Inhaltsverzeichnis für 2023-05-12 in Mercury

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa said the South African government would institute an independent inquiry to be led by a retired judge to probe claims by US ambassador to South Africa Reuben E Brigety II that the country had supplied arms to Russia. South Africa has taken a non-aligned stance on the Russia-Ukraine war, with Brigety essentially calling into question the country’s neutrality on the conflict. Brigety, in a media engagement yesterday, said munitions had been loaded onto a sanctioned Russian ship, the Lady R, when it docked at Simon’s Town naval base in December. “Among the things we noted was the docking of the cargo ship in the Simon's Town naval base between 6th to 8th December, 2022, which we are confident uploaded weapons and ammunition onto that vessel in Simon’s…

I think the letter from Thyagaraj Markandan dated May 10 should not go unanswered . It is quite obvious that without actually admitting it, Markandan is very anti-Britain and the royal family. He says Britain has robbed and looted across the world, but how many Asians that have flooded into England have benefited from the British NHS, housing, and land to build their temples, which would not be allowed in any other country? The royal family work tirelessly 365 days a year for all countries of the empire. Markandan says that Scotland wants to pull out of the UK. Most English people would welcome that, as thousands if not millions of Scots live and work in England, and that is why the people of Scotland voted against leaving a…

They drill deep into the desert sand and pump out the dirty black stuff, oil. But this dirty oil has made the countries in the arid Arabian peninsula very prosperous. So dependent is the world on Arab oil that the Middle East has become a strategic part of the world, jealously guarded by the western powers. The US, especially, has a major influence in the Middle East, supplying arms and ammunition to countries as part of its foreign policy of world domination. With the money earned from oil, Arab nations have been transforming their desert landscape with modern cities, skyscrapers, airports and resorts. Once just sand and dust storms, cities like Dubai, Doha, Riyadh and Kuwait City show off with their skyscrapers and resorts and have become the playgrounds of…

The majority of opposition parties on Parliament’s portfolio committee on health have signalled their opposition to the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill for fear that if it is passed as it is, it will be the target of constitutional court challenges. During a meeting at which committee chairperson Dr Kenneth Jacobs (ANC) gave members a chance to deliberate on the legal opinion presented by the state law advisers and parliamentary legal services, only the ANC and the IFP spoke in support of the bill. DA health spokesperson Michele Clarke said her party rejected the bill and, as it stood, it presented a host of constitutional issues which would be tested in the Constitutional Court when it was inevitably passed using the ANC’s parliamentary majority. Clarke said the bill had been…

FORMER president Jacob Zuma has filed papers in the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, saying that his attempt at including President Cyril Ramaphosa in his private prosecution matter was not driven by a political motive and was not aimed at preventing him from becoming ANC president for a second time. Ramaphosa has asked that the court declare the summons issued by Zuma as unlawful, unconstitutional, invalid and of no force, and to grant a final interdict preventing Zuma from pursuing him in a private prosecution “now and in the future”. Zuma argues that there were no ulterior motives in his call for Ramaphosa to be included in the private prosecution and asks the court not to make the interdict final. Zuma, in the private prosecution he brought, claims senior state advocate…

THE ATTENTION of the world will once again be on Durban next week, as the city will host the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals for the first time. The table tennis championships will take place from May 20 to 28. In a cabinet statement, the KwaZulu-Natal government expressed its excitement about Durban hosting the championships. The tournament follows Africa’s Travel Indaba and will see talented players and international visitors descending on Durban’s shores. Craig Meyer, spokesperson for the World Table Tennis Championships, said it was the first time South Africa is hosting the finals. “It has been 84 years since the last time it was held in Africa. The last time it was held in Africa was in Cairo, Egypt.” Meyer added that the series is a knock-out tournament…

A SURVEY by multinational market research and consulting firm Ipsos has revealed that 69% of South Africans have sleepless nights worrying about unemployment, as opposed to 41% of the rest of the world that worries about inflation. The survey reveals that unemployment threats continue to loom large in South Africa, with the country holding the unenviable title of the world’s most worried nation on this issue. “This trend is nothing new, as the country has been grappling with persistently high levels of concern over unemployment for many years, and the latest survey shows a worrying 5 percentage point increase compared to the previous year. What is more, even during periods of relative calm, concern about unemployment in South Africa has not dipped below 60%, highlighting the deep-seated anxiety that pervades…

HEY-HO, political stirrings both sides of the Atlantic. In New York a civil court has ordered former president Donald Trump to pay $5 million (R94m) damages to a woman who says he sexually molested her in a lingerie shop way back in 1990. He says he’s never clapped eyes on her. You couldn’t make it up. Will this affect his planned run for another crack at the US presidency? Who can say? Trump is likely also to be in the dock over a number of other issues, not least the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, after he lost the last election. Will this boost or diminish his appeal among his base of malcontents, many of whom thrive on rejection of the usually accepted norms? Nobody can say.…

I refer to The Mercury dated May 10 in connection with the article on the Tourism Indaba. The indaba is upon us again. Over the years it has always been a spectacular show of what South Africa has to offer in our magnificent country. Sadly in past years it has only been showcased to overseas buyers. Due to the pandemic, the tourism sector has had a huge knock-on effect of visitors being unable to travel. Now the opportunity has come to allow Saffers to experience and boost local travel by opening the indaba to locals for just one day. There is more to South Africa than the Kruger National Park and Cape Town. Overseas tourism shows such as the ITB in Berlin, the WTM in London and FITUR in Spain…

There is hardly a day that goes by without yet another horrific report of child rape in KwaZulu-Natal. The latest shocking incident involves a man who has been charged with drugging and raping two 4-year-old children whom he was entrusted to transport to and from preschool in Pongola. This is yet another horrific crime in our province, where safety has become just a word rather than a reality. The safety of children is now, more than ever, an issue that demands a hands-on approach from this ANC-run government. This must include those who transport children being vetted for criminal records, being registered with SAPS, the relevant schools and the Department of Transport. This will allow for constant checks when it comes to the well-being of children. The DA expects KZN…

Nine family members have officially launched an application for a class action against the SAPS and the police ministry to claim for damages resulting from the theft and supply of guns from police stores to criminals by two senior police members. The class action, spearheaded by NGO Guns Free SA (GFSA), represents four categories of victims which include children who were either killed or injured (represented by their parents/guardians), adults who were killed (represented by their family), and injured adults (who represent themselves). The affected parties were shot by a “Prinsloo firearm” in the Hanover Park, Manenberg and Mitchells Plain communities. Police Minister Bheki Cele’s spokesperson, Lirandzu Themba, said: “The SAPS will be responding to this in due course.” The families affected by the criminality stemming from the mismanagement of…

Chilling details of a “hit list” emerged this week at the bail application of the men accused of two murders and attacks on staff at the University of Fort Hare. The bail applications of five men, including former staff members, facing various charges including murder, corruption and fraud continued in the Dimbaza Magistrate’s Court. The court heard from the State about a hit list with the names of 13 people, of whom two have since been murdered. A bounty of R5 million was allegedly issued for the murder of vice-chancellor Professor Sakhela Buhlungu; R350 000 for fleet manager Petrus Roets, who was killed last year; and R3m for another senior university member. All five accused have denied the allegations levelled against them. Meanwhile, a memorial service was held on Wednesday…

Newly appointed chief executive officer of SANParks – the body mandated with the management of South Africa’s national parks system – Hapiloe Sello said domestic tourism had played a key role in the recovery of the business after the Covid-19 pandemic. On the sidelines of Africa’s Travel Indaba 2023, the upbeat Sello said SANParks was at 80% of the visitor numbers that it had in 2019/20, just before the pandemic. “What I need to point out is how important a role the domestic market plays in recovery, that we do not take that for granted. As you recall, in the two years of the lockdown, sometimes the borders were open, sometimes they were closed,” she said. “We did not always know that the international tourists are going to come, but…

Police in Mpumalanga have said residents in some areas are looting chrome ore from moving trains. A spokesperson for the police in Mpumalanga, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala, said that on Wednesday a crowd of looters moved away from a train when law enforcement officers arrived. “More than 80 people were disrupted by police whilst looting chrome from the goods train in Dullstroom on Wednesday,” said Mohlala. “Police received a tip-off from the chrome company regarding a group of people who were busy looting chrome from the train between Dullstroom and Belfast railway line.” Mohlala said the looters scattered when police arrived, leaving bags which had been filled with chrome. “When members were approaching the scene about 80 looters carrying bags filled with chrome fled … when they realised that police were…

ON THE western edge of the city Ramallah in occupied Palestine where I live stands the largest statue of Nelson Mandela outside South Africa. I pass by it every day going back and forth between the city centre and my home. It is something I am very proud to have in my city and which, among other things, provides me with an opportunity to educate my young children about injustice and the strength of human will to overcome it. Out of this my two kids have developed a tradition that whenever we pass by the Mandela statue they raise their clenched fists and shout “HI MADIBA”. It fills me with love and hope every time. Every now and then the Israeli army blocks the inner-city road that passes by Mandela…

Golden Arrows co-coach Ma- bhuti Khenyeza has defended the general performance of KwaZulu- Natal clubs in the DStv Premiership this season. The promotion of top-flight newbies Richards Bay FC to the Premiership brought about a positive aura around the province as the increase of clubs hailing from KZN signalled progress in the general football spectrum of the province. Richards Bay joined Arrows, AmaZulu, Royal AM and Maritzburg United at the pinnacle of South African football, and this meant KZN tied with Gauteng for having the greatest number of teams in the league, at five each. Richards Bay took everyone by surprise at the beginning of the season, surging toward the top of the league standings alongside AmaZulu, while Arrows, Maritzburg and Royal AM struggled to get going. However, with two…

THE CHAIRPERSON of the Ingonyama Trust Board (ITB), Inkosi Thanduyise Mzimela, says he is focused on ensuring that Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini and the royal family are financially independent in the near future. In a private address to amakhosi in Ulundi this week, the king expressed frustration about having to constantly report to Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube’s office for almost everything. The king suggested that all royal affairs be moved to the Ingonyama Trust. Speaking to The Mercury yesterday, the new chairperson confirmed the king had expressed such a feeling, adding he was within his rights to demand such. “As I have been nominated by His Majesty to chair the board, this is one of my major tasks to deal with because we believe that such a mission is achievable and…

The cases of Stormy Daniels, E Jean Carroll (The Mercury, May 11) the Georgia vote count, the Bragg case, NY Attorney-General Letitia James’s alleged civil fraud suit against the Trump family, and the Mar-a-Largo raid are all promoted by the same people with the same motive: to destroy Trump politically. The question is: Why? Manhattan DA Alvin Braggs’ election campaign received $1 million from socialist, anti-American billionaire and Trump-hater George Soros. Bragg boasted that his main aim was “to bag Trump”. Likewise, Letitia James’s election manifesto stated that her foremost ambition was to find something on which to indict Trump. Across America and especially in New York and Washington DC, Soros-funded prosecutors abound with their no-cash bail for street crimes. The case brought by E Jean Carroll was funded by…

It’s here. Again. Beautiful and brutal. Gut wrenching for the Smiths from a dozen angles while also displaying a vast array of flowers, tropical, indoor-outdoor whites, greens, shades of purple, yellows, sturdy, strong and luscious, endless developing beauty – reaching for sunlight, proclaiming life and charisma – even within our motherless home. It’s the early 2000s and Mother’s Day: the boys wake, wander into my room, at least one son is aware of the day given the things he had to draw, cut, glue and colour at school for me, his dad-mom. Blanket strewn over his shoulders and with an inspiring attempt at positivity, he says, “Happy Mama-Day, Dadda”, and I embrace him and then his brother trailing dutifully behind. At lunch friends see us and platitudes flow, attempting kindness…

I am of the view that the famous diamonds found in the British crown jewels, which were mined in South Africa and gifted to the British monarchy in 1907, should be returned to the people of South Africa. The theft and plundering of natural resources from colonised nations is an unfortunate fact of history, and in the case of the Cullinan Diamonds, it is no different. The diamonds, which weighed a staggering 3 106 carats, were mined in South Africa and gifted to King Edward VII as a symbolic gesture to smooth over tension following the Boer War. However, this gesture does not negate the fact that the decision to gift these diamonds was not taken by the people of South Africa. As a result, these diamonds were essentially stolen…

Five of Dr Nandipha Magudumana’s fellow accused have appeared before the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on charges of defeating the ends of justice and aiding and abetting a convicted criminal in Thabo Bester’s escape from prison. All of the co-accused are former employees of G4S and worked at the Mangaung Maximum Correctional Centre and are alleged to have assisted in Bester’s escape from the facility on May 3 last year. They have all since been dismissed from their jobs. The accused in their bail affidavits said they intended to plead not guilty to the more than 16 charges against them. The first bail applicant, Senohe Motsoara, argued against his continued incarceration, saying his chances of finding employment had suffered since his imprisonment. He said that as a sole breadwinner and…

Minister of Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa’s executive statement that was scheduled for delivery in the National Assembly yesterday was postponed at his request. Parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said the scheduling of the executive statement had followed Ramokgopa’s letter to National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa- Ngqakula requesting permission to address the House. Ramokgopa was to have focused on the economic impact of load shedding, the performance of the installed Eskom capacity, and the interventions to the national energy crisis. “The executive statement by the Minister in the Presidency responsible for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, which was scheduled for delivery in the National Assembly on Thursday, is postponed at the request of the Minister,” Mothapo said. However, responding to written parliamentary questions earlier this week, Ramokgopa said the government was implementing the energy…

We need to hear more stories of survivorship, to open doors I HAVE never seen anything as close to my own experience of being a survivor of trauma and family feuds until the last few days of April. It all started on April 23 with the death in Ndabakazi village Butterworth of Aunt Nophumzile due to a heart attack. While preparing for her funeral, on April 27, a car accident near the Gwadana junction in Dutywa claimed the lives of four family members: Uncle Manase and cousin Saba Nyembezi, Mbongi and Sicelo Madikane. The family were traumatised. In our everyday lives, trauma narratives are conveyed primarily by family members in isolated spaces and seen by the audiences as a motif. The tension (and tragedy) of the experience creates sympathy and…

WITH the colder weather creeping in, the choice to go fishing early in the morning has been a difficult one … Luckily there have been plenty of fish to motivate for the leap out of bed. The KZN coast has seen plenty of fish so get out there and get the drags screaming. The edible fishing has been fantastic with good kob and stumpies landed. Spinning along the North Coast has accounted for some good fish. Throwing spoons at first light and into the morning off deeper points and bays like Christmas Bay will produce kingies, snoek and some surprises. Distance is important so make sure your tackle is balanced and your technique is good. The far north has seen the last of the summer flatfish/sharks. The beaches along the…