people and taking a case to conclusion. So there is no case…

DUNCAN DU BOIS | Bluff While it is a pleasure to spar with The Mercury on the issue of Covid-19 vaccination, the editorial of December 6, once again exhorting people to submit to the jab, raises two vital issues that are being ignored. Nobody would buy a product that is certified not to perform the task for which it was made. None of the vaccines is certified to produce immunity against Covid-19, which is why all the manufacturers are indemnified against claims in that regard as well as adverse effects. On that simple, scientific basis there is no logic in having Covid-19 vaccines. Reinforcing that reality is the fact that increasing numbers of people who have had the jab are finding themselves infected by Covid-19. Worse still, many…

HEINZ DE BOER | DA KZN spokesperson on Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs The National Environmental Management Laws Amendment Bill – debated recently during a sitting of the Kwa- Zulu-Natal Legislature – attempts to clarify and strengthen the government’s hand in dealing with those who blatantly destroy our natural heritage. The proposed amendments in the bill have seven pieces of key legislation aimed at protecting our environment and forests in terms of developmental projects. Whereas the proposals certainly seem to remove the cobwebs and misunderstanding in some of the critical laws, there is a lingering sense that the government is rearranging the deck chairs as the proverbial ship sinks in a re-run of the 1990’s flick Titanic. Recent months have shown in stark contrast how laws…

Students at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), which recorded a large increase of Covid-19 cases in the past week, appeared more worried about how the Omicron variant would mess up exams and holiday plans than about catching it. When Reuters visited the campus last week, most wore masks; a few didn’t. Many were vaccinated; some obstinately were not. About 30 students interviewed were mostly concerned about their classes being disrupted again. And whatever their opinions on the vaccine, the outbreak had done nothing to change their minds. “This variant has messed us up. It means even more classes online, which makes it hard to learn,” management student Nqubeko Chisale, 21, said. “Sometimes the internet link doesn’t work. I need to have the teacher in the room.” Scientists are analysing Omicron…

Yogashen Pillay yogashen.pillay@inl.co.za FOUR suspects appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court yesterday on kidnapping charges in connection with an incident in which a 4-year-old girl was snatched from Clairwood. The incident took place in Dayal Road in Clairwood last Friday. Police found the child 24 hours later. The court heard yesterday from the State that two of the suspects had reportedly confessed to the kidnapping. The suspects are not being named as two are related to the victim and cannot be identified in order to protect her identity. The other two suspects have not been named due to further investigations being carried out by the police. The incident comes as the country is observing the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children Campaign. Describing the kidnapping,…

Kenya is to impose restrictions on access to public spaces for those who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19, from December 21. This, along with the opening of the Covid-19 vaccination to people over 15, is an attempt by the government to meet its national target of 10 million vaccinated before the new year. Catherine Kyobutungi weighs in on the pros and cons of Kenya’s vaccination strategy. Is Kenya’s decision on mandatory vaccinations the right move? Vaccination mandates are premature. The country has struggled for many months to have adequate and freely available vaccine doses. The supply of vaccines has dramatically improved in the past few weeks and more doses are expected before the end of the year. But even with this improved supply, it is not easy for anyone…

Myanmar’s deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s sentence was yesterday reduced from four years to two years after a partial pardon by the chief of the military-appointed government, the country’s state television reported. A Myanmar court had earlier found Suu Kyi guilty of charges, including inciting public unrest and sentenced her to four years in prison – the first in a series of verdicts that could keep the 76-year-old Nobel laureate detained for the rest of her life. The closed-door trial in Naypyidaw, the capital, highlights the punitive treatment that the ruling junta is imposing on Suu Kyi, whom the military previously held under house arrest for almost two decades. After her release in 2010, she led her party to successive victories in quasi-democratic elections in 2015 and 2020, before…

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za THUNGELA Resources, the coal producer that debuted on the JSE in June, surged by 15.01 percent on the JSE to close at R80.99 a share in anticipation of additional shareholder returns on the back of strong cash generation in the year to date. Thungela, which is valued at R9.5 billion, told shareholders in a trading statement for the year ended December yesterday that its cash position was R8bn at the end of November after riding the wave of strong coal prices. “Cash flow generation has been robust on the back of strong benchmark export coal prices and narrower discounts, albeit in a context of lower export sales volumes,” the company said. Thungela said it might declare additional returns above the targeted minimum pay-out ratio of…

Sacha van Niekerk sacha.vanniekerk@inl.co.za Grieving the loss of a loved one during the holiday season is extra difficult, as it’s typically a time filled with joyous family reunions. From wrapping presents for one less person to enjoying wholesome home-made meals with an empty seat at the table, when the family are all together for the holidays, the absence of a loved one is often that much greater. Sharing insight on the subject, counselling psychologist Rakhi Beekrum said that she is used to witnessing grief within her profession. “However, I have witnessed more grief in 2021 than I have in all my years of practice combined (that’s 12 long years).” There’s also the matter of people who are grieving their “old-selves” and are coming to terms with the loss of who…

| Henry J Tillman OVERSEAS viewers got a taste of wild Africa with some scary footage on Sky News of a bull elephant charging a safari vehicle in Seleti Game Park, near Kruger. Providentially, nobody was hurt. The occupants – a party of students – were able to get to safety in another vehicle nearby. The elephant was in musth, a state of high sexual excitement that seizes the bulls from time to time, coupled with a state of heightened aggression. An elephant in musth drips with a sexual secretion that also give off a dreadful smell (who would be a female ellie?) and is in a state not to be trifled with. In this case the safari vehicle was between the bull in musth and a group of…

STEVE CHATTERIS | Durban North I have to take issue with Duncan du Bois where in his letter to The Mercury (December 6), he states the Italian government revised Covid-19 deaths 2020 down from 130 000 to 3 820. This is simply not true. The story started on October 21, 2021, when Il Tempo, a small Roman newspaper published the story and it then spread on Twitter and Instagram. We all know that everything on Twitter and Instagram is not the gospel truth! The Il Tempo report was sloppy journalism. Their journalist needs to go back to school and redo his maths. Italy’s leading health institute, the Istituto Superiore di Sanita’s Pier David Malloni, described the claim as fake news, saying what was written in the report was…

DON AINSLIE | Hillcrest I was interested in Mr Koko’s comparing Eskom to the F1, and cannot argue with his reasoning (The Mercury, December 2). There are, however, some questions that need to be taken into account: What would happen to the F1 pit stop if the drivers insisted on having their friends and family, untrained, involved? What if one of the pit crew doesn’t want the team to win, and when changing the wheel, makes a tiny hole in the tyre so that it deflates while continuing the race? To my mind, these are issues that Mr De Ruyter is actually facing. He took over a company that was already deeply in trouble and cannot be blamed for all of its ills. I ask Mr Koko: What…

Mwangi Githahu mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za Statistics SA’s 2020 General Household Survey (GHS) shows a marked increase in the proportion of households with social grants as their main source of income since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The GHS report aims to assess the levels of development in the country as well as the extent of service delivery and the quality of services in several key service sectors, including health, education, social security, housing, energy, access to and use of water and sanitation, environment, refuse removal, telecommunications, transport, household income, access to food, and agriculture. Stats SA chief director Solly Molayi said social grants remained a vital safety net, particularly in the poorest provinces. “The roll-out of the special Covid-19 SRD grant in 2020 has played a central role in protecting individuals…

Mercury Reporter While KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala on Sunday announced a sharp increase in Covid-19 cases in the province, thousands of holidaymakers were enjoying their time at the beach in Durban. The Mercury published a picture on Monday’s front page showing the crowds at Wedge Beach near Durban’s Funworld on Sunday. The picture sparked debate on national TV news channels yesterday morning over when the picture was taken, with suggestions that it was an old picture as the holidaymakers were not wearing masks in accordance with the Covid-19 protocols. But African News Agency (ANA) photographer Doctor Ngcobo, who took the pictures, said he had first covered the protest that was held on the beachfront promenade over the seismic survey off the Wild Coast on Sunday morning. Later in the…

Building this country together is the key to progress and success THE eighth anniversary of the death on December 5, 2013, of our icon, the greatest South African this soil had ever produced, Nelson Mandela, is a good time to reflect where we as a nation should have been after the noble sacrifices he and so many others of all races made to lay a solid foundation for our nation building. The decisions hastily taken at the Codesa negotiations after the assassination of Chris Hani in 1993 may have been mistaken and underestimated when things could go miserably wrong, as they did, unfortunately, and how to correct them. To have come out unscathed after so many years of Struggle, with some people being sent to the overworked Pretoria gallows, and…

Zaahier Adams zaahier.adams@inl.co.za Having completed a nice little team bonding camp in Johannesburg this past weekend, Cape Town City coach Eric Tinkler is hoping his team “shows up” tomorrow against Maritzburg United. The “team camp” was, of course, the trip to FNB Stadium where City were the only team to actually show up after Kaizer Chiefs were unable to field a fully-fit team after 31 personnel tested positive for Covid-19 at the club’s training base. Despite knowing beforehand that Chiefs were unable to fulfil the fixture, City still posted all their usual pre-match preparation on social media, including their player cards being checked on the bus by the match commissioner. This caused quite an outcry on social media with many football fans, particularly those of the Amakhosi persuasion, accusing the…