Table of contents for 2021-06-28 in Mercury

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za JUNIOR coal producer Wescoal generated 322 percent more cash from its operations during the year ended March 2021 compared to a year earlier. This despite the slump in Eskom offtake due to the Covid-19 pandemic and logistical problems at the Kusile power station. Wescoal said on Friday that cash generated from operations increased to R773 million compared with R183m in 2020 despite the subdued economic slowdown. Wescoal also narrowed to R36m during the year ended March 2021 compared with a R136m loss a year earlier, and said sales had increased to R2.15 billion from R1.67bn in the prior year. This was mainly due to the full year sales to Eskom, in terms of the Moabsvelden sales agreement. Wescoal’s flagship Moabsvelden project made its…

VERNON MCHUNU vernon.mchunu@inl.co.za AN UNEMPLOYED single mother of two, and her neighbours, in a low-cost residential area, have urged the eThekwini Municipality to fix its problematic billing system after they were slapped with exorbitant water bills. As Lindiwe Ndlela complains of being ignored by city authorities regarding her water woes, political parties say the hefty utility bills had become an all-too-common topic in city corridors. While the IFP put the blame squarely on the city’s Revenue Management Billing System (RMS), the DA pointed to several other reasons including what tariffs were being charged. Claiming, along with her two neighbours, that the bills were not sent to them on a regular, monthly basis by the municipality, Ndlela said she was shocked to have received bills that had now reached hundreds of…

The European Space Agency (ESA) hopes to hire and launch the world’s first physically disabled astronaut and several hundred would-be para-astronauts have already applied for the role, ESA head Josef Aschbacher has said. The 22-member space programme received 22 000 applicants, he said.We would like to launch an astronaut with a disability – for the first time ever,” the Austrian added. The ESA, whose Ariane rocket once dominated the market for commercial satellite launches, faces ever stiffer competition from tech billionaires like Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin and Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Amazon founder Bezos hopes next month to become the first man to go into space on his own rocket. “Space is developing extremely fast and if we don’t catch up we are left behind,” Aschbacher added, outlining plans to refashion…

MOHAMED SAEED | Pietermaritzburg WHILE the Constitution recognises the right to assemble in public, to picket, to express views in a public forum and to protest, such right has to be exercised within limitations as prescribed by the law. Protesters or aggrieved parties must conduct themselves in a manner that recognises the rights of others and comply with the legal criteria of a lawful public gathering. Breaking the law should not be supported and accepted as the new normal. Peaceful protests are lawful and an integral part in the political progression in a pluralistic democracy. It is also an effective means to bring about social change, accountability and social justice. Having said that, the lack of service delivery and accountability on the part of authorities is concerning. Citizens…

PRINCE MANGOSUTHU BUTHELEZI MP Traditional Prime Minister to the Zulu monarch and nation I take strong exception to Mr Sihle Mavuso’s allegation that I “blocked” a meeting between His Majesty King Misuzulu kaZwelithini and his sister, Princess Nombuso, who is involved in litigation in which the king is a respondent (“Mangosuthu Buthelezi, royal rebels in new fight”, The Mercury, June25). I made it quite clear that His Majesty the King took the decision not to travel to KwaKhethomthandayo Royal Palace on the basis of the pending litigation. As is my duty, I advised the King on the implications of the sub judice rule, and senior counsel confirmed that my advice was correct. Portraying this as my blocking the King, as though I were able to control his decisions is absurd.…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za THE Mpumalanga High Court sitting in Mbombela has intervened after a crying 13-year-old boy was found by a stranger wandering the streets, neglected, dirty and hungry. The court ordered that the boy (who cannot be identified because he is a minor) had to be sent to Switzerland to join his mother there. The child’s grandparents turned to court and asked that the child be sent to his mother, who had returned to Switzerland after she had divorced her South African husband, who is said to be abusive and a heavy drinker. When she first left her husband, she went back to Switzerland and took her child with her. The husband, however, laid a charge of kidnapping against her and she was forced to return her son. It…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za THE psychological state of eThekwini metro police officers has come under scrutiny following a claim that the officers do not have “access to quality” psychological help that they need to deal with the trauma they witness daily. Chairperson of the city’s audit committee Nala Mhlongo said recently that the unit was faced with compromised health and safety of staff (due to) non-availability of psychological services. These revelations were however challenged by metro police head Steve Middleton, who said members were getting the assistance they needed. But some members of the unit said while psychological services were being provided, they were not helpful. Mhlongo last week tabled a report that highlighted in very brief form, issues of concern in the unit. It touched on both tools of trade…

Sihle Mavuso sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za AS the tension in the Zulu royal family continues to spill into the public domain, King Misuzulu has eventually met Princess Nombuso Zulu, but no one wants to say what exactly was discussed. The meeting took place on Friday and the venue is still not known. Princess Nombuso is one of the daughters of Queen Sibongile Dlamini, the first wife of the late King Goodwill Zwelithini. Queen Sibongile is waging a court battle as she wants to inherit 50% of the late monarch’s estate on the basis that she was the first to marry him, and they were married in community of property. Separately, her two daughters, Princess Ntandoyenkosi and Princess Ntombisuthu Zulu, are challenging the validity of the will of the king, alleging that some signatures…

Sakhiseni Nxumalo sakhiseni.nxumalo@inl.co.za THE NEWCASTLE Municipality has appointed a private company to assist with the recovery of debt in arrears, owed by communities, of more than R900 million. The municipality issued a notice to the public stating that Medaco Revenue Solutions would help recover property rates and service charges. “Medaco will be contacting debtors through SMS, email and direct telephone calls, to inform them of any outstanding debt owed to the municipality,” reads the notice. It said all money would be paid into the municipality’s banking account. In an interview with The Mercury, municipal manager Vish Govender said the appointment was done through the utilisation of the transversal tender process of the National Treasury. He said the debt collector would recover debt older than 60 days, in respect of the…

Tando Tubane The institution of traditional leadership within the province of KwaZulu-Natal is an important pillar that plays a crucial role in the lives of the millions of residents who reside within areas that fall under the jurisdiction of Amakhosi. As the oldest form of governance, this institution provides leadership and touches many lives within our province, the challenges that it has faced throughout the millennia of its existence have sharpened it and it continues to find a place to thrive within the democratic society. The Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) is mandated by the constitution to work closely with Amakhosi aseNdlunkulu, through the Provincial House of Traditional Leaders and the Local Houses based at the district level. Amakhosi as leaders of their respective izizwe have…

In the end, it wasn’t the snogging, as Brits call smooching, with an aide that got Britain’s most prominent pandemic official to resign Saturday. It was, his many critics claimed, the audacious hypocrisy: the sense that ordinary people must follow to the rules, of mask-wearing and social distancing, even if the elite get to make out in government offices. Matt Hancock announced his resignation as health secretary after the Sun tabloid earlier splashed a photograph, and later video, of the 42-year-old passionately kissing a former Oxford University friend inside the ministry’s headquarters in May, when Britons were still being implored to keep three- to six-feet (roughly 1-2m) apart. Both Hancock and the aide, public relations expert Gina Coladangelo, who is married to the multimillionaire fashion tycoon Oliver Tress, have spouses…

The labour minister in the Palestinian Authority (PA) resigned yesterday, a party member said, as security forces braced for further protests demanding President Mahmoud Abbas step down. The decision comes after three days of heavy protests against the PA, triggered by the violent arrest and death in custody of an activist. Nizar Banat, a 43-year-old known for social media videos denouncing alleged corruption within the PA, died on Thursday after security forces stormed his house and violently arrested him, his family said. New protests were planned in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, in both Ramallah, the seat of the PA, and Banat’s home town of Hebron. The left-wing Palestinian People’s Party withdrew from the Fatah-led PA government due to “its lack of respect for laws and public freedoms”, party member Issam…

SEOUL: Everyone in North Korea is “heartbroken” over leader Kim Jong-Un’s apparent weight loss, an unidentified resident of Pyongyang was quoted as saying on the country’s tightly controlled state media, after watching recent video footage of Kim. The rare public comment on Kim’s health comes after foreign analysts noted in June that the autocratic leader, believed to be 37, appeared to have lost a noticeable amount of weight. “Seeing respected general secretary (Kim Jong Un) looking emaciated breaks our people’s heart,” the man said on Friday on state broadcaster KRT. “Everyone say their tears welled up.” In the clip, Pyongyang residents were seen watching a big screen on the street showing a concert attended by Kim and party officials after a Workers’ Party of Korea meeting. When Kim reappeared in…

PARIS: France voted in run-offs for regional elections yesterday that could give the far-right its first regional powerbase and shift the balance in next year’s presidential race. Last week’s first round proved dire for President Emmanuel Macron, whose party is on course to win none of France’s 13 regions, but was also disappointing for far-right leader Marine Le Pen. Yesterday, only 27.89% of voters had turned out to vote, down from 50.54% in 2015. In the first round, Le Pen’s party came top in just one region. The centre-right staged a surprise comeback. Le Pen’s National Rally still hopes to win its first region in the south-east, which would boost her chances in 2022. | Reuters…

Mike Greenaway mike.greenaway@inl.co.za AN unfortunate tradition of British & Irish Lions tours to South Africa is the constant stream of battered players boarding flights home as the highveld takes its toll, but tour-ending injuries to Alun Wyn Jones and Justin Tipuric before they have even left Heathrow is next level ... The previous record for the shortest-lived Lions tour was 55 seconds, the time it took Welsh flank Stuart Lane to get injured against Eastern Province in the opening match of the 1980 tour but the calamities suffered by Jones and Tipuric in the pre-tour warm-up against Japan trump that by some margin. That 1980 tour, by the way, was carnage. The Lions had a revolving door at Jan Smuts Airport with nine badly crocked players despairingly heading…

World championship leader Fabio Quartararo cruised to his fourth win of the season at the Dutch Grand Prix yesterday, leading a Yamaha one-two ahead of pole-sitter Maverick Vinales in Assen. After dominating qualifying and practice sessions, both Yamaha riders started at the front of the grid but were stunned by Ducati's Francesco Bagnaia, who had taken a surprise lead by the end of the opening lap. Quartararo struggled to use Yamaha's corner speed to his advantage in the early stages but finally made a move stick on lap six to pick off Bagnaia, before opening up a three-second lead over the chasing pack. Bagnaia's challenge faded after he was given a long-lap penalty for exceeding track limits, allowing Vinales to recover from a slow start and take second place. Although…

Tencent is and was a massive success story for Naspers. Tencent’s share price in Chinese renminbi (or yuan) grew by about 29 percent a year over the past 11 years. Naspers boosted the value of savings of many citizens and especially that of government employees through the Government Employees Pension Fund (Gepf) and ensured healthy growth in pensions. At the end of the 2019/20 fiscal year, more than 15 percent of the Gepf’s total investments consisted of Naspers and its subsidiary, Prosus. The outlook for Tencent and Naspers is blurred, though. Naspers’s effective holding in Tencent Holdings is about 22 percent through Prosus. At Friday’s closing price of 598.5 Hong Kong dollars and an exchange rate of R1.82 to the Hong Kong dollar, Naspers’s holding in Tencent…

Sibusiso Mboto and Karen Singh The health portfolio committee in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature will visit Estcourt Hospital today as part of a fact-finding mission following an incident in which security guards assaulted a patient. The visit was confirmed by committee chairperson Nomakiki Majola, who said the committee was embarrassed by the video of the incident, which she said showed lack of care by both nurses and guards. “We want to see for ourselves how the hospital operates, and that is why we will be visiting it tomorrow (Monday).As for the video, it is nothing short of embarrassing,” she said. In one of two videos the patient is seen lying down on a hospital bed while two security guards hold him down as they slap and punch him. In the second…

HOW do astronauts do laundry in space? They don’t. They wear their underwear, gym clothes and everything else until they can’t take the stink anymore, then bin them. Nasa wants to change that. It’s teamed up with the company Procter & Gamble to figure out how to clean astronauts’ clothes in space so they can be re-used for months or even years, just like on Earth — and they can stop throwing away tons of dirty clothes every year, stuffing them in the trash to burn up in the atmosphere aboard discarded cargo skips. The Cincinnati company has announced that it will send up detergent and stain removal kits to the space station, part of the galactic battle against soiled and sweaty clothes. Space station astronauts exercise two hours a…

IAIN ROBERTSON | Durban North THERE are serious questions that need answers about electricity reticulation in Durban. Why is the electricity department a profit centre? It should be a non-profit organisation, funded by the difference between what the metro pays Eskom (power is purchased from Eskom at a substantial, but secret discount) and what consumers pay to the metro. In that case, there would be no need to penalise renewable energy users as they propose because the input revenue and output costs stay in step. Retaining income in the department also means that reticulation infrastructure maintenance is funded from income, rather than having income stripped out to pay for other ventures, and infrastructure maintenance subject to other budgeting processes. Generating their own power? Fine, but only when they…

DAVID CARTWRIGHT | Hillcrest I FIND myself in an incredible position actually agreeing, for the very first time, with the argument proffered by Duncan du Bois (the Mercury, June 25), concerning the stance adopted by our municipality concerning energy spend. What really gets me going, however, is when the City Treasurer bleats long and loud about the lack of funds for major works essential to the needs of Durban. What happened to the old adage of “look after the cents and the rands will look after themselves” (local currency adopted here)? Can someone in council please explain why there is such insistence on repainting all the traffic light poles in the Hillcrest area (current project under way)? Why for goodness sake are they painted in the first…

SAMKELO MTSHALI samkelo.mtshali@inl.co.za FORMER Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke’s inquiry into whether South Africa can hold free, safe and fair local government elections on October 27, will today take oral submissions on whether the elections should go ahead. Among those lining up to make their oral submissions to Justice Moseneke will be the country’s political parties, the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC), medical experts, electoral monitoring bodies and civil society organisations. Last month the IEC appointed the inquiry, with Justice Moseneke tasked with heading it, as concerns around South Africa’s ability to effectively hold the local government elections amid the Covid-19 pandemic surfaced. Some political parties had also expressed concerns that the Covid-19 climate and lockdown curbs had hindered the ability of parties to successfully campaign. With Justice Moseneke having…

KwaDukuza residents have been warned about social media accounts purporting to be those of the speaker of the municipality, Lindi Nhaca. Municipal spokesperson Sipho Mkhize said Nhaca had alerted the municipality to the hacking of the accounts on Friday. The hacker, via the social media accounts, had solicited money from the public in exchange for job opportunities in the municipality. Nhaca was made aware that she had been hacked when members of the public showed her the messages regarding the jobs. Both Nhaca’s Facebook and WhatsApp accounts were “hacked”. “The accounts are identical to the speaker’s. It seems that whoever created these accounts had been doing this for some time. For instance, if she posted something on her accounts, the same information would later appear on the fraudulent accounts. “We…

Sakhiseni Nxumalo sakhiseni.nxumalo@inl.co.za THE KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has come to the aid of unemployed graduates in the province. It has placed more than 400 unemployed graduates on 109 farms across the province this year. The department revealed this during the launch of the provincial Unemployed Agricultural Graduates Programme in Dannhauser, near Newcastle, at the weekend. During the launch, MEC Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi said the programme was a crucial step towards the successful revival of more 1 500 land reform farms that remain unprofitable in the province. Through the programme, Sithole-Moloi said, the department was making vital strides in ensuring that all youth, especially unemployed agricultural graduates, populate the sector as part of ensuring the successful resuscitation of fallow farms. She said the department hoped to get 1…

We need candidates who won’t interfere with the accounting authority of public servants POLITICIANS across the country will soon be rolling out a South African flag carpet for voters in the October 27 local government elections. This is an event they hope to exploit to suggest that, under their watch, the local government sphere can still be a mover, a shaker and even a leader on the national stage in efforts to bring basic services and local economic development to the people. There was an era in which, until recently in our democracy, politicians were entitled to boast that local government was all of those things. It had earned the right to be regarded as a national pioneer and a fledgling sphere of government that not only aspired to…

A team of Israeli engineers and rescue specialists yesterday reached the site of a Florida apartment building that partially collapsed three days ago, killing at least 9 people with 156 still missing. Many members of the local Jewish community were among those affected by the tragedy in Surfside, near Miami Beach, and Israel had vowed to help with the agonising search through the smoking mountain of debris. The 12-storey oceanfront Champlain Towers South collapsed in the middle of the night on Thursday as residents slept. Surveillance video of the cave-in showed it coming down in just a few seconds. The rescue operation has been agonisingly slow and painstaking, and fears of a much higher death toll are climbing with each passing hour – though rescuers have stressed there may yet…

At least 15 people were burnt alive or shot dead in a horrific attack in central Burundi after armed men blocked off a road and started killing travellers, security sources said yesterday. The ambush on Saturday night took place in Muramvya province, mirroring similar attacks staged here last year. Armed men barricaded a road with boulders and sprayed bullets on vehicles. They also poured petrol and set alight two buses, burning the passengers alive. At least 13 people were torched alive and between two and five shot dead, an witnesses said. An official said 15 others were wounded, of whom six had serious injuries. A security source said that the toll was 17 as the “heavily armed” attackers shot dead two others. At least four people had been arrested. Civil…

MAIMANA: At least 100 shops and 20 houses were set ablaze by Taliban militants in Andkhoy district of Afghanistan’s northern Faryab province, officials said yesterday. Fighting between government forces and the attacking Taliban militants erupted in the restive Andkhoy district on Wednesday, and the militants overran it on Thursday. However, the militants evacuated it on Friday after heavy fighting in which 25 insurgents were killed, said provincial police spokesperson Mohammad Karim Yurash. Taliban militants have captured more than 70 districts since the start of the withdrawal of the US-led forces from Afghanistan on May 1. | Xinhua…

Red Bull's Max Verstappen won the Styrian Grand Prix by a massive margin yesterday to power 18 points clear of Lewis Hamilton in the Formula One championship battle. Verstappen led from start to finish at Austria's Red Bull Ring, with seven-time world champion Hamilton second for Mercedes. The Briton was 35.743 seconds behind at the chequered flag after a late stop for fresh tyres to bag a bonus point for fastest lap. It was the first time since 2013 that mighty Mercedes had gone four races in a row without a win and the first time since then that Red Bull had celebrated four successive victories. "Unbelievable. The car was on fire today," said Verstappen over the team radio after the 23-year-old Dutch driver's fourth win in eight races this…

Mihlali Baleka mihlali.baleka@inl.co.za The outcome of the match between Kaizer Chiefs and Al Ahly at the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca on July 17 remains a mystery. But there’s one guarantee: pride will engulf South African football. It was an incredible weekend for South African football. Chiefs wrote their names in the history books as they reached the CAF Champions League final for the first time in their existence after defeating Wydad Casablanca 1-0 in their two-legged semi-final tie. That victory ensured that they’ll meet defending champions Al Ahly in the decider in Morocco in three weeks time. For the better part of the season, the Glamour Boys were criticised due to their turbulent form in their domestic campaign. But they went quietly about their business in the continental…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za Covid-19 has dealt yet another major blow to South Africa’s growth prospects for 2021 as the third wave of infections continued to worsen amid a worryingly slow vaccine roll-out. President Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday ramped up the country’s lockdown to Alert Level 4 for 14 days. Ramaphosa imposed a two-week total ban on the sale of alcohol, both for home and on-site consumption, with all non-essential establishments having to close by 8pm. Restaurants and other eateries will be permitted to sell food only for take-away or delivery. Ramaphosa said that because of the burden of infections in Gauteng, travel in and out of the province for leisure purposes will be prohibited. Gauteng now accounts for more than 60 percent of new cases in the country. Ramaphosa said because…

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za THE Government should release a further 10 percent stake of its SA Airways (SAA) holding to the public as an empowerment and accountability effort to be credible about the turnaround strategy in which it has given 51 percent to the Tsakato Consortium, analysts suggested. They said the public needed to have a direct stake in the national carrier to drive the transformation the state has embarked on and also ensure that there was minimal corruption in the airline, which has to date sucked over R50 billion in interventions. This after Minister for Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan earlier this month announced that the state was ceding a majority stake in the airline to private investors Tsakato, who currently own the Lanseria Airport in the north…

WHEN most couples reach George and Shellie Counts’s age they’re looking to put their feet up and watch sunsets, and in George’s case, do a little fishing. George and Shellie certainly could stay home in Georgia, US. Like millions do, George and Shellie could meet the same friends daily for breakfast and hanker for old times over burnt bacon, soggy pancakes, mushy eggs and complain about how little they see their grandkids. Instead, George and Shellie run an international programme preparing individuals and couples to assist families across the globe in the art of healthy living. Instead, the Counts remain pioneers when their peers are usually settlers. George and Shellie are constantly planning to take their programme somewhere new, somewhere they haven’t been before, and, with remarkable wisdom, planning and…

JOHN GARDENER | Howick TO avoid any embarrassment, or awkward moments during my next visit, I will refrain from naming the supermarket at which I purchase my monthly bits and bobs, beyond saying that I pick what I want and pay for it. Its house-brand cheddar cheese has, for some time, sold at prices which have bounced happily from R80 to R90 per kg although it has been some weeks since I last purchased a pack. Recently, however, I decided to treat myself but lapsed into unconsciousness upon discovering that the price has rocketed to R120/kg. The staff revived me with smelling salts until I regained my composure. In a nutshell, and depending upon the last price paid for this product, the cost has risen between R30 and…

Abu Bakr Solomons Cape Town The virtual collapse of most provincial municipalities is a matter of deep concern for all South African taxpayers. A recent audit for 2019/20 local municipalities exposes that only 27 out of 257 municipalities received a clean bill of health. The spending of R5.5 billion was unaccounted for. These statistics indicate unprecedented incompetence and dysfunctionality that we have ever witnessed in local government. Auditor-General Tsakane Maluleke has identified the fundamental causes for the debacle “as poor leadership and serious skills shortages”. Maluleke elaborates that most people employed in these municipalities lack the acumen to complete the work required. Once again, the ANC’s race-based employment policies based on BEE are not only a serious threat to liberal democracy, as defined by themselves, but also to sound service…

Two teens were nabbed by an off-duty police officer, while stealing from a store, in Ekuvukeni area, in uThukela District. The teens, aged 17 and 18, were part of a group of five men, who entered the store through the roof. The two were caught inside the store in possession of stolen property. Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said the officer, stationed at Ekuvukeni SAPS, arrived at the shop at 11.30pm on Saturday night. He found the group on scene and called for back-up, she said. “Three of the suspects managed to escape, while two were still inside the shop,” added Mbele. The two will appear before the Ezakheni Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za THE Department of Basic Education (DBE) has noted a significant uptick in the number of people vaccinated after the Limpopo and Western Cape provinces kicked off their programme on Friday. Last week, the basic education sector commenced with its vaccination programme, which saw more than 105 000 people being jabbed from seven provinces in about two days. The department’s spokesperson, Elijah Mhlanga, said on Friday that the number of people vaccinated was set to increase significantly as Limpopo and the Western Cape began the vaccinations for teachers on Friday. The DBE revealed that KwaZulu-Natal was leading in the vaccine programme with 32.1% of its target population vaccinated by Friday, followed by Mpumalanga with 26% and the North West with 22% registered vaccinations. The Free State has recorded…

Siphokazi Vuso siphokazi.vuso@inl.co.za Karpowership South Africa says it will appeal against the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE)’s rejection of its environmental authorisation applications for three gas-to-power projects. The government selected Karpowership SA in March as a preferred bidder to supply about 1 220 megawatts of electricity, a contract worth an estimated R218 billion over two decades. The applications for the three projects by Karpowership SA came as a response to the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy’s (DMRE) requests for emergency power supply interventions under the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Procurement Programme, established to address electricity supply constraints and reduce the extensive utilisation of diesel-based peaking electrical generators. The DMRE said it would await formal communication from Karpowership SA on the decision before making any…

SOUTH Africa is experiencing a spike in Covid-19 cases and it is no surprise that lockdown restrictions are being tightened. This will free up desperately needed space at state hospitals and allow front-line workers to focus on saving the lives of those at risk of succumbing to the pandemic. Increasing the lockdown levels is not a simple task, particularly when balancing the concerns of the impact on the economy. This is the balance that the National Coronavirus Command Council and President Cyril Ramaphosa will have to strike, as infection numbers rise and the rate of vaccination plods along. It is crucial now, more than ever, that people take personal responsibility to avoid overwhelming hospitals and front-line workers, who are, themselves, taking strain as the virus ebbs and flows. Professor Bonga…

French police launched a call for witnesses yesterday into the giant crash that marred the opening stage of the Tour de France, caused by a spectator who leant into the path of the speeding peloton holding up a sign. The woman held up a sign with “Granny and Grandad” written in German and looked up the road towards the race’s motorbike cameras, crucially, with her back to the speeding peloton. German rider Tony Martin brushed into her, lost his balance and fell, causing a sickening domino effect that swept through most of the peloton, leaving them in a tangled mess of bikes and bodies. “The major issue on the Tour is road security,” Lieutenant-Colonel Joel Scherer of the French Gendarmerie said yesterday. Another police officer said that “zero fatalities” was…

TOKYO: Japan and the US are making arrangements for First Lady Jill Biden to visit Japan for the Tokyo Olympics, but US President Joe Biden is not likely to accompany her, reports said yesterday. Attending the opening ceremony, set for July 23, and holding a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga are among the possible events the two governments are looking into for her, the newspaper said. Japan is the US’s major ally in Asia, and Biden has expressed his support for Suga’s resolve to hold the Games amid the Covid-19 pandemic. | Reuters…

Phnom Penh: Cambodian authorities yesterday confiscated a pet lion from a Chinese national after it was seen in TikTok videos being cuddled and bathed in a Phnom Penh villa. The 18-month-old male, weighing 70kg, had been imported from overseas by the owner to be raised in his home, the environment ministry said. The owner had shared a photo on the app of the lion sitting in a driveway as a dog played nearby. The confiscation comes a day after a Twitter user posted an aerial shot of the creature roaming around a garden in Phnom Penh. | AFP…

Eshlin Vedan eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Willard Katsande believes his team have persevered in the Caf Champions League because they embraced the fact that not many were giving them a chance. Amakhosi sensationally reached the final of Africa’s premier club competition on Saturday after playing out to a 0-0 draw against Wydad AC at FNB Stadium on Saturday (thus winning their two-legged semi-final tie 1-0 on aggregate). They are set to square off against Pitso Mosimane’s Al Ahly in the final at Stade Mohammed V in Morocco in three weeks’ time. “The interesting thing about our run in the Caf Champions League this season is that people never gave us a chance. We carried the underdog tag from day one. After we won the first game against Wydad, we managed…

Julian Kiewietz Ciryl Gane feels that now is his time to fight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight title. Following the Frenchman's unanimous decision win over Russia’s Alexander Volkov (33-9) at UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas on Saturday he stated: “Now, I’m looking for the belt. A match-up for the belt. 100%. If it happens, it will be a war like today for sure,” said Ciryl referring to a match-up with Cameroon’s Francis Ngannou (16-3) who sits on the throne following a devastating knockout against UFC great, Stipe Miocic (20-4) at UFC 260 earlier this year. Ciryl himself put on a stellar performance, playing to his strengths by remaining clinical throughout his five-round fight, eventually getting a 50-45 50-45 and 49-46 result over the number five-ranked Alexander. Ciryl (1.96m…