Innehållsförteckning för 2023-09-28 från Mercury

Transnet says a number of steps are being taken to stabilise operations in Transnet Freight Rail after a recent report said inefficiencies had resulted in an estimated economic loss of about R1 billion a day. The report by the GAIN Group, a boutique consultancy, said that inefficiencies at Transnet Freight Rail had resulted in a negative effect on the economy with the projected loss for this year at R353bn, equivalent to 4.9% of GDP. Professor Jan Havenga, a director at GAIN Group, said that co-operative forums created between the Minerals Council, mining houses and Transnet, were expected to improve the performance of Transnet Freight Rail this year. “This improvement did not materialise. Throughput has instead worsened, the anticipated positive impact of the co-operative forums did not materialise as…

I have a friend of many years – despite the time and distance between where I live now and Durban – who is an ardent and committed athlete. He has several Comrades Marathons (I don’t know how many) under his belt and remains a long-distance athlete in several sports. I am aware that he is committed to his training schedule and never misses a day. I asked him to tell me what keeps him so motivated. Here is his response, published with permission: “What drives (keeps me committed) me with endurance type events? “The glory that comes with it, bragging rights. Testing myself, both in training and competition. I actually love training! Keeping up physical appearances. The competition, beating other people. Getting tougher, but I am a driver…

Just exactly what does the statement at the entry point of any business “Right of Admission Reserved”, mean? The logical definition, as per the internet, refers to “discrimination” as described in our Constitution. So, it becomes illegal for banks, and other financial houses for instance, to block or to close clients’ accounts, willy-nilly, without a full explanation for the closure. If this notice does not violate any area in our Constitution, no explanation or reason need to be provided for this “NO ENTRY”. I personally am still having issues with banks that force clients to accept apps that have to be installed on cellphones. This insistence presumes all clients own smartphones “clever” enough to handle all manner of potential hacking. That is the bank issue. Now what about the next…

Four children, who were among eight killed in a Cape storm on Monday, were electrocuted while playing in water at Klipfontein Mission Station in Philippi. They had decided to jump into a pool of water which was caused by flooding on Monday. “They were not aware that a live electricity wire had fallen into the water. They died instantly from electrocution. The wire had fallen due to the wind over the weekend and it killed them,” said ward councillor Mboniswa Chitha. “They were on their way home from a sleepover when this happened. There were six children in total. They first accompanied two of their friends home, and on their way back decided to play in the water, and that’s when it happened.” The children were aged between 12 and…

Police in Mpumalanga are in pursuit of assailants who fatally shot a 45-year-old truck driver on the R40 Road in Marite, outside Hazyview this week. Police said some community members looted dairy products that were inside the truck, while the body of the murdered truck driver was still behind the steering wheel. “The driver as well as two of his crew members were driving along the R40 Road in a truck, heading towards Bushbuckridge for a delivery,” Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said. “As they were passing through Marite, next to a certain filling station, it is alleged that approximately four to five armed suspects emerged from the roadside with firearms.” The armed assailants allegedly tried to stop the truck by getting onto the road. Amid the commotion, the…

A self-employed KwaZulu-Natal man has won a Lotto jackpot of just over R2.6 million. Ithuba, the operator of the National Lottery, said the regular Lotto and Powerball player had claimed his first big win. “The self-employed KZN resident spent R120 on the quick-pick ticket that netted him R2 612 204. 20 in draw 2370 on September 20.” According to the operator, the winner was informed by an email from his bank. “The winnings have been earmarked to take the family on holiday.” Ithuba also said the winner, who donates to charitable causes, will also share some of his winnings with those less fortunate. | Mercury Correspondent…

As Tourism Month comes to an end, we reflect on the spectacular tourist attractions that KwaZulu-Natal has to offer international tourists, as well as local residents. Over the years international tourists – especially those from the northern hemisphere wanting to escape their cold winter – would seek out tourist hot-spots across our province. Tourism role players across the board, from large hotel groups, to small B&Bs, SMMEs and informal traders, all benefitted in some way. The Inkatha Freedom Party is sceptical about the tourist season as we approach the end of the year. While the monetary exchange rates make South Africa an affordable destination, there are many negative factors that will deter tourists. Any tourist would like to have peace of mind around issues such as their safety. The high…

US astronaut Frank Rubio, who broke the record for the longest continuous space flight by an American, and two Russian cosmonauts landed in the steppe of Kazakhstan yesterday after more than a year on the International Space Station (ISS). Their Soyuz MS-23 capsule undocked from the ISS a minute earlier than scheduled, and took around three and a half hours to make it down to Earth, landing southeast of the city of Zhezqazghan. “It’s good to be home,” Rubio, 47, said with a smile after landing with Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev, 48, and Dmitry Petelin, 40. Asked how his crew mates had been, Rubio said: “Fantastic, yeah, everybody did really well.” Rubio was given a Russian matryoshka doll while Prokopyev was shown smiling beside the capsule and holding a watermelon,…

Residents of Ireland and the UK were bracing yesterday for the arrival of Storm Agnes, the region’s first named storm of the season, which is expected to bring 120km/h wind gusts and15m- high seas and cause widespread damage. The UK’s Meteorological Office issued a yellow wind weather warning from noon yesterday through to this morning across a wide swath of Ireland and north-western Great Britain, including Scotland and northern England, as well as Wales and parts of the Midlands. “In terms of most impacted areas, we’re looking at the Irish Sea coasts, so south-eastern parts of Northern Ireland, west and north-western coasts of Wales, and the north-western coast of England,” the Met Office said. Authorities are warning of the likelihood of downed trees and power lines, as well flooding.…

PYONGYANG: North Korea has decided to expel US soldier Travis King, who was detained after crossing the border from the South in July, Pyongyang’s state news agency said yesterday. King ran across the border on July 18 after joining a sightseeing tour of the Demilitarised Zone between the two Koreas. Last month, Pyongyang confirmed it was holding the soldier, saying King had defected to North Korea to escape “mistreatment and racial discrimination in the US Army”. But Pyongyang has “decided to expel Travis King, a soldier of the US Army who illegally intruded into the territory of the DPRK …” the Korean Central News Agency said yesterday. | AFP…

GLASGOW: Britain’s first official supervised “drug consumption room” was approved yesterday, seeking to reduce infectious diseases and overdoses in Scotland, which suffers from the highest level of drug-related deaths in Europe. Following similar projects in Europe, Canada and Australia, Glasgow City Council approved plans for the facility that will allow people to legally take illicit drugs under the supervision of trained professionals and will provide them with clean equipment. Scotland’s drug deaths remain three times higher on a per capita basis than anywhere else in Europe. Last year, Scotland had 248 drug deaths per million people, against Finland’s 79. | Reuters…

The SA Navy yesterday paid tribute to the three submariners who died when they were swept off their submarine, SAS Manthatisi, during an exercise at sea last Wednesday off the coast of Kommetjie, in the Western Cape. A memorial service was held at the at the Wynberg Military Indoor Sport Complex. Family members flew in to the province to celebrate the lives of their loved ones – Warrant Officer Class 1 Mokwapa Lucas Mojela, 43, Lieutenant-Commander Gillian Elizabeth Hector, 33 (the first woman in Africa to navigate a submarine), and Master Warrant Officer William Malesela Mathipa, 48. All the speakers spoke about their love for the trio, with Commander Moses Mekhoe saying he was among the crew when the incident occurred. Mekhoe described Mojela as a distinguished sailor, a caring…

I am a loyal customer of BP and generally fill up petrol at a BP Garage opposite the Chatsworth Stadium. But on this particular morning, that garage was busy because only two bowsers were operational. Then I decided to go the BP Arena Park Garage which is about 2km away. I occasionally fill at this garage when the other BP Garage is out of order. The petrol attendant at BP Garage Arena Park who assisted me was Mobelo. (I’m not sure about the spelling.) But he filled my vehicle tank to the value of R676. This was at about 9.25am on Wednesday. These are difficult times and I used two bank cards to pay for fuel. So, I advised Mobelo, the first card will be R400 and the second card…

I have been following all the comments about the banning of Muslim women wearing headscarves in a medical environment. Of far greater concern should be staff who wear wigs. They wear them to work, mostly having used a taxi for transport. My husband has complained on numerous occasions about having someone leaning over him and scratching their heads, no covering at all. How hygienic can this be? If the Medical Council is going to ban scarves, then wigs should definitely be banned. In fact, it is the same as wearing a hat. Is this allowed? I have a suggestion: let the headscarves be the same colour as the uniform; maybe they are. I would far rather have somebody with a headscarf that can be washed than a person wearing a…

Unisa will confer honorary doctorates on Chief Justice Raymond Zondo and his deputy Justice Mandisa Maya. According to the university, the top two judges of South Africa will be honoured during a special graduation ceremony to be held at the Unisa Muckleneuck Campus this week. “This follows a decision of the Unisa Council on June 29, which resolved to award the degrees of Doctor of Laws (LLD) (Honoris Causa) to the two judges of the Constitutional Court in recognition of their sterling contribution to the legal profession in South Africa,” the university said. The chief justice was to be conferred with the honorary degree yesterday, while Justice Maya was to be conferred today. The university said for Chief Justice Zondo, the honorary doctorate would be in recognition of the ethical…

A stepfather who hit his 14-year-old stepdaughter using a belt with a buckle failed in his bid to claim damages from the police for what he termed as his unlawful arrest and incarceration over a weekend in a police cell. The man, who cannot be identified to safeguard the identity of the teenager, lost his initial bid against the SAPS for damages, as the court found the police did their job and were entitled to arrest and detain him. In a second bid to obtain damages, he appealed the matter before the High Court in Johannesburg, which also turned down his appeal. While he was initially charged with assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm, the man maintained that he merely “reprimanded” the girl. He was arrested by…

National heroes, as the case of Ghana’s Nkrumah shows, can divide as much as they unite Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park lies at the centre of Ghana’s capital, Accra. Recently renovated, it is dedicated to the memory of Kwame Nkrumah, the leader of Ghana’s independence struggle and its first president. Marking the spot of his final resting place at the park is a massive statue. The statue has been continuously contested since its original commission in 1956 and its unveiling at the first anniversary of independence in 1958. As a social anthropologist who has researched and written about Kwame Nkrumah-themed monuments, I have explored the contradiction that generally characterises monuments: built as lasting memories, they remain embedded in social and political conflict. Nkrumah is heralded as one of the most influential…

THE SAPS statistics about officers charged with serious crimes, including rape, attempted rape, murder and hijacking, thwarts almost every effort to assure South Africans that they are in safe hands in the police’s presence. They make it hard for victims of crimes committed by officers, and South Africans in general, to draw inspiration from Police Minister Bheki Cele’s words that recent take-downs should renew our hope as a country, that officers in blue were gaining ground against crime and continuing to flush out criminality in affluent and impoverished areas. This is not to paint the entire SAPS entity with the same brush, far from it, and quite the opposite. Most of our women and men in blue do indeed have the interest of citizens and the country at heart. That…

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) yesterday began hearing a case brought by six Portuguese youths against 32 nations for not doing enough to stop global warming, the latest bid to secure climate justice through the courts. “The case concerns... the impact of climate change,” said Siofra O’Leary, president of the Strasbourg-based court’s 17-judge Grand Chamber, “resulting among other things in heatwaves and wildfires affecting the applicants’ lives and health”. The youths, aged 11 to 24, say they are suffering from anxiety over their health and natural disasters. Their move to file a complaint with the Strasbourg-based court was sparked by the devastating wildfires that struck Portugal in 2017, killing more than 100 people and charring swathes of the country. Some plaintiffs claim allergies and breathing problems both…

MOSCOW: After Hillary Clinton sought to needle President Vladimir Putin over Nato enlargement, the Kremlin yesterday reminded her of her gaffe when she sought to “reset” relations with Russia with a button mislabelled as “overload”. Returning to the State Department for the unveiling of her official portrait, Clinton said: “Too bad, Vladimir. You brought it on yourself.” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Clinton was known in Russia for her 2009 gaffe when a symbolic button designed to mark a “reset” of US-Russia ties, was instead labelled “overload” in Russian. At the time, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told her the Russian verb used was incorrect but said the button would be put on his desk. “It is probably necessary to remind Mrs Clinton of the numerous waves of Nato expansion and…

Baku: Azerbaijan said yesterday that it had detained a former separatist leader of Nagorno-Karabakh while he was trying to enter Armenia in the wake of Baku’s offensive last week. The state border service said Ruben Vardanyan, a businessman who headed the Armenian separatist government from November 2022 until February, had been handed to officials in Baku after being detained on the road to Armenia. It also released a photograph of Vardanyan, who was born in 1968, flanked by two security officers. Azerbaijan has agreed to allow separatists who lay down weapons to leave for Armenia under the terms of a ceasefire deal reached last week but border guards were also looking for “war crime” suspects. | AFP…

Washington: US Border Patrol agents found an abandoned 2-month-old infant at the country’s border with Mexico near Rio Grande City, Texas, an official said. Chief Patrol Agent Gloria Chavez said yesterday: “This is a chilling reminder of how children are being exploited by human smugglers and criminal organisations every day.” Federal statistics show that there was a 73% rise in unaccompanied minors crossing the southern border compared to June. The latest development came as thousands of migrants have crossed the border into Texas. The mayor of Eagle Pass issued a local disaster declaration last week, seeking more resources. | IANS…

Italy are ready for New Zealand’s intimidation and bullying tactics, coach Kieran Crowley said yesterday after naming his team to face the All Blacks. The New Zealander made three changes and three positional shifts to the team that beat Uruguay 38-17 last week. “The players that have missed out are obviously disappointed, but it’s a World Cup Test match, it’s pretty bloody important, so it’s the strongest team that we can field,” said the straight-talking coach. The team he has picked for Friday’s clash in Lyon is almost the same as the one that started their opening 52-8 Pool A victory over Namibia. Given the history between the two teams - New Zealand have won all 15 previous Tests by an average of more than 50 points - Crowley is…

THE ANC says it has asked the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) to reverse its decision to register the uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party as clarity has emerged about former ANC members who will likely contest next year’s national general elections. The uMkhonto we Sizwe party claims it is led by disgruntled members of the ANC and the uMkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans’ Association (MKMVA). The party, the African Congress for Transformation (ACT) – which is led by former ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule – and Carl Niehaus’s African Radical Economic Transformation Alliance (Areta), are among a host of political parties that were registered between June 29 and September 18 to contest the elections next year. A recently released official gazette of the IEC states that the M K party…

COMMENTARY continues on the Boks’ lack of recognised goal-kickers in their World Cup squad: “Naas Botha passes fitness test.” “Mr Delivery” dropping off Handré Pollard in France. They’re singing Shosholoza as Pollard is dropped off by helicopter.” “Libbok was so upset by his performance that he walked into the changeroom and kicked the wall … but missed.” (Cruel one that.) A well-known boy cartoon character is writing with chalk on the blackboard of a classroom – again and again and again: “You can’t go into a World Cup without a recognised kicker.” The target, of course, is the selectors, not the players. Elegant violence A DEFINITION of rugby comes this way: “A collision sport of elegant violence where the ball is moved forward by throwing it backwards. Some say it…

It is indeed tragic that Muslims in South Africa are constantly under attack for wearing the hijab, for the sound of the Azaan, for being associated with outlawed groups and many other issues, solely because we are Muslims who strictly adhere to our faith, without offending any other religion or civil authority. We are inching towards tyranny as our constitutional rights are being eroded using stealth and deception. It has been said on multiple occasions, that “the road to tyranny is always paved with good intentions”. Section 15 of the Bill of Rights as enshrined in our Constitution provides everyone the right to freedom of conscience, religion, thought, belief and opinion. There must be constant vigilance by “we,the people” to ensure that our constitutional rights are defended. Without our inalienable…

South Africa is at the coalface of a relentless battle against a myriad quasi-criminal networks and syndicates, operating with transnational connections and engaging in a spectrum of criminal activities, from drug trafficking to armed robberies and fraud. This is according to the 2023 Global Organised Crime Index released this week that showed that South Africa scored a 7.18 criminality score (out of 10) – the seventh highest in the world (out of 193 countries) and the third in Africa. South Africa’s score was 6.63 in 2021 – the last time the index was published. Myanmar has the highest criminality score (8.15), followed by Colombia (7.75) and then Mexico (7.57). In Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo had 7.35 and Nigeria was 7.28. According to the global report, South Africa’s crime…

Minister of International Relations and Co-operation Naledi Pandor will consult first before deciding on the course of action to be taken against US ambassador Reuben Brigety for his allegations that South Africa sold arms to Russia. President Cyril Ramaphosa recently released a report by an investigation panel which conducted an investigation into the allegations made by Brigety. Brigety had alleged that the Russian ship, Lady R that docked in Simon’s Town in December last year had loaded weapons destined for the war in Ukraine. But this was denied by Defence Minister Thandi Modise, who said last December, the Russian vessel was delivering equipment that was ordered in 2018, but it could not be delivered on time because of Covid-19. The inquiry chaired by retired Judge Phineas Mojapelo found that…

The body of a 24-year-old woman, with stab wounds, was found outside a primary school in Q-section, in uMlazi yesterday. The body was found by pupils as they were walking to school. Muzi Biyase, chairperson of the community police forum (CPF) and the school governing body, said he received a phone call from the school security guard who told him to come to the school. “The security guard told me that he was called by the pupils about the body lying below a small bush. “Upon my arrival with other CPF members, we saw that the young female was naked and there was blood. We covered her with a towel. We also found a cap, jacket and pants.” He said the children were traumatised. “There is a lot of criminal…

Four people in the Free State have been arrested for fraud in connection with roadworthy certificates. According to the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks), Liezel Burger, 40, Mahlodi Patricia Mongano, 38, John Nhlanhla Radebe, 31, and Lucky Maluleka, 31, appeared in the Frankfort Magistrate's Court in Van Reenen this week facing charges of fraud and corruption. It is alleged that they were assisting people in Frankfort in the Free State to obtain roadworthy certificates without their vehicles being tested at accredited centres. “It is alleged that Burger, the owner of Frankfort Lisensies, acted as a mediator between the public and the other three accused, Mongano, Radebe and Maluleka, who are working at privately- owned licensing centres in KwaMhlanga, Giyani and Gqeberha,” said the Hawks. | Mercury…

China’s economic indicators were stronger than expected in August, indicating the country’s recent pro-growth policies were proving to be effective and pessimists are likely to be disappointed. China’s industrial production rose by 4.5% year-on-year (y/y) in August beating the consensus forecast of 3.9% and accelerating from a 3.7% y/y increase in July. This was the strongest expansion in industrial production since April as manufacturing output grew by 5.4% after a 3.9% rise in July. China’s retail sales grew by 4.6% y/y also beating the consensus forecast of 3.0% and accelerating from a 2.5% y/y increase in July. This was the largest increase in the retail sales since May, boosted by increases in sales of clothes of 4.5% after a 2.3% rise in July, while furniture rose 4.8% from 0.1%, communications…

A fire ripped through a packed wedding hall in northern Iraq late on Tuesday, killing more than 100 people in a Christian town that survived Islamic State occupation as authorities announced an investigation into the blaze. Firefighters searched the charred skeleton of the building in Qaraqosh, also known as Hamdaniya, yesterday and bereaved relatives gathered outside a morgue in the nearby city of Mosul. “This was not a wedding. This was hell,” said Mariam Khedr, crying and hitting herself as she waited for officials to return the bodies of her daughter, Rana Yakoub, 27, and three young grandchildren, the youngest aged just eight months. Survivors said hundreds of people were at the wedding celebration, which followed an earlier church service, and the fire began about an hour into the event…

A group of Catholic Church abuse victims and their advocates yesterday called on Pope Francis to enforce “zero tolerance” against clerical sex abuse, after completing a six-day pilgrimage to Rome carrying a large wooden cross. The 10 men and women walked 130km along the last stretch of the Via Francigena, a medieval trail that connects Canterbury, England, to Rome, ahead of a major Vatican summit on the future of the Church, starting next week. The pilgrimage “shows the determination of survivors to come to deliver their message to Pope Francis ... that there must be a universal law of the church of zero tolerance,” said US attorney Timothy Law, co-founder of Ending Clergy Abuse (ECA). ECA activists came to Rome in the run-up to the synod, an October 4-29 Vatican…

Los Angeles: Republican hopefuls held their second presidential debate yesterday in California but the party’s runaway frontrunner, scandal-plagued former president Donald Trump, 77, snubbed the event. Instead, he met with auto industry workers in the battleground state of Michigan, seeking to boost his down-to-earth, blue-collar message. Trump has remained the Republicans’ likely choice for a presidential candidate despite a court ruling that could see him ousted from management of the Trump Organization. | AFP…

Paris: France’s ambassador to Niger landed in Paris yesterday after leaving Niamey following weeks of tensions between Paris and the post-coup regime in the country, the foreign ministry said. The return of the ambassador, Sylvain Itte, comes two months after a coup in Niger ousted its pro-Paris president and prompted a souring in relations between France and its former colony, with Niger’s new rulers demanding his departure. The ministry said that Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna had met with Itte “to thank him and his teams for his work in the service of our country under difficult conditions”. | AFP…

Masabata Klaas has taken over the baton from Shabnim Ismail and is hoping to drive the Proteas Women’s team to an ODI series victory over New Zealand in Pietermaritzburg today. Laura Wolvaard’s team pulled off a brilliant chase to take a 1-0 lead in the first match in Potchefstroom last weekend. And now they have the opportunity to not only claim a successive ODI series victory - they also beat Pakistan last month - but to also pick up valuable ICC Women’s Championship points. Masabata Klaas claims the Proteas will not be resting on their laurels after the opening victory and will be hoping to be even better at Maritzburg Oval. “We went back to the drawing board and see where we can improve,” Klaas said. “It’s about adapting to…