Índex per 2023-02-24 a Mercury

AS the eThekwini Municipality battles with frequent power outages, it has emerged that six to eight major substations, which were among those damaged in the floods in April last year, are in urgent need of repair and could cost the City almost R400 million to fix. In addition, there are also medium voltage substations that need repair work at an estimated cost of R150m. Head of Electricity Maxwell Mthembu said in an interview with The Mercury this week that the City had 120 major high voltage substations that were affected by the floods and six to eight of these were in urgent need of repairs. The critical state of the City’s electricity infrastructure was laid bare in a joint statement it released with Eskom in July last year where it…

On Tuesday morning, I popped into the shops and, once again, saw municipal workers painting road markers. While one realises that it is important to have these lines etc, visible, why is it that the roads are not fixed first? In some instances, there are huge cracks in the road surface, and these cracks are being painted over. There are massive potholes right next to and sometimes in the areas that are being painted. Surely one should focus on repairing the road surface first, before the painting, as one would have to repaint once these areas have been fixed. Does anyone in the municipality understand ergonomics?…

Regarding the proposal by councillor Yagyah Adams, for a “qualified vote”, (The Mercury, February 15), it was interesting to read the favourable response by Rob Johnston and the rejection thereof by Philip Bam (The Mercury, February 17). Paradoxically, all three are right, kind of. I like the idea of each voter having the potential for 10 votes. It would depend on how much each pays in tax, their education or skills level, how many people they employ and various other to-be-determined factors. However, this, or any similar proposal, would work only in a nation where everyone of school-going age has equal access to free education. Those with the intellect and will to succeed would eventually attain their qualification to have all 10 votes at their disposal. The reason why this…

A close friend of Sipho “Juda” Mthethwa, the chairperson of uMhlabuyalingana Society Against Crime (USAC), who was killed in his home in Manguzi, northern KwaZulu-Natal last week, has vowed that the fight against crime in the area will continue despite his death. Mthethwa was at the forefront of the fight against cross-border crime in which hijacked and stolen vehicles were being smuggled across the border to Mozambique. He was also one of the founders of the USAC in 2017. His activism led then-president Jacob Zuma to order the government to build a concrete barrier between South Africa and Mozambique to stem the tide against stolen cars being smuggled across the border. Musa Mthembu, who worked closely with Mthethwa, said he regarded him as a hero in Manguzi, which is in…

ESKOM has insisted that the country remains on stage 6 load shedding, but an energy expert has said the amount of megawatts (MW) being shed at night over the past three nights suggests that the power cuts are at a higher stage. Eskom said yesterday that the country remained on stage 6 load shedding during the evenings despite spokesperson Sikhonathi Mantshantsha posted on social media that the load shedding evening peak had exceeded 7 000MW. By the utility’s own definitions, that is stage 8 load shedding as each stage represents an additional 1 000MW of demand removed from the grid. David Lipschitz, an energy resilience expert and author of the book The Last Blackout, said that more than 7001MW of load shedding meant that the country was experiencing stage…

An Empangeni sangoma who raped a woman and then killed her will spend a long time behind bars for his crimes. Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Nompumelelo Radebe sentenced Lindokuhle Mzimela to a double life term for the murder of Philile Nzuza. Nzuza, a 38-year-old mother of five, had been walking home when she was attacked by Mzimela and his friend, Khetha Prince Zulu, 19. Zulu was jailed for 25 years. He told the court that he did not play a part in Nzuza’s murder; he had wanted only to rape her. On the day of the killing, both men said they had been drinking at a tavern and, on their way to another tavern, saw Nzuza walking with a man. They said that at first, their intention was to…

WE heard yet another Budget that centres the interests of the wealthy few over the needs of the majority. AIDC joins our allies in the social and labour movement in rejecting this Budget. Once again, the government provides tax relief for high-income earners – all those earning above R350 000 per year – forfeiting R14.9 billion in tax revenue. At the same time, we see cuts in real terms to social protection and the wages of teachers and health-care workers. In terms of the social relief of distress (SRD) grant, the budget only makes provision for 8.5 million beneficiaries, effectively excluding at least 2 million people from much-needed support. The most dramatic of the budget cuts is to health care – where there is a R2bn reduction in spending in…

Police in Northern Ireland said yesterday that they had arrested three men over the shooting of an off-duty officer, after declaring “violent dissident republicans” the “prime focus” of their investigation. The shooting, condemned by politicians as “outrageous and shameful”, was carried out by two men in the town of Omagh in County Tyrone on Wednesday. Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell, a high-profile officer who has led major investigations, was taken to hospital and is in a “critical but stable” condition after being shot multiple times at a sports complex, police said. Officers in Northern Ireland are subject to sporadic attacks that were once common in the region, which was plagued by decades of sectarian violence known as the Troubles before the signing of peace accords in 1998. Chief Constable Simon…

A senatorial candidate from Nigeria’s opposition Labour Party was killed late on Wednesday by unknown gunmen in south-eastern Enugu State, a local party official said yesterday, the latest violent incident ahead of a momentous national election. Nigerians are due to elect their next president and MPs on Saturday, against a chaotic backdrop of armed conflict in the north-east, high levels of violent crime everywhere and shortages of cash, fuel and electricity. President Muhammadu Buhari is stepping down after serving the maximum two terms allowed by the constitution, and the three-man race to succeed him is seen as the most unpredictable contest in recent Nigerian history. Africa’s most populous nation, biggest economy and top oil producer switched from army rule to democracy in 1999, but its elections have long been plagued…

London: A six-decade archive charting pop icon David Bowie’s career will open in London in 2025, providing a “new source book for the Bowies of tomorrow”, a museum director said this week. Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum Tristram Hunt said the “incredible” collection had more than 80 000 items of Bowie memorabilia. They range from hand-written lyrics and letters to sheet music, original costumes, photography and album artwork. A number of instruments owned by Bowie as well as music videos, set designs and awards will also go on display. | AFP…

AIDEN Markram’s elevation to the Proteas T20 captaincy received a major boost after he was named captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad for IPL 2023. Markram seems set to succeed Temba Bavuma, who relinquished the T20 leadership reins last week as the new national short-format captain. The 28-year-old’s stocks are certainly on the rise after leading the Sunrisers Eastern Cape to the inaugural Betway SA20 title earlier this month. Bavuma will now lead the Proteas Test team with his debut as a skipper being the series against West Indies in Gauteng next week. Markram has led the Proteas before in ODI cricket for a brief period of five matches in 2018. He has, however, taken his game to an entirely different level in T20 cricket the past few years. Markram is perched…

THE heat of summer have made the days long on the beaches, but the fishing rewards have been worth the wait (and sunburn). The hot north has been just that, hot! The fishing has been good and the sunburns even better … please remember your hat! The beaches up north that allow wading onto banks for a further throw are starting to produce bigger hauls of flatfish. Durnford is starting to see good numbers of diamonds, so watch the weather and head there when the conditions line up. The deep water points are producing a lot of grey sharks in the evenings. A decent throw and fleshy baits are needed. You do not need heavy tackle for these fish, medium will do just fine. The beachfront has seen its fair…

Eskom has confirmed the unprecedented shedding and curtailing of power to stage 7 WINTER came early for South Africans after Eskom confirmed shedding and curtailing a combined more than 7 000MW of electricity supply from the grid over the past two days. This has fuelled chatter around the country that Eskom implemented an unprecedented stage 7 or stage 8 load shedding on Tuesday and Wednesday night without informing the public. However, Eskom’s System Operator yesterday denied reports that had quietly ramped up load shedding from the current stage 6. This contradicted Eskom’s spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha, who told another publication that it was accurate to say load shedding was at stage 7 at that particular time on Wednesday night. The Eskom System Operator decides on the load…

Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini has called for an urgent provincial meeting to address the killing of amakhosi and other traditional leaders in the province. Delivering the inaugural address to mark the opening of the KwaZulu-Natal legislature in Pietermaritzburg yesterday, the monarch said the meeting should include the government, police and traditional leadership. “I refer with great consternation to the wanton killing of amakhosi, izinduna and councillors. As isilo (king) I am appealing to everyone to honour ubuntu and kill no one. Killing is inhuman. Killing is barbaric,” the king told the audience, which included Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube and Judge President Thoba Poyo-Dlwati. According to the king, the meeting should serve as a platform to ensure that killings came to an end. “The meeting (involving the government, police and traditional leadership)…

A gang of eight or nine hoodlums attacked two elderly US tourists in broad daylight in central Durban in the presence of vendors and pedestrians (“US tourists vow never to visit Durban again after robbery”, The Mercury, February 22.) But what is shocking about this brazen attack is that there were two police officers across the street and they just stood and watched with folded arms as a crime was being committed. This is a serious dereliction of duty. The police chief should carry out an investigation and trace who these two indifferent police officers were and haul them over the coals. But it’s hardly likely to happen. They would probably get a promotion! The badly shaken up tourists vowed never to return to Durban, which will not help the…

The Sherwood community has expressed gratitude to the Sibaya Community Trust chairperson, Vivian Reddy, and his wife Sorisha Naidoo for the R7.5 million donation which will help in providing relief to the babies’ home. The recent sod-turning ceremony was held to mark the repairs to the Edith Benson Babies Home, which was sadly gutted by fire in 2018. What a gesture to give a substantial donation on his 70 birthday! Mr Reddy has come a long way since he started, his social responsibility goes further than simply ensuring all the boxes on the scorecard are ticked. He has consistently scored full points for social development. It is time for more businesses to put up their hands and contribute to make life for our people better. The lovely thing about our…

IN the past few months and years, a lot has been said about the fragmentation of our South African politics. The ANC appears to be split into factions. Municipalities have to contend with awkward coalitions. This is actually good news. It is a sign of our fledgling democracy starting to mature. In the beginning, some measure of stability was assured by the dominance of one party. This, however, is against the concept of democracy. It leaves no room for real debate. If democracy is government of the people by the people, then opposing views must be heard and be taken seriously. It is normal for a new democracy to grow towards a state where divergent views of the people are accommodated and frequently this leads to coalitions. That is not…

Through its Export Marketing and Investment Assistance Scheme, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition has provided funding for a business delegation of 16 South African agro-processing firms to present their international food and beverage products at the Gulfood exhibition in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, this week. The five-day exhibition aimed at developing export markets for South African products and services will recruit new foreign direct investment into the country and provide companies with an opportunity to increase exports globally. Molly’s Food Enterprise was one of the small companies based in Johannesburg that participated in the Gulfood exhibition, and their products generated a strong lead during the show. The company manufactures powdered beverages that range in flavours, including a zero-sugar powdered drink, and their products received enormous interest at the…

THE eThekwini Municipality is inviting businesses in the energy sector to register to exhibit at the inaugural eThekwini Energy Transformation Summit. The summit will be held at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban from March 1–2. The municipality said the two-day summit will provide a platform where it and other key role-players will demonstrate their commitment to providing innovative solutions to the country’s energy challenges. It added that with 800 delegates expected to attend, the summit will provide attendees the opportunity to network and gain competitive advantage on new energy markets. There will also be opportunities to market products within the KZN’s energy industry, and connect with government officials, potential investors, utilities, Original Equipment Manufacturers, Development Finance Institutions, and other businesses. “The overall aim of the summit…

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has encouraged students whose applications for funding have been declined, to urgently lodge appeals with the Independent Appeals Tribunal. “NSFAS has received 1 587 968 applications from prospective beneficiaries for the 2023 academic year. “Out of these, 300 803 applications have been rejected for various reasons, while others have not yet been finalised pending the submission of certain documents. “In this regard, NSFAS urges those students that have received rejection notices to urgently lodge their appeals so that the issues behind their rejection can be investigated and finalised,” NSFAS said. The tribunal will start with the appeal process next week. “The tribunal has been established to provide effective management of appeals from students whose applications for funding have been rejected, or discontinued funding,…

THE Proteas Women’s team have a date with destiny. A home ICC Women’s T20 World Cup semi-final against England. And they are fully aware a nation expects nothing less than a victory. The days of merely being content with reaching this stage are over. It has been some journey for Sune Luus’s team. The last two weeks have been a roller-coaster, starting with the opening defeat to Sri Lanka. From thereon the mountain only became steeper. Victory over New Zealand in Paarl reignited the challenge before stumbling again in Gqeberha when the Australians were simply too good. Destiny was out of their hands, but fortunately the Kiwis defeated Sri Lanka that set up a must-win game for the Proteas against Bangladesh. A nervous start was averted and the Proteas won…

A brown bear that lay almost perfectly preserved in the frozen wilds of eastern Siberia for 3 500 years has undergone a necropsy by a team of scientists after it was discovered by reindeer herders on a desolate island in the Arctic. “This find is absolutely unique: the complete carcass of an ancient brown bear,” said Maxim Cheprasov, laboratory chief at the Lazarev Mammoth Museum Laboratory at the North-Eastern Federal University in Yakutsk, eastern Siberia. The female bear was found by reindeer herders in 2020 jutting out of the permafrost on Bolshoy Lyakhovsky Island, part of the New Siberian archipelago about 4 600km east of Moscow. The extreme temperatures helped preserve the bear’s soft tissue for 3 460 years, as well as remains of its final repasts – bird feathers…

BEIRUT: Longtime central bank governor Riad Salameh, his brother Raja and one of his assistants have been charged with money laundering, embezzlement and illicit enrichment, a senior judicial source said yesterday. The charges come after an 18-month investigation into whether Salameh and his brother embezzled more than $300 million (R5.5 trillion) from Lebanon’s Central Bank between 2002 and 2015. Judicial authorities in at least five European countries are investigating Salameh and his brother Raja on the same allegations. The governor has dismissed accusations as part of a bid to scapegoat him for Lebanon’s financial woes. | Reuters…

ANDRE de Ruyter’s blockbuster exit from Eskom has left sections of society divided right down the middle over how the corruption allegations he made could potentially see South Africa regressing after a four-year marathon which exposed how the State has been captured. This comes after De Ruyter’s explosive interview with the commercial 24-hour TV station eNCA. During the interview, De Ruyter made a litany of allegations among which he reiterated that corruption was deeply entrenched at Eskom and hinted at political interference due to vested interests. De Ruyter said he had made enemies at Eskom and had stepped on the wrong toes after trying to close the taps to a cartel that was allegedly syphoning off at least R1 billion from Eskom every month. He also implicated an unnamed…

Residents of uMkhanyakude, Zululand and Amajuba in northern KwaZulu-Natal have been urged by the SA Weather Service to be extra vigilant when tropical Cyclone Freddy hits Mozambique today. Senior manager for disaster risk reduction Tshepo Ngobeni said heavy rains and strong winds were forecast for these areas which were already dealing with the aftermath of recent flooding. Parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga are also expected to be affected by the storm. Ngobeni said disaster avoidance messages were sent to the relevant disaster management departments who are mandated to act decisively to mitigate against loss of life and property, including livestock, which is outside of their mandate as the weather monitoring body. However, he said it would be critical for emergency services to take the warning seriously to ensure measures were…

The motion of no confidence in National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, tabled by the EFF, is scheduled to take place on March 7. This was revealed yesterday by programme whip Mina Lesoma when she presented the institution’s programmes for the weeks ahead after Deputy Speaker Lechesa Tsenoli considered the matter. “We are suggesting that it be scheduled for March 7 and it has been included accordingly,” Lesoma said. Freedom Front Plus chief whip Corné Mulder noted the date for the motion, but said: “I don’t see that on the programme”. He asked when it would be debated on the day of the parliamentary sitting. EFF leader Julius Malema announced the tabling of the motion during the debate on the State of the Nation Address (Sona) last week. The motion…

High-profile murders in our crime-ridden country have once again thrust gun-related violence and the issue of gun control into the limelight. KwaZulu-Natal is the epicentre of gun-related violence. It is a recorded fact that 9 000 guns go missing every year, while 24 guns illegally enter the market every day, taking 30 lives every day. Our strict gun laws, introduced in 2001, have had little impact on the carnage we are witnessing. According to reliable reports, our rising gun violence can be attributed to the increase in the smuggling of weaponry into the country. There are about 3.8 million unregistered illegal firearms in circulation in South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, a critical factor in the escalating gun-related murders in our rainbow nation. Global historical facts graphically prove that gun-control laws…

It is welcome news that the City of Cape Town will spend R18 billion on sewage treatment, in part to restore inland wetlands. Three cheers! Not so welcome is the news that the City will continue its century-old practice of pouring raw sewage into the ocean off Green Point, Camps Bay and Hout Bay. During that century, two developments have happened. First, the population of Green Point, Camps Bay, and Hout Bay must have increased tenfold. Second, our environmental standards have risen. We should no longer treat the sea as a dustbin or cesspool. Screening sewage does not stop it being sewage, and the NGO Rethink the Stink deserves our praise for red-flagging this issue. The treatment at these three outlets needs to be upgraded to purify the sewage until…

A CURSORY online glance at papers around the world reveals that trouble abounds. Please, this weekend, be an agent of grace. You and I are fully capable of giving others a good experience of life this very weekend. Here are challenges to counter the persistent cruelty that desires prevalence: Rest – get offline. Rest. Unplug. Recharge yourself, not your devices. Spend undistracted time with family and friends. Listen more than you talk. Express appreciation when you feel it. Serve others – acts of kindness need not be heroic, although they may indeed be. Open doors for others; pay for someone’s meal or for someone’s groceries; offer someone the parking spot you just found for yourself. Be generous – to those who, for whatever reason, may least expect it from you.…

A majority of MPs have pushed through the Electoral Amendment Bill that will allow for independent candidates to contest for seats in the National Assembly and provincial legislatures in next year’s general election. This was after 218 MPs voted in support of the bill, while 81 voted against it yesterday. The bill will now be sent to President Cyril Ramaphosa for assent. The bill has been in the making for some time after the Constitutional Court made a ruling in June 2020 that independent candidates be allowed to contest national and provincial elections. This follows an application by the New Nation Movement. Parliament was meant to finalise the bill last June, but sought extensions until the Constitutional Court granted the last application an order that the bill be finalised by…

The Department of Basic Education has been given a financial boost to tackle ailing infrastructure in schools, especially those damaged by the devastating floods. This was announced during Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s Budget speech on Wednesday. According to the Budget, R283.3 million will be added to the education infrastructure grant to repair infrastructure damage to schools in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal resulting from the floods in April 2022, while a further R1.5 billion is allocated over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) period for the Gauteng schools project, which aims to improve infrastructure in schools. Godongwana has allocated a total of R457.1bn to the learning and culture function, which allocates funding to basic and post-school education and training, as well as sport, arts and culture. The basic education sector receives…

Israel launched air strikes on Gaza in return for rocket fire from the Palestinian enclave yesterday, a day after the deadliest Israeli army raid in the occupied West Bank in nearly 20 years. Eleven Palestinians, including a 16-year-old, were killed and more than 80 wounded by gunfire on Wednesday, the Palestinian health ministry said, when Israeli troops raided the flashpoint West Bank city of Nablus, drawing international appeals for calm. The death toll was the highest since the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising, ended in 2005. It was described as a “massacre” by top Palestinian official Hussein al- Sheikh, who called for “international protection for our people”. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who heads a new coalition government regarded as the most right-wing in Israel’s history, praised Israeli forces and vowed…

At least five people were killed and 48 were still missing a day after the collapse of a coal mine in China’s northern region of Inner Mongolia, state media reported yesterday. The open-pit mine operated by small local firm Xinjing Coal Mining Co collapsed in a landslide, leaving dozens of workers buried under a huge pile of debris half a kilometre wide and an estimated 80m high, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Dramatic security camera footage aired on CCTV yesterday showed an avalanche of rock and soil falling from one side of the mountain into the mine pit, burying a number of excavators and dump trucks. Three hundred rescue workers were at the site using heavy machinery and rescue dogs to aid in their search for the trapped miners, state…

ANTAKYA: Türkiye will widen an investigation into building contractors suspected of violating safety standards following its devastating earthquake, the interior minister said, as the country stepped up housing plans for victims. Suleyman Soylu said 564 suspects had been identified so far, with 160 people formally arrested. Soylu said 313 000 tents had been erected, with 100 000 container homes to be installed. Soylu said more than 600 000 apartments and 150 000 commercial premises had suffered at least moderate damage. | Reuters…