Sommaire pour 2023-01-10 de Mercury

After a decade of declining patent filings the South African Patent Office became the fastest growing intellectual property (IP) agency in the world over the past two years, according to the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC). The number of local filings increased by 73%, and this growth was largely due to China. The number of patent filings per year increased from 8 099 to just under 14 000. In 2022 China also overtook the US as the largest filer of South African patents, and became the dominant filer of Nigerian patents as well, according to IdeaNav, a research firm specialising in IP commercialisation. “Over the past two years, China increased its focus on Africa and now accounts for about 40% of South African patents filed,” it said.…

For the franchise sector, last year was a year to regroup, re-strategise and come back stronger after being badly impacted by two years of the pandemic, followed by the July, 2021 riots and later the floods in KwaZulu-Natal, says Freddy Makgato, CEO of the Franchise Association of South Africa (FASA). He said franchises in particular, by virtue of their “strength in numbers” and their solid support mechanisms were showing signs of recovery, and the sector remained one of the most resilient. Makgato said that out of adversity came opportunities, and the franchise sector could expect to see new business models emerge that have adapted to the new normal, and will thrive going into the new year. “This is both a good thing for entrepreneurs looking to start new franchise…

CRIME-fighting efforts by eThekwini Metro Police have received a major boost following a decision by the municipal manager to give the unit control of the city’s safety and security cameras. City manager Musa Mbhele took the decision last month to move control of the city cameras from the disaster unit to metro police in an effort to strengthen their fight against crime. Deputy head of metro police Sbonelo Mchunu said: “Metro police praise the decision by the city manager. It is going to go a long way in eradicating crime in our city.” He said the cameras would help metro police monitor and prosecute by-law infringements and respond to criminal incidents and accidents quickly. He said that plans were put in place after the decision was taken to work with…

OPPOSITION parties have expressed disappointment after ANC members at a governing party event sang the national anthem without the Afrikaans and English parts of it. In a video clip that circulated on social media, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula was visibly surprised when the members, reportedly from the ANC Youth League, brought the song to an end after the Sesotho rendition. Heckling could be heard when the song was abruptly brought to an end. The video, which has been seen more than 100 000 times under one post, has caused tensions. The general sentiment was that young ANC members were aligning with the radical stance of the EFF, who have been calling for the Die Stem part to be removed from the national anthem. Others felt it was alienating Afrikaans speakers…

MORE needs to be done to address teenage pregnancies in KwaZulu-Natal after a 15-year-old gave birth on New Year’s Day. Early last year, Statistics SA revealed that more than 83 000 children gave birth countrywide during the 2019/20 financial year. KZN registered 18 550 births by children aged 10 to 17 years during the same period. We call for increased awareness about family planning and abstinence, and men need to feature more prominently when it comes to sharing the family planning responsibility. Reducing teen pregnancies should be on the national agenda. It is disturbing to come across an adolescent experiencing motherhood at a time when her main concerns should be far less demanding than those of raising another human being. The sad reality is that every year…

“Racism will not be tolerated” was the theme of President Ramaphosa’s January 8 statement. I fully endorse and support him on the progressive steps that must follow that. As I posted earlier from Tamaki Makarau (Auckland), Aotearoa (New Zealand) almost at the tail end of my holiday of relaxation, recreation and recovery, it is instructive that as a primer to whatever action that will follow, Ramaphosa must heed the lines from a Maori proverb that instruct me, “first clear the weeds (from the field, you seek to plant on), then the plant.” Dr Hinemoa Elder, a Maori, explains the importance of analysing and examining our thoughts and feelings before they become integrated into our consciousness and form the basis of our action. We must rid ourselves of noxious, toxic thoughts…

A 60-year-old man was mauled to death by his three dogs in Lichtenburg in the North West province. The dogs, believed to be pit bull crosses, attacked their owner at the weekend. “It is alleged that on the said day during load shedding, the deceased’s wife was busy on the other side of their house when she heard the dogs barking. She didn’t check what was wrong as their house is on a busy street and the dogs are frequently barking at pedestrians and vehicles passing,” said North West police spokesperson, Captain Sam Tselanyane. He said after the electricity was restored, the wife said she went looking for her husband, but could not find him. “Continuing with the search, the woman saw her husband lying motionless outside in the garden,…

The murder of another KwaZulu-Natal child has sparked outrage, with calls for the police to swiftly find the culprits. This comes after dismembered body parts, believed to belong to Philasande Shange, 7, were found by police in KwaDukuza (Stanger) on Sunday. Philasande was reported missing last week. His murder comes after the rape and murder of Anele Sphengane, 6, of Mayville, who was found dead after she went missing near her home. In the KwaDukuza incident, residents embarked on a search for Philasande which yielded no results. Resident Samukelisiwe Ndlela said that on Sunday, Philasande’s mother received an SMS directing her to where she would find some of her son’s remains. Ndlela said the boy had been mutilated and upon their arrival at the scene they found the head…

Ekurhuleni mayor Tania Campbell says that various departments have been working tirelessly to ensure a thorough investigation into the Boksburg tanker explosion is carried out. On December 24, a truck carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) got stuck under a railway bridge in Boksburg, resulting in a leak and subsequent blast that instantly killed 10 people. Twenty-eight people have subsequently died in hospital. Giving an update on the horrific tanker explosion, Campbell said: “I want to take this opportunity once again to pass on my sincere condolences to everyone who has suffered as a result of this tragedy, and offer my prayers to the families who have lost loved ones.” She also thanked civil society, NGOs, faith-based organisations, unions, residents and other spheres of government for their outpouring of support.…

THE argument advanced by the SA Local Government Association (Salga) in KwaZulu-Natal regarding the taxation of churches has some merit, and its feasibility should be investigated further. According to Salga, the Income Tax Act of 1962 exempts churches and schools from paying income tax, and they also receive other favourable treatment under tax laws as they hold the status of public benefit organisations. Salga has called on the taxman to start a national debate on the current act as circumstances have changed dramatically. Churches across South Africa play a significant role in assisting the government tackle social ills and fight poverty, homelessness and drug abuse, and in counselling the sick and promoting social cohesion. It is true that they have taken up some of the responsibilities that belong to the…

Brazilian police amassed at a camp of supporters of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro in the capital yesterday, a day after rioters launched the worst attack on Brazil’s state institutions since its return to democracy in the 1980s. After thousands of Bolsonaro’s backers stormed Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace on Sunday, hundreds of police in riot gear and some on horseback were deployed at the pro-Bolsonaro camp outside Brasilia’s army headquarters, while soldiers in the area withdrew, Reuters witnesses said. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Bolsonaro’s leftist rival who took office on January 1 after a narrow October election win, promised to bring those responsible for the violence to justice, after demonstrators broke windows and furniture, destroyed art work and stole guns and artifacts. Lula, who…

Final preparations were under way yesterday for the first rocket launch from UK soil, catapulting it into the “exclusive” club of nine nations able to send crafts into Earth’s orbit. A repurposed Boeing 747 carrying the 21m rocket containing nine satellites will take off from a spaceport in Cornwall, south-west England. The rocket will detach from the aircraft at a height of 10 670m over the Atlantic Ocean to the south of Ireland before later discharging the satellites. The aircraft will then return to Spaceport Cornwall, a consortium that includes Virgin Orbit and the UK Space Agency, at Cornwall Airport Newquay. The launch will be the first from UK soil. UK-produced satellites have previously had to be sent into orbit via foreign spaceports. “Joining that really exclusive club of launch…

LONDON: Prince Harry has branded Camilla, Queen Consort, a “villain” who “traded information” in a bid to rehabilitate her image. The Duke of Sussex, 38, opened up about his relationship with his stepmother, who married his dad King Charles in 2005, in a new US TV interview to promote his memoir Spare in which he called Camilla “dangerous”. During his chat with 60 Minutes host Anderson Cooper, Harry said: “She was the villain. She was the third person in (Charles’s marriage to Diana, Princess of Wales) … She needed to rehabilitate her image. “That made her dangerous because of the connections that she was forging within the British press. And there was open willingness on both sides to trade of information.” The duke also opened up about why he and…

LONDON: British ministers met trade unions yesterday to try to bring an end to a wave of strikes across sectors from health care to transport as workers demand higher pay. With pay rises failing to keep up with double-digit inflation – now at 40-year highs – nurses, ambulance staff and rail workers are among those who have staged walkouts, with teachers also being balloted over action. Unions said they will only call off strikes if offers are made to resolve the disputes over this year’s pay settlement. The government has argued that inflation-matching pay rises will only fuel further price increases. | Reuters…

JSE All-Share Index rose by more than 2%, surging to 78 500 points South African stocks rallied to a record high yesterday, mainly buoyed by tech stocks after the Chinese government reopened its borders and hopes of the US Federal Reserve slowing the pace of interest rate hikes. The JSE All-Share Index rose more than 2% yesterday to surge 78 500 points, the highest on record, as China reopened its borders after three years of Covid-related restrictions and indicated it could end its crackdown on the domestic tech sector. This was a significant improvement from advancing 1.9% to close at 76 858 on Friday, building up on positive sentiment as it ended 2022 in positive territory at 4.5% year on year, after reaching a peak of 78…

Who would argue? The world sends South Africa favourable grants and favourable loans to meet its CO₂ net zero targets for green energy, and at the same time buys all the coal we can export at prices 250% higher than two years ago. Financing worth $8.5 billion (about R144bn) from the US, the EU and Britain was given to South Africa. It sounds too good to be true and we all know what that means. But currently there are other strange assumptions that are not easy to explain. The production of a solar farm requires three times more mineral resources than a similar-sized coal plant, and constructing a wind farm needs 13 times as much as a comparable gas-fired plant. South Africa needs to spend $250bn over the next three…

OUTSPOKEN ANC MP and former Msunduzi Municipality deputy mayor Mervyn Dirks says he has no desire to leave the ANC or join any other parties. Dirks, who has been one of ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa’s staunchest critics, told The Mercury he would remain loyal to his oath of office and if he felt any of the party’s leaders have broken the law, he would not hesitate to call them to order. “I do not think about leaving the ANC, because it has been my political home for all of my life. For me the ANC is the best vehicle through which people’s lives can improve,” said Dirks yesterday. The MP stressed that he would remain committed to the truth. “The fact is that when taking the oath of public office…

SUPERMARKETS in Old Blighty have begun selling Easter eggs, even though Easter is not until April 9, citing a desire by customers to buy ahead of time. The major retailers have launched Easter confectionery ranges, prompting posts of disbelief, according to Sky News. Even before New Year, shelves with a variety of Easter eggs were on display in major supermarkets. While some customers were amused and posted pictures of eggs, others were outraged. Supermarkets have said it’s nothing out of the ordinary. Sainsbury’s said: “Each year we stock some seasonal products in advance of the main holiday period. This is because some customers like to buy gifts and longer-life items in plenty of time, or treat themselves early.” That’s nothing. In Tweebuffels- meteenskootmorsdoodgeskietfontein, in the heart of the bushveld regions…

IT IS Perceived that the energy crisis during 2023 will continue, with rolling blackouts. There have been many energy experts and others that have come up with solutions to rectify the energy supply, but it is obvious that Eskom has a crisis that has built up over the years. If Eskom is run as a business, as it should be, it is bound to fail. How can a business run if many of its customers do not pay for the services they receive? How can Eskom survive if there is continuous theft and sabotage of its equipment (cables, transformers, etc), for which there are also lengthy delays in replacements? How will Eskom survive as a business if its suppliers are being paid for non-delivery of and sub-standard coal? Then you…

“I thank you, boys; stay strong and do not be afraid of white people. They no longer have power, their project of apartheid is over,” Ramaphosa said. The above is an alleged comment at the recent ANC NEC meeting made by ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa to two black teenagers, following an incident at a swimming pool. If he believes that such a statement by a president is not naked racism, then he should think again. In fact, he should have told the boys that they should be afraid (not of white people, but generally) because, according to official crime statistics (released recently by Minister Bheki Cele) there are on average 70 murders committed every day in South Africa.…

HUMAN Settlements officials have in meetings raised their discomfort over how financial institutions carry out repossessions, only to recover outstanding loan balances of less than R100 000 on defaulted mortgage loans by low- and middle-income earners. Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi revealed information about the meetings after concerns were raised by the EFF in Parliament that a number of home repossessions would be triggered due to the several increases in the prime lending rate by the SA Reserve Bank last year. Kubayi, who doubles as the ANC’s economic transformation chief, told MPs her department was holding “periodical” meetings with banks, to discuss government concerns over the nature of foreclosures and repossessions in general. However, she said, last year’s increases in the prime lending rate would not lead to immediate mass…

UNITED Democratic Movement (UDM) leader, Bantu Holomisa, has decried the lack of depth in the Zondo Commission report regarding some state capture-related crimes. In a letter dated yesterday, Holomisa asked the Speaker of the National Assembly to address this issue by establishing another commission to probe evidence that he said was overlooked by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo. In the letter to Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, Holomisa pointed out the issue involving businessman Iqbal Sharma. He is a South African businessman who is known for his close ties with the Gupta family; is affiliated with the Department of Trade and Industry; and is a former Transnet boss. “No findings were made against him either. The commission’s lead investigator had received the almost 1 000-page affidavit with concrete evidence attached. However, none of the…

Mutual co-operation to achieve peace, prosperity and stability the goal I AM happy to be back in South Africa. This is the first stop of my regional visit. African nations, despite the historical injustices and unacceptable external interferences, have shown monumental resilience. They have grown outstanding leaders among whom Nelson Mandela has a unique place. Africa, with its young and dynamic population, vast opportunities, rich and deep-rooted culture and history, has great potential to shape the new century. For us in Türkiye, Africa means hope, and we are partners with Africa in this crucial journey. Türkiye’s approach to Africa is built on an inclusive and equal partnership on the basis of mutual respect and a win-win strategy. Our 44 embassies on the continent bear testimony to our growing partnership.…

A regional migration and drug smuggling crisis was expected to dominate talks between US President Joe Biden and his Mexican counterpart Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador yesterday. Biden arrived in Mexico City after a politically charged stop at the southern US border – his first since taking office. He was to meet yesterday and today with Lopez Obrador and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau one-on-one and also together in what is dubbed the “Three Amigos” summit. While trade and environmental issues are also on the table, Biden has put irregular migration and dangerous drug trafficking front and centre of his trip, his first to Mexico as president. “Our problems at the border didn’t arise overnight,” Biden tweeted after his arrival. “And they won’t be solved overnight, but we can come together…

Pakistan said yesterday that donors had committed to give more than $8 billion (R135m) to help it recover from last year’s devastating floods, seen as a major test for who pays for climate disasters. Officials from some 40 countries, private donors and international financial institutions are meeting in Geneva as Islamabad seeks help covering around half of a total recovery bill of $16.3 billion. Waters are still receding from the floods caused by monsoon rains and melting glaciers which killed at least 1 700 people and displaced around 8 million. Pakistan Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb tweeted that pledges had reached $8.57 billion. Among the donors were the Islamic Development Bank ($4.2bn), World Bank ($2bn), and the Asian Development Bank ($1.5bn). The EU, China, France and the US also made contributions.…

Nairobi: Five suspects appeared in a Kenyan court yesterday over the death of a prominent LGBTQ campaigner as police continue to investigate the gruesome killing. The body of Edwin Kiprotich Kipruto, popularly known as Edwin Chiloba, 25, was found last week stuffed in a metal box on a roadside in western Kenya in a case that has drawn condemnation from rights campaigners at home and abroad. The suspects appeared in court but did not enter pleas. They were ordered to return to court on January 31. Police said they had impounded the car believed to have transported the trunk the body was in. Homosexuality is taboo in Kenya and across much of Africa. | AFP…

CAIRO: Shipping traffic in the Suez Canal was proceeding normally yesterday after tugs towed a cargo vessel that broke down during its passage through the waterway, the Canal Authority said. The breakdown was expected to cause only minor delays, with convoys of ships resuming regular transit, shipping agent Leth said. The M/V Glory, which was sailing to China, suffered a technical fault when it was 38km into its passage southward through the canal, before being towed by four tugs to a repair area, the Suez Canal Authority said. The Suez Canal is one of the world’s busiest waterways and the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia. | Reuters…

Now without a win in six games, Stellenbosch FC will be looking for a positive result as they prepare to tackle league strugglers Marumo Gallants at the Danie Craven Stadium tomorrow. The Western Cape-based side head into the game on the back of two draws against TS Galaxy and Chippa United, two games which they would have considered winnable. They have also lost three out of their last six league games with their last victory coming in their 3-0 triumph over Maritzburg United back in early October. With a goal difference of minus three, Stellies have struggled in attack this season. The loss of Ashley du Preez, in particular, to Kaizer Chiefs appears to have taken a toll on their attacking depth. Given their limited resources, Stellies cannot really be…

Roberto Martinez was named as the new coach of Portugal yesterday, having stepped down as Belgium coach after their elimination from the World Cup in Qatar in the group stage. The 49-year-old Spaniard takes over from Fernando Santos and the most pressing issue in his in-tray will be to clarify the situation of skipper Cristiano Ronaldo, who has just signed for Saudi club Al Nassr. "My point of departure will be the squad of 26 players who played in the World Cup, and Cristiano Ronaldo is one of them," Martinez said. Martinez added that he would make his decisions "on the pitch and not in an office". Martinez, who cut his managerial teeth at Swansea City, Wigan Athletic and Everton, took over as Belgium coach in 2016, leading the side…

Mergers and acquisitions are expected to increase in 2023 and drive up foreign direct investment in the Sub-Saharan African region, in spite of the looming global economic recession. This is the view of corporate and advisory firm Deal Leaders International, which yesterday remained bullish about the regional economic prospects, amid global turmoil. Deal Leaders chief executive Andrew Bahlmann yesterday said that while most of the forecasts predict tougher economic conditions in 2023, that does not mean there will be no profits to be made for investors. A global recession has been forecast for the Eurozone and the US economies, which would snowball to emerging markets’ economies as a result of inflationary pressures arising from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Bahlman said if a recession occurs, it won’t necessarily mean investors will…

New vehicle sales grew for a 12th consecutive month in December, as the motor industry’s recovery to pre-pandemic levels continued in spite of the many challenges it faced last year. The industry was impacted by global supply chain disruptions, floods in KwaZulu-Natal, elevated inflation, rising interest rates, record fuel prices, as well as record highs in the frequency and intensity of load shedding that weighed heavily on business and consumer confidence. The National Automobile Association of SA (Naamsa) said yesterday new vehicle sales at 41 783 units in December represented an increase of 5 839 vehicles or a gain of 16.2%, compared with the total new vehicle sales of 35 944 units in December 2021. Naamsa CEO Mike Mabasa said the December 2022 new car market and…

As industries and other businesses return to full operations, they are set to feel the impact of ongoing stage 3 and stage 4 load shedding. An energy expert said yesterday that higher demand for electricity, which is expected due to businesses reopening, could lead to higher load-shedding stages. David Lipschitz, an energy resilience expert and author of the book The Last Blackout, said the country experienced up to stage 7 load shedding (technically) in 2022, which was a major concern. “We had stage 3 and stage 4 load shedding in the festive season, when a lot of businesses were closed. Now we can expect the textile and manufacturing industry to start up for 2023 which will undoubtedly lead to an increase in demand for electricity. We can expect a…

Five things most families find a challenge: Allowing each other to change, to acquire new, positive habits and attitudes. We say it’d be nice if this one would change this about herself and that one would change that about himself, but just let them try. Someone in the family will sabotage whoever seeks self-reinvention. Change in one requires shifts from all. Allowing each other to be refreshingly spontaneous, to grab hold of exciting opportunities, to seize moments of joy. We like the idea of all of that, but soon enough others will rally to rein him in or get her under control. Mr or Miss Courageously Happy will find sharp curtailment from those committed to dim and dreary living. Welcoming, permitting each other to take personal growth risks. Risks are…

WHEN ActionSA takes up seats in Parliament in 2024, we are going to push to introduce legislation to bring an end to the exploitative outsourcing practices in South African municipalities. This will include compelling local governments to perform feasibility studies and financial impact assessments before outsourcing any core functions, such as security guards, cleaners and electricity meter readers. This legislation will be aimed at limiting outsourcing only to instances where these services cannot be performed by municipalities themselves, or where there is a legitimate reason why outsourcing would better serve the residents. This is in line with our 2019 election manifesto. It is unacceptable that after 28 years of democracy, South African workers are still subjected to middlemen who exploit them and force them to work in unacceptable working environments.…

Reference to the opinions of “experts” on how to react to the first reported case of a new Covid variant (The Mercury, January 9) should be regarded with disdain. The so-called experts were responsible for following the dictates of Big Pharma to negate science in plunging South Africa into lockdowns, masks and vaccines when science decreed that the effects of those measures were worse than Covid itself. These so-called experts ignored the voices of scientific integrity exemplified by the authors of the Great Barrington Declaration – Dr Martin Kulldorff of Harvard, Dr Sunetra Gupta of Oxford and Dr Jay Bhattacharya of Stanford, along with 60 000 scientists and medical doctors – who bravely debunked the Big Pharma/globalist narrative. The opinion of one of the “experts”, Professor Nigel Garrett, quoted in…

Four suspects have been arrested on animal cruelty charges after they were found stoning a Cape fur seal at Monwabisi Beach, Khayelitsha. The Cape of Good Hope (CoGH) SPCA was alerted to a group of men who were observed trying to kill an adult Cape fur seal by throwing big rocks at it while it was trapped and unable to escape at about 6pm on Sunday. The City of Cape Town has also condemned the attack. According to a statement by the CoGH SPCA, swift action by a city law-enforcement officer on the scene ensured that the suspects were stopped and detained until SPCA inspector Werner Taljaard and trainee inspector Eugene Links could arrive to rescue the seal. “The seal was rushed to a private 24-hour veterinary practice where it…

Extradition processes to Mozambique are under way for an alleged kidnapping kingpin who was arrested in Pretoria. SAPS national spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the man, 50, was arrested at an upmarket estate in Centurion after an extradition request was made by Mozambique. Extradition processes would “immediately commence” when he appeared in the Tembisa Magistrate’s Court, she said. The suspect was arrested in connection with abductions where ransom demands were made in Mozambique. “A multidisciplinary team led by the Trilateral Planning Cell (TPC) and the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) pounced on an upmarket estate in Centurion where they arrested an alleged kingpin wanted for kidnapping cases with ransom demands,” said Mathe. The TPC is a structure led by Cabinet ministers responsible for policing in South Africa, Mozambique and Tanzania…

IN THE context of declining tobacco use on a global level, tobacco use in sub-Saharan Africa is predicted to increase substantially in the coming decades. This is the result of fast economic and population growth, coupled with intensive marketing efforts by the tobacco industry. Tobacco use is a leading cause of death and disease and imposes significant economic costs on society. Increasing the excise tax on tobacco products can serve as a powerful tool for reducing the demand for these products because tax increases raise the price of tobacco products, which renders them less affordable. Higher prices result in lower smoking prevalence because fewer people start smoking, more people quit and continuing smokers reduce the intensity of tobacco consumption by limiting the number of cigarettes that they smoke. While the…

Iran’s judiciary has sentenced three more anti-government protesters to death on charges of “waging war on God”, its Mizan news agency reported yesterday, defying growing international criticism over its fierce crackdown on demonstrators. Iran hanged two other men on Saturday, one of them a karate champion with several national titles, in its attempts to stamp out demonstrations, which have slowed considerably since it began carrying out executions within weeks of arrests. Mizan said Saleh Mirhashemi, Majid Kazemi and Saeid Yaghoubi, who had been convicted of allegedly killing members of the volunteer Basij militia during anti-government protests in the central city of Isfahan, could appeal against their verdicts. The Basij forces, affiliated with the elite Revolutionary Guards, have been at the forefront of the state clampdown on the unrest sparked by…

Moscow: Jailed Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny said yesterday he spent New Year’s Eve inside a punishment cell for inmates. Navalny, President Vladimir Putin’s most vocal domestic critic, is serving nine years in jail on charges he says are politically motivated. Navalny said on social media he was accused of washing his face in the morning earlier than scheduled and was transferred to the punishment cell for 15 days. Navalny said he spent New Year’s Eve asleep, sharing the cell with two other inmates – one “howling and shouting” and another he described as having poor hygiene. | AFP…

Marseille: Twenty-five people went on trial in southern France yesterday accused of butchering horses from the pharmaceutical industry and selling their meat even though it was unfit for human consumption. The main defendant on trial in the city of Marseille is a meat wholesaler, Patrick Rochette, but other people, including vets, dealers and butchers, also face charges over what investigators called “large-scale fraudulent practices”. The alleged scam saw fake documentation given to horses that had been previously used to produce serums by French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Pasteur at a laboratory farm in southern France. | AFP…

Kampala: Ugandan police said yesterday that they had arrested a shopping mall manager and a concert MC over a deadly stampede at a New Year’s Eve party, bringing the total detained over the tragedy to three. Ten people lost their lives in the crush at the Freedom City mall in the capital Kampala as revellers pushed through a single exit to watch a midnight fireworks show. Kampala police said that the party’s MC, Elvis Francis Juuko, had gone on the run but was arrested on Friday in Mityana. Deputy police spokesperson Like Owoyesigire said mall manager Charles Kabiito was picked up on Sunday. | AFP…

Chippa United coach Morgan Mammila will have the perfect opportunity to prove why Mamelodi Sundowns are the 'simplest team to play' when his side travels to Loftus Versfeld tonight. The 51-year-old surprised many recently when he claimed a test against the defending champions is not one that requires much planning but went on to later explain that it was a compliment towards the way they play. Mammila praised the Sundowns camp for their ability to instil a sustainable model of success that the players have bought into. "Sundowns are the simplest team to play against, very simple, even a Diski Challenge player will tell you how Sundowns play. Very easy team to play against," he said. "Very easy team to play against, but the only difference is that they are…