Table of contents for 2022-10-26 in Mercury

UDM leader Bantu Holomisa has requested the Section 89 independent panel probing President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm burglary to investigate allegations that a top adviser to the head of state, Bejani Chauke, illegally brought millions of dollars to South Africa. Holomisa made the request in line with the panel’s invitation for members of the National Assembly to submit any information that could be relevant to the investigation. This week, the politician submitted a letter believed to have been written by former spy boss Arthur Fraser as additional information to assist the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation – or the Hawks – with the Phala Phala probe. The document names one of Ramaphosa’s advisers as a person who was responsible for allegedly smuggling large sums of US dollars into South…

YESTERDAY we discussed the writings of Herman Charles Bosman, in which Oom Schalk Lourens would describe life and its vicissitudes in the Groot Marico. It brought to mind another writer, from an era slightly before Bosman, whose short stories were absolutely hilarious though in an entirely different setting. WW Jacobs wrote in England, his settings being Wapping Wharf, on the Thames, or an unnamed rural village, I think in Essex. The Wapping stories came via the Night Watchman, the rural ones from the Oldest Inhabitant at a pub called The Cauliflower. The Wapping stories mostly concerned sailormen ashore, waiting for their next voyage. The Cauliflower stories mostly concerned the doings of a poacher named Bob Pretty who was always a jump or two ahead of the bailiffs. Jacobs laced his…

We will remember 2022 as the year of sleaze, grime, grease and political fleas. It was Ambrose Bierce, who in his book The Devil’s Dictionary, offered this profound definition of a politician: “An eel in the fundamental mud upon which the superstructure of society is reared. When he wiggles he mistakes the agitation of his tail for the trembling of the edifice. As compared to the statesman, he suffers the disadvantage of being alive.” Trust is an essential elixir for public life and community relations, and when the masses think about trust these days, they worry. Most believe that citizens have little or no faith in their leaders, and that the public’s confidence in our government is shrinking rapidly. Many of our past and current leaders are congenital liars. Years…

Brian Molefe’s partying days of wine and song are over. No more curry and rice at the Gupta compound in Saxonwold or sipping Chivas Regal at the poolside of his Limpopo mansion. He now looks at the grim prospect of a life behind bars in a tiny cell. He cut a worried figure when he appeared in court with Anoj Singh charged with R440 million fraud, corruption and money laundering in the 2015 Transnet locomotive scandal. The former Transnet and Eskom CEO lost his R8.5m bushveld mansion in an exclusive Limpopo lifestyle estate when he defaulted on repaying the instalments of the R4m loan. Standard Bank obtained a court order against him for the money owing on the house and sold it for a song. There was more pain for…

THE Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has uncovered the modus operandi used to infiltrate the Department of Transport and Road Traffic Entities systems, costing them billions of rand. The unit discovered that corruption and criminal activities regarding the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) involved the fraudulent issuing of driving licences, learner licences, roadworthy certificates and vehicle licences, among others. About 86 officials, including 36 vehicle testing examiners, 10 eNatis officers, 26 driving licence testing centres officials, three police officers, four provincial Department of Transport inspectors and seven others were arrested for fraud and theft during joint operations that also involved the RTMC, the Hawks and Sars. Speaking at a media briefing this week, Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula said in July six officials were arrested for 10 000 illicit transactions, which cost…

The National Institute for Communicable Disease (NICD) has detected a further four cases of measles in Limpopo, in the Greater Sekhukhune District, bringing the total number of cases to seven. This comes after the NICD issued a measles alert in the area on October 11. The ages of measles-infected cases ranged from nine months to 24 years and includes both genders. NICD spokesperson, Sinenhlanhla Jimoh, said one child had been fully vaccinated, with two measles doses in 2019. However, one of the children reported with measles had not been vaccinated. The other five cases had an unknown vaccination history. Jimoh said one of the individuals was admitted to hospital; another had a complication that led to pneumonia. “Persons exposed to suspected or confirmed cases are being vaccinated.” Measles immunisation coverage…

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education says it is ready for the 2022 National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams, despite the challenges faced. KZN Education MEC Mbali Frazer told the media at a briefing held in Inanda yesterday that 198 866 full- and part-time candidates would sit for this year’s exams. She said unlike the 2020 and 2021 academic year, which were marred by Covid-19 and the July looting, this year started with a sense of relief and optimism. However, she said 2022 had its own challenges, including the devastating floods and load shedding. “In order to ensure that the Class of 2022 is ready and sharpened for the end of the year exams, as a department we started the year by developing the 2022 Academic Improvement Plan, whose objectives were, in…

Sudan yesterday blocked internet access nationwide as pro-democracy activists marked the first anniversary of a coup that derailed the transition to civilian rule, with hunger and inflation throttling the country. Waving Sudanese flags, protesters defied authorities who have launched repeated deadly crackdowns on past rallies, chanting “power to the people” and demanding that “soldiers go back to the barracks”. A year ago to the day, army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan seized power and arrested the civilian leaders with whom he had agreed to share power in 2019, when mass protests compelled the army to depose one of its own, long-time autocrat Omar al-Bashir. As demonstrations gathered across the north-east African country yesterday, authorities launched a “nation-scale internet disruption,” online monitor NetBlocks said, a regular tactic when mass protests are planned.…

Qatar has been hit by an “unprecedented campaign” of criticism over the football World Cup, its ruler said yesterday, lashing out at “double standards” in a fierce rebuttal just weeks before the tournament starts. The energy-rich and conservative Islamic Gulf state has spent tens of billions of dollars on hosting the first World Cup on Arab soil, but has faced mounting attacks over its human rights record. In a rare public airing of frustration, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said Qatar was the victim of “fabrications”, hinting at hidden motives behind the criticism. “Since we won the honour of hosting the World Cup, Qatar has been subjected to an unprecedented campaign that no (other) host country has faced,” he said in a speech to the country’s legislative council, 26 days…

Adidas has cut ties with Ye, the musician and fashion designer formerly known as Kanye West, marking the end of a partnership that made the company billions but was soured by the artist’s repeated brazen antisemitic and offensive remarks. After avoiding commenting for weeks on the status of the partnership, the German-based maker of athletic gear broke its silence yesterday, saying in a statement: “After a thorough review, the company has taken the decision to terminate the partnership with Ye immediately, end production of Yeezy branded products and stop all payments to Ye and his companies. adidas will stop the adidas Yeezy business with immediate effect.” The statement added that Adidas “does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech. Ye’s comments have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous,…

SOUTH Africa’s business cycle index fell for the second month in a row in August as slowing global growth, and higher interest rates suppressed the leading indicator. The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) said yesterday that the composite leading business cycle indicator declined by 2.3% month-on-month in August following a 1% fall in July. It was the second consecutive month of decreases in the index and the most in 13 months, as nine of the 10 available component time series were down, while only one component increased. The SARB said the largest negative contributors were a decline in the number of residential building plans approved and a narrowing of the interest rate spread. The positive contribution came from an increase in the volume of orders in manufacturing. Investec chief economist…

A NEW SkyCar has to be purchased for the Moses Mabhida Stadium as it is no longer economical or safe to repair the one that broke down a few years ago. Officials from the stadium revealed this to the members of the city’s executive committee yesterday during a briefing. The officials did not volunteer this information, but it was extracted by the councillors and the revelations left them feeling they have been misled by officials about the plans to fix the SkyCar. They claimed that all along they were told that the process to fix the SkyCar was under way. The SkyCar is a glass-encased lift that travels up the iconic arch over the stadium to a viewing platform. It was a popular tourist attraction at Durban’s 2010 World Cup…

I wrote my previous column from the luxury of a friend’s condominium in Somerset West, Western Cape, and headed to the airport. Now, I am soaking in the quietness of Dulles International Airport – the airport featured in an early Die Hard movie – before it bursts into its normal frenzy of rushing passengers, blaring announcements, and all that comes with one of the busiest airports in the world. But, all is good. It was no cakewalk getting here. The six-hour haul from Cape Town to Addis Ababa was long but easy. Passengers headed to Washington were whisked off the landed flight and boarded immediately for the 16-hour flight to Washington DC. I thought it was an error when the in-flight information screen listed Dublin and soon discovered it’s a…

From Boris Johnson to Liz Truss to Rishi Sunak – the arc of history is being bent. Africa, too, should be proud. Rishi Sunak, just over six weeks ago, was the losing candidate in Britain’s Conservative Party’s leadership race that would have seen him ascend to the highest office of the land in a historical landmark precedent of being the first person of colour to hold such office. Not in his wildest dreams would he have imagined that the mantle of prime minister of the UK would be his, in what has to be the most remarkable turnaround in the UK’s political history. Of original Indian descent, part of his roots also lie on the continent of Africa. His father, Yashvir, was born in the Protectorate and Colony of Kenya,…

Contrary to Billie Prinsloo’s view (The Mercury, October 24), the attainment of a state “when all things are equal” defies reality because the only equality that exists is equality in the eyes of God and, ostensibly, before the law. Nature knows no equality. Among humanity, from womb to tomb, inequality is a universal reality attested to daily, regardless of circumstances. Inequality is exemplified in Christ’s Parable of the Talents in which he recognised differing abilities and aptitudes. The strong, the weak and the mediocre are on display, regardless of race or culture. With the exception of ideological interventions where merit is waived in favour of demographic ratios, proper ranking in terms of skills or suitability is based on merit, whether it is selection for a sports team, a work post…

The Pay the Grants campaign has called for immediate clarity from the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) on the latest payment issues plaguing the disbursement of the R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant. The latest challenges include caregivers’ Sassa cards not reflecting their SRD money, while many who use retail stores were told they were not registered. Beneficiaries on the cash-send option were also not receiving their SMSes with access information, while special permit holders were still unable to use retailers because of a lack of passport options. This comes less than two weeks after Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu apologised for the challenges experienced in applying for the grant. She said she had asked Sassa to provide ongoing communication and publicity through media accessible to beneficiaries to…

DESPITE facing another possible vote of no confidence, reinstated Joburg mayor Dr Mpho Phalatse plans to sack all mayoral committees members who were appointed by Dada Morero – following his short stint as mayor of Joburg. Morero was elected mayor on September 30, the shortest stint for mayor in the history of the City of Joburg. But Morero last week warned Phalatse that if the court ruled in her favour, like it did yesterday, his party would table another motion against her. Phalatse’s move came after the South Gauteng High Court in Joburg, ruled that her removal on September 30 by the council was illegal, unconstitutional and invalid. The ruling came after Phalatse lodged an urgent application in the high court, arguing that her removal was done in haste, saying…

United Rugby Championship CEO Martin Anayi has come up with an eyebrow-raising explanation for the calling off of two matches at the weekend, the Sharks versus Ulster game in Durban and the Lions versus Glasgow in Johannesburg. Almost nobody saw it coming that Ulster and Glasgow could have brought their sickness with them, and most folk blamed the gastroenteritis outbreak on either Durban’s septic sea or on contaminated tap water. But Anayi turned the speculation upside down when he told the media at a round-table discussion that Glasgow and Ulster may have “brought the bugs” with them to South Africa. “Early indications are that there were two separate bugs, one E coli (Glasgow) and the other Norovirus (Ulster), and there are some indications that they actually brought the bugs with…

Turkey has arrested and deported hundreds of Syrian refugee men and boys this year, detaining them arbitrarily and forcing them to return to northern Syria, the New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a report released yesterday. The group, citing interviews with dozens of refugees, said Turkish officials “beat and abused most” of the refugees, before forcing them to cross the border into northern Syria at gunpoint. The allegations, which the group said were a violation of international law, were the latest sign of a surging hostility toward Syrians in Turkey, and another grim turn for a country that once opened its borders to people fleeing Syria’s war and still hosts at least 4 million refugees and asylum seekers. But over the past few years, segments of the public have…

Rishi Sunak yesterday became Britain’s third prime minister this year and the first person of colour to lead the former imperial power, vowing to mend its stricken finances after Liz Truss lasted just 49 days. Sunak was set to speak outside 10 Downing Street after his appointment by King Charles III, capping the latest extraordinary twist in UK politics following Boris Johnson’s demise in July. Departing Downing Street a little before, Truss wished Sunak “every success” and said she remained “more convinced than ever” that Britain needed to be “bold” in confronting the challenges it faced. Sunak became the ruling Conservatives’ new leader on Monday after triumphing over rival contender Penny Mordaunt, who failed to secure enough nominations from Tory MPs. It had become a two-way fight after Johnson dramatically…

THE soothing sounds of a saxophone streamed from an operating table in Rome’s Paideia International Hospital as a patient played the instrument while a team of surgeons worked to remove a tumour from his brain. Christian Brogna, a neurosurgeon who led the operation, said the saxophonist’s performance was necessary for the team to navigate the man’s brain and avoid damaging the areas he needed to continue playing the instrument. Patients staying awake for brain surgeries is not unusual. It can help surgeons map their brains and work around areas responsible for speech, memory and lifestyle functions while local anaesthetics allow them to remain awake without feeling pain. Brogna, who performs around 50 awake surgeries per year, said the saxophonist’s tumour was located in precisely the regions responsible for bodily movement,…

“It is the economy, stupid,” a former American president is reputed to have said. To look at South Africa’s situation, one cannot fail to notice that our economy is limping badly. The official unemployment rate is more than 34%, whereas the unofficial rate (including those who have given up all hope) is over 40%. Estimates for the rate of under 35s is close to 60%. Why? When the birth rate is constantly higher than the economic growth rate, can it be different? When electric power availability is constantly failing due to sabotage of infrastructure and previous corrupt staff and corrupt coal supply practices, we cannot expect local and overseas investors to invest in job-creating economic development. When employment policies are racially and politically based (enforced cadre deployment and B-BBEE policies),…

With the National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams just days away, the DA in KwaZulu-Natal extends its best wishes to the province’s matric pupils. We encourage them to do their best and ultimately become contributors to a capable state – one where they are afforded the opportunities they deserve. While the NSC is usually the joyful culmination of a long school career, there are unfortunately incidents which can and do jeopardise the efforts of many pupils. These include instances of cheating, which have a ripple effect, often placing other pupils under severe stress as they face the prospect of a rewrite. In a bid to deal with this, the DA-led Western Cape Education Department has introduced a Commitment Agreement for all NSC candidates. This agreement sees pupils – along with a…

SECTION27, the Centre for Child Law (CCL), and the parents of two pupils who were assaulted by their teachers, say they are disappointed with a recent judgment in the matter and that it does not go far enough in effectively enforcing the ban on corporal punishment in schools. The organisations have indicated their intent to appeal Pretoria High Court Judge Dawie Fourie’s judgment which was handed down on October 13 in the case of the Centre for Child Law and The South African Council for Educators (Sace). The litigation was launched in 2020, spurred by two separate instances of corporal punishment committed by teachers, where both teachers received lenient sentences from Sace, the organisations said. In the first instance of corporal punishment, a teacher was charged with hitting two Grade…

The truck driver in the Pongola crash that claimed 20 lives made his third appearance in the Pongola Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Sibusiso Siyaya, 28, has been charged with numerous counts of culpable homicide. On September 16, a total of 20 people died in a head-on collision between a truck and a light delivery vehicle. Eighteen of the victims were school pupils aged between 5 and 13. Another victim was a teacher. According to National Prosecuting Authority provincial spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, Siyaya remains in police custody as he abandoned his bail application. “The matter was adjourned to December 1 for further investigation.” Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula said, according to a report, it is alleged that the truck driver overtook on a barrier line and drove in the oncoming lane for 1.2km,…

A TOTAL of 150 buses have been made available by the eThekwini Municipality to transport community members to King Misuzulu kaZwelithini’s coronation ceremony at the Moses Mabhida Stadium this weekend. The buses have been hired at a cost of R1.2 million. The municipality said it had set aside a total of R5.1m to fund activities around the event. The original figure had been R1.7m in the report presented to the executive committee yesterday morning, but in the afternoon, while the committee meeting was in progress, the figure had been amended to R5.1m. The cost included R868 444 for hospitality and R4m for the international media and stakeholder engagement dinner at the ICC, which 4 000 guests are expected to attend on Saturday. Among costs are: R400 000 for radio promotions,…

Ordinary, struggling people are watching the game they should be playing THREE attempts have been made to bring South Africa’s democracy in sync with the will of the people, through an electoral system providing for their direct say in choosing leaders who have no difficulty accounting to them. From the Dr Van Zyl Slabbert report of 2002 through to the Motlanthe Foundation panel’s recommendations of 2017 and the ministerial advisory committee study headed by Vally Moosa this year, the matter is yet to be put to rest. The ruling by Judge Mbuyiseli Madlanga on June 11, 2020, following legal action by the New Nation’s Movement highlighted the unfairness of party membership as a condition to elect or stand to be elected. The time for one person one vote, allowing for…

At least 16 people died after Cyclone Sitrang slammed into Bangladesh, forcing the evacuation of about a million people from their homes, officials said yesterday. Cyclones – the equivalent of hurricanes in the Atlantic or typhoons in the Pacific – are a regular menace, but scientists say climate change is making them more intense and frequent. Sitrang made landfall in southern Bangladesh late on Monday but authorities managed to get about a million people to safety before the monster weather system hit. Around 10 million people were without power in districts along the coast yesterday, while schools were shut across much of the country’s south. Government official Jebun Nahar said 16 people had died, mostly after they were hit by falling trees. “We still have not got all the…

Tehran: An Iranian man nicknamed the “dirtiest man in the world” for not taking a shower for decades has died at the age of 94, state media reported yesterday. Amou Haji, who did not wash for more than half a century and was single, died on Sunday in the village of Dejgah in the southern province of Fars, IRNA news agency reported. Haji had avoided showering over fears of “getting sick”, but for the first time a few months ago, villagers had taken him to a bathroom to wash. A short documentary film titled The Strange Life of Amou Haji was made about his life in 2013, according to Iranian media outlets. | AFP…

Career-best performances from Grant Roelofsen with the bat and Ottniel Baartman with the ball set up a crushing 123-run victory for the Dolphins over the Warriors as the Cricket South Africa T20 Challenge resumed under sunny skies in Potchefstroom yesterday. The 26-year-old Roelofsen, who had already scored two half-centuries in the competition, produced a stunning assault, hitting shots all around the wicket as he scored 91 to help his side to the highest total of 191/4 in this season’s tournament. The Warriors were bowled out for 68. Roelofsen hit six fours and five sixes, taking advantage of a bemused Warriors bowling line-up that struggled to sustain a plan. Roelofsen dominated the powerplay even as the Warriors lost two wickets – Keegan Petersen for eight and JJ Smuts for nine –…