Table of contents for 2022-08-02 in Mercury

MANUFACTURING businesses in South Africa are bracing for a tough six months ahead as the country’s energy crisis and a fragile global environment plunged production to a one-year low in July. The Absa Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), released yesterday fell by a further 4.6 points, from 52.2 points in June to 47.6 points in July, as a result of crippling power cuts. This was the first reading below the neutral 50-point threshold – which separates contraction from expansion – since July 2021, when the looting and unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng hurt output. This also meant the manufacturing sector had a tough start to the third quarter after a weak second quarter. Absa said electricity supply disruptions were the likely cause of the drop in production last month, while the…

THE ANC Youth League KwaZulu-Natal co-ordinator Mafika Mndebele remains confident that the step-aside policy will be scrapped by governing party delegates at the elective conference in December. Mndebele’s optimism comes despite the ANC policy conference in Nasrec this past weekend opting to retain the policy. Before the conference, there had been growing criticism of the policy, with some arguing that it was not implemented evenly and was being used to target political opponents by the dominant faction in the ANC. Mndebele, who first expressed reservations over the policy before the elective provincial conference, said its retention did not count as a setback for its critics. “The policy conference is mainly about drafting policy positions. The most important gathering is the national elective conference, and that is where you will see…

No matter how much someone loves you or supports you, there are some things you have to do for yourself. This list is a brief starter-kit: Your diet. What you eat and do not eat is always up to you. I have heard men blame their wife’s cooking for their own weight problem as if force-feeding comes with the wife’s cooking. Your level of exercise. How much you do or don’t exercise is always up to you. I have heard people blame their jobs (“I have to sit at a desk all day”) and even their dogs (“Fluffy hates to go on walks”) for their own lack of exercise. Your anger and your rage. How much you flare up and express anger is always up to you. I have heard…

THE gruesome rapes and violent mayhem at Krugersdorp and ever- regular weekends of mindless shootings, alcohol-poisoning and the rest of the works all over the country, signal just one thing, again and again: the sudden end of democracy followed by the continuation of the natural path to some form of military rule. It’s already in the process, in case you haven’t noticed. Forget different laws for different folk. No more tribal or religious rituals that hurt others even in the slightest. No more favours for pals. No more special privy purses for old chiefs. No more top wages for councillors, parliamentarians, presidents, no one. Stop pussy-footing and horsing around. Let’s grab the bull by the horns. The bells are tolling. The cock is crowing. Blood is oozing. Stop hanging…

Addressing the Palestinian African Heads of Mission in Africa Conference, Dirco (Department of International Relations and Co-operation), Minister Naledi Pandor attacked and vilified Israel as the arch aggressor of the region. That same minister, charged with promoting the image of her country in world affairs, shows no shame in promoting the most vile and misogynistic political movement the world has ever seen. Members (of a faction) of her ANC ruling party proudly call themselves “the Taliban”. Any political movement aligning themselves to the Taliban must speak volumes for the morality, integrity and scruples of those people. Wikipedia quotes: “During their rule from 1996 to 2001, the Taliban enforced a strict interpretation of Sharia or Islamic law, and were widely condemned for massacres against Afghan civilians, harsh discrimination against religious and…

The National Department of Health (NDoH) and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) have announced that the daily reporting of Covid-19 cases will stop. This came into effect yesterday. The department will, however, publish the Covid-19 surveillance data weekly, and continue to closely monitor the situation. Spokesperson for the National Department of Health, Foster Mohale, said the department and the NICD had been steadfastly reporting on Covid-19 surveillance data daily since 2020 in order to keep the South African public abreast of developments with regards to the pandemic. “However, due to the reduced severity and transmissibility of the disease at the moment, coupled with declining Covid-19 case numbers, the department, together with the NICD, have reassessed the existing reporting structures. “Both entities agreed that it is justifiable to allow…

Four suspects were caught in the act of stealing diesel from a truck in Parow in the Western Cape yesterday. Mayoral committee member for safety and security, JP Smith, said the suspects were caught in the act by traffic officers just after 4am while the truck driver was asleep in the vehicle. The suspects had siphoned off about 125 litres of diesel by the time traffic officers arrived. Smith said the officers recovered a large number of drums and pipes used to extract diesel and the vehicle used by the suspects, which had no number plates, was impounded. The suspects, aged from 26 to 39, were arrested. “Travelling with large amounts of fuel in makeshift containers would have been very risky,” Smith said. “It’s difficult to speculate on the motive,…

LAWLESSNESS in our country has reached crisis proportions, and if action is not taken as a matter of urgency, the spectre of crime will cripple the proper functioning of the state. Two incidents that took place this past weekend serve as further proof that criminals are getting the upper hand, and that police are either overwhelmed or too ill-equipped and poorly trained to launch a proper response. The crime spree that began with the mass killings at a tavern in Pietermaritzburg last month continued at the weekend when 14 people were murdered in different locations across KwaZulu-Natal. Twelve people were killed in the vicinity of Mariannhill – seven were murdered in Savanna Park and five in Dassenhoek – and two died in the King Cetshwayo District in northern KZN. Perhaps…

Baghdad braced for demonstrations yesterday by rival Shia Muslim groups affiliated with heavily armed militias, raising fears of clashes as tension soars over the formation of a government. Iraq’s longest post-election deadlock, at nearly 10 months with no government after an October vote, has led to unrest including protests by supporters of the powerful cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who are occupying parliament in an open-ended sit-in. Sadr’s opponents include a grouping of parties and militias mostly aligned with Iran. That grouping, known as the Shi’ite Co-ordination Framework, has called for counterprotests yesterday near the parliament, “to protect state institutions against the civil unrest of the Sadrists”. “We’re ready for whatever Sadr orders,” said one supporter of the cleric, Kadhim Haitham, on his way to join the parliament sit-in. We’re against…

LOS ANGELES: A collection of jewellery Elvis Presley gave his manager Colonel Tom Parker is going up for auction on August 27. Some 200 items, including gold rings encrusted with jewels, cufflinks, watches and chains, have been brought together by GWS Auctions. Also included is the guitar played by Presley during his famous “comeback” TV special of 1968. Many of the pieces were provided by Presley’s former wife, Priscilla Presley. “Well, it brings back memories for sure,” she said, adding he commissioned jewellery for Parker because the manager already had everything he needed. | Reuters…

Sabha: At least six people were killed and dozens injured yesterday when a fuel truck exploded in south-western Libya, medics said. The precise causes of the blast were not clear. It happened when a crowd flocked around the tanker as it headed to resupply a petrol station in the Bent Bayyah district. A stampede occurred, followed by a massive explosion that set several cars on fire. An official at the main hospital in Sebha, southern Libya’s main city, said six people had died. The hospital’s management said on Facebook that “more than 50 wounded were admitted to Sebha hospital”. | AFP…

If there is a demented soul on the planet that believes the All Blacks are in terminal decline after losing to a very good Ireland side, they ought to take a gander at the history books, which show that almost every time the Kiwis — or the Springboks for that matter — have suffered a severe setback, they reinvent themselves. This was highlighted by Bok front-ranker Frans Malherbe yesterday in Nelspruit, ahead of Saturday’s Rugby Championship opener at the Mbombela Stadium, when he pointed out that adversity brings out the best in teams of pedigree. “I was part of the Bok setup when we lost 57-0 to the All Blacks (in 2017) and then look how we bounced back against them the next year (Malherbe started in the famous 36-34…

OPPOSITION parties in KwaZulu-Natal have called for tighter security following the release of rhino horn poaching statistics by the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment that revealed that the province suffered the highest loss in the country of 133 rhinos in the first six months of the year. A total of 259 rhinos were poached in South Africa in the past six months, with 210 rhinos killed on state properties and 49 in privately-owned parks. In KZN, the number of rhino poached this year was more than triple the 33 killed last year in the same period. Minister Barbara Creecy said trends had shown a move away from the Kruger Park to private reserves and KZN where most rhinos had been killed this year. “This makes it all the…

Three people were shot dead, allegedly by police, as a violent protest broke out yesterday in Tembisa, a township on the East Rand in Gauteng over a range of service delivery issues and high rates and electricity bills. The three were shot as police were trying to disperse the crowd. Scores of residents had shut down the township, blockading roads and burning tyres. The main rates hall at Rabasotho was torched along with several cars, while municipal council offices were also set alight. Another satellite hall in Ethafeni was also burnt. A bank ATM outside the municipal property was bombed. Among those shot was 43-year-old Pheta Molonyama, who was allegedly shot while buying a cigarette at one of the shops in Makhulong Section. Eugene Shabalala, 52, was also allegedly caught…

Further to Anthony Starkey’s insistence that Joe Biden was legitimately elected president (The Mercury, July 29), how does Mr Starkey account for Biden having gained 14 million votes more than Hillary Clinton in 2016 without doing any campaigning? Is Mr Starkey aware that in seven states, voter turnout impossibly exceeded 100%? Two examples: Nevada – 125% turnout; Pennsylvania 109%. In Wisconsin, 115 252 voters were over 100 years old; in Georgia where Biden “won” by 11 779 votes, 66 248 votes were illegally cast by youngsters not of voting age; 374 128 in-person ballots were missing in Fulton County. In New York, where Biden “won” by 1 992 000, 1 899 000 voters were not registered on county rolls. In Texas, a forensic audit found 700 000 ineligible voter registrations.…

The ANC was gathered at Nasrec over the weekend for its 6th Policy Conference. A wide range of topics was discussed, from expropriation of land without compensation, unemployment and poverty to the state of the SOEs and the appalling crime against women in the country. While this big talk show on the renewal of the ANC was going on at Nasrec, just 30km away at Krugersdorp, a beastly attack on innocent women was taking place. Illegal miners at West Village allegedly raped and robbed a film crew filming a music video on the mine dumps. Like a pack of wild dogs, the illegal miners called zama zamas pounced on the women and brutally raped them, some repeatedly. In a show of strength, the police responded swiftly and arrested 84 of…

AN employee of Toyota SA who was dismissed for dishonesty has won his court case for reinstatement. He was dismissed after he was found to have abused his company’s compassionate leave policy for death of immediate family members, by telling the employer in one instance that his “son” had died, and in another his “mother”, when in fact they were not his blood relatives. The man explained to an arbitrator who adjudicated over his dismissal that he knew from a colleague that a worker could apply for leave when a family member died. He said he had been unaware of the intricacies of the compassionate leave policy; particularly that it did not cover people he regarded in Zulu culture as his “immediate family”. He said in Zulu culture, a man…

The South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) and local social and environmental justice organisation groundWork want the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria to set aside the environmental authorisation granted to Eskom for the construction of a combined cycle power plant in Richards Bay. SDCEA and groundWork are supported by Natural Justice and Green Connection and represented by law firm Cullinan & Associates. In a statement, Natural Justice said Eskom was granted environmental authorisation in December 2019, although construction on the project has not yet begun. The gas-to-power plant will be fuelled by gas via a pipeline installed from the Port of Richards Bay and will supply up to 3 000MW of energy. In their court papers, SDCEA and groundWork have called for the environmental authorisation to be declared…

IT COST the eThekwini Municipality R15 million in one month to deliver water to residents in the oThongathi area using water tankers. This was revealed by deputy mayor Philani Mavundla recently, as the council approved R15m for the hire of private water tankers to deliver water to areas where infrastructure was damaged in the floods earlier this year. Mavundla warned that the R15m was not enough and said the council might need to approve more funds as the cost of providing water to the affected areas was high. OThongathi is among those areas where infrastructure was extensively damaged during the April floods, leaving it without piped drinking water and dependent on tankers. There has been criticism of the water deliveries, with residents complaining that tanker deliveries were only in some…

95th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army This year, we are celebrating the 95th Anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). For 95 years, the PLA, the people’s army, established by the Communist Party of China (CPC), has gone through wars and difficult times, made great sacrifices in exchange for more and more glorious victories, made indelible achievements for safeguarding our socialist country, preserving national dignity, and maintaining world peace and tranquillity. We are accelerating the modernisation of national defence. A strong country must have a strong military, as only then can it guarantee the security of the nation. Following the CPC’s 18th National Congress, the People’s Army has been fully implementing President Xi Jinping’s Thinking on Strengthening the Military in the…

A ship carrying grain left the Ukrainian port of Odesa for Lebanon yesterday under a safe passage agreement, Ukrainian and Turkish officials said, the first departure since the Russian invasion blocked shipping through the Black Sea five months ago. Ukraine’s foreign minister called it “a day of relief for the world”, especially for countries threatened by food shortages and hunger because of the disrupted shipments. The sailing was made possible after Turkey and the UN brokered a grain-and-fertiliser export agreement between Russia and Ukraine last month . “The first grain ship since #RussianAggression has left port,” Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said. “Today Ukraine, together with its partners, makes another step to prevent world hunger.” The Sierra Leone-flagged ship Razoni will head to the port of Tripoli, Lebanon, after transiting through…

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi yesterday kicked off an Asia tour that has been shrouded in secrecy following an escalation in tensions with China over Taiwan. With no word if Pelosi will visit the island, she stopped first in Singapore, where Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong urged her at a meeting to strive for “stable” ties with Beijing. Her itinerary also includes Malaysia, South Korea and Japan, but a possible Taiwan visit has dominated attention in the run-up. Reports about a plan to visit the island have enraged Beijing and caused unease in the White House with President Joe Biden trying to lower the temperature. Beijing considers self-ruled Taiwan its territory, to be seized one day, by force if necessary, and said it would regard a visit by Pelosi as…

Sydney: Aboriginal Senator Lidia Thorpe branded Britain’s Elizabeth II a “colonising” queen yesterday, as the recently elected MP reluctantly swore allegiance while taking the oath of office. Greens senator Thorpe raised her right fist in a Black Power salute as she begrudgingly swore to serve the 96-year-old monarch, who is still Australia’s head of state. “I sovereign, Lidia Thorpe, do solemnly and sincerely swear that I will be faithful and I bear true allegiance to the colonising Queen Elizabeth II,” she said before being rebuked by an official. Australia was a British colony for more than 100 years, a period during which thousands of Aboriginal Australians were killed and communities were displaced. The country gained de facto independence in 1901, but has never become a fully-fledged republic. Polls show most…

NEW YORK: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed outrage after UN peacekeepers opened fire and killed two residents in a Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) town that borders Uganda. In Kasindi, North Kivu province, UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (Monusco) military staff opened fire at residents “for no reason” at the weekend. Some 15 others were injured, said the DRC government, which condemned the shooting. Guterres said the peacekeepers’ country of origin should “urgently initiate judicial proceedings”. Since July 25 thousands have been protesting against Monusco, looting its offices, demanding it leaves. | IANS…

It’s all well and good beating England, but the Proteas have left themselves - well Victor Mpitsang, and his selection panel - with one heck of a conundrum as far as the T20 World Cup is concerned. It’s a good thing there’s still at least five weeks left before Mpitsang and Co have to name a squad for that tournament in Australia. Stuart Hess looks at some of the issues. TOP ORDER Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Rassie van der Dussen, Rilee Rossouw, Janneman Malan, heck Dwaine Pretorius batted at No 3 in India. Good luck sorting all of that out. Realistically four out of the first five mentioned will most likely get picked and with Bavuma, the captain, and De Kock, despite poor returns against England, almost…

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education is battling to deal with incidents of ancestral calling among pupils at its schools and has enlisted the assistance of cultural and religious experts to help it chart a way forward. Hysteria, where pupils break down screaming, the wearing of beads and refusal by pupils to cut their hair for religious or ancestral beliefs are some of the issues schools are grappling with. The department said it had been forced to act as these incidents were happening with alarming regularity. The department has issued a notice calling for a one-day indaba to be held in September where cultural and religious experts will make presentations. An advert calling for submissions of “abstracts on ancestral calling in schools – exploring ways to deal with the impact of…

The Brits – and anyone else in the world who tunes in to the BBC or Sky News – are being bombarded with the Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss cage-fighting bout, er debate, as to who should be the next Tory leader and hence prime minister of Old Blighty. Is there any precedent for this protracted public bad-mouthing process? I can’t recall it. The process of Tory MPs voting in secret and gradually eliminating a series of candidates one can understand, but this very public and drawn-out display of personal animosity is surely distasteful – and shocking TV. Are we getting our money’s worth? Whatever happened to the traditional smoke-filled rooms where such decisions were arrived at in the past? This is, of course, transparent democracy. Nobody can deny that.…

A Tokyo clothing maker has teamed up with veterinarians to create a wearable fan for pets, hoping to attract the anxious owners of dogs – or cats – that can’t shed their fur coats in Japan’s blistering summer weather. The device consists of a battery-operated, 80g fan that is attached to a mesh outfit and blows air around an animal’s body. Rei Uzawa, president of maternity clothing maker Sweet Mommy, said she was motivated to create it after seeing her own pet chihuahua get exhausted each time it was taken out for a walk in the scorching summer heat. “There was almost no rainy season this year, so the hot days came early, and in that sense, I think we developed a product that is right for the market,” she…

AFTER the 1994 democratic elections, South Africans witnessed many policy and other conferences. In simple language, ordinary South Africans expect moral and ethical leadership based on fairness and social justice, and a democracy that delivers the historic mission of the anti-apartheid and freedom Struggle heroes who opposed colonial and apartheid policies. Policies, speeches, statements and conferences mean nothing to people still battling to make ends meet in terms of food, employment, housing, safety and security, electricity and water, quality education and health care and basic municipal services. Together with policy strategy, government officials need a standard procedure or guideline manual in order to efficiently and meticulously serve South Africans.…

ECONOMISTS in the country have urged consumers to be vigilant about their savings and spending as more developed economies in Europe, and the US, have slipped into recession, while China has recorded an economic slowdown. Last week, the US Federal Reserve announced that interest rates would be hiked by 75 basis points for the second consecutive time. The announcement follows the US recording two consecutive quarters of negative growth, pointing to signs of a technical recession. Professor Irrshad Kaseeram, of the University of Zululand’s economics department, said inflation in the US was at an all-time high which had led to the interest rate hike. “Unfortunately when interest rates rise, although it helps with inflation, it is not good for business, hence we see America recording two quarters of negative growth.…

Police are intensifying operations following the deaths of more than 30 people in shootings across the country in the last month. National police commissioner General Sehlahle Fannie Masemola said several measures have been put in place to enhance policing methodologies to reduce violent crimes. Speaking at a briefing yesterday, he said working with provincial commissioners through the National Crime Combating Forum, they were looking at intensifying deployment in identified problematic crime hot spots. He said the police had noted that most serious and violent crime in the country were committed between Fridays and Mondays. Masemola said all provinces were therefore conducting simultaneous blitz operations with high visibility and combat operations throughout the weekend. “These entail cordon and searches, as well as intelligence-driven, multi-disciplinary, disruptive operations. Tighter enforcement of the Firearms…

The South African National Editors Forum (Sanef) says it is important for the media to be able to give full coverage of the court case involving former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede and her co-accused. This is after Sanef made an urgent court application yesterday, challenging the decision by Judge Sharmaine Balton on July 28 that no cameras and television recordings would be allowed during the proceedings in the Gumede case. A letter signed by the judge, which was sent to the media by the Office of the Chief Justice, said the matter had been discussed with the legal representatives, who had agreed that no broadcasting should take place. Sanef in its court papers said it wanted to challenge the decision. “The legal effect of the letter is not entirely clear.…

I am certain as I write this piece that it will resonate with many people because so many would have experienced some form of discrimination during their lifetime. Yes, in the 21st century, might I add, folks have had to contend with bigotry, sexism, and downright racism of the overt kind. But since the advent of social media, there has been a paradigm shift in terms of how we choose to deal with such matters – the good ol’ name and shame, but whether or not offenders actually learn a valuable lesson by contemplating their shortcomings, or if this simply forces an apology to save face, e.g. #MatieUrinationScandal and #KarensGoneWild, I don’t know. Overt racism is easier to deal with because it is blunt, as unpleasant as that sounds. It…

British Conservative front runner Liz Truss won another heavyweight endorsement yesterday as party members began a month of voting to decide the next occupant of 10 Downing Street. Truss’s lagging rival Rishi Sunak vied to make up lost ground with a plan for future tax cuts – and potentially to host a future women’s football World Cup in Britain after England’s “Lionesses” won the European championship. Truss attended Sunday’s final against Germany, and the first victory by any England football team in a major tournament since 1966 wiped the prime ministerial race off newspaper front pages. The Tory contenders were going head to head later yesterday in a members’ hustings in Exeter – the second of 12 such events before the winner is announced on September 5. Sunak, a polished…

Kenya has no intention of shutting down Facebook, which is owned by Meta, its ICT minister said yesterday after the national cohesion watchdog gave the platform seven days to comply with rules on hate speech or face suspension. The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) on Friday accused Facebook of contravening Kenya’s constitution and laws for failing to tackle hate speech and incitement on the platform ahead of August 9 national elections. “We do not have a plan to shut down any of these platforms,” said Joe Mucheru, the minister of information, communication and technology. “Press freedom is one we cherish, whether it is (traditional) media or social media.” Interior minister, Fred Matiangi accused the NCIC of making haphazard demands, and vowed the platform will not be shut…

San Francisco: A fast-moving wildfire, dubbed the McKinney Fire, has grown to become the largest wildfire so far this year in California. The wildfire began on Friday in the Klamath National Forest in Siskiyou County near the California-Oregon border. It has scorched over 210 square km with zero containment as of Sunday evening. Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for Siskiyou County. The fire, intensified by extreme drought conditions and high temperatures, has destroyed homes, threatened infrastructure and forced the evacuation of 2 000 residents. It overtook the Oak Fire in Mariposa County to be the largest wildfire of 2022 in the state. | IANS…