Table of contents for 2022-12-19 in Mercury

Netcare, a private healthcare provider, again warned against the shortage of nurses and has called for the government to urgently address the situation. In its 2022 integrated report, the group said the critical shortage of nurses, coupled with the low output from nursing education institutions, must be urgently addressed to meet current and future healthcare demand. According to Netcare, there was a current shortage of between 26 000 and 62 000 nurses in SA, both public and private, with the gap expected to grow to between 131 000 and 166 000 by 20301. “SA’s Human Resources for Health Strategy 2030 predicts a shortage of around 34 000 registered nurses in primary healthcare by 2025. “The supply-demand mismatch is driven primarily by increased demand from population growth, an ageing population, the…

As voting got under way for the top seven officials at the 55th ANC elective conference last night, allegations of tampering with the voters roll by delegates said to be backing President Cyril Ramaphosa surfaced. A highly placed source and delegate, revealed to Independent Media, that they had caught “Ramaphosa’s supporters” allegedly tampering with the voters roll with the intention to remove delegates believed to be supporters of former health minister Zweli Mkhize. Ramaphosa and Mkhize are facing off for the position of party president. A source, who asked not to be named, said the culprits were found out by a KwaZulu-Natal provincial leader, who refused to give his name to the media. The source said the leader confronted the culprits about what they were doing before he took…

Love cannot be pretended. Nor can the art and skill of listening. Feeling loved is feeling heard. To listen is to profoundly love. If I say, “I love you”, then I am saying I am willing to hear you. I am willing to hear even the things I would rather you would not say. If I am truly loved, I will be able to say, appropriately, the things that you would rather not hear. Anyone willing can be a better listener, and therefore, a better lover. When someone you love wants to talk, if you have no intention of listening, rather say so as kindly as possible. This, in itself, is an act of love. You will have overcome a hurdle of good listening which is honesty. There will be…

One reads on electronic media that Home Affairs has a backlog of some 56 543 visas applications which may be done by June 2024 coupled with another headline that 300 government officials are on suspension for alleged fraud, theft and rape and have been paid R130 million so far. What a waste of precious taxpayers’ money which the government does not have. The mind boggles at all these items that have a cost factor attached to them. It once again just highlights that those employed by the government are indeed totally incompetent. It seems that this government employs people that should never have been employed in the first place and is consequently being run by people that never should have been employed. How can Home Affairs allow the visas application…

OUTGOING chief of staff at the SANDF, Lieutenant-General Lindile Yam’s wish before retiring is to “influence those who carry the purse”. Yam was speaking following the Change of Office parade and handover to his successor, Lieutenant-General Fhurani Michael Ramantswana, this week. Yam was promoted to lieutenant-general and assumed command of the SANDF in January 2016. From November 1, 2019, a number of promotions and transfers were made at the SANDF’s senior level, with Yam reassigned as chief of staff, replacing Lieutenant-General Vusumuzi Masondo. Yam said although it was well known that military persons hardly spoke out about issues, once generals like himself started talking, countries should start getting worried. He said he had decided to make himself the “sacrificial lamb” and talk about the issues facing defence because Parliament…

As eThekwini Municipality looks to attract businesses and people back to the CBD, it has vowed to deal with the homelessness in the city centre. Recent statistics from the city showed that there are close to 4 000 homeless people living on the city’s streets. Speaking on the issue recently, mayor Mxolisi Kaunda said the matter would be addressed swiftly, saying that homeless people would be moved from the streets to shelters. The Mercury reported last month on allegations that metro police had apparently taken homeless people and dumped them in smaller towns on the outskirts of the city. Local councillors said they had been informed of the allegations, which were denied by the city. Kaunda said the municipality was working to ensure the revitalisation of the CBD. “Big…

THE police and eThekwini Municipality have urged holidaymakers and locals to be vigilant at all times when swimming on Durban beaches after three people drowned on Saturday. Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said aside from the three drownings, others were injured and taken to nearby hospitals. He called on the public to only swim in designated areas under the supervision of lifeguards. The police could not reveal the names of the victims as they were still notifying their next of kin, he said. EThekwini Municipality spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said more than 100 people had been in difficulty during Saturday’s incident and there was a mass rescue effort by 35 lifeguards. “The municipality is saddened by the tragedy and sends its condolences to their families.” The municipality urged beachgoers to…

Critical policy decisions need to be made immediately in regard to Eskom, Phala Phala and our state-owned entities (SOEs). The current state of our country has me thinking about what to do and wondering what will be next? First, we have all witnessed the country’s infrastructure failures in recent months or years, which is a cause for concern. We need a new business model to help us advance as a country. We can only move into a new era if we move to a new business model. In this respect, the old one failed us. There is a greater need to change with the times to achieve what can help the country meet its objective of eliminating the triple challenge of poverty, inequality and unemployment. The idea of a disciplined…

Heating has been fully restored to Kyiv after the latest Russian bombardment that targeted water and power infrastructure, the capital’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko said yesterday. “The city is restoring all services after the latest shelling,” Klitschko said on the Telegram messaging app. “All sources of heat supply work normally.” Ukrainian officials said Russia fired more than 70 missiles on Friday in one of its heaviest barrages since the Kremlin’s February 24 invasion, forcing emergency blackouts nationwide. Temperatures in Kyiv and many places across Ukraine were below freezing yesterday morning, with forecasts expecting them to dip to minus 6ºC in the capital by the evening. | Reuters…

LOS ANGELES: The Los Angeles area’s most famous mountain lion, an aged wild male feline sighted around the city’s Griffith Park, was euthanised Saturday, wildlife officials said. For years, it was known to prowl around the hillside “Hollywood” sign visible around much of Los Angeles, a fitting setting for a celebrity cat. It earned the nickname Hollywood Cat, but the mountain lion – estimated to be around 11 years old – is officially called P-22. State and federal wildlife officers decided earlier this month to capture it due to its erratic behavior, perhaps associated with being struck by a vehicle. | AFP…

The majority of Japanese people do not support raising taxes to fund military expansion, Kyodo reported yesterday, citing a survey the news agency conducted after the government announced Japan’s biggest military build-up since World War II. Japan on Friday announced a $320 billion (about R5.64 trillion) military spending plan to buy missiles capable of striking China and to ready the country for any sustained conflict, as missile tests by nearby North Korea, China’s claim over Taiwan and the invasion of Ukraine by Japan’s western neighbour Russia stoke fear of war. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida this month said his government would not hike taxes for the next fiscal year beginning April 1 but would raise them in stages toward fiscal 2027. He said Japan was at a “turning point in…

The political crisis roiling Peru has deepened as President Dina Boluarte’s new government edged toward collapse and protesters across the country refused to back down despite the military enforcing a state of emergency. A total of 20 demonstrators are reported to have been killed in clashes with security forces, including eight allegedly shot on Thursday by soldiers using live ammunition in the southern mountain region of Ayacucho. Protesters have stormed several regional airports, looted businesses and blocked roads, primarily in the impoverished mountain regions of the Andean nation. Last year, those areas voted heavily for Pedro Castillo, a rural schoolteacher and former wildcat-strike leader, who was impeached as president last week after he attempted to dissolve Congress and restructure the judiciary. The violence prompted two ministers to resign on Friday…

Morocco coach Walid Regragui said he believes an African team will win the World Cup in the next “15 to 20 years” after his team finished fourth in Qatar. The Atlas Lions, who became the first African World Cup semi-finalists in history, lost Saturday’s third place playoff 2-1 against 2018 runners-up Croatia but captured the imagination in Qatar. The next World Cup in 2026, held across the United States, Canada and Mexico, will be expanded to 48 teams and Africa will have at least nine slots - up from five at present. “With nine participants, we’re going to learn. In 15, 20 years, I’m sure an African team will win the World Cup because we’ll have learned,” said Regragui. “We have a stage to get past. We need to build…

Shoprite has asked the Competition Tribunal to modify its consent agreement regarding the phasing out of exclusive lease agreements citing that its competition, Pick n Pay’s agreement was more favourable than theirs. Shoprite had concluded the consent agreement following recommendations made by the Commission in the Grocery Retail Market Inquiry (GRMI) concerning long-term exclusive lease agreements with landlords of shopping centres. In 2019, the Competition Commission’s Grocery Retail Market Inquiry released a report which stated that exclusivity lease agreements were prevalent, anti-competitive, and harmful to consumers and smaller retailers. At the time, the commission decided that large retailers should co-operate on their own rather than immediately choosing litigation to get them to comply. According to the tribunal, the long-term exclusive lease agreements entered into between property developers and supermarkets, include…

Ratepayers in municipalities across the country may welcome a recent victory for an Ekurhuleni resident, who obtained an order from the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg which has instructed the city to repair several non-functioning street lights. Carlo Messina turned to the courts following several unsuccessful requests made to the City of Ekurhuleni. Judge Allyson Crutchfield ordered the city to fix the street lights within three months. Messina brought the application in his capacity as a resident and ratepayer. He initially launched an urgent application in July 2021, but this was turned down as the court at the time found that it was unreasonable to order the municipality to repair the street lights immediately. Messina again turned to the courts nine months later and was successful this time, although the…

PARLIAMENT, that hallowed institution that purports to uphold our Constitution and its enshrinements, has truly become a farce and a circus. And the ringmaster is none other than the ANC. In an open vote to decide on the Section 89 panel report on whether President Cyril Ramaphosa should be impeached with regard to his involvement in the Phala Phala farm debacle, the ANC has shown great disdain for the simple value of freedom of choice. The Bill of Rights is arguably the part of the Constitution that has made the greatest impact on life in this country. Fundamental human rights are entrenched in Chapter 2 – sections 7 to 39 – of our Constitution. As the first words of this chapter say: “This Bill of Rights is a cornerstone of…

ThIS year is coming to a close, it was definitely a busy one coping with stressful situations and adapting to the many changes in our beautiful rainbow nation. I would like to express my appreciation to the editor of The Mercury and his team who must be complimented for the responsible manner in which they have been compiling and ensuring we receive our wonderful newspaper every Monday to Friday morning without fail. One of the responsibilities during this holiday season for us as The Mercury readers is to take the opportunity to say thank you for a job well done for the year. We look forward to another happy year of reading your wonderful paper and pray for all the best for the team in the new year…

A TRANSCRIPT comes this way of a radio item in Old Blighty cautioning as to how to keep out of harm’s way during the festive season. It’s directed particularly at men who frequent pubs, clubs and festive parties. Its message is so universal that it is worth repeating here. “Christmas party-goers are warned to be careful. The police are warning men in particular to be alert and stay cautious when offered a drink by any woman. “Police say there has been a rise in complaints that women are using a drug known as ‘beer’, which is widely available in liquid form. “It’s reported that beer is used by female sexual predators who persuade their male victims to go home and have sex with them. A woman need only offer a…

The 2020 World Health Organization’s data revealed that leukaemia accounted for 0.32% of total deaths in the country. Therefore, the SA Bone Marrow Registry is calling on South Africans to spare a few rand to help them assist those most in need. One such patient is 3-year-old Kethan Govender of KwaZulu- Natal, who was recently diagnosed with leukaemia. According to the toddler’s parents, the diagnosis came as a shock to them. However, they had decided that they needed to rather focus on being strong for their little boy and turn their efforts towards raising awareness and funds for donor recruitment efforts. Through the “Give a little, save a life” campaign, the family said they hoped to raise funds and assist Kethan, but to also help other children and families who…

KwaZulu-Natal’s biggest municipalities, eThekwini and Msunduzi, say there have been no casualties from the heavy rains recorded over the long weekend. Msunduzi Municipality spokesperson Ntobeko Mkhize said no casualties were reported to the city’s disaster management department but said the storms had caused some damage, with trees falling over in the Pietermaritzburg CBD. Mkhize said the heavy rains led to low-lying bridges being flooded in Elandskop, Sweetwaters and Sobantu Township. “There were no official incidents reported to our disaster management department. Our fire and rescue and parks department responded to some trees that fell over the roads in the CBD blocking cars from passing,” said the spokesperson. The eThekwini Municipality said the only incident reported was a road that flooded in Lamontville. According to the SA Weather Service, KZN…

THE chaotic scenes and delays at the ANC’s elective conference this weekend make it quite easy to understand the sorry state our country finds itself in. The party can barely get its house in order, as South Africans and the world have observed this weekend. The scenes at the conference confirm, among other things, that the outgoing ANC national executive committee (NEC) has fallen far short in renewing and rebuilding the ANC as was mandated by the conference of 2017. The visible factional divisions that are on full display at this gathering, which has been touted as a watershed moment for the party, suggest these are the last kicks of a dying horse. To say the political report that President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered, while being occasionally heckled, was underwhelming…

Other nations from continent grab opportunity to step into breach One of the conspicuous absentees at the 2022 US-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington DC a few days ago was President Cyril Ramaphosa. While his counterparts from the usual suspects in Africa were strutting their stuff and jockeying for US funds and patronage, it was left to Naledi Pandor, the Minister of International Relations and Co-operation, to fly the flag at the most important annual gathering for African leaders at the nexus of global political, economic and security power. Ramaphosa’s absence, far from being a case of unintended consequences, was a calculated, if not forced, saving grace to spare the blushes of the Biden administration. After all, it could have been embarrassing for the White House to be seen hosting a…

Qatar yesterday condemned a corruption investigation by Belgium and the suspension of its access to the EU parliament, saying it could “negatively” impact relations and natural gas supplies. A Qatari diplomat singled out Belgian authorities for criticism, insisting “inaccurate” information had been used. Eva Kaili, a Greek MEP, is one of six people arrested after raids that uncovered at least €1.5 million (about R28 million) in cash. The money was allegedly linked to a Gulf state, and the EU parliament last week suspended Qatar’s access to the institution. Belgium said it had been investigating EU parliament corruption for more than a year before the raids and arrests. | AFP…

Streets in major Chinese cities were eerily quiet yesterday as people stayed home to protect themselves from a surge in Covid-19 cases that has hit urban centres from north to south. China is currently in the first of an expected three waves of Covid-19 cases this winter, according to the country’s chief epidemiologist, Wu Zunyou. Cases could multiply across the country if people follow typical travel patterns of returning to their home areas in a mass transit movement for the Lunar New Year holiday next month. China is also yet to officially report any Covid-19 deaths since December 7, when the country abruptly ended most restrictions key to a zero-Covid tolerance policy following unprecedented public protests against the protocol. The strategy had been championed by President Xi Jinping. As part…

JERUSALEM: Israel deported French-Palestinian human rights lawyer Salah Hamouri to France yesterday, accusing him of security offences. Hamouri, 37, a lifelong Jerusalem resident, was escorted to the airport where he boarded a flight to France with his supporters saying there was no legal recourse for him to take. Israel revoked Hamouri’s residency on December 1 on charges he was active in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, classified by Israel and its Western allies as a terror group. “He has organised, inspired and planned to commit terror acts.” | Reuters…

Questions have been raised over the timing and effectiveness of the deployment of SANDF soldiers to protect power stations from theft and vandalism as the country experiences high stages of load shedding, despite December being a period of low electricity demand. On Saturday, Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the Presidency and the Department of Public Enterprises requested the Minister of Defence to provide support because of the increasing threat of sabotage, theft, vandalism and corruption at Eskom power stations. Soldiers have been deployed at some of Eskom’s power stations, including Camden, Majuba, Tutuka and Grootvlei. Magwenya, speaking on the sidelines of the ANC’s elective conference at Nasrec, said the announcement had nothing to do with the conference and was instead an ongoing process. “If you go back to the State…

They dreamt big. The Atlas Lions from North Africa made a name for themselves in the Qatar 2022 World Cup. They became known as the giant killers. Three big football nations from Europe, Belgium, Spain and Portugal, fell victim to Morocco. All that stood in the way to the final was France. If they could get the scalp of the reigning champions, they would make history. France was not just another football nation from Europe; they were Morocco’s former colonial power. It would be sweet revenge to beat France in the semi-finals and take on Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the finals. And they had good reason to dream big. Boosted by the deafening roar of their fans, they played with their hearts, mind and body. So electrifying was the atmosphere…

I WAS wondering whether there is any other country in the world where so many official appointees have been suspended or are under suspension since 1994 – unfortunately on full pay. Some staff members have been on suspension on full pay for periods of more than a year. I recently read a media report of a senior executive who has been suspended twice. We now even have very senior appointees on suspension. I think of the public protector and a judge president. At provincial and local government level, they are too numerous to be counted over the years. If the remuneration they collectively earned while under suspension were to be added up, our taxes could well have been reduced somewhat. Add to that the remuneration of “ghost workers” (Minister Fikile…

Thousands have started heading out of metropolitan areas for their festive season holiday destinations – and those travelling by road will do well to note the most accident-ridden roads in the country. Last week, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) revealed the roads it deemed to be the accident hot spots in various provinces. Among them is Moloto Road, which links Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Gauteng, which was first on the list. The so-called “killer road” has been the scene of many horrific crashes over the years. In fact, for two years, a group called Moloto Corridor Concerned Residents has been putting pressure on the government to deliver on its promise of a rail service for this route. The N1 near Mokopane and Mookgophong in Limpopo is another busy and dangerous…

The DA and another opposition party in eThekwini have decried the approval by the council to pay performance bonuses to city workers. The move was approved during a vote at a council meeting last week. About 118 councillors approved the move, while 50 voted against it. Among the bigger parties, the ANC and EFF voted to approve the bonuses. The council approved the payment of performance bonuses to workers on the lower end of the salary scale. An amount of R71 million has been set aside for this and the money will be drawn from the savings the municipality claimed had been achieved through cutting overtime pay. During the discussion in the executive committee (Exco) on the matter, the city revealed that if they failed to pay these bonuses, it…

A family member of mine took her baby girl to the doctor with a weeping birthmark. The treatment given made the birthmark a lot worse, and they went back to seek advice. The doctor became defensive, insisting that the correct treatment had been given. There was an attempt to shift the blame to the parents. They were troubled by the way they were treated and felt the doctor did not care. This episode made them cynical towards health-care professionals in general. This story caused me to reflect on the difficult conversations doctors regularly face and how to handle situations where treatment did not go to plan. Together with professors Mathys Labuschagne and Gina Joubert, I asked whether medical students were adequately prepared for the daunting task of disclosing medical errors.…

Charikar: An oil tanker overturned and caught fire in Afghanistan’s high-altitude Salang pass, killing 12 people and injuring dozens, officials said yesterday. The incident happened late on Saturday in the province of Parwan, north of Kabul. At least 12 people were killed and 37 others were injured in the incident, said Hamidullah Misbah, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Works, adding the toll was expected to rise. “An oil tanker overturned and caught fire in the Salang tunnel, which then set several other vehicles on fire,” Misbah said. The pass was closed for traffic as rescue teams in helicopters were deployed at the site. | AFP…

kirKUK: At least nine members of Iraq’s federal police were killed during an attack near Kirkuk in the country’s north, where remnants of Islamic State group jihadists are active, police and government sources told AFP. A bomb blast initially targeted a truck transporting the men. It was followed by “a direct attack with small arms”, near the village of Chalal al-Matar, a federal police officer who attributed the assault to IS, told AFP on condition of anonymity. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. “An assailant has been killed and we are looking for the others,” the officer said, adding that two policemen were wounded. | AFP…

North Korea fired two ballistic missiles towards the sea off the Korean Peninsula’s east coast yesterday, said South Korea and Japan, prompting South Korea’s presidential office to “strongly condemn” Pyongyang for escalating tensions. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the two medium-range missiles flew about 500km. Japan’s Vice-Defence Minister Toshiro Ino said the missiles landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and there had been no report of damages. “South Korean and US intelligence authorities are conducting a thorough analysis, factoring recent trends related to North Korea’s missile development,” South Korea said. It convened a National Security Council (NSC) meeting over North Korea’s missile launch and “strongly condemned” escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, South Korea’s presidential office said. The North’s provocations and development of nuclear weapons and…

Megastar Rihanna has for the first time shared a video of her baby son, who was born to her and boyfriend rapper A$AP Rocky in May. The 45-second video on TikTok, the singer’s first on the social media platform, has already attracted 11.5 million views and 3.4 million likes since it was posted on Saturday. In the video titled “hacked”, the baby boy smiles and gurgles and makes a grab for her phone as Rihanna says, “You’re trying to get mommy’s phone?” The 34-year-old entertainment and fashion mogul behind the hits Diamonds and Umbrella gave birth in May but no other details, including the child’s name, had been made public. The Barbadian-born singer, whose real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, in recent years has become a billionaire, parlaying her music…

To rotate or not to rotate is not really the question for the modern-day rugby coach — it is when to make unforced changes that are the weekly conundrum, and for Sharks boss Neil Powell, you would imagine that he has to reshuffle his pack this week. The Sharks host the Lions on Friday night in a United Rugby Championship (URC) fixture and having just got home from a tough trip to the heart of France, where Bordeaux were beaten in the Heineken Cup, Powell surely is going to give a weekend pass to front-line Boks in Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi, Bongi Mbonambi and Makazole Mapimpi. That foursome carried a heavy load for South Africa in the November internationals abroad, and indeed in the Rugby Championship before that, and then…

Kaizer Chiefs are working around the clock to bolster their striking unit for the second half of the season after inviting Christian Saile for a trial this week. Most of the teams in the Premiership have returned to training as they start their preparations for the resumption of the league next week. It has been reported that Saile has been spotted training with Amakhosi after being given permission by Zambian top-flight outfit Nchanga Rangers to do so. The Congolese striker made a name for himself in the Zambian second division, after scoring 19 league goals to help Rangers gain promotion to the top flight. The left-footer hasn’t been at his sharpest in the top flight, though, as he has scored five league goals this season, with his team in 13th…