Índice para 2024-04-08 em Mercury

All societies require a framework for expropriation. The Expropriation Bill recently passed by Parliament presents a sober law that meets South Africa’s needs and international best practice. South Africa’s past continues to be felt across society with property and land still largely held by white men thirty years into democracy, despite constituting 4% of the population. Debate around the Bill has focused on one element, namely compensation. This matter has been unhelpfully polarized on an issue that is very sensitive. The reality is all societies have expropriation laws, including South Africa. The task is to ensure it reflects the needs of South Africa, protects the rights of ordinary citizens and advances transformation. The Expropriation Bill adopted by Parliament meets these progressive criteria. Our existing Expropriation Act was…

The effective implementation of the planned new work visa rules to simplify the recruitment of foreign skills will support efforts to attract investment, the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) said on Friday. CGCSA CEO Zinhle Tyikwe said that replacing the government’s critical skills list requirement with a points system to recruit expatriates would hopefully ease the administrative and bureaucratic burden that multinational companies with businesses in South Africa have been facing to recruit skilled staff. “In addition to removing the critical list, it is reported the regulations also introduce remote work visas for foreigners earning more than R1 million a year who want to relocate to South Africa,” Tyikwe said. The Department of Home Affairs recently issued new work visa regulations that make it easier for…

THE majority of senior positions in eThekwini Municipality are held by men and this has raised concerns from opposition parties that the municipality is in violation of the country’s employment equity regulations. The gender parity observation was made based on the municipality’s latest organogram, which The Mercury has seen, detailing the number of positions in the council, those who occupy the positions and those that are vacant. The municipal organogram painted a concerning picture of gender parity and shows that men predominantly occupy the positions of influence, from deputy city manager to heads, deputy heads of the different units and the general staff complement was skewed in favour of men in different management units. It also exposed the City’s failure to advance women representation in the workplace by ensuring that…

A few years back, my sons and I had a Birth Mother’s Day Dinner with 19 brave birth moms, women who’d chosen to place their babies for adoption. They lit candles. Some held treasured ear-marked photographs. There was talk about their love and support of all moms everywhere who have made the powerful choice of adoption. All were deeply contemplative – as, for a few, memories from choices made 50-plus years ago were revisited. A few women remained silent, holding tightly to affirmed and supported anonymity. Mothers who have chosen adoption for their babies are often ignored on Mother's Day. And how their hearts must surely ache. On May 12, 2024, South Africa will celebrate Mother’s Day and an unseen army of brave women will quietly witness other families rightfully…

The IFP in the KZN Legislature, as the official opposition, welcomes the three life sentences handed down by the Scottburgh Regional Court on Thursday to Sakhile Bhekisisa Mhlungu, 47, who raped 10 victims, including children aged 11, 12, and 15, four older teenagers, and two women. The judgment handed down by magistrate Asheena Bacharam to the Scottburgh “serial rapist” indeed sends a clear message that any form of sexual violence against women and children will not be tolerated in our country. We welcome the further three-year prison sentence for each of the other charges, which include kidnapping and discharging of a firearm, as this will run concurrently with the three life sentences. While justice has won in this case, the IFP believes that in its current form, the 25-year life…

A call has been made for transparency and for the public to be allowed to view proceedings when national heads of the country’s key criminal justice bodies are appointed. This was discussed in a recent seminar held by the Institute of Security Studies. The discussion was attended by Advocate Shamila Batohi, National Director of Public Prosecutions, (NDPP), Advocate Andy Mothibi, head of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and Professor Christopher Stone, Professor of Practice of Public Integrity, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. Stone said it was important for structures in criminal justice to have their independence. “We find that even in a country like Malawi the head of the anti-corruption bureau was appointed in a very open process that the public could witness. The process where National…

A food service employee at Tshilidzini Hospital in Limpopo has been arrested after he was found in possession of food, including beef and tinned fish which were meant for patients. The stolen food was discovered during a random search at the hospital’s gate, said Limpopo health department spokesperson, Thilivhali Muavha. “The stolen groceries, which included stew beef, tinned fish, and fresh milk, were intended to be used in meals for patients,” said Muavha. “The department condemns theft from the most vulnerable which also constitutes a breach of trust and a disregard for the well-being of those we serve. A case was opened and the culprit has been arrested,” he said. Last year, the Limpopo department of health welcomed the arrest of a data capturer attached to the Bela Bela…

Eskom’s April 1 ​price hike no April Fool’s joke for cash-strapped South Africans IT WASN’T an April Fool’s prank. Nor was it to placate the Greek pagan goddess of fertility and rebirth, Aestre, on which the contemporary feast of Easter was historically adopted. Alas for millions of South African households, businesses and local authorities, Eskom’s electricity tariff hike effective from April 1 till March 31 next year for direct customers, and July 1 this year to June 30 next year for municipalities, is neither an act of rebirth of a beleaguered and seemingly impotent utility, nor any reason for a last gasp of seasonal joy as the country sleepwalks into a defining general election on May 29 and into the vagaries of a southern hemisphere winter increasingly tempered by the…

Israel pulled its ground forces out of the southern Gaza Strip yesterday, media reports said, in a partial withdrawal six months into the devastating war sparked by the October 7 attacks. But the military said a “significant force” would keep operating elsewhere in the besieged Palestinian territory, able “to conduct precise intelligence based operations”. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was just “one step away from victory” and vowed there would be no let-up in fighting until Hamas releases all hostages. Speaking as new truce talks were due to be held in Cairo, he told his cabinet that “there will be no ceasefire without the return of hostages. It just won’t happen.” Netanyahu stressed that “Israel is ready for a deal, Israel is not ready to surrender”. Air strikes kept…

Rwanda’s president yesterday led commemorations to mark 30 years since the 1994 genocide that killed more than 1 million people and said the conditions that led to the slaughter would never be allowed to exist again in his country’s politics. Over 100 days, starting on April 7, 1994, Tutsis and moderate Hutus and were systematically massacred by Hutu extremists, led by the Rwandan army and a militia. Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame and his wife led 37 visiting leaders at a wreath-laying ceremony at a genocide memorial in the capital, Kigali that contains the remains of some 250 000 people. As part of the commemoration, the UN cultural agency Unesco unveiled plaques designating four genocide memorial sites to be World Heritage Sites. “Genocide is populism in its pure form, because the…

Lisbon: Four people were missing, including a 12-year-old child, after one person was rescued alive when their boat sank yesterday off the coast of Portugal, the coastguard said. Rescue ships and a Portuguese air force plane were deployed to the site where it went down 3km from the Troia, a peninsula south of Lisbon, a coastguard statement said. Police and firefighters were also searching beaches in the area. The fifth person on the boat was rescued by a passing vessel, the coastguard said. Portuguese media said the boat capsized after it was hit by a large wave, tossing passengers into the water. | AFP…

SYDNEY: New Zealand said yesterday it was making immediate changes to its employment visa programme after a near record migration last year which it said was “unsustainable”. The changes include introducing English language requirement for low skilled jobs and setting a minimum skills and work experience threshold for most employer work visas. The maximum continuous stay for most low skilled roles will also be reduced to three years from five years. Last year, a near record 173 000 people migrated to New Zealand with a population of about 5.1 million. Australia, which has also seen a big jump in migrants, has said it would halve its migrant intake over the next two years. | Reuters…

The Proteas women shift their focus to their much more fancied format – one-day internationals — when they take on Sri Lanka in the first of three matches at Buffalo Park in Benoni tomorrow. The Proteas will need to move on quickly from the 2-1 T20 series loss to the island nation, because there will be automatic World Cup points at stake in the coming days and they cannot afford any slip ups. Proteas wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta said they understand the stakes. “We understand how important it is to get to the World Cup without going through qualifiers,” she said. “We are sitting third or fourth on the standings and (the key) for us is to literally have a strong start like we had in (the T20 series opener…

US investors are eyeing Durban for possible investment opportunities that could position the city as a leader in property development, the tourism sector and in the ocean economy. In a webinar last week, the municipality and other stakeholders presented opportunities to a delegation of potential investors from New York. The delegation, led by the Reverend Dennis Dillon, is expected to visit Durban later in the year. Musa Mbhele, Durban’s city manager, said there are $200 million (R3.7 billion) worth of investment opportunities in the inner-city alone. “We have strategic parcels of land that are located in close proximity to the ocean here and that present good opportunities for investment in tourism related real estate. There are also other opportunities in the ocean economy such as the Marina upgrade which is…

OR Tambo International Airport could face another fuel supply challenge in the coming weeks if the dispute between fuel suppliers and the SA Revenue Service (Sars) over duties is not resolved speedily. According to people close to the situation, stocks of jet fuel at the Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) fuel farm in Kempton Park had declined over the past week to below the acceptable benchmark of five-days supply. The challenge of low fuel stock at SA airports has recurred frequently over the past two years due to multiple factors impacting major suppliers, including flooding, load shedding, geopolitical tensions and others. Acsa did not confirm that fuel stocks were low or explained what the impact was likely to be on flights in and out of the busiest airport in Africa,…

WE ARE commemorating the 31st anniversary of the assassination of Chris Hani on April 10. Cde Chris was cowardly assassinated outside his home in Dawn Park, Boksburg, on April 10, 1993. His was a life given to the Struggle for liberation. Cde Chris joined the underground SACP in 1961, and because he knew that freedom would not come as a gift, he joined Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) in 1962 to fight for it. He rose to become an ANC NEC member and rose through MK ranks to become the Chief of Staff. In 1969, Cde Chris and six other comrades delivered a landmark memorandum to the historic ANC conference in Morogoro, Tanzania, remembered today as the “Hani Memorandum”. The memorandum criticised ANC leaders by stating that the ANC leadership abroad had,…

The English language is filled with some legendary paradoxes: “Awe” implies excitement, something to marvel at, like “awesome”. Yet the directly derived “awful” denotes something “not too nice”. Exactly like the behavioural patterns of the British nation. Proverbial good manners and gentlemanly behaviour towards, especially ladies, was always a hallmark that was credited to the English. Thousands of novels written by probably the best authors of classic stories have their origin in London and it’s beautiful, green countryside. Stories of human suffering, poverty and the caste system, for instance, also scream at us out of the likes and pages of timeless Oliver Twists and David Copperfields. Human sacrifice and laying down one’s life for another bring temporary tears that roll out into the English Channel, from Paris all the way…

EMPLOYMENT and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi has announced the launch of the Unemployment Insurance Fund’s (UIF) Labour Activation Programme (LAP). He said the programme aimed to create over 500 000 jobs during the month of April, starting in Gauteng. He explained that the project would be rolled out nationally, with R23.8 billion set aside for the implementation of the 333 projects earmarked, across as many as 21 sectors including agriculture, construction, IT, mining, transport, energy, wholesale and retail. The training opportunities will run for a period of 12 to 36 months with the assurance of industries offering employment for one to two years. However, the DA’s Natasha Mazzone said it was concerning that the minister was offering new jobs on the one hand while some state entities were…

Worrying figures from Statistics SA (Stats SA) show that 85% of kidnapping victims are women and children. According to the 2023/24 SAPS crime statistics, between July and September there were an alarming 4 300 reported kidnapping cases, while 293 children and 881 women were murdered in the last quarter of 2023. Last month, Independent Media reported that international statistics in 2023 showed that South Africa had the highest kidnapping rate among African countries, with 9.57 kidnappings out of 100 000 people. Willem Els from the regional human security policy think-tank Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Pretoria, said evidence showed the victims of kidnappings in South Africa were mainly women and children. “Statistics show more than 15 000 people were kidnapped in South Africa in the last financial year, and…

A warning has been issued to the public by Dube TradePort Corporation north of Durban that land belonging to the entity is being sold illegally. Dube TradePort Corporation is a provincial public entity mandated by the KwaZulu-Natal government to drive the development of the Dube TradePort Special Economic Zone. Dube TradePort is home to King Shaka International Airport. Vincent Zwane, the entity’s communications and public relations manager, said Dube TradePort Corporation has become aware of an individual who is illegally selling plots of land to the public. Zwane said the land in question is owned by Dube TradePort and has been designated for the construction of the Automotive Supplier Park in Illovo, south of Durban. “We would like to issue a warning to potential victims that Dube TradePort is not…

THE recently concluded Meetings Africa 2024 Pan-African Trade Show, held in the economic hub of Sandton, Johannesburg, has set a new benchmark for the continent’s economic and trade aspirations. Attracting an impressive 3 480 delegates from more than 22 African countries, and 380 exhibitors, the event has firmly positioned itself as a cornerstone for pan-African collaboration and innovation under this year’s theme, “Africa’s success built on quality connections”. South Africa’s Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille, captured the essence of the gathering with the declaration: “It is time to showcase Africa. Africa is open for business and open for tourism.” This statement underscores the role of SA in the continent’s business events sector and highlights the continent’s readiness to engage with the global market and its vast potential as…

A major flood in the Russian city of Orsk forced thousands of people to evacuate, with Moscow reporting a “critical” situation yesterday and warning of danger water levels in Siberia. Russia has introduced a “federal emergency” situation in the southern Orenburg region, where the Ural river has flooded Orsk and now threatens the main city of Orenburg. Torrential rain caused a dam near Orsk, in the southern Urals near Kazakhstan, to burst Friday night, with authorities saying more heavy rainfall will cause water levels to continue to rise. Images showed Orsk almost entirely flooded, with only the top of submerged cars visible. Authorities have said more than 4 500 people have been evacuated from Orsk and that more than 6 500 homes were flooded throughout the Orenburg region. The Kremlin…

HARARE: Major retail shops were on Saturday trading largely in US dollars after financial institutions suspended the use of the outgoing Zimbabwean dollar (ZWL) while adjusting to the new Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) currency which was introduced Friday. Workers in shops in the city said they were accepting cash (US dollars and ZWL), but not many people had been accessing the local currency for several months. Tills were less crowded as customers failed to use their debit cards and mobile money transfer platforms. Financial institutions were also notifying customers that they had suspended some of their services while they were going through the currency conversion period. The country’s biggest mobile network operator, Econet, also announced it had suspended trading in local currency. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe on Friday introduced a…

Red Sea State: Sudanese paramilitary forces have killed at least 20 people in an attack on a village south of the capital Khartoum, a local activists’ committee said yesterday. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) “attacked the village of Um Adam” 150km south of the city on Saturday, said the local resistance committee, one of many pro-democracy groups that co-ordinate aid. Sudan’s war between the military, under army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, began on April 15 last year. Many thousands of people have been killed, including up to 15 000 in a single town in the war-hit Darfur region, the UN says. | AFP…

Madrid: Spain yesterday condemned the raid carried out by Ecuadoran security forces at Mexico’s embassy in Quito to arrest graft-accused former vice-president Jorge Glas and called for “respect for international law”. The 1961 Vienna Convention states that diplomatic or consular premises “shall be inviolable”. Glas sought refuge in the Mexican embassy last year after an arrest warrant was issued against him for alleged corruption, in a move that Ecuadoran President Daniel Noboa’s government branded an “illicit act”. Special forces last week surrounded the embassy, and at least one agent scaled the walls. | AFP…

EFF leader Julius Malema and the DA’s John Steenhuisen have both broached the idea of a coalition with the ANC in recent days as parties intensify their election campaigns. Malema speaking to JJ Tabane on his Frank Dialogue podcast on YouTube last week said if the ANC gets below 50%, he would be willing to bargain EFF votes with the ANC but only if they make his deputy Floyd Shivambu finance minister. “The finance department is owned and controlled by Stellenbosch and engages in anti-poor policies, you need a radical,” said Malema. He said the land issue was crucial to any coalition discussion. “When I was in the ANC and Baleka Mbete (former deputy president) was a national chairperson and she spoke about how Codesa (Convention for a Democratic SA)…

A FRIEND contacted me in some concern the other day. World Rugby had rescinded the Boks’ Rugby World Cup, awarded in 2023 when they defeated New Zealand. The cup had been conferred instead on Ireland. Impossible, I said. Completely impossible. He sent me the email. It did indeed make alarming reading. ’Twas headed: “South Africa stripped of their 2023 Rugby World Cup title.” Then “Breaking. “South Africa have just been stripped of their 2023 Rugby World Cup title, World Rugby have announced in a shocking statement this morning. “The Springboks were crowned champions for a record-breaking fourth time in France last year when they defeated New Zealand 12-11 in the final to claim the Webb Ellis Cup. “But World Cup have released a statement revealing that they have taken…

LAST week, the DA conducted an oversight in the DA-run uMngeni Local Municipality to highlight the advancements the party has made in delivering electricity and mitigating load shedding since taking over the municipality. The delegation, led by the DA’s shadow minister of electricity Samantha Graham-Mare MP, DA KZN provincial leader Francois Rodgers MPL, DA KZN chairperson Dean Macpherson MP and deputy uMngeni mayor Sandile Mnikathi, visited rural, township and CBD areas to witness first-hand the DA’s tangible electricity service delivery track record. Delivery interventions highlighted included a high mast light erected at the local taxi rank of rural KwaHhaza, which previously saw transport services and safety compromised due to a lack of lighting at night. This has resulted in a decrease of criminal activity, and commuters now feel safer.…

A pharmacy turned to court after the police swooped on its premises and confiscated a number of items, including cannabis flowers and medical cannabis edibles, such as toffees and gummy bears. THC Health Centre, trading as THC Pharmacy (the applicant), turned to the Gauteng High Court, in Johannesburg, in a bid to get the police to give back the confiscated goods. The pharmacy told the court that the police had swooped on their premises without a warrant. This happened after the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority alerted the police that there may be illegal substances at the premises which could result in criminal activity. The applicant claimed that its rights had been infringed and that the SAPS engaged in “self-help” when they confiscated the goods, which also included beauty…

The Department of Home Affairs has extended weekend operations for collecting IDs ahead of the May 29 general elections. For ID collection services, application facilitation and temporary identity certificate issuance, the Home Affairs offices will be open on Saturdays until May 25 for five hours. Siya Qoza, department spokesperson, said offices will also deal with duplicates, amendments, rectifications, and dead-alive cases if applicants had the required documentation. “We invite people who have applied for their IDs, particularly young people who are first applicants, to come to our offices to collect their documents. This initiative gives people more options to collect their enabling documents,” he said. He further said the offices will open from 8am to 1pm. Mobile offices are also scheduled to return to deliver IDs in the remote areas…

THE financial state of the Msunduzi Municipality is coming under intense scrutiny after the embattled entity reissued a circular detailing a raft of cost-cutting measures. Among the measures is the call to stop all current and future sponsorships that the council cannot afford. However, Msunduzi mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla was quick to dismiss concerns that the city’s multimillion-rand sponsorship of the Royal AM Football Club could be on the chopping block. He said he believed the council would honour the contractual obligations it had entered into. The Royal AM sponsorship was a controversial matter when it was approved and was subject to a legal challenge by the DA. The current status of this legal challenge could not be established yesterday. Opposition parties said they welcomed the circular. The circular informed “councillors…

EThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda yesterday introduced the contractor for the Southern Aqueduct water pipeline project. At a meeting in Shallcross, Kaunda explained that the project aimed to improve water supply to the south of Durban, particularly in areas such as uMlazi, Chatsworth, Folweni, Shallcross, Nsimbini, KwaMakhutha, and Golokodo. The pipeline was decommissioned in 2018 due to deterioration and the City has allocated R1.2 billion to replace it. The project will be completed in 24 months. During the first six months, the contractor will undertake temporary repairs of the existing pipeline to improve water supply while construction is under way. Kaunda emphasised to the contractor the importance of completing the project on schedule as the residents in the southern region had experienced intermittent water supply for far too long. “We want…

THE DA will find it hard to stop the decline in its support if it continues with its hypocrisy and resembles the ANC. Even the so-called moonshot pact will not do much to see the DA forming part of a national government until it practises what it preaches, at least. Its candidate list for national and provincial elections on May 29 proves why DA critics have a strong point in their argument that it cannot self- correct, just like the ANC. Among the DA members who will be rewarded handsomely with a parliamentary seat is Conrad Poole, the ex-Drakenstein mayor removed through an ANC-sponsored motion of no confidence that was also supported by some of his own caucus members. Poole was ousted in February following an investigation into allegations that…

Social media influencers have embraced artificial intelligence to spice up their content but they are also facing growing competition from AI-generated Instagramers, TikTokers and YouTubers. Sporting pink hair and posing in lingerie, swimsuits or gym outfits, Aitana Lopez has more than 300 000 followers on Instagram where she is described as a “gamer at heart” and “fitness lover” – except she’s not real. Aitana was created by The Clueless, a Barcelona-based company that describes itself as an “AI modeling agency” run by “visionaries on a mission to redefine the world of influencers”. Sofia Novales, project manager at The Clueless, said the “rising costs associated with human influencers” was a reason behind the company’s creation. “Virtual models, being digital, present a more economical alternative,” Novales said. Another plus: total control over…

London: Simon Harris, who is set to become Ireland’s youngest prime minister, said yesterday that Irish unification was a “legitimate political aspiration” but not a priority for him. The 37-year-old was appointed leader of the centre-right Fine Gael party last month after the shock resignation of his predecessor Leo Varadkar. A vote to confirm Harris as Taoiseach (prime minister), which he is expected to win, will be held in the Irish parliament tomorrow. Harris has said his main focus would be on law and order, crafting a “more planned and sustainable” immigration policy and fighting “against the dangers of populism. We have a peace process that is enduring on this island and is … one of the most successful …in the world, but it’s also a frosty peace,” he said.…

Athens: Greece yesterday raised its wildfire alert level to “high risk” after dozens of blazes broke out, the civil protection ministry said. On Saturday, “71 fires were declared in agricultural and forestry regions across the country in 12 hours”, said the ministry that also looks after the climate crisis. Most of the fires were controlled, with the exception of one in Lasithi on the island of Crete that was still burning yesterday, the fire department said. Three people were lightly injured in the blaze, the department said. Strong winds of up to 60km/h are expected “making the situation extremely dangerous for the outbreak of fires”, the ministry said. | AFP…