Inhoudsopgave van 2021-10-13 - Mercury

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za The INTERNATIONAL Monetary Fund (IMF) has revised upwards by 1 percent South Africa’s growth forecast for 2021, even as it lowered the global growth forecasts. In its latest World Economic Outlook, the IMF yesterday said South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) will now grow by 5 percent this year, up from 4 percent previously forecast in July. The IMF’s forecast is in line with the SA Reserve Bank (SARB) which also revised upwards the 2021 GDP forecast to 5.3 percent from a previous forecast of 4.2 percent. For 2022, the IMF said the South African economy will grow by 2.2 percent as the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic stabilises. The IMF said the economic and fiscal policy assumptions underlying…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za MANUFACTURING production in South Africa could be on a recovery mode if the country could avoid the fourth wave of Covid-19 infections, as output surprised on the upside in August despite remaining below pre-pandemic levels. Data from Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) yesterday showed that manufacturing production rebounded in August, rising by 1.8 percent from a year ago following an upwardly revised 4.8 percent fall in July. StatsSA said the largest positive growth rates were recorded by the furniture and other manufacturing division, as well as the automotive division. On a month-to-month basis, StatsSA said manufacturing production increased by 7.6 percent in August, reversing an 8.4 percent slump in July and a 0.5 percent decrease in June. StatsSA’s director of industry statistics, Nicolai…

Paris Hilton and her fiancé Carter Reum enjoyed a lavish joint bachelor and bachelorette party in Las Vegas over the weekend. The former Simple Life star and the 40-year-old author – who got engaged in February – jetted to Sin City from Los Angeles to celebrate their forthcoming nuptials in style. The couple hit up a number of night-life spots after flying in on a private jet, including Resorts World Las Vegas, where the couple stayed, and Hilton took to her Instagram Story to show off the decorations, including a balloon and floral arch and a “Paris Carter” sign by the pool, which the soon-to-be husband and wife posed for pictures next to. Hilton captioned one snap of the couple: “Thank you @resortsworldlv for our beautifully decorated palace! Perfect place…

Nomonde Zondi nomonde.zondi@inl.co.za A horrific bus crash in which 10 people died and several were injured on the N3 Tugela Bridge yesterday, has brought into sharp focus the risks passengers are exposed to when using public transport. According to bus company Eldo Coaches, the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle after a blow-out of the front tyre. Netcare 911 spokesperson Shawn Herbst said: “The bus crashed through the barrier into the south-bound lane, rolling several times, ejecting some occupants in the process, and rested on its side in the veld next to the N3.” KZN Emergency Medical Services (EMS) spokesperson Robert McKenzie said paramedics treated 60 patients at the scene of the crash. KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Peggy Nkonyeni sent condolences to the families who…

Scientists have unearthed evidence of a milestone in human culture – the earliest-known use of tobacco – in the remnants of a hearth built by early inhabitants of North America’s interior about 12 300 years ago in Utah’s Great Salt Lake Desert. Researchers discovered four charred seeds of a wild tobacco plant within the hearth contents, along with stone tools and duck bones left over from meals. Until now, the earliest documented use of tobacco came in the form of nicotine residue found inside a smoking pipe from Alabama dating to 3 300 years ago. The researchers believe the nomadic hunter-gatherers at the Utah site may have smoked the tobacco or perhaps sucked wads of tobacco plant fibre for the stimulant qualities offered by the nicotine it contained. “On a…

JUSTIN MOODLEY | Phoenix WE ARE in the final stretch of our elections on November 1 and, as voters, we have to exercise our rights. Not long ago, the government announced that people attending indoor entertainment and the Rage matric party in Ballito had to be fully vaccinated to be able to attend. Yesterday, the same government announced that 2 000 fans would be permitted into the stadium for the Bafana and Ethiopia match but they had to be vaccinated. Therefore, it stands to reason that only vaccinated voters will be able to take part in the elections on November 1. Am I right? If you, young or old, are not vaccinated, you cannot vote. Please advise. The government cannot have a different set of rules for different…

PAKS PAKIRIY | Durban North ALL aspirant candidates for the local government elections are sprinting towards the finish line. The lamp-posts and stop signs at street corners are adorned with election posters. Everyone is urging you to vote for him or her and their respective parties. The lure of R44 000 as a councillor’s allowance is tempting. It’s sheltered work. The perks are good – good food at council meetings, lots of entertainment and merrymaking. On top of that, if you are elected as chairperson of a committee, your allowance goes up. If you are chairperson of the tender committee, you have hit the jackpot. You have insight into valuable information on tenders which you can sell to family and friends. Eighty-five percent of fraud is committed by…

Karen Singh karen.singh@inl.co.za The eThekwini Municipality has announced that the water supply to areas north of Durban has been interrupted due to load shedding. Eskom implemented stage 2 load shedding from Friday last week until tomorrow at 5am. The power utility said the electricity cuts were necessary to replenish emergency generation reserves and to address additional risks. The municipality said yesterday it was aware of the interruption of water supplies in areas north of Durban, which include Ottawa, Parkgate (old and new phase), Aloe Drive and Southridge, Valdin Heights, Riyadh and Waterloo Township, Hammond’s Farm and Umdloti. The municipality said yesterday this interruption was a result of the load shedding and technical issues affecting the supply of water at the Hazelmere Water Treatment Works, as well as the eThekwini Waterloo…

WORLD Food Day is celebrated annually on October 16 to emphasise the importance of ending hunger globally and ensuring that people have access to food that is safe and healthy. In this article, I would like to focus on food safety and point out that everybody has a role to play in this regard. Food safety is an essential public health issue for all. The potential threat to public health from foodborne disease continues to increase with expanding urbanisation and the global distribution of food. The consequences of a failed food safety policy are costly, with impacts not only on public health but also on food producers and the economy. Assessing the safety of our food has resulted in a paradigm shift to risk-based methods of analysis. Assessment and management…

Paris: Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was accused yesterday of “crimes against humanity” at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his alleged role in the destruction of the Amazon, the first case seeking to explicitly link deforestation to loss of life. Planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from burning and industrial-scale agriculture in the Amazon are higher than the total annual emissions of Italy or Spain. Deforestation in the region already releases more CO2 than the rest of the Amazon can absorb. Austrian environmental justice campaigners AllRise filed the official complaint at The Hague-based court yesterday. They asked for legal proceedings against Bolsonaro and his administration for actions “directly connected to the negative impacts of climate change around the world”. The complaint accuses the Brazilian leader of waging a widespread campaign resulting in…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za ERIS PROPERTY Group has raised an additional R365 million investment into its social impact student accommodation company, SA Student Accommodation Impact Investments (Sasaii), as it plans to help alleviate the student accommodation shortage in the country. The investment was from a consortium of domestic and international investors including Momentum Metropolitan Life, Eskom Pension & Provident Fund, International Finance Corporation and the Danish Sustainable Development Goals Investment Fund (DSDG). DSDG had committed R215m initially, and indicated a willingness to deploy more in time, Eris Student Accommodation executive head Johan van Vuuren said in a statement yesterday. The Sasaii platform aimed to be converted into a real estate investment trust when it listed or when regulations allowed. “This liquidity event releases any capital these investors would have…

Loyiso Sidimba and Sibusiso Mboto THE government has been heavily criticised over the decision to give a R350 million payout to outgoing councillors. The Department of Co-operative Governance told all heads of provincial departments responsible for local government, the SA Local Government Association chief executive Xolile George and municipal managers of the country’s 257 municipalities that the non-returning councillors would be paid from November 15. According to Cogta director-general Avril Williamson, the National Treasury has already appropriated the funds for the payment of non-returning councillors and it has already been transferred to the department for further processing. “The main purpose of the once-off gratuity is to assist non-returning councillors to adjust to circumstances as they no longer find themselves in office, and to assist them to meet already-entered-into financial…

I AM convinced that no matter how rough a person’s past is, how traumatised the present might be, or how bleak or absent possibilities might seem, there is always hope for a more fulfilling future. Today I shall be an agent of hope. I am convinced that no one is thoroughly bad (there is something redeemable in the “worst” of humanity) and no one is thoroughly good (everyone must combat their “dark” side). Today I will offer guarded trust to all whom I meet. I am convinced that while in the depths of the bleakest of circumstances, loneliness and pain, some people attempt to display a brave front. Today, I will be an agent of kindness to those who have to hide their deep pain. I am convinced that my…

ERIC KISTENSAMY | Durban No amount of spin doctoring will hide the fact that, on the DA’s eThekwini proportional representation list, Indians have been sidelined. Only one made it on the top 10 and 60% are white. The DA list proves, beyond a shadow of doubt, that this party is using the Indian vote to pack the city council with whites. The Indian vote has traditionally gone to the DA, and many Indian voters are regretting their decision. DA councillors are nowhere to be seen and have been in hiding. During times of unrest and other crises that affected communities, the DA was conspicuous by their absence. DA leader John Steenhuisen visited Phoenix after the July unrest, only as a publicity stunt. The Indian voice is diluted in…

KEVIN GOVENDER | Shallcross It’s pucker up time for political parties as the much-debated and controversial local government elections take place on November 1 – the harbinger for the 2024 national elections. The Big Three, fangs bared, are at full throttle, each in their own bellicose way to woo a whip-sawed populace. Mea culpa aside, the ANC is in big trouble for corruption in municipalities, non-existent service delivery and the recent unrest and failed police action. The opposition have smelt blood in the water and are circling in a feeding frenzy in the full knowledge that they can bite off huge chunks of the ruling party. The ANC must blame themselves for their purdah – it’s a maelstrom of their own creation. The dance is over and now…

In a historic decision, the UN Child Rights Committee (CRC) has ruled that a state could be found responsible for the negative impact of its carbon emissions on the rights of children both within and outside its territory. This follows the UN Human Rights Council last week recognising access to a clean and healthy environment as a fundamental right. The CRC issued its decision on Monday after examining a petition filed by 16 children from around the world – including Ayakha Melithafa from South Africa – against Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany and Turkey. They claimed these five countries had failed to take necessary preventive measures to protect and fulfil children’s rights to life, health, and culture. The children argued that the climate crisis was not an abstract future threat and…

| Mercury Correspondent The Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) says while South Africa has a solid legal framework to fight money laundering and terrorist financing, it has significant shortcomings implementing an effective system, including a failure to pursue serious cases. The 250-page report highlighted that the country’s law-enforcement agencies, including the Hawks, do not have the necessary skills, manpower or resources, which has impeded their ability to identify and prosecute complex financial cases involving money laundering and terrorism financing, and left them battling to recover assets from “state capture’’ and proceeds that were moved to other countries. This was the FATF’s first report on the country in a decade. It is an independent intergovernmental body that seeks to protect the global financial system from money laundering and terrorist…

Further violence has to be prevented by bringing communities together The recent unrest and racial tension in KwaZulu-Natal has prompted a stronger strategic approach to social cohesion to prevent further violence. Kuben Chetty speaks to Education MEC and ANC PEC member Kwazi Mshengu, who is also tasked with championing social cohesion in the eThekwini Metro, about the long-term initiatives that have been put in place to bring communities together. KC: When you first heard of the Democratic Alliance posters that had been placed near Phoenix that read: “The ANC called you racists. The DA calls you heroes”, what was your immediate reaction. KM: It was quite shocking but also characteristic of the DA because that party has never come to the party when it comes to social cohesion. It has…

Fifteen migrants drowned after two boats capsized off Libya in the latest “tragic loss of life” on the perilous sea route to Europe, the UN refugee agency said. “Bodies of 15 persons recovered as 2 boats arrived at Tripoli Naval Base this evening,” UNHCR Libya tweeted. “The passengers had set off from Zwara and Alkhoms the night before.” The agency said 177 survivors were receiving aid and medical attention from the UNHCR and its parners. It tweeted images showing survivors arriving at the base, huddled under blankets. The incident is the latest in a series of shipwrecks and deaths off the coast of the North African country. Libya is a major point of departure for desperate migrants seeking to reach Europe, many of them from sub-Saharan African countries. Tens of…

Zaahier Adams zaahier.adams@inl.co.za Officially the Cape Town Cycle Tour was not allowed to have any spectators at the world’s largest timed cycle race on Sunday. Unofficially, it was the biggest party Cape Town had seen in almost 18 months. Capetonians came out in their droves and celebrated the opportunity to be part of an institution that has been running for 43 years. And before I get crucified for not being sensitive to the impact of Covid-19 and the possible spreading of the virus at large social gatherings, the route was 109km long and the “spectators” were all socially distanced along the race. The infamous, fickle Cape Town weather certainly played its part as it almost knew that the moment to show off had dawned. With the race stretching through beautiful…

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za The NEWLY-resumed SAA airline management got a shake-up from organised labour yesterday with the presentation of grievances, which included salary cuts, lacklustre conditions of service and staff retention. The South African Cabin Crew Association (Sacca) and the National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (Numsa) picketed at SAA's offices in Kempton Park, Joburg. This as the airline resumed business late September, which according to analysts had seen a surprisingly good uptake with a load factor, or the passenger numbers, surpassing the target of 60 percent to 75 percent across all routes. However, yesterday Sacca and Numsa said they were deeply aggrieved about the fact that so many of the old SAA’s problems had been carried over into the new airline. Sacca organiser Zazi Sibanyoni said…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za OPPOSITION parties in the eThekwini Municipality have accused the city of using ratepayers’ money to campaign for the ANC for the upcoming elections. The allegation surfaced after the municipality put up an advertisement banner in the Durban CBD adorned with yellow and black colours associated with the ANC. The city’s own colour is blue. The banner makes no political support of the ANC, but encourages people to vote. It was put up over a mural depicting kings of the Zulu nation, which caused another uproar. The municipality yesterday dismissed the allegation, saying it had been using the colour yellow for a long time. IFP councillor Mdu Nkosi said the advertisement was a clear indication that the municipality was using ratepayers’ money to support the ANC. “We have…

Three months after billionaire US businessman Jeff Bezos soared into space aboard a rocket ship built by his Blue Origin company, the craft is set today to take another all-civilian crew on a suborbital ride, this time with Star Trek actor William Shatner in the lead role. As one of four passengers selected for the flight, Shatner, at age 90, is poised to become the oldest person ever to venture into space. It is a fitting honour for an actor who became a pop culture mainstay for playing Captain James T Kirk of the starship Enterprise in the classic 1960s television series and seven subsequent films. Shatner now gets to live out the mission he described during the opening credits of each episode of the series to explore “space –…

YUGEN MOODLEY | Chatsworth THE letter by Muhammad Omar, in The Mercury on October 11, begs a response. The writer has a political agenda and is trying to distort facts about the EFF march. Visvin Reddy of the African Democratic Change party was vocal about his stance on the EFF march against so-called racist Indians. He gave a precise and balanced perspective of the reasons behind the tension as well as defended the Indian community. Reddy’s comments were broadcast all over the national news. I, too, was at the march and watched the performance of many so-called Indian leaders before the busloads of EFF supporters arrived. They were claiming the EFF would not march because they violated lockdown regulations. Many claimed they would not allow it. That was…

DAARSHAN REDDY | Queensburgh Your article, “DA unveils candidates, but remains tight-lipped on targeted wards”, (The Mercury, October 11) begs a response. The DA has not fielded a mayoral candidate in eThekwini because it will have to hand over its votes to the EFF. In Gauteng, the DA took mayoral positions in three metros because it went to bed with the EFF. The DA was prepared to join with an anti-white and Indian and coloured party just so that it could gain mayoral positions. Julius Malema has stated that there will be an EFF mayor in Durban. You do not need to be a rocket scientist to figure out that the EFF, or the DA, will not get the majority on its own in Durban. A coalition between…

THERE comes a time in a fellow’s life when the optics start to let him down. The glorious outlines of the fairer sex become blurry, a comnoisseur’s nightmare. Does one resort to Braille? No, this can be misinterpreted and result in a boxing of the ears. Sigh! No option other than recourse to the eye doctors for a pair of powerful specs with which to continue homage to the female form. Such has been my activity in recent days. And very soon I shall have, adorning the snout, a classy, lightweight pair of powerful specs that will make me all but irresistible to the damsels of the Street Shelter for the Over-Forties and The Pub With No Name – not to mention doing full justice to their shapely beauty. But…

The Sasolburg Magistrate’s Court has remanded a 48-year-old man in custody after he was arrested by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) on charges of theft. The Hawks’ serious organised crime investigation team in Johannesburg apprehended Japhet Khumalo, 48, on Friday, on theft of cash allegations at Valkfontein, in Lenasia South. “Khumalo’s arrest emanated from his employer, Fidelity Security Services’ daily inspection of cash reported to have been loaded on automated teller machines (ATM) in the Sasolburg area on Thursday,” said Hawks spokes- person in Gauteng, Captain Ndivhuwo Mulamu. Based on Fidelity’s suspicions on the alleged missing R200 000 cash, the matter was reported to the Hawks in Johannesburg. “The investigation team swiftly traced Khumalo and arrested him in Vlakfontein. Further investigation led the police to another address in…

Jolene Marriah-Maharaj jolene.marriah@inl.co.za Police have confirmed that a security guard was fatally shot in the head during a robbery at a Durban business yesterday. Spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said four armed men entered the business premises on Jan Smuts Highway in Mayville and held up the staff. “They took cash and robbed security guards of their two shotguns. “A security guard, believed to be 35 years old, was shot in the head and died at the scene. “Another employee was shot in the hand/arm and was taken to hospital.” Mbele said the robbers fled in their getaway vehicle. Kyle van Reenen, of Emer-G-Med Paramedics, said paramedics declared the security guard dead on their arrival. In a separate incident earlier this month, a security guard died in hospital, after he was…

Xolile Bhengu xolile.bhengu@inl.co.za The family of missing Shayamanzi houseboat crew member, Maxwell Nyawo, are still hopeful that he will be found alive. The Shayamanzi I luxury houseboat caught alight at the Jozini Dam on Sunday. Nyawo was the only one who was still missing by yesterday afternoon, with the South African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) and the police searching for him. Shayamanzi chef Michael Chilizane Phiri, 51, and German tourist Michael Mirschel, 64, both died. The four other passengers and two crew members managed to reach the shore safely. Nyawo who was a deck hand on the boat, said in an interview in 2014, that he had been involved in building the boat in 2007 and was later offered a job aboard the boat. Speaking to The Mercury yesterday,…

POLITICAL puzzles continue to play out in the public gallery as parties try to outmanoeuvre each other before the November 1 local government polls. Politicians are criss-crossing the country, including visiting places they did not know existed, in an attempt to attract neutral voters. On Monday alone, the DA, ANC and Good party were on the campaign trail in Northern Cape. If he is to be believed, ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa told potential voters in that province he was aware of the challenges facing the party, but would correct its local governance. His DA counterpart John Steenhuisen was not letting Ramaphosa have the limelight all to himself. If you swear by the blue colours of the party, then believe Steenhuisen when he tells you the ANC “is holding back many…