Índice para 2023-02-21 em Mercury

Speaker of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature, Nontembeko Boyce, says they are ready to roll out the red carpet for Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini when he delivers his inaugural speech to mark the opening of the legislature in Pietermaritzburg this week. Briefing the media on the preparations for the opening yesterday, Boyce said the coronation of King Misuzulu late last year placed the legislature in a position where it could host him. “We are happy to announce that following the coronation of the king in October last year, we will commence with the address by the monarch which will be followed by the State of the Province Address (Sopa),” she said. She said the king would deliver his address on Thursday and the premier would deliver her Sopa the next day at…

The National Department of Health (NDoH) says it will respond to issues raised by the Information Regulator regarding the collection and protection of personal information gathered during Covid-19 contact tracing. The Information Regulator yesterday confirmed it had referred the NDoH to the Enforcement Committee over personal information collected as part of the management of the spread of Covid-19 during the pandemic. The regulator said in a statement that the decision followed numerous unsuccessful requests for information made to the NDoH. Referral to the Enforcement Committee can culminate in the issuing of an enforcement notice which has the same effect as a court order. The matter stems from contact-tracing regulations which were issued in terms of the Disaster Management Act, from April 2020. These regulations authorised the compilation of an electronic…

I am hearing about more and more bank scams, and despite the protestations, I suspect that in many cases it is an inside job. Recently I received a call from a woman with an American accent who initially tried to lull me into trusting her by sharing a lot of my private info with me, including the name of my former business that I sold in 2016. Being a distrusting person, I played along until I could record as much detail as possible, but when she tried for the CVC numbers on my credit card, my suspicions were confirmed. But that did not deter her as she claimed that she had proved she was from the bank and was only “protecting” my account. Needless to say, she gave up. Unfortunately…

As we approach the upcoming general elections, the question of coalition governments arises once again. However, the reality is that coalition governments have consistently failed in our country, and there are several reasons why this is the case. One of the most significant problems with coalition governments is that many parties enter into these agreements for positions rather than principles. The smaller parties are often lured by the promise of power and the opportunity to occupy key positions within government, rather than a shared commitment to principles and policies that benefit the people they represent. As we have seen in the recent past, the ANC has been forced to seek out coalition partners as it has lost its majority in municipal councils. In doing so, it has had to rely…

The DA in Parliament says its Home Affairs oversight office was inundated with complaints from South Africans who have been struggling for years to get simple documents like IDs and birth certificates from the country’s Home Affairs Department. DA spokesperson on Home Affairs Angel Khanyile said the situation was impacting on the lives of ordinary citizens in a bad way. In some instances, some people were struggling to relocate overseas because of the slow pace of Home Affairs, while others were struggling to get employment. “The DA’s Home Affairs help desk is inundated with emails from desperate applicants who have been flatly ignored by the department every time they try to follow up on their applications. The applicants advise us they’ve received no feedback on their submitted applications,” Khanyile said.…

The Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, said tackling violence and school infrastructure issues remained key priorities. Motshekga was speaking in Parliament last week. Regarding social ills in schools, such as bullying, gender-based violence (GBV), child pregnancy, alcohol and drug peddling, Motshekga said the department was guided by the National School Safety Framework. “The framework calls on all stakeholders in schools management: teachers, unions, parents, learners, and communities, to work together to make schools safe and drug-free spaces, where all learners can thrive,” she said. “Our schools must be safe, weapons-free, substance-free spaces for learners and teachers, where corporal punishment, sexual abuse, GBV, homophobia, racism, substance abuse and bullying are not tolerated.” Motshekga was reflecting on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call to institutionalise Care and Support for Teaching and Learning…

WET coal is blamed for Eskom’s latest increased load shedding. Come again? Rain has been and always will be with us, so preventive measures to keep coal dry are a given. At what stage does the rain wet the coal? While being transported in trucks? There is something called a cover, used to protect items when rain is expected – or when caught in the showers, these are easily placed over the load. Or does it take place where the coal is stored? One presumes the coal is housed in proper enclosed sheds? If not, it’s a serious oversight. Or while being delivered to the kilns per conveyor belt? Here again, the journey from the coal sheds takes place under cover? Or does it? Or are we missing something? A…

I had to take an early morning flight from Johannesburg to Durban on Sunday. My son took me to OR Tambo International Airport. But as he had only five minutes to leave the car at the drop off zone he didn’t have enough time to show me how to find my way through the departure section of the terminal. As we were trying to get our bearings, a young woman dressed all in black in traditional garb from head to foot, approached us and asked me to follow her. Pleasantly surprised and relieved, I followed her through the ziz-zag queue to the section for local departures. She asked for my boarding pass, went through it and then directed me to my gate. Sadly, I couldn’t get to see her…

North Korea fired two ballistic missiles yesterday, its second weapons test in 48 hours, which Pyongyang said was a drill for a rocket launcher capable of a “tactical nuclear attack” that could take out entire enemy air bases. Pyongyang had already tested one of its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) on Saturday and warned more was to come, with leader Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister calling the Pacific the North’s “firing range”. Seoul and Washington, who are moving to bolster security cooperation in the region to address Pyongyang’s growing threats, staged joint air drills after the ICBM launch -- further enraging the North, which views such exercises as rehearsals for invasion. State media outlet KCNA said yesterday’s missile drill involving “super-large multiple rocket launchers, the tactical nuclear attack means”,…

Mauritius grounded flights and shut its stock exchange as tropical cyclone Freddy approached the island in the Indian Ocean yesterday, while emergency teams braced for heavy rains, floods and landslides in four regions on Madagascar. The cyclone, packing wind gusts of up to 120km/h, posed a direct threat to Mauritius, its weather service said. The cyclone could pass as close as 120km to the north-northwest of the island late in the afternoon, the service said. A video showed strong winds and waves hitting an ocean-front hotel in Mauritius as water entered the lobby. Authorities on Madagascar – about 1 130km west of Mauritius towards the coast of Africa – said they were expecting a direct hit by late today, between Mahanoro in the east and Manakara in the south…

Sao Paulo: Flooding and landslides triggered by torrential rain in Brazil claimed at least 36 lives on Carnival weekend in southeast Sao Paulo state. At least 36 people died in Sao Sebastiao, the state government said. Another 228 people were left homeless and 338 were evacuated in the coastal region north of Sao Paulo, the state government said as rescue crews raced to help victims. Sao Paulo state governor Tarcisio de Freitas declared a state of emergency in five towns along the coast. He freed up $1.5 million (R27m) for rescue operations. Sao Sebastiao, 200km north of Sao Paulo recorded 60cm of rain in 24 hours. Carnival events in Sao Sebastiao and elsewhere were cancelled. | AFP…

London: Two UK tea manufacturers yesterday faced accusations of sexual abuse on tea plantations in Kenya, according to an undercover probe by the BBC. “More than 70 women on Kenyan tea farms, owned for years by two British companies, told the BBC they had been sexually abused by their supervisors,” the BBC said. The report focused on a Kenyan plantation that at the time was owned by UK household goods giant Unilever, and another one that remains owned by the tea group James Finlay & Co. The BBC spoke with victims who said they had no choice but to give in to sexual demands of managers. | AFP…

Western Province have had many heroes over the years that have enthralled the Newlands faithful Eddie Barlow through to Herschelle Gibbs, followed by Vernon Philander and now Tony de Zorzi have all showed off their sublime skill with the glorious Table Mountain overlooking from above. But it would be fair to say that WP’s first heroine has been Laura Wolvaardt. Due to the scheduling of women’s cricket, Wolvaardt has not had the same opportunities as her male counterparts to entertain those sitting under the famed Oaks with her glorious cover drive often enough, but the classy Proteas’ Women’s opener is firmly entrenched in the halls of greatness at Newlands. This week the 23-year-old and her Proteas teammates have an opportunity to cement their legacy by surpassing anything any South African…

Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are leading Napoli’s Champions League charge, the Italians’ crown jewels in wonderful form ahead of tonight’s trip to Eintracht Frankfurt. A club in turmoil at the end of last season whose fans were in open revolt, Napoli have stunned their own supporters and the rest of Europe by becoming possibly the continent’s most exciting team and Italy’s champions-elect by mid-February. Napoli have never made it past the last 16 in the Champions League but with none of Europe’s powerhouses at their peak, a window has been left for Luciano Spalletti’s side to have a go at the continent’s top competition. The optimism surrounding Napoli is due in large part to Serie A’s leading scorer Osimhen and close season signing Kvaratskhelia, a devastating partnership which is…

The National Prosecuting Authority’s Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) have secured preservation orders against individuals and companies linked to alleged fraud and corruption during the construction of Kusile power station. The order, issued by the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria last week, authorises the AFU and SIU to preserve two portions of a farm that was used as a lodge, a commercial property in Mbombela, a house on an estate and vehicles which the two organisations said were the proceeds of unlawful activities at Eskom’s Kusile power station following allegations of serious maladministration and corruption. Assets under preservation are two portions of Casambo Exclusive Guest Lodge in Mbombela; a house in Stonehenge Extension 1 Mbombela, another house in White River; a Lotus Europa vehicle;…

South Africa is a sovereign nation that conducts its foreign policy as formulated by the government of the day. As a non-aligned nation, we have diplomatic ties with most nations of the world, even those whom we vehemently disagree with. As a member of the UN, we govern our country with civility and support the rule of international law when disputes arise. Our decision to participate with the Russian and Chinese navies in naval exercises does not need approval from any power on Earth. The furore about our participation in these exercises is sheer political hypocrisy. We have, over the years, participated in military exercises with the US and other Western powers, without grabbing global headlines. During the apartheid era, South Africa conducted naval exercises with Nato navies, even sinking…

It is interesting to note that while our government continues to follow the outdated socialist philosophies of Oliver Tambo et al, which calls for centralised control by the state, and their resultant clinging to control of our malfunctioning SOEs (state-owned entities), that privatisation is quietly taking place right under their noses. Telkom is privatised, a controlling interest of SAA has apparently been hived off, Eskom is planning to attract partners when it is eventually divided into three operational entities, plans are afoot to subcontract or privatise major rail links, there is talk of private partner talks related to the building of dams, etc. And, in the meantime, those that can afford to do so are supporting a booming industry to supply private energy in the form of inverters, solar panels…

SECTIONS of the Refugees Act which compelled asylum seekers to renew their visas one month before the expiry date have been declared unconstitutional by the Western Cape High Court. As things stood, those who did not apply to renew their visas within the one-month stipulation, were considered by Home Affairs to have abandoned their asylum applications. The result was that they were deemed to be illegally in the country. This left them open to be deported back to their countries of birth despite them, in many cases, facing danger if sent home. The court was told that in many cases it was not the fault of the asylum seekers that they could not renew their visas in the stipulated time period as they often had to face long queues and…

THE bloc of smaller parties working with the ANC to govern the eThekwini Municipality is to meet this week after rumblings among them over the allocation of chairperson positions for key committees in the City. Members of the bloc expressed frustration after the announcement by the ANC last week on the reconfiguration of the committees in the municipality. The members said the bloc was not properly informed. Messages have also been circulated raising concerns about the chairperson appointed for the Human Settlement and Infrastructure services committee (HSI), with some members feeling the position should have been retained by the bloc. The ANC announced that deputy mayor Zandile Myeni, of the NFP, which is among the bloc of parties, had been appointed as chairperson of the Emergency Services Committee. It…

The bad news is that Ramaphosa is still playing for time THE good news that dominated last week’s debate on the State of the Nation Address in Parliament is that President Cyril Ramaphosa has finally declared a national disaster on the electricity crisis and announced an imminent Cabinet reshuffle. It will include an appointment of a Minister of Electricity in the Presidency, who will focus full-time on working with Eskom to end load shedding and replacing the deputy president. Public announcements on crucial policy and governance matters remain pivotal in our public life. Even this year, it was inconceivable that there would not be some to appease a nation battered by months of rolling electricity blackouts and economic insecurity. Ramaphosa claimed South Africa has turned the corner and is heading…

THE time has come for the government to fork out more resources to improve the state of the foundation phase of education. If this is not done, we should forget about turning the tide on poor child literacy rates. A recent report compiled by an advocacy group, 2030 Reading Panel, paints a bleak picture of the country’s education, revealing that pupils at foundation phase were unable to read for meaning. The report points out that 82% of South Africa’s Grade 4 children could not read for meaning. This shocking statistic is, unfortunately, an increase from 78% pre-pandemic. Perhaps what is particularly difficult to accept is that it would take 86 years on the current trajectory to reach 95% of children reading for meaning. Therefore, addressing these deficiencies in the learning…

The Sudan transitional government and several opposition groups under the Sudan Revolutionary Front have signed an implementation matrix and agreed to a two-year timetable for implementation of the Juba peace agreement. The Sudanese parties began a workshop in Juba last week to evaluate progress and challenges encountered in implementing the peace deal which was mediated by South Sudan. The key issues in the signed matrix include security arrangements for Darfur, South Kordofan, and Blue Nile state. The second issue is on wealth and power sharing with opposition groups in central and northern Sudan. South Sudan President Salva Kiir said the new roadmap is not an attempt at renegotiating the 2020 Juba peace agreement signed to end decades of conflict, but rather to facilitate dialogue among parties to transition the country…

Washington: George Washington, John F Kennedy, Dwight Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan are going on a hair-raising journey into outer space. Not the actual, and long dead, former US presidents, of course, but samples of their hair. Celestis, a Texas-based company that specialises in space burials, announced the plan yesterday, which was Presidents’ Day in the US. Celestis said it would launch “what we believe to be authenticated DNA” of the former presidents into space aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) rocket later this year. It said the hair samples were from an anonymous donor. | AFP…

Brussels: The EU has imposed asset freezes and visa bans on Myanmar’s energy minister, influential businessmen and high-ranking military officers over an ongoing crackdown on opponents two years after a military coup. The sanctions affect nine individuals and seven entities. It followed similar sanctions by the US and Britain around the second anniversary of the coup that launched a violent campaign against democracy activists. The military seized power on February 1, 2021, overthrowing the democratically elected government and removing president Win Myint and state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi from office. | AFP…

TEHRAN: Iran’s troubled currency broke below the psychologically key level of 500 000 rial per US dollar yesterday, as market participants saw no end in sight to sanctions. The Iranian rial plummeted to a new record low of 501 300 against the US dollar, according to Bonbast.com, which gathers live data from Iranian exchanges. Facing an inflation rate of about 50%, Iranians seeking safe havens for their savings have been buying dollars, other hard currencies or gold, suggesting further headwinds for the rial. The re-imposition of US sanctions in 2018 by former president Donald Trump has harmed Iran’s economy by limiting Tehran’s oil exports and access to foreign currency. | Reuters…

Apart from defender Sifiso Hlanti, not many Kaizer Chiefs players have put their hands up for Soweto Derby selection and coach Arthur Zwane has a selection headache. After Sunday’s soul-crushing 3-2 defeat at the hands of Golden Arrows, Zwane is faced with the monumental task of rebuilding morale and deciding on a team that will put the smile back on the faces of the AmaKhosi faithful. On Sunday, at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, fans jeered and booed Chiefs. Worse was to follow when they chanted ‘Zwane must go’ and reports say that at the end the team was escorted off the pitch by police. The problem is that many Chiefs players under-performed on the day. To add insult to injury, Zwane’s substitutions backfired as the team became increasingly…

AmaZulu president, Sandile Zungu, has urged other PSL clubs to show faith and patience in their head coaches, as Mamelodi Sundowns did with Pitso Mosimane all those years ago. Zungu spoke to Independent Media following the club’s decision to extend coach Romain Folz’s contract, which was set to expire at the end of this season. Usuthu, however, opted to pin him down until June 2026. Zungu, a renowned Durban businessman, has highlighted the importance of investing in plans for the sustainability and success of his club and believes that if clubs are to keep up with international standards, they have no choice but to follow the Sundowns blueprint. “I need continuity in my team,” he said. “Sundowns have shown us the way. I want to make our very own…

The bad news for the Sharks is that star fullback Apheleli Fassi will not play against Ulster in Durban on Saturday (kick-off 2pm) but the better news for all concerned is that his injury is not as bad as first feared. The 25-year-old left the field in the Sharks’ victory over the Lions at the weekend clutching his ribs. He indeed has a rib cartilage injury, but it is not severe and the word from the Shark Tank is that he could be back for the Sharks’ trip to the Stormers on March 4. To say the Sharks will have a point to prove in that match in Cape Town is an understatement and they will be doing their best to get Fassi ready for a game that will also…

Amid stage 6 load shedding and myriad economic challenges, all eyes will be on Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana when he delivers his Budget speech tomorrow. Cosatu spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said the federation believed the country was facing critical socio-economic challenges, against which the Treasury’s tax and spending policies must be measured. These were rising extreme poverty, unprecedented levels of unemployment, rising multi-dimensional and intersecting inequalities, dilapidated economic and social infrastructure, corruption and crime. “The federation expects a people’s Budget that will be used to take forward the programme of redistribution and social delivery outlined in the ANC resolutions and various manifestos,” he said. Pamla said Cosatu wanted the Budget to be transformed into an effective tool for economic revival, transformation, and improved service delivery. “Insofar as the government has managed…

An exercise for couples and friends … choose your paragraphs wisely: Look me in the eye and… To look into the eyes of another may reveal a primal urge to dominate and, in some cultures it may be a no-no pivoting on age and status. But for me, it’s a desire for deep connection, validation, underscoring that we are, at least for this time, fully present for each other. When I look you in the eyes, I see the beauty of your soul. Your strength, fuelled and tended by a 1 000-faced challenges, radiates power and beauty from you in equal measure. Looking into your eyes gives me courage for my own life. Look me in the eyes and know I’m embracing everything about you and hope you will…

Whatever their language, Indian movies belong unmistakably to one genre and cumulatively project a world in which all Indians can participate. The largely escapist fare is inclusive by virtue of its deliberate avoidance of high-brow aesthetics. But alas, all that has changed over the past two decades as the glitz and glamour of Bollywood has become saucier and steamier – tongue-salivators and paw-openers to a wider range of Western audiences. Global demand and evolving markets have brought out a new breed of writers, producers, directors, actors and actresses. Despite the tongue-clicking of the pedantic old-school brigade, the well-choreographed synchronisation of the forbidden continues. Indian society is deeply divided by fealties where prejudice and superstition thrive. With rakish pulchritude of peaches and cream tones, feather-brushed cheekbones, cascading black hair and sultry…

A Bellville, Western Cape lawyer who was kidnapped on Friday was found 280km away in Klawer, following a police manhunt. Police said the lawyer’s wife reported him missing when he did not come home after work on Friday. Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi said: “Detectives were operationalised as a result of the strange circumstances. After consultation with the missing person’s business partner and secretary, they visited the offices and found the office was disturbed and certain items were missing. “They found a file on the desk which would be of vital importance as it gave direct links to pursue. The team immediately launched a manhunt.” Police proceeded to the address of a woman in Belhar, who had visited the practice the previous day. Her husband could not give an account of…

Craving gnocchi with lamb, black risotto or zucchini pasta? You can order any of them at a Croatian restaurant where a robotic chef is able to rustle up about 70 different one-pot meals. Its owners say they believe the Bots&Pots Sci-Food bistro in Zagreb is the world’s only restaurant where ready-to-eat meals in a pot are made by robotic cookers with no human involvement other than loading the devices with fresh ingredients. The devices add oil and seasoning according to digital recipes created by a human chef. In other similar restaurants, robots stir and fry chips and hamburgers, make pizzas or serve and deliver meals, but “there is no robot which makes a one pot meal from fresh food”, says restaurant co-owner Hrvoje Bujas. It took seven years for…

A National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) assistant director and her son have been convicted on charges relating to accessing top-secret information. The Hawks said the 52-year-old Jacobeth Lepinka, and her 28-year-old son, Kedifentse, had been convicted in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court. According to Hawks’ spokesperson Brigadier Thandi Mbambo, the NPA discovered in 2014 that Lepinka took the laptop containing classified information to her residence without authorisation. “A case of theft was registered, and the incident was reported to the Hawks’ head office-based serious corruption investigation team. The team tracked the laptop that was being utilised by Lepinka’s son, who claimed to own the device,” Mbambo said. Lepinka was found guilty on charges of fraud, unauthorised access to information, and unauthorised disclosure of information, while Kedifentse was convicted for unauthorised access to…

US President Joe Biden walked around central Kyiv on an unannounced visit yesterday promising to stand with Ukraine as long as it takes, on a trip clearly timed to upstage the Kremlin ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion. Biden and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy walked side-by-side to a gold-domed cathedral on a bright winter morning pierced by the sound of air raid sirens. “When (Russian President Vladimir) Putin launched his invasion nearly one year ago, he thought Ukraine was weak and the West was divided. He thought he could outlast us. But he was dead wrong,” Biden said. “The cost that Ukraine has had to pay is extraordinarily high. Sacrifices have been far too great ... We know that there will be difficult days and weeks and years ahead.”…

Taliban authorities have closed the main border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan, an Afghan official said yesterday, and residents reported the sound of gunfire near the normally bustling border transit point. A Taliban official said the Torkham border crossing, near the Khyber Pass, was closed for all trade and travellers. “The Pakistan side hadn’t committed to their promises to create facilities for transit, sick people and passengers,” said Siddiqullah Quraishi, the head of the Afghan province of Nangahar’s information department, as the reason for the closure. He said both sides were speaking to try to find a solution and denied there had been any violent clashes, saying the situation was under control. Pakistani military, police and government spokespeople were not immediately available for comment, but two Pakistani security officials confirmed…

London: Novelist Salman Rushdie led condemnations yesterday of Roald Dahl’s children’s books being re-edited for a modern audience, calling it “absurd censorship” by “bowdlerising sensitivity police”. Publishers Puffin have made hundreds of reported changes to characters and language in Dahl’s stories, including making the diminutive Oompa-Loompas in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory gender neutral and calling Augustus Gloop enormous rather than fat. Mrs Twit in The Twits is also no longer ugly, but beastly instead, while the Cloud-Men in James and the Giant Peach are now “Cloud-People”. “Roald Dahl was no angel but this is absurd censorship. Puffin Books and the Dahl estate should be ashamed,” said Rushdie. Dahl’s books have sold over 250 million copies worldwide. Critics of the edits highlighted how the “nasty” elements of Dahl’s stories were…

JERUSALEM: Israel has informed the US that it won’t approve new settlements in the occupied West Bank “in the coming months”, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said yesterday. Israel’s far-right coalition government has legalised nine settler outposts built without permits by granting them retroactive authorisation. The move drew sharp condemnations from Palestinians and world powers. There are dozens of unauthorised outposts and some 140 Israeli-authorised settlements around the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in the 1967 war and where the Palestinians wish to set up a future state. | Xinhua…

Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp conceded that he had not been able to bring himself to rewatch last season’s Champions League final defeat by Real Madrid until this past weekend, insisting reliving the experience was “torture”. The Reds won their first three matches against Real in European competition, between 1981 and 2009. Since then, however, they are winless in six games against them, with five of those ending in defeat. Two of those losses came in the 2018 and 2022 finals, the latter being particularly painful for Klopp ahead of the visit of Real to Anfield for the first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie tonight. “Different things happened to us with Real Madrid,” Klopp said on Monday. “One of the biggest clubs in the world, super experienced. “Our own…