Tabla de contenidos para 2022-05-24 en Mercury

THE bloc of smaller parties supporting the ANC in its governance of the eThekwini Municipality has dismissed concerns that its coalition with the party is on the brink of collapse. In an interview with The Mercury, the recently elected whip of the bloc, Muzi Hlengwa, said the coalition with the ANC was stable and the party had delivered on most of the promises it made to the bloc. Hlengwa is the leader of the African People First party. Several small parties are in a coalition government with the ANC and provide it with the 17 votes it needs to govern the only metro in the province. Several things have happened since the council was established, leading to concerns that the coalition was no longer stable. First, the president of the…

FORMER KwaZulu-Natal ANC chairperson Dr Zweli Mkhize’s bid for the ruling party’s presidency is gaining momentum with several branches in the Moses Mabhida Region raising his name as their preferred candidate for party president. Following the conclusion of regional conferences, with the Inkosi Bhambatha Region elective conference concluding on Sunday, focus has shifted to the provincial conference, set for July. ANC KZN spokesperson Nhlakanipho Ntombela said branches were allowed to start discussing the names of their preferred candidates, but stressed this was for provincial leadership at this stage. “The process is that everything starts at a branch, then moves to region, province and then national,” Ntombela insisted. While the province has issued this guideline, this has not stopped branches from discussing the national leadership contest. Several branches in the Moses…

MONKEY-pox is starting to spread in Old Blighty. Given the extraordinary machinations around the impending report by official investigator Sue Gray into “Partygate”; the governmental lacuna in Northern Ireland; and the Brits’ apparent intention to ditch its “Northern Ireland Protocol” agreement with the EU, monkey-pox precautions are no doubt being followed in Downing Street. That flagpole INVESTMENT analyst Dr James Greener reflects in his latest grumpy newsletter on the giant flagpole issue. “Fortunately, it seems as if the cockamamie idea to erect a gigantic flagpole (with a flag to match) has been shelved. The only public reason offered by Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa for this project is that it will ‘memorialise our democracy’, whatever that might mean. “The idly cynical among us think that R22 million might…

IT WAS a cold, wet and miserable weekend and there was nothing warm and cheerful on national television but the sight of cold and doleful death. And it went on for several hours on Sunday like a sermon. Why, I wondered. Didn’t the television channels have anything more interesting to show viewers than the long funeral service of former Johannesburg mayor Mpho Moerane who had died after a car accident? Were they bought off by the ANC to become its mouthpiece? About 40 people die daily on our roads. But their deaths go silently, unnoticed. But the former Johannesburg mayor who served only for a short spell in 2021 gets national coverage. They prayed, sang and danced. They marched and saluted the fallen comrade. Speaker after speaker took to the…

HAVING visited this hospital (King Edward VIII Hospital) many times in the past six months, I am amazed that some bodies want to rename it. Why am I amazed? The premises haven’t been maintained for what appears to be well over 10 years, which leaves one with the impression that the authorities concerned haven’t worried for all this time, over the shoddier and shoddier appearance of a major hospital in the city. Instead of changing the hospital’s name first, which costs quite a bit to do, can the KwaZulu-Natal government not renovate it to acceptable standards, then have the name change? Also, its priorities are wrong, especially since the province, Durban and the coast are reeling after two devastating floods, costing all of us up to R3 billion or more.…

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) says it seems the secret of producing the best matric results in maths in provinces such as the Western Cape, Gauteng and the Free State, was to encourage very few pupils to take the subject. This as maths participation in Grade 12 nationally has been declining – from 2018 to 2021, the number of pupils taking the subject dropped from 45.6% to 36.8%. The DBE revealed this during a briefing to the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education about their plans to improve performance and participation in maths, science and technology (MST) subjects. “About 36.8% of learners are doing maths and the rest, 63%, are choosing maths literacy, which is not going to assist us to grow our economy. This is a challenge that we…

The R1 billion for flood relief measures would be provided once infrastructure departments in KwaZulu-Natal have used the funds in their budgets after reprioritisation, says Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele. He said that when the disaster struck, the National Treasury had given an assurance that R1bn was available in contingency reserves and would be made available after the province had exhausted its funds. The issue of R1bn was raised in the meeting of the ad hoc committee on the KZN floods yesterday when Gungubele and officials in his department briefed members of the committee. Members of the committee said the government was not clear about where and how the money would be used in relief measures. Gungubele said the R1bn was in contingency reserves. He explained that departments would…

HOW we measure the performance of, and offload, state-owned entities (SOEs) needs careful consideration. We need a clear government policy on which of these entities we need, and how we offload the entities that do not meet the government’s strategic objectives. However, it is essential that when reviewing their existence, we mustn’t only consider a profit motive but also take note that these SOEs provide the necessary infrastructure for the economic development of a country. Currently, many of our state-owned entities are in a weak financial position. This is the result of several reasons, leading to the dysfunctional provision of services to the general public. One example is the continued load shedding by our electricity supplier and non-payment of salaries. The other contentious SOE issue is the sale of SAA…

KYIV: A Ukrainian court sentenced a Russian soldier to life in prison yesterday for killing an unarmed civilian in the first war crimes trial arising from Russia’s invasion. Vadim Shishimarin, a 21-year-old tank commander, had pleaded guilty to killing 62-year-old Oleksandr Shelipov in the north-eastern Ukrainian village of Chupakhivka in February. Shishimarin’s lawyer, Viktor Ovsyannikov, said he would launch a legal appeal. Judge Serhiy Agafonov said Shishimarin, carrying out a “criminal order” by a soldier of higher rank, had fired several shots at the victim’s head from an automatic weapon. Kyiv said it had identified more than 10 000 possible war crimes.. | Reuters…

DRUGMAKERS Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE said yesterday that three doses of their Covid-19 vaccine generated a strong immune response in children under the age of 5 in their clinical trial. The companies said the vaccine was safe and well-tolerated by the children, and they plan to soon ask global regulators to authorise the shot for the age group, children for whom no vaccine is currently approved in most of the world. They expect to complete their submission of data to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week, they said. Pfizer and BioNTech said three shots of a 3 microgram formulation of their vaccine generated a similar immune response in children aged six months to under 5 years of age as in 16-25 year olds who…

THE Proteas’ Women’s team will get a glimpse into the future on their upcoming Tour of Ireland. It will be the first time the Proteas will be in action since their World Cup semi-final defeat to England at Hagley Oval on March 31. With the next World Cup cycle now starting, selection chief Clinton du Preez and coach Hilton Moreeng have already cast their eye towards the 2025 edition. Five members of the 15-player World Cup squad will not travel to Ireland, with wicket-keeper batter Sinalo Jafta, all-rounder Marizanne Kapp and 2021’s ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year Lizelle Lee, all ruled out as they recover from respiratory illness. Experienced seamer Masabata Klaas is also ruled out due to a right shoulder injury, while Mignon du Preez, of course,…

The State Security Agency (SSA) has been sharply criticised for censorship and intimidation after the agency dragged Independent Media to court in an attempt to block it from publishing details of an intelligence report. In December 2021, the SSA went to court and obtained an interim interdict against Independent Media, the Daily News and journalist Thabo Makwakwa, to stop the publishing of the leaked intelligence report. The report was allegedly compiled by the US’s Central Intelligence Agency. Yesterday, civil society, analysts and various political parties raised concern about what they described as the suppression of media freedom and heightened censorship by the South African government. The case against Independent Media comes as media freedom all over the world faces a downward spiral as a result of the suppression of press…

Prince William’s 40th birthday will be marked with a commemorative coin. The Duke of Cambridge will celebrate the milestone on June 21 and in honour of the occasion, the Royal Mint are issuing a £5 gold coin featuring him, the first time he will appear alone on an official UK coin. The depiction of William on the coin has been crafted by engraver Thomas T Docherty, who said the coin’s design “strikes a balance between the fresh energy of His Royal Highness being a young dad with the ceremonial nature of his royal position”. He added: “A three-quarter angle of the portrait creates a more dynamic portrait rather than a traditional side-on profile. I used certain clay sculpting techniques on a digital platform to achieve the style needed for the…

The English Premier League not only provides thrills, moments of sadness and despondency in an afternoon of entertainment, but also conveys significant lessons in life, combining learning with fun. While the primary purpose is entertainment, building fan support and loyalty throughout the world, the game is also a “playground” for an array of lessons that are significant to one’s career. The game on Sunday between Manchester City and Aston Villa was vital in determining the winner of the League. For nearly 75 minutes of the game, the fans and the manager of Manchester City were very subdued, caught in an emotional trap with the side two goals down. The emotions displayed a sense of loss, yet hope for a dramatic turnaround. Aston Villa were enjoying the success of the team…

With more than 140 cases of monkeypox reported globally, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has confirmed that there are no known cases in South Africa, however, the risk of the virus entering the country’s borders is a reality. NICD executive director Professor Adrian Puren said travellers entering South Africa should report any illness during travel or upon return from an endemic area, to a health-care professional. “The implications for South Africa are that the risk of importation of monkeypox is a reality as lessons learnt from Covid-19 have illustrated that outbreaks in another part of the world can fast become a global concern,” he said. On May 13, the World Health Organization (WHO) was notified of two laboratory-confirmed cases and one probable case of monkeypox in the UK.…

​Babalo Ndwayana’s right to dignity in what is meant to be a safe space in his university residence was blatantly violated by a racist and unforgivable incident at Stellenbosch University​ (SU)​. The university is also investigating another incident that took place two days prior at the Law Dance. However, there is video footage of a white student urinating on Ndwayana’s property, and while this ​shortened the period of investigation, the facts speak for themselves, and the crucial question remains: Why would anyone commit such a vile and deplorable act? This is not the first time the university has been embroiled in a scandal. In May 2019, the university had to do damage control after a report​ titled “Age and education-related effects on cognitive functioning in coloured South African women” was…

NO ONE who stood in one of the long snaking queues outside polling stations on April 27, 1994, will ever forget the day of South Africa’s first democratic election. The palpable excitement, the joyous faces, and the hope for a better future were shared by millions of South Africans across the apartheid-imposed lines. Standing there together for the first time, the segregation into colour-marked boxes seemed to have collapsed like a house of cards. The world observed the event with great anticipation, but also with a large dose of scepticism. Given the history of protracted conflict, racial, ethnic and cultural diversity, along with glaring economic inequalities, many did not believe that a multiracial democracy would successfully take root in South Africa. Africa Day, celebrated annually on May 25, seems…

NEW YORK: The global job market is at risk of doing a U-turn on its path towards recovering to pre-Covid-19 levels as lockdowns in China and the war in Ukraine weigh on economies, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said in a report yesterday. The UN agency estimated that there was the equivalent of 112 million fewer full-time jobs in the first quarter of 2022 compared with pre-Covid levels, and there was a growing but uncertain risk that the amount of hours worked would continue to decline over 2022. China accounted for 86% of the dip in working hours due to containment measures to stop the spread of Covid-19. | Reuters…

MALI had been able to establish independent aerial combat capacity and start a counter-offensive against terrorists thanks to security co-operation with Russia and the import of Russian military equipment, Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop said. “Our co-operation with Russia is already yielding impressive good results. Today, thanks to Russian help, Mali can independently conduct reconnaissance, as well as attack from the air. The military operations under way are fully co-ordinated by the Malian armed forces,” Diop said. The bilateral military-technical co-operation has continued for years and was renewed in 2019 in an agreement under which Mali purchases military equipment, aircraft, weapons and other equipment from Russia, as well as technical support and expertise. Import of weapons from Russia has enabled Mali to change its defence strategy and launch counter-offensives against…

Telesurgery, where, for example, surgeons in urban areas remotely perform surgery on patients in rural areas, is heading towards practical use in Japan. Behind this is the further advancement of telecoms technology, which has made it safer to manipulate surgical robots from a distance. The innovative medical procedure is promising for rural residents because it will allow advanced surgeries to be performed even in areas with few surgeons. There remain, however, issues on ensuring patients’ safety, so the Japan Surgical Society aims to publish guidelines for performing telesurgery by the end of this year. Last year, Kyushu University conducted a test to control a medical robot remotely by connecting with Hokkaido University and Sapporo Medical University. Hirosaki University in Aomori Prefecture is also engaged in similar tests for telesurgery. Universities…

Self-advocacy, speaking up for oneself, deciding it is not always in our best interest to “go with the flow” or allow others to lead can begin with very small steps. It is an art, self-advocacy is an art. It can be learnt, and above all, it is crucial to improving mental health and day-to-day functioning. The rewarding, and often amazing thing, self-advocacy has almost immediate and positive returns for the person who makes the decision to develop his or her firm and clear voice. There will be resistance from those who have benefited from your former lack of resistance. There will be resistance from those who are accustomed to calling the shots in your life. There will be resistance from those who rely on your lack of expressing your preferences…

AS IF the torrential rains affecting coastal KwaZulu-Natal (and elsewhere) haven’t been enough for the authorities to manage, the traffic police on the infamous N3 have also had their hands full – there was absolute mayhem on the route, in both directions, between Hilton and Hillcrest over the weekend. And the cause: yes, heavy haulers, juggernauts, superlink trucks, call them what you will! But who’s to blame? The drivers of the multi-axle machines, of course, everyone agrees. But wait, equally at fault are the “traffic police” themselves, because of the very fact that not one of them appears to have the faintest idea on Earth how to “police” traffic! I spend an awful lot of time on the N3 (and in particular its hot spots of Town Hill in Pietermaritzburg…

I could not agree more with Malcolm Mitchell’s latest letter to The Mercury (May 23). It would be nonsensical for our politicians, and others, not to see the logic of this retired professional engineer’s assertions. The state of Eskom and our provincial roads are living proof of the disastrous state of affairs this country finds itself in thanks to cadre deployment and unbridled corruption in the case of Eskom. It is encouraging to read about Minister Pravin Gordhan’s intentions to bring in qualified, experienced “veteran” electrical engineers to rectify Eskom’s decades of deterioration. I really hope they are both able and willing to come to the rescue of this country’s most vital industry. The same philosophy needs to be applied to our failing road infrastructure. On the front page of…

A MAN, 40, was sentenced to 30 years in prison by the Pietermaritzburg High Court after he pleaded guilty to housebreaking, robbery and rape. Shadrack Sandile Mzikathole was sentenced last Thursday. National Prosecuting Authority provincial spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said Mzikathole raped four women and robbed them of their cellphones, clothes and money. The offences were committed between 2012 and 2015. Mzikathole broke into their homes in the areas of Maluti and Matatiele in the Eastern Cape. The four victims were left traumatised, with one having her personal relationship affected. “He was arrested after police followed up on leads from informers.” Though he was sentenced to 70 years collectively, he will serve 30 years because some sentences were ordered to run concurrently. The court further ordered he would only be eligible…

SOCIAL Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu has made a startling revelation that the CEO of the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) Totsie Memela is without a security clearance certificate, three years into her appointment. This apparently also applies to others in Memela’s office. Memela and her staff only submitted their vetting forms for top secret security clearance certificates between 2020 and May this year. At least one official will have to undergo vetting afresh after waiting for five years for the results by the State Security Agency. This emerged after DA MP Bridget Masango wrote to Zulu enquiring whether all staff members at the office of Memela and her office security were vetted. In her reply, Zulu confirmed that Memela and staff in her office were without security clearance certificates. They…

THE KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education (DoE) says it has dispatched a delegation of senior authorities to assess the extent of damage to schools due to the weekend’s heavy rains. The department is already dealing with 630 schools that have experienced some form of damage due to the floods in April. The department said that the inspection team would be led by the head of department, Nkosinathi Ngcobo. “This comes barely a month after the previous devastating floods struck KwaZulu-Natal, and left more than 500 schools badly affected in April. “The DoE is working around the clock to ensure all schools return to normality after the floods devastated parts of the province and deprived schools access to basic education.” Education MEC Kwazi Mshengu said in his Education Budget Policy Statement…

WHAT happened to the parastatals which were once so well run in the period before 1994? We had a well-oiled Post Office, electricity and water supply, transport services and harbours … the list goes on. Yes, we can blame it on apartheid if we claim that these services only benefited a few. I understand that the old SATS&H created employment for “poor whites”, and so did post offices and the like. It shows that the white government at the time provided for its people – likewise housing, schools, etc. Not to mention what was once the “flying Springbok” in the air is now a lame duck. Since the advent of democracy, what has the new governing party done? It’s 28 years and the majority of us black people have…

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took the oath of office yesterday and flew to a Tokyo summit with a “message to the world” that his country is ready to engage on climate change. The 59-year-old centre-left Labor Party leader was sworn in during a brief televised ceremony at Government House in Canberra. In a hurried post-election schedule, he flew out of the country shortly afterwards to join a Tokyo summit with the US, Japanese and Indian leaders, known as the Quad. Albanese said he would meet one-on-one with each leader in Japan. But he singled out the US as Australia’s “most important partner” and noted that President Joe Biden called him the previous evening for a “fruitful” conversation. The Tokyo talks will be “a good way to send a message…

NEW YORK: New York Mayor Eric Adams has declared a state of emergency due to the shortage of infant formula, seeking to curb price manipulation after the largest manufacturer cut supply. Shortages of infant formula across the US emerged after Abbott’s plant in Michigan closed down over bacterial contamination in February. It supplied about one-quarter of the entire US demand in baby formula. Adams said the emergency order will allow a “crackdown on retailers capitalising on this crisis by jacking up prices”. The Biden administration has invoked the Defense Production Act to boost production of infant formula and to use US military cargo airplanes to expedite imports. | Sputnik…