Table of contents for 2021-08-16 in Mercury

SAA preens wings as unions grit their teeth Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za National carrier South African Airways (SAA), 51 percent privately owned by the Takatso Consortium, telegraphed its return to the skies possibly in early September with the arrival of two Airbus 320s from Abu Dhabi to muscle back market share from rivals FlySafair and Airlink. Sources said the aircraft, each with the capacity to carry 138 passengers, will spearhead the airline’s return on the domestic market between Johannesburg and Cape Town, as well as the Durban route, in its first forays. The airline said the aircraft, which were among those sent back to lessors, were placed in storage and given six-year maintenance checks in Abu Dhabi during the airline’s time in business rescue, and had now been given “rigorous…

Karen Singh karen.singh@inl.co.za Winter put on its last hurrah at the weekend with snow falling on the Drakensberg mountains. Thandiwe Gumede, a weather forecaster at the SA Weather Service said the cold front that crossed over KwaZulu-Natal on Friday coupled with an upper-air system, called a cut-off low, brought about cloudy and very cold conditions, particularly over the western parts of KZN as well as the Midlands. Gumede said snow started falling early on Friday and continued throughout the rest of the day into Saturday morning. “Snow was confined along the Drakensberg region starting from the Southern Drakensberg, with some light snow on the Northern Drakensberg mountains.” She added that due to weather clearing in the Southern Drakensberg yesterday, snow could be seen in those parts using satellite imagery. However,…

I HAVE met several people, some very recently, who have discovered unfortunate or unpleasant facts about their conceptions or uncovered “secret” circumstances of their births. As a result – some – not all, have questioned their place in the world. Did, and does, God want me? Was I born in error? Am I loved or am I branded by circumstances over which I had no control? “A family broke because of a pregnancy that resulted in my birth and you say I have a role to play in the world?” says a tearful adult and accomplished woman. There are no “mistakes” when it comes to people. Every human is divinely inspired and is the product of the heart of our loving God. This is a truth I hold dear and…

| AFP The Calderone ice formation in central Italy once laid claim to being the southernmost glacier in Europe -- before it shrank and split into much-diminished smaller glaciers. As climate change drives global temperatures ever higher, the glacier risks melting away into the geological record books altogether. Situated in a deep valley in the Gran Sasso d’Italia, a massif in the Apennine Mountains, the Calderone glacier first split two decades ago. It became the southernmost glacier in Europe after the Corral del Veleta in the Sierra Nevada in Spain melted in the early 20th century. But since then it has been in headlong retreat: its volume reducing by around 90 percent between 1916 and 1990, according to a 2010 study in the Journal of Glaciology. “This was the southernmost…

MOHAMED SAEED | Pietermaritzburg I READ an article in a newspaper about parents calling for the Department of Basic Education to terminate the 2021 academic year owing to growing concerns about Covid-19 cases at schools. The increase in Covid-positive numbers in schools has led to many schools temporarily closing for deep cleaning and sanitising. As the coronavirus pandemic drags on, the main difficulty for all schools and parents is how to balance the need to curb transmission and the desire to get students into safe learning environments. The harms of constant closure of schools are many. Pupils will miss learning opportunities, there will be gaps in children’s education that can harm future growth, teachers will not be able to complete the curriculum and, according to some research articles,…

Xolile Bhengu xolile.bhengu@inl.co.za MEDICAL experts and stakeholders are concerned about the Health Department not placing the concept of implementing a universal health-care system that funds all of South Africa and its financing at the forefront of health discussions. Phumelele Makatini, chief executive and principal officer of the Building and Construction Industry Medical Aid Fund (BCIMA), told The Mercury that the medical aid was concerned that the Covid-19 pandemic had hogged the spotlight and taken attention away from the implementation of the national health insurance (NHI) and important discussions around it. Makatini said the government should not lose the momentum of having the attention of all stakeholders. She commended the Council for Medical Schemes for not just looking at the medical scheme market’s sustainability, but felt it had forced the industry…

Mwangi Githahu mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za THERE are strong calls for the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to have written criteria on how it chooses judges to ensure that the best candidates are chosen. The JSC will hold interviews for vacancies in various courts in October. Lobby group Judges Matter says it is disappointed that the JSC still lacks written criteria on how it selects judges. Judges Matter campaign research and advocacy officer Mbekezeli Benjamin said: “Clear criteria would help identify what kind of lawyers make good judges, particular for busy courts that need judges with a strong track record of hard work, exceptional knowledge of the law, and respect among their peers in the legal profession.” Mbekezeli said it was vital for all South Africans to check the list and comment on the…

AS THE daily Covid-19 infection numbers remain steady and there is no indication of a rapid decrease, surely it is time for the Department of Basic Education to review the need for all children to be in school at the same time. More than 76 000 people have died as a result of infections, and the slowing down of the Covid-19 vaccination rate remains a cause for concern. Health Minister Joe Phaahla said the government was hoping to vaccinate 70% of the adult population by the end of this year with an anticipated fourth wave expected, but there appears to have been a drop in the demand for vaccines in recent weeks. Men, especially, appeared to be reluctant to get their Covid-19 jabs, the Health Department said. The vaccination programme…

Taliban insurgents entered Afghanistan’s capital Kabul yesterday and said they expected to take power within days, promising to moderate their earlier hard-line Islamist rule even as foreign diplomats and many locals tried to leave. US diplomats were evacuated from their embassy by chopper after an advance by the militants, who were poised to run Afghanistan again 20 years after they were toppled by US-led forces after the September. 11 attack. Taliban fighters were reaching the capital “from all sides”, a senior Afghan interior ministry official said. However, there were no reports of fighting. The group was in talks with the Western-backed government for a peaceful surrender, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said. “Taliban fighters are to be on standby on all entrances of Kabul until a peaceful transfer of power is…

HONG KONG: Civil Human Rights Front, the pro-democracy group that organises Hong Kong’s annual July 1 rally and galvanised millions to take part in street protests in 2019, said it had disbanded, in the latest blow to the opposition movement. The group was established in 2002 with an aim to provide a platform for different organisations to promote the development of human rights and civil society in Hong Kong. It organised the global financial centre’s first July 1 rally in 2003 that saw half a million people take to the streets to protest against a draft national security law.…

South African Brad Binder won the Austrian MotoGP yesterday after gambling not to change bikes when heavy rain began to fall in the closing laps. Unlike his rivals, Binder opted to stay out on slick tyres and skilfully held off the field to win his second ever MotoGP. “Sometimes you have to take the gamble and today it worked,” said KTM rider Binder in the post-race press conference. The Italian Francesco Bagnaia swapped to his wet weather machine and passed six riders on the final lap on his way to snatching second place, finishing almost 10 seconds behind Binder. Jorge Martin, who won last week’s Styrian GP on the same track and started this race on pole, claimed a third podium of the season after also swapping bikes in the…

Thobile Mazibuko thobile.mazibuko@inl.co.za It is common for celebrities to wear designer clothes once they become famous. For some, it’s a symbol of status that they have made it. For others, it’s simply the love of finer threads. But not all of them wear the real thing. There is an Instagram account @fake_guccicommunitysa aimed at exposing celebrities who allegedly wear counterfeit designer brands. Big Nuz member and Babes Wodumo’s baby daddy Mampintsha, appeared twice on the page for his Gucci bucket hats. It has alleged that Mampintsha has a collection of fake Gucci hats. Musician Big Zulu has also been exposed by the page’s admin for allegedly wearing a fake Gucci hat. Shawn Mkhize’s stylist, Shaun Stylist, who has been accused several times of allegedly wearing fake designer clothes, also made…

Sibusiso Mboto sibusiso.mboto@inl.co.za KWAZULU-NATAL is now experiencing the third wave of Covid-19 infections. This is evident from an alarming rise of cases reported over recent days across the province, especially in schools which, in some instances, have had to close to allow for disinfection. KZN has experienced an increase in cluster cases, with schools emerging as the biggest contributor with more than 120 reporting clusters in their school settings, affecting more than 800 pupils and teachers in the process. And while the province has sufficient bed space in hospitals and oxygen supply at its disposal, there is a danger that individual behaviour, especially in social circles, could result in a higher infection rate that would place additional pressure on the health-care system. This is according to Premier Sihle Zikalala, who…

TONY BALL | Gillitts KWAZULU-NATAL Premier Sihle Zikalala must have a very low opinion of the diplomatic corps or investors if he really believes they will open the money taps because he says “we are confident that there are better days on the horizon” – referring to the destruction caused by the recent unrest. However, what is more disturbing is that he is a known supporter of Jacob Zuma, so maybe he is speaking with a forked tongue. I was rolling around on the floor after reading that there will be no compromise on the restoration of law and order and enforcement of property rights. Surely he must be referring to another country.…

WALLY the Wandering Walrus has turned up in recent times in Britain, France and even Spain, which is a long way south of his home waters in the Arctic. Now he’s arrived in Ireland where he’s causing some bother, according to Sky News. He’s taken to clambering into boats to rest and relax. At the cove in West Cork where he is presently, he’s sunk one small boat belonging to the Clonakilty gin distillery and damaged several others. He’s currently in splendid possession of a motorboat that is used to forage for rock sapphire, which is used in the distilling of gin. Clonakilty don’t want to get heavy-handed with a celebrity such as Wally. They say he is welcome to stay on the motorboat as long as he wants.…

DUNCAN DU BOIS | Bluff IN THE wake of the looting and arson that cost billions, destroyed livelihoods and put thousands out of work, one would expect Police Minister Bheki Cele to prioritise the arrest of the plotters and perpetrators of those crimes. Instead, he is questioning the legality of weapons used by those who had to protect themselves from the looters because the police were unable to do so. Cele has put the cart before the horse by mouthing accusations against security companies of having supplied weapons to the Phoenix community before having received the results of ballistics tests. But then that is typical of the impulsive Mr Cele – back-to-front priorities. The only conclusion to be drawn from the apparent silence concerning the naming and prosecuting…

Karen Singh karen.singh@inl.co.za HEALTH experts believe the government should be doing more in its messaging to allay fears around Covid-19 vaccines and to promote vaccination. The National Income Dynamics Study Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey (Nids-Cram) recently found that 71% of South African adults would get vaccinated if a Covid-19 vaccine was available to them. It found that those most at risk of Covid-19 were more willing than the general population to accept a vaccine, while the youth between the ages of 18 and 25 and those who trust social media as an information source were more likely to be hesitant about getting vaccinated. Acting deputy vice-chancellor of research and innovation at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and head of the institution's Covid-19 War Room, Professor Mosa Moshabela, said to label people…

Sakhiseni Nxumalo sakhiseni.nxumalo@inl.co.za POLICE Minister Bheki Cele believes that there is still a long way to go to bring about peace and social cohesion between residents of Phoenix and the neighbouring settlements of Bhambayi, Amaoti and Zwelisha. Cele raised these concerns during his visit to the areas yesterday. He met residents to provide feedback and also interact with them to ensure that communities are able to live together in harmony again. The visit came after a number of people were killed in incidents in Phoenix during the unrest and looting spree last month. Cele, accompanied by the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Peggy Nkonyeni, made their first stop in Bhambayi to engage with the community. In that meeting, Cele told the community that progress had been…

Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory; SA understands and supports this REALISING national rejuvenation has been the ultimate aspiration of the Chinese nation in modern times and a historical mission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) since its inception. At the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC last month, General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered an important speech, stressing that resolving the Taiwan question and realising China’s complete reunification is a historic mission and an unshakable commitment of the CPC. Jinping expressed his earnest expectation that all of us, compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, should come together and move forward in unison. He stressed that we must uphold the one-China policy and the 1992 Consensus to promote peaceful reunification of…

The police in Zambia appealed for calm after a spate of violence experienced in some parts of the country following elections on Thursday. Police spokesperson Esther Mwaata-Katongo said the police had observed an emerging tendency where violence erupted as a result of others failing to contain emotions and attacking those seen celebrating the victory of their candidates. “As members of the public continue receiving or waiting for results at different levels, we appeal to them to remain calm and celebrate their victory of their preferred candidates in a responsible and peaceful manner without breaching the peace,” she said. The police spokesperson said supporters of the ruling and opposition parties exchanged gunfire in the northern parts of the country on Saturday leaving one person with gunshot wounds. In Lusaka, the capital,…

Under pressure from the US government to contain illegal immigration, Mexico has been quietly flying thousands of undocumented migrants to the south of the country to expedite their departure, according to officials. The government said weeks ago it had carried out four return flights of migrants as it began a so-called “air bridge” south. Mexico has now sent roughly 13 000 people to its southern border on about 100 flights, complementing US efforts to return migrants to Central America, two Mexican officials said. Some 1 200 people were flown south in the past week alone, they said. Mexico’s National Migration Institute declined to comment. The migrant flights come as the Biden administration faces increasing criticism over its management of the issue. “This is all being done to accommodate the Americans,…

Mihlali Baleka mihlali.baleka@inl.co.za MAMELODI SUNDOWNS (2) 2 Shalulile 10, Zwane 23 KAIZER CHIEFS (2) 2 Parker 38, Billiat 59 Sundowns win 3-1 on penalties Kennedy Mweene proved to be the hero, saving four spot-kicks, as he inspired Mamelodi Sundowns to the MTN8 semi-finals following a 3-1 penalty shootout win over Kaizer Chiefs in their quarter-final at Lucas “Masterpieces” Moripe Stadium yesterday. In a game that proved to be an entertaining contest, ending 2-2 after extra time, Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos, who was in the stands, will take a lot of positives heading to the 2022 World Cup qualifiers next month against Zimbabwe and Ghana. Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter started his first stint in charge at the club against Sundowns in the MTN8 quarter-finals where his team…

Vernon Mchunu vernon.mchunu@inl.co.za THE proliferation of slums along the Durban-to-Joburg rail network and theft of infrastructure were major stumbling blocks in the viability of the key freight corridor, posing threats to the country’s economic growth. This has been revealed by Transnet group chief executive Portia Derby, who called on eThekwini, Pietermaritzburg and provincial security and political leadership to join hands with the state-owned entity against what has been described as an escalating trend. Derby spoke during a recent “trolley trip” inspection of a variety of Transnet’s operations, with a focus on the Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) division’s infrastructure, as the company gears up for its roads-to-rail turnaround strategy. The state entity said that while more than 600 arrests – including four company employees – have been made since the beginning…

Itumeleng Mafisa and Thami Magubane COSATU is seeking an urgent meeting with new Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to vent frustrations over the Treasury’s decision to deny public servants early access to their pensions. It is hoped the meeting will compel Parliament to draw up a bill to ensure workers can access a portion of their pensions. The move to allow workers early access to their pensions was part of the government’s response to the financial constraints caused by Covid-19. In a statement last week to clarify its position on the matter, the Treasury said any consideration for early access would require legislative and fund-rule amendments because the current law and policy prohibited any pre-retirement access to retirement savings unless an employee resigned or was retrenched. It said that the earliest…

MALCOM COBB | Hillcrest THE letter from Mary de Haas in The Mercury of August 13 refers: In this letter she sees the 2021 proposed amendments to the Firearms Act of 2000 as being “sensible” and does not know “what all this fuss is about”. While we must applaud Ms De Haas for wading through all 138 pages of the proposed amendment and thoroughly understanding all of its implications on all of its bearings before submitting her letter, those of us who are responsible members of the firearms community are wondering if she was reading the same document as the rest of us. The right to own a Section 13 self-defence firearm has in fact been taken away. It says so on Page 3 of the proposed…

GLEN CHRISTIE | Durban North THE article written by William Saunderson-Meyer in the Independent on Saturday (August 14) could not have put the shenanigans and dysfunctional antics of Cyril Ramaphosa more clearly. This rounds off just how strong a leader Ramaphosa is. One seriously wonders whether he was totally deaf and blind during his tenure as deputy president; not knowing what was going on while the public did. Makes it very hard for the man in the street to believe this man – our president – with anything he says these days. To William Saunderson-Meyer: very well written; having watched a bit and listened to his speeches at the Zondo Commission, you have rounded up his presentation to the T.…

Sibusiso Mboto sibusiso.mboto@inl.co.za CYCLING bodies have urged the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport to properly maintain the side shoulders of roads used by cyclists to ensure the safety of thi s group of road users. The call comes after cyclist Maxwell du Plooy, 23, was killed in an accident on the R102 in oThongathi two weeks ago. KZN Cycling Development president Sean Lucien decried the state of cycling lanes in many parts of Durban and KZN, saying many of them were possible death traps. “There is overgrown vegetation that encroaches on the cycling lanes. In addition to that a cyclist has to contend with potholes, because when trenches are dug for various purposes, the lanes are not fixed to their original form,” said Lucien. In some instances, he added, overgrown vegetation…

Police have arrested a Vietnamese man and seized about 60kg of lion claws, teeth and other items following a four-month probe into wildlife trafficking, the environment ministry said on Saturday. The man was arrested on Thursday “in connection with the illegal trade in wildlife and illegal possession of a firearm” in northern Limpopo province, the location of a number of wildlife parks, the ministry said in a statement. Police also raided a Vietnamese-owned farm near the tourist site of Bela-Bela in Limpopo and two storage units in the capital Pretoria, a statement from the ministry said. They seized 4.2kg of lions’ teeth, 680g of lion claws and more than 60kg of “processed animal products believed to be lion gelatine” as well as an illegal firearm. The Vietnamese suspect was arrested…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za ETHEKWINI Municipality is facing a demand for answers after revelations that an ordinary councillor tipped to become deputy mayor is already enjoying the benefits of the position despite not being officially appointed. Councillor Diana Hoorzuk, who is expected to become the deputy mayor of the city, has been allocated bodyguards and a council vehicle by the municipality. The office of the mayor confirmed the allocations, but defended them, saying Hoorzuk was entitled to them. It said Hoorzuk was an executive committee member and the chair of the finance and emergency services committee. The position of deputy mayor has been vacant for more than five months after Belinda Scott resigned earlier this year. Attempts to elect Hoorzuk to the deputy mayor position during a council meeting last…

IT IS a far cry from the evening of March 30, 2017, when then president Jacob Zuma wielded an axe in the “Night of the Long Knives”, when he sacked 10 cabinet ministers, including the internationally respected Pravin Gordhan, and appointed the more compliant Malusi Gigaba as South Africa’s fifth finance minister. In contrast, Ramaphosa’s Cabinet reshuffle on August 5 was a damp squib, although 10 ministerial jobs changed hands. At best, it was a credit to the president’s diversity agenda that six of the new ministers are women. “Sacking”, it seems, does not feature in the lexicon of Cyril Ramaphosa’s polity. That the two defining cabinet portfolios of the day – the ministers of finance and health – were changed on the spurious grounds that they were “requested” speaks…

PORT-AU-PRINCE: The death toll in the Haiti earthquake had risen to 724 and left nearly 3 000 people injured, authorities said yesterday. Haitians laboured to pick through shattered buildings in search of friends and relatives trapped in the rubble after a devastating earthquake struck the Caribbean country on Saturday. The 7.2 magnitude quake flattened hundreds of homes in the impoverished country, which is still clawing its way back from another major tremor 11 years ago, and has been without a head of state since the assassination of its president last month. Southwestern Haiti bore the brunt of the blow, especially in the region in and around the city of Les Cayes. Churches, hotels, hospitals and schools were badly damaged or destroyed, while the walls of a prison were rent open…

Accra: Two African-American survivors of a massacre in the US 100 years ago were in Ghana yesterday with their grandchildren at the start of a visit to connect with their “motherland”. Viola Fletcher, 107, known as “Mother Fletcher”, and her brother Hughes Van Ellis, 100, known as “Uncle Red”, are from the district of Greenwood in the Oklahoma city of Tulsa that was devastated in 1921 by a mob of armed white people. Up to 300 African-Americans were killed in the attack on the area nicknamed “Black Wall Street” and about 10 000 left homeless when the district was set ablaze, leaving a vibrant economy in ruins.…

ARMCHAIR VIEW BY Mike Greenaway mike.greenaway@inl.co.za On September 25, the Springboks and the All Blacks play in the 100th Test match between them and the occasion and the spectacle in prospect grows ever mouth-watering with each game Siya Kolisi’s team plays. On Saturday, the All Blacks put 50 points past the Wallabies and then a much-changed Springbok team (from the third Test against the British & Irish Lions) made a very good Pumas team look decidedly average. I have to confess that I was concerned that the Boks would be flat in this game and that the changes could mean a disjointed performance similar to what happened when the Bok ’B’ team (posing as SA ’A’) lost to the Bulls. And this was a Pumas team boasting 11 of…