Mercuryの 2023-08-01 の目次

COACH Desiree Ellis has no plans of chopping and changing her Banyana Banyana team for their must-win clash against Italy tomorrow morning, despite calls for changes at the back. Banyana Banyana could reach the World Cup last 16 for the very first time if they beat Italy (kick-off at 9am) in their last Group G clash and the result between Sweden and Argentina favours them. But after squandering leads to lose 2-1 to Sweden and draw 2-2 with Argentina, there have been growing concerns about the team’s game-management – with blame thrown at their defensive unit. Stressing form, approach and match-fitness, Ellis opted for centre-back Bongeka Gamede and goalkeeper Kaylin Swart in the last two matches ahead of regulars Noko Matlou and Andile Dlamini. That didn’t sit well with some…

IT GAVE me a momentary skrik to see a message on my phone – the one that has replaced the Nkandla party line – headed “Final Demand”. But it turned out to be only a joke from my old mate and rugby team-mate Rodger Farren – also known as the “Poison Dwarf” – as he invited people to his 80th birthday party. There was a torrent of replies from people I have never heard of, mainly because I’ve never been to Tanzania. Yes, the Poison Dwarf – formerly of Otto’s Bluff then the Karkloof, in the Midlands – relocated some years ago to Tanzania where he now farms in the foothills of Kilimanjaro. I replied courteously that I was unable to make it as my oxwagon would not get there…

The costly and elaborate extravaganza which the EFF held to mark its 10th anniversary (The Mercury, July 31) should send disquieting signals to all who fear and oppose totalitarian communism. The financing of that extravaganza reflects the historical reality of the rise of communist movements: they are bankrolled by capitalist forces which use them to secure monopolies over resources at the expense of the freedom of the masses. Wall Street financed the Bolshevik revolution in Russia. Tycoon Tiny Rowland’s Lonrho mining giant supported Robert Mugabe. George Soros is financing Marxism in America. The financial support given by wealthy individuals and corporate structures to the EFF cannot be dismissed as a result of ignorance. Just as a tiny minority of just 7 million communist party members controlled the USSR, the expectation…

A year after eight women were raped and robbed by a gang of armed men, believed to be illegal miners, while shooting a music video at an abandoned mine dump in West Village, Krugersdorp, there has been no progress with the case. On July 28, 2022, the national police reported that a crew of 22 people – 12 women and 10 men – were filming a music video when they were attacked by a group of armed men wearing blankets. The incident resulted in the arrests of at least 80 people, however most were released, leaving 14 suspects charged in connection with the crimes. However in October last year, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) announced that it would not proceed with the rape charges against the suspects due to insufficient…

POLICE Minister Bheki Cele has come under fire for refusing to disclose the number of police officers criminally charged over the past few years. MPs from the EFF and Freedom Front Plus wrote to Cele enquiring about the number of officers arrested for various crimes. FF+ MP Pieter Groenewald asked about officers arrested for murder, robbery, rape, stock theft, farm murders, cash-in transit heists and kidnappings in the three financial years. The EFF’s MP Laetitia Arries enquired about the number of officers successfully prosecuted and dismissed in the past five years, while her colleague, Phiwaba Madokwe, wanted to know about the number of officers found to be on the wrong side of the law in the past five years. In his response, Cele said the SAPS was fully aware of…

State witness Colonel Lambertus Steyn says he is certain that the person depicted in photographs with dreadlocks was accused number three who is on trial in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria for the murder of Senzo Meyiwa. Steyn, who is an analyst and investigating officer at the SAPS Cold Case Unit, was under cross-examination yesterday and remained adamant that Mthobisi Prince Mncube had dreadlocks when the soccer star was gunned down in Vosloorus. Meyiwa was shot at his girlfriend Kelly Khumalo’s Vosloorus home in a suspected robbery, on October 26, 2014. Mncube, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Ntanzi, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Sifisokuhle Ntuli, have been charged with the October 2014 murder of Meyiwa in what was reported as a botched robbery. Cellphone images which were downloaded by the…

The EFF marked its 10-year anniversary with a grand celebration at the FNB stadium over the weekend, symbolising the country’s evolving democracy. Founded by former ANC Youth League president Julius Malema on July 26, 2013, the event drew a massive crowd, filling the stadium’s 95 000 capacity. Malema’s impressive oratory skills were on full display, making the occasion an appealing and extravagant affair. The climax of the celebration was a dramatic moment when Malema was lifted into the air on stage, much to the delight of the enthusiastic audience, who had travelled from all corners of the country to receive their commander-in-chief’s marching orders. Regardless of one’s political stance on the EFF, it is essential to recognise that the existence of diverse political organisations is vital for the progress of…

Hundreds of thousands of young people from around the world have descended on Portugal to welcome Pope Francis when he arrives tomorrow to close a jamboree dubbed “the Catholic Woodstock”. However, the shadow of the Church’s sexual abuse scandal will haunt the background as a reminder of how much work it still has to do to put the scandal behind it. World Youth Day, an event devised by the late Pope John Paul for young Catholics in their teens or early 20s, is held every two or three years in a different city. This will be the first since 2019 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Two stages have been set up in different locations where the young will gather for masses, vigils and other social and religious gatherings. The Vatican…

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: The death toll in a suicide bombing of a political rally by a religious group allied to Pakistan’s government rose to 54 yesterday, compounding security concerns in the run-up to a general election in November. The bomber attacked Sunday’s gathering of the conservative Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) party, which is known for its links to hardline Islamists but which condemns militants seeking to overthrow the government. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack. Of more than 130 wounded people, 61 were under treatment. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced the blast as an attack on the democratic process. | Reuters…

LONDON: Britain yesterday committed to granting hundreds of licences for North Sea oil and gas extraction as part of efforts to become more energy independent, drawing criticism from environmental campaigners. Britain has a target to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, but Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said even by this date the country is expected to get more than a quarter of its energy from oil and gas. He said new domestic fossil fuels would help to improve energy security and reduce reliance on states such as Russia. Sunak said the new licences were compliant with the government’s environmental targets. | Reuters…

LOS ANGELES: Matthew McConaughey is still undecided whether he wants to swop Hollywood for a new career in politics. The 53-year-old Oscar-winner has been getting more involved with politics and has discussed gun reform policies with US President Joe Biden after a shooting at a school in his hometown of Uvalde, Texas, in 2002. When asked if he could see himself running for office, Matthew replied: “There’s a great question that I’m still answering.” The actor went on to talk about his Greenlights Grant Initiative which he launched with his wife, Camila Alves, to help communities access government grants to prevent school violence and support the mental health of young people. He was touted as a possible contender for Texas governor in 2021 but he denied any plans to run.…

RELIGIOUS bodies have raised their concern about the increasing number of places of worship in Durban that are being targeted by criminals. The concern comes after a video went viral of a live-streaming church service in Verulam, where a pastor could be seen being held up by a gunman during a night prayer service last week. Police have confirmed that they are investigating a case of robbery. Deon Govender, a member and volunteer at the Immanuel Community Church in Verulam, said he was recording the live-stream video when the five gunmen entered the church. “We were shocked, scared and traumatised. The five men entered the church, pointed guns at us, took all the congregants’ cellphones and wallets and even took the device on which the live stream was being…

CO-OPERATIVE Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Thembi Nkadimeng stands ready to intervene if KwaZulu-Natal MEC Bongi Sithole-Moloi’s attempts to implement a Section 154 intervention in eThekwini Municipality are further delayed. The intervention was announced by the KZN Cogta Department a few months ago amid concern that there were serious problems in the municipality, including delays in service delivery, poor maintenance of infrastructure and a failure to spend grant funding. Cogta said experts, including former director-general in the Presidency Dr Cassius Lubisi and the City’s former municipal manager and now local government consultant Michael Sutcliffe, would be sent to assist the metro via Section 154 of the Constitution, which allows for the provincial or national government to provide help to municipalities where there are concerns about governance. The process of…

I would like to congratulate the EFF on a successful 10-year anniversary celebration that culminated in a rally held at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg. The stadium, with a capacity of 95 000, was full to capacity, which is no small feat. The EFF has demonstrated that it is the fastest-growing political party in the country, and its policies and narrative appeal to the majority of South Africans. Despite not being everyone’s cup of tea, disgruntled ANC voters and young black voters, in particular, have found a home in the EFF. This is evident in the party’s ever-increasing electoral fortunes, and I have no doubt that the party will continue to make strides in replacing the DA as the country’s official opposition. The DA has accepted that it will never…

Religious pluralism versus the defamation of religion has become an increasing source of conflict in international politics and inter-religious relations. Religious violence is undergoing a revival as tolerance is being tossed aside. Violence inspired by religious intolerance is easier described than defined. Many parts of our divided world are under siege, while the areas are a blazing inferno. There is no military solution to the conflict in the contested areas. Military brinkmanship will lead to a wider war, escalating into a global inferno. Intolerance breeds intolerance, as expressions of hatred fuel existing insecurity. By attempting to intimidate by force their religious edicts, people forget for a time their weakness and mortality. If leaders do not think carefully about how to use public language to foster respect, human quality will remain…

At least five bodies were found after Gauteng police responded to a shooting incident in Riverlea and the nearby Zamimpilo informal settlement. Gauteng police spokesperson, Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo said police discovered five bodies with gunshot wounds. Preliminary police investigations suggest that two rival groups of illegal miners were shooting at each other in the area, and that led to the death of the five people. “Police have deployed members from the Tactical Response Team and Public Order Policing to monitor the area. A case of murder, with five counts, has been opened,” said Masondo. “Police are appealing to anyone who might have information that can help in the investigation or assist in the apprehension of the suspects to please call the nearest police station or call crime stop.” Anti-crime…

A woman’s legal bid for the court to declare her and her now-deceased partner life partners – which would mean she could benefit from his estate – has failed as the court found that, although they were lovers, he had been married to his now-former wife until shortly before he died. The applicant initially lodged an application in the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, to declare that her relationship with her partner constituted a customary marriage. She later withdrew the application. She then asked for an order declaring that she and Refilwe Kekana were in a permanent life partnership undertaking reciprocal duties of support. In court papers she said she and the deceased had met in November 2017. They agreed they wanted a committed relationship, to grow old together and be…

An Eastern Cape police officer who was arrested last week, has appeared in court for the murders of two University of Fort Hare (UFH) staff members and the attempted murder of vice-chancellor and principal Sakhela Buhlungu. Thirty-one-year-old Constable Lindokuhle Manjati of Madeira police station in the Eastern Cape appeared in the Alice Magistrate’s Court yesterday after his arrest last Friday. National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Luxolo Tyali confirmed his appearance, saying that Manjati had been remanded until his bail application on August 10. He is alleged to have driven the hitmen to carry out the murders of UFH fleet manager Petrus Roets and Buhlungu’s bodyguard Mboneli Vesele. This brings the number of people arrested for the Fort Hare attacks to six. The other accused, Sicelo Mbulawa, Mthobisi Khanyile, and Mthobisi Dlamini…

China stands ready to work with peace-loving countries including South Africa This year, we celebrate the 96th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). For 96 years, the heroic people’s army led by the Communist Party of China (CPC) has gone through wars and difficult times, won indelible achievements in national independence, people’s liberation and prosperity, served as a strong support to safeguard our national sovereignty, safety and development interests, made significant contributions in world peace and tranquillity. 1. Set a clear goal to build a world-class army A strong country must have a strong military, as only then can it guarantee the security of the nation. The CPC’s 20th National Congress has set the Party’s goal for military development in the new era. That is,…

Niger’s new junta yesterday accused France of seeking to “intervene militarily” to reinstate deposed President Mohamed Bazoum as tension mounted with the former colonial power and neighbours. Bazoum, a Western ally whose election just over two years ago was a watershed in Niger’s troubled history, was toppled on July 26 by the elite Presidential Guard. Guards chief General Abdourahamane Tiani declared himself leader – but his claim has been shunned internationally and the West African bloc Ecowas has given him a week to hand back power. Bazoum’s PNDS party yesterday warned Niger risked becoming a “dictatorial and totalitarian regime” after a series of arrests. Yesterday, Oil Minister Mahamane Sani Mahamadou, the son of influential former president Mahamadou Issoufou, and Mining Minister Ousseini Hadizatou were arrested, the party charged. The head…

Cars were swept away in Beijing’s western suburbs yesterday as relentless rain since the weekend transformed roads into rivers, killing at least two and trapping hundreds, despite an overnight evacuation of tens of thousands from their homes. Hundreds of roads have become flooded in China’s capital, with videos posted by state media showing half-submerged vehicles in Mentougou district pulled along by fast-moving torrents as the remnants of Typhoon Doksuri dumped record rainfall on the city of nearly 22 million. Two bodies were found in a river during an emergency patrol in Mentougou as rescuers pulled hundreds to safety in other parts of the city. Besides Beijing, heavy rain continued to soak the neighbouring city of Tianjin as well as Hebei province in a region nearly the size of Britain in…

The Hague: A cargo ship packed with 500 electric cars ablaze off the Dutch coast has been towed to a new temporary position, authorities said yesterday, racing to prevent an ecological disaster. The 66km/h operation to move the Fremantle Highway vessel began on Sunday and was carried out “without any problem”, the Rijkswaterstaat national water management agency said. The cause of the fire that broke out last Tuesday remains unclear, but the vessel’s owner has said one of the electric vehicles on board may have been the source. One sailor died after he and 22 others were rescued from the burning ship that had forced some crew members to jump overboard. | AFP…

ATLANTA: The judge presiding over a Georgia grand jury investigation into Donald Trump yesterday rejected the former US president’s bid to disqualify the prosecutor leading the inquiry and to block any indictments stemming from the probe. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney also denied Trump’s request to quash a special grand jury report that included recommendations on who to charge over a campaign to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results, when Democrat Joe Biden narrowly carried the state. The report has remained sealed pending charges in the case. Yesterday’s ruling arrived only days before possible indictments. | Reuters…

The conclusion of last season has set the upcoming 2023/24 campaign up quite nicely with the DStv Premiership set to be really competitive. All three trophies remained in Gauteng with Mamelodi Sundowns clinching the league once more and Orlando Pirates taking the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup titles to Soweto. Clubs around the country have been working tirelessly to ready themselves for the new season with new faces joining the top flight from various provinces. For KwaZulu, the 2022/23 campaign did not turn out the way it was planned as the province began the season with five top-flight teams, increasing their ambitions of a possible first trophy in 15 years. However, the relegation of Maritzburg United and missing out on the MTN8 competition this year by the other four meant huge…

Another masterful display and triumph from Max Verstappen ensured Red Bull finished the first half of the season, before the European “summer” break, unbeaten after Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix. The defending double world champion’s victory was his eighth consecutive success, his 10th in 12 races this year, and completed not only a hat-trick of Belgian wins, but also meant he has won every race in the last three months since teammate Sergio Perez’s victory in Azerbaijan on April 30. Here, we look at three things we learned from Sunday’s race. Playful Verstappen toying with rivals The 25-year-old Dutchman is so dominant that he can still win from sixth on the grid after taking a five-place penalty. He is on a different plane to his rivals to such an extent seven-time…

Co-hosts Australia surged into the Women’s World Cup last-16 yesterday with Hayley Raso scoring twice in a 4-0 battering of Canada, as Nigeria joined them in the knockout phase. Olympic champions Canada were dumped out at the hands of a fired-up Australian team who knew they had to win in Melbourne to progress. They did it in style, their big victory putting them through as Group B winners, meaning they will probably avoid European champions England in the next round. That is likely to fall on Nigeria, who were held 0-0 by already-eliminated Ireland in Brisbane and finished second. Tony Gustavsson’s Australian team came into the clash with Canada under huge pressure following a stunning 3-2 loss to Nigeria that left their tournament hopes on a knife-edge. But rather than…

The killing of a Nongoma Local Municipality councillor has prompted calls from the National Freedom Party (NFP) for by-elections to be stopped, especially in tightly contested councils where a ward councillor has been killed. The NFP’s Canaan Mdletshe has suggested that the jostling for ward councillor positions was among the main reasons for the killing of councillors in KwaZulu-Natal. Ntombenhle Mchunu, who was killed while sleeping in her Nongoma home on Sunday, was the NFP’s proportional representation (PR) councillor, which means that her death does not warrant a by-election. However, Mdletshe said the party was alarmed by public representatives being killed in KZN. He said a move to temporarily stop by-elections would warrant an amendment to the Electoral Act, giving more powers to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC)…

Half my lifetime ago, I moved to a job offer in the US. I was alone, nervous, excited, but I recall my inner dialogue repeating the phrase – Way leads to way – from The Road not Taken, a poem by Robert Frost There are times I wonder how things would have been had I chosen to remain in Durban. What if I had moved to Australia, or New Zealand or, as some first cousins did, to England? No one can know what might have been, what may have been around a corner not taken, an ignored, diverging path, a plane ticket left unpurchased, a form not filled out, an embassy avoided. One can know what happened. And one can know what is happening. One can recognise the peculiar, unpredictable,…

The disturbing article in The Mercury (July 27), “Home concerned electricity will be cut” is highly concerning. The ABH is an institution of deep history and value – started by a man who believed in the service to humanity. It has become an iconic monument of service and is a home away from home to our most vulnerable citizens, providing invaluable support and comfort to those who need it the most. I had occasion of visiting the institution many times and will bear ample testimony to the fact that without it, society would be that much poorer. The people who seek shelter and the solace of a home at the ABH, oftentimes do so because of circumstance, and not by choice – and we as a caring community must avail…

A Durban bride-to-be who was robbed of her wedding dress days before her nuptials has received a new dress. Jennine Naidoo, from Shallcross, was robbed of her wedding dress in peak hour traffic in the Durban CBD on July 24. “I had the most amazing opportunity of replacing my stolen dress with something that is a thousand times better than what I had lost,” Naidoo said. Naidoo had shared her story on social media warning motorists to be careful while driving in the CBD. She said that she was traumatised following the ordeal but was glad she and her father had not been injured in the robbery. The father and daughter had been on their way to work when they stopped at a traffic light on West Street (Dr Pixley…

AROUND the world, millions of victims of human trafficking are going unnoticed; many of them walk among the public in everyday life, are on construction sites, or in factories and public venues. This is according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) executive director Ghada Waly, as the globe observed World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on Sunday, under the theme: “Reach every victim of trafficking, leave no one behind”. According to data in UNODC’s Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2022, more than 50% of cases of human trafficking are brought forward by victims or their families, with authorities struggling to detect and protect trafficking victims. Ilitha Labantu, an organisation that advocates for the rights of women and children, said they were deeply concerned about the high…

DA LEADER John Steenhuisen has announced that the party will file charges against EFF leader Julius Malema and the ANC government with the UN Council. Steenhuisen said in a live broadcast of his speech that the party would lodge a complaint against Malema’s alleged repeated hate speech utterances after he sang the “Kill the Boer” song during the EFF’s 10th anniversary celebrations at Soccer City stadium on Saturday. Steenhuisen said the charge would be laid in terms of Malema’s violation of at least three key UN charters. These included the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Article 3 of the Convention makes it a punishable offence to direct and publicly incite people to commit mass murder on the basis of their identity. He said the…

Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga yesterday said the “Vala Zonke War Room” would be used to monitor and manage all pothole repairs in the country. “The establishment of this War Room is both a bold and honest attempt we are making to fix road transport challenges presented by the potholes we see,” Chikunga said. She said the Vala Zonke War Room would be led by the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (Sanral) at the Central Operations Centre in Centurion. Chikunga described the challenge as enormous. “It is a bold step on our part because of the enormity of the challenge and thus the vast coverage required for effective deployment of this resource. “It is also a very honest acknowledgement of the fact that we can never truly attack this…

ON SUNDAY, Parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office voted on the charges she faces and broadly endorsed the independent panel’s findings led by retired Constitutional Court Justice Bess Nkabinde that there was first impression evidence of incompetence and misconduct on her part. That the majority of committee members also found Mkhwebane to have been negligent in her handling of her duties is shocking and predictable at the same time. No one reading the report will be surprised to discover that she badly governed her office during her term. The evidence is not concealed in private WhatsApp exchanges or secretly recorded conversations, but played out over several months in public view as a parade of equivocation, contradictions and dissimulation that nearly turned witnesses…

Two men set the Qur’an alight outside parliament in Stockholm yesterday, at a protest similar to previous ones that have sparked tensions between Sweden and Middle Eastern countries. Salwan Momika and Salwan Najem stomped the Muslim holy book, and set its pages ablaze before slamming it shut, as they did at a protest outside Stockholm’s main mosque in June, sparking outrage in the Middle East. The duo also staged a similar protest outside Iraq’s embassy in Stockholm on July 20, where they stomped on the religious text but did not burn it. Swedish police granted a permit for the protest by campaigners hoping to see the Qur’an banned in the country, according to local media. “I will burn it many times, until you ban it,” said organiser Salwan Najem. As…

Lebanon’s incoming interim central bank governor Wassim Mansouri yesterday urged the government to undertake long-delayed reforms to address a deep financial crisis and said he would seek to restrict central bank lending to the heavily indebted state. First Vice-Governor Mansouri is due to take over as interim chief after ruling factions failed to appoint a successor to Riad Salameh despite the meltdown that has fuelled poverty and frozen depositors out of their savings. Salameh, 73, leaves office after a 30-year tenure, tarnished by the meltdown that has paralysed a once sprawling banking system, as well as corruption charges against him. The failure to appoint a new governor reflects wider dysfunction that has left Lebanon with neither a fully empowered government nor a president, further hollowing out a state that has…

A father died and his 4-year-old daughter was badly injured in France after a bouncy castle in which they were playing at a water park was blown skyward by high winds, prosecutors said yesterday. The 35-year-old man had been taken to hospital with his child after the accident on Sunday at the water park in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume in France’s southern Var region. He died later that day. The structure, some 20m long, lifted 50m off the ground at the Wonderland Waterpark, with both victims trapped inside, the prosecutor for the nearby town of Draguignan said in a statement. The daughter’s life remains in danger. | AFP…

NEW YORK: Lady Gaga, who was crooner Tony Bennett’s friend and collaborator in the final years of the hitmaker’s life, has hailed their “magical” relationship and urged others not to “discount your elders”. Bennett died at 96 on July 21, having lived with Alzheimer’s disease for years. In 2014 he became the oldest person to reach number one on the US album chart through a collection of duets with Lady Gaga. Gaga urged people to keep their elders close: “Don’t leave them behind when things change,” she said. | AFP…

Banyana Banyana ace Linda Motlhalo wears her heart on her sleeve whenever she puts on the national team jersey as she wants to set a good example for the next generation of players. Motlhalo has long been a fan favourite thanks to her magical feet, which have mesmerised defenders, scoring vital goals and showing silkly dance moves. But in Dunedin last week, Banyana’s fans witnessed both a delighted and vulnerable Motlhalo after the team’s 2-2 draw with Argentina in the World Cup group stage. Motlhalo scored her first ever goal in the global event, resulting in her weeping tears of joy. She then wept in pain after the final whistle as they drew the match, despite having had a 2-0 lead. The 25-year-old said she’s usually overwhelmed by emotions when…

How Proteas players Quinton de Kock and Heinrich Klaasen performed in the MLC will give South Africa hope heading into the ODI World Cup while Lungi Ngidi’s lack of game remains a growing concern. From the moment South Africa concluded the 3-0 series sweep over the Netherlands in the last series of the summer, Proteas coach Rob Walter made it clear that every tournament players get to be part of must be used as preparation for the World Cup. Be it the IPL or any other league, the message was for each player to make the most of these tournaments as the World Cup looms. Walter told Independent Media after the Dutch series that even the players who won’t get much game time in these T20 tournaments will still…