Содержание выпуска: 2022-02-10 — Mercury

Dieketseng Maleke dieketseng.maleke@inl.co.za GOLD Fields, which operates gold mines across three continents, expects its annual headline earnings to lift by up to 13 percent, boosted by a 5 percent improvement in annual gold production. For 12 months ended December, the mining producer’s headline share earnings for the year would be between $0.88 (R13.60) to $0.94, representing a 6 to 13 percent year-on-year improvement. Headline share earnings for the 2020 financial year were $0.82 per share. “Basic earnings per share for the quarter were expected to range from $0.88 per share, which is 0 percent to 7 percent higher than the basic earnings of $0.82 per share reported for 2020 financial year,” Gold Fields said. Normalised share earnings would come in at $1.02 to $1.08…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za ETHEKWINI Municipality has taken its first step to regain control of its municipal bus service that is currently being operated by private company Tansnat. The city tabled a report recently detailing its plans to appoint a director, company secretary and audit company for the municipal entity that is being set up to operate the Durban Transport Services. The city said these appointments were a prerequisite step in registering the municipal entity that would manage the buses. But even if the city regains control of the buses, bus service provider Tansnat might not be out in the cold thanks to a resolution that the council took in August 2020 that states the entity should have a partner from the private sector that is experienced in running the buses.…

HUMAN connection of the deeper kind, the significant kind, takes work and planning. The intimacy that feeds our souls and is found with the people whom we love, is not usually easy, even with those with whom a deeper connection is expected. It is a fallacy that people who live together and share life every day enjoy significant and soul-feeding intimacy. Most of us are running and hiding and evading. Meaningful connections take planning and work and effort and time, uninterrupted time. It doesn’t just happen because you are under the same roof. We are conveniently busy. We are in a just-got-to-do-this-one-more-thing mode. Then, if both parties in a relationship are running and hiding and evading, missing each other – like the proverbial ships in the night – they help…

EBRAHIM ESSA | Durban When I was just a kid living in Mayville, my father’s maternal uncle from Carolina in the Eastern Transvaal used to often visit us. My father and this Joosamama used to get on very well, and my dad made his holiday at our house as exciting as possible by driving him around the suburbs of Mayville, Cato Manor, in an ancient pre-war 1938 Studebaker, borrowed from his scrapyard. Quite often, he would allow me to sit in the back seat while he gave my beloved uncle an audiovisual tour. Sometimes, even at night. This was the part that was really spooky. He would drive into a lonely, dusty road and point out a derelict-looking, but definitely inhabited tin house and explain: “These people…

FAROUK ARAIE | Joburg THE next few years will be defining years for South Africa. Most South Africans are blissfully unaware that an extremist party that garnered only 10% of the national vote is dictating our political destiny. This is how fascism stealthily worms its way into power, as a nation is lulled into a self-induced state of political paralysis. History graphically records the rise of fascism in Italy. After aligning itself with Italian conservatives, the fascist party rose to power using violence and intimidation, eventually seizing power in 1922, under Benito Mussolini. Most South Africans take freedom for granted. We are blissfully unaware of the price we paid to attain liberty. Fascists despise democracy, degrade liberty, humiliate the judiciary, insult parliamentary democracy, mock the Constitution and use…

Mwangi Githahu mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za JUSTICE and Correctional Affairs Minister Ronald Lamola has said that victims of evictions across South Africa will soon have access to Legal Aid services in a bid by the state to provide greater access to justice. He was delivering the keynote address at a Constitutional Rights Conference in Cape Town to mark 25 years since South Africa’s Constitution came into effect. “We will soon be expanding the mandate of Legal Aid South Africa to also offer legal services for land justice to the victims of evictions in the various parts of our country and to protect the most vulnerable within our society. This will happen from this financial year,” he said. In March last year the department announced plans to transfer the Land Rights Management Facility…

Se-Anne Rall se-anne.koopman@inl.co.za The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) this week announced the launch of the new online payment features on the Natis online booking system. According to the RTMC, the new features were designed to enhance online renewals and bookings to create a seamless booking experience when using online booking services. RTMC spokesperson, Simon Zwane, said the changes were in response to the Covid-19 virus outbreak, where government has imposed strict regulations to curb the spread by encouraging members of the public to avoid crowded areas and maintain social distancing. He said the absence of online payments made it impossible for South Africans to renew their vehicle licences without physically going to driving licence Testing Centres. “The introduction of online payments means that one can avoid long queues and…

Tarryn-Leigh Solomons Tarryn-Leigh.Solomons@inl.co.za THE Inspector-General of Intelligence (IGI), Setlhomamaru Dintwe, cannot clarify why his security clearance was withdrawn some years ago. Former spy boss Arthur Fraser stripped Dintwe of his security clearance in 2018. His security clearance was later reinstated after the minister intervened. The two were at loggerheads, with Dintwe testifying at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture that there was a “concerted effort”, led by Fraser, to remove him from his position because he was investigating a number of complaints against Fraser. Dintwe’s term is set to end on March 31, but he reapplied for the post and was interviewed by Parliament’s joint standing committee on intelligence yesterday. Ten candidates have been shortlisted for the post. EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi asked Dintwe why his security clearance…

| Mercury Reporter The eThekwini Municipality has called on property owners to inspect the general valuation roll. According to the municipality, there are about 560 000 properties in the eThekwini municipal area. The property values listed on the roll are used to determine the rates that property owners are required to pay the municipality. “Property owners are encouraged to inspect the roll between February 10 and March 31, 2022 and lodge an objection if deemed necessary,” the municipality said. It said conducting inspections of each property was not feasible and it relied on a database of information including: Building plans Deeds Office data Geographic information systems Aerial photography Information obtained from previous inspections Data from property sales in each area The city said the new valuation roll would come…

FORGET your dreams of smart cities and bullet trains which you have spectacularly failed to deliver, Mr President, and wake up. Our country is burning and it seems that you, the captain of the ship, will wake up only when ashes are left. Today’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) comes at a time when the country is yearning for decisive leadership, something that has been missing since you took the reins. At that time, many will remember how desperate our country was for change. So much has happened since then, but very little for the good, unfortunately. The inequality gap has widened, unemployment, especially among the youth and black women is alarmingly high, the fight against corruption appears to be long lost and violence against women and children is…

TUNIS: President Kais Saied’s move to dissolve Tunisia’s top judicial authority has triggered a critical confrontation over rule of law and his own accountability as he slides further towards one-man rule. Saied, who suspended parliament and seized executive power last summer in moves his foes called a coup, has for months been attacking the judiciary, accusing them of being part of a corrupt, self-serving elite that disdains ordinary people to protect its own interests. In a late-night speech this weekend – using his now-familiar refrain that “purifying the judiciary is a priority” – he said he would dissolve the Supreme Judicial Council, the body that upholds judges’ independence, triggering a furious reaction. Judges associations, civil society groups, opposition parties, rights groups, Western donors and UN agencies have all criticised his…

PARIS: Salah Abdeslam, the main suspect in a jihadist rampage that killed 130 people in co-ordinated attacks across Paris in November 2015, told a French court yesterday he had never killed or wounded anyone. I didn’t kill anyone, and I didn’t hurt anyone. I didn’t even make a scratch,” he said. French-Moroccan Abdeslam, 32, is believed to be the only surviving member of the Islamist commando thought to have attacked restaurants, bars, a concert hall, and soccer stadium. Investigators allege his explosive vest malfunctioned and he fled Paris. | Reuters…

Ashfak Mohamed ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za WENDA Nel’s best finish at the world championships is seventh in 2015, but this year, she hopes to just qualify for the event before hanging up her spikes. The nine-time South African 400m hurdles champion announced on the Tuks Sport website this week that she will retire at the end of the year after a superb career spanning 13 seasons. After the athletics world championships from July 15-24 in Eugene, Oregon, Nel will hope to finish off in style at the Commonwealth Games, where she claimed a bronze medal in the 2018 edition in Australia. “The plan was actually to retire last year, but throughout the season, there were so many uncertainties. Even after I had qualified for the Tokyo Olympic Games, nothing was certain. It felt…

To achieve selection to participate in the Bowls South Africa Masters’ Tournament is, on its own, a personal triumph in any competitive lawn bowler’s career. Winning through to the final after gruelling sectional play is a reward for the hard work masters put into practice to perfect their skills. Most supporters of lawn bowls in the Port Natal district were glued to laptops and cellphone screens this weekend as live-streaming allowed them to watch the drama unfold on the greens at Wingate Park in Pretoria. A nail-biting first game in the Women’s Veteran section saw Stella Park’s Glenda Matthews lose a cliffhanger 21-20 shots to Nan Roos from Hartenbos Bowling Club in the Eden Bowls district. Putting the loss aside Matthews played with determination to win the rest of…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za THE MARKETS strengthened yesterday with stocks rising to a record high and the rand dipping below the R15.30 mark to the US dollar on the back of strong business sentiment for December and January. The JSE All Share Index rose by almost 1 percent to another record high of 76 715 index points by 4pm, driven by gains in Sappi, Mondi, Richemont and Naspers. The rand also lifted by 0.11 percent to R15.35 to the US dollar by 4pm, tracking positive global cues and strong January business sentiment, after touching R15.27 during intraday trade. The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) said yesterday that the business confidence index (BCI) increased by 2.1 index points to 94.9 points between December and…

Lutho Pasiya lutho.pasiya@inl.co.za Are you craving a warm meal? A tasty bowl of soup may be just what you need. Some soups contain high amounts of sodium and saturated fat, but a few tips and tricks can help create a nutritious yet delicious soup. When making soup from scratch, use creativity to help guide the process, such as adding more or less of any ingredient or using up what you have on hand. If you have not been getting it all perfect, here are a few tips to help make your home-made soup taste better: Use fresh vegetables I use fresh and seasonal vegetables to make soup as they are a storehouse of nutrients. For making vegetable soup use the best and freshest vegetables that you can purchase at the…

Sibusiso Mboto sibusiso.mboto@inl.co.za Members of the Community Safety and Liaison portfolio committee in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature intend to write to the national committee in Parliament and Police Minister Bheki Cele to ask for urgent intervention regarding the state of police stations across KwaZulu-Natal. This comes after members of the provincial legislature (MPLs) and councillors from different municipalities conducted inspections at police stations this week. Findings include: Police vehicles in need of a service for nearly two years. Police officers having to share a small room to carry out their day-to-day operations. Stations that have a high vacancy rate, especially at senior level. Lack of connectivity which makes it difficult for members of the public to report crime. Speaking to The Mercury yesterday, portfolio committee chairperson Ndodephethe Mthethwa said they had…

A PARROT got some stunning aerial shots of a national park in New Zealand, using a camera stolen from a party of visitors. It happened in Fioerdland National Park in Te Anu, according to Sky News. A family were having a rest from their walking tour when a kea parrot swooped and picked up their GoPro camera that was lying on the ground, and flew off with it. The camera kept on filming as the parrot flew high over the tree-covered hills of the park. Then it landed again, put down the camera, looked at it briefly then appeared to lose interest. A child then picked up the camera and the wonderful pictures were discovered. Don’t call this parrot a thief. Rather call it a guide/photographic assistant. Quite a night…

GLEN CHRISTIE | Durban North The front-page headline and article (The Mercury, February 8) relating to the July riots is all well and good and I am sure that many of your readers will shrug their shoulders and say: “What’s new?” However, what is very concerning about this whole matter is that despite our esteemed minister of police proudly saying at the time that he knew who all those instigators were – this being a well-planned and co-ordinated uprising – to date there have not been any significant arrests made of those behind these riots. Is this because of political involvement and RET (radical economic transformation)? The minister of police should be forced to resign because he has made no arrests of those behind this uprising –…

DUNCAN DU BOIS | Bluff Citing death statistics of the unvaccinated without contextualising their age group and comorbidities is hardly an endorsement of the efficacy of so-called vaccines (The Mercury, February 9). Dr Reuning enquires about my information sources. Regarding New South Wales, my source is the same government source he cites. Yet without being specific, he cites “a study” in France claiming the success of the jab and boosters. How does he account for Scotland’s Public Health Department stating that weekly deaths up until October 14 were 30% above the norm, yet 87% of the population had been vaccinated? On January 31, US Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin enquired why there had been a tenfold increase in neurological issues among the US military and a spike in…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za The outdated law that gave the children of married couples more rights than those of unmarried couples has been declared unconstitutional. The groundbreaking judgment for children’s rights was made by the Johannesburg High Court. Under the ruling, the Mediation in Certain Divorce Matters Act of 1987 is unconstitutional. This act relates to the process of approaching the Office of the Family Advocate in family disputes involving children. In most matters involving children the courts will require a report from the Family Advocate to ascertain what is in the best interest of the children, before the court makes a ruling that affects the children. Under the outdated act, married couples simply submitted the required form to the Office of the Family Advocate, which would then conduct an investigation…

Richester Foods says it has been cleared following the release of test results from an independent laboratory into a batch of lollipops after pupils at a KwaZulu-Natal school fell ill when they allegedly ate the sweets. Pupils of uMzovane Primary School in KwaMaphumulo reportedly fell sick after allegedly eating XPOP Energy Red Dragon lollipops they bought from a vendor last Monday. Richester Foods launched an internal investigation and submitted lollipops from the batch for independent testing. It said the release of the results had cleared the company, but it was now urging health authorities to find the cause of the health scare. “After performing a thorough microbiological analysis on these samples, independent laboratory KLM High-Giene Solutions has verified that the lollipops were free of any bacterial contamination or causes that…

Ntombi Nkosi ntombi.nkosi@inl.co.za ActionSA’s latest high-profile member, Athol Trollip, will be taking up his position as the party’s Eastern Cape chairperson. In an announcement in Gqeberha, Trollip said he had joined ActionSA because he wanted to see “real” democratic change in South Africa. He said when he left politics, his family were happy, especially his children, after they saw the toll that politics had taken on him. “But, I have a political fire that never dies in my belly,” Trollip said, adding that when ActionSA president Herman Mashaba asked him to join his party, he thought long and hard before agreeing. “I have joined ActionSA because I want to see real democratic change happening again in South Africa in my life,” said Trollip. He said many people of his age…

“We must unite now or perish. We recognise that our economic independence resides in our African union and requires the same concentration upon the political achievement.” – First president and prime minister of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah, in his address at the founding of the OAU, Addis Ababa, 1963. Since its inception the OAU, which became the AU in 2002, was a beacon of hope and an endearing figure of African unity post the colonial/imperialist era of the African continent. The idea of unity towards prosperity became a common theme in forums across the continent. This was because one of the most devastating legacies of colonialism was disunity, mistrust and a general lack of appreciation for one another. This post-colonial environment was moulded through the use of language, propaganda, erosion of…

Iran unveiled a new domestically-made missile with a range of 1 450km yesterday, state TV reported, a day after Tehran and Washington resumed indirect talks to salvage a 2015 nuclear deal. Iran, which has one of the biggest missile programmes in the Middle East, says its ballistic missiles have a range of up to 2 000km and are capable of reaching its arch-foe Israel and US bases in the region. State TV displayed the new surface-to-surface “Kheibar Shekan” (Kheibar buster) missile, which refers to an ancient Jewish oasis called Kheibar in the Arabian Peninsula’s Hijaz region that was overrun by Muslim warriors in the 7th century. “This long-range missile is domestically manufactured by the Revolutionary Guards ... It has high accuracy and is propelled by solid fuel and…

Copenhagen: Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II had tested positive for Covid-19, the Royal House said yesterday. The 81-year-old monarch, who received a third dose of the vaccine in November, tested positive on Tuesday evening and is displaying only mild symptoms, the court said. The queen, who recently celebrated 50 years on the throne, had to cancel a holiday to Norway and is isolating at her palace in Copenhagen. Despite lifting all domestic virus restrictions last week, Danish authorities still recommend patients isolate for at least four days. The Nordic country announced a return “to life as we knew it” despite record levels of new cases, arguing that the milder illness caused by the Omicron variant coupled with a high vaccine uptake allowed it to do so. Margrethe II is not the…

KAIZER Chiefs striker Leonardo Castro says he’s rejuvenated and ready to help the team by banging in the goals in the second half of the season following a successful break that also saw some of their players return to full training. Amakhosi endured a rollercoaster first half of the season. They had an underwhelming start before finding their feet. But their momentum was interrupted following the outbreak of Covid-19 at their base in early December. The infections forced Chiefs to forfeit their first two matches of the month, before they played the last three, winning two and losing one. But with their appeal to play those missing matches set to go for arbitration next month, Chiefs were hard at work in January. They camped in Cape Town, where…

Banele Ginindza banele.ginindza@inl.co.za LOGISTICS utility Transnet has better hope of meeting its infrastructure and financial commitments after it successfully raised more than R2 billion in an investor roadshow, despite a Moody’s downgrade in November that should have dampened investor confidence. Transnet announced it had raised R2.15bn on senior unsecured notes ranging from a tenor of one to 12 years, translating to an over-subscription of the issuance by 1.28 percent, the utility said in a regulatory JSE announcement yesterday. “The over-subscription demonstrates the support and confidence of investors in Transnet and its strategic direction,” Transnet told investors and stakeholders. Pundits said Transnet had been placed in good stead by the remedial plan put forward by its current executive team, in which it aims to address its Public Finance Management Act…

Siyabonga Mkhwanazi siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za President Cyril Ramaphosa is facing mounting pressure to deliver tangible plans to get the country on track in his State of the Nation Address today. Political parties said yesterday that the country was stuck in an electricity crisis and had a stagnant economy, while rampant unemployment and poor service delivery were affecting citizens. The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure said it was ready, with security operations in the Cape Town CBD in full swing ahead of the address in the City Hall today. Police Minister Bheki Cele will be in the city to brief members of the SAPS ahead of the Sona. Cape Town is under lockdown with several roads leading to and close to the City Hall and Parliament closed to the public. National Council…

Malawian musician Giddes Chalamanda had never dreamed in his 92 years that he might one day be famous enough to dine with the president followed by a stay in a luxury hotel. Last month the singer did both, thanks to his unlikely new stardom on TikTok, beloved of youths four generations removed from him – and which he can’t access because he lacks a smartphone. Chalamanda’s ode to his daughter, Linny Hoo – a chirpy reggae tune with drums and synthesisers – got more than 80 million views on the video-sharing site. His fame launched his career locally, with multiple paid requests to perform live. Putting his small country on the digital map last month brought him to the attention of President Lazarus Chakwera, who threw a party for Chalamanda’s…

YUGEN MOODLEY Community Activist-ADeC | Durban African Democratic Change (ADeC) welcomes the report relating to the July unrest of last year. Mr Visvin Reddy, the leader of ADeC, always stated that the government should be held accountable for the July unrest. He did mention on various media platforms and to the president’s office that the incarceration of ex-president Jacob Zuma would lead to unrest and mayhem. But it fell on deaf ears. Although the report mentions that blame for the unrest and rioting lies with the government, and especially the security cluster, there is no mention of the instigators. It does not take a rocket scientist to establish that whoever started the riots had government officials planted in strategic positions to carry out this deadly deed that cost…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za THE Department of Basic Education is launching comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) radio lessons in a bid to scale up efforts to prevent gender-based violence (GBV), pupil pregnancy and bullying. Education Minister Angie Motshekga and Deputy Minister Reginah Mhaule launched the CSE radio lessons this week. “This is a very important programme as a country because we really want our children to grow up understanding their bodies, conduct and behaviour,” the minister said. The radio drama series Life on Madlala Street was adapted from the CSE lessons taught in life skills and life orientation and is aimed at teaching pupils the values of gender equality, particularly regarding the prevention of GBV and the prevention of pupil pregnancy. “This series Life on Madlala Street is a last-ditch effort for…

The Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, was temporarily closed yesterday after a police officer allegedly shot dead his 30-year-old partner, a nursing assistant before turning the gun on himself. “The Gauteng Department of Health said the shooting had left both patients and staff members in shock. Department spokesperson Motalatale Modiba said that just after 8am, the 30-year-old police officer entered the hospital driving a state vehicle with blue lights on and parked at the accident and emergency department’s parking lot. “The man then called his partner, who was on duty at the time, to come to the parking lot. Upon her arrival, the police officer opened fire on her,” said Modiba. “Unfortunately, the nurse died on the scene. The police officer is in a critical condition.” The…

| Reuters In a stone classroom in rural Kenya’s Rift Valley, Priscilla Sitienei, who turns 99 tomorrow, takes notes alongside fellow pupils who are all more than eight decades younger than her. Dressed in the school uniform of grey dress and green sweater, Sitienei said she went back to class to set a good example for her great-grandchildren and to pursue a new career. “I would like to become a doctor because I used to be a midwife,” she said, adding that her children were supportive of her decision. The government of the East African country began subsidising the cost of primary schooling in 2003, allowing some older members of society who had missed out on education in their younger days to revive their dreams. This catapulted some of…

Mashudu Sadike mashudu.sadike@inl.co.za AXED SABC group news editor Phathiswa Magopeni has taken the public broadcaster to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) following her dismissal a week ago. The Mercury’s sister newspaper Pretoria News has seen the application form, dated February 3, enabling Magopeni to refer the dispute to the CCMA for conciliation. Magopeni has accused the SABC of having disregarded its own disciplinary code. She said: “This was a flawed disciplinary process and the SABC failed its own process because there was not even an investigation report in my case. This proves I was targeted.” She said disciplinary procedures should consist of a few stages, including an investigation. However, Magopeni said none of this was done during her case, and she therefore instructed her lawyer to take…

Consideration must be given to separation of executive, legislative and judiciary powers THE case against Zandile Mafe on allegations of torching the Parliament building in Cape Town has helped resuscitate an age-old debate on where the country’s executive power should be based. A public discourse that has been etched for years in the minds of politicians, civil society activists and the public at large has now found new expression in the middle of Parliament’s arson case that has shocked all and sundry. This calamity made me revisit an age-old political science lesson at the University of Fort Hare that tried to justify the unbundling of the executive, judiciary, and the legislature into separate but mutually-synergised entities. The trias politica model says that the rule of law must be divided into…

TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said yesterday that the government would extend Covid-19 restrictions in Tokyo and 12 prefectures by three weeks as the Omicron variant continued to spread. Japan has been breaking daily records for coronavirus cases and deaths amid a surge in infections driven by the Omicron variant. It will add one more prefecture to the list of regions facing quasi-emergency measures, including restrictions on the business hours of eateries, Kishida told reporters. The central government will create about 1 000 temporary medical facilities treating coronavirus patients, together with Tokyo and Osaka regional governments, he added. Japan has declared various levels of emergency multiple times during the pandemic. With Japan’s borders shut for nearly two years, business leaders have warned about the economic impact. But Kishida…

German chancellor Olaf Scholz yesterday ramped up efforts to stop Russia from invading Ukraine, as Kyiv and Moscow said they saw “positive signals” toward resolving the crisis. French president Emmanuel Macron, returning from separate talks earlier this week with Putin and Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky, had said on Tuesday he glimpsed a way forward towards easing tensions. The Russian leader had told him that Moscow “would not be the source of an escalation”, the French president said. While 100 000 Russian soldiers are still massed near Ukraine’s borders, Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said “diplomacy is continuing to lower tensions”. “The way the greater European community responds to this crisis will determine the future of European security and of each individual European state,” he told reporters. More upbeat noises…

Mike Greenaway mike.greenaway@inl.co.za IF the Sharks are to right their listing ship and beat the Bulls on Saturday, they must not only fix their form but also buck a damning trend that has seen them get hammered in just about every game they have played at Loftus Versfeld since Jake White took over in early 2020. And given that South Africa’s teams have played each other incessantly during the pandemic, there has been a host of horror shows for the Sharks at the Bulls’ headquarters, including a 44-10 Currie Cup final defeat late last year. The last time the Sharks won in Pretoria was in 2019, not long after Sean Everitt had succeeded Robert du Preez as head coach, when they triumphed 48-40 in a Currie Cup semi-final. Pote Human was…

MAMELODI Sundowns Ladies midfielder Thalea Smidt is excited to be back in the Banyana Banyana fold for the upcoming friendly international against Zambia, seven years after receiving her last call-up. “It’s been long, so most people assume it’s my first call-up. For me to get called up again is a great honour and pleasure. Every player wants to represent their national team at the end of the day. It means a lot to me. I know it won’t be easy. It’s difficult getting there but even more difficult staying on top,” said Smidt. Banyana will be looking for revenge against Zambia, who consigned them to fourth place in the Cosafa Women’s Championship in Gqeberha last October “When we did our video analysis, we saw that most of their players…