Indice dei contenuti per 2021-09-06 in Mercury

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za MORE than 3 million litres of fuel have been stolen in the current financial year by brazen criminal syndicates targeting Transnet’s fuel pipeline. As a litre of petrol costs an average of R16, close to R50 million has been stolen in less than six months in this financial year. The government parastatal said it was battling rampant attacks on its fuel pipeline by thieves, looking to steal fuel which is threatening the country’s economy and leading to loss of lives. The problem is so serious that five people have been killed while 150 others were arrested in connection with attacks on its pipeline. In a statement, Transnet said increased surveillance was showing positive signs in curbing the theft. In light of the attacks, the company…

ROBIN MUN-GAVIN | Durban IT truly saddens me to see the vast number of unemployed people roaming our streets, often seen begging at traffic light intersections. Patently, we have too many people for too few jobs. Everyone appears to understand this unsustainable position, but the focus is always on the “job-side” of what should be an equation – that is, workers/job seekers = number of jobs. The government laments the poor state of the economy and the absence of meaningful inward direct investment. After all, we had an avalanche of direct investment in the years following the birth of our new democracy (1994), but it has now slowed down to a relative trickle – hardly surprising, of course, given the obstacles that we put up to direct investment,…

MANNY DE FREITAS | Johannesburg THE recent riots, rampant destruction of property and looting will prove to have a bigger unanticipated and unintended political consequence for factions within the ANC than they could ever have imagined. The ANC has always been arrogant enough to believe that most South Africans care about it and its ongoing infighting. In fact, my interactions with ANC MPs reveal that they believe that, like them, most South Africans have a communist mentality which places the ANC as the be-all and end-all and at the centre of their lives. In reality, this is simply not the case. It is, therefore, not surprising to see the shock expressed by the KwaZulu-Natal premier when local communities told him where to get off in response to his…

OUR local coffee shop in this small town is Café Royal. Sometimes it’s quiet and I can read. But that’s rare. The owners, Charlene and Shawn Dent, never stop. When you think you have Charlene’s full attention, don’t be fooled. Charlene is Queen of Multitasking. Mrs Dent is really focused on you and what you want, no doubt, but she is also, via those headphones, taking an order from the busy drive-through. She’s training staff and supervising Shawn. If I am there over lunch, I get the vegetable soup served in a round loaf of bread. It’s delicious. But, I'll tell you a secret. When I am longing for Durban I order Charlene’s vegetable soup in a bread bowl and sprinkle it with my imagination. In no time I am…

THE SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) has again raised red flags on the use of ivermectin for the treatment of Covid-19. The regulatory authority has joined the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to caution against the use of ivermectin for the treatment of Covid-19. Sahpra said it echoed the FDA’s stance that ivermectin does not have proven antiviral properties against coronavirus. “It is currently used to treat parasitic conditions in animals. It is also used to treat certain conditions in humans, such as very specific doses for some parasitic worms, and there are topical formulations for head lice and skin conditions like rosacea,” the authority said. Earlier this year, regulator reiterated that taking such a drug without it undergoing the requisite testing and protocols could impact one’s…

THE government should speed up the disciplining of the public servants that are responsible for the irregularities incurred in the procurement of personal personal protective equipment (PPEs). This because the speed and the pace of the disciplinary processes seem to be unimpressive, if the statement made by the Special Investigating unit (SIU) is anything to go by. Last week the SIU told the standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) that it has referred 39 new cases for disciplinary action against officials as at June 2. The number was in addition to 88 others since their last report. The SIU head Andy Mothibi said the state organs should be called to account in terms of where they are with implementation of consequence management. “We would really urge state institutions to move…

San Salvador: The Constitutional Chamber of El Salvador’s Supreme Court has ruled that the country’s president can serve two consecutive terms. The ruling was issued late on Friday and was accepted by El Salvador’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) at the weekend. “The highest electoral body of the Republic will abide by the provisions issued by the highest court of the country in which the option of registering the president of the Republic as a candidate for a second term is established,” the TSE said. The ruling opens the door for incumbent President Nayib Bukele to stand for re-election in 2024.…

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za A SEISMIC judgment by the Mbombela High Court last week declaring it illegal for provincial bookmakers Lottostar and Betting World to place bets on the outcome of the National Lottery was the death knell for regional tourism still recovering from extensive damage brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, industry players have said. The court declared that from a player’s perspective, the experience of placing bets on the outcome of lottery draws through Lottostar and Betting World is almost identical to the experience of playing the National Lottery through Ithuba, which had sought the order, creating unbeneficial competition for the National Lottery, which is obliged to contribute 47 percent of its annual budget to the National Lotteries Distribution Fund (NLDF), while the regional bodies were only…

Baldwin Ndaba baldwin.ndaba@inl.co.za THE Jacob Zuma Foundation has welcomed the decision of the Department of Correctional Services to place the former president on medical parole following his incarceration in July for contempt of the Constitutional Court. Correctional Services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said yesterday his department was able to confirm that Zuma had been placed on medical parole. Nxumalo said Section 75(7)(a) of the Correctional Services Act 111 of 1998 affords the National Commissioner a responsibility to place under correctional supervision or day parole, or grant parole or medical parole, to a sentenced offender serving a sentence of incarceration of 24 months or less. “The National Commissioner is also, in terms of Section 52, empowered to prescribe conditions of parole. “Medical parole’s eligibility for Mr Zuma is impelled by a medical…

ALAN REICH | Hillcrest ON Monday morning, I drove to the post office in Kloof to renew my car licence. I was amazed at the most unbelievable sight that I was witness to. The queue started on the outside of the car parking area then through the parking garage area then to the post office where there were only two cashiers issuing licences. I went to the end of the queue and counted 65 people in the queue wanting to renew their licences. A lady near the front of the queue told me that she had been waiting for more than two hours. Some time ago, the computer for licence renewals at Hillcrest was stolen which has never been replaced, this is a ridiculous situation. This shambles…

WHAT an exciting and absorbing Sharks-Griquas semi-final this was. A points see-saw the whole game, some wonderful running and handling, fearsome tackling – both sides. This is the way rugby should be played. The Sharks have made an art form of the loose maul from the line-out. The night resounded to the splintering of glass as catapults were fashioned from the knicker elastic of the damsels of the Street Shelter for the Over Forties for the traditional celebratory feu de joie in which the streetlights are shot out. Next weekend the Bulls in the final! ’Erewego, ’erewego, ’erewego! Blast from the past I am in the Street Shelter for the Over-Forties the other evening when a fellow hands me a press clipping from 1983. It has been given to him…

Sakhiseni Nxumalo sakhiseni.nxumalo@inl.co.za TOURISM bodies have raised concerns about the ongoing closure of Durban North beaches due to the chemical spillage that occurred as a result of a fire that engulfed a warehouse during the unrest. The spill, from the UPL warehouse, contaminated the Ohlanga River and uMhlanga Estuary, which leads to the sea in the uMhlanga area. Authorities said they closed the beaches as a precautionary measure as it was not known how far the contamination had spread, what chemicals had leached into the sea, and what effect it would have on human health. UMhlanga Tourism said the ongoing closure was devastating to the tourism industry, adding that the closure of beaches was having a huge impact on the economy of the area. Chairperson Heather Hunter said almost 70%…

Sibusiso Mboto sibusiso.mboto@inl.co.za University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) constitutional law expert David Hulme said the Constitutional Court ruling on Friday for the local government elections to go ahead was the only way to go as not holding the elections next year would have set a dangerous precedent. According to the academic, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) should have started planning for the local government elections last year when the country was placed under lockdown as its mandate was to ensure free and fair elections. “There could not have been any other decision from the Constitutional Court, because if the ruling was to say the polls should be held next year, that would have undermined the law which says the elections should be every five years. So I am not…

Dear President Cyril Ramaphosa: I refer to previous correspondence to your office, especially my letter of October 29, 2021, regarding the attempted assassination of whistle-blower and human rights defender Thabiso Zulu, and the continuing, very serious, threats to his life. Since then, as he remains largely in hiding, there have been continuing reports of suspicious activities around his home. Had he not managed to raise the alarm, in July 2020, about a grossly irregular invasion of his home by SAPS members, and abuse and malicious arrest by them, I believe they may well have killed him. This incident is currently subject to internal SAPS and Ipid investigations. I remind you that a report by the public protector instructing the minister of police and the national commissioner of the SAPS to…

Dubai: The UAE announced a new visa yesterday allowing foreigners to work in the country without being sponsored by an employer, loosening residency requirements in an attempt to boost economic growth. Foreigners in the oil-rich United Arab Emirates are generally only given limited visas tied to their employment, and long-term residency is difficult to obtain. But those holding the new “green visa” will be able to work without company sponsorship, and can sponsor their parents and children aged up to 25. “It targets highly skilled individuals, investors, businesspeople, entrepreneurs …” said Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani al-Zeyoudi.…

Kabul: The top US general warned Afghanistan faces a wider civil war that would offer fertile ground for a resurgence of terrorism. Following their lightning fast rout of Afghanistan’s army last month – and celebrations when the last US troops flew out after 20 years of war on Monday – the Taliban are seeking to crush resistance forces defending the mountainous Panjshir Valley. The Taliban, who rolled into Kabul three weeks ago at a speed that analysts say likely surprised even the hardline Islamists themselves, are yet to finalise their new regime. But US General Mark Milley questioned whether they can consolidate power as they seek to shift from a guerrilla force to government. “I think there’s at least a very good probability of a broader civil war,” said Milley,…

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za A ROW is brewing between the Multi- Choice group and Nigeria’s Federal Inland Revenue Services (Firs) as the pay-per-view conglomerate diplomati- cally insists on regulatory payments already made for its alleged non-compliance with contractual statutes in a standoff that is beginning to chafe on shareholder commitment. The group closed at 12 994 cents on the JSE Friday, after falling up to 7 percent during the day, amid the uncertainty to its response to Firs’s ultimatum for a concessionary R9.9 billion tranche, from MTN, in a statement invoking regulatory clauses. “MultiChoice Nigeria has to deposit with Firs an amount equal to the tax paid by MultiChoice Nigeria in the preceding year of assessment or one half of the disputed tax assessment under appeal, whichever…

THE QUESTION is, do we have one? Neil De Beer, founder of the United Independent Movement (UIM) believes we do – he calls it “Together We Will”. Adri Senekal De Wet sits down with the straight-talking politician about economics and the current reality that will become the future of South Africa, if we do not find that new playbook. In Neil’s words: As I walked out of the 2017 ANC Nasrec conference, reflecting on the trading of souls that had gone down at this pivotal event, I looked at our new President and saw a fraught future for our country, despite the dappling of optimism at the changing of the guard. We were then already a country in chaos – a broken economy thanks to deeply entrenched corruption spearheaded by…

KUDZAI CHIKOWORE | Human Rights Activist A Kenyan national, who goes by the name African Tigress, visited Zimbabwe as a tourist on August 31. At the Robert Mugabe International Airport, the immigration officials threatened her with deportation unless she gave them a bribe. It is obvious that many people are being deprived of their money by immigration officials. It is a disgrace that tourists in Zimbabwe, who want the country to prosper, face such challenges. The sad thing is that the Zimbabwean government has taken action today because they have met a smart person but there are people who are constantly being robbed of their money by officials. This is the time when the whole world has seen the corruption perpetrated by the Zimbabwean government because immigration officials…

CLIVE SYMONS | Durban WHAT a joke, what warrants a councillor’s bodyguards? About 95% of these so-called councillors have security personnel purely as a status symbol. They are only seen just before an election, handing out food parcels; buying votes. If the police enforced fines for no number plates, instead of pocketing a quick payment, there would be plenty of funds. One only has to drive around to see the number of vehicles without plates, it’s staggering. Why is this impossible for our highly trained law enforcement officers to see? No number plate/no excuse, if fitted properly as per the law with pop rivets, it can’t fall off. I was informed by a reputable panel beater that the vehicle shouldn’t be released after repairs unless the number plates…

JOHN GARDENER | Howick BACK in the day, when the Nkandla bun fight was front and centre, I have little doubt that then-president Jacob Zuma considered public protector Thuli Madonsela to be biased against him. And what could be more natural, when faced with an embarrassing report, than to commission your own, to replace the original? The completely unbiased minister of police in Zuma’s Cabinet, Nathi Mthethwa, duly issued a humdinger of a report in which, with a straight face, he assured the nation that not a single penny of public funds had been spent on non-security upgrades. And in the process introduced a new expression – fire pool – to the nation’s vocabulary. The shenanigans have continued thick and fast until the present day, with observers’ brains…

Baldwin Ndaba baldwin.ndaba@inl.co.za ALLEGATIONS that former UMkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) president Kebby Maphatsoe was an enemy agent were hurtful to him until his death. This was expressed at Maphatsoe’s funeral – held in Protea Glen, Soweto, yesterday – by members of uMKhonto we Sizwe who spent time with him in exile during apartheid. However, at the time of his death on August 31, rumours were still spreading that Maphatsoe had run away from a military camp in Uganda and some of his fellow freedom fighters had to shoot him, which led to him losing the use of his arm. But speakers such as Ayanda Makokomane dispelled the rumours and bemoaned the fact that Maphatsoe died with a tainted reputation. The allegations were also rubbished by Minister…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za AT LEAST 109 foreign-trained doctors are a step closer to alleviating the critical shortage of doctors in the country. This after the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, gave them the green light to either write the theoretical or do practical components of their board examinations. These doctors have been unable to work – some for years – following red tape by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), which barred them from practising in the country because of certain policy guidelines. They launched urgent court proceedings in a bid to get registered as medical professionals. Some said they had been sitting at home since 2019, after returning from studying at various medical institutions abroad. In an urgent application, which was not opposed by the HPCSA, the court…

Living in a state of denial at many levels despite the major trials that confront us To understand South Africa today, we need to recognise that people can focus endlessly on a country’s problems but still live in a state of denial. Hand-wringing about problems which are said to spell the doom of South Africa’s negotiated democracy is a well-established custom. It began only months after the first election in which all adults could vote in 1994. It has become louder over the past decade and dominates the national debate, which is the preserve of the minority who enjoy access to media. Right now, violence in the KwaZulu-Natal province, attacks on the judiciary by former president Jacob Zuma and his supporters, and an unemployment rate of 34% are the immediate…

MUZAFFARNAGAR (India): Some 500 000 farmers gathered in India’s most populous state Uttar Pradesh yesterday, the biggest rally yet in a months-long series of demonstrations to press Narendra Modi’s government to repeal three new agricultural laws. The demonstration in Uttar Pradesh state, an agricultural state that’s home to 240 million people, will breathe fresh life into the protest movement, said Rakesh Tikait, a prominent farmers’ leader. . The measures allow farmers to directly sell their producet o big buyers. But farmers say the legislation will leave them with scant bargaining power against big private retailers and food processors.…

Turmoil engulfed the impoverished west African nation of Guinea again yesterday as army putschists said they had captured the president and staged a coup, and the government insisted it has repelled the attack. “We have decided, after having taken the president, to dissolve the constitution,” said a uniformed officer flanked by soldiers toting assault rifles in a video sent to AFP. The officer also said that Guinea’s land and air borders had been shut and the government dissolved. But the situation remained unclear as President Alpha Conde’s government also released a statement saying that an attack on the presidential palace by special forces had been “repulsed”. Guinea – one of the world’s poorest countries despite boasting mineral resources – has long been beset by political instability. Earlier yesterday, residents of…

Eshlin Vedan eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za BAFANA Bafana coach Hugo Broos has no complaints following his team’s stalemate with Zimbabwe at the Zimbabwe National Sports Stadium last week, and believes it was a “fair result”. “They had some chances and we had some chances. It showed us that we have a lot of work to do. We started something positive, which needs time. There was improvement. What I saw satisfied me. I had hoped to win, but we were satisfied with a draw,” said Broos. Broos has been realistic and previously admitted that it will be difficult for Bafana to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Their campaign gets even more challenging today as they host Ghana at FNB Stadium today (6pm kickoff). “They (Ghana) are the best team in the…