Table of contents for 2021-11-15 in Mercury

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za LOGISTICS SOE Transnet narrowed its losses in the six months to September, aided by a further easing of lockdown restrictions, though there are still telling effects from the July looting and unrest, a devastating cyber-attack later in that month and disruptions associated with fuel theft from its pipelines for which it had to pay over the barrel. The group posted a net loss of R104 million, narrowing down from a net loss of R3 billion in the same period a year earlier, while revenue increased by 11.3 percent from R32bn to R35.6bn. “With the financial performance for the six months to September 2021 as well as expected continued recovery for the six months thereafter, we expect the busi- ness and financial performance for the…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za Trade among African countries is expected to surge in the coming 12 months as lockdown restrictions continue to be eased, ushering in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement in earnest. AfCFTA will take centre stage at the week-long Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2021) taking place in Durban from today. The IATF2021 is poised to boost commerce across Africa, with $40 billion (R613bn) of trade and investment deals set to be concluded at the event. The fair will also provide an opportunity for the more than 80 South African companies to interact and connect with companies and business people from the rest of the continent. Trade, Industry and Competition Deputy Minister Nomalungelo Gina on Friday said initiatives such as the IATF should boost the objectives of…

A previously unheard song featuring Beatles members George Harrison and Ringo Starr was recently unveiled at the Liverpool Beatles Museum after it was found in an attic last year. Written and produced by journalist Suresh Joshi, Radhe Shaam was recorded at London’s Trident Studios in 1968, with vocals from Indian musician Aashish Khan, Harrison playing the guitar and Starr on the drums. “People were tapping their feet, nobody could believe it was so old,” Joshi said after playing the recording to an audience at the museum in the Beatles’ home town. Joshi said he was recording music with Khan for the film East Meets West at Trident Studios when Harrison walked in and they started talking. The Beatles were recording Hey Jude at the time. Both Harrison and Starr later…

’TWAS a rugby marathon on Saturday. The Boks versus Scotland; then Ireland versus the All Blacks; then the Poms versus the Aussies. Has anyone out there ever watched three internationals in succession? I hadn’t. Totally exhausting – all that beer! And they all went the way we wanted. Not too much problem with the Scotties in spite of MacVandermerwe and MacSchoeman. The whole world loves watching the All Blacks lose. And those dreadful Aussie scumbags who humiliated the Boks twice not so long ago? Thank you, England – but we’ll have forgotten the favour by next Saturday. Heroes of the hour were the Irish – the Kiwis didn’t know what hit them, and never could settle down. One senses that the north-south rugby axis has shifted somewhat. The pubs of…

GLEN CHRISTIE | Durban North ONE READS in the electronic media the statement made by Shamila Batohi that the July unrest will happen again if those responsible are not brought to book. This is indeed a true statement. Worst of all, just after these riots there were public statements made that the authorities knew who were behind the co-ordinated looting and burning, which hit world headlines, yet no major arrests have been made, which again just highlights how the justice and police systems work in this country, particularly when it involves such acts. It’s nearly four months down the track and we have yet to see any major steps taken to prosecute all those involved and all those who were caught thieving and looting. This non-action by the…

Se-Anne Rall se-anne.koopman@inl.co.za Eight people have been arrested following an 18-month investigation into illegal border crossings at the Lebombo border post at Komatipoort. Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi said a police officer, six Home Affairs officials and a Mozambican woman were arrested. The Mozambican woman is believed to have masterminded the plot to bring people over illegally. “This scam consists of collecting passports from people whose time in South Africa is about to expire, and taking them to the Mozambican woman, who has a network of officials that she works with at the border. The woman will get the officials to stamp the passport as if the owner of the passport has been through the border and back,” the department said. “The public abhors corruption and would not want…

Kailene Pillay kailene.pillay@inl.co.za THE chief executive of the National Arts Council (NAC) Rosemary Mangope has been charged, along with chief financial officer Clifton Changfoot, following an independent forensic investigation into the alleged mismanagement of funds meant to help struggling artists during the lockdown. The NAC said the report, commissioned by the government, revealed maladministration and mismanagement in implementing the R300 million Presidential Employment Stimulus Package (PESP) that was announced following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic early last year. The NAC released the final report at the weekend. After the government announced the PESP for artists, it later emerged that some of the funds had allegedly been misappropriated. A probe was launched to establish how the relief money was irregularly distributed to various beneficiaries. Some findings revealed in the final…

Tarryn-Leigh Solomons tarryn-leigh.solomons@iinl.co.za The non-payment of salaries to ANC staff is embarrassing, says trade union federation Cosatu. Cosatu has thrown its weight behind disgruntled ANC staff who will take their frustrations to the streets today as they embark on a nationwide picket. This comes as staff have not been paid their August, September and October salaries. Nationally, about 247 staff members are affected. Prior to the build-up to the local government elections, workers had insisted that they would not partake in election campaigning, but that changed about two days after they made the announcement. They then committed to setting aside their frustrations to participate in winning the confidence of voters. Yesterday the party’s staff representative, Mvusi Mdlala, said salary payments for August, September and October were still outstanding. Workers want…

WHEN Futbol Club Barcelona (Barca), one of the world’s most iconic football clubs, can no longer afford to re-sign the services of its equally iconic football genius, Lionel Messi, then you know that there is something fundamentally wrong with the finances of the elite clubs. Never mind the struggle for survival of the lesser clubs in the EPL, La Liga and Serie A – the top three leagues in the world. Messi’s departure in August 2021 after 18 glorious years at the club, despite his offer to reduce his salary by 50% and his reluctance to leave, was unsustainable due to “structural and financial obstacles” under La Liga’s player salary limit. A world still preoccupied with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the call to climate action at COP26…

Warsaw: Dozens of migrants have been detained after crossing into Poland from Belarus, Warsaw said yesterday, warning of a possible larger breakthrough ahead of an EU meeting to widen sanctions on Belarus. Police said on Twitter 50 migrants had crossed the heavily guarded EU and Nato border near the village of Starzyna “by force” on Saturday. They were all later detained, the border guard said, adding that they could see signs across the barbed wire on the Belarusian side of “a bigger attempt at crossing the border”. Thousands of migrants from the Middle East are camped out on the EU-Belarus border, creating a stand-off between the EU and US on one side and Belarus and its ally Russia on the other. Western countries accuse Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime of…

BEIJING: Racism has an impact on the health of marginalised racial and ethnic groups in the US, according to a recent article published on the website of the University of Houston. “The US has the worst index of health and social problems as a function of income inequality,” said the article. Citing a new study conducted by a clinical professor of population health at the university, the article said racism “contributes to and perpetuates” economic and financial inequality. Such inequality “diminishes prospects for population health improvement among marginalised racial and ethnic groups,” read the article.…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za ABSA’S SHARE price fell 2.13 percent to R135.50 on Friday after its board announced that prominent businessman Sipho Pityana would be removed as lead independent director with immediate effect, although he will remain on the board as a director. The share price fell the most of the country’s four biggest banks. His removal followed his decision to take the Reserve Bank’s Prudential Authority to court for allegedly unfairly blocking his candidacy as Absa’s chairperson, which allegedly was due to a claim of sexual harassment made against him during his time as chairperson of Anglo Ashanti, a claim that Pityana has denied. At the end of last month Absa announced former Momentum Metropolitan chairperson Sello Moloko as chairperson-designate, with effect from December 1. Moloko takes over from…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za IRONGATE Group, formerly Investec Australia Property Fund (IAP), has spurned a revised offer from Australia- based asset management firm 360 Capital Group. Irongate had wind of IAP’s intentions in July already, when it warned in a letter to shareholders against appointing two 360 Capital’s directors to the IAP board at the annual meeting that month, and stating in the letter: “The board is concerned … 360 Capital Group could seek to gain effective control of IAP below its fundamental value.” Shareholders heeded the call evidently, as the two directors did not receive enough votes for their appointment at the IAP annual meeting. 360 Capital Group already holds about 19.11 percent of IAP shares. IAP said on Friday that it had received a…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za SOME DURBAN ratepayers are being forced to spend their own money to buy black refuse collection bags as the eThekwini Municipality has failed to deliver them for months despite billing consumers for the service. The municipality has not delivered the bags to some households for the past six months. That means it missed two rounds of deliveries as the plastic bags, according to residents, are delivered every three months. But not all residents are experiencing challenges, some said they have received their supply on time. It was not immediately clear how much the residents were paying for the black refuse bags as the cost is included in the monthly utility bill. One of the residents affected by the non-delivery said he had contacted the municipality several…

Most people want to be emotionally healthy – or moving in that direction. Defining what that means can vary. How about these as some tangible goals for emotional wellness? The healthy person is inner-driven, internally steered, a self-starter. He or she uses pre-established principles when making decisions and is not externally steered by family, friends or “external” pressures. Such “living from within” can appear as arrogance to those who are tossed and turned by trends and fashions. The healthy person is no blind follower and nor is he or she “flying by the seat of his or her pants”. The healthy person loves his or her family, but can act as a separate person when necessary. When necessary, he or she can make unpopular decisions. He or she sometimes chooses…

DUNCAN DU BOIS | Bluff THE absence of news on developments in the US in 2021 after four years of daily, critical scrutiny of the Trump administration should trigger curiosity, particularly as much of what the Biden administration is perpetrating is revolutionary and unconstitutional. Besides permitting the invasion by illegal immigrants of the US southern border, where to date more than 1.2 million have flooded into the country, the abandonment of more than $80 billion worth of military equipment in Afghanistan, along with more than 300 Americans, what is tearing at the very fabric of American society is the imposition of ideological re-education in the form of Marxist Critical Race Theory (CRT). Although the first constitutional amendment upholds the right to the free exercise of speech and religion,…

NARENDH GANESH | Durban North IT IS with extreme sadness that the Durban community has learnt of the sad and untimely passing away of Mr Ashley Maharaj. Maharaj was a stalwart businessman raised from humble beginnings. Through sheer perseverance and determination, he developed his businesses into thriving concerns, providing employment to many. Yet, he succumbed to the savagery of marauding and despicable thugs who saw it fit to destroy his life in the most barbaric manner and that of his family, when he was attacked during the July unrest and burnt in his vehicle. Much has been made of the July unrest, deflecting from the real cause of what ignited a bloody carnage of people’s hard-earned livelihoods. For those with nefarious agendas, race became an excuse for what…

Siyabonga Mkhwanazi siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za A NEW law may soon be signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa to clamp down on municipal officials, implicated in corruption, moving from one municipality to another without being held accountable. Chairperson of the select committee on Co-operative Governance, Traditional Affairs, Water, Sanitation and Human Settlements in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), China Dodovu confirmed that they had passed this key piece of legislation. He said the Municipal Systems Amendment Bill would go before the House in the next two weeks and then to Ramaphosa to be signed into law. His committee adopted the bill last week and it deals with cracking down on senior municipal officials facing corruption charges, evading accountability by joining other councils. Officials facing corruption in municipalities have in the past…

Yogashen Pillay yogashen.pillay@inl.co.za Inkosi Hlanganani Biyela, chairperson of the King Cetshwayo Local House of Traditional Leaders, was assassinated by gunmen outside his home in the Ndlangubo area, Eshowe, on Saturday. In a statement, MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Sipho Hlomuka condemned the killing and called for law enforcement to find those responsible. Police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele confirmed the incident. “Inkosi Hlanganani Cameron Biyela, 54, of KwaMpukane Royal House in the Ndlangubo area, Eshowe, was shot dead upon arrival at home. It is alleged that the deceased came home and parked his vehicle near his house. It is alleged that gunshots were heard a number of times and when family members came out, they found him on the ground with his firearm cocked and magazine emptied.” Mbele…

Event in Durban set to facilitate contract opportunities TRADE spurs economic growth, creates jobs and sustains livelihoods. KwaZulu-Natal hosting the second Intra-Africa Trade Fair is a powerful expression of our country’s commitment to deepening continental integration and strengthening the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The previous IATF in Egypt attracted more than 1 000 exhibitors and 2 500 delegates from more than 45 countries. Another significant outcome was that $32 million (R466m) in trade and investment deals were concluded in Cairo. This week’s gathering in Durban holds similar promise in spite of the Covid-19 pandemic and the global economic downturn. Both government and business on our continent place enormous emphasis on trade, especially regional commerce, in creating a better life for all African peoples. The AfCFTA as a legal…

WITH a fourth wave predicted to hit the country by the middle of next month, it is inevitable that a stricter lockdown will be enforced. This will be a bitter pill to swallow for many South Africans already feeling the economic impact of the restrictions, and will affect how people socialise over the festive season. Health Minister Joe Phaahla, recognising the imminent threat of the next wave, has urged citizens to get vaccinated. At least 23 million Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered to about 15 million South Africans. With a surge in infections being inevitable, especially as people move to different parts of the country during the festive season, Phaahla has expressed concern over the low vaccination turnout, especially among those between the ages of 18 and 34. The…

The AU’s special envoy for the Horn of Africa, Olusegun Obasanjo, remains hopeful that dialogue can end Ethiopia’s year-long war, but warned that “such talks cannot deliver” without an immediate ceasefire. The former Nigerian president is leading an international push to end a conflict that has cost thousands of lives and displaced two million people, as fears of a rebel march on Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa prompt a flurry of diplomatic activity. Obasanjo, who left Ethiopia on Thursday after meetings with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the leadership of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front rebel group, said he was “optimistic that a peaceful resolution for the conflict can be secured”. But with fighting intensifying recently and the TPLF claiming major territorial gains, he warned that “such talks cannot deliver in…

Mike Greenaway mike.greenaway@inl.co.za IF there was even an inkling of doubt that there will be a strong smell of retribution in the Twickenham air when the Springboks and England reconvene this Saturday for the first time since the 2019 World Cup final, it was squashed by Eddie Jones before the dew had settled on his team’s win over Australia. The Wallabies had been beaten 32-15 and it was the eighth consecutive win for Jones’ England over the team he coached to the 2003 World Cup final, where he also lost. In no uncertain terms, Jones told reporters that he wanted “a South African scalp.” “They are the World Cup champions and we are not,” Jones said in his inimitable way. “It is going to be a very important Test–…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za THE DA is heading to court today in an effort to force the resumption of an inaugural council meeting that was abandoned last week. Deputy mayor-elect Sandile Mnikathi said late yesterday afternoon that they had not received a notice for the council to sit today after the meeting was abandoned on Friday. “Our position was that if the meeting did not sit by 10am, we would go to court. It’s already after 6pm (yesterday) and we have not received a notice that the meeting is going to take place, so we are going to court.” The party had earlier yesterday threatened legal action, specifically against acting municipal manager Sandile Buthelezi, whom it accused of failing to ensure that the meeting was convened legally. The meeting of the…

Sibusiso Mboto sibusiso.mboto@inl.co.za WITH the deadline for the establishment of councils drawing near, it remains unclear whether the ANC will manage to hammer out a deal involving smaller parties in order to govern in the eThekwini Municipality. KwaZulu-Natal ANC spokesperson Nhlakanipho Ntombela said: “The negotiations are being handled at national level. So far there has not been any further updates. As far as we are concerned the negotiations are continuing.” He added that interviews for mayoral candidates had also been concluded. Abantu Batho Congress (ABC) leader Philani Mavundla also confirmed that negotiations to form coalitions were continuing. “Since we last spoke on Thursday the discussions have continued each day. Today we were in negotiations with the ANC, but nothing has been finalised yet. We are speaking with other parties…

TONY BALL | Gillitts BETWEEN the Department of Transport and Eskom, the jury is definitely out on which is the most ineffectual productivity thief of the two, but both pass the test with flying colours, the test of fleecing SA citizens. A good few years ago, a R35 transaction fee was added to vehicle licence renewals – as an administration fee – and we were assured that it was a temporary measure. Yet today it is still there and has crept up to R72. The effect of loss of productivity from load shedding is abominable but matched equally by the interminable wait in queues to renew your vehicle licence. It is made infinitely worse by the smug look on the cashier’s face when your proof of residence is…

VA VOLKER | Pietermaritzburg HOW wrong can one be? I was under the impression that candidates for local government (and Provincial Council and Parliament, for that matter) stand for election to serve the interests of the people and the community as a whole. It now appears that the prime interest of so-called “king-makers” is to wear the mayoral golden chains and to receive the remuneration linked thereto. If that is so, then the electorate should take note and realise that these trough snufflers are not worth supporting. The voters have been cheated big time. Could such an attitude be the background for the numerous (even inter-party) murders of councillor candidates? What kind of a society are we living in? Prior to 1996 many councillors – especially in smaller…

| AFP Internationally acclaimed author Wilbur Smith died at his home in Cape Town on Saturday after a decades-long career in writing, his office said. He was 88. With 49 titles under his belt, Smith became a household name, his swashbuckling adventure stories taking readers from tropical islands to the jungles of Africa and even Ancient Egypt and World War II. “Global bestselling author Wilbur Smith died unexpectedly this afternoon at his Cape Town home after a morning of reading and writing with his wife Niso by his side,” said a statement on the Wilbur Smith Books website, as well as by his publishers Bonnier Books UK. “The undisputed and inimitable master of adventure writing, Wilbur Smith’s novels have gripped readers for over half a century, selling over 140…

| Mercury Correspondent THE discovery of human body parts in a back room in Protea Glen, Soweto, has left residents shocked and in disbelief. The body parts were discovered by a young woman who was visiting her new boyfriend whom she met on Facebook. It is understood that the couple had their first date on Friday and the woman spent the night with the boyfriend in the back room he was renting. Trouble started when the young woman told the boyfriend that she was hungry. The boyfriend left the house, giving the woman a chance to look for food in the fridge. This is when she discovered human body parts stored in the fridge. After the grim discovery the woman screamed, alerting the community. A retired cop came to…

BEAUTY pageants have been held globally for over 75 years, without any hiccups. This year’s Miss Universe contest is being held in Eilat, Israel. The escalation of suffering in the war zones of this area kindles anger and hatred that is unprecedented in human history. It is no longer about beauty in a global contest; it is about the violation of human rights that makes humanity cringe. The weapons of war have been beautified and sanctified by the warlords of the holy lands. War continues in the Middle East on a scale that is truly shocking. The global community looks on, while the savagery continues. The battle for the heart and soul of Palestine rages on unabated. This is the story of a courageous people who face horrors beyond belief,…

YEMEN’S warring sides clashed south of the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah at the weekend, after Iranian-backed Houthi fighters moved into territory ceded by forces allied to a Saudi-led coalition, military sources and witnesses said. Yemeni forces backed by the United Arab Emirates had on Friday announced they were redeploying from around Yemen’s main port in the west, a move which a UN monitoring mission and the government said they had no advance notice of. The Saudi-backed government and the Iran-aligned Houthis, who hold Hodeidah city, had in 2018 agreed to a UN-sponsored pact for a truce in Hodeidah that has largely held. Coalition warplanes launched air strikes on the Al Faza area south of Hodeidah as Houthi fighters battled UAE-backed forces until midnight, two military sources and residents…

JALALABAD: Security personnel have rescued a child from kidnappers in the eastern Nangarhar province and arrested six alleged kidnappers, Mohammad Bashir, the head of the provincial office of the General Directorate of Intelligence, said yesterday. A group of kidnappers abducted the child from Daka village in Momandara district of Nangarhar province months ago, and finally the security personnel were able to rescue the child and arrested the six kidnappers. The rescued child had been returned to her family safe and sound recently, Bashir said. He noted that security forces would continue to crack down on criminals.…

Mike Greenaway mike.greenaway@inl.co.za Mike Greenaway The Springbok women are taking a leaf out of the book of their male counterparts by finishing their games strongly and when they learn to start better, they will be a force to be reckoned with. The Bok women scored 12 points to none in the last 10 minutes of their clash with Wales at Cardiff Arms Park at the weekend, but allowing Wales to race into a 22-0 lead proved too big a hill to climb as they lost 29-19. The week before, the Bok women also outplayed France in the final quarter of that match and coach Stanley Raubenheimer feels the growth shown during the first two weeks of their end-of-year tour have been pleasing, but he is adamant that hard work awaits…