Índice para 2024-02-06 em Mercury

THE NATIONAL Union of Mineworkers (NUM) says a court settlement that gives control of the Optimum Coal Mine and the Optimum Coal Terminal into the hands of Liberty Coal will save more than 500 jobs through resumption of production at the Mpumalanga operation previously controlled by the Gupta family. Controversy has dogged Optimum Coal Mine ever since the Gupta family was disgraced as corrupt and having captured State institutions to push through their businesses and deals. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) last week obtained a court application in its favour for two forfeiture orders on the grounds that the Guptas bought the mine with proceeds from corruption. Liberty Coal and the NPA jointly approached the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, with the support of various other vested parties for an order…

ANGLO American may consider deeper cost-cutting measures unless market conditions improve after a fall in prices for platinum-group metals and a cyclical downturn that is the worst in 35 years, CEO Duncan Wanblad said yesterday. The diversified miner announced sweeping cuts last year to save about $1.8 billion (about R34 billion). Speaking on the sidelines of the African Mining Indaba in Cape Town, Wanblad told Reuters in an interview he did not see signs of any early recovery in the platinum group metals (PGMs), although diamond prices showed signs of strengthening. “To the extent that market conditions continue, we will have to cut deeper and we will just knuckle down and get it done,” Wanblad said. Platinum fell below $840/oz in November last year, the lowest since September 2022,…

ARTIFICIAL intelligence (AI), the introduction of AI technologies, and their impact on the mining industry will be hot topics at the Investing in African Mining Indaba which is taking place in Cape Town this week. Major African mining companies are beginning to realise the immense potential of AI to disrupt entire industries by lowering operational costs, increasing efficiencies, mitigating risk, improving control and streamlining decision-making processes. As a consequence, African mining companies that take advantage and power through growing pains will be able to realise competitive advantages and opportunities in the future. This is particularly as there is growing investor interest in companies that have AI as part of their business model. African mining companies are taking the initiative Several mining companies have taken up the mantle, introducing AI technology…

It’s almost Valentine’s Day and by now all the romantics out there are probably trying to figure out what to do on the day and what to buy their significant other. Wherever you go these days you’ll see Valentine’s Day merchandise. From the chocolates to the teddies everything is pink, red and white. You might be tempted to buy into the hype around the day, but there are other ways to spoil the person you love. There’s no need to spend a fortune, either. Here are ways to make your loved one feel special on Valentine’s Day without breaking the bank. One of the simplest most heartfelt ways to express your love on Valentine’s Day is by writing notes. You don’t even need to buy a fancy card. You can…

In the ever-evolving world of food trends, one recipe is taking the internet by storm – the legendary In-N-Out-inspired “Flying Dutchman” burger. The “Flying Dutchman” is a legendary burger that can only be found on their secret menu. What is so special about it? Well, this burger breaks all the rules. As a popular American fast-food chain, In-N-Out has a cult following due to its limited menu and secret menu items like the “Flying Dutchman” burger, which consists of two beef patties, two slices of cheese, and no bun or toppings in between them. This simple yet filling and tasty burger has become a fan favourite among their customers. As more people discovered the burger, its popularity began to grow, and soon it was being discussed, shared and celebrated all…

EFF leader Julius Malema yesterday called for land to be returned and for more employment opportunities to be created to offer people dignity. Malema was speaking in KwaMashu and later addressed students at the Durban University of Technology’s (DUT’s) Steve Biko campus. The EFF leader and his party are on an activation drive ahead of Saturday’s manifesto launch at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium. “Jobs are at the centre of the EFF. We want every young person in KwaMashu to work and work permanently and have the benefits. Whether you are a cleaner, whether you are a teacher … if a teacher qualifies for medical aid (so) must a cleaner because at the end of the day you are all workers and they must have their benefits.” Malema said free education…

The letter, “Two wrongs don’t make a right” (The Mercury, January 31 by T Markandan) refers. He implies the ANC took the Israel Hamas issue to the ICJ for political gain because it has resulted in “boosting its image before the elections, could this also be a political move by Modi before the Indian elections?” He was referring to the Ram Mandir in the latter case. Is he really comparing Modi’s position in India with President Ramaphosa’s in South Africa? Has he read Modi’s popularity ratings and the confidence the majority of Indians have in his leadership because of the huge list of successful projects he has implemented? Modi does not need the Mandir for election purposes or to politicise it. The truth is just the opposite: the role of…

The ongoing, anti-Israel effusions highlight the extent to which the ICJ verdict has been manipulated for propaganda reasons, as ably demonstrated by Thyagaraj Markandan (The Mercury, February 1). Like others, he insists that the ICJ verdict was “a famous win for South Africa”. That is not true. Vast numbers of Christians in South Africa oppose Hamas and support Israel. The only victory the ANC government scored was that the ICJ did not throw out its case as Israel had requested. Lost on Markandan is the fact that by not ordering a ceasefire, the court acknowledged Israel’s right to defend itself. Besides, given the ANC’s bloody human rights violations in its camps and during its “people’s war” of the 1980s and 1990s and its refusal to hand Omar Bashir over to…

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has said it registered more than 1 million voters during the voter registration weekend. IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya thanked those who visited voting stations across the country to register and check their registration details ahead of the 2024 elections. Moepya said that at the close of registration on day one, the commission recorded more than half a million registrations at 23 303 voting stations. According to the SABC, there are more than 14 million citizens of voting age in South Africa, mostly young people, who are still not registered for the upcoming national general elections. The commission indicated that at about 1pm on Sunday, a total of 564 715 registration transactions had been recorded at voting stations across the country.…

The global CEO of Italian luxury fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana met eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda during a visit to Oceans Mall in uMhlanga. Alfonso Dolce visited the mall, which has a Dolce & Gabbana store, on February 1. The mall’s management said Dolce engaged in a fruitful discussion with Kaunda and mall co-developer and co-owner Vivian Reddy. Kaunda described the meeting as a success, stating the importance of creating another platform to highlight the diverse opportunities that Durban offers to potential investors. “It gives me great pleasure to meet Alfonso Dolce, and it’s clear that Italy has found a home at Oceans Mall,” said Reddy. Expressing his admiration for Durban, Dolce said: “I love the city of Durban, and Oceans Mall represents the pinnacle of excellence. Dolce & Gabbana…

MUZIKAWUKHULELWA Sibiya, the first accused in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, has alleged that he was tortured by investigating officers and only confessed so that the abuse would stop. After the State closed its case in the trial-within-a-trial relating to the admission of statements made by Sibiya and his co-accused Bongani Ntanzi, defence advocate Thulani Mngomezulu, who is acting for Sibiya, called him as a witness. The trial-within-a-trial commenced in the main trial in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria in October 2023, after the legal counsel for the five men accused of the 2014 murder of soccer star Meyiwa, objected to the admission of confessions made by Sibiya and Ntanzi shortly after their arrests. Both men opposed the admission of the confessions as evidence, alleging that they were tortured, assaulted…

THE Health Department says it is facing budget constraints as around 800 unemployed doctors who completed statutory community service programmes are struggling to find work in the public sector. Health Minister Joe Phaahla yesterday briefed the media about interventions, after the department had met with unions over the current state of unemployment among doctors despite staff shortages at many health facilities. “The issue of doctors who wish to stay in the public service employment is of major concern to us as the department, hence we are doing everything possible, working with the provincial health departments to mobilise resources to fund vacant posts, especially in health facilities in under-served communities,” Phaahla said. According to the minister, at the beginning of January, unions submitted a list of 825 medical doctors deemed to…

A 24-year-old man who murdered a pensioner for pointing him out to police has been sent to prison for an effective 18 years behind bars. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed the conviction and sentencing of Luvo Nqetho in the Lusikisiki Regional Court. Nqetho murdered 61-year-old Sipho Damane on July 25, 2022. Damane had been walking with his friend when two detectives stopped them and asked if they knew a person called Luvo Nqetho. The policemen explained that he was a person of interest in a case they were investigating. Damane pointed out Nqetho, who was sitting in his motor vehicle not far from where they were standing. “The two detectives then approached the vehicle they were shown by the deceased and asked the person who was sitting in the…

Application fees charged by universities serve as a significant impediment to access, particularly for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The practice of charging application fees not only exacerbates the financial burden of pursuing higher education but also perpetuates inequality in the country’s education system. The imposition of application fees places an unfair burden on students. For many prospective students, the cumulative cost of applying to multiple universities becomes prohibitive, effectively limiting their options. This disproportionately affects students from poorer backgrounds, who are already grappling with the exorbitant costs associated with university education. Furthermore, the practice of charging application fees runs counter to the principles of equal opportunity and inclusivity. It creates a system where access to education is contingent upon one’s ability to pay, rather than being based on merit and…

DAKAR: Security forces used tear gas to disperse an opposition rally outside Senegal’s parliament yesterday, shortly before the start of a contentious debate on postponing this month’s presidential election. Several dozen protesters could be heard chanting “Macky Sall dictator” referring to the incumbent president after being scattered by security. Senegal has been grappling with a political crisis since President Macky Sall on Saturday announced a delay to the February 25 presidential poll, just hours before campaigning was set to officially begin. Opposition leaders have denounced the move as a “constitutional coup”, saying it is an assault on democracy. |…

The news that the Springboks are to continue playing the All Blacks, Wallabies and Pumas every year is good news but there is a drawback to not joining the Six Nations. SA Rugby had hoped to gain admission to the Six Nations for two reasons — it is a far more lucrative tournament than the Rugby Championship, plus full alignment with the northern hemisphere would solve the problem of the players currently not having an off-season. As things stand, the European season takes a break in July, August, and September. If South Africa was in the Six Nations, our top players would be off during that period, which is when the Rugby Championship is played in the southern hemisphere. This is the single biggest problem of South Africa having one…

Seldom is any match defined by the performance of one individual. But in today’s Betway SA20 Qualifier 1 between Sunrisers Eastern Cape and Durban’s Super Giants, it is impossible to ignore the potential impact of the blockbusting Heinrich Klaasen. The Proteas superstar has been prolific for DSG in season 2. Actually, that’s an understatement, because for Klaasen has been phenomenal for all teams he has represented in the past two years. From international cricket to the franchises all around the world, Klaasen has left a trail of destruction and bowling units in despair. DSG opener Matthew Breetzke may have more runs (383), but there is nobody in the competition that has the power to destroy any bowling attack in the way Klaasen has. His impact on matches is immense with…

THE South Africa Women’s cricket tour of Australia has taken a sharp turn as the hosts have taken full control of the proceedings once again. South Africa looked like they had finally turned the corner against Australia, beating the hosts for the first time. However, Australia have gone on to win the T20 series 2-1 since then and now lead the ODI series 1-0, with two matches remaining. Here, we highlight where the visitors have gone wrong and what needs to be fixed heading into tomorrow’s second ODI. WICKETKEEPER POSITION: One of the few things that Proteas Women’s coach Hilton Mooreng has probably been criticised for is not rotating his squad and giving inconsistent performers an extended run in the team. Wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta is yet to make…

Alex Albon expects to have to adjust his driving style this season as Williams seek to move up a gear after leaping from Formula One’s bottom-placed team to seventh last year. Albon, who is now starting his third season at Williams, scored all but one of the former champions’ points last year and is a target for top teams as Mercedes and Red Bull consider their options for next year. “Coming off the back of a very positive year we’re hoping to build on our progress into 2024, working hard to make some good steps forward in performance,” the Thai said, at a livery launch in New York yesterday. The new FW46 Mercedes-powered car, blue with a red and white pinstripe, will make its track debut on a filming day…

THE TRIAL of an alleged bitcoin creator opened in London yesterday, seeking to determine whether an Australian computer scientist invented the world’s most popular cryptocurrency. Craig Wright, 53, says he is Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonym of bitcoin’s creator and author of a white paper that introduced the cryptocurrency to the world in 2008. Wearing a striped suit, Wright sat impassive in court yesterday as he listened to the outline of the case against him. The Crypto Open Patent Alliance (Copa), a non-prof set up to keep cryptocurrency technology free from patents, is suing Wright over his claims first made in 2016. The trial at London’s High Court, presided over by judge James Mellor, is expected to last until mid-March. “Over a period of nearly 10 years ... (Wright had) the…

South Africa’s own Tyla became the youngest African artist to win a Grammy award, at the age of 22 for her viral hit song Water. She won the award for “Best African Music Performance” at the 66th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday. This year marked the introduction of the Best African Music Performance category to the awards. South Africa had a notable presence at the Grammys, with Trevor Noah hosting the awards for a fourth time and nominated for “Best Comedy Album”. Acapella group Just 6 were nominated in the “Best Arrangement, Instrumental or Acapella” category, while Musa Keys was nominated for “Best African Performance” for his collaboration with Nigerian artist Davido. In accepting the award, an elated Tyla said: “I never thought I’d say I won a Grammy at…

Economists and the AA have warned that a fuel price increase of around 60c/l is on the cards for Wednesday. Layton Beard, spokesperson for the AA, said unaudited fuel data from the Central Energy Fund (CEF) was showing significant increases for all grades of fuel this month. “The numbers are indicating that the short-lived relief South African motorists had is over. According to the data, 93 ULP and 95 ULP petrol are expected to climb by between 64 cents a litre and 66c/l respectively, while diesel is expected to increase by around 63c/l.” Beard added that the movement in international oil prices was contributing to the increases. “To a smaller degree the rand exchange to the US dollar is also having an impact on the expected increases. Based on these…

Taking your own life is not an easy decision. There are those who plan their death carefully and those who jump to their deaths in a fit of madness. But once you have tied the noose around your neck and jump, there’s no turning back, unless it’s a bungled attempt and you survive miraculously. We usually regard people who commit suicide as cowards, as people who cannot face the rigours of life. But I regard them as brave people. Taking one’s own life is the ultimate decision one can make in a lifetime. I read about the incredible story of Carol de Swardt flying to Switzerland to keep her date with Death. After she found herself in a wheelchair, with an amputated leg, and suffering from debilitating skin cancer, she…

FOR those of us who are puzzled by things Irish, puzzlement seems unlikely to diminish. Michelle O’Neill has, at last, taken her place as first minister of Northern Ireland, the rival Democratic Unionist Party having ended its boycott following the election two years ago when the DUP came in second. The complicated power-sharing agreement negotiated in the Good Friday Agreement – yonks ago now, it seems – meant that nobody could take office and the six counties of Northern Ireland have been administered for two years, mainly by the civil service. O’Neill is a member of Sinn Fein, a party that seeks to withdraw Northern Ireland from the UK and merge with the Republic of Ireland. A ghastly civil war was fought over that issue, ending only with the Good…

THE Gauteng health department is facing a damages claim of more than R30 million, instituted on behalf of a mother and her now 11-year-old daughter, after the child was born with severe brain damage due to the negligence of the medical staff at the Natalspruit Hospital in Katlehong. The mother, who cannot be identified to safeguard her child, turned to the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, as she blamed the medical staff at the hospital for the fact that her child now suffered from cerebral palsy. Her claim includes R18.7m for future medical and related expenses and R3.6m for the pain and suffering she and the child had to endure. The mother testified that she had an uneventful pregnancy, although she is HIV-positive. In September 2012, she went to a local…

A 52-year-old government official, found guilty of fraud and money laundering almost 14 years ago, has been ordered to pay back the money. Zukiswa Wana was convicted in the East London Regional Court on Friday. Wana was arrested by the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (the Hawks). Eastern Cape Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Avele Fumba said in October 2021, the provincial education department in Zwelitsha received an internal memo revealing improper payments to two service providers for school hostel catering services. “The memo reported that payments were made without actual services being rendered and apparently signatures were forged to authorise these transactions,” Fumba said. “The department identified three irregularly authorised school hostel catering expenditure approval documents, totalling over R800 000.” Fumba said the investigation revealed the fraud came from the…

PUPILS who did not achieve their desired results for the 2023 National Senior Certificate (NSC) have been encouraged to apply to write the May/June NSC exams this year. Registration for the May/June exams close on Friday. Bronagh Hammond, communication director for the Western Cape Education Department, said: “There are only (three) days left until registration closes on Friday, February 9. “This is an opportunity to obtain one’s NSC and it should not be missed. “The content is fresh in the candidates’ minds, so it would be beneficial to register to write sooner, rather than having to wait a whole year. “Every candidate who did not pass should continue doing whatever they can to complete Grade 12,” Hammond said. The exams can also be written by those seeking to improve their…

The Department of Employment and Labour has warned work seekers not to pay for employment, as it contravenes the Employment Services (ES) Act. In a statement, the department said no person may charge a fee to any work seeker for providing employment services to the work seeker. “The Employment Services Act further states that a private employment agency must not deduct any amount from the remuneration of an employee or require or permit an employee to pay any amount in respect of the placing of that employee with an employer. ” With unemployment at 31.9%, there is fertile ground for scammers who promise employment to desperate job seekers in return for a fee. The department expressed concern at the number of scams, “that keep on popping up periodically promising the…

Phnom Penh: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet will pay an official visit to Thailand tomorrow at the invitation of his Thai counterpart, Srettha Thavisin, the country’s Foreign Ministry said in a press statement yesterday. The two prime ministers will hold talks on bilateral and multilateral co-operation in areas of common interest, the statement added. “They will also preside over the signing of numerous documents on bilateral co-operation,” according to a Xinhua news agency report. Hun Manet will also deliver opening remarks at a Cambodia-Thailand Business Forum, it added. “The visit is expected to consolidate the ties and traditional bonds of friendship.”…

Los Angeles: California Governor Gavin Newsom has proclaimed a state of emergency for several counties in Southern California as a series of winter storms began affecting much of the state with high winds, damaging rain and heavy snowfall. The proclamation covers eight counties – Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura, Xinhua news agency reported. The emergency proclamation includes provisions authorising a California National Guard response if tasked, facilitating unemployment benefits for impacted residents.…

Britain’s Prince William is returning to royal duty this week after taking time off following his wife’s abdominal surgery, Kensington Palace said yesterday. William, 41, the eldest son of King Charles III and heir to the throne, postponed public engagements to care for his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales and their three children after she was admitted to hospital on January 16. William will conduct an investiture at Windsor Castle tomorrow and attend the London Air Ambulance annual fund-raising gala in central London tomorrow night, the palace said. Britain’s royal family had a double health scare in January when it was announced that Charles would be treated for an enlarged prostate and the Princess of Wales was recuperating from abdominal surgery. The king left hospital on January 29, three days…

As Nigeria’s Super Eagles and South Africa’s Bafana Bafana reignite their titanic rivalry tomorrow evening in Ivory Coast, the statistics from their past Africa Cup of Nations clashes make for grim reading for Mzansi fans. It will be only the second time the two countries clash in an Afcon semi-final, with three matches in the record books overall. In their only previous encounter in the last four, Nigeria sent South Africa packing with an emphatic 2-0 win in February 2000 in Lagos. Since Nigeria were co-hosts of that edition of the tournament, they enjoyed home-ground advantage, with 60 000 people in the stadium spurring them on to victory. Nigeria’s hero in that match 24 years ago was the Ajax Amsterdam striker Tijani Babangida, whose first-half brace was enough for the…

SCHNEIDER Electric is ready to partner with mining companies, both large and small, to provide sustain- able solutions that will help to reduce costs, improve resilience and protect the environment, Rob Moffitt, the president of Schneider Electric’s global Mining, Minerals and Metals (MMM) Segment told Business Report in an exclusive interview at this year’s African Mining Indaba 2024 in Cape Town yesterday. “The three Ms I focus on cover the mining, metals, cement and glass industries, which collectively account for some 21% of global carbon dioxide emissions. “These industries are the foundation blocks of society and our mission is to collaboratively ensure a profitable future,” he said. This aim is in line with this year’s Mining Indada theme of “Embracing the power of positive disruption: A bold new future for…

NEWLY appointed Zulu Traditional Prime Minister Thulasizwe Buthelezi yesterday revealed that King Misuzulu kaZwelithini has an ambitious plan for traditional leaders to run the Ingonyama Trust, and not the government. The Ingonyama Trust administers about a third of the land, or almost 3 million hectares, in KwaZulu-Natal and the trust falls under the national Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development. Buthelezi has taken over the position left vacant after the death of former IFP leader Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi. He is currently the mayor of Zululand District Municipality and a senior leader of the IFP, but the king shot down any speculation that his appointment had been political. Buthelezi said the king wants amakhosi to play a more significant and hands-on role in the governance of the trust.…

As predicted, Israel is showing the world the middle finger as it increases the carnage! The rate of intentional, callous, gruesome murders since this rogue state was clearly charged on 12th January, and sentenced on 26th January, has increased considerably. Not unexpected actually. The degree of cruel bombing, torture… defies all semblance of Zionists belonging to the same genus Homo-Sapiens, as the rest of us. The reasons for this flagrant disregard are nothing new. No surprise. But this tale of terror, straight from a Stephen King horror novel, could easily have had a totally different screen-play if: Israel was a free-standing state not propped completely by another rogue (state), the US and other thieves. That criminal stance and clear complicity by a country once boasting the likes of Abraham Lincoln,…

Umhlanga Rocks is one of South Africas prime tourism and commerce locations and it has been crippled as it enters day 12 with no water from municipal taps. The knock-on effect of an ongoing and ever-vexing water crisis has plunged uMhlanga, uMhlanga Ridge and La Lucia into disaster. This as restaurants, hospitals, hotels and massive residential complexes have been brought to a crippling standstill while senior eThekwini municipal officials twiddle their thumbs. Recent oversight and engagement by DA Ward 35 councillor Nicole Bollman has shown that critical reservoirs are simply not filling – with low pressure and inadequate water volume now taking a catastrophic toll on the economy. Despite the crisis, eThekwini senior managers seem unable to put an action plan into play while prime tourism establishments suffer significant cancellations…

Many adults struggle with maintaining good and healthy boundaries. It’s part of the human condition. Knowing where I “end” and where you “begin” is not always easy. Knowing what is my responsibility, and what is not my responsibility is often fuzzy, sometimes ambiguous. Knowing when and how to draw my “line in the sand” when it comes to loving others and parenting children is certainly not for the faint hearted. Establishing and maintaining healthy boundaries – is a life-long challenge. Another challenge, which seems less frequently addressed, and integral to having good boundaries, is the matter of also having good brakes. It’s important to know when to “apply the brakes”, when to slow down, and when to stop. Knowing when “enough is enough” would save a lot of heartbreak. Persons…

CHANGES to the Employment Equity Act’s Draft Regulations on Proposed Sectoral Numerical Targets for the implementation of the Employment Equity Amendment Act have been welcomed as unions and experts agree the legacies of apartheid cannot “remain prevalent in many workplaces”. The regulations republished by employment and labour minister Thulas Nxesi last Thursday, state that the “purpose of affirmative action is a coherent packet of measures, of a temporary nature in line with the Constitution, aimed specifically at correcting the position of members of a target group as defined in the Employment Equity Act in the workplace, in order to obtain effective equality”. This as the country’s Commission for Employment Equity report last year showed top management was still occupied mostly by white people at 62.9%. However, the initial draft of…

The National Consumer Commission (NCC) said it was looking into retailer Pick n Pay’s recall notification regarding peanut butter being sold throughout the country. This comes as Pick n Pay called on its customers to check their pantries and food cupboards and make sure to return its No Name Smooth Peanut Butter, Eden Smooth Peanut Butter and Eden Crunch Peanut Butter following the detection of “higher than regulated” levels of aflatoxin. In a statement, Pick n Pay said all stocks of the products have been removed from all stores countrywide. NCC spokesperson Phetho Ntaba urged consumers to take the product back to the supplier for a full refund. “We can confirm that Pick n Pay notified the NCC about this recall on Friday. We are assessing their recall notification which…

PROBLEM buildings that have become an eyesore in Durban’s CBD could soon be “beautified” by advertising wraps. The eThekwini Municipality is moving ahead with its plan to have advertisers put wraps on declared problem buildings. It said this would help raise necessary income for the owners to maintain their buildings. The municipality said it is facilitating the process to ensure legal and safety compliance, but will not be involved in the financial agreements that will be signed between the owner and the advertising company. The move has been welcomed by some councillors who said the City needs to put a more long-term solution in place. City spokesperson, Mandla Nsele, said: “eThekwini Municipality is moving forward with the display of building wraps on declared problem buildings in the inner city.” In…

Minister of Water and Sanitation Senzo Mchunu says no effort will be spared in resolving the water supply challenges affecting areas north of Durban, including Verulam, oThongathi and Phoenix. The minister was addressing residents at the Mountview Civic Centre on Sunday. Minister Mchunu said water is a constitutional right adding that work was being done to resolve the outages by February 15. “Some institutions, schools and hospitals such as the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital, have not been receiving water. This is an occurrence that should not be allowed, one that should be addressed with great urgency.” Mchunu added that over time, raw water from the Umgeni system and other sources had reduced. “Measures need to be implemented. We have been in intense discussions with eThekwini, and as of January 31…

It’s music to our ears that coding and robotics is being rolled out as a subject in government schools from 2024. The South African education system needs to keep pace with these next-generation subjects if we are to be competitive – and confident – participants in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). However, the dream of tech-savvy classrooms is, in some cases, out of step with the on-the-ground reality, and this is where the importance of forging partnerships between the public and private sectors and civil society comes to the fore. We run an education non-profit in rural Mpumalanga and the Free State that has foregrounded digital literacy as key to unlocking the power of wonder-filled learning for children. It’s “cool” to play games on computers, with children learning while having…

Frankfurt: Ground staff at German airline Lufthansa will go on strike tomorrow in the latest industrial action to hit Europe’s biggest economy, the Verdi union said. Some 25 000 staff will take part in the walkout, which will last for around 27 hours, the union said yesterday. The workers are demanding a 12.5% pay increase over 12 months as well as one-off bonuses to counter inflation, it said in a statement. The strike will affect Germany’s biggest airport in Frankfurt as well as those in Munich, Hamburg, Berlin and Duesseldorf. “There are likely to be major flight cancellations and delays,” the union said. Lufthansa said it was working on a “special flight schedule”.…

CAIRO: Trade between Russia and Egypt grew by 20% last year, reaching $7.2 billion (about R136bn), according to preliminary data, Russian Ambassador to Cairo Georgiy Borisenko told Sputnik. “Our trade co-operation is developing successfully. According to preliminary estimates, bilateral trade last year amounted, according to Russian statistics, to $7.2bn and demonstrated a 20% growth compared to the level of 2022,” Borisenko said in an interview. Egypt’s accession to BRICS gives an additional impulse to look at the opportunities of transition to mutual payments in currencies alternative to the dollar, the ambassador added. “The dollar has become a toxic currency,” Borisenko said.…

US SECRETARY of State Antony Blinken headed to the Middle East for another crisis tour yesterday in a bid to secure a new truce in the Israel-Hamas war, as southern Gaza saw no let-up in fighting. On his fifth trip to the region since Hamas’s October 7 attack that triggered the war, Blinken is expected to visit Saudi Arabia, Israel, Egypt and Qatar. Ahead of the trip he stressed the need for “urgently addressing humanitarian needs in Gaza”, after aid groups have repeatedly sounded the alarm over the devastating impact on the besieged territory of nearly four months of war. “The situation is indescribable,” said Said Hamouda, a Palestinian who fled his home in the Gaza Strip to the southern city of Rafah on the border with Egypt. Dubbed a…