Índex per 2023-08-23 a Mercury

It’s been a disturbing few days for viewers of British TV, which has been dominated by coverage of the conviction of former maternity ward nurse Lucy Letby for murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six more. This is an episode that I’m sure has shocked the world. How can it possibly be explained in an individual who was outwardly calm and normal and even pretended to participate in efforts to save some of her tiny victims? Statements in court by the bereaved parents of the babies were nothing short of heart-rending. How could this possibly have happened? But lurking in the background was another horror. Lucy was from an absolutely normal background. Her parents, John and Susan, are a stolid West Country couple who were there in court believing…

The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) has extended the deadline for submissions on the National Health Insurance Bill. The chairperson of the select committee on health and social services in the NCOP, Zoyisile Njadu, said they had received requests from stakeholders in the health sector to extend the deadline. In July, more than 12 000 doctors, who are members of the South African Medical Association (Sama), submitted a 50 000-signature petition to the NCOP calling for their concerns regarding the NHI Bill to be heard. Sama had said the bill didn’t address the management, infrastructural and staffing issues faced by the public health-care system and the national Treasury had not even agreed to the funding required to implement the plan. The committee had set September 1 as the deadline for…

THE Covid-19 pandemic upended lives and livelihoods across the globe, with the youth being among the most affected demographic. These were the findings of a comprehensive study by the Unisa Bureau of Market Research (BMR) on the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the well-being of South African youth. The study investigated challenges faced by the youth, such as substance use, online sexual exploitation and cyberbullying, and a total of 1 124 young people between the ages 12 and 20 participated. “The study confirmed that young people find themselves in an environment where both legal and illegal substances are openly used and easily accessible.” Among these are a variety of tobacco products including cigarettes (50%), “Hubbly Bubbly” (hookah) (48.0%) as well as “vaping” (14%). “Together with the unsafe use…

COUNCIL rules have been tightened to ensure councillors in municipalities set a good example for ratepayers by paying their municipal bills on time. Councillors in the eThekwini Municipality were informed that, based on the new amendment of council conduct, they would no longer be given time to make arrangements to pay their municipal accounts in arrears. In a meeting, speaker of the council, Thabani Nyawose, spoke about the changes to the councillor’s code of conduct that have been put forward by the national department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta). Under the amendments, the speaker has powers to pursue the councillors who owe money to municipalities, and does not have to wait until a complaint has been lodged with his office, as was the case. The Mercury reported recently…

The six men accused of the murder of Department of Health whistle-blower, Babita Deokaran were sentenced yesterday in the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg. Their sentences range from six to 22 years in prison. The sentencing came after the accused – Phakamani Hadebe, Zitha Radebe, Nhlangano Ndlovu, Sanele Mbhele, Siphiwe Mazibuko, and Siphakanyiswa Dladla – entered into a plea and sentencing agreement with the State. In terms of this, they pleaded guilty to charges of murder, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and conspiracy to commit murder. Deokaran, 53, was shot dead outside her home in Winchester Hills, south of Johannesburg, on August 23, 2021. She was the chief director of financial accounting in the Gauteng Health Department and was at the forefront of fighting and exposing corruption in…

Many leaders in our war-torn world continue to utter comments that if left unchecked could serve as a catalyst for racial and religious conflict on an epic scale. Hate speech and hateful comments are a ticking time bomb, waiting to explode with satanic fury. Hateful comments are the octane and oxygen needed to shatter relations on an epic scale. Today people with prejudice have learned how to camouflage their racism and hate in various codes and convoluted euphemisms. These disgusting remarks should not be whitewashed. These outbursts indicate deep entrenchments of prejudices and stereotypes. They need to be catalogued in our hall of shame and made available to future generations. These toxic words endure because they are so poisonous. Racial and religious slurs have been buried and thrown…

Moscow: Eight members of a tour group exploring underground tunnels in Moscow’s sewer system at the weekend have been found dead after getting caught off guard by flash flooding, local media said. The victims, who were touring an underground river known as the Neglinka, were believed to have become trapped when a downpour caused water levels to rise. The tour guide and seven members of his party drowned. Several tour operators offer trips into the vast tunnels of the capital’s sewer system, some of which were constructed during the 19th century. The legality of such trips is disputed, and investigators said they had launched a criminal case into an “illegal excursion”. | AFP…

Hundreds of Indian airline pilots plan to form an association to challenge flying duty regulations they say cause fatigue and jeopardise safety after an IndiGo pilot collapsed and died before his flight. Former pilots have raised concerns that airlines, though operating within regulatory frameworks, are stretching them to the brink as air travel booms in India. The sudden death last week of an IndiGo pilot heightened those worries although India’s biggest airline says he had a 27-hour break before duty and was in good health. Captain Shakti Lumba, a retired vice-president at IndiGo, has garnered the support of hundreds of pilots who plan to join a group of 600 to raise awareness and lodge concerns over fatigue with authorities and airlines. Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said in March that the…

Nîmes: A 10-year-old boy has been shot dead in suspected drugs-related violence in the southern French town of Nîmes, the authorities said yesterday, with Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin mourning an “immense tragedy”. The boy was travelling in a car with his uncle through the Pissevin area of the city when they were targeted on Monday evening. Local prosecutor Cecile Gensac said yesterday that the victim’s family “was not associated in acts of a criminal nature”. Police believe the shooting was a case of mistaken identity, with the vehicle resembling a car used in a separate drive-by shooting at the weekend. The four gunmen are on the run. | AFP…

HOUSTON: Tropical Storm Harold was yesterday barrelling toward the southern tip of Texas where it threatened damaging winds and heavy rain that could cause flash flooding and structural damage. The storm, located 245km east-south-east of Port Mansfield, Texas, was packing 72km/h winds, the National Hurricane Center said. The storm was expected to move inland over south Texas and produce 7-12cm of rain, the centre said. A a tropical storm warning has been issued for 1.3 million people in Deep South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley. The storm could cause flooding and power and communications outages, the service said. | Reuters…

President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomed the People’s Republic of China’s President Xi Jinping during a state visit yesterday. Ramaphosa said that the relationship between the people of South Africa and China stretched back many decades. “We recall with deep gratitude the support of the Chinese people for our Struggle for freedom and democracy.” “China has been a valued friend and developmental partner of South Africa throughout the course of rebuilding our country from the ruins of apartheid,” said Ramaphosa. Ramaphosa also made mention of China’s support during the Covid-19 pandemic through the provision of personal protective equipment, vaccines and other essential items to South Africa and other African countries. “South Africa deeply appreciates China’s support in addressing our current energy challenges. This includes the donation of emergency power equipment worth R167…

Congratulations Mr Wittstock. A brilliant letter presenting the other side of the story (The Mercury, August 22). I am sure Dr Du Bois dashed off to his computer the minute he finished reading it, so that he could have a rebuttal of your rational, factual data. However, there are some people who will always insist that they are the only ones who know what is going on regardless of the evidence contrary to their beliefs. While there may always be two sides to the story, one also needs to look at the actual facts available, and unfortunately when it comes to the Donald Trump saga, his supporters will negate anything that does not fit in with his narrative. While Joe Biden has reached his sell by date, what his son…

The National Freedom Party (NFP) is deeply concerned by the rising rates of teenage pregnancy in the country, and demands more action from the government to address what has now become a major crisis. With nearly one in four girls becoming mothers before they turn 20, the NFP declares that enough is enough. This issue demands urgent attention. Teenage pregnancy isn’t just a statistic – it’s a life-altering reality for our young girls. It’s time for our government to show true commitment to our youth by investing in comprehensive education that empowers them to shape their destinies. We need more than lip service from governments. It is imperative that we develop a holistic strategy where the Basic Education Department, social development and non-profits work together to effectively curb the continued…

The Western Cape Department of Infrastructure’s Human Settlements branch has spent more than R161.7 million on security to mitigate the extortion tactics of the so-called “construction mafia” and illegal occupation of vacant land and homes under construction. Infrastructure MEC Tertuis Simmers told the Legislature that the illegal occupation of vacant land and housing units under construction remained a key challenge and the department faced a heightened security environment due to the disruptions and stoppages of projects through the extortion tactics of construction mafia. Presenting his department’s 2022/23 end-of-year performance outcomes, Simmers said: “By the end of the year, the department spent more than R161.7m on security to mitigate this scourge, with 125 housing opportunities being lost.” Standing committee on infrastructure chairperson Matlhodi Maseko (DA) alleged there was a political connection…

Parliament’s portfolio committee on police says it is concerned by the murder of police officers. The first quarter crime statistics for April to June 2023 showed 31 police officers were killed in the line of duty. Head of police crime research and statistics Norman Sekhukhune told the committee the 31 officers killed was almost double the number killed by criminals in the same period last year. He said of the 31 officers, 12 were killed in Gauteng, six in KwaZulu- Natal, five in the Eastern Cape and three in the Free State. Two officers were killed in the Western Cape, two in Mpumalanga and one in the Northern Cape. Sekhukhune said some of the officers killed were on duty while others were off-duty. For those killed on duty, they were…

The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal will deploy its big guns that include two former premiers, Dr Zweli Mkhize and Senzo Mchunu, and veteran Cabinet member Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, to meet with faith-based communities in the province. The move, announced by ANC KZN secretary Bheki Mtolo yesterday, is part of the governing party’s strategy to drum up support ahead of the 2024 elections. Other members of the team are Bheki Cele, Mike Mabuyakhulu and Dr Blade Nzimande. “The ANC has resolved to strengthen its relationship with leaders of different faith-based organisations and the institution of traditional leadership. Faith-based institutions and its leaders fought for the end of apartheid and ensured the dawn of a new democratic order,” said Mtolo. He added that because of this, the party wanted to ensure the…

AS YOU read this, the multibillion rand business district of Sandton is under lock and key. Almost 50 world leaders are in the country attending the much-anticipated 15th BRICS Summit, where talks are aimed at strengthening the trade bloc. Security has been beefed up; Police Minister Bheki Cele is on record saying the country was not leaving anything to chance. Critics have gone as far as saying South Africa was hiding the dirt such as gender-based violence and crime away from the BRICS delegates. One suggestion was that the event should have been held in Soweto or Alexandra to show the world the “real South African story”. But this is the BRICS Summit, and it is a big deal, not an opportunity to score or to settle political and social…

Thai property mogul Srettha Thavisin was elected prime minister after a decisive win in a parliamentary vote yesterday as his party’s fugitive figurehead Thaksin Shinawatra made a historic homecoming after years in exile and was taken straight to jail. The victory by 60-year-old Srettha paves the way for a new coalition government, ending weeks of uncertainty and stalemate in parliament after an election 100 days ago that threatened to weaken the political clout of the country’s powerful military. Srettha, who was thrust into the spotlight just a few months ago by the populist heavyweight Pheu Thai, won the support from two thirds of parliament in a vote that followed hours of hysteria in Thailand over the long-awaited return of Thaksin from self-imposed exile. “I will perform my duties to the…

The AU said yesterday that it had suspended coup-hit Niger until civilian rule is restored and announced it would assess the implications of any armed intervention in the Sahel nation. The West African regional bloc Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) has threatened to use force to reinstate Niger’s elected president, Mohamed Bazoum. The Peace and Security Council “requests the AU Commission to under- take an assessment of the economic, social and security implications of deploying a standby force in Niger and report back to Council,” the bloc said. Army officers toppled Bazoum on July 26, prompting Ecowas to approve the activation of a “standby force to restore constitutional order” in Niamey. The bloc has said it is ready to intervene as a last resort but is continuing to…

WASHINGTON: Former US president Donald Trump said that he would turn himself in tomorrow to the authorities in Atlanta for the Georgia election interference case. Trump and 18 others were indicted on August 14 over alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state of Georgia. Trump was charged with 13 counts, including violating the state’s racketeering act, soliciting a public officer to violate their oath, conspiring to impersonate a public officer, conspiring to commit forgery in the first degree, and conspiring to file false documents. In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “This is in strict co-ordination with Crooked (US President) Joe Biden’s DOJ (Department of Justice). It is all about election interference!” Trump is facing separate federal charges for mishandling classified documents…

THE HAGUE: A former militia leader from the Central African Republic yesterday told judges at the International Criminal Court that he played no part in any of the violent attacks on Muslim civilians in 2013 and 2014 that prosecutors want to charge him with. Prosecutors have said that Maxime Jeoffroy Eli Mokom Gawaka, a former national co-ordinator of so-called anti-balaka militias, played a key role in a plan to violently target the Muslim civilian population of the Central African Republic (CAR) in 2013 and 2014. Prosecutors say the anti-balaka killed hundreds of Muslim civilians and forced thousands to leave their homes. | Reuters…

AmaZulu coach Pablo Franco has admitted to finding himself in unfamiliar territory as his team continues to fire blanks this season. Usuthu’s latest 0-0 draw against KwaZulu-Natal rivals Richards Bay FC at the weekend means they have now gone 270 minutes without scoring. Martin’s boys had raised optimism levels around the club after their first two games, with two competitive showings against Royal AM and SuperSport United but a lacklustre display against Richards Bay has raised concerns. AmaZulu, in their own backyard, failed to dominate a struggling Richards Bay and were restricted to just a single shot on target, an occurrence that has left a bad taste in Franco’s mouth. The former Getafe coach has revealed that AmaZulu’s lack of a goal threat is a conundrum he has never found…

Both the Proteas and Australia’s focus will be squarely on the One-Day International leg of this incoming tour with the World Cup in India fast approaching. This situation has, therefore, opened the door for a host of exciting young players to be given a run in the three-match T20 International series to be held at Kingsmead starting next week. Independent Media’s Zaahier Adams runs the rule over five rookies to keep a close eye on. Dewald Brevis (SA) All eyes will undoubtedly be on the 20-year-old Titans wunderkind as he finally gets an opportunity to showcase his immense potential on the international stage. Proteas white-ball coach Rob Walter has indicated that Brevis will be utilised in the middle-order due to his ability to counter high-quality spin. Equally, he will…

Pep Guardiola will miss Manchester City’s next two matches after a “routine operation” on his back yesterday, the Premier League champions announced. City said their treble-winning manager had been suffering from “severe back pain for some time” and flew out to Barcelona for “emergency” yet “routine” surgery. The Spanish boss will remain in Barcelona while he recovers from the operation and is expected to miss City’s matches against Sheffield United on Sunday and Fulham next Saturday, with assistant manager Juanma Lillo taking temporary charge in his absence. City expect Guardiola, 52, to be back on the touchline after the international break for their visit to West Ham United on September 16. A Manchester City statement said: “Pep Guardiola has undergone a routine operation on a back problem (yesterday) ... The…

If John Wittstock considered his exposure to the repetition of narratives by the mass media, he might ponder the extent to which he has become a victim of what he terms “Goebelesque” indoctrination (The Mercury, August 22). Predictably, narrative dissent is dismissed as “right wing” or “conspiracy” or as “a bogeyman”. According to Wittstock, epithets such as “globalist,” “Soros-funded” and “deep state” somehow are code words for “Jewish” world control. The Bidens, Clintons, Macron, Rishi Sunak, Trudeau and the UN secretary-general, are all globalists who are not Jewish. Yet they are all part of the WEF elite whose agenda is world control by liquidating national sovereignty. Since it is pointless trying to reverse the repeated clichés and falsehoods regarding Trump which Wittstock has absorbed via the mass media, a more…

Nothing seems beyond medical science. As it delves deeper and deeper into the human body, the boundaries of medical science get pushed further and further afield, often into the realm of the bizarre and fantasy. We have all sorts of organ transplants, cloning, stem cells, artificial valves and even an artificial heart known as TAH that keeps you alive till a suitable donor is found. There was even a head transplant done last year by an Italian surgeon and his Chinese counterparts; but it was done on a human cadaver. The next stage will be a full head swop between two brain-dead organ donors and then finally a head transplant on a live human being, making it a Frankenstein reality. It would be revolutionary. But the problem with organ transplants…

The trial of two accused who were among the apartheid officers allegedly responsible for the attack on the “Cosas 4” has been postponed to January 2024. The matter came before the High Court, Johannesburg, on Monday, over four decades after the commission of the crime. Eustice Madikela, Peter Matabane, Fanyana Nhlapo and Zandile Musi, who were all members of the student formation Congress of South African Students (Cosas), were kidnapped by an apartheid police squad in 1982. The incident took place on February 15, 1982. The victims were lured to a mine in Krugersdorp under the guise that they were going to receive military training. The State alleges that once at the location, explosives were allegedly detonated, killing three of them. Musi escaped with serious injuries. On Monday, the court…

An Eastern Cape medical doctor has found himself on the wrong side of the law over allegations of tax fraud amounting to R1.8 million. Karunlingam Chetty, 54, was arrested on Monday on several charges of tax fraud. He was arrested in a joint operation by the East London-based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), the SA Revenue Service (Sars) and National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). Explaining the charges, provincial Hawks spokesperson Captain Yolisa Mgolodela said Chetty, who is a medical practitioner, allegedly under-declared his income between 2015 and 2018. “During auditing, Sars picked up some red flags and thus lodged a complaint with the Hawks for an investigation,” Mgolodela said. “The investigations revealed that Chetty prejudiced Sars of more than R1.8 million.” Mgolodela said…

Government, working together with the private sector, can deliver for South Africa, says Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga. She was speaking at the launch of a digital vehicle registration and transfer of ownership system in partnership with WeBuyCars yesterday. The Transport Ministry said the public-private partnership marked a pivotal moment in the department’s move to improve delivery of services in traffic management. The initiative follows the implementation of the Electronic National Traffic Information System (eNatis) in 2007 and the launch of an online vehicle licensing system in 2022. The minister said the new online registration and transfer of ownership system was aimed at mitigating the burdensome workload experienced by registering authorities, empowering officials to improve their performance in several other areas. “The primary objective of the online service is to…

150 years of Unisa – reflecting on what it means to be a woman in South Africa In August 1956 South African women from multiple cultures and walks of life marched in unison to challenge patriarchy and to affirm their humanity. Their legacy is visible in the gender equality policies that we have and the relative positioning of women in the country. However, as we take time to pause and reflect on what it means to be a woman in South Africa in 2023, we unfortunately have to acknowledge that the road is still long. This pause can be discouraging as it brings to the fore some of the continuing challenges that South African women face. We are still contending with unrelenting GBV and multiple exclusions with regards to economic,…

Eighteen suspected migrants were found dead yesterday in a Greece forest fire near the Turkish border as scores of firefighters battled to contain the second deadly wave of blazes to hit the country in a month. Fire department spokesperson Yiannis Artopios said the victims were found north of the city of Alexandroupoli. As no local residents had been reported missing, “the possibility that they are people who entered our country illegally is under investigation,” Artopios said in a televised address. The area is a frequent entry point for irregular migrants. The latest deaths pushed the overall toll from this week’s fires to 20, after another suspected migrant was found dead in the area on Monday. An elderly shepherd had also been found dead north of Athens on Monday. Flames continued…

Rescuers in Pakistan pulled two of seven children to safety after they became stranded with their teacher in a cable car over a high ravine yesterday, but a helicopter rescue operation was called off as night fell, media and a security source said. Flood lights were installed and a ground-based rescue operation was continuing more than 12 hours after their cable car snagged, a security source said. The source added that cable crossing experts had been sent by the military to the area, a remote location north of Islamabad, and would try to rescue the children one by one by transferring them to a small platform along the cable. Local residents said community members from surrounding areas who had experience rescuing people this way had also arrived. One of the…

LOS ANGELES: Elon Musk thinks there are “no great social networks”. The 52-year-old businessman acquired X, formerly known as Twitter, for $44 billion in 2022, but admits that the company still has a lot of work to do. The billionaire, who is also the CEO of Tesla, said: “If you’re a journalist who wants more freedom to write and a higher income, then publish directly on this platform!” Linda Yaccarino, the managing director of the site, said: “X will be the platform that can deliver, well …everything.” | Bang Showbiz…

Tehran: Iran unveiled yesterday its latest domestically built drone that can fly at a higher altitude and for longer, with enhanced weapons capabilities, state media reported. The Mohajer-10 drone was introduced at a ceremony in Tehran attended by President Ebrahim Raisi. The new drone is an upgraded version of the Mohajer-6, which US officials have accused Iran of selling to Russia for use in the Ukraine war, an accusation Tehran denies. Western governments have expanded sanctions on Iran over the alleged arms sales. The new drone can fly for up to 24 hours at an altitude of 7 000m and with an operational range of 2 000km. It can travel at up to 210km/h. | AFP…

South African women’s cricket entered a new frontier yesterday with the launch of the Cricket South Africa (CSA) Professional Domestic Women’s League at Freedom Park in Tshwane. The Women’s League will comprise two main tournaments; the CSA Women’s One Day Cup and CSA Women’s T20 Challenge. The new structure has been set up with the help of the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture’s investment of R15 million over three years. “This league is a symbol of progress, breaking down stereotypes, and the challenging of preconceived notions about women’s roles in sports. It represents a shift in mindset, where talent, dedication, and passion take precedence over gender,” said Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Zizi Kodwa. Significant changes have been implemented to the women’s structure with the number of permanent…

STALWART Springbok wing Makazole Mapimpi admits he was disappointed at the pre-World Cup squad conjecture that he was to be axed for younger players. As it turned out, the 33-year-old veteran of 38 Tests was retained, as was Cheslin Kolbe, plus youngsters Kurt-Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie. Mapimpi, the scorer of 23 tries in those 38 Tests, spoke to the media yesterday ahead of Friday’s match against the All Blacks in London. “I don’t want to lie, it’s hard to deal with the negative reports from the media,” Mapimpi said. “But these things happen in sport. We have fans and they want to read about us and reporters are entitled to write whatever they want in the newspapers and on social media. “I think what’s important for me is to…

Mamelodi Sundowns have flown out of the blocks this season and will next turn their attention to a frail Richards Bay FC. The Brazilians travel to the King Zwelithini Stadium today where they’ll clash with the Natal Rich Boyz in a match set for 5pm. Sundowns’ latest victory over the Chippa United on Saturday saw them collect 12 out of a possible 12 points from their opening four Premiership fixtures of the season. It also saw the Tshwane-based outfit retain their 100% record in all competitions, having also dispatched Moroka Swallows FC in the MTN8 quarter-finals. Rulani Mokwena has also put together the longest run a Sundowns coach has started their tenure without defeat in the PSL with 24 outings undefeated. With Richards Bay comes the familiarity of former SuperSport…