Indholdsfortegnelse for 2022-07-27 i Mercury

A legal expert has questioned the decision by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to recommend the suspension of Western Cape High Court Judge President (JP) John Hlophe despite him being granted leave to appeal the commission’s misconduct ruling in the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA). The JSC said in a statement on Monday that following deliberation on recommendations made to it, they had decided to advise President Cyril Ramaphosa to suspend Judge Hlophe. Law expert Dr Paul Ngobeni said the decision of the JSC had very little to do with legal principles and everything to do with “political manipulation and disrespect of our judiciary”. He said Judge Hlophe had a pending matter before the SCA where he had been granted leave to appeal the misconduct ruling. “It is now highly…

Scientists in Belgium are probing a farmer’s claim that different styles of music affect the behaviour of his pigs. Piet Paesmans first noticed the phenomenon when his son started singing a tune in the barn during a sluggish insemination session. His sows seemed excited and started wagging their tails. “I thought this is too good to pass up, we should try it with the other pigs too,” Paesmans said from his farm halfway between Brussels and the Dutch border. He has since created a playlist to coincide with different parts of the day, playing energetic music when he wants the pigs to be active and lullabies at the end of the day. “Jolly dance songs are the biggest hits. They start wagging their tails. When it’s really dynamic they start…

The first editor of The Mercury, George Robinson, stated in the paper’s first editorial published on November 25, 1852 that “free discussion on all admissible subjects will be invited and encouraged with the single condition of abstinence from personal invective”. In publishing David Cartwright’s vituperative remarks which attempted to resort to psychoanalysis (The Mercury, July 22), it would seem Robinson’s timeless guideline was disregarded. The issues affecting the entire world are: climate change and the so-called green deal, Covid and vaccines and the attempt of the World Economic Forum to subvert the sovereignty of the US. The outcomes of each of the issues will have a major impact on all countries. The war in Ukraine is having an international effect because Ukraine is a major supplier of fertiliser and grain.…

Unresolved issues in the life of a counsellor, psychologist or psychotherapist will emerge in a counselling relationship. These unresolved issues can “drive” the helper and even seem like a calling. Helpful client/counsellor relationships are not “cause-driven” or focused on single issues within the client or the helper’s life. Helpers are sometimes attracted to particular clients because of the triggers that occur within the helper. When such attractions begin to “move” a helper towards a client, helpers tread on dangerous ground. This is one of the many reasons membership in a “tight” supervision community is important. Good counsellors cultivate a good and healthy community and support systems. There is no better way to secure continued health than for the professional to develop some relationships within which he or she is able…

THE Sekunjalo Group, its chairman Iqbal Survé and related entities have approached the Western Cape High Court to take the Mpati Commission report under review and ultimately have it set aside, the group chairman said. In an interview with SAfm, Survé said Sekunjalo’s detractors had used the report against the group and its subsidiaries even though the commission had never proved any misconduct by Sekunjalo. In its review application, Sekunjalo said the unlawful and unjustified actions of the Mpati Commission resulted in unnecessary reputational damage to the group due to the resulting defamatory media coverage. This then led to the unlawful search and seizure operation of the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) against the applicants, and major banks unlawfully relying on the report to withdraw banking facilities from Sekunjalo-related entities…

An alleged robber in Limpopo reportedly shot himself after he was cornered by community members. “A suspect allegedly shot himself after realising he was cornered by community members soon after he committed an armed robbery at Madonsi Xikhulu Village,” Limpopo police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said. “The suspect, armed with a pistol reportedly entered the local spaza shop (on Saturday) … and demanded cash from the owner. During the confrontation, a customer noticed what was happening and alerted the police and other community members.” Community members chased the suspect who kept shooting at them. “When the suspect realised that he didn't have a way out, he allegedly shot and wounded himself. The firearm was recovered,” Mojapelo said. The 29-year-old is in hospital under police guard. In another incident, Limpopo residents…

A report on funding options for a Basic Income Grant (BIG) launched by Business Leadership SA (BLSA) and Business Unity SA (Busa) has said that while the idea had an immediate appeal, it could have serious unintended consequences. Since the pandemic outbreak in 2020 when the government launched the special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant of R350 a month, there has been a national discussion about the introduction of a BIG of at least R600 a month amid rising unemployment and poverty levels. Much of the modelling in the report commissioned by BLSA and conducted independently by research and consulting firm Intellidex looks at just trying to raise an additional R50 billion to R100bn of revenue. The report said that given that the latest propositions for a BIG…

Vigilance is needed in the face of apparent deceptive practices of major financial institutions The judiciary has once more stood on the side of the people by handing down a decision that could trigger another watershed class action. This development is encouraging in a winter overshadowed by heightened anxieties and the consistent violation of our human rights due to dysfunctional municipal governments, rising levels of poverty and unemployment, the energy and cost of living crisis, as well as political chaos. The National Credit Regulator (NCR) shocked many consumers with its attempts to suppress the disclosure of a critical piece of evidence showing how banks were repossessing homes and then selling them at auction – sometimes for less than 10% of their market value. That attempt was defeated last week after…

At least five people have been killed and dozens injured during anti-UN protests in eastern DR Congo, a government spokesperson said yesterday. On Monday hundreds of people blocked roads and chanted hostile slogans before storming the UN peacekeeping mission’s headquarters and a supply base in Goma, the main city in North Kivu province. Protesters smashed windows and looted valuables, while helicopters airlifted UN staff from the premises and security forces fired teargas in a bid to push them back. In a post on Twitter, government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya said”at least five people (were) dead and about 50 wounded” in the unrest. The security forces had fired “warning shots” at protesters to stop attacks on UN personnel, he said. The unrest continued yesterday, with the fatal shooting of a man near…

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex donated $5 000 to a GoFundMe fundraiser set up for Kelly McKee Zafjen and her family, following the tragic death of her son, George, 9. The Alliance of Moms co-founder’s little boy, who was a twin, died suddenly last week, and the royal couple sent funds to help pay for the funeral of the youngster. Harry and Meghan are known for their generous donations. In 2020, the pair personally donated $130 000 (around R2.2 million) to the African girl’s education charity Camfed. And in place of wedding gifts, the couple asked their guests to donate money to seven charities close to their hearts in 2018. | Bang Showbiz…

LONDON: Shoppers at a supermarket chain in southern England are being tracked by facial recognition cameras, prompting a legal complaint by a privacy rights group. Big Brother Watch said Southern Co-operative’s use of biometric scans in 35 stores across Portsmouth, Bournemouth, Bristol, Brighton and Hove, Chichester, Southampton, and London was “Orwellian in the extreme”, and urged Britain’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to investigate whether it breaches data protection legislation. The complaint outlines how the facial recognition system enables Southern Co-operative to create a “blacklist” of customers, and alerts staff when one enters a store. | Reuters…

COUNCILLORS in eThekwini Municipality want close scrutiny of hired water tankers to make sure they deliver water to needy communities after wide-ranging complaints about their performance. The issue came to the fore during discussions yesterday as the city voted to approve an extra R15 million to hire water tankers. Councillors said they had received complaints that water tankers were not delivering water as they should. The councillors said they had received a report alleging that water tankers were concentrated in some wards, while other wards were left unattended, and that some water tanker drivers were disrespectful towards communities. Another complaint received was that the tankers sometimes delivered water when residents were at work. A report was tabled before the executive committee yesterday requesting authority to transfer funds within the 2021/22…

Banyana Banyana received a heroes’ welcome at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg yesterday as they returned to the country as the newly crowned champions of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon). Banyana beat hosts Morocco in the final in Rabat on Saturday evening. Several South Africans gathered at the airport to welcome the champions yesterday. South Africa Football Association president Danny Jordaan said the achievement of Banyana Banyana was unprecedented in the history of the country. Jordaan said that in the midst of the joy, it had to be realised that the issue regarding the inequality in the remuneration between men and women in sports was a battle plaguing not just football in Africa, but globally in all codes. According to Jordaan, the root cause of the prize…

Whoever designed the rules of engagement that must be adhered to during a full-scale war between countries must have been a fugitive from a lunatic asylum. “Only specific personnel may be killed. Only specific buildings may be bombed.” There’s talk now that some vital grain – Ukraine, it suddenly emerges is one of the biggest exporters of wheat – will be permitted to be exported. Yay! So the price of lots of food that rely primarily on this grain will all very rapidly drop in price. There will be smiles once more. Supermarkets will experience a sonic boom as loud shoppers rush clamorously for Black Friday bargains every day. Actually … kiss my toes and hope to die. Nothing like that has ever happened. Nothing like that will ever happen.…

We all wondered where the president was when the nation was facing a serious energy crisis. Rumours and speculations made their rounds, keeping many of us worrying in the dark. Were the problems at Eskom insurmountable and beyond the capabilities of all those entrusted with running the power utility? Had the government reached a dead end as to how to resolve the crippling energy crisis? Was President Cyril Ramaphosa too embarrassed to show his face in public after allegedly hiding his dollars under the sofa at the Phala Phala farm? But now, at last, he has stepped forth into the public gaze and addressed the nation on the energy crisis that is frustrating the public and destroying the economy and business. In a lengthy address, he outlined a wide range…

Acting Public Service and Administration Minister Thulas Nxesi said the proposed 10-year term for heads of departments (HoDs) would potentially improve the stability at the leadership-level of departments. “This is a policy position which is being considered as part of the professionalisation of the Public Service. There is no date at this stage for implementation and a decision regarding the tenure of HoDs needs to still be formalised. “The work related to this is in progress,” Nxesi said. He was responding to parliamentary questions from DA MP Mimmy Gondwe. In February, former public service and administration minister Ayanda Dlodlo said her department would propose to the Cabinet to consider making the tenure of HoDs 10 years, subject to performance. Dlodlo said at the time the proposal would form part of…

No arrests have been made in connection with the R89.5 million stolen in cybercrime fraud from the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) accounts in Postbank last year. This was revealed by Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu in reply to parliamentary questions from IFP MP Liezl van der Merwe. The media had reported that nearly R89.5m was stolen from the Sassa accounts at the Postbank – allegedly by the bank’s employees or contractors – between October 16 and 18, Van der Merwe said. It was reported at the time that the money was fraudulently transferred to 279 accounts and withdrawn at ATMs using cloned cards. Van der Merwe enquired whether any criminal investigation had been opened against any Postbank officials. In her reply, Zulu said a formal criminal case was opened…

The eThekwini Municipality has issued a warning to residents of Birchwood Park near Pinetown that they should boil tap water for at least a minute before drinking it. The municipality said recent test results indicated that the potable water in the area was not of good quality. It added that it had taken immediate action by isolating the reservoir with a team flushing the pipes as part of a sanitation processes. Residents in Birchwood Park have complained about the poor quality of water and a foul smell coming from their water since last Thursday. Deveena Hemraj, 54, who has lived in Birchwood Park with her husband and two children for the past 30 years, said that she had been ill since consuming the water last Thursday. “We have had interrupted…

A KwaZulu-Natal-born student, Iziphozonke Mlambo, has made it on to the top 50 list for the Chegg.org global student prize of $100 000 (R1.6 million). Mlambo, 19, of Newcastle, is studying human biology at Biola University, in California. He was selected from almost 7 000 nominations and applications from 150 countries. The prize is given to a student who has made a real impact on learning, the lives of their peers and on society and beyond, according to Chegg.org CEO Dan Rosensweig. Chegg.org and its partner on the project, the Varkey Foundation, launched the prize last year, a sister award to its $1 million Global Teacher Prize. The foundation is a global organisation focused on improving educational standards. The top 10 shortlist for the prize will be announced in August,…

A 30-year-old Nigerian national was arrested for his alleged involvement in a romance scam has appeared in the Stellenbosch Magistrate’s Court. Roland Enuwese Esosa allegedly defrauded an elderly person he met on the dating app Tinder of R2 million. He was arrested last Wednesday in Northgate Mall in Roodepoort, Gauteng before being brought to Stellenbosch. He allegedly pretended to be an American engineer by the name of Larry Cole. Once Esosa had established a relationship, he made up a story about why he needed money. The victim subsequently parted with R2m over a six-month period. He faces charges of fraud and money laundering. He was the subject of a multi-disciplinary investigation led by Captain Bernard Adams of the Stellenbosch Detective division, John Alexander, lead investigator at Royal Investigations and Sergeant…

Russia said it will cut gas supplies to Europe from today in a blow to countries that have backed Ukraine, while missile attacks in Black Sea coastal regions raised doubts about whether Russia will stick to a deal to let Ukraine export grain. The first ships from Ukraine may set sail in days under a deal agreed last week, the UN said, despite a Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian port of Odesa over the weekend, and a spokesperson for the military administration saying another missile had hit the Odesa region yesterday. Soaring energy costs and the threat of hunger faced by millions in poorer nations show how the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II, now in its sixth month, is having an impact far beyond Ukraine.…

French President Emmanuel Macron has described the global food crisis as one of Russia’s “weapons of war” during a visit to Cameroon yesterday, dismissing suggestions Western sanctions were to blame. Cameroon, like many developing countries, is grappling with sharp increases in prices for oil, fertiliser and foodstuffs. Severe fuel shortages hit the capital Yaounde last week leading to long queues at petrol stations. Macron is on a three-leg tour of Africa, a trip meant to strengthen political ties with the continent and help boost agricultural production amid the growing food insecurity linked to the war in Ukraine. African governments have refused to join Western condemnation and sanctions. At the same time, anti-French sentiment is rising in France’s former West African colonies, where security concerns following a string of coups are…

LOS ANGELES: Meta is breaking up with its app for couples, Tuned. Mark Zuckerberg’s company. which owns and operates popular social media services such as Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp. is shutting down the service that was billed in April 2020 as a “private space where you and your significant other can just be yourselves”. It is believed that the app was one of the new ideas the company had tried out and was not meant to be a long-running venture. Recently, the tech giant has been experiencing a halt to recruitment and attempting to cut costs following what Zuckerberg labelled as potentially “one of the worst downturns” ever seen in “recent history”. He reportedly told staff: “Realistically, there are probably a bunch of people at the company who shouldn’t be…

MOSCOW: Russia yesterday announced it will withdraw from the International Space Station (ISS) project after 2024, signalling an end of an era in one of the last remaining areas of co-operation between Russia and the US. Russia’s newly appointed head of space agency Roscosmos said that the company will instead focus on building its own orbital station. “We will fulfil all our obligations to our partners, but the decision to leave this station after 2024 has been made,” said Yury Borisov. Russian officials have discussed leaving the project since at least 2021, citing ageing equipment and growing safety risks. | Washington Post…

The commencement of the 2022/23 football season is about two weeks away now, and Premier Soccer League (PSL) clubs are putting the final touches on their plans ahead of what is expected to be a difficult season. Golden Arrows have opted to venture into the unknown in terms of technical team structure and have appointed Mabhuti Khenyeza and Vusumuzi Vilakazi in a co-coaching capacity, a seemingly growing trend in South Africa. Both Khenyeza and Vilakazi played for the club before stepping into coaching. However, Khenyeza has dismissed all issues of sentiment, and believes results are going to be the determining factor in terms of success for him and Vilakazi. “This is a great opportunity for us, but we can’t be happy about being in this position and not delivering results…

A labour federation has questioned President Cyril Ramaphosa’s plan to introduce the private sector in energy generation, saying the move had been hatched years ago as a way of privatising electricity supply in the country. While Cosatu was lukewarm on Ramaphosa’s plan, the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) has vehemently opposed it, saying it carried the risk of making electricity unaffordable. However, energy experts have welcomed Monday’s announcement, insisting that it had the potential to end the country’s energy woes. North West University energy expert Professor Frik Van Niekerk said the move to introduce more players in energy generation was in line with the practices of modern economies. “This is what many people in the energy sector have been calling for, the involvement of other role-players will ease the…

We're having a heatwave, A tropical heatwave, The temperature’s rising, It isn’t surprising, She certainly can can-can. WE’RE talking here about Britain, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, America and the northern hemisphere generally. (Meanwhile, we ourselves have our teeth chattering at night because of the icebergs that have drifted north, just across the horizon.) Our TV screens show alarming wildfires all over the show elsewhere. There can be no doubt as to the fact of global warming. There are so many contributing factors, could erotic dancing be one of them? Climate scientists would do well to look again at the lyrics of songwriter Irving Berlin. She started a heatwave By letting her seat wave In such a way that The customers say that She certainly can can-can. Gee, her anatomy Makes…

I WANT to congratulate the newly elected provincial ANC chairperson, Siboniso Duma, and the freshly elected ANC provincial executive committee in KwaZulu-Natal. It is time for political leaders across the board to understand that, while differences are understandable, fac tionalism is destructive to our economy, social cohesion, nation-building and ultimately our beloved country. We need more far-sighted, creative and servant-oriented leaders, who will strive to deepen democracy, work towards transformation and promote the Constitution and ubuntu for sustainable development. As responsible citizens, we need to support our leaders in order for them to take South Africa forward. Our political leaders as civil servants have huge responsibilities, we as voters have the right to make elected officials accountable and be critical of government and demand improvement if they fail in fulfilling…

It is with mixed emotions of concern, sadness and a sense of déjà vu, that I comment on the confirmation in The Mercury, July 26, of 144 branches of that “love it or hate it”, very necessary state-owned entity, the Post Office, having closed down. Mind you then, anyone other than those who were supposedly “in charge of its oversight”, would already have witnessed its slide into the black hole which has welcomed too many failed state entities, for the same reasons. Those being: the lack of proper management oversight, disregard of its core functions of proper service to its customers, inadequately trained personnel, top to bottom, and the drivers of those institutions, though being present physically, were mostly absent, mentally. And as with every institution, let me add, there…

The University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) vice-chancellor and principal, Professor Tshilidzi Marwala, has been appointed as the rector of the United Nations University (UNU) in Tokyo, Japan. His appointment is with effect from March 1, 2023, so Marwala will stay at UJ for the next eight months to ensure a smooth transition to his successor, who is yet to be named. UJ council chairperson, Mike Teke, congratulated Marwala on his appointment. “On behalf of UJ, we are proud of Marwala for taking the reins of leadership as the first African to assume the role. A university is predicated on the components that come together to make it work, and we have the right systems and staff in place to ensure that this is a seamless transition. “We congratulate Professor Marwala on…

Monkeypox infections may not be limited largely to men who have sex with men, as seen currently, but may spread beyond the community, a World Health Organization (WHO) official has warned. Men who have sex with men are currently deemed at highest risk of infection. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine last week, which looked at infections across 16 countries between April and June, found 98% of cases were in gay or bisexual men. According to Dr Catherine Smallwood, senior emergency officer at the WHO, there is little evidence to suggest that the disease will remain confined to gay and bisexual communities. More severe cases could become apparent if the virus spreads to more immunologically vulnerable groups like young children, pregnant women and the immunocompromised, Smallwood was…

Liz Truss, the incumbent caretaker Foreign Secretary in deposed UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government, beat her rival, Rishi Sunak, the Indian- origin former Chancellor, according to a survey of ruling Conservative party members, the electoral college to choose the winner. Forty-seven percent of respondents felt Truss performed better versus 38% who thought likewise about Sunak. The debate held at Stoke-on-Trent, a town in the west midlands of England, was hot-tempered and combative and Sunak often talked over his opponent. Sunak was trailing 62% to 38% in YouGov’s poll of Conservative members, who will begin voting next week and will have up to September 2 to do so. The two contenders clashed on tax cuts – Sunak sticking to doing these later, Truss promising they would be soon. Both agreed…

RAMALLAH: Israeli troops yesterday demolished the houses of two Palestinians accused of killing an Israeli security guard in an attack outside the West Bank settlement of Ariel in April, authorities said. Hundreds of protesters threw rocks, burning tyres and Molotov cocktails at the soldiers as they carried out the operation in the West Bank town of Qarawet Bani Hassan, the army said in a statement. The town’s mayor, Ibrahim Assi, denounced the operation and pledged support for the relatives of the two alleged gunmen. “Home demolition is a policy of collective punishment that violates all international law,” Assi said. | Reuters…

Former Lions players Carlu Sadie and Rohan Janse van Rensburg are in the thick of it with the rest of the Sharks squad that have begun their first proper pre-season training programme for nearly three years. Sharks conditioning coach Allan Temple-Jones – the man who was responsible for the superb fitness of the Blitzboks for a decade – is cracking the whip over a two-month pre-season that is concentrating not only on strength and fitness, but also on brushing up on deficiencies that were exposed in the United Rugby Championship (URC). “Carlu and Rohan have joined us and are extremely motivated to make a difference,” Temple-Jones said of the newcomers. “I worked with Rohan years ago at the Junior Commonwealth Sevens. Physically, he is a beast and a great gain-line…

Orlando Pirates, one of the most storied football clubs on the African continent, are celebrating their 85th anniversary, and the club’s newly-designed official home and away jerseys will pay homage to the Soweto giants The club, which is based in Orlando East, was founded in 1937 when the team was first named Orlando Boys FC and nicknamed “amapirate”. Two years later, the club was renamed Orlando Pirates and nicknamed “Happy People”. As a result of a long-lasting partnership, Adidas were well placed to decide on appropriate designs for the new home and away jerseys. The home jersey is a work of art. It has moved away from the traditional black jersey to a charcoal colour and features silver accents and logos, alongside red trim on the collar and cuffs. The…