Inhoudsopgave van 2023-10-25 - Mercury

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) will suggest to President Cyril Ramaphosa that elections next year take place at the earliest possible date in the constitutional window period, due to potential challenges with independent candidates being included to contest for seats for the first time. IEC Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo launched the 2024 National and Provincial Elections (NPE 2024) programme yesterday, declaring that the electoral body was ready to host millions of eligible voters at over 23 296 voting stations across the country. An election is possible between May and the middle of August 2024, but Mamabolo said the IEC would prefer it taking place as close as possible to the opening of the window period. Ramaphosa will announce the election date by official proclamation after consultation with…

AS EVENTS in the Middle East continue to spiral terrifyingly, downward, Sky News defence analyst Sean Bell, a former Air Vice-Marshal in the RAF, captures it oh so succinctly: “Whether attributed to US politician Senator Hiram Warren Johnson in 1918; Dr Samuel Johnson in 1758, or even the ancient Greek dramatist Aeschylus around 550BC, the quote about the truth being the first casualty of war would appear as true today as in Aeschylus’ time.” Sheepdog heroine A SHEEPDOG to the rescue. Patsy the dog swam across flooded fields in Wales to herd three ewes to safety, according to the BBC. Farmer Llyr Jones says Patsy dived into the water after heavy rain from Storm Babet caused flooding in the village of Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr in Conwy county. “I know she’s…

If doubts existed as to the totalitarian designs of the ruling elite in America, they were removed by Hillary Clinton on October 6 when Christiane Amanpour interviewed her on CNN. She condemned Trump’s Maga movement as a “cult of extremists” who need to be “formally de-programmed.” Justifying that, she deprecated their desire to return to a time when they could be in charge of their own lives and say whatever they want. She called for a political grouping of “the right people” within both parties to restore equanimity in US politics. With those statements Clinton unmasked herself and the goal of the new world order adherents. For them, the rights bestowed by the 1st amendment cannot be allowed to continue unregulated. Only the narrative dictated by the elite…

THE Home Affairs Department is considering opening some of its branches on Saturdays as they have high volumes of uncollected IDs. This as the number of uncollected IDs stands at more than 500 000 across the country. Responding to parliamentary questions from EFF MP Thapelo Mogale, Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said: “(The) total number of uncollected ID documents is 566 429. Out of 566 429 cases, there are 63 452 deceased cases, leaving a balance of 502 977 uncollected IDs.” Motsoaledi’s response showed that Gauteng led the pack with 111 841 uncollected IDs, followed by KwaZulu- Natal with 68 337, the Western Cape with 63 500 and Eastern Cape 61 839. There are 42 806 uncollected IDs in Limpopo, 34 986 in the Free State, 33 861 in North…

The DA has remained tight-lipped amid mounting pressure to distance itself from and take action against its MP and former National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) prosecutor Glynnis Breytenbach for her remarks accusing acting Public Protector Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka of sleeping her way to the top. Breytenbach told MPs during a debate and vote on Gcaleka’s nomination as the new public protector that her success in the NPA was as a result of her “intimate relationship” with her boss. “The very cosy relationship and some say intimate relationship, with her boss, led to speedy promotions and her very vocal and active support of his role in the capture of the NPA,” Breytenbach said. She was ejected from the House, having refused to withdraw her remarks. The National Association of Democratic Lawyers (Nadel)…

A vast majority of people may not even be aware of isiHlubi WHEN questions about AmaHlubi and their identity surface, especially in KwaZulu-Natal, they most often focus on their language. In colonial Natal and Zuid-Afrika, language was one of the biggest catalysts in the process of the creation of mega tribes. Additionally, state formation in Europe encompassed a distinct language as a form of political identification. For example, the unification processes of Italy and Germany were both driven by nationalist movements that emphasised the importance of a common language. Besides being a political tool, language in Africa, much like in other parts of the world, also serves as a common medium of communication among diverse groups with distinct identities and cultures. Just as the Irish and Scottish maintain strong connections…

Wall Street’s top financiers struck a pessimistic tone about the global economy at a flagship gathering in Saudi Arabia aimed at deal brokering, as a violent conflict between Israel and Hamas that has killed thousands of people unfolds. The annual event is typically used by attendees to build relationships with some of Saudi Arabia’s biggest companies and its $778 billion sovereign wealth fund, drawn by the promise of deals as the kingdom seeks to wean its economy off oil. But an escalation between Islamist group Hamas and Israel into a broader conflict overshadowed the event dubbed “Davos in the Desert”, a nod to the annual gathering of world leaders and corporate bosses in the Swiss Alps. JPMorgan Chase chief executive officer Jamie Dimon encouraged Saudi Arabia not to abandon a…

MOSCOW: The Kremlin yesterday denied a report that President Vladimir Putin was ill, and laughed off persistent rumours that he used body doubles to cover for him in public appearances. “Everything is fine with him, this is absolutely another fake,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said when asked about an unsourced report picked up by some Western media that the president had suffered a serious health episode. Peskov laughed in response to a further question about body doubles, and denied that Putin had any. Putin visited China last week. | Reuters…

Berlin: One person died and four were missing from the crew of a cargo ship that sank after colliding with another vessel in the North Sea, German authorities said yesterday. Two further crew members from the ship were rescued after the collision with a second cargo vessel yesterday, the German Sea Rescue Society (DGzRS) said. The accident happened about 22km southwest of the island of Helgoland, officials said. Several ships were involved in a rescue operation in the area. The sunken ship was the Verity, sailing under a British flag and on its way from Bremen to the UK town of Immingham. The other ship was the Polesie, under a Bahamas flag, travelling from Hamburg to La Coruna in Spain. | AFP…

BEIJING: China removed its defence minister yesterday, the second ousting of a senior leader in three months, raising questions about the stability of the leadership team around Chinese President Xi Jinping.General Li Shangfu, who has been absent from public view for two months, was dismissed as defence minister and state councillor. China also announced that Qin Gang, who was removed as foreign minister in July, was stripped of his state councillor position. No replacement for Li was named, leaving the country without a defence minister as it prepares to host foreign defence officials at the Beijing Xiangshan Forum on October 29-31. | Reuters…

South Africa 382/5 De Kock 174, Klaasen 90, Markram 60; Mahmud 2/67 Bangladesh 233 all out Mahmudullah 111; Coetzee 3/62, Jansen 2/39, Williams 2/56 SA won by 149 runs “De Kock!” “De Kock!” “De Kock!” These were the chants that reverberated through the stands at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai yesterday. Not since the legendary AB de Villiers has a South African batter received such an ovation on foreign land. And Quinton de Kock was deserving of every bit of it. De Kock bettered De Villiers’ masterful unbeaten 162 against the West Indies at the 2015 World Cup yesterday and was on target to surpass Gary Kirsten’s World Cup record of 188 not out all those years ago back in 1996 but ultimately departed for a vintage 174 off 140…

I feel it. When I tell you, you are going to tell me it is out of love or concern. There are better ways to love me than emotional arm-wrestling. You want me to respond to my circumstances as you may respond to pressures you are facing. I am not you. You are not me. We are not the same. We each have our own way of handling matters, from matters insignificant to matters of deep consequence. This is not a rejection of you or of your love or an insult. It is a tribute to both of us. I have no problem with you being unlike me. Could you afford me the same freedom and privilege? Very different life experiences shaped each of us and delivered us to our…

The enforcement of conservation legislation – across both KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and our country – is abysmal despite being underpinned by the Constitution, and expressed in several Acts. Recent and ongoing environmental catastrophes also show the complete lack of interest in bringing the Constitution to life, by simply prosecuting those who perpetually pollute our province. This includes our rivers and beaches – which remain awash in human excrement due to the incompetence of local government. Seemingly, contravention notices and even several criminal charges have served as proof that comrades don’t arrest comrades. There is no point and purpose to legislation not effectively enforced. KZN has seemingly become a free-for-all – with few repercussions for those who flagrantly dump noxious chemicals, throw refuse in ecologically sensitive areas and illegally mine our river…

Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula is due to meet Deputy President Paul Mashatile to look at bills stacking up in Parliament before the elections. It has emerged from the reports of the committees of Parliament that out of the 42 bills before them, some will not be passed when the national legislature ends its term. Some of the ministers have also referred new bills to the national legislature, even though only a few months are left before the term of MPs ends. This followed approval of these bills by the Cabinet recently. Some of the new bills include the Public Service Commission Amendment Bill, which seeks to expand its mandate to cover municipalities. But political parties were not happy that some of the 42 bills will not see the light of day.…

KWAZULU-NATAL Education MEC Mbali Frazer and head of department Nkosinathi Ngcobo have apologised over the purchase of boats to ferry pupils, admitting the transaction in 2016 had been undertaken without thorough research. This, the department conceded yesterday before the standing committee on public accounts (Scopa). The engine-propelled boats have been deemed to be unsuitable to ferry pupils as the rivers in which they would have been used were too shallow. The MEC and the HoD told Scopa the department was now consulting other departments, including Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) and Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (Edtea) for the possible transfer of the boats. According to the department, if they were taken over by Cogta, they would be used when carrying out rescue missions in the event of…

WESTERN Cape Judge President John Hlophe has been given until November 15 to make written representation to Parliament on why he should not be impeached. The justice and correctional services portfolio committee took the decision yesterday, after it received a briefing from the parliamentary legal services on issues that Hlophe had raised in a letter to the committee. In the letter, Hlophe’s legal representative Barnabas Xulu said the 2021 Judicial Services Commission (JSC) decision of gross misconduct against the judge was still subject to a court challenge on appeal. “While the high court dismissed the review application, it nevertheless granted leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA),” he said. Xulu said Hlophe’s appeal had not yet been heard by the SCA. “The law must be allowed to…

Fighting has entered its 18th day in the Gaza Strip after Hamas gunmen stormed into Israel on October 7, killing at least 1 400 people and taking over 200 hostages, according to Israeli officials. The Hamas-run health ministry says that 5 791 Palestinians have been killed across Gaza in Israel’s relentless retaliatory bombardments since then. Diplomatic pressure on Israel to limit civilian casualties is growing, although Western governments remain steadfast in their support for the country. An 85-year-old Israeli woman freed by Hamas said yesterday that she “went through hell” during her abduction but had been well treated while held captive in Gaza. The gunmen “beat me on the way, they didn’t break my ribs but hurt me very much”, said Yocheved Lifshitz, who was released along with Nurit…

A Kenyan court yesterday extended a temporary order barring the government from deploying hundreds of police officers to Haiti in a UN- approved mission aimed at helping the Caribbean nation tackle gang violence, a lawyer who filed the case said. Following an appeal for assistance from Haiti, Kenya in July offered to send 1 000 officers to help restore security amid a worsening crisis in which gangs have forced around 200 000 people to flee their homes. But the plan was temporarily put on hold by a court order issued after a petition was brought by the small opposition party Thirdway Alliance, arguing the decision to deploy officers abroad was illegal. The Kenyan government has said it will seek parliament’s approval before the officers are deployed. “The court has extended…

LONDON: A British-born woman who went to Syria as a schoolgirl to join Islamic State has mounted her latest appeal against the removal of her British citizenship, arguing that Britain failed to consider whether she was a victim of trafficking. The British government took away Shamima Begum’s citizenship on national security grounds in 2019, after she was found in a detention camp in Syria. Begum first challenged the decision at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) in 2019. Begum’s case has travelled to the UK’s Supreme Court and back, while she remains in the al-Roj detention camp in north-eastern Syria. In February, SIAC found there was a “credible suspicion” that Begum was trafficked to Syria for sexual exploitation, and there were “state failures” over her journey from London to Syria…

MEXICO CITY: At least 13 police officers were killed in an armed attack in Mexico’s Guerrero state, authorities said. The incident occurred yesterday in the town of El Papayo under the municipality of Coyuca de Benitez. The policemen were attacked by a group of armed men near the Acapulco-Zihuatanejo federal highway, according to police reports. National police have decided to strengthen their presence and surveillance in the city of Coyuca de Benitez. Guerrero is one of the Mexican states most affected by criminal groups attacking security agencies. | IANS…

Former Kaizer Chiefs head coach Steve Komphela has explained why he thinks the club’s long-standing trophy drought won’t end soon. The 56-year-old spent three seasons in the Amakhosi dugout between 2015 and 2018 before being forced out following an unforgettable attack by the club’s supporters at the Moses Mabhida Stadium. Komphela has been deemed, for the longest time, as the instigator of what has now become a nine-year trophy-less run at the club with Chiefs having hired and fired six different coaches at that time. Now the head coach of Moroka Swallows, Komphela spoke to the media after his side’s elimination from the Carling Knockout Cup on Sunday, a day before Chiefs parted ways with head coach Molefi Ntseki. He reflected on his tenure with the Glamour Boys and expressed…

Yesterday, South Africa completed a 149-run victory over Bangladesh at the World Cup in India and Independent Media picked the reasons the massive victory. The Recovery Partnerships Bangladesh has caused South Africa problems on numerous occasions in ODIs over the past four years. Starting from the 2019 World Cup where they beat the Proteas by 21 runs, Bangladesh had lost only one ODI match against South Africa before yesterday. So when Shoriful Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz made early inroads with the wickets of Reeza Hendricks (12) and Rassie van der Dussen (1), there were concerns that South Africa would go down in a match they needed to win with fixtures against New Zealand and India ahead. Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram batted well within the game situation. They…

Experts have said the rise in violent crime incidents and the public’s distrust in police could see communities resort to vigilantism to deal with criminals. They were commenting after seven people were found murdered under a railway bridge in KwaMashu. Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker said the men were found on Monday night lying in a line and they had been shot execution-style in the head and body. “Police received a report of multiple bodies that were found underneath a railway bridge on October 23,” said Naicker. “Upon arrival at the scene, police found the bodies of seven deceased men. It is alleged that the victims, believed to be in their thirties, were shot and killed by unknown suspects.” He said while the circumstances surrounding the incident are being…

MINISTER of Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said yesterday that he was confident of South Africa’s ability to solve the energy crisis. Delivering his executive statement on the energy action plan activities and interventions to limit the intensity and frequency of load shedding in Parliament yesterday, Ramokgopa said the national energy crisis continued to be the single biggest existential challenge in post-apartheid South Africa. “We must continue to harness all efforts to arrest further haemorrhaging caused by load shedding to our economy and the degradation of the quality of lives of ordinary South Africans,” he said. He noted that since his May executive statement, Eskom had successfully navigated the winter season and was beginning to turn the tide. “We are restoring higher levels of operational efficiency and looking into transmission financing options…

We are witnessing brutality in the world’s conflict zones that graphically illustrate that mankind has lost touch with reality. 2023 was a violent year. What will the legacy of this vanishing year be? It will be severely and harshly judged, as the brutal slaughter of men, women and children continues unabated in many parts of our strife-torn planet. The abject failure of the UN in halting this 21st century carnage has cast a dark shadow over humanity. The whole of mankind has turned a blind eye to the human tragedy unfolding in the world’s conflict areas by choosing not to respond to their plight. Not to relieve their solitude by offering aid and refuge is to exile them from our collective memory, in denying them their humanity, we have…

The appointment of the next public protector (PP) is a matter of great importance for the integrity of our democratic institutions and the trust that citizens place in them. It is crucial that the selection process is conducted with utmost propriety and legal competence. Many have expressed reservations regarding the nomination of advocate Kholeka Gcaleka. In recent interviews, it has been observed that Gcaleka has displayed an inadequate understanding of fundamental legal principles, which is worrying for a position that is crucial to uphold the rule of law. Furthermore, Gcaleka’s recent exoneration of President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Phala Phala investigation has raised eyebrows. If Ramaphosa were to appoint Gcaleka as the next public protector, it could be perceived as a quid pro quo, thereby undermining public trust in both…

Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Barbara Creecy says the online platform for recreational fishing permit applications is now live. According to the Department of Fisheries, the development of the online platform was in response to challenges faced by the department in issuing recreational fishing permits to the public through the South African Post Office (Sapo). Creecy said the online permitting system would enable recreational fishers and members of the public to easily access a permit without having to travel distances to find a post office. “Given the recent closure of a number of the Sapo branches, the department embarked on a process to develop an in-house online platform to ensure accessibility for the public to purchase recreational fishing permits electronically. “Now all applicants can choose the type of…

CRIME experts have welcomed two multimillion-rand drug busts made recently at the Durban Harbour and King Shaka Airport. However, they raised their concern about KwaZulu-Natal being targeted as a transit point by drug-smuggling syndicates. Independent Media reported in September that according to the 2023 Global Organised Crime Index report, South Africa finds itself at the centre of the intricate web of the global drug trade. The report said the country was grappling with the proliferation of various drugs, from heroin and cocaine to cannabis and synthetics, each with its unique set of challenges. According to the index report, the heroin trade in South Africa is a lucrative enterprise, generating billions of rand annually and positioning the country as one of the largest heroin consumer markets in Africa. “South Africa’s role…

In delivering the 13th Percy Qoboza Memorial Lecture at Unisa last Thursday, veteran scribe and public servant Sandile Memela referred to the relationship between media houses and their backers as a classical case of “he who pays the piper calls the tune”. Simply put, the person who provides the money for something decides what will be done, or has a right to decide what will be done. The same scenario best defines how the banks operate in South Africa. Spare a moment for the consumer whose car finance application was turned down simply because, despite having a payslip and bank statements showing that s/he had a stable job, the company s/he worked for was “unstable” during Covid-19 era, and thus continued employment was not guaranteed. The fact is that most…

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban claims to be “defending Europe from a tide of migrants”. But the discarded chocolate wrappers and water bottles left round the ashes of campfires on the border with neighbouring Slovakia seem to give the lie to Orban’s boast that “only the Hungarian model” of dealing with the problem is working. Most of the country’s EU neighbours have reimposed border controls with Hungary – with both Slovakia and Slovenia taking the exceptional measure in the last 10 days – as the number of migrants passing through the country has risen sharply. In September alone, Slovakian officials registered 13 000 – more than the whole of last year put together. In the Hungarian border village of Hont, civic guard Viktoria Teknossaid said that locals “keep their…

Donald Trump arrived at his New York civil fraud trial yesterday, blasting his former right-hand man Michael Cohen as a “liar”, ahead of testimony by the disgraced lawyer that could expose his old boss’s business secrets. Cohen delivered searing testimony to Congress while Trump was still president. Having served Trump as his lawyer and general fixer for years, Cohen has been privy to many of the scandal-embroiled populist’s private and business dealings. Trump said: “He’s a liar. He’s trying to get a better deal for himself but it’s not going to work.” Trump is not required to attend the proceedings, but has shown up sporadically, portraying himself as the victim of a Democratic Party plot to interfere with his 2024 presidential campaign. Trump and his two eldest sons are accused…

Geneva: The UN human rights chief yesterday said he was “deeply disappointed” that Australians had roundly rejected greater rights for indigenous citizens in a referendum. Speaking after observing the week of silence called for by indigenous leaders, Volker Turk said the issues that the referendum sought to address would not go away. Simmering racial divisions were exposed earlier this month when just over 60% of Australians voted no in a referendum on acknowledging indigenous Australians within the 1901 constitution. Turk said it was heartening that polling data showed younger Australians were more in favour of constitutional change. He called for reconciliation for all Australians. | AFP…

Kampala: North Korea is closing its embassy in Uganda, officials said, ending a half-century diplomatic presence in the country. This came after a meeting this week between Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and North Korean ambassador Jong Tong Hak. North Korea forged links with Uganda after independence from Britain in 1962, and supported Idi Amin when he seized power in 1971, providing his forces with training and weapons. It opened the embassy in Kampala a year later. But in May 2016, Uganda said it was halting military co-operation with Pyongyang after the UN imposed heavy sanctions over its nuclear programme. | AFP…

Banyana Banyana will have to do battle without a number of influential names as they begin their 2024 Paris Olympics qualification journey today. The South African women's football side face the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) at the Stade des Martyrs (kick-off 4.30pm) in the first of two legs with an incomplete yet strong squad. Head coach Desiree Ellis will be without six members of her squad who are not present with varying reasons. Nomvula Kgoale and Tiisetso Makhubela are both out injured, while the University of the Western Cape’s Bongeka Gamede had to be withdrawn due to her final exams. And while Linda Motlhalo and Faith Nokuthula are expected to arrive in time in Kinshasa, Jermaine Seoposenwe and Samkelisiwe Selana are only expected to join the team for the…