Indice dei contenuti per 2021-05-21 in Mercury

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za ENVIRONMENTAL lobby group the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) turned up the heat on ArcelorMittal South Africa (Amsa) to decarbonise urgently during the group’s annual general meeting (AGM) held virtually yesterday. Amsa is South Africa’s third-largest greenhouse gas emitter after Sasol, accounting for 2.81 percent of the country’s emissions, according to the CER’s Full Disclosure 5 report. CER lawyers, who hold a share in Amsa, said this was the third consecutive year in which the organisation participated in the AGM and protested against Amsa’s failure to respect environmental laws. The CER’s head of corporate accountability and transparency, Leanne Govindsamy, said they had seen little change in the manner in which Amsa handled environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. “Amsa’s refusal to take steps to address concerns…

Viwe Ndongeni-Ntlebi viwe.ndongeni@inl.co.za Mushroom-based innovations have gained widespread attention and continue to become more popular. According to a study on chemistry, nutrition, and health-promoting properties of Hericium erinaceus (Lion’s mane) mushroom fruiting bodies and mycelia and their bioactive compounds, mushrooms were used as a coffee substitute in Finland during World War II, when coffee beans weren’t available. There’s also an extensive history of culinary and medicinal use of mushrooms in Asian countries, specifically for Chinese medicine, for their nutritional and health benefits. Mushroom coffee is prepared and enjoyed just like regular coffee. Drink it black or add cream – or the plant-based milk of your choosing – and sugar. Healthline explains that mushroom coffee is a delicate blend of ground mushrooms and coffee beans combined to brew a dark, smooth,…

Transnet, the parent company of the Transnet Port Terminals division, said it will be engaging the World Bank regarding the analysis contained in its inaugural report, and the areas of measure considered for the index. “There are no calculations presented and there is a disclaimer in the beginning of the report stating that the World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. It appears that the data was analysed between January and June 2020. South African ports were in lockdown for 30% of this time.” Transnet said established industry reports and studies, some from the World Bank itself, had a correlation that the inaugural report did not have. “These include the World Bank Logistics Performance Index (LPI), Ease of Doing Business, Port Development and…

GAVIN HEATH | Kloof THE article “Land reform warning” (May 20) refers. This article is disturbing, but also hilarious in a number of ways. Firstly, consider what the response would have been if your journalist had written “...an alleged practice in which farmers working closely with black or Asian land affairs officials frustrate land claims beneficiaries...” Of course, your writer chose to racially label the farmers and not the officials, whose decision it was to initiate the process, after all. This deliberate and discriminatory labelling, it seems to me, is straight out of the playbook of Die Sturmer in Nazi Germany of the 1930s, where Jewish financiers, etc were racially labelled every time. Do the sub-editors and editor of your publication not find anything problematic in this kind…

THEMBA KHOZA | Department of Water and Sanitation spokesperson WATER infrastructure vandalism is one of the main challenges facing the country in relation to reliable water supply to communities. This negatively affects the socio-economic development of communities. Access to water is a basic human right and the vandalism of water infrastructure denies some communities access to water. Water infrastructure vandalism is a heinous crime as it cuts off water supply to communities and denies people access to this source of life. Infrastructure vandalism results in water wastage and leads to leaks in the water supply system, leading to major water losses, which we cannot afford as a water-scarce country. It must be understood that any illegal tampering with water infrastructure is vandalism and affects the effectiveness of…

WHO remembers the Oceanos drama off the Wild Coast 30 years ago? My old seafaring pal, Captain Allen Brink, sends me a clip of a fascinating radio interview that recalls the whole incident. | Cullen Hightower Readers might remember that when the Oceanos cruise liner sank in frightfully high seas off the Transkei coast in 1991, some memorable things happened – some deplorable, some quite the opposite. The ship’s officers took to a lifeboat, abandoning the passengers and the rest of the crew. The ship’s captain stayed on but when rescue helicopters arrived, he ignored the “women and children first” tradition and was winched up ahead of everyone, saying he was going to “get help”. He was never seen again. The ship’s entertainment group – led by a guitarist and…

MUCH in our lives requires attention and we do without much thinking. We check on the house plants, we know how much water they need, even if it is just checking out of the corner of our eyes. We will let the dogs in and out, knowing they have needs and we want clean houses. We have an ear for dripping taps, an eye for potential electrical mishaps. It is as if adults are constantly on duty, taking note of the smallest things. It’s also true when you’re driving. A flashing dashboard light means something requires attention, especially if you want to avoid future vehicle problems. Adopting a similar awareness of those around us, with the people closest to us, is to commit to daily acts of awareness and care.…

An Eastern Cape supermarket trainee supervisor has been sentenced in the Mthatha Specialised Commercial Crime Court for fraud. Spokesperson for the Hawks Captain Yolisa Mgolodela said Fikile Phofana, 34, was sentenced to direct imprisonment for two years. She said Phofana was employed as a cashier in 2015 at a Mthatha supermarket and was promoted to trainee supervisor in January 2016, where one of his duties was to void transactions. Mgolodela said between January and June 2016, the store managers noticed that there was a shortage of medicine from the veterinary department and the takings were not corresponding with the stock. The managers found video footage of Phofana taking money and putting it into his wallet. The supermarket suffered a prejudice to the value of R46 000, she said. Mgolodela said…

Sakhiseni Nxumalo sakhiseni.nxumalo@inl.co.za INFRASTRUCTURE development has been placed at the top of the KwaZulu- Natal Department of Education’s agenda after it was allocated more than R2.5 billion in the 2021/22 budget to build new schools, boreholes and repair damaged schools. This was revealed by MEC for Education Kwazi Mshengu when he delivered his budget vote yesterday. Mshengu said budget cuts would have a significant impact on the department’s work. According to the department, the infrastructure budget would focus on key areas such as providing permanent ablution facilities to several needy schools, repairs to storm and flood-damaged schools and infrastructure for special schools. The provision of additional classes to deal with overcrowding, completion of existing projects, and construction and maintenance of Early Childhood Development (ECD) schools would also be a priority.…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za THE ANC has described the results of Wednesday’s by-elections as an unwavering sign of the people’s faith in the party. The ANC gained one more ward (110) in eThekwini that had previously been under the control of the DA. The victory in the ward was not without controversy though, as two voting districts were cited for irregularities by opposition parties in the run-up to and during the by-elections. During voter registration last month, the Mount Royal voting district was the subject of complaints by opposition parties after a man believed to be an ANC member was found with several identity documents in his possession. He allegedly claimed he was coming to register the IDs on behalf of their owners who could not come to the station. On…

The proposed US Strategic Competition Act and Endless Frontier Act are more “sound and fury signifying nothing” playing out for a domestic political agenda, rather than genuine attempts to address the loss of American competitiveness. They target China and may cause a retreat from globalisation and a return to the Cold War bipolar trading system. While there are some legitimate issues between America and China, the tone of the acts is anti-Chinese. The US is gradually reducing its global supply-chain reliance on China. The trend toward greater global openness appears to have peaked in 2008 as governments moved to a “buy local” economic policy to promote domestic production. These policies restricted imports through tariffs, quotas and other trade barriers. These protectionist policies, however, have the effect of limiting the scope…

GENEVA: World Health Organisation regional director for Europe Hans Kluge said yesterday that the Covid-19 vaccine inequality between richer and poorer economies was “definitely there”. “If you speak globally, as of May 4, 29% of the population in high-income countries versus 1.4% of the population in low- and lower-middle-income countries received at least one dose, so this inequity is definitely there, that’s why mechanisms (such) as the Covax and the ACT-A Accelerator are so important,” Kluge said. At a Gavi vaccine alliance event, global leaders urged rich countries to donate excess vaccine doses to the Covax mechanism.…

So school sports competitions have been cancelled due to the pandemic. What alternatives are there for your kids to burn off some of that energy and keep active? Lets take a look at some safe options which can keep the family fit and healthy while we fight this virus. The Department of Basic Education has taken a rational decision to halt all contact school sport for the safety of our nation. I feel it’s a good decision as we have not been disciplined enough as a nation. What activities can we do as a family to keep fit: 1. Run/Jog – Running is massive in SA, we have some of the best elite runners in the world. All you need is a decent pair of shoes and a warm fleece…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za DELIVERING the National Treasury’s R41.1 billion Budget vote yesterday Finance Minister Tito Mboweni said yesterday the Budget would be committed to the National Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, including by supporting vital economic reforms, and advancing the transformation of the economy. He said the government continued to pursue a balanced and prudent fiscal strategy in order to stabilise the public finances, saying the spending ceiling announced in February would not be adjusted upwards. “However, we have a long and difficult road ahead. As we are all aware, the government is taking the required steps to avoid a debt spiral,” he said. The tax revenue shortfall for 2020/21 was R175.5 billion, which was a record. “Meanwhile, debt service costs will increase to R269.7bn in the current…

Vernon Mchunu vernon.mchunu@inl.co.za SINCE South Africa has publicly berated the Israeli government for the ongoing strife in Palestine and Israel, organised labour expected Transnet to tow the line and not undertake any punitive action against workers who are set to boycott work on Israeli ships. This was according to Anele Kiet, the deputy general secretary of the SA Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu), when asked if the planned boycott would not be deemed a dereliction of duty. The SA Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) slammed the plan to snub work connected to the Israeli Zim Shinghai vessel which was said to have entered the Durban Harbour this week. The organisation said such action, including proposed sanctions and disinvestment against Israel, would not resolve the ongoing conflicts. Heeding a call…

JEAN MICHEL BOUVIER | Bryanston LISTENING to Baleka Mbete at the Zondo Commission I had a chuckle when I heard her say she had “to apply her mind “for hours before rejecting the tip-off note that someone had slid under her door that was so revealing and scary about the arms deal but it was not signed”. So she decided not to follow up as she “didn’t want to obstruct a very busy Parliament”. Mbete, you did nothing because you were shielding your paymaster who was up to his neck in the deal. And yes, we have seen how busy they are in Parliament. All those parliamentarians far beyond retirement age, dozing off or playing and sending messages on their phones or playing solitaire on their freebie top-range iPads, compliments…

COLIN BURGER | Assagay THE recent actions of Ace Magashule have ensured that the ANC is now split into two factions. The damage is irreparable, whatever Ramaphosa says or wants. The question is which way will the ANC go – the populist route of Magashule or the more conservative passage of Ramaphosa? Should it be the Magashule way, this country is finished. He is a Jacob Zuma clone who destroyed South Africa in his “nine wasted years”. The cries for unity in the ANC have gone unheeded, as is witnessed on an almost daily basis. ANC members continue to loot the coffers knowing full well that there will be no repercussions or accountability. There are strikes and violent protests countrywide because of a lack of service delivery. Ramaphosa…

| Reuters French pianist Eric Artz has performed for the first time in seven months in Geneva, after Switzerland eased Covid-19 restrictions and allowed concert venues to readmit a limited numbers of guests. “It’s a lot of emotion after this first concert because it’s been seven months now that I have not been able to perform on stage. So here I’m coming back to life,” he said after his show at the 19th century theatre ‘Les Salons’. For his candle-lit comeback, the artist decided to trade Chopin and Beethoven for Manga anime songs such as Dragon Ball Z and Pokemon. “Honestly, it’s difficult to not have these cultural places where we can go and just enjoy things we like,” said concert-goer Laurane Pinard, who felt “privileged” to be able…

Siyabonga Mkhwanazi siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za Justice Minister Ronald Lamola has finally tabled the Land Court Bill in Parliament after it was approved by the Cabinet. Lamola had said the bill would ensure the permanent appointment of judges and other judicial officers to oversee land claims. This after the Land Claims Court had not been able to have full-time judges since it was established years ago, except for the judge president. Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Thoko Didiza told Parliament a few months ago that this had led to the delay in processing land claims. Some of the claims date back to 1998 during the first cut-off date. When the second phase was reopened in 2014, more than 120 000 new land claims were lodged with the Land Claims Commission.…

Jolene Marriah-Maharaj jolene.marriah@inl.co.za KwaZulu-Natal police have confirmed that three weeks after a prison truck was ambushed in Pietermaritzburg, they are still looking for 13 prisoners who escaped. According to police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele, the latest prisoner to be arrested was Mbukiseni Ndlovu. Mbele said the 37-year-old Ndlovu, who is facing a murder charge, was nabbed in the Ntukusweni area in Msunduzi on May 13. The prisoners escaped on April 28, after a truck transporting 45 prisoners to the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court was allegedly pushed off the road by heavily armed suspects. The two police officers seated in the front of the truck were injured slightly when the vehicle hit the pavement. “Five heavily armed men travelling in a double-cab bakkie pointed firearms at the police officers while one of…

Jolene Marriah-Maharaj jolene.marriah@inl.co.za THE police have confirmed a case of murder has been opened after a taxi boss from Tongaat was gunned down yesterday. According to KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson, Captain Nqobile Gwala, it is alleged that the victim, aged 35, was shot by two men at about 10.30am in Maidstone Village. “He sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the body and was certified dead at the scene.” According to Reaction Unit SA (Rusa) boss Prem Balram, the victim was in his car, in the parking area of a used car spares business on Gopalall Hurbans Road in Maidstone, Tongaat, when the shooting incident occurred. “A Rusa member who was on patrol in the area was flagged down by a witness. According to the witness, two suspects walked up to a blue…

Nonhlanhla Nozizwe Hlatshwayo nozizwe.hlatshwayo@inl.co.za MEC for Social Development in KwaZulu-Natal Nonhlanhla Khoza has appointed a team to help deal with the problems at the Durban and Coastal Mental Health Society (DCMH). This comes after the MEC and head of department Neliswa Vilakazi visited the institution unannounced. The MEC’s visit followed a public outcry that people residing in the facility were not given food. “The appointment of service providers who have no contracts is one of the concerns. The institution is currently unable to perform its responsibility very well. It is clear that there has been mismanagement and misappropriation of funds,” the MEC said. Khoza said the department gave the institution a lot of money and the service it rendered should reflect the amount of money allocated to it. “This…

China steps into leadership role Biden has vacated, calls for immediate end to airstrikes US indifference to the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza being massacred by Israeli warplanes has been met with disbelief – not only by its allies, but by the rest of the UN Security Council. For the third time in a week, the US blocked the adoption of a joint UN Security Council statement that called for the protection of civilians and a halt to the ongoing violence. The US refusal to endorse a joint UN Security Council statement shocked council members. What was even more outrageous was the Biden administration approving the sale of a further $735 million (about R10 billion) worth of arms to Israel in the same week that Israel was…

GAZA CITY: Diplomatic efforts gathered pace yesterday for a ceasefire on the 11th day of deadly violence between Israel and armed Palestinian groups in Gaza as air strikes again hammered the enclave. A column of grey smoke billowed above Gaza after a night in which families cowered in fear from the bombing, while, the Israeli army said, some 70 rockets were fired from Gaza toward Israel, sending residents fleeing into bomb shelters. Talks continued to end the bloodshed after US President Joe Biden urged a “significant de-escalation” while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to push on until the military campaign reaches its objective, “to restore quiet and security” for Israelis. UN Middle East peace envoy Tor Wennesland was visiting Qatar for talks with Ismail Haniyeh, political leader of…

KANO: Nigerian Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau has been seriously wounded after trying to kill himself to avoid capture during clashes with rival Islamic State-allied jihadists in the north of the country, two intelligence sources said yesterday. Shekau’s Boko Haram faction and fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (Iswap) had been battling in north-eastern Borno state, where Iswap militants have become the dominant force in Nigeria’s more than decade-long jihadist insurgency. Shekau, who made international headlines when his men kidnapped nearly 300 schoolgirls in Chibok in 2014, has been reported dead several times.…

Ashfak Mohamed ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za THE American drawl is coming through, slowly but surely, but Shaun Phatutshedzo Maswanganyi is determined to wear the Team South Africa kit at the Tokyo Olympics. The 20-year-old from Soweto made everyone sit up and take note on Sunday night when he ran a superb 100m time of 9.87 seconds at The American Outdoor Championships for college athletes in Tampa, Florida as part of the University of Houston Cougars team. That time would’ve broken Akani Simbine’s national record of 9.89, but a wind of +3.8 metres per second (m/s) meant that it would not be recognised. Maswanganyi followed it up with an exceptional 19.93 in the 200m a short while later, but again, the wind (3.3m/s) denied him Olympic qualification. His personal bests are 10.06 and 20.31…

mihlali.baleka@inl.co.za It sounded like a bomb that’s waiting to explode. Well, that’s how I felt when I first saw the news that Manqoba Mngqithi, Rhulani Mokwena and Steve Komphela will jointly be coaching Mamelodi Sundowns this season. But I have to admit that I’ve been made to eat humble pie since. There has been no shortage of flair in the Sundowns team this season. Not that it wasn’t there when former coach Pitso Mosimane was in the driving seat in the last few seasons. But three renowned coaches with slightly different views of football, driving Sundowns to a steady destination is worthy of admiration. Mngqithi is a tactician, Mokwena a tactical genius and Komphela a fatherly figure. That union has seen Sundowns being only a win away from winning the…

Gerry Cupido geraldine.cupido@inl.co.za You’ve been best friends since high school – inseparable. Did everything together. Partied until sunrise, wiped each others tears when a boy broke your heart and laughed out loud at private jokes. These are the little things that BFFs (best friends forever) are made of. Such tight friendship bonds are often tested when one gets married and it becomes more challenging when one of your friends becomes a mother. The friend you used to party with until 3am is now pulling an all-nighter with a crying baby and trying to nap during the day between the breastfeeding and nappy changes. Maintaining a friendship with someone with kids isn’t easy but, like any other relationship, you have to make the effort to make it work. So how do…

Siyabonga Mkhwanazi and Ntombi Nkosi The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) is expected to get objections from some of the parties in Parliament on the postponement of the local government elections after the DA and Cope yesterday rejected the review of the elections. The two parties said they were ready to go to the polls on October 27 as initially announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa. They said postponing the elections would deal the voters a serious blow as they wanted to take part in the local government polls. DA leader John Steenhuisen said the IEC has shown in the past few months during the by-elections that the elections can be conducted – even during the Covid-19 pandemic – under strict health protocols. He said there was no basis to…

MAZWI ZIKHALI | KwaMashu I am writing this letter because of what the Unisa vice-chancellor, Professor Puleng LenkaBula, said last week regarding student allowances. The vice-chancellor made an announcement that students would start receiving their allowances from between May 12 and May 19. This was all lies as the majority of students haven’t received a cent from the institution. NSFAS (National Student Financial Aid Scheme) deposited the money into the institution’s account on April 30, it is Unisa’s poor administration that failed to deposit the money into the accounts of the students. Unisa works hand in hand with the appointed service provider to deposit allowances for each and every individual student. It’s very hard to use their intellimali card because you have to make cash withdrawals at Shoprite…

THYAGARAJ MARKANDAN | Kloof There’s growing concern around the world about the ravaging impact of India’s Covid-19 crisis. The poor are especially hard-hit, with the infection rate remaining above the 400 000 mark. The situation is so critical that the poor cannot afford the cremation fees and are dumping bodies into the Ganges River. Corpses believed to be Covid-infected have been sighted floating down the Ganges, polluting the holy river. It seems so callous and goes against Indian culture. But what are the poor to do? As if the pandemic was not enough, the West Coast of India is being lashed by Cyclone Tauktae. Goa and Gujerat states are bracing themselves for the fierce storm. Power lines are damaged, cutting off electricity to hospitals at this critical time.…

ALTHOUGH we have contacts to get my niece’s learner’s licence completed, we chose not to take this route as it would not set a good example. So on May 14, we left Phoenix for the Rossburgh Licensing Office at 4am. It was cold and there were no boards to indicate where the learner licence booking queue was. Even the people already in the queue, who had been waiting since 4am, did not know. The stubborn security guards at the licence office did not even have the courtesy to advise us where to queue. A person, who does eye tests at the mall nearby, told us where to go. We went to an upper-level area that had a sign that said “no entry”. But we still went. There were about 30…

Sisonke Mlamla sisonke.mlamla@inl.co.za University students have slammed the National Student Financial Aid Scheme’s (NSFAS) administration processes, citing the delays in the disbursement of funding and the slow process in the delivery of laptops by the entity. This, as the Parliament's portfolio committee on Higher Education, Science and Technology conducted a site visit to the NSFAS offices this week, to monitor the administration and disbursement of funding and allowances to students. SA Students Congress spokesperson Luvuyo Barnes said NSFAS should intervene and fix the delays regarding student allowances, and should have proper planning to improve the gathering of databases from TVET colleges. Department of Higher Education and Training acting deputy director- general Thandi Lewin said the entity worked hard to meet student demands. NSFAS chief executive Andile Nongogo said the NSFAS…

Chevon Booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za THE increasing numbers of the national DNA backlog speaks of “gross negligence and gross incompetence” of a service that is not running like it should. These are the scathing words of anti-gender-based violence (GBV) activists speaking out against Police Minister Bheki Cele last week announcing that the backlog at the SAPS Forensic Science Laboratories had increased despite them having “sprung into action”. Cele, in an address at the National Assembly, said they have a DNA backlog of 208 291 cases nationally – Gauteng recorded the largest backlog of 115%, with the Western Cape slightly behind with a backlog of 113%. This is 35 504 more cases than the 172 787 cases reported earlier this year. Anti-GBV activist Lucinda Evans demanded accountability. “This is a human rights violation…

| African News Agency (ANA) A Cape Town councillor has appeared in court charged with fraud and money laundering. Councillor Nora Grose, 64, from Table View, handed herself over to the Hawks’ Serious Corruption team at the Atlantis police station community centre, prior to her court appearance in the Atlantis Magistrate’s Court. In a statement, the city council said it will offer its full assistance to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) in the matter. According to a statement released by Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani, Grose allegedly facilitated Temporary Employee/Employer Relief Scheme (Ters) funding along with the chairperson of an NGO called the South African Religious Civic Organisation. Hani said the funds were allegedly used for personal gain. She said it was further alleged that Grose colluded with Reuben…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za OVER a period of six months a mere 12 people were cited for traffic violations in the Pietermaritzburg city centre. This was detailed in a by-law enforcement report tabled before members of the Msunduzi executive committee yesterday. The report revealed that the municipal security unit was not enforcing laws or responding to incidents of by-law violations they had been alerted to. Poor law enforcement was raised as a concern by many councillors. They highlighted that in previous years the municipality had collected over R15 million in traffic fines, but last year it had budgeted to collect just R1.5 million. Traffic officers have in the past expressed reluctance to work, especially after 6pm because they have no guns. The guns were seized a few years ago by a…

The four Major tournaments will always quicken the pulse of any golf fan. And this weekend South African fans have 11 extra reasons to be excited about the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course. The mere fact that there are 11 South African players in the field speaks volumes for the tremendous amount of talent in the South African game right now. Top of the talking points is the young Garrick Higgo, who made pundits around the world sit up and take notice with two victories in three weeks on the European Tour recently. The 22-year-old won the Gran Canaria Lopesan Open and the Canary Island Championship, setting several records. “King Louis” Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel will be determined to add to their major tally. They are both…

Spain’s defence minister accused Morocco of “blackmail” yesterday over its passivity in the face of a surge in migrant arrivals in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta earlier this week. The rush of migrants began on Monday when Morocco appeared to loosen border controls, a move widely interpreted, including by the Spanish opposition, as retaliation for Spain’s hosting of a Western Sahara independence leader. The Spanish government, however, has sought to keep the two issues separate. Defence Minister Margarita Robles said that by creating the conditions for thousands of migrants to swim into Ceuta or climb over fences into the enclave, Morocco had endangered lives. “We will not accept any blackmail, no matter how small, or any questioning of our territorial integrity,” she told the radio station RNE. Robles did not…

BEIRUT: Scuffles erupted yesterday between Lebanese and Syrians, who were on their way to cast votes at their embassy in Lebanon in favour of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, as polling abroad began before next week’s presidential election. The voters were driving in a convoy of cars and buses, waving Syrian flags and blasting pro-Assad songs on speakers, heading to the embassy on the outskirts of Beirut, when a group of Lebanese attacked their vehicles, witnesses said. The Lebanese smashed windows and burned their flags, snarling up traffic on the thoroughfare. Lebanon’s relations with neighbouring Syria have often been fraught. Syrian forces were deployed to Lebanon in the 1975-1990 Lebanese civil war, ending their 29-year presence in 2005. Lebanon now hosts 1 million refugees from Syria’s own civil conflict.…

ZAAHIER ADAMS zaahier.adams@inl.co.za MAMELODI Sundowns co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi is hoping the potential return of Themba Zwane will be the inspiration his team requires in their do-or-die Caf Champions League quarter-final second leg against Al Ahly at Lucas Moripe Stadium tomorrow. Zwane missed the 2-0 first leg defeat in Cairo last week through injury. The Premiership Player of the Year's ability to unlock the opposition's defence from midfield was glaringly absent as the Brazilians controlled all the possession, but were unable to create clear-cut chances that could penetrate the Egyptian champions' defence. But Mngqithi is optimistic that "Mshishi" will be ready to take his place in the starting line-up tomorrow (3pm kickoff). “Based on the report that we got from the doctors and the training that he had yesterday (Wednesday)‚ it…

FOR the shore anglers, the North Coast remains the place to go if you are still after the classic summer fish or larger edibles. The reefs and ledges around Vidal are great places to scratch for these bigger edibles. The reefs and beaches up north can produce many different species. The pompano have been feeding in the sandier areas, preferring a crayfish and chokka bait on a light hook snoot. The benefit of this type of bait is that there are not many fish that can resist it. The North Coast still has some flatfish coming out. A meaty mackerel bait will give you a good chance of hooking into a late summer bruiser. The majestic Garrick has finally come. The areas around the Umgeni river mouth have been the…