Índice para 2021-05-11 em Mercury

Sacha van Niekerk sacha.vanniekerk@inl.co.za If you’re in the throes of decorating or redoing a part of your home, you may be at a loss for what to do with all the wall space. Because, as you may have realised by now, furnishing a home is one thing but decorating it is a whole different game altogether. Bringing bare walls to life doesn’t have to require a creative eye – there are plenty of decor hacks that will take you from drab to fab with minimal effort. From decals to tapestries and knotted artwork, it really is the most simple elements that help pull a room together. Wall decals Decals are an easy way to decorate without damaging walls with hooks, double-sided tape or paint. Apart from walls, they can…

Sibusiso Mboto sibusiso.mboto@inl.co.za What started as a simple crusade to fix a bumpy and pothole-riddled road in the neighbourhood is increasingly becoming a way of earning a living for Howick resident Jonty Myhill’s assistants, as calls for their services have soared in recent days. Last week, The Mercury reported how Myhill had started fixing Curry’s Post Road – which he calls a death trap – three years ago, fearing that waiting for the uMngeni Municipality to fix it could lead to further delays and possible loss of lives. Since then, Myhill has conducted repairs every year and hired locals on a temporary basis to help him. Last week, he caused a social media stir over a road sign warning about the repairs which stated that the local municipality was “useless”.…

Sakhiseni Nxumalo sakhiseni.nxumalo@inl.co.za TEACHERS’ unions have raised concerns about the recent rise in Covid-19 cases, amid the proposal to have all primary and special schools return to daily attendance in the second term. The Department of Basic Education had previously announced that it would be formulating a proposal on the matter and that it would present it to teachers unions, school governing bodies, as well as other stakeholders. While some schools have been allowed to have 100% attendance, after they made submissions to the department, others, particularly disadvantaged schools, still have pupils attending on a rotational basis. The rotational model, where children attend school only a few days a week, was implemented to ensure that physical distancing takes place in schools in line with Covid-19 regulations. There have been concerns…

NAREND GANESH | Durban North ACE Magashule, the now stranded and embattled secretary-general of the ANC, is quoted as saying, “For the first time the ANC says we can work with the DA, which ideologically is the enemy of the revolution.” This statement elicited ruminations in me that I am certain would also do the same for others. The use of the words “enemy of the revolution” suggests that Magashule and his similar thinking cohorts are still laagered in a mindset that keeps South Africa mired in a bottomless pit of inanity. Certainly, there are elements within the DA today who would boldly, and with a straight face, decry their role in denying the majority of South Africans of their suffrage – for the sake of political expediency…

MUHAMMAD OMAR | Durban North WHILE the hullabaloo around canned lion hunting (remember this is not a ban on lion hunting) and the lion bone trade continues, some background is needed on this and rhino-horn farming. Private lion and rhino breeding have become sustainable capital and labour-intensive businesses on their own. Buffalo and sable farming/hunting are other huge industries and no one seems to have any issues around them. Many feedlots and game farms have surplus or waste that is fed to predators. Near Klerksdorp is a rhino farm which has a security detail not seen even on some of our military bases in South Africa. Patrols with hi-tech cameras guard the animals 24/7, 365 days a year. The farmer/investor is a true legend. From the time the…

Farouk ARAIE | Joburg Daggers are drawn, gladiators have unsheathed their weaponry, as combatants prepare for the ultimate showdown. The victor will inherit a divided country, the loser will be banished into oblivion. It will become a titanic battle for supremacy. With shock and awe, the ANC is heading for political catastrophe. The top leaders have lost control of the party. The political seismic shock waves are being felt across the entire political landscape. Is this a calculated risk to regain the moral high ground, or an act of desperation? Our national politics have moved beyond the bounds of extreme partisanship into the realm of political madness. Our leaders are in political denial, as the country is reduced to financial ashes, under the deadly shadows of Covid-19. Denialism,…

| Mercury Correspondent Rehabilitation work has started in the Table Mountain National Park after the Cape Town fire caused massive destruction last month. South African National Parks (SANParks) announced the news yesterday. Firefighters battled the fire, which started on April 18, for three days. Many residents had to be evacuated, and some even assisted firefighters to halt the spread of the fire. Frans van Rooyen, park manager at Table Mountain National Park, said certain areas of the park would remain closed until rehabilitation work was completed, particularly in the Rhodes Memorial and Deer Park areas. “We are inundated with calls and messages from users who would want to go back and embark on various activities within the areas, but unfortunately at this stage it is unsafe to allow access…

EThekwini Municipality said there would be a planned shutdown of the South Coast augmentation pipeline in the south of Durban today, and this would affect the supply of water in some areas. The municipality said in a statement that the shutdown would be carried out to replace a faulty scour valve and a leaking air valve on the 800mm-diameter steel trunk main supplying the eManzimtoti waterworks. The construction work would take place over a five-hour period, from 10am to 3pm today. The city said the following areas would be affected: eManzimtoti CBD, Isipingo, Athlone Park, KwaMakhutha, most parts of Adams Mission, Ezimbokodweni, Lewis Drive area, Bhekulwandle, uMnini, Magabheni, Ehlanzeni, Mgobhozini, Illovu, Lovu Beach, Mfume, Kingsburgh, Panorama Park, uMgababa, Malabar Hills, Lotus Park, Garden Lots and Almond Road. The work would…

Zintle Mahlati zintle.mahlati@inl.co.za Despite concerns over two variants of the coronavirus having been detected in South Africa, health experts say the Covid-19 vaccines that will be administered in the country will provide protection. Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize confirmed that the country is on schedule to begin phase two of the vaccination programme on May 17. Two vaccines, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson (J&J), will be used as part of the country’s vaccination programme. There have been concerns raised about two coronavirus variants, the B.1.617.2, first identified in India, and the B.1.1.7, first identified in the UK. Both variants have been detected in coronavirus tests conducted in the country. Mkhize said the variants were a matter of concern, but their appearance in the country was not unexpected. He reiterated that…

WESLEY SEALE Nelson Mandela, elected our country’s first democratic president 27 years ago this week, once said: “For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” According to Madiba then, Freedom Day in South Africa was probably the most apt day to launch a platform for theological dialogue and practical ethics. As South Africans were ending their public holiday, a group of people gathered in the Ahlul Bait Mosque Complex, in Cape Town, to deepen inter-religious dialogue and ensure that faith communities too contribute to the moral regeneration of our country. The launch of the platform was a fruit of the meeting between Grand Ayatollah al-Sistani and Pope Francis in Najaf, Iraq,…

More than 300 people were wounded yesterday in renewed clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police at the flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound, as an Israeli celebration of its 1967 takeover of Jerusalem risked inflaming tensions. Palestinians hurled rocks at Israeli officers in riot gear who fired rubber bullets, stun grenades and tear gas following a night of sporadic clashes in annexed east Jerusalem. Loud booms and angry screams echoed from the ancient stone walls of the compound, revered by both Jews and Muslims, where Palestinians had built makeshift barricades and the ground was littered with rocks, stun grenade fragments and other debris. Israeli police restricted access to Al-Aqsa to Palestinians aged over 40, checking identification of anyone who wanted to access the plaza. Following a call from Al-Aqsa’s director, Sheikh Omar…

Faced with street protests and international criticism over his security forces’ response, Colombia President Ivan Duque is coming across as erratic and out of touch with a country in crisis, analysts say. Since April 28, hundreds of thousands of people have vented their frustrations against the government after poverty and violence has soared during the pandemic. The trigger was a proposed tax reform that has since been withdrawn. It’s not the first time Duque, 44, has faced social unrest against his presidency. In 2019, an unexpected student movement served as a warning. After decades of stigmatisation against social protests, often associated with left-wing rebellions, young people who did not live through the darkest days of Colombia’s more than half-century of armed conflict with Marxist guerrillas have no qualms about demanding…

MOSCOW: A Siberian doctor who treated poisoned Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny last year reappeared yesterday after being reported missing while on a hunting trip, Russian news agencies cited the regional government as saying. Russian news agencies cited the regional government as saying. A search was launched in the forests of the Omsk region, about 2 200 km (1,370 miles) east of Moscow, after physician Alexander Murakhovsky left a forest hunting base in an all-terrain vehicle on Friday. Murakhovsky exited the forest himself and made contact with residents of the village of Basly, RIA news agency quoted the Omsk regional government as saying. He was in “normal condition” though he was being examined at Bolsheukovsky District Hospital as a precaution, RIA cited the authorities as saying. Murakhovsky was head doctor at…

TEHRAN: Iran yesterday confirmed for the first time that it is in talks with Saudi Arabia to defuse tensions, the IRNA news agency reported. “The removal of tensions between the two countries in the Gulf region is in the interest of both nations and the region,” Iranian Foreign Ministry Saeed Khatibzadeh spokesperson said. He stressed that Tehran has been open to dialogue with Riyadh and voiced his hope that “a meaningful common understanding of bilateral and regional matters” will be reached. Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has expressed Saudi desire to develop good ties with Iran.…

Rory McIlroy shot a 3-under-par 68 to win his first PGA tournament in more than 18 months on Sunday, finishing at 10-under 274 in capturing the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Country Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. McIlroy finished one shot ahead of Abraham Ancer, who shot a 5-under 66. McIlroy overtook 54-hold leader Keith Mitchell, who shot 72 and finished tied for third with Viktor Hovland (67) at eight-under-par. Gary Woodland, the 2019 US Open champion, rounded out the top-five at seven-under after carding a 71. The victory is the first for the Northern Irishman since 2019, marking the second-longest drought of his career. It is his 19th career tournament win and third at the Wells Fargo, which was the site of his first victory back in 2010.…

COCA-COLA Beverages Africa (CCBA) has acquired Maluti Mountain Breweries’ interest in the soft drinks business, which was now part of a newly formed entity called Coca-Cola Beverages Lesotho, following a reorganisation, CCBA said in a statement yesterday. The other key shareholders in the venture were the Lesotho National Development Corporation (LNDC) and the Ministry of Finance. The deal was signed on October 6, 2020, and all regulatory approvals were obtained. The non-alcoholic, ready to drink business in Lesotho would be referred to as Coca-Cola Beverages Lesotho (CCBL) and would operate as a subsidiary of CCBA, with management control. The entity started distributing Coca-Cola products from yesterday. “We are committed to growing the soft drinks industry and the business in Lesotho and will endeavour to launch new products into the Lesotho…

Bang Showbiz Eva Mendes used to think she had a ‘weird’ face but now would love to look the way she used to. The 46-year-old actress has opened up about her past insecurities and admitted that, although she used to be convinced her features were “odd”, she wishes nowadays that she still looks the way she used to. She shared a photo of herself from 2003 movie Once Upon a Time in Mexico and wrote on Instagram: “Just came across this picture from a movie that was almost 20 years ago. “I remember seeing this photo back then and thinking my face looked ‘weird’ and that my bone structure was odd …yadda yadda ..you know all those insecurities that a 26 year old can have. “Meanwhile 20 years later and…

Baldwin Ndaba and Zintle Mahlati The ANC yesterday issued a statement in which it served its suspended secretary-general, Ace Magashule, with an ultimatum of disciplinary action if he failed to apologise to President Cyril Ramaphosa for penning a “suspension letter” to him. The party has further confirmed that he would remain suspended until the conclusion of the fraud, corruption and money-laundering trial against him. He is due to make an appearance in the Bloemfontein High Court in August for the determination of a trial date, along with 15 others. One of them is former human settlements MEC Olly Mlamleli, who served under Magashule when he was the premier of the Free State. The drama unfolded on May 3 last week after an ANC national working committee meeting which took a…

Visitors to Dracula’s castle are more likely to find puncture marks in their arms than their necks this month, after medics set up a Covid-19 vaccination centre at the Transylvanian attraction. Doctors and nurses with fang stickers on their scrubs are offering free Pfizer shots to all-comers at 14th century Bran Castle, which is purported to be an inspiration for the vampire’s towering home in Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula. Castle staff hope the service will bring more people to the site in Romania’s Carpathian mountains, where tourist numbers have plummeted since the start of the pandemic. Anyone can turn up without an appointment every weekend this month. They also get free entry to the castle’s exhibit of 52 medieval torture instruments. “The idea … was to show how people got…

JOHN GARDENER | Howick I WAS cautiously optimistic when DStv launched its Curiosity channel (185) a while back, but my expectations faded rapidly under a barrage of substandard offerings, many of which earned the official John Gardener Frown of Disapproval. Which was a pity, following hard on the heels of some pretty decent channels which were arbitrarily cancelled for no apparent reason. The other day, however, I discovered a new series, Behind the Artist, in which each episode comprises a dramatisation of a particular artist’s life. The first episode I watched was about Vincent van Gogh and it was truly excellent. About five minutes before the end, however, there was an ad break and I waited anxiously for the final segment to show and bring the matter to…

HOSIA SITHOLE | Communicator at the Department of Water and Sanitation THE celebration of the adoption of the Constitution on Saturday, May 8, was an affirmation of efforts to address the question of equity and the allocation of scarce water resources for transformation to deal with poverty and to promote sustainable socio-economic development. Twenty-five years after the adoption of the Constitution, the Department of Water and Sanitation has proven to be one of the quintessential advocates of the Constitution by providing the basic necessities of water and sanitation as one of the basic human rights. This in the context that equitable access to water and the benefits derived from it are central to transformation and extracting previously disadvantaged people from the periphery of the economy to the mainstream…

Bongani Nkosi bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za A LAWYER faces sanctions from the Legal Practice Council for representing her fraud-accused client while admitting to being “very drunk”. Judge Francis Kganyago has ruled at the Polokwane High Court that the Legal Practice Council should probe the conduct and behaviour of the lawyer he named as Ms Maloko in his scathing judgment. Not only was Maloko in a drunken stupor during magistrate’s court proceedings on December 1, she also admitted she did not know what she was doing in court because she was a conveyancer and not a criminal lawyer. Judge Kganyago’s judgment followed a special application by the magistrate to have the fraud trial that started last August reviewed and set aside. The magistrate wanted the trial to start afresh on the grounds that Maloko’s…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za ONE of the Boeremag’s bomb manufacturers, Kobus Pretorius, and his father, Dr Lets Pretorius, were quietly released on parole last year. They and others prepared the home-made bomb which was due to be placed to injure or kill then president Nelson Mandela in 2002 while he was on his way to open a school in Bolobedu, Limpopo. Both were sentenced at the end of the country’s first treason trial under the new dispensation in 2013. The father and son served about seven years of their 20-year jail term. The Department of Justice and Correctional Services confirmed that they were placed on parole after serving the required minimum number of years in jail. The two met the requirements to be placed on parole, it said. Pretorius sr, a…

Karen Singh karen.singh@inl.co.za PLACING limitations on who could handle smaller packages would have a negative impact on the local logistics sector. This is according to DPO SA, an e-commerce payment services provider, which was commenting yesterday on the litigation between the South African Post Office (Sapo) and PostNet and the SA Express Parcel Association (SAEPA) over the right to deliver packages weighing 1kg and less. While Sapo said it preferred not to comment on a matter that was before the court, it did provide background in which it said that the Postal Services Act reserves the transport and delivery of postal items weighing 1kg and less for the Post Office. “This means that other businesses that deliver such items are breaking the law.” The matter was dealt with by the…

Kailene Pillay kailene.pillay@inl.co.za FORMER Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) group chief executive Lucky Montana has denied allegations that properties worth R36 million were purchased for him in exchange for lucrative contracts from the agency. Montana also told the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture that he never used Prasa’s money to purchase the properties for himself, either. These allegations stemmed from testimonies and affidavits from a number of people, including state capture investigator Clint Oellerman. Oellerman submitted evidence alleging that Montana inappropriately awarded lucrative contracts to Siyangena Technologies that in turn purchased these properties for Montana. Siyangena Technologies was found to have unlawfully won billions of rand in contracts to supply security infrastructure to Prasa stations for the 2010 World Cup and subsequent contracts. Items included…

MICHAEL BAGRAIM | Highlands Estate THE article in your Monday edition (Cape Times, May 10), “Mandela respected the courts, warts and all” refers. Well done once again to your columnist, Michael Donen. Our legal system in South Africa has done the country proud. When everything else was collapsing and the government was raping the fiscus our judges have stood firm and were able to “speak truth to power”. Our Constitutional Court has held firm throughout the past 15 years of state capture and we can all be proud of at least one arm of government – and that is the judiciary. Well done to Michael Donen on bringing this message loudly and clearly to the public.…

Thirty people drowned when an overloaded boat capsized in central Nigeria’s Niger state, an emergency official said yesterday. The boat, carrying 100 local traders, split in two after smashing into a stump during high winds on its return from a market on Saturday, said Ibrahim Audu Hussein, spokesperson for the state’s emergency agency. The accident occurred at Tijana village in Munya district. “So far 30 bodies have been recovered and five are still missing,” Hussein said. “Sixty-five passengers were rescued with the help of local divers.” Heavy rains were hampering the search. Local media said some of the victims were people displaced by recent violence in the state. President Muhammadu Buhari commended the emergency services and the divers for their response and urged Nigeria’s transportation authorities to beef up policing…

Amid the lockdown imposed in Bihar to check coronavirus infections, the state government may have given permission for allowing marriages with certain restrictions, but finding priests for solemnising marriages or conducting a “shradh” and the last rites of a person is proving tough for many people. The fear of Covid-19 has not spared priests which is why they are avoiding performing marriages or last rites. People in cities are desperate to find priests to conduct “shradh”. They are willing to shell out higher dakshina (a donation) so the rituals can be completed and the dead person’s soul can find peace. Many people have moved to other states to find priests. Even if they find a priest, due to markets remaining closed during lockdown they are unable to arrange the materials…

LONDON: Prince Charles “may never forgive” Prince Harry for his remarks in the bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, US Weekly has reported citing an anonymous insider. The magazine, said Charles, 72, is having a hard time moving on from the allegations his son and daughter-in-law made – and Queen Elizabeth is reportedly unhappy about – in the wake of Prince Philip’s death. Unlike Prince William, who believes the family should “keep things civil” with his brother, Charles is reportedly “fanning the flames” and wants to fight back with “a tit-for-tat attitude”. Charles hasn’t forgiven Harry for “dragging his name through the mud”.…

mike greenaway mike.greenaway@inl.co.za The first Test between the Springboks and the British & Irish Lions takes place 10 weeks on Saturday, on July 24, and with so much that has happened — or perhaps not happened— on the rugby calendar since the 2019 World Cup final, you have to think that the team that will prevail will be the team that manages to squeeze in the best preparation. We all know the Boks have not played a Test since beating England in that final, while in contrast the 37 players that make up the Lions squad have played plenty of matches for their respective countries but obviously none in the collective that is the Lions. In short, the Lions have a pre-tour Test match against Japan, in Edinburgh, and…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@in.co.za A WAGE dispute is looming between public sector workers unions and the government as negotiations have deadlocked at the bargaining council, which could threaten efficient service delivery. This after the unions yesterday seemingly refused to move from their demands and the government from its offer, respectively, as wage negotiations resumed for the fourth round. Public sector workers unions are demanding 7 percent salary increases, among other demands, while the government remains steadfast in its zero percent salary offer. Analysts have warned that raising workers salaries above inflation amid deteriorating fiscus could see South Africa’s sovereign credit ratings status degraded further into junk. The public sector wage bill is among three of the fastest-growing government expenditures. The Public Servants Association (PSA), which represents more than 235…

STOCKS on the JSE extended their gains for the fourth session yesterday, briefly crossing the 69 000 index point mark amid continued optimism over a global economic recovery. The FTSE/JSE All Share Index (Alsi) rose to 69 043 points during afternoon trade because of the risk-on sentiment after Moody’s skipped its scheduled review of South Africa’s sovereign credit rating on Friday. At the close, the Alsi was at 68 377.23 points, down 0.21 percent, while the Top 40 Index was at 62 389.39 points, 0.29 percent lower. This is a far cry from when the Alsi fell to 37 900 points in March last year as Covid-19 wreaked havoc in the markets, before it rebounded to 67 000 points in February this year. The JSE was yesterday buoyed by commodity…

Vernon Mchunu vernon.mchunu@inl.co.za ZULU King Misuzulu kaZwelithini would be compelled by culture to get married before he could officially issue royal orders. This is according to a culture and history expert, Jabulani Maphalala. Unless extraordinary circumstances did not permit it, Zulu culture dictated that a king could only be recognised officially once he was married, said Maphalala, who is professor emeritus at the University of Zululand and current chairperson of the ad hoc panel considering the Vatsonga kingship claim. University of KwaZulu-Natal senior lecturer Dr Gugu Mazibuko concurred, saying that if a king was not married it would be difficult for senior married elders to respect his orders. Mazibuko drew a historical example with the late King Goodwill Zwelithini, saying he too got married swiftly so that he could take…

INVESTMENT analyst Dr James Greener brings us some information in his latest grumpy newsletter that I’m sure most of us were unaware of. Who knew that in the Varsity Shield rugby competition, Walter Sisulu University (from the region once known as Border) have been performing the New Zealand Haka before the game? “Among the reasons they have provided for this choice of a foreign symbol is that they admire the way the All Blacks play. Further, they have won three World Cups. Er, yes. So has another team called the Bokke. “Anyway, after receiving a polite and kind letter from New Zealand rugby, the WSU fellows have stopped making fools of themselves but, to be fair, it did seem to work. They beat Rhodes 63-10.” Sympathies to James Greener. Rhodes…

MOHAMED SAEED | Pietermaritzburg Despite the current virus-testing times we are living through, by the grace of the Almighty, Muslims were still able to fast, pray in the Musjids and successfully and spiritually complete Ramadaan. As Muslims are about to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr; a celebration that takes place every year after the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting during Ramadaan, sadly, this year the Eid celebrations, like last year, will not be the same again due to the unprecedented Covid-19 outbreak. Eid during a pandemic is very different from what it used to be. However, Eid will surely bring joy and some good times in everyone’s lives. While Eid is a time for families to happily spend time and enjoy the moment together, it is also one of great sadness for those…

YOU are free to love anyone you choose in a mutual, equal, adult relationship. I give you my full backing and support. As you develop your most important relationships, I will be willing to learn to love the people you love. As much as I am able, you have my complete forgiveness for anything and everything you may have ever done or considered harmful or hurtful to me. As I learn more about forgiveness, I will take it to new levels with you whether you are aware of it or not. People in families have odd ways of holding each other back. It is often done in the name of love. Where you think I may be doing this to you, tell me so I can stop it. I want…

| Mercury Reporter MORE than €4.1 million (R70m) were raised during the Wings for Life World Run held at the weekend. The event organiser’s said there were 184 236 participants from 195 nations who took part in Sunday’s run. The funds raised, from entry fees and donations, will go towards spinal cord research. Sweden’s Aron Anderson (66.8km) won the men’s competition for the third time after victories in 2017 and 2018, while Russia’s Nina Zarina (60.2km) took her third consecutive title, following wins in 2019 and 2020. The runners and wheelchair users covered an average of 12.3km this year. Nearly 2 000 South Africans across the country took part in this year’s run. South African 2018 race winner Admire Muzopambwa topped the table with an outstanding 50.4km…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za TRANSFORMATION is happening but slowly, as too few black executives are occupying management positions in South Africa, a new report shows. The Sanlam Group last week launched the inaugural 2021 Sanlam Gauge report on the B-BBEE (broad-based black economic empowerment) scorecard performance of 11 sectors in South Africa. The Sanlam Gauge is the first report of its kind to deliver insights on how industries in South Africa are transforming. Sanlam Group chief executive Paul Hanratty said the report was to help South Africa drive the debate on how best to achieve true economic inclusion and equality for all. “The findings of this report will, we hope, catalyse introspection in corporate society. We urge business to ask, how can we do more to drive economic growth and inclusion?…

Sakhiseni Nxumalo sakhiseni.nxumalo@inl.co.za FIREFIGHTERS battled for more than eight hours to extinguish a fire in a building on Felix Dlamini (Brickfield) Road in Overport yesterday. It is believed that the fire started at the premises of a flooring company based on the second floor of the building. The fire then spread to the third floor, where a number of families stay, and also spread to a nearby building. Sibusiso Mkhulisi, eThekwini Fire regional division commander, said that firefighters responded to the scene just after 8.30am after receiving a call from a business owner. He said the teams struggled to extinguish the fire as it was difficult to gain access to the buildings. “What we did was to stop it from spreading to other close-by buildings because there was a risk…

AFRICA will join in the joyous festivities of its Chinese brothers and sisters when the Communist Party of China (CPC) celebrates its 99th anniversary in July. Africa will applaud the CPC, under whose leadership there continues to be an unwavering commitment to: Socialism with Chinese characteristics as the inevitable path to China’s success. Economic development as its central task. A people-centred approach focusing on meeting the aspirations of all its people for a better life. Peaceful development as a pre-condition for China’s achievements: Africa will convey its heartfelt congratulations to the CPC on its phenomenal achievements, through its reform, which has laid a solid foundation for progress towards a “moderately prosperous society” and the national rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, strong and unified. This should come as no surprise because…

THE battle against the scourge of gender-based violence (GBV) will amount to nothing if police don’t properly investigate and arrest well-known and influential perpetrators who are accused of abusing their partners. Allegations of GBV have been made against hip-hop artist Kiernan Jarryd Forbes, also known as AKA, and DJ Nkosinathi Maphumulo, who goes by the stage name Black Coffee. Anele “Nelli” Tembe, AKA’s fiancée and daughter of Durban businessman Moses Tembe, died recently after she allegedly jumped to her death from the 10th floor of a Cape Town hotel. However, an online news website on Sunday told of a tumultuous relationship, in which Tembe was subjected to physical abuse – allegedly at the hands of AKA. The news organisation also published images which depicted an incident where AKA allegedly broke…

Ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi is expected to attend her next court hearing in person, her chief lawyer said yesterday, after weeks of stalled virtual proceedings over charges her supporters say are fabricated. Since her arrest hours before a February 1 military coup, Suu Kyi has been held at her residence in Naypyitaw and faces numerous, mostly minor, charges, the most serious under a colonial-era official secrets act, punishable by 14 years in prison. “The presiding judge declared that by the instruction of the Union Supreme Court, the cases were to be heard in person, not virtually by video conferencing,” her legal team head, Khin Maung Zaw, said. Suu Kyi, 75, has been permitted to speak with lawyers only via a video link in the presence of security…

Los Angeles: Reality TV star and make-up mogul Kylie Jenner shared a set of pictures with her daughter Stormi yesterday, saying she loves being a mother. Kylie shared the pictures on Instagram. They capture the mother-daughter duo in various moods – at the poolside, in bed, and Kylie brushing Stormi’s teeth with a tiny toothbrush, besides a solo picture of the little girl. “I love being your mommy,” Kylie wrote in the caption. Stormi was born in 2018 and is Kylie’s daughter with the reality star’s former partner, rapper Travis Scott.…

Évry: A French court yesterday dismissed a case by an elderly French-Vietnamese woman against several agrochemical companies, including Monsanto and Dow Chemical, over the use by the US military of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. The court ruled that it did not have the jurisdiction to judge a case involving the wartime actions of the US government. Tran To Nga, 79, accused the chemicals firms of causing harm to her, others and the environment by selling Agent Orange to the US government. The court backed the companies’ contention that they were acting “on the orders” of the US government, which was engaged in a “sovereign act”.…