Table of contents for 2023-07-20 in Mercury

Eskom’s System Operator has reiterated assurances that the power utility has enough “defensive barriers” to prevent a national blackout in South Africa in spite of the ongoing electricity deficit. This comes after Eskom yesterday ramped up load shedding to Stage 4 until Saturday evening due to the breakdowns of eight generating units on Tuesday evening. Breakdowns have increased to 19 127MW of generating capacity while the generating capacity out of service for planned maintenance is 2 313MW. Eskom’s General Manager System Operator Isabel Fick yesterday said that Eskom had in place at least six defensive barriers to avert a grid collapse, including a reserve margin of 2 200MW available at any time. Fick said though South Africa did have a capacity generation problem, this has not caused system blackouts in…

The South African political landscape is in a state of flux, with many calling for a change in government. The ANC has been in power since 1994, but corruption scandals, incompetent leadership, state capture, high unemployment rates, and failing state-owned enterprises have all contributed to the party’s declining support base. Additionally, offshoot political parties like Cope and EFF have siphoned off some of the ANC’s electoral fortunes. However, it would be premature to assume that a change in government is imminent. The ANC has been the political home of many great South African leaders and is the liberator of oppressed South Africans from apartheid. Nonetheless, younger South Africans are less interested in the ANC’s historical significance, casting doubt on the party’s future prospects. Still, the party’s organisational structure remains its…

Take your time; take months, not days or a few weeks to fall in love. Nothing worth having, or of great value, occurs too quickly, or happens overnight. Too much too soon, when it comes to love, is a red flag. Trouble is brewing when a relationship develops too quickly. If you are entering a second marriage (or third) and creating a blended family, spend lots of time – months and months – talking, listening to all the adults who love the children – yes, “exes” included – about what the children might need as the families involved enter times of change and reorganisation. If you cannot do this, it is unlikely the relationship will withstand the challenges that accompany the blending of families and the co-parenting of children. Planning…

Cosatu has called for the extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) agreement, saying it will help to keep thousands of jobs and grow the economy of the country. It said South Africa could not afford at this stage to lose its membership of Agoa. Cosatu was part of a delegation that was in the US last week to meet with senior officials from the Biden administration, senior members of Congress, business and unions. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni and Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel were leading the South African delegation. They met with US Trade Representative Katherine Tai, Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy and Environment Jose Fernandez, Senator Chris Coons and business executives. A few months ago, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s…

A 39-year-old KwaZulu-Natal principal was sentenced to life in prison by the Vryheid Regional Court this week for raping a 15-year-old pupil. Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda, said Mduduzi Ndlovu was sentenced on July 18 after an intensive investigation by the Vryheid Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit. Netshiunda said the court heard Ndlovu manipulated and violated a 15-year-old boy who trusted him as his teacher. “Investigations proved on one afternoon in 2018 the principal requested the boy to assist him in his office and inside the office the (principal) became aggressive and raped the victim. “He threatened to harm the boy if he told anyone about the incident. He also gave him money and stationery in exchange for his silence,” he said. He said Ndlovu continued…

MANDELA Day could not have come sooner for the millions of South Africans whose livelihoods depend on the kindness of others. The care they received this week through acts of kindness is probably something they will cherish for a long time and hope could be replicated daily. But it’s now back to the old ‘reality’ of either begging or lining up at any pop-up soup kitchen in order to have something to eat. It is a discomforting sight that would most certainly have the founding fathers and mothers of our democratic South Africa turning in their graves. So severe is the situation that confronts millions of compatriots that one mother resorted to boiling water on a fire for hours on end to give the impression that she was preparing a…

Authorities at an Australian World Heritage-listed island yesterday rejected calls for a mass cull of local dingoes, following a spate of attacks that have spooked tourists. A 23-year-old woman is recovering in hospital after she was mauled by several dingoes while jogging on K’gari this week. Queensland’s environment minister Leanne Linard visited the scene of the attack yesterday, saying: “Dingoes are protected under the Nature Conservation Act. They are an important part of the ecology of K’gari.” She described the population of around 200 dingoes, Australia’s only native canine, as “sustainable” and stressed the need for visitors to be educated about risks and behaviour. K’gari is famed for its beautiful coastal scenery and was listed by Unesco in 1992. But a series of attacks, including last month when a 10-year-old…

Austin: A Texas court yesterday heard arguments in the first lawsuit brought by women denied abortions since the US Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to the procedure over a year ago. The complaint, filed by the Center for Reproductive Rights, takes aim at the narrow medical exception in the state’s bans on terminating pregnancies, arguing that it had led to an ongoing public health crisis. The 15 plaintiffs want greater clarity on when women facing pregnancy complications can get abortions. Texas physicians found guilty of providing abortions face up to 99 years in prison, fines of up to $100 000 (about R1.8 million) and the revocation of their licence. | AFP…

Kenyan protesters hurled rocks at police, who responded with volleys of tear gas, in skirmishes in the country’s major cities yesterday as three days of demonstrations against high costs of living and tax hikes kicked off. Two water-cannon trucks and dozens of riot police were stationed at the entrance to the Kibera neighbourhood in Nairobi, where protesters burned tyres and engaged in running battles with security forces. Schools were closed in the capital Nairobi, the port city of Mombasa and in Kisumu, the country’s third-largest city. Nairobi city centre was largely deserted with many businesses shut, while police erected checkpoints on roads leading to State House, President William Ruto’s official residence. A private sector lobby group says that protests this year have cost the economy more than $20 million (about…

For any sports person, being part of a World Cup is something everyone aspires to and that is no different to the Proteas’ Jeanté Strydom. Strydom will be hoping to make her mark on the team at the Netball World Cup, which will be hosted at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from next Friday. Strydom will want to use her experience to propel South Africa to success on the international front. She says she is still in disbelief that she was named in the Proteas team for the World Cup. “First of all, there were very mixed emotions. Obviously, I was very excited when I heard my name. It was first disbelief, because it’s been so many times that you actually try out and try to get into a…

PICK N PAY chairperson Gareth Acker- man yesterday lambasted the government’s legislative changes on the Employment Equity Amendment Act, which he said threatens private em- ployers if they fail to employ a workforce mirroring racial demographics. Speaking at the group’s annual general meeting held yesterday, Ackerman said: “It’s been hard to stay positive about the future of SA for a long time now”. He said the act would have the effect of making large numbers of quali- fied people unemployed and substituting them with unqualified people. “It is very probably unconstitutional and could ruin many productive companies and foreign investments on which the economy depends. “I cannot understand why our government has not caught up with the times,” Ackerman said. He said the act tried to force on…

Opposition parties have slammed the Msunduzi Municipality for going ahead with its sponsorship deal with Royal AM football club, describing the move as irrational given that the City remains under administration. According to the DA and IFP, it would make more sense to enter into a joint venture than to have the KwaZulu-Natal capital solely sponsoring the club with R27 million over a three-year period. The adoption was approved at a special meeting of the Executive Committee (Exco) yesterday. DA Exco member Ross Strachan contended that the money should be ring-fenced and used for service-related efforts. In terms of the deal, Royal AM will now use Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg as their home ground. The deal comes after Msunduzi was searching for a new Premier Soccer League (PSL) team…

OH BOY! Suddenly matters are swirling in the US. Donald Trump has been notified that the Justice Department is investigating alleged efforts by him to undo the results of the 2020 presidential election. As he puts it on his Truth Social platform, according to Sky News: “They have now effectively indicted me three times … with a probably fourth coming from Atlanta”. He added in capital letters: “THIS WITCH HUNT IS ALL ABOUT ELECTION INTERFERENCE AND A COMPLETE AND TOTAL (POLITICAL) WEAPONISATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT!” His mention of Atlanta appears to refer to prosecutors in Georgia who are conducting a separate investigation into attempts by Trump to reverse his election loss in that state. If that’s not enough, he suggests on his platform that President Biden – who he…

If an official of a tiny country with a population of only a few million people stated that his country and China make up 25% of the world’s population, this would be a funny joke. Likewise, our inefficient government believes that with all the damage it has been doing to our economy, it can somehow help China and Russia to end the current dominance of the US dollar. Last week, the ANC confirmed that the forthcoming BRICS meeting in South Africa will discuss the issuing of a new BRICS currency to replace the dollar as the world’s reserve and trade currency. But in the same week, the ANC sent a high-powered delegation of two ministers to Washington, DC, to strengthen and expand the trade ties between South Africa and the…

State organs owe the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) more than R11 million after the corruption-busting unit probed maladministration in the management of their affairs. In an effort to recoup the monies owed for forensic investigation and litigation, the SIU has embarked on a project dubbed “Project Khokhela” to deal with the outstanding debt. Responding to EFF MP Constance Nonhlanhla Mkhonto, Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola said the total amount owed to the SIU was R11.7m. Lamola said R5.4m was in arrears for 30 days and R6.3m in arrears for more than 30 days. “The SIU, in its normal day-to-day operations, sends out statements of accounts on a monthly basis to different state institutions, indicating the amount owing at a particular period. “Attached to the statement of accounts…

THE Westville Ratepayers’ Association (WRA) says over 3 000 ratepayers in the City are in support of its action to boycott paying rates to the eThekwini Municipality at the end of this month. The WRA recently wrote to the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) about its dispute with the metro, and called for the department to intervene before the end of the month or the residents would not pay. Earlier this month, WRA chairperson Asad Gaffar revealed that the association was declaring a dispute with the metro over the tariff increases. It said the increases were high and had been imposed by the municipality with little to no consultation. The Mercury had previously spoken to several ratepayer organisations which declared they were joining the action by the…

Shared international approach promotes multilateral responses for a better world The African Development Bank indicated recently that economic growth in Africa is estimated to slow down to 3.8% in 2023 from 4.1% in 2022 due to the fallout of the pandemic, subdued investment and falling exports. African economies, however, remain resilient in the face of dampened growth prospects and rising debt levels. African governments will therefore plan to sharpen their focus on macro-economic stability, domestic revenue mobilisation, debt reduction, enhanced trade and productive investments to reduce increasing economic challenges. Over the last few years, Africa has increasingly become the centre stage for geo-economic competition by major economic blocs. Some analysts describe this phenomenon as a “new scramble for Africa” in reference to the first “scramble for Africa”between 1881 and…

American and South Korean guards shouted “get him” as they scrambled unsuccessfully to stop US Army soldier Travis King from sprinting into North Korea, a New Zealand woman who was on the same tour to the border area said yesterday. “It all happened pretty quickly,” said Sarah Leslie, who was in the Joint Security Area (JSA) of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) with some 40 other tourists who were walking around and taking photos in the moments before King made a mad dash to nuclear- armed and reclusive North Korea. The group had just left one of the iconic blue buildings that straddles the border between the two Koreas and is used for negotiations, when King suddenly ran between the structures toward the North, she said. “Someone ran close to me…

Kyiv: Kyiv yesterday said Russia had destroyed 60 000 tons of grain meant for export, in overnight strikes around the port of Odesa after accusing Moscow of purposefully hitting grain terminals. Russia has fired missiles at Ukraine’s southern Odesa region for two nights in a row, hitting ports on the Black Sea after exiting the grain deal that allowed the safe passage of cargo ships. Ukraine’s Agriculture Ministry said the grain was meant to be “sent through the grain corridor 60 days ago”. Since exiting the deal, Moscow has warned of “risks” over the future of grain exports via the Black Sea. The UN warned that the world’s poorest would “pay the price” of the collapse of the deal. | AFP…

Islamabad: At least 11 people were killed and six others injured yesterday after the wall of a building in Islamabad collapsed following heavy rains. Heavy rainfall in parts of Pakistan has claimed lives, caused major accidents, triggered waterlogging in low-lying regions and prompted emergency alerts for the locals. Meanwhile, four different road accidents were also reported in the past 24 hours due to slippery roads in and around the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, claiming lives of over a dozen locals. With the beginning of the monsoon season, weather authorities have forecast week-long downpours. | IANS…

The US Congress was to welcome Israeli President Isaac Herzog yesterday for a speech celebrating 75 years of Israeli independence, as a row over anti-Semitism highlighted fissures in Democratic Party support for the Middle Eastern ally. Herzog holds a largely ceremonial role and is far less controversial than the country’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but President Joe Biden’s party has nevertheless been convulsed by infighting over the visit. A handful of congressional Democrats are long-standing critics of the conservative-leaning Israeli government, accusing it of disenfranchising Palestinians, and have vowed to skip the joint meeting of the Senate and House. Republicans were themselves forced onto the back foot on the issue of anti-Semitism this week as Democrats urged Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to withdraw an invitation to Robert F Kennedy…

RUSSIAN President Vladmir Putin’s absence at the upcoming BRICS summit in Johannesburg will diminish the vivacity of the much-anticipated gathering, and may even dilute the overall vitality of ‘BRICS multilateralism’ within the global arena. This is according to one international relations expert following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement that Putin will not be attending the summit by “mutual agreement”, and that the Russian Federation will be represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. “Ramaphosa has in recent months and weeks held a number of consultations on the hosting of the summit. The president’s most recent consultation in this regard took place last night, Tuesday, at the BRICS Political Party Dialogue in Gauteng,” the Presidency said. “In due course, a comprehensive statement on the substantive issues to be covered at the summit and…

The sudden exposure of the fact that almost 300 KwaZulu-Natal councillors cannot read or write must be the biggest joke this century. Just imagine what the outside world is saying about those put in charge of running certain sectors of this country. If there are almost 300 individuals in KZN, how many are there employed in the other provinces who cannot read or write? It would be interesting to know this information because it is virtually impossible to believe that KZN is the only province to have these sorts of appointment criteria – appointing illiterate persons to positions where they know not what they are doing. This is indeed sad and a shocking indictment of all those involved in politics, especially those who had knowingly appointed these individuals. How is…

I met an old lady at a nursery who was complaining about monkeys. In an exasperated tone, she asked me, “How do I keep these pests away from my garden? They are finishing all my fruit.” “There’s nothing much you can do,” I replied. “We have to learn to live with them.” “But there’s too many of them,” she remonstrated. “They are multiplying rapidly and are becoming such a menace.” Really? I thought. What must the monkeys think of us, who over-populate the Earth? “And they are so wasteful,” she said. “They take a bite and throw the rest down. If they are so hungry, why don’t they eat the whole fruit?” Then I told her that we were to blame for the monkey problem. We have taken away all…

Two police officers working at the Beitbridge border post have been arrested on corruption charges. The officers, aged 32 and 47, are set to appear in the Musina Magistrate’s Court today. Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, the SAPS provincial spokesperson in Limpopo, said the incident occurred on Monday. “The complainant contacted the local police, alerting them about the officers who were demanding R2 000 to release his traffic register certificate,” Ledwaba said. The case was transferred to the Limpopo provincial anti-corruption unit for further investigation. “The two were arrested after receiving trap money, which was found in their possession. The traffic register certificate was also found on one of the suspects,” Ledwaba added. Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe, the provincial commissioner of police in Limpopo, commended the arrest of the two officers, adding it…

In remote areas or during an emergency, health-care professionals can decide much quicker what type of treatment a patient needs if they have immediate access to cellphone data about the person’s health. While such data can make a world of difference to those requiring care, it is the collection, usage and sharing of this information that raises concerns. According to a study by Dirk Brand and Nezerith Cengiz from Stellenbosch University and Annelize Nienaber McKay from the University of Pretoria and Abertay University in Scotland, adequate legal protection is needed to ensure this is done in a responsible and ethical manner that respects an individual’s rights and privacy. The study was published recently in the South African Journal of Science. “In cases of urgent medical care, real-time location is shared…

THE KwaZulu-Natal provincial government says a repatriation plan has been put in place to bring home the body of student Snegugu Ntobeko Myeni, who died in the Philippines earlier this month. This comes after her grieving mother, Lindiwe Myeni, from Utrecht, made an urgent appeal in a video that was shared on social media asking for help to repatriate her daughter’s body. Lindiwe told The Mercury on Monday that Myeni, who was studying for a degree in the medical field at the University of Cebu, was set to graduate in August. She said Myeni had complained of chest pains, but had booked a flight to return home. However at the airport she was too weak to board the flight and was taken to a hospital, where she died on July…

The multiple concerns about the dismal state of South Africa have led to the questioning of the political and economic settlement made in 1994 to end apartheid. The settlement is strongly associated with Nelson Mandela. He subsequently underpinned it by promoting reconciliation with white people, especially Afrikaners, the former rulers. The questioning of the 1994 settlement, and therefore Mandela’s legacy, has different dimensions, running through diverse narratives. One, associated with a faction of the ANC that claims to stand for “radical economic transformation”, is that the settlement was a “sell-out” to “white monopoly capital”. Another is the inclination to lay the blame for state failure on the Constitution, thereby deflecting responsibility for massive failures away from the ANC. Yet another stems from the frustrations of recent black graduates and the…

The US government has suspended funding for the Wuhan Institute of Virology (Wiv) in China even as it failed to provide documents related to the Covid-19 virus amid reported safety concerns. According to a memo from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the infamous lab “is not compliant with federal regulations and is not presently responsible”. It noted that the lab did not share requested documents on its security and safety measures. “This action will ensure the (Wuhan Institute of Virology) does not receive another dollar of federal funding,” an HHS spokesperson said. “The move was undertaken due to WIV’s failure to provide documentation on research requested by National Institutes of Health (NIH) related to concerns that WIV violated NIH’s biosafety protocols.” The HHS also proposed permanently…

LONDON: Kevin Spacey’s accusers were credible and their allegations deserved to be heard with respect, prosecutors told jurors yesterday as the actor’s sexual assault trial draws to a close. Spacey, 63, is standing trial in London on nine charges of sexual offences against four men between 2001 and 2013 in Britain, where he worked from 2003. Spacey has pleaded not guilty to all the charges. Prosecutor Christine Agnew described Spacey as “a man who is used to getting his own way”, and disputed his argument that his accusers were motivated by money. “Society … is more sympathetic to women than it is to men in these circumstances,” she said. | Reuters…

Algiers: At least 34 people were killed when an Algerian passenger bus collided head-on with a commercial vehicle and burst into flames in the country’s southern desert yesterday, officials said. One of the North African country’s deadliest road crashes in years also left 12 others injured, many with burn wounds, Algeria’s civil defence agency said. Unverified media images showed the mangled and charred hull of the bus after the accident near Tamanrasset, about a 2 000km drive south from the capital, Algiers. Burnt bodies were recovered from the bus wreck. The bus was carrying passengers between Tamanrasset and Adrar, to the north-west. | AFP…