Índice para 2022-12-22 em Mercury

THE SAPS has joined children’s groups in urging parents to be vigilant regarding the whereabouts of their children when they venture into public places during the festive season. Childline KwaZulu-Natal and Missing Children SA have called for parents and guardians not to leave their children unattended. The call comes after the disappearance of Ibongwe Ntanga, 2, of Glendale, near Shakaskraal in northern KZN, who has been missing since Monday morning. Police and emergency services said the search for Ibongwe was continuing. The Mercury’s sister newspaper, the Daily News, reported that Ibongwe was last seen wearing a black-and-white shirt, green long pants and light blue Crocs. IPSS Medical Rescue managing director Dylan Meyrick said IPPS Security and police had conducted extensive searches. “Following searches over two days we are almost 100%…

While Karpowership SA’s final Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is being prepared for the company’s second attempt to get its proposed gas-to-power projects off the ground in Saldanha Bay, Port of Ngqura and Richards Bay, environmental groups are opposing the projects and argue that environmental authorisation must be refused again. Karpowerships’s application for environmental authorisation was initially refused by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) on a number of grounds, including that the EIA did not comply with the public consultation and information-gathering requirements. In its second attempt, the company said all perceived gaps in its initial applications were addressed, along with an enhanced public participation process that saw more than 1 300 community members and stakeholders attend in- person and virtual meetings last month. Karpowership SA corporate relations…

The 6.4 magnitude earthquake that rocked Northern California, which runs from California to the coastline of Canada, has awoken from its deep hibernation. The possibility of a magnitude 7 quake is a grim reality, and an event of this magnitude could release energy equivalent to 1 344 028 tons of TNT. The Pacific North American coastlines where four major plates meet, have relatively higher seismic levels as the closest potential earthquake is 150km away from them. Over the past 90 years, there have been at least 40 other earthquakes of magnitude 6 or larger, six were magnitude 7 or larger, all within 250km of Tuesday’s quake. The San Francisco quake of 1906 was 7.9 and destroyed 80% of the city in 25 seconds. Most earthquakes occur on pre-existing…

One reads that Gwede Mantashe has revealed that he was asked for R100 000 in exchange for 40 votes. The question now arises: How many others were offered the opportunity to buy votes? It is common knowledge that at all the previous ANC conferences, money passed hands in vote buying. This exposure by Mantashe – who has yet to be investigated for his association with Bosasa corruption findings as exposed by the Zondo Commission – would seem like water off a duck’s back. What does this tell the ordinary man about the ANC hierarchy? It seems that taking bribes and involving oneself in corruption is an accepted thing within the ANC elite. Even the ex-minister of health, Dr Zweli Mkhize, who was running for the position of ANC president, has…

THE Department of Social Development has cautioned that vulnerable citizens were at risk of abuse during the festive season. It said during this time the country experienced an increase in acts of violence against the most vulnerable – children, older people, women, and people living with disabilities. The department said elder abuse was a major cause for concern. “It comes in many different forms – physical abuse, emotional abuse, or financial abuse. Many times, sadly, elder abuse involves a family member. This must be condemned by all South Africans as it is equivalent to the violation of fundamental human rights.” It added that one of the major contributing factors to gender-based violence and road accident fatalities during this time of the year was the abuse of alcohol. “If you or…

Two ANC delegates from KwaZulu-Natal who were attending the governing party’s elective conference at Nasrec in Gauteng died yesterday on their way back to KZN, the provincial office confirmed yesterday. In a statement released yesterday the ANC said it had received tragic news of the untimely passing of Nkosikhona Mdlalose and Mpendulo Khumalo. “They were involved in a car accident as they travelled back home to Mzala Nxumalo Region (Vryheid) following the 55th ANC National Congress. We extend our deepest sympathy to the families of our departed comrades and we wish them strength during this difficult moment,” said party spokesperson Mafika Mndebele. He said the party was in constant communication with the regional leadership of Mzala Nxumalo Region and that Mdlalose was the regional chairperson of the Women’s League.…

THE ANC’s dilly-dallying around the various reports into the Phala Phala scandal will only make things worse for the party that has proven it was ill-prepared to deal with the fallout. It now finds itself in a tight corner, and is clueless on where to begin tackling the matter because it refused to heed former president Thabo Mbeki’s advice to prepare for the worst. Instead, those among the governing party saw Mbeki as being critical of incumbent President Cyril Ramaphosa without examining and taking into account his suggestions. In fact, to say the ANC was ill-prepared to deal with the outcomes of these investigations is an understatement. You just have to look at how it continues to circle around the issue, even with reports produced by party structures. The matter…

At least five people were killed and more than 70 000 rushed to evacuation centres in Malaysia after monsoon-triggered floods inundated the country’s north, authorities said yesterday. More than 31 000 people have fled their homes in Kelantan state while more than 39 000 residents have been evacuated to temporary shelters in neighbouring Terengganu after flooding began over the weekend, the official Bernama news agency said. Emergency services officials said a total of five people had been killed. “The water levels reached almost 3m,” said Muhammad Ameenudin Badrul Hisyam from Kuala Krai district in Kelantan, as he cleared debris from his home after a nearby river overflowed and forced his family to flee. Local media reported that four people died in Kelantan when three sisters were electrocuted while wading in…

Canada has processed an all-time high of 4.8 million visa applications in 2022, nearly twice the 2.5 million processed during the same period last year, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). On a monthly basis, Canada is now processing more visitor visa applications, reducing its pandemic backlog by nearly half-a-million applications in just four months. In November alone, over 260 000 visitor visas were processed, in contrast to the 180 000 applications that were processed in 2019 at the same time. The 4.8 million applications include 670 000 study permits, 700 000 work permits, and hundreds of thousands of visitor visas, according to IRCC data. The largest number of applications were processed under the temporary residence category with over 670 000 study permits cleared by November 30, compared…

Ramallah: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has announced that a broad campaign to provide international protection for “the defenceless Palestinian people is about to launch”. Abbas made the remarks during a joint meeting of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) executive committee and his Fatah movement’s central committee. “We will launch the campaign … to provide international protection for the defenceless Palestinian people in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza,” Abbas said, adding that the campaign would “confront the racist practices of Israel, and in light of the formation of an extreme right-wing government”. | IANS…

Berlin: Former tennis superstar Boris Becker said he relied on “blood brothers” to protect him in a British prison and said his life was threatened twice. The 55-year-old German was deported to Germany after being released last week, having served eight months of a two and a half year sentence for flouting insolvency rules by hiding £2.5 million (R52m) of assets and loans to avoid paying debts. The former tennis world number one said he forged close ties with a group of inmates and two prisoners had threatened him. | AFP…

Former KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala has been nominated to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the ANC, just four months after he resigned from the position after a bruising party provincial conference. Zikalala joins former provincial secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli and Peggy Nkonyeni as KZN representatives of the party’s highest decision-making body. He will play a crucial role as the party aims for renewal in its structures and tries to tackle the challenges of energy security, unemployment and a stagnant economy. Zweli Mkhize, who contested against Cyril Ramaphosa for party president, Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Bathabile Dlamini and Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu also made the list. In announcing the list of NEC nominees, ANC electoral committee chairperson Kgalema Motlanthe described it as a generational mix…

The effective listener listens to family members. If a person cannot listen to their partner, it is unlikely they will hear their children or anyone else for that matter. Try to listen without waiting to speak. Leave your agenda for this time. Give your attention as a gift. Try not to argue, persuade or interrupt. If possible, listen by looking into people’s eyes. “Listen” to body language. Take the focus off yourself. Is there anything a loved one is trying to say that you are not hearing? If what you are hearing is not pleasing to you, remind yourself that this is not your opportunity to speak. It is not your world being presented. Listening does not mean that you have to be silent but anything you do say is…

As the festive season moves into top gear – and KwaZulu-Natal’s roads begin to experience huge traffic volumes – the KZN Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) is facing a severe shortage of blood alcohol test kit shortages, with only 140 kits available for the entire province. This while 80 out of 464 KZN RTI vehicles are awaiting various repairs and are out of operation. The shocking findings form the basis of a written parliamentary reply by Sipho Hlomuka, KZN Transport MEC, to questions submitted by the DA in November. In terms of the blood alcohol test kits, the DA asked: “What is the number of blood kits at each RTI station? (Where there are zero kits listed, please state the period the station has had no access to blood alcohol kits.)”…

The DA has called on KwaZulu-Natal Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (Edtea) MEC Siboniso Duma to urgently form a public private partnership with industry, traditional leadership and labour experts to deal with KZN Ezemvelo Wildlife’s (EKZNW) current unemployment crisis. The move comes as community unrest and the closure of EKZNW facilities continue unabated, with this week’s protests leading to the closure of the once-renowned Giants Castle resort. At the heart of the issues lie the ongoing promises, by EKZNW, to employ people who live near nature reserves. Regrettably, these appear to be without substance. This is an untenable situation which cannot be allowed to develop. It is clear that Edtea needs to take a proactive stance and implement a sustainable employment action plan – not only in the interests…

The Public Service Commission (PSC) has warned top politicians against issuing unlawful instructions to their juniors to award multimillion-rand contracts to companies and individuals of their choice. The body issued the warning on Tuesday when it tabled its report in Pretoria, on the quarterly performance of the public service for the period July to September this year. Commissioner Anele Gxoyiya said unlawful instructions and ethical dilemmas in the public service had become the norm, and mostly junior officials were prone to being used to do the dirty work, while their bosses were allegedly rewarded by businesses. “Corruption has become endemic across three spheres of the South African government. It undermines democracy and public trust in the government and negatively affects state services, and thus community and social development. “Corruption also…

The mother of a boy born more than 10 years ago at an Eastern Cape hospital may proceed with her R29 million damages claim against health authorities after it transpired that her son suffers from cerebral palsy. The woman, who cannot be named to protect her son’s identity, for years did not consider that her son’s condition was related to the treatment rendered to her and the baby following his birth at the St Barnabas Hospital. It was only years down the line, when she met another mother with a child suffering from the same condition and heard her story, that she began questioning whether the hospital staff were perhaps negligent during birth, which resulted in her child’s condition. On the mother’s advice, she went to see a lawyer, who…

A MAN, who faked his chemical engineering degree and, based on the qualification, worked for Umgeni Water for about eight years before he was found out, must pay back the more than the R2 million he earned. The High Court, sitting in Pietermaritzburg, ordered that the money had to be deducted from Sheldon Naidoo’s pension fund. Naidoo resigned from his job after it was discovered his degree was fake. He, however, maintained that his degree was not fake and claimed that he had resigned as he had a life-threatening illness. He, however, elected to remain tight-lipped about the details of his illness. Naidoo could not explain why the University of KwaZulu-Natal said it had no record of him having obtained his BSc degree in engineering from the institution. Umgeni Water…

Covid-19 has had profound implications for the “role of business in society”. One of them is the pandemic’s effect on companies’ sustainability strategies. These are efforts to avoid companies’ harmful impacts on the environment and communities, and to enhance the positive impacts. The pandemic may cause companies to cut costs and restrict their sustainability strategies. Alternatively, the crisis may focus managers’ attention on the dependence of their business on broader social systems. And it may bring about a willingness to collaborate to address shared problems. We explored this issue by studying how 25 companies responded to the pandemic in four African countries: Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria and South Africa. We discovered that crises could either restrict or strengthen companies’ sustainability efforts. Their reactions depended on how different contingent factors interacted with…

China is looking for educational equilibrium to empower regional development As a country with a large population and a vast territory, China regards co-ordinated regional development as a national initiative and a determined quest of the Communists. It is in the process of implementing a strategy of co-ordinated regional development that China has achieved an unprecedented overall victory in the battle against poverty, with 98.99 million rural poor people all lifted out of poverty. Since the 18th Party Congress, the regional policy system has been adjusted in accordance with objective economic rules, and the construction of a power system for high-quality development has been accelerated. China has gradually formed a development pattern in which the East and West regions interact positively, and the gap between public services and people’s…

Gambian authorities have foiled a military coup attempt and arrested four soldiers plotting to overthrow President Adama Barrow’s administration, the government said yesterday. The Gambian Armed Forces High Command arrested four soldiers linked to the alleged coup after a military operation on Tuesday, it said. Coup attempts are not uncommon in the Gambia, a tiny West African country of 2.5 million almost entirely surrounded by Senegal, which is still reeling from more than two decades under former president Yahya Jammeh marked by authoritarianism and alleged abuses. Jammeh himself seized power in a coup in 1994 and foiled several attempts to overthrow him before he lost an election in late 2016 to Barrow. The army is in pursuit of three other alleged accomplices and investigations are ongoing. | Reuters…

Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday inaugurated the Kovykta natural gas field in eastern Siberia that will allow Russia to increase its exports to China amid soaring tensions between Moscow and the West. “We are launching the unique Kovykta gas field, the largest in Eastern Siberia. Its recoverable reserves are 1.8 trillion cubic metres of gas,” Putin said. Russia does not have pipelines to transport gas from its Western Siberian and Arctic gas fields that have served Europe to China, but a decade ago began efforts to develop new fields and build the Power of Siberia pipeline to deliver to the rapidly expanding market. | AFP…

Bogotá: Colombian rebel group ELN has ended the forced confinement of 10 000 people in the northwest of the country, President Gustavo Petro said yesterday. The lifting of the armed strike in the Choco region followed ELN’s announcement of a “ceasefire” for the Christmas and New Year’s holiday period. ELN, the National Liberation Army, is in peace negotiations with Colombia’s new leftist government, and Petro, a former urban guerrilla, has vowed to negotiate with armed groups. Colombia has suffered more than half a century of armed conflict between the state and left-wing guerrillas, right-wing paramilitaries and drug traffickers. | AFP…

The Lions are on a four-match unbeaten run and should be full of confidence with the momentum they have built, but now they must do something they have not achieved in over a year – claim a South African franchise scalp. The Joburgers’ last victory over a SA team in the United Rugby Championship (URC) was on December 4 last year, when they travelled to Cape Town and beat the Stormers handsomely 37-19. Since then, they have failed on every occasion, losing to the Cape-based side and the Sharks twice, and the Bulls three times. In the next week or so, they will have two opportunities to put that bugbear to bed when they first face the Sharks and then the Stormers. To do so, they will have to show…

REFUSE is piling up in some streets of Durban and the eThekwini Municipality yesterday attributed the non-collection to a “labour challenge” in the Durban Solid Waste (DSW) unit. The municipality acknowledged that the DSW unit had been unable to service some parts of the city. Councillors across party lines said the problem was widespread. In areas such as Westville, it’s believed there has been no collection for more than a week. They also revealed that the “labour challenge” was a go-slow by the employees demanding to work “illegal overtime”. The city said yesterday that the labour challenges had been resolved. “We have already commenced with the clearing of the backlog not only in Westville but in other affected areas. The city would like to reassure residents and businesses that all…

A FELLOW is gagged and bound to a chair. Pictures are awry and the room shows other signs of a struggle. Policeman: “Is that one of the burglars, ma’am?” Lady: “No, that’s my husband. You told me on the phone to leave everything as it is.” This is like a trip backward in time. At school I would sit in the library and read leather-bound back issues of Punch, the British magazine of cartoons and humour, founded in 1841. Now somebody has lent me one of those volumes dated from 1900. The humour is somewhat laboured, much of it in the mistress and maid category. • The serving maid has football shorts, socks and boots behind her apron. Mistress (at luncheon): “Janet, what is the meaning of this costume?” “I’m…

With reference to the development that is meant to take place at the Beachwood property, have the devel opers considered all the key issues? Apart from the fact that the area is one of the few green lungs left in that part of the city, let us consider what happened after the flooding in April. Many properties had major structural issues when land on the golf course side was washed away and have had to put up major retaining walls. Also bear in mind that the development is practically at sea level. With rising sea levels plus the weight of the development, the earth will subside. Will insurance companies cover flooding? I doubt it. The case for more flooding happening is great, and even now there are pools of water…

It’s a disgrace that in Zimbabwe there is only one national television broadcaster – the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation. This national broadcaster is used mainly to spread propaganda about Zanu-PF and its government to gain political mileage against the opposition parties, especially the Cit izens Coalition for Change, led by advocate Nelson Chamisa. We are approaching the August 2023 general elections and Zanu-PF and Mnangagwa use the monopoly to promote their political narratives while not allocating equal broadcasting time to opposition parties. It’s very difficult to get a private broadcasting licence in Zimbabwe, hence many struggling online broadcasters are mushrooming. If this was regulated properly, there could be more independent national and private TV stations. The Zimbabwean people are calling for the government to pass statutes that promote diversity and competition…

The City of Cape Town has fingered consistent load shedding for the sewer spills affecting some False Bay coastal areas, but has insisted that it is doing everything possible to mitigate the situation. According to the city, the recent temporary closure of Muizenberg and Fish Hoek beaches highlight the challenges brought about by continued high stages of load shedding on the city’s water and sanitation infrastructure, the municipality said. It indicated that the city’s sewer pump stations need electricity to function effectively and convey sewage to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) where it can be treated. “As a means to mitigate the impact of load shedding, larger priority sewer pump stations are fitted with permanent generators as a measure to increase the resilience of sanitation supply systems, maintenance staff are on…

THE Tshwane Metro Police Department drug unit this week busted drug dealers, who were allegedly using a bakery in Hammanskraal as a front for their illicit activities. MMC for Community Safety Grandi Theunissen said members of the unit made a significant drug bust to the value of more than R500 000 when they arrested four suspects between the ages of 35 and 50 for possession of crystal meth, heroin and cat. He said the suspects were detained at the Hammanskraal and Temba police stations. The arrests were made after the metro police received a tip-off, and the drug unit conducted an operation. Theunissen said: “They found a bakery that was being used as a front to package drugs. While they were there, the owner arrived with crystal meth that needed…

With four days to go before Christmas, it remains unclear whether the flood victims living in Ntuzuma Township F Section Hall will be moved to more humane accommodation by the deadline announced last week by the provincial government. Last week, Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube made an undertaking to close all mass care centres and relocate all flood victims to new accommodation before Christmas. EFF secretary-general Marshall Dlamini, who visited scores of families sheltered at the hall yesterday, said while it was shocking to see people living in such conditions, they were not surprised as this merely reflected the attitude of the government. He decried the living conditions, saying they were similar to those found in conflict-ridden countries. “What we have seen here should not be the case, especially at this time…

ESKOM has become an interesting topic for deliberation and discussion. And we all have our views. My view is that we have a dilemma of indecision. Should we fix, replace, go solar, or go nuclear, etc. We cannot focus on all options and get nowhere. There are differing views. All with merit I am sure, but someone needs to make an educated decision – otherwise we will be dithering to nowhere. This, it seems, is what is happening. We need focus. I was very impressed with the view of the new Eskom board member, Mr Nyati. I concur with his view that we should fix what we have in the short term, that is we must have a base load capacity. Fix the operational problems like coal supplies. Get extremely…

Hundreds of young women were stopped by armed guards yesterday from entering Afghan university campuses, a day after the nation’s Taliban rulers banned them from higher education in another assault on human rights. Despite promising a softer rule when they seized power last year, the hardline Islamists have ratcheted up restrictions on all aspects of women’s lives, ignoring international outrage. Journalists saw groups of students gathered outside universities in the capital, Kabul, barred from entering by armed guards and shuttered gates. Many, dressed in hijabs, were also seen standing in groups on roads leading to the campuses. “We are doomed. We have lost everything,” said one Kabul student, who asked not to be identified. The Taliban authorities wanted to “suppress” women, said Setara Farahmand, 21, who was studying German literature…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy headed to Washington yesterday to meet US President Joe Biden, address Congress and seek “weapons, weapons and more weapons” in his first overseas trip since Russia invaded Ukraine 300 days ago. Zelenskiy said the visit was meant to strengthen Ukraine’s “resilience and defence capabilities” amid repeated Russian missile and drone attacks on the country’s energy and water supplies in the dead of winter. His political adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, said the visit showed the high degree of trust between the two countries and offered him the opportunity to explain what weapons Kyiv needs. Biden was to announce nearly $2 billion (about R34bn in further military assistance for Ukraine that will include a Patriot missile battery to help it defend itself against barrages of Russian missiles, a senior…

LONDON: Thousands of ambulance workers in England and Wales walked out over pay yesterday, increasing the strain on a state-funded health service a day after nurses went on strike, as the government advised the public to avoid taking risks. The government said the strike would result in fewer ambulances on the road, with only the most urgent cases such as heart attacks prioritised. Unions have asked for a raise above inflation, which stood at 10.7% on the consumer price measure in November. The army has been put on standby to help drive emergency vehicles, but soldiers will not have all the powers to provide clinical care. | Reuters…

Sydney: A man whose boat capsized in stormy seas off Australia’s north coast was rescued yesterday after he survived for almost 24 hours in shark- and crocodile-infested waters by clinging to a bit of wood. The Queensland man was found floating in the Torres Strait 2km from his upturned dinghy by an air rescue crew. He was “clinging to some flotsam”, according to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, and was winched to safety. The man, who was not named, had “departed Getullai Island and failed to arrive at their destination by the expected time”, the authority said. There are nearly 300 islands off the northern tip of Australia. | AFP…