Mercury的2024-02-02目录

WATER and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu and eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda are expected to visit communities in eThekwini this weekend amid growing outrage and protests over water shortages. This comes as calls for the provision of water function to be taken away from the municipality, with Mchunu’s department saying proposed legislative amendments would make it possible for another service provider to take over water reticulation, provided that eThekwini Municipality made such an application. Verulam and Phoenix residents have blocked roads and protested in recent weeks as ongoing water shortages have affected the northern parts of the metro including Inanda, Ntuzuma, KwaMashu, uMhlanga and Durban North. Mervyn Reddy, a pastor and the public relations officer for the Voice of Phoenix, a group formed by community activists in 2022, yesterday said the…

In times gone by, letters were one of the main means of communicating with friends and relatives. We used to wait anxiously for the postman in the mornings. As soon as we saw him at the postbox, we would rush out, open the letters and read them eagerly. But the days of love letters are long over. Technology has taken over. Lovers now communicate via their cellphones. But last week, I saw a rare sight: a postman! He delivered a bill from the metro. When I opened it, I was surprised. It was dated May 26, 2023. Whose fault is it, the post office or the municipality? What we know is that the municipality doesn’t send out bills by post anymore. They are sent electronically on your cellphone. The outdated…

Things to start if you have not already … Open a savings account. Put some money away every month. Never touch it. You have never heard anyone say they’ve saved too much money. Talk to your mother and father as much as possible. Do this even if it is difficult and even if they are. You seldom hear anyone say he or she regrets being close to their parents. Tip well. Tip often. Be friendly. Compliment friendliness. Generosity is a lifestyle. It’s a habit worth developing. It’s rare to hear people complain that they spent their lives being open-hearted and generous. Open doors and opportunities for others. Alert others to possibilities. Do this even if it means they will get ahead of you (whatever that means). Be the shoulders that…

Global conflicts, logistics challenges and delays in deliveries of the product to world markets have ramped up the cost of coffee products. Paul Makube, a senior agricultural economist at FNB, warned that locally a weaker exchange rate might even heighten the cost of the much-loved beverage even further. Makube said the recent spike in international coffee prices was directly linked to the geopolitical tensions in the Red Sea, which saw attacks on shipping vessels disrupting trade flows. “Delays in delivery and cost escalations for shipping companies saw container freight rates for the Asia-Europe routes rising by almost 150% as major producers such as Vietnam and Indonesia had to detour down to Africa through the Cape,” Makube said. Beyond that, global stocks have been relatively tight as the adverse El Niño-induced…

DISCRIMINATION based on sex and gender no longer has a place in our constitutional democracy, a judge said in turning down an application where the eldest brother of a deceased man said he had the final say as to where his brother should be buried. The brother (the applicant) turned to the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria to urgently interdict the widow from burying her husband in Centurion. The brother said in terms of the Xhosa tradition, her husband had to be buried in the Eastern Cape. The brother said the widow, as a woman, did not have any say over where her husband should be buried. In the opening to this judgment, Acting Judge MR Phooko remarked that “it is generally accepted that the dead should be treated with dignity…

The 29-year-old man allegedly responsible for the Usindiso building fire, which claimed 76 lives last year, made his second court appearance this week while the inquiry into the fire heard more evidence. Sthembiso Mdlalose, who already has given testimony at the inquiry, allegedly started the fire to conceal the body of a person he had allegedly killed. Mdlalose faces 76 counts of murder, 86 counts of attempted murder, as well as arson charges. The matter was postponed to today to verify Mdlalose’s documents and citizenship status. Meanwhile the commission of inquiry into the Marshalltown, Joburg fire heard yesterday that victims of the fire sheltering at the Hofland Community Centre had been abandoned by the government and were relying on NGOs for food. A witness and former resident of the Usindiso…

When Evidence Makgopa scored the opening goal for Bafana Bafana against Morocco on Tuesday night, the big striker first turned around to look at the referee. We as fans may have done the same thing, because it is seldom that things go Bafana’s way in recent years. But Makgopa was rewarded for his fine finish as the goal stood, and suddenly South Africa were leading against the best team on the continent. Teboho Mokoena’s world-class free-kick in stoppage time sealed Bafana’s passage to the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals, where they will take on Cape Verde tomorrow in Yamoussoukro. It has been a remarkable turnaround for coach Hugo Broos’s team from their opening 2-0 defeat to Mali. Despite enjoying a 12-game unbeaten run before last November’s 2-0 World Cup qualifier…

BRUSSELS: European Union leaders stressed an “urgent need” to accelerate the delivery of ammunition and missiles to Ukraine yesterday after unanimously agreeing to extend E50 billion (about R1 trillion) in new aid to Kyiv. In a statement issued at an EU summit in Belgium, the leaders also said they were determined to continue providing timely, predictable and sustainable military support to Ukraine. However, the statement stopped short of endorsing a call by some member states and the EU’s diplomatic service to inject E5bn for Ukraine aid – which would be separate from the E50 bn already agreed upon – into a broader military assistance fund, the European Peace Facility (EPF). EU leaders agreeing to extend aid to Ukraine sends a good message to the United States, Germany’s Olaf…

A massive Finnish strike started yesterday, grounding most air traffic and closing workplaces in a protest against proposed government labour reforms that include social benefit cuts. Like its Nordic neighbours, Finland is known for its generous welfare model, which offers strong protection and benefits for employees. However, Conservative Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s coalition government has argued that the country needs an “export-driven labour market model” to “boost Finland’s long-term competitiveness”. The overhaul has infuriated labour unions, that have vowed to paralyse the country to force the government to back down. Unions plan to shut down Finnish air traffic, leading the national carrier Finnair to cancel 550 flights, affecting 60 000 passengers. Trains across the country and metros, buses and trams in the capital will also grind to a halt today,…

Port Moresby: Australia will plough millions more dollars into Papua New Guinea’s police force under a four-year deal designed to underscore a “traditional” security partnership in the face of growing Chinese influence. Canberra will spend about US$25 million (about R470m) on renovating and expanding police barracks and housing, according to the deal revealed late on Wednesday. The investment represents a bid to help the police force, while cementing security ties that appear fragile. The announcement comes just days after it emerged that China had offered to train and equip Papua New Guinea’s thinly stretched police force. |…

Frankfurt: Tens of thousands of passengers were grounded yesterday as airport security staff across Germany staged a walkout. At least 1 100 flights were cancelled in 11 airports, said the federation of German airports, ADV. At Frankfurt airport, at least 310 out of 1 120 flights were scrapped, a spokesperson from operator Fraport said. Berlin airport said there would be no flights departing from the terminals, which usually serve about 50 000 passengers on average daily. Other airports affected by the strike called by union Verdi included Hamburg, Bremen, Hanover, Cologne, Duesseldorf, Leipzig, Dresden, Erfurt and Stuttgart. |…

THERE are many talking points from the Africa Cup of Nations after three weeks of intrigue and heaps of drama across the board. There have been thrills throughout since the start in mid-January, and after several upsets, this Afcon has turned out to be one of the most unpredictable editions of the tournament ... The 24-team tournament Afcon was expanded from a 16-team tournament to a 24-team event in 2019. This is the third edition to have 24 teams participating. At the time of the expansion, it was feared that the extra teams would weaken the competition, and that could result in lopsided matches. However, after the group and round of 16 stages, it has turned out to be one of the most exciting tournaments in history. The guardians of…

A SCOPING study of Southern Palla- dium’s 70%-owned Bengwenyama Project has shown “very attractive economics”, the platinum group metals company said yesterday. The results justified a prefeasibility study for a platinum mine in South Africa’s Bushveld Complex that will cost an estimated $403 million (about R7.54 billion). The study had already started, it said in a notice Managing director Johan Odendaal said: “The recently concluded scoping study represents a pivotal moment for our company, made possible by the A$19m (R232m) raised in June 2022 for the drilling programme and associated study work. “The Bengwenyama Project, now recognised to be of world class stature, has been systematically evaluated and successfully delivered on schedule.“ The life of mine on the UG2 reef only was estimated at 36 years, with a…

The ambitions of Ithala SOC Limited to be a “fully-fledged bank” have been dealt a heavy blow after it was ordered to stop taking deposits. This is in terms of a court order that was granted by the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, in December. The order states that an exemption notice that was granted to Ithala SOC Limited lapsed on December 15, 2023. It is understood that the exemption notice had allowed Ithala to take deposits. The order stated that due to the lapsing of the exemption notice, “Ithala is not entitled to continue any deposit- taking activities and to deal with any deposits already received otherwise than under the direction of a repayment administrator appointed by the South African Reserve Bank Prudential Authority and any repayment plan put in…

International relations experts have agreed with Minister Naledi Pandor that Global South countries should try to provide humanitarian support to the UN Relief and Works Agency in Palestine. Pandor, the Minister of International Relations and Co-operation, on Wednesday in Pretoria called on developing countries to try to provide humanitarian support after several wealthy countries this week suspended their funding of the agency. Countries like the US, UK, Canada and Germany paused funding to the aid agency, after the Israeli government made allegations that about a dozen of the agency’s staff were involved in the October Hamas attack that killed about 1 200 people in Israel. Almost 27 000 Palestinians have been killed and 66 000 wounded in the conflict which started more than 100 days ago. Pandor said South Africa…

AS WE begin our academic year, it’s my wish to see all pupils pass with flying colours. That will materialise only if parents help educators to inspire pupils to take their education seriously. The idea of distancing ourselves from our children’s education because we think it is only the teachers’ job to educate them creates a negative attitude that our children end up adopting. The pass rate at the end of the year will not only be determined by hard- working teachers. It also depends on how united teachers and parents are in educating and inspiring pupils. Team work is the key.…

INDIAN naval forces have rescued two hijacked vessels off Somalia’s coast, according to the BBC. Fears are growing of a possible resurgence of piracy in the area. The rescues by the warship INS Sumitra came within 36 hours of each other. Just days earlier, Seychelles defence forces reported freeing a group of fishermen from pirates. The waters off the Somali coast were previously a hotbed of piracy, but it had all but stopped after international forces stepped up patrols. However, many of the naval forces have moved up into the Red Sea, according to Agence France Presse, where the Houthi rebel group in Yemen have been attacking ships. Experts fear the gap could be exploited by pirates in the region. Yes, piracy was a big problem in those days. The…

KwaZulu-Natal political parties have called for democracy to prevail and have urged unregistered voters to turn out in their numbers at the final voter registration weekend ahead of the national and provincial elections. Voters will still be able to register online until the proclamation of the date of the elections by President Cyril Ramaphosa is gazetted. ANC provincial spokesperson Mafika Mndebele said the registration process in November had been smooth and without major incidents and the expectation was that the registration on February 3 and 4 will be the same. IFP provincial premier candidate Thami Ntuli said the party was hoping that registration would be conducted in a good spirit. “We have encouraged many people to register and we have seen people turning out in their numbers for by-elections and…

TRUCKING companies have welcomed strides made by the National Logistics Crisis Committee (NLCC) in turning around the logistics crisis in South Africa. The NLCC, which is chaired by President Cyril Ramaphosa, was formed last year to address challenges faced by the logistics and freight industry. Dr Juanita Maree, CEO of the SA Association of Freight Forwarders, said the NLCC was an important response from the government to industry. “It was greeted by a legion of strong, powerful well-vested private-sector partners ready for action. It is a major step in the right direction. The NLCC, constituted by the government, works to secure stability across the logistics and supply chain arena.” Maree added that the forum enabled the private sector to participate and have regular access to a specialist logistics consultative platform.…

The leader of Hamas was expected in Cairo yesterday for talks on a proposed truce in Gaza, as Israel kept up its offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory. Hamas was reviewing a proposal for a six-week truce in its war with Israel, a source said, after mediators gathered in Paris, with international efforts towards a new pause in the devastating war gathering pace. In Gaza, there was no let-up in fighting or aerial bombardment, with the focus of combat in the southern city of Khan Yunis, where Israel claims leading Hamas militants are hiding. Overnight, witnesses said several Israeli air strikes hit the city, while aid and health workers have reported heavy fighting, particularly around two hospitals. According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, 119 people were killed in…

Paris: A small Paris building used by double Nobel winner Marie Curie will be moved rather than torn down, French Culture Minister Rachida Dati said this week, hoping to put an end to a months-long row. The Pavillon des Sources “will not be destroyed” but “moved a few metres ... brick by brick”, Dati told broadcaster France Inter. A hi-tech cancer research centre is planned by the Institut Curie at the site in Paris’s touristy Latin Quarter. But history buffs had protested at the demolition of a building. |…

US President Joe Biden will tap senior adviser John Podesta as US special climate envoy once John Kerry steps down, Podesta and other White House officials have confirmed to The Washington Post. Podesta, a senior adviser on clean energy and a veteran Democratic strategist, will remain at the White House rather than move to the State Department in his new role, which has not previously been reported. His new title will be senior adviser to the president for international climate policy. Podesta oversees the implementation of Biden’s signature climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act. The law devoted billions of dollars to accelerating the nation’s transition to wind, solar and other sources of clean energy. Podesta also played a critical role in brokering the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement as a counsellor…

Tokyo: The wing tips of two passenger jets “scratched” each other at a Japanese airport yesterday, an airport operator said. Reports said no one was injured in the incident involving the two All Nippon Airways aircraft at Osaka’s Itami airport for domestic flights. No passengers or crew were injured, local media said, just weeks after plane-related woes made headlines in Japan and abroad. All 379 people on board an Airbus escaped death in a near-catastrophic collision at Haneda airport between the Japan Airlines aircraft and a smaller coast guard plane on January 2. However, five of the six people on the smaller aircraft died. |…

After scrambling to put a together a squad for the New Zealand Test tour due to the majority of South Africa’s contracted players being involved in the SA20, coach Shukri Conrad now faces a major dilemma in how his starting XI is going to shape up at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Sunday. The Proteas have yet to play a Test in the coastal town of Tauranga on the North Island, with only England (twice), Pakistan and Bangladesh having visited there previously. Conrad is therefore hoping to assess the conditions during the two training sessions scheduled in the build-up before announcing his starting XI. The Test coach, unlike former captain Dean Elgar, is a firm favourite of announcing his team ahead of time, but he may have to…

AS firefighters have been hard at work battling several infernos, the Western Cape government wants the National Disaster Management Centre to classify the wildfires as a provincial disaster. Fires in several communities in the Cape Winelands and Overberg districts have been raging since last week, with high temperatures and strong winds fuelling the flames. Evacuations from properties in Pringle Bay were ordered a number of times as part of precautionary measures, but were later lifted. Local government and environmental affairs MEC Anton Bredell said yesterday that the infernos required a large and co-ordinated firefighting effort, and the provincial government needed to be able to respond to a fast-changing situation. “A provincial disaster classification will empower Premier Alan Winde and the Minister of Finance to move funding as and when we…

The difference between governance and patronage was on view in the overdue vote to oust Mxolisi Kaunda as mayor of eThekwini municipality (The Mercury, February 1). Unfortunately, patronage triumphed. Governance was represented by the parties that supported the motion to dismiss the mayor for the shambles in the municipality under his leadership. With regular reports of the descent of eThekwini Municipality into debt and dystopia, it made sense to oust him. After all, a fish rots from the head. But preventing a victory for governance was the group of one-seat PR parties which clearly price political patronage above governance. Collectively they represent less than 1% of eThekwini voters, yet they were able to thwart the righteous cause of governance. One particular member is Visvin Reddy. Although of late the ink…

We are deep in election mode as disgraced politicians attempt a comeback after destroying and decimating our country. Earth-shattering new revelations continue to make headlines in our dysfunctional country. Do not be deceived by the current and recycled shenanigans; they are all promising voters a new Shangri-La. The road to power is paved with hypocrisy and casualties. All the major political parties have lost their moral values to the affluence that comes with power and materialism. It’s a bane that has survived in our political arena, hence deserving the term “cronyism”. Its waters are murky. It is not for the faint-hearted. We are a nation in disarray. Petrol price hikes, e-tolls, load shedding, corruption and rampant crime, aided by a powerless law enforcement system, will have a major impact on…

What South Africa achieved last week cannot be ignored or underestimated. It was a bold move that set the stage for more dialogue towards the cessation of hostilities between Israel and the Palestinians. The fact that Hamas was the instigator that started all the trouble, which has resulted in the slaughter of Palestinians and which seems destined never to stop until the Palestinians are wiped out from the face of the Earth, is complicated because the Israelis demand the release of the hostages who were taken by Hamas on October 7 before any talks about a ceasefire. Hamas is determined to hold on to the hostages, even though they continue to suffer untold devastation – brutally killed, starved, babies deprived of breast milk as the starvation suffered by all has…

South Africa's tourism sector is witnessing significant growth according to the recently released international arrival figures from Statistics South Africa for 2023. The total number of international tourist arrivals from January to December reached 8.5 million, reflecting an impressive 48.9% increase compared to the same period in 2022. African nations were leading the way in contributing to this growth, with South Africa welcoming 6.4 million visitors from the rest of the continent, accounting for 75.6% of all arrivals. Travellers from Zimbabwe and Kenya particularly stood out, Zimbabwe experiencing a 70.8% increase and Kenya recording a staggering 99% surge in tourist arrivals. Both North and South American travellers also played a significant role, with tourist arrivals registering growth of 39.8% compared to 2022. The US alone saw 353 975 arrivals, marking…

Tertiary education students across the country can breathe a sigh of relief as the National Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has extended the deadline for bursary applications to February 15. The entity further announced that applications for the new loan scheme will be officially opened today and are expected to close on the same day as the bursary applications. This comes after the NSFAS board met with South African Union of Students (Saus) leaders to discuss progress on the state of readiness for this academic year. “The student loan scheme is the first phase of the implementation of the comprehensive student funding model. Students who already applied for the NSFAS bursary scheme need not submit a new application for the student loan scheme. All students who did not meet the bursary…

Six people have been arrested in Mayfair, Johannesburg, on suspicion of human trafficking and kidnapping after two Indian nationals were rescued after being trafficked to South Africa. The two Indian women, aged between 20 and 24, were rescued in an operation carried out by a multidisciplinary team consisting of various units within the SAPS led by the anti-kidnapping task team. “The team including private security received intelligence on a Johannesburg-based human trafficking network preying on Indian women,” national police spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said. She said the women were allegedly lured to the country with false promises of employment. “Upon arrival, they were kept against their will, offered to clients, leading to sexual encounters,” said Mathe. Working on a tip-off, police identified and pounced on a commercial site in…

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban met with protesting farmers in Brussels, Belgium, before a special European Council meeting on Ukraine yesterday, in support of what he called the “voice of the people”. “The voice of the people of the streets is not taken seriously by the leaders. It’s a democratic deficit,” said the nationalist leader in a video posted on his Facebook page. “There’s a European election in June. We need a new European Parliament. We have to find new leaders who really represent the people,” he said. Protesting farmers blocked roads around an EU summit with about 1 000 tractors yesterday. Earlier this week, Orban called on the European Commission to “defend European interests against the Ukrainians, not Ukrainian interests against European farmers”. “Imports of Ukrainian products must be…

London: Environmental activist Greta Thunberg appeared in a London court yesterday charged with public order offences linked to a demonstration against the energy industry. The 21-year-old Swedish activist is expected to appear for the opening of her two-day trial. She pleaded not guilty to the charges at an initial hearing in November, as did four other activists who appeared with her. Thunberg, who faces a maximum fine of £2 500 (about R59 000), was arrested by police officers outside the Energy Intelligence Forum. She was one of dozens of activists arrested for disrupting access to the conference, which brought together major oil and gas companies at a luxury hotel in the British capital on October 17. Released on bail, she then took part in another demonstration in front of the…

London: UK police hunted yesterday for a man who allegedly threw a suspected corrosive substance at a woman and two young children in south London. The victims were taken to hospital along with three members of the public who are believed to have been injured when they went to their aid. The Metropolitan Police said three officers who responded to the incident in Clapham on Wednesday night also suffered minor injuries. Acid attacks in the UK had been declining following a peak of 941 cases recorded in 2017, but cases spiked again in 2022, according to the charity Acid Survivors Trust International. |…

Yangon: Myanmar entered its fourth year yesterday since a coup ended a short-lived dance with democracy, with the embattled junta warning it will do “whatever it takes” to crush opposition to its rule. The junta extended a state of emergency by six months on the eve of the anniversary, once again delaying promised elections as it struggles to quash growing resistance to its rule. Streets in Yangon were quieter than usual yesterday morning as opponents of the military called for people to stay indoors in a “silent strike” against the coup. Buses usually packed for the morning rush hour were almost empty. |…

Into the hottest month we go! February means hot days, sharks, rays and game fish. Summer is here! The summer heat is starting to make air conditioning a necessity, and the north-east wind is starting to blow more consistently. The North Coast is where you want to be at this time of year. Make sure you have all your traces made up. Service your reels, and make sure they are spooled with the best quality braid you can afford. Preparation goes a very long way when it comes to fishing, and can be the difference between a good day’s fishing and a miserable day at the beach. The heat and the north-east wind makes the inedible anglers weak at the knees... The big fish have been around, and many have…