Tabla de contenidos para 2021-08-04 en Mercury

IF SOUTH Africa is to maintain a competitive agri-food sector, there is an ever-present need for augmented knowledge-driven production. A strong public sector research and development capability must focus on translating public research and innovation investment into growth and development in areas such as health, sustainable and resource-efficient production as well as maintaining focus on leveraging the food sector throughout the value chain. South Africa should continue to position itself as an international hub where large international companies place their research and development (R&D) investments. However, this requires ongoing joint investments within the existing R&D communities. Furthermore, South Africa’s food research and innovation must be based on a strong international collaboration and focus on talent attraction and retention. To succeed, South Africa needs to prioritise its limited research and innovation…

Sihle Mavuso sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za The government is homing in on the role allegedly played by four local security companies and how the local SAPS police station handled the violence that took place in Phoenix last month. The ongoing investigation – to be carried out by a special team of 31 detectives – was announced by Police Minister, Bheki Cele, while addressing the media at Inanda police station yesterday. Cele expressed shock that some of those who were killed were shot or hacked to death and some were burnt. In total, Cele said 22 people were in custody for their role in the killings. He added that 33 of those killed were from KwaMashu, Zwelisha, Amaoti, Inanda and Bhambayi. Three were of Indian ancestry and the number could rise as investigations were…

Japan has put a spotlight on sustainability at the 2020 Olympic Games, with athletes standing on podiums made of recycled plastics to receive medals crafted from recycled small electronics before sleeping on beds made of cardboard. Electric cars ferry competitors and media between venues, many of which are temporary constructions made of recycled wood that will be dismantled after the Games, preventing the white elephant stadiums left behind in other host cities. The Tokyo organising committee has hung its hat on providing a “beyond carbon neutrality” event, a goal it will meet with the help of donated carbon offset credits from businesses in Tokyo and Saitama prefectures, the two Games locations, along with the lack of spectators. The Tokyo event has some high-profile green credentials. The gold, silver and bronze…

MUHAMMAD OMAR | Durban North IT IS with a deep sense of sorrow that we mourn the passing away of a legendary auto industry doyen, Dr Johan van Zyl. His ability to remember and greet many dealer sales staff on a first-name basis is legendary and is confirmed by many. From the sales department of Toyota Marketing SA to MD of Toyota Africa, Europe and working in Tokyo every month, this shows the esteem in which he was held by his employer, Toyota Global. Toyota SA transformed under his leadership from the Wessels-owned Toyota SA to Toyota Japan and he played a key role in the global supply chain where today Hilux, Fortuner and the hybrid/petrol Corolla Cross will be exported to Africa and Europe and Australia, all…

ELPHAS NKOSI | Durban THE Al Jama-ah party welcomes government’s R3.2 billion funding to small businesses that are not covered by Sasria. The funding will be channelled through the Small Business Development Department (SBD) and Department of Trade, Industry and Competition to help with the rebuilding of businesses destroyed during the recent unrest. The two departments will be responsible for coming up with a strategy to assess applications and to disburse the funding to the correct recipients. Furthermore, the SBD will support SMMEs with working capital which includes money for raw materials, stock, etc. The financial support will be blended in the form of a 40% grant and a 60% loan says Ganief Hendricks, a member of the Portfolio Committee on SBD. Hendricks is also assisting with an…

Goitsemang Tlhabye goitsemang.tlhabye@inl.co.za THE average waiting period for a kidney transplant has increased drastically. In light of this, the Transplant Education for Living Legacies organisation has urged more South Africans to register for organ donation. As August marks Organ and Tissue donation awareness month in the country, it said organ donor numbers had steadily been decreasing and thus the waiting period for donations had also gone up dramatically. Managing director for the organisation, Stella de Kock, said that in recent years the dwindling number of organ donors had resulted in the average waiting period for a kidney transplant going up from eight to 10 years, to anything between 12 and 15 years. De Kock said with August being organ donation awareness month, the organisation felt the conversation surrounding organ donation…

Sibusiso Mboto sibusiso.mboto@inl.co.za A combination of infighting within the ANC and the apparent inability of opposition parties to capitalise on this is one of the reasons behind the emergence of several smaller parties ahead of the local government elections. This is the view of two analysts after the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) recorded a rise in parties registering for the 2021 local government elections. “There has been an increase in the number of parties applying for registration, particularly following the announcement of the election date. In the month of July alone, 19 political parties were registered,” said IEC spokesperson Kate Bapela this week. She added that the registering of political parties was an ongoing process, and there was no cut-off date for parties to register. Political analyst Professor…

Sihle Mavuso sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za Inkosi Mangosuthu Buthelezi, the traditional prime minister of the Zulu monarch and nation, has fired back at Queen Sibongile Dlamini-Zulu for stating that he has no role in royal affairs, saying her assertion is a gross distortion of historical facts. Buthelezi’s response is contained in responding court papers filed after the queen questioned his role in the matter before the Pietermaritzburg High Court regarding the estate and the will of the late King Goodwill Zwelithini. The high court is yet to set a date for oral arguments in the matter. The queen, together with her two daughters, Princess Ntandoyenkosi Zulu and Princess Ntombizosuthu Zulu-Duma, argued that Buthelezi had no role in the matter because “he is a mere nephew” and his position is not constitutionally recognised. But…

Mayibongwe Maqhina mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za THE Basic Education departments in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng are estimating that it will cost R138 million to repair the 144 schools that were damaged during the mass looting and unrest in July. The damage has added to the number of vandalised schools since the outbreak of Covid-19 in March 2020. Briefing the parliamentary committees yesterday, the acting head of the KZN Education Department, Barney Mthembu, said 144 schools, eight education circuit management offices and three education centres had been damaged. “There were losses of school property and damage to infrastructure, including classrooms,” Mthembu said. He also said the estimated costs stood at R100.3m after verification showed there were, in fact, 144 schools damaged, as opposed to the 137 initially reported. “The damage did not stop the…

DURING these times of great hardship, one may well look around and hanker for old and better times. Although it’s usually advisable to focus on the journey ahead, this is hugely influenced by circumstances beyond our control. Think lockdown, violent distractions and whatever else is not working around us. Rich or not, the challenges are testing. At times it can feel like the world is coming to an end. But if you are an optimist, this could be a new beginning. Covid lockdowns and the violence and mayhem that has accompanied them can make anyone look to the past for the “great golden old days” just to feel good about life. There are many great leaders from the past, dead or alive, local or foreign, who have touched people…

The US is returning more than 17 000 ancient artefacts looted and smuggled out of Iraq after the US invasion in 2003, including a 3 500-year-old clay tablet bearing part of the Epic of Gilgamesh, Iraq said yesterday. “The US government seized some of the artefacts and sent them to the (Iraqi) embassy. The Gilgamesh tablet, the important one, will be returned to Iraq in the next month,” Iraqi Culture Minister Hassan Nadhim said. US authorities seized the Gilgamesh tablet in 2019 after it was smuggled, auctioned and sold to an arts dealer in Oklahoma and displayed at a museum in Washington DC, the US Department of Justice said. A court ordered its forfeiture last month, it said. The Epic of Gilgamesh is a 3 500-year-old Sumerian tale considered one…

WASHINGTON: Joe Biden found he was literally able to put food on the table for his family after he won a bet with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the outcome of the Stanley Cup, the White House confirmed. The US president was backing Tampa Bay Lightning and the Canadian Premier the Montreal Canadiens in the final of the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup on July 7, which Lightning won 4-1 at the Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay, Florida, US. As a result of this staggering victory, Biden received from Trudeau “a package of Montreal smoked-meat sandwiches”. Earlier, Trudeau took to Twitter to announce his intention to pay his wager in full. ​Biden tweeted in response: “Smoked meat has been popular in Montreal since the 19th century and is considered…

TOKYO: Japan will shift policy to focus on hospitalising patients who are seriously ill with the Covid-19 and those at risk of becoming so, officials said, to avoid strain on the medical system as cases surge in Olympics host city Tokyo and elsewhere. The country has seen a sharp spike in cases, and is recording more than 10 000 daily new infections nationwide. Tokyo had a record high of 4 058 on Saturday, exceeding 4 000 for the first time. “We will secure the necessary beds for severely ill patients and those at risk of becoming so,” PM Yoshihide Suga said on Monday after a government task force meeting. Other patients will be asked to stay at home, Suga said.…

FBI helping Mirror Trading International investors with liquidation Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za America’s Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) is joining forces with the liquidators of automated forex trading company Mirror Trading International (MTI) in the interests of several US and local investors. The joint liquidators, consisting of five experienced trustee groups appointed by the Master of the Court after the Financial Services Conduct Authority (FSCA) found that MTI was a dubious venture and that no trading took place, had meetings with international law enforcement agencies including the FBI, after being approached by them. The focus of the investigations was on MTI’s chief architect Johann Steynberg, whose whereabouts are unknown though there were pointers that he obtained a flight ticket to Brazil, which too has baffled sleuths as there was no confirmation…

Sakhiseni Nxumalo sakhiseni.nxumalo@inl.co.za THE State is opposing the bail application of the three accused who are facing murder and attempted murder charges related to the violence that took place in Phoenix during the unrest three weeks ago. The trio appeared in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Dylan Govender, 29, is facing one charge of murder and attempted murder; his brother, Ned Govender, 30, is facing a charge of murder; and 39-year-old Jeetendra Jaikissoon is facing a charge of murder. State advocate Nelson Mbokazi told the court that the State intended to oppose bail for all three accused. He said if released, the safety of the three could be in jeopardy. He also said the men might also interfere with investigation processes. Representing the two brothers, attorney Kessie Naidu stated that…

I’D LIKE to drive down to the entrance to the harbour and look for the spot where I spread my dad’s ashes. His descriptions of Pearl Gibson singing to the men passing by on ships going out to war were vivid, so vivid that when I’ve walked the pier it was as if I could hear her singing We’ll Meet Again. I like to drive through the city at night. Then, park on the site of the snake park and walk down the beachfront to where the dodgem cars used to be. If my younger son is with me, he usually rollerblades way ahead of me and we meet for ice cream. We get the one with the Cadbury Flake stuck in the middle. It’s a memory I treasure because…

MICHAEL TINARWO | United Kingdom IT SEEMS the UK is now making deals with Zimbabwe, which has come as a great shock to the world. It is surprising that the UK and Zimbabwe have agreed to forcefully remove failed asylum seekers back to Zimbabwe while Zimbabwe is still under sanctions from the UK. Zimbabwe is under sanctions from the UK due to various reasons including rigged elections, abductions and killed opposition supporters. These sanctions have suffocated the Zimbabwean economy, crippled the new black farmers and shattered investor confidence. The agreement made around deportation is a win for Britain and a big loss for Zimbabwe since the UK has not removed the sanctions from Zimbabwe. If Britain can frustrate the economic progress of Zimbabwe by implementing sanctions and refusing…

BRIGADIER GENERAL MAFIA MGOBOZI | Director, defence corporate communication THE SANDF has noted with concern a viral social media video clip showing a person who is alleged to be a taxi driver accosting a member of the SANDF on patrol in Pietermaritzburg. The public is urged to refrain from committing acts of provocation or incitement against members of the SANDF. It is an illegal and prosecutable offence to interfere with any law-enforcement official on duty, regardless of the circumstances. The SANDF highly commends the soldier for maintaining his discipline under serious provocation. It is equally concerning to note a few social media comments commending this act of provocation. Such contempt, disregard and disrespect of a law-enforcement officer should be condemned with the contempt it deserves by all law-abiding…

An Eastern Cape man who has been on the run since 2016 is expected to appear at the Cofimvaba Magistrate’s Court today after he allegedly stole Telkom batteries worth R900 000. Captain Yolisa Mgolodela, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation’s (Hawks) spokesperson, said the 46-year-old suspect was arrested by members of the Queenstown Crime Intelligence, K9 Unit, Cofimvaba police, as well as Bridge Camp police. She said the Local Crime Record Centre (LCRC) and the Hawks’ Queenstown Serious Organised Crime Investigation team processed the scene. Further investigation revealed that the suspect was a fugitive who escaped from lawful custody in Queenstown in 2016. He was alleged to be linked to the hijacking of a truck in Fort Beaufort. | African News Agency (ANA)…

Jolene Marriah-Maharaj jolene.marriah@inl.co.za THE 30-year-old man who was caught on video allegedly looting a basket of goods from a Woolworths food store in Glenwood has been granted bail. Mbuso Moloi made his second appearance in the Durban Magistrate’s Court yesterday. He was granted R5 000 bail, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in KZN confirmed. Moloi had been kept at Westville Prison since July 29 on charges of public violence, theft and trespassing, said NPA KZN spokesperson Natasha Kara. A video of Moloi carrying a basket of goods to his Mercedes-Benz went viral on social media in the week of looting and civil unrest in the province. Kara confirmed that Moloi’s appearance related to the looting of a Woolworths store in the Glenwood area on July 12, 2021, during the public…

Zintle Mahlati zintle.mahlati@inl.co.za WITH the proclamation of the election date for October 27, the legal tussle to convince the Constitutional Court to postpone the local government elections awaits the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). The IEC said the proclamation of the election date by Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma had implications for its work. The organisation is expected to outline its Constitutional Court application, which seeks to postpone the elections, today. The ANC welcomed the proclamation, saying it would file a supporting application for the IEC’s Concourt application. The party said it supported a postponement of the elections of no more than six months. The DA said the proclamation was a move designed to assist the IEC in seeking a postponement. The…

SWIMMER Tatjana Schoenmaker did more than just win a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. In swimming her way to the gold, the former TuksSport High School pupil and TuksSwimming Academy graduate stepped up at a time when South Africa needed a hero, hope and inspiration. Schoenmaker and Team South Africa left the country for Tokyo at a time when the third wave of the pandemic was raging across the country, with new cases peaking and the daily death toll reaching an all-time high. And in one of the saddest moments in the country’s history post-democracy, civil unrest broke out, manifesting in looting, the destruction of property and loss of lives in KZN and Gauteng. However, Tatjana proved yet again that sport will always count among the glue that keeps…

THE African community in the city of Bengaluru, India, gathered in protest after the death of a 27-year-old Congolese man who died while in police custody. According to Al Jazeera, Joel Shindani Malu, who died in custody from cardiac arrest, was arrested over the weekend for possession of ecstasy pills. On Monday, police resorted to a lathi charge – a co-ordinated baton charge to disperse big crowds – leaving six African nationals injured. A police spokesperson said Malu was administered CPR and other lifesaving interventions, and tweeted that he died in hospital while being treated. The Hindustan Times reported that police have also filed complaints against some African protesters who allegedly attacked them while on duty. Protesters claimed Malu was not a drug pedlar and said police had tortured him…

Kyle DeFreytag, a four-year veteran of the Metropolitan Police Department, was found dead, the department confirmed to The Hill late on Monday. DeFreytag, 26, is the fourth officer among those who responded to the January 6 attack on the Capitol said to have taken his own life. Earlier in the day, police reported that another officer – Gunther Hashida, who joined the force in 2003, was found dead in his home on Thursday, one week before his 44th birthday. Police did not clarify why they did not release details on DeFreytag’s suspected suicide for several weeks. Earlier, Metropolitan police officer Jeffrey Smith, a 12-year veteran of the force, and Capitol police officer Howard Liebengood, who served on the force for 16 years, were also reported to have died by suicide.…

Geneva: UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet voiced her concerns about the political turmoil in Tunisia in a phone call with the foreign minister, and offered her assistance if required, a spokeswoman yesterday. Foreign Minister Othman Jerandi called the high commissioner for human rights after President Kais Saied seized power on July 25 following violent demonstrations against the government. “It’s a worrying situation. We are following really closely and we know the challenges the country is facing,” Marta Hurtado, a spokesperson for Bachelet’s office, told reporters.…

Cricket South Africa’s Social Justice and Nation Building hearings have been explosive to watch. Ex-Proteas and others have bared their souls and re-lived horrific personal experiences. It has been an emotional roller coaster for all involved. More importantly it has flung open a door that cricket in SA has tried to keep shut for far too long. Race relations and politics are ingrained in the DNA of SA society. Why at any stage were we naive to believe that it would not have an impact on our sports teams, and in this case cricket? It was after all the game of cricket that set in motion the boycott of international sporting teams to SA when the architect of apartheid Hendrik Verwoerd barred the touring England team of 1968-69 from selecting…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za IN A bid to boost the participation of black people in the city’s property market, eThekwini Municipality has proposed an ambitious plan that seeks to prioritise black businesses in the allocation of surplus land. However, the controversial proposal has been rejected by the official opposition party, who argue that the move would “drive away investment and alienate many of the city’s diverse population”. The strategy has preconditions, including that land should be allocated to companies that are owned by black people, black youth, black women, black people with disabilities and black people who are military veterans. The plan was tabled before the executive committee meeting last month, but was referred back to party caucuses after the ANC requested that parties discuss how it should be implemented.…

VISVIN REDDY | ADeC THE African Democratic Change (ADeC) welcomes the decision by the Department of Home Affairs to extend Smart ID and passport collection points to KwaZulu-Natal. But we caution that limiting the service to only FNB customers will cause an uproar. We have always maintained that some of the services offered by Home Affairs offices can be outsourced to private and other government sectors. Today, you can renew your vehicle licence at the post office. I have witnessed the chaos at Home Affairs offices where people wait for hours before they can process simple applications. We wrote to the minister, requesting that municipality offices, the post office and banks be used to provide the same service for renewals. This will reduce the burden on Home Affairs.…

THE amount of ice that melted from Greenland a week or so ago would be enough to cover the whole American state of Florida in 3cm of water, Danish scientists have warned. The autonomous Danish territory is suffering significant melting as Arctic temperatures soar, according to Sky News. While the alligators of Florida would no doubt cope pretty well, what of Disneyland? Goofy and the funfair patrons don’t want to have to squelch around. But the issue is not Florida anyway, it’s Greenland and Arctic melting. Why do these Danish scientists have to throw in side-issues? Researchers in fact warned of a “massive melting event in Greenland”. Temperatures reached “worrisome” levels. Greenland’s ice sheet contains enough to raise global sea levels 7.5 metres if it were to melt, they warn.…

NORMAN V MAHLANGU | Siyabuswa SOME golden opportunities that people miss in life are a result of a dinosaur's attitude – a failure to adapt to change. Life evolves. Should people resist positive change for any reason, they automatically block their own way to bettering their lives. The state of being incompetent puts one at a high risk of being substituted. So, introspection plays a pivotal role if we want better results in any area of our lives. The number of new good things you learned recently is a reflection of how much you managed to revolt against a regressive attitude. Be open to change as insanity is doing things the same way and expecting different results.…

ADIEL ISMAIL | Cape Town ARE our security forces not up to standard, in the wake of the recent looting? Section 37 of the South African Constitution states that a state of emergency may be declared if, “(a) the life of the nation is threatened by war, invasion, general insurrection, disorder, natural disaster or other public emergency; and (b) the declaration is necessary to restore peace and order”. President Cyril Ramaphosa, soon after the looting and destruction had taken place, stated in an address to the nation, “The attempted insurrection has failed”. Based on the aforementioned, it is unfathomable that a state of emergency had not been announced by Ramaphosa. Also, soon after the looting and mayhem erupted in KwaZulu-Natal, the Minister of Defence, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, in an…

Dieketseng Maleke dieketseng.maleke@inl.co.za ORGANISATIONS have experienced a 29% increase in cyberattacks globally. This is according to a recent report titled Cyber Attack Trends: 2021 Mid-Year Report, released by Check Point Software Technologies. The report looks at how cybercriminals have continued to exploit the Covid-19 pandemic and highlights a dramatic 93% increase in the number of ransomware attacks globally. Check Point Software Technologies provides cyber-threat intelligence to its customers and the greater intelligence community. The findings included in the report were that Europe, the Middle East and the Africa region showed the highest growth, at 36%, followed by the Americas with an increase of 34% and Asia-Pacific with 13%. “This year has also seen a new ‘Triple Extortion’ ransomware technique emerge. “While there have been successful international operations targeting cybercrime, such…

THIRTEEN people have been arrested for allegedly defrauding the Department of Health in the Free State of R8 million. Spokesperson for the Hawks Captain Christopher Singo said seven were employees at the Department of Health, some now on pension. They appeared at the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Monday on charges of fraud, forgery, uttering, money laundering and corruption. Their suspected corrupt dealings allegedly came to the fore during the regulatory audit in the Department of Health. Singo said two of the accused still worked for the department and five of the accused were company directors. Singo said the company directors were operating as service providers and their companies allegedly received the money that the department had been defrauded of. The case has since been postponed until September 22.…

Sisonke Mlamla sisonke.mlamla@inl.co.za CIVIL rights group Action Society said victims of violent crime and gender-based violence (GBV) had been neglected by the DNA Oversight Board. Action Society spokesperson Dr Rineé Pretorius said that with more than 300 000 cases currently outstanding, it seemed there was no end to the DNA backlog crisis that had been delaying justice for victims. Pretorious said they had received information from a reliable source that there were on average four pieces of evidence for most cases, which meant the actual backlog could be up to 1.2 million pieces of DNA evidence. She said the DNA Oversight Board did not seem to be making any progress on the backlog and other issues they had been tasked to investigate and resolve as a matter of urgency, and…

Tehran: Ultra-conservative Ebrahim Raisi was yesterday inaugurated as president of Iran, a country whose hopes of shaking off a dire economic crisis hinge on reviving a nuclear deal with world powers. “Following the people’s choice, I task the wise, indefatigable, experienced and popular Hojatoleslam Ebrahim Raisi as president of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the country’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wrote in a decree read out by his chief of staff. Raisi replaces moderate president Hassan Rouhani, whose landmark achievement was the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers. From the outset, Raisi will have to tackle negotiations aimed at reviving the nuclear deal from which the US unilaterally withdrew imposing sweeping sanctions. The 60-year-old also faces warnings to Iran from the US, Britain and Israel over…

DAR ES SALAAM: Tanzanian Defence Minister Elias Kwandikwa has died, President Samia Suluhu Hassan said yesterday. She said in a statement that Kwandikwa was a courageous leader who carried out his duties in accordance with the rules and regulations. She received news of Kwandikwa’s death while she was on a two-day working visit in Rwanda aimed at strengthening ties between the two neighbouring countries. The cause of his death has not yet been disclosed. A daily paper, The Citizen, reported that he died in hospital.…

HONG KONG: The devastating drought blanketing the western United States has serious implications for food availability and prices, threatening the global recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, the South China Morning Post reported. The US Drought Monitor said more than 95% of the US West is in drought, the largest area ever recorded. “Hot, arid conditions are set to exacerbate the threat of wildfires and water shortages this summer,” the article said. Noting that the affected region accounts for about a third of US agricultural output and the Federal Reserve is expected to continue to provide monetary stimulus until the economy has fully recovered, the article said, “The tight food supply and ultra-easy monetary policy have added more worry about rising prices for the commodity market.” Data released last month showed…

London: England and Wales last year registered the highest number of fatal drug overdoses since records began in 1993, with cocaine and opiates blamed for the trend, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said yesterday. Some 4 561 fatal overdoses were registered in England and Wales in 2020, at a rate of 76.7 per million people – a 3.8% jump since 2019. Almost half of all drug poisonings involved an opiate, while there was a 9.7% jump in deaths due to cocaine use. “Drug-related deaths have been on an upward trend,” said the ONS. “The trend is driven primarily by deaths involving opiates, but also by an increase in deaths involving other substances.”…