Tabla de contenidos para 2022-06-10 en Mercury

THE Public Servants’ Association (PSA) has called on the Department of Home Affairs to terminate its contract with a technology giant, saying the network and data capturing system constantly collapses, making it impossible for members of the public to get any services, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal. The PSA has expressed fear for its members working at Home Affairs offices, who have to face the wrath of angry customers whenever the IT system collapses. It said the national population register was unreliable, and live capture smart-card systems have been off-line since May 27 this year, resulting in people lining up for hours at the department’s offices without getting assistance. The PSA’s Mlungisi Ndlovu said: “Employees of the department are blamed by members of the public who require these services, giving rise to…

Thieves who stole a mural by street artist Banksy on an emergency exit door of the Bataclan concert hall in Paris used a crowbar and angle grinder to prise it free in a crime that lasted just minutes, a French court heard. The work depicting a veiled and mournful figure is thought to have been a tribute to victims of the Islamist militant attacks against the Bataclan and other entertainment venues in Paris in 2015. Seven Frenchmen and an Italian are on trial in Paris for the theft. Defence lawyers for some of the men framed the theft as a case of small-time crooks who ended up with a more troublesome object on their hands than they had anticipated. The lawyer for Franck Grillet-Aubert, one of the three men accused…

AS I started reading the letter in The Mercury (June 8) from Thyagaraj Markandan, initial thoughts were of a dissenter making unnecessary noise about the celebration of a remarkable historical event. How one jumps to conclusions, however, because further reading had me in full agreement with Markandan’s laudatory letter. His respect and admiration for one who may, possibly, be the most remarkable person in all history, is to be praised and his manner of delivery speaks volumes about the author himself. Thank you, Mr Markandan.…

Youth unemployment in South Africa continues to soar, where two in every three young people are out of a job and the cost of living has increased drastically. The ANC government is incapable of addressing the socio-economic challenges that contribute to such a staggering number of unemployed, and if statements by the Cabinet are anything to go by, we see all the signs of a failed liberation movement leading us towards a failed state. The continued fuel price increases are further proof that we do not have a leadership problem but an ANC problem, an ANC that is merely concerned about where to loot next, not about the citizens it governs. Fuel price increases have long-lasting effects on the people on the ground, particularly young job seekers who use public…

6.5 MILLION people in South Africa, or 11% of the population of 60 million suffer from hunger. This goes hand in hand with the unemployment rate, which currently stands at 34.5% as of the first quarter of the year. The cost of living has risen dramatically, leaving many households struggling to make ends meet. According to a Statistics SA report, “Measuring Food Security in South Africa: Applying the Food Insecurity Experience Scale”, the female population was more likely to be affected by moderate to severe, and severe food insecurity, compared to their male counterparts. Stats SA also showed almost half of female-headed households did not have an employed person living in the household in 2020. “Female-headed households were mostly producing their own food, compared to male-headed households, and households involved…

A total of 59 inmates who escaped from the country’s prisons over the past six years have not been re-arrested. Sentenced prisoners made up the majority of these fugitive escapees, totalling 39. The remaining 20 had not been sentenced. The 59 were part of 285 inmates who escaped from prisons across the country between 2017 and 2022. Among the escaped prisoners, there were convicted murderers, rapists, robbers, hijackers, arsonists, undocumented immigrants and burglars. The information was released by Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola. It revealed that 226 of the 285 escapees were re-arrested. Of the 226 who were re-arrested, 100 had been sentenced and 126 had not. Lamola stressed that the escapees made up a tiny portion of the country’s prisoner population. “There was an average of 151…

The eThekwini Municipality has issued a warning about individuals riding on the bumpers of moving buses and people throwing stones at buses. “The city’s Transport Authority warns communities against throwing stones at buses, and the life-threatening consequences of riding on the rear bumper of a moving bus. “Durban Transport has been faced with this dangerous behaviour conducted by young adults, including school children,” the city said. The city said that on most afternoons, the stoning and bumper riding of buses had become the norm, especially in uMlazi and Ntuzuma. In the past six months, about 82 buses had windows damaged, caused by stone throwing. The city added that the youth should be discouraged from riding on the back of moving buses, as it posed a danger to them and other…

The UN atomic energy watchdog said yesterday that Iran was removing 27 surveillance cameras at its nuclear facilities, warning this could be a “fatal blow” to negotiations to revive a landmark deal. Talks began in April last year to bring the US back to the 2015 accord, lifting sanctions, and Iran back into compliance, limiting its nuclear activities. But negotiations have stalled since March, and raising tensions, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) members on Wednesday passed a resolution censuring Iran over its lack of co-operation with the watchdog. Iran has condemned the motion as “unconstructive”, announcing this week that it had disconnected some IAEA cameras monitoring its nuclear sites. Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation stressed that the cameras it had disconnected were not part of its safeguard agreement with the UN…

FossiliSed bones discovered on a rocky seashore on England’s Isle of Wight are the remains of a meat-eating dinosaur that may be larger than any other known from Europe, a beast that was a cousin of the biggest carnivorous dinosaur species on record. Palaeontologists said yesterday they have found parts of the skeleton of the dinosaur, which lived about 125 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period, including bones of the back, hips and tail, some limb fragments but no skull or teeth. Based on the partial remains, they estimated that the dinosaur exceeded 10m in length and perhaps reached much more. Based in part on a series of small grooves on the top of the tail vertebra, they concluded that it belonged to a group of dinosaurs called spinosaurs…

LONDON: Britain’s government sent Queen Elizabeth a specially commissioned musical box to mark her platinum jubilee, depicting on its lid the black front door of the prime minister’s Number 10 Downing Street office. The monarch, 96, celebrated 70 years on the British throne with an extended public holiday and a series of events that culminated last weekend in an appearance on the balcony of her palace after a colourful and eccentric pageant in London. The government marked the occasion with a gift – a platinum mounted, enamel-on-copper musical box which also features portraits of the 14 British prime ministers she has met during her reign. When opened, it plays Handel’s Hallelujah. On the inside lid, an inscription includes the names of the cabinet. Meanwhile, the queen will miss the Commonwealth…

BEIJING: Taikonauts of the Shenzhou-14 crew will carry out 24 in-orbit medical experiments during their six-month stay in China’s space station, according to the China Manned Space Agency yesterday. These space medical experiments are mainly designed to study how the weightless environment and spaceflights affect taikonauts, said Li Yinghui, deputy chief designer of China’s manned space programme. The Shenzhou-14 will collect body fluid samples, including taikonauts’ blood, urine, and saliva. The trio will also use non-invasive optical methods to measure muscle loss and analyse urine metabolites. China launched the Shenzhou-14 mission, the third crew for the country’s space project. | Xinhua…

THE final round of the Currie Cup kicks off at 4pm in Stellenbosch this afternoon where Western Province will do the Sharks no favours in their desperate attempt to qualify for the semi-finals. The fifth-placed Sharks have to win and win extremely well if they are to leap-frog the Pumas, who have a point in hand on the log and host Griquas in Nelspruit. The Sharks have to win with a bonus point and also score as many points as possible to boost their points differential, and even then it might not be enough, and if the Pumas beat Griquas with a bonus point it doesn’t matter what the Sharks do in Stellenbosch. Province meanwhile will be fired up to end their disappointing campaign on a high…

The rock and surf fishing has seen the occasional inedible fish but the focus has been mainly on the edibles. Fishing in the back bays and calmer areas has been the ticket in the bigger seas. The ledges of Cape Vidal and surrounds have produced a handful of edibles recently. The main targets have been cave bass, speckled snappers and stumpies. There are however a lot of other species you can catch while fishing for these fish. Look at using a double hook trace with a 4/0 circle hook on top and a 6/0 circle at the bottom. Remember to keep the length of your trace and the branches fairly short to avoid tangles in the rougher water. Chokka and sardines are the most effective baits. The North Coast has…

THIS battle is the Lord’s, said now suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane minutes after under-fire President Cyril Ramaphosa suspended her yesterday. “Do not be deflected #glencore and #farmgate aluta continua,” said Mkhwebane in a tweet. With a cloud still hanging over him regarding the US dollars said to have been concealed on his farm and then allegedly stolen in a robbery, Ramaphosa suspended Mkhwebane with immediate effect yesterday. In a statement, his office said: “President Cyril Ramaphosa has, in accordance with section 194 (3)(a) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, decided to suspend Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane from the office of the Public Protector effective 9 June 2022. “Section 194(3) (a) of the Constitution provides that the President may suspend the Public Protector (or any member of a…

A CURSORY online glance at papers around the world reveals trouble abounds. Please, this weekend, be an agent of grace. Become part of the good news. 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…

Our beloved nation, South Africa, is a crisis of epic political proportions. With frequent leadership miscarriages and resultant political instability, the EFF has emerged as a “primus inter pares”, or first among equals. Our finest hour dawned when we had the world at our feet, during Madiba’s presidency. Today, a euphoric leadership with a small mind squandered the opportunity and failed to rebuild an integrated society that could live in amity forever. We are dominated by chorus boys who extol the virtues of their masters, and those in the corridors of power. Over the past 20 years, as a democratic rainbow nation, careers were upended and the fall from grace has become a tsunami of monumental proportions. Power and prestige do not last forever, and in many cases over the…

IS THE world spinning out of control? Are those cartoons becoming reality, depicting a horse between the shafts affixed to a Rolls Royce? In Old Blighty it now costs £100 to fill up with petrol for a medium-size family car, according to Sky News. That’s the equivalent of R1 911 – close enough to two grand in our currency. ‘Aikhona!’ And in New Zealand, the government is considering fining farmers for the methane gas their cattle and pigs put into the atmosphere, contributing significantly to global warming and threatening achievement of temperature reduction targets. They produce the methane gas by way of burping and flatulence. Are the farmers expected to teach their cattle and pigs better table manners? Perhaps introduce the use of plugs? Or do we all just go…

A HIGH court has delivered a groundbreaking judgment that opens the door for foreigners working in South Africa who have children born on local soil. Previously, they had to leave the country after breaking up with their spouses. In terms of sections of the Immigration Act, foreigners’ spouse visas terminated once their relationship with their South African spouses ended. This meant that they either had to leave the country, even if it meant leaving their children behind, or they had to reapply for a visa to remain in the country. However, they could only do so from outside the country. Various applicants, who come from countries such as France, Switzerland, Germany and Zimbabwe, turned to the Western Cape High Court to have the relevant sections of the act declared unconstitutional.…

Rajesh and Atul Gupta deny any wrongdoing, believing they are the victims of a political witch-hunt in South Africa and are planning to fight the application of the Red Notices issued by Interpol. Dubai newspaper The National has reported that the Gupta brothers are planning on fighting any attempts to extradite them to South Africa, while also revealing the lavish lifestyle enjoyed by the family in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Dubai police arrested the brothers this week after Interpol issued Red Notices against Atul Gupta and his wife, Chetali; Rajesh Gupta and his wife, Arti; former Nulane Investment Bank of Baroda account signatory Ankit Jain; director of Wone Management Ravindra Nath; and the directors of Pragat Investments, Ramesh Bhat and Jagdish Parekh. The extradition process between South Africa and…

Unity has, for the better part of human development, been a key driver for the advancement of nations and society in general. The ability to unite people around a common vision or shared history has been a remarkably powerful motive for development and progress. This unification has been a key driver of national and foreign policy. As we contend with our own issues here in South Africa, we can affirm that unity is indispensable to national growth and prosperity. It is no major surprise that those who are opposed to the growth and development of China have also been against the reunification of China with Taiwan and have been working overtime to undermine the One China Policy. These forces, led by America, understand clearly that national unity has been one…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the fate of the whole Donbas region hinges on the “very fierce” battle with Russian troops for the flashpoint eastern city of Severodonetsk. Moscow’s forces are concentrating their firepower on the key industrial hub as part of efforts to capture a swathe of eastern Ukraine. As shelling and air strikes killed another 11 people around the country, Ukraine said yesterday that the Western long-range artillery it has been begging for would end the fight for Severodonetsk in days. Zelenskiy said the battle for the city was “probably one of the most difficult throughout this war. In many ways, the fate of our Donbas is being decided there”. Following days of raging street battles, Ukrainian officials conceded that Russian troops control a large part of Severodonetsk…

Indonesian naval officers have asked for $375 000 (about R5.7m) to release a fuel tanker they detained last week, accusing it of anchoring illegally in Indonesian waters off Singapore, two people involved in negotiations over the unofficial payment said. The incident comes after a report of a dozen similar detentions last year. In those cases, the ship owners made unofficial payments of about $300 000 each and the vessels detained by the Indonesian navy east of Singapore were released. The Nord Joy fuel tanker was boarded by armed navy personnel on May 30 while anchored in Indonesian waters to the east of the Singapore Strait, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, the sources said. Asked to comment on whether naval officers had asked for $375 000 to release the…

Yaoundé: Seven people were missing after a motorised canoe sank on a waterway in central Cameroon, the region’s top administrator said. “A canoe with 12 people on board sank on Tuesday. There are five survivors but we have no news of seven people,” said Peter Ntieh Nde, prefect of the Nyong and Kele region. The boat sank on the Nyong River near the village of Malombo, about 650km northeast of the capital Yaounde, he said. Local people had organised a search, he said. At least 17 people died in August 2019 when a passenger boat capsized on a sandbar in the Gulf of Guinea, off the coast of Cameroon. | AFP…

THERE will be no keener eye on the URC semi-finals this weekend than that of Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber, who will continue his evaluation of backup players for the imminent series against Wales and the better they perform in the elevated pressure of knockout rugby against the competition’s best, the more they will impress. On Wednesday, Nienaber said it is vital that this year is used to grow depth in every position ahead of next year’s World Cup. He added that the Boks need to grow their game plan and with the Bulls and Stormers both playing an entertaining brand of offload rugby, the further they advance in the URC, the better the chance of Nienaber allowing the Boks to play more adventurously. The Bulls have off-loaded the…

THE IMPACT of Comair’s liquidation was a significant loss to the nation, and sub-Saharan Africa, and would likely impact not only business and private trips, but the industry and those who supply the failed firm, Kevin Storie, the acting chief executive of Commercial Aviation Association of Southern Africa (Caasa) said yesterday. Storie said that there was the possibility of a significant increase in ticket prices due to availability. Caasa promotes and protect the commercial interest of the general aviation industry in southern Africa. Its member companies include airport operators, non-scheduled operators, business aircraft operators, flying training organisations, aircraft maintenance companies and companies offering a whole range of supporting and retail services. Storie said while the organisation did not represent scheduled operators such as Comair, the liquidation of the airliner was…

A 17-YEAR-OLD uMlazi mother is grieving the death of a baby she never knew after she was told at Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital that the healthy baby she took home wasn’t hers and the baby believed to be hers, died in hospital. Andiswa Hlongwane gave birth on Friday, May 6 just after 1am. Andiswa’s mother, Phumzile Hlongwane, said there were no complications, and she picked her daughter and the newborn up on Monday after they spent the weekend in hospital. Phumzile said after four days of being at home, she received a call from the hospital requesting that Andiswa and the baby come to the hospital for a regular check-up and vaccines. “I sent Andiswa and the baby to the hospital the following day. When they were in hospital I…

Every year, 3.2% of South Africa’s population are affected by burns with 60% of these cases in children, according to non-profit organisation the Smile Foundation. “This high occurrence of serious burn injuries is largely because of socio-economic factors like lack of electricity and inadequate housing. “Many major burn incidents are because of shack fires, often caused by paraffin stoves, open fires and candles. With the coldest time of the year upon us, and a notable rise in South Africa’s load shedding, a spike in the number of burn cases is expected,” the Smile Foundation said. The foundation said apart from its burns awareness safety drive, it has continued to raise funds for projects that will help bring burn expertise and specialised care to children whose families could not otherwise afford…

CIVIL society organisations including Black Sash, Amandla.mobi, the Institute for Economic Justice, Pay the Grants, Social Policy Initiative and the Womxn and Democracy Initiative said this week that the government has failed to pay a single Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant for the months of April and May. In a statement issued jointly by the groups, they demanded that government reverse the “inhumane decision” to exclude millions from the SRD grant and resolve the catastrophic payment delays. They said they had been raising concerns about multiple problems reported by beneficiaries since payment of the SRD grant was shifted to administration under the Social Assistance Act from the beginning of April. “This is a scandal and a national disgrace. While there had been problems prior to April, over 10 million…

While social media messages continued to circulate yesterday over a possible shutdown today over the rising fuel costs, the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NatJoints) said it had put measures in place to react to it should it happen. Trade union federation, Cosatu as well as taxi industry bodies such as the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) and the National Taxi Alliance have all distanced themselves from involvement in a national shutdown. NatJoints said it was aware of unsigned messages and posters being circulated on social media about a shutdown to demonstrate the public’s frustration with the mounting fuel price hikes and other social problems affecting South Africans. “Those behind these messages are warned and reminded that prohibiting people’s freedom of movement is a criminal offence. Members of the…

The National Treasury has finally stepped in to assist the embattled Msunduzi Municipality manage its finances. A team from the National Treasury made a presentation before the executive committee meeting yesterday where they tabled the municipality’s proposed financial recovery plan. Msunduzi mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla was at pains to stress that the intervention by the National Treasury was not imposed but had been voluntary. The presentation showed the intervention has been in the works. There have been growing calls for the National Treasury to step in, with opposition parties calling for it to take over the municipal finances. They said the municipality was failing to deliver services and manage its finances. Msunduzi has been under administration for a few years, but a recent report tabled by the former administrator Scelo Duma…

Allegations of unconstitutional and criminal violations Make no mistake. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s conduct as detailed in the criminal complaint filed by Arthur Fraser, the former State Security head, paints a picture of egregious criminal activities and insouciance for the Constitution. Equally, Ramaphosa’s response to the complaint is emblematic of the corrupt and highly ill-disciplined executive branch, which thrives on lies, evasion and the self-delusion that he is the messiah we all deserve. According to Fraser, suspects acting in cahoots with Ramaphosa’s domestic worker stole money from the president’s farm in February 2020. The amount was estimated to be between $4 million (about R61m) and $8m. These were the proceeds from wild animals that had been sold as part of the president’s game-selling business. Ramaphosa reportedly “instructed Major-General (Wally) Rhoode…

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s army this week accused neighbouring Rwanda of deploying 500 special forces troops on its soil, as tensions flare between the two central African states. The accusation comes amid a sharp deterioration of relations between the countries over the recent resurgence of the M23 militia in the DRC’s volatile east. The DRC has accused Rwanda of backing the rebel group and last month said it had detained two Rwandan soldiers in its eastern region, holding this as proof of the country’s involvement. Rwanda has repeatedly denied backing the M23. The DRC’s army spokesperson in eastern North Kivu province, General Sylvain Ekenge, accused Rwanda of fielding hundreds of troops beyond its borders. “Rwanda has changed the uniform of its soldiers to conceal its presence in Congolese territory…

Baroda: An Indian woman in Gujarat, Kshama Bindu, who grabbed the headlines after she expressed her intention to marry herself, has solemnised her marriage in a private function at her residence. Kshama, 24, performed mehandi, haldi ceremonies and got married this week in the presence of 10 people, including her friends and colleagues. She shared her wedding pictures on Instagram. Her marriage had to be solemnised at home on June 8 instead of temple on June 11, as the priest who had agreed to get Kshama married to herself backed out after opposition from local politicians. | IANS…

Berlin: German national carrier Lufthansa said yesterday it was cancelling hundreds of flights during the summer holidays because of staff shortages as the industry attempts to bounce back from the pandemic. The company said in a statement it had seen a “jump in demand” as the Covid-19 outbreak has eased, which “after the most severe crisis in aviation is good news”. However, it said that “infrastructure has not fully recovered”, leading to “bottlenecks and staff shortages” in Europe, hitting airports, ground services, air traffic control and airlines. As a result Lufthansa said it had scrapped 900 German and European flights for July at its hubs in Frankfurt and Munich. | AFP…

GONE are the days where Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates used to be dream clubs for most of the players in the land. Bongani Zungu’s interview on radio this week proved just that. Speaking on Sport Night Amplified with Andile Ncube on Tuesday, Zungu confirmed that Mamelodi Sundowns will always be his home, while his agent is in talks with the club about a potential return to the club next season. Zungu’s contract with French side Amiens ends this month and he’ll become a free agent. While he didn’t rule out a potential return to Amiens, where he’s also enjoying life beyond the football pitch, Zungu’s ideal move back to the local top flight would be at Chloorkop. And no one can fault Zungu for wanting that. Sundowns are the…