Inhoudsopgave van 2024-03-26 - Mercury

MESH.TRADE, a digital capital markets platform for the issuance, trade, and management of smart financial assets, has launched the first tokenised corporate bond in Africa, creating a new distribution channel for businesses to raise capital directly from the market. In a move that Mesh.trade ex- pected would reinvigorate private capi- tal markets on the continent, the first tokenised corporate bond on the Mesh.trade platform was issued by “Die MOS Initiatief” to raise R100 million to expand its network of private schools offering mother-tongue education. The10-year floating rate bond is to pay a quarterly coupon of Prime+2% and will be serviced by Mesh.trade over its full life-cycle. Well-known economist Dawie Roodt, a “Die MOS Inisiatief” board member, said in a statement he was pleased to be part of the initiative…

MTN EXPECTS South African headwinds to persist after recording a 12.1% dip in voice revenues for its home market which, after battling inflation, and currency issues in Nigeria, brought down the telecom’s profitability for 2023 by as much as 72.3%. In South Africa, the operating environment for telecom companies such as MTN has been fraught with low consumer disposable incomes, the impact of load shedding and higher inflation. MTN said yesterday that “the operating environment is expected to remain challenging” in South Africa, “with the economic growth outlook muted and persistent pressure on consumer disposal” incomes. “Across our markets, inflation rates and interest rates may stay elevated. Tariff increases for voice and data will be required in the period ahead to mitigate network-related expenses, and these will require regulatory approval…

ADvTECH benefited from good enrolment growth at its private education facilities, moderate fee increases and operating leverage in the 12 months to December 31, the results showed yesterday. “In our resourcing division, we continued to benefit from our invest ment into the rest of Africa. This sustained performance is driven by the group’s established market position in South Africa and its growing presence across the continent,” CEO Roy Douglas said in a statement. He retired and stepped down as CEO on February 29, this year. A final dividend of 57 cents a share (2022: 37c) was declared, bringing the full year dividend well up by 45% to 87c (2022: 60c) for the 2023 financial year. This was after group revenue grew 13% to R7.86 billion as a result…

The AGBIZ/IDC Agribusiness Confidence Index (ACI) was unchanged in the first quarter of this year after deteriorating by 10 points to 40 in the last quarter of 2023 to its lowest level since the pandemic. This first quarter reading was below the neutral 50-point mark, implying agribusinesses remained downbeat about business conditions. Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz) chief economist Wandile Sihlobo said after a few years of solid activity, South Africa’s agricultural sector faced a daunting year ahead, and the index results reflected this. “There remain aspects that policymakers, with the private sector, could tackle to unlock the growth potential of South Africa’s agriculture. These in- clude addressing the weakening munici- palities, deteriorating roads, animal diseases, efficiency in the registration of new agrochemicals and seeds, rising crime, inefficient logistics, and persistent…

There is a thin line between self- expression and public indecency and Kanye West’s wife, Bianca Censori, has been crossing it a lot lately because of her style, or lack thereof. When she’s not wearing stockings as pants or small bikini bras that show off the sides of her breasts, Censori has her buns out. While everyone has the right to dress however they want, we also cannot shy away from the fact that being naked in public is indecent. In other countries, you may even get arrested. A picture of Censori wearing a silver bra and matching panties paired with a short skirt that revealed her naked bottom and the front of her panties has been trending on social media, and people are concerned. What worries them is that…

Members of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) yesterday led a march to an FNB branch in Durban, contesting what they have called the closure of former president Jacob Zuma’s FNB bank accounts. The march was led by Bishop Bheki Ngcobo who presented a memorandum to two representatives of FNB. While it was initially reported that the bank had closed Zuma’s accounts, FNB in a statement last week clarified that it had not closed the accounts but had frozen outgoing payments in terms of a court order. The MK Party has demanded that the action be reversed. Reading the memorandum to the FNB managers yesterday, Bishop Ngcobo said: “FNB must open Zuma’s account within seven days. We need FNB to compensate Mr JZ Zuma for public humiliation, because today Zuma…

John Whitlock’s letter, “Big-hearted Uncle Sam always to the rescue” (Mercury, March, 15) refers. I admit there were some errors in my letter, “US gives with one hand and takes with the other.” (Mercury, March 12) I am not an expert on the Middle East. But even a Middle East scholar would find it mind-boggling to unravel the mysteries, intricacies and complexities of the Holy Land. However, this shouldn’t detract from the overall view that the US is the world’s biggest bully. Using both its military might, the dollar and the Bible, it is a dominant global power setting up puppet regimes around the world. As long as they do not rock the boat and court American friendship which subscribe to its American ideals, and act as a bulwark to…

Words (sentiments) I’ve never heard uttered in decades of counselling, marrying, burying, teaching, travelling, hearing confessions, and responding to groups large and small in 50+ nations… “I started saving too early. Managing accumulated resources is tough. It’s an uphill battle trying to dig myself out of wealth.” “I wish I’d held more grudges. My life is meaningless without bitterness and blame.” “I laughed too much. I’ve been too generous; given too much away. Spent too much time outdoors.” “I read too many books.” “I settled too many differences and have given the benefit of the doubt to too many people.” “When people have betrayed me I used it to learn about love, forgiveness, grace.” “I spent too much time investing in others.” “I wish I had more stuff to fill…

The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and the TB Accountability Consortium say government has failed in its responsibility to prioritise TB and was not taking enough action on TB service deliverables. Marking World TB Day on Sunday, the organisations said they were concerned about the lack of progress with the roll-out of TB services across the country and called on the government to fully capacitate the country’s National TB Programme to lead and co-ordinate the implementation of its national TB strategies and guidelines. The organisations have jointly called on the national government to declare TB a national health emergency. TAC chairperson Sibongile Tshabalala said: “As the country marks 30 years of democracy, access to TB services is actually a realisation of the right to health enshrined in the Constitution and in…

The fifth person who has been implicated in the disappearance of Joshlin Smith has abandoned her bid for bail. Lourentia Lombaard, 31, made her second appearance in the Vredenburg Magistrate’s Court yesterday. She was arrested two weeks ago and faces charges of trafficking in persons for the purpose of exploitation and kidnapping. During her court appearance, Lombaard, who had opted for Legal Aid representation, abandoned her bid for bail. She stood in the dock with a slight smirk on her face. The matter was postponed and she will join her co-accused in court on May 13. She has been remanded in custody. Police initially arrested Joshlin’s mother, Kelly Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen Appolis, Steveno van Rhyn, and Phumza Sigaqa on charges of human trafficking and kidnapping. The State has since…

The Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court yesterday granted bail of R150 000 to former Steinhoff legal head, Stephanus Johannes Grobler. Grobler appeared in court yesterday after spending the weekend in jail. “He appeared in court on Friday and the case was postponed to Monday (yesterday) for bail judgment where he was granted R150 000 bail with conditions. Grobler will appear again in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on June 26,” said Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale. The National Prosecuting Authority said in terms of his bail conditions, Grobler must report to Brooklyn police station twice a week, Monday and Friday. “He must hand over his two passports to the investigating officer and is not allowed to apply for a new one. He must…

Thirty-six years ago, Cuito Cuanavale, a small town in the province of Cuando Cubango, 825km south-east of Luanda, Angola, was the centre of the largest military confrontation in Africa since World War II. To understand this, context is necessary. In 1987, during the Angolan Civil War, the SADF had control over the southernmost parts of south-western Angola and intervened in the south-east. By early November, they had cornered the best Angolan units in Cuito Cuanavale and were preparing to crush them. Meanwhile, a breathtaking offensive was being launched towards the Namibian border, where joint forces from Angola, Swapo, MK and Cuba were involved. The troops went south of Angola to attack from the south-west and, simultaneously, in the south-east, selected Cuban units advanced towards Cuito Cuanavale, where they prepared a…

The UK yesterday launched a new global social media campaign, aimed at Vietnam in particular, to deter migrants from trying to cross the Channel from northern France on small boats. It comes as statistics showed the number of arrivals using the hazardous and highly contentious route are up by 15% so far this year compared to the same period last year. An increasing proportion of “small boat” arrivals hail from Vietnam, with that nation among the top 10 for migrants crossing the Channel, according to the UK interior ministry. The new online adverts, which feature real testimonies from those who have previously made the dangerous journeys, are being posted on Facebook and YouTube. “The social media posts emphasise the consequences of travelling to the UK illegally, dangers people can expect…

New York: Donald Trump arrived in court in New York yesterday seeking to further delay his criminal trial for paying hush money to a porn star and separately facing the possible seizure of his storied properties for business fraud. The Republican presidential candidate began his day of twin legal crises in a Manhattan courtroom at a hearing to set a new date for his trial over payments he made on the eve of the 2016 presidential election to make sure porn star Stormy Daniels did not publicise a sexual encounter. In the separate civil business fraud case, also in New York, the 77-year old’s attorneys must prove he can guarantee payment of a $454 million (R 8.5 billion) fine or face the possible seizure of his buildings or other assets.…

Islamabad: Pakistan has started preparations to launch the second phase of its repatriation drive to send nearly a million Afghans back to their homeland, the media reported. Instructions had been issued to district administrations and police to expedite the mapping of Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders. According to the UN refugee agency, there are 2.18 million documented Afghan refugees in Pakistan. This includes the 1.3 million refugees holding Proof of Registration cards as per the census carried in 2006-07, as well as an additional 880 000 refugees granted ACCs following a registration drive in 2017. | IANS…

BEIJING: A job advert from a Chinese grocery store seeking cashiers aged 18-30 has triggered a flood of anguished social media posts from older people scrambling to find work in a sluggish economy. Some said the ad highlighted the plight of a huge middle-aged section of the population as the government focuses on fighting high youth unemployment and finding positions for another record year of graduates. “It’s not easy,” a commenter in the city of Ningbo posted on the Weibo social media platform, along with a picture of the ad seeking cashiers, prompting more than 140 million views and 41 000 comments. There is no specific law against age discrimination. | Reuters…

Bafana Bafana are expected to target their first win since 1996 over north African giants Algeria when the two nations meet in the Fifa Series tonight. The Desert Foxes will play host this time as the two sides meet at the Nelson Mandela Stadium tonight (11pm kick-off, SA time), looking to protect their fairly dominant hold over this fixture. In the six times the two nations have collided at the Africa Cup of Nations or in friendly internationals, Bafana have only been able to topple their next opponents once, which was en route to their one and only Afcon title. Memorable goals from Mark Fish and the late John “Shoes” Moshoeu saw Bafana book their spot in the semi-finals of the 1996 competition. Bafana are coming off a fairly successful…

GEMFIELDS Group said 43 lots were offered for sale at an auction of commercial quality rough emeralds from March 5 to 22, of which 40 lots were sold. Auction revenues were $17.1 million (R324.5m). The average price was $4.45 per carat. Forty-seven auctions of Kagem gemstones since July, 2009, had generated $1.01 billion. The mix and quality of lots offered at each auction vary in characteristics such as size, colour and clarity on account of variations in mined production and market demand. Thus results of each auction were not always comparable. Gemfields’s managing director of product and sales, Adrian Banks, said in a statement: “We are pleased to conclude another successful Kagem auction, demonstrating that the commercial-quality emerald market remains in good shape and prices achieved are broadly…

INDEPENDENT hotel operators and giant global chains are increasingly linking up in franchise agreements as high interest rates have slammed the hospitality industry, slowing down new hotel construction. For big chains, new franchise agreements from conversions keep investors happy by opening new hotels in the short term. Meanwhile, independent, unbranded hotels like switching to franchise agreements, because it gives them greater access to potential bookings and cheaper financing from lenders. “Historically, global conversions have been 10% to 20% of the rooms entering the system, today it is prob- ably closer to 40%,” said Patrick Scholes, Truist equity analyst. For US-based Marriott International, conversions in 2023 accounted for 40% of organic room signings, double the 20% rate a year earlier. Half of France-based Accor’s hotel openings last year were through conversions.…

Shares in MC Mining fell 7% on the JSE yesterday to R1.85 as a battle for the control of the company turned bitter. MC Mining’s board, which is against its acquisition by Goldway Capital, yesterday accused the Georgia, US-based Goldway Capital of releasing misleading information in a bid to sway shareholders in favour of its acquisition move. Goldway Capital has put up an A$0.16 (R1.98) off-market offer for all of the shares it does not currently hold. The independent board committee (IBC) of MC Mining has “unani- mously” recommended that shareholders “do not accept” the offer by Goldway, after an independent expert advised the offer was “neither fair nor reasonable” for the target company. “The IBC believes shareholders should have more regard to the independent expert’s report than the misleading…

Despite the hard times faced by many macadamia nut farmers as prices fell the past two years, the industry was emerging in better shape, said Global Macadamias, a South African processor and exporter. Roelof van Rooyen, director of Global Macadamias said the tough years, as tough as they were, were also good to help streamline businesses and making them more sustainable. He said when comparing macadamias to other commodities, the nut still offered a good return on investment. “The industry as a whole is in a healthy state, despite the price dip last year. We have some of the best farmers in the world, excellent processing facilities and good demand.” South Africa’s crop was expected to increase by nearly 14% this year – from around 78 000 tons dry-nut-inshell…

SOME OF the thousands of Durban street lights, which are meant to be on only at night, remain on during the day because the sensors required to switch them off have not been installed. The Mercury has learnt that the eThekwini Municipality has not renewed a contract for the supply of photocell sensors. The contract expired more than three years ago. Photocell sensors are placed on the street lights. Once natural light is detected by the sensor, the lights switch off and come on again after sunset. Members of the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (Mpac) said they raised the issue with City officials during a meeting recently after noticing that many street lights were on during the day when the municipality is supposed to be saving electricity. The acting head…

National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula’s decision to take special leave could be an attempt by her to cling to her salary and other benefits linked to her position. This is the view of political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe after Mapisa-Nqakula took special leave, although it is not provided for in the rules of Parliament. “Taking leave of absence means that you remain in the employ of the state and you can draw a salary,” Seepe said. Last week Mapisa-Nqakula announced that she had decided to take special leave from her position as Speaker of the National Assembly immediately to protect the integrity of Parliament and ensure its sacred duty and its name continue unblemished after the National Prosecuting Authority’s Investigating Directorate raided her house as part of its probe into…

In this desperate situation, when the international community is witnessing what amounts to an unfolding genocide in real time carried out by the apartheid Israeli regime, a stand must be taken for the sake of humanity, to end apartheid Israel’s brutal occupation of Palestine. The lack of meaningful improvement in the Palestinian situation needs to be strongly condemned. While it took Western leaders just a few months to identify and classify human rights violation cases in the situation in Ukraine, global leaders have not documented or even requested any concrete intervention in relation to occupied Palestine since 1948. Hence, it is time to liberate and decolonise ourselves from “mental slavery” to the Western or pro-Israeli political discourse. Genocide, crime of all crimes, is taking place in Gaza, and it needs…

HAPPY days are here again? The United Rugby Championship has not been kind to the Sharks. But this past weekend they at least chalked up their second victory in the competition, making good use of their returned Boks and staying ahead of a dangerous and determined Ulster all the way. Nothing really explains the previous lapses. The damsels of the Pub With No Name were absolutely delighted, of course, readily surrendering knicker elastic for a fashioning of catapults for the time-honoured celebratory feu de joie in which the street lights are shot out. Some had no doubt been wondering if it would ever happen again. It was a humdinger of an encounter, in which I noted something truly extraordinary. Ulster had playing for them a red-headed loosehead prop who’s the…

JULIUS Malema is hoping the EFF’s continued growth in the Western Cape will afford it a seat at the table when polls close on May 29. And when the EFF takes over from the DA, Malema says, he wants to get rid of gang violence and extortion rackets plaguing the Western Cape. Addressing thousands of his party’s supporters, who converged on the Gugulethu Stadium to launch the EFF’s Western Cape elections manifesto on Sunday, Malema said the DA-controlled provincial government was dragging its feet in resolving the issues of gangsterism and extortion. He also took a jab at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s ANC administration, saying that it is full of corrupt people and needs to be voted out. “We cannot go into this campaign without exposing how this government is rotten…

Gqeberha businessman Neal Ah-Tow, 58, has returned home after about a month in captivity following his kidnapping. His return comes about a week after the release of Sonam Gajjar, the wife of another local businessman. Ah-Tow was kidnapped outside his fishery in Crichton Street in Sidwell, Gqeberha, on March 1. That morning at about 7am, five armed men accosted him as he was about to open the store. He was shoved into a silver Chevrolet Cruze vehicle which sped off. Eastern Cape Hawks spokesperson Yolisa Mgolodela said he was allegedly released on Friday but not in a good state. “The victim was released on Friday at 9.30pm. He was brought by a person from Marikina in Despatch. The victim said he was dropped by the suspects at…

The family and friends of Pietermaritzburg gospel singer Delana Carmen Rawlins, who was murdered in May last year, say they are disappointed with the 22-year jail term handed down to her ex-husband for her murder. This comes after Ian, 48, pleaded guilty to the crime in the Pietermaritzburg High Court. According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, in his plea Rawlins had stated that on the day of the incident, May 13, 2023, he attended a party with Delana in Ashburton outside Pietermaritzburg. The accused had gone shopping the day before with his ex-wife and bought her an outfit for the party, she said. “He said that although they had gotten divorced a month prior (April 2023), they were discussing reconciliation and a possible resumption of their…

Officers with qualifications are less inclined to use excessive force The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), which conducted a national investigative hearing into the July 2021 unrest in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, in its recent report dated January 29, 2024, recommended that the SAPS, i.e., the Minister of Police and the National Commissioner, impose, among other things, i) a standard regarding the use of “less-lethal” weapons in crowd management, and ii) that the SAPS training should be updated to ensure officers are adequately trained in the proper use of “less-lethal” weapons, emphasising de-escalation techniques and proportional force to minimise the risk of human rights violations and excessive use of force. Body-worn cameras capture what happens. This is likely a solution for the police and the community to ensure the facts…

The EU yesterday hit Apple, Google parent Alphabet and Meta with the first probes under a mammoth digital law, which could lead to big fines against the US giants. The three are among six firms along with Amazon, TikTok owner ByteDance and Microsoft, which were named as market “gatekeepers” under the EU’s landmark Digital Markets Act (DMA) and have been obliged to comply with the new law since March 7. “We are not convinced that the solutions by Alphabet, Apple and Meta respect their obligations for a fairer and more open digital space for European citizens and businesses,” said the EU’s internal market commissioner, Thierry Breton. In a statement announcing the probes, the European Commission, the EU’s antitrust regulator, said it suspects the measures the firms have put in…

Israel’s military killed dozens of people in new attacks in Gaza, Palestinian medics said yesterday, and its forces maintained a blockade of two hospitals where they say Hamas militants are hiding. As Israel pressed on with its offensive, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said there was a growing international consensus around telling Israel a ceasefire was needed and that an assault on Rafah would cause a humanitarian disaster. Rafah, the last refuge for over a million Palestinians on the Gaza Strip’s southern border with Egypt, was among cities that came under fire in the latest attacks. Palestinian medics said 30 people had been killed in the previous 24 hours in Rafah, whose population has been swollen by displaced Palestinians escaping fighting elsewhere in Gaza after more than five months of war.…

PYONGYANG: North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un, said yesterday that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had conveyed his intention to meet the North Korean leader. But Kim said that improving relations between the two countries would depend on whether Japan, which occupied the Korean peninsula from 1910-45, can make practical political decisions. Koreans accuse Japan of forcing women to work in wartime brothels for the Japanese military and using forced labour. | Reuters…

Dakar: Senegal’s anti-establishment candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye appeared to be closing in yesterday on winning a presidential election just over a week after his release from prison, but the governing coalition said a run-off would still be needed. The winner will have to steer Senegal, viewed as a beacon of democracy in coup-hit West Africa, out of three years of turbulence and a political crisis, and manage revenues from oil and gas reserves that are shortly to start production. Opposition figure Faye promised profound change and left-wing pan-Africanism. He appeared ahead of the governing coalition’s former prime minister, Amadou Ba. | AFP…

Western Province coach Salieg Nackerdien is hoping his team can start using some “common sense” ahead of their CSA T20 Challenge match against the Tuskers at Newlands tomorrow (1pm start). Province have tied two of their last three matches, with the game against the Lions being lost in a Super Over, when Kwena Maphaka defended just 10 runs. Worse was to follow against the Titans at the Wanderers last Saturday, when Province were cruising to victory in pursuit of 148. Openers David Bedingham and Eddie Moore struck half-centuries in a 92-run first-wicket partnership. However, a middle-order collapse precipitated by David Wiese’s four wickets saw the Titans manage to sneak a tie via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method with one over remaining and Province still needing 10 more runs when the heavens opened…

It will be first versus second when the unbeaten Warriors visit the Lions at the Wanderers in tomorrow’s Cricket SA T20 Challenge clash. Although second, the Lions have had close encounters that could have gone either way, and will need to bring their A-game to stop the Warriors. The Eastern Cape outfit make the long trip to Johannesburg following a comfortable 24-run win over the North West Dragons at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on Sunday. The victory saw them move to 27 points. The Lions limped to 90-5 in their 15 overs after there was a delayed start due to rain on Saturday against the KZN Tuskers at the Wanderers. The Tuskers chased down the total and won with 20 balls to spare, and with that, they secured their…

CA SALES Holdings (CA&S) said yesterday its subsidiary CA Sales Investments had entered into an agreement with Mass Market Distribution Holdings to acquire 49% of the shares of Roots Sales, for an undisclosed sum, as part of CA&S’s channel-broadening strategy. Roots, which was founded in 2014, had built an integrated market offering that combined all commercial requirements including sales, merchandising, auditing and delivery solutions into a single interlocking service enterprise specialising in the main market. “Roots services more than 8 000 outlets across South Africa and this acquisition is set to enhance the solutions offering for CA&S Group clients who include some of the world’s most loved consumer brands,” CA&S directors said in a statement yesterday. CA&S also had an option to increase its shareholding in Roots in the…

There are signs of excellent health at all power stations ahead of the winter season South Africa’s load shedding woes are a fading certainty as most power plants, with the exception of Tubatse, have attained close to perfect performance scores, with the next two months set as a turning point for stations including Kusile, Tutuka, Kriel and Matla, which are on the priority list for efficiency tests. Eskom’s head of Generation, Bheki Nxumalo, credited by Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa as the pillar of new generation capacity in direct liaison with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), said yesterday there were signs of excellent health at all power stations ahead of the looming winter season. “You will see that in the next two months there will be a major review and we expect…

WITH THE EUROPEAN Union poised to make environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting man- datory for global supply chains, many South African firms with EU customers will soon need to raise their game. Among the key factors these ESG reports will need to cover in more detail is the question of how companies embrace their role as “stewards” of the country’s scarce water resources. The EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) has been in effect since January, 2023 and it requires EU businesses – including qualifying EU subsidiaries of non-EU companies – to report on the environ- mental and social impact of their business activities. Companies subject to the CSRD will have to report according to European Sustainability Reporting Standards. South African companies are connected to global markets through commodities…

This Easter weekend you might like to sprinkle the festivities with a bit of celebrity stardom – how about trying a raspberry cinnamon brioche cake recipe from Zakhele Ndlozi? Ndlozi is the new executive chef at Sibaya Casino & Entertainment Kingdom. Growing up in Alberton and Soweto, the former contestant of The Taste Master SA season 3 has risen through the ranks at Sun International after starting as a chef de partie at The Maslow in Sandton in 2016 and as a specialist Asian chef in Time Square Casino in Pretoria a year later. Below is Ndlozi’s raspberry cinnamon brioche cake recipe. Raspberry cinnamon brioche cake Serving: 10 slices Ingredients Dough 300g flour 4g yeast 1g salt 40g castor sugar 15g milk powder 150ml milk 100g butter (room temperature) 3…

Speaker of Parliament Nosiviwe Mapisa- Nqakula will not be arrested for the time being, as the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has undertaken to withhold her arrest until the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, has ruled on an application she filed. Mapisa-Nqakula turned to court yesterday in an urgent bid to avoid being arrested on corruption charges. Judge Sulet Potterill said she would deliver her judgment on April 2. While Mapisa-Nqakula said she wanted her day in court to prove her innocence, this should not be done by way of her arrest. Her advocate, Reg Willis SC, told Judge Potterill that Mapisa-Nqakula was willing to hand herself over to the Lyttelton police station on April 3, to be processed and taken to court. This was the first date her lawyer was available…

The opinion of Standard Bank’s analysts that the ANC will garner sufficient votes on May 29 to avoid a coalition raises some pertinent questions (Business Report, March 22). For the continent’s biggest bank to make such a prediction suggests it knows something the rest of us don’t know. Moreover, it flies in the face of a groundswell of electoral discontent and polling, which consistently has ANC support fluctuating at less than 45%. Of course, it has long been a reality that in politics there is really only one party – the financial party. Irrespective of how rotten the policies of a government are or how poorly it governs, political favours enjoy financial rewards. In terms of the ANC’s scorecard, it should be disqualified from participating in elections at any level.…

The Good Book (Proverbs 17:22 – Bible) states that a happy heart is like medicine and does good bringing cheerfulness. Life today is often quite stressful, challenging and wearisome with various pressures and issues that we have to face. A little laughter and comedy are welcome to lighten up our lives and overcome the doom and gloom that prevails generally. South Africa has many top comedians such as Loyiso Gola, Barry Hilton, Riaad Moosa and Tumi Morake. Occasionally overseas comedians such as Russell Peters and Sugar Sammy visit South Africa to entertain patrons. Locally we have excellent comedians such as the Murugan brothers, Senzo Mthethwa (Mvelase), Krijay Govender and Henry Ramkissoon. There is a disturbing trend among both local and overseas comedians to include profanity/vulgarity and mock religions or…

Responding to a question last Wednesday from the DA, the Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana confirmed that there is no current plan to fund the unconstitutional National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill. The bill, which awaits the president's signature, has faced widespread criticism regarding its affordability. Government has already raided the Reserve Bank, revenue collection has been revised downwards due to lower- than-expected growth, and there is a serious lack of interest from investors in the downgraded bonds of the ANC government. There is nowhere left to turn other than the pockets of already overburdened South African taxpayers. The minister knows this and yet he went as far as suggesting the high likelihood of increasing taxes by government. On Wednesday, the minister remained evasive, knowing full well that announcing additional taxes before…

Civil society group Equal Education (EE) says the Department of Basic Education (DBE) must prioritise the installation of safe, appropriate ablution facilities in schools that still have pit toilets. It was commenting after Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said the department would ensure that the remainder of schools with pit toilets will be upgraded with safe ablution facilities in the 2024/25 financial year. Equal Education researcher, Kimberley Khumalo, and EE’s head of National Organising, Zanele Modise, said the department had missed several deadlines to deal with the toilets since the Minimum Uniform Norms and Standards for Public School Infrastructure – banning plain pit toilets – took effect in 2013. The minister said last year’s deadline was not met due to National Treasury budget cuts during the 2023/24 financial year. Motshekga…

Amazulu Traditional Prime Minister and Zululand District mayor Thulasizwe Buthelezi has described renewed allegations of sexual harassment against him as “a political smear campaign”. The allegations which surfaced last year, have again been raised by the ANC in the Mzala Nxumalo region (Vryheid). The allegations have re-emerged amid tensions between the ANC and IFP after an incident on stage in Zululand this month between Economic Development MEC and ANC regional chairperson Siboniso Duma and Buthelezi. That incident is believed to have resulted in an physical altercation between IFP and ANC supporters on the same day. Duma took the microphone away from Buthelezi, who was introducing the king, when Buthelezi started to make reference to the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal. The incident took place in full view of Zulu King Misuzulu KaZwelithini,…

Parts of the country are facing an unimaginable water crisis, with concerns being raised that in years, if not months, to come this will surpass the electricity crisis that has affected consumers and business. Years of poor governance, lack of foresight, mismanagement and neglect in maintaining infrastructure has provided the setting for a nightmarish scenario. Regular media reports on communities that have gone weeks, months and years without access to a stable supply of water must raise multiple red flags. By many accounts Minister of Water and Sanitation Senzo Mchunu has started to make inroads into the many factors that have contributed to the crisis by planning to overhaul the entire water sector. Mchunu wants to enforce accountability for non-compliance with standards and to encourage private investment using amendments to…

Debris from a Russian missile attack wrecked part of a three-storey building in central Kyiv yesterday and wounded at least 10 people across the city, officials said. Schoolchildren had to run for cover during the assault, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said. The side of the building, which held an art academy’s gym and exhibition hall, was reduced to rubble in an area packed with high-rise apartment blocks. The air force said it shot down two ballistic missiles fired from the occupied Crimean peninsula, more than 500km away. CCTV footage showed the moment the blast wave blew out a window and upended shelves in a coffee shop that nearly fell on top of a barista working there. The woman, Maria Yestafieva, said she had narrowly escaped serious injury. Missile debris came…

FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron said yesterday that gunmen who killed 137 people in a concert hall outside Moscow were part of an Islamist group that was behind foiled attempts to attack France over the past few months. This, in turn, explains why the French government on Sunday increased the security alert to its highest level, Macron said. Russia, which has challenged assertions by the US that the Islamic State militant group orchestrated Friday’s attack, continued yesterday to suggest Ukraine was to blame. Macron said this was “cynical and counterproductive”. “This attack was claimed by Islamic State,” Macron said, “and the information available to us, to our (intelligence) services as well as to our main partners, indicates indeed that it was an entity of the Islamic State which instigated this attack.…

SEOUL: Medical professors in South Korea said they would cut back on the hours they spend in practice starting yesterday to support trainee doctors on strike for more than a month over a government plan to boost medical school admissions. The strike by the trainee doctors over a plan to increase the number of students admitted each year to medical school from 2025 has forced several hospitals to turn back patients and delay procedures. The trainee doctors have been on strike since February 20. According to a Gallup poll released on March 15, 38% said the government was doing a good job dealing with backlash from doctors and the medical void amid the doctors’ strike while 49% said it was “not a good job”. | Reuters…

London: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will find out today whether he can mount a final UK legal bid to challenge his extradition from Britain to the US, court listings showed. Assange, 52, is facing trial on espionage charges, and a potentially lengthy jail term, after WikiLeaks published classified US documents relating to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Two senior High Court judges in London last month heard evidence from his lawyers and those for the US government over whether to grant him a fresh appeal against extradition. Assange was absent from court on both days due to illness. He has waged a half-decade battle against being sent to the US. | AFP…

It took Coco Gauff a while to wake up on Sunday, but when she did it was lights out for Oceane Dodin as the American third seed stormed back from 4-2 down to earn a 6-4 6-0 win and a place in the Miami Open fourth round. World No 1 Iga Swiatek was working the night shift at Hard Rock Stadium, but also had trouble getting in gear before taming Czech 26th seed Linda Noskova 6-7 (7/9) 6-4 6-4 to keep her bid for a second ‘Sunshine Double’ – back-to-back wins at Indian Wells and the Miami Open – on track. While Swiatek was not at her best, the effort was enough to improve her season record to 22-2 and set up a meeting with 14th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in…