Mercury -julkaisun 2023-11-23 -irtonumeron sisällysluettelo

Surging egg prices was one factor that led to a surprise uptick in consumer price inflation (CPI) to 5.9% in October as markets keep a wary eye on the SA Reserve Bank (SARB) rate decision today. Eggflation – the surprise spike in the price of eggs caused by the outbreak of the avian flu – could result in the cost of borrowing remaining higher for longer as consumer prices rose for the third consecutive month in October. Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) said yesterday that the annual headline CPI quickened more than expected in October, rising to 5.9% from 5.4% in September and well above the Bloomberg market consensus of 5.6%. This was the highest inflation rate in five months since 6.3% reached in May, and well above market estimates…

The mass murder of civilians in Gaza by Israel, supported by the US, continues before the open eyes of the world. Ahmed Abbasi was the head of the Gift of the Givers in Gaza. He was killed along with his brother last week while they were returning from the morning prayer. Gift of the Givers has described it as a “targeted attack”. Another Gift of the Givers worker, Mohammed Al Ahel, was killed on November 6. Gift of the Givers is a highly respected organisation in South Africa and in many other countries. When impoverished people suffer from shack fires or floods in South Africa, we know that the Gift of the Givers will come with solidarity while the state is absent. They have given support to people in Haiti…

The “climate conflict of interest” among South Africa’s largest banks would be amusing if it was not so unnecessary (Business Report, November 21). Embarrassingly, Standard Bank finds its group directors are at sixes and sevens in terms of their investments between fossil fuels and so-called renewables. One of Nedbank’s directors is involved with Sasol. Apart from Investec, the other banks appear to have a Janus outlook on the energy issue, meaning in racing terms, their investments are coupled on the tote. It is difficult to accept that the financial tycoons are ignorant of the contrived controversy concerning climate. Science and history prove that climate alarmism is baseless. Science also indicates that it is not possible to decarbonise the planet without catastrophic human consequences; that it is not possible to mine…

Former Blue Bulls rugby player Joseph Phindile Ntshongwana, serving five life terms after brutally killing four people with an axe, has had his appeal denied by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) after it was held that he was a dangerous criminal who exhibited disregard for human life. Ntshongwana killed Thembelenkosini Cebekhulu in Montclair, Durban, on March 20, 2011; Paulos Hlongwa in Lamontville two days later; Simon Ngidi in Umbilo the following day; and an unidentified man some time that week in Yellowwood Park. All were hacked to death with an axe. Two of the victims were beheaded. He was dubbed the “axeman” after the murders. He also raped and kidnapped a woman. He attacked and tried to kill two men, one in uMlazi on March 21, 2011, and the…

The millions of rand paid by investors into Branson Capital, a brokerage firm controlled by two Durban bankers alleged to be behind a multimillion rand Ponzi scheme, were used to buy properties, forex and gambling tokens. This emerged during the bail application of Brandon Naicker, aka Muruvan Egambaram, and his co-accused, Abraham “Jason” Pillay, in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court this week. They have been charged for theft and fraud. The charges are among more than 80 cases being probed by detectives from Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) where investors lost tens of millions of rand, in what Senior State Prosecutor, Joel Kisten told the court was a classic Ponzi scheme. Kisten, supported by fellow State Prosecutor Raeesa Shaik, told the court money that flowed into Branson Capital almost instantaneously…

Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Dr Blade Nzimande has threatened to sue Thuja Capital CEO Mthunzi Mdwaba over his allegations that Nzimande and two other ministers solicited a bribe of R500 million from him. Early this month, Mdwaba said he had been approached by people representing the three ministers and ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula. He alleged that they had requested a share of 10% from an Unemployment Insurance Fund jobs scheme that he had secured to create jobs for the UIF. All of the ministers denied the allegations while Mbalula opened a crimen injuria case against Mdwaba. Nzimande said he had written a letter to Mdwaba, requesting that he withdraw his public statements against him. “Last week on Monday, I wrote a letter to Mdwaba and he has…

AS SOUTH Africa readies itself for this year’s influx of tourism, indications are that it will be a bumper season. Various provinces are preparing themselves for the arrival of local and international tourists. For example, the Free State, which launched its tourism season this past month, indicates that it wants to change the perception that the province is simply a drive-through, to one that it is a holiday destination. According to the Western Cape government, Cape Town International Airport will increase its seat capacity for this summer by 25%. This, says the provincial government, will mean more than a million inbound international arrivals, for the first time. There is no doubt that tourism creates jobs and after the devastating impact that the lockdowns of Covid-19 had on the industry, South…

Israel and Hamas agreed yesterday to a ceasefire in Gaza for at least four days, to let in aid and release at least 50 hostages captured by militants in exchange for at least 150 Palestinians jailed in Israel. The first truce in a brutal near seven- week-old war, reached after mediation by Qatar, was hailed around the world as a sign of progress that could ease the suffering of Gaza’s civilians and bring more Israeli hostages home. Israel said the ceasefire could be extended further, as long as more hostages were freed. Hamas and allied groups captured around 240 hostages when gunmen rampaged through southern Israeli towns on October 7. Previously, Hamas had released just four. The truce was not expected to begin until this morning. A statement by Israeli…

Numbering around 725 000, Indians form the third largest population of illegal immigrants in the US after those from Mexico and El Salvador, the Pew Research Center estimates. As of 2021, the country’s 10.5 million unauthorised immigrants represented about 3% of the total US population and 22% of the foreign-born population, the research said. Mexico, which accounted for 39% of the nation’s unauthorised immigrants in 2021, numbering around 4.1 million, was followed by El Salvador (800 000); India (725 000); and Guatemala (700 000). While the number from Mexico dropped by 900 000 from 2017 to 2021, the number of illegal immigrants from other countries grew rapidly. In 2021, this population was 6.4 million. US officials say an unprecedented number of undocumented Indian immigrants are crossing…

RFG HOLDINGS’ sales volumes in its regional business were expected to remain under pressure in the year ahead due to constrained consumer spending, directors of the group said yesterday. The producer of fresh, frozen and long-life meal solutions, with well-known South African brands that include Rhodes, Bull Brand and Hinds Spices, said yesterday that earnings per share increased by a very credible 35.4% to 185.9 cents in its year to October 1 and the dividend was raised by the same percentage to 62c. Looking forward to the new financial year, CEO Pieter Hanekom and chief financial officer Tiaan Schoombie said management focus would continue to be on price, volume and margin improvement from the branded convenience foods. “While inflationary input cost increases have moderated in most categories, tinned can…

Parliament’s portfolio committee on justice and correctional services has recommended that Judges John Hlophe and Nkola Motata be removed from office. The two judges faced impeachment after the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) sent a report to Parliament a few months ago. Members of the justice committee found yesterday that both Judge Hlophe and Judge Motata had committed gross misconduct and should be removed from office. The committee will refer both recommendations to the National Assembly for a final decision. If the recommendations are passed with a two-thirds majority vote it will be the first time that judges have been removed in such a process. On Judge Hlophe’s matter, committee chairperson Bulelani Magwanishe said: “’The committee, by majority, will recommend that Judge John Mandlakayise Hlophe be removed from office”. Political…

Whatever the eventual outcome at Gaza, one conclusion that will forever hold true, right here in sunny South Africa, is the showcasing of the duplicity of some of our political parties that are slumbering and dreaming of the “good old days” of apartheid. The stubborn stance of the DA and others that somehow find root in our past oppression or segregationist past, to vote against the motion to boot the Israeli diplomats out of Pretoria, speaks volumes of texts thicker than Tolstoy’s War and Peace. One would imagine that even the “hardest heart of Imperialist Rome” would melt and succumb to the tiniest of human pity at watching live streams of elderly women, youth, children and infants, some of them unborn, all being crushed like cockroaches under the monstrous, inhuman…

AN EARTHQUAKE in Cornwall? The tranquil region of rural England experienced a peculiar 2.7-magnitude earthquake in the wee hours of last Sunday that left residents in the Mount’s Bay area scratching their heads. Described by some as feeling “like a juggernaut had hit the house”, the tremor apparently occurred at a depth of 13km and sent ripples of concern through the region. Reports from Helston, Penzance, Camborne, and neighbouring towns conveyed a spectrum of sensations, from a “low deep rumble” to a “moderate rumbling sound”. Residents were caught in an unconventional seismic dance, according to the Economic Times, with some claiming their “whole house vibrated” in response. Seismologists at the British Geological Survey are eager to unravel the mysteries of this occurrence. One suggestion: Was it perhaps an…

The delay in the implementation of the Takatso Consortium 51% takeover of national carrier SAA was hampering the operations and future planning of the airline, SAA board chairperson Derek Hanekom and the Office of the Auditor-General told Parliament. The Takatso takeover of SAA was approved by the Competition Tribunal in July, with conditions including that there be no retrenchments. It is not clear from the Department of Public Enterprises and the Takatso Consortium on what is holding back the finalisation of the deal and investment of the earmarked R3 billion, more than two years after the transaction was announced. This comes as the auditor-general presented SAA’s audit outcomes from 2018 to 2022, which indicated that billions of rand had been systematically siphoned from the carrier through all aspects of its…

A now-viral video of the mayor of Kopanong Local Municipality in the Free State threatening a Jagersfontein resident who complained about potholes has landed him in hot water. Mayor Xolani Tseletsele stormed the home of Kalebe Kalebe and verbally threatened and abused him over the past weekend. The video sparked outrage among residents and social media users who said the ANC was now deploying people who abused people instead of serving them. Addressing the matter, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said there would be immediate action against Tseletsele, stating that his actions posed a threat to the well-being of an ordinary citizen in his private home. “I have conveyed the following message to the Free State provincial secretary that immediate action has to be taken against Mayor Xolani Tselesele,” he said.…

TWO KwaZulu-Natal government employees, performing their duties at a school and a clinic respectively, were attacked in separate incidents this week leaving one dead and the other injured. In Richards Bay yesterday, a City of uMhlathuze employee was killed at a clinic in Alton. “The City of uMhlathuze is deeply saddened to announce the tragic loss of one of its employees, Jabulisiwe Mthethwa, 42, who was brutally killed,” said municipal spokesperson Bongani Gina. Detailing the incident, Gina said at about 10am, Mthethwa was fatally shot multiple times by a person known to her, who is also a City employee in the roads unit of the Infrastructure Services Department. He said the suspect entered the clinic premises and engaged in a brief conversation with Mthethwa. Armed with a firearm, he cornered…

Political actors in Tanzania have, in recent years, demanded compensation from Germany for colonial atrocities committed in the early 20th century. In early 2017, the National Assembly of Tanzania stopped short of putting the label of genocide on the atrocities committed by German troops during the Maji-Maji uprising (1905–1907). During a visit to Tanzania recently the German president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, asked for “forgiveness” and expressed “shame” for the colonial atrocities committed in what was then German East Africa. This was in reference to the killing of up to 300 000 people during the Maji-Maji uprising. German involvement in Tanzania began in 1890 when Berlin decided to take over the administration of East African territories that German traders and travellers had secured. To reduce the cost of administration, governance rested on…

Nearly 95% of all internet users are now on various social media platforms, 4% more than last year, a report showed yesterday. As of October, there were 5.3 billion internet users worldwide, or 65.7% of the global population. It means that Internet users have grown by 189 million, or 3.7% year-over-year, according to data presented by OnlyAccounts.io. Of this, 4.95 billion, or 61.4% of the world’s population, were social media users. Statistics show social media users have grown faster than the global internet population. Since last year, the number of social media users has increased by 4.5% with around 215 million people joining the social media space. Since 2019, an average of 350 million people have joined social media platforms each year, pushing the total user count to all-time…

Manila: At least one person was killed and tens of thousands were forced to flee their homes after heavy downpours triggered flooding across the central Philippines, authorities said yesterday. Rescuers used inflatable boats and ropes to reach people stranded in their houses in Northern Samar, one of the hardest hit provinces, where villages and towns have been inundated after a week of rain. More than 43 000 people had been forced to leave their homes, the national disaster agency said. | AFP…

It was not so long ago when a 22-year-old fast bowler from KwaZulu-Natal took a leap of faith to go to the Western Cape to seek playing opportunities. Having represented KZN Coastal at the under-19 level and the South Africa Under-19 side in two ODIs, Tshepo Moreki never received a contract at the KZN-based Dolphins. That’s when the fast bowler travelled to Cape Town to join the Cape Cobras (now Western Province) during the 2015/16 season. Despite having got the contract, Moreki faced another challenge. The Cobras had Wayne Parnell, Rory Kleinveldt and Vernon Philander leading the attack, meaning the youngster had to wait his turn. After the odd match here and there, Moreki packed his bags and moved up-country to join the Titans in Pretoria in 2018. Under head…

THE SOUTH African Future Trust has vowed to launch a new and im- proved second version of financial and non- financial support to thousands of small businesses in a bid to accelerate growth and job creation in the small, medium and micro-enterprises (SMME) sector. In March 2020, the SA Future Trust was established with a R1 billion donation from the Oppenheimer Generations Foundation to support small businesses through the Covid-19 crisis. The SA Future Trust extended direct financial support to businesses so that their employees could continue to receive an income through the lockdown period. This was done by providing interest-free loans to more than 10 000 qualifying SMMEs through a partnership with six South African banks which facilitated the process. SA Future Trust founder Jonathan Oppenheimer said…

THE Durban Chamber of Commerce said Transnet’s 18 to 24-month turnaround plan “will kill the country’s economy”. The Chamber put forward a proposal from shipping companies to the government to buy the equipment needed to fix the challenges facing Transnet over the long term and recoup their investment through relaxed surcharges. Transnet board chairperson Andile Sangqu, speaking at a media briefing on Monday, said that they were working on a number of measures to turn the situation around but cautioned that this would take some time as the lead times for some of the equipment could be up to two years. “The problem of port congestion is a complex one and it is something that was due to happen at some point, as a result of many years of under-investment…

So the Proteas lost the semi-final in the World Cup! Of course, we showed giant-killing abilities. Much can be said at this point about what really happened. However, I wish to focus on a previous match against Afghanistan. How was Temba Bavuma, captain, injured and hobbling badly, allowed to open the innings? Where is the advice and guidance of the head coach, batting coach and the talking analysts? As all of us expected, he stood unsteadily, and hit with half-power to square leg, down the throat of a fielder! We were among the devastated 60 million South Africans who he represents on the sports field. An opening batsman-captain, especially, has a tremendous responsibility. Out early means opening the floodgates. Many fail. I remember Eddie Barlow’s high-scoring opening, giving a feeble…

People going to the beachfront unaware of the problems at Transnet must be surprised to see all the dozens of ships crowding the outer anchorage, waiting to enter the Port of Durban. “Whoa, look at all the ships anchored outside the port. The harbour must be very busy!” You cannot be further from the truth. Once the busiest port on the continent, Durban is now one of the worst ports in the world. How low the country’s leading port has sunk. The cause? Not that too many ships are calling before the Christmas rush but the congestion dilemma caused by poor planning, gross inefficiency and mismanagement, a collapsed rail network, hundreds of trucks clogging the road entrances to the port and a corrupt, inefficient, unskilled, lethargic workforce and management at…

“I am in a cross-cultural and cross-religion marriage. Neither of us is active in our religions. He is, in his mind, the ‘master of the house’. I am here, in his mind, to serve him and meet his needs. “This attitude has come to the fore over the two years of our marriage. This is not the issue. I can handle this attitude and I can handle him. There are even times we can laugh about it and he is very nice. “What is an issue is how he treats my family. He treats my parents and brothers and sisters as if they are second-class citizens. He is rude and expects to be served. He’s better with the men in my family (my dad and brothers) but he is arrogant…

Fewer than 10 000 people made their way to Home Affairs offices to collect their IDs over the voter registration weekend. This was far less than the more than 500 000 IDs sitting in the offices waiting to be collected. This was revealed by the department when it briefed the home affairs portfolio committee along with the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) on the voter registration on November 18 and 19. Deputy Minister Njabulo Nzuza said they had opened their offices to enable those in need of IDs to participate in voter registration. “Over the weekend we had 20 350 people who visited our offices.” Nzuza said there were about 9 312 clients who collected their smart ID cards and 8 832 applied for smart IDs. There were 842 people…

The lack of competence of maths teachers was highlighted during a panel discussion at a maths education conference hosted by the University of KwaZulu-Natal under the banner of the US-South Africa Higher Education Network last week. The panel included founding vice- chancellor of Sol Plaatjies University and current chairperson of the Umalusi council Professor Yunus Ballim; maths educator from the school of education at UKZN, Professor Sarah Bansilal; former vice-chancellor and principal of the University of Witwatersrand, Professor Loyiso Nongxa, an emeritus professor of maths; and Leonard Mudau, who is the chief education specialist for maths, science and technology at the Department of Basic Education. During the discussion, Nongxa said he believed that schools lacked qualified teachers. He said this was based on conversations with people working in education, adding…

JULIUS Malema and five other EFF MPs will be barred from the State of the Nation Address (Sona) next year. Yesterday, the powers and privileges committee imposed a suspension for a month without remuneration from February 1 to 29 on Malema, Floyd Shivambu, Marshall Dlamini, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, Vuyani Pambo and Sinawo Thambo for disrupting Sona earlier this year. The committee also wants Malema and the fellow MPs to apologise to Parliament, National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, President Cyril Ramaphosa and South Africans. The sanctions were imposed despite Malema and the five submitting a joint written representation pleading that they be found not guilty. The submission was a sequel to a letter their lawyers wrote to the committee indicating they would submit before the end of business on Tuesday after walking…

BY NOW, the Israeli government should have produced overwhelming evidence of the Hamas tunnels it claims are located under the hospitals it has targeted, resulting in thousands of innocent civilians including children and doctors being killed in Palestine. But none has been forthcoming thus far, yet hospitals housing the most vulnerable have been the daily targets of Israeli bombardments, leading to calls for its leaders to be held accountable for genocide. It’s becoming impossible to justify the killing of civilians when the Israeli side has produced no evidence of the tunnels it claims Hamas was using to keep the hostages it abducted when it launched a surprise attack on October 7. Those responsible for that attack which is said to have claimed the lives of about 1 200 civilians in…

A programme using artificial intelligence (AI) to test inmates in a high- security Mozambican jail for tuberculosis has spawned hope that the new tech can help eradicate the disease. Teeming prisons are a hotbed of TB, the world’s second-deadliest communicable disease after Covid, according to the World Health Organization. Mozambique, a country of 32 million people, recorded about 120 000 infections last year. Caused by a bacterium that most often affects the lungs, it infected more than 10 million people in 2022 and killed 1.3 million, according to WHO. Almost one in four infections last year occurred in Africa. In the courtyard of the maximum security jail in the Mozambican capital, Maputo, an inmate in an orange T-shirt stood before a tripod with a wide, white tablet. Behind him, a…