Inhoudsopgave van 2023-07-11 - Mercury

TRANSPORT service providers are being roped in to be a part of the City’s multimillion-rand Go!Durban public transport system. The independent service providers would include several bus companies and taxi operators that would be participating under their registered companies, among other participants. The C3 route between Pinetown and KwaMashu is complete and would be the first to go live. It should have gone live in November last year but was delayed, partly due to a dispute between the City and taxi operators. The eThekwini Municipality had purchased buses to run on the route and believed it should have controlling interest, but the operators felt they were the ones displaced by the project and therefore should have controlling interest, which led to an impasse. In resolving the deadlock, the City approved…

On Saturday, July 8, I had the privilege of attending the opening night of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Durban Playhouse. A great play with a fantastic story full of high energy, enthusiasm, beautiful lyrics, and foot-tapping music. Sadly, from the opening line by the narrator, it was apparent that there was an imbalance in sound reproduction. The music in the first half tended to drown out the words that were being sung. There appeared to be a slight improvement in the second half, however, the classic song by Pharaoh, which is a high point in the story, was almost completely lost under the music volume. My Durban host, who had never seen the play before, asked me what Pharaoh had been saying. Is it also necessary…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has assured his deputy, Paul Mashatile, that there was no plan to “de-appoint” him as his second-in-command. Speaking on the sidelines of the ANC national executive committee (NEC) meeting on Sunday, Ramaphosa said he had seen a news report in which Mashatile was quoted as saying there was a plot to remove him from office by August. “I saw the report. I had a discussion with the deputy president and said what is this?” he said, adding that he and Mashatile would have a further discussion. “I said I appointed you and I am the only person who can de-appoint you and there is no thought, no plan and no inkling whatsoever that something like that could be in the works,” the president said as the NEC…

The “Ivory Man”, whose remains were found in an opulent tomb in Spain in 2008, is believed to have been the most powerful and influential person of his ancient society nearly 5 000 years ago. There’s just one problem: the remains are that of a woman, scientists have revealed. They have renamed her the “Ivory Lady”. Human remains are one of the only ways to understand the balance of power between the genders in ancient societies. But it is often difficult to determine whether poorly preserved skeletons are those of men or women. Even DNA can be difficult to extract from remains found in hot and dry climates such as Iberia, now modern day Spain and Portugal. At a vast archaeological site at Valencina, near the Spanish city of Seville,…

MORE than 54 international political parties are set to attend the 2023 BRICS Political Party Plus Dialogue under the theme “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Growth” to be hosted by South Africa before the BRICS summit next month. This was announced by ANC (first) deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane, who addressed the media at the Birchwood Hotel in Ekurhuleni yesterday. Mokonyane said the dialogue set for next week would focus on key areas including global peace and security. Among the guests to arrive for the summit in Joburg, starting July 18 at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg, are Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique, Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, Sam Nujoma of Namibia and Laurent Gbagbo of Ivory Coast. Mokonyane said in spite of reservations about the…

The deadly assault on Jenin, the critical situation in the city of Zaporizhzhia and the sale of cluster bombs to Ukraine by the USA are developments that are cascading out of control. The killing of innocent civilians in all the world’s conflict zones goes on unabated with savage fury, which violates every aspect of international law and the laws of combat. Innocent men, women, and children are evicted, tortured, beaten and punished in a sinister campaign for territorial domination and geographical conquest while the United Nations remains impotent. Demolished towns and villages, torn families and decimated countries are a few of the destructive properties of war. In the past 150 years, the world has been through war after war, never ceasing. Perpetual wars have become a cornerstone of US foreign…

A key hurdle to Ukraine’s membership of Nato was lifted yesterday, as leaders of the bloc gathered for a summit in Lithuania and Kyiv claimed it had made advances near Bakhmut. A Western official said that the allies “are set” to drop the Membership Action Plan (MAP) required for Ukraine’s application to join the alliance. The breakthrough comes amid rare glimmers of disunity over Washington’s controversial decision to supply cluster bombs to Kyiv. Ukraine’s foreign minister said the diplomatic move – which Moscow said would have serious consequences for European security – would shorten Kyiv’s path to Nato membership, even though Ukraine must still undertake reforms before joining. “Nato allies have reached consensus on removing MAP from Ukraine’s path to membership,” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter. It…

MADRID: Spain’s coastguard said yesterday that it had rescued 86 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa from a boat off the Canary Islands that had been seen earlier in the day by a rescue plane. Rescuers with Salvamento Maritimo had initially estimated “it could have around 200 people on board” but later said the estimate was incorrect. Among those rescued were 80 men and six women, who would be taken to Arguineguin port on Gran Canaria, the coastguard said. The boat had been spotted about 71 nautical miles south of Gran Canaria with the coastguard saying it was located “in an area where (the plane was) looking for a vessel that left Senegal two weeks ago”. | AFP…

Athens: Greek police minister Notis Mitarachi said yesterday that officers would be retrained and start wearing body cameras after a migrant was shot and killed in a police pursuit. The death is the latest in a series of controversial shootings involving the Greek police. “No use of violence on the part of Greek police is acceptable ... I have already ordered staff retraining in 2023 on engagement protocols,” Mitarachi said. He said the “aim is to have the proper cameras on officers and in police vehicles, as in most advanced democracies”. The announcement came after a 20-year-old Syrian migrant was fatally shot over the weekend after allegedly stealing a truck. | AFP…

Hundreds of people gathered yesterday to mark the five-year anniversary of the dramatic rescue against impossible odds of 12 young footballers from a flooded cave in northern Thailand. Now in their late teens, the boys and their coach, Ekkapol Chantawong, descended into the spotlit chambers of the Tham Luang cave complex to pay tribute to the thousands of people who worked for 18 days and nights to get them out. The Wild Boars team had entered the caves in June 2018 and were trapped when rains flooded the complex, emerging after a daring international rescue operation to global acclaim. In a highly risky operation, they were sedated, dressed in wetsuits and breathing apparatus, and hauled through the complex by foreign cave hobbyists, expert divers, and a team of Thai navy…

The Springboks will not have the element of surprise when they play the All Blacks in Auckland on Saturday. The rugby world has taken notice of their magnificent start to the World Cup year against Australia and New Zealand is gearing itself up for a “big one”, as Ian Foster calls it. Perhaps the biggest surprise at Loftus Versfeld was the meekness of the Wallabies. So much more was expected of an Aussie side that was going to “rip” into the Boks according to co-captain Michael Hooper. Bok assistant coach Deon Davids says it will be a completely different ball game at the Mount Smart Stadium. Davids was among the 21-strong group that departed Johannesburg on Sunday night to join the advance party of 13 players that have been in…

Maritzburg United Chairman Farook Kadodia’s scathing postseason statement appears to have left a bad taste in the players' mouths. Following the club's relegation to the Motsepe Foundation Champion, Kadodia revealed the feelings of the Team of Choice board of directors at the time. The experienced club owner’s views appear to have not gone down well with the playing personnel. Rowan Human, who was the shining light in an otherwise dismal season for Maritzburg, opened up about the players’ feelings towards the incident. “Although we haven’t spoken too much about it with the guys, a lot of the players weren’t happy about it,” he told Independent Media. “They felt that it’s not good for their image that they sold games so we didn’t take it too nicely but I feel like…

The Israeli Premier League outfit Maccabi Petah Tikva has unveiled Ibraheem Jabaar as their latest signing after he accepted a three-year contract with the club. The 20-year-old former Nigerian junior international was signed from Stellenbosch FC after a two-year stay with the Winelands club He made 70 appearances for Stellies and won their Young Player of the Year award last year. Just before Petah Tikva made the announcement, Jabaar, a quality midfielder, penned a heartfelt farewell to the Stellies fans. “Dear Stellies, I came here as a boy in 2021 searching for greener pastures and the opportunity to play regular football at a competitive level following the conclusion of the Under-17 World Cup. “Now I am leaving as a young man. “I found a family that nurtured my growth and…

WHILE dozens of holidaymakers dashed to parts of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands and Drakensberg to experience the snowy winter, Joburg residents were caught by surprise to find a similar scene in their city. The South African Weather Service confirmed that it had snowed in parts of Joburg yesterday, including in Soweto, Alberton and Roodepoort and other parts of Gauteng, due to a cold front that had caused a significant drop in temperatures. In KZN, while the Transport Department warned motorists to drive cautiously in snowy regions, the hospitality sector was delighted by the roaring trade. Colette Macaskill, events manager at Netherwood Farm in Nottingham Road in the Midlands, said members of the public flocked to the area after images of snow were posted on social media. “We have been overflowing with…

A TOURIST has caused outrage in Rome for carving his and his girlfriend’s names on a wall inside the city’s ancient colosseum. He etched “Ivan + Hayley 23”, according to the BBC. But the incident was filmed by a bystander who remonstrated with the couple then handed the recording to the security authorities. Next a video of the incident was uploaded on to YouTube and has been shared across social media. The Italian fury has spread beyond Rome. A five-day police search followed and the culprit could now face legal proceedings. But the carver, 27-yer-old Ivan Dimitrov – who lives in Bristol, in the UK, in spite of his apparently Russian name – says he was not aware of the Colosseum’s age of 2 000 years and its cultural and…

I reCENTLY read an article on load shedding and Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa’s assurances that it was being brought under control. While many South Africans may be sceptical because of past broken promises, I believe we should give credit to the minister for trying. If Ramokgopa succeeds in ending load shedding before and after the elections, it would be a major bonus for the ANC and a significant accomplishment for the country. However, if it turns out to be just another election gimmick, it would be a huge letdown for South Africans who have become accustomed to such tactics. The reality is that the issue of load shedding is complex and requires ongoing attention and effort to resolve. While the Energy Action Plan might produce some results, experts have…

Convicted serial killer and former policewoman Rosemary Ndlovu was caught with a cellphone in the Johannesburg Female Correctional Services. The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) said it has internally charged Ndlovu for contravening the Correctional Services Act after being caught with a phone. It is illegal to have a cellphone when serving time. DCS spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said inmates found in possession of cellphones are charged in terms of Section 23 (1) of Correctional Services Act 111 of 1998. “They are then reprimanded accordingly, a process that may involve a withdrawal of privileges for a specified period, reclassification (downgrade), and other punitive measures. “Illegal activities and deviant behaviour by inmates have no place in correctional facilities. DCS is working towards achieving contraband-free centres; hence, different measures are being employed by…

THE government has resolved that tour operators still awaiting their renewed licences will no longer be penalised. This agreement follows engagements between the private sector and the departments of Transport and Tourism. Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille said a decision was taken in a recent MinMec (Ministry of Transport and Transport MECs meeting) to implore their respective law-enforcement officers to correctly interpret Regulation 25(2) of the National Land Transport Regulations and desist from impounding vehicles whose operators have rightfully applied for renewals. She said that in June Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga signed and sent a letter to all MECs to give effect to the decision of the MinMec. The resolution states: “To give permission to tour operators, who have applied for licence renewals 30 days before the expiry of their…

Two passengers who attempted to rob an e-hailing driver in the Wentworth area were killed after the driver fired fatal shots at the group, KwaZulu-Natal police said yesterday. The incident took place at the corner of Pascal Grove and Mia Avenue in Wentworth at around 4pm on Sunday. The passengers allegedly pointed a firearm at the driver and tried to rob him of cash and cellphones, but he managed to break free and fired at the group of four. KZN police spokesperson, Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo, said a 17-year-old teenage girl had requested a ride from an e-hailing company and upon arrival at the pick-up spot, the driver was confronted by three more people who informed him that they were riding with the teenager, who sat in the front seat. “During…

A TOTAL of 71 infrastructure projects, valued at R4.4 billion and managed by the Public Works and Infrastructure Department, have stalled for periods exceeding a year. This was revealed by Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Sihle Zikalala in reply to parliamentary questions from EFF MP Sinawo Thambo. Zikalala said: “The department has approximately 71 stalled projects exceeding 12 months due to construction companies’ incapability to complete the contracts.” Zikalala’s responses showed the tender for the demolition of a workshop and upgrading of his department’s head office in Pretoria was cancelled in February, and R32m of the R115m contract had already been paid. A R962m project of the Defence Department at Bloemspruit Air Force base was cancelled in November due to “no funding” after R42m had been paid to the contractor.…

IF THE course of Struggle had been recorded for us to watch now, it would be very interesting. This is no way suggesting that the Struggle for freedom and liberation in South Africa was like hide-and-seek between the oppressor and the oppressed. One of the many differences between the movie and real life is that while there were two or more people in the very forefront, there was no single starring role. Bishop Trevor “Makhalipile” Huddleston would have featured in a movie because he was white and a priest. The oppressor was white; therefore, Huddleston’s involvement in the Struggle would have opened the eyes of white people inside and outside the country (more). Even other non-white people in South Africa and in the world would have taken notice. In addition…

A jury yesterday retired to consider its verdict in the case of a British nurse accused of killing seven babies at the hospital maternity unit where she worked. The panel of 12 was sent out to deliberate on whether Lucy Letby, 33, murdered the children at the Countess of Chester Hospital in north-west England. Letby is also accused of attempting to kill another 10 babies in the neo- natal unit. In all, she faces 22 charges – seven of murder and 15 of attempted murder, as she allegedly tried to kill some children more than once. Trial judge James Goss told the jury of eight women and four men to deliberate in a “fair, calm, objective and analytical way”. Jurors in the trial, which began in October last year,…

New Delhi: Days of intense monsoon rains across northern India have left at least 29 people dead, rendering many areas inaccessible with bridges smashed and roads blocked, officials said yesterday. Television footage showed flash floods and landslides triggered by torrential rain washing away vehicles, demolishing buildings and ripping down bridges in the hilly state of Himachal Pradesh, the worst affected area. Authorities were waiting for a break in the rains to send helicopter missions to rescue about 300 stranded people in Himachal Pradesh’s areas of Lahaul-Spiti and Kullu, with more rains forecast across India’s north in coming days. | AFP…

Addis Ababa: Sudan’s government yesterday refused to participate in a regional meeting to resolve the crisis in the conflict-wracked nation, accusing Kenya, which chaired the talks, of favouring rival forces. Around 3 000 people have been killed since mid-April when fighting erupted between Sudan’s rival generals. The east African regional bloc IGAD had invited the foes – Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) – to a meeting in Ethiopia’s capital yesterday. Neither attended the talks personally, although the RSF sent a representative. | AFP…

LONDON: US President Joe Biden dropped in for tea and climate change talks with King Charles III yesterday, after a garden meeting with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak before a Nato leaders’ summit on Ukraine. It was Biden’s first meeting with Charles since he was officially crowned king in May. Charles, 74, is a lifelong environmentalist and Biden considers him a “clarion voice” on climate change, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Sunday. Top financiers and philanthropists are also meeting in Windsor to discuss climate finance to boost support for developing nations to cut carbon emissions The UK government said more than $1 trillion (R18 trillion)is needed by 2030 to help developing economies get on track to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. |…

SOUTHERN Palladium has seen a 34% jump in total mineral resources since drilling began at its Bengwenyama Platinum Group Metal project, located on the Eastern Limb of the world class Bushveld Complex, South Africa. Southern Palladium Limited is a dual-listed PGM company developing the advanced Bengwenyama PGM project, particularly rich in palladium/rhodium, in South Africa. In its update to investors released yesterday, the group said the total mineral resource, indicated, and inferred, for the project had now increased from a 3PGE+AuInferred resource of 18.80Moz (million ounces) to a 6PGE+Au indicated and inferred resource of 25.12Moz, comprising 5.11Moz indicated and 20.01Moz inferred – an overall increase of 34% since drilling began. It said combined PGE mineral resource now totalled 25.1Moz (7E basis). Southern Palladium managing director Johan Odendaal said: “We are…

IN response to a question in Parliament, Health Minister Joe Phaahla divulged that in the past three years, more than R4 billion had been paid in medico-legal claims. He was not asked, nor did he disclose, how many claims had not yet been finalised. He added that these claims were not all as a result of negligence, but some were as a result of fraud. These claims relate only to state (and provincial) hospitals. If that is an indication of the dilemma at present experienced in hospitals run by the state, one shudders to think how the situation might develop with the introduction of the NHI, basically, when the present private hospitals are to be semi-institutionalised. One can only hope that the recent passing of the NHI Bill in Parliament…

THE protracted process and reasoning involved in renaming, in the interests of transformation, a building at Stellenbosch University (SU) (The Mercury, July 7) fails the litmus test of historical context and transformation’s apparent spirit of sincerity. While there is merit in bringing to the fore those in the past who were neglected and ignored, their stature and experience cannot be properly immortalised without historical context. The renaming of the RW Wilcocks Building at SU after Krotoa is a case in point. Krotoa, better known to the Dutch as Eva, was a Khoi servant girl, an interpreter, and a nanny for Jan van Riebeeck’s children. But following the end of Van Riebeeck’s tenure at the Cape in 1662, her secure life in the Fort abruptly changed. The years before her…

Taxpayers have been warned to be on the lookout for cybercriminals as South Africans began filing their annual tax returns. Cybersecurity strategist Aamir Lakhani said cybercriminals were out in force, eager to prey on the stress and uncertainty surrounding tax season. Lakhani said the criminals were using a range of tactics from the sophisticated to the simple to steal information and that “social engineering scams” were low-hanging fruit during tax season. Giving examples of social engineering attacks to watch out for, Lakhani said attacks may take the form of phishing email campaigns or phone calls from people claiming to be from Sars. He said to appear legitimate, scammers might use stolen data with personal information, such as identity numbers. “Cybercriminals use a ‘spray and pray’ model for phishing campaigns. They…

A ROAD Accident Fund (RAF) beneficiary, whose sister used the money he received to buy her boyfriend a car, has had his money returned to him by the National Prosecuting Authority’s Asset Forfeiture Unit. According to the prosecuting authority’s Eastern Cape division, in 2009, pedestrian Mahlubandile Mavuso was hit by a car, which resulted in him sustaining serious physical and brain injuries. Due to the extent of his injuries, he was unable to handle his financial affairs, and his sister, Nokulungisa, acted as his caregiver and guardian, submitting a claim to RAF. The claim was approved, with the fund paying out R1.4 million to the sister’s account. In March 2014, the sister transferred R143 000 to a vehicle seller, with a reference of Mzuvukile Gcanabana, for the purchase of an…

The Department of Home Affairs has invited South Africans to have a say on the new marriage bill that aims to bring all legislation under one umbrella. The invitation comes amid Statistics SA data showing that marriages were becoming less common and divorces were on the increase. In June, the Cabinet approved the publication of the Draft Marriage Bill of 2022, which will soon be available for public comment. Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said the bill gave effect to the White Paper on Marriages in South Africa, which was approved by Cabinet in March last year. She said “the draft bill allows South Africans and residents in the country of all sexual orientations as well as religious and cultural persuasions, to conclude legal unions in line with…

Municipalities across the country, particularly those struggling to maintain stability, should prioritise service delivery and refrain from involving themselves in sponsorship matters, which should be left to the private sector. Recently, it came to light that the Msunduzi Municipality in Pietermaritzburg, which has been under administration for over two years due to poor governance and inefficient service delivery, intends to allocate funds to sponsor another Premier Soccer League (PSL) team. This decision follows the termination of the City’s agreement with Maritzburg United after their relegation from the top-tier league. In response, the Msunduzi Association of Residents, Ratepayers and Civics (MARRC) expressed strong disapproval and threatened legal action against the municipality if it proceeds with sponsoring another PSL club. We fully support MARRC’s actions as we consider the municipality’s recent move…

North Korea yesterday threatened to shoot down any US spy planes violating its airspace and condemned Washington’s plans to deploy a nuclear missile submarine near the Korean peninsula. A spokesperson for the North’s Ministry of National Defence said the US has “intensified espionage activities beyond wartime level”, with “provocative” flights by US spy aircraft over eight straight days this month, and one reconnaissance plane intruding into its airspace over the East Sea “several times”. “There is no guarantee that such shocking accident as downing of the US Air Force strategic reconnaissance plane will not happen,” he said. Citing past incidents when Pyongyang shot down US aircraft, he warned the US would pay for its air espionage. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister Kim Yo Jong said a US…

London: A teenage boy was on yesterday arrested after a teacher at a school in western England was stabbed, police said, as the UK battles a surge in knife crime. The school was locked down and police called after the incident, headteacher of the Tewkesbury School Kathleen McGillycuddy said. Police said the casualty had been taken to hospital “with a suspected stab wound”. The UK has seen a hike in the number of stabbings reported in recent years, although the violence is more commonly associated with inner-city areas. In England and Wales, there were around 45 000 crimes involving a knife or sharp instrument in the year to the end of March 2022. | AFP…

At least two people were killed in torrential rain in southwest Japan yesterday, with fears the toll could rise, as tens of thousands of residents were told to evacuate their homes. Downpours after a week of steady rain have caused rivers to burst their banks and sodden earth to collapse in deadly landslides, including one that killed a 77-year-old woman. The woman’s home was engulfed overnight in Saga region. Her husband was recovered conscious and taken to hospital. A landslide in Kurume city, Fukuoka region, engulfed 10 people. Nine of them survived, but a local man in his 70s was confirmed dead. Local media put the death toll even higher, with at least five deaths late yesterday. An additional body of a man was discovered in Kurume, next to rice…

African champions South Africa will be relying heavily on a core group of players as they set out to improve on their disastrous Fifa Women’s World Cup debut in 2019 when they lost all three group stage matches. There was one moment at the 2019 showpiece when South Africa’s national women’s team Banyana Banyana stole the limelight, but it was short-lived. Against all odds, Banyana Banyana scored a 25th-minute goal through Thembi ‘Pikinini’ Kgatlana against Spain. Banyana Banyana seemed to be heading for an upset win but Spain were awarded a penalty in the 69th minute. That marked the beginning of the end for Banyana Banyana who went down 3-1. Now it would seem the target would be to claim their first win at a World Cup. Banyana Banyana will…