Tabla de contenidos para 2024-01-04 en Mercury

The local food and wine industry is mourning the death of Michael Olivier, one of South Africa’s greatest wine and food commentators, who died last Friday evening. Olivier was also a well-known South African restaurateur and author. “It is with great sadness that we announce the gentle passing of our beloved Michael Olivier on the evening of Friday, 29th December. We thank you all for your support during this impossible time. May his soul rest in peace,” the family said in an Instagram post. His website reads: “As a young aspiring chef, Michael laid a solid foundation for his career at the Cordon Bleu Cooking School in London. “Over the next 30 years, he had a series of high-profile hospitality management posts, was the public relations manager for Boschendal, and…

A dress worn by the late Princess Diana has sold for more than £900 000 (about R21.5 million). The record-breaking sale by Julien’s Auctions saw the starry black and blue Jacques Azagury gown with a ballerina- style skirt fetch the most an item worn by the late royal as ever sold, with a final bid of $1 148 080. The gown, which was only expected to fetch around $100 000, was worn by Diana on her and the then-Prince Charles’ 1985 royal tour and to a concert by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in 1986. The sale also included a blouse that was valued at $80 000 to $100000 go for $300 000. The pleated shirt with a ribbon around the collar was designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel –…

SOUTH African football fans are in danger of missing out on Bafana Bafana’s 2023 Africa Cup of Nations campaign after MultiChoice announced yesterday that it would not be broadcasting the tournament, which starts next weekend. With the African showpiece set to take centre stage in Ivory Coast, MultiChoice released a statement confirming that SuperSport would not televise the tournament on South African screens after a failure to secure the broadcast rights. “SuperSport Channel will not broadcast the Africa Cup of Nations 2023 scheduled for January 13 to February 11 because the channel has not secured the rights to broadcast the tournament,” the statement read. “However, Afcon 2023 games will be available through our partner broadcast stations on Free to Air (FTA) channels. “MultiChoice Africa remains committed to ensuring that football…

HOO Boy! Hier kom ’n ding? Maine’s top election official has disqualified Donald Trump from the state ballot in next year’s US presidential primary election, making it the second state to bar the former president because of the Capitol riots of January 2021. Secretary of state Shenna Bellows has ruled that Trump incited an insurrection when he spread false claims about voter fraud in the 2020 election and then urged his supporters to march on the Capitol on January 6, according to Sky News. “I do not reach this conclusion lightly,” Bellows wrote in her 34-page decision, which follows Colorado’s banning of the former president earlier in December. “I am mindful that no secretary of state has ever deprived a presidential candidate of ballot access based on Section 3 of…

Eskom believes that a landmark ruling by the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, compelling it, along with Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, to try its level best to exempt key institutions from load shedding tramples on the separation of powers. The December 1 order directed Ramokgopa, along with other state bodies, to take reasonable steps to exempt all public health institutions, including hospitals and clinics, public schools and police stations, including satellite stations, from the impacts of load shedding by the end of January. In reaction to the ruling, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the outcome was a confirmation of the government’s programme. “We want our schools and hospitals to have the requisite amount of energy. “We did say in the court papers that while that is our strategic objective, the issue of…

Malaysia has become the first country to endorse South Africa’s application to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). This comes after South Africa applied to the ICJ to get the court in The Hague to hear its case against the State of Israel. In its application to the ICJ, South Africa says Israel’s war on Palestine has become “genocidal” and turned into “crimes against humanity”. The SA Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco) said the case would be heard on January 11, by the International Criminal Court (ICC), with the State of Israel confirming that it would oppose the application. Independent Media has reported that South Africa’s decision to approach the ICJ over Israel’s military and humanitarian violations in the Gaza Strip has made international headlines after SA became…

The rain that soaked most parts of the country in the past few weeks has seen a much-needed uptick in national water levels. This is according to the state of reservoirs report issued by the Department of Water and Sanitation. The water stored in the country’s reservoirs increased to 89.8% this week, from last week’s 86.2%, it said. But this was down from 94.3% recorded during the same period last year. It said most of the provinces had an increase in water volumes this week, with the exception of Gauteng and the Western Cape, which had a decline of 0.4% and 1.2% respectively. Despite downpours in Gauteng, the province’s water levels decreased to 85.9% this week, from 86.3% last week. This is a significant drop compared with the same period…

THE National Department of Health said the outbreak of cholera in neighbouring countries has led to the government intensifying screening efforts at South Africa’s borders. One of the countries facing a cholera outbreak is Zimbabwe, which declared a state of emergency in November due to the rising number of cases. Health spokesperson Foster Mohale said the department is working together with the Border Management Authority, among other stakeholders, in an effort to prevent the spread of cholera into the country. “We have intensified health screening services and health education at the land ports of entry to mitigate against the cross border transmission of the disease,” he said. The department urged all travellers returning from cholera-endemic areas, including Zimbabwe, to be vigilant of cholera symptoms and co-operate with health officials,…

FRUSTRATED unemployed teachers in KwaZulu-Natal have called for help from the newly formed political party led by former president Jacob Zuma as they struggle to find jobs. The group, calling itself Unemployed Educators, said they had requested a meeting with the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party in the hope that Zuma could use his influence to address their plight. According to the general secretary of the Unemployed Educators, Sboniso Dumakude, the two organisations met just after 5pm yesterday afternoon. The meeting had originally been scheduled to start at 10am. “We asked for the meeting because MK might have the legal resources that unemployed educators do not. We wanted to speak to the former president because we know he might still have influence with the department. We know things were tough under…

If it is to neutralise the main rebel groups, much-needed funds and an overhaul are required The security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has deteriorated in recent months, and criticism has been raised against the UN force, Monusco, which was due to start its drawdown shortly after the national elections on December 20. There was also increased frustration with the East African Community Regional Force because of its lack of positive impact on the security situation in the eastern DRC. In addition, there was competition between the East African Community and Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states for future influence in the DRC. The DRC became a member of the East Africa Community in 2022 and has historical trade relations with east Africa. The SADC mission…

US President Joe Biden’s administration said this week that it would reopen several southern border crossings this week that have been closed as a result of the record number of migrants arriving in the US. Officials said tighter enforcement by Mexico and a holiday lull led to lower numbers of illegal entries, after weeks of acute strains. The announcement came ahead of a visit to the southern border by dozens of House Republicans led by Speaker Mike Johnson. The group were to visit Eagle Pass, Texas, where large crowds of migrants waded across the Rio Grande last month, spending chilly nights in an outdoor holding area set up by overstretched Border Patrol agents. US agents recorded nearly 250 000 illegal crossings along the southern border in December, the highest…

A 62-year-old Australian woman can harvest her dead husband’s sperm, after convincing a judge the pair were considering having a baby before he died. The couple started thinking about another child after their son, 31, was killed in a car accident in 2019. Six years earlier, their daughter, 29, had drowned during a fishing trip. Spurred by these traumatic events, the couple started investigating whether the sperm of the husband, 61, could be used to impregnate a surrogate. After he died on December 17, his wife asked the hospital morgue to collect and store his sperm. But the hospital dragged its feet, forcing the urgent court bid. Researchers say reproductive tissue should ideally be collected within two days after death. Judge Fiona Seaward agreed the sperm could be harvested but…

Tokyo: Japanese transport authorities yesterday started a probe into the cause of a collision between a Coast Guard aircraft and a Japan Airlines (JAL) passenger plane at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport the previous day, which led to more than 300 flight cancellations. The Japan Transport Safety Board said it had retrieved the flight and voice recorders of the Coast Guard aircraft and was still searching for those of the JAL plane. The plane’s crew said they proceeded with landing after confirming with air traffic control. The crash forced the airport to shut down all runways for hours, leading to cancellations of 226 flights, affecting more than 40 000 passengers. | AFP…

STOCKHOLM: Sweden faces a possible recession in 2024, especially after the central bank ended its 18-month run of interest rate hikes. Swedish insolvencies spiked by 29% in 2023, the highest since 1990s, after the property bubble burst. Credit rating firm UC said December saw a 23% year-on-year rise in bankruptcies, which could indicate deeper economic issues, especially against the backdrop of sustained high inflation and interest rates. Sweden’s central bank has ended its 18-month run of interest rate hikes. Sectors including construction, retail and the hospitality industry are seeing fewer new start-ups than at any time in the past decade. | Sputnik…

A Gauteng High Court, Pretoria ruling has paved the way for the South African Revenue Service to install CCTV monitoring equipment at licensed customs and excise warehouses operated by tobacco product manufacturers. The judgment handed down on December 29 was in response to two urgent applications brought by several tobacco product manufacturers led by the Fair-Trade Independent Tobacco Association (Fita). The court found that the interdict applications lacked urgency and struck them off the roll. In the applications, the applicants had sought to interdict Sars from implementing a rule that would allow it to install the CCTV equipment at the warehouses. The legality of the rule is being challenged in a review application which is pending before the court and the court in the interdict case found there were no…

It has been 11 weeks since the Hamas outrage against Israeli citizens which included the slaying of more than 1 000 Israelis and the simultaneous abduction of more than 200 of its citizens as hostages. Dreadful, horrible and, yes, outrageous acts that certainly demanded justice. But whether Benjamin Netanyahu and his settler government accept it or not, and they clearly don’t, the acts by Hamas “did not occur in a vacuum”, as the UN secretary-general observed. One man’s “terrorist” is another man’s “freedom fighter”. Post the unspeakable horrors of the Holocaust and since 1948 and the declaration of a Jewish state called Israel by Jewish migrants from the Diaspora, which culminated in the planting of the Star of David on the ancient lands of Palestine, blood has been shed.…

South Africans are encouraged to keep their wits about them when searching for travel packages and deals. Several cases of travel fraud have stood out as prime examples of how vulnerable South Africans can be caught in criminal activity. In a recent case, a woman now referred to as the “holiday swindler”, was alleged to have defrauded as many as 2 500 would-be travellers. Commenting on this Christo Snyman, CEO of forensic investigative services company CS Forensics, said that travel fraud can be notoriously insidious. Despite the elaborate nature of these scams and the well-crafted façades used to cover them up, the age-old saying is right, “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is”. “The holiday swindler’s company touted luxury getaways, complete with first-class air tickets…

MORE than 500 former City of Tshwane contract workers have vowed to approach the Labour Court seeking to review the latest SA Local Government Bargaining Council’s ruling that there was no basis to hire them permanently. Workers have been fighting to be reinstated with permanent positions since their 12-month contracts were terminated in October 2020, after they were employed at the metro in 2019. In a bid for permanent posts, workers have previously marched to Tshwane House and have also approached the Bargaining Council. At the council, they argued that they had been dismissed unfairly by the City. On February 28, 2022, the council ruled in their favour, ordering the City to take them back as permanent employees. Council commissioner Joseph Mphaphuli, at the time, ordered the municipality to pay…

A woman was shot dead in her home in Pinetown, in Durban yesterday morning, emergency services said. ALS Paramedics’ Garrith Jamieson said emergency teams were called following a shooting in Tyrone Road in Padfield Park in Pinetown. Jamieson said paramedics arrived on the scene to find SAPS and private security companies already in attendance at the home. “Paramedics were shown inside the house to where a female was found to have sustained multiple gunshot wounds,” Jamieson said. “Paramedics assessed the patient and unfortunately found that there was nothing they could do for the patient and she was declared deceased on the scene.” It is alleged that the shooting stemmed from a domestic dispute, however, police have confirmed that an investigation is under way. In another incident, a Cape Town man…

The Thabo Mbeki Foundation has rubbished fake news on social media suggesting that former president Thabo Mbeki had died. Some of the claims were that Mbeki was sick. The foundation confirmed that the former president was alive and in good health. “We categorically deny these reports and wish to assure the public that President Mbeki is in good health,” it said in a statement. This was not the first case where misinformation was reported about Mbeki’s health and well-being. In 2021, false reports claimed that Mbeki had died due to Covid-19 after battling the virus for almost a week. The foundation also dismissed those claims at the time.…

ANYONE who has travelled on Eastern Cape roads will tell you why it comes as no surprise that it is among the provinces with the highest number of fatalities, especially during the busy seasons. Some of the horror crashes have been attributed to driver behaviour. However, the provincial government has to take accountability for the alarming state of its roads. While there have been notable improvements here and there, including the expansion of some of the highways, potholes remain the biggest challenge that those in the government have been unable to permanently fix. The lack of visibility by traffic officers does not help the situation. Perhaps the province needs to partner with the neighbouring Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal in sharing ideas of reducing road carnage? As of last week, more…

Japanese rescuers struggled with heavy rain, blocked roads and aftershocks yesterday following a powerful earthquake that killed at least 64 people and left tens of thousands without power or running water. Throughout the Ishikawa prefecture on the main island of Honshu sirens blared as emergency vehicles tried to navigate roads blocked by rocks and fallen trees. The Noto Peninsula was worst hit by the 7.5-magnitude quake on January 1, with port towns like Wajima and Suzu resembling war zones with roads of mud, flattened homes and sunken boats. “I can never go back there. It’s unlivable now,” 75-year-old Yoko Demura said from a shelter in the city of Nanao, where she went after her home was reduced to rubble. “It makes me sad and I will miss it,” she said.…

TEL AVIV: Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has hit back at ally the US over its criticism of his push for the transfer of Gazans out of the Palestinian territory. “The United States is our best friend, but first of all we will do what is best for the State of Israel: the migration of hundreds of thousands from Gaza will allow the (Israeli) residents of the envelope to return home and live in security and will protect the IDF (Israeli) soldiers,” the extreme-right minister posted on X. This comes after the US State Department criticised his call for a population transfer as “inflammatory and irresponsible”. Expelling civilians during a conflict is a war crime. The majority of Gaza’s 2.4 million residents have been forced out of their homes…

Houston: The 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that Texas can ban emergency abortions, despite President Joe Biden’s administration arguing that federal guidance should take priority over state laws banning the procedure. “The Texas plaintiffs’ argument that medical treatment is historically subject to police power of the states, not to be superseded unless that was the clear and manifest purpose of Congress, is convincing,” Judge Kurt Engelhardt, an appointee of former president Donald Trump, wrote. Texas had sued the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) over its guidance on the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act. | IANS…

With the calendar flipping to 2024, bowling enthusiasts can mark a significant date on their fixture lists – Saturday, January 6 – which will be the commencement of the Port Natal Bowls Old Mutual Novice Singles Championship for both men and women. Delving into the tournament’s rich 39-year history unveils a compelling narrative that reflects the endurance of the championship. Before the establishment of a unified Port Natal Bowls (PNB) in 1998 the Port Natal Bowls Association (men only) and the Southern Natal Women’s Bowling Association (SNWBA) operated independently. In 1985, faced with the absence of a men’s singles championship, Durban Bowling Club – under the guidance of the late Russell Wright – took the initiative to create one. This marked the inception of the Men’s Novice Singles Championship, with…

The pace of life resumes and many new year pledges will be forgotten. I challenge you, as I challenge myself, to dig a little deeper: Dig deeper when it comes to caring for your health. Determine to do what you know will prolong your life. Look around you. It is obvious when people live against their own longevity, day by day, meal by meal, nap by nap. Everything in my day-to-day experience improves when I dedicate time to exercise and eating well. Dig deeper into your loving and caring and creative side. In other words, all of your relationships. The adult in you has long recognised our human desire for powerful human connection. Reach out to the important people in your life. Minimise potential for regret. Dig a little deeper…

ACTIONSA is outraged that, at a time when South Africa’s public finances are under severe strain, the president, the minister of electricity and Eskom (and other organs of state) have rather elected to apply for leave to appeal against the landmark judgment handed down by the full Bench of the North Gauteng High Court on December 1, 2023. This judgment declared load shedding unconstitutional and ordered the minister of electricity – together with organs of state – to ensure that electricity supply be ensured for public schools, hospitals and the SAPS. Eskom, the president and the minister of electricity specifically want to challenge sections of the ruling which ruled in favour of ActionSA’s request that hospitals, schools and police stations be exempted from experiencing rolling blackouts, and allege that the…

Local councillors in the Mopani District Municipality in Limpopo have allegedly received double salary payments for December. The municipality alleged that the double payments were due to a system error that resulted in overpayments to councillors and some employees. However, it said that it was working tirelessly to ensure that the funds were returned and that it had also engaged with councillors and their banks to ensure that the funds were reversed. The DA in Limpopo said it was concerned about the erroneous double salary payments and insisted on urgent consequences for all officials involved in the mix-up. According to the party, the municipality intended to co-ordinate with the banks to reverse the erroneous payments within 10 working days. It further called on all councillors who had received the payments…

Mpumalanga police are seeking help to track down the family of two abducted children, including a four-month-old baby girl, while two women accused of the alleged abduction were expected to make their second court appearance this week. The duo – Grace Gumbo, 26, and Mercy Tsoko, 28, who were arrested on New Year’s Day – are alleged to have abducted three children, including the baby girl abducted last Thursday. “Police got a tip-off from community members about the two women who were pretending to be caregivers, roaming around Ogies with three babies,” said Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Selvy Mohlala. “The police in Kriel swiftly responded to the information then managed to arrest the two suspects, and reportedly found them with three children, two baby girls as well as a toddler. “The…

Airports Company SA(Acsa) says it has a zero-tolerance approach to baggage pilfering and theft at airports. It said it was aware of a recent incident at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg in which a passenger’s baggage was tampered with and possessions stolen. “Acsa regrets this incident and sincerely apologises to the traveller.” Acsa regional general manager of OR Tambo, Jabulani Khambule, said Acsa was co-operating with the relevant airline and baggage-handling company to ensure the incident was investigated and the perpetrators brought to book. “Acsa has a zero-tolerance approach to criminality and any forms of illegal behaviour by any airport staff, whether they are directly employed by Acsa or contracted to work at our airports. “We will ensure that the investigation into this incident results in the apprehension of…

Mbongeni Ngema, who decried the injustices of white-rule apartheid while celebrating black culture and resilience in works including the Broadway hit Sarafina!, which later became a film starring Whoopi Goldberg, died on December 27 following a car accident. He was 68. Ngema was riding in a car involved in a head-on collision in the Eastern Cape, according to a family statement. He died at a hospital in Mbizana. The struggles of the apartheid era – endemic poverty, repression and political marginalisation – were the core of Ngema’s stage productions, which reached audiences across the world and made Ngema among the leading artistic voices challenging white-minority rule. His Tony-nominated musical Sarafina! (1987) was inspired by deadly clashes that began in Soweto in 1976 over orders for schools to adopt Afrikaans as…

UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon warned yesterday that increased hostilities could prove “devastating”, a day after a presumed Israeli strike killed Hamas’s deputy leader in a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut. “We are deeply concerned at any potential for escalation that could have devastating consequences for people on both sides,” said UNIFIL deputy spokesperson Kandice Ardiel. “We continue to implore all parties cease their fire, and any interlocutors with influence to urge restraint.” The strike on Tuesday killed Saleh al-Aruri, deputy head of Hamas, in Beirut’s southern suburbs, two Lebanese security officials said, blaming Israel. Hamas, at war with Israel in Gaza for almost three months, confirmed Aruri’s death, which Lebanese state media said came in an Israeli drone strike that also killed six others. Hamas said Aruri would be buried…

Hundreds of flood warnings were in place in the UK yesterday, after strong winds and rain lashed large parts of the country, hitting travel and cutting power. The strongest gusts from Storm Henk were recorded on Tuesday afternoon on the Isle of Wight, off England’s south coast, where the wind reached 151km/h. The wind got up to 81 mph at Exeter airport, along the south coast in Devon, the Met Office weather agency said. Gloucestershire Police in western England said a man in his 50s was killed when a tree fell on his car during the storms near Cirencester. Yesterday, the Environment Agency said it had issued 294 flood warnings, where flooding is expected, and 341 flood alerts, where flooding is possible, in England. Several residents had to be…

Istanbul: Türkiye said yesterday that it had detained 56 high-priority suspects wanted by 18 countries for crimes ranging from drug dealing and money laundering to murder, counterfeiting and assault. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the suspects were listed on Interpol’s “red notice” on “diffusion message” systems, which flag suspects sought for arrest and extradition by individual countries. The detained people were wanted in the US, Germany, India and several former Soviet republics as well as other parts of Asia and the Middle East. Yerlikaya’s office did not disclose names, noting only that the suspects were rounded up in co-ordinated security sweeps. | AFP…

CHIBOK: Jihadists have killed at least 15 people in New Year’s Day attacks on two villages near the town of Chibok in Nigeria’s Borno State. Jihadist fighters in trucks fitted with machine guns and on motorcycles stormed into Gatamarwa and Tsiha villages on Monday, killing residents and burning homes after looting food supplies, residents said. It was not clear which group was behind the attacks but both Boko Haram and rival Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) carry out raids in the area. The attackers, dressed as soldiers, opened fire on residents. More than 40 000 people have been killed and around 2 million displaced in 14 years of conflict. | AFP…

SOUTH Africa’s 55 all out on the first day of the second Test at Newlands yesterday was not only the lowest total against India in Tests but was also South Africa’s eighth-lowest total in the format. A batter’s graveyard It is also their worst innings total since readmission in 1992. The first day saw 75.1 overs bowled, while the batters from both teams managed only 270 runs and the game is already into the third innings of the match. Proteas fightback On the stroke of tea, Nandre Burger inspired a brilliant fightback from the Proteas pace attack with India on 72-1, with only Kagiso Rabada hitting his straps with the new ball, having claimed Yashasvi Jaiswal’s wicket in the third over of India’s first innings. Burger endured a tough first…