Tabla de contenidos para 2024-05-17 en Mercury

AT THE RECENT passing of its founder, Dr Sam Motsuenyane, Africanbank is stepping into a new era of growth and innovation. Yesterday it unveiled a revamped logo and a new campaign message, “Africanbank backs you”. For major long-standing South African brands, it takes great deal of courage to change a logo, key messages and other accoutrements of corporate identity, as the brand could lose or even alienate its existing client base that has been built up over a long period of time with the previous branding. “We celebrate this growth at a time of sadness as we remember our founder, Dr Sam Motsuenyane. “His triumph in establishing South Africa’s first black bank was a victory for us all and his story remains a source of inspiration,” Africanbank group chief…

DURBAN’S King Shaka International Airport is making giant strides in its bid to reposition itself as a top international airport, with international flights showing an appetite for flying directly to the city. This is according to the Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) regional general manager, Nkosinathi Myataza, in an interview with The Mercury on the sidelines of Africa’s Tourism Indaba, held in Durban this week. Myataza said they are excited that the first Club Med resort will be opening in Durban in July 2026. “It’s the first Club Med to be opened in South Africa and it’s just 30 minutes away from King Shaka Airport. We are confident it will bring a large amount of international traffic to KZN and South Africa. “We are pleased Durban was chosen as the…

DEATH comes to all, prince and peasant alike. The superstitious Indian woman may have her fears, but thanks to centuries of coaching and training she has a noble dignity, a tender refinement and a mental poise that most of her contemporaries lack. The village pilgrim who spends his money to have a bath in the Ganges River in India or darshan of the deity at the Isipingo Mariammen Temple has an innate conviction that man does not live by food alone. I know that Hindus in South Africa may be considered superstitious, but they don’t lack a religious sense. Every Indian mother teaches her children that if they have to grow up religiously, they must love God and abstain from sin. Religious people should not speak a rash or profane…

When there was an outbreak of cholera in Hammanskraal, I said in one letter that it would be good if there would be a way to calculate the cost of treating those patients, to give the Department of Health and Finance Minister an idea of how difficult it is to have a realistic picture of how costly health care services are. One trauma patient needing resuscitation can keep doctors and nurses busy for longer than expected while consuming a lot of intravenous fluids, drugs, gloves and more – just on one patient – and all of it is very costly. Emergency tragedies like the Usindiso fire, the Boksburg gas truck tragedy that destroyed part of the hospital, killing and injuring many others, and now the collapsed George building, are all…

A court order stopping the taxman from installing cameras in cigarette factories is a green light for gangsters to continue looting South Africans of R74 million every day, Tax Justice SA (TJSA) has warned. A law allowing the South African Revenue Service (Sars) to install 24/7 CCTV in all cigarette warehouses has been interdicted by the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria. This followed a case brought by several local producers, some of them represented by the Fair-Trade Independent Tobacco Association (Fita). TJSA founder Yusuf Abramjee said this court order is yet another gift for the illicit tobacco barons who are robbing South Africa of over R27 billion a year by flooding the market with tax-evading cigarettes. “For too long, these criminals have been able to flout the laws and hide…

SIX suspects were killed in two separate shoot-outs with the police in KwaZulu-Natal yesterday morning, with police saying that officers came under fire in both incidents. In Camperdown, four men linked to a series of cash-in-transit robberies were killed, while two men who were being sought for intimidation, extortion and other violent crimes were killed in a police shoot-out at the Klaarwater Hostel in Mariannhill. Police spokesperson Jay Naicker said that in both incidents the police were greeted with a hail of bullets. They returned fire and the suspects sustained fatal gunshot wounds. “Police in KwaZulu-Natal remain committed to enforce and uphold the law by preventing, combating and investigating crime. Suspects who challenge the authority of the state by shooting at police officers will be met with the force proportional…

EFF leader Julius Malema has vowed to revive a Section 25 motion on land expropriation, saying this would enable his party to expropriate 55% of South Africa’s land. Campaigning in Esikhawini near Richards Bay in northern KwaZulu-Natal yesterday, Malema said it did not make sense that white people owned ample land while black people were still landless. “Without the land we are nobodies. The land is dignity, the land is confidence, the land is an investment for the future. That is why we must retain the land in the hands of our people,” Malema said. “We are not saying white people must be landless, all we are saying is that we need to share the land. It does not make sense for one white family to own 20…

They say money makes the world go round, but will that ring true for Team South Africa at the Paris Olympics? There was great excitement at Sascoc House in Houghton, Johannesburg on Wednesday as the first batch of athletes were announced for Team South Africa – 39 members across the following sporting codes: aquatics, athletics, canoeing, gymnastics, climbing, surfing and wrestling. Among that group was swimming champion from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Tatjana Smith (née Schoenmaker), who is hoping to add to the gold and silver she won in Japan in the 200m and 100m breaststroke respectively. Surfer Bianca Buitendag was the only other medallist in Tokyo with a silver, and Team SA will hope for a much bigger haul in Paris. At least this time around, athletes have…

Israel’s tanks pushed into the heart of Jabalia in northern Gaza yesterday, facing anti-tank rockets and mortar bombs from militants concentrated there, while in the south, its forces pounded Rafah without advancing, Palestinians said. The slow progress of Israel’s offensive, more than seven months after it was prompted by Hamas’ deadly cross-border raid, highlighted the difficulty of achieving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s aim of eradicating the militant group. Armed wings of Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad have been able to fight up and down the Gaza Strip, using heavily fortified tunnels to stage attacks in both the north, the focus of Israel’s initial invasion, and new battlegrounds like Rafah. Israel says four Hamas battalions are now in Rafah along with hostages abducted during the October 7 assault, but faces…

ESSEX: Britain’s opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer pledged yesterday to “rebuild Britain”, setting out what he called the first steps in government if his party wins a national election this year. Starmer set out his six priorities at a campaign launch, but said he would only promise what could be afforded. In a speech in Essex, Starmer said if in government, Labour would focus on growing the economy while keeping tax, inflation and mortgage rates as low as possible, reducing waiting times in the state-run health service, cracking down on people smuggling gangs and boosting green energy supplies. The other priorities would be tackling antisocial behaviour with more police and recruiting thousands of new teachers paid for by ending tax breaks for private schools. | Reuters…

PARIS: The French government sent more police to the Pacific island of New Caledonia yesterday and said it would crack down on rioters, scrambling to restore order after three nights of upheaval that have killed four people. Rioters angry with an electoral reform have burnt businesses, torched cars, looted shops, and set up road barricades, hampering access to medicine and food in the French-ruled Pacific island, authorities said. France declared a state of emergency in New Caledonia and went on to put at least 10 people under house arrest and ban TikTok. Numbers of police on the island will rise from 1 700 to 2 700 by today. | Reuters…

WATCHING Proteas youngster Tristan Stubbs bat for the Delhi Capitals in the IPL brought a smile to the faces of many South Africans as the T20 World Cup is right around the corner. Almost every South African has never doubted the talent and power that Stubbs possesses as the country has watched the youngster hit long balls down in Gqeberha for the past three seasons. However, what many Proteas fans would’ve been worried about, like with any powerful batter, is his ability to score runs against smart teams, captains and bowlers. It is one thing to go out in the middle, swing at everything and hope it catches the middle of the bat. That method almost never works against a smart bowler who has the advantage of video analysts to…

KAROOOOO, the JSE-listed multi- national with an outstanding 15% average earnings growth over 10 years, is optimistic about its prospects in South Africa, both in capturing market share and in growing new market, chief executive Zak Calisto said yesterday. The founder of the vehicle tracking and asset management company said in an interview that the group, which also has fast-growing operations in Asia-Pacific, Europe and the rest of Africa, had invested R450 million in infrastructure in the past year in South Africa. “We believe this country is a great destination to invest in. We have about 40% of the South African market, and we believe we can grow this,” Calisto said. They employed about 4 500 people globally, and he expected this might increase by 1…

MOTORISTS will heave a sigh of relief after economists and the AA predicted that a petrol and diesel price decrease is on the cards. There had previously been four consecutive increases in the fuel price and experts believe that the predicted decrease for petrol will be around 60 cents a litre, while diesel is expected to decrease by around 74 cents a litre. They have attributed the decrease to lower oil prices and a stronger rand. Layton Beard, spokesperson for the AA, said that significant decreases in fuel prices across the board are expected in June. “Mid-month data from the Central Energy Fund (CEF) indicates that 95ULP is expected to drop by around 61c/l, and 93ULP by around 63c/l. The wholesale price of diesel is expected to decrease by…

Join me as I continue my journey toward being a low-maintenance person: Take care of yourself as best as you are able. Pay your own way as best as you are able. Live in your own head, but even more important, get out of the heads of others. Offer information to others as needed. Listen to yourself. Filter content. When you talk negatively about others you are revealing nothing about them but everything about you. Delete “you should, – ought, – must,” from your vocabulary even if you do think you know better or are more experienced. Take others at their word until you have solid reasons not to. Believe people when they tell you who they are. People constantly communicate who they are but if you are already convinced…

‘Come, dear children. Your aunt and uncle are coming from Pietermaritzburg today. What will they say if they see the house in a state like this? Quick! Help me clean up the house.’ Likewise, municipal workers can be seen all over the city mending the potholes, marking the roads, cutting the overgrown verges, sweeping and picking up the piles of litter. Gosh! I have never seen them as busy as this, cleaning up five year’s dirt. Normally, you would see them with one hand on the broom and the other on their cell phone or gone off to sleep under some shady tree after an early lunch. But this past couple of days they have been as busy as bees. I thought the clean -up campaign was because of the…

RUST on a new vehicle became the subject of a legal wrangle before the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria. Rust on the floor of a new vehicle was detected two months after purchase. The company which sold the vehicle refused to repair it at their own cost, claiming the buyer spilled pool acid in the area which caused it to rust. Vehicle owner Robert Williams relied on the Consumer Protection Act in a bid to have the vehicle fixed. The act establishes a broad and comprehensive scope for consumer protection. Its purview includes developing and maintaining a consumer market in such a way as to ensure fairness, accessibility, effectiveness, sustainability and responsibility for the benefit of consumers. Lazarus Motor Company turned to court to appeal an order issued by the National…

TRUCK driver Sibusiso Siyaya was yesterday sentenced to 20 years’ jail for the 2022 accident that resulted in the death of 20 people, including 18 schoolchildren, in Pongola, northern KwaZulu-Natal. The Pongola High Court convicted Siyaya on Tuesday on 20 counts of murder as well as reckless and negligent driving and failure to perform the duties of a driver after an accident. Siyaya was employed as a heavy motor vehicle driver for a company that transported coal from Mpumalanga to the Richards Bay Coal Terminal. When the trial began in April, Siyaya pleaded not guilty to the charges, which changed from culpable homicide to murder. In court on Tuesday it was revealed that Siyaya fled the scene shirtless with his female passenger and failed to assist the injured who were…

‘The Cry of Winnie Mandela’ honours the resilience of South African women INITIALLY planned for a 3-week run, The Cry of Winnie Mandela was extended by two more weeks at the Market Theatre due to popular demand. The Market Theatre’s moving theatrical presentation of The Cry of Winnie Mandela based on the well-known book by poet, novelist, and essayist Professor Njabulo Ndebele, is anchored on three key terms: departure, waiting (a state of limbo) and return. Alex Burger adapted this poignant new play on perseverance, which was directed by the acclaimed MoMo Matsunyane. The play revolves around the experiences of four women (Mannete played by Rami Chuene, Delisiwe played by Ayanda Sibisi, Marara played by Siyasanga Papu, Mamello played by Pulane Rampoane and Winnie Mandela played by Nambitha Mpumlwana) who…

Leaders Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin framed their nations’ ties as a stabilising force in a chaotic world as they met yesterday in Beijing, where the Russian president is seeking greater Chinese support for his war effort in Ukraine. It is Putin’s first trip abroad since his March re-election and the second in just over six months to China, an economic lifeline for Russia after the West hit it with unprecedented sanctions over its military offensive in Ukraine. Putin was greeted by Xi at a grand welcoming ceremony outside Beijing’s Great Hall of the People. In a meeting, Xi then told his “old friend” Putin that China-Russia relations were “conducive to peace”. “China is ready to work with Russia to ... uphold fairness and justice in the world,” Xi added.…

Children up to the age of 18 at schools in England will not be taught gender identity under government proposals due to be published yesterday, with growing concern in the UK and elsewhere about the contentious issue. The move follows a landmark review which last month urged “extreme caution” on prescribing masculinising or feminising hormone treatments for young people grappling with gender identity issues. England’s first gender identity development service for children closed in March after years of criticism that it had been too quick to prescribe puberty blocking treatment. The “contested theory of gender identity” would “not be taught” to pupils of any age, a Department for Education statement read. “At secondary school (11-18 years) pupils will learn about legally ‘protected’ characteristics, such as sexual orientation and gender reassignment.”…

AMMAN: Jordan’s King Abdullah said yesterday that militant groups that smuggle drugs and arms should be confronted. The US-allied kingdom foiled a suspected Iranian-led plot to smuggle weapons to help opponents of the ruling monarchy carry out acts of sabotage, two Jordanian sources with knowledge of the matter earlier said. An official told state news agency Petra this week that the kingdom had foiled an attempt by “foreign-backed militants” to smuggle arms into its territory, seized the arms and detained the smugglers in March. “We should confront armed militant groups … especially smuggling drugs and arms which is what Jordan has been thwarting for years now,” the king said. | Reuters…

THE HAGUE: Far-right leader Geert Wilders said yesterday that it could take “years” for the Netherlands’ new government to fulfil its pledge to opt-out of the EU asylum system. After clinching a coalition deal six months in the making, Wilders said: “We will try to get a so-called opt-out for asylum, as the Danish have. That might take years if it is successful anyway.” Denmark negotiated a deal to exclude the country from being bound by common EU asylum policies. But Wilders said that in the short-term, the new right-wing government would aim to use Dutch law to restrict what he called an “influx of asylum-seekers” in the Netherlands. | AFP…

FOR the shore anglers, scratching has been very productive along the entire coast. There are still some big nasties around, but the bulk of the catches have been of the edible kind. The North Coast has seen plenty of scratching action with some amazing fish being landed. Scratching around the ledges and reefs of the North Coast has seen a mix of fish and a whole lot of hidings. Remember that the fish in these areas know the underwater structure and will cut you off before you can say “ON DAD!“ Fish heavier hook snoods and strong terminal tackle. Mixed baits combining chokka and sardine will produce the results. The central coast has seen a patchy catch report. There have been some spots like Glen Ashley and Blue Lagoon that…

Amazulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini’s rivals within the royal family want the king to stop using government or Ingonyama Trust funds in the legal battle for the throne. The Pietermaritzburg High Court yesterday delivered judgment that there was indeed an urgent basis to hear the application to interdict the provincial government and the Ingonyama Trust from paying the king’s legal fees. Immediately after the judgment, the court heard from the legal team representing Prince Mbonisi Zulu, who together with other members of the royal family made the application to the court. Prince Mbonisi Zulu is Misuzulu kaZwelithini’s uncle. Misuzulu and his relatives are involved in a protracted battle over the kingship and some members of the royal family have challenged the procedure that led to the king’s ascendancy and want it…

RUGBY has become a puzzle more complicated than trying to operate a cellphone driven by artificial intelligence (AI). Next weekend, the Sharks play Gloucester at the Stoop ground over in London in the final of the Challenge Cup. Yay! But tomorrow, they play Cardiff at home at King’s Park in the United Rugby Cup where we are also-rans. Er, oops! Can we afford more injuries to our key players as happened against Benetton? Who would be a coach or selector? International provincial rugby has become really complex. But the damsels of the Pub With No Name probably have the right approach. They’re strumming assiduously at their knickers in anticipation of supplying elastic tomorrow for a fashioning of catapults for the time-honoured celebratory feu de joie at the defeat of Cardiff,…

THE president signed the biggest, and arguably stupidest, law in South African history, the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act. What makes it the “biggest” is that, if implemented, even partially, it would cost more, and directly impact more people, than anything previously imagined. What makes it the “stupidest” is that it is impossible to understand, and to the extent comprehensible, impossible to implement. It gets worse. It is impossible to know what is intended other than unprecedented incompetence, bureaucracy, waste and corruption. Even the act’s name is idiotic. Instead of providing insurance, it prohibits insurance. Instead of defining “health” or “health care”, it is silent on the matter. No one, including unknowable future ministers, have the slightest idea whether, for instance, it covers homeopathy, traditional care, physiotherapy, or religious counselling,…

Political and administrative leaders seem to have lacked the appetite and know-how to instigate the urban land reforms required to change spatial patterns. This emerged in a report by the Development Action Group (DAG) with the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and the National Association of Social Housing Organisations (Nasho) titled, “Releasing Municipal Land for Affordable Housing – Documenting the Experiences of Cape Town, eThekwini, Johannesburg, and Tshwane.” The report, which aimed to unpack the release of well-located public land for affordable housing, states that the public sector owns a sizeable amount of vacant and underused land with good access to economic opportunities and social amenities. It said that there had been “considerable inertia” in state programmes relating to land and housing, and no compelling vision put forward for integrated…

The UN’s office in South Africa has hailed the signing into law of the National Health Insurance (NHI) bill. It said it was convinced that the signing was a step in the right direction. President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the bill on Wednesday despite a wave of objections and threats of litigation from opposition parties and health and civil society groups. UN Resident Co-ordinator in South Africa Nelson Muffuh said: “In line with our Co-operation Framework and advocacy interventions with government, the UN believes that the implementation of the NHI law stands as a beacon, guiding us towards the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 3.8, which aims to achieve Universal Health Coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential healthcare services for all, and promote health and…

PUBLIC Works and Infrastructure Minister Sihle Zikalala has announced a R24 million financial injection to save jobs and improve the efficiency of the Saldanha Bay Harbour. Zikalala and Environmental Affairs and Fisheries Minister Barbara Creecy visited the town as part of an imbizo to respond to issues of the upgrade of the harbour and beneficiation of communities in the oceans economy. In May 2023, a number of challenges were raised during a stakeholders’ engagement, such as deterioration of infrastructure within the harbour; long-term leases by harbour tenants; vacant buildings subjected to vandalism and illegal occupation; the disposal and transfer of properties requested for human settlement; job creation; and SMME development. The department said Zikalala and Fred Robertson, board chairperson of Sea Harvest, signed a framework agreement committing to work together…

ON MAY 29, we will once again head to the polls to vote in the general elections, which will coincide with the 30th anniversary of our democracy. Yet, amid the democratic fervour lies a crucial question: Are citizens making informed decisions when casting their votes? Engaging with individuals from diverse backgrounds, from the elderly to the youth in township communities, reveals a disconcerting trend: many voters base their choices not on policy platforms or promises but on deep-seated party attachments. The attachments, rooted in emotional and historical ties, often override considerations of a party’s contributions or commitments to societal progress. The people I engaged with shared how they would defend their parties at all costs. The phenomenon, driven by sentiments of gratitude, fear of loss, or familial tradition, raises…

Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico was in a serious condition and it was too soon to say whether he would recover, a deputy prime minister said yesterday, a day after an assassination attempt that has sent shock waves across Europe. The shooting was the first major assassination attempt on a European political leader for more than 20 years, and has drawn international condemnation. Political analysts and lawmakers say it has exposed an increasingly febrile and polarised political climate, both in Slovakia and across Europe. “Unfortunately, I cannot say yet that we are winning (the battle to save Fico) or that the prognosis is positive because the extent of the injuries caused by four gunshot wounds is so extensive that the body’s response will still be very difficult,” Deputy Prime Minister…

Grigory Sverdlin, a Russian activist now living in exile in the Georgian capital Tbilisi, has watched over the past month as thousands of Georgian protesters have taken to the streets to voice their opposition to a draft law on “foreign agents”. Domestic critics say the bill is a copycat of Russian legislation that has been wielded for more than a decade to target critics of President Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin. The Georgian government says the law – which cleared parliament this week and now heads to Georgia’s president for review – is needed to ensure transparency in the foreign financing of non-profit organisations. The Kremlin has denied any association with it. Sverdlin, 43, fears the Georgian bill’s passage will make non-profit work difficult and give the government free licence to crack…

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s volcanology agency yesterday raised the alert level of the Ibu volcano to the highest on its scale after recording six eruptions since the weekend. It also warned nearby residents against coming close to the volcano, which is on the remote island of Halhamera. Spewing thick columns of grey ash several kilometres into the sky, Ibu has erupted since May 11 after activity increased during April, it said. It cautioned residents in a 4km radius to stay clear of the mountain. Ibu’s activities follow a series of eruptions of different volcanoes in Indonesia, which sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and has 127 active volcanoes. | Reuters…

ABUJA: Nigeria’s military has asked northern neighbour Niger to arrest a kidnapping gang leader it says is among the most wanted in the country, a defence spokesperson said yesterday. Major-General Edward Buba said Halilu Buzu was a Niger national and a major arms supplier with links to Libyan arms dealers. Buba said Buzu also operated an illegal gold mine in Zamfara, one of the states hardest hit by kidnappings. “When troops closes in on him, he moves across the border into the Republic of Niger for refuge,” Buba said. The military said members of Buzu’s armed gang had killed 19 villagers last week during an attack in Zamfara. | Reuters…