Inhoudsopgave van 2023-01-04 - Mercury

THE Mangaung Municipality has brushed aside any questions on the suitability of the Petrus Molemela Stadium, in the Free State to host the ANC’s January 8 celebrations, saying the stadium meets all the requirements for the party’s festivities this weekend. The assurance comes after questions were raised about the safety of the stadium. A letter circulating on social media had raised concerns over the stadium’s suitability for the event, suggesting that the Free State Rugby Stadium be considered as an alternative. Mangaung Municipality spokesperson Qondile Khedama said the ANC’s 111th birthday celebrations provided an opportunity for the city to showcase its capacity to host major events, and as such the city’s leadership would not take the risk of using an unsuitable venue. “The city would like to put it on…

YONKS ago, an introductory paragraph to this column read: “In a rousing session at the Street Shelter for the Over-Forties this week we lifted a few staves of song, myself in concert with a ship’s captain, a professor of economics, a Catholic priest and a Scottish troubadour …” All those figures were authentic. The Scottish troubadour was one John MacDonald, a man of great musicality matched by his skills with quill and ink, which he applied in his field of public relations in the business world as well as by contributing significantly to the content of this newspaper. For years John wrote a regular column under the nom de plume Wordsworth, highlighting the foibles of the English language. He also stood in, from time to time for the Idler of…

THERE is a story doing the rounds in Australia that 14 South Africans are about to be deported for lying on their visas by saying they are professional cricket players. After the disgraceful performances in the first two Test matches, that is the impression the team has given. And until the top six batsmen are replaced, South Africa will never be able to compete against the top countries of world cricket with any chance of success again. Our bowling unit is top-notch and capable of bowling out most teams, but usually, the scores they are trying to defend are too low, thanks to batsmen, too, who are afraid to be dismissed. Dean Elgar and partner Sarel Erwee are about the worst opening pair that the Proteas have had. Temba Bavuma,…

I listened to a talk about Baragwanath Hospital being closed due to cable theft. This is treason and the culprits are villains. Stop pussyfooting around and dithering and apply severe penalties to those who are guilty. It doesn’t matter who they are, from taxi owners to politicians. Unless you take a real stand and send them to jail, we are doomed. If someone is caught with copper that they cannot account for, they should be punished accordingly and the merchant closed down. The same applies to all criminals. No one of any consequence is in jail and we have to suffer the consequences. Surely the law applies to everybody. On another issue, we have no tolls from Port Shepstone to Tsitsikamma yet it costs a lot of money to go…

The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) said calm had been restored at Boksburg prison in Gauteng after unruly inmates refused to allow authorities to search for cellphones and other contraband. According to the department, on Monday a group of inmates barricaded a sectional gate. This was in retaliation to a mandatory search by the National Task Team of the DCS as part of its festive season security operations. DCS spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said the department would not compromise the safety of other inmates, officials, members of the community, and service providers. “Proliferation of mobile phones and other contraband is a grave concern for the department, and these have to be removed from our facilities. Some of the images circulating via social-media platforms emanate from inmates making a mockery of the…

The City of Johannesburg Emergency Services (EMS) has confirmed the deaths of three men who reportedly drowned in a baptism ceremony in Snake Park, Soweto. Spokesperson for EMS, Nana Radebe, said the bodies of three men, aged between 24 and 30, were retrieved after they drowned on Saturday. She said the recovery mission was undertaken by members of the EMS Aquatic Rescue Unit. Radebe said they received a call informing them of the incident at about 11.15am and when they got there they were greeted by members of the victims’ families. “When we got there, there were people, and they said there was a baptism ceremony. They said when the three men went in, one slipped. The two other men tried to assist, but it was too deep. They also…

THE eThekwini metro police unit is looking to recruit 200 new officers as it builds up its numbers to improve its capacity to police the city. The deputy head of metro police, Sbonelo Mchunu, said the intention was to have at least 6 000 metro police officers by 2028. “We are looking to close the deficit. We were supposed to have 5 000 metro police by 2010, we are at 2 500 at the moment,” said Mchunu. He said the recruits would first be trained as authority officers dealing with by-law enforcement, and they would thereafter be trained in law enforcement which would include SAPS training. “Going forward we are looking to recruit about 500 metro police each year in order to reach the capacity of 6…

The Police Ministry said the SAPS together with the Department of Health are working to fast-track the testing of the newly procured blood alcohol test kits. This comes after concerns were raised about the shortage of alcohol blood test kits during the busy festive season. National police spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe said there was a global shortage of the vials, which are a component of the blood alcohol test kits. The vials contain chemicals to maintain the integrity of the sample until it is tested. Mathe said the supplier had to source the vials from outside of the country, but they had been delivered as early as December 1. However, she said these new vials had to first undergo testing before use. “It is important that the newly procured vials,…

Reprioritise public spending, fight corruption, ditch jargon and mobilise all stakeholders Load shedding that has been the worst since it all began as far back as December 2007. The yet-to-be-implemented state capture report and the unsettling restlessness caused by suspense as to which implicated politicians will be removed from public office and successfully prosecuted for corruption. Political and financial turmoil at all levels of government, including an increasing number of dysfunctional municipalities. A stagnant economy. An inflationary bug that has led to soaring prices of basic foodstuffs, energy, transport and other basic services. Higher interest rates. That was the story of 2022. Truly, the year just gone was, in the words of one of the witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, best described as “something wicked this way comes”. So 2023 will…

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were among nations to condemn a visit yesterday by Israel’s extreme-right new national security minister to Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound. The move by firebrand Itamar Ben-Gvir has enraged Palestinians, while the US warned of steps which may harm the status quo. “Our government will not surrender to the threats of Hamas,” Ben-Gvir vowed in a statement, after the Palestinian militant group warned such a step was a “red line”. Ben-Gvir’s visit came days after he took office as national security minister, with powers over the police, giving his decision to enter the highly sensitive site considerable weight. Al-Aqsa mosque is the third-holiest place in Islam and the most sacred site to Jews, who refer to the compound as the Temple Mount. Under a…

An Iranian chess player arrived in Spain yesterday after receiving what a source close to her said were warnings not to return to Iran for competing without a hijab at an international tournament in Kazakhstan. Sara Khadem, born in 1997, took part in last week’s Fide World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in Almaty without the hijab, a headscarf mandatory under Iran’s strict dress codes. The source said Khadem received multiple phone calls in which individuals warned her against returning home after the tournament, while others said she should come back, promising to “solve her problem”. The source also said Khadem’s relatives and parents, who are in Iran, had also received threats. The phone calls led to organisers deciding to provide security with the co-operation of Kazakh police. |…

DAR ES SALAAM: Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan lifted a ban on political rallies yesterday, six-and-a-half years after her predecessor John Magufuli imposed the measure. Under the policy, which came into force in 2016, elected politicians were allowed to conduct rallies in their constituencies but other political rallies or protests were banned. Hassan came to office after Magufuli died in March 2021. Opposition parties had criticised Magufuli’s ban, which resulted in frequent arrests of political figures. Opposition party leader Freeman Mbowe was arrested in 2021 on terrorism charges but the case was dropped in 2022. | Reuters…

PRAGUE: Czech authorities are preparing to destroy up to 220 000 hens on a poultry farm in the west of the country after bird flu was discovered there last week, in the biggest outbreak to date. Bird flu was reported last week at the farm 150km west from Prague, which can house up to 750 000 chickens, after an increase of deaths in one of three halls there. The Czech Republic’s State Veterinary Administration (SVS) said yesterday that since checks revealed infection only in one of the halls, most of the flock could be spared. “The whole (population of the) hall will have to be culled,” said Petr Majer, SVS spokesperson. | Reuters…

EXPERTS and labour federation Cosatu have forecast that 2023 will be a difficult year for consumers, as the cost of living is expected to rise and interest rate hikes are also on the cards. Neil Roets, CEO of debt counselling firm Debt Rescue, said that the outlook for consumers was not looking good. “Consumers are already facing challenges as they are paying higher costs for electricity amid continuous load shedding. “Load shedding is costing the economy millions and leaving consumers with less money in their pockets. We are also finding that small- and medium-sized enterprises are struggling to survive due to the electricity crisis.” Roets added that half of South African consumers who have credit are over-indebted and an interest rate hike was expected when the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)…

The SA Health Department will not be imposing travel restrictions or strict testing requirements on travellers from China, although it is “monitoring” the soaring Covid-19 cases in that country. The Mercury’s sister newspaper Cape Argus asked the Health Department whether it was considering enforcing stricter regulations for international arrivals following similar moves made by the US and some countries in Europe who now require negative Covid tests from Chinese travellers who want to enter their countries. This as Covid numbers have risen rapidly in China as Beijing rolled back its “zero-Covid” lockdown regulations. “There is no immediate plan to impose travel restrictions or strict requirements on travellers from China,” Health Department spokesperson Forster Mohale said. “However, we are closely monitoring the Covid situation in China and other parts of the…

ANOTHER challenging year for South Africans has closed. While 2022 inflicted much of the same mess in terms of service delivery, corruption, misrule, lack of accountability and increasing crime, it also introduced fresh challenges for South Africans. Tough economic conditions meant 2022 was a rough year for people everywhere around the globe, and this has taken a tremendous toll on the well-being of citizens across the globe. South Africa was not spared. The passing year’s orgy of complications that made news headlines came on top of a legacy of poor governance and economic performance. These problems can be dealt with, but the internal tensions within the ruling party are increasing the instability and the economic regression. The in-house battles of the ANC are something South Africa can ill afford, as…

The recent statement by our minister of defence, “I don’t know anything”, relating to the recent mysterious docking of the Russian vessel in Simon’s Town naval facility leaves one wondering whether she indeed knows about anything that she is in charge of. Here we have a minister of defence whose portfolio it is to be responsible for the goings-on at the naval facilities at Simon’s Town and yet, well after the vessel has departed, she still does not know about this, why was it berthed in a naval facility and what was it discharging that required armed guards. With respect, does this minister know anything about what is happening in her portfolio? One wonders whether this minister is telling the truth or is she hiding something from the rest of…

Americans are so vain and showy. Look at their Christmas; it is so fairy-like, much like Hollywood. What can be more magical than a white Christmas with Father Christmas on a sleigh pulled by reindeer, the jingle of bells and Christmas trees decorated with tinsel, lights and gifts? I cannot believe that this First World nation, so advanced in science and technology, is so immersed in such a make-believe world of appearances and glamour. And then for weeks leading up to the festive season all you see on some television channels are American movies with a Christian theme. The people in the movies seem to be imbued with the Christmas spirit. They look so religious, loving, kind and caring. But it’s all so deceptive. This same nation loves guns and…

A skipper and his crew were rescued after their vessel overturned upon launch yesterday at Salmon Bay, Ballito on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast. Paul Herbst of Medi Response KZN said they were alerted to the incident. “Both crew and skipper were assisted to shore and sustained no injuries. The vessel was recovered,” Herbst said. Meanwhile, it’s been a busy start to the new year for the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) following a number of drownings and other emergencies across the country. NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said on New Year’s Day, a girl, 12, was pulled from the water at Cape Sands. In another emergency, a youngster collapsed at Strand Beach. He was treated for dehydration. At Gordon’s Bay, two people were caught in a rip current. They were…

Mobile toilet company Ms Hygiene has responded to a viral video on social media in which it was alleged that its staff were dumping sewage from a mobile unit into a stormwater drain on the N2 highway, north bound, just before the Edwin Swales turn-off. This comes as the eThekwini Municipality grapples with a sewage crisis that has affected rivers and beaches. In response to questions from The Mercury, the management of the company confirmed that the trailer seen in the video did belong to the company, but it denied wrongdoing. According to the company, the incident took place on December 30 while the trailer was in transit from uMnini, where it occasionally parks, to get prepared for a booking the following day. “During the drive, which was undertaken as…

WHEN in 2010 Qatar was awarded the right to host the 2022 World Cup, the Gulf kingdom became the focus of an offensive and disparaging campaign. Qatar was accused of mistreating migrant workers engaged to build World Cup projects. The campaign involved Britain, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Israel, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Protests took place outside the Qatari Embassy in London, with the slogan, “Qatar: stop funding terrorism.” They were reportedly run by Sussex Friends of Israel and the Israeli Forum Task Force, joined by UK Lawyers for Israel and Stand With Us (SWU). Sussex Friends of Israel is linked to the Israeli Zionist faction, Over the Rainbow. SWU is a right-wing pro-Israel lobby group working closely with the Israeli ministry of foreign affairs. According to the former…

Sam Bankman-Fried was expected to enter a plea of not guilty yesterday to criminal charges that he cheated investors in his now-bankrupt FTX cryptocurrency exchange. Bankman-Fried is accused of looting billions of dollars in FTX customer deposits to support his Alameda Research hedge fund, buy real estate and make millions of dollars in political contributions, in what prosecutors have called a fraud of epic proportions. He was scheduled to appear before US District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan. His lawyers earlier told Kaplan that Bankman-Fried’s parents, who co-signed his $250 million (about R4.2 billion) bond in December, have been harassed and threatened. A person familiar with the matter said last week that Bankman-Fried would plead not guilty. A lawyer for Bankman-Fried did not reply to a request for comment. It…

Munich: A month after his release from prison, Boris Becker will return as a consultant for Eurosport during the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the season, the television channel said yesterday. The German six-time Grand Slam champion was released from prison in England last month after serving eight months of a two-and-a-half year sentence for flouting insolvency rules. Becker was found guilty of hiding £2.5 million (R52.5m) of assets and loans to avoid paying debts. His lawyer said that Becker, now 55, had “served his sentence” and was “not subject to any criminal restrictions in Germany”. | AFP…

Seoul: South Korea’s first-ever lunar orbiter Danuri has sent black-and-white photos of the moon’s surface and Earth, the national space centre said yesterday. Danuri was launched on a SpaceX rocket from the US in August 2022 and entered lunar orbit last month. Its images, taken between December 24 and January 1, show the lunar surface and Earth, and were shot from less than 120km over the moon, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute said. The images and videos will be “used to select potential sites for a Moon landing in 2032”, it said. Danuri was circling the Moon every two hours, the centre said. The orbiter will begin its scientific mission next month. | AFP…

Thousands of members of the Nazareth Baptist Church are on their annual pilgrimage to the holy mountains of Nhlangakazi and Khenani. This year’s event has been widely anticipated as it will see the largest number of Shembe church members, from different groupings, participate in the seven-day pilgrimage since 2020 due to Covid-19 restrictions. Yesterday the eThekwini Municipality, Ilembe District Municipality and Ndwedwe Local Municipality held a joint press briefing to outline the government’s state of readiness to assist the church during the pilgrimage. EThekwini acting mayor Nkosenhle Madlala, Ilembe mayor Thobani Shandu and Ndwedwe mayor Sam Mfeka hosted the briefing. Madlala said: “Our partnership with ‘Amanazaretha’ goes back many years; we recognise the spiritual, cultural and leadership role they play in our communities. “Over the years we have done our…

While it may sound trite, it is good to take stock and consider just how much influence each of us has on our surroundings. What do I leave in my wake? It’s good to consider the impact we have on the people we know and the places we live in, and where we show up. What do you leave in your wake? Our attitudes, the vibes we give off, the care or lack of care we spread not only impacts on others but also impacts on the source, which means you and me. Some people appear committed to imparting all that is negative without apparently realising that they too are victims of their own attitudes. Crassness and being short tempered impact on the receiver and the source, the source even…

South African visitors to “advanced” First World cities such as London, Paris and New York are certain to return home with the common notion that those iconic areas are so meticulously clean, and would invariably use the words: “Those are civilised societies.” Just compare them with our people, who just can’t be bothered at the manner we treat our garbage. Leaving bin bags out, willy nilly, littering the beaches, dumping on quiet roads, inviting vermin like cockroaches and rats, welcoming bacteria, viruses, disease. Why can’t we also simply become civilised? Actually, these are incorrect conclusions: reading about how bad it once was in these same “advanced” cities a mere century ago reveals that they, too, were infested with all the worst vermin that caused the most horrible diseases. Mostly because…

Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of Gift of the Givers, was selected as Person of the Year by the Afrikaans publication, Vrye Weekblad. Sooliman accepts his kinship with and responsibility for all human beings in both hemispheres in every universal tragedy, and his group’s response is overwhelming. Never has any medical professional contributed such compassion on so large a scale. This award is for his altruism, reverence for life and tireless global contributions, which have helped make the idea of brotherhood between all nations a living one. The sacrifices that he has made for the safety and welfare of humanity is priceless and deserves lifelong gratitude from all of us. Humanity will always be grateful for what Sooliman has done during unprecedented times rendering medical assistance over many decades involving many…

THIS year will see a constitutional challenge by the Women’s Legal Centre of certain provisions of the Criminal Procedure Act which place a prohibition on the publication of any information relating to people accused of sexual offences before the accused has pleaded to the charges. The legal challenge follows criminal charges being laid against Caroline Peters, who is represented by the centre. She is a gender and community activist who publicly identified a man accused of rape by posting his name on social media, after he appeared in Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on a charge of rape. The accused had not yet pleaded to the charge. The accused subsequently laid criminal charges against her for contravening the relevant section of the Criminal Procedure Act, which criminalises the publication of this information…

As scores of people await their social grant payments this week, the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) has assured beneficiaries it is on track to disburse the January payments. This comes after Sassa was beset with payment issues in 2022, including technical issues, gold cards not working, administrative challenges and office closures. Sassa has also been failing to meet payment deadlines for the R350 Covid-19 social relief of distress grant. Yesterday older person grants were expected to be paid, followed by disability grants today and child support grants tomorrow. Acting Sassa national spokesperson Moabi Pitsi urged beneficiaries to use other ways to access their funds, including retailers and ATMs. “Social grant clients with the Sassa gold card can use it at outlets nationwide of Shoprite, Checkers, Usave, Pick n Pay…

The Msunduzi Municipality has called for those accused of “looting” R500 million from the municipality to be prosecuted by March. The municipality’s determination to deal with the “looters” has seen it engaging the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to ask it to establish a commercial crimes court in Pietermaritzburg to prosecute the financial crimes that the municipality has reported to the police. These engagements, said municipal manager Lulamile Mapholoba, were at a “serious” and advanced stage, adding that such a court could serve the entire uMgungundlovu District. Mapholoba told The Mercury yesterday that the municipality had 10 cases that involved as much as R500m in suspicious or fraudulent transactions that had been referred to the police for investigation. The council resolved a few weeks ago to approach the NPA as…

Fourteen people were arrested for stealing sheep in separate incidents in the Free State and Western Cape. Eight men were arrested for the theft of 88 sheep in the farming town of Reitz in the Free State. The eight were caught red-handed while slaughtering the stolen sheep. “Eight suspects were arrested after being found in possession of 48 slaughtered and 40 live sheep,” police said. The arrests came after police were alerted on December 30. Police seized three sedans and two bakkies used in the crime. In the Western Cape, two men were arrested after five sheep were found in the boot and on the back seat of a Toyota Corolla, following a high speed chase on the N2 highway. The stock theft was reported on a Mossel Bay…

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva led the tributes yesterday as Brazil said its final farewell to football legend Pele, widely regarded as the greatest player of all time. A flood of fans, politicians and football dignitaries have flocked to pay their respects to the player known as “The King” in the southeastern city of Santos, home to the club where he spent most of his storied career. Santos FC said more than 230 000 people had attended his 24-hour wake in the Vila Belmiro stadium, where a steady stream of mourners continued straight through the night. Lula, who took office on Sunday in a ceremony that started with a minute’s silence for Pele, flew in by helicopter for the wake, greeting Pele’s widow, Marcia Cibele Aoki, who was…

India’s Supreme Court has upheld Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2016 decision to overnight invalidate high-value currency notes, a decision that could provide firepower to the ruling party ahead of a series of elections in coming months. A five-judge panel in a majority verdict this week said the government’s move satisfied the test of “proportionality” and the court cannot supplant the wisdom of the executive on the matter. Justice BV Nagarathna offered faint dissent in calling the decision to withdraw 500 ($6) and 100 rupee notes an “exercise of power contrary to the law”, albeit “well-intentioned”, that should have been discussed in parliament and conducted through legislation. Demonetisation, pitched by Modi as a fight against corruption, hurt businesses and livelihoods across the country and had become a political flash-point between the…

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden plans to commemorate the second anniversary of the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol with a White House ceremony, according to his office this week. Friday’s event will mark a rare moment for Biden to wade into the live issues stoked by the deadly riot by supporters of his Republican predecessor Donald Trump. Their actions interrupted the certification of the Democrat’s 2020 victory. Biden has condemned the riot as a threat to democracy and the rule of law, but he rarely discusses his predecessor by name publicly and has framed his presidency around uniting and healing the country’s partisan divides. Biden has said he intends to seek another term but has not announced his candidacy. Trump, who never conceded defeat in the 2020 election,…

Hanoi: Vietnam yesterday mobilised soldiers and engineering experts to try to free a 10-year-old boy trapped in a buried hollow concrete pillar on a construction site. Rescuers hoped to raise the pillar from its 35m hole and rescue the boy, named Thai Ly Hao Nam – though after three days trapped inside, it is not clear whether he is still alive. The youngster fell into the 25cm wide shaft of the pillar, sunk as part of a new bridge in Mekong delta province of Dong Thap, on Saturday, while looking for scrap metal. Around 100 soldiers and professional equipment have been deployed at the site, which has been sealed off from the public while the rescue effort goes on. | AFP…

Yangon: A firebrand monk dubbed the “Buddhist bin Laden” for his role in stirring up religious hatred in Myanmar received a national award yesterday with the junta saluting his work in the country. Wirathu, who received the moniker from Time Magazine in 2013 following deadly communal riots, was awarded the title of “Thiri Pyanchi” yesterday. The award for “outstanding work for the good of the Union of Myanmar” was presented by junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, it added. Wirathu is one of hundreds receiving awards and honorary titles as the junta prepares to mark the 75th anniversary of Myanmar’s independence from Britain. | AFP…