Table of contents for 2023-09-21 in Mercury

THE Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has accused Nedbank of unreasonably delaying being held accountable for its role in state capture related interest rate swop transactions that took place in connection with a Transnet R12 billion locomotive contract. Nedbank was the first major bank to be temporarily defeated by Sekunjalo Group in the battle against unfair termination of bank accounts. Chief Justice Raymond Zondo’s state capture report implicated the bank in a R12bn loan deal whereby it, together with Gupta-linked Regiments Capital, engaged in unauthorised interest rate swop transactions that “were not in the best interests of Transnet”. Following the release of Justice Zondo’s report, the SIU conducted further investigations into various allegations contained in the document. The outcome of the SIU probe confirmed Justice Zondo’s finding on Nedbank’s interest rate…

I am truly astounded at media reports that the Department of Health intends to impose a ban on nurses wearing the hijab. The Health Department in our country is the most dysfunctional state institution, yet at a time of functional crisis, it has the gall and the audacity to delve into religious matters, affairs which have absolutely nothing to do with health care. This is what happens when you appoint ill-educated individuals to control crucial state institutions. Let us urgently display tolerance as we witness a new dawn. Tolerance is a supreme quality that forms the bedrock of any society. In an age when the electronic media have drawn us closer together into a global village, its benefits will only be felt when mutual goodwill prevails, when mutual respect and…

The proposed new tobacco bill is completely and utterly ludicrous and makes absolutely no common sense, apart from opening up the market for illegal cigarettes. The bill is a threat to thousands of jobs and will have a major impact on our already critical economy and poverty levels. How many fatal road accidents occur due to smoking tobacco as opposed to alcohol-related accidents? The answer is nil. How many women and children are murdered and/or beaten up due to the effects of smoking tobacco as opposed to alcohol abuse? The answer is nil. My next question is: What is your real agenda and/or motive for this decision? In closing, all I can say is the next election is critical for a new government to take over and restore this broken…

The ANC easily secured a simple majority to defeat a private member’s bill tabled by the DA that sought to end cadre deployment in the public service. All opposition parties present, except one, were in favour of the bill, which was introduced by DA MP Leon Schreiber and processed by the public service and administration portfolio committee. The “End Cadre Deployment Bill” wanted to prohibit office-bearers in political parties from being employed in the civil service. It also wanted the Public Service Commission (PSC) to enforce the requirement that all appointments be based strictly on merit and free from political appointments. The bill wanted no special benefits paid to dismissed directors-general or heads of departments. It also wanted the PSC to be provided with the power to take remedial action…

The Giyani Specialised Commercial Crimes Court has convicted and sentenced 40-year-old Peter Baloyi on charges of corruption for buying fraudulent birth certificates. Baloyi pleaded guilty to the crimes. In December 2021, a complaint was received about a Home Affairs official selling fraudulent birth certificates at the Malamulele Home Affairs offices, said Limpopo spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (known as the Hawks), Warrant Officer Lethunya Mmuroa. “The complaint was followed up and it was discovered that Baloyi was buying fraudulent birth certificates from Mdunwazi Ngwenyama, who is a former Home Affairs official, at a cost of R1 000,” said Mmuroa. On December 8, 2021, Baloyi and Ngwenyama were arrested on charges of corruption. They were later released on R1 000 bail. The Hawks said this week that Baloyi…

Belt and Road Initiative still has much to offer Africa China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) may be the most ambitious development and growth strategy yet. Since it was launched in 2013, the BRI has grown into a multifaceted global initiative. As well as creating infrastructure, it has sought, with great success, to support priorities such as policy co-ordination, connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration and connecting people in many countries. Recent misguided and malicious reports in the Western media about China having been placed on the “road to ruin” by the BRI are ignorant and way off the mark. Over the past decade, China has, in fact, signed documents for the co-building of the BRI with more than 150 countries and 30 international organisations and implemented more than 3 100…

There are more than 1 000 unclaimed bodies at KwaZulu-Natal government mortuaries and staff say they are working under deplorable conditions. Earlier this month, The Mercury’s sister newspaper, Cape Times, reported that there were 4 045 unclaimed bodies at the forensic pathology mortuaries in the country as at the end of August. This was according to Health Minister Joe Phaahla, who was responding to parliamentary questions from Freedom Front Plus MP Philip van Staden. He said of the 4 045 unclaimed bodies, the highest number of unclaimed bodies (1 509) was in KZN. The National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) said its members were overworked at government mortuaries, and blamed the government, particularly the KZN Department of Health, for the rise in the number of uncollected…

THE National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) board has been threatened with legal summons should it again snub the National Assembly committee on higher education next week. Members of Parliament were fuming after the embattled entity failed to account for problems with the new direct-payment system, student appeals, the IT system and student accommodation. The committee gave NSFAS two weeks to share a management turn-around strategy to deal with leadership and operation issues. However, on the eve of the briefing, Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande sent a letter to the committee, seen by The Mercury’s sister newspaper the Cape Times, in which he said the department and NSFAS were not ready for the briefing. “This is due to the fact that the NSFAS is still engaging in internal matters that…

You’ve heard of sex in the city, sex in the office, sex on the beach and even in the barn with curious farm animals looking on. But sex in the operating theatre? Preposterous! It can’t be! How could such highly respected professionals behave in such a lecherous and irresponsible manner? But it is happening in Britain. Just after the British Museum theft left the British embarrassed, another scandal rocks the UK. Yes, it’s sex in the operating theatre. A survey aired by the BBC found that a shocking one third of female surgeons interviewed had said they had been sexually assaulted by their male counterparts. While the patient lay on the operating table, heavily sedated, male surgeons played the mating game, forcing themselves on the trainee female surgeons: groping, fondling,…

There’s more to life than how fast you can run, how far you can kick a ball, how good you are at winning in sports. If winning costs you your integrity it is better to lose. Scores come and go. Scars on your integrity don’t. They stick. There’s more to relationships than what you can get. If you focus on what you can give, how you can serve, how you can improve yourself – as opposed to seeing how you can triumph over others – you will pave your own way to a life of greater fulfilment. No one can love and control the same person – get rid of your jealousies before you fall in love. No matter how rich or poor you are, there are five major battles…

Newlands West residents took to the streets this week as they demanded answers from the eThekwini Municipality about what was being done about a vacant piece of land in the area. They said the site had become a haven for criminals and illegal dumping was taking place. Residents closed some roads in the area during the protest on Tuesday. They said they had been complaining about the site for some time. Thandeka Cele, a resident, said bodies had been found at the site. “Our community has become a place where criminals hide their dirty jobs. We have had dogs sniffing in the area, which alarmed us, only to find bodies of people we do not know,” she said. Sipho Dlamini, another resident, said: “The painful part in this whole thing…

Suspended Western Cape High Court Judge President John Hlophe and retired Gauteng Judge Nkola Motata face impeachment in Parliament after members of the justice committee agreed to start the process soon. The justice committee was meeting to consider the requests of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to remove both judges. The committee began with the first phase of Judge Motata’s impeachment by agreeing that it would write to him and the JSC asking for submissions. The submissions will be in mitigation and aggravation of the findings that Judge Motata committed gross misconduct. Judge Motata was initially found guilty of misconduct by the JSC after he crashed his luxury vehicle against a wall in a residence in Johannesburg in 2007. But Freedom Under Law went to the Supreme Court of Appeal…

EFF leader Julius Malema and his body- guard Adriaan Snyman – both facing charges of discharging a firearm in public – will hear their fate next month when Magistrate Twanet Olivier is expected to hand down judgment. Malema and Snyman’s legal teams this week argued for a discharge of the charges against their clients citing a lack of evidence. Malema’s lawyer, advocate Laurence Hodes, argued that the State had reached the end of its case but did not disclose the details of the firearm that was allegedly fired at the party’s fifth anniversary celebrations at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane, near East London. “The make of the firearm and ammunition allegedly used, which is still unknown to the state at the end of the case, speaks volumes,” Hodes said.…

Consider this ratio for a minute. 45:45:10. That is the global average of formal employment by large firms, self-employed and informal, micro and small businesses and finally, the unemployed. In South Africa, our ratio is something like this: 50:10:40. Our formal employment statistics are on par with or even exceed global averages. However, we have seemingly not been able to address the creation of jobs through small and medium enterprises despite a number of policy and programmatic interventions. In recent years, the South African start-up ecosystem has captured the attention of global investors, with Cape Town’s “Silicon Cape” emerging as a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. I witnessed this first hand as I built and launched my tech start-up, DigsConnect.com, right in the heart of Cape Town’s tech scene. However,…

Tottenham forward Ivan Perisic is expected to miss the rest of the Premier League season after suffering a serious knee injury in training. Spurs confirmed yesterday that the Croatia international had sustained a “complex anterior cruciate ligament injury” to his right knee. Perisic played a key role off the bench in Tottenham’s dramatic 2-1 win over Sheffield United last weekend with an assist on his 50th appearance but the severity of his injury could mean it is his final appearance for the club. The 34-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season. “The experienced Croatia international sustained the injury in non-contact training and will undergo surgery,” the club said in a statement. “Ivan will then commence his rehabilitation with our medical staff and is expected to be…

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe said the significance of taking a point at AC Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday night should not be underestimated after the Premier League side came away with a 0-0 draw at a hostile San Siro. Newcastle, who are playing in the tournament after a 20-year absence, are in a difficult group which also features Borussia Dortmund and Paris St Germain. And Howe said leaving Milan with a draw could prove key to their chances of advancing. “You can’t underestimate the difficulties of coming here – the emotion of the game, new experiences ... We had to take a lot on board today,” Howe said. “I thought the crowd were very good for Milan. It was a hostile atmosphere and the players had to…

The murders of eThekwini Municipality staff on municipal property and the lack of tools of trade are among the issues that have triggered a march by SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) members. Samwu members who are employed by the City are set to march today from Currie’s Fountain to the Durban City Hall to highlight grievances they say they have raised with the metro that have not been resolved. In internal communication about the march, the office of City manager Musa Mbhele warned that the principle of “no work, no pay” would apply. The circular said employees who participate in the march are prohibited from using council vehicles for that purpose. It added that all work-related trips must be authorised by line management. It added that Water and Sanitation, Electricity,…

The KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Health, Nomagugu Simelane, should provide a detailed plan and clear timeline to address the issue of unclaimed bodies in government mortuaries. The IFP believes that respecting the living means respecting the dead, too. A deceased person’s remains also need to be treated with the necessary dignity and respect. It is unfathomable that some unclaimed corpses date back to 2017. It is reported that about 1 509 bodies are unclaimed, which is in violation of health regulations and is posing a serious health hazard to mortuary staff. This is most prevalent in Fort Napier Mortuary in Pietermaritzburg. For mortuaries to grapple with the burden of storing dead bodies for so many years indicates that incompetence is involved and somewhere, somehow, someone is failing to perform his/her allotted…

The National Assembly has passed a bill that will expunge criminal records of people who were convicted of breaching Covid-19 regulations during the implementation of the lockdown regulations. The police had arrested over 400 000 people for violating lockdown regulations by 2021, Police Minister Bheki Cele had said at the time. The Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola, tabled the Judicial Matters Amendment Bill in Parliament a few months ago to expunge criminal records of people who violated the Covid-19 lockdown regulations. Almost all political parties, with the exception of the EFF and Al-Jama-ah, voted in support of the Judicial Matters Amendment Bill. House chairperson Grace Borotho said the bill would now be sent to the National Council of Provinces for concurrence. Chairperson of the National Assembly’s portfolio…

A 26-year-old KwaZulu-Natal man has been sentenced to 12 years’ direct imprisonment by the KwaDukuza (Stanger) Regional Court for the armed robbery of a woman on her way to work in the Shakaskraal area. National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said Sicelo Ngiba robbed the woman, 50, while she was walking to get a taxi to go to work. “Ngiba approached her and grabbed her handbag containing cash, a bank card and a cellphone. “They struggled for the bag and Ngiba, armed with a knife, stabbed her on her finger. He eventually left the bag and made off with her phone.” Ramkisson-Kara said the incident was caught on a security camera. “The footage was circulated in the area, this led to Ngiba’s arrest a week later.” Regional Court prosecutor…

COUNCILLORS that speak “ill” of the eThekwini Municipality in public are facing the ire of mayor Mxolisi Kaunda who says they are embarrassing the City and undermining it in the eyes of investors and tourists. Speaking at an exco meeting this week, Kaunda accused some councillors of being blind to all that is positive in the municipality, and of being determined to see it being placed under administration. To clamp down on this “negativity”, Kaunda has ordered that councillors should no longer be allowed to perform oversight functions of municipal infrastructure without the approval of city manager Musa Mbhele. Opposition parties yesterday said they viewed Kaunda’s statement as a “gag order” and an attempt to curtail their oversight responsibilities. Kaunda was annoyed by councillors who visited municipal infrastructure sites, especially…

Traffic official Khanyisile Viola Nyalunga, implicated in a cash-in-transit heist, has been released on bail by the High Court in Mpumalanga. Nyalunga, 29, was last month denied bail by the White River Magistrate’s Court in Mpumalanga, after she was allegedly linked to a botched cash-in-transit heist in July. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) provincial spokesperson Monica Nyuswa said the high court had found there were exceptional circumstances which warranted Nyalunga’s release on bail. “The court took into consideration that the accused has no previous convictions, no pending cases, and that she is not a flight risk,” said Nyuswa. “Bail was granted in the amount of R5 000 on the following conditions – that the accused shall attend all court appearances until the finalisation of the trial and that the accused shall…

HIGHER Education, Science and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande’s denial of the crisis that is confronting the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) comes as no surprise. It is, however, a smack in the face of the thousands of tertiary education students who have been forced to go to bed on an empty stomach because their funds were delayed. We have not yet talked about the thousands of students who NSFAS has wrongfully defunded and are now left to fend for themselves. Add to that the instability within the entity itself following the resignation of its IT boss Modibedi Oliphant after having been served a notice letter of suspension, as a result of the IT unit’s alleged poor performance which also saw a delay in the payment of allowances. This is…

THE Proteas’ 50-over World Cup preparations have been rocked, with fast bowling duo Anrich Nortjé and Sisanda Magala set to withdraw due to injury. Nortjé bowled only five overs during the recent one-day international series against Australia, before leaving the field during the second match at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein. The 29-year-old speedster – who also missed the last ODI World Cup in the United Kingdom after being hit on the hand in the nets during the build-up – went for scans on his lower back last week, and Independent Media now understands that it is serious enough to rule him out of a second consecutive World Cup. Nortjé’s absence is massive for the Proteas as he is not only the fastest bowler in the South African attack, but…

THE past weekend saw the hosting of two initiatives that are aimed at contributing to the sustainability of lawn bowls by presenting novices and juniors an opportunity to compete against those with similar experience and skill. The first was Trevor Vee’s Bowled Over Promotions Power Play Novice Trips held on Saturday at Stella Park BC with Kishore Singh, Mukesh Haribhai and Amis Reddy from Parkhill Bowling Club emerging victorious. Promoting the development of novices and addressing their competitive aspirations is essential for fostering the sustainable, enduring presence of bowls. This, in turn, bolsters the sport's vitality; ensuring its longevity for years to come. Also at Stella Park, on Sunday, John Perfect held a pairs tournament focusing on junior bowlers, targeting those under 20. Considering that the district…