Indice dei contenuti per 2023-09-12 in Mercury

Including organic food and items in your regular shopping can be a life-changing decision that will improve your wellness and the wellness of your family while promoting environmental sustainability. By choosing to buy products free of chemical pesticides and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or substituting some of our regular purchases with them, we have the capacity to make a huge and exponentially beneficial difference in the planet. A pledge of trust and integrity that is firmly anchored in the values of health, environment, equality, and compassion, organic is more than just a label. The core of organic farming is its stewardship of soil, water, and biodiversity; it is fundamentally a regenerative and sustainable method that co-operates with nature rather than opposes it. By planting food and goods close to their…

The livelihoods of more than 1 000 people and their dependants hang in the balance as Sekunjalo Group takes on Standard Bank in the Equality Court in the Western Cape today. Sekunjalo Group, which includes Independent Media, South Africa’s largest newspaper company, which publishes titles including The Mercury, Cape Times and The Star, is seeking an urgent interdict to prevent Standard Bank from closing its bank accounts pending the final determination of the Equality Court matter which Sekunjalo has lodged. The bank account closures, set for Friday, September 15, if no interdict is secured, will affect Independent Media and 30 other companies in the Sekunjalo Group. Should the court reject the interdict application, the ruling would essentially be granting Standard Bank licence to wipe out one third of the country’s…

Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi passed away aged 95. My soul flies at half mast as he soars beyond the firmament in a tryst with destiny. Man may have judged uShenge and in the words of William Shakespeare in Julius Caesar “the evil that men do lives after them while the good is oft interred with their bones”. One commentator wrote that he was one of the most prominent black politicians of the apartheid era and his legacy in that period remained controversial. I will not join the ranks of those who, for reasons known to them, seek to harshly judge him. But it is a fair comment to embrace what Fidel Castro wrote on October 16, 1953 during his defence in the court of man that “la historia me absolverà” or…

The nation mourns the loss of Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, a founding father of our democracy and leader of the Zulu nation. His political foresight and acumen were instrumental in establishing the Ingonyama Trust, “as a repository” for communal land, and the establishment of the Zulu nation with His Majesty the King as the sole trustee. The significant decision by the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature, pioneered by Buthelezi and confirmed by the new democratic government, gave status to the Zulu nation and an authority of governance. Buthelezi walked the world stage among kings, queens and world leaders. He held steadfastly and with integrity to his political beliefs in spite of overwhelming opposition and vilification encountered in the course of his political tenure. We will miss his insightful discourse on a range of…

An Eastern Cape husband has been convicted of killing his wife and burying her body under the bathtub in their home. Yibanathi MacGyver Ndema, 45, murdered his wife Noluvuyo Nonkwelo, on July 1, 2019. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said the court heard that the couple’s marriage had been marred by domestic violence. Two days after he killed his wife, Ndema reported her as a missing person to police. Ndema was arrested in August 2021, after Nonkwelo’s remains were found buried underneath a bathtub, in the bathroom of the house the couple shared. “The couple’s children alerted their grandparents that since their mother’s disappearance, the bathtub had been repositioned. “That prompted police to search Ndema’s home, leading to the discovery of the remains.” DNA results confirmed that…

Smartphones have transformed how we enjoy gaming. With the convenience of being able to game while on the go, smartphones have become portable gaming hubs and simplified how gamers get powered up. Whether it’s a quick gaming session during a commute or diving into epic adventures for hours, smartphones have enabled players to delve into immersive experiences at the click of a button. With an understanding of gamers’ requirements, HONOR has unveiled the brand-new HONOR 90 5G, with an array of cutting-edge technologies across display and performance, promising to enhance the smartphone gaming experience. Strong game, relaxed eyes, zero-risk eye-comfort display Addressing a significant pain point during prolonged gaming sessions, HONOR has tackled the strain on our eyes. This has been achieved through the introduction of the industry-leading 3840Hz PWM…

A student at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Pietermaritzburg campus was raped in the early hours of Friday morning. The tertiary institution said it was alleged that the incident happened when the victim was returning to her residence from the campus library. Normah Zondo, UKZN’s executive director of corporate relations, said the perpetrators are three unknown men between the ages of 26 and 40. “The matter has been reported to the SAPS, and we count on law enforcement to apprehend them. “The victim will be provided with all of the necessary medical and counselling support,” she said. | Mercury Correspondent…

NEXT year’s elections in South Africa will mark 30 years since the first democratic elections in the country. For the first time since the advent of imperialism, black people were free in their native land. Although we are almost 30 years into independence, there are still notable traces of poverty, unemployment, poor human settlement. This is rife among black communities, especially for those who see the government as their saviour. What could be the reasons? This question still baffles many of us in the country and among the diaspora. We have other groups of people prospering around us, and I believe we can glean important lessons from them. I have noted what I term Community of Culture in other groups of people, which is yielding positive fruits. I have seen…

Moroccan rescuers supported by foreign teams yesterday faced an intensifying race against time to dig out any survivors from the rubble of mountain villages after the country’s strongest-ever earthquake. The 6.8-magnitude quake struck the Atlas mountains late on Friday south-west of the tourist centre of Marrakesh. It killed at least 2 700 people and injured over 2 500, according to the latest official toll. In the disaster-stricken community of Talat Nyacoub, 12 ambulances and several dozen 4X4s from the army and police were deployed while around 100 Moroccan rescuers were searching for signs of life amid the collapsed buildings. Nearby, AFP saw a Spanish team of 30 firefighters, a doctor, nurse and two technicians co-ordinating with Moroccan authorities before starting to dig, as a helicopter flew overhead. “The big difficulty…

Americans paused yesterday to remember the September 11, 2001 attacks, 22 years after Islamist hijackers seized control of planes and crashed them into the twin towers of New York’s World Trade Center and the Pentagon. President Joe Biden was flying to Alaska after concluding a five-day trip to India and Vietnam, and was to deliver remarks in a solemn ceremony in Anchorage. Biden’s decision to hold the event in Alaska, instead of Washington or New York, was a departure from what has been presidential custom. Vice-President Kamala Harris, second gentleman Douglas Emhoff and other officials joined families of those who died on the two planes that hit the towers and on the ground at the 9/11 Memorial. Across the Potomac River from Washington, Pentagon officials held the traditional event at…

ROME: Pope Francis yesterday blamed accidents at work on excessive profit-seeking and the “idolatry of the market”, in a fresh swipe at unbridled capitalism that has led some right-wing critics to paint him as a far-left radical. His remarks came two weeks after five railway maintenance workers were killed by a passing train in the northern Italian town of Brandizzo. The accident has been linked to a suspected breach of health and safety regulations. Francis likened the frequent reports of workplace tragedies to a “war bulletin”. Such incidents happen when “work becomes dehumanised ... and turns into an exasperated race for profit,” he said. The pope lashed out at “carewashing”, by businesspeople and politicians who “instead of investing in safety (at work), prefer to wash their consciences with some charitable…

GENEVA: The Red Cross said yesterday that shrinking funding would force it to make further cuts, after already slashing 1 500 jobs this year, amid efforts to avoid reducing humanitarian assistance. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it expects to have to make cuts due to a 13% smaller budget for 2024 than its already shrunken 2023 one. An initial forecast indicated it would need to decrease its budget by an additional 13 % next year, it said, estimating a budget of 2.1 billion Swiss francs (R45.2bn). It voiced concern “about the impact that reduced humanitarian assistance will have on people living through armed conflict and violence”. | AFP…

Kyle Foster may be living in Manchester playing in one of the richest football leagues in the world, but he always gets shivers down his spine when he walks through the gates at Orlando Stadium. And this evening, it will be no different for the Burnley striker when he leads Bafana Bafana’s front-line against the Democratic Republic of Congo in an international friendly (5pm kickoff). Foster is a son of Soweto’s soil, having grown up close by to the home of Orlando Pirates, and also having started his senior professional career at the Buccaneers. He then left for foreign shores that has taken him to France (Monaco), Belgium (Cercle Brugge and Westerlo), Portugal (Vitoria de Guimaraes) and now to the Premier League. “It’s home. It’s the stadium I have tattooed…

SOUTH Africans are 100% behind the Boks and as a rugby-loving nation, we’re in it to win it. After all, the Springboks have won the RWC three times. A study by The Grueling Truth website found South Africa ranks 5th on the list of most rugby-obsessed countries in the world. According to the website, its study tracked search interest over the past 12 months for topics such as “rugby” and “Rugby World Cup”. The data collected found that Papua New Guinea is the most rugby-obsessed country in the world, followed by Fiji, Ireland, New Zealand and, of course, South Africa. So here is the top 10 of the most rugby-obsessed countries. 1. Papua New Guinea 2. Fiji 3. Ireland 4. New Zealand 5. South Africa 6. UK 7. France 8.…

Members of Parliament resolved yesterday to adopt the report of the Section 194 Inquiry which recommended the removal of Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane from office. During the casting of votes that took place after a debate, a total of 318 MPs voted in favour of Mkhwebane’s removal. Only 43 voted against and one abstained. “The question is agreed and advocate B Mkhwebane is accordingly removed from the office of the Public Protector according to the recommendation of this House,” National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said in announcing the results. All ANC MPs voted in favour of her removal along with the DA, IFP, Freedom Front Plus, ACDP, Good Party and NFP. All the EFF MPs present voted against the report along with the UDM, ATM PAC and Al-Jama-ah. Cope leader…

The belligerent attitude of eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda towards the Westville ratepayers (The Mercury, September 11) who have withheld funds in protest against the excessive cost increases imposed by the syndicate running the municipality, needs to be seen in the context of constitutional rights and obligations. Section 41 of chapter 3 of the Constitution, on co-operative government, refers to the need for mutual trust and good faith, consultation with one another in matters of common interest and co-ordination of actions with one another. In cavalier fashion, Kaunda chose to ignore the metro-wide opposition to the rates and utilities increases. He and his party failed to apply the most basic of economic considerations: to cut one’s coat according to one’s cloth. Kaunda and his ilk have continued on their profligate spending…

I WAS in a bank in Zambia one day when I saw a group of African fellows crowded at a counter where they were being served. There was a familiar look about them. Lean, trim and bearded. They could almost be Zulus. “Nationality?” the bank official asked. “Azanian.” “There’s no such nation,” she said. They conferred. “South African then. We’re refugees.” When they were through with their business I approached them. “What part of South Africa are you from.” “Melmoth,” they chorused. Melmoth, the heart of Zululand. They seemed delighted to meet a fellow South African. I asked why they were refugees. “We’re from Azapo,” they said, perfectly friendly. “We’re working for the liberation of our country.” I hadn’t met him at the time, but asked if they knew Mangosuthu…

Cosatu said it was dismayed by the National Treasury’s proposals to impose “ill-considered” cuts across govern- ment before tabling the medium-term budget policy statement (MTBPS). “The federation is shocked Treasury has tabled proposals to close various departments and key government programmes, reduce the public service headcount by 200 000 and raise VAT by 2%, in addition to freezing vacancies and suspending infrastructure investments,” acting spokesperson Matthew Parks said. Cosatu said slashing expenditure would choke the economy. “If the government wants to cut wasteful expenditure, it should reverse the offensive increases given to MPs, the legislatures and councillors and slash the number of ministers from 28 to 20 and deputy ministers from 34 to 5 as well as the 10 000 councillors,” Parks said. | Mercury Correspondent…

The uproar following Standard Bank’s announcement has been widely documented. Various political parties, civil society organisations and labour unions have all decried the bank’s decision, urging the government to expedite the establishment of a state-owned bank. Even within the governing ANC, outspoken figures such as Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma have emphasised the urgent need to address the unchecked authority wielded by banks. While these statements have effectively illuminated Standard Bank’s abuse of power, they have done little to halt their unlawful conduct. Access to a bank account is a fundamental right for all individuals, and Standard Bank’s determination to close Independent Media’s banking facilities is not only insensitive but also appears to be politically motivated. How can Standard Bank, an institution that proudly professes its South African identity, endanger the livelihoods…

Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) will pay tribute to its founder Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi at a memorial service on Thursday. The Buthelezi family announced on Sunday that Buthelezi would be laid to rest on Friday. Buthelezi is the founder of the 44-year-old institution, which has produced thousands of graduates. Professor Marcus Ramogale, acting vice-chancellor of the institution, said the memorial service would celebrate Buthelezi’s life. Ramogale said the Student Representative Council elections, which were set to be held on Thursday, would be postponed until after the September recess. He added that the university senate would have a meeting to decide on the academic programme for this week as the university want to give students and staff time and space to mourn. A statement late yesterday confirmed that the academic programme…

At least 150 people were killed when freak floods hit eastern Libya, officials said yesterday, after Storm Daniel swept the Mediterranean, its torrential rains earlier lashing Türkiye , Bulgaria and Greece. Footage filmed by residents showed massive mudslides, collapsed buildings and entire neighbourhoods submerged under muddy water. “At least 150 people were killed as a result of flooding and torrential rains left by Storm Daniel in Derna, Jabal al-Akhdar region and the suburbs of Al-Marj,” said Mohamed Massoud, a spokesperson for the Benghazi-based administration in Libya. “This is besides the massive material damage that struck public and private properties.” Hundreds of residents were still believed to be trapped in difficult-to-reach areas as rescuers, backed by the army, were trying to come to their aid. East Libyan authorities had “lost contact…

Israel eased travel for Palestinian Americans from the Gaza Strip yesterday as part of final preparations for a deal enabling Israelis to enter the US without visas, Israeli and US officials said. As a condition for its accession to the US Visa Waiver Program (VWP), since July 20 Israel has loosened access through its borders, and in and out of the occupied West Bank, for Palestinian Americans in a pilot period. The deadline for Israel to show compliance with the US conditions is September 30. If successful, it expects to be incorporated in the VWP by November – a respite for relations strained by disputes over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial reforms and policies on the Palestinians. Gaza, whose ruling Hamas Islamists are on Israeli and US terrorism blacklists…

RIYADH: An Israeli delegation attended a Unesco meeting in Riyadh yesterday, marking the country’s first publicly announced visit to Saudi Arabia as speculation grows about a potential normalisation of ties. The five-member delegation arrived on Sunday, an Israeli official said, for the meeting to update Unesco’s world heritage list of cultural and historic sites. The team travelled through Dubai, the official said, as there were no direct flights between Israel and Saudi Arabia, and arrived on Sunday. They received their visas via Unesco, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. Saudi Arabia, which contains two of Islam’s holiest sites, does not recognise Israel. | AFP…

HONOLULU: The Kilauea volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island began to erupt at the weekend with flows currently confined to the surrounding crater floor, the US Geological Survey said. Webcam images show fissures at the base of the volcano’s crater that are generating lava flows on the surface of the crater floor. The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency said the eruption “does not pose a lava threat to communities” though volcanic particles and gases may create breathing problems for people exposed. The eruption, it’s third this year, was preceded by a period of strong seismicity and “rapid uplift” of the summit. | IANS…

Bafana Bafana striker Lebo Mothiba has heaped praise on French legend Patrick Viera for his return to form, which has seen him capture the attention of national coach Hugo Broos. The 27-year-old is back in the South African set-up for the first time in four years, with his last match coming against Sudan in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in 2019. Since then, the Mamelodi-born forward has struggled for both game time and form, and has been extremely unlucky with recurring knee and groin injuries as well. However, the 2023-24 campaign appears to have brought about fresh luck for Mothiba, who turns out for Ligue 1 side Strasbourg, where he is coached by former Arsenal and France legend Patrick Viera. Mothiba has revealed how the 1998 World Cup winner…

The time has arrived for all progressive political entities within the National Assembly to introduce legislation aimed at prohibiting banks, including Standard Bank and others that appear entrenched in a colonial-era mindset, from unlawfully terminating client accounts based on their political preferences. Today marks a sombre chapter in the annals of South African journalism. It is a day that many of us, who actively participated in and supported the struggle against racial discrimination, never envisioned witnessing. The Sekunjalo Group, a black-owned entity and the proprietors of Independent Media, a company with which I have been associated for over two decades, has decided to take Standard Bank to the Equality Court to forestall the bank’s intent to close its accounts. Recently, Standard Bank served notice to Independent Media and affiliated Sekunjalo…

Drive in any direction in the US and before long, you’ll see construction areas with signboards that read: “WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER”. We also heard this appeal ad nauseam during Covid lockdowns. Politicians preached it. Health-care talking heads droned about it almost as much as we heard, and still hear, the word “unprecedented”. On the freeways, it’s an attempt to slow traffic and reduce accidents. In the other contexts, it’s clearly an attempt to rally and unify the population. I want to ask: “What IS the ‘THIS’ we are in, together?” In my book: We are in this fabulous, beautiful and adventurous journey called life. We are fellow explorers, inventors, thinkers, servers, creators and enjoyers. We are on the shared journey of keeping our families together, no matter what…

Anyone with money to spare would be wise to keep it in their pockets and don’t bet anything on the Proteas coming back from India with any silverware. In five games against an average Australian team we have never once looked like winning a match. If this new coach is going to last, he better sort things out very soon. It’s bad enough that we are the only country that picks teams on quotas and not merit; we should at least pick players who look interested. Too many of our team spend too much time in T20 leagues around the world making big bucks, they no longer seem interested in representing their country. Quinton de kock and David Miller are no longer the feared run scorers, Miller seems to be…

Energy experts have lauded the arrest of nine people at the Kusile Power Station for coal theft and fraud. This after eight weighbridge operators employed by Eskom Rotek Industries (ERI), and a coal truck driver were arrested last Thursday. The power utility said the suspects were nabbed following an investigation by police and an internal probe by Eskom, after a tip-off that coal haulers would bypass Kusile Power Station without offloading the ordered coal. Eskom spokesperson, Daphne Mokwena, said the investigation showed that the weighbridge operators would process transactions without the coal hauler having entered the power station to offload the coal. “Kusile Power Station would, however, be invoiced for the coal ordered but not received. “The theft of coal is a highly organised criminal activity, and the syndicates involved…

The Gauteng Forensic Pathology Service has managed to identify additional people from the 62 which had been unidentifiable from the Joburg inner-city building fire last month. Salvaged fingerprints of the deceased were processed through the digital fingerprint system to identify more people. Spokesperson for the Gauteng Department of Health, Motalatale Modiba said after autopsies were done and the deceased cleaned, further body examinations were done where another seven bodies were identified by families through various features such as tattoos and other body marks. “This means 18 more bodies were identified, bringing the number of identifiable bodies to 30 when combined with the 12 that were originally identifiable. “The number of unidentifiable bodies is now 44,” said Modiba. “The fire has since claimed 77 people, three of whom died in hospital.”…

EThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda conducted an oversight visit to Warner Beach and Kingsway pump stations yesterday to assess progress made in repairing infrastructure failures that had led to sewage spills. Kaunda said he was satisfied with the progress made in replacing the old pumps which were extensively damaged during the floods last year. This damage contributed to the contamination of most beaches in the south of Durban, such as Warner Beach and Winklespruit. Kaunda commended the City’s teams for the efforts they are putting in to repair the damaged infrastructure. “As we prepare for the festive season, our visitors will find our beaches operational and safe for swimming.” The municipality said the vast majority of bathing beaches in the City are open and safe for swimming. “The municipality constantly monitors…

South African media experts agree with a US study that revealed that communities are affected the most by the lack of presence of local media, saying the absence of strong print or digital news organisations resulted in a decline in voter participation and an increase in corruption. In light of Independent Media facing the closure of its bank accounts by Standard Bank, media experts said the presence of local media was crucial in communities. Independent Media publishes several local newspapers across three provinces, including KwaZulu-Natal newspapers The Mercury, Daily News, Independent on Saturday and the Sunday Tribune. The US report from Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, said most communities that have lost newspapers do not get a print or digital replacement, leaving millions of residents either living in an area…

The turmoil that has marked the operations of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) cannot persist if the government genuinely intends to support students from impoverished backgrounds. In a recent development, the NSFAS leadership appeared before the portfolio committee on higher education and were granted a two-week ultimatum to rectify their internal issues, particularly regarding the backlog of appeals. This step was prompted by media reports highlighting the unjust defunding of thousands of students, causing upheaval within the higher education sphere. According to Masile Ramorwesi, the acting CEO of the fund, a staggering 45 972 students initially received funding but were subsequently stripped of it due to procedural lapses. A significant portion of these cases, about 14 703, resulted from hybrid applications where continuing students mistakenly applied…

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has set off for Russia aboard a special train, a South Korean source said, as Pyongyang and Moscow yesterday confirmed a summit with President Vladimir Putin amid Russia’s deepening isolation over the war in Ukraine. Kim would visit Russia in the coming days at the invitation of Putin, the Kremlin said, while North Korean state news agency KCNA said the two would “meet and have a talk”, without elaborating. US officials have said the pair would discuss possible arms deals to aid Russia’s war in Ukraine and provide North Korea with a much-needed economic and political lifeline. Washington and its allies have been voicing concern at recent signs of closer military co-operation between Russia and the nuclear-armed North. It will be Kim’s second summit…

RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro was to be admitted to a Sao Paulo hospital yesterday to undergo two surgical procedures related to a 2018 stabbing, he said. Bolsonaro said he will undergo procedures to correct a hiatus hernia and a deviated septum. A third operation to correct his intestine, that was also expected this month, has been rescheduled by doctors. Bolsonaro has meanwhile been facing multiple criminal probes that could result in prison sentences. | Reuters…

HAMBURG: The prime ministers of two small island nations that face ongoing impacts from rising sea levels appeared at legal hearings at an international court in Hamburg, Germany, yesterday, seeking an advisory opinion on the obligations of countries to combat climate change. Prime Ministers Kausea Natano of Tuvalu and Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda will give evidence at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, which will consider whether carbon emissions absorbed by the ocean should be considered marine pollution, and what obligations nations have to protect the marine environment. | Reuters…

BEIRUT: Ten people have been killed and dozens wounded in renewed violence between rival groups in a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon, with a senior Palestinian official flying in yesterday amid fears the bloodshed could spread. The Ain el-Hilweh camp has been rocked by factional clashes since late July between the Palestinian mainstream movement Fatah and Islamist fighters. The first round left more than a dozen people dead. Fighting resumed at the weekend after a month-long ceasefire and has since left at least 10 people dead, – six were militants from Fatah and another two were Islamist fighters. The two remaining victims were civilians. | Reuters…