Table of contents for 2021-07-15 in Mercury

PAPER COMPANY Sappi, building materials retailer Cashbuild and aluminium supplier Hulamin are among the JSE-listed companies that have been affected by the unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. In a statement yesterday, Sappi said: “The unfortunate incidents of civil unrest, violence and criminal activity which are being widely reported through news channels are also impacting Sappi’s South African operations. Our primary concern is for the safety of our staff and contractors. Therefore, and as a precaution, due to transport disruptions impacting raw material supplies, warehousing and customer deliveries, the Sappi Saiccor, Tugela and Stanger mills in KwaZulu-Natal temporarily ceased production as of Monday, July 12. They will resume once it is safe and practical to do so.” Work on the nearly completed Saiccor expansion and upgrade project was suspended on July…

mercury reporter DUDUZANE Zuma, the son of former president Jacob Zuma, said he was meeting various communities in KwaZulu-Natal, to play a role in quelling the persistent violent unrest that has gripped the province. Speaking to Independent Media yesterday, Duduzane said the protests, which started as a “free Zuma campaign, has turned into large-scale looting, driven by criminal elements”. The violent protests started after Zuma handed himself over to the authorities at Estcourt prison last week, to start serving a 15-month jail sentence imposed by the Constitutional Court, for contempt of court. Duduzane has rejected claims that he is one of the instigators of the violence that has seen the economies of KZN and Gauteng brought to their knees, through acts of looting and vandalism. Responding to claims of instigating…

FAROUK ARAIE | Benoni WE HAVE begun the holy month of Ramadaan, and war, the Grim Reaper, continues to claim the lives of innocent people across the Muslim world. The dire consequences of war, hatred and prejudice, particularly for the civilian population, defy description. War is like fire in the human community, one whose fuel is human beings. Wars expose man’s ultimate inhumanity to man. Wars are an innate but obsolete part of human nature. Wars reflect man’s basest instinct, untamed by rationality, all wars are instigated by hungry megalomaniacs, the politicians, managed by professional killers, the military and fought by the brainwashed members of their prospective population, the cannon fodder. The rape of women and girls in war-ravaged Muslim lands continue unabated. This is the ultimate war…

THEMBA KHOZA | Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation SOUTH Africa is a water-scarce country and this makes every drop of available water important and valuable as water has no substitute. Rivers are an important part of our lives. They provide us with water, the source of life. Rivers are basically the lifeblood of the nation and the key element for socio-economic development. Rivers and streams provide many socio-economic benefits for society. In some parts of the country, rural communities still depend on rivers for their livelihoods. Clean and healthy rivers and streams provide communities with water for human consumption, cooking and washing. As we celebrate Mandela Day on July 18, let us adopt a river or stream around our communities, clean it and keep it…

| Mercury Correspondent In a bid to drum up support for its artists, the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (Samro) is appealing to South Africa’s big corporations to book exclusive online performances for staff working from home. Samro chairperson Nicholas Maweni said that South Africans were living in difficult times with the country again under stricter Covid-19 lockdown restrictions and greater economic uncertainty looming. “As we try to curb the spread of the virus, many South Africans have been forced to work from home. While some people have embraced this, others feel lonely, stressed and isolated from having to work alone,” said Maweni. “To lift the morale of their employees and provide them with some quality entertainment, we are calling on companies and organisations to book online performances by…

Zintle Mahlati zintle.mahlati@inl.co.za Zulu King Misuzulu KaZwelithini has appealed for peace and order to return among the Zulu nation as looting continued in parts of KwaZulu-Natal yesterday. Widespread looting of businesses and warehouses began last week following the imprisonment of former president Jacob Zuma. The government said more than 200 incidents of looting has been reported so far. King Misuzulu said he never imagined that following the death of his mother and father, he would witness such violence. He said he had been overwhelmed with shame as fingers have been pointed at the Zulu nation. He pointed to the impact that looting will have on the economy, especially on poor South Africans who will soon find it hard to access food. “It has brought great shame on of us as…

Ntombi Nkosi ntombi.nkosi@inl.co.za Former Transnet Board member and Gupta family associate, Iqbal Sharma, was granted bail of R500 000 by the Free State High Court yesterday. Sharma was denied bail last month by the Bloemfontein Regional Court. The National Prosecuting Authority’s Investigating Directorate spokesperson, Sindisiwe Seboka, noted the court’s decision. “Additionally the court ordered that Sharma pay R50 000 before he is granted bail. He is also ordered within 72 hours to pledge R600 000 of his retirement annuity policy. “He is requested to give full disclosure to the state of all his foreign assets held by himself and his wife, including the name, the location and approximate value, bank account numbers and details to the state,” said Seboka. In a virtual court sitting, Judge Joseph Mhlambi said the…

Feto engages in propaganda aimed at blemishing Turkey’s image around the world Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu THE international community frequently expresses its condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and its determination to fight terrorism. This is an appropriate attitude, as terrorism remains a major threat to the common security, well-being, values and prospects for a brighter future of all humanity. The phenomenon of terrorism has undergone a transformation in recent years. In the process, as the aims and means of terrorist organisations have expanded, their actions have taken on new dimensions. Terrorist organisations are trying to adapt themselves to social, economic and technological developments and a rapidly evolving international environment. Some of the terrorist groups are not clearly visible and are hidden behind a slyly designed propaganda tool.…

OVER the past decade, different experts, research institutions and labour organisations warned the ANC government and big businesses about potential social unrest, which some referred to as a “ticking time bomb”. Those who sounded warning bells, based on their own Social Risk Index (SRI) studies, included Allianz and Euler Hermes, the Institute of Risk Management of SA, Stats SA, the Black Management Forum, The SMME Council, the Studies for Poverty and Inequality Institute and SA Federation of Trade Union general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi. They cited factors such as the levels of inequality, poverty, unemployment, exclusive economic growth and the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown regulations on the poor. In its joint study released in June last year, the Allianz and Euler Hermes warned that South Africa was likely to face…

In a bid to thwart legislation she fears will make it harder for Texans to vote, Erin Zwiener fled the state with dozens of her fellow Democrats in the state legislature, and one young companion. “Every member is having to make different considerations to be here,” Zwiener said. “For me, that meant bringing my 3-year-old daughter with me, because we don’t have very solid childcare arrangements at home.” So she had no time to linger on Tuesday after meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington, where the Texas Democrats are holding out. More than 50 Democratic members of the Texas House of Representatives fled their state this week to deny that body a quorum to vote on an elections bill. They believe the bill will make voting more difficult…

WASHINGTON; Former US president George W Bush yesterday criticised the withdrawal of Nato troops from Afghanistan and said civilians were being left to be “slaughtered” by the Taliban. “I’m afraid Afghan women and girls are going to suffer unspeakable harm ... They are going to be left behind to be slaughtered by these very brutal people and it breaks my heart,” Bush said. The former Republican president sent troops to Afghanistan in autumn 2001 after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Biden has said it is time for Afghans to chart their own future. | AFP…

ROME: An illuminated, 18m-long cardboard bridge suspended by three large white helium balloons is floating above Rome’s Tiber river, bringing to life a project imagined, but never realised, by Michelangelo. Pope Paul III commissioned the artist to create a bridge connecting the Palazzo Farnese, a 16th-century family palace that now hosts the French embassy to Italy, with the gardens of a villa on the other side of the river. It was never completed after Michelangelo’s death, but the “Farnese Bridge” installation by French artist Olivier Grossetete is a tribute to the Renaissance master. The installation will remain in place until July 18. The cardboard will then be recycled. | Reuters…

MIKE GREENAWAY mike.greeaway@inl.co.za JASON Robinson was nicknamed “Billy Whizz” when he played for England, after the Beano comic book character that ran like the wind, so he knows what he is talking about when he says Cheslin Kolbe is a “Box Office” player that could be a match-winner for the Boks in the approaching series against the British & Irish Lions. Robinson, the first black man to captain England, was one of the most experienced rugby players of all time. As a dual code international, he played 12 rugby league Tests for Great Britain and seven for England before switching to rugby union and playing 51 times for England. “Cheslin Kolbe is one of the best attacking players in the world right now,” said Robinson. “He is so difficult to…

South African retail sales post higher than expected margins in May Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za CONSUMERS used the relaxation of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions to return to shops as retail sales rose more than expected in May after two consecutive months of declining Data from Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) yesterday showed that retail trade sales rose by 15.8 percent in May compared to the same month a year ago. This followed a revised record 95.7 percent jump in April, beating market expectations of a 12.2 percent increase. Nedbank senior economist Nicky Weimar said the retail sector benefited from looser lockdown restrictions in May, starkly in the green by all measures. Weimar said consumer spending patterns had switched, however, from non-durables toward more online shopping and groceries items. “This suggests somewhat…

Vernon Mchunu vernon.mchunu@inl.co.za THE entire supply chain of the ports of Durban and Richards Bay remained closed yesterday while the harbours’ infrastructure was being closely guarded with the help of the military. This was the word from Transnet as violent protests continued to bring economic activities in KwaZulu-Natal to a grinding halt, including putting the brakes on passenger trains and the Durban-based major petroleum refinery. It comes a day after the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) and Sapref both announced the suspension of their operations, with the latter declaring a “force majeure” (circumstances beyond human control). A source close to the ports’ operations told The Mercury the state-owned enterprise was pinning its security hopes on the SANDF, especially because the harbours and related infrastructure were part of…

| Charles M Schulz OUR sacking and looting travails are being reported about the world, by the BBC among others, whose World Service conveys the news in various languages. One of them appears to be Pidgin English, transmission of which somehow came through on my system. Here goes: “Ott least 30 pipo don die in side violence wey don spread across parts of South Africa. “Deadly riots don dey ground since di kontri former President Jacob Zuma hand himself into police last week. “Almost 800 pipo don chop arrest inside di unrest wey begin as protests greet Zuma jailing on Thursday. “But protest turned violent over di weekend, with fires set, highways blocked and businesses looted. “Di protest in South Africa begin wen pipo begin frown against Jacob Zuma…

When Pakistani poachers killed his mother, the future looked bleak for Daboo. Still too young to open his eyes, the black bear cub was put in a sack and had his ears cut off in preparation for being sold to baiters. But before the poachers could make the sale, he was rescued and taken to an animal sanctuary in Islamabad. “He was a little baby bear that was stolen from his mother; in fact his mother was murdered,” said Rina Satti, chairperson at Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB), where he is being nursed back to health. Though banned, bear-baiting persists in some parts of Pakistan and, at the time of his rescue, two-month-old Daboo was half starving and suffering from scabies and a severe ear infection. Now, two months…

THYAGARAJ MARKANDAN | Kloof We heard the rumblings a long time ago. We felt the shudders and tremors and warned the government of a major eruption. But the government ignored all the warnings. It was too preoccupied with its own agendas, political power struggles, in-fighting and factionalism to take note of what was happening around the country. Of course, one must not forget the big state looters. Amid the pandemic they were busy looting the state coffers. As long as their bellies were full and they flaunted their wealth in their SUVs, they couldn’t care about the poor and unemployed. And it was winter, cold and miserable. The poor huddled in their shacks with no jobs, no money and no food. All it needed was one spark…

Xolile Bhengu xolile.bhengu@inl.co.za Registration for those in the 35-49-year-old age group to get Covid-19 vaccines opens today, with vaccinations expected from August 1. However, while people will be able to register on the Electronic Vaccination Data System, it is unclear when the vaccination roll-out programme will resume in KwaZulu-Natal. The Department of Health announced the closure of vaccine sites in KZN until further notice because of the spate of riots and looting in the province, which included at clinics and hospitals. Dr Ronald Whelan, chief commercial officer at Discovery Health, said the medical scheme welcomed the announcement that the vaccine programme was being expanded to another age-group. “This will significantly accelerate the number of vaccinations administered on a daily basis and expand access to vaccinations to people across South Africa,”…

| IANS In a bid to give more power to its users, Twitter said yesterday it was rolling out a new feature where you can decide who can reply to your tweet after you post it, a move that will help curb harassers and abusers on the platform. “Your Tweets = Your space. Now you can change who can reply to you even after you Tweet,” the company said. Currently, the users can limit who replied to their tweets, but they have to set that preference while writing the tweet. With the new feature, the users can change who can reply at a later time. The new feature will soon be available on iOS, Android and the web globally. Earlier this month, the micro-blogging site revealed two concepts for…

Sakhiseni Nxumalo sakhiseni.nxumalo@inl.co.za CALLS for President Cyril Ramaphosa to urgently declare a state of emergency in KwaZulu-Natal have continued to grow as authorities battle to keep up with the riots. Over the past days, police officers and law enforcement agencies have been battling to deal with the looting and destruction, which has led to the deployment of SANDF members. The Durban Chamber of Commerce said the situation remained volatile yesterday, with law enforcement, community policing forums, and private security forces not coping. The chamber said a state of emergency would allow for the deployment of much-needed additional resources to combat the violent protests, thus protecting businesses, communities and infrastructure. Nigel Ward, president of the chamber, said multiple industries had been affected, with the freight industry being the hardest hit. Without…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za NETCARE hospitals has said the violence in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal was adding additional strain to their hospitals, over and above Covid-19. “Extensive contingency measures are in place within Netcare Group facilities and, where needed, have been implemented to provide individuals in need of medical care under the current circumstances. “Unfortunately, the violence in certain parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng is placing additional pressure on both the public and private health-care systems,” chief executive Dr Richard Friedland said. He added that, like many other businesses, they had experienced some challenges, due to staff shortages as a result of staff not being able to reach their places of work. However, Netcare’s hospitals remained open throughout the country. “We have treated a number of people for protest-related injuries, placing further…

Robby Mokgalaka AFTER being beaten up and shot at by police, spending three nights in jail and experiencing the trauma of appearing in court for three months with no evidence to show against them, the charges against three activists from Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, were provisionally withdrawn. Sindi Kubheka, Buhle Kunene, and Zanele Kubheka, all from community organisation Sukumani Environmental Justice, were charged with public violence after police opened fire with rubber bullets and used force against peaceful protesters during a protest against Ikwezi Coal Mine, just outside Newcastle. The case has placed them and their families under a lot of stress. It may seem as though the battle is over but it is in fact only starting. For the community lives with the impact of the Ikwezi coal mine. People…

The EU went into battle yesterday to secure a path to its bold pledge of carbon neutrality by 2050, triggering an epic political clash over electric cars and fuel prices that could last for years. The mammoth plan was unveiled by the European Commission and is intended to transform the bloc’s economy from fossil fuel dependency to a world of net-zero emissions. Brussels also hopes to establish Europe as the unquestioned leader on meeting the goals of the Paris climate accord. “Europe is now the very first continent that presents a comprehensive architecture to meet our climate ambitions,” EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said in Brussels. “We have the goal, but now we present the road map to how we are going to get there.” The myriad proposals…

European special forces involved in anti-jihadist operations in Africa’s Sahel region were given prime position in France’s Bastille Day celebrations yesterday in a sign of President Emmanuel Macron’s military priorities. The traditional parade on France’s national day returned to the Champs-Elysees after a one-year hiatus caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. About 80 French and European special forces drawn from the multinational Takuba force in the Sahel led the procession on foot, intended to send a diplomatic message from Paris. Macron announced a major drawdown of French troops in the Sahel region last month and is banking on his often reluctant European partners to send more troops to replace them. Paris wants Takuba, which numbers only 600 troops, half of them French, to take over more responsibilities from the 5 100…

LOS ANGELES: Three weeks after Britney Spears pleaded with a judge to get her life back, her case returned to court yesterday with the conservatorship that controls her personal and business affairs. Spears, 39, seems no nearer to an end to the 13-year court-sanctioned conservatorship she called abusive, stupid and embarrassing. The case returned to Los Angeles court after Spears spoke of being prevented from marrying again or having more children, and said she wanted to choose her own lawyer. The judge was to also consider the singer’s requests for 24/7 security following death threats against those involved in the conservatorship. Jodi Montgomery, who looks after the singer’s personal care, and the singer’s father, Jamie Spears, are bickering over who is to blame for the restrictions on the singer. Jamie…

MIHLALI BALEKA mihlali.baleka@inl.co.za KAIZER Chiefs sent their supporters into a frenzy when they announced their new signings last week. But a number of senior players might want to leave the club with a bang, given that they are yet to commit to long-term deals after their contracts expired in June. For these seniors, that last dance might come via winning the coveted Caf Champions League. Chiefs will play in their first ever final of the African premier club knock-out competition when they cross paths with Al Ahly at Stade Mohammed V on Saturday. The Amakhosi squad that jetted out to Morocco yesterday was made up of the players that were registered early this season while newbies Sibusiso Mabiliso, Kgaogelo Sekgota, Njabulo Ngcobo, Bradon Peterson Phathutshedzo Nange and Sifiso Hlanti were…

THE ICC said yesterday it has changed its points system ahead of the second edition of the World Test Championship (WTC) after receiving feedback that it needed to be "simplified". The sport's global governing body (ICC) said teams will be awarded 12 points for every match victory, four for a draw and six in the event of a tie, with the percentage of points won used to determine the standings. Previously, the same number of points were allocated to each series, divided across the number of matches played. The change will apply for the second edition of the WTC. In November, the ICC said teams would be ranked based on the percentage of points earned from completed matches to determine the finalists, after the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the schedule. "We…

Eshlin Vedan eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za SAFA have appointed Banyana Banyana legend Amanda Dlamini as their new senior manager for commercial and marketing tasks. “It has been Safa’s tradition to promote our past legends to administrative roles and Amanda’s appointment is one such. We welcome her to the Safa family,’’ said Safa chief executive Tebogo Motlanthe. Dlamini’s duties will include the overseeing, management and service of Safa’s commercial partners/sponsors for all Safa events, projects and opportunities. It will also include the coordination and compilation of updates on events and marketing reports. Among other things, the statement issued by Safa indicated that Dlamini’s roles will include, ”Creating a true partnership with commercial partners by building a strong relationship through frequent relevant communication, familiarising oneself with the commercial partners by building a strong relationship…

EDWARD WEST edward.west@inl.co.za THE SA LISTED Property Index has slumped 6 percent since Monday after many shopping centres were looted and damaged in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng – by yesterday it was still too early to fully estimate the damage, but it is well over R10 billion. South African Property Owners’ Association chief executive Neil Gopal said in a statement that estimates were that there was well more than R10bn of damage to retail outlets and shopping centres in the two provinces. Food distribution centres in eThekwini were looted and destroyed and “even if we can get distribution centres to deliver to our supermarkets, it will not be possible for the public to purchase goods at malls that have already been burnt and vandalised, or simply closed due to…

Viwe Ndongeni-Ntlebi viwe.ndongeni@inl.co.za The problem of what to do about rising obesity rates has been a major concern since the start of the 21st century, as the number of overweight people in the world was found to equal the number of underfed people. Obesity has also been linked with a range of chronic diseases including Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, several cancers, gall bladder disease, coronary artery disease, and stroke. As a result, reducing obesity rates is a target for public health action, and existing approaches to obesity management and prevention remain under intense scrutiny. With the pandemic wreaking havoc, obesity, health and the appearance of health has been topical. What does health look like? Many health conscious people argue people deserve an environment and culture that supports their health, regardless…

Sakhiseni Nxumalo sakhiseni.nxumalo@inl.co.za COMMUNITIES in KwaZulu-Natal are coming together to clean up areas that have been left devastated by days of sustained looting and arson attacks on shops and other businesses. Taxi organisations have volunteered to transport communities to malls, industries, and warehouses for free to carry out clean-up operations and said they were committed to putting a stop to the wanton violence and destruction. The SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) in the province said it was in talks with taxi owners to allow their taxis to transport residents to various affected areas to carry out clean-up operations. Provincial Santaco spokesperson Sifiso Shangase said the scenes witnessed in the province since last week had been nothing but shameful, disgraceful and damaging to the economy. He said it was time for…

I’m sure you’re feeling anxious today. If not anxious for yourself, perhaps for your children, your grandchildren and even your great grandchildren. You’re rightfully worried about what’s happening in your nation and what will happen in the future if all this chaos can occur today. Perhaps you’re feeling fearful, wondering if normalcy will ever be restored, if widespread civil decency will ever once more prevail. The thought and the question you may find hard to expel may be: “Will things ever return to order again?” I’m sure you’ve wondered how a place with such natural beauty of sea, sky, subtropical plants and, more often than not, such incredible weather, can be accosted with such random, indiscriminate horror. I will tell you, dear reader, that from my safe distance it’s understandably…

B CALDERWOOD | Kloof YOU have served a shorter time than many thought you would. However, it is time to say goodbye. You really have very little idea of what to do and how to run a country. You missed all the vital points that indicated we were in trouble. You took days before you addressed the nation meaningfully and even then you did not say anything really meaningful. You allowed the police instead of the army to help. The police had only rubber bullets – what did you really expect them to do? You expected nothing and they did exactly that. At last the army showed up and we had a little hope that things might look up. However, it is all a little too late. We…

EBRAHIM ESSA | Durban THE uncertainty around this chaos has been compounded a few hundred fold. A family partying at the sudden acquisition of a brand new fridge, stocked with fresh sheep carcasses, cooked over the latest six-plate gas stove – this will certainly launch once-poor people into seventh heaven euphoria. An unlimited supply of liquor, early in the morning and late in the evening will, however, eventually allow entry to some very dangerous visitors – like domestic squabbles, anger, guilt, frustration, violence, and even murder. In the meantime, Covid-19 protocols – that were not even properly followed previously – will now totally collapse and all hell will break loose. Stabbings and bullet wounds will jam the hospitals further. The food supply chain will be further looted, even…

Chevon Booysen chevon.booysen@inl.co.za JUST over 60% of adults supported the postponement of this year’s local government elections. Findings from the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) Covid-19 democracy survey show that nearly two-thirds (61%) of the public support postponing the 2021 local government elections. Of those who support postponement, just over half (52%) strongly support postponement, demonstrating that the public seem to have clear views on the issue. The survey was fully completed by 4 728 participants. In April, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the local government elections were set to take place on October 27. “However, the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has raised questions about the feasibility of conducting free and fair elections amidst ongoing restrictions on gatherings, which may hamper voter registration and…

Nonhlanhla Nozizwe Hlatshwayo and Karen Singh Small businesses in KwaZulu-Natal, which were reeling due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic say they have been left devastated by the looting and unrest in the province over the past few days. To date, 72 people have been reported dead, with over 1 000 arrested. Small business owners yesterday told The Mercury that businesses they had spent years building up were destroyed overnight. Mhlengi Msane of Msane Projects and Entertainment said his office in Mtubatuba, in northern KZN, was looted. Msane said it was so discouraging to see his business, in which he had invested almost half a million rand, damaged and looted. “They took laptops, printers, tents and all my equipment that is worth more than R750 000. “I love…

Xolile Bhengu xolile.bhengu@inl.co.za Dr Dulcy Rakumakoe, chief executive of Quadcare, whose practices were looted recently, strongly advised patients not to buy illicit medicine from the black market. “Our people need to be educated on the dangers of taking medication not prescribed by a clinical person. Bad effects may happen, and there may not be medication to counter the effects. Sometimes this may lead to death or kidney and liver abnormalities.” Rakumakoe warned patients to also not take half doses or ration medication that they had been prescribed. “Medication has different modes of travelling to the body and half lives that determine which doses are effective and for how long. Halving what has been prescribed will make them ineffective and also cause resistance. “People need to take their medication daily as…

DIVIDE-AND-RULE is a strategy which has served the ruling classes well in SA throughout our history – right into the present. In the apartheid era, the National Party government’s homelands policy would have been unworkable had it not been for the availability and willingness of a collaborationist layer in the ranks of the oppressed to run the separate dummy councils on behalf of their racist masters. These elements were referred to in the communities of the oppressed as sell-outs and Quislings, and the process as “working the machinery of your own oppression”. As the historical record shows, these toy councils were boycotted out of existence. Today, we are seeing the re-emergence of a similar dynamic, but within the realities of our current (neo) liberal order. To their appropriation of historically…

A blast on a bus killed 13 people in north Pakistan yesterday, including nine Chinese nationals in what Beijing said was a bomb attack but Islamabad called a vehicle failure. Two Pakistani soldiers were also among the dead after the explosion sent the bus over a ravine, local government and police sources said. Chinese engineers and Pakistani construction workers have for several years been working on hydroelectric projects as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative in the western province of Khyber-Paktunkhwa, where the blast occurred. China’s embassy in Pakistan confirmed that nine of its nationals died. Terming the explosion a bomb attack but not giving more details, the Chinese foreign ministry offered condolences and urged both a thorough investigation and protection of its personnel and projects. Pakistan’s foreign ministry…

Indian authorities began demolishing hundreds of homes in a village on the outskirts of New Delhi yesterday in a move that housing activists said could leave 100 000 people homeless. India’s top court last month ordered the removal of encroachers “including by forcible eviction” from Khori village, which is home to about 10 000 families of informal workers, including street food vendors, cleaners and tuk-tuk drivers. Their homes were built illegally on protected forest land, which is part of the Aravalli mountain range that stretches nearly 700km through northern and western India. About 300 homes were razed yesterday amid monsoon rains by the municipality of Faridabad district in Haryana state, according to activists at the site, and thousands more are set to be destroyed before the Supreme Court…

Singapore: An ocean liner on a “cruise to nowhere” was forced to make an earlier-than-scheduled return to Singapore yesterday after a Covid-19 case was detected on board, authorities said. The Dream Cruises ship’s 1 646 passengers and 1 249 crew members had been asked to remain in their cabins as the vessel is disinfected and contact tracing completed, the Singapore Tourism Board’s director for cruises said. The passenger was identified as a close contact of a confirmed case on land, and was immediately isolated. Local media reported the guest was fully vaccinated. The passenger’s three travelling companions were identified and isolated. All have tested negative for the virus. | AFP…

HERMAN GIBBS herman.gibbs@gmail.com Bafana Bafana warmed up for tomorrow’s semi-finals with a 0-0 draw against Zambia in their final Cosafa Cup Group A match at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium yesterday. The outcome meant South Africa completed their Group A assignments undefeated and will play Group B runners-up Mozambique in tomorrow’s first semi-final. In tomorrow’s later semi-final, the Group B winners Senegal will go up against Eswatini, the Group A runners-up. SA, after four matches, have yet to concede a goal and it has been a long time since Bafana have enjoyed a run of four matches without defeat at a tournament. They are the only team at the tournament yet to concede a goal. In the first half both sides spurned goalscoring chances. Zambia, with 56% possesion, had the better…

THE International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said it is investigating two matches from this month's Wimbledon Grand Slam after bookmakers flagged "possible irregular betting patterns". "Two alerts (were) provided to us during the Championships from the betting industry indicating possible irregular betting patterns," an ITIA spokesperson told Reuters. "We are not able to comment on the detail of these while they are being looked into." The ITIA said any alerts reported to the agency will be "recorded, assessed and followed up as an indicator that something inappropriate may have happened". "It is important to note that an alert on its own is not evidence of match fixing. Where analysis of a match alert does suggest corrupt activity, the ITIA conducts a full and confidential investigation," it added. The ITIA was…

OLYMPIC champions at the Tokyo Games starting next week can forget about having their medals hung around their necks as they stand on the podium, shaking hands with dignitaries and soaking up their success. Instead, the three medals will be presented on a tray to the athletes on the podium and they then have to hang them around their own neck in front of the empty stands. There will also be no handshakes or hugs. "The medals will not given around the neck," International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach told a virtual media roundtable yesterday. "They will be presented to the athlete on a tray and the athlete will take the medal him or herself. "It will be made sure the person who will put the medal on the tray…