Indice dei contenuti per 2023-10-31 in Mercury

SOUTH Africans are no strangers to power outages. For years, we have experienced load shedding due to the incompetence of our politicians. After weeks without power cuts, we thought the problem had been resolved. However, it has recently reappeared, leaving us angry and disappointed. When the minister announced that key power stations were back on track, we were overjoyed. We finally had reason to believe that the era of load shedding was finally coming to an end. We were even able to watch the historic Rugby World Cup final without interruption. But the announcement proved to be a sham. Shortly after the rugby hype died down, we received the news that load shedding was resuming. Our hopes were crushed, and we had to endure the frustration and inconvenience of power…

Karpowership SA has welcomed the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment’s (DFFE) decision to grant environmental authorisation for its Richards Bay Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) application. Karpowership said the granting of the EIA represented a critical milestone in its participation in the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme “that will lead up to reaching financial close”. “The decision not only vindicates Karpowership SA’s thorough EIA methodology and process that included comprehensive and inclusive public participation processes in Richards Bay, but also demonstrates the department’s willingness to objectively evaluate the information at hand. “The outcome represents a meaningful turning point in this extensive process as all parties involved, including our stakeholders and various other interested and affected parties, have worked cohesively and supported Karpowership SA to showcase that our LNG-to-power…

Shoddy police work has taken centre stage at the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, as testifying officers continue to face tough questions from the defence. The trial was expected to resume this week with more testimony from Ekurhuleni Metro Police (EMPD) officer Constable Wendel Jonathan, who was with the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit used by the Meyiwa murder investigation team to escort the accused. The court is currently holding a trial-within-a-trial to determine if alleged confessions made by accused Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya and Bongani Ntanzi were made freely and voluntarily. The court has so far heard testimony from a number of senior commissioned police officers and a magistrate who had been roped in to take confessions from the accused. Ntanzi's defence counsel, advocate…

GOVERNMENT inspectors uncovered what they called a “disturbing” situation in uMlazi’s ward 89, where potentially hazardous food was being sold in spaza shops. The shops, owned by foreign nationals, have come under scrutiny for their alleged involvement in selling unsafe food items. In response, two undocumented foreign nationals were apprehended by the Department of Home Affairs’ Immigration Unit during a raid yesterday. According to the Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs department, the inspection team, comprising officials from the department’s Business Regulations unit, the eThekwini Municipality’s Consumer Protection Unit and the Department of Health, were acting to safeguard the interests of the province’s residents. Their efforts were supported by the SAPS, intelligence officers and eThekwini metro police. The incident comes in the wake of numerous complaints from township and…

THE occupation of Palestine is the world’s longest and major source of instability around the globe and Gaza is the world’s largest concentration camp. As we witness another round of bombings, loss of human lives and devastation inside Gaza in real time, let us remember that there are multiple fronts to this Palestinian struggle for liberation from the Zionist apartheid state of Israel. Alongside the Zionist inhumane behaviour, we are facing an explosion of information and, regrettably, misinformation. Beyond the physical war crimes lies the social media showground, where the battle between facts and lies continues to escalate. What is going on is not an Israel-Hamas conflict. That is the Zionist-rooted narrative intentionally manufactured to make it seem like Hamas or other Palestinian resistance movements invaded apartheid Israel. Why is…

The Springbok Rugby World Cup victory holds immense historical significance for South Africa. The victory, which was achieved under very difficult conditions, serves as a shining example of what can be accomplished when the nation unites behind a common goal. Led by exceptional coach Jacques Nienaber, director of rugby Rassie Erasmus and the inspirational captain Siya Kolisi, the Boks triumphed over a determined New Zealand team in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final at Stade de France on Saturday night. This momentous victory reverberated across the globe, solidifying the Boks’ place in the annals of world rugby. Through their valiant efforts, South Africa has now become the sole nation to have clinched the Webb Ellis trophy on four occasions. One of the most significant takeaways from the Boks’ triumph is…

BERLIN: At least three workers were killed in Hamburg yesterday when a scaffolding collapsed at a building site, with a fourth person believed trapped in the rubble. A fire brigade spokesperson said a fifth labourer was critically injured in the accident, in which the scaffolding suddenly broke apart in an eight-storey-high elevator shaft shortly after 8am (local time). The fire brigade had initially said five labourers had been killed and some buried in the wreckage of the disaster. The cause of the collapse was not yet clear. Some 70 emergency responders were at the site seeking to rescue the trapped worker. The nationalities of the victims were not yet determined. The accident occurred in HafenCity, a port district. The scaffolding came down at the Westfield Hamburg-Ueberseequartier, a business, residential and…

Bandung, Indonesia: A dozen Indonesians died and four were in critical condition after drinking illegal bootleg liquor, authorities said yesterday, the latest deaths caused by home-made alcohol in the Muslim-majority country. Most Indonesians practise a moderate form of Islam and alcohol is available in big cities, but high taxes make it expensive and some people can turn to potentially dangerous home-made liquor. The government-run Subang district general hospital in West Java province admitted 18 victims for “alcohol intoxication” on Saturday, said hospital spokesperson Wawan Gunawan. “There are five people under observation and 11 people died (at the hospital),” Gunawan told AFP yesterday, adding that the victims were aged between 16 and 45 years old. Another victim was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital, Gunawan added.…

Banyana Banyana are on course to emulate the Springboks’ heroics in Paris after progressing to the third round of the Caf Olympic qualifiers. Banyana beat the DRC 3-1 on aggregate in the second round of the qualifiers after winning the return leg 2-0 at a wet and cold Orlando Stadium yesterday afternoon. Captain Thembi Kgatlana scored, adding to the solo goal scored in Kinshasa as Banyana kept their hopes of qualifying for the 2024 Paris Games alive. Having missed out on the last Olympics in Tokyo following their loss to Botswana at the same ground in 2019, the African champions are hellbent on going to Paris next year. After all, the French capital left a lasting mark on all South Africans on Saturday as the Springboks won the Rugby World…

KWAZULU-NATAL farmers and civil society group Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group have welcomed the importation of eggs and poultry products, provided it does not negatively affect the local poultry sector. Farmers said they understood the need to import eggs and poultry as the parental stock had been affected by the avian flu outbreak. The Department of Agriculture announced that it would import poultry and eggs to ensure there was no shortage during the festive season. Mervyn Abrahams, programme co-ordinator at the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group, said he was concerned about the impact the importation of eggs and chicken could have on the local poultry industry. “The avian flu outbreak has caused an increase in the price of poultry and egg products, however, we can expect some relief…

Things you can do that, at least temporarily, may reduce unsettling anxiety. Reconnect in person with old friends and family with whom you have really good memories. Do a little re-living of the past. Try not to dip into gossip or unresolved areas of conflict. Recalling the good times is usually soul soothing. Rearrange a room or two in your home. Do a little deep cleaning. Get rid of clutter and things you will never use again. Focus on making your space as beautiful as possible. Doing so is likely to somewhat ease your mind. Write about your life in short vignettes. Capture important moments. Allow the vignettes to lead into each other like stepping stones across a pond. Don’t be overly concerned with grammar. It is the process of…

I know I know! There really is only one story on everyone’s lips and it is our, I underline “our” Springboks’ astounding World Cup victory over New Zealand. A story that proudly takes its rightful place on our mantle place of pride. And today even though yesterday, it was overcast and almost bursting with rain, people went about with a stride in their steps compared to them, hitherto, shuffling like members of a chain gang. But like the morning after pill people who engage in carnal pleasures take, we too have to literally sober up. ’Twas a famous victory for sure. Two fierce tribes with three scalps apiece each were coveting a fourth. Unfortunately both tribes, deserved the accolade but only one made the point. With another incredible one-point victory,…

After months of masquerading as a medical doctor and giving medical advice on social media, Matthew Lani has been arrested. Police yesterday confirmed that Lani is expected to appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on a charge of impersonating medical personnel. Provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi, said he was apprehended by security at the Helen Joseph Hospital on Sunday night. “The police can confirm that the social media personality who goes by the name Dr Matthew Lani has been apprehended on Sunday evening by security personnel at the Helen Joseph Hospital while trying to enter the institution,” Nevhuhulwi said. The Gauteng Department of Health said that Lani was caught just before 8pm. He was wearing a hoodie and a surgical mask over his face with a stethoscope around his…

HUMAN rights organisations have welcomed the landmark high court judgment that found the existing maternity provisions under the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) unconstitutional as they unfairly discriminated against various types of parents. The declaration of constitutional invalidity was suspended for two years so that remedial legislation could be enacted by Parliament. In the interim, the court ruled that all parents have four consecutive months’ parental leave, collectively. In other words, each pair of parents of a qualifying child shall share the four months leave as they elect. However, the judgment will require confirmation by the Constitutional Court. The ruling was handed down last Wednesday by Johannesburg High Court Judge Roland Sutherland in the matter of Werner van Wyk and others versus the Minister of Employment and Labour and…

As the future of the South African Music Awards (Samas) hangs in the balance following the withdrawal of the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government from hosting the event, individuals and organisations within the music industry have voiced their disappointment. KZN Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (Edtea) MEC Siboniso Duma announced last week that the department had decided to cancel the hosting of the awards next month after wide consultation with stakeholders. The MEC had said the funds that were confirmed by KZN Treasury and Edtea for the event were about R20 million before VAT and the eThekwini Municipality had committed another R25m towards the event. Some political parties had questioned the wisdom of hosting such an event at a time of severe budgetary constraints. The South African Music Industry Council (SAMIC)…

Finance Minister Godongwana admitted growth forecast was ‘a bit optimistic’ AS FINANCE Minister Enoch Godongwana prepares to present the medium-term budget policy statement (MTBPS) tomorrow amid low economic growth, high government debt and insufficient taxes, on one thing, politicians, business, labour and civil society organisations can agree: South Africa is broken. Not as in the silly, smirking jokes and mocks used by former President Jacob Zuma to make fun of former DA leader Mmusi Maimane’s 2015 State of the Nation address debate speech on “a broken man, presiding over a broken society”, but in the most basic sense. The newish finance minister is not even pretending this week’s MTBPS measures will meaningfully fix the pressing socio-economic needs of the population and the multilayered institutional problems devastating our economy. Perhaps…

MADRID: Spanish authorities have seized 720 kilograms of cocaine off a ship that arrived in Malaga from Costa Rica at the end of September, police and customs announced yesterday. The haul was hidden in a safe that was buried under piles of metal scraps, according to a video released by the authorities. Eight people were arrested, the interior ministry said in a state- ment. At the end of August, Spain seized nearly 9.5 tonnes of cocaine from Ecuador, a record, that was stashed in a container of bananas. Spain’s proximity to North Africa, a key source of hashish, and its close ties with former colonies in Latin America – the world’s main cocaine-producing region – have made it a portal for drug smuggling into Europe.…

Golden Arrows head coach Mabhuti Khenyeza has opened up about the secret behind the club’s flying start to the 2023/24 campaign. Abafana Bes’thende are undoubtedly the most in-form team in the country at the moment, alongside Mamelodi Sundowns, and they appear to get better with every game they play. Not many would have envisioned the Durban-based outfit taking such leaps after they suffered final-day heartbreak last season as they narrowly missed out on an opportunity to contest the MTN8 competition. The new season saw the club lose key players like winger Pule Mmodi to Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs, as well as midfield maestro Ntsako Makhubela, whose loan deal had come to an end. Under the leadership of Khenyeza, Arrows have a fire about their attitude, commitment and style of play…

THE Centre for Applied Legal Studies (CALS) at the University of the Witwatersrand yesterday applied to the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria to join a case which has important implications for how sexual offences are prosecuted. The matter was first lodged last November by the Embrace Project and an individual rape survivor. They are challenging what they call problematic definitions of consent and rape in the Sexual Offences Act, as recently amended. The applicants seek to challenge sections of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Act which fail to criminalise sexual violence where the perpetrator unreasonably believed the complainant consented. In October 2021, the Eastern Cape High Court handed down judgment in an appeal by Loyiso Coko, found guilty of raping his then partner. The ruling overturning the rape…

THE Rugby World Cup is over, the Olympic Games lie ahead and, in the meantime, the “Florida Man Games” are being organised in the US, reports Associated Press. These will be a series of competitions themed according to the collective antics of the beer-loving, alligator-owning media phenomenon known as “Florida Man”. Organisers of the Games describe the competition as “the most insane athletic showdown on Earth”. The games will poke fun at Florida’s reputation for producing strange news stories involving guns, drugs, booze and reptiles – or some combination of the four. Among the contests planned for next February in St Augustine, Florida, the organisers say, are the Evading Arrest Obstacle Course in which contestants jump over fences and run through yards while being chased by police officers; the Category…

They did it! They have made history. The Springboks have become the first team in the world to lift the coveted Webb Ellis trophy at the Stade de France in Paris for a record four times. Many thousands of passionate Bokke fans had travelled to Paris. Proudly wearing the green and gold T- shirts and waving the South African flag, they cheered and urged the Boks on and then erupted into a deafening roar when their team won. And all over the country the people rejoiced and celebrated like never before. What this rough and tumble game of rugby had done to a nation! Just one little point separated the two teams from heartbreak and ecstasy. But it was a big point for the Springboks, enough to secure them the…

Three suspects allegedly linked to the shooting in Inanda in which five people were killed are expected to make their first appearance in the Ntuzuma Magistrate’s Court this week. The suspects, aged between 19 and 28, are charged with five counts of murder. Police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker said the Inanda police received a report of a shooting at Tambo Plaza area in Amaoti at around 9.30pm on October 25. They found the bodies of five men in a RDP house. Naicker said the dead, all believed to be in their twenties, were found with multiple gunshot wounds. “It was established that all five were in the house when they were shot by unknown suspects who arrived in a getaway vehicle,” Naicker said. A sixth person was rushed to hospital.…

The Commission of Inquiry into the Marshalltown building fire which killed 77 people, including children, in August in Joburg has begun. The commission, headed by retired Constitutional Court, Justice Sisi Khampepe, opened last week with testimony from Joburg Emergency Services personnel, who described the prevailing conditions as they battled the blaze. Yesterday, the inquiry was set to resume but had to be postponed due to issues with the venue. Three firefighters who have given testimony described what they found in the building on August 29. They indicated that fire prevention systems in the building were vandalised, while emergency evacuation routes were blocked by makeshift barriers such as cardboard. In August, Joburg residents woke to the news of the fire which engulfed the five-storey building, which had been hijacked by people…

TRADE union South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) is engaging with Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan in an attempt to avert Friday’s nationwide strike over the potential privatisation of Transnet. Last week the union, which is backed by Cosatu and Fedusa, said marches were scheduled to take place in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape, and at other Transnet depots, with the main march taking place in Durban. Satawu said they would march to Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube’s office and the Department of Public Enterprises to hand over a memorandum. Last week, Transnet said it regarded the planned protest action as unprotected because Satawu had not complied with compulsory prerequisites for a lawful protest. However, Cosatu spokesperson Matthew Parks said yesterday that the certificate was…

BURNOUT – a widely recognised concept – has gained attention since its inception in the 1970s. Research has shown that burnout occurs when individuals exhaust their coping resources due to work and personal life demands, resulting in decreased job performance and extreme fatigue. Further review revealed that burnout often results from overworking and striving for perfection, particularly in high-pressure environments with challenging professional relationships. Though not officially recognised in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the literature defines burnout as a combination of emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and reduced personal accomplishments due to chronic work-related stress. This condition is identifiable through symptoms such as profound fatigue, loss of motivation, cynicism towards one's work, and a sense of inadequacy. Recognising burnout as a contemporary societal…

Warsaw: Poland said yesterday it had detained a man with “direct links to neo-Nazi groups” in Norway who tried to join the Ukraine military’s legion of foreign volunteers. The man, a Norwegian citizen, was detained in September as he tried to cross into Ukraine and held on suspicion of posing a threat to the internal security of Poland. “He planned to join the International Legion of Territorial Defence of Ukraine,” Warsaw’s secret service said. “During his previous stay in Ukraine, he allegedly obtained equipment (patches, uniform elements, weapons) from the bodies of Russian soldiers.” Poland did not name the suspect, but said he was now awaiting extradition to Norway. During the arrest, the officers seized drugs as well as “materials indicating the promotion of extremism and progressive radicalisation”. Warsaw said…

England's crushing 100-run defeat by India in Lucknow on Sunday condemned the World Cup holders to a fifth loss in six matches and all but ended their semi-final hopes. Here we look at three things England - who now have fewer wins at this World Cup than non-Test nation the Netherlands - need to fix if they are to become a force again in One-Day International cricket. Batting blues The huge margin of all of England's reverses at the World Cup - nine wickets against New Zealand, 69 runs (Afghanistan), 229 runs (South Africa), eight wickets (Sri Lanka) and 100 runs (India) shows how a once powerful batting line-up has failed to function in India. A policy of all-out aggression has served England well in both 50-over and Twenty20 cricket…