Mercury的2023-10-02目录

It announces that it is eyeing four African markets: Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal and SA STELLANTIS, hard on the heels of a massive investment plan in the Eastern Cape, has announced that it will through its Auto24.africa platform, also begin making further inroads into South Africa’s used car market. Auto24.africa said this week it plans to enter four new African markets: Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa. The expansion, according to the company, positions the platform to become the continent’s number one multi-brand retailer for used cars. But it will face much competition in the local market, where online companies such as WeBuyCars and AutoTrader have been making big inroads into what was once a market traditionally held mainly by physical car dealerships. For instance, WeBuyCars, which is owned by…

IT IS with disappointment that I learnt about a confidential report that shows Treasury’s damaging review of the Msunduzi Municipality. This is not the first time that we, Pietermaritzburg citizens, have read such distressing news. Here, I am reminded of Johann Mettler who was appointed in 2010 to rescue the maladministered Msunduzi Municipality. Undeniably, for some time Pietermaritzburg citizens have been complaining about the poor service delivery from the municipality. Regrettably no real action was taken to fix up, not only the financial health, but also service delivery issues. Now, once again, we are faced with more shocking news of the City’s declining finances. The impact will be devastating on social development and the lives of people, especially on the less privileged and senior citizens, if the city faces economic…

MERCURY rugby writer Mike Greenaway has been giving us expert lowdown on the game for the past 25 years. Now he brings us a book the likes of which I cannot recall coming out of any other rugby-playing country. The Fireside Springbok – the untold stories that make the Boks great –combines history with humour and analysis of the game as it developed in this country over the decades. Take “Fairy” Heatlie, the South African captain of 1903, who led the team to their first-ever international win, against the touring Brits. But Heatlie was in financial difficulties and was being accused of embezzlement, one of the victims allegedly being a team-mate. That saw him take a rowing boat out to an Argentinian vessel anchored in Table Bay. He sailed to…

Cash-in-transit (CIT) heists are on a rapid rise with more than 200 incidents committed in the country this year. By April, just four months into the year, reports indicated that CIT robberies had increased by 24% over the first three months of this year compared with the same period in 2022. On Wednesday, police were able to track down a group of 15 suspects who had just completed another robbery in Springs. As the police were tracking down the suspects, a gun fight between the group and police ensued, resulting in the death of one suspect and the arrest of two, and the escape of 12 of the suspects. According to the police, the security guards had just picked up money from various outlets and were en route to their…

‘QUEEN of the Seas’, executive officer Lieutenant-Commander Gillian Hector, was laid to rest during an emotional funeral ceremony held in Fish Hoek on Saturday. Hector, coxswain Master Warrant Officer William Mathipa and coxswain under training Warrant Officer class one Mokwapa Mojela died during a vertical transfer (Vertrep) exercise on September 20. The activity involves hoisting personnel or cargo from the deck of the submarine to a helicopter, and vice versa. The exercise was done as they were en route to the Table Bay harbour where the Mini Navy Festival was to be held at the V&A Waterfront. Hector’s training officer, Gert van Staden, said that being a cadet “they worked harder than most school pupils”. Van Staden said he would remember Hector as endearingly as many others would. Chief of…

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has finally set the date for the trial of three men accused of the murder of a German tourist near the Kruger National Park. Jorg Schnarr, 67, was shot dead while driving to the Kruger National Park using the Numbi Road on October 3 last year. He was killed during a suspected robbery. The man was said to be travelling with three other German tourists when the they were stopped by the armed suspects as they made their way to Numbi gate in the south-western corner of the park. National Prosecuting Authority provincial spokesperson Monica Nyuswa said the three accused were served with the indictment on Friday in the Kabokweni Magistrate’s Court. The matter was transferred to the High Court in Mbombela and is set…

recent weather-related tragedies have reminded South Africans, and indeed the rest of the world, how ill-prepared our cities are to deal with disasters largely driven by climate change. If it’s not floods claiming the lives of 6 000 people, with hundreds more still missing and at least 43 000 internally displaced in Libya, it is the raging wildfires that have led to deaths of people and animals, destroying livelihoods across the globe, including Europe, North America and Australia. Making matters worse is that these tragedies could have been avoided had the world acted sooner, instead of simply ignoring the early warning signs. Take for example the recent Cape Town floods where four children died after being electrocuted at Klipfontein Mission Station, and another similar incident where four people…

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), listed as a terror group by Türkiye and its Western allies, claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in the Turkish capital of Ankara yesterday that injured two people. “A sacrificial action was carried out against the Turkish Interior Ministry by our Immortal Brigade,” the PKK told the ANF news agency, which is close to the Kurdish movement. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday that “terrorists” will never achieve their aims, hours after the blast near the parliament in Ankara injured two police officers. The powerful explosion outside the interior ministry, followed by large flames, was heard for several kilometres from the site of the attack. The targeted district is home to several other ministries and the Turkish parliament, which reopened in the afternoon with…

South Africa take on New Zealand in their final warm-up match ahead of the World Cup today at the Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvanathapuram where the pace attack will have much-needed time on the park ahead of Saturday’s clash against Sri Lanka. It is a crucial warm-up match against the Black Caps, as South Africa will have an opportunity to tighten up their game plans. On the batting front, the Proteas have looked sound throughout the year with captain Temba Bavuma, Heinrich Klaasen and Aiden Markram scoring big hundreds. Quinton de Kock at the top of the order has looked good, particularly in the Australia series. David Miller also had a fantastic start to the summer with a couple of half-centuries against Australia, meaning the team’s batting unit is on song…

Jurgen Klopp blasted the "crazy decisions" that led to nine-man Liverpool's 2-1 defeat against Tottenham as referees' chiefs admitted the Reds were denied a legitimate goal in Saturday's dramatic clash. Klopp's side had Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota sent off in north London, while Liverpool forward Luis Diaz had a goal wrongly disallowed by VAR. Refereeing body PGMOL issued a statement less than an hour after the final whistle conceding Diaz's first-half goal should have stood. "PGMOL acknowledge a significant human error occurred during the first half of Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool," the statement read. "The goal by Luis Diaz was disallowed for offside by the on-field team of match officials. This was a clear and obvious factual error and should have resulted in the goal being awarded through VAR…

SOUTH African households and the corporate sector are expected to remain reluctant to take on more credit towards the end of the year as the cost of borrowing is still elevated due to stubbornly high interest rates and weak economic activity. Data from the SA Reserve Bank (SARB) on Friday showed that private sector credit extension (PSCE) only advanced by 4.38% year-on-year, compared with a 5.87% increase in July. This was below market forecasts of a 5% rise, and was the weakest PSCE data in more than a year. However, it marked the 26th straight month of growth in the private sector, although it was the lowest since February 2022. According to the SARB, the performance of the subcategories was mixed, but most of the drag came from the bills…

TWO MORE actively managed ex- change traded funds (AMETFs) listed on the JSE on Friday, adding a further set of globally recognised options to the bourse’s portfolio. This marks the first AMETF listings for both Sygnia Itrix alongside specialist global listed real estate investment manager Reitway Global. AMETFs are collective investment schemes that are traded on the market whereby the investment manager uses an actively managed investment strategy to produce a return for the investor rather than utilising a passive investment strategy. The AMETF from Sygnia is their first issuance of its kind in the market and will predominantly invest in global technology equity securities and assets in liquid form. A minimum of 5 000 000 securities will be listed by Sygnia with an issue price of R10…

AUDITORS from Deloitte have given the thumbs-up for South African forestry and wood milling investment company York Timbers’ status as a sound going concern entity despite looming facility breaches with Absa and the Land Bank. This after the company reported an earnings and revenue slump for the full year to end-June. Revenue decreased by 9% to R1.6 billion while adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation were lower by R161 million. Cash generated from operations also halved to R128m after a 12% decline in the value of biological assets to R2.5bn. York Timbers this year reported a loss of R313m, largely hammered by rising costs as a result of intensified load shedding and increased prices from external log suppliers. York’s strategy to increase the clear-fell age…

When it comes to fashion items that never seem to go out of style, the slip dress is undoubtedly one you should always have in your wardrobe. It’s so versatile you can create a variety of looks to take you from daytime casual to evening elegance. Owning a slip dress is one thing, but how you style it makes all the difference. Simply throwing it on could easily look like you’re wearing sleepwear. When buying a slip dress look for more classic styles in neutral shades. Here are different ways to style a slip dress to help you embrace its sophistication and charm. Glamorous evenings Style your slip dress with a statement belt to accentuate your waistline and add some definition. Pair it with strappy heels and stilettos for an…

THE letter from a committee chairperson for the eThekwini Municipality which appeared in your edition of September 29 should surely have been published on April 1. The terms “municipality” and “service excellence”, as has been shown in the past few years, represent a dichotomy in understanding. The chairperson says the “eThekwini Municipality is committed to service excellence” – surely there is no need to say this in headlines since it goes without saying that all municipalities should be committed to this. However, and here comes the rub, as has been demonstrated by this municipality in the past, and for that matter most ANC-controlled authorities, there is a vast difference between saying and doing. So is this letter just the start of the electioneering campaign? Based on regular past performance, the…

VARIOUS banks have been cosying up to the government/ruling party for a while now, making exorbitant profits with scant regard to clients, especially the poor masses who have to bear high bank charges amid ongoing financial hardship. The unashamed move by Standard Bank to close the accounts of the Independent Group, including Sekunjalo, is immoral, despicable and possibly in violation of the SA Constitution. It is hoped that the interim order granted by the court against Standard Bank hereon will be made final. Thus justice will prevail, media freedom maintained and hundreds of jobs not lost, the latter causing extreme hardship and negatively impacting thousands of persons. The assertion by Standard Bank that its sinister move stems from reputational risk is a flimsy excuse and merely hogwash. Who’s fooling who?…

The shortage of engineers in South Africa has had a huge impact on the construction sector and infrastructure development. This is according to the chief executive of the South African Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors (Safcec), Webster Mfebe. Africa Engineering Week was recently marked, throwing the spotlight on critical issues impacting the engineering sector. Mfebe said South Africa’s failing infrastructure and the exodus of engineers meant that the country was regressing in terms of infrastructure development. At municipal level the collapse of infrastructure was due to the disaster of operations. Instead of focusing on infrastructure investment, some municipalities rolled over budgets for the following years, he said. South Africa was regarded as one of the most unequal countries and infrastructure development could be a catalyst in reversing the situation, Mfebe…

As the 2023 National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams draw closer, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has outlined the security plans put in place to curb the illegal leakage of exam papers. “We have put in place a lot of measures to protect the sector because the NSC is a national paper. “With technology, a paper can be leaked in the Free State and reach other provinces, making it hard to investigate,” she said. Motshekga addressed the media at the department’s conference centre in Pretoria yesterday. “I can assure you that we pay a lot of attention to ensure that we curb any leak because it is a headache if it happens. “In the event of the leak, depending on what has happened, (we) investigate the source of the leak and…

MSUNDUZI Municipality’s municipal manager, Lulamile Mapholoba, has given the city the green light to develop a policy that will see its councillors provided with bodyguards where necessary. Mapholoba announced the move at a council meeting last week where he expressed the city leadership’s concern over the safety of its public representatives. While the move has been supported across the board, there have been calls for extra precaution in the roll-out of the plan to ensure there was no abuse of the policy. This comes just weeks after Councillor Mabhungu Mkhize was gunned down at France township, and a week after another ANC councillor, Mzwandile Shandu, was killed in an apparent ambush. The two councillors are from the ANC’s Moses Mabhida Region, made up of Pietermaritzburg and surrounding areas. Less than…

THE United Nations General Assembly debates can be likened to an annual reunion of well-rehearsed soap box speeches by heads of state. At the recently concluded 78th General Assembly, it was no different as world leaders eloquently focused their debates on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The catchphrase used when speaking about the SDGs is, “Leave no one behind.” I had copies of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Children’s Charter on my bedroom wall while I was in high school. This was the first thing I saw when I woke up in the morning in between the posters of celebrities. As a teenager, I was witnessing our country’s transition from apartheid to democracy. A few…

The US Congress passed an 11th-hour funding bill at the weekend to keep federal agencies running for another 45 days and avert a costly government shutdown, although the deal left out aid to war-torn Ukraine requested by President Joe Biden. Three hours before the midnight deadline, the Senate voted to keep the lights on through mid-November with a resolution that had advanced earlier from the House of Representatives in a day of high-stakes brinkmanship on Capitol Hill. The last-ditch “continuing resolution” was pitched by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as millions of public workers looked set to be sent home unpaid, upending government functions from military operations to food aid to federal policymaking. “Tonight, bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate voted to keep the government open, preventing an unnecessary crisis…

At least 13 people were killed in a fire in a Spanish nightclub yesterday morning, authorities said, with fears the toll could still rise as rescue workers sift through the debris. The fire appears to have broken out in a building housing the “Teatre” and “Fonda Milagros” clubs in the city of Murcia in southeastern Spain in the early morning hours. “The fire spread from the upper parts of the two clubs, the Teatra disco and the Fonda Milagros disco … which originally were in the same building,” said Diego Seral, spokesperson for the national police. Authorities do not yet know where exactly the fire started. Police have established a list of 15 people missing after the blaze, but Seral said it was not yet final and could contain names…

THE rail industry is looking to go full steam ahead with reforms steered by the National Logistics Crisis Committee (NLCC) and the implementation of the National Rail Policy (NRP) to course Transnet through its dark channels amid the resignation of top executives. Transnet over the weekend reshuffled its executive with the appointment of Michelle Phillips, chief executive of Transnet Pipelines, as acting group CEO and Hlengiwe Makhathini will act as group chief financial officer to replace Portia Derby and Nonkululeko Dlamini respectively. This comes barely a month after Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan asserted that Transnet would be tabling a turnaround strategy amid the industry's call for the resignation of the executive team by the Chambers of Commerce and the Minerals Council of South Africa. The head of communications at…

SABLE EXPLORATION intends to raise R52.2 million from a fully underwritten rights offer being undertaken at a R1 per share pricing to bankroll its exploration and other mining projects. The company’s board has already approved the rights offer. Sable, which has thin trading volumes on the JSE, has various vanadium and iron ore prospecting rights and reported a headline loss of 143.34 cents in the year to end-February 2023. The company, however, is progressing with its other mining projects as it seeks capital for its exploration and planned mining programmes. In September, Sable entered into an agreement with PBNJ Trading and Consulting for a R17m loan pending conclusion of its rights issue. PBNJ, which has “undertaken to follow its rights for R31.2m”, has underwritten the rights issue for…

THE front runner for the position of head of eThekwini’s metro police, Sbonelo Mchunu, is fighting for his professional life following a ruling by the SA Local Government bargaining council that set aside his appointment as deputy head of the police unit. Mchunu, the acting head of the metro police, said the ruling “takes everything away from him, unfairly so”. He has been serving as acting head for almost a year following the retirement of then head Steve Middleton. The ruling by the SA Local Government bargaining council comes just weeks before the municipality is expected to hold interviews to fill the vacancy. In terms of the ruling, it stated that the appointment of the second respondent (Mchunu) made on January 1, 2019, be set aside. That all decisions made…

THE devastating coastal floods that sent shockwaves around the Cape coast lines demonstrated the awesome consequences of global climate change. Resolutions will be passed, and a plethora of statements to control climate degradation will be made as usual. Reality has evaded our global world leaders. Climate change continues to degrade the ecology of the planet on a monumental scale. Catastrophic storms will continue to batter our planet, as climate change envelops the Earth on a frightening scale. These events could be attributed to a mix of unusual weather conditions exacerbated by climate change. Mega storms contribute to land degradation, resulting in economic loss, reduced biological diversity, and adverse impacts on human health and distribution of transport through reduced visibility. A study published by Scientific Reports stated that deforestation and mega…

I’M writing to shed light on the employment of close to 10 000 temporary workers under the previous Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) and its hidden political agenda. This programme was initiated during the time when Jacob Zuma was the president, employing hundreds of thousands of people in the country. What most people don’t know it is that it was controlled by the ANC, serving as a means to employ its volunteers and members of its branch structures. Even after the EPWP programme ended, municipalities continued to employ these workers, but now it’s being paid through ratepayer funds. What’s concerning is that these workers, who have no job security, clear job description, or key performance indicators, are being paid by the ratepayers of Durban. Furthermore, these workers, who are mostly…

When faced with the unexpected, things you’d prefer to avoid – self-, other-, or life-inflicted – take an hour, a month, or as long as is necessary, and remind yourself that life has taken your lifetime to prepare you for this. You’ve run versions of this track before and have what it takes to prevail and to do so with grace and kindness. Most people are stronger than they may at times feel, and it’s probably also true for you. No one is strong all the time. It’s rare to be weak all the time. Strength and courage ebb and flow; give yourself time to read your inner-tides. You’ve had practice at facing adversity. Each time was an opportunity, a rehearsal for the next one. As a result, you’re more…

Malawian self-proclaimed prophet Shepherd Bushiri and his wife Mary, who are wanted by the South African government to answer charges including fraud and money laundering, will be brought back to Pretoria at the end of the ongoing extradition court process. This is according to Justice and Correctional Services Minister, Ronald Lamola who was speaking on Friday about the extradition processes that have taken place thus far in Malawi. “What we can assure South Africans is that we will follow the matter through up until the highest court of Malawi, and we remain confident that our request is in compliance with the Extradition Act of Malawi,” said Lamola during an interview on Newzroom Afrika . “In line with the advice that we are receiving, and the good co-operation we are receiving…

Political parties in eThekwini have condemned the killing of another municipal official in the City. Khumbulani Khumalo, manager for community services in the Water and Sanitation Unit, was shot dead while in a municipal vehicle in Inanda on Friday. The eThekwini Municipality said mayor Mxolisi Kaunda called on law-enforcement agencies to leave no stone unturned in pursuit of those who assassinated Khumalo. The municipality said the motive for the killing was unknown. “The City has dispatched senior officials at Water and Sanitation to provide support to the family. “The City urges anyone who may have information about this unfortunate incident, to work with the police to bring the perpetrators to justice. Mayor Kaunda extended his heartfelt condolences to the family and colleagues of the slain employee.” KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel…

US seething at SA’s ‘neutrality’ in refusing to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine THE spectre of Cosatu welcoming South Africa hosting the US Government’s African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Summit in Johannesburg on 2-4 November must be warming to the cockles of Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s heart. “We support the government’s efforts to extend South Africa’s membership in AGOA, host the Summit in Johannesburg in November and enhance the scope of products covered to further incentivise our economic and industrial development. “AGOA has had a positive impact upon not only South Africa but Africa as a whole. It provides reduced tariff access for large volumes of South African goods to the US market, currently the world’s largest economy. Our mining, manufacturing and in particular auto-manufacturing, clothing, jewellery and…

Hundreds of thousands of people held an opposition rally in Warsaw yesterday, two weeks ahead of an election that the liberal Civic Platform (PO) says may decide Poland’s future in the EU and its democratic standing. Opinion polls suggest the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) government could win the vote but may struggle to form a majority amid discontent among some over rising living costs and concern over an erosion of democratic checks and balances. Warsaw city authorities said about a million people attended in the capital’s biggest rally on record. Public broadcaster TVP, which independent media observers say has become a government mouthpiece under PiS rule, quoted police saying about 100 000 people had joined. Online news channel onet.pl said that according to its calculations some 600…