Table of contents for 2021-11-22 in Mercury

Sibusiso Mboto sibusiso.mboto@inl.co.za A multimillion-rand small-craft harbour project is set to breathe life into the town of Port Shepstone on the South Coast by generating major revenue and creating several opportunities for the region. The development, which has generated excitement in the Ugu district, has been endorsed by the Ray Nkonyeni Municipality, which said it had consistently emphasised the need to explore maritime opportunities because of its location along the coastline. “There is the potential to develop a small-craft harbour to boost maritime tourism for the KZN South Coast, as it is one of the country’s busiest tourism destinations, as well as a possible first step to establishing South Africa’s first Special Economic Zone (SEZ) for Tourism and Maritime Access in line with international best practice. One may Google SEZ…

INANDA in KwaZulu-Natal, Hammans- kraal in Gauteng, Thohoyandou in Limpopo and Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape are among South Africa’s rape capitals, Police Minister Bheki Cele says. He revealed this when he presented crime figures for the period July 1 to the end of September, on Friday. Cele painted a grim picture with a double-digit spike in rape after almost 10 000 people were reportedly raped in three months when lockdown levels 4, 3 and 2 were in effect amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Cele said 9 556 people were raped between July and September 2021: “The Temba police station, Thohoyandou station, Eastern Cape’s Lusikisiki, and Inanda police stations recorded the highest incidents of rape. This showed a spike of 634 cases, amounting to a 7.1% increase compared with the previous…

HOW’S this for a historical parallel? I find myself at my old school, Maritzburg College, being shown about the place with other old boys by the old boys’ association. ’Tis a little bewildering the way what seems like a whole new campus has sprung up around the original Victorian buildings in the same red brick. One could easily get lost. The parallel? We start at the historic Goldstones sportsfield where, for the Covid-19 pandemic which has all but ended sport, the pavilion has been converted into a Covid hospital, nurses and all. Any boy who might go down with it gets immediate and first-class treatment. And during the Anglo-Boer War – 1899 to 1902 – College was commandeered by the British Army. The Victoria Hall became a hospital for…

NEIL MACLEOD | Durban AS many residents in large parts of Durban sit without water, I find that the reason given for this state of affairs by Umgeni Water spokesperson Shami Harichunder does not make sense. Umgeni Water is the supplier of water in bulk to the eThekwini Municipality, which then reticulate the water to individual customers across the metro. If Umgeni Water does not meet its contractual obligations, then the municipality cannot satisfy the water demands of its customers. Mr Harichunder says the reason for the current water interruptions is the failure of a shaft pump at the treatment works. Pump stations have an extra standby pump to allow for this type of problem, so does this mean that more than one pump is out of action?…

THABILE MANGE | Mogale City, Gauteng In 1994, the governing ANC promised the nation heaven and earth. They promised jobs, houses and quality education. Now 27 years later, the nation is yet to reach the Promised Land. That’s a breach of promise. When the ANC took over in 1994, the road and rail infrastructure were intact. Today we have potholes and no rail infrastructure. SAA and Eskom were working very well. Now they survive on government bailouts. Thank you to the governing party. That said, South African citizens are part of the problem. In other words, they are complicit in what is going wrong in this country. They accept whatever nonsense the government does. On top of that, they return the same political party to power every five…

Bongani Nkosi bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za A JUDGE has considered a better quality of life and opportunities in a foreign country in her decision to rule against a father who sought to scupper his minor daughter’s imminent emigration with her mother. Judge Fiona Dippenaar presided over an urgent application brought to the South Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, by a mother identified as AK and father LKG. The parents’ identities were not disclosed to protect the identity of the child, identified as A, who was now 5. After a “tumultuous romantic relationship” that started in 2014, AK and LKG separated in March 2019. AK, a primary caregiver to A and a clinical psychologist by profession, got married to an engineer in September 2020. They also have a 4-month-old baby. The family of four was…

Venezuela’s National System of Youth and Children’s Orchestras –known as “El Sistema” – has set a new Guinness record for the world’s largest orchestra with 8 573 musicians playing together, its government announced. The orchestra had sought to beat a Russian record set two years ago – for an orchestra of 8 097 musicians. Venezuela’s Information Minister Freddy Nanez and the Russian ambassador in Caracas, Sergey Melik-Bagdasarov, congratulated the musicians. The broadcast included a recording of Guinness World Records expert Susana Reyes announcing the Venezuelan musicians had set a new record after they played La Marche Slave by Pyotr Tchaikovsky for more than five minutes. | Reuters…

Abalone worth more than R1 million was discovered at a drying facility in a house in Motherwell in the Eastern Cape after the building was gutted in a gas explosion. Police responded to the explosion and found fans, gas bottles and 2 227 units of abalone in the house. The Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit in Kariega are investigating cases of malicious damage to property and in terms of the Marine Living Resource Act, 19 of 1998 – operating an abalone processing establishment without a permit. The abalone was taken by the Department of Fisheries. Nelson Mandela Bay District Commissioner, Brigadier Thandiswa Kupiso, urged residents not to turn a “blind eye” to any suspicious activity in their neighbourhoods. No suspects were found on the scene. | Mercury…

Thor Chemicals being cleaned up but former workers’ struggle continues Three decades ago, when it established its plant in Cato Ridge, 30km outside Durban, Thor Chemicals committed a very costly environmental crime by poisoning workers who subsequently died of mercury poisoning. Thor moved its mercury incinerator plant from the UK in the mid-1970s, and then began importing chemicals to the Cato Ridge facility. The plant had a licence from the government to import chemicals such as mercury into the country to be processed. This was the biggest mercury deposit globally, and calls for a clean-up were ignored by both plant and the government. We are happy that the days have come for the remediation of the site. South Africa had weak environmental legislation. When this plant arrived in the…

Archaeologists have excavated tombs of urn burials with 128 children’s remains near the ruins of an ancient city of the Han Dynasty (202 BC-AD 220) in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, local authorities have said. These graves with tiled coffins mostly were found in Liangcheng County, Ulanqab City, according to the regional cultural relics and archaeology research institute. Judging from the characteristics of unearthed coins, tiles, and pottery, they are believed to be tombs dating back to about 2 000 years ago. This is the first time that so many tiled coffins have been found in the county. Wu Cheng, a researcher at Hohhot Museum, said that urn burial had been a rare and special type of burial for dead children. A archaeological team started the excavation from May…

WASHINGTON: US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed that the US military mission in Iraq will be completed before the end of this year during a meeting with his Iraqi counterpart Juma Inad, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said at the weekend. “The US will uphold the commitments it made during the July 2021 US-Iraq Strategic Dialogue, including that there will be no US forces with a combat role by the end of the year,” the official statement said. Austin further confirmed to the Iraqi defence minister that American forces will remain in Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi government to support the country’s security forces, according to the statement. The sides also discussed the next stage of the US military mission in Iraq, which will focus on “advising, assisting, and…

PRAGUE: About 1 300 people were evacuated from a residential area in the Czech city of Ostrava at the weekend after the discovery of a 100kg World War II bomb, local police reported. “The bomb was found by a man digging the ground near his house, who reported his finding to the police. The engineer that arrived at the scene gave the order to evacuate all residents within a radius of 800 metres, which is about 1 300 people. … After the evacuation, sappers will take the bomb out of the city and destroy it,” police said. World War II bombs are often found near Ostrava, where in 1945 the Red Army carried out an offensive against Nazi forces.…

Edward West edward.west@inl.co.za USED VEHICLE sales are soaring, driven by demand for more affordable and economical vehicles, supply problems in new vehicle stock and a switch from public transport to owned vehicles in the Covid-19 environment. Recent data from Transunion shows that for every new vehicle sold, 2.64 used vehicles are being sold, which represents a significant increase over the past eight to 12 months, InspectaCar JV head Jason White said yesterday. He said InspectaCar saw a signifi- cant increase in activity with applications increasing by an average of 9.5 percent year-on-year. “After we moved out of tough lockdowns activity increased and InspectaCar advanced on a 16 percent increase in pre-owned vehicle sales in 2021,” he said. Motus Holdings, the biggest vehicle distribution group in the country,…

| Bang Showbiz Following the release of Taylor Swift’s re-record of her 2012 album Red, people in their masses started Googling “Red Lipstick”. Beauty experts Cosmetify have analysed data from the search engine and found interest spiked within hours of the re-record of the superstar’s 2012 LP dropping. A spokesperson for www.cosmetify.com said: “The highly anticipated re-release of Red (Taylor’s Version) was certain to spark worldwide attention, so it’s no surprise that interest for Taylor Swift’s signature red lipstick has rocketed 669% since its release. Red lipstick is a popular look for many celebrities, but it’s rare that we see Taylor Swift without her trademark lips. “From matte to gloss, red lipstick is a staple look all year round, especially during the festive season. This trend is likely to…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za DESPITE the eThekwini Municipality insisting that its orange bag recycling programme was still operational, city ratepayers said yesterday that in their areas they had not received bags for a year or two. However, the city said it was not aware of any challenges with the distribution of the bags. One resident said Kies Avenue and the surrounding areas in Reservoir Hills “are not getting orange recycling bags and recycling stuff that are left for collection are not being collected and have to be brought back into our yards”. “I have sent numerous emails to DSW over the past two years with no response. We are now putting recycling materials into our black bags,” he said. He said another concern was that residents were dumping their refuse at…

Thami Magubane, Sibusiso Mboto and Loyiso Sidimba THE DA in eThekwini believes the municipal council will be very complicated to manage and would require an experienced hand. The party, which received the second-highest number of votes in the local government elections, said it would field one of its most experienced councillors to contest for the position of Speaker. The DA said it would put forward Thabani Mthethwa for the position when council was convened. The eThekwini Municipality is set to convene its first council meeting today following the local government elections that saw the support of ANC drop below 50%. It was widely reported yesterday that the race for mayor was between Thabani Nyawose and the incumbent Mxolisi Kaunda. However, according to sources close to the talks, the ANC…

JUSTIN MOODLEY | Phoenix THE curtain has finally come down on the illustrious cricket career of AB de Villiers. He is regarded as one of South Africa’s finest and best loved cricketers. That to me is an understatement. Without a shadow of a doubt he is regarded as one of the best in the world and his career statistics speak volumes. Just about everyone, both informed and uninformed, are talking about his retirement. But sadly no one is questioning the real reason for his untimely announcement and retirement. De Villiers, himself, glossed over his decision on Friday, saying now he would have more time to spend with his family whom he neglected during his international playing career. De Villiers severed ties with all forms of cricket, including the…

TONY BALL | Gillitts PLEASE excuse my cynicism, but what hope do we have in instilling normal human values in pupils when we have a 31-year-old post-graduate education diploma student blowing more than R800 000 after an error in allocating her student funds grant? Perhaps she is not aware that teachers are supposed to set an example for pupils. Sibongile Mali is a second-year accounting student, so has absolutely no defence in pleading ignorance. I expect that an apology accompanied by wringing of hands and suitable shedding of tears will persuade the magistrate to inflict the minimum of penalties. Is it any wonder that discipline, ethics and morals are from a forgotten era?…

People with the “gift” of concern inhabit every organisation of which you are a part. They are teachers and congregants and they usually love being on important committees. They bear a look of perpetual doom and have an air of having to be constantly on duty. They think of themselves as the adults in the room, the ones who care when others seem not to. Their lens is one of impending calamity. Disaster is always in the wings. There is always something of which you are not quite aware and it is waiting to disturb, disrupt, turn the tables on your happy state. And, in their thinking, you can never be sufficiently prepared. Their anxieties plague leaders and can often demand immediate attention. Three things: Every organisation has and needs…

| Mercury Correspondents POACHING has become a major concern at the Kruger National Park. While rhino and elephant, remain under threat because of their tusks, other animals are being caught in the wire snares set by poachers. In fact, wire snares are the most dangerous because they catch any animal roaming around, according to state vet Dr Louis van Schalkwyk. He said: “We had just been monitoring the park to remove a tracking collar from a pack of wild dogs because we had been tracking them. “By chance, we realised one within the wild dog pack had a wire snare around its neck and was bleeding profusely. We had to dart it quickly and treat it.” These kinds of incidents happen in the park every day, he said.…

Zama Ngcoya zama.ngcoya@inl.co.za The Department of Employment and Labour will be holding an inspection focusing on regulations in the freight and logistics industry in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) in the Eastern Cape this week. This comes a month after destructive protests by truck drivers, who alleged that foreign nationals took their work opportunities. Disgruntled truck drivers ​blocked the N10 national route in Middelburg, Eastern Cape, and the N3 highway near Montrose, Free State last month. The issue of foreign nationals working in the trucking industry has been a long-standing issue. In 2019, a task team was set up by the government to address the grievances after several attacks on trucks took place. The department said its inspection and enforcement officials, migration officers from the Department of Home Affairs, SAPS and the…

Yogashen Pillay yogashen.pillay@inl.co.za THE Council on Higher Education (CHE) is conducting institutional audits at universities. This comes after a survey at tertiary institutions about perspectives on remote learning and teaching raised concerns about cheating. Ntokozo Bhengu, CHE communications and stakeholders relations manager, said: “The current round of institutional audits initiated by the CHE will, amongst other things, delve into the assessment policies and practices of institutions, and into how institutions maintained the quality assurance mechanisms necessary to preserve the integrity of assessment.” The survey was conducted by the CHE, Universities South Africa and the University of the Free State and attracted respondents from 24 public universities. It asked lecturers about their experiences in a range of matters relating to remote teaching and learning. Covid-19 disrupted contact learning and examinations and…

WHEN Covid-19 started to affect countries through mass infections and the resultant deaths, many citizens realised that they had to bear the infringements on their civil liberties for the greater good. Words like lockdown and social distancing become part of the lexicon for the foreseeable future, with the ultimate aim being to control the virus and stop the spread of the pandemic. Almost two years after the virus was first detected, there is a growing frustration with what some see as draconian measures imposed by governments in a desperate bid to reduce infections. Unfortunately, with Covid-19 there is no blueprint on eradicating it, and the challenge remains how to protect the majority of a country’s population. The most optimistic had hoped that the virus and its impositions would last three…

Inmates have escaped en masse from a crowded old prison in the western Democratic Republic of the Congo. Two armed men arrived at the entrance to Matadi prison, subdued the guards and opened the main gate, allowing a large number of prisoners to flee, the prison’s deputy director Apolonia Londo told local media. Commissioner Jean-Pierre Nzolani said that police officers around the prison witnessed inmates escaping from a breach in the walls. “They (police) shot in the air, but more than 300 people came toward them, grabbed their weapons from them and killed a policeman,” Nzolani said. Another officer was shot and seriously injured, he added. “Was it an inside job, a plot prepared for a long time? We are trying to figure it out,” the commissioner added. Longo said…

Cadets at a Colombia police academy donned Nazi Germany military uniforms and displayed paraphernalia with swastika insignia during an international culture exchange event, sparking widespread outrage that led the country’s leader to apologise. Colombia President Iván Duque condemned the incident at the Simón Bolívar Police School, writing on Twitter that “any manifestation that makes use or reference to symbols alluding to those who were responsible for the Jewish Holocaust” is unacceptable. The police training facility, located in the city of Tuluá, west of the capital Bogotá, had chosen Germany as the guest country for its cultural event, according to AFP. Local media reported that photos posted to the school’s Facebook page, which appear to have been deleted, also showed a student with a Hitler-like moustache. Experts say the incident may…

PYONGYANG: The North Korean Foreign Ministry has criticised the UN Human Rights Council for arbitrariness and “attacks” only on a few chosen countries. The Foreign Ministry in its statement, published by the state-run KCNA agency, accused the UN of “going wide off its founding objectives” of ensuring fair and equal protection of human rights, calling the council a “three-ring circus where the Western countries target and attack independent developing countries as they please.” “To achieve the promotion and protection of human rights, the first priority should be given to putting an end to the high-handedness and arbitrariness of the US.”…

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za THE POSSIBILITY of further load shedding and the security of Eskom’s assets hang in the balance as the utility and the national intelligences service pass the buck on vandalism reported to the nation by chief executive Andre de Ruyter on Friday. De Ruyter said power pylons were being cut down, coal laden trucks with fake authentications seals were discovered and acts of sabotage were evident in power stations. Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Philane Nkwalase told Business Report that there had been no urgent matter filed by Eskom to the elite crime investigating reporting division while De Ruyter on Friday told the media that Eskom was working in tandem with the Hawks to resolve urgent issues regarding vandalism on Eskom’s properties. “The last issue we have with Eskom…

Entertainment Reporter MOVIE buffs as well as aspirant film-makers are in for a treat at the 3rd Annual uMgungundlovu Film Festival 2021, which is a collaborative event between Amadeyi Productions working together with KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission and National Film and Video Foundation. The festival organisers said the event was for those who appreciate the intricacies of storytelling and solid film-making. “As part of our third instalment, we have introduced more outreach programmess that will cover rural and township areas that include free film screening that will cater for kids from age 6 – 13 and, as well, films that will cater for adults from 14 years upwards,” the organisers said in a statement This year, as part of the festival’s outreach programme, they plan to screen animated films for children…

Pillow fighting is moving out of the bedroom and into the boxing ring when Pillow Fight Championship (PFC) holds its first live, pay-per-view event in Florida on January 29. Steve Williams, the man with the dream of turning childhood horseplay into a professional combat sport, said PFC delivers all the drama of hand-to-hand combat without the gore of mixed martial arts or boxing. “It’s not something where you sit there and laugh and feathers are flying,” Williams, PFC CEO, told Reuters. “It’s serious. It’s hardcore swinging with specialised pillows.” Although the male and female competitors in January’s event mostly hail from the cut-throat worlds of MMA and boxing, children will still sleep soundly after seeing the bouts. “The only difference between our fights and MMA fights is that nobody gets…

FAROUK ARAIE | Benoni BRUTAL murders, the mutilation of women’s bodies and the ever-increasing incidents of kidnapping, reveal a disturbing chronicle of terror and uncertainty of life in our dysfunctional country. Our women are brazenly assaulted every 90 seconds without any consequences. Grim reports offer tragic insights into the nature of our country’s present peril and a nuanced account of the human consequences of a rapidly disintegrating state. Violent crime has turned the rule of law into a mere myth. Lawlessness is an overwhelming fact of South African life. Assaulting women is a serious offence. These assaults are inconsistent with the standard of a civilised country. It creates a moral imperative to act. Society must ostracise the abuser, not the abused. Violence against women continues to be a…

GABI MARAIS | Gillitts WHY are people annoyed about Covid-19 restrictions? Let us look at the rest of the world where restrictions were lifted. Europe, especially Austria and Germany, are fighting a desperate fight against the fourth wave. They are now re-introducing major lockdown levels. They thought they were on top of it, and allowed people to return to so-called normality. Now they have had to change again, and it is worse than the first time round. Surely it makes more sense for us to keep things as they are, so we can have some form of control? Why take the risk? Let us continue to wear masks, curtail numbers attending events and carry on with protocols. This is way better than returning to an extreme lockdown. People,…

Ntombi Nkosi ntombi.nkosi@inl.co.za EFF leader Julius Malema says his party has nothing to hide and this was the reason they did not disclose any donations. The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) published a second quarter report last week on disclosure of donations to political parties. The EFF was one of the parties that did not make any financial disclosures. Speaking during an EFF Siyabonga rally, held at Winnie Mandela informal settlement in Thembisa, Ekurhuleni, on Saturday, Malema said the EFF had nothing to disclose and nothing to hide when it came to donations. “How come the EFF are the suspects for not disclosing donors, but the FF Plus and the IFP, that failed to disclose funders, are not questioned?” he asked. “The IFP runs municipalities, you want to tell…

Genevieve Serra genevieve.serra@inl.co.za Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi issued a stern warning to officials that those involved in corruption would be caught. He made the comment after a series of corrupt officials were arrested last week. The Department of Home Affairs has confirmed that it could take just a few hundred rand for foreign nationals to get documents from corrupt officials who accepted bribes. Motsoaledi said: “If you are conducting your illegal operation at the Department of Home Affairs, law enforcement is coming for you. You are going to face the full might of the law.” Motsoaledi said it was hot on the trail of corrupt officials and that undercover teams, along with the Hawks, would unearth them. Two weeks ago, the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, in the Western…

A CHURCH leader from Thembalethu in George has been sentenced to life plus 252 years and three months’ imprisonment for his part in the murder of job-seeking mother Hlompho Mohapi, 25. Pastor Melisizwe Monqo, 32, a pastor at God’s Work International Ministries, and his two accused in the “life insurance policy killers” trial – his wife Siphosihle Pamba, 26, and the hitman they hired, Phumlani Qhusheka, 31 – were sentenced following their conviction on charges of kidnapping, robbery and the murder of Mohapi. Monqo, Pamba and Qhusheka, who killed Mohapi for a life insurance policy they had taken out on her behalf and without her knowledge, were sentenced on Friday. Pamba was sentenced to an effective 20 years imprisonment and Qhusheka received life plus 63 years. In handing down judgment,…

THE HAGUE: Tens of thousands took to the streets in cities across Europe and Australia at the weekend as anger mounted over fresh Covid-19 restrictions imposed against a resurgent pandemic. And Dutch police faced a second night of rioting – this time in The Hague – after the previous night’s violence in the port city of Rotterdam. Clashes erupted after a day of mainly peaceful protests elsewhere in the Netherlands, with rioters throwing stones and fireworks at police and setting fire to bicycles. Several people were arrested. Europe is battling a fresh wave of infections and several countries have tightened curbs, with Austria on Friday announcing a nationwide partial lockdown – the most dramatic restrictions in Western Europe for months. The Netherlands went back into partial lockdown last Saturday with…

LONDON: Idris Elba is reportedly in “early” talks to play a Bond villain. The Luther actor has been tipped to take over from Daniel Craig as 007, but now it’s claimed he’s held “informal” discussions about another role in the iconic spy franchise. A source said: “Idris has had informal talks with the studio and was told there is a role in the next Bond film for him, if he wants it. “He won’t be the title character, but they do recognise the amount of pull and respect he commands, and they want to work with him on a completely original character for the next instalment.”…

European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic urged Britain yesterday to make a “big move” to break months of deadlock over post-Brexit arrangements in Northern Ireland that have threatened a trade war. Sefcovic is set to meet UK Brexit minister David Frost in London on Friday for further negotiations, after talks broke up, with Britain saying there was “potential for momentum”. But the UK has hinted it may still trigger a suspension clause in the so-called Northern Ireland protocol, which could spark a damaging trade war and dramatic unravelling in post-Brexit relations. Brussels has repeatedly warned of “serious consequences” from such a move, suggesting the separate Brexit trade and cooperation deal could be pulled and tariffs imposed. Months of talks, proposals and counter-proposals have failed to break the impasse, with Britain demanding…

BRUSSELS: Dozens of people were stranded in Europe for a second night at the weekend after their US-bound flight made an emergency landing in Dublin following an engine failure, passengers said. Brussels Airlines flight 101 was en route from Brussels to New York when pilots issued a “pan-pan” message, less serious than a “mayday”, flying west at 37 000 feet over the Celtic Sea, aviation media and tracking websites said. Pilots of the 12-year-old Airbus A330-300 requested to divert to Shannon in Ireland but switched to Dublin on the airline’s instructions. Lufthansa unit Brussels Airlines did not immediately comment.…