Índice para 2023-02-17 em Mercury

President Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday defended the appointment of the new minister of electricity and the declaration of the state of disaster, saying the energy crisis demanded a co-ordinated response and urgent action. In his reply to the State of the Nation Address (Sona) debate, Ramaphosa said the new minister would assume full responsibility for overseeing all aspects of the electricity crisis response. “The minister will be responsible for driving the various actions being co-ordinated by the National Energy Crisis Committee to end load shedding as a matter of urgency,” he said. Ramaphosa also said the energy crisis required the undivided attention of a political principal who did not need to split their time and energies among different important responsibilities. “This appointment will ensure that there is a minister who is…

Ebrahim Essa’s letter (The Mercury, February 16) refers, and I agree most heartily with his views. I try to avoid shopping as much as is possible, but do find myself periodically visiting the Liberty Mall in Pietermaritzburg, where two shops in particular reign supreme in the art of Customer Avoidance Tactics. Which, I recently discovered, is a highly prized – and much sought-after – diploma. Intensive training is given and, aside from other qualities, graduates must demonstrate the ability to pass within touching distance of customers while evincing not to see them. Students who, in an unthinking moment, let slip a cheery, “Good morning sir. Might I be of assistance?” are immediately dismissed. On one memorable occasion I spent at least 20 minutes wandering around a large store selling furniture,…

TRADE union the United Association of SA (Uasa) welcomes the drop in annual consumer inflation to 6.9%, as stated by Stats SA on Wednesday, but surging food prices are a cause for concern. While fuel prices are back to the levels of almost a year ago, food inflation has hit its highest point in 14 years. Workers have to contend with the ever-increasing cost of living, while their salary increases don’t keep up. We need workers with enough disposable income to take care of their families, ensure their children’s and their own education are catered for and put money back into the economy. The state’s failure to supply food producers and retailers with sufficient water and electricity to run their businesses efficiently, prevents this from happening. Economically-driven financial stress through…

THE Western Cape High Court has ruled that an advocate who borrowed R2.5 million from his friend doesn’t not have to pay back the balance of over R1.5m as the friend had no authority to loan money under the National Credit Act (NCA). The parties were previously close friends. The advocate, who does not practice, served as a trustee of the friend’s trust accounts. In 2015, the advocate approached his friend, who had recently sold his house, and asked to borrow money. The friend sent him R2.5 million by way of five unequal instalments. After receiving the money, he drew up an acknowledgement of debt indicating how the money would be paid back with interest, which brought the amount to over R 3.8m. Aside from the loans, the friend further…

The family of SANDF member Sergeant Vusimuzi Mabena, who died in the Democratic Republic of Congo, said their only wish was for his children to receive the education he wanted them to have. His uncle, Prince Sipho Mabena, was speaking at the Swartkop Airforce Base yesterday during a memorial service for the 37-year-old. Mabena was killed by a sniper, who fired a round that also hit and injured pilot-in-command Major Omolemo Matlapeng. Following the shooting on February 5, Captain Matthew Allen was left to fly their Oryx to safety. The uncle said his nephew had been young and his death had hurt the family immensely, particularly his three young children. Although they knew he was a soldier, news of his death was something they weren’t expecting. The pain they felt…

The death toll from the heavy rains in KwaZulu-Natal has risen to six, while two people remain missing. The Umkhanyakude, King Cetshwayo, Umzinyathi and Amajuba districts were the hardest-hit areas. MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Bongi Sithole-Moloi said: “Assessments indicate that 139 homes were destroyed and 158 were partially damaged by the storms.” However, she said this number may rise. “The disaster management teams are still continuing with assessments as different areas continue to receive more rain, while the ground is already saturated with water.” Sithole-Moloi added that in terms of public infrastructure, roads and bridges across the province had been badly affected. “This includes both gravel and black-top roads.” She extended condolences to the families of those who died: Nokulunga Mchunu, 22, and Thulani Mabaso, 52, both…

Russia rained missiles on Ukraine yesterday and struck its largest oil refinery, Kyiv said, while the head of the Wagner mercenary group predicted the long-besieged city of Bakhmut would fall within a couple of months. Following a pattern of heavy bombardments after Ukrainian battlefield or diplomatic gains, Russia launched 36 missiles in the early hours, Ukraine’s air force said, after Nato alliance officials met the previous day to plan more support for Kyiv. About 16 missiles were shot down, it added, a lower rate than normal. The missiles triggered air-raid sirens and landed all over Ukraine, including its largest oil refinery, Kremenchuk, where the extent of damage was not immediately clear. “Another massive missile attack by the terrorist state on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine,” the Defence Ministry tweeted. Ukraine said…

BEIRUT: Several dozen Lebanese protesters attacked banks in a Beirut suburb yesterday, while blocking roads protesting against informal restrictions on cash withdrawals in place for years and rapidly deteriorating economic conditions. At least six banks had been targeted as the Lebanese pound hit a new record low. A bank in Badaro smouldered as firefighters sprayed water, while riot police stood nearby with shields. Since 2019, Lebanese banks have imposed restrictions on withdrawals in US dollars and Lebanese pounds that were never formalised by law. This led to depositors seeking access to their funds through lawsuits. In many cases, force was used. | Reuters…

Madrid: Spanish MPs have given final approval to a law granting paid medical leave to women suffering severe period pain, becoming the first European country to advance such legislation. The law, which passed by 185 votes in favour to 154 against, is aimed at breaking a taboo on the subject, the government has said. Menstrual leave is offered in only a small number of countries across the globe, among them Japan, Indonesia and Zambia. The legislation entitles workers experiencing period pain to as much time off as they need, with the state social security system, not employers, picking up the tab for the sick leave. | AFP…

BERLIN: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy joined Hollywood actor Sean Penn by video link yesterday at the opening of the Berlinale, Europe’s first major film festival of the year, as it spotlights the fight for freedom in Ukraine and Iran. The 73rd annual event, the most politically minded of the three big European cinema showcases, marked the Russian invasion’s first anniversary as well as anti-regime protests in Iran with new feature films and documentaries. Penn appeared on stage at the opening gala and introduced Zelenskiy. The two-time Oscar winner, who was filming in Kyiv at the start of the Russian onslaught, will today premiere Superpower, tracking Zelenskiy’s transformation from comedian to president to war leader. “Zelenskiy was two completely different creatures from one day to the next,” Penn said about the…

THE weather has been decidedly pleasant recently but some big seas and rain have changed the sea a bit. Still, the fish are biting and someone has to catch them. The North Coast has been throwing some spicy launches at the more shore break dominant launch sites. Always be careful and don’t launch if you are hesitant. The snoek have gone a bit quiet but the influx of coloured river water after the recent rains should see good colour lines which are prime snoek hunting grounds. Look at fishing both the dirty water and clean water side of the colour line. The deeper reefs and pinnacles have been productive for the bottom fishing commercials. The rockcod and geelbek landed have been impressive. The Durban section of our coast has…

Civil society groups have called for a permanent basic income grant for the unemployed following figures from Stats SA indicating that food price inflation has risen to 13.4%, the highest since April 2009. In his State of the Nation Address last week, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the extension of the social relief of distress grant and said the government would ensure that existing social grants were increased to cushion the poor against rising inflation. He added that “work is under way to develop a mechanism for targeted basic income support for the most vulnerable”. Mervyn Abrahams, programme co-ordinator at the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group, said it was the poor who felt the impact of food inflation. “I do think there is a need for a basic income grant,…

MAY we seek and desire love, in other words, the Highest Good, both for ourselves and for others, intimates and strangers alike. Consequently, desire power over no one but yourself which, even then, will be surprisingly limited. Remind yourself that you are more than meets the eye, and are powerfully shaped by generations of enriching and detracting pressures which exert degrees of power over you, and which is probably enough to deal with without trying to manage another. When you perceive others conferring power upon you, as kindly as possible, draw attention to it and suggest their “gift” is misplaced. While flattering, it’s unlikely to be helpful in the long term to anyone. When you perceive yourself to be conferring power upon another, even an intimate or trusted friend, be…

The proposal by Councillor Yaghyah Adams (The Mercury, February 15) for a qualified vote based on the payment of tax is really taking political idiocracy to another level. His plan assumes that “uneducated” people are not intelligent. He seems to forget that some people don’t earn enough to be liable for tax. That might be caused by a myriad circumstances. According to the councillor, only the rich should be allowed to vote. It does not necessarily follow that uneducated people should be held responsible for bad service delivery. In fact, it is the poorest among us who will understand the need for proper service delivery as they come face-to-face with the failures of the so-called rich who, of course, make sure that they benefit even to the detriment of the…

The DA has called on KwaZulu-Natal Community Safety and Liaison MEC Sipho Hlomuka to arrange an urgent dialogue with the province’s political leaders to discuss the issue of organised crime. The call comes after a dramatic increase in shootings during the past few weeks, including the recent high-profile murder of two men in Florida Road. It also comes after the killing of five men in Mariannhill near Durban and several politically-related killings involving traditional leaders during the past few weeks. The laid-back attitude towards growing crime levels by KZN’s top brass – along with the inability to come up with a clear plan to keep our communities safe – has led to a situation where criminals are running amok in the province. Government structures are failing dismally to strategically utilise…

Six suspects were arrested and are facing charges of attempted murder, attempted robbery, impersonating a police officer and possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition after they attempted to rob a Kokstad farmer and his wife this week. KwaZulu-Natal provincial police spokesperson, Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala, said the complainant reported that he and his wife were at their farm on Tuesday when armed men attempted to rob them. “He managed to call for help and the suspects fled in their vehicle.” Gwala said that when the suspects spotted the police and security company vehicles approaching, they opened fire and a shoot-out ensued. They drove in different directions, heading to the Kokstad and Harding areas, but were apprehended, she said. She said the suspects were aged between 40 and 42. “Three vehicles were…

Only a year has passed since the official launch of the Rajen Reddy Foundation, which was established in memory of the late Rajen Reddy. The launch took place on the 18 February 2022 to mark the first-year anniversary of his passing. Rajen Reddy’s story started when he first established a plumbing and building business. He later acquired the Shell service station that was based on North Coast Road, Durban. The advent of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) then opened opportunities at the Port of Durban. Reddy was one of the 23 businessmen who were invited to supply various services and was awarded the tender to supply stationery at the Port of Durban. Following which, Reddy was among those awarded a tender to supply lubricants (oil) at the port, and this was…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has given the strongest indication yet that the Cabinet reshuffle is imminent after he paid tribute to his deputy David “DD” Mabuza. Ramaphosa confirmed yesterday that Mabuza had expressed his wish to leave government. He said he was attending to his request. This comes after Mabuza told mourners in Mpumalanga a few weeks ago that he had resigned from the position to allow ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile to take over. Mabuza did not contest the position of party deputy president at the ANC’s national elective conference in December and Mashatile was elected to the post. Despite indicating his decision to resign, Ramaphosa asked him to stay on for all transition processes to be finalised. During his reply to the debate on the State of the…

A 44-YEAR-OLD man has been arrested in Mpumalanga after he was found with a Ford Ranger double cab bakkie that had been reported stolen in Protea Glen, Soweto. Police spokesperson in Mpumalanga, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said the vehicle was recovered in a joint operation between the SAPS and vehicle tracking company Cartrack. “Credit should be given to Middelburg flying squad and the tracking company which managed to gather information regarding a Ford Ranger double cab bakkie, whereby an inquiry was opened in Protea Glen, Gauteng, on 15 February, 2023 (Wednesday).” He said the information was shared with SAPS members from the Middelburg flying squad. A joint sting operation between the SAPS in Mpumalanga and Cartrack was then conducted. “The vehicle was spotted with one occupant at Schoenland, near Vosman, outside…

International rescue missions rushed to Türkiye and Syria after massive earthquakes that struck the region last week left nearly 40 000 dead, tens of thousands injured and an unknown number trapped in the rubble. There are more than 9 000 foreign nationals from over 80 countries conducting search and rescue operations and offering humanitarian assistance in the quake-hit zone, according to the Turkish foreign ministry. Among those who mounted extraordinary recovery efforts is an 82-member Chinese search and rescue team, which has so far pulled out six survivors from the rubble in a week, defying the odds. “There are some differences between search and rescue at home and abroad,” said Zhao Yang, a team member working in the Antakya district of the southern Hatay Province. “First, we need a comprehensive…

Banda Aceh: At least 69 Rohingya refugees, many of them women and children, landed on Indonesia’s west coast yesterday in a wooden boat, the UN refugee agency said. The vessel came ashore at a beach in Indonesia’s western-most province of Aceh, according to UNHCR official Oktina Hafanti, with one passenger saying some died during the voyage. It was the sixth Rohingya boat to land in Indonesia since November. Around a million Rohingya are estimated to be living in refugee camps in Bangladesh after they fled persecution in Myanmar in 2017. Thousands risk their lives each year on long and expensive sea journeys trying to reach Malaysia or Indonesia. | AFP…

BANGKOK: One of 12 boys rescued after two weeks trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand in 2018 has died in Britain where he was attending a soccer academy, his former teacher said this week. Duangpetch “Dom” Promthep was captain of the Wild Boars team whose extraction by international divers and Thai navy SEALs captured huge global attention. The circumstances of 17-year-old Duangpetch’s death were not clear. The news was shared on social media by a Buddhist monk who taught the boys in Thailand’s northern Chiang Rai province. Once rescued, the boys’ story was the subject of books, documentaries and films. | Reuters…

MAMELODI Sundowns will have to guard against complacency when they visit Coton Sport in their second game of the CAF Champions League’s group stage tonight. The Brazilians started their group stage campaign on a high note last weekend, beating Sudanese champions Al Hilal 1-0 in Group A - which also boasts the African Club of the Century, Al Ahly. That result set them up nicely for their trip to Cameroon, having flown out of Johannesburg on Wednesday. The African title has been Sundowns’ only missing piece of the puzzle in recent years as they won five league titles in a row, including a domestic treble last season. The last time Sundowns won the continental crown was in 2016 under coach Pitso Mosimane, but a lot has changed since then, as…

The eThekwini Municipality has made a formal representation to Umgeni Water to request that no tariff increase is implemented for the 2023/24 financial year. According to Umgeni Water, it had planned to increase the tariff by 5.5%. Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda revealed on Wednesday that the City was pleading its case for no increase to limit the pressure on customers. He said if Umgeni Water imposed the increase, the City would have to factor that into their tariffs (what they charge ratepayers) which would put more pressure on customers. “We were looking at socio-economic conditions of our communities who can no longer afford to pay for services, especially those who have been retrenched. “Once you increase tariffs, you are putting more strain on those who can still pay as that means…

AS MAPHUMULO and Nongoma municipalities in northern KwaZulu-Natal may change hands from the IFP to the ANC in coming days, local government activists, observers and analysts have questioned whether ratepayers are benefiting from the rampant changes of coalition governments. With the EFF pulling out of a power- sharing arrangement with the IFP and joining the ANC, power shifts are expected to start playing out in councils across the province. Similar jostling has also been playing out in Gauteng councils, where Joburg mayor Dr Mpho Phalatse was ousted last month in a vote of no confidence and the Tshwane mayor Randall Williams resigned this week. The IFP-controlled Maphumulo Municipality is set for a showdown today when the council sitting, which has been called by Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Bongi…

Confusion and fear are the most effective psychological weapons in asserting control over people. By means of staging events and interpreting developments according to a pre-ordained design, millions are being duped into accepting narratives that are intended to promote the demise of their traditional social order. Worldwide, globalist elites and their allies in education, politics, Big Tech, Big Pharma, high finance, the mass media and even some churches determine and sustain the narratives on the key issues of green energy, climate change, health, pandemics, vaccines, democracy, dissent, nutrition, gender and human rights. In every case, complicity is paramount. Foremost in that process is the mass media. The repetition of the same narrative across media networks is very effective in conforming opinion and ensuring adherence. This sheep herding translates into political…

Congratulations to Cllr Adams for recognising a harsh reality of South Africa’s democracy (The Mercury, February 15), and suggesting a fair and sensible solution. Desperately poor people are more easily motivated by the unscrupulous than those who have worked and saved and managed their income – there is definitely going to be more factual consideration from the latter. Therefore their vote should ensure a better outcome for the country. The moral difficulty here is the apparent discrimination between “haves” and “have-nots” – but if we look at the existing legislated discriminations (levels of tax, grants, etc) in favour of the “have-nots”, it seems unfair that they should enjoy the same voting clout as the “haves”. In a previous letter of mine I pointed out a further discrimination – the fact…

Seventy-six new cases of measles have been reported in the country since the start of the month, the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) said. Since October 2022, 537 cases have been reported in outbreak-affected provinces, which are Limpopo (190 cases), Mpumalanga (94 cases), North West (169 cases), Gauteng (61 cases), and the Free State (23 cases). “The majority of cases (72%) were reported from primary health-care facilities, and the highest proportion of cases reported from hospitals (53%) were in children under the age of one. “Members of the public are urged to ensure their children are vaccinated against measles,” the NICD said. The Western Cape had four reported cases by the end of last year, and an additional four since January. The NICD said measles cases were continuing to…

The SANDF says it is providing support to many flood-stricken communities in Limpopo as heavy downpours continue. On Wednesday, the SANDF was deployed to rescue two community members who were trapped for three days on an island in the Letaba River in Tzaneen, Limpopo, following heavy downpours that caused rivers to burst their banks in many parts of the country. In a statement, the SANDF said they have been co-operating with other disaster management agencies as part of Operation Chariot to assist trapped residents. “Amid warnings of disruptive rains over several parts of the country, resulting in the declaration of a state of disaster by the president, the SANDF activated its inherent search and rescue capabilities. A request was received from the Mpumalanga disaster management centre to render much-needed relief…

Google search trends have revealed what South Africans have been focused on from January 2022 to date. Google indicates that South Africans have been using the giant search engine to understand the economy better and build their skills and careers. It was further revealed that they used the search engine to prepare for interviews and find new opportunities. Matt Brittin, president of Google Africa, the Middle East and Europe, commented on the SA trends and said: “It’s great to see people in South Africa showing more of an interest in the transformational technology that is AI (artificial intelligence). “AI is already a key part of many of our lives. In fact, if you use Google tools regularly, you’re probably using AI without even realising it. It’s what helps maps give…

The World Health Organization (WHO) said an outbreak of Mpox (monkeypox) remained a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The WHO officially declared in July 2022 that the Mpox outbreak outside of the traditional endemic areas in Africa had already turned into an emergency. Its experts acknowledged the progress in the global response to the outbreak and a decline in the number of reported cases. However, a few countries continued to see a sustained incidence of cases, while other regions were likely to have under-reporting of confirmed cases. The current global risk of the Mpox outbreak is assessed as moderate. | IANS…

DUSHANBE: A series of avalanches has killed 10 more people in eastern Tajikistan, the Central Asian nation’s government said yesterday, bringing the death toll over the past two days to 20 and forcing hundreds of families from their homes. Most of the avalanches hit the Gorno-Badakhshan autonomous region, which borders China and Afghanistan, and where more than 400 households have been relocated from dangerous areas. Avalanches have hit homes as well as roads, the government said, and all international traffic has been suspended. The mayor of provincial capital Khorog urged its 30 000 residents to stay at home as heavy snow and rain fell. | Reuters…

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday defended a currency swop that sparked protests and cash shortages, but ordered old, small denomination 200 naira notes to remain in circulation in a bid to ease scarcities. Nigeria has been struggling with a shortage of physical cash since the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) began to swop old bills of the local naira currency for new, redesigned ones, leading to a shortfall in banknotes. The scarcity of cash has triggered violent protests in major cities as angry and frustrated bank customers attacked and vandalised banks and blocked roads. The weeks-long cash crisis has intensified days before Nigerians go to the ballot box on February 25 to elect a successor to Buhari, who steps down after two terms in office. In…