Inhoudsopgave van 2022-04-26 - Mercury

SASOL yesterday said it has declared a force majeure on the export of some chemicals products due to the impact of heavy rainfall and floods. KwaZulu-Natal was recently hit by devastating floods. Sasol, the producer of fuel products and chemicals from coal, which released its production and sales metrics for the nine months ended March, said the impact of the floods might affect its fourth-quarter volume outlook. Sasolburg volumes were 11 percent lower than the previous period, resulting from coal supply issues. Liquid fuels sales were 5 percent higher due to a recovery in fuel demand. Chemicals sales volumes from Sasol’s South African assets were 10 percent lower, but this was offset by higher prices, resulting in a 16 percent increase in sales revenue. “At this stage, only production rates…

QUESTIONS have been raised over the state of affairs at Mhlathuze Water, with many questioning the prolonged special leave of CEO Mthokozisi Duze and chief financial officer Babongile Mnyandu at the water entity. The pair have not been in the office since they were placed on special leave early in December last year. It is understood the two are facing allegations of misconduct. Concerns have also been raised about the Department of Water and Sanitation’s silence on the developments at the entity, especially Minister Senzo Mchunu. On Sunday, the minister held a meeting with mayors of eThekwini, iLembe, Ugu and uMgungundlovu districts to discuss the supply of water following the floods that ravaged some parts of the province. During the meeting, Mchunu emphasised the importance of water entities in ensuring…

There was something surreal about TV footage last week covering the official visit of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to India. Does such a visit really and inescapably involve such theatricals as having the PM’s head ceremonially swathed in a turban? His sitting Gandhi-like at a spinning wheel? Or were these just Bojo’s own improvisations? Meanwhile, back in London things were brewing. A Tory backbench revolt scuppered plans to vote down a Labour motion that parliament’s Privileges Committee should investigate whether Johnson misled parliament over the “Partygate” allegations – Downing Street booze parties in direct contradiction of the anti-Covid measures. One of Johnson’s closest allies, Steve Baker – he led the putsch against Theresa May – called on the prime minister to resign. “The jig is up!” It seems Tories…

It is sad that a once thriving municipality with the most efficient service delivery in the country is no more. Politics and the employment of unskilled, unqualified, unethical and corrupt municipal officials over the past 12 years has seen the demise of eThekwini. It is becoming more evident daily, and especially during the recent flooding. If proactive maintenance and by-laws were adhered to, the loss of lives and damage to properties would have been minimal. Lack of cleaning of drainage, creating new developments (formal and informal) without proper geotechnical reports, testing of soil etc, and non-adherence to by-laws have contributed to this disaster. It seems that due to corruption, most developments are approved by the municipality. Not increasing the public infrastructure in that area to accommodate the population growth is…

The Land Bank and the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) are striving to redress the legacy of racial and gender discrimination by encouraging the youth and previously disadvantaged to engage in farming. While the department is striving to redistribute land to previously disadvantaged individuals through redistributing land and entering into lengthy leasehold contracts with the beneficiaries, the Land Bank provides financial support to emerging farmers not only to empower them to play a meaningful role in the farming industry, but to help the government achieve equitable land ownership, agrarian reform, and land distribution. Over the years, most of the assistance had also helped distressed farmers who were affected by heavy rainfalls and drought. Because many aspiring farmers do not have sufficient funds to buy land for…

Three suspects were due in the Port Alfred Magistrate’s Court yesterday for the possession of abalone after they were bust by a vigilant cop and his K9 companion. On Friday, Warrant Officer Tertius Neethling and his partner, K9 officer Adze, arrested alleged abalone poachers and recovered diving equipment on the R72 near Fish River. At about 4am, Neethling and Adze, a 4-year-old Belgian shepherd, were conducting routine patrols along the R72 near Fish River in Port Alfred when they noticed the driver of a white Ford bakkie, which was parked in the road, behaving suspiciously. Eastern Cape provincial police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Majola Nkohli, said as the K9 patrol vehicle approached the bakkie, it sped off. A chase ensued and the bakkie collided with another vehicle and veered off the…

THE government is pulling out all stops to prove that the amended Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) Act is constitutionally sound. It has called on the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) to lend a hand in the court battle over the piece of legislation intended to implement the points demerits system for traffic offenders. This battle is headed to the Constitutional Court, where the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) will seek a confirmation of the North Gauteng High Court ruling that declared Aarto unconstitutional. Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has filed a notice to oppose the confirmation application by the Johannesburg-based non-profit organisation. Mbalula’s position is that Judge Annali Basson erred by finding that Aarto encroached on the powers of the provincial and municipal authorities. In the judgment delivered…

KWAZULU-NATAL MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Peggy Nkonyeni announced yesterday that the Rossburgh Driver Licence Testing Centre (DLTC) would remain closed after it was damaged in the recent floods. Yesterday, Nkonyeni undertook a visit to assess the damage at Rossburgh and was briefed by the management team. The centre suffered extensive damage in the floods. “The Information Technology equipment with the National Traffic Information System (eNaTIS) system is damaged. Nine patrol vehicles belonging to the department were also damaged.” The Transport Department said the DLTC was the third biggest in the country and processed more than 32 000 applications a month related to learner licences, driving licences, licence renewals and professional driving permits. After conducting the inspection, Nkonyeni announced that services would temporarily be relocated to the…

ONE certainty about our human species is that we will always have disparate views about everything under the sun, especially contentious issues. Unfortunately these will continue to divide and even destroy humankind. Throughout history, we find those who allow themselves to be used by evil folks to do their dirty work for them, just like callous murderers using contract killers, as gangsters, taxi bosses and even rogue politicians do. Our Afrikaans language has descriptive words for these folks, like meelopers and agterryers (hanger-ons). However, “useful idiots” and “quislings” come the closest to what these folks really are, a dangerous subspecies. When Van Riebeeck landed here, he had to first win over the trust and then groom indigenous folks he met to help them with their “noble” objective to “Christianise” them.…

Fears of a hard Covid-19 lockdown sparked panic buying in Beijing yesterday, as long queues for compulsory mass testing formed in a large central district of the Chinese capital. China is already trying to contain a wave of infections in its biggest city Shanghai, which has been almost entirely locked down for weeks and reported 51 new Covid deaths yesterday. Shanghai has struggled to provide fresh food to those confined at home, while patients have reported trouble accessing non-Covid medical care – and the rising cases in the capital triggered fears of a similar lockdown. Downtown Beijing’s most populous district Chaoyang, home to around 3.5 million people, ordered mass testing from yesterday for residents and those coming to work there. The area hosts embassies and the headquarters of many multinational…

Lebanese rescue teams searched the Mediterranean for survivors yesterday after an overloaded people-smuggling boat capsized while being pursued by naval forces, with dozens unaccounted for still missing at sea. At least seven people died as a result of the tragedy, which occurred late Saturday just off the coast of the northern port city of Tripoli. It was Lebanon’s worst such disaster in years, igniting widespread rage just three weeks before May 15 parliamentary elections. The body of a woman was retrieved yesterday. The Lebanese army said that 48 people had been rescued, but it was not clear exactly how many would-be asylum-seekers were crammed on to the boat when it set off. The UN refugee agency said the boat was carrying at least 84 people when it capsized, about 5.5km…

Marseille: A French nun who recently celebrated her 118th birthday with her traditional port-and-chocolate cocktail is now the world’s oldest known person, following the death announced yesterday of a Japanese woman one year her senior. Lucile Randon, known as Sister André, was born in southern France on February 11, 1904, when World War I was still a decade away. She now lives at a nursing home in Toulon along the Mediterranean coast, beginning every day with breakfast and then a morning mass, though her eyes can no longer see. Previously the person deemed the world’s oldest by the International Database on Longevity was Kane Tanaka, whose death in Japan on April 19 was announced yesterday. Born on January 2, 1903 – the year of the Wright Brothers’ first controlled…

Colombo: Sri Lanka’s stock market halted trading after a nearly 13% plunge yesterday as the government faces new pressure to resign from influential Buddhist leaders over a crippling economic crisis. The country’s worst downturn since independence in 1948 has brought months of regular blackouts and acute shortages of food and fuel. The market crash came as the country’s most influential Buddhist clerics joined a growing list of former allies calling for the government’s resignation. Sri Lanka last week negotiated with the International Monetary Fund, but with no immediate prospect of funding. It is now banking on help from India, China and Japan. | AFP…

Acclaimed fashion designer David Tlale recently launched his third collection with beauty brand Avon. Tlale partnered with Avon in 2019 and launched their first collection in March 2020, then a second installation in October the same year, where they revealed the Exotic Collection. This month, the award-winning designer staged a show at the Rands Club in Joburg CBD, unveiling the Avon x David Tlale third collection. The Volsoorus-born designer says this collection is about celebrating the African continent and all the things we’ve been through as a country. “All we did was develop a beautiful monogram that we wanted to make sure that people can touch, feel and own,” said Tlale. “We wanted people to access affordable luxury and have a piece of David Tlale. The colours are quite vibrant.…

CLOSE to 3 000 eThekwini Municipality homeowners have lodged objections over the new valuations of their homes. The municipality revealed that as of April 14, it had received 2 769 objections. The new valuations will come into effect at the start of the new financial year on July 1. Municipal spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said the objections would be investigated and their outcomes processed in terms of the Municipal Property Rates Act. When asked if the month-end deadline for objections still stood in light of the storm damage, Mayisela said: “Yes, however, the city is considering extending the deadline. Once a firm decision has been made, a statement will be released.” According to the municipality, a general valuation is required to be undertaken at least once every four years. It said…

PEOPLE do what they are ready to do. No matter how skilled a counsellor or how dire a situation, people determine their own pace and do what they are ready to do. Pain is a much more effective motivator than any counsellor. People grieve at their own pace. It cannot be promoted or pushed or pulled by others in the hopes of getting it done sooner. Deep grief is never done. It moves, shifts, but some grief is never fully over. It may heal, but there is no scar remover for some losses. People do what they want to do. When a person wants to do something he or she will find a way. Mountains can move out from under the feet of someone who really wants something. People can,…

As I had not received a rates rebate form this year, I obtained one from the municipal offices and duly filled in the required information to have certified at the local police station. The last line reads that the value of the property does not exceed R2 000 000, which was the value of my home in 2017/2018. My current valuation (2022/2023) is R2 400 000, which means that the value of my home has increased by 20% since the last valuation yet the valuation cap remains the same, and I am now disqualified from any rebate, and many thousands of pensioners will fall out of the system. If properties are revalued, then it is essential that the valuation cap is also increased in line with inflation and property increases.…

IF DAVID Cartwright (The Mercury, April 25) was prepared to consider how and who determines the prescribed narrative on issues, he might be less inclined to disparage information which differs from those narratives. Instead, he insists that unless information is derived from “peer-reviewed factual publications of acknowledged world authorities”, it has no credibility. But control of narratives at the expense of divergent thought and information, although a current reality, is not new. In the 17th century, Galileo was ostracised and banished because the Catholic Church rejected his finding that the sun is the centre of our universe. In the US today, six conglomerates control 90% of what is read, watched or heard. They are: Disney, Comcast, AT&T, Sony, Fox and Paramount Global. Of this situation, the late Ben Bagdikian, author…

The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) owes municipalities across the country a staggering R837 million in rates and services as at the first two months of this year. This emerged in written replies by Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille when she replied to Parliamentary questions from Freedom Front Plus MP Philip van Staden and DA MP Haseena Ismail. Van Staden wrote to the minister asking about the 81 575 properties under the custodian of her department that are in arrears with property rates as well as the amount owed to individual municipalities. Ismail enquired about the amount the department owed to each municipality for services rendered. In her written reply, De Lille said there were 10 483 accounts with arrears balances submitted by 145 municipalities…

Opposition parties have urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to focus on the needs of people directly affected by the devastation caused by the recent floods in KwaZulu-Natal, and to not only look at the matter broadly when he addresses a joint sitting of Parliament today. Ramaphosa, who requested the joint sitting of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), is expected to address the impact of the floods, which led to the loss of more than 430 lives, the displacement of thousands after more than 4 000 homes were destroyed, and damage to infrastructure. The president has declared the floods as a national State of Disaster. IFP party president Velenkosini Hlabisa said Ramaphosa must prioritise the establishment of a survivors’ fund for all the families who had…

In 2022, our commemoration of Freedom Day (April 27) is also a celebration of years of democracy in South Africa. We must continue to cherish and develop our democracy because it cannot flourish without the dedication and commitment of citizens and leaders. This commitment is manifested in manifold forms. We must not forget the vision, dream, expectations and passion that we had for democracy when Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo and other leaders were released from prison, when liberation movements were unbanned, when an interim Constitution for the new Republic was negotiated, and when the first democratic elections took place. We know that democracy is not perfect, and that it is at best the “least bad” form of human government that we have. Democracy, however, does have a perfect and…

The US will reopen its embassy in Ukraine soon, its top diplomat said yesterday after he and the US defense secretary visited Kyiv, promising more military aid and hailing the fight against Russia’s invasion. Both Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the fact they were able to come to Ukraine’s capital was proof of its tenacity in forcing Moscow to abandon an assault on Kyiv last month. “What you’ve done in repelling the Russians in the battle of Kyiv is extraordinary and inspiring, quite frankly, to the rest of the world,” Austin told President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at a meeting. “We are here to support you in any way possible.” Blinken hailed Ukraine’s success “in pushing back this horrific Russian aggression.” Austin said: “We want…

After a patient died of Ebola, health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have declared an outbreak of the deadly disease – the sixth since the last outbreak in 2018. So far, just one case has been confirmed, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said. The patient, a 31-year-old man from Mbandaka, a city in the north-western Equateur Province, began experiencing symptoms on April 5 and after more than a week of care at home, sought treatment at a local health facility. On April 21, the patient was admitted to an Ebola treatment centre for intensive care but died later that day. Having recognised the symptoms, health workers immediately submitted samples to test for Ebola virus disease. Investigations to determine the source of the outbreak are ongoing, the…

London: The UK yesterday began two days of talks with the US, hoping for progress to secure a coveted post-Brexit free trade deal. International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan was hosting her US counterpart Katherine Tai in Aberdeen, Scotland, and London. Trevelyan said the meeting focused on digital and innovation sectors, sustainable trade, supporting small- and medium-sized businesses, and supply chain resilience. The UK left the EU in January last year, and has been seeking deals to boost international trade. But Biden has warned Johnson a deal will be off if London’s row with Brussels over post-Brexit trade in Northern Ireland affects hard-won peace. | AFP…

Gav Scott was the destroyer-in-chief for Synergy Westville Old Boys, as history was made when the Optimum Premier Division Moor Cup debutantes edged out current holders College Rovers 22-19 in the opening round of the competition. Rovers suffered the same fate in 2014 when they were beaten by debutantes, the South Coast Terriers of Amanzimtoti Rugby Club, but still made a fist of the league by finishing as runners-up behind Durban Collegians that year. The question is simple: Will history repeat itself? Certainly one cannot answer the question easily as we can expect a hugely competitive season this year with any of the top four clubs in with a great chance to secure the oldest knockout piece of silverware in World Rugby - the Moor Cup. Scott, who controlled the…

Orlando Pirates co-coach Mandla Ncikazi was on cloud nine after steering the Sea Robbers into the semi-finals of the CAF Confederation Cup but, amid the euphoria, he gave a candid review of their season across all competitions so far. “If you see our team, it’s not the same team that started the season. There’s progress and there are some players that are coming back from injuries. We are improving in certain areas. I don’t think we’ve seen Pirates this direct,” he explained. Pirates progressed to the next round of the African showpiece after they beat Simba 4-3 on penalties in the last eight. The game ended 1-1 on aggregate after Kwame Peprah levelled the tie after Simba had won the first leg 1-0 at home. The Confederation Cup is not…

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africans owe their support to the Eskom board and management as they work to turn the utility around, despite its failure to keep the lights on all the time. Hours after Ramaphosa made these remarks in his weekly newsletter yesterday, Eskom urged the public to reduce the consumption of electricity as the power system was severely constrained due to the delay in returning units to service and the loss of generation units. Throwing his weight behind the Eskom board and executive, Ramaphosa again blamed policy missteps and the impact of state capture over many years for the regular load shedding. However, he did not mention what role he had played when then president Jacob Zuma assigned him the responsibility of leading the Eskom war room…

Sibusiso Mboto DESPITE the rest of South Africa being set to celebrate Freedom Day tomorrow, KwaZulu-Natal will not be in a celebratory mood as the province continues to count the rising costs of the recent devastating floods. Costs attached to the floods stand at R17 billion. The figure may rise as assessment of the damage continues. The Transport Department suffered the highest costs, of more than R6bn as many roads and bridges were damaged, while the Department of Human Settlements’ costs stood at more than R2.5bn owing to the many houses that collapsed. When it comes to local government, eThekwini also bore the heaviest brunt from the floods, with current estimates standing at R2.1bn, with Ugu District alone recording R1.9bn. The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa will need R955…

THE failure by government to provide decent shelter to the poor has led to a mushrooming of informal settlements in Durban. One such affected area is Clare Estate. In terms of apartheid and specifically the Group Areas Act of 1950 and several land acts, cities and towns in South Africa were divided into segregated residential areas. Thousands of blacks, Indians and coloureds were removed from areas classified for white occupation and relocated to designated areas within or without the boundaries of the city. This was the basis for residential segregation in South Africa. Indians were forcefully removed from the central area of the city of Durban and relocated to Clare Estate. The area has a hilly topography and this exacerbated the cost of private housing. In later years, this area…

Gauteng is in the early stages of the fifth Covid-19 wave. The country is in the crosshairs of the emerging fifth wave. Within the next four weeks, it will probably spread with speed as we ignore its emergence. It is callous to blatantly ignore health measures designed to mitigate the fifth wave, whose viral footprints are making its impact as winter approaches. We will be forced to go into a higher lockdown as the nation and its strained and drained medical teams fight an uphill struggle to contain the escalating wave, as it slowly envelopes the country. In a life-and-death struggle, a deadly war of attrition is in progress between man and microbe, as the new wave increases infections and possibly results in many deaths. A biological intruder, in a…

Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) has reopened the online self-enumeration process in a bid to ensure broader participation in the first digital population count. The national statistical service announced that households that had not been counted in the 2022 Census earlier this year would have another opportunity to register and submit their information online. The first digital enumeration got under way on February 2, and the main phase of data collection came to an end on March 20, with more than 12 million households from an estimated 17.4 million households having been counted. But due to data-collection challenges, particularly in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, which were heavily impacted by the recent extreme weather conditions, the agency said it had taken the decision to extend the census to the end…

The long-awaited murder trial against the five men charged with killing footballer Senzo Meyiwa began yesterday. The trial began with the State calling its first witness, Sergeant Thabo Johannes Mosia. With 16 years’ policing experience, he was one of the SAPS members who collected forensic evidence after the October 2014 shooting. Yesterday Mosia was taken through the photo album he compiled at the crime scene and the sketches he prepared as exhibits for the court. Prior to Mosia taking the stand, Gauteng High Court, Pretoria Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela asked Kelly Khumalo’s legal representative, Magdalene Moonsamy, to leave the court room. Khumalo was Meyiwa’s girlfriend. Moonsamy had been on a “watching brief” for her client, Khumalo. This had initially been allowed by Maumela, however as the trial started, advocate Malesela Teffo,…

THE brazen murder of eThekwini Municipality employees at municipal sites should be stopped immediately, otherwise a culture of lawlessness and criminality will take over. Municipal staff member Phumzile Qatha became the latest victim of this culture of lawlessness when she was shot dead at the municipal depot in Ottawa on Saturday afternoon. Qatha was in charge of managing the disaster relief water tankers by allocating them to various areas. Qatha’s killing comes just two months after another municipal employee, Amos Ngcobo, was gunned down in broad daylight in his office in Springfield. Fortunately, there has been an arrest in connection with Ngcobo’s murder and the accused is currently before the courts. Once this culture is allowed to take root, it will be difficult to restore order and expect employees to…

French President Emmanuel Macron enjoyed no respite from his political opponents yesterday as, hours after he won re-election by defeating the far-right’s Marine Le Pen, radical parties called on voters to deny him a parliamentary majority. Macron, who pledged to work harder as a unifying force in a divided country, said his second mandate would be different after his sometimes high-handed manner alienated many voters during his first term in office. But he will now need to win again in legislative elections in June. If he fails to do that, he will struggle to push forward with his pro-business agenda, including unpopular plans to push back the retirement age. Senior politicians on the far left and far right urged the electorate to put a stop to those reforms. “Don’t leave…

NAYPYIDAW: Myanmar’s ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi, 76, was in court yesterday accused of funnelling charity money into a real estate investment, a source said, one of nearly a dozen graft cases against her carrying lengthy jail terms. Suu Kyi was arrested during the military coup last year and found guilty of minor offences so far, among a multitude of charges that carry combined prison sentences of almost 190 years. The Nobel laureate is accused of accepting 11.4kg of gold and cash totalling $600 000 from her protege-turned-accuser, former Yangon chief minister Phyo Min Thein. The global community has called the trials a farce. | Reuters…

JERUSALEM: A rocket fired from Lebanon landed near a kibbutz in Israel yesterday, prompting return shelling by the Israeli military. The cross-border strikes marked the first such exchange in months and raised fears that recent unrest in Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip could spread to Israel’s northern border. No group in Lebanon claimed responsibility for the rocket, which landed in an open field near Metzuva in the western Galilee region. Lebanese media outlets reported that a Grad rocket was fired from the Ras al-Ein and Qiliya area. Military officials said they suspected Palestinian militants were more likely responsible than Iranian-aligned Hezbollah. | The Washington Post…