Indholdsfortegnelse for 2023-04-11 i Mercury

DURING the last week of March the prominent European Patent Office (EPO) issued its annual Patent Index of 2022. Since the registration of new patents generally provides an early insight into the latest innovation and inventions, the index offers some interesting information regarding the innovation performance of countries. One of the main benefits of patent registration is that it provides legal protection for new inventions and ideas, allowing inventors and businesses to protect their intellectual property and commercialise their innovations. It is this protection that often encourages entrepreneurs and investors to invest in research and development, as it provides a mechanism for companies to recoup their costs and profit from their inventions. Patents further facilitate the dissemination of knowledge and technology, as they require inventors to disclose the details of…

On the night of April 11, 2022, the Gumbi family were asleep when a mass of mud, water and huge rocks came crashing on to their Ngcolosi home west of Durban. Three young cousins, Lubanzi Gumbi, 8, Slindokuhle Gumbi, 13, and Asanda Cele, 13, were swept away. Their bodies have not been recovered. The family moved to uMlazi days after their home was devastated. Speaking to The Mercury ahead of the one-year anniversary of the April floods, grandmother Nokuthula Gumbi said everything happened so fast that night. She said there was a large pipe behind their home that overflowed with water, destroying the back of the house. She said all three children were sleeping on the floor when the water came rushing in and she attempted to save Lubanzi, who…

Mutuality, equality and respect are the litmus tests for all healthy relationships. I am enjoying watching each of these values be challenged within my family as my sons transition from boys to full-grown men. Among us – the three of us – there are shifting power dynamics. There are changing degrees of expectations. There are movements in responsibilities. These things are not always easy for each of us to see or understand as individuals. These changes can be even more difficult for us to accept and embrace as a family unit. Perhaps you have been aware of similar changes in your own family? Both boys are earning good salaries and so when we eat out I sometimes suggest one of them picks up the bill for our dinners rather than…

No matter how evil a son is, a mother’s love knows no bounds. Sons who are murderers and rapists cause their mothers much anguish and pain. In a heart-wrenching interview, Thabo Bester’s mother, Maria Mabaso, poured her heart out to an eNCA reporter, saying she longed to see her son and give him a hug. Like many children in South Africa, Bester was brought up by his maternal grandmother from the time he was a 1-year-old as his mother was too busy earning a living. Bester disappeared from her life. Now she only sees him on TV – not for any great and wonderful achievement but as South Africa’s most notorious criminal. It’s the price poor working mothers pay. Maria couldn’t visit her son in prison in Bloemfontein as she…

According to reports, the Gupta brothers were detained in Dubai in terms of an Interpol “wanted list” and South Africa had a direct interest therein. Have the brothers bought or bribed for their release? How many people has South Africa detained annually in the past five years in terms of international extradition treaties? Has South Africa requested that people be detained in the past five years in terms of international extradition treaties? If so, how many annually? Does South Africa consider it to be in its national interest to have extradition treaties? If so, would a valid international request pertaining to Mr Putin be honoured?…

The largest genetic assessment of the woolly mammoth has yielded new insight into this elephant cousin – an icon of the Ice Age – including about its fluffy hair, small ears, cold tolerance, fat storage and even dry ear wax. Researchers said they had analysed the genomes of 23 woolly mammoths – including 16 newly sequenced ones – based on remains preserved in Siberian permafrost. They then compared them to the genomes of 28 modern- day Asian and African elephants. “The objective was to find those mutations present in all mammoths but not in any of the elephants – that is, the genetic adaptations exclusive to the woolly mammoth,” said evolutionary geneticist David Díez-del-Molino of the Centre for Palaeogenetics in Stockholm, lead author of the study in the journal…

Residential properties that have solar power and other off-grid features are more in demand than ever before. Buyers are said to be offering up to 20% more on a home’s sale price if it has significant off-grid capabilities. As load shedding persists, more home buyers are searching for properties that can avoid the effects of the rolling blackouts. However, Adrian Goslett, chief executive of RE/MAX of southern Africa, said those forking out to have solar power installed are probably not planning to sell in the near future, and so supply may not meet the demand. “Adding solar power to your home is an expensive exercise. Those who do go to the trouble are unlikely to sell any time soon. This could mean that the demand for solar-powered homes might outstrip…

TRUCKING companies whose vehicles travel on roads in the eThekwini Municipality should be encouraged to invest in the maintenance and upkeep of the infrastructure. This is according to acting head of the city’s engineering department Thanda Zulu, who was speaking recently on the state of the City’s roads and the efforts taken to repair some of the damage that was caused by the floods last year. He was speaking on the City’s online engagement platform called eThekwini Matters. Responding to a statement made by the host of eThekwini Matters on the impact of trucks on the roads, Zulu said that there must be engagements with trucking companies because of the huge negative impact their vehicles had, especially on roads that were not originally designed to be used by heavy-duty vehicles.…

Worshippers are writing a new chapter of the national story TO the pleasant surprise of many people of faith, Easter in South Africa is still the great Christian festival of hope and rebirth. Improved church attendance in most denominations offers faith-based leaders several reasons to be cheerful about the future. This trend is consistent with the observation that thousands of churches have been experiencing significant attendance fluctuations since the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020. These low church attendance numbers register at a time when the nation seriously needs a new crop of people of faith, to sustain the moral regeneration efforts that continue to hold together our broken and wounded people. Remarkably, amid fluctuations in church attendance numbers, however, a religious success story is changing the shape and enriching the…

Russian forces pressed attacks on front line cities in eastern Ukraine yesterday, while Ukrainian officials played down a report that Kyiv had had to amend some military plans ahead of a counter-offensive due to a leak of classified US documents. The Russians were pounding Ukrainian positions around besieged Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk region and other cities and towns with air strikes and artillery barrages, Kyiv said. The commander of Ukraine’s ground forces said the Russians were destroying buildings and positions in Bakhmut in “scorched-earth” tactics. Russia’s assault on Bakhmut, a small city on the edge of a chunk of Russian-controlled territory in Donetsk, has for months been the focus of the biggest battle of the war, now in its second year. The Ukrainian military said fighting was heaviest along…

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis said yesterday he was praying that the Good Friday agreement signed 25 years ago that largely ended violence in Northern Ireland can be “consolidated” to benefit the people of all of Ireland. Francis made the comment about the 1998 agreement, which has come under strain following Britain’s exit from the EU, in his address on Easter Monday to tens of thousands of people in St Peter’s Square. This week’s commemorations will be attended by US President Joe Biden, reflecting the vital role the US played in brokering the agreement. | Reuters…

Rome: Italy’s coast guard said it was trying yesterday to rescue 1 200 more migrants aboard two boats on the Mediterranean after saving about 2 000 already over the weekend. The rescue of about 800 migrants aboard an overloaded fishing boat was ongoing, it said. The boat was located in Italian waters more than 190km south-east of Syracuse, in Sicily. The operation involving three patrol boats and a merchant ship was described as “complex”. A second fishing vessel carrying 400 migrants and also in Italian waters had been intercepted by the coast guard at the southernmost tip of Sicily, after sailing from North Africa. | AFP…

Washington: Five people were killed and at least six others hospitalised following a shooting targeting a bank yesterday in downtown Louisville, in the US state of Kentucky, according to police who said the assailant had been neutralised. The incident triggered a massive police deployment outside the Old National bank building. CNN reported that some people took refuge in the bank vault, contacting police from inside. Yesterday’s mass shooting in Louisville was the 146th of the year according to data from the Gun Violence Archive, defined as incidents in which four or more people were shot or killed. | AFP…

Golden Arrows must be savouring the prospect of meeting newly-crowned Premiership champions Mamelodi Sundowns at a time when they are firing blanks. Arrows host a vulnerable Sundowns tomorrow in a Premiership fixture at the Princess Magogo Stadium. On Sunday, lowly Swallows FC came away with a valuable point from a 0-0 draw against the Brazilians. It was a terrific result for the embattled Swallows because the relegation axe has been looming overhead for some time. Days prior to the clash against Swallows, Sundowns were also held to a 0-0 draw by 10-man Cape Town City. This must be very encouraging for the seventh-placed Arrows, whose objective is to cement a top eight berth. Swallows have been languishing in the league doldrums all season and they shocked all and sundry by…

ARCELORMITTAL South Africa’s new chairperson Bonang Mohale has called for the stabilisation of State-owned enterprises (SOE) in order for South Africa to not become “yet another failed African state”. In ArcelorMittal’s 2022 integrated annual report, Mohale who was appointed in May 2022, said behind the woeful state of the SOEs, there was “a sinister, thieving hand of State capture”. “The intent of those calling them- selves our leaders has been not about the service delivery as they profess, but to brazenly plunder the resour- ces and institutions that rightfully belong to us, the people … For the 28 years that we have been free, more than half of it has been spent in the dark. So, we have a euphemism for blackouts, which we call load shedding. Now…

OPPOSITION parties in eThekwini Metro are taking aim at mayor Mxolisi Kaunda, accusing him of dereliction of duty after revelations that a funding grant meant to improve the City’s infrastructure and services was slashed by R100 million. The Urban Settlement Development Grant (USDG) was cut amid concerns that the City was failing to spend the money. The budget was reduced by R100m from R1.278 billion. The Mercury has seen a letter from the National Department of Human Settlements notifying the mayor that the grant had been cut by R100m. The letter from Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said the National Treasury had instituted section 18 (1)(b) of the division of revenue bill, which states that it may, at its discretion, stop the transfer of an allocation or a portion of…

READERS are today treated to the first-ever Idler’s column written by Artificial Intelligence. This is made possible by my meeting up just before Easter with Nico Muller, once a senior sub-editor with this newspaper group, who has relocated to New Zealand and become a whizz in the AI thing. I think he came back here looking for an example of a writer still mired in the technology of the Nkandla party line. Nico asked AI to produce an Idler’s column. Wow! It came back in a few minutes. “Greetings, my fellow-Idlers. Today I want to speak about a menace that is threatening the livelihoods of visual artists everywhere: Artificial Intelligence. “Why should we be worried about robots making art? Can’t we just unplug them if they get too uppity? “But…

Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda claims that since the Queen Mary 2 paid a very brief visit to Durban harbour, one swallow makes a summer and, therefore, eThekwini’s tourism is now revived. But the front-page report in The Mercury of April 6 of the demise of the beachfront tells a different story. The closure of the iconic beachfront Funworld after more than 50 years because of the degradation of the area does not square with Kaunda’s spin. The indifference of the municipality in failing to respond to Nic Steyn’s letter of notice reflects the arrogance of these ANC mandarins whose “governance” is funded by ratepayers. Filling his bloated report with details about tourism indabas and projections does nothing to disguise the fact that uMhlanga is the tourist node of preference because of…

The first-ever criminal arraignment of a former US president sees Donald Trump charged with a crime. This indictment of Trump should serve notice to all that nobody is above the law, not only in America but also around the globe. The alleged crimes that Trump committed will be for the judges to decide, but seeking justice should not be based on different strokes for different folks. There should not be a double standard of judiciary or justice. Former presidents Bill Clinton, George W Bush and Barack Obama have all violated various categories of laws to promote their agendas or empire-building. For example, Obama’s unlawful intervention in Libya, a sovereign country, left that nation to swirl into lawlessness and chaos. Bush lied about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Untruths and…

The IFP has accepted an invite by the leader of the DA, John Steenhuisen, to engage in a national convention with other “like-minded” opposition parties to investigate how to collectively strengthen the country’s future. The party has reiterated that although it has accepted the invitation to join the DA and other opposition parties in discussions, this did not mean it has entered into an election coalition agreement with any party. In a statement issued by the party at the weekend, the IFP said it believed there was a need for political parties to talk and it was always open to constructive engagements to take the country forward. The IFP cautioned the DA to not adopt a “big brother” stance on this issue, as such concerns were raised by other parties.…

Trade union federation Cosatu appears to be heading for another crisis after the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) filed papers in the Johannesburg Labour Court challenging the federation’s resolution to support the SACP in next year’s general elections outside of the ANC-led alliance. In the papers, Sadtu argued the resolution was wrongly adopted, as it was resolved a special congress should deliberate on the matter. Sadtu accused the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) of pushing through the resolution. The two unions recently exchanged heated public statements over the issue of public sector wage negotiations. Also cited in the court papers – running to 100 pages – are 17 unions affiliated with the federation, which is in an alliance with the ANC. Sadtu general secretary Mugwena Maluleke filed…

THE eThekwini Municipality should make sure that any tourist facility that replaces the more than 70-year-old iconic Funworld Amusement Park, at the Durban beachfront, is not an elitist project that will be out of reach of ordinary people who frequent the Golden Mile. The Mercury’s story about the permanent closure of Funworld went viral on social media platforms last week. It was greeted with shock and disbelief throughout the country. While most people were sad to hear of the demise of Funworld, saying they had happy childhood memories of it, Durban residents saw the closure as indicative of the deteriorating state of the beachfront and the Durban CBD. We agree with Nic Steyn, the owner of the amusement park, that the closure will indeed be a sad day for Durban,…

A plan by the Ethiopian government to disarm regional forces has sparked protests and a deadly clash in the northern Amhara region after some residents said they feared disarmament might force them to give up territory that Amhara now controls or leave them vulnerable to ethnic attacks. At least four people, including two Ethiopian aid workers, were killed in the town of Kobo after the federal military clashed with a volunteer civilian Amhara militia known as Fano. One resident said members of the uniformed Amhara force did not take part in the fighting but that many left town to avoid being disarmed. The Ethiopian military spokesperson, government spokesperon and regional spokesperon for Amhara did not return calls seeking comment. The confrontations come at a delicate time for Prime Minister Abiy…

A number of masked people attacked a police vehicle with petrol bombs and other objects at a parade opposing the Good Friday peace accord in Londonderry, police said yesterday, a day before US President Joe Biden visits Belfast. A photograph showed four young people in the mainly Irish nationalist area of Creggan throwing petrol bombs at an armoured police vehicle, which was covered in flames on one side. The crowd dispersed afterwards and police said nobody was injured. Yesterday marked the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement that largely ended three decades of sectarian bloodshed in Northern Ireland. There is still some sporadic violence by small groups opposed to peace. Britain’s MI5 intelligence agency late last month increased the threat level in Northern Ireland from domestic…

NEW DELHI: The Dalai Lama, the Tibetans’ 87-year-old spiritual leader, apologised yesterday after footage showed him asking a young boy to “suck my tongue” at a public event. “A video clip has been circulating that shows a recent meeting when a young boy asked his Holiness the Dalai Lama if he could give him a hug,” said a statement on the exiled leader’s Twitter account, which has 19 million followers. “His Holiness wishes to apologise to the boy and his family, as well as his many friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused.” The statement said the Dalai Lama leader “often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way … He regrets the incident”. The video, which has 1 million views on Twitter,…

TAIPEI: China ended three days of military drills around Taiwan yesterday, saying they had tested integrated military capabilities under actual combat conditions, having practised precision strikes and blockading the island that Beijing views as its own. Taiwan said it would “never relax” its efforts to strengthen combat readiness and would closely monitor China’s missile forces and movements of the Shandong aircraft carrier. Beijing began the drills on Saturday after Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen returned to Taipei following a meeting in Los Angeles with US House of Representatives speaker Kevin McCarthy. | Reuters…

Moti has big plans for African Chrome Fields, ‘his baby’, and a hi-tech aluminothermic factory as a cash cow BUSINESS tycoon Zunaid Moti, the founder of the Moti Group, may have recently stepped away from the group’s multi-billion-rand helm to allow for fresh leadership and growth, but he has a double-pronged strategy to generate further wealth. The Moti Group is a private family- owned investment group of roughly 250 companies, with interests in a wide range of industries such as property development, car financing, aviation, mining and beneficiation. While Mikaeel Moti, the executive chairperson, and the former director-general of the National Treasury, Dondo Mogajane, the CEO of the Moti Group, restructure the family-owned business and beef up corporate governance, Moti is doubling down on African Chrome Fields, one of…

HARMONY Gold and its partner Newcrest Mining have signed a framework Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the independent state of Papua New Guinea (PNG) for the joint multi- billion dollar Wafi-Golpu project. In a statement, Harmony said the MOU was an affirmation of their intent to proceed with the Tier 1 Wafi-Golpu Project, subject to the finalisation of the permit process, and approval by both the Harmony and Newcrest boards. Harmony and Newcrest each own 50% of the project through their respective subsidiary WGJV (Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture) participant companies. Harmony Gold CEO Peter Steenkamp said the MOU was important to progress with the permitting of the Tier 1 Wafi-Golpu Project, one of the world’s premier, undeveloped copper-gold deposits. “I wish to thank Prime Minister James Marape and his government for…

Top South African police officers are working with their Tanzanian counter- parts to finalise the legal processes required to bring fugitive “Facebook Rapist” Thabo Bester and his accomplices to justice. Over the weekend, Bester, his partner, Dr Nandipha Magudumana, and a Mozambican national, Zakaria Alberto, were arrested in Arusha, Tanzania. Bester has been on the run since his dramatic escape from Mangaung Maximum Security Prison in May last year in which he allegedly faked his death. Yesterday, police confirmed the arrest of two more suspects, a former G4S employee and a man believed to be Magudumana’s father, in connection with Bester’s escape from the prison. Police arrested a 39-year-old former G4S employee at his residence in Bloemfontein on Saturday and a 65-year-old man from Port Edward in KwaZulu-Natal on Friday.…

America is in political turmoil as a former president is indicted for alleged crimes that have no legal worth in any democracy. It’s easy and logical to conclude that the US today stands as close to the edge of civil war as it has since 1861. Trump’s trumped-up charges pale into insignificance when compared to the wrongdoings of George Bush, Bill and Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky was a security threat, yet he was let off the hook. Let there be no mistake, Donald Trump will win the Republican nomination and win the election in 2024. His election will also bring about a majority in the Senate. The scene will be set for the first stages of the next civil war as he defangs the…

It is difficult to argue against the sentiment that South African voters can be forgiven for feeling that things will not get any better under the ANC. The past week has seen a fiasco unfold, with two decisions taken by the ANC government that do little to inspire confidence in their ability to lead the country. The first decision was the withdrawal of the declaration of a National State of Disaster over the power crisis crippling the country. This (disaster declaration) was made following an ANC national executive committee meeting and was a clear indication that the ANC was finally realising the negative impact load shedding is having on its prospects for success in the general elections. The second decision was to exempt Eskom from disclosing illegal, corrupt and wasteful…

An alleged serial rapist, who was on the run for two years, has been arrested in Klipgat, North West. The man was arrested on a charge of possession of an unlicensed firearm, but it turned out he was wanted on charges of rape. North West police spokesperson, Lieutenant-Colonel Amanda Funani, said the 39-year-old was arrested at Sofasonke Section, Klipgat, following a tactical and crime-intelligence driven operation. “The police pounced on the suspect at his residence after information was received about a man who was in possession of firearms and ammunition and looking for a potential buyer. During the arrest, the suspect was found in possession of a pistol. “Following preliminary crime scene investigation, it came out that the man was a wanted alleged serial rapist who had evaded…

A Zimbabwean man has been arrested for unlawful possession of explosives in Sabie. Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said the man was arrested last week. “Mpumalanga Tactical Response Team and Mpumalanga Tracking Team acted on the information gathered, which resulted in a big fish being nabbed. “The suspect, a 31-year-old Zimbabwean national, was tracked down and apprehended while walking on the street. “He was found in possession of 10 Superpower blasting cartridges, 10 green cap fuses and 50m of detonating cord,” he said. Mohlala said further investigation would be conducted to establish if the suspect was part of the ATM bombing syndicates in the province. “The Department of Home Affairs will also be brought on board and police cannot rule out that a contravention of (the) Immigration Act…

Storms on Sunday night in KwaZulu-Natal resulted in several areas losing power supply in the province, according to Eskom. Provincial Eskom spokesperson Joyce Zingoni said electricity supply was lost to several areas in KZN due to heavy rains and strong winds that swept through the province. Zingoni said areas most affected included the northern and southern parts of KZN as well as the Midlands. “Technicians have been deployed, but restoration may take longer than usual due to access problems. “We urge affected customers to treat all electrical installations as live while plans to restore electricity supply are currently being implemented,” she said. Speaking to The Mercury yesterday, KZN Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) spokesperson Senzo Mzila, said the department had not yet received any reports from its teams about…

Customs officials at Moscow Domodedovo Airport in Russia have reportedly seized more than 350 exotic animals found in the backpack of a Russian national arriving from South Africa. Some of the animals died due to sudden changes in temperature and improper transportation, while others were confiscated and handed over to animal rights activists who are providing veterinary care, rehabilitation, and adequate treatment, according to the Russian Federal Customs Service. Among the confiscated animals were 14 Cape dwarf chameleons, five western leopard toads, an African Rodenburg’s mabuya (long-tailed lizard) and various insects, including woodlice, giant millipedes, painted snails, horned fungus beetles, psammodes (found only at the Cape of Good Hope), and Florida woods cockroaches. “The Russian passenger put the African animals in plastic containers, he hid from customs officials in a…

Indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) have huge potential to sustain cattle during droughts. With the high frequency and intensity of droughts that have befallen southern Africa, it is essential to look for sustainable interventions that provide sufficient water for cattle during droughts. Cattle losses deepen poverty levels, food insecurity and cause emotional trauma among households in communal production systems. Most rural communities face water challenges from the drying out of water sources or dilapidated water infrastructure. Communities have been keeping cattle for centuries and have gained experience from centuries of droughts. Our communities, therefore, have the information, skills and techniques to mitigate and adapt to droughts. It is vital to tap into this. A collaborative study by the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), University of Venda and Water Research Commission to explore…

Israeli forces killed a Palestinian teenager and injured two other people in a raid on a refugee camp near Jericho in the occupied West Bank yesterday, the Palestinian health ministry said. It comes amid surging violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in recent days, coinciding with the Muslim fasting month of Ramadaan, Jewish Passover and Christian Easter. Mohammed Fayez Balhan, 15, was killed after being shot “with live occupation (Israeli) bullets in the head, chest and abdomen”, the ministry said yesterday. An earlier statement said two people were injured by “occupation (Israeli) bullets”. The Israeli army said its forces were operating in the Aqabat Jaber camp near Jericho, without providing further details. Separately, the Palestinian Red Crescent said it had transferred one person to hospital with a bullet wound to the…

The US is assessing how the apparent leak of a trove of highly classified documents could impact national security, the Pentagon said this week. The breach, which is being investigated by the Justice Department, appears to include assessments and secret intelligence reports that touch not only on Ukraine and Russia, but also highly sensitive analyses of US allies. While the Defense Department is still reviewing the validity of photographed documents circulating online, they “appear to contain sensitive and highly classified material,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said. “An interagency effort has been established, focused on assessing the impact these photographed documents could have on US national security and on our allies and partners,” Singh said. The Justice Department said that it had opened an investigation. A steady drip of…

MARSEILLE: French rescue workers have found four bodies in the rubble of buildings in the southern city of Marseille that collapsed after an explosion, police said yesterday. Officials had said earlier that they had identified eight people missing in the wake of yesterday’s explosion, which destroyed two residential buildings and caused a third to partially collapse. The cause of the blast is still unknown. Five people were taken to hospital with serious injuries. Rescue operations were continuing and 40 buildings near the site have been evacuated, housing minister Olivier Klein said. The collapse caused a fire which has complicated rescue efforts and which continued to burn yesterday. | Reuters…

LAHORE: At least four people were killed and 15 injured by a bomb blast in Pakistan’s south-western province of Balochistan, officials said. The bomb, yesterday, targeted a police vehicle in a busy market in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, home to several separatist and Islamist insurgencies. Police said a probe suggested the explosion was caused by an improvised device planted on a motorcycle. Pakistan has been battling a years-long insurgency by militants in Balochistan who are demanding a bigger share of the province’s wealth, as well as attacks by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, the Pakistan Taliban. No group has yet claimed responsibility foe the attack. | AFP…