Indice dei contenuti per 2022-03-28 in Mercury

TWO UNRELATED events that occurred this month have raised the question whether South Africa’s long professed ambition to create a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) is just a pipe dream? The Independent Communications Authority of SA concluded its radio frequency spectrum auction, raising more than R14.4 billion for the national fiscus. This inaugural radio frequency spectrum auction is one of the most important structural reforms to reduce the cost of communication and encourage investment in the digital economy. Meanwhile, the Solidarity Fund also wrapped up its operations after two years, with under R3.8bn in relief funding having been received while just under R3.3bn was dis- bursed. The fund was set up with a very specific and limited mandate and was never intended to be a long-term solution, rather an urgent,…

JOHN GARDENER | Howick On March 24, The Mercury carried a story “Cops’ attitude slammed after child, 6, slain”, and it brought tears of rage to my eyes. Following the disappearance of two children, aged 6 and 8 years old, the family’s attempts to report the matter to Inanda police were rebuffed with the comment that such matters could only be reported after 24 hours “due to standard procedure”. The surviving sibling was found, naked and terrified, the following day, by family and supporters, no thanks to the SAPS. This poor child led her rescuers to the site at which her dead sister’s body was located, suggesting that she might have witnessed her brutal killing. This is by no means the first time that such disgraceful conduct…

HARRY SEWLALL | Sandton WHAT is it about Public Protector advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane that makes a white feature writer for the respected Sunday Times refer to her as one of the “rotten apples” in our polity? What is it about her that makes President Cyril Ramaphosa give her 10 days’ notice to say why she should not be suspended? I get the impression that some people in the media vilify her because she rattles the cages of some influential people, such as Pravin Gordhan and the ANC party faithful. And why is the president so keen to get rid of her? Is it because she is asking uncomfortable questions about him? As members of the public we would like to know why the files of the CR17 campaign…

SHARKS vs Zebras; Lions vs Bulls; Cheetahs vs Pumas … Okay, the Zebras are actually Zebres but it still sounds like a series of encounters in the zoo or maybe Kruger Park. The point is that people in Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Italy must surely have no idea at all who our rugby sides are in the United Rugby Championship (URC) and where they are based. Would it not be an idea for some kind of geographical tag to be attached to the names? No real problem with KwaZulu-Natal Sharks. It would even be an echo of the glory days of Natal rugby in the amateur era. No problem either with Free State Cheetahs. But the names Transvaal, Northern Transvaal and Eastern Transvaal have disappeared. What’s wrong though with Highveld…

Loyiso Sidimba loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za Some political parties represented in Parliament are set to challenge the national legislature’s refusal to make the voting in the motion against President Cyril Ramaphosa a secret ballot. Ramaphosa is due to face a motion of no confidence sponsored by the African Transformation Movement (ATM) and the DA on Wednesday. The ATM is heading to the Western Cape High Court to challenge National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula’s decision to refuse secret balloting over the two opposition parties’ bid to have the president ousted in Parliament. Last month, the United Democratic Movement (UDM) questioned the decision to proceed with the debate and the expected subsequent motion of no confidence in the president. UDM leader Bantu Holomisa had requested that an amendment be made to the DA’s motion of…

Riyadh: The Saudi-led coalition launched air strikes yesterday on Yemen hours after Houthi rebels announced a three-day truce, with the UN chief condemning violence as the war enters its eighth year. The raids targeted Sana’a, the rebel-held capital, according to Saudi Arabia’s Al Ekhbariya TV, which tweeted “the start of air strikes on Huthi camps and strongholds” around midnight. The attacks began after the Iran-backed Houthis announced a three-day truce and offered peace talks on condition that the Saudis stop air strikes and blockade of Yemen and remove “foreign forces”. Just a day earlier, the rebels had fired drones and missiles at 16 targets.…

El Salvadoran lawmakers yesterday declared a state of emergency, the president of the Legislative Assembly said, curtailing civil liberties and expanding police power as the country faces a wave of gang-related bloodshed that has left dozens dead in just two days. Gang violence has soared in El Salvador, with police reporting that 62 people were killed on Saturday alone. According to official figures, 12 of the killings took place in the central department of La Libertad, with the capital San Salvador and the western department of Ahuachapan recording nine each. The rest were distributed across the country’s remaining departments. Hours earlier, police and the military arrested several leaders of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang over the spate of killings. “We will not back down in this war against gangs,” the…

Los Angeles: Former First Lady, US secretary of state and senator Hillary Clinton has joined the cast of the upcoming production of the Stephen Sondheim stage musical Into the Woods at the Arkansas Repertory Theater, set to open in Little Rock next month, reports Entertainment Weekly. However, Clinton will make an appearance in the capacity of a voice actor for the production and not on stage. As per Entertainment Weekly, she will lend her voice to the character of the Giant, which has been earlier voiced by artists such as Judi Dench and Glenn Close. The voice for the Giant is often pre-recorded, as stated by Playbill. Still, the show will present a rare opportunity to hear an American statesperson bellow at terrified underlings outside the office. The original Into…

Sibusiso Mboto sibusiso.mboto@inl.co.za KWAZULU-NATAL leaders of Operation Dudula have vowed to stage the KZN leg of their planned march, saying they are prepared to take legal action if their launch is cancelled again. Operation Dudula KZN co-ordinator Mfanafuthi Dumakude said they were planning to hold a march in Durban in the near future, and would do everything possible to get the permission. Dumakude was speaking after their march planned for yesterday was called off at the eleventh hour because the movement had not followed the rules regarding the gathering. The march was going to mark the movement’s official launch in KZN and was set to be attended by the organisation’s national leaders from Gauteng. “We have decided that we will follow the advice of the police, but the march will…

YOU know you’ve met a healthy family when… It is frequently difficult to tell who, if anyone, is running the show. Plans change. Flexibility rules. There is often a lot of noise and laughter and many “inside jokes.” There are frequent conflicts. Differences are embraced, even encouraged. The children sometimes form a healthy alliance against the parents and, as a result, the children often get their way. Healthy families generate a degree of chaos almost everywhere they go. It takes a lot of energy to get the family to do anything together, as a group, because everyone is so busy with “outside-the-family” activities. While healthy families intend differently, they are seldom on time for anything. Roles and rules are not set in stone. Negotiation skills are highly valued. Everyone is…

EBRAHIM ESSA | Durban HISTORY, even after many years, continues stubbornly, to beg the question “Where was the freedom of the First Amendment during the apartheid era in South Africa”? Was the press completely muzzled against Malan, Verwoerd and Vorster? Were there any courageous journalists who defied the odds and spoke out for what is still thankfully considered absolute truth, absolute human rights, absolute justice, well beyond any fear of violent repercussions and a free one-way trip to Robben Island? Was there any senior editor who placed his life, his job, on a sharp knife edge by speaking out against the contemporary, popular and very strong current of the majority of the ruling class? And in so doing, help to most probably save his country from certain doom…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za THE refurbishment of Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital is intended to take about 22 months to be completed, according to the Minister of Health Dr Joe Phaahla. Phaahla gave an update on repairs to Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH) and on the state of health services in Gauteng. The hospital was gutted by a fire in April last year and the hospital was officially handed over to both the national Department of Health and provincial Health Department from the Department of Infrastructure to take direct responsibility for its refurbishment programme. The minister acknowledged that there were unnecessary delays in the refurbishment programme which has affected the entire health service delivery in Gauteng. The DA’s Jack Bloom said patients and staff suffer due to the further delay in…

AS THE country on Saturday marked 730 days, or two years, since the government imposed the first Covid-19 lockdown, and amid concerns over a fifth wave of infections, the issue of mandatory vaccinations has once again entered the public discourse. The aim of the lockdown was to flatten the curve and allow the country’s health-care system to prepare itself to deal with the rapidly rising cases. Initially, front-line workers and the health-care system were overwhelmed by the number of cases. This was a global phenomenon as Covid-19 had thrown up many firsts in terms of response, medical infrastructure and the capability of front-line workers to deal with the psychological impact of the pandemic. Almost 100 000 people in the country have succumbed to the virus, and to date almost 3.7…

CANBERRA: An expert warned that Australia is set for a return of influenza in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Cases of influenza hit an all-time low in Australia in 2021 as a result of strict lockdowns and border closures that were implemented to prevent the spread of Covid-19. There were 598 confirmed cases in 2021 and zero deaths compared to 313 033 infections and 953 deaths prior to the pandemic in 2019. Ian Barr, deputy director of the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Research on Influenza, said with restrictions lifted it was a matter of time until flu returned to Australia.…

RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin has released a video address on the occasion of National Guard Day, celebrated in Russia on March 27, thanking Rosgvardiya members who are participating in the special military operation in Ukraine. “Today, I would like to specifically and separately address the servicemen and employees of Rosgvardiya units who are participating in the special military operation on the territory of Donbas and Ukraine. Dear comrades, yes, the real combat situation is associated with increased risk. I know well how you act in such a situation – with the utmost courage and professionalism, skillfully, resolutely and fearlessly. Demonstrating personal heroism, you competently and clearly solve all the most difficult tasks,” Putin said. The president congratulated Russian National Guard members and veterans on their professional holiday, wishing them and…

NIGERIA’S ruling party has appointed a new chairman at a national convention meant to end infighting as it prepares to select a candidate to replace President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2023 election. Buhari, who was first elected in 2015, spent weeks negotiating with the party’s state governors and delegates to push a consensus position before the convention at the weekend. The party agreed on Abdullahi Adamu, a senator who had been backed by Buhari to avoid more infighting, according to All Progressives Congress (APC) party electoral committee. “I had cause to intervene in the leadership crisis which was about to cause confusion,” Buhari said. “We must avoid overheating the polity and not allow our differences to tear and frustrate the party.” Political jockeying has already begun to replace Buhari as…

“I love it when a plan comes together. " This was, of course, the line made famous by Colonel James "Hannibal" Smith from the hit 1980s television show The A-Team. Proteas Women's captain Sune Luus must be feeling a bit like Hannibal at the moment after her team saw off a courageous India in a thrilling World Cup encounter in Christchurch yesterday. The record-breaking three-wicket victory, achieved off the very last ball, brought the league phase to a close and Luus' side can now shift their focus entirely to the semi-final rematch against England on Thursday. With nothing riding on the India game for the Proteas after having secured semi-final qualification last week already, Luus would have wanted her team to achieve specific objectives in preparation for the…

Sihle Mavuso sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za PROFESSOR Sipho Seepe of the University of Zululand, argues that the ANC has been stripped of its “revolutionary content” and suggests the governing party has reached its sell-by date. In an article, Seepe raised several issues engulfing the party, among them having two centres of power; the “sham” process of renewal; and the debate around the need to replace the political constitutional democracy with a parliamentary one. This debate was reignited by KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala while addressing the province’s Human Rights Day event in Ixopo. On the matter, Seepe wrote that the debate regarding the Constitution and the judiciary should be welcomed. “This view is premised on the notion that ours is a living Constitution that evolves with the passage of time, and adapts to new…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za IN A judgment which affirmed the right to freedom of expression – including the right of survivors to speak about gender-based violence – the Western Cape High Court has overturned an order which gagged a rape survivor from speaking out. The victim, represented by the Women’s Legal Centre (WLC), launched an appeal against the gagging order, issued by a magistrate. It was argued that the order was an unreasonable infringement on her rights and an abuse of a law meant to protect survivors of gender-based violence. Both the WLC as well as the Centre for Applied Legal Studies (Cals) hailed Friday’s judgment as an affirmation to the right of women to freely speak about violence without being gagged and silenced. Cals joined the legal proceedings as a…

GARY VAHL | Bluff I REFER to The Mercury (March 24), where the ambassador of the Russian Federation articulated Russia’s side of the Ukrainian conflict. For those who have not read it, I suggest you do so before falling for Western media propaganda portraying Russia as the barbaric invader and Ukraine as the innocent party. Ample time was available to resolve the situation and address Russia’s concerns but either through negligence – or intent – this was not done by the West and now the consequences are being felt by the entire world. “Who wants Nato as a neighbour?” is the headline of my letter, or more specifically, who wants America and its European lapdogs as their neighbour? America likes to portray herself as the torch carrier of…

THYGARAJ MARKANDAN | Kloof INDIANS are very social. They love family gatherings. Whether it’s a prayer, birthday, wedding or even a funeral, they will not miss an opportunity where they can have family and friends around. Indians love to entertain and they do it in a big way, though there is a growing trend among the younger generation to have smaller, more exclusive functions. But in all these functions food is the key ingredient to happiness. The aroma of the mutton breyani, chicken curry and dhall is enough to leave you salivating. Meat is not served at Hindu weddings. So to make up for this it is customary to have a party the night before the wedding where guests can drink and eat meat dishes to their heart’s…

Zama Ngcoya zama.ngcoya@inl.co.za THE provincial Department of Social Development (DSD) says it has not turned a blind eye to the grievances of social workers in the province. Mhlaba Memela, spokesperson for the department, said the pleas of the social workers had not gone unnoticed, but the challenge of funds spanned across various departments and not just that of Social Development. Memela said that the department was unable to absorb social workers hired on a contract to a full-time basis due to financial constraints. The department recently awarded a four-month internship contract to more than 967 unemployed social worker graduates after finances for the posts were provided by the national government. They were tasked with dealing with gender-based violence and femicide, substance abuse prevention programmes, psychosocial support to orphaned and vulnerable…

LONDON: Prince William has said he is committed to service and “not telling people what to do” after a tour of the Caribbean that was marked by protests over the British empire and criticism that the trip reflected a throwback to colonial times. William released the statement at the end of an eight-day tour with his wife Kate to Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas that included protests and calls for reparations payments by Britain and an apology for slavery. William said: “For us that’s not telling people what to do. It is about serving and supporting them in whatever way they think best, by using the platform we are lucky to have.”…

LVIV (Ukraine): Russia wanted to split Ukraine into two, as happened with North and South Korea, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief said yesterday, vowing “total” guerrilla warfare to prevent a carve-up of the country. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged the West to give Ukraine tanks, planes and missiles to help fend off the Russian forces, which the Kyiv government said were increasingly targeting fuel and food depots. Meanwhile, US officials continued efforts to soften comments on Saturday from President Joe Biden, who said in a fiery speech in Poland that Russian leader Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power”. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington had no strategy of regime change in Moscow, telling reporters in Jerusalem that Biden had simply meant that Putin could not be “empowered to wage war”…

LONDON: Sir Elton John was stopped from adopting a Ukrainian orphan because of his sexuality. The 75-year-old star and his husband David Furnish tried to adopt a child from an orphanage they visited, but they were told they wouldn’t be able to because they are gay. The Rocket Man hitmaker said: “I was carrying this little boy around for hours. “We had a press conference at the end and they said ‘You seem very fond of this little boy. Would you think of adopting him?’ and I went ‘I’d actually love to!’…

Malta’s ruling Labour Party claimed victory yesterday in the Mediterranean island nation’s parliamentary election, its third successive win, and the main centre-right opposition Nationalist Party conceded defeat. The centre-left Labour Party had been helped during campaigning for Saturday’s election by a strong economy and its management of the COVID-19 crisis, in which state handouts provided support for businesses and consumers. “The indications clearly show the Labour Party has won an outright majority. We are humbled by the result,” Prime Minister and Labour leader Robert Abela told state broadcaster PBS. Celebrations broke out in the counting hall in Naxxar, near the Maltese capital Valletta, where supporters chanted “Robert, Robert”. “Malta has given us a strong mandate,” said Labour deputy leader Daniel Micallef. Local media said Labour appeared to be on course…