Table of contents for 2021-08-06 in Mercury

Sappi loses R220m production due to riots in KwaZulu-Natal EDWARD WEST edward.west@inl.co.za Sappi, the wood fibre product group, had suffered a more than R220 million loss of production after having to close paper and pulp mills due to the recent riots in KwaZulu-Natal, chief executive Steve Binnie said yesterday. He said during an interview on the group’s third quarter results to June 2021 that this figure might rise further due to the impact of the cyberattack on Transnet and ongoing Covid-19 related global supply chain issues. The civil unrest in July caused disruptions to raw material supplies and forced the temporary closure of the Saiccor, Tugela and Stanger mills in KwaZulu-Natal. A combined total of 28 000 tons of dissolving pulp (DP) and 7 000 tons of paper…

EOH Holdings gets approval to list on A2X Markets Philippa Larkin philippa.larkin@inl.co.za JSE-LISTED technology services companies EOH Holdings said yesterday it has been approved for a secondary listing on A2X Markets to give its shareholders access to an additional platform with lower transaction fees. Its ordinary shares would be available for trade from August 13. EOH said it would retain its listing on the JSE, and its issued share capital would be unaffected by its secondary listing on A2X. EOH group financial director Megan Pydigadu said: “EOH’s decision to list on A2X will give our shareholders access to an additional platform with lower transaction fees. This is in line with the group’s commitment to continuously find ways to increase value for shareholders.” Kevin Brady, the chief executive of A2X Markets,…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za THE Msunduzi Municipality has laid criminal charges against its former municipal manager, Sizwe Hadebe. The charges relate to the appointment of a former DA councillor as a manager in the speaker’s office, and the purchase of the land for a cemetery at an inflated price. The councillors were told during a council meeting handling confidential matters last month that the municipality was pursuing charges against Hadebe two years after he had parted ways with the city. A source, who was at the meeting, revealed that the city had laid criminal charges against Hadebe for the irregular employment of the former DA councillor. The councillor was not qualified for the job, which paid him R40 000 a month, and he also never came to work for a year,…

| George Bernard Shaw. IT’S the calm before the storm. What will happen in Cape Town tomorrow? Nobody knows. The most foolish thing would be to extrapolate from last Saturday that it will be a walkover for the Boks. Rugby’s not like that. It’s an unpredictable game played with an awkwardly bouncing oval ball. Anything can happen. It so often does. Both sides know that. Will it be another crash-ball fiesta? Or will there be changes in tactics? All we can say for certain is that the damsels of the Street Shelter for the Over-Forties have their knicker elastic at hand for a fashioning of catapults for the time-honoured celebratory feu de joie in which the streetlights are shot out. ’Erewego, ’erewego, ’erewego! Jetpack Man WHO is this Jetpack…

DAVID CARTWRIGHT | Hillcrest I am compelled to comment on the front-page headline in today’s Mercury (August 4) because, as I see it, eThekwini Municipality’s so-called plan to “boost the participation of black people” in the property market flies in the face of racial equality. But then, there’s no harm in aspiring to such a plan, just as long as the beneficiaries of such a scheme pay their municipal rates and property taxes. Here, however, the track record tells me that they won’t. Anyone willing to wager here?…

THYAGARAJ MARKANDAN | Kloof THE July riots have cost the country dearly in human lives and the economy. While families mourned the loss of their loved ones, many business people were left heartbroken as they saw their lifetime livelihoods go up in smoke. Thousands, too, were left jobless, adding to the high unemployment numbers. But it’s not all gloom and doom. As terrible as the violent unrest was, there is a bright side. Many big businesses that were looted and vandalised are in a hurry to get their shattered businesses up and running again. Builders, carpenters, plumbers, shop fitters and hardware stores are all smiling as they have never been as busy as this before. If the violent unrest caught us by surprise, it certainly caught the government…

| African News Agency (ANA) In a bid to enhance the safety of its staff and to cut queues, the South African National Parks (SANParks) has announced that at least 12 national parks will not be accepting cash as a means of payment from September. The cash-free payment system will be implemented in a two-phased approach, with several parks implementing the system from the current 2021/22 financial year and the remaining parks implementing the system in the 2022/23 fiscal year. “From September 1, cash will no longer be accepted as a method of payment in some of the parks. SANParks clients will be encouraged to make use of pre-booking payment systems and/or speed point payment system in parks. All trade and tourism activities will be cash-free and therefore cash…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za A proposal by the eThekwini Municipality to give African small business owners rental discounts at the Durban Fresh Produce Market came under fire yesterday. The DA and several other parties objected to it, saying it was racially divisive. The proposal was approved and passed during a full council meeting yesterday by the ANC majority, with support from some minority parties. Defending the proposal, the ANC said it was meant to address the divisions of the past, saying poverty in this country had a face, and that face was black and African. The report on the discount, which was tabled before the executive committee recently, states that it is in support of transformation goals. The report requests for authority to be granted to the head of business support,…

Sihle Mavuso sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za THE protest march staged by the EFF in Phoenix yesterday to voice anger over the violence in the area in which 36 people were killed amid the looting and unrest, turned into a platform for the party to slam the governing ANC and the armed forces for their alleged heavy-handedness when dealing with black people. The thousands of EFF marchers, who were bused in from various parts of Durban, gathered at a park under the watchful eye of heavily armed SAPS and Durban metro police, who came in riot gear and armoured vehicles. They made their way to Phoenix police station to deliver their memorandum. EFF secretary-general Marshall Dlamini and KZN provincial leader Vusi Khoza led the march which was relatively calm as the marchers made their…

Clinton Moodley clinton.moodley@inl.co.za As South Africa fights to stay on travellers’ minds following the dismal travel arrivals due to the pandemic, travel industry stakeholders want one of its key markets, the UK, to remove the country from the red list. The UK topped the overseas visitor list for South Africa in 2019 and last year, Statistics SA revealed. But the UK has kept South Africa on its red list for travel which states that the country has the highest Covid-19 risk, and should not be visited “except in the most extreme of circumstances”. Cape Town Tourism board chairperson Brett Hendricks said stakeholders were working around the clock to get UK residents to visit South Africa and other African countries. Hendricks said the labelling of variants based on their origin damaged…

THE long-awaited tour of the British and Irish Lions to South Africa has certainly delivered on its promise of great entertainment. There has not been a dull moment since the tourists arrived – on and off the field – and now the tour draws to a climax tomorrow with another thriller in prospect. After the Lions had swept South Africa’s provincial teams before them with ease, they proceeded to win the first Test match against the Springboks 22-17, before the Boks bounced back emphatically to win 27-9 to level the series at 1-1. Tomorrow is the third and final Test and the winner takes all. This means this last tour match has a Cup Final feel to it, and the tension has been building all week. The verbal sparring between…

MEXICO CITY: At least 10 people were injured when an irate bull went on the rampage during an illegal rodeo in central Mexico this week. The animal first threw the rider to the ground, then crushed a fence that separated the arena from the spectators and attacked bystanders. There was screaming and running as the crowd, which included women and children, panicked and some spectators hardly escaped the bull’s attack. A video of the incident was widely shared online. Finally, support staff managed to confine the bull and force it back into the arena. ​The rodeo took place despite an official ban on such gatherings because of the risk of catching the coronavirus.…

ASHFAK MOHAMED IT is one thing not qualifying for an Olympic final. But in the case of Chederick van Wyk, he didn’t even get to run at the Tokyo Stadium yesterday following Team South Africa’s misfortune in the men’s 4x100m relay heat. Considered one of the last medal hopes for Mzansi in athletics, the relay team were confident of at least making today’s final, having won the World Athletics Relays title in Poland in May. SA relays coach Paul Gorries had worked long and hard to prepare the squad for Tokyo, including a number of camps ahead of the World Athletics Relays and the Olympics – including one in Gemona, Italy, in July. They went through great lengths to travel to Poland in late April for the May 1-2 World…

Eshlin Vedan eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za AMAZULU showed their intent by unveiling the signings of Keagan Buchanan, Mxolisi Kunene, Matarr Ceesay, Tercious Malepe, Tshepang Moremi, Lindani Shange and Philani Zulu at an elaborate ceremony which was held at Moses Mabhida Stadium and hosted by Robert Marawa yesterday. Thirty-year-old former Maritzburg United and Kaizer Chiefs player Buchanan arrives with experience and will bolster Usuthu’s attack. At 28-years-old, Zulu arrives in Durban at his peak. The left back’s prior experience in the Caf Champions League last season with Chiefs will be vital ahead of AmaZulu’s historic first appearance in Africa’s premier club competition. Malepe was last on the books of Ukrainian club FK Minaj and boasts the rare distinction of having competed for the Under-23 national team at two Olympic Games (2016 and 2020). Ceesay,…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za The MANUFACTURING sector is expected to continue ramping-up its production capacity after showing significant improvement in May from last year’s record plunge during the level 5 lockdown. However, the recent civil unrest that disrupted supply chains in July could hamper the manufacturing capacity and have a prolonged effect on the industry well into 2022. Data from Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) yesterday showed that the utilisation of production capacity by large manufacturers rose to 78.6 percent in May from 59.8 percent a year ago. This was an increase of 18.8 percentage points as all of the manufacturing divisions experienced increases in utilisation of production capacity during the month. The May print was also higher than February’s reading of 76.3 percent as manufacturers used more…

mercury reporters IN A major shake-up of his Cabinet, President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Deputy Health Minister Joe Phaahla to head the health portfolio while firing Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa- Nqakula. Police Minister Bheki Cele survived the axe and former State Security Minister Ayanda Dlodlo lost her position after the department was scrapped. She has been moved to her previous portfolio of Public Service and Administration. When the violence and looting rocked KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, ministers in the Security Cluster were caught in a spat about security lapses and failure of intelligence. Ramaphosa said political responsibility for the State Security Agency (SSA) would be moved to the presidency with Zizi Kodwa to remain Deputy Minister in the Presidency in charge of the SSA. In an unexpected move, Ramaphosa announced the…

PROF DASARATH CHETTY | Westville IT IS lamentable that some leaders have taken to referring to the recent deaths in Phoenix during a period of social anomie as the “Phoenix Massacre”. Such highly emotive language is tantamount to what sociologists call “labelling”. Labelling theory explains that self-identity and the behaviour of people may be determined or influenced by the terms used to describe or classify them or events. It is associated with the concepts of self-fulfilling prophecy and stereotyping and is dangerous in societies where real social cohesion has been an elusive goal. In this case, because of social and spatial segregation, the effect of labelling the allegedly criminal behaviour of a few is to stereotype a community as it gives the impression that the Phoenix community wilfully…

ROLAND FISHER | Durban THE comments by Police Minister Bheki Cele leaves much to be desired. He allegedly states that the police gave confiscated weapons to vigilantes in the communities which had set up illegal road blocks “in the guise” of protecting the community and property from looting and destruction. The question, Mr Cele, is: should the community have phoned your police, unprepared, ill-equipped, painfully thin on the ground and as it transpired ineffective or should they have welcomed the looters and stepped aside? Would you have preferred that they sought to communicate with the rampaging hordes, hell-bent on thieving and destroying and asked them to please behave and go home peacefully? Exactly Mr Cele, your comments are disingenuous and divisive to say the least, and while on…

Are you open for business, the wonderful business of deeper living? There are three areas of greater openness that I’d suggest we all pursue. To be more open-hearted, open-handed, and open-minded. I’m not sure which order they come in but perhaps they grow and work together and are inseparable. Open-minded means you allow yourself to think new thoughts, create new mind-tracks, visit new places with your imagination, thoughts and concepts and possibilities perhaps formerly resisted. You read things previously avoided. You welcome mind-stretching reading and conversations. You’re open-minded when you’re willing to speak to people who are very different from you, hear about what makes them tick, do so without judgment of their ideas or attempting to strong-arm them into your way of thinking. You’re open-handed when you let people…

THE 14 people accused of looting VBS Mutual Bank will finally face more than 100 charges in court on October 12 for their role in the so-called heist. The accused include Limpopo ANC treasurer Danny Msiza. They appeared briefly before the North Gauteng High Court this week. The matter had been transferred from the Palm Ridge Commercial Court in Ekurhuleni for pre-trial but was postponed to October because some of the accused had recently changed legal representation. Msiza and former VBS chairperson Calvin Tshifhiwa Matodzi, and 12 others, including bank executives, politicians, municipal officials and managers, were formally indicted by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in March, for looting nearly R2.3 billion from mostly poor people from the rural areas, especially around the bank’s headquarters in Thohoyandou in Limpopo. About…

Xolile Bhengu xolile.bhengu@inl.co.za THE Department of Economic Development, Tourism, and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) said over the next few weeks it would be announcing details of how it planned to accelerate the implementation of programmes such as Bulk Buying and the Zimele Traders Fund to assist businesses that were impacted by the looting and unrest that took place last month. Bheki Mbanjwa, spokesperson for the EDTEA, said: “We have seen that the victims of the unrest were across the board, including black African owned businesses, SMMEs and even informal traders. “While we are consolidating the data from our assessment across the province it is clear that our programme in respect of the uninsured sector will bring focus on SMMEs, spaza shops and informal traders.” He said EDTEA would also intensify its…

REMEMBERING the life and times of Charlotte Maxeke is opportune, once again, during this Women’s Month and a year which marks 150 years since her birthday. As the first African woman, from South Africa, to earn a university degree, Mam’ Charlotte was also an internationalist and had the great opportunity of studying under the supervision of great pan-Africanists such as WEB Du Bois. She was married to Dr Marshall Maxeke and prized politics as much as she would have appreciated the independence of the academia. While one cannot separate these two exclusively, politics and science, it is important that each allow the other to do their work and fulfil their respective roles in society. One is sure that Mam’ Maxeke would have advocated that scientists leave the realm of setting…

Paris: The number of Covid-19 infections recorded worldwide passed 200 million yesterday, an AFP count showed, as the pandemic surges globally, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region where the Australian city of Melbourne locked down again. The highly contagious Delta variant has driven the virus to return with a vengeance, the number of daily cases recorded worldwide rising by 68% since mid-June. But as more of the world gets vaccinated against Covid-19 – particularly in wealthy countries – the number of deaths has increased at a slower rate, according to AFP’s count. In Australia, which had initially fended off the virus by slamming shut its borders, almost two-thirds of the 25 million population were in lockdown yesterday as the country struggles to quash a Delta outbreak. The two largest cities had…

LAHORE: Pakistan deployed paramilitary forces in a central town yesterday to check communal unrest after a mob ransacked and set fire to a Hindu temple. Ahmad Nawaz, a spokesperson for the Rahimyar Khan district police, said the mob attacked the temple in the town of Bhong after reports that a Hindu boy had urinated in the library of an Islamic seminary. On July 24, a cleric at the seminary told police he found a young Hindu boy urinating. Police registered a case of blasphemy. Blasphemy is punishable by death in Pakistan. Although no executions have been carried out, suspects are often killed by vigilantes.…

Momentum Investments revises South Africa’s Siphelele Dludla siphelele dludla@inl.co.za Momentum Investments is the latest institution to revise down South Africa’s growth prospects and has factored in the possibility of a fourth wave of Covid-19 into their forecast. The downward revision comes as the economy has been stymied by the impact of level 4 lockdown restrictions and the week-long disruption of supply chains in July, some of which is ongoing. Van Tonder said their forecast factored in the possibility of a fourth wave of Covid-19 later in the year. The National Institute of Communicable Disease predicted recently that the third wave would likely peak in most provinces by mid-August, while other health experts have said a fourth wave was possible as early as October. Momentum Investments yesterday lowered its 2021 gross…

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za ADDRESSING the gender pay gap and environmental social and governance (ESG) issues had to be prioritised in South African boardrooms going forward, the latest remuneration report by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) said yesterday. The PwC’s 13th edition of the “Exe- cutive directors’: Practices and Remuneration Trends” report found that the pay gap was most pronounced in medium-cap companies, with a gender pay gap of 46 percent observed at the median and 51 percent at the upper quartile, with a smaller pay gap observed in small-cap companies with gaps of 27 percent and 30 percent observed respectively at the median and upper quartiles. Andreas Horak, PwC reward practice co-lead and director in PwC’s people and organisation department, told journalists that a more representative workforce, which includes…

Nonhlanhla Nozizwe Hlatshwayo and Chulumanco Mahamba TEACHER unions have called on school principals to be honest and declare cases of Covid-19, warning that concealing such information could lead to an explosion of infections across the province. This comes after six schools had to be closed due to Covid-19 this week. The Department of Education in KwaZulu-Natal confirmed that 10 Covid-19 cases had been detected, prompting the closure of the schools. The SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) said the department should ensure that school principals reported Covid-19 cases. “We believe there are more cases than we know of. We are calling on the department to ensure that regular meetings are held to encourage principals to share information”, said Sadtu provincial secretary Nomarashiya Caluza. The National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa…

Last month was one of the world’s hottest Julys on record, behind only 2019 and 2016, with unusually high temperatures seen in regions from Finland to the US, EU scientists said yesterday. It is the latest milestone in a long-term warming trend that saw the past seven years rank as the world’s hottest on record, as emissions of greenhouse gases change the planet’s climate. “When we look at global temperatures, there are swings from year to year or even month to month,” Freja Vamborg, senior scientist at the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, told Reuters. “But ultimately, the underlying thing we see is a warming trend globally, and in most regions of the world.” Last month, tied with July 2020 as the world’s third-hottest on record, behind July 2019…

MUHAMMAD OMAR | Durban North WHILE many may be surprised by the lack of statements or meetings from President Ramaphosa, make no mistake there’s lots of negotiations and options being considered. Given the recent turmoil in South Africa, the president has to show some material and concrete changes in the security and military leadership. This will be done at ministerial and department levels. Various officials and politicians are being considered for appropriate appointments. This is going to set the tone for probably the second term and it’s likely many politicians’ careers will be cut short (read pro-Zuma), placed on early retirement (ineffective) or given a low level portfolio. It’s time to restore confidence and credibility, Mr President.…

JOHN KNOTTENBELT | Sherwood THE article titled “Gun owners await outcome of firearms bill” (The Mercury, p3, yesterday) refers. I add to this, nervously so, especially in the light of how many important decisions are put into law via knee-jerk reactions rather than proper debate, where propositions are properly discussed and understood. Why you may ask? Well, for starters, there are many more unstable persons who own illegal firearms, without having undergone proper scrutinisation of their faculties. You can rest assured that they are not going to abide by the imminent shift in the gun law. And who needs to obtain ammunition when incidents of wholesale looting of those reserves are rising faster than a weather balloon? Please allow me to add that I am not a gun…

Sibusiso Mboto sibusiso.mboto@inl.co.za Msunduzi Municipality has demolished structures erected by land grabbers on vacant land near New Prison in Pietermaritzburg. Municipal spokesperson Thobeka Mafumbatha confirmed that the municipality was carrying on with demolitions after it had acquired a court order last month. “On July 9 the municipal officials informed the land grabbers that we had acquired a court order which was read to the land invaders, but they did not listen. Then we started to demolish structures on the illegally occupied land,” said Mafumbatha. She added that two people had since been arrested, and warned that the municipality would continue with demolitions because the land was earmarked for development. There was an allegation that the area was under iNkosi Nsikayezwe Zondi of the KwaMpumuza clan in Pietermaritzburg. It had…

Se-Anne Rall se-anne.koopman@inl.co.za KWAZULU-NATAL clinical psychologist Kiara Sunder has given insight into why people share fake news. She said while many individuals are naively unaware that they are sharing misinformation, there are also those who do it knowingly as a means of satisfying underlying social needs or political agendas. Sunder said historically, people have consumed news via print or broadcast channels. “Yet now, in a relatively short space of time, obtaining news online on social media platforms and communication apps from various, often unofficial, sources including from individuals has become the norm for many people.” She said younger generations are familiar with technology and are able to detect real news from fake news. “Conversely, older individuals who have had to learn technology later in life tend to be more trusting.…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za The eThekwini Municipality yesterday approved measures to support business customers affected by last month’s looting and unrest. The interventions, which were approved during a full council meeting yesterday, include the establishment of a one-stop centre with the participation of all relevant government departments for business support. The centre is expected to open soon. Regarding rates, the city said that for property owners where the building is completely non-functional, a 75% rebate will be awarded for a period of six to 12 months. It said a multidisciplinary team will assess applications. The city also said that reconnection fees for services will be waived and there will be special provisions for building plan submissions in respect of properties damaged during the unrest. Bed and breakfast establishments will be granted…

Lisa Isaacs lisa.isaacs@inl.co.za AIRLINE industry statistics confirm 2020 as the worst year on record due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The International Air Transport Association (Iata) this week released the Iata World Air Transport Statistics (Wats) publication with performance figures for 2020 demonstrating the devastating effects on global air transport during the first full year of the Covid-19 crisis. Wats shows that 1.8 billion passengers flew in 2020, a decrease of 60.2% compared with the 4.5 billion who flew in 2019, while industry-wide air travel demand, measured in revenue passenger-kilometres, or RPKs, dropped by 65.9% year-on-year. In Africa, there were 34.3 million passengers, down 65.7% over 2019. International passenger demand decreased by 75.6% compared with the year prior, and domestic air passenger demand (RPKs) dropped by 48.8%. Air connectivity declined by…

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called for a moratorium on boosters until the end of September to enable at least 10 percent of the population of every country to be vaccinated. This was the call from WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during his opening remarks at a media briefing on Covid-19. In a statement, Ghebreyesus spoke of the plight of people in poorer countries who cannot afford not to work since they work to eat and live from hand to mouth. He said that these populations needed vaccines urgently, especially health workers, older people and other vulnerable groups. The WHO director-general said that while hundreds of millions of people were still waiting for their first dose, some rich countries were already moving towards booster doses. “So far, more…

Investigations reveal its government had identified 3 500 phone numbers THE extensive use of Pegasus spyware by governments to spy on other heads of state has sent shock waves across the world, but it has also lifted a lid on what governments like Rwanda are doing covertly. While Rwanda has denied using Pegasus spyware, the Pegasus Project – a consortium of international media and NGOs – investigated how Pegasus spyware, of the Israeli company NSO Group, was abused by governments to spy on their perceived enemies. Pegasus spyware allows the client to record phone calls, read texts and emails, access photographs and passwords, and secretly activate microphones and cameras to make audio and video recordings. The investigations of the Pegasus Project reveal the Rwandan government had identified more than 3…

Wildfires have reached Olympia, the ancient Greek birthplace of the Olympic Games, a famous archaeological site where the Games were held every four years from 776 BC for over a millennium. Photos and videos from the area, which is engulfed by a blaze, were shared online, showing firefighters battling the flames with assistance from helicopters and planes. ​In neighbouring Turkey, the Kemerkoy Thermal Power Plant in Mugla province was engulfed by a wildfire. ​According to authorities, all explosive chemicals – hydrogen tanks and coal – have been removed. The death toll from the wildfires which have ravaged almost the entire perimeter of Turkey’s Aegean and Mediterranean coasts stands at eight. In Greece, over 100 houses were destroyed by forest fires on the island of Evia. No deaths or severe injuries…

JUBA: South Sudan’s first Vice-President Riek Machar has accused rival military leaders who announced he had been deposed as party and armed forces leader of trying to block the country’s peace process. The military wing of his SPLM/A-IO movement said on Wednesday it had removed Machar, who helped push his partner, President Salva Kiir, to a peace deal in 2018 and the subsequent formation of a unity government, for undermining reforms. “The declaration was engineered and facilitated by peace spoilers,” Machar said in a statement issued after a meeting of his party’s Political Bureau.…

THE North Coast has seen a bit of the bottom fishing action with the more prominent deep water spots producing the daga and geelbek mainly. These have been predominantly caught on a mix of sardine and chokka. Live bait has produced the bigger bites but the sardines have been cheaper and easier to get. The lower North Coast has seen some of the smaller bottom fish caught on the inshore reefs. For these smaller fish, a 6/0 circle hook works perfectly for most species. This baited up with a squid/chokka bait will be ideal. On the gamefish side, there have been plenty of tuna and couta around for those fishing in the deeper areas while the backline has seen some good garrick and snoek action. The snoek have favoured the…