Inhoudsopgave van 2022-08-03 - Mercury

DEMAND for solar panels, batteries and inverters in South Africa goes into hyper-drive every time Eskom announces load shedding, creating sporadic shortages in the local market, Ellies Group chief executive Shaun Prithivirajh said yesterday. He said Ellies, along with other distributors, was faced with substantial difficulties in importing the equipment, because of the very high demand for such products globally, substantial supply chain disruptions emanating from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on global industry, the weakening rand exchange rate, and “when we are finally able to get some panels, we are short of being able to get inverters, or short of batteries”. Ellies imports all its alternative energy products for the local market. He said the problem was exacerbated by the local market where demand spikes sharply when Eskom…

As speculation grows over the future of KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala and his possible resignation, insiders in the provincial ANC say such a move will pave the way for a provincial cabinet reshuffle. This as intense consultation is taking place before an announcement can be made. The Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) of the party is expected to meet tomorrow for the first time since the provincial elective conference where Siboniso Duma was elected chairperson. While it is not clear if discussions will centre on the issue of a reshuffle, sources say that while Zikalala has not been pushed out of office, he was expected to resign on a matter of principle as there are concerns over two centres of power. Provincial leaders also do not want a repeat of…

It’s easy to sit in judgement of men and women who do dumb and hurtful things within their families. It is easy to jump to trite and self-righteous explanations as to why he left her or why she found another lover, why he resorts to pornography. One or two-line clichés seldom explain complex human behaviours and misbehaviours. Everybody is living a complex story, a story born out of his or her own family complexities which often span several generations. I do not know, after many years of consulting with families, a single family that I would consider free of family complexities, no matter how idyllic things look on the surface. Conflicts and breakups and abandonments escape logical explanations because they come from confused and painful and illogical histories. This is…

The escalation in ancestral callings within KwaZulu-Natal schools – from isolated reports to recent more frequent incidents involving large numbers – is indeed a concern when it comes to the manner in which the provincial Department of Education (DoE) facilitates and manages such reports from schools. Religious and cultural rights must be respected within the confines of the law. The Bill of Rights entrenches these liberties. And while an academic approach is sought, these religious and cultural aspects must not be left by the wayside. The DoE must not attempt this journey alone, without thorough participation involving all stakeholders. It also cannot rely only on academic papers. Parents, pupils, school governing bodies, school senior management, practitioners, experts in the field and authorities in indigenous knowledge systems, along with the Commission…

FEMALE footballers are making their mark on what was once a traditionally male sport. Last week, Banyana Banyana were the toast of the nation when they beat Morocco in the finals and lifted the Wafcon trophy for the first time. This week it was the turn of England’s Lionesses, who beat eight-times champions Germany 2-1 at Wembley. A record crowd of 87 000 packed the stadium and watched the enthralling match. Not even in the men’s matches did Wembley draw such a huge crowd. Around the country, more than 17 million watched the women’s game from homes and pubs, while in Germany nearly 80 million were glued to their television sets, hoping their team would triumph again making it nine wins. But the English girls put on a gutsy performance…

Equal Education (EE) and Equal Education Law Centre (EELC) have made a joint written submission to the Department of Basic Education (DBE) on what it has described as “drastic and unacceptable” proposed changes to the school infrastructure law. The advocacy groups argued that the amendments being proposed for the norms and standards for public school infrastructure would essentially do away with the deadlines set for the department to deal with infrastructure issues at schools. The groups said basic infrastructure needs at a number of schools in South Africa had long been a massive problem. However, continuous deadline extensions meant that some schools were still operating without basic infrastructure such as electricity, water and flushing toilets. Last month EE members protested outside the Basic Education Department's offices in Pretoria. They do…

KwaZulu-Natal Social Development MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza has expressed shock at the brutal murder of two Grade 12 pupils at the weekend. The two schoolgirls were allegedly attacked with an axe while they were in their rented house in Ngwangwane village, ward 8 in the Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma Local Municipality (Creighton) in southern KwaZulu-Natal. It is alleged a man in his twenties came into the house in the early hours, hacked the girls to death and dismembered their bodies. Reacting to the incident, Khoza said the attack on defenceless pupils was abhorrent and a reflection of the worst form of criminality and decline of morals. “It is very painful that we start Women’s Month with such a horrific incident. “We find solace in the fact that law-enforcement agencies quickly arrested…

THE eThekwini Municipality’s audit committee is concerned about the losses being suffered by the electricity unit. The electricity losses come as a result of theft and vandalism of infrastructure, illegal connections and technical losses stemming from the poor maintenance and ageing infrastructure. The municipality is losing millions of rand due to illegal connections and repairs to vandalised infrastructure. The committee warned in its latest report that the challenges that plagued the electricity unit were causing severe losses that were a threat to the unit and the municipality as a whole. The city’s infrastructure has been described as fragile as it is largely old. This has been worsened by the recent floods. So fragile is the infrastructure that eThekwini since the floods has been excused from load shedding out of fear…

The world must prepare for a “climate endgame” to better plan for the potentially catastrophic impacts of global heating that governments have yet to consider, scientists warned yesterday. Climate models that can predict the extent of global warming depending on greenhouse gas emissions are increasingly sophisticated and provide policymakers with an accurate trajectory of global temperature rises. What is less well explored is the cascading impact – crop failures and infrastructure loss due to extreme weather events, made more likely to occur with every degree of warming. Researchers at the University of Cambridge and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) outlined “catastrophic outcomes”. They proposed an international research agenda to help governments plan for “bad-to-worst cases” due to the “four horseman” of climate change: famine and malnutrition, extreme…

All Black captain Sam Cane says the remedy for healing his ailing team is to keep matters simple and to avoid trying to fix too much too soon when they open their Rugby Championship challenge against the Springboks in Nelspruit on Saturday. The All Blacks are nestled in an exclusive sports resort at White River, 20km from Nelspruit, and Cane says that being cocooned in a resort that has a training field outside their rooms is just what the doctor ordered. “It is good to be back in South Africa,” Cane grinned looking around at the rocky outcrops of the Lowveld. “It has been a while for New Zealand teams, and we have 10 guys with us who have never been here before. “We used to take it for granted…

South African captain Suné Luus admitted that it was becoming difficult to maintain optimism on what has been a very bad tour for the Proteas to England, which saw them suffer their eighth consecutive defeat yesterday. The team’s chances of winning a Commonwealth Games medal suffered a virtually fatal blow following a 26-run loss to England – the seventh time the Proteas have lost a limited-overs match to them in the last month. The home side scored 167/5, and the visitors replied with 141/4 in their 20 overs. In another limp performance – a feature of their tour – the South Africans were overwhelmed by England’s power with the bat, intensity in the field and intelligence with the ball at Edgbaston. Again there were fleeting moments that provided hope. Shabnim…

STAFF in the Durban Solid Waste (DSW) unit have embarked on an illegal go-slow due to the entity’s overtime budget being slashed by 50%. The City issued an alert to eThekwini residents yesterday that waste collection services in some areas and street-sweeping services in the municipality were being affected by the go-slow. The reduction of overtime was implemented on Monday, the City said. The City passed a resolution in June that required that all units cut their spending on overtime by 50%, and use this amount to fill vacancies instead. DSW and metro police are among the units that are spending exorbitantly on overtime, city records have shown. The units have in the past justified their overtime spend pointing out that they were short-staffed and the nature of their work…

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) will investigate the conduct of police officers implicated in the alleged cover-up after the theft of millions in foreign currency from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm. Ipid said it would conduct a separate investigation to that of the Hawks, who are tasked with probing the criminal investigation regarding the case opened by former spy boss Arthur Fraser. Fraser laid criminal charges against Ramaphosa for allegedly not reporting a theft of $4 million from the farm in February 2020 and for trying to cover it up. Ramaphosa has admitted that the robbery occurred at his farm but has denied any wrongdoing. The Ipid investigation, in terms of the SAPS regulations, would seek to determine if the officers had been in breach of their duties.…

Chile’s Easter Island, a popular Pacific Ocean tourist destination, officially reopened to the world this week after more than two years of closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The first flight with tourists – many with bookings made before the pandemic – was due to touch down on Thursday, tourism official Veronica Kunze told reporters. “We have to open the island, but we have to do it safely,” she added. Arrivals must be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, and show a negative PCR test. The island, located 3 500 kilometres west of the coast of Chile, is world-famous for its “moais,” huge stone statues in human form partially buried in the Earth. The island’s main source of revenue was domestic and international tourism before flights were grounded on March 16,…

While the decision by Standard Bank to retract its vax mandate for employees indicates some progress away from the flawed narrative on so-called vaccines, (The Mercury, July 13), the reasoning of the medical experts on whose advice the bank acted, shows the extent to which science has been corrupted. In terms of section 12 (2) of our constitution, Standard Bank had no right to require employees to subject themselves to a drug which is untested and not certified to produce immunity. Thus, it is sad that the opinions of Professors Thumbi Ndung’u of the Africa Health Institute and Yunus Moosa of UKZN, both cited as experts, do not reflect the dire impact that the Covid jabs are producing. How can they maintain that the jab “remains the best defence against…

THE KwaZulu-Natal Department of Human Settlements says 736 Temporal Residential Units (TRU) have been built in the province to date, and 683 of them have already been handed over to families affected by the April and May floods. Four months after the floods, KZN Department of Human Settlements spokesperson Mbulelo Baloyi said the first phase of the construction of TRUs had been completed in uMzinyathi, King Cetshwayo and uMkhanyakude districts. “To date, 736 TRUs have been completed across KwaZulu-Natal to relocate families who are being housed in mass care centres after the devastating April floods. Other TRUs are in various stages of construction. “The construction of the full quota of 70 planned units in uMzinyathi, 42 in King Cetshwayo and 40 in uMkhanyakude add to the 243 in iLembe and…

The Law Society of South Africa (LSSA) has urged the public to take advantage of National Wills Week to get a basic will drafted free of charge. “The coronavirus emphasised why it is important to have an updated will. Due to lockdown restrictions, many could unfortunately not get their wills drafted during this critical time,” the LSSA said. “With the removal of lockdown restrictions, it is essential to ensure that a legally sound will gets done. “This will ensure that there are no competing claims on your estate when you pass away and your intention for your dependants is followed.” The LSSA’s National Wills Week campaign allows the public to have a basic will drafted by an attorney free of charge from September 12 to 16. The contact details and…

Window for public comments closes in days THE period for public comments on the ominous amendments to the National Health Act ends in a few days. The window, which was extended after outrage erupted over the limited time allocated, is a constitutionally mandated exercise that the government has to embark on if it intends to promulgate a new law or make amendments to existing ones. It is not acceptable for the government to simply tick boxes in a compliance exercise. Hence it has to be extensive and substantial to achieve what it is intended for. Why is it important for the public to make their voices heard on these amendments? For two years, the country was placed under draconian restrictions, including a hard lockdown due to the Covid-19 outbreak. The…

US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan yesterday with a clear message for China, saying the US commitment to a democratic Taiwan was more important than ever. Chinese warplanes buzzed the line dividing the Taiwan Strait before her arrival, as China’s leadership warned against the visit by Pelosi, who is second in the line of succession to the US presidency and a long-time critic of Beijing. Pelosi’s became the first official visit to Taiwan by a speaker of the House in 25 years. China said the visit would badly damage Sino-US relations. Russia saw the visit as a provocation. The Kremlin accused Washington of choosing “the path of confrontation”. China considers Taiwan its territory Pelosi said that the visit by her congressional delegation, which includes an overnight…

AGRI SA AND the National Wool Growers’ Association of South Africa (NWGA) said that government action needed to stop what they called the unwarranted, job-killing China export ban on South African wool. China is South Africa’s primary wool export market, accounting for about 70 percent of exports. In a joint statement issued by the two agricultural organisations, they said they were extremely concerned about the unjustifiable ban on wool exports to China due to recent Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreaks in parts of the country. The first wool auction for the 2022/23 season was scheduled for August 17 and, with 70 to 80 percent of the South African clip traditionally destined for China, the ban would have a devastating effect on the local wool industry. The value of the…

AN environmental conservation organisation has sounded the alarm on the high E coli levels in Durban rivers, including the uMngeni River and Ohlanga River, and has called for the eThekwini Municipality to take action to curb the pollution. High E coli levels have also been registered at two beaches, according to water sampling tests taken last month, Adopt-a-River said. Experts have warned that the elevated E coli levels were likely to have a health impact on the public should they swim in contaminated water. Director of environmental conservation organisation Adopt-a-River, Janet Simpkins, said the uMngeni River had been critically contaminated for some time, adding that the contaminations were no longer flood-related. “We have seen a downward trend (of E coli levels) across the ‘Golden Mile’ beaches we usually sample, however,…

THE Midlands are shrouded in mist, freezing cold. They more than ever resemble the Scottish border country. I find myself at the Nottingham Road Hotel in the delightful company of a former Miss South Africa and three other glamorous gals, plus three stumblebum fellows I know. We are there for lunch, warmed by a roaring fire. Ah, the Notties, I haven’t been there for years, it brings back memories. The bar seems much the same as before, the long, smooth counter on which, late at night, the fellows (and sometimes the gals also) would splash vodka, set it alight then take a running dive and slide through the flames. Most spectacular. And the punters would lift their beer glasses and carry on conversation, barely noticing the person sliding past. Yes,…

The deputy mayor is reported to have said that the “eThekwini Municipality is on the verge of striking a deal with the taxi operators that will see the GO!Durban project – an integrated rapid public transport network”– finally take off, and that he believed there was finally “light at the end of tunnel” (The Mercury, August 1). This project was a fantasy paper plan that costs more than R20 billion (and escalating) hatched in the offices of officials who had a “vision” some 10 years ago. The promise was to promote accessible transport to all of Durban’s citizens in a “flexible, safe and cost-effective” experience. The design plan included station precincts, park-and-ride facilities, improved lighting, signage, landscaping, street furniture and provision of facilities. Furthermore, GO!Durban envisaged nine transport corridors linked…

REGARDING the letter by Duncan du Bois, dated August 1, titled “Election fraud is overwhelming”: he states that Anthony Starkey’s letter about the so-called fraud in the US election is “running out of road”. I would beg to differ and say that Du Bois has reached a dead end with his so-called facts about the elections. The elections took place in 2020 and Trump and his gang have still not won a single court case stating that the elections were stolen from the Republicans and his family. To start quoting Trump junior is really scraping the barrel. On another note, I would like to thank Du Bois for his letter last week regarding monkey pox. I had taken a bet with a colleague early last week that Du Bois would…

A Cape Town Post Office worker is expected to appear in the Bishop Lavis Magistrate’s Court this week facing charges of theft, fraud, perjury and forgery. The man, who is employed at the Lavistown Post Office as an administrator, is alleged to have siphoned funds amounting to R200 000 from South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) grant beneficiaries. The man was arrested by members attached to the Provincial Commercial Crime Investigation Unit (Banking and Electronic Group) on Monday. According to provincial police spokesperson Captain Frederick van Wyk, the crime was perpetrated in May. Van Wyk said upon further investiation, the Provincial Commercial Crime Investigation unit had identified a further case involving approximately R500 000, using the same modus operandi. He said the investigation into that matter was ongoing. |…

A witness in the Section 194 hearings into suspended Public Protector (PP) Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office has been accused of perjury. The PP office’s Free State head Sphelo Samuel, who went through three days of interrogation which ended on Monday, was accused under cross- examination of being a disgruntled employee, a liar, being sexist and a perjurer – all of which he disputed. In the cross-examination, advocate Dali Mpofu, acting for Mkhwebane, suggested that Samuel had been biased against Mkhwebane and had made an unfair comparison between her and her predecessor, Thuli Madonsela. He further suggested that an unfair criticism had been levelled against Mkhwebane due to the number of matters handled by her office being lost in court. Mpofu put it to Samuel: “Your theory on so-called…

Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements, Urban Planning and Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Lebogang Maile, extended the provincial government’s condolences to the families of the four people who were killed during the service-delivery protest in Tembisa, Ekurhuleni on Monday. Gauteng police confirmed late on Monday that four people had been killed after initial reports said three people had died. The protests erupted over “expensive” electricity and other utility bills. Several cars and municipal infrastructure were torched. It was also confirmed that two of those who were killed were allegedly shot by members of the Ekurhuleni metro police department. It is not clear how the other two deaths occurred. Maile said: “We extend our deepest condolences to the affected families. We share their pain and grief. We condemn the use of…

A US DRONE strike killed al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri at a hideout in Kabul, US President Joe Biden said this week, declaring “justice had been delivered” to the families of the 9/11 attacks. Zawahiri’s assassination is the biggest blow to al-Qaeda since US special forces killed Osama bin Laden in 2011, and calls into question the Taliban’s promise not to harbour militant groups. It was the first known over-the- horizon strike by the US on a target in Afghanistan since Washington withdrew its forces from the country on August 31 last year, days after the Taliban swept back to power. The Taliban condemned the drone strike yesterday, but made no mention of casualties nor did they name Zawahiri. “Justice has been delivered and this terrorist leader is no more,” Biden…

NEW DELHI: After eight monkeypox cases, including one death, over the past two-and-a-half weeks, the viral disease scare seems to have gripped India as the federal government is planning to develop a vaccine. The southern state of Kerala has been the most-affected after five cases were reported there, while the other three were detected in Delhi. Currently, 20 high-risk contacts are said to be under observation in Kerala, including three health workers, a doctor and two nursing staff from a private hospital. The country’s first patient, in a case reported in Kerala on July 14, fully recovered last weekend, and was subsequently discharged from hospital. | Xinhua…