Inhoudsopgave van 2022-06-15 - Mercury

TELKOM’S share price took an almost 9 percent dip yesterday on the JSE following the release of its annual financial results, posting a decline in revenue and profit due to global supply chain challenges and chip shortages. In late afternoon trade the share was down 8.75 percent to R36.71, the share being down 14.4 percent over 12 months. In an interview, Telkom chief executive Serame Taukobong said the results reflected the challenging market conditions the company was facing. The mobile operator for the year ended March 2022 recorded revenue of R42.76 billion, 1.1 percent lower than the previous year. Profit also decreased from R2.6bn to R2.4bn. However headline earnings per share increased by 2.5 percent. Earnings before interest, tax, and amortisation (Ebitda) were…

A SIGNIFICANT contribution to the “Just Transition in South Africa should come from the private sector finance, according to the head of the Presidential Climate Finance Task Team, Daniel Mminele. He has said there are many opportunities for public sector finance to leverage off the private sector and crowd in additional investments. Mminele was the keynote speaker at the JSE in Sandton where the bourse released its sustainability and climate disclosure guidance as part of its efforts to promote transparency among listed companies on their environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosures. The JSE’s sustainability disclosure guidance aims to be a reference document that uses a basic set of metrics in established global standards for locally listed companies to provide disclosures. The JSE has released its sustainability and climate disclosure…

Seven hours is the ideal amount of sleep for people in their middle age and upwards as a new study has found that both insufficient or excessive sleep is associated with poorer cognitive performance and mental health, including dementia. The study states one possible reason for the association between insufficient sleep and cognitive decline may be due to the disruption of slow-wave – “deep” – sleep. It has been shown to have a close link with memory consolidation and the build-up of amyloid – a key protein which, when it misfolds, can cause “tangles” in the brain characteristic of some forms of dementia. Lack of sleep may also hamper the brain’s ability to rid itself of toxins, said researchers from the University of Cambridge and Fudan University.For the study, the…

Zimbabwe is now battling with inflation that has hit the triple-digit level of 131.7%, as at May, skyrocketing from 96.4% a month before. It’s horrible that the economy has forced sex workers in Zimbabwe to accept a bucket of maize or cups of dried beans as payment for sex services. Zimbabwe has always been plagued by drug shortages in hospitals; how will the sex workers be healed when they are using bread packets (in place of condoms)? This practice places the people involved at risk of transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. It is clear that the ruling party in Zimbabwe has failed to develop the country. President Emmerson Mnangagwa should be removed from power because he has failed to effectively lead Zimbabwe into prosperity. It’s embarrassing when the country reaches…

Forty-six years ago, young children, barely into their early teens, saw their elders bowed and nearly beaten by minions of apartheid and took it upon themselves to re-ignite the dying embers of freedom. So many died in the wake of June 16, 1976. They did not die in vain. Where are their successors? So it’s up to you, my children of June 16, 2022, and beyond for the successors of those of 46 years ago have become lazy and indolent. Captured, most likely by the glitter of false promises, into believing that they will be economically free. Not happening, considering the fact that the youth unemployment rate in South Africa was nearly 56% in 2020, the highest of any of the G20 countries, followed by Brazil, with a youth unemployment…

Six senior suspended public servants were collectively paid more than R12 million while sitting at home. This was confirmed in written replies from Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele after questions were asked by the DA. The officials include suspended Free State head of the Department of Human Settlements Nthimotse Mokhesi. Mokhesi faces fraud and corruption charges along with suspended ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule and businessman Edwin Sodi in relation to the R250 million asbestos contract awarded to Sodi. DA public service and administration spokesperson Dr Mimmy Gondwe had asked Gungubele for details on heads of departments on suspension with full pay and “at what cost to the taxpayer”. In his reply, Gungubele said in the Northern Cape, Ruth Palm, head of the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, was…

Heavy rains accompanied by strong winds have brought relief to Cape firefighters who for days have been battling a fire in Somerset West, where five homes were damaged. A wildfire broke out at Rietvlei on June 8, and just hours later another fire broke out on the mountain slopes above Lourensford in Somerset West. This affected several areas, including Silverboomkloof, Spanish Farm and the Helderberg Nature Reserve. Homes along Silverboomkloof Road were gutted and two firefighters who were battling the blaze were hospitalised. According to City of Cape Town Mayoral committee member for safety and security, JP Smith, the fires had been contained. “The wet weather that has set in has been a massive boost, and brought welcome relief. We commend the efforts of our firefighters, who have battled for…

THE EFF Student Command (EFFSC) says it plans to continue with protests at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) Westville campus today. Students from the Westville campus have embarked on protests since Monday, demanding the reinstatement of suspended staff including cleaners, gardeners and guards. EFFSC Westville campus branch deputy secretary Owami Sithole said even though there had been communication with some staff to return to work, they would continue with the protest until all staff had been reinstated. UKZN said destruction of property (two tractors and a container) was reported at its Edgewood campus early yesterday morning. Protests and destruction of property were also reported at the Westville campus yesterday. It added that a fire took place at one of the rooms at the Oval residence yesterday. UKZN student Thami Khuzwayo…

A DurbAn teacher has pleaded guilty to voting 24 times during the local government elections in November last year. Nomusa Precious Gabuza was sentenced to three years’ correctional supervision and four years’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for three years, in the Umlazi Regional Court this week. National Prosecuting Authority KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said Gabuza pleaded guilty to Contravention of the Local Government Municipal Electoral Act. In her plea, Gabuza told the court she was a teacher at a school in Durban, which was also used as a voting station during last year’s elections. “She was the presiding officer at this voting station and acknowledged her job was to ensure that the voting process was conducted fairly and justly without any problems,” said Ramkisson-Kara. “On the morning of the elections and…

Continuing native landlessness should be subjected to a referendum for resolution This year marks 67 years since the original Congress of the People declared that: “the land shall be shared amongst those who work it”. This bold statement, made amid heightened repression by apartheid colonial agents, marked a commitment that some steps, albeit limited, would be taken to confront the first sin of apartheid colonialism – violent land dispossession. It is common cause that colonialists descended on to our land, and subjected natives to relentless attacks aimed at dispossessing them of their land. In return for the hospitality that natives showed them when they first arrived on our shores, the colonialists declared war on them. Wars of resistance led mainly by native kings and chiefs ensued in the defence of…

Moscow: The Kremlin says London has not asked Russia to intervene and help save two Britons sentenced to death by pro-Moscow separatist authorities in eastern Ukraine. Such a request should be lodged with the separatist authorities of the breakaway region of Donetsk that tried Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner for fighting with the Ukrainian army,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. Aslin, Pinner and Moroccan Saaudun Brahim were accused of acting as mercenaries for Ukraine and sentenced to death. Denis Pushilin, leader of the separatists, has accused British Prime Minister Boris Johnson of ignoring the two British men’s fate and failing to contact the separatists. | AFP…

Workers at Comair are struggling to come to terms with the company being liquidated. The South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg yesterday granted an order for the provisional liquidation of Comair, which operated kulula.com and local British Airways flights in South Africa. The company said in court papers that it did not have capital to fund its operational costs. Speaking to The Mercury this week, workers said that Monday was the last day at work for staff at King Shaka International Airport. Nompilo Masinga, 36, who worked as a customer services agent at Comair at King Shaka International Airport, said that it had been difficult for workers. “I have been working at Comair since 2017, it’s really a challenging time, obviously we are very sad. Mentally we were trying to…

WAIT and watch before you judge, dismiss, turn your back on the human you want to reject for a behaviour, a look, an appearance that you don’t understand or appreciate. You may have something to learn from this person. He or she may hold a key for you to love a little deeper than before. He or she may indeed put you in touch with more of your humanity, and shave off an edge of your remaining inhumanity. Yes, sadly, we all carry an edge of inhumanity. But, to find the key, unleash the love, you’ve got to be willing to admit you may indeed have something to learn and discover from someone you might readily rather reject. Often, at the core of our impulse to reject is the heart…

Stan Sandler correctly identifies family problems as contributing to our high levels of criminality (The Mercury, June 7). For black African families, these problems have their roots in the past, with the widespread destruction of stable family life by influx control keeping wives and children out of town, and some husbands failing to return or to remit to their families. As in poverty-stricken communities elsewhere, families headed by women without the support of men were common in towns. The damage done by colonial and apartheid policies is well documented in research literature. Nothing has been done by this government to break the vicious cycle of the past, even by replacing notorious single-sex hostels with decent family housing. Recognising the crying need to do something about the situation, and following research,…

In October 2019, I cancelled my landline telephone contract with Telkom, paid the outstanding amount for the previous month and received confirmation from Telkom via SMS, complete with a reference. Several months thereafter, I began to receive SMSes and later, telephone calls from a ream of collection agencies demanding payment of an ever-increasing outstanding amount. Finally, I contacted Telkom and was given a dispute reference number and subsequently, an SMS confirming that the matter had been resolved. All well and good, I thought, but surprise, surprise; the demands abated for a while and then began again, this time with greater frequency – one day, as many as 10 calls from the same collection agency. Every time I have informed them of the background, the cancellation reference, the dispute reference and…

The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has upheld, in part, an appeal brought by Thembinkosi Mekuto regarding his sentence for a spate of charges relating to an armed robbery at a bank in Hermanus 15 years ago. Mekuto was one of five men sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a security guard outside a bank in Hermanus. The incident took place in December 2007. The guard was shot in the head and chest and died at the scene. The five men were apprehended, charged and tried at the Western Cape High Court. They were convicted and sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for attempted murder, 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances, 15 years for unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, and life imprisonment for murder. Mekuto tried to…

It’s been two-and-half years since Master KG and Nomcebo Zikode unleashed the song Jerusalema and took the world by storm. The pair’s hit single was initially a slow burner before it went viral across the world and became a mammoth global hit during the first few months of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, the gospel-influenced house song has amassed impressive accolades, not least peaking at no. 1 on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales and Euro Digital Songs. The song also hit Gold in the US (500K sales), 2x Platinum in Poland (100K), Platinum in Germany (400K), Diamond in France (333 333), 4x Platinum in Italy (280K), and peaked at #1 in Belgium, Romania, Hungary, the Netherlands, Switzerland and France. Now it has made more history, becoming the first song…

A WEEK after opening criminal charges against each other, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala and controversial media personality Ngizwe Mchunu have decided to smoke the peace pipe and withdraw the cases. The charges stemmed from an incident that took place on June 4 at the Ingoma KaZwelonke Festival, a cultural event at Moses Mabhida Stadium where the pair had an altercation. Both Zikalala and Mchunu opened cases of crimen injuria against each other at Durban Central police station. Throughout last week, the incident had been a source of debate, including on social media platforms. On Monday, Mchunu called a media briefing in uMhlanga in which he announced the withdrawal of the crimen injuria case against the premier. The former Ukhozi FM presenter said he had opted to make peace with the…

US President Joe Biden will make history next month with a direct flight between Israel and Saudi Arabia where he will meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, abandoning efforts to ostracise the oil kingdom’s de facto leader over the murder of a dissident. The White House ended weeks of speculation yesterday, announcing that Biden will travel to Israel, the Palestinian West Bank and Saudi Arabia from July 13 to 16. This will be Biden’s first trip to the Middle East as president and in addition to meetings with individual leaders in all three places, he will attend a regional Gulf Co-operation Council summit in Saudi Arabia. There is widespread expectation that Biden hopes to secure a boost in Saudi oil production, in an attempt to tame spiralling fuel costs and…

LONDON: Britain’s first scheduled flight taking asylum seekers to Rwanda was to depart yesterday, with the government warning that anyone who avoided it through last-minute legal challenges would be put on a later plane despite an outcry from critics. With just hours to go before the flight was due to depart from London, lawyers for human rights groups and campaigners took their case to the Supreme Court, only for the judge to reject it. But several individuals have successfully argued that they should not be deported to Rwanda on health or human rights grounds, meaning the numbers due to depart have dwindled from 37 to 7. | Reuters…

THE Durban Solid Waste (DSW) unit is facing myriad challenges, including a shortage of vehicles and an ageing fleet that breaks down frequently, which is impacting on its mandate to manage waste in eThekwini Municipality. The problem is so serious that the unit is spending R1.5 million a month on the hiring of vehicles to collect refuse in uMlazi township alone because it does not have the capacity to do this work internally. The issues have led to the DSW unit being unable to carry out its mandate optimally and therefore bearing the brunt of consumer complaints about poor service delivery. DSW head Raymond Rampersad spoke to The Mercury yesterday about the challenges facing the unit. The issue of the ageing fleet vehicles came to the fore during a…

A titter ran through the court? The judicial process in America sometimes develops along unexpected lines. In Albany, New York State, four men were being arraigned in court for an offence allegedly committed at the State Capitol, according to Associated Press. One of them started filming the proceedings. The judge ordered him to stop. At which the courtroom suddenly was buzzing with hundreds of flying cockroaches. The court adjourned for the fumigators to move in. A woman who had been sitting in the public gallery was later arrested, apparently for releasing the cockroaches from a number of plastic containers she had with her. She has been charged with disorderly conduct, obstructing governmental administration and tampering with physical evidence. Surprise, surprise! When you go fishing, you never know what your catch…

The DA notes that about 633 KwaZulu-Natal school principals are extremely unhappy with the provincial Department of Education’s decision to remove their ability to procure their own textbooks and other learner and teacher support materials (LTSM). The call was made by KZN Education MEC Kwazi Mshengu during his budget debate and repeated again during the more recent School Functionality Report debates. In the greater scheme of things, the DA supports this move. Far too often, when schools are visited, there is evidence of delays, shortages, quality issues and allegations of skulduggery when schools are left to purchase their own materials. An oversight inspection of the company awarded the contract to supply schools with LTSM has also shown that it is efficient, on time, ensures proper quality and is more regulated…

THE PRESIDENT was in a sombre mood when he appeared before the media last week Thursday. With sunken eyes and a gloomy face, he seemed to have had a heavy night. How stupid could he have been to hide his dollars under the cushion on his Phala Phala game farm? Wouldn’t it have been wiser for a man with so much business expertise to bank the money? Perhaps he was hiding his dollars from the Reserve Bank and the taxman. But in trying to avoid tax not only did all his money get stolen but he apparently had to pay all the accomplices for their silence. Poor man! What a mess up! So much money and so much power, yet he can find no happiness. Though Ramaphosa appeared a sullen…

Former Orlando Pirates player Tonic Chabalala has been released on bail of R4 000 after he was charged with fraud in connection with tenders from the City of Joburg. The 43-year-old Chabalala was granted bail on Monday in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Palm Ridge, Gauteng. Chabalala, who was a spirited defender for the top-flight team, is facing charges of fraud and corruption. He allegedly defrauded the City of Joburg of R15 million through a company he ran. The State alleged that Chabalala created fraudulent Requests For Quotes (RFQ) for companies that were awarded tenders. He is believed to have colluded with others, including City of Joburg employees. National Prosecuting Authority Gauteng spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said Chabalala had a company that was registered as a service provider for the…

Since allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to become bone marrow stem cell donors, the SA Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR) has seen a massive 65% increase in youth sign-ups. Nadia Chalkley, head of donor recruitment for the SABMR, said the response had been phenomenal. “In just over a year since lowering the eligible donor age, more than 3 000 South African youth have joined our registry. Most are between the ages of 16 and 35.” She said the bulk of youth registrations had come from donor drives held at schools and university campuses after Covid-19 restrictions were lifted. “Students in the big metropoles, where most of our donor efforts were concentrated, have been so receptive to our message, and it’s given us an opportunity to educate and debunk many of the myths…

THERE were major traffic jams on the N3 north- and south-bound lanes in the Free State yesterday after trucks blocked both lanes near the Reitz interchange between Warden and Villiers. Traffic flow was disrupted for more than six hours, but the blockade was eventually cleared yesterday afternoon. The truck blockade has been linked to protests by local truck drivers over the long-standing issue of the employment of foreign nationals in the sector. The All Truck Drivers Forum and Allied South Africa (ATDFASA) denied involvement in the blockade, but said they strongly supported the action. Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula condemned the blockade, saying: “I have been working with Minister (Thulas) Nxesi, of Labour and Employment, and Minister (Aaron) Motsoaledi of Home Affairs and affected stakeholders to address the issues…

THE order by the Special Tribunal that controversial businessperson Hamilton Ndlovu must pay back R158 million received through alleged fraudulent personal protective equipment (PPE) contracts must be welcomed. Last week, a Special Tribunal ordered Ndlovu to reimburse taxpayers and also ruled that his companies be blacklisted from doing business with the state. This was after he benefited from contracts worth R172m awarded by the National Health Laboratory Service. In a tweet, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) said that it would auction Ndlovu’s luxury properties worth R32m. “CORRUPTION DOES NOT PAY. @TribunalSpecial ordered that Hamilton Ndlovu be blacklisted. SIU to auction luxury properties worth R32M that are linked to Ndlovu. R10M in cash is forfeited to the state,” the SIU said in the tweet. Ndlovu made headlines when he posted a…

The search for missing British journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest was nearing the end yesterday, as the area left to search grows smaller, a spokesperson for indigenous group Univaja said. Phillips and Pereira went missing more than a week ago along a remote stretch of the Itacoai River in far western Brazil near the border with Colombia and Peru. Eliesio Marubo, a lawyer for Univaja, said that indigenous searchers tipped off the authorities after discovering traces of the men in the area, helping to focus the search. Brazilian federal police said that they expect to conclude this week the forensic analysis of a blood sample collected from the boat of a man suspected to be involved in the disappearance. Police said the belongings…

Colombo: Crisis-hit Sri Lanka is asking civil servants to take an extra day off each week to grow crops in their backyards in a bid to forestall a looming food shortage. The island nation’s worst economic downturn has left several staple foods in short supply, along with petrol and medicines, and rampant inflation is ravaging household budgets. The cabinet said the extra day off would be a “solution to the food shortage that is expected to occur in the future”, the statement read, adding that cutting down on civil servant commutes would also help reduce fuel consumption. The UN said four out of five people were forced to skip meals.| AFP…

Bafana Bafana will take on Southern African neighbours Mozambique in the quarter-finals of the upcoming Cosafa Cup, which will be held in Durban from July 5. The draw for the event was held at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban yesterday morning. Bafana get the privilege of advancing straight to the quarter-final stage of the Southern African football competition by virtue of being one of the highest ranked sides at the event. In the other quarter-final clashes Madagascar will play against Namibia, while Zambia will play against the winner of Group A and guest nation Senegal will face off against the winner of Group B. The tournament will serve as a developmental platform for potential future Bafana stars to showcase their talent and develop their skills as they look to…