Table of contents for 2023-09-19 in Mercury

QUESTIONS have been raised about the safety of several housing projects in Durban after it was revealed that these “homes” were not issued with certificates of completion. The certificate of completion is seen as a guarantee that the structure was built according to building legislation and safety standards. The IFP in eThekwini first raised the issue of the safety of many houses built by Woodglaze Trading, which had been involved in several social housing projects prior to 2010. In response to questions from The Mercury, the eThekwini Municipality confirmed that several developments were affected. Responding to a question about how many developments had not been issued with the certificate, eThekwini Municipality’s spokesperson, Gugu Sisilana said: “According to the information at our disposal, there are 30 residential complexes with a…

A FORAY into the Rugby World Cup fixtures last Saturday produced some surprises. First, it’s astonishing that countries such as Tonga and Samoa have national sides that make it into the World Cup at all when so many of their top players are turning out for New Zealand, Australia and elsewhere. Second, it’s surprising to some of us to find that rugby is played at all in Chile and Portugal and at a standard to take their national sides into the World Cup. Third – and this was a very pleasing surprise – the quality of the rugby at these levels was high indeed. The rather lop-sided final scores in Wales versus Portugal and Samoa versus Chile didn’t quite reflect the skilful and often stirring performances of the losers. A…

Britain has been rocked by a huge scandal: theft at one of its most prestigious institutions, the British Museum. More than 2 000 artefacts were stolen or are missing. The size of the theft was mind-blowing. Some of the precious gems, jewellery and artefacts dated from as early as the 15 century BC. The government and museum officials have been left red-faced. How could a theft of such a massive scale go unnoticed for such a long time? It was an inside job. A staff member suspected in the looting has been sacked and the museum director has quit after the scandal broke. One of the largest in the world, the British Museum is the pride of the UK. Founded way back in 1753, it has an astonishing 8 million…

The National Assembly’s portfolio committee on mineral resources and energy has called for submissions on the Electricity Regulation Bill that aims to open up the market in the electricity sector to mitigate the impact of power cuts. The bill was tabled in Parliament a few weeks ago, after months of delays. According to the bill, the main objective is to introduce a competitive market in the electricity sector. “With the proposed migration from a monopolistic electricity supply industry model to a competitive model, there is a necessity to provide measures that would ensure that third parties are not discriminated against, and that they will be granted access to the Transmission System Operator SOC Ltd’s transmission or distribution power systems to evacuate their generated power.” President Cyril Ramaphosa also recently spoke…

Two people lost their lives at KaNyamazane in Mpumalanga when two unidentified assailants entered a tavern on Sunday and fired shots “indiscriminately” at the patrons. At least 15 other patrons were injured in the shooting, Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Colonel Donald Mdhluli, said. In an update yesterday, Mdhluli said one patron died at the scene, and another on Sunday. Both deceased have not yet been identified. Fifteen others were injured including two who were “in a serious condition in hospital”. “This means there are currently two counts of murder with 15 counts of attempted murder,” said Mdhluli. Police in Mpumalanga said they had launched a manhunt for the two assailants involved in the shooting, outside Mbombela. “Two armed men wearing balaclavas stormed into the liquor outlet and opened fire indiscriminately. “After…

MUNICIPALITIES incurred about R1.1 billion in overtime payments and spent R1.6bn to fix infrastructure damaged or stolen during load shedding. These are some of the findings by the SA Local Government Association (Salga) in an assessment on the impact of load shedding on municipalities. The findings were referenced by Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Thembi Nkadimeng in her reply to parliamentary questions from DA MP Jacobus Frederik Smalle. He had asked whether Cogta undertook any assessment of the costs incurred by municipalities for electrical and water infrastructure damage as an impact of load shedding. Smalle also asked why municipalities failed to protect their assets as required by legislation, and the assistance Cogta gave to the municipalities. In her reply, Nkadimeng said her department had not undertaken any assessment…

IT IS often difficult to imagine how communities in other parts of the world are experiencing the effects of climate change. You may have heard about the water shortages in Rustenburg, South Africa, and the severe flooding in the state of Kentucky, in the US. We are bringing learners into the conversation, and into relationships with one another to provide a way of making climate change matter. Learners in primary school are at an age where they are keenly interested in understanding the world around them and are able to begin to engage in discussions around the issue of climate change. We feel strongly that it is time for Climate Action (Sustainable Development Goal 13) through education. Through our local and international research project, we are capacitating teachers to integrate…

FIVE US citizens left Iran and landed in Doha yesterday in a prisoner swop for five Iranians held in the US and the transfer of $6 billion (about R114bn) in Iranian funds in a rare deal between the long-time antagonists. “Today, five innocent Americans who were imprisoned in Iran are finally coming home,” US President Joe Biden said in a statement, adding they “will soon be reunited with their loved ones – after enduring years of agony, uncertainty and suffering.” It was unclear whether the exchange might bring progress on the many issues that divide the two nations, including Iran’s nuclear programme, its support for regional Shia militias, the presence of US troops in the Gulf and US sanctions on Iran. A plane sent by mediator Qatar flew the five…

Charles III finally makes it across the Channel from Britain to France this week, six months after rioting and strikes forced the last-minute postponement of his first state visit as king. The 74-year-old British head of state’s rescheduled three-day trip to Paris and Bordeaux with his wife Queen Camilla, 76, starts tomorrow, with the itinerary largely unchanged from March. It includes set-piece ceremonial events with President Emmanuel Macron, whose unpopular pension reforms sparked the civil unrest earlier this year, as well as more informal meetings with the public. The royal couple, Macron and his wife Brigitte will be officially welcomed at the Arc de Triomphe and lay wreaths of remembrance before a procession down the Champs-Élysées avenue. The French leader and First Lady will host Charles and Camilla at a…

THE HAGUE: Russia called on the UN’s highest court in The Hague yesterday to throw out what it said was a “hopelessly flawed” case challenging Moscow’s argument that its invasion of Ukraine was to prevent genocide. The Russian request was made at the start of hearings dealing with the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice. Moscow says Ukraine was using the case to get a ruling on the legality of Russia’s military action. Experts say a ruling in Kyiv’s favour could impact on reparations. | Reuters…

NASPERS and its Dutch-based subsidiary Prosus, which have drawn investor criticism for more than two years due to, among other reasons, a complex restructuring, said suddenly yesterday that CEO Bob van Dijk would step down after 10 years of leadership. Van Dijk became Naspers CEO in 2014 and headed Prosus since its 2019 listing. Ervin Tu, the group chief investment officer, was appointed Interim CEO. Van Dijk planned to assist with the transition and remain as a consultant to the boards until September 30, 2024. Although Naspers and Prosus’ formal announcements did not provide reasons for Van Dijk’s departure, Prosus said in response to a Business Report query that: “Bob and the board mutually agreed it was the right time for Bob to step down and to bring a…

Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini has paid a moving tribute to the late Zulu traditional prime minister Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi. The king visited the Buthelezi family yesterday at KwaPhindangene near Ulundi in northern KwaZulu-Natal on the second day since Buthelezi was buried Buthelezi, the founder of the IFP, died on September 9 aged 95. King Misuzulu was unable to attend Buthelezi’s funeral owing to Zulu cultural practices which state that kings do not attend funerals – including those of their children. The king and his large entourage arrived at Buthelezi’s home at about 11am and were welcomed by the family, led by Buthelezi’s son, Prince Zuzifa Buthelezi. In his brief speech of condolence, King Misuzulu said he was heartbroken when he heard the news. “My voice is gone, this death which…

Emotional maturity is not age-determined. I have seen it in 13 year olds and missing in the occasional supposedly mature adult. There are popular tests to measure this quotient, these are the abilities I look for when dealing with families or groups in conflict. The member of the family who is empowered to grow and foster healthy change within a struggling family (or church or business or not-for-profit) will demonstrate some (not necessarily all) of these abilities: The capacity to switch lenses, to see the world, at least for a time, from another’s point of view. The capacity to report what is heard, to be able to accurately report what is said even if it is a point of contention or disagreement. The capacity for objectivity, to be able to…

Yesterday, September 18, was a reminder that we have to monitor and protect our water resources to ensure that we have access to safe and clean quality water. On September 18 annually, the world comes together to celebrate World Water Monitoring Day which is an international day aimed at building public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world, by empowering citizens to carry out basic monitoring of their local water resources. Monitoring water is important to prevent water-borne diseases and keep people healthy. Unsafe water has a detrimental effect on people’s health leading to water-borne diseases such as cholera, typhoid and diarrhoea. Water monitoring is one way of ensuring people have access to a clean and safe water supply. Water monitoring also involves protecting our water resources.…

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) is still seized with the Karpowership SA appeal matter. This was said by Minister Barbara Creecy in reply to DA questions recently. In August, Karpowership SA moved one step closer to realising one of its three gas-to-power projects off the coast of South Africa, when the DFFE issued an interim decision on the company’s appeal challenging the department’s decision to reject the Environmental Authorisation for the Port of Ngqura in the Coega Special Economic Zone in the Eastern Cape. Karpowership is one of the preferred bidders in the national government’s risk mitigation independent power producer procurement programme. The DFFE’s interim decision required clarity on several issues before Karpowership could get the green light, among them “gaps in information, including the status…

NASA has a new director of research into what the government calls “unidentified anomalous phenomenon”, or UAP, while the US space agency’s chief said an expert panel that urged deeper fact-finding on the matter found no evidence of an extraterrestrial origin for these objects. Administrator Bill Nelson made the announcement about the new research chief – without disclosing the person’s identity – after the independent panel of experts recommended that Nasa increase its efforts to gather information on UAP – unidentified flying objects, or UFOs – and play a larger role in helping the Pentagon detect them. Nelson at a news conference also gave his personal opinion that life exists beyond Earth. “I believe there’s life in a universe that’s so vast”, he said, but added the chances that otherworldly…

THE Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) says it will be advocating for other provinces that have traditional structures to provide more avenues for the empowerment of female traditional leaders as women in the institution face a number of obstacles. The CGE chairperson, advocate Nthabiseng Sepanya-Mogale, was reacting to the initiative by the KZN Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) to provide equipment and training to female izinduna, labelling it an excellent idea that needs to be replicated in other provinces. Last week KZN Cogta MEC Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi handed over laptops with 3G cards to the female izinduna and secretaries of traditional councils in a move aimed at enabling them to execute their duties efficiently. The MEC distributed the items during an engagement with female izinduna and secretaries…

If you build the capacity of caregivers, they become the agents of change IN RECENT months many case studies and learning briefs used concepts such as “innovation” and “scaling” to encourage creativity among social-purpose organisations to improve and broaden their services. In the face of growing social degradation, rampant lawlessness, senseless killings of people on our streets, and young children getting caught up in the crossfire of gang and turf wars makes living in townships difficult for people. As a result of what is happening on the streets, families and communities are increasingly becoming vulnerable and in need of support. We have seen how quickly civil society can respond to emergencies when fires ravage informal settlements or tornadoes (wind spouts) rip through sections of communities and flatten homes and organisations…

UN agencies warned yesterday that Libya’s flood-stricken city of Derna, where thousands were killed a week ago, faces the threat of disease outbreaks that could bring “a second devastating crisis”. The massive flash flood that has killed over 3 000 people and left thousands more missing came as the war-scarred North African country was lashed by the hurricane-strength Storm Daniel on September 10. Traumatised residents, 30 000 of whom are now homeless, badly need clean water, food and basic supplies amid a growing risk of cholera, diarrhoea, dehydration and malnutrition, UN agencies warn. “Teams from nine UN agencies have been on the ground delivering aid and support to those affected by Storm Daniel and the flash flooding for the past few days,” said the UN Support Mission in Libya. But…

US President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden sued the US Internal Revenue Service yesterday, alleging unlawful disclosure of his taxes by whistleblowers who work for the US tax agency. The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, focused on statements by IRS agents Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler in media interviews amid a long-running investigation by House of Representatives Republicans into the younger Biden’s taxes and business dealings. Hunter Biden, 53, is at the centre of a political maelstrom, as House Republicans mount an impeachment inquiry against his father focused on alleged ties between his business practices and his father’s policies during his father’s tenure as vice-president from 2009 to 2017. They have so far presented no evidence showing that the elder Biden profited from…

FRANKFURT: Germany yesterday launched an autumn vaccination campaign to prevent respiratory infection, promoting an updated Covid-19 booster shot only for the elderly or people at high risk. With its choice to target only the elderly, at-risk or chronically ill people, residents of care homes, health professionals and those in close contact with vulnerable people, Germany is in line with other European countries. In the US, health authorities signed off on broad use of updated Covid-19 vaccines, covering ages 6 months and up. | Reuters…

Assistant coach Deon Davids has confirmed that Springbok bruiser Eben Etzebeth will be at the heart of the engine room for Saturday’s crunch clash with Ireland in Pool B of the World Cup. Davids looked slightly irritated yesterday when asked if Etzebeth would be part of the action at the Stade de France (9pm kickoff). “We have been saying for some time that Eben’s shoulder injury (picked up in the first game against Scotland in Marseille) was a seven-to-10-day injury, and over seven days have passed,” Davids said. “He has reacted to treatment and will definitely be considered for selection.” The forwards coach endorsed SA director of rugby Rassie Erasmus’ comment that Deon Fourie, in particular, can more than do the job at hooker as cover for Bongi Mbonambi. “Deon…

ANC veterans Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, and former health minister Zweli Mkhize are expected to appear before the party’s national disciplinary committee on several counts of refusing to toe the party line, although their supporters believe the campaign for next year’s elections could influence any possible sanction. Dlamini Zuma, Mkhize, former North West premier Supra Mahumapelo and former mineral resources minister Mosebenzi Zwane will have to explain why they voted last year for the adoption of the section 89 report recommending an impeachment process for President Cyril Ramaphosa over the Phala Phala scandal. The MPs this year again defied the party in a vote on the creation of an ad hoc committee to look into the saga. Dlamini Zuma…

Significant increases to the price of petrol, diesel and illuminating paraffin are expected in October, based on unaudited data from the Central Energy Fund (CEF), the AA said. The current data indicated an increase in petrol of around R1.20/litre and an increase to the wholesale price of diesel by as much as R2/l. Illuminating paraffin is also set for another increase with the data currently showing an under recovery of R1.84/l. “Should these significant increases materialise, they will push fuel prices to levels last seen in July last year, stretching the personal finances of South Africans even further,” the AA said. “Higher fuel prices will invariably lead to higher prices at the till, which will be a blow to many who are already experiencing financial distress.” According to the CEF’s…

South Africa lost a five-star icon when Raymond Ackerman passed away. The retail king will go down in history as one of the greatest entrepreneurs of our time. He was a man with amazing vision and astounding brilliance. Raymond was the best of the best, like Edison and Steve Jobs, he may never be equalled. His legacy as a supreme visionary far exceeded his corporate success. His legacy is imprinted in the sand, soil and heartland of our vast country, and traverses oceans and swathes of the global village. In the face of insurmountable challenges and doubt, Raymond still rose and persevered. As an entrepreneur, he saw the solution before others and had the guts to see it through. He navigated the difficult political waters of his chosen journey, never…

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has secured a preservation order from the Special Tribunal to freeze about R2.4 million held in four bank accounts linked to a National Lotteries Commission’s (NLC) official in KwaZulu-Natal and his wife, pending the final determination of a civil action to be brought by the unit in 60 days. SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said the money was paid into the accounts by non-profit organisations that received funding from the NLC. He said in terms of the order dated September 13, 2023, the suspended NLC official, his wife, and 05 ZZET Enterprises (Pty) Ltd, solely owned by the wife, are prohibited from dealing in any manner with funds held in the frozen bank accounts. “An investigation by the SIU into the affairs of the NLC revealed…

The proposed Tobacco Products Control Bill continues to face mixed reactions and concerns about the government’s ability to enforce the new regulations. Limpopo was the latest province to sit down with the National Assembly committee on health as it conducted public sessions on the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill. Held at the Nkowankowa Community Hall in Tzaneen this past weekend, residents expressed mixed reactions to the bill, with concerns about the inability of the state to enforce the existing legislation on tobacco products due to inadequate capacity. Some residents supported the push for stringent enforcement measures in the bill especially those seeking to curb the sale of tobacco products to young people. Those who were against the bill said the implementation of the current legislation on tobacco…

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said it was devastated by the loss of more than 22 mineworkers employed by Murray & Roberts operations at the Venetia mine, who died on Sunday when their bus collided with a truck on the R572 at Musina in Limpopo. The NUM said the two vehicles caught fire. The NUM north east regional secretary Phillip Mankge said: “The government should do something to upgrade their roads because this is the second incident in six months.” The union said it was calling for the Limpopo provincial government to assemble a team of investigators to probe the causes of such accidents. In a statement, Murray & Roberts said words could not explain the depths of its sadness and the pain it felt for the bereaved families.…

The issue of poor or no access to water remains a daily challenge for many residents in KwaZulu-Natal, as well as for schools, businesses and other organisations across the province. This is according to the executive summary of the SA Human Rights Commission KZN Water Inquiry report. According to the report, which was released yesterday, most municipalities’ responses to complaints were inadequate in that they were unable to provide appropriate and sustainable redress to affected communities. Therefore these complaints amounted to a “prima facie violation of the basic human right” to have access to sufficient clean water. The commission conducted a five-day inquiry into access to water in KZN from August 15 to 19 last year. During the period, the commission said it engaged with and received submissions from…

WHILE pensioners faced a crisis over unpaid grants last week, more than a 100 experts on information and communications technology attended the GovTech 2023 conference in Durban, ironically to look at the “adoption of technologies that can both shape our digital future and drive a new way of work and service delivery improvement”. More than 600 000 social grant recipients could not buy food and were pushed towards loan sharks to survive after Postbank mismanagement which had led to a failure to pay service providers. This was sparked by a rushed decision to appoint a new contractor. On September 5, the day 20 million grant transactions were meant to pay recipients, the system crashed and the new payment system, apparently tested on only 1 000 accounts, could not deal with…

Serious violations were still being committed in Ethiopia despite a peace deal in the north, UN rights experts said yesterday, warning that the conflict was spreading across the country and putting regional stability at risk. “Atrocities, war crimes and crimes against humanity are still being committed in the country,” the UN-backed investigators said. Last year, a peace deal between Ethiopia’s federal government and rebels in the Tigray region ostensibly ended a brutal two-year conflict. “While the signing of the agreement may have mostly silenced the guns, it has not resolved the conflict in the north of the country, in particular in Tigray,” said Mohamed Chande Othman, head of the UN-backed Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia. “Nor has it brought about any comprehensive peace,” he said in Geneva, presenting…

LONDON: London police said yesterday they had received an allegation of a sexual assault dating back 20 years following media reports about comedian and actor Russell Brand. Brand, 48, the former husband of US singer Katy Perry, has denied allegations by four women who had accused him of sexual assaults, including a rape, between 2006 and 2013. Police said since these were published and broadcast they had received a report of an assault alleged to have taken place in Soho, central London, in 2003. “Officers are in contact with the woman and will be providing her with support,” police said. | Reuters…

AmaZulu coach Pablo Franco Martin surprised many when he revealed dissatisfaction despite his team’s heroic comeback win against Cape Town City. Usuthu scored twice in stoppage time through Junior Dion to claim a dramatic 3-2 win over the Citizens at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday. However, despite displaying great fight and resilience, Martin expressed his ambition to see his team perform better in the future as he openly admitted to being lucky to collect all three points. “We’re very far from the level I want,” Martin told Independent Media in the post-match press conference. “They (City) were better than us ... this is the reality. I won the game, but I am honest. The same way on other days we’ve lost or drawn and I felt like we deserved more,…