Table of contents for NM-2021-04-12 in Mercury

Sandile Mchunu sandile.mchunu@inl.co.za RMB HOLDINGS (RMH) share price rose by more than 23 percent on the JSE on Friday morning after the investment holding company declared a special dividend of R1.13 billion out of income reserves. The special dividend of 80 cents a share comes after the group said the development of a new hub for business, entertainment, retail and residential living in Bucharest (Bucharest development) were not met by the long stop date of March 31. “As such, the RMB board will be returning the capital committed to Atterbury Europe and the Iulius Group, earmarked for the Bucharest development to shareholders as a special dividend,” the group said. However, it added the special divi- dend would be subject to dividend withholding tax at a rate of…

PIET MAHASHA RAMPEDI WESTERN Cape Judge President John Hlophe has been urged to appeal against the findings of the tribunal’s ruling against him because they smack of “political posturing” and the drive to finalise a long-standing matter at the expense of due process and individual rights. According to political and legal commentator Professor Sipho Seepe, Judge Hlophe should not take the matter “lying down” because of the history of the case brought against him by the Constitutional Court justices, the length of time it took to finalise it and the current state of the judiciary where members make “political pronouncements” on the Bench. Speaking last night, Seepe also warned that the case might trigger a Constitutional crisis because most of the justices who might end up hearing it were…

THE figure 9 appears to have featured strangely in the final days of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. He died at 9am on April 9, the 99th day of the year at the age of 99. Astonishing coincidence. ’Twould have been marvellous had he lasted another couple of months to reach his ton – but no matter, a splendid innings. Philip embodied an old Europe of inter-related royalty. A prince of both Denmark and Greece, he was also related to the Romanovs who were murdered in the Russian Revolution. His matching DNA was in fact eventually used to positively identify the bodies of the murdered Russian royals. He served with distinction in the Royal Navy during World War II, later marrying the then Princess Elizabeth, at which the British titles…

DUNCAN DU BOIS | Bluff eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda’s rant against the alleged “capitalist” faction within the ANC (The Mercury, April 9) is really quite rich considering the ANC is awash with cash and as Smuts Ngonyama famously declared, one did not join the Struggle to remain poor. Central to the disingenuous socialists and communists is their claim to champion the poor. Thus, essentially Kaunda’s effusion concerns his faction’s access to the disbursement of state largesse which he disguises as an earnest stand on behalf of the poor. Yet wherever redistribution of wealth and radical economic transformation has been applied, the poverty of the masses has not been alleviated. Instead, unemployment has been exacerbated, welfare dependence increased and perpetuated by the lie that those opposed to…

HANIF A PATEL | Gujarat Province, India A JOLT of loss and wave of grief has engulfed England and the globe after the death of His Royal Highness Prince Philip. A feeling of being deserted is being felt by the people. Philip had the uncanny knack of moulding the monarch to preserve the royal image at particular junctures when the royal family were facing odds and obstacles. Philip’s stature was one of prestige of royalty and pride for the British kingdom. His constant colourful presence was part and parcel of British life. A cherished chapter of the Great Britain story has come to an end. Great people will die, but death can never kill their names. A growing array of floral tributes outside Windsor Palace, and an image…

Vernon Mchunu vernon.mchunu@inl.co.za THE proposal to introduce a subsidy for the minibus taxi industry was welcomed as it would bring much-needed relief for the hard-up working class. This was the reaction of the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) and Cosatu, commenting on the recommendations made in the report on the market inquiry into the land-based public passenger transport sector by the Competition Commission. In a report to the government, Commissioner Tembinkosi Bonakele called for an equitable subsidisation of the public transport sector so that it would also benefit the taxi industry. Bonakele said minibus taxis were major players in the public transport system in the country, carrying almost 66.5% of South Africa’s passengers each day. Buses and trains transported only 23.6% and 9.9%, respectively – yet the…

Psychosocial stress – typically resulting from difficulty coping with challenging environments – may work synergistically to put women at higher risk of developing coronary heart disease, a new study suggests. The findings indicate that the effects of job strain and social strain – the negative aspect of social relationships – posed a double risk to women. Together they are associated with a 21% higher risk of developing coronary heart disease. For the study in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the team used data from a sample of 80 825 postmenopausal women. | IANS…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za ECONOMIC Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (Edtea) MEC Ravi Pillay has warned that the failure of municipalities to deliver basic services such as water and electricity is having a detrimental effect on the province’s tourism and economy. Pillay said the delivery of water and electricity was key to the economic progress of the province. The South Coast is facing a water crisis that has led to violent protests, while Msunduzi Municipality is grappling with an erratic electricity supply. Addressing members of the Edtea portfolio committee last week, Pillay gave a brief update on how the province’s tourism industry, especially accommodation establishments, had performed during the Easter break. “The tourism sector remains a key sector for us, not just psychologically, but in terms of job creation. The tourism…

Sakhiseni Nxumalo sakhiseni.nxumalo@inl.co.za THE KwaZulu-Natal provincial government has established a committee to address matters related to the co-existence of farm dwellers and farm owners. This was revealed by KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala when he visited farm dwellers and farmworkers in the Normandien area outside Newcastle yesterday. The area has been in the spotlight following escalating tension between farmers, farm residents and workers. Last year in August, farming couple Glen and Vida Rafferty were found dead outside their home; both had sustained gunshot wounds. Police said in February that Sizwe Tell Zwane, 33, pleaded guilty to the murders and was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment on one count of robbery, and received 25 years’ imprisonment on each count of murder. Two other accused are yet to go on trial for the…

Abigail Moyo | spokesperson for trade union UASA: The fuel levy hikes and price increases have pushed the petrol price over R17 a litre. Economists warned early in the year that a surge in global oil prices – up more than 30% so far in 2021 – coupled with a weaker rand and the introduction of fuel taxes would mean increased costs for South Africans at the pumps. While there is little sway over the external factors that control the fuel price – the price of the product on world markets multiplied by the US dollar/rand exchange rate – it is the internal factors such as rand-based retail and oil company marketing margins, transport costs and taxes and levies that may be reconsidered to assist financially struggling South…

Three suspects were gunned down yesterday during an encounter between terrorists and security forces in south Kashmir’s Shopian district, the police said. While acknowledging the police and other security forces for showing patience during the operation, the Kashmir range Inspector-General of Police, Vijay Kumar, appealed tothe youth who had joined the terrorists to shun violence and return to mainstream life. He said society needed them, and most importantly their parents wanted them by their side. “We will welcome and accept them with open arms,” he said. The police said that on Saturday a joint cordon-and-search operation was launched by the police and army. During the search operation, terrorists were located and given an opportunity to surrender. However, they fired upon the joint search party, which retaliated. In the…

DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates has selected the first Arab woman to train as an astronaut, expanding into the space sector to diversify its economy. Emirati national Nora al-Matrooshi, 27, a mechanical engineering graduate working at Abu Dhabi’s National Petroleum Construction Company, will join Nasa’s 2021 Astronaut Candidate Class in the US. In February a UAE probe reached the orbit of Mars, the Arab world’s first interplanetary expedition. The UAE plans to launch a moon rover by 2024 and envisions a Mars settlement by 2117. Nora was one of 4 300 applicants assessed on scientific acumen and education.…

Sandile Mchunu sandile.mchunu@inl.co.za PHUMELELA Gaming and Leisure is set to lose one of its prized assets, the Arlington racecourse in Gqeberha, formerly known as Port Elizabeth, when it is put up for auction on April 23. It will be the country’s first horse racing track to go under the auctioneer’s hammer. The 62-hectare property in Walmer has been described by Broll Auctions as the developer’s dream as it is the last large piece of land within the hub of the main city, less than 10 minutes from the airport, and making it ideal for residential estate development or an industrial park. The expected auction of the Arlington racecourse comes after South Africa’s largest horse racing and tote betting operator was placed under business rescue on May 8 last year…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za DISINVESTMENT in coal assets by two major firms this week was not a threat to power generation in South Africa and coal would be in the mix for the foreseeable future, analysts said last week. They said the the move away from thermal coal was simply a climate change-forced decision and a gradual transition which recognised the country’s decarbonisation commitments as per Paris Accord. The country was crafting a pathway to a transition to renewable energy by 2030. Last week, two major developments occurred in the space of coal mining in South Africa. Anglo American plc announced plans to spin off its thermal coal opera- tions to Thungela Resources following years of pursuing a responsible transition away from fossil fuels. Anglo said that the demerger…

John Kemp THE GLOBAL energy system has become greener over the last decade, but most countries are nowhere near on track to achieve net zero emissions by the middle of this century. Net zero has become symbolically and diplomatically important for po- licymakers, but the goal will remain far out of reach without much faster change. In recent years, energy consumption has become less carbon-intensive, but not fast enough to offset the rapid increase in energy use as a result of rising populations, incomes, and demand for energy services in developing countries. Worldwide energy consumption rose at a compound annual rate of 1.9 percent in the 10 years before the Covid-19 pandemic while energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions rose at an average rate of 1.4 percent. Replacing coal-fired…

MARY DE HAAS | Durban I COULD not agree more with the sentiments expressed by Cometh Dube-Makholwa about why the government should not introduce a basic income grant for unemployed youth (The Mercury, April 8). These proposed grants would be another form of patronage, with a view to increasing the popularity of those dispensing them. We have to find ways of stifling this culture of entitlement which has been deliberately cultivated since 1994, and which has seen the near demise of the type of entrepreneurship and voluntarism which was widespread among poor people during the apartheid years. It is work – unlike dependency on handouts – that gives people dignity, and opportunities to learn and progress further. It would be preferable to create part-time, low-paid jobs for unemployed…

MOHAMED SAEED | Pietermaritzburg THE current Covid-19 pandemic is not yet over, and it is too soon to believe the coronavirus curve has been flattened. The coming of the pandemic in 2020, besides producing huge uncertainty and anxiety, presented new trials and challenges, and affected the way of life for everyone. This is the second Ramadaan to take place under an unpleasant or cold environment created by the pandemic. However, values such as God consciousness, deep personal self-reflection and increased prayers and the importance of self-control, sacrifice, spirituality, kindness, compassion, empathy and generosity towards the less privileged that the month of Ramadaan teaches Muslims and promotes still remain the same. The previous Ramadaan in 2020 was very unusual and had been incredibly unfamiliar. With the current decreased lockdown…

FAROUK ARAIE | Benoni THE possibility that France could pass a bill to ban under-18s from wearing Muslim headscarves and the burqa is not only a violation of international law, but also a violation of the UN charter on religious freedom. It is indeed a grave miscarriage of justice, and a crass display of Islamophobia. Perhaps the learned lawmakers should study the life history of the third president of the US, president Thomas Jefferson, who once said,“I never will, by any word or act, bow to the shrine of intolerance or admit a right of inquiry into the religious opinions of others.” Governments should tackle increased religious intolerance by promoting discussion within religious groups and by ensuring that women and political leaders are involved in the talks. Freedom…

Karen Singh karen.singh@inl.co.za THE Mercury Hibberdene Children’s Holiday Home hosted 40 children from orphanages in Empangeni at a camp over the Easter weekend. Nishi Naidoo, the manager of the seaside holiday home for underprivileged children, said the visitors from the iKhaya LikaBaba and Musawekhosi children’s homes stayed for three nights with their caregivers. Naidoo said the children were provided with cooked meals and desserts by the in-house chef. “They were also treated to Easter eggs, fruit, toasted marshmallows over a camp fire and cakes,” she said. Naidoo said the children played games and swam in the home’s swimming pool. The children were entertained with traditional Zulu dance by Akona and with the Jerusalema dance challenges by Team Ikhaya. Life-skills facilitator Shallock Sitole said the home provided a perfect space…

Karen Singh karen.singh@inl.co.za Soldiers deployed to safeguard South Africa’s borders have confiscated millions of rand worth of contraband goods, narcotics and intercepted stolen vehicles in the past three months. The SANDF said that in spite of the Covid-19 pandemic, it had broken records in its efforts to protect the borders, particularly with Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Between January 1 and March 31 this year, contraband valued at over R30 million was confiscated. Stolen vehicles with an estimated value of over R26m were intercepted before illegally crossing the borders. Soldiers in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, the Eastern Cape and Free State confiscated narcotics to the value of more than R21m. “All confiscated goods were declared and handed over to the relevant state departments, including the SAPS and South African Revenue Services/Customs.” The SANDF said…

Buyile Matiwane THE small device in your hand and the infrastructure that backs it up are currently part of a furious global trade war between China and the US and its allies. While the cellphone has become an ubiquitous and almost indispensable tool in the lives of young and old, the other day I had one of those common anxiety moments when I dropped my cellphone. We guard them with our lives and some of my friends change them often, either to get the latest version or simply because they have lost or damaged theirs. It is difficult to believe that hardly 30 years ago, we survived without cellphones. Broadband, fibre, 5G, connectivity, bandwidth, data, smart cities and frequency are all concepts associated with the latest developments in information…

ON April 10, 1993, Chris Hani, then SACP general secretary, member of the ANC national executive committee and former chief of staff of MK was assassinated in front of his home in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni. Hani’s murder 28 years ago threatened to derail a fragile negotiation process but also robbed the country of one of the most popular figures in the ANC. In his book, Long Walk to Freedom, former president Nelson Mandela wrote: “The assassination of Chris was an attempt by white supremacists to arrest the inevitable. They preferred that the country descend into civil war rather than have the majority rule by peaceful means.” Mandela addressed the nation on the night of Hani’s killing and called for calm, saying “our whole nation now teeters on the brink of disaster”.…

Lebanon cannot pull itself out of its economic crisis without a new government to transform the country and launch long-stalled reforms, a senior official at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said. The country defaulted on its debt last year, sending its currency crashing. Its economy shrank by 25% in 2020, the IMF said in a report last week. A stand-off over the make-up of a new government has intensified in recent months, delaying a revival of funding talks with the IMF. “The change of direction … requires a comprehensive approach,” the director of the IMF’s Middle East and Central Asia department, Jihad Azour, said. Reforms should focus on the financial sector, public finance, governance, corruption and loss-making utilities that have contributed to a surge in debt, he said. “In (the)…

ROME: Turkey has frozen a deal to buy helicopters worth €70 million (R1.2 billion) from Italian company Leonardo after Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi criticised President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, two newspapers reported yesterday. According to La Repubblica and Il Fatto Quotidiano, Turkish authorities are demanding an official apology from the Italian government and will not be content with clarifications through diplomatic channels. Last week Draghi called the Turkish leader a “dictator”. Turkey slated his remarks as “unacceptable populist rhetoric”. At least three Italian firms operating in Turkey have also received a notice from the Turkish government.…

EDWARD WEST edward.west@inl.co.za PURPLE Group’s profit soared to R15.2 million in the six months to February 28 compared with R900 000 in the same period last year after a near tripling of the EasyEquities online share trading business. Group revenue increased by 79.5 percent to R100.6m. Attributable profit increased 884.1 percent to R8.3m compared to a profit of R0.8m in the comparative period, the results released Friday showed. Basic and headline earnings per share increased to 0.85 cents a share compared to 0.09c per share in the prior comparative period. EasyEquities revenue increased by 197.6 percent to R85m and its taxed profit increased to R22.3m compared to R0.08m in the comparative period. Platform assets increased by 70.3 percent to R26.9bn and funded retail investment accounts…

Sihle Mavuso sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za WITH ANC branches gearing up to convene their end of five-year term branch general meetings (BGMs) in preparation for the usually hotly contested regional and provincial conferences, ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule has cautioned the governing party’s higher structures to stop abusing their powers. In a recent letter sent to provincial secretaries, regional secretaries and branches, Magashule said all structures in office should remain in place until further notice and disbanding them was illegal. His reminder comes amid reports that some provinces, such as the North West and regions in the Eastern Cape, are disbanding lower structures under the guise that their term of office has expired. This is in conflict with a resolution by the party’s national executive committee (NEC) last year that, because of Covid-19 restrictions…

IF YOU are living around the excessive use of alcohol, chances are you are getting pressure from more than those inside your home and within your intimate relationship with the user. It’s coming from “outside” too. There is pressure from friends and extended family who talk to you about choices or offer not-so-subtle questions such as “why do you stay?” and “what’s in it for you?” and “have you no sense of self-protection?” These observations, questions and judgements sound loving, kind and well meaning, but usually they are not. They come from people who really do not understand. They discredit long-term bonding, the years and years you have had with the alcoholic. The patterns and rhythms, as rough as they may be, are your life. Their questions threaten who you…

KEN CRITCHLOW | Kloof NOT TOO many years ago, to represent your country was the ambition of most sportsmen and women. How sad that the sportsmen of today can turn their backs on their countries in the pursuit of money. Like most cricket spectators I tune into the IPL. But I would much rather see a full-strength Proteas beat Pakistan. Let’s face it, SA cricket does not have the personnel of years gone by and it makes me sad to see players such as JJ Smuts and Beuran Hendricks perform so poorly. Both have had plenty of chances to impress and have failed miserably. Lutho Sipamla was also poor, but as a youngster he can improve. Andile Phehlukwayo redeemed himself with the bat, but was very poor with…

MALCOLM MITCHELL | Hillcrest I note that in your April 9 edition you gave prominence to a call by the eThekwini mayor to stand up against what he calls the “Stellenbosch mafia”. To any person versed in South African politics, this is a term used by Carl Niehaus and his friend, Ace Magashule, to denigrate the president’s support in the ANC. It would appear that the mayor supports this faction. Perhaps the mayor, instead of playing “party politics” on behalf of his apparent colleagues, such as Niehaus and Magashule, should devote his activities to improving the image of his city, aptly named throughout the country, and even internationally, as “Dirtbin”, where “crime and grime” prevail. He could even join in trying to eliminate the culture of “non-productivity” in…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za Two judges, in separate cases, have in no uncertain terms voiced their displeasure at the conduct they were shown as judicial officers by parties involved in cases brought before them. Both a “rude” lawyer and an “obstructive” soon-to-be divorcee received more than a slap on the wrist for their attitudes towards the judges. The lawyer got more than he bargained on when Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, Judge Bert Bam found him to be in contempt of court and slapped him with a R30 000 fine or 30 days in jail. In the other case, Judge Nicolene Janse van Nieuwenhuizen ordered a woman in a divorce case to foot the entire legal bill for missing two days of court, simply because the woman steadfastly refused to subject herself…

Liam Ngobeni liam.ngobeni@inl.co.za THE 2018 Constitutional Court decision to legalise the consumption of cannabis “in private” has created a number of challenges for employers and employees, according to experts. Among them is the question of whether an employee could lose their job by consuming dagga outside working hours, especially in safety-sensitive industries where workers are prohibited from being under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs. This is among one of the legal and ethical dilemmas raised by medico-legal experts from the University of Pretoria (UP) in a recent research article in the South African Medical Journal. Dr JB Laurens, until recently a senior forensic toxicology researcher and lecturer at UP, and Professor Pieter Carstens, a professor of criminal and medical law, said the decision to legalise the consumption of…

Sakhiseni Nxumalo sakhiseni.nxumalo@inl.co.za The Durban University of Technology (DUT) has extended the online registration period for first-time applicants and returning students to Friday. Remote, online learning for first-time enrolling students is expected to commence today. Senior director of corporate affairs at DUT, Alan Khan, said that this was to ensure that the academic programme was successfully concluded within this calendar year. “It needs to be noted that the majority of first-time enrolling students have already registered,” said Khan. He said that the closure of the five Durban campuses, especially for students, would continue. The closure comes after a violent protest erupted at the Steve Biko Campus on Wednesday. Khan said the closure would allow the institution to consider and assess many prerequisites for reopening and for allowing students, albeit in…

POLICE have launched an inquest after the death of 22-year-old Anele ’Nellie’ Tembe, whose body was discovered yesterday morning outside the Pepper Club Hotel in the Cape Town CBD. Tembe, who was engaged to South African musician Kiernan Forbes – also known as AKA – is believed to have fallen from the tenth floor of the Pepper Club Hotel. In a statement confirming her death, Tembe’s family said: “It is with the deepest regret that we, the Tembe and Forbes families, confirm the untimely passing of our beloved fiancé, daughter, sister and daughter-in-law, Anele Tembe, who tragically passed on in the early hours of this morning, Sunday. We are still in shock and are dealing with our emotions, as she was an exceptional and gifted young woman, with so…

THE Extraordinary Double Troika Summit of SADC leaders hosted by chairperson President Filipe Nyusi of Mozambique last Thursday in Maputo was anything but that. Instead, it raised more questions than offered solutions of how to stop the deteriorating security situation in Mozambique’s northern province of Cabo Delgado, where self-styled al-Shabaab militants have been waging a murderous insurgency against government forces since 2017. The tragedy is that an already marginalised civilian population in the poorest mainly Muslim province has faced the brunt of senseless violence which the UN estimates displaced almost 700 000 people and claimed more than 3 000 lives since its onset. The UN estimates that 1.3 million people need urgent humanitarian assistance, in a country which under “normal circumstances” is perennially in the eye of the storm of…

The Indian capital of New Delhi is witnessing its fourth Covid-19 wave as a single-day spike of 10 732 new Covid-19 cases was seen, in contrast to last month when less than 200 cases were being reported every day, the national capital’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said yesterday. Ruling out the option of lockdown to contain the Covid-19 spread, the minister appealed to the people at large to go for vaccination, and follow Covid-19 protocols like wearing masks and washing hands regularly even after taking vaccine jabs. People should also avoid unnecessary travel out of their homes, he added. According to him, nearly 65 percent of the patients suffering from the pandemic were aged less than 35 years. “Today, we are facing a strange situation. Now we…

AS THE world follows the often-emotional testimony in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer accused of murdering George Floyd, members of Floyd’s family watch a live feed in a separate room in the courthouse. Frequently by their side is civil rights lawyer Benjamin Crump, who heads the family’s legal team. Floyd and his brothers often slept in the same bed as children, with Floyd playing the role of protector, Crump says. “For us, it’s a case. It’s a cause. It’s a hashtag,” Crump said. “For them … it’s their blood.” Floyd, an African American, 46, died after Chauvin, who is white, kneeled on his neck for more than nine minutes. His death, captured on bystander video, sparked worldwide protests over racism and police brutality. Chauvin, who…

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis made a rare Sunday outing from Vatican grounds to celebrate a mass on “divine mercy” with prisoners, refugees and health workers. The service was held in a church just off St Peter’s Square in front of a reduced congregation of about 80 people, due to Covid-19 restrictions. Among them, there were inmates of two Roman prisons and one youth detention centre; refugees from Syria, Nigeria and Egypt; and nursing staff from a nearby hospital. The pope stressed the importance for Christians of serving others. “Let us not live a one-way faith, a faith that receives but does not give,” he said.…

Mihlali Baleka Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis has lauded her players’ teamwork after the senior women’s national team claimed a comfortable 3-1 win over neighbours Zambia in an international friendly at Bidvest Stadium on Saturday afternoon. After being inactive for over a year since winning the Cosafa Championship title in Gqeberha late in 2019, Banyana returned to action this past weekend, hosting Zambia, who’ll be playing in the Tokyo Olympic Games from July. The Copper Queens drew first blood with captain and striker Barbra Banda putting her side in the lead with a screamer. Banyana, though, responded as Spanish-based defender Noko Matlou scored a brace before half-time. The South Africans wrapped up the match in the second half with golden girl Thembi Kgatlana getting on the scoresheet with her second…