Tabla de contenidos para 2021-07-23 en Mercury

Sihle Mavuso sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za FORMER president Jacob Zuma is back in his Estcourt prison cell after travelling to Nkandla to bury his younger brother, Michael Zuma. Zuma returned to Nkandla for the first time since he was jailed for 15 months for contempt of court on July 8. He started serving his sentence after surrendering himself, and on July 11, his long-bedridden brother died. He then applied to the Department of Correctional Services to go home on compassionate leave. When his application was approved yesterday morning, he headed to the funeral. Yesterday the Zuma family, led by Jacob’s son Edward Zuma and the Umkhonto we Sizwe vets who have been guarding the home since March, increased surveillance and stop-and-search processes. By morning, only a few vehicles and mourners were allowed…

GOOD morning, please, tell me something beautiful. Tell me of a private act of kindness you witnessed. Good afternoon, please tell me something uplifting. Tell me about a moment you saw “unlikely” happiness. Good evening, would you like to know about the goodness that surrounded our lives today? When I, your distant columnist (Siri tells me I am 14 225K from the Durban City Hall), try to promote such dialogue, I am not suggesting blindness to your surrounding difficulties or that I deny the challenges I face. Difficulties are obvious, glaring, they are in our faces. The beautiful, uplifting, the goodness surrounding you and me are often subtle, working, creating and loving, beneath the surface. The bullies are easy to see. They are unmistakable, completely lacking in subtlety. The humble…

PAKS PAKIRIY | Durban North THE buzz phrases are “wash your hands”, “social distance” and “wear a mask”. Where art thou, Julius Malema? Malema and his EFF have had their voices silenced by the pandemic. No more political rallies and no marches have stymied Malema from doing what he does best – making empty noise. A publicity-seeking Malema has had the wind taken out of his sails. The alleged theft of monies from VBS Bank has also cast a long shadow on the integrity of Malema and his sidekick, Floyd Shivambu. The loss of the EFF court case against the CR17 campaign to disclose financial contributions this week also comes as a big blow. Their support for the public protector has also been somewhat derailed. Malema was opposed…

KEVIN GOVENDER | Shallcross I went to have a first dose of my vaccination last week as part of the 50-59 age group at the Nelson Mandela Chatsworth Youth Centre. I must commend the co-ordinators, marshals, volunteers and medical field staff for their exemplary, organised and well-structured roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccination programme. Other government service departments and election voting station officials should visit the centre for a lesson in efficiency. I found myself seated with a mixed bag of citizenry. With no lack of poverty of spirit or without sounding judgemental, I did mentally register a plethora of observances. The majority of the denizens looked their ages, while some looked way beyond and others sparkled with an unusual glow, looking much younger. Many were upbeat, with an…

NON-governmental organisation Health Justice Initiative (HJI) is calling for the government to prioritise people living with comorbidities, despite their age, in the Covid-19 vaccine programme. The HJI has started a campaign and a petition calling on the government and private sector groups on the National Vaccine Roll-out Committee, as well as all members of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Covid-19 and the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Covid-19 vaccines, to immediately include all adults with a medically established comorbidity, irrespective of their age, in the national vaccine programme. “South Africa cannot base its public health policy and vaccine prioritisation response on political and vested business or commercial interests, otherwise, our vaccine programme will be in ethical and public health evidence ‘free fall’,” the organisation said. The HJI has further called on…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za THE high court in Pretoria has ordered the provisional sequestration of a man who owes more than half a million in arrears maintenance to his former wife. The man and his wife are identified only as Mrs and Mr M because, under the law, they cannot be identified. Before they divorced in 2018, the court ordered Mr M to pay monthly maintenance of R42 500 to his wife. He fell in arrears in 2018, and the amount owed to Mrs M eventually escalated to R564 700, after which she issued a warrant of execution against him for non-payment. He still did not pay, saying he could not afford to, and the amount escalated by the month. The sheriff of the court visited Mr M at…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za COUNCILLORS in the Msunduzi Municipality have called for an independent auditor to investigate the theft of brush cutters from the municipality. Senior managers in the Msunduzi Municipality have been accused of failing to investigate the incidents. In one case, the managers failed to investigate despite a directive from the council. A confidential report tabled last month in the community service committee highlights the thefts. In 2017, more than 20 brush cutters were stolen and the council directed that the matter be investigated, but officials failed to do so. In November 2020, it was reported that 33 new brush cutters valued at more than R363 000 had been stolen and that the council wanted the security company to be held accountable. The council called for an investigation, saying…

Karen Singh karen.singh@inl.co.za The Moti Cares Foundation, a charitable trust founded by the Moti Group, has partnered with the KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala Development Fund to deliver 1.7 million meals, as well as sanitary towels and personal protective equipment (PPE) to people worst-hit by food shortages and the destruction of supply chains. The foundation said food and essential goods would be distributed to the communities most in need identified by the fund in conjunction with local authorities. Convoys will distribute the goods over a three-day period between today and Sunday. Yesterday, chief adviser to the Moti Group, Ashraf Kaka, said: “A humanitarian crisis is unfolding in KZN … As South Africans, we must work together in the spirit of compassion and ubuntu to help families and households in urgent need.…

Mark Keohane The Tokyo Summer Olympics have arrived, a year later than expected, but with as much uncertainty as there was a year ago when the 2020 Olympics was postponed because of Covid-19. The official opening ceremony is today, even though team sports like soccer started earlier in the week, but it’s been a week of chaos with athletes testing positive in the village, officials and athletes going into quarantine and some athletes testing positive before even leaving for Japan. There has also been no guarantee that the Summer Olympics won’t be cancelled in the next fortnight. If the infections continue to rise, the Games could end with as little fanfare as they will start. For now, though, we have a Summer Olympics – even though most countries won’t send…

Riots at two prisons in Ecuador left at least 18 dead and more than 50 injured, including police officers, authorities said, updating an earlier toll. Elite police units have regained control of the two prisons, one in the southwest province of Guayas and the other in the central Andean province of Cotopaxi, the SNAI prisons management body said late yesterday. Ten inmates died and 35 were injured, along with six police officers, in the violence at the Cotopaxi prison. Eight inmates died and three police were injured at the Guayas facility. The SNAI had earlier reported eight dead in Guayas and 20 injured in Cotopaxi. The two jails previously experienced violent riots in February, when clashes between rival gangs vying for control of the country’s main prisons left 79 inmates…

LOSE ANGELES: Idris and Sabrina Elba will host the GQ Men Of The Year awards 2021. The 24th edition of the annual awards ceremony, in association with Hugo Boss, will return to London live in September with the 48-year-old actor and his model wife as co-hosts. “In their various ways, the GQ Men Of The Year Award winners have kept all of our spirits up throughout one of the most difficult years and we are very much looking forward to celebrating with them – and hosting a great party!” they said. The awards ceremony was held virtually last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Previous winners and attendees include the Prince Of Wales, Captain Sir Tom Moore, Paul Mescal, Nicole Kidman, Marcus Rashford, Stormzy, Ozzy Osbourne, Iggy Pop, Sir Ian…

Bangkok: A dozen Thai pro-democracy student activists were charged with royal defamation and sedition yesterday, their lawyers said, over a rally last year that demanded reforms to Thailand’s unassailable monarchy. The pro-democracy movement, which has been largely led by student activists, kicked off a year ago due to public discontent over Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha’s administration. One key protest demand that emerged was monarchy reforms, a once-taboo issue that spilled into public discussion due to the student-led rallies that drew tens of thousands at their peak.…

MANCHESTER City have cancelled a pre-season friendly in France against Troyes due to British quarantine requirements, the Premier League champions said on Wednesday. Anyone arriving in Britain from France must quarantine at home or in other accommodation for five to 10 days, under British government rules. “Both clubs explored all avenues to be able to play the game, but the recent UK government changes to quarantine rules for travellers returning from France has made the required restrictions too difficult to overcome,” City said. Promoted Ligue 1 side Troyes are part of the same Abu Dhabi-owned City Football Group, which includes Major League Soccer side New York City and Spanish team Girona. City’s first team squad will now continue their pre-season preparations in Manchester, with no plans to replace the friendly.…

EVEN with the pollution that has spilled into the sea on the North Coast, the fishing offshore was remarkably good this past week. Those that managed to squeeze a launch in after the long nights of guarding or shopping queues have done well. North of Umhlanga the fishing skis have been doing some damage. Snoek, tuna and couta have been the main hatch-fillers. Umdloti has produced the most consistent results (in spite of the pollution in the water) and would be the first place to consider when planning the next trip. Early morning trolling with fillet baits or lipped lures has been the most successful method. The snoek have been feeding well after the recent rains. The flush of dirty water not only creates a brilliant hunting area for these…

IT was “absolutely devastating” when both the South African men’s and women’s hockey teams were not allowed to compete at the Rio Olympics, despite winning the African championships. Sascoc at the time stated that they had to qualify through the Hockey World League instead, and both teams were unable to go far enough in that competition. But both teams are at the Tokyo Olympics this year, and SA women’s team captain Erin Christie says it is “incredible” they are in Japan this time around. Christie, a 29-year-old physical science teacher at Rand Park High School in Johannesburg, fully understands the enormity of the situation. “We feel like we’ve been given a second chance. And in saying that, we know that it’s not actually just about this team…

Lutho Pasiya lutho.pasiya@inl.co.za If you are a cold coffee drinker, chances are you have already experimented with a cold brew or iced coffee beverages. If you have not tried them both, you may be curious to learn the difference between them. After all, they are both cool and caffeinated pick-me-ups made with ice. However, while both beverages may appear to be similar, they are quite different. What is the difference? It all boils down to the brewing process. While iced coffee is brewed hot like regular coffee and then cooled down, cold brew is made by steeping ground beans in cold water. This results in both a longer brew time and a smoother taste. Keep reading to learn about the distinct differences between cold brew and iced coffee. Cold brew…

Sakhiseni Nxumalo and Zintle Mahlati THE death toll from last week’s unrest and looting in KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng has risen to 337 as the authorities continue to count the cost. Acting Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni provided an update on the police’s investigation into the unrest yesterday. She said the latest death toll of 337 comprised 258 deaths in KZN and 79 in Gauteng. The police were investigating 42 cases of murder in Gauteng, and 37 inquest dockets had been opened. In KZN, there were 171 cases of murder, and 87 inquests dockets opened. On reports that there were unclaimed bodies at the Phoenix mortuary, the minister said that was still under investigation, adding that the government had condemned the violence that had taken place in the…

A THRUMMING reverberates over Durban. Is it a return of the looters for second helpings? No, it’s the erstwhile damsels of the Street Shelter for the Over-Forties strumming at their knickers from home, practising in anticipation of a rugby result tomorrow that would prompt a fashioning of catapults from their knickers for the time-honoured celebratory feu de joie in which the street lights are shot out. There could, of course, be two such feux de joie – the first if the Sharks defeat Free State up in Bloemfontein and the main one if the Boks beat the British and Irish Lions in Cape Town. But we live in the era of PLL – Prohibition, Lockdown and Looting. The looters are not expected to give any trouble. But Prohibition means the…

COLIN BURGER | Assagay Please can the president take the time and trouble to explain to the public why he appoints people as ministers to his Cabinet who are an embarrassment to him and the country? There are many such appointed ministers but the Minister of Defence, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, is the latest one to reveal that she is out of her depth and incompetent. Cyril Ramaphosa is an extremely well-educated man in politics and economics and it must pain him to watch his ministers make fools of themselves in front of the international media. We understand that these appointments are made to appease loyal ANC supporters, but he is causing his party and the government continuous grievous harm by doing so. The voters are not stupid and…

THYAGARAJ MARKANDAN | Kloof IT WOULD be unfair to blame Jacob Zuma entirely for the turmoil that engulfed the nation. But one cannot deny it that he was the spark that set the country alight. It was winter and the country was tinder dry. All he had to do was watch from his prison cell the fire raging out of control. Wave after wave like a powerful tsunami they surged into the malls, looting and vandalising everything before them. Not one, two or 10 but 161 malls, 11 warehouses, and eight factories were looted and vandalised. You could hardly believe your eyes at the apocalyptic scenes of looting and destruction. No business in the malls escaped looting and destruction. How do you explain the attack on 81 optometrists?…

Nonhlanhla Nozizwe Hlatshwayo nozizwe.hlatshwayo@inl.co.za Durban informal traders said last week’s looting and unrest had made difficult trading conditions even worse. January Thala, an informal trader who has a stall outside the Durban Station, said most of his stock was burnt last week. “I have a shop at home that my mom manages, and I sell here in town. Most of my stock stays at home and that shop was burnt to ashes last week.” Thala said the little stock he had left was what he had stored at a taxi rank in the CBD, and which had fortunately not been looted. “My items were some of the few that were not looted, I wouldn’t have been left with anything if these items had been looted,” he said. He said business…

A THIRTY-one-year-old Eastern Cape man has been arrested and charged with possession of unprocessed tobacco and bribery. The arrest came after an unlicensed tobacco haul was seized by customs officials at the Beit Bridge border with Zimbabwe. Police said the cargo was headed for East London. Police spokesperson Tembinkosi Kinana said Customs officials and Cambridge Rural Safety Police members converged on a warehouse and confiscated 1 279 boxes of raw and cut tobacco weighing 200kg, with an estmated value of R10 million. Kinana said the owner of the tobacco was placed under arrest for possession and illegal activities conducted inside the warehouse. | African News Agency (ANA)…

THE wheels of justice may turn very slowly, but eventually there is a reckoning, even if many of the perpetrators of apartheid-era crimes have passed on. What is groundbreaking in the court papers that were filed in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria this week by the relatives of the Cradock Four, is that 12 of the 16 respondents are senior apartheid generals, heads of the security branch and members of the Cabinet. While the application is seeking relief from the National Director of Public Prosecutions, the SAPS commissioner and ministers of justice and police (in that it compels the NDPP to make a prosecutorial decision), it lists some of the apartheid regime’s top brass as potential suspects. It has been more than 35 years since the Cradock Four…

AS the country rises from the ashes of wanton destruction, widespread looting and the Covid-19 pandemic, a team of 185 athletes will be flying the South African flag on the world’s premier sports stage in Tokyo, Japan. Natural circumstances have never delayed the start of the Olympics. In the case of Tokyo, the Games were delayed for a year as the world navigated its way through a devastating pandemic, which has already claimed the lives of millions of people around the globe. At today’s opening ceremony, South African flag bearers, swimmer Chad le Clos and women’s hockey goalkeeper Phumelela Mbande, will lead Team SA into battle at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games. For athletes and supporting staff, it will be a celebration of four years of hard work in one…

Only about 950 people, including officials and reporters, will be allowed to watch today’s opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics in the main stadium due to Covid-19 cases, the organising committee said yesterday. Hidemasa Nakamura, the chief of the Tokyo 2020 main operation centre, said that others allowed into the stadium were performers and athletes participating in the event. The Tokyo 2020 organising committee also reported 12 new positive Covid-19 cases related to the Olympics yesterday, with two infected foreign athletes in the athletes village. A total of 87 people associated with the Olympics have so far tested positive for the virus in Tokyo since July 1. In terms of new infections, Nakamura noted it would be “extremely difficult” to get rid of the virus completely, but that they were…

ISLAMABAD: At least 14 people have died, while 26 others were injured as a result of heavy rains in the north-western Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said on yesterday. The heavy downpour has killed four men, two women and eight children since Monday. The rainstorm have also partially damaged or destroyed at least 25 houses. The PDMA has ordered local authorities to step up their assistance for victims, according to the Pakistani ARY broadcaster. The national meteorologist services warn that the rains could cause floods and landslides.…

Pyongyang: The capital city sweltered as state media issued warnings about a heatwave across North Korea. This summer the country has recorded higher-than-average temperatures that are hovering around 35ºC in the capital. Residents strolling Pyongyang’s main streets beat the heat with umbrellas and hand-held fans. Some cooled off by eating a bowl of shaved ice with sweet toppings, a traditional summer dessert. Despite the sizzling climate, everyone sweated it out in masks to prevent the spread of Covid-19.…

SO much for creative new kit designs season in and season out. Orlando Pirates have failed to take inspiration from that and get back to the pinnacle of African football, having last won the continental crown in 1995. But that promises to change in the next few seasons. Pirates are determined to end Mamelodi Sundowns’ dominance locally, and are eager to emulate arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs by reaching the CAF Champions League final. Chiefs reached their first Champions League final last term where they lost to Al Ahly. It’s been eight years since Pirates played in the Champions League final. That was their second finals appearance after winning the 1995 edition. “With the new jersey, especially the away jersey with the mint colour, it brings freshness,” defender Thulani Hlatshwayo…

NGK referred to Competition Tribunal on price-fixing allegations EDWARD WEST edward.west@inl.co.za The COMPETITION Commission has referred leading spark plug maker, NGK Spark Plug Company and its South African subsidiary, to the Competition Tribunal for price fixing, market division and collusive tendering. The commission said yesterday that it was seeking an order from the tribunal to levy an administrative penalty equivalent to 10 percent of the annual turnover of either NGK, or its local subsidiary NGK SA. NGK is a global player in the market for the manufacture and supply of spark plugs to vehicle manufacturers. The commission investigated the company as part of its probe into 63 automotive components manu- facturers, which are alleged to have colluded in 310 separate instances involving 92 automotive components. The commission’s investigation…

Loyiso Sidimba loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za PUBLIC Service and Administration Minister Senzo Mchunu has warned that the government would have to borrow over R70 billion to comply with the agreement to increase public servants' salaries it failed to honour last year. Mchunu filed his written submissions ahead of next month’s Constitutional Court battle between unions representing state employees and the government over the failure to increase their salaries in 2020. The agreement reached at the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) in 2018 would have seen salaries increase by between 4.4% and 5.4% agreed with effect from April 1, 2020. ”If enforcement of clause 3.3 (of the agreement) was ordered, the government would have to borrow in excess of R70bn, just to pay R37.8bn in the 2020/21 period. It would then have to…

TONY BALL | Gillitts I AM finding it very difficult to raise any sympathy for those citizens left desolate by the looting and destruction. I live in an area where I must be constantly vigilant of little furry creatures that love looting my kitchen for something to eat. At times I have left a door or window open and they strike with impunity. But to date they have never set fire to the premises, stolen obscure medicines that are of no use, stolen shelving and other items that cannot be eaten, but they take what they can eat and leave the balance which is then taken by other members of the troop. I have seen reports that tell of people saying they are sick of poverty, but sadly…

EBRAHIM ESSA | Durban THE Mongols run amok during ancient days just because it suddenly dawns on them that there are just too many of them trying to eke a living out of a parched desert. So they, in frustration, adopt a whole lot of horses, saddle up and go on a scorched-earth rampage. They destroy everything in their path for no other reason but to loot and burn, to give vent to their imprisoned feelings. They take revenge on the earth itself. India’s right-wingers avenge themselves on others, using the invasion of the Moghuls as a reason. “Contaminated our culture, our beliefs. Forced conversions. Married our women. They must now go.” The brute, Marcus Brutus, helps murder Julius Caesar. This is followed by loyal supporters of…

Wally Funk became the oldest person to reach space on Tuesday – 60 years after first undergoing astronaut training. Funk was one of the so-called Mercury 13 group of women who trained to become Nasa astronauts in the 1960s but was passed over because of her gender. On Tuesday, at the age of 82, she was one of Jeff Bezos’s three co-passengers aboard his company Blue Origin’s New Shepard launch vehicle to take a historic suborbital flight. “I’ve been waiting a long time,” Funk said afterward. “I want to go again – fast.” “Best day ever,” Bezos, said after his capsule descended with three large parachutes and touched down, kicking up a cloud of dust. The 57-year-old US billionaire, donning a blue flight suit and cowboy hat, took a trip…

THE country’s education unions are expecting to soon get more details from the Department of Basic Education (DBE) on the proposed 2023 school calendar. The DBE drafted two calendars that have different reopening and closing dates for inland and coastal schools. If approved, the 2023 academic year commences on January 11 and runs to March 24 for inland schools while coastal schools start on the 18th and close on March 31. Pupils would have 199 school days while teachers would have a total of 203. The SA Democratic Teachers Union’s general secretary Mugwena Maluleke said the calendar proposal portrayed predictions of schools going back to normality. “Having two types of calendars was the norm pre-Covid. We will make our submissions as the unions to the department after going through the…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za MOOI RIVER’S mayor has blamed political tensions and jostling for councillor positions in his area for a high-speed car accident in which a municipal vehicle was damaged. On Sunday, a car assigned to mayor Xolani Duma as a back-up vehicle crashed at high speed into a cemetery palisade fence in Mooi River. The accident happened at about 11pm. Some opposition parties claimed yesterday that the car crashed after a joyride. But Duma, who was not in the car at the time of the accident, said the vehicle was rushing to his aid after it had been summoned because of potential threats to his life. DA councillor in the municipality Nhlalayenza Ndlovu said the party had written to municipal manager Hlulukwenza Dladla to request a full investigation into…

THE Rainbow Nation is well past its expiry date. Recent weeks have seen lightning bolts of protest and storms of smash-and-grab take the shine right out of the Rainbow. This political turbulence was inevitable. A storm has been brewing since 1994 when the very first winds of reconciliation-without-justice blew in empty puffs of fake hope for black South Africans. Promises of a better life for black people, once the proud rally cry of the ANC, is no longer part of the governing party’s vocabulary. The material conditions of ordinary black South Africans remain dire. Each new dawn is a dark day. In my recently published book, No White Lies: Black Politics and White Power in South Africa, I write how in present-day South Africa, white supremacy is sovereign, while black…

LONDON: Britain’s supermarkets, wholesalers and hauliers were yesterday struggling to ensure stable food and fuel supplies after an official health app told hundreds of thousands of workers to isolate after contact with someone with Covid-19. Coronavirus cases in Britain have been broadly rising for a month, with over 44 000 recorded on Wednesday. British newspapers carried front-page pictures of empty shelves in supermarkets. Reuters reporters said food items were widely available in London shops although there were some shortages of bottled water, soft drinks, and salad and meat products. “We’re very concerned about the situation,” Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said when asked about reports of empty supermarket shelves in some areas. “We’re monitoring the situation.” Britain’s second-largest supermarket group Sainsbury’s said customers would generally be able to find the products…

LOS ANGELES: Harvey Weinstein, 69, made his California, courtroom debut this week and pleaded not guilty to four counts of both forcible rape and forcible oral copulation, as well as two counts of sexual battery via restraint and a single count of sexual penetration by use of force. The former Hollywood producer, who appeared in a wheelchair, remained relatively silent during his LA court appearance, except to thank the judge for his well-wishes. The 69-year-old is presently serving a 23-year prison sentence handed down by a New York court in February 2020.…

ANTANANARIVO: Madagascan police arrested six people on suspicion of plotting to kill the president, after months of investigation, officials said. Andry Rajoelina was sworn in as president of the Indian Ocean island country in 2019 after a hard-fought election and a constitutional court challenge from his rival. “According to the evidence in our possession, these individuals had devised a plan for the elimination and neutralisation of a number of people including the head of state,” the attorney-general said. It added that investigations were under way and further details could not be disclosed. The arrests were made on Tuesday.…

SPRINGBOK forward Rynhardt Elstadt says the fact that some of the players in the group have played rugby in Europe will be a big advantage for the hosts during the Test Series against the British & Irish Lions. The Springboks will take on Warren Gatland’s team in the first of the three Cape Town Tests tomorrow (kick-off 6pm). Elstadt has been with Toulouse since 2017, while the likes of Damian de Allende (Munster), Cheslin Kolbe (Toulouse), Eben Etzebeth (Toulon), Faf de Klerk (Sale Sharks) and Handre Pollard (Montpellier) are also on the books of European clubs. And it’s a factor that has certainly been beneficial to the Boks during their disrupted preparation for the series, Elstadt said. “I think my experience in Europe makes a big difference. We…

IT would be a brave call to decree who will leave Cape Town victorious on Saturday night , such is the uncertainty surrounding the first Test between the Springboks and British and Irish Lions. There are still many unanswered questions surrounding both match-day squads. Will the Boks be undercooked? Have they had enough time, Covid-19 and all, to prepare and be match-ready? Will the returning players - captain Siya Kolisi, Handre Pollard and Makazole Mampimpi - make the desired impact; and is that front-row honestly the best trio to start with? For the Lions, an equal measure of uncertainty abounds. We’ve seen much more of them in the past weeks than the Boks, and yet many are still unsure that the match-day 23 selected for the opening Test is indeed…