Table of contents for 2023-02-28 in Mercury

THE process to convert its Durban refinery into a terminal is on track, Engen says. In April 2021, Engen announced that it would proceed with its refinery-to-terminal conversion initiative as part of a long-term business sustainability strategy. At that time, it said the refinery, located in the south of Durban and commissioned in 1954, was the oldest refinery in the country and was responsible for about 17% of the country’s fuel production. It also said at the time that the conversion plan had come after extensive strategic evaluation of its refining business, including a refinery viability study that found that the refinery was not financially viable. In an update provided to The Mercury recently, Engen said it had been operating in importation mode since the first quarter of 2021, with…

“I’M not just mouth and trousers” – it’s a vivid enough expression but just what did British singer Sir Rod Stewart actually mean as he spoke to Sky News reporter Kathy Burley at a National Health Service mobile scanning unit in London? It goes back a few weeks to when Sir Rod phoned in to Sky, calling for nurses to be paid the money they are asking for. He also said he was prepared to pay for 20 NHS scans to benefit people who needed them but couldn’t afford it. He said he’d always been a Tory, but was now considering shifting his political allegiance. This caused quite a stir, overshadowing his 20 scans offer. Next he was at the mobile scanning unit mentioned above, to pay for the 20…

The explosive claims by André de Ruyter of the alleged corruption at Eskom involving senior government ANC ministers is just confirmation of what many have been saying over the years, that this government is totally corrupt and to all intent and purposes will lead the country into total chaos and bankruptcy in the short term. De Ruyter would not have made such a damning statement without having some evidence at his disposal. This exposure must, with some urgency, be fully investigated by the president so that the rest of the citizens of this country can see exactly what is going on behind the scenes. Transparency is vital. Failure by the president to act in the interests of the country, as a whole, will not only reflect on him as a…

SEAL attacks may be on the increase, with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) confirming 26 incidents of aggression by seals towards humans since 2021, but the reasons for the attacks remain unclear. The DFFE said it was involved in ongoing multi-institutional investigations into the phenomenon. This came to light following a parliamentary question by DA MP David Bryant, wanting to know: “Following recent reported incidents of conflict between wild seals and humans at South African beaches, if (the DFFE) has identified any verifiable evidence, locally or internationally, linking high levels of domoic acid or any other toxins in water along the coastline with unprovoked aggression in fur seals. If not, why not? If so, what are the relevant details?” According to DFFE Minister Barabara Creecy, while…

Residents in most parts of Gauteng suffered a double whammy over the weekend owing to ongoing power and water cuts. Residents were forced to purchase water, while others resorted to going to neighbouring areas with buckets, bottles and containers. According to the Constitution, water is a basic resource that should be available to every citizen. Parts of Ekurhuleni most severely impacted were Palmridge, Thokoza, Eden Park, Katlehong and Alberton. In the Vaal area, Everton was worst affected, with residents saying they had not had water in three weeks. Other areas under Rand Water include Airfield 1 and 2, Brakfontein, Brakpan 1, 2 and 3, Bronberg, Germiston, Klipriviersberg 1 and 2, Klipfontein 1 and 2, and Vlakfontein 1 and 2. In Joburg, the South Hills, Diepsloot, Fourways, Midrand and surrounding areas…

THE Msunduzi Municipality is reviewing its organogram to determine if it needs all the staff it currently employs, as it looks to cut costs. This is one of the actions the municipality that encompasses Pietermaritzburg, the KwaZulu-Natal capital, is taking as it battles to stay afloat. In an interview with The Mercury recently, municipal manager Lulamile Mapholoba revealed that the financial situation of the city was not good. The municipality has been under administration for the past few years and these woes have led to experts from the national government being brought in to assist. Last year, The Mercury reported that the municipality was owed more than R5 billion by ratepayers for unpaid services. This year, it is aggressively going after businesses and government departments that owe for utilities,…

The alarming number of violent incidents at schools across the country since the start of the year has demonstrated that teaching and learning institutions are no longer safe spaces for pupils and teachers. The South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) said recently that the incidents of violence included bullying, suicide, stabbings and shootings. Last week, there were serious incidents in KwaZulu-Natal schools. The deputy principal of Sandakahle Primary School in uMlazi, Durban, was injured in a shooting during an alleged botched hijacking. At Sarasvati Primary School in oThongathi, a teacher was allegedly assaulted by her colleagues, and the principal of the same school was attacked by a gunman. There were several other incidents earlier this year, including the murder of a Grade 10 pupil who was stabbed to death, allegedly…

Nigeria’s outsider candidate Peter Obi has won the key state of Lagos, according to provisional results yesterday from the tight race for the presidency of Africa’s most populous nation. The Lagos State win by Labour Party’s Obi underscored his surprise challenge to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which have governed Nigeria since the end of military rule in 1999. Nearly 90 million were eligible to vote on Saturday for a successor to President Muhammadu Buhari, many hoping a new leader can bring real change to tackle insecurity, economic malaise and widening poverty. The closely fought race pits Obi against two old-guard rivals, APC’s Bola Tinubu, 70, a former Lagos governor, and PDP’s Atiku Abubakar, a former vice-president on his sixth bid at…

Egypt’s foreign minister met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu yesterday in the first visits to Syria and Türkiye by a top Egyptian diplomat in a decade. Assad has benefited from an outpouring of Arab support since devastating earthquakes hit his country and neighbouring Türkiye this month, helping to ease the diplomatic isolation he has faced over Syria’s civil war that began in 2011. “The goal of the visit is primarily humanitarian, and to pass on our solidarity – from the leadership, the government and the people of Egypt to the people of Syria,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said in Damascus. Egypt was looking forward to providing more quake assistance “in full co-ordination with the Syrian government” after already having donated some 1 500 tons,…

CAPE CANAVERAL: Nasa and SpaceX yesterday postponed the launch of a capsule containing two US astronauts, a Russian cosmonaut and a United Arab Emirates crewmate minutes before scheduled lift-off from Florida on a flight to the International Space Station. The US space agency and SpaceX, the private rocket company founded by billionaire Elon Musk, cited a technical glitch concerning the ignition fluid used to start the spacecraft’s engines. The countdown had seemed to be progressing smoothly until about two-and-a-half minutes before blast-off, when Nasa said the launch of the crew members on a six-month science mission would be postponed. | Reuters…

HAWARA: Israel yesterday deployed extra troops in the occupied West Bank after a Palestinian gunman shot dead two Israelis and a Palestinian was killed when Jewish settlers rampaged through a village, setting fire to houses and cars. “We expect difficult days ahead of us,” Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said as he toured the largely empty streets of the village of Hawara with a heavy security detail. The mob violence on Sunday partially eclipsed the attack earlier in the day in which two brothers from a nearby Israeli settlement were gunned down in their car in Hawara, a Palestinian village north of Ramallah that often sees friction with settlers. | Reuters…

Court papers, filed in response to legal action brought by ActionSA, have revealed that the Mahatma Gandhi Pump Station – the largest sewage pump station in the eThekwini Municipality – pumps millions of litres of untreated sewage into the ocean each time it breaks down. This is according to an answering affidavit filed on behalf of the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Barbara Creecy. The affidavit, deposed by Devinagie Bendeman, acting director-general in the national Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, said there was a persistent problem with the pump station. The issue dates back several years and the pump station was just one of the marine outfalls that discharged effluent during infrastructure failure or heavy rains. The court action was launched by ActionSA against the eThekwini Municipality and…

At first glance, it is a house like dozens of others in the crowded favelas of Brazil. But the modest dwelling of 66m², with its exposed brick walls, has been recognised as the “house of the year” in a global architecture competition. The house, honoured by specialised website ArchDaily, belongs to Kdu dos Anjos, a 32-year-old artist living in the bustling Aglomerado da Serra favela, at the bottom of a hill on the edge of the southeastern city of Belo Horizonte. The two-storey structure defeated some more-imposing contest entries from India, Mexico, Vietnam and Germany. “I’m proud that my house won this prize, because most of the news about the favelas talks of violence and homes destroyed by landslides,” said Dos Anjos, who has close-cropped hair, black earrings and many…

Mr Cyril Ramaphosa, this is what you urgently need to do with Eskom’s former CEO André de Ruyter. Before I address you on the above matter, I believe it would be a timeous reminder to echo the onerous words you uttered at the Union Buildings four years ago: “In the presence of everyone assembled here, and in full realisation of the high calling I assume as president of the Republic of South Africa, I, Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, swear that I will be faithful to the Republic of South Africa‚ and will obey‚ observe‚ uphold and maintain the Constitution and all other laws of the Republic; and I solemnly and sincerely promise that I will always: promote all that will advance the Republic‚ and oppose all that may harm it; protect…

Does the ANC really realise what impact load shedding has had on all citizens of this country? They have stolen the future of the next generation as businesses are collapsing and young people are finding it impossible to get jobs to make a living. The amount of people on the street is a big concern and I can go on and on, so where do we go from here? There is only one way to turn this country around and that is to vote them out of power once and for all and let the DA and ActionSA lead the country and rebuild all the state-owned entities that have collapsed. If we don’t do this, then it is time to pack for Perth, as South Africa will become another failed…

THE tourism portfolio committee has recommended to the National Assembly that the near R1 billion South African Tourism-Tottenham Hotspur proposal be put on hold, the four new board members be fired immediately and their appointments investigated. The committee also suggested that the R900 million for the football sponsorship deal be re-routed to refurbish dilapidated tourism infrastructure. This is according to a tourism committee report attached to Parliament’s announcements, tablings and committee (ATC) reports, dated February 23. The proposed SA Tourism’s sponsorship deal for the UK-based soccer club Tottenham Hotspur FC led to a public outcry when details of it came to light. Thereafter three SA Tourism board members – Enver Duminy, Ravi Nadasen and Rosemary Anderson – all resigned. It is understood that the three had disagreed with the proposal.…

Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Blade Nzimande has raised concern about the escalating number of Post-School Education and Training (PSET) students being murdered, robbed and raped. This comes after eight student murder cases were reported across the country in one month. “We must recognise that our Post-School Education and Training (PSET) sector is a microcosm of our greater society. This is clearly demonstrated in the manifestation and in many instances of reproduction of social pathologies on our campuses such as rape, violent murders, mostly against women,” Nzimande said. On February 12, Busiwe Notyawe, Sesethu Dweba and Asanda Ngubo, who were students at Eastcape Midlands TVET College in the Eastern Cape, were murdered while socialising at a public entertainment venue. According to preliminary investigations, the students were in a…

It will now be their duty to fix all those unfulfilled election promises EVERYONE must have had their moment when they concluded that things are broken in our current system of government and require a strong involvement of independent public representatives with no political party affiliation, and here is mine. The lack of improvement in municipal outcomes over many years was an indictment of the entire local government accountability ecosystem, which failed to act and arrest the decline characterised by poor service delivery. As South Africans welcome the adoption by the National Assembly on February 23 of the amendments to the Electoral Act that will allow independent candidates to contest national and provincial elections, I cannot shake the many stories of suffering communities. President Cyril Ramaphosa needs to have signed…

A 5.6-magnitude earthquake hit eastern Türkiye yesterday, killing at least one person and wounding dozens while causing some damaged buildings to collapse, the government’s disaster agency said. The epicentre of the tremor was the Yesilyurt district in the Malatya province, which was hit by the February 6 earthquake that killed over 44 000 people in Türkiye and thousands more in neighbouring Syria. “One citizen lost his life. Some 69 were injured,” said Yunus Sezer, chairperson of Afad disaster agency. Afad tweeted that 29 buildings already damaged by a powerful February 6 earthquake had collapsed. “Our search-and-rescue teams were quickly dispatched to the region, and started to work,” it said. The local mayor, Mehmet Cinar, said a father and his daughter were trapped after they entered a damaged building to get…

OSLO: Environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg (pictured) and dozens of other activists yesterday blocked entrances to Norway’s energy ministry, protesting against wind turbines built on land traditionally used by indigenous Sami reindeer herders. Thunberg said the transition to green energy could not come at the expense of indigenous rights. Norway’s supreme court in 2021 ruled that two wind farms built in central Norway violated Sami rights under international conventions, but the turbines remain in operation more than 16 months later. Reindeer herders in the Nordic country say the sight and sound of the giant wind power machinery frighten their animals and disrupt age-old traditions. The ministry said the ultimate fate of the wind farms is a complex legal quandary despite the supreme court ruling and is hoping to find a…

GOMA: The UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) suspended flights in Congo’s North Kivu and Ituri provinces following an attack on one of the service’s helicopters last Friday, the World Food Programme (WFP) said yesterday. Flights between the provincial capital Goma and eastern cities of Beni and Bunia were suspended. The helicopter was able to land in Goma and the three crew members and 10 passengers were unharmed. The armed group that attacked the helicopter has not been identified but flights would only resume after an assessment of the security situation. One UN peacekeeper was killed in eastern DRC on February 5. | Reuters…

The Stormers are gearing up to pelt the Sharks with rolling mauls and scrums in Saturday’s coastal derby (kick-off 2.30pm) at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town. On Monday, Rito Hlungwani, Stormers forwards coach, didn’t mince his words when he made it clear that they’ll ruthlessly employ these two facets in play to try and get the better of the visitors. The Durban side was hammered with rolling mauls this past weekend in their United Rugby Championship (URC) clash with Ulster and the Stormers have certainly taken note of that. So the Sharks, who lost 31-24 to the Irish side, can expect a bit of déjà vu this weekend. “The only teams we haven’t scored maul tries against are the Ospreys and Cardiff. We’ve scored against every other team we…

KwaZulu-Natal Education MEC Mbali Frazer has admitted that the department is in a financially challenging position that will make it difficult to meet some of its primary mandates. Addressing a portfolio committee meeting last week, Frazer indicated that the department faced an uphill battle in carrying out its core responsibilities owing to a funding shortfall. “The department’s ailing financial position remains unchanged. The total expenditure as at the end of December 2022 amounted to R45.8 billion. The percentage spent was at 75.8% against the adjusted appropriation. “As previously reported to this committee, the department has been limping financially as a result of the shortfall on the compensation of employees stemming from the persistent budget reductions applied in the 2021/22 MTEF (Medium-term Expenditure Frameworks),” she told committee members. She indicated that…

The DA in uMgungundlovu District has written to the municipal manager, Nosipho Mkhize, to request that she provides feedback on the R11 million in irregular expenditure reported by the auditor-general during the latest audit. The expenditure relates to illegal extensions of contracts. This amount is mostly resulting from three big contractors, two of which have previously been in the press for alleged fraudulent activity. Our concern is that the normal reporting and legislative processes did not pick up on these irregularities and report on the deviations from supply-chain legislation. Why would certain contracts extend way beyond the scope and budget, unchecked? This is the type of lack of control that allows corruption to flourish. Local government legislation demands that all expenditure that is unauthorised (not budgeted for), irregular (not as…

It was my birthday and my wife, daughter and I were on our way to Benoni in my new car to celebrate my granddaughter’s birthday, which is two days after mine. We encountered some heavy rain in Mooi River but we managed to get past it. But after the Tugela Plaza the weather threatened again. As we began the ascent up Van Reenen’s Pass, an ominous dark cloud appeared across the top of the pass. As we neared the top of the pass, all hell broke loose. The thunder clapped, the lightning flashed and the rain came down in torrents. Visibility was down to zero. Then a deafening bolt of lightning struck the car and the car went dead. The computer flashed “electrical failure”. Luckily, there was an emergency lane…

WHEN 46 years ago a beautiful but damaged Japanese porcelain vase caught Stephen Petersen’s eye on a visit to his then girlfriend’s parents’ home, he had no idea the exploration of its provenance would launch him into a story spanning lives on three continents. The imposing yet delicate vase, which his future parents-in-law had stored in a corner of their Sandvlei home, today occupies pride of place in the centre of Petersen’s lounge in his house in Kuils River, and is a conversation piece like no other. Now a widower, retired toolmaker Petersen, 64, and his late wife Belinda’s uncle, Carl Willters, have spent many years digging into the story of the vase, which Belinda’s maternal great- great grandfather, Paul Andries Braaf, found while walking on the beach in…

The Hawks have arrested five people and confiscated illicit cigarettes valued at more than R30 million during a raid on a farm at the weekend. “The Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation received a tip-off about illicit cigarettes that were kept at a farm waiting to be transported to different destinations in the country,” said Hawks spokesperson Captain Matimba Maluleke. He said the raid took place at a farm between Musina and the Beitbridge border post. Maluleke said after the information was received, a sting operation involving the Hawks, Limpopo SAPS, the SANDF and the South African Revenue Service was planned. “At the farm, they found a truck and a tractor with trailer loaded with suspected illicit cigarettes, which was under stacked pallets carrying bricks. A preliminary investigation led to…

POLICE in Limpopo have launched a manhunt for a gang of six men who killed a Good Samaritan when he tried to help two women they had attacked. The police said that on February 24, the gang allegedly robbed two women and raped one of them. When the women called for help, the suspects attacked motorists who stopped to rescue them, killing one of them and seriously injuring the other in Madiba Park, Seshego, near Polokwane. “The two women, aged 25 and 30, were reportedly walking home from the ATM at the filling station when they met about six unknown men at about 8.45pm. “The suspects robbed them of cellphones, money and a jersey. “One of the suspects grabbed the younger lady and pulled her into the nearby bushes and…

There are several infrastructure mega-projects in South Africa, including the international Square Kilometre Array radio telescope, a dig-out port in Durban, the ongoing upgrade of the R573 (a regional route in South Africa), the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, and SA Connect (which aims to connect schools, health facilities, government offices and service centres in underserved rural districts). The costs of these projects may run into millions or billions of rand, and the average citizen may not see the value of making such enormous investments. However, the mega-project industry has contributed to increasing employment in the country over the years, and in the long term these projects are vital to sustain the country’s economy and business climate. As an emerging economy, South Africa needs infrastructure mega-projects to remain competitive and reinvent…

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has struck a new deal on post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland, gambling that the reward of better ties with the EU is worth any discord it might cause within his own party. A government source said Sunak yesterday agreed the terms with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen west of London. The agreement marks a high-risk strategy for Sunak, looking to secure a compromise and improve relations with Brussels, and the US, without angering the wing of his party most wedded to Brexit. The deal seeks to resolve tensions caused by the 2020 post-Brexit arrangements governing Northern Ireland, a British province, and its open border with EU member Ireland. It remains to be seen whether it will go far enough to end political…

CROTONE: Rescuers recovered three more bodies yesterday, a day after a wooden sailboat carrying migrants to Europe smashed onto rocks in stormy weather off southern Italy, bringing the death toll to at least 62, including at least 14 children. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said more than two dozen Pakistanis were believed to have been among the vessel’s passengers. Rescuers said many Afghanis and some Iranians had also been aboard the boat. Many of the victims washed ashore close to where the vessel sank near Steccato di Cutro, a seaside resort on the eastern coast of Calabria, while some of the bodies were recovered from the sea, which has started to calm as blustery winds die down. | Reuters…

Seoul: North Korea has convened a key party meeting to discuss agricultural issues, with its leader Kim Jong-un in attendance, Pyongyang’s state media reported yesterday, as the country is grappling with severe food shortages. Kim presided over the meeting to discuss agricultural development. The country’s food situation appears to have deteriorated amid deepening economic hardships caused by border lockdowns to combat the Covid-19 pandemic and global sanctions over the country’s nuclear and missile programmes. The North’s crop output is estimated to have fallen 3.8% year-on-year to 4.51 million tons last year. | IANS…

South Africans had the opportunity to drown their sorrows after the Proteas’ World Cup final defeat by tuning into the Siya Kolisi Story, Rise, which premiered on Sunday evening. It offered exclusive insights into the life of the Springbok World Cup-winning captain, both on and off the rugby field. However, if the producers had waited a couple of weeks though, they would have had another fascinating chapter to add. Kolisi has recently been spending time with the Proteas’ squad, and has been a very visible and vocal supporter of the team during the recently-completed ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. He was in the commentary box during the semi-final victory over England, and then out on the field embracing all the players after the match. During the final on Sunday, Kolisi…