Table of contents for 2022-07-29 in Mercury

THE SHARE PRICE of South Africa’s biggest steel producer, ArcelorMittal SA (Amsa) slid 15 percent yesterday despite it reporting a 22 percent increase in interim headline earnings to R3billion. The firm did not declare a dividend. Chief executive Kobus Verster, however, warned that economic headwinds had intensified both internationally and domestically, significantly affecting the trading environment. “The international price correction in a soft local demand environment will impact the financial results,” he said. The shares traded at a low of R5.50 in mid-morning trade following the release of results for the six months to June 30. Its revenue rose by 19 percent to R22.17bn. The net debt position was 61 percent lower at R1.09bn. “The company has successfully delivered against its predicted outlook and in some instances…

Horse-racing fans are in for a cracking day’s racing at Hollywoodbets Greyville tomorrow where Gold Circle are gearing up for a bumper crowd. Not only has the Marshalls World of Sport Gold Cup day attracted much of the cream of the country’s top horses, but punters will also have the opportunity of betting into massive Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) World Pools. Much interest will be centred on star filly Captain’s Ransom who will be out to redeem herself in the Mercury Sprint after her disappointing showing in the Brentford FC Garden Province Stakes, where she started a short-priced favourite. But she will face stiff opposition as the honour of Equus Champion Sprinter could be in the offing. The field includes Gr1 Golden Horse Sprint winner Alesian Chief, Gr1 Cape…

MORE than 6 000 people, who were left without homes due to the April floods, are still living in shelters provided by the eThekwini Municipality. This was revealed yesterday in a full council meeting where it emerged that there are challenges in caring for the victims due to the decline in donations. The city was responding to written questions submitted by councillors. Among the questions raised was what the city was doing to help those in shelters. “There are 82 shelters in eThekwini and there are about 6 000 people living in these shelters but the number fluctuates as people leave and they come back,” said the city response. The city and the Department of Social Development are responsible for caring for the flood victims. While the city is providing…

Recent protest action by long-distance taxi operators – in response to a clampdown by KwaZulu-Natal’s Transport Department on non-compliance within the sector – is nothing but absolute lawlessness. While everyone has the right to protest, there is a fine line between exercising this right and breaking the law. The clampdown – dubbed Operation Shanela – was recently hailed a success by KZN Transport MEC Peggy Nkonyeni, who also reaffirmed her department’s commitment to vigilance in terms of the programme. What the MEC still needs to address, though, is the major inconvenience caused as a result of recent illegal demonstrations. It is the law-abiding people of our province who had to endure alleged stoning of vehicles and major traffic jams throughout the metro. Most shocking, though, is that not a single…

JOHN Trachim, my old chum and former sub-editor of the sports pages, appears to have taken up zoology or ornithology in his retirement. He tells me that the carcasses of penguins are never found on the ice surface of their habitat. “It is a known fact that the penguin is a very ritualistic bird which lives an extremely ordered and complex life. “If a penguin is found dead on the ice surface, other members of its family and social circle dig a hole in the ice for the dead bird to be rolled in and buried. “The male penguins then gather in a circle round the fresh grave and sing: Freeze a jolly good fellow Freeze a jolly good fellow … “Oh, quit whining,” John says. “I fell for it…

The family of Tshegofatso Pule have described convicted murderer Ntuthuko Shoba as a “psychopath” who has not shown remorse after killing their daughter, adding that the family expected nothing but a life sentence when the court resumed its final day of sentencing today. Shoba, who appeared before the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, yesterday was the mastermind behind the murder of his then-pregnant girlfriend, Pule, who was found hanging from a tree in Roodepoort on June 4, 2020. The man who carried out the crime, Muzikayise Malephane, pleaded guilty to the murder and is serving a 20-year sentence. He also testified for the State against Shoba. The case against Shoba is expected to reach its conclusion later today. Speaking following the adjournment of the case outside court, Pule’s uncle and family…

Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu has proposed amendments which would see the income threshold for a person to qualify to receive the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant change from the current R350 monthly to R624, which is the national poverty line. The income threshold means the applicant can show that their income, from any source is less than R350 a month. The threshold was introduced in April this year, when the SRD grant was brought under the Social Assistance Act. The amendments proposed by Zulu were gazetted this month and the final day to provide comment is today. Lobby group AfriForum has submitted its written comments, rejecting the proposed amendments to the regulations. “These amendments propose that the income threshold to qualify for the monthly R350 Covid-19 allowance is…

US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping had their first conversation since March yesterday, a call the White House says is intended to keep relations stable despite rising tensions over Taiwan and the war in Ukraine. The discussion is the fifth time the two presidents have spoken since Biden took office. It lasted about two hours and 20 minutes, according to the White House. Chinese state media also reported the call took place, in the first official confirmation from Beijing of talks between the two leaders. The exchange is overshadowed by friction over a possible trip to Taiwan next month by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a prospect that has prompted warnings of a “firm and strong” response from China. US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns said in June…

Pope Francis’s visit to Canada’s Arctic territory of Nunavut draws attention to a focal point for global climate change, with sea ice disappearing fast and permafrost thawing. Francis, who arrives in the capital Iqaluit of predominantly indigenous Nunavut today, has been in Canada to apologise in person for the Roman Catholic Church’s role in abuses that residential schools inflicted on indigenous children. The pope, who has made protection of the environment a cornerstone of his pontificate, last week called on world leaders to heed the Earth’s “chorus of cries of anguish” stemming from climate change, extreme weather and loss of biodiversity. “Talking about climate change and the north, ground zero is a good way to put it,” said Brian Burke, executive director of the Nunavut Fisheries Association. “Any profile he…

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron hosted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman yesterday, part of increased Western efforts to court the major oil-producing state amid war in Ukraine and failed talks to revive a nuclear deal with Iran. French opposition and human rights groups have criticised Macron’s decision to invite a man Western leaders believe ordered the murder in 2018 of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. France and other European countries are looking to diversify their sources after Moscow cut gas supplies to Europe. Macron wants Riyadh, the world’s largest oil exporter, to raise production. | Reuters…

Over the last four days several men's and women's teams from all over the province have been battling it out in the KwaZulu-Natal Fours Competition, which was hosted at several clubs in the greater Durban area and sponsored by Westville Country Club. In all there were 34 women's teams and 54 men's teams playing five games in a round robin format with the winners going through to the sectional play-offs which were on a knockout basis. In the women’s event there were several strong sections and as only the section winner went through, several fancied sides were left on the wayside. On Sunday afternoon the section play-offs took place and Linda van Niekerk of Hillcrest, Reenie Myklebust from Maritzburg West and Fran Baleri from Richards Bay went through to…

KAROOOOO, an international provider of real-time data analytics and business intelligence, reported solid results for its first quarter ended May 31, leaving management confident enough to keep the outlook for the remainder of the financial year unchanged. Total revenue was up 28 percent to R801 million (R626m). Revenue growth coupled with ongoing operating efficiencies resulted in profit for the period increasing 44 percent to R156m (R108m) and earnings per share 42 percent to R4.96m. Chief executive and founder Zak Calisto said in an interview that he believed the revenue growth momentum was sustainable throughout the year. He said he was satisfied with the financial performance, but there were some things he wished they could have done better, such as dealing with the “uphill battle” of…

In nearly half a century since the inception of his iconic Rubik’s Cube, the world has changed for the worse in many ways, plagued by climate change, overpopulation and wastefulness, its Hungarian inventor said. The multicoloured 3x3x3 puzzle, which has become one of Hungary’s most prominent innovations, is still popular among young and old, with hundreds of millions sold worldwide. Erno Rubik, 78, an avid gardener growing succulents in his state-of-the-art house in a Budapest suburb, said while technological advances had improved the world, the overall balance of changes was negative – meaning education to combat the challenges and a link to the physical world were vital. “Nature has systems that can restore balance if it becomes dislodged,” he said on a terrace of his house dominated by square-shaped features,…

Simple wooden structures padded with coconut tree fronds are helping residents of Diogue island in southern Senegal to win back stretches of sandy beach from the Atlantic swells that threaten much of the West African coast. In some areas, half-submerged tree stumps and crumbling abandoned buildings show the impact of the waves – and the ongoing degradation of coastline, where 56% of West Africa’s economic activity is generated and around a third of its population live, according to the World Bank. “The ocean was so far away that we used to hear it without seeing it,” said Angele Diatta, head of the women’s association in Diogue Diola village on the island in the mouth of the Casamance river, where the higher tides sometimes sweep through homes. West Africa has many…

I WAS impressed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opinion piece in The Mercury on Monday, July 25. He is obviously a champion of international peace and friendship. “Our country does not impose anything on anyone, or tell others how to live.” Also: “Moscow will continue to pursue a peace-loving foreign policy.” And: “We are in favour of broad interstate co-operation based on the provisions of the UN Charter, first of all the principle of the sovereign equality of states.” What a lovely and peace-loving country under Mr Vladimir Putin! At the same time, Russia attacks and invades a smaller neighbouring country, with 120 000 troops, thousands of tanks and missiles and jet fighters, destroying thousands of homes, hospitals, schools and churches, and killing tens of thousands of innocent civilians.…

THERE are fundamental truths about all relationships: Patterns are set in place extremely early in all relationships. Don’t begin things that you’re unlikely to be able to continue. The person who wants the relationship the most is likely to become the most needy person in the relationship. If it’s not mutual and equal from the outset, it will not gain those qualities over time. Are you sure you want to continue this way? Whoever works the hardest at the beginning of a relationship sets in motion an expectation for the other person (or people) in the relationship to not have to work as much. Are you sure you want this imbalance? It could go on for many years. Things are unlikely to change or improve just because you hope they…

The SAPS has said the station commander of a North West police station did not steal money belonging to alleged gang members. This followed a video circulating on social-media platforms which accused the Jouberton station commander of stealing money belonging to a gang. “The SAPS management in the province is aware of a video circulating on various social media platforms wherein the station commander of Jouberton is accused of theft of money belonging to members of the so-called al-Qaeda gang,” said spokesperson Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone. He said members of the Flying Squad were dispatched to Extension 7, Jouberton, on July 23, after a complaint was received about men who allegedly extorted money from tuckshop owners. “On their way to attend to the complaint, the members stopped when they spotted two…

Workers’ unions have raised major concern about the state of Phoenix Forensic Mortuary. The National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) and the Public Servants Association (PSA) said their members had raised complaints about working conditions as bodies were lying on the floor due to a lack of space, and they had to deal with an unbearable stench and not having the proper protective gear. Ayanda Zulu, Nehawu’s provincial secretary, said there had been massive strain on the Phoenix mortuary since the closure of the Gale Street mortuary in Durban. “The Gale Street mortuary was closed because of non-compliance issues, and that has put more pressure on the Phoenix mortuary. There is simply no space at the mortuary; there are bodies lying on the floor. There is a major…

The murder of South African game ranger, Anton Mzimba, has shone a spotlight on game rangers around the country, and the dangers they face as they go about their work. Mzimba was gunned down this week in a suspected hit. Although police have yet to confirm the motive for the crime, speculation is rife that it was related to death threats sent to rangers in recent months. Mzimba worked as the head ranger at Timbavati Private Nature Reserve in Mpumalanga. His death has sent shock waves around the world, with Britain’s Prince William adding his voice to the call for justice. In a tweet, the Duke of Cambridge said he had met Mzimba in November. “I’m deeply saddened to learn of the killing of Anton Mzimba, who I spoke to…

South Korea’s biggest arms deal will make it a major supplier of weapons flooding into Europe since the Ukraine war began, with sales to Nato member Poland involving more than 1 600 tanks and howitzers, and nearly 50 fighter jets. South Korean and Polish officials signed an agreement in a deal that Poland says is a key part of their efforts to rearm in the face of the war in Ukraine, where it has sent at least $1.7 billion (R28bn) in military aid. The scale and speed of the multi-billion dollar deal caught some analysts off guard, as Poland has also been buying additional Abrams tanks from the US and has been in a dispute with Germany over a request to obtain more Leopard tanks. Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak…

Morocco is jailing journalists after flawed trials for non-political crimes, particularly sexual ones, in order to silence them, part of a range of “techniques of repression”, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said yesterday. “Moroccan authorities have developed and refined a full manual of techniques to muzzle the opposition, even as it claims to be simply applying the law against them in a neutral manner,” it said. The New York-based group presented the findings in a 141-page report focusing on eight journalists and public figures prosecuted in cases it said were really “veiled political attacks”. It accused the Moroccan court system of “procedural flaws that taint the handling of these cases”. Two of the most prominent cases are Omar Radi and Soulaimane Raissouni, both sentenced on appeal this year on sexual abuse…

Absa BANK has warned that the cost of living in South Africa will rise even further towards the end of the year, in spite of easing global oil and food prices. Absa macro-economist Miyelani Maluleke yesterday said the second- round effects of supply-side price shocks continued to drive up inflation, forcing aggressive monetary policy decisions. Maluleke said they believed the headline consumer price index (CPI) inflation would peak at 7.9 percent in October, before softening to end 2023 at 4.7 percent. Headline consumer inflation surprised on the upside and surged from 6.5 percent in May to 7.4 percent in June, its highest level since 2009, mainly driven by higher fuel and food prices. Maluleke said core inflation would be critical for the path of headline inflation…

Newly elected KwaZulu-Natal ANC treasurer Dr Ntuthuko Mahlaba has warned against the practice of describing changes at government level as a “purge of political opponents”, saying such utterances were divisive and untrue. Speaking to The Mercury ahead of the ANC national policy conference, Mahlaba said the new leadership was aware of the challenges before them, but were equal to the task. The former mayor of the Newcastle Municipality also dismissed rumours and suggestions of a purge of political opponents following the outcome of the ANC KZN elective conference this past weekend, where Sihle Zikalala was defeated by Siboniso Duma as he sought a third term as provincial chairperson. Zikalala’s failure to also make the additional members list in the provincial executive committee (PEC) has led to uncertainty about his future…

Eish! These girls have done it. They can kick a ball better than the boys. Banyana Banyana received a rousing welcome when they arrived at OR Tambo International Airport. After five defeats in the finals they at last have their hands on the Wafcon trophy after beating Morocco on their home ground in Rabat. As a band played, the crowd sang, danced and cheered the girls who were overwhelmed with a heroes’ welcome. How we needed a moment like this to lift our spirits during these gloomy, troubled times. It was such a relief to see a crowd in such a good, jovial mood. Crowds usually behave badly, smashing windows, trashing the place, burning tyres and looting. And it was all because of Banyana, who have shown the country that…

In order to advance what Charles Schwab, George Soros, Bill Gates and their adherents in the World Economic Forum call the “Great Reset”, otherwise known as the New World Order, health, welfare and sovereignty are being eroded by means of shock tactics. The declaration that monkeypox constitutes “a public health emergency of international concern” (The Mercury, July 26) is their latest pre-planned manoeuvre. In March, Gates, Big Pharma executives and the World Health Organisation conducted a monkeypox pandemic simulation exercise. Right on cue, Biden announced at Davos that the US would provide $120 million for a monkeypox vaccine. The reason these conspirators are able to plan a pandemic is because they know in advance what likely adverse reactions the Covid vaccines would cause. In January, Pfizer was compelled by a…

Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu has said the rebuilding of the treatment plant in oThongathi is set to be completed by the end of September. The treatment plant is being rebuilt by the eThekwini Municipality after the floods in April caused extensive damage to it, leaving the residents without water for months. To mitigate the effect of the water crisis, the municipality has commissioned water tankers to supply residents. However, some of the residents claim that certain areas were not being serviced as expected. In response to parliamentary questions which were posed by the EFF, Mchunu said solutions to the crisis were in sight. The EFF wanted to know what date was envisaged by the department to assist with providing an adequate water supply to the residents of oThongathi,…

More than half of the eThekwini Municipality’s 110 PR (proportional representative) councillors do not have offices. Of those who do not have offices, 48 of them had not submitted requests to be provided with offices where they could work. This was revealed when speaker Thabani Nyawose gave an update to council yesterday on the number of councillors who were without offices. Councillors, especially in the opposition parties, have previously complained that months after they were elected, they were still without offices and said they were having to work from their homes which was a huge security risk in light of the threat of assassination that has come to be associated with being a councillor. Nyawose revealed that to date, there are more than 20 ward councillors that are without offices.…

The Road Accident Fund (RAF) pays lip service to the plight of claimants who, as a consequence of its failure to properly discharge its mandate, have to wait years to be compensated. Then they still have their payments delayed by disputes from the RAF. This is according to North Gauteng High Court Judge Anthony Millar, who made these remarks in the case of a woman injured nine years ago. The court had earlier ruled that Lauren Plaatjies was due to receive more than R4.5 million from the RAF for loss of earnings after her accident. This was after both Plaatjies and the RAF were legally represented in court and a host of medical experts presented reports regarding her injuries. The RAF chose not to instruct its medical experts to meet…

The Ombudsman for Banking Services (OBS) says banks and debt collectors are hoodwinking the public into paying prescribed debt – debts that have lapsed and no longer need to be repaid. Ombudsman Reana Steyn said between January 2021 and July 2022, her office received and investigated 193 complaints relating to allegations of collections on prescribed debts by banks and that in excess of R1 million was written off or repaid to complainants. She said 118 complaints were received in 2021 and that in 33% of these cases, the banks in question were found to have been unlawfully collecting or attempting to collect on prescribed debts. In 2022, the OBS had to date received 75 such complaints. “In 29% of these cases, banks have again been found to have transgressed the…

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s abject failure to co-operate with the public protector’s investigation into his alleged criminal violations at Phala Phala farm constitutes not only contempt for the public protector’s office, but also a serious violation of the Constitution. As a self-proclaimed author of the same Constitution, Ramaphosa should know that Section 237 provides that: “All constitutional obligations must be performed diligently and without delay.” Section 237 unequivocally acknowledges the significance of timeous compliance with constitutional prescripts. On its terms, it elevates expeditious and diligent compliance with constitutional duties to an obligation in itself. The principle is thus a requirement of legality, but Ramaphosa has thumbed his nose to all that. The constitutional obligation shirked by Ramaphosa, and which is being investigated by the public protector, is enshrined in Section 96…

Ukraine said yesterday that Moscow’s forces had struck a military base in Lyutizh, north of the capital, Kyiv. Senior Ukraine military official Oleksiy Gromov said one building was destroyed and two were damaged in the attack on the town 30km north of the capital. The missiles, one of which was shot down by Ukrainian air defences, were fired from the Crimea peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, he added. Gromov also reported attacks on Ukraine’s northern region of Chernigiv, with shells fired from Belarus, an ally of Moscow. In the east, Russian forces were trying to advance towards Siversk and Bakhmut, cities in the industrial Donbas region. In the Russia-controlled region of Kherson, three villages had been recaptured. In the north-east, Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv, was shelled…

Manila: Anxious residents slept outside after hundreds of aftershocks rattled the earthquake-hit northern Philippines, locals said yesterday, as President Ferdinand Marcos jr inspected damage in the region. Five people were killed and more than 150 injured when a 7.0-magnitude quake struck the lightly populated province of Abra on Wednesday, authorities said. The death toll rose to six yesterday when a man was hit by a landslide caused by an aftershock, a local disaster official said. The powerful quake rippled across the mountainous area, toppling buildings, triggering landslides and shaking high-rise towers hundreds of kilometres away in Manila. | AFP…

The sardines might be absent for the most part but the fishing has been fantastic along the KZN coast. Plenty of game fish, bottom fish and a host of inedibles have been landed. Top tip: Skirts. No, not what you chased as a lighty … Skirts and flashers are a great way of drawing attention to your bait. They work for shore and offshore fishing. Generally the brighter colours work better in clear conditions and the darker colours in dirtier water. The exception is pink which works in all water colours and conditions. Try adding skirts to your trace and see how your catch rate goes up. The offshore fishing has seen good bottom fish and game fish landed. The North Coast has been a snoek hotspot. The drop-offs at…