Inhaltsverzeichnis für 2022-06-20 in Mercury

THE CAPITAL & Counties Properties (Capco) and Shaftesbury merger will create a portfolio mainly in London’s West End of about 670 buildings across 2 000 commercial and residential units. The portfolio will comprise 35 percent retail, 34 percent hospitality and leisure, 17 percent offices and 14 percent residential. The trend precinct has seen a steady return of shoppers and patrons with the easing of Covid-19 restrictions. The Capco and Shaftesbury boards on Friday released details and terms of their “recommended all-share merger” to form a combined group, with the new merged company to be called Shaftesbury Capital once the deal is completed. In terms of the mechanics of the mer- ger, a scheme of arrangement by Shaftes- bury, with the existing Capco sharehold- ing, will…

A REPORT by the Office of the Auditor-General has painted a grim picture of the state of affairs at Ugu District Municipality and expresses doubts about the municipality’s ability to continue to operate. While tabling her report on the municipality, Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke said the South Coast municpality was a “going concern uncertainty (doubt about ability to continue operating)”. Her report details a string of problems, including high vacancy rates, even in critical positions at senior management level. Ugu spokesperson France Zama said the municipality was in the process of addressing many of the challenges raised by the A-G. The 2020/21 audit revealed that the municipality had been without a full-time municipal manager and a chief financial officer (CFO). These positions are by far the most important in driving the…

An isolated population of polar bears in Greenland has made a clever adaptation to the decline in the sea ice they depend upon as a platform for hunting seals, offering a ray of hope for this species in the warming Arctic. This population of several hundred bears inhabiting part of Greenland’s south-east coast on the Denmark Strait has survived with only abbreviated access to ice formed from frozen seawater by hunting instead from chunks of freshwater ice breaking off from the huge Greenland Ice Sheet, researchers said. “They survive in fjords that are sea-ice free more than eight months of the year because they have access to glacier – freshwater – ice on which they can hunt. This habitat is uncommon in most of the Arctic,” said University of Washington…

THE DA recently attended KwaZulu-Natal’s 2022 Youth Parliament. The occasion was a reminder of the courage of our young people in 1976, when they stood firm and fought for what they believed in. During this week’s event we were also reminded that the force of our youth is strong and that their resolve for change can make a difference. Sadly, our young people are also the ones who are suffering most as a result of the devastating rise in unemployment, which is only made worse by the government’s empty promises of a better tomorrow. Our youth desperately need a government that cares – one that will aggressively address joblessness and create an environment aimed at enriching job creation and sustainability. This is particularly relevant in KZN following the massive damage…

HAS Boris Johnson lost his theatrical touch? Wherever he goes, he seems to dress for the occasion. If it’s a hospital, he’s in a white tunic. If it’s an industrial setting, he’s in a hard hat. Yet the British prime minister has now appeared for a second time in Kiev, the Ukranian capital, wearing a Savile Row suit. It’s totally out of place, all the dudes around him wearing khaki battledress and tin hats, toting automatic weapons. Could somebody not have lent him a tin hat or beret, perhaps a Kalashnikov? Just for the cameras of course. But no, I suppose that would not do. If the Ruskies were to get hold of a photograph, next thing they’d be brandishing it at the UN and the international courts, accusing Bojo…

Researchers are believed to have identified the origins of the Black Death, a bubonic plague that killed tens of millions in Europe, Asia and north Africa in the mid-14th century. In 1347, the plague first entered the Mediterranean via trade ships from the territories of the Golden Horde in the Black Sea. It spread across Europe, the Middle East and northern Africa claiming up to 60% of the population. This first wave caused a 500-year-long pandemic – Second Plague Pandemic – that lasted until the 19th century. One of the most popular theories on the origins of the Second Plague pandemic has its source in East Asia, specifically in China. But the only so-far available archaeological findings come from Central Asia, close to Lake Issyk Kul, in what is…

The 75-year-old daughter of ANC activist and political prisoner James Booi has waited almost six decades to find her father’s remains. A week ago, the Booi family, who now live in Khayelitsha, were present at the formal public exhumation of Booi’s remains, held in Zamdela, Sasolburg. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has a Missing Persons Task Team (MPTT) which was instrumental in solving the decades-old cold case. The task team, formed on the recommendation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, is tasked with finding people who went missing during political violence between 1960 and 1994. The NPA said that in the past 17 years, 170 people who went missing during the political instability between 1960 and 1994 were positively identified, thanks to the task team. Booi had been sentenced to…

Six out of 10 young people between the ages of 15 and 24 are unemployed, along with four out of every 10 between the ages of 25 and 35. These shocking statistics were revealed by Statistics South Africa, which showed that of the more than 10 million young people aged 15 to 24, only 2.5 million are in the labour force, either employed or unemployed. Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke said the statistics were based on the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for the first quarter of 2022, which showed the unemployment rate was 63.9% for those aged 15 to 24 and 42.1% for those aged 25 to 34. The current official national rate is 34.5%. Statistically, South Africa’s working-age population is made up of all people aged 15 to 64. Of…

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office confirmed yesterday that the Zondo Commission had not yet released the anticipated final instalment of the State Capture Report. The commission announced on Saturday that it was not able to submit the final volumes of its Report to Ramaphosa on June 15 due to certain challenges. “The electronic report will however, now be certainly, submitted to the President on Monday evening. The handover ceremony will take place on Monday 20 June 2022 at the Union Buildings in Pretoria,” said the secretary of the commission Professor Itumeleng Mosala. This means that by the time the commission will hand over the report it will be five days late. The State Security Agency including former head of Intelligence Arthur Fraser and public broadcaster SABC are expected to be a…

ON THURSDAY, June 16, coinciding with Youth Day, the Pinkie’s Chow Team, as well as the community bade a sad farewell to its beloved founder, Hajji Abduraghman Galant, fondly known as “Pinkie”. He was loved by many for his humour and selfless nature. Pinkie, 65, formerly from Draper Street, Claremont, Cape Town was the youngest son of Achmat “Aggies” Galant and Gadija Gaidin. The Galant sons and family are well known for their community, academic and religious work, cultural entertainment as well as sport. Before the pandemic, Pinkie and his team fed up to 500 people three times a week with hot meals in Hanover Park. Or they would make soup, fruit packs, pap, and/or sandwiches. They would also try to expand to other areas with volunteers to Mitchells…

LUCKNOW: Indian authorities suspended internet services in several parts of the eastern state of Bihar in a bid to stop gatherings and violent protests over a new military recruitment plan for short tenures, police officials said on Saturday. The Agnipath or “path of fire” system aims to bring more people into the military on four-year contracts and to cut pension costs. Protesters say the plan will limit opportunities for permanent jobs with the defence forces. Social media platforms have been blocked in 15 of 38 districts of Bihar, said Sanjay Singh, a senior police official in the state, where protesters burned passenger trains and buses. |…

TORONTO: Canada’s government has introduced a bill to hold people criminally responsible if they harm someone else while intoxicated. It follows a Supreme Court ruling last month that said people could claim extreme intoxication as a defence. “Extreme intoxication” is a state akin to automatism in which a person is not acting voluntarily and its use as a defence requires the introduction of expert evidence. Being drunk or high is not a defence to criminal charges in Canada. The bill, introduced on Friday, is meant to provide liability for “extremely intoxicated violence” in a way that complies with Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms. |…

The UN has turned to crowdfunding to raise the $80 million (R1.3 billion) needed to remove more than a million barrels of oil from a decaying tanker in the Red Sea and prevent a potential environmental catastrophe. The FSO Safer tanker has been rusting away off Yemen’s coast since 2015. Sitting in the delicate ecosystem of the Red Sea, famous for its corals and fish, it threatens to release about four times the amount of crude oil spilled off Alaska in the Exxon Valdez disaster of 1989. Seawater has seeped into the engine room, according to UN officials who are sounding the alarm that a tank rupture or explosion would wreak havoc on marine life, vital shipping lanes and regional economies. For years, the UN has sought to launch a…

VICTORIA: Seychelles’ President Wavel Ramkalawan has reaffirmed his country’s commitment to protect the rights of every citizen and foreigner on its land through its constitution. Ramkalawan made the statement while speaking at the annual flag-raising ceremony on Saturday at the Lavwa Lanasyon Monument (the Voice of the Nation) in Peace Park on Mahe to mark Constitution Day. This year is 29 years since the constitution of Seychelles was adopted through a referendum on June 18, 1993, paving the way for a Third Republic and the introduction of a multi-party system. |…

AMAZULU have made a strong statement of intent by adding Ethan Brooks to their squad ahead of the new season. Amidst a recent squad exodus which saw the likes of top performers such as Tapelo Xoki, Augustine Mulenga and Luvuyo Memela departing, there were suggestions from some that the strong ambition shown by Usuthu over the last two years under owner Sandile Zungu could have ended. However, in Brooks the Durban based-club have added one of the most highly-rated young players in the South African top flight to their ranks. By joining AmaZulu, Brooks will be reuniting with former TS Galaxy teammate Augustine Kwem who also arrived in Durban this off season. The Nigerian international could only muster three league goals for Galaxy last season but AmaZulu coach Brandon Truter…

Road Freight Association, Busa call on President Ramaphosa to deploy military TRANSPORT Minister Fikile Mbalula was yesterday evening locked in a meeting with logistics stakeholders to quell the fires lit over the last week by truck drivers who blocked South Africa’s main road arteries to protest against the hiring of foreign truck drivers, which was enforced with a heavy hand by the South African Police Services. The Road Freight Association was among the organisations that confirmed being in a closed meeting with the minister for the scheduled gathering that started late yesterday afternoon and was going well into the evening yesterday. Solutions were sought after the private sector threw the strongest challenge yet of government’s resolve to keep the economy running as the N3 to Durban ports and beyond was…

THE FIGHT against inflation has already led to outsized interest rate hikes by central banks in major economies and further hikes are foreseen in the coming months. The likelihood of a global recession is increasingly unavoidable as higher borrowing costs and high energy prices as a result of the Ukraine conflict will hit hard. The ratio of spare capacity to employment in the US tends to lead the US yield curve at major turning points in the business cycle. Since December last year the ratio is testing the lows that occurred before the 2000, 2008 and 2020 recessions. Yes, the US economy was running at full capacity. With near-full employment in the US and elsewhere it means that business will be reluctant to expand. Capital goods orders are likely to…

As the date for the ANC elective conference in KwaZulu-Natal draws closer, campaigners for Nomusa Dube-Ncube, who will challenge Sihle Zikalala for the position of provincial chairperson, say they are encouraged by the positive response across the province. Several ANC branches have raised the names of the two as their preferred candidates for the top position. Zikalala’s chances of retaining the position were bolstered when another branch from his birthplace of Ndwedwe nominated him this weekend with other meetings taking place yesterday. Dube-Ncube chief lobbyist Wiseman Ngobese said their campaign was getting endorsed from different parts of the province, with many expressing hope that she would lead the ruling party’s revival. “We have been very focused and have sought to engage with branches because we understand their importance. After…

THE most alarming aspect of the dissemination of the narrative on climate change, (The Mercury, June 17), is the extent to which it is unscientific and false. Typifying the narrative is the assertion by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that “the atlas of human suffering would continue to escalate with every fraction of a degree of warming”, which would release “a torrent of disasters across the planet”. Asserting that the drought and famine in the Horn of Africa is being exacerbated by the tardiness of richer nations to curb their carbon footprint, is utter nonsense. Historically, that region is noted for its harsh climate and difficulty in sustaining life. Likewise, the heatwave in India and Pakistan is a typical and natural precursor of the onset of the…

LAST year, President Ramaphosa took steps to block any attempt to reveal CR17 contributions. Today, he is fighting for his political survival, in light of the burglary at his farm and failure to follow crucial steps that he should have taken to alert law-enforcement institutions about the theft of $4 million. President Ramaphosa is almost invariably guilty of pervasive gross moral dereliction of duty. It was Michael Mayalo who said: “A crime, like an onion, has many layers to it.” It is indeed tragic and sad that virtually all our leaders over the past 20 years are steadfastly impervious to shame. What is alarming is that our crop of leaders are a symptom of a societal problem. They are a reflection, a mirror held up to South African society. What…

We honoured fathers yesterday. Mine, Ernest William Greer Smith, was born in Johannesburg on “Boxing Day”. He never knew his father who, it is believed, was killed in a mine strike in Johannesburg before Ernest was born. Childhood for Ernest was somewhat misnamed. He was a frightened boy often exposed to fearful circumstances, ever threatened with the possibility of an orphanage and repeatedly told he was not his stepfather’s child. Dad told me he would lie under a bed when the home was in turmoil, expecting the orphanage to collect him at any time. With the passing of his stepfather, while Ernie was still very young, about 8 is my estimation, the responsibility of the family income was placed upon him, and so he worked several jobs as a child…

The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) will use President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to increase politicians’ salaries by 3% to push for a 10% pay hike for public servants. Last week Ramaphosa accepted the recommendations of the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers to increase the salaries of his deputy, David Mabuza, ministers and their deputies, premiers, MECs, MPs and MPLs by 3%. Mabuza, National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and National Council of Provinces chairperson Amos Masondo will earn over R2.91 mllion a year, up from R2.82m. According to the determination, the lowest paid politicians in national and provincial government will be MPs in both houses of Parliament with R1.17m, which increased from R1.13m, while MPLs will see their pay improve to R1.13m from R1.1m.…

The Legal Practice Council has reminded all legal practitioners to maintain decorum in the courts. This comes after lengthy arguments played out at the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial where the defence advocate and the judge were at odds on some matters. While the organisation did not specifically mention the Meyiwa matter, it said in its notice that it had noted with concern the decline of decorum in the courts. “The council urges all practitioners to conduct themselves in a dignified manner towards the judiciary, colleagues and all stakeholders, in line with the Legal Practice Act, the Code of Conduct and the high standards that are expected of the profession,” read the notice. “Legal professionals are reminded of the code of conduct that is binding on all legal practitioners, and…

A 24-year-old man was handed an effective 5-year sentence by the Durban Regional Court for stealing in the Mobeni industrial area during the July 2021 unrest in KwaZulu-Natal. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said Lungelo Nthenga pleaded guilty to three counts of theft. Ramkisson-Kara said that in his plea Nthenga said he was a taxi driver and that during the unrest he used his vehicle to transport people to the Mobeni industrial area in South Coast Road so that they could loot. He was arrested when his vehicle was stopped at a police roadblock to deter looting, she said. “His vehicle was loaded with tinned fish, rice and items from the surrounding warehouses that were looted,” she said. Ramkisson-Kara said during the court proceedings, Regional…

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has congratulated Airports Company South Africa for winning several awards from Skytrax during a recent ceremony held in Paris, France. The Cape Town International Airport was voted as the best airport in Africa, followed by King Shaka International Airport at number two and OR Tambo International Airport at number three. “Our airports are strategic assets for South Africa and constitute major economic corridors connecting the country to the rest of the world,” said Mbalula. | Ntombi Nkosi…

Child brides, female genital mutilation rife on continent SPARE a thought for the 130 million child brides and nearly 140 million girls and women who have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM) in Africa, of which over 40 million have experienced both harmful practices. Spare a thought for the nearly 2 million child brides in South Africa, where 364 000 were married or in union before the age of 15, and 1.6 million before the age of 18, where one in 28 young women were married or in union in childhood. One of the oft-forgotten aspects of the gender discourse is this pernicious practice of child and forced marriages. A staggering 650 million girls and women alive today were married in childhood. These statistics of shame are highlighted in…

Addis Ababa: The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has said that security forces executed residents in Gambella, suspecting them of collaborating with rebels who attacked the city last week. The assault on Tuesday triggered a gunfight between security forces and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), a rebel group which is branded a terrorist organisation by the government. After soldiers repelled the attack by the OLA and a local armed group, “residents faced various human rights abuses at the hands of the Gambella regional… forces,” the state-affiliated independent rights body EHRC said while calling for an investigation. |…

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned allies to prepare for a long war in Ukraine, urging sustained support for Kyiv or risk “the greatest victory for aggression” since World War II. In an article in The Sunday Times (UK), Johnson said Ukraine’s foreign backers should hold their nerve to ensure it has “the strategic endurance to survive and eventually prevail”. Johnson made a surprise visit to Kyiv on Friday, a day after European leaders from France, Germany, Italy and Romania were in the Ukrainian capital to back the country’s EU ambitions. Johnson offered President Volody- myr Zelenskiy a ramped-up military training programme to help in its fight against Russian forces. “Time is now the vital factor,” Johnson wrote in a 1 000-word article. “Everything will depend on whether Ukraine…

Lebanese caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati called on all political parties to expedite the selection of a new premier who can form a new cabinet capable of dealing with Lebanon’s steep crisis. Lebanon does not have the luxury of time to address its problems, he said, adding that any delay in addressing the country’s crisis will cost the Lebanese more in the future, Xinhua news agency reported. Mikati said he had no objections to being appointed as prime minister to form a new cabinet as “he has never hesitated to take responsibility and serve the country, especially in critical and dangerous stages”. The caretaker government was considered to have resigned with the start of the mandate of the newly elected parliament on May 22. Members of the new parliament will…

New York: Julian Assange’s father and brother said they were counting on European legislators to stop Britain from extraditing him to the US, and welcomed a promise of citizenship by French leftist politician Jean-Luc Melenchon. “I think there’s a great chance of stopping this extradition. We have great support among the European nations,” said Gabriel Shipton, Assange’s brother. The Assange case has become a cause celebre for media freedom and his supporters accuse the US of trying to muzzle reporting of legitimate security concerns. The WikiLeaks founder is wanted to face trial for violating the US Espionage Act by publishing military and diplomatic files in 2010 and could face up to 175 years in jail if found guilty, although the exact sentence is difficult to estimate. On Friday the British…

Banks will have to think twice about taking unilateral action against clients in the wake of what could be a precedent-setting judgment. The Sekunjalo Group of Companies (Sekunjalo) last week won an interim order in the Equality Court preventing Nedbank from closing its bank accounts. The court ordered that pending the final determination of Sekunjalo’s main Equality Court application, any of its accounts that had already been closed at the time of the hearing of the application, should be reopened. Western Cape High Court Judge Mokgoatji Dolamo said he was satisfied that Sekunjalo had established a prima facie case that it had been unfairly discriminated against. Legal experts said the judgment could compel banks to give people an opportunity to explain themselves before sanctioning them. Lawyer and expert Zelna Jansen…

THE Namibian Police Force’s statement which contradicts the South African government over the theft of millions of US dollars “concealed” in furniture on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm has necessitated the country’s Justice Department to seemingly make an about-turn on its stance. The statement released on Thursday reveals that the Namibian police force identified individuals, bank accounts and various properties suspected to have been purchased with the proceeds of crime, and consulted the Office of the Prosecutor-General to consider a preservation order of the assets. A preservation order was issued and a formal request was made through the Ministry of Justice to South Africa to confirm whether a crime was registered in South Africa, according to the statement. However, after no response was received from South African authorities,…

IT IS preposterous that politicians get the green light for a pay increase when basically they all deserve to have deductions off their wages for the way they have governed this country. The ANC is a huge hub of uncontrolled corruption. Most importantly, this government of ours is so over-bloated that when compared with the rest of the world we have one of the biggest governments around. While the man in the street is battling to keep up with inflation and the rising costs of everything, here the government officials get a pay increase. Could someone please explain to the taxpayers why this was necessary when these individuals earn far more than their counterparts in other countries?…

More than two billion Muslims across the world follow the teachings, guidance and way of life of Prophet Muhammed. Muslims believe Prophet Muhammed was sent as a mercy to humankind and his message was that of peace, love, compassion, service to humanity and a guiding light that all Muslims would follow. Moreover, to love the Prophet is part of a Muslim’s faith. To this end, Muslims will definitely not accept the use of derogatory words against the most high-ranking Prophet of Islam. Irresponsible remarks have no place in the public spaces of any country as such comments can fuel extremism, tension and would undermine co-existence. This principle of zero tolerance applies to the religious deities, sacred beliefs of believers and divine personalities and texts of all faiths and religions. Allowing…

The criminal case against Springbok rugby player Elton Jantjies has been provisionally withdrawn after he reached an agreement to pay for the damages he caused on an Emirates aeroplane. The charges were withdrawn at the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Friday. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said it was withdrawing the case provisionally, pending confirmation of payment for damages caused to the plane. Jantjies, who was travelling back to South Africa in May from a family holiday in Türkiye in the business section of an Emirates Airline plane, allegedly broke a TV screen and bulb, when he was asked to return to his seat – after breaking a glass that cut his finger. Jantjies was charged with malicious damage to property and contravention of the Aviation…

As we celebrate Youth Month, concerns have been raised by experts about mental health in the 15-29 age group. Close to half of all mental health disorders start when sufferers are in their mid-teens and 75% before the mid-twenties. The recently released 2021/2022 issue of the South African Child Gauge, which is published by the Children’s Institute (CI), UCT, in partnership with Unicef South Africa; the DSI-NRF Centre for Excellence in Human Development, University of the Witwatersrand; the Standard Bank Tutuwa Community Foundation and The Lego Foundation, focused on the status of Child and Adolescent Mental Health. The report found that children and adolescents in South Africa continue to face multiple adversities that erode their mental health. It also said while 10-20% of children would develop a mental disorder and/or…

A 21-year-old man was sentenced to an effective 20 years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty in the Camperdown Regional Court on Friday to a housebreaking, murder and robbery last year. Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, KwaZulu-Natal National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, said that in his plea Sanele Zwane said he knew where the deceased, Makhosonke Mbambo 61, lived and that he owned a car. Zwane’s 17-year-old co-accused pleaded not guilty, and their cases were separated. Zwane, in his plea statement, said that on the day of the incident, he and his co-accused acted in common purpose by breaking into Mbambo’s house. When Mbambo awoke, he stabbed him several times with a knife. In the struggle, Mbambo suffered a blunt force injury to the head and died. Ramkisson-Kara said the pair then removed the car’s…

CABLE theft and illegal electricity connections are having a destructive impact on the eThekwini Municipality’s finances, with revelations that the city has incurred more than R800 million in losses as a result. Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda recently detailed the impact of cable theft, saying, “we lost over R800m as a result of power and cable theft”. The amount could be far higher as the calculations do not include the impact of outages as a result of theft. Municipal spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said the situation was serious and communities should help the city by reporting those involved. “These costs exclude consequential losses due to production losses and inconvenience to customers. R800m is inclusive of cable and infrastructure theft for the city’s Electricity Unit. Stolen cables are sold for scrap while the city…

The 2020/2021 Auditor General’s Report on local government paints a gloomy picture about lack of accountability in municipal finance management. This calls for a new approach to enforce accountability and consequence management. A carrot and a stick approach – where excellence is rewarded whilst mediocrity and maladministration is punished – is what is needed to turn local government around. On June 15, the auditor-general released the Municipal Financial Management Act (MFMA) General Report for 2020/21, which carries insights on the state of municipal financial health and accountability ecosystem over the five-year term of the previous local government administration. Whilst the South African Local Government Association (Salga) is disappointed with the findings of the AG’s report, it welcomes the report as it provides some key lessons on what works, identifies areas…

London: Britain’s biggest strike action on the railway network in over 30 years will go ahead after talks over pay broke down, the Rail Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) union said. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said there had been discussions in recent weeks with rail infrastructure body Network Rail, train companies and the London Underground. But he said that “no viable settlements” were found. More than 50 000 workers will take part in a three-day national strike tomorrow, on Thursday and on Saturday. London Underground workers will also stage a 24-hour walkout tomorrow. |…

HARARE: Zimbabwe government workers have rejected a below- inflation, 100% wage hike offer, with a state health workers union Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions saying it would begin a jobs boycott today. The workers are pushing the government for a $840 (R13 500) a month payment in US dollars, saying their wages have been eroded by inflation, which rose to 131.7% last month. The lowest paid government worker earns 18 000 Zimbabwe dollars ($53.18 or R852). The government faces additional pressure from nurses and doctors, who have called for a strike, starting today. |…

President Joe Biden has distanced himself from a coming encounter with controversial Saudi leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, saying the reason for his trip to the oil-rich nation was not to meet the prince. Biden plans to attend a regional Gulf Cooperation Council summit in Saudi Arabia next month. The White House said he plans to meet the formal leader, King Salman and his team, notably de facto leader, Prince Mohammed, also referred to as MBS. US intelligence blames Prince Mohammed for the 2018 murder of Saudi-born critic Jamal Khashoggi, a US resident who wrote for The Washington Post. Asked by reporters about how he would handle the subject when he meets the prince, Biden said, “The same way I’ve been handling it. I’m not going to meet…

Mali’s transitional parliament has approved a draft electoral law, a measure designed to ease the return of the country to civilian rule. The bill must be approved by the head of the military junta, President Assimi Goita, before it becomes law. The military government has said that once the law is adopted it will propose a timetable for a return to democracy. West African leaders slapped stringent economic and financial sanctions on Mali in January, following two military coups last year. The 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) imposed the measures after the Malian army said it would hold on to power for five years. After Ecowas piled on the pressure, the junta reduced that time frame to two years but the regional body insists it must leave…