Índice para 2024-09-03 em Mercury

RAINBOW Chicken, which listed on the JSE in July, reported a big financial turnaround in the year to June 30 with earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) at R629.7 million versus only R29.8m the year before. Its financial results were still included as discontinued operations in the results of its parent RCL Foods. Rainbow’s reported profit surged to R169.6m profit versus a R299.9m loss the year before. “The turnaround at Rainbow is now well advanced, with every component of the process yielding positive results. At the core of the transformation is the aim to farm as efficiently and as cost-effectively as possible, with support from a change in breed,” RCL’s directors said in the results. The 7.9% increase in revenue to R14.53 billion was largely attributable…

How we “ex” is rather telling. How we exit a marriage, a family, a group impacts much of how we are in our current relationships. Former husbands, wives, in-laws, former lovers, even former friends, who, for whatever reasons, get eX-ed from our lives, no matter how necessary the termination may have been, linger within who we were to each other, and impact who we are with people today. “That’s my Ex. We were married for 10 years,” I recently heard someone say, “we’ve never talked again. Not once. And, I never want to.” Sad words, no matter what the cause of the breakdown in the marriage. We are not rocks. We are men and women with memories and feelings and emotions. It is impossible to remove a person – and…

LET ME describe what life would be like as a Palestinian. You will live a life where some people believe that in order for the Messiah or Jesus to come again, they must kill you and your family and displace your people and replace them with Jews. You will be paying the price of a guilt generalised on Germans forever because of a crime they committed 100 years ago that you have nothing to do with, and, not just any price but the price of land and blood. You will be cancelled and denied like you came from nowhere because some people think that your land belongs exclusively to the children of Israel, who erase your history, culture and identity. You will be fighting and sacrificing while being abandoned by…

Unashamedly, former High Court judge Chris Nicholson said that South Africa is a deeply unequal society with just two white families, the Oppenheimers and the Ruperts owning half of the country’s wealth. This may come as a shock to many of us and we may say what an admirable man is Nicholson for being so frank and honest about the great divide between the rich and the poor. But if you go back to 2008 when Judge Nicholson presided over the corruption case against former president Jacob Zuma, you may change your mind and have serious doubts about the fitness and integrity of his holding such a high office. For it was this learned judge who let Zuma off the hook in 2008 which shocked the country and shook the…

Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) said it would this week submit a detailed turnaround plan following the near collapse of its systems, which risked the country’s airspace being downgraded. This came after a “festival of errors” shut down smaller local airports while the malfunction of oceanic transponders on Atlantic and Mediterranean waters raised the ire of the US. ATNS head of corporate affairs and communications Mphilo Dlamini said yesterday that the plan indicating budget allocation, time frames and technical capacity required was on schedule to be submitted to Transport Minister Barbara Creecy. Creecy had convened an urgent oversight meeting with aviation entities ATNS, Airports Company South Africa and the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) on the ongoing flight delays at various airports. Creecy emphasised the need for ATNS…

Schools in KwaZulu-Natal continued to offer their condolences to the Michaelhouse school community and friends and family of Grade 8 pupil Garth Finnemore, who was killed along with his parents in a head-on collision on Saturday. Garth and his parents, Olivia and Gareth Finnemore, died in a head-on collision on the R622 Greytown Road while travelling back from a rugby sevens tournament. Garth’s younger brother Harry, a 12-year old Grade 6 pupil at the Durban Preparatory High School (DPHS) was found in a critical condition and placed on a manual ventilator at the scene before being rushed to a specialist hospital for further care. Michaelhouse said on their Facebook page that the school was devastated by the death of its Grade 8 pupil. “We are devastated to have to inform…

Country’s role is crucial in advancing the cause of gender equity THE G20, a forum representing the world’s most powerful economies, plays a pivotal role in shaping global financial policies, influencing everything from trade to investment flows, and setting the agenda for international economic governance. The decisions made within this group have far-reaching implications, especially for developing countries and marginalised populations. South Africa, as the only African nation in the G20, occupies a unique position where it can bring the concerns of the continent to the forefront, particularly the financial disparities that disproportionately affect women. Women’s access to financial resources, credit, and capital remains limited due to systemic barriers ingrained in global financial systems, often exacerbating gender inequality. As such, the G20’s agenda provides South Africa with an opportunity to…

Strike action brought parts of Israel to a halt yesterday in a bid to raise pressure on the government to secure the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza, after the military recovered the bodies of six captives the health ministry said had been “murdered” by Hamas. Relatives and demonstrators have accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of not doing enough to bring the hostages back alive, and during mass rallies on Sunday called for a truce deal to help free dozens who remain captive. The military said on Sunday that the bodies of six hostages – all captured alive during Hamas’s October 7 attack on southern Israel that triggered the war – had been recovered from a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip, prompting outpourings of grief and fury.…

Pope Francis, 87, flew to Indonesia yesterday on the first leg of an ambitious four-nation tour, with inter-faith ties set to dominate his visit to the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country. The pontiff was due to land in Jakarta today, the first stop in a 12-day voyage that will also take in Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore. Covering 32 000km, the tour – the longest and farthest of his 11 years leading the Catholic Church – will test Francis’s increasingly fragile health. Catholics represent fewer than 3% of the population of Indonesia – about 8 million people, compared to the 87%, or 242 million, who are Muslim. But they are one of six officially recognised religions or denominations in the secular nation, also including Protestantism, Buddhism, Hinduism and…

KINSHASA: Democratic Republic of Congo’s government said an attempted prison break took place overnight at the central Makala prison in the capital, Kinshasa. In a statement yesterday, the government said security forces now had the situation under control and an investigation would take place. Gunfire rang out around 2am (1am GMT), one prisoner said. Another described being woken up by the sounds of prisoners outside, followed by heavy gunfire. “The soldiers were shooting at everything that moved,” a third prisoner said. The prison hospital and its administrative building were on fire, a prison official said yesterday. | Reuters…

STOCKHOLM: Toddlers should not be allowed to watch screens at all, Sweden told parents yesterday. Children under the age of two should be kept away from digital media and television completely. This was said by the country’s Public Health Agency. Kids between the ages of two and five should be limited to a maximum of one hour of screen time a day, it said in new recommendations. Children aged six to 12 should spend no more than an hour or two a day in front of a screen. Teenagers aged 13 to 18 should be limited to two to three hours per day, the agency said. | AFP…

While we get most of our essential nutrients from a balanced diet, the typical Western diet often lacks certain vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin B12, iodine and iron. Iron plays a crucial role in the body by transporting oxygen through the bloodstream and helping produce proteins and enzymes. Since iron is an essential nutrient, it's important to include it in our diet. Fortunately, it can be found in a variety of foods, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. How much iron do you need? The recommended daily iron intake varies based on age, sex and life stage. Here's a quick guide: Men (ages 19 to 50): 8mg Men (ages 51 and older): 8mg Women (ages 19 to 50, not pregnant or breastfeeding): 18mg Pregnant Women (ages 19 to 50): 27mg Breastfeeding Women…

WOW, a blast from the past! A message comes to me from retired attorney Murray Leyden, son of the legendary master cartoonist Jock Leyden, who entertained people for decades. Murray wants to know about Jock’s famous cartoon, now hanging in Buckingham Palace, in which a stork smoking a large cigar says: “So I says to Philip, I says …” Philip was Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth. The occasion was the birth of Prince Charles (now, of course, King Charles). The cartoon hangs in Buckingham Palace, with three other Leyden masterpieces. A Leyden cartoon also hangs in Blenheim Palace, home of the Churchill family, and yet another in the Pentagon, US military HQ. Jock was a busy fellow during World War II. The reason Murray Leyden wants info on…

ActionSA wishes to extend its heartfelt appreciation to Chief Justice Raymond Zondo for his distinguished service to our constitutional democracy over the past 27 years. We celebrate his nearly three decades of upholding the rule of law and his perseverance in navigating the numerous challenges which have undoubtedly left an indelible mark on our judiciary. As we acknowledge and reflect on the tenure of Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, we do so with a deep sense of respect and admiration for his service to South Africa and her people, defined by notable humility and an unwaver ing commitment to justice and the rule of law. Importantly, his enduring legacy is distinctly marked by the State Capture Commission and its consequential reports, the impact of which will ultimately depend on the forthcoming…

IN EARLY August, Gert Grobler, senior research fellow at the Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University and a former senior diplomat in the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation, with 63 scholars from 50 African countries, sent a joint letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping. In this letter, they extended their warmest congratulations on the successful convening of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and highly appreciated the historic achievements of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (Focac). They hoped the new Focac summit would write a new chapter for building a China-Africa community with a shared future and modernising the Global South. On August 27, President Xi Jinping wrote a letter back to the scholars, encouraging them…

THE Deputy City Manager (DCM) for Trading Services in eThekwini Municipality, Sibusiso Makhanya, is on the verge of being suspended after the metro accused him of dereliction of duty, claiming that he failed to do his job and caused it to suffer R6.6 million in fruitless and wasteful expenditure. A report seen by The Mercury shows the amount was incurred in legal fees and interest after the City failed to defend a lawsuit lodged by one of its service providers. The report was tabled during a council meeting last week under confidential matters. Makhanya told The Mercury yesterday that he was aware of the report and would be giving his side of the story soon. He has until September 6 to respond to the City. “It would be improper for…

IN turning to the Western Cape High Court to set aside two resolutions passed at UCT in relation to the Gaza conflict, a historical studies professor at the institution says the decisions limit academic freedom and council failed to consider an array of relevant considerations before passing the resolutions. The resolutions on the destruction of scholarship and education in Gaza and regarding research collaborations with members of the Israeli Defence Forces and the wider Israeli military establishment, were passed in June by majority votes. In terms of the resolutions, no UCT academic may enter into relations, or continue relations with, any research group and or network whose author affiliations are with the Israeli Defence Forces, and or the broader Israeli military establishment. In his review application, humanities professor Adam Mendelsohn…

THE City of Joburg, which lost its grip on managing an old age home and now alleges that it is a nest for drug dealers and other illegal activities, has also lost its application to have all the occupants evicted. The Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg said the city was the author of its own misfortune and as there were people who genuinely deserved to stay there, the city could not simply have everyone evicted. The Donovan MacDonald Retirement Centre is a 183-unit older persons home in Florida, west of Johannesburg. The City owns and operates the centre. It explained that the units at the centre are allocated by reference to its “vetting and selection criteria”. These criteria are deployed to ensure that only those genuinely in need of accommodation are…

WHEN Kenyan President William Ruto launched the listing of Kenya’s debut Sukuk Linzi at the bell ringing ceremony at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) in August, it wasn’t a question of size that matters, but more about the symbolism of the gradual acceptance in continental Africa of sovereign Sukuk as an alternative cost-effective public debt fund-raising instrument – one of the few development finance products pioneered in the Global South. The usual mantra by debt management offices at finance ministries is that Sukuk issuance is to diversify sources of funding, to finance government budget shortfalls, to deepen local capital markets, and to broaden the investor base for such products. To be fair to them this has been a mainstay of the global sovereign Sukuk market, albeit largely confined to investment…

Nigeria yesterday charged 10 people with treason and conspiring to incite the military to mutiny following last month’s nationwide demonstrations that saw thousands take to the streets to protest against a cost of living crisis. The protests were met with a deadly crackdown by security forces and Amnesty International said at least 13 people were killed. Security forces denied using lethal force. The 10 men were arraigned in the Abuja Federal High Court and entered a not guilty plea. They face the death penalty if convicted, human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong said. State prosecutors said in court papers seen by Reuters that the protesters intended to destabilise Nigeria and “conspired together to commit felony to wit, treason”. Prosecutors also laid five other charges against the accused under the country’s penal…

The far right’s first victory in a German state election in the post-war era prompted soul-searching in Berlin yesterday, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s battered and unloved coalition looked as if it would hold together. All three parties in Scholz’s centre-left coalition suffered painful losses while the nationalist Alternative for Germany (AfD) and a new anti-establishment populist party booked record gains in the eastern states of Thuringia and Saxony on Sunday. Scholz, a Social Democrat, described the results as “bitter” but Finance Minister Christian Lindner rejected suggestions that his neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP), who fared the worst of all coalition partners, should quit the government. With a year to go to national elections, the results are nonetheless likely to foment tensions in a coalition riven by ideological differences and struggling to…

MOSCOW: Russian forces are advancing faster in eastern Ukraine than they have done for a long time, taking several square kilometres daily, President Vladimir Putin said yesterday as Moscow’s forces tried to smash through a major Ukrainian defensive line. Russian forces, which control 18% of Ukraine, have been advancing in eastern Ukraine since the failure of Kyiv’s 2023 counter-offensive. Despite a major Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, the bigger Russian army has in recent weeks been thrusting relatively swiftly though settlements in eastern Ukraine on the approach to the key city of Pokrovsk. | Reuters…

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that young members of his family speak fluent Mandarin, though he told school children they should not forget the importance of English too despite the growing popularity of Chinese. Putin has two daughters with his ex-wife, Lyudmila, and they speak Russian, English, German, and French. Putin, who divorced his wife in 2014, has at least three grandchildren, according to Russian media. Amid a growing partnership between China and Russia, Mandarin has been growing in popularity across Russia. Putin, who speaks fluent German but has taken lessons to improve his English, said that pupils should not forget the importance of English.…

OPENER Tazmin Brits is hoping a “fearless” brand of cricket will take the Proteas Women’s team one step further when they head off to the ICC T20 Women’s World Cup in the United Arab Emirates next month. The Proteas finished as runners-up to Australia in a memorable first appearance in a T20 World Cup final at Newlands last year. But now Brits is hoping to spearhead the Proteas’ challenge from the top of the order again. The powerful right-hander enjoyed an excellent T20 World Cup on home soil, amassing 186 runs at an average of 37.20 and strike rate of 103.91. She was particularly good in the semi-final against England, where she not only stroked 68 of 55 balls but also claimed four spectacular catches. The 33-year-old also formed a…

BIDVEST Group’s diversified industrial service, trading and distribution businesses generated a solid performance in the year to June 30 and there were indications that market conditions in all the territories where it operates should start improving, CEO Mpumi Madisa said yesterday. Five of its seven divisions reported profit growth, four of those with double-digit profit increases, she said in an interview. The formation of a Government of National Unity was one indicator of a more business-friendly environment in South Africa, she added. The final dividend was raised 25% to 447 cents a share, bringing the total for the year higher by 4.3% to 914c. Group revenue increased 6.5% to R122.6 billion, while normalised headline earnings a share increased by 4.3% to 1964.8c. Bidvest has come out of a…

Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka returned to the US Open in style in New York, as she rocked stylish Nike sets. The 26-year-old donned a black and white Nike tutu skirt and a leather jacket with a dramatic bow, designed by Yoon Ambush. For her second look, Osaka wore a green multi-layered dress with a white jacket. Ambush explained that while Osaka’s outfits took two years to make, she didn’t mind because the tennis champion deserved it. “Designing is an exercise of listening and imagining the story the athlete wants to tell,” she said. “And this one is for @naomiosaka’s personal journey. Often, we see athletes as one-dimensional, tied to their sport, but I get to peel back those layers and explore the different facets of who they are and…

ISRAEL’S despicable actions for the past 11 months in Gaza are unfathomable, yet they have been seen in real-time by hundreds of millions of people around the world. Sadly, more than 40 000 Palestinians died, with no one intervening. In 1982, my wife visited Jerusalem and was requested by Palestinians to bring their suffering to the attention of the people of South Africa. But most people turned a blind eye to their plight, allowing the suffering to continue for more than seven decades. Notably, several American activists have stood up for the Palestinians and tragically paid with their lives in the process. These include 23-year-old Rachel Corrie, who was killed by an Israeli bulldozer in Rafah, Gaza, as she tried to prevent Palestinian homes from being bulldozed. In 2009, Tristan…

Kids come to school with heaps of genetic material pumped into their psyche I sometimes do some voluntary work at schools to try and motivate youngsters in science but have encountered, especially more recently, another interesting stumbling block that poses a problem to educators: "They don't believe!" For example, I may begin a lesson in Grade 8, on the subject of "Light" by taking the minds of these kids back a few billion years: "Scientists believe that there was once a single massive sun, during which period there were no ‘other suns’, no stars, no planets, no Earth, no moon, no nothing.“ And immediately a number of hands are raised to high heaven, asking: "How do you know? Where's the proof?" A similar question would arise in other academic…

A call has been made for the historical role that coloured farmworkers played in building Stellenbosch to be recognised and preserved at the Aan Den Wagenweg site, after the council approved a Remgro application to erect signs explaining the meaning of the heritage site. The matter came before the council as Remgro had requested that the municipal manager provide a letter to support its application to Heritage Western Cape, and so that it could erect signs on a municipal road. A council meeting agenda stated that the surrounding owners had all sent letters to indicate that they supported the application. At a council meeting on August 23, the application was adopted by majority vote. There were 10 abstentions, said Stellenbosch Municipality spokesperson Stuart Grobbelaar. “Recognising the architectural, social, cultural and…

THE mother of a child who was injured when a teacher assaulted the child by piercing his left eye with a pencil, which penetrated into the brain behind the eye, is due to receive more than R2.5 million from Gauteng Education Department after she instituted a damages claim. The mother turned to the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, following an incident in August 2014 when the child was only 6 years old. He is now 16 and blind in his left eye as a result of the pencil incident. The MEC for Education in Gauteng was sued in a representative capacity as nominal defendant for claims arising against the child’s former primary school. The MEC earlier accepted liability on behalf of the teacher and the school and the court at the…

The quarterly crime statistics, released last week, have revealed that extortion has more than doubled, with Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal leading in the number of cases in the country. Crime experts say extortion syndicates vary and include land, housing, construction and taxi mafia, among others. The 2024/25 financial year first quarter stats released by Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on Friday shows extortion rose from 13 cases between April and June 2023 to 30 cases for the same period this year. Gauteng had the highest number with 13 incidents this year and KZN has four compared to 2023 where these provinces had seven and two cases, respectively. Crime experts say extortionists are extremely dangerous and their targets, in fear for their safety, fail to report these crimes to the police. Chad Thomas,…

In a bold and long-overdue move, the new Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, has proposed a groundbreaking initiative to allow families of police officers killed in the line of duty to claim restitution from those responsible. This announcement was made during the commemoration of 39 officers who lost their lives during the 2023/24 financial year, highlighting the urgent need for justice and support for the grieving families left behind. Mchunu has promised to explore avenues for the SAPS to assist families in civil claims against perpetrators. This initiative is not only a beacon of hope for families seeking justice, but it also represents a significant shift in addressing the broader issues of criminal accountability. For too long, the justice system has focused solely on criminal procedures, often neglecting the financial…

A five-member panel of Brazil’s Supreme Court formed a majority yesterday to uphold Justice Alexandre de Moraes’s ruling to shut down social media platform X in the country for not complying with local norms. Justices Flavio Dino and Cristiano Zanin sided with De Moraes, forming a majority even if Justices Luiz Fux and Carmen Lucia were still to cast their votes. X was taken down in Brazil, one of its largest markets, on Saturday following a decision by Moraes, after the platform missed a court-imposed deadline to name a legal representative in Brazil as required by local law. Moraes also ordered that those who accessed X via VPNs will be fined up to 50 000 reais a day. Moraes and X owner Elon Musk have been locked in a feud…

BENGHAZI: Oil exports at major Libyan ports were halted yesterday and production curtailed across the country, six engineers said, amid a stand-off between rival political factions over control of the central bank and oil revenue. Some output was being increased to feed local power generation, they said. Libya’s oil production has plummeted by more than half from typical levels since the stand-off began last month, when western factions moved to oust veteran Central Bank of Libya (CBL) Governor Sadiq al-Kabir. In response, eastern factions called for a shutdown to all oil production. The crisis threatens to end a four-year period of relative peace in the Opec member. | Reuters…

LONDON: British government plans to increase a windfall tax on North Sea oil and gas producers would lead to a nearly £12 billion (about R282bn) drop in revenue and accelerate a decline in output, industry group Offshore Energies UK said yesterday. The Labour government, elected in July, has said the changes will help to ramp up renewable power and shift from oil and gas in order to reduce carbon emissions. Offshore Energies said the changes would reduce tax revenue by £12bn between 2025 and 2029, compared to the current tax regime. Capital investment in the sector over the period is expected to fall to £2.3bn from around £14bn, the group said. | Reuters…