Inhoudsopgave van 2024-04-25 - Mercury

In today's digital world, the way we fall in and out of love has leapt beyond just being together in person. Now, our love stories and breakups unfold on the very screens we’re glued to, thanks to social media. Gone are the days of simple dating. Now, we have all kinds of social media traditions to spell out who’s dating who. It’s not just me, many of us are total romantics at heart, drawn to love stories that cross oceans and cultures. So, when a beloved couple splits, it feels like we’re all going through the heartache together. Take Anjali Chakra and Sufi Malik, the famous Indo-Pak duo, whose split stunned fans on Instagram. Breaking up is hard enough but sharing the news with friends, family and even just acquaintances,…

WHILE not unusual, the Constitutional Court (Concourt) wanting to hear the Electoral Commission’s (IEC) case against former president Jacob Zuma, without the full reasons from the Electoral Court for its ruling, could see both parties argue they were being placed in a difficult situation, a legal expert has said. Mpumelelo Zikalala said it is not a prerequisite that the reasons be provided, but without them, both parties would not understand how the Electoral Court arrived at its decision. The Concourt this week issued directives to the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) and former president Jacob Zuma to file their opposing papers by today in the appeal matter brought by the IEC. The IEC wants to appeal against the Electoral Court judgment that found Zuma can remain on the newly formed MKP’s…

THE left wing, liberal and dubious Democratic political machinery in America is hell-bent on derailing Donald Trump’s re-accession to the White House throne. Tying him up in a myriad orchestrated legal battles, left-wingers are out there attempting to damage the Republican Party. Hell hath no fury like a scorned Trump. Upon his return, those who have sought to do him harm will pay a bitter price. Best they begin their quest for refuge from his wrath. Times they are a changing in America, as notable right-wing support is rapidly growing. The American elections will no doubt be thrilling, much like ours!…

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has recently developed an ECE (Early Childhood Education) toolkit to allow primary and pre-primary teachers to enforce a gender-ideological framework. In terms of the toolkit, educators will be allowed to ask children between the ages of 0-9 years old more about their gender preferences and what they would like to identify as. Since when do young kids have to be bombarded with such complexities at an age where they can barely do anything for themselves? Why are we arming these teachers with such evil powers, for instance, to ask a child what their preferred pronoun would be, using “they” or “them” to apparently “respect” a child’s gender identity? And we have to ensure kids have access to toilet facilities that cater to their so-called…

It is self-evident that mountains of cash played a pivotal role in the election of leaders in our money-infested political system. Tainted cash lured most of our leaders from virtually all the major political parties. In 1994, our nation after decades of oppression, became a constitutional democracy and began a process of breathing the fresh air of wisdom. None would have thought that this very fresh air would turn foul and with time, get so contaminated that it would poison the whole of the country’s democratic set-up, and the persons to whom the responsibility of governing the country is given would be the fountain-head of such contaminated air. Law is the fulcrum of democracy and democracy is what holds people together without force. Elite profligacy in the face of impoverished…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has notified Parliament about the extension of the deployment of SANDF members to fulfil the country’s international obligations in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique. In two letters to National Assembly Acting Speaker Lechesa Tsenoli, Ramaphosa said the deployment of the almost 1 400 soldiers has been extended in Mozambique and DRC until December 2024 and March 2025, respectively. The expenditure on the deployment of the army will amount to R840 million over the period spanning up to a year. Ramaphosa said the extension of the deployment of the SANDF was in fulfilment of an international obligation by South Africa towards the SADC Community Maritime Security Strategy. “This serves to inform the National Assembly that I have extended the deployment of 200 members of SANDF for…

NATIONAL Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi says she thought her office would be “further down the line” regarding state capture cases, but she was proud of what the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has achieved over the past few years since the new leadership had taken over. In the past five years almost 700 government officials have been convicted of corruption. Some of the more complex cases, such as the Steinhoff matter and state capture-related prosecutions, took a long time to reach prosecution stage, but the wheels of justice were turning, she said. Batohi yesterday held a roundtable discussion with the media, along with her deputies and counterparts in the prosecuting authority. “Impunity is no longer a given; it doesn’t mean you will go to jail, but…

For over a decade, white-owned media giants like the Daily Maverick and News24 have relentlessly attacked their media rival, Dr Iqbal Survé, and his companies through a deluge of negative reporting. Rather than fair criticism, these hostile outlets have engaged in an apparent disinformation campaign using smear tactics and propaganda hit pieces masquerading as journalism to unfavourably portray Survé’s businesses. Before the takeover of Independent Media through one of the Sekunjalo companies, Survé’s name was not widely circulated in the mainstream media, let alone reported negatively. In fact, before that, he enjoyed positive coverage as a businessman, industrialist and philanthropist, even winning awards. Since acquiring what was a hotly contested bid for Independent Media, one of South Africa’s big four media groups, he has faced a never-ending barrage of negative…

JEFFREY Donaldson, former leader of Northern Ireland’s main pro-UK unionist party, had his bail extended yesterday in his first court appearance on sex offence charges. Donaldson, 61, one of the province’s best-known politicians, has previously said he will be “strenuously contesting” the allegations. In yesterday’s court hearing, he did not enter a plea. He is facing one charge of rape, one count of gross indecency towards a child and nine counts of indecent assault on a female, according to the Northern Ireland Court Service. The two complainants, whose accusations span a 20-year period between 1985 and 2006, cannot be named for legal reasons. The politician, who is an MP in the UK parliament, resigned as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) on March 29 after he was charged by…

Lahore: Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai faced a backlash in her native Pakistan yesterday, after the premier of a Broadway musical she co-produced with former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The musical, titled Suffs, depicts the American women’s suffrage campaign for the right to vote in the 20th century. However Yousafzai, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, has been condemned by some for partnering with Clinton, a supporter of Israel’s war against Hamas. Pakistan has seen many fiercely emotional pro-Palestinian protests since the war in Gaza began. Yousafzai has condemned the civilian casualties and called for a ceasefire in Gaza. | AFP…

Bangkok: Thai authorities issued an extreme heat warning for Bangkok yesterday, urging people to stay indoors as temperatures soared. The mercury was forecast to hit 39°C in the Thai capital, while the heat index rose above 52°C. April is typically the hottest and most humid time of the year in Thailand, but conditions this year have been exacerbated by the El Nino weather pattern. The kingdom has sweltered through a heatwave this week, with a temperature of 44.2°C recorded in the northern province of Lampang on Monday – just shy of the all-time national record of 44.6°C. The hot weather is expected to continue. | AFP…

Richards Bay head coach Vusumuzi Vilakazi has promised to use his mission to help the club secure survival in the DStv Premiership as a way to show his potential as a young tactician. The 41-year-old mentor presented a boastful figure after guiding the Natal Rich Boyz to a monumental win over Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday. That 1-0 triumph saw the club make huge stride towards avoiding automatic relegation, as they stretched their lead over bottom-placed Cape Town Spurs to eight points. Simphiwe Mcineka’s header also helped Richards Bay move to 20 points in 15th position, and within six points of 14th-placed Moroka Swallows with six games left in the campaign. “Kanu”, as Vilakazi has been affectionately known since his playing days at Golden Arrows, was at first handed…

A TALENTED man, Siphakamiso Duma is the founder of Duma Wines, a brand that offers a range of beautifully selected premium wines. Born and raised in Wyebank, north-west of Durban, Duma thought of studying civil engineering after school, but this changed after his first job as a cashier in 2016, when his curiosity made him wonder what made wine so special, while he was scanning the prices of items. He was promoted to being a wine section controller, which exposed him to more wines that triggered more love for wine. Duma started to research the different types of grapes used to make different wines and was then inspired to start his own wine business. “I was lucky enough to come across an online wine course called ‘Wines of South Africa’,…

IN A decisive ruling, Judge Michelle O’Sullivan of the Western Cape High Court has handed down a judgment that reverberates throughout South Africa’s media landscape. The case, brought forth by the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (Sactwu) against Sekunjalo and Independent Media, has been dismissed, marking a significant legal triumph for the defendants. The lawsuit, centred around a contentious R150 million investment made by Sactwu in 2013 into the Independent Media Consortium (IMC), now known as the Sekunjalo Independent Media Consortium (SIM), was ultimately deemed unsubstantiated by the court. What was initially characterised as an investment was later reclassified by Sactwu as a “loan”, sparking a protracted legal battle. Sekunjalo has hailed the court’s decision as a validation of its stance, emphasising that Sactwu general secretary Andre Kriel…

AS WE draw closer to the May 29 elections, it is easy to get carried away by the promises made by political newbies, or as I call them, “election cycle political parties”. Out of nowhere, the parties promise people that they will move heaven and earth but then, if they get a seat in Parliament or a provincial legislature, they disappear into oblivion. I am a Gauteng resident who will – for the first time– be voting for the DA. Listening to the party’s premier candidate, Solly Msimanga, leaves one in no doubt that the DA knows what has gone wrong with our province and what needs to be done to fix it. Gauteng is the engine room of the country’s economy but it is not creating enough jobs. Msimanga…

The Grand Old Duke of York Had twice ten thousand men, He marched them to the top of the hill, Then he marched them down again. When they were up they were up, And when they were down they were down, And when they were only halfway up They were neither up nor down. On her Politics Hub programme earlier this week, Sky’s Sophy Ridge drew an amusing analogy between the traipsing back and forth to and from the voting lobbies of the British parliament over the Rwanda Bill, and the Grand Old Duke of York. Back to kindergarten! Was she making a point? This was, of course, the continuation of last week’s Ping-Pong Spectacular, where the House of Commons would pass a bill providing for the sending to Rwanda,…

ERRANT employers are responsible for about R7 billion of unpaid pension fund contributions. Members whose employers do not pay contributions to pension funds have recourse. They can report the matter to the Pension Funds Adjudicator who can order employers to pay a member the benefits they are due, and this order can be executed by a sheriff of the court. Addressing the Pension Lawyers Conference, Pension Funds Adjudicator Muvhango Lukhaimane said the bulk of complaints to her office concern withdrawal benefits, and Section 13A compliance in the payment of contributions by employers. This accounts for approximately 83% of all complaints finalised. Lukhaimane said a few funds have approached her office for assistance with employers not paying contributions. “Even in these instances, the Office of the Pension Funds Adjudicator (OPFA) can…

South Africans in need of life-saving stem cell transplants face an uphill battle due to a high rate of donor attrition, says an international non-profit organisation dedicated to the fight against blood cancer, DKMS. While more than 30 000 South Africans registered as stem cell donors in 2023, a 43% increase year-on-year, more than half of matched donors changed their minds when they received the call. Head of Community Engagement and Communications at DKMS Africa, Palesa Mokomele, said donor attrition reduced the chance of survival for many patients. “Unlike other medical donations, such as donating blood, which take place immediately, stem cell donation is a multi-stage process, meaning that those who have registered may be contacted weeks, months, or even years after they have signed up if they are a…

THE divorced mother of an 8-year-old child must submit herself to random urine drug screening, and attend and complete a psychological assessment to help her with anger management and impulse control, before she can have phased-in contact with the child. The father of the child turned to the Western Cape High Court to have a parenting agreement between him and his former wife revised. A court earlier called in the help of experts, after the mother recently assaulted the child. The child, a girl, was living with her mother but after the assault the father went to fetch her. The mother’s sister sent the father a recording revealing that the mother had assaulted the child and threatened to repeat the assault. On the very same day, the father removed the…

TRANSPORT Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga says work is under way to upgrade signalling on Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) railway lines in KwaZulu-Natal that will improve the efficiency and frequency of trains. The minister was speaking at the launch of 200 locally manufactured modern high-tech electric multiple unit trains in Cape Town yesterday. She said Prasa began the journey in 2008 to upgrade its near-obsolete and outdated signalling system that was installed in the 1950s. As part of rebuilding rail infrastructure, Prasa was re-installing the stolen and vandalised signalling equipment through a project that would take seven years to complete in phases nationally, she said. “Nationally, Prasa has re-signalled six of the recovered lines.” The minister said Prasa was installing a state-of-the-art signalling system that was in line with…

Chad’s presidential election campaigns kicked off on Sunday, April 14, 2024 in the capital, N’Djamena. Transitional president Mahamat Idriss Déby held a large meeting on the Place de la Nation, directly in front of the presidential palace. In attendance were members of the government, the military and various political parties, identifiable, in the blistering heat, by their different coloured shirts. Prime minister Succès Masra, meanwhile, led a large convoy of cars and motorbikes through the city and was accompanied by a crowd of mainly young followers. Déby and Masra, both in their early forties, were cheered by their respective crowds. The election will take place on May 6, 2024 and end a three-year transition period led by Mahamat Déby after the sudden death of his father, Idriss Déby Itno, in…

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken returned yesterday to China on his second visit in a year, as the US ramps up pressure on its rival over its support for Russia while also seeking to manage tensions with Beijing. The US diplomat will meet China’s top brass tomorrow in Beijing, where he is also expected to plead for restraint as Taiwan inaugurates a new leader, and to raise US concerns on Chinese trade practices – a vital issue for President Joe Biden in an election year. But Blinken is also seeking to stabilise ties, with tensions between the world’s two largest economies palpably easing since his last visit in June. At the time, he was the highest- ranking US official to visit China in five years, and the trip was…

Storms and flash floods turned roads into gushing rivers and swamped homes with waist-high muddy water across the Kenyan capital Nairobi yesterday, killing at least 10 people. The East Africa region has been lashed by relentless downpours in recent weeks, as the El Nino weather pattern exacerbates the seasonal rainfall. Across Nairobi, vehicles were stuck in the deluge and people waded through floodwaters in slum areas. According to the Nairobi county governor’s office, an estimated 60 000 people, mostly women and children, have been “severely affected” by the floods. The Kenya Met Department warned that “heavy to very heavy” rainfall was forecast until May. In one incident yesterday, police fired tear gas to disperse angry residents who had blocked a main highway with long queues of cars calling for government…

Sydney: Australian police arrested seven teenagers in a wave of anti-terror raids yesterday, with top officers claiming the network may have been plotting an attack and posed an “unacceptable risk” to the public. More than 400 officers were involved in searches at 13 locations across Sydney following the non-fatal stabbing of an Assyrian bishop last week. A 16-year-old boy was already in custody for that attack but police said seven more “religiously motivated” juveniles who were part of a “wider network of associates and peers” have now been arrested. Police said the offenders were all juveniles aged from 15 to 17. | AFP…

BRAZZAVILLE: Republic of the Congo has declared an epidemic of mpox after 19 cases were confirmed across five departments, including the capital Brazzaville. No deaths have yet been recorded, Health Minister Gilbert Mokoki said as he urged people to take precautions by avoiding close contact with those who are ill and avoiding handling game meat with bare hands. The World Health Organization (WHO) has named the virus mpox to replace the older term monkeypox, citing concerns of stigma and racism. In 2022, the WHO declared an outbreak that spread to Europe and North America a global health emergency. | Reuters…

Whoever said Beyoncé was not active on the internet lied – the singer is always lurking there. Yes, she might not be responsible for her social media accounts, but she does check what people say about her. For a long time, there has been a debate about her hair. While some people knew that she had beautiful hair under those wigs, others believed she didn’t, hence she wore wigs to hide her natural hair. Following the successful launch of her haircare range, Cécred, the multi- award-winning singer felt compelled to share her haircare routine and set the record straight once and for all. “Now that Cécred is known for the quality of work it does for your hair, I think it’s about time I show you all what it does…

FORMER KZN MEC Ravi Pillay wrote an interesting article, “Reflecting on 30 years of democracy”. We should not use race (BEE) as a condition for assistance to the poor and the underprivileged. In the Freedom Charter or the South African Constitution, there is no reference to race. I lived in exile with many ANC stalwarts and the late Oliver Tambo would have rejected any reference to race for socio-economic assistance to the underprivileged. So let’s help all the poor people of all races. The majority of Indians were brought to South Africa to work in the sugar plantations and some in the coal mines of northern KZN like Newcastle and Glencoe. Mostly Gujeratis, a few Punjabis and Goans were brought to East Africa by the British to build the railway…

There is no such thing as a Palestinian state. Palestinian statehood has been disputed for decades. “Palestine” was given observer status in the UN General Assembly in 2012. The state of Israel was declared in May 1948, and admitted to the UN as a full member. Israel is a parliamentary democracy in a multiparty system that has strong, independent institutions. It is in no way an apartheid state. Palestine, an authoritarian regime, has, as an observer state, been granted limited powers. Although some of the UN members (140 out of 193) have recognised Palestinian statehood, it cannot be considered a de facto state. Under the 1933 Montevideo Convention, statehood implies a territory that has a permanent population, a specifically defined territory, its own government and the capacity to enter into…

I have had the pleasure of watching my sons become adults, which now they (almost) are. Our journey has repeatedly quashed my stereotypes, and forced me to assess what it means to be engaged in the art of adulthood, or linger in the land of selfishness, immaturity, and irresponsibility. I consider the following to be indications of the art of being an adult: Your sons and daughters save money because saving is a good idea and indicates they are making plans for complete independence and healthy futures. Irresponsible people blowing through money often end up dependent on others. Your sons and daughters are aware enough to recognise that their successes in any endeavours, academic or athletic, are a result of the efforts of many to provide them with such opportunities.…

Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola, is applying his mind to whether to appoint a commission of inquiry to probe whether there was political interference in the prosecution of apartheid-era crimes arising out of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) report. Former TRC commissioner and Advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza, SC made damning findings in his report to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on the failure by government to prosecute those responsible for atrocities during apartheid. This was after the TRC refused amnesty to some of the former apartheid police officers. Other officials did not apply for amnesty when the TRC submitted its report. Former president Thabo Mbeki denied that there was political interference to stop the prosecution of those implicated in apartheid crimes. Lamola said he was still making…

The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) has called on Minister of Police Bheki Cele to probe those involved in mismanaging government buildings which has resulted in unsafe working conditions. The union has also strongly criticised the lack of consultation regarding the relocation of its police members following the recent closure and evacuation of the unsafe old Telkom Towers building in the Pretoria CBD. The conditions of the building came under fire when early this year, Cele revealed that for more than a year now, he has been working from home due to the unsafe conditions at the building. The SA Police Service (SAPS) has its head office located in the Telkom Towers Building in the Pretoria CBD. The building has been flagged as being “unsafe and unfit” for…

UNIVERSITY of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) students in Pietermaritzburg say they are concerned that landlords of private accommodation properties will evict them because they have not received their payments from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). Some students staged a protest at the Pietermaritzburg campus over the issue on Monday. Students who require accommodation and are unable to secure a place at a university residence go to private properties that are registered to provide student accommodation. These service providers are then paid by NSFAS for the students’ accommodation. Previously, the money was disbursed to students to make the payments but the system has now changed and NSFAS is making direct payments. EFF Student Command (EFFSC) convener Linda Maduna said students and landlords were frustrated by the delays in payments. “As the…

THE sooner ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa realises that the ‘negative’ media coverage that his organisation is receiving is due to his party’s monumental failures, the better if the ANC is to truly self-correct and win the hearts of the voters. The criticism the governing ANC has been subjected to must be seen as a reflection of its track record in government. In a leaked audio recording, Ramaphosa can be heard stating that: “Where there’s negative reporting, we resolved that we’ll take that up. We want fair or even more than fair treatment because we are the governing party. TV stations have no right to be negative towards us and always not reporting on our activities or just continue branding us in a negative way. “We agreed in the National Working…

Some Palestinian civilians were fleeing their homes in northern Gaza yesterday, just weeks after returning because of an Israeli bombardment which they said was as intense as those at the start of the war. Much of the shelling was focused for a second day on Beit Lahiya on the northern edge of Gaza, where the Israeli military gave evacuation orders to four areas on Tuesday, warning they were in a “dangerous combat zone”. After weeks of relative calm, Israel intensified its attacks overnight on Monday, focusing on areas, particularly in the north, from where it had previously withdrawn troops, saying the Palestinian militant group Hamas was no longer in control. Israel’s military said yesterday that it was ready to launch a ground assault on the southern city of Rafah,…

Four people were taken to hospital yesterday after spooked army horses broke loose during morning exercises in central London and galloped through the streets at rush hour, the army and emergency services said. Two horses ran along busy roads, dodging buses, taxis and other traffic. Both were wearing saddles and bridles, with one apparently covered in blood. A number of prestigious army cavalry regiments have stables in the British capital and horses are a regular sight around government buildings on Whitehall, Buckingham Palace, The Mall and in nearby Hyde Park. The driver of a Mercedes car said he had been waiting outside a hotel in Buckingham Palace Road when he felt something smash into his car. He said he saw three or four horses near the vehicle, and that an…

GENEVA: Global immunisation efforts have saved at least 154 million lives in the past 50 years, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday, adding that most of those to benefit were infants. That is the equivalent of six lives saved every minute of every year of the half century, the agency said. In a study published in the Lancet, WHO gave a comprehensive analysis of the impact of 14 vaccines used under the Expanded Programme on Immunisation. Thanks to these vaccines, “a child born today is 40% more likely to see their fifth birthday than a child born 50 years ago”, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. | AFP…

Berlin: German police said yesterday they had arrested 11 suspected members of a Nigerian mafia group behind a large-scale dating scam. The Black Axe gang was involved internationally in “multiple areas of criminal activity”, with a focus in Germany on romance scams and money-laundering, Bavarian police said. “Using false identities, the fraudsters signalled their intention to marry and over time repeatedly demand money.” About 450 cases of romance scamming had been reported in Bavaria in 2023, with damages of €5.3 million (R109m). The suspects, who all held Nigerian citizenship and were aged 29 -53, were arrested in nationwide raids this week. | AFP…

The past weekend witnessed the sectional play for the Port Natal Open men’s singles championship, with two-thirds of participants exiting the competition. Dubbed the “lonely man’s game”, singles places every decision squarely on the competitor’s shoulders. Unlike in team play, there’s no skip guiding the player on the mat, signalling for a draw or a running shot. Each decision rests solely on the individual’s judgment and skill. Elite bowlers advocate that in singles play, the pivotal bowl each end is definitely not the last one; instead, directing intense concentration towards delivering a strong first bowl can establish the rhythm for subsequent shots. A proficient opening bowl not only boosts confidence and gains an advantage but also immediately applies pressure on the opponent. A well-executed draw shot followed by another solid…