Inhaltsverzeichnis für 2023-11-09 in Mercury

LABOUR Minister Thulas Nxesi has rejected allegations that he and two other Cabinet ministers demanded bribes for a R5 billion Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) contract, saying the accusation was meant to divert attention from the irregularities surrounding attempts to access public funds. Nxesi was responding to claims by Thuja Capital CEO Mthunzi Mdwaba, in a Sunday newspaper, who alleged that three ANC ministers, through government officials acting as intermediaries, demanded 10% of the R5bn to help him seal the deal. Higher Education, Science and Technology Minister Blade Nzimande and Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana are the other ministers implicated. The UIF last year awarded a R5bn job creation deal to Thuja Capital, made up of part loan and part grant funding. The deal was allegedly decided on without due diligence and…

EEK! The Proteas lost by 243 runs to India. Woe is us! Hardly had the Boks pulled off the Rugby World Cup for the second time in a row, when our cricketers seem to have blown it in the Cricket World Cup. It’s too, too cruel! Er, except that the Boks won the Rugby World Cup in a Test match against the All Blacks. The Proteas blew it against India in an encounter that was not a Test match. A Test match in cricket lasts five days. It is played with a red ball that moves about oddly in the air. It is played in the sunshine on a lively wicket. In the case of Durban, it is played on a wicket that becomes even more lively at high spring…

The recall of the staff of the South African embassy in Israel is yet another illustration of how our government has chosen to side with Hamas in this terrible conflict in the Middle East. From the outset, when it refused to condemn the barbaric atrocities of October 7 in which over 1 400 Israeli citizens were massacred, until now, the Department of International Relations and Co-operation’s (Dirco) position has been to side with Hamas. This is borne out by no less than Hamas itself, which on numerous occasions, including most recently on SABC, has thanked the South African government for its support. Dirco’s most recent display of support for Hamas has been to threaten action against the Israeli ambassador in South Africa on the claimed grounds of his being ‘undiplomatic’.…

Somewhat caught up with the housekeeping, laundry washed, dried, folded; Nate in his room downstairs, Thulani at work, it overcame me. I began to miss my sons even though both were very reachable. One so near I could hear his television. I was missing an era. I was missing the times they were both on top of me, getting in my way. I was missing the way they’d run all over the house chasing each other, doing cart-wheels then landing on the sofa. Much to my faked chagrin, they’d skateboard from the kitchen to the living room and back again. I was missing their rapid shift from fast friends to seeming enemies following the most minor of interpersonal hiccups. I recalled with fondness how immediately they’d make up as soon…

There is good news for road accident victims as the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, overturned directives issued by the Road Accident Fund which places obstacles in the way of issuing new claims. While eight claimants turned to the court to have the directives overturned, the court noted that the matter involved many other claimants who had tried to lodge claims since the directives were issued by the fund. Among the applicants were suppliers of medical services to road accident victims, who were also hampered by the directives in lodging claims. They asked a full bench - three judges - to review and set aside the decisions to adopt and implement a management directive, a supplier communication notice, a board notice and a claim form substitution notice issued by the RAF…

An Eastern Cape woman who orchestrated the murder of her mother by hiring two hitmen to carry out the killing has been sentenced to life imprisonment. Nolufefe Jongwana, 36, was sentenced this week in the Lusikisiki Regional Court for the murder of her mother, Nomonde Jongwana, 54. She was murdered on June 12, 2019. The daughter’s co-accused, hitmen Masixolo Darke, 28, and Ntsikayomzi Mpentsheni, 36, were also sentenced to life imprisonment. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said Nomonde was found stabbed multiple times in her upper body in her rented flat in Bambisana, where she was a teacher. “Police investigations led to the arrest of her daughter and her two accomplices on October 2, 2019 in Feni location.” By the time she was arrested, police found Nolufefe had already…

NATIONAL Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola said his department could not afford budget cuts. Masemola, speaking on the third day of the 10th national congress of the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) in Durban, said the National Treasury had introduced in-year budget reductions due to the economic outlook of the country. “This means that for SAPS, R5.5 billion was required for implementation of the 2023 PSCBC agreement, while only R4bn was allocated. “We have done our best to ensure that these cost containment measures imposed on us by the Cabinet do not greatly affect our policing imperatives and we rely heavily on command and control from all spheres of the SAPS.” Masemola said cutting budgets affected the police’s operational plans and their response and approach to fighting crime. He…

Distance education first appeared in the US in the 1800s. At the time, students received the relevant material through the post and then returned it to the institution. Scholars in the field say that distance education is now in its “fifth generation”. This means that, like so much else in the world, knowledge is delivered via the internet. Students want to be able to access learning materials at a time and place that’s convenient to them. Flexibility is key. The increasingly important role of multimedia in higher education was emphasised during the Covid pandemic. Universities that previously held in-person classes switched to digital, remote learning. Even though open-distance universities were hypothetically better equipped for the switch, since their model meant they already used technology and digital tools, many were more…

Inhaled monoclonal antibodies against Sars-CoV-2 significantly reduced Covid-19 disease in non- human primates, according to research that will enable another at-home treatment option for flu and other respiratory illnesses to become a reality. Monoclonal antibodies can help to clear invading pathogens like viruses before the body’s natural immune responses, including antibodies, have time to develop. During much of the global pandemic, this treatment was only available through an intravenous infusion that had to be administered at a hospital or clinic. Inhalable treatments can arrive at the lungs within seconds and get to work more quickly. “This gives me hope that one day we might be able to buy a monoclonal antibody nebuliser at the pharmacy to treat and even prevent respiratory illnesses like the flu,” said Nancy Haigwood, Professor at…

Beirut: Islamic State group attacks killed at least 30 pro-government forces and soldiers in the Syrian desert, a war monitor said yesterday, in one of the deadliest such assaults this year. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there had been “30 dead, four of them soldiers and 26 from the National Defence Forces, in simultaneous attacks carried out by the Islamic State group yesterday on checkpoints and military positions” in Raqa, Homs and Deir Ezzor, it said. The war monitor said Russian warplanes launched strikes on IS positions in the desert, reporting casualties among the jihadists. | AFP…

Lloyd’s of London will invest £40 million (about R907m) in regions affected by the transatlantic slave trade, it said yesterday, after a report showed the commercial insurance market had strong links to the trade. Lloyd’s also said it would spend around £12m on a programme to improve recruitment and progression for black and other ethnic minority employees in the commercial insurance market, including bursaries for black university students. Lloyd’s formed part of a sophisticated network of financial interests that made the slave trade possible, according to research published by Black Beyond Data, based at Johns Hopkins University. The research was funded by the Mellon Foundation, and Lloyd’s said it had no editorial control over the findings. The 335-year old insurance market apologised in 2020 for its role in the 18th-…

CIVIL society groups have forecast a grim festive season for most families, especially poorer households, amid sky- high prices of foods including chicken, eggs, potatoes and onions. The October 2023 Household Affordability Index, by the Pietermaritz- burg Economic Justice and Dignity Group, which tracks food price data from 47 supermarkets and 32 butcheries in several cities, said South African consumers had to fork out R141.81, or 2.8% more for the average cost of the household food basket at R5 297.58 in October, from R5 155.77 in September. Notable price increases were recorded for potatoes, rising by 40%, and eggs, which rose 19%. Dick Forslund, from the Alternative Information and Development Centre, said that higher food prices are worrying for those in the middle class and those who are struggling to…

“Poor people in South Africa are left with little hope”, by Charles Christopher Bernard jr (Mercury 27/10) refers: A really concise, well edited, philosophical and very different take on the South African scene, and about more to come soon. Once, long ago, amateur sports carried the genuine spirit of friendly competition. Street soccer may have involved being carried away by police vans and released at the Durban Esplanade, but what fun. Professionalism is only about greenbacks and especially with rugby, cracked spinal columns. Aggression not totally different from war. This instinctive rage and urge to conquer and kill the opposition at all costs may explain war and the lust for absolute power. On and off the field. Exams set by the Creator every millennium may see a consistently, very high,…

The IFP Durban Metro has called on the speaker of the eThekwini Municipality to debate a motion of no confidence against His Worship, the mayor, councillor MT Kaunda. The motion is brought forward under the provisions of Section 53 of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, No 117 of 1998 Regulations. The IFP Durban Metro has highlighted several critical concerns that have arisen during Kaunda's tenure. These concerns include: notarised findings by the auditor-general for multiple financial years, indicating financial irregularities within the municipality. Misuse of municipal finance during the Covid-19 pandemic, potentially affecting the resources allocated for public health and safety during a crisis. Protracted and unnecessary delays in providing housing to flood victims, leaving vulnerable residents without adequate shelter. The return of R1.9 billion to the National Treasury,…

Vehicle owners have been urged to strengthen their security systems for their vehicles to prevent theft and hijackings. This comes as the Santam Insurance Barometer report for 2022/23 noted a substantial rise in hijackings and theft last year. “One of the concerning trends unfolding in 2022 was the substantial increase in vehicle theft and hijacking, especially among high-value SUV and delivery vehicles on the commercial side.” It said certain makes and models were up to 20 times more likely than similar-priced models to be hijacked or stolen, specifically in Gauteng. The report also found that stolen vehicles movement has extended from Gauteng into areas of KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, where they exit the country into neighbouring countries. Santam’s incurred claims for high theft risk vehicles were 6.32 times higher in 2022…

The Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison has embarked on a process of cancelling all fraudulently issued licence discs. Moeti Mmusi, spokesperson for the provincial department said it had uncovered corrupt and fraudulent activities that took place place last month. “This comes after the revenue management section of the department uncovered information that between October 6 and 9, the department suffered a huge loss of over R35 million in KwaMhlanga and Siyabuswa licensing stations as a result of corrupt syndicates who fraudulently renewed licence discs and had illegally written (off) penalty fees,” he said. The revenue management section could not reconcile the licence discs issued with the actual revenue which flowed into the coffers of government. “An investigation was done which revealed that the fraudulent activity happened at…

Charges against one of the five suspects accused of kidnapping and killing Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) lecturer Shan Dwarika were withdrawn yesterday in the Durban Magistrate’s Court. The matter is set for trial against the other accused next year in the high court. Senior State advocate Krishen Shah told the court that the State was withdrawing charges against Siyabonga Justice Mkhize, who was out on bail, due to lack of evidence. Initially there were five accused in this matter, now four remain: Siyabonga Freeman Mahaye, 35, Thobani Mhlongo, 23, Kwanele Makhaye, 29, and Sihle Mkhize, 23. They face charges of kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances and murder. The State alleges the accused approached the 63-year-old Dwarika on May 28 this year, when he had gone to check on his…

DA senior MP Ghaleb Cachalia learnt this lesson the hard way when party leader John Steenhuisen fired him from his so-called shadow cabinet for speaking out against Israel’s atrocities on Palestinians. Cachalia, a controversial figure himself, will now find himself as a backbencher in Parliament. His firing may please DA funders, but certainly, the party’s reputation will take a hard knock, especially among its Western Cape voters during next year’s much-anticipated national elections. In the immediate term, this decision points to a worrying trend within the second largest party represented in Parliament – that is, it polices what its members can and cannot publicly say. But it also confirms that action is only taken when it is convenient for the party to do so. Steenhuisen, who claims that by tweeting…

Thousands of Palestinian civilians trudged in a procession out of the north of the Gaza Strip yesterday seeking refuge from Israeli air strikes and fierce ground fighting between Israeli troops and Hamas militants. The exodus took place in a four-hour window of opportunity announced by Israel, which has told residents to evacuate the area or risk being trapped in the violence. However, the central and southern parts of the small, besieged Palestinian enclave were also under fire as the war between its Islamist Hamas rulers and Israel entered its second month. Palestinian health officials said an air strike that hit houses in Nusseirat refugee camp killed 18 people yesterday. In Khan Younis, six people, including a young girl, were killed. “We were sitting in peace when all of a sudden…

ADDIS ABABA: Fighting broke out yesterday between the army and a regional militia in Ethiopia’s mediaeval holy city of Lalibela, a World Heritage site, four residents said, but the government said the area was peaceful. Fano, a part-time militia in the northern Amhara region, has been battling the army since late July. It captured Lalibela, famous for its rock-hewn churches, and Gondar, the second-biggest city in Amhara, for several days in August before being repulsed. The fighting, which has killed hundreds of people, is the biggest security challenge faced by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed since the Tigray war ended a year ago. | Reuters…

DHAKA: One woman was killed as police in Bangladesh used tear gas and rubber bullets and protesters threw stones, as a demonstration by garment workers for more pay turned violent yesterday. The latest death was the third since protests erupted in the past week. On Tuesday, the government said that the minimum wage would rise by 56.25% to 12 500 taka (R2 107) a month from December 1, the first increase in five years, but the workers are demanding almost twice the amount offered. Police said workers blocked roads and vandalised several vehicles. The worker injured in the clash died on the way to hospital, police said. | Reuters…

Washington: A distant cousin of Elvis Presley failed to shake up the race for governor in the US state of Mississippi this week, conceding the election to his Republican rival. Democrat Brandon Presley had spent six years as mayor of Nettleton – a small town in northeastern Mississippi just a few kilometres from the birthplace of the “king” – before running for governor. His prospects for victory in the state, ranked the poorest of America’s 50 states, were seen as limited given that Republicans control both chambers of the state legislature. But the gap between Presley and the Republican Tate Reeves had narrowed in recent weeks. On the campaign trail, Presley held up a photo of Elvis and said: “My cousin grew up just down the road in…

Bjorn Fortuin could easily have been at the World Cup with the Proteas, preparing for a much-anticipated semi-final against Australia in India. Instead, the left-arm spinner was toiling away at an empty Newlands helping the Lions grind out a 106-run victory over Western Province in the final session of their 4-Day Series clash in Cape Town on Tuesday. Fortuin laboured for 30 overs, and although he admittedly was not at his best – delivering a couple of full tosses early on his spell that allowed WP captain Kyle Verreynne to pick a couple of easy boundaries on the leg-side – the 29-year-old stuck to his task to finish with 5/68. Although viewed primarily as a white-ball bowler, it was Fortuin’s sixth five-wicket haul of his first-class career, and extended his…

THE Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) has blasted the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), the police oversight body, after it raised concerns about the deaths of suspected criminals at the hands of police officers. Union spokesperson Richard Mamabolo said the statement by Ipid was tantamount to asking the police to sit on their hands while they were being attacked. He said the union would be seeking an audience with the Ipid head to discuss the comments. It was reported this week that Ipid had raised concerns about the number of people that have died in clashes with police. In recent weeks in KwaZulu-Natal, several suspects were shot dead in shootouts with police. During an interview this week, Robbie Raburabu, speaking on behalf of Ipid, had said they supported…

MEMBERS of Parliament heard yesterday that the Office of the Auditor-General has identified skyrocketing medical claims as an emerging risk that poses a future problem for health departments. The departments have paid R1.42 billion in medical claims in 2022-23 and current claims stand at R68.01 bn. Briefing the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa), a business executive at the A-G’s Office, Andries Sekgetho, said they conducted audits and identified pressure points to spur government institutions to focus on elements that went wrong in their sectors. “We identified an emerging risk and possible problem for the sector in that continuation of payment of these medico-legal claims could pose a significant future problem. “Money that is being expended could be spent elsewhere and implement delivery of services,” Sekgetho said. The health department…

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a pervasive issue in South Africa, affecting various sectors, including the e-hailing industry. While e-hailing services have brought convenience to the lives of many South Africans, they have also exposed drivers and passengers to unique challenges, making them vulnerable to GBV. Most people in South Africa use public transport as their main mode of transport, with e-hailing service as a platform that allows users to request a ride through a mobile application. Gender-based violence in public transport has become a common occurrence, with incidents ranging from relatively mild to very serious. There have been widespread reports of women generally being jeered at, physically assaulted and stripped of their clothes in public throughout South Africa. To holistically address GBV in South Africa, there is a need to…

Famous soccer star and Bafana Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa was murdered almost a decade ago in actress Kelly Khumalo’s house in Vosloorus in what was believed to be a botched burglary. After a lengthy investigation, five suspects were arrested and put on trial. There seems to be no end in sight for the sensational murder case as it drags on for years. Postponements, delays and adjournments and even a trial within a trial, the case continues to eat up valuable court time. But the court seems to be in no hurry to wind up the case. With twists and turns every other day, the case was even started all over again. As boring as the lengthy court process seems to be, it gets wide media coverage and continues to make…

THE abbreviation “AI” for artificial intelligence has been named as the word of 2023 by Collins Dictionary. This selection by the UK dictionary publisher reflects the increasing prominence of artificial intelligence, which is in reference to the modelling of human mental functions by computer programs in modern society. In a statement, Collins English Dictionary explained that AI is “considered to be the next great technological revolution.” “AI has seen rapid development and has been much-talked-about in 2023, and while AI’s capabilities in mimicking human speech fascinated people at first, they were also the source of some anxiety,” they added. In the statement, the Collins Dictionary further explained: “If computers were suddenly experts in that most human of domains, language, what next? “Cue an explosion of debate, scrutiny and prediction, and…

UNISA has denied conferring honorary doctorates on Malawian socialite and community activist Phemphero Mphande, Malawian musician Patience Namadingo, and Mansoor Sharif Karim. This week, Mphande posted on social media that he had been conferred with a honorary doctorate in recognition of his humanitarian efforts, which he claimed “have seen us raise over 200 million (currency not disclosed) for those in need”. “This Honorary PhD belongs to all of us that do charity work together,” Mphande told his followers, with a picture of him in red robes. But in a statement on Tuesday, Unisa said they had not conferred any degrees on Mphande or the other two. “These three individuals are also not among the candidates considered and approved for the awarding of honorary doctorates in 2020, 2021, and 2023. Neither…

WHILE KwaZulu-Natal is doing well with its electrification drive and the provision of piped water, statistics show more needs to be done to make KZN a smart province. Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke yesterday presented the provincial results of Census 2022, which were released last month, in an official handover presentation to the executive council of KZN. Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube said the census provided an opportunity to obtain data with key demographic indicators such as population size, composition of households, their living circumstances and geographical distribution among others. The population of KZN has grown from 8.9 million in 1996 to 12.4 million in 2022. “We’ve got 10.5 million that are black African and followed by 1.1 million which are Indian Asian, followed by 183 000 which are classified as coloured and whites…

As we approach World Children’s Day on November 20, we look at the 2023 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) in terms of how it fosters caring for children and how it supports caregivers in all their diversity. It is worth noting that the responsibility of caring for children is shared between the government and care- givers. Caregivers can be biological or non-biological parents, extended families or formal institutions that have the mandate to protect children. The UN Children’s Fund (Unicef) welcomes the MTBPS announcement of an extension of the Social Relief of Distress Grant. The grant, while small in value, does make a difference in the lives of those who are unable to find meaningful employment. We also know, from evidence published in the National Income Dynamic Survey in 2021…

The worst flooding to hit Somalia in decades has killed 29 people and forced more than 300 000 to flee their homes, the National Disaster Management Agency said yesterday, following heavy rains that have inundated towns across East Africa. Authorities have scrambled to rescue thousands of stranded people from the floodwater, which comes on the heels of the region’s worst drought in 40 years. “What is going on today is the worst for decades. It is worse than even the 1997 floods,” said Hassan Isse, managing director of the Somali Disaster Management Agency. The death toll and numbers of people displaced were likely to rise further, Isse said, because many people were trapped by floodwaters. At least 2 400 people have been cut off in Luuq town, where the Jubba…

GENEVA: The ongoing El Niño weather pattern is set to last until at least April 2024, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said yesterday, pushing up temperatures in a year already on track to be the warmest on record. The WMO said there was a 90% likelihood that the warming of ocean surface temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific, will continue through the northern hemisphere winter. El Nino can provoke extreme weather phenomena from wildfires to tropical cyclones and prolonged droughts. The stakes are expected to be higher for emerging markets more exposed to swings in food and energy prices. | Reuters…

Canberra: Life expectancy in Australia has declined for the first time in almost 30 years due to deaths from the Covid-19 pandemic, the national statistics bureau said yesterday. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), life expectancy for all Australians fell by 0.1 years between 2020 and 2022. As a result, an Australian female born in 2022 was expected to live 85.3 years, down from 85.4 in 2021, and a male 81.2 years, down from 81.3 in 2021. It marks the first time that Australia’s life expectancy has declined since 1995 when newborn females were expected to live 80.8 years and males 75 years. | IANS…

LONDON: Prince William wants to take royal duties “a step further” with his approach to social leadership. The royal says that he wants to bring change to important causes as he reflected on his first year as heir to the throne. He said: “I’ve been working in the homelessness sector for a long time now, and so rather than just being patron I want to … actually build the homes, I want to provide them with the mental support, the employment and the education they might need.” | Bang Showbiz…

“The key to success is playing the hand you were dealt like it was the hand you wanted.” That could easily have been Proteas Test coach Shukri Conrad’s mantra when he sat down to select the South Africa A squad to face West Indies A later this month. While this would normally be a routine exercise, Conrad was faced with a different challenge this time around because of circumstances surrounding next January’s Test tour to New Zealand, which coincides with the Betway SA20 at home. With most of the country’s players unavailable for the tour – including Test captain Temba Bavuma – because of SA20 contractual obligations, Conrad has been left with slim pickings. But instead of moping around, Conrad has cast his net far and wide in a bid…