Table of contents for NM-2021-04-16 in Mercury

Sizwe Dlamini sizwe.dlamini@inl.co.za JSE-LISTED AYO Technology Solutions has launched a court application on Constitutional grounds against First National Bank (FNB) after the bank gave the tech firm notice to close its transactional banking facility from May 3, according to a Sens statement yesterday. The black-owned tech firm said despite its best efforts, FNB had not provided AYO with what it regarded as valid reasons for termination. “The company believes that it is entitled to fair treatment and as a result, is in the process of instituting legal proceedings against FNB for its decision to close the company’s transactional banking facility.” AYO does not have any lending facilities with FNB and is in the process of reviewing its options for transactional banking. The tech firm issued a cautionary to shareholders: “As…

EDWARD WEST edward.west@inl.co.za ACTIVITY in the commercial rental property market remains highest in the industrial and warehouse segments, a commercial property broker survey for the first quarter released yesterday by FNB showed. Industrial and warehouse property market respondents drove the activity rating in this segment to 6.51 points compared with 4.5 points in the “lockdown” second quarter of 2020. It was the third consecutive quarter in which this sector’s activity rating has increased. The retail sector also saw a strengthening in its market activity rating, to 5 points in the first quarter from 3.62 points in the second quarter of 2020. However, in line with other data, the office sector’s activity rating declined to 3.49 points from 3.70 points in the hard lockdown, leaving…

Sandile Mchunu sandile.mchunu@inl.co.za enX GROUP has entered into a share purchase agreement with Aprolis Holdings for the disposal of its subsidiary Impact Handling UK for £31 million (R617m), with the proceeds expected to be used to reduce group debt. The Impact Handling UK business provides distribution, rental and value- added services for industrial and materials handling equipment in the UK and it is the exclusive distributor for Cat Lift Trucks and Konecranes heavy duty forklifts and container handling equipment in the UK. The industrial group said yesterday the disposal represented an attractive opportunity for the company to monetise its investment at a valuation that the board believes fairly reflects the future prospects and cash flows of the business. “The disposal also allows enX to realise its investment in…

THESE French bitches … Er, let me rephrase that. Facebook has dealt a devastating blow to male chauvinism. It’s taken down the official page for the French town of Bitche. According to Sky News, the municipal communications officer has created a new Facebook page named after the town’s postal code: Marie 57230. Marie. That’s much better. And panic seems to be spreading among the chauvinists. Another town, Rohrbach-les-Bitche, has taken the precaution of renaming itself on Facebook as Ville de Rohrbach. Yet a post in explanation says: “We let you imagine the reason.” This is accompanied by a winking and laughing emoji. Double meaning? Sinister? A regrouping of the chauvinists? It seems this is not the first time the name has caused upset for Americans. Back in 1881, the US…

THYAGARAJ MARKANDAN | Kloof What ails you, Norma? Why have you turned tail and fled from the Zondo Commission? Are you afraid of the burly chief justice? Or did your estranged husband, Malusi Gigaba, send you flowers, perfumes and chocolates? The whole country was eagerly awaiting her testimony at the Zondo Commission to hear first-hand what jaw-dropping revelations she had about the secret liaisons of Gigaba with the Guptas. And then at the 11th hour, just as she was climbing the steps to the commission building, she took fright and fled. In the eNCA interview last year Norma Mngoma seemed so eager to spill the beans on her husband. Why then, everyone is wondering, has she suddenly changed her mind? She has given no valid or clear explanation…

Malcolm Mitchell | Hillcrest I have seen with great concern, many reports in the media lately, both in print and on TV, regarding the poor state of many of our country’s provincial and municipal roads. National roads are not included in this area of concern, having been rated by the Institute of Civil Engineering as being world-class. Unfortunately, much of the provincial and municipal road network is rated, on the whole, as “not fit for purpose”. Some media reports suggest what I consider unrealistic approaches to remedying the situation. The unrealistic reports I refer to include the suggestion by the mayor of eThekwini, which I heard on TV, to “use the community to fix up the potholes” – a recipe for ineffectiveness, leading to waste of money and…

An Eastern Cape woman has been arrested on eight counts of fraud, for running an unregistered college. In a statement, provincial Hawks spokesperson Captain Yolisa Mgolodela said Afika Nwabisa Mabongo, 37, was arrested on fraud charges by the Mthatha Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team. She said it was alleged that, between January 2012 and December 2012, Mabongo was the director of MA-B Training Academy, which operated as an institution of higher learning. According to Mgolodela, once students had completed their course, they were issued with certificates which stated they were qualified in whichever field they had studied. She said the investigation was informed by whistle-blowing and complaints by former students of the college, who were allegedly deemed unemployable since the qualifications they received were not recognised, and their institution was…

The cross on top of Hungary’s largest church, the magnificent Esztergom Cathedral, has been hiding a 176-year-old time capsule that was only recovered during renovation work this year. The sealed copper canister was inside the cross on the 100m dome, the highest in Hungary, which survived being bombed during World War 11. The container was badly damaged by shrapnel but when they opened it, historians discovered documents in near-perfect condition relating to the cathedral’s construction. Csaba Torok, director of the Cathedral's treasury, said the papers gave a rare glimpse of the time when the church was built from 1822 onwards. The main portico and interior were completed later in the 19th century. The cylindrical capsule was placed in the cross in 1845 by Archbishop Jozsef Kopacsy and chief architect Jozsef…

Sakhiseni Nxumalo sakhiseni.nxumalo@inl.co.za THE newly appointed South African Post Office Group chief executive, Nomkhita Mona, is determined to implement a turnaround strategy. Mona said the post office’s challenges had existed for years. Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke recently revealed that, for the financial year 2019/20, the Post Office Group incurred losses of more than R1.7 billion while its liabilities were in excess of its assets that were worth R1.5bn. The group incurred irregular expenditure of more than R200 million. Wasteful expenditure exceeded R26m. Mona said she had taken note of Maluleke’s report. “Indeed, SA Post Office’s major challenges in the recent past, are well documented,” said Mona. She said the challenging issues were the result of many factors, among them an obsolete business model. The problems were exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.…

MUSHTAK PARKER When the world’s single largest sovereign wealth fund (SWF) excludes investing in firms deemed to be doing business in countries accused of gross human rights violations, then being on its watch list could be seriously bad for business. The SWF in question, Norway’s Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG), with current assets under management exceeding $1.275 trillion, is by far the model socially responsible such investor in the world. Its asset allocation reach is phenomenal. At March 2021 it is invested in the equities of a staggering 9 123 companies in 73 countries in three key investment areas – equities, real estate and bonds. When its not leading on the now issues of gender diversity on boards, countering aggressive tax planning especially by tech giants including Alphabet (Google),…

An explosives-packed drone slammed into Iraq’s Arbil airport in the first reported use of such a weapon against a base used by US-led coalition troops in the country, officials said yesterday. There were no casualties in the strike on the capital of northern Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region late on Wednesday, although it damaged a building in the military part of the airport. It comes after around 20 bomb and rocket attacks blamed on pro-Iran Shia armed groups against facilities used by coalition troops or diplomats in Iraq since US President Joe Biden took office in January. The attacks have mostly been claimed by shadowy Shia armed groups aligned with Iran who are demanding the Biden administration set a pull-out date for Iraq as it has for Afghanistan. “A drone packed…

IN ALLEYS criss-crossing the Libyan capital’s Old City, construction crews are hard at work restoring former glory to architectural treasures neglected under dictator Muammar Gaddafi and in the decade since he was killed. The substantial restoration under way sought to “preserve the heritage of the Old City” in Tripoli, said Mahmoud al-Naas, head of the committee overseeing the project. Covering around 50 hectares, the Old City was an “architectural joy” – but this made the “enormous” work required a “heavy responsibility”, he said. The project, funded largely by the state, comes as Libya is undergoing a tentative political renewal. A new prime minister was selected earlier this year through a UN-backed inter-Libyan dialogue to steer the country to December elections, bringing hope that unrelenting chaos since Gaddafi’s death might finally…

BUENOS AIRES – Maxi Bagnasco says he knows Diego Maradona’s features by heart after painting portraits of the soccer star almost daily since the Argentine World Cup winner died last November. The artist, who creates lifelike paintings with spray paint on huge canvases, decided to make Maradona his niche after the outpouring of grief over the footballer’s death. “I think Maradona will accompany me in other projects that I do.” Bagnasco, 39, has been using his phone to copy photographs of Maradona, who has cult-like status in Argentina, where he was nicknamed “D10S”, a play on the Spanish word for “God” that incorporates the number 10 shirt he wore. Bagnasco said he knew he wanted to be an artist at age nine when he won a contest copying a Van…

TALLINN: A busy road in the Estonian capital Tallinn has been closed at night to keep thousands of frogs and toads travelling to their breeding grounds safe from cars. Volunteers usually help carry frogs and toads over roads in the spring and say they have saved 97 000 of them in previous years, including 2 000 last year on the Tallinn road. Road closures are the only lifeline for the amphibians. “The ponds where they breed are on one side of the road and their wintering place is on the other. “So they are forced to cross.”…

MIHLALI BALEKA MAMELODI SUNDOWNS(1)(4) Shalulile 13’, Zwane 49’, Kapinga 79’, Kekana 86’ ORLANDO PIRATES(1)(0) Mabasa 33’ Another domestic Cup competition, another passage to the semi-finals for Mamelodi Sundowns. That may sound like a cliche, but it is simply the truth as the Brazilians channelled their classy championship mentality to easily cruise past Orlando Pirates in the Nedbank Cup quarter-finals. Sundowns’ co-coach Rhulani Mokwena hit the nail on the head when he described this match a “final before the final” midweek, given that the two teams left everything on the pitch at Loftus yesterday – in a match that only needed the buzz of the supporters. Both teams went into the interval level at 1-1 after a tightly contested first half where Pirates arguably had the better scoring chances…

The couta have been the main attraction offshore with some proper crocodiles being landed along most of the KZN coast. The bait is starting to make an appearance as well so stock up your freezers and catch a croc. The north has seen plenty of action this past week. Umdloti, Westbrook and Umhlanga have been the pick of the launches. Starting in the shallows with a couple of fillet baits for snoek has produced some good fish in the early mornings. Lipped lures and fillets have produced fish but the fillets have landed the bigger boys. Those venturing in to the deeper water will do well trolling lipped lures to the spot and then switching to slower trolling of live and dead bait. The lipped lures are mostly there…

THE FINANCIAL Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) said yesterday its investigation into the Huge Group share buyback programme revealed insufficient evidence that the telecommunications company’s actions constituted prohibited trading practices. The regulator launched an investigation into possible share manipulation last month after Huge Group was involved in a share buyback programme between December and February. Huge Group share price leapt by more than 50 percent between the beginning of December and February 26 from R4.45 a share to R6.90 during the period. Huge Group announced its intention to acquire all of Adapt IT’s issued share capital for 552c a share towards the end of January. The FSCA said it had concluded there was insufficient evidence to find the repurchase transactions constituted prohibited trading practices as defined in Section 80 of…

Sechaba ka’Nkosi sechaba.nkosi@inl.co.za AFRICAN Bank yesterday announced the appointment of seasoned banker Kennedy Bhungane to steer the ship after the abrupt departure of former chief executive Basani Maluleke over the direction of the institution. Bungane takes over at a difficult time as the lender posted a net loss after tax of R27 million for the year to end September compared to a profit of R1.20 billion reported a year earlier. Bhungane left Absa, one of the country’s top banks, in an apparent fallout with then-chief executive Maria Ramos in 2014. A former Absa executive who refused to be named said that Bhungane left after it became clear that there was a purging of some in the leadership who did not agree with Ramos. At least four executives left…

Sandile Mchunu sandile.mchunu@inl.co.za PSG KONSULT delivered a double-digit growth in earnings for the year to end February despite a difficult year, boosted by the contribution of PSG Insure and PSG Wealth divisions. The financial services group yesterday reported a 10 percent increase in recurring headline earnings per share to 52.7 cents and a return on equity of 20 percent. PSG Konsult declared a final gross dividend of 16.5c, in line with its divi- dend policy, taking the total dividend to 24.5c, up by 9 percent compared to last year’s 22.5c. Chief executive Francois Gouws said the dividend declaration demonstrated the group’s strong financial position and confidence in its future prospects. “PSG Konsult remains strongly capitalised, with a capital cover ratio of 213 percent and we…

Nonhlanhla Hlatshwayo Vulnerable children and those living on the street are continuing to get a sense of hope from Durban’s Surfers Not Street Children organisation – a body that uses surfing as a catalyst to help uplift children and get them on the path to a better life. It was founded by surfer Tom Hewitt, who said he used his love of the sport as a tool to help the children. The idea came about when he travelled around the world in the 1990s and noticed an increase in homeless children. “We would drive around and befriend these children and try to find out why they were on the streets,” he said. “I was surfing with my friends when one of the kids came to me and asked to…

Vernon Mchunu vernon.mchunu@inl.co.za ORGANISED labour is threatening to pull out all the stops to resist the government’s move to partner with the private sector in the R100 billion Durban port expansion project. They fear that such a partnership could lead to job loses. President Cyril Ramaphosa, who visited the Port of Durban yesterday in what he described as a consultative visit and inspection of the port development process, confirmed that a public-private partnership had been agreed upon. The Mercury has recently reported on the port master plan and that it would be facilitated through public-private partnership deals, as the state-owned company was in the red. As Cosatu and its affiliate, the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) cried foul over the high-powered visit, workers picketed on the doorstep…

The military crackdown in Myanmar is morphing into a civil war, which could escalate into genocide as a docile world remains on the sidelines. The merciless killing of civilians, including 50 children, in Myanmar is a clear violation of international law and a gross violation of the UN Charter. This grave situation is spiralling out of control. The brutal action of all the fascists is a gross violation of international law as set out in the Nuremberg principles. Principles of international law recognised in the charter of the Nuremberg tribunal and the judgment of the tribunal in 1950: Principle 1: Any person who commits an act which constitutes a crime under international law is responsible, therefore liable for punishment. Principle 2: The fact that internal law does not impose a…

IS IT possible to move beyond living around the excessive use of alcohol? It is indeed possible for you to get out of a relationship that is plagued by another’s use of alcohol. But you have to be willing to lose everything in order to gain the return of your life. Sit with that thought for at least a few days, weeks or even longer. You have to count the cost. What got you into this quagmire is also about you and not only about the user in your family. I am not blaming the victim. I am suggesting that something within your understanding of relationships, commitment and love permitted your co-operation with the journey that has ended where you are. You may have to understand what you ignored about…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za RATEPAYERS in Msunduzi Municipality are in for a shock as the municipality considers implementing aggressive collection measures, including removing their infrastructure from the homes of defaulting residents. The municipality said it was losing large amounts of revenue by estimating charges as some ratepayers were not granting access to meter readers. The municipality warned that it would now be forced to call some of these ratepayers after hours to demand access to meters, adding that “neighbours should coerce their neighbours” into doing the right thing. It said it was also considering cutting padlocks on the meters that had them. The municipality’s consumer debt stands close to R5 billion. The municipality has also faced accusations that it was only targeting a fraction of the population for collections while the…

Mayibongwe Maqhina mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za THE future of Western Cape DA leader Bonginkosi Madikizela in the provincial executive council as the Transport and Public Works MEC hangs in the balance. This after Premier Alan Winde yesterday suspended him while an investigation into his qualifications is under way. Madikizela’s suspension came days after DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille announced that the allegations over his qualifications were referred to the federal legal commission for investigation. Winde announced his decision after a meeting he held with Madikizela on Wednesday when he raised his concerns and asked for an explanation. “During that meeting I made clear that acting with integrity is non-negotiable. “I have taken the decision to suspend Minister Madikizela, effective immediately for a period of 14 days, while an investigation determines all the…

None of the 43 antibiotics currently in development, as well as recently approved medicines are enough to combat the increasing emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance, the World Health Organization (WHO) cautioned yesterday. Almost all new antibiotics brought to market in recent years are variations of drug classes discovered decades ago, according to a WHO report released yesterday, underscoring just how insufficient they may be in tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Drug resistance is driven by the misuse and overuse of antibiotics and other antimicrobials, which encourages bacteria to evolve into “superbugs” and find new ways to beat the medicines. Previous studies have estimated AMR will kill tens of millions of people every year after 2050. Out of the 43 antibiotics in development, the WHO said 26 drugs target the 13…

Lorna Charles lorna.charles@inl.co.za The latest research from the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group (PMBEJD) has found that in Durban alone, the basic household food basket prices rose by 7.3% or R277.89 over the past seven months. The price rose from R3 800.59 in September 2020 to R4 078.48 in March 2021. Julie Smith, researcher at the PMBEJD, said: “These food spikes are devastating, but especially for the elderly – particularly those in old-age homes who are on a fixed budget – and well beyond headline inflation. The fact is the government provided less and institutions have less money to draw on.” Smith said she had never seen food prices rocket at such a rapid rate, and since completing the Household Food Baskets for March 2021, she had already observed…

This column started with the greatest intention of showcasing the plight of professional sports people and mental health and how many examples there have been of individuals not being able to get over that one implosion, mistake or blow-out. My statistical research led me to the prevalence and increase of mental health symptoms and disorders in current elite athletes. According to several reports, from different countries and taking into account a variety of sporting codes, alcohol misuse was up by 20%, and you could nearly double that for those affected by anxiety and depression. I didn’t know this, but there is a South African and global health calendar that lists a day dedicated to awareness around every and any sort of medical condition. Mental health is slotted in for the…

Hundreds of children became separated from their families in the panic after jihadist attacks in northern Mozambique, and thousands more are suffering from malnutrition, Unicef warned yesterday. The UN children’s agency has managed to shelter 250 children separated from their families in the assault last month on Palma, a town in northern Cabo Delgado province, long prey to jihadist attacks that have mounted in ferocity over the past year. Alone after being separated from her family in a jihadist attack, one six-year-old girl wandered through the bushy terrain of northern Mozambique for four days before being taken in by Unicef. With almost 700 000 displaced by the attacks, malnutrition is a growing danger for people in the poor northern region bordering Tanzania. Almost 13% of children under five already suffer…

Myanmar security forces yesterday arrested one of the main leaders of the campaign against military rule after driving into him with a car as he led a motorbike protest rally, friends and colleagues said. Opponents of a February 1 coup that ousted an elected government led by Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, have kept up their campaign against the military this traditional New Year week. “Our brother Wai Moe Naing was arrested. His motorbike was hit by a private car of the police,” Win Zaw Khiang, a member of a protest organising group said on social media. Wai Moe Naing, a 25-year-old Muslim, has emerged as one of the most high-profile leaders of opposition to the coup. Reuters was not able to contact Wai Moe Naing by telephone.…

London: The British royals are all to wear civilian clothing at Prince Philip’s funeral to avoid awkwardness over which princes are entitled to military uniform, British media reported yesterday. The Duke of Edinburgh, who died last Friday, will be buried tomorrow at Windsor Castle, with just 30 mourners, most of them close family. Queen Elizabeth II is understood to have decided that all the royals will wear civilian clothing, The Sun tabloid and other media reported. The funeral would otherwise have emphasised former British Army captain Prince Harry’s loss of honorary military titles after his shock departure from royal life last year.…

THIS week we will be looking at how sports technology has evolved with the use of base layers which is so common in multiple sporting codes from athletics to football. A base layer is the layer closest to your skin and should act as a constant “second skin” throughout your sports event/match/race. Base layers provide a layer of warmth, keeping your body temperature constant while absorbing and evaporating your sweat to keep you feeling warm and comfortable. This industry has been booming over the past few years with brands like Under Armour, Nike, adidas, Second Skin, First Accent and many more using their sports technology to enhance the performance of their athletes. The reason behind this is simple: Runners and other sportsmen and women often suffer from chaffing and bleeding…

Ashfak Mohamed THE opening day of the South African athletics championships was always going to be about Caster Semenya’s return to the track, but Akani Simbine very nearly made it an historic one for himself too. The 800m Olympic champion Semenya had an early start, lining up at 8.20am at Tuks Athletics Stadium for the unfamiliar 5 000m, in an attempt to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. She is still fighting her case at the European Court for Human Rights to overturn World Athletics’ ruling for athletes with differences of sexual development – to be allowed to participate in distances from 400m to the mile without having to take medication or undergo surgery to lower her natural testosterone levels. But a hearing is not likely to happen before the Games,…

If you thought South Africa’s current strife with rugby-related matters was unilateral, well then you will be displeased to know, we are not the only ones suffering. Discontent is brewing in the Home Unions, especially amongst the English clubs, about the British and Irish Lions tour and the need to constituent a training camp in the next fortnight. In that period, the Premiership clubs will be in the thick of their play-offs, and there seems to be genuine annoyance that those teams will refuse to release their players for the camp, and the subsequent warm-up Test against Japan. Lions coach Warren Gatland has threatened that such action will have a negative impact on the selection of English players, while the Premiership outfits are peeved that their best players won’t be…

Baroka FC continued to Kaizer Chiefs hoodo team yesterday as they produced a late equalizer to deny Amakhosi the chance to move into the top eight at the Peter Mokaba Stadium yesterday afternoon. If Chiefs had won last night’s game, they would have bumped off TS Galaxy which is sitting on the eight spot in the log. Amakhosi, who are fresh off progressing through to the next round of the CAF Champions League, showed that confidence when they took the lead through Lebogang Manyama shortly after half-time. The former Cape Town City star combined brilliantly with Khama Billiat as the pair enjoyed a delightful interchange of passes inside the Baroka box before Manyama calmly finished off the move to put Chiefs ahead. The goal was actually against…

BUILDINGS completed, as measured in real terms, fell a further 40.2 percent year-on-year in February following January’s -46 percent plunge, Statistics SA data showed. Completions in the non-residential sector of the market, which has been adversely affected by the pandemic, declined by -59.5 percent y/y, while residential building completions slid by -21.8 percent y/y. Investec economist Lara Hodes said yesterday in a statement that the first quarter 2021 performance thus far was in line with the results of the BER’s first quarter building survey, which saw confidence among players in the building sector move further into depressed territory. Ninety percent of respondents to the BER survey from the non-residential segment were dissatisfied with prevailing conditions. Lack of demand as well as shortages of raw materials were cited…

Sihle Mavuso sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za President Cyril Ramaphosa has said that the local government elections should go ahead, despite growing calls for the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) to postpone it. Ramaphosa said despite Covid-19 restrictions, South African lives must go on and the election was one activity that should also go on. He was speaking in Mpumalanga township, near Hammarsdale, outside Durban, yesterday, during a mini-rally for the governing party, which is vying for a crucial ward and competing with the EFF. Addressing the crowd that came to the rally, Ramaphosa said the ANC was ready for the elections. “As the ANC, we are saying we want the elections now, the elections should be held because we are ready, we are always ready to vote our people into offices so…

JEAN MICHEL BOUVIER | Bryanston Why does the government not increase the matric pass rate to 50% for subjects, as it should have done long ago, so that we don’t have an incompetent lot of university students entering, wasting billions. In the first year, between 50% and 65% of students drop out as they realise that they cannot cope. In the meantime, a huge amount of money has been wasted, instead of being used to help support and educate students with the potential to study, succeed and finish their studies. At the same time, it will alleviate the pressure on a stressed to breaking point fiscus, that forced Finance Minister Tito Mboweni to rob Peter to pay Paul. We saw this in his latest budget, which cut money…

NARENDH GANESH | Durban North IN TERMS of section 178(1)(g) of the Constitution, six people designated by the National Assembly must form the membership of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). This critically vital body is the selection committee that aids in the appointment of judges in South Africa, notably to the Constitutional Court. Of late, our judiciary has been under siege in many aspects – whether it is criticism levelled at the chief justice or by orders granted that may seem as pretentious as they are controversial or by the very appointment of judges themselves. But what is becoming undeniably evident is that the highest court in the land is being plagued to adjudicate matters involving political issues and actors who are the actual legislators in the country.…

TONY BALL | Gillitts MEMBERS of the public are surely not under the illusion that the authorities really want to promote road safety? They profess to want to drop the accident rate but do little in that regard and focus on the revenue from traffic violations. A perfect example is the average speed camera on Field’s Hill. Less than 10 days ago, an accident destroyed the camera, pole and the Armco barrier, rendering the system useless. By Wednesday, the pole and camera were operational, but the Armco barrier was destroyed, as are the bulk of the barriers on the M13, M7 and M19. An errant car will fly into oncoming lanes, causing a horrendous head-on accident, but that possible scenario seems to escape the traffic authorities. Surely it…

Loyiso Sidimba loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za THE government has promised to stop paying billions of rand to its suspended employees to stay at home, and tighten the management of discipline among public servants. Public Service and Administration Minister Senzo Mchunu recently revealed suspensions of thousands of public servants pending the finalisation of their disciplinary hearings cost the government R4.5 billion between 2019 and January this year. The Department of Public Service and Administration’s new guide on managing discipline in the public service, dated March 2021, states the formal process involving serious allegations of misconduct dealt with by holding a disciplinary hearing should lead to suspensions of not more than three months. The sanction of suspension without pay should also not be longer than three months after the presentation of mitigating and aggravating factors.…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za THOUSANDS of Msunduzi Municipality ratepayers who qualify for free basic services under the city’s indigent policy are not registering their indigent status to avoid having their services “limited”. That is the view of councillors after it emerged that the number of registered indigents was far lower than it should be. The city has about 5 000 individuals under its indigent policy, but some councillors say the real figure of those who qualify is seven times that number. Indigent status means the residents who have registered qualify for a portion of their services for free. Failure to ensure that all those who qualify for indigent status are registered has negative financial implications for the city as it affects the equitable share that the municipality gets from the…

Zintle Mahlati zintle.mahlati@inl.co.za Three women and two men have made the final list of Supreme Court of Appeal picks for appointment by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). The JSC chose the final five yesterday following a gruelling interview process. The following High Court judges who serve in various divisions across the country have been selected for appointment: Gauteng Judge Zeenat Carelse, Pretoria-based Judge Wendy Hughes, Eastern Cape Judge Nolwazi Penelope Mabindla-Boqwana, KZN Judge Trevor Richard Gorven and Gauteng Judge Selewe Peter Mothle. Gauteng High Court Deputy Judge President Judge Aubrey Ledwaba, who faced tough questions over his handling of the sealing of the CR17 financial documents, did not make the shortlist. The JSC will now submit the names to President Cyril Ramaphosa, who will have to appoint the candidates picked…

Sakhiseni Nxumalo sakhiseni.nxumalo@inl.co.za TROPICAL Storm Eloise, which was accompanied by heavy rains, has been identified as the main reason for the recent rise in tomato prices. Due to a shortage of supply, prices have shot up dramatically. In January and February, the country experienced heavy rains that left a trail of destruction in many provinces and affected the farming industry. Clive Garret, the marketing manager at ZZ2, one of the largest tomato producers in the country, said heavy rains and unfavourable weather had led to a shortage of tomatoes. For tomatoes to grow well, they needed sunny weather. However, between late January and March there had been several cloudy days that hampered growth. Garret said that due to those unavoidable factors, production had moved from the wet areas to the…

SOUTH Africa’s vaccine roll-out programme seems to have hit a bit of turbulence. In this past week, the government temporarily suspended the administration of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine. This was after the US Food and Drug Administration revealed the potential link between the vaccine and a rare type of blood clot. The suspension of the US J&J vaccine comes in the wake of the government’s request for the Serum Institute of India to take back the 1 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine which the company sent to our country in early February. Besides issues of expiry dates and the inability of that vaccine to fight South Africa’s Covid-19 variant, the government is said to have eventually sold these doses to countries on the continent. What comes…

EVEN in South African football’s darkest hour on the international stage, it seems we can always rely on Banyana Banyana to carry the torch for the nation. Bafana Bafana have once again disappointed their fans by dismally failing to qualify for the extended Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon early next year. Bafana fell at the final hurdle away to Sudan, losing a game in which they only needed to draw to reach the promised land. They subsequently went on to finish third on the log in Group C – two and four points behind the qualifying second and first positions respectively. This was Bafana’s fourth failure to reach the continental showpiece in the past 11 years. What makes it especially troubling is that the men’s team continue to…

THE US has imposed a broad array of sanctions on Russia to punish it for alleged interference in US elections, cyber-hacking, bullying Ukraine and other “malign” acts. The measures, put in place yesterday, blacklisted Russian companies, expelled Russian diplomats and placed limits on the Russian sovereign debt market in steps sure to anger Moscow. President Joe Biden issued an executive order authorising the US government to sanction any sector of the Russian economy and used it to restrict Russia’s ability to issue sovereign debt, to punish Moscow for interfering in the US election last year. The Kremlinsaid it would respond in kind and said new US measures would reduce the chances of a summit between US Biden and President Vladimir Putin taking place. Russia denies meddling in US elections and…

LOS ANGELES: Bobby Brown believes Nick Gordon was responsible for Whitney Houston’s death. The 48-year-old singer was found dead in her bath in February 2012 after taking cocaine, and three years later, the singer’s daughter with her ex-husband, Bobbi Kristina Brown, was found unconscious in similar circumstances and died after several months in a coma aged 22. And now Bobby has admitted he believes his daughter’s former boyfriend – who was found liable for Bobbi Kristina’s death in a civil case – had a role to play in Whitney’s death.…

MANILA: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has lifted the nine-year moratorium on new mining agreements to maximise the country’s benefit from the industry, the presidential office said yesterday. “The Department of Environment and Natural Resources may continue to grant and issue exploration permits under existing laws, rules, and guidelines,” according to an executive order (EO) signed by Duterte. The EO added that those who will get permits “shall be given the right of (the) first option to develop and utilise the minerals in their exploration area upon the approval of the declaration of mining project feasibility.”…