Mercury的2021-06-22目录

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za DENEL has told its staff it would be unable once again to pay their salaries, this time for June, as its liquidity position remained dire on competing priorities and declining sales. The state-owned arms manufacturer told its workers last weekend that it did not have sufficient cash with various plans that had been undertaken slowly taking shape but yet to improve sales and the cash inflows. It said it anticipated positive results in the next three to six months. ”However, at this stage, we do not have sufficient cash in our coffers and we do not foresee being able to honour our financial obligations for the month of June,“ Denel said. ”Unfortunately, this includes employee salaries, related statutory and third party payments.” Various divisions of the SOE…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za SOUTH Africa’s vaccine roll-out programme yesterday received a boost as the country moved to take control of the local production of Covid-19 vaccines. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the country would establish the first messenger RNA (mRNA) technology transfer hub for Covid-19 vaccines. Ramaphosa said the hub would be established in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the government of France. mRNA vaccines represent a promising alternative to conventional vaccine because of their high potency, their capacity for rapid development, and their potential for low-cost manufacture and safe administration. However, the local technology hub could take up to nine months before it could produce its first doses of the life-saving vaccines. Ramaphosa said the ability to manufacture vaccines, medicines and other health-related commodities would help…

Khloé Kardashian has revealed she’s only ever had one nose job and doesn’t have Botox because it doesn’t agree with her. The 36-year-old reality star has opened up about the speculation surrounding her appearance and, despite people thinking she’s on her “third face transplant”, she’s only ever had plastic surgery on her nose and reacted badly to Botox in the past. Speaking to Andy Cohen on the Keeping Up with the Kardashians reunion special on Sunday, Kardashian spilled: “For me, everyone says, ‘Oh my gosh, she’s had her third face transplant. “But I’ve had one nose job and everyone gets so upset, like, ‘Why don’t I talk about it?’ “No one’s ever asked me. “You’re the first person in an interview that’s ever asked me about my nose. I’ve done,…

Tarryn-Leigh Solomons THE Department of Public Enterprises says a due diligence process is currently under way following the announcement of the 51% South African Airways (SAA) sale to Takatso Consortium. Last week, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan announced Takatso Consortium would acquire a 51% stake in SAA while the government would retain a 49% shareholding in the new airline. Gordhan said Takatso would inject more than R3 billion into the deal. This comes after SAA has been in business rescue since December 2019; the business rescue practitioners ended the process two months ago. Independent Media tried to obtain more information about the finalisation process, but department spokesperson Richard Mantu said: “We are still in the due diligence process. Once finalised, we will communicate to the public.” Further details would…

I’D WONDERED idly at times whether this Pro 14 Rainbow Cup is not a bit of a mismatch. Rugby clubs in Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Italy could surely be no equal to South Africa’s senior provincial unions. The Covid-19 thing prevented any test of this hypothesis – until last Saturday that is, when the Bulls got pulverised in Italy by Benetton. How wrong I was. Benetton played with a polish and inventiveness the Bulls just could not match. Does this translate to the Test level? One gets a feeling that the northern hemisphere has coped better with the Covid-19 pandemic than we have. With the British and Irish Lions due soon, and with the Boks not having played since the World Cup more than a year ago, could we be…

EBRAHIM ESSA Durban WHY do things always get worse many more times rather than improve? Food prices move only upwards. Hospitals are continually filled with sick people, Covid-19 or not. Attitudes of service providers like metros and care givers like nurses and doctors become harder and harder. Domestic assistants become evermore stubborn and morose. Road accidents keep rising. Protest marches increase forever. Common crime is commonplace. Unemployment figures never drop. Government corruption is on the rise. The downsides are not very much within the control of the common citizen. In the face of this acute helplessness: we invent a god in heaven to help us on the virtual plane. We term this “religion”, and design a panacea for all our ills on terra firma. We call this clutching at straws…

THYAGARAJ MARKANDAN | Kloof SOCCER star Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 300 million followers on Instagram, has been hitting the headlines on and off the field at Euro 2020. Ronaldo has proved the soccer pundits, who thought that his glory days were over, wrong. At the age of 36, he is the leading goalscorer at Euro 2020, thrilling soccer fans all over the world. Off the field too, Ronaldo has been making sensational news. He has stood up against soft drink giant Coca-Cola. At a news conference before Portugal’s match against Poland, Ronaldo pushed away two bottles of Coke, held a bottle of water and shouted, “Agua” in Portuguese. He said: “Drink water; it’s healthier.” Ronaldo is a health fanatic and made a bold statement, probably a world first…

UCT chairperson of council Babalwa Ngonyama says the changing of names of spaces and buildings at the university should go beyond the view that the name change was a source of discomfort or pain for those advocating for change. This comes after the university’s council agreed to start the renaming process for Smuts Hall residence, saying the move showed how far the institution has come under the current executive leadership since the time of #RhodesMustFall. At the weekend the council deliberated and approved a recommendation of the Naming of Buildings Committee to change the name of Smuts Hall, the student residence on the upper campus. This decision takes immediate effect in that the name Smuts Hall will be removed from the residence and, in the interim, the name Upper Campus…

Mayibongwe Maqhina mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za ACTING Minister of Health Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said that the remuneration of 119 Cuban medical brigade members will cost R83 million. Kubayi-Ngubane said the medical experts and health professionals possessed specialised expertise, that was limited in supply in the country. She was responding to parliamentary questions from DA MPs, asking ministers whether their departments concluded any employment agreements with Cuba from 2010-11 to date, and for details of work Cubans performed, and the total cost of employment, among other thing. Kubayi-Ngubane said the department signed a government-to-government agreement that included work exchange and/or employment agreements with Cuba. She said the Cuban medical doctors group was recruited to strengthen health services in rural and under-served areas, from 2001 to 2019. “The group currently consists of 106 medical professionals, that…

Se-Anne Rall se-anne.koopman@inl.co.za TWO soldiers have been arrested for allegedly taking illicit cigarettes across the border using an SANDF vehicle. Police spokesperson in Polokwane, Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo, said the two SANDF members were arrested along with a 30-year-old undocumented foreign national on Sunday. Beitbridge police received information about an army vehicle loaded with illicit cigarettes, due to be delivered to an unidentified buyer around Musina, he said. “They staged a stop-and-search operation next to the Baobab Truck Park along the N1 north of Musina. The army vehicle fitting the description was pulled over,” Mojapelo said. The soldiers and a civilian wearing an army jacket alighted from the vehicle which was searched and 12 boxes of illicit cigarettes were found. “The value of the illicit cigarettes stands at R160 000.…

THE man accused of the murder of Anele Bhengu appeared in court yesterday. Bhengu was raped and stabbed several times. Her body was discovered a short distance from the home of a friend she had been visiting in uMbumbulu last week. National Prosecuting Authority KZN spokesperson Natasha Kara said Thulani Nandos Cele appeared in the uMbumbulu Magistrate’s Court and is facing charges of murder and assault. She said the matter was remanded to June 30 for bail consideration and Cele was remanded in custody. His appearance comes after the Department of Social Development announced his arrest on June 17. Social Development MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza called for the suspect to face the full might of the law. Bhengu’s murder caused a public outrage because she was a lesbian and people thought…

Paul Hoffman THERE is an astonishing lack of political will in the government to do the basic work required to rake back the loot of state capture. Understandably, some public servants are afraid of the consequences of taking steps against the looters, many of whom remain politically well connected. However, the Department of Public Enterprises needs to consider establishing a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to take cession of claims for loot. The SPV could be populated with debt collectors who have no reservations about taking on crooked comrades to get back proceeds of state capture. Matthew Chaskalson SC, an evidence leader at the state capture inquiry, gave a radio interview on May 27 this year, where he let it be known that, unlike the contrite McKinsey, there are 17…

A large, destructive tornado tore through western suburbs of Chicago, carving through neighbourhoods while lofting debris 5km high. The National Weather Service reported the twister damaged more than 100 homes and injured at least five people. The tornado spun up within a squall line that raced east through the metro area. The Chicago suburbs of Woodridge and Naperville, southwest of the city, appeared to be hardest hit. As the storm swept through this area, the weather service warned of “a confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado”. “This is a particularly dangerous situation,” the weather service cautioned in a bulletin. “take cover now!” Social media video captured power flashes as the funnel, cloaked by darkness and heavy rain, snapped electrical lines. “There is a tornado forming outside my window,” wrote the…

TEHRAN: Authorities in Iran temporarily shut down the country’s only nuclear power plant over the weekend, officials said, citing unexplained technical difficulties. A statement from Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization late Sunday said the Bushehr plant on the Persian Gulf was shut down following a “technical defect” and that it would be disconnected from the national power grid for several days. The emergency stoppage, which one official said could cause power outages, comes as summer temperatures soar. Iran already is beset by frequent blackouts that the government has blamed on illegal bitcoin mining.…

Mike Greenaway mike.greenaway@inl.co.za In 1992, Australia and New Zealand played the Springboks in their first two post-isolation Test matches and both the Aussie and Kiwis were incredulous at how arrogant South Africans were prior to the matches. Despite the fact that this country had been in isolation for a long time, South Africans thought the Boks were incapable of losing rugby matches, and this was based on the strength of the Currie Cup. Our fans were rendered speechless when the Boks were humiliated 26-3 by the Wallabies at Newlands, and that year the Boks would be outclassed in four of the five Tests they played. It was evident in 1992 that the South African rugby had fallen behind the rest of the world while in the wilderness and we were…

Herman Gibbs herman.gibbs@africannewsagency.com The South African football fraternity can brace itself for the mother of all stand-offs! After an uneventful start to the contentious PSL promotion/relegation play-offs on Saturday, the mutinous GladAfrica Championship club Royal AM are scheduled to open their four-match programme. They will go up against Premiership outfit Chippa United at Chatsworth Stadium today. However, numerous media reports yesterday informed that Royal AM official Sinky Mnisi has said, in no uncertain terms, that his team will not honour the fixture. Last week Royal AM obtained a court interdict to halt the play-offs, which finally, after two attempts, started on Saturday when Chippa hosted Richards Bay in the opener at Nelson Bay Stadium. Royal AM were highly infuriated that the PSL ignored the interdict and proceeded with the playoffs.…

Up to 10 000 fans will be allowed at Tokyo Olympic events, organisers said yesterday, warning competition could move behind closed doors if infections surge. The decision, just weeks before the opening ceremony, ends months of speculation about whether spectators will be allowed at the pandemic-postponed Games. Overseas fans were banned in March. "In light of the government's restrictions on public events, the spectator limit for the Olympic Games will be set at 50% of venue capacity, up to a maximum of 10 000 people in all venues," organisers said in a statement. A decision on spectators at the Paralympics will be delayed until July 16, a week before the Olympics open. And officials left open the possibility of a reversal if the virus rebounds. "If there should be major…

Herman Gibbs Kaizer Chiefs continue to live the “African Dream” after they extended their fairy-tale run in the Caf Champions League by beating Moroccan giants Wydad AC over the weekend in the semi-final first leg. The upset win was mainly thanks to a heroic performance by goalkeeper Bruce Bvuma. Wydad, with an overwhelming 80% possession in the match, literally ran at the Chiefs defence all evening. There has been a vast improvement in Chiefs’ defence, especially in central positions. However, when Wydad found openings that allowed them to strike in the firing zone, Chiefs defenders pounced quickly to close them down. Whatever came his way, Bvuma stood like a colossus between the sticks and denied Wydad all evening to come away with a clean sheet. Chiefs will need Bvuma to…

Sakhiseni Nxumalo sakhiseni.nxumalo@inl.co.za A COMMUNITY leader in KwaHlathi has raised concerns about miners who continued to flock to the area – even after scientists concluded that the stones were quartz crystals and not diamonds. Hundreds of miners were still at the site yesterday despite the warnings and pleas by government officials that they should abandon the mining activity. A team of experts and government officials visited the area last Tuesday, where stone samples were collected. After an examination of the samples, the reports said the stones were not diamonds and the government deemed the mining activities illegal and warned they could lead to the spread of Covid-19. Community leader and owner of the land, iNkosi Sphiwe Kunene, said even though the numbers at the site had decreased, there were still…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za BUS service provider Tansnat has won the latest round in the lengthy legal battles between it and the eThekwini Municipality as the Durban High Court has ordered the city to provide the company with the buses it needs to operate. In a court judgment delivered on June 8 by Acting Judge Lisa Mills, the municipality was ordered to supply Tansnat with 450 buses so it is able to meet its contractual obligations. The municipality needs to source an extra 43 buses to meet this target. The company took the municipality to court, accusing it of failing to provide it with the 450 buses it required and which was set out in the vehicle lease agreement it had with the city. The court judgment stated that, in 2009,…

FAROUK ARAIE Johannesburg EDUCATION and vaccines are political weapons that are being deployed by shameless political manipulators in an attempt to achieve dominance in an election year. Horrific political venom is being used as a tool of intimidation to sideline critical issues that have paralysed and are decimating the country’s well-being. Our damaged democracy was very slow to match vigilance with vigilance. South Africa is being battered by an epic political tsunami, that has polluted the political coastline, revealing that prominent politicians from most parties were compromised by the crescendo of the latest revelations. We belong to the land of Nelson Mandela, our emancipator from racial tyranny, for whom truth and honesty were the fundamental principles of existence. Nobody really knows the exact extent of corruption in our country. Everybody…

Older adults who struggle to fall asleep and experience frequent night awakenings are at high risk of developing dementia or dying early from any cause, a new study suggests. The findings, published in the Journal of Sleep Research, indicated that people who routinely experienced difficulty falling asleep had a 49% increased risk of dementia. And those who often woke in the night and had difficulty falling back asleep had a 39% increased risk of dementia, reports CNN. “We found this strong association even after we controlled for depression, sex, income, education and chronic conditions,” said researcher Rebecca Robbins from Harvard Medical School. The team analysed data collected from 2011-2018 by the National Health and Aging Trends Study, from a nationally representative sample of 6 376 Medicare beneficiaries. Self-reported sleep difficulties…

More than 700 people were arrested during a weekend operation by the SAPS in Gauteng for crimes including driving under the influence of alcohol and breaching the Disaster Management Act relating to Covid-19 lockdown regulations. Gauteng acting police commissioner Major General Tommy Mthombeni was joined by Gauteng head of community safety Faith Mazibuko, Ekurhuleni acting district commissioner Brigadier Thembeka Gwebushe and senior officers from various law enforcement agencies as he led operation “O Kae Molao” (where is the law) in Ivory Park in the Ekurhuleni municipality. In addition to other crimes, the blitz was aimed at enforcing level 3 lockdown regulations announced last week by President Cyril Ramaphosa to try to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, Gauteng police spokesperson Captain Kay Makhubele said. “The operation started with a roadblock where six…

Police are investigating a case of attempted murder after a man was stabbed in the neck and back, allegedly by his employee. According to Reaction Unit SA, the crime took place on Saturday evening in the Tongaat area. The head of Reaction Unit SA, Prem Balram, said the 28-year-old victim was rushed privately to hospital. Balram said it was alleged that the man was stabbed by his employee during an investigation into the theft of crates at the poultry farm in Greylands, Tongaat. Provincial police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala confirmed the incident. “It is alleged that on June 19, 2021 at 7.30pm, a complainant was stabbed by a known suspect. He sustained stab wounds in the neck and back. He was rushed to hospital for medical attention.”…

Sakhiseni Nxumalo sakhiseni.nxumalo@inl.co.za THE family of an on-duty uMhlathuze Municipality traffic officer who died after he was knocked down by an alleged drunk driver over the weekend have described his death as a “hard pill to swallow”. According to the city, Nduduzo Ncanana was conducting an operation on the N2 highway in Empangeni on Saturday when he was knocked down by a vehicle that failed to stop. Mdu Ncalane, City of uMhlathuze communications manager, said the 33-year-old was with a colleague when a silver Audi SUV was spotted by the officers. Ncalane said Ncanana’s colleague ran across the road to stop the speeding vehicle, while Ncanana remained next to the speed machine. The machine was set up on the shoulder of the road. “As the vehicle drew closer, it came…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za APARTHEID-era cop Joao Rodrigues, who is facing a charge of murder related to the death of Ahmed Timol nearly 50 years ago, has lost his legal bid for a stay of prosecution. The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) yesterday dismissed his appeal seeking to quash his prosecution. The matter before the SCA was whether a lengthy delay in commencing criminal prosecution of charges, including murder, allegedly caused by political interference, caused him prejudice and justified a permanent stay of prosecution. He is facing a charge of murder and defeating and/or obstructing the administration of justice. The murder charge relates to the death of Timol at the then notorious John Vorster Square police station in October 1971. Rodrigues has not yet pleaded in the criminal trial before the…

Floods erupted in several Indian states after incessant rains over the past few days. Local TV channels showed water entering homes in Uttarakhand and West Bengal, throwing normal life out of gear. In Uttarakhand, several roads have been blocked for the past couple of days after frequent landslides in the area following heavy rains. The areas of Chamoli, Rishikesh and Rudraprayag have been mostly affected, with many areas being cut off from the rest of the state after landslides blocked the roads. Water-logging up to 90cm has been reported in several parts of the eastern state of Bihar. In some areas, water entered houses, forcing people to spend nights either on rooftops or at makeshift beds at higher altitudes. TV footage showed people commuting on boats in most flood-affected areas…

Tokyo: The Tokyo Olympic Games organising committee confirmed yesterday that up to 10 000 domestic fans would be allowed to attend events when the Games start on July 23. Spectators from outside Japan have already been barred from attending the event. “The capacity will be set at 50% for all venues at the Games, and 10 000 fans will be permitted … (a) decision on the Paralympic Games will be made by July 16,” the committee said. Another key decision taken during a meeting was that, in the event of any “rapid change in infection status, the number of spectators could be reduced, or competitions could be held without spectators”.…

Eshlin Vedan eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za Maritzburg United Chairman Farouk Kadodia has indicated that he may be open to selling the club’s DStv Premiership status. ”I’m trying to follow a short-term process to see if I can either procure an equity partner or a sponsor. “If I fail at that, I will no option but to become more receptive to a potential buyer,” Kadodia told Independent Media. The pandemic has taken a major financial toll on football clubs throughout the world with the impact being even more severe on mid-table clubs such as Maritzburg United as they do not have the same access to funding and sponsorship as compared to the traditional giants of the game. The situation of Maritzburg means that it is likely that the club’s stars…

Georginio Wijnaldum scored a second-half double as the Netherlands defeated North Macedonia 3-0 to keep their perfect record on their way to the European Championship knockout stages yesterday. The Netherlands had already sealed top spot in Group C after beating the Ukraine and Austria, and they will play their last-16 game in Budapest on Sunday against one of the best third-placed finishers from Groups D, E or F. North Macedonia, who were out of contention for the last 16 after back-to-back defeats, made a much-improved start as Ivan Trickovski's early strike was ruled out for offside before Aleksandar Trajkovski smacked the post from 20 yards. But Igor Angelovski's side were soon caught out by a stunning Dutch counterattack when PSV Eindhoven forward Donyell Malen charged upfield to set up Memphis…

IANS Describing her journey as “a creative pursuit in unexpected directions” Shobha Nihalani, the Hong Kong-based writer of thriller, adventure and dream novels – and life coach – says venturing into the self-help genre for her new book made her realise that self-esteem is the reason we feel stuck or are unable to achieve our fullest potential. She aims to give her readers a new perspective on this aspect and empower them to turn their dreams into reality and live a life of purpose. “It is an odd thing to say, but I go with the flow,” Nihalani said in an interview of the diverse sweep of her books over the past decade. “My writing journey has been a creative pursuit in unexpected directions; I just let my heart…

Kailene Pillay kailene.pillay@inl.co.za FORMER public enterprises minister Malusi Gigaba challenged the testimony of the former chief executive of SAA, Sizakele Mzimela, who accused him of allowing bullying tactics to strong- arm them into making executive decisions. Evidence leader advocate Anton Myburgh presented Mzimela’s account of how Gigaba would “remain silent” when his special adviser, Siyabonga Mahlangu, and Gupta-linked Jet Airways chairperson Naresh Goyal would behave in an unacceptable manner towards the board and her personally. Mzimela said it was Goyal who “arrogantly” demanded that SAA scrap its Joburg-Mumbai flight route, because Jet Airways was a better airline. Gigaba claimed it was “just not my style” to interject while people were talking and it was not his way of chairing meetings. The Zondo Commission heard that Gigaba’s deputy at the time,…

DUNCAN DU BOIS Bluff True privatisation requires that the majority shareholder is independent politically and ideologically of the government. The SAA deal announced by minister Pravin Gordhan falls short of those criteria (The Mercury, yesterday). Irrespective of Gidon Novick’s record in the airline industry, as the new chief executive of SAA he faces a limited ceiling of what he can do. That is because of the 33% golden share in voting rights the government has in the deal. Although ostensibly the minority shareholder in the partnership with 49%, it gives the government veto power in changes over the Consortium’s charter, notably where the ideology of racial baasskap known as “transformation” is concerned, which is described in the deal as “an uppermost goal”. Beyond that, while Jabu Moleketi may well have…

Day 1: I am loved and capable of love. I have enough of everything I need. Generosity is in my design. I will offer grace and space to others and return to no one evil for evil. I will share even when others may want to take and dominate. Day 2: I will show up but not at the expense of others. I will speak up but not silence others. I will stand up but not if it means pushing others over. There’s room and and roles for us all. I’m designed for hard work. Day 3: I will resist the appealing urge to mind the business of others, to spread subtle or gross gossip, and to take on burdens that have proved too much for people more equipped, wiser…

SABER AHMED JAZBHAY Newlands West IMAGINE Kenneth Kaunda being met at the pearly gates by a delegation led by Haile Selassie, Kwame Nkrumah, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Ahmed Sekou Toure, Patrice Lumumba, Jomo Kenyatta, Julius Nyerere, Seretse Khama, Samora Machel, Angostinho Neto, Samuel Nujoma, Robert Mugabe and Nelson Mandela for an update from the last of the Pan-Africanists. I imagine him reporting to them about the failure of revolutionaries to evolve into true statesmen who failed to put the people, with their hopes and dreams to be truly liberated, first but instead self-enriched themselves whilst betraying their trust.…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za WHILE a judge said he had considerable understanding for the anguish of a sperm donor who wanted access to his son, it was not in the child’s best interests. Pretoria high court Judge Jody Kollapen turned down the first part of an application by the sperm donor to see the 5-year-old child on some weekends, birthdays and holidays. The father wanted the arrangement pending an investigation by a family advocate into what was in the child’s best interests. He then wanted to bring a later application for a more permanent arrangement regarding access to the boy. But Judge Kollapen said the child’s parents, a lesbian couple (of which one was the biological mother), were entitled to their nuclear family’s privacy. He said all indications were that despite…

Tarryn-Leigh Solomons Tarryn-Leigh.Solomons@inl.co.za THE ANC’s general manager, Fébé Potgieter, says the party is in the process of completing its fourth staff audit. Its employees had until midnight last night to submit their titles to Luthuli House. Potgieter said the audit process was done every seven to 10 years. She dismissed claims that the process was an effort to sniff out ghost workers, as reported by a Sunday newspaper. The process for the submission of the current titles started in 2019, but was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, she said. “We don’t believe we have ghost workers. The staff audit is done every seven to 10 years because that’s around the time that we tend to look if there’s a need in adapting our organisational structure. “Over the past 27 years,…

Mercury Correspondent THE SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) has stuck to its guns ahead of an anticipated march led by the EFF to demand the inclusion of the Russian Sputnik V and Chinese Sinovac vaccines for use in the country’s vaccine roll-out programme. The party claimed that Sahpra was disallowing the usage of Sputnik V and Sinovac vaccines because it was micromanaged and controlled by Western countries’ pharmaceutical companies which work with local collaborators to prevent the authorisation of vaccines from China and Russia. But Saphra chief executive Dr Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela said in a statement yesterday that they were committed to prioritising all Covid-19-related health products, including vaccines. In an effort to respond to the pandemic, the organisation said it had introduced a mechanism to facilitate a review…

Mayibongwe Maqhina mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za THE Department of Science and Innovation would have to “reprioritise internally” because it would not receive new research funding for the next two years from National Treasury. This was revealed by Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande, who said his department was engaging the National Treasury on the need for sustained funding for the research enterprise, especially research infrastructure. He was responding to parliamentary questions from IFP MP Sbuyiselwe Butheleziabout strategies Nzimande has implemented to mitigate the reduction in research funding due to austerity measures because of Covid-19 and short-term plans to restore research funding for universities. Nzimande said the National Treasury has referred the department to the Presidency for exploration of funding via the National Infrastructure Fund. He said the department has had…

THE geology experts’ report which revealed that the stones being mined at KwaHlathi near Ladysmith were not diamonds has left the community and the entire KwaZulu-Natal devastated. However, the incident has helped to shine the spotlight on the need for the government to attend to the social ills of poverty, youth unemployment and hopelessness facing rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal and across the country. An intergovernmental team, led by MECs from the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government and officials from the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, released the findings on Sunday. The report showed that the stones were not diamonds but quartz crystals. Delivering the bad news, the MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Ravi Pillay, told the media that the miners should vacate the site as their activities were…

Leader of the opposition in Namibia McHenry Venaani has called on the government to explain the ongoing shortage of oxygen in hospitals as Covid-19 cases climb. “The lack of oxygen must be clarified. The government must be answerable to the death of many. It is (bad) enough that we might not have the jabs, but pure oxygen cannot be acceptable,” the president of the Popular Democratic Movement said in a Twitter message yesterday. He would demand answers from Namibian President Hage Geingob, he added. Daily newspaper Namibian Sun reported on its social media platforms that Namibia’s Covid-19 battle was now characterised by critically ill patients gasping for air as they line up in desperate need of oxygen. Namibian media reports said community transmission of Covid-19 was still rife in…

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has provoked rage by saying that the rise in sexual assault is linked to women’s outfits. “If a woman is wearing revealing clothes, it will have an effect on the men, unless they are robots. It’s just common sense,” Imran Khan said in an interview with Axios on HBO. His remarks led to widespread anger: women expressed outrage over his comments as he was lambasted by opposition leaders. Data by Pakistan’s Law and Justice Commission show 11 rape cases are reported in the country daily. In the past six years 22 000 cases have been reported; but only 0.3% of rape suspects are convicted.…