Table of contents for 2022-05-04 in Mercury

Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu has ordered Mhlathuze Water Internal Audit to conduct a forensic investigation into the conduct of board chairperson Thabi Shange. The investigation comes after allegations of wrongful conduct were levelled against the chairperson, including that she was spending more hours at the entity’s premises and holding more board meetings than is permitted by legislation. The minister’s spokesperson Kamogelo Mokgotsi said the policy on board practices and remuneration of board members of entities reporting to the minister of Water and Sanitation, specifies that the maximum normal number of hours that may be remunerated a month is 50 hours for the chairperson of the board and 40 hours for a board member. She said that only the minister could approve additional remuneration exceeding the norm. “Any…

A near three-century-old instrument lauded as a Leonardo da Vinci of violins could fetch as much as €10 million (about R168m) when it is auctioned next month, said the French house overseeing the sale. Crafted in 1736 by revered Italian luthier (maker of stringed instruments) Giuseppe Guarneri, it is owned by virtuoso Regis Pasquier and its sound has graced concert halls around the world. “There are many violins, but this one is like selling a Rembrandt, a Goya or even a Leonardo da Vinci painting,” said Sophie Perrine of the Aguttes auction house near Paris. The maple-backed instrument is one of about 150 made by Guarneri, the quality and longevity of whose output rivals that of Antonio Stradivari but who was far less prolific than his compatriot and contemporary. Made…

The world’s fourth-largest military power launches a full onslaught against civilians and worshippers during the holy month of Ramadaan. Palestinian resistance is often criticised as futile, given the grotesque power imbalance between the two sides. War continues in Palestine on a scale that is truly shocking. The global community looks on while the savagery continues the battle for the heart and soul of Palestine. This is the story of a courageous people who face horrors beyond belief, a people whose story is seldom told in the West and a story about war and its consequences. When blood is spilt on such a massive scale, there are no winners, only various kinds of pain. The combination of revelations about the scale and intensity of the killings, the complicity of Western nations,…

WE ARE a nation of thieves. We would even put Ali Baba and his 40 thieves to shame. There isn’t anything we don’t steal. Corruption and looting of state funds and resources are so common that they have become part of life in the public service. What’s more, there is a perception in the public service that if you are a state employee, you must be corrupt and steal or you are not one of the gang. Like a plague of locusts sweeping across the country, they devour everything in their path. No government department, parastatal, local council or public institution is left untouched. None of them can lift their head up high and shout to the nation: “Look, I am clean!” They are all damn filthy and stinking. I…

The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has reopened all offices to the public after suspending walk-ins for almost two years. The commission said its decision to embrace the “new normal” came after President Cyril Ramaphosa lifted the national state of disaster last month. “Guided by the risk assessment, on 1 May 2022, the CCMA is officially re-opening all CCMA offices for user walk-ins,” it said in a statement. “This official reopening is significant in that it coincides with Workers’ Day, which is also known as May Day, a day that commemorates the long road toward fair employment standards and celebrates workers’ rights,”said the commission. The CCMA said the reopening occurred amid the national disaster of the devastating floods in KwaZulu-Natal as well as during a time when reports…

LABOUR experts have predicted more strikes, pickets and protests after President Cyril Ramaphosa was heckled by Sibanye-Stillwater miners at a May Day event. Ramaphosa was booed by workers at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg and did not deliver his address on Sunday; instead, he was whisked away by police when people rushed to the stage. Yesterday Ramaphosa, writing in his weekly newsletter titled “The workers have spoken and we must listen”, said: “These workers wanted to be heard. They wanted their union leaders and the government to appreciate their concerns and understand the challenges they face. In raising their voices, these workers were upholding a tradition of militance that has been part of the labour movement in this country for decades. As political and union leaders, we have all…

The US Supreme Court is poised to strike down the right to abortion, according to a bombshell leaked draft of a majority opinion that has sparked protests in the country and swift condemnation from leading Democrats. The draft opinion that would shred nearly 50 years of constitutional protections was written by Justice Samuel Alito and has been circulating inside the conservative-dominated court since February, news outlet Politico reported. The leak of a draft opinion while a case is still pending is an extraordinary breach. The 98-page draft majority opinion calls the landmark 1973 Roe v Wade decision enshrining the right to abortion “egregiously wrong from the start. We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled,” Alito writes in the document, labelled as the “Opinion of the Court” and published…

OPPOSITION party councillors in eThekwini Municipality are concerned about the potential abuse of Section 36 contracts by corrupt elements hell-bent on misusing funds meant for disaster relief. Section 36 contracts allow for the procurement of goods on an emergency basis, without adhering to the normal tender procurement processes. The councillors have called for strict oversight in the use of these contracts. This is after a recommendation in a report on the floods that struck the province last month said Section 36 contracts may be used to respond to the needs of those affected by the floods. The report was tabled at a council meeting last week. However, the city’s legal unit warned that the oversight councillors were hoping for strayed too close to interfering in matters of procurement. IFP councillor…

THE SA Poultry Association (Sapa) says high prices of maize and soya beans have risen even further due to the international conflict in Ukraine. This has resulted in increased costs for poultry farmers, which in turn has led to higher prices for poultry products. Izaak Breitenbach, general manager of the association, said the poultry industry had been struggling with higher costs since last year. “We faced increased costs in the price of maize and soybean last year. There was a R65 increase in the price of maize and soybean and a 20% increase in chicken feed. An increase in input costs is passed on to chicken products.” The price of fertiliser, crude oil and soya beans had increased dramatically and could be attributed to the Russia/Ukraine conflict, he said.…

IT WAS an arresting moment as Steven Kitshoff led the Stormers out on to the field for their URC match against Leinster last weekend. He was holding hands with two kids in Stormers colours. One was a pretty blonde girl, presumably his daughter. With the other there was no presuming. He was a younger kid, stockily built with a mop of red hair, just like his dad – Steven in miniature, a little red-haired terror. His future career in rugby will be watched with interest. The Stormers made it against Leinster. And what a sensational comeback for the Sharks against Connacht. From 10 points down at half-time to 10 ahead and with a bonus point at full-time – Yahoo! A superb performance that must rate as one of the Sharks’…

South Africans recently celebrated Freedom Day, Worker’s Day, and Muslims have just concluded the month of Ramadaan. The right to vote, the right to fair labour policies, freedom to practise religion, the right to peacefully demonstrate, picket and to present petitions and other fundamental human rights are enshrined in the Bill of Rights in our Constitution. It was through the huge sacrifices of anti-apartheid stalwarts and leaders that these rights were secured after decades of colonialism, repressive laws and the brutal system of apartheid. The long walk to freedom, democracy and a better life for all who live in South Africa was not an easy road to travel. My appreciation goes out to all South Africans who struggled against apartheid and the segregation laws. That said, may I ask who…

Workers’ Day – instead of merely celebrating those in work, let us turn our attention to the 46% of South Africans who don’t have the security and independence of a job. And let us not rest until there is dignified work for all. If this ANC government is not prepared to make the changes needed to achieve this, then let us replace them as soon as possible with a government that understands the importance of jobs and what it takes to create them. Government must create an environment that allows job-creating businesses to thrive. Until government is prepared to abandon the crony-enrichment scam that is BEE, and radically reform restrictive labour legislation, none of President Ramaphosa’s talk will mean a thing. Workers’ Day is rightly about honouring workers but it…

Central African Republic (CAR) has adopted bitcoin as an official currency, the presidency said, becoming the first country in Africa and only the second in the world to do so. Despite rich reserves of gold and diamonds, CAR is one of the world's poorest and least-developed countries and has been gripped by rebel violence for years. A bill governing the use of crypto- currency was adopted unanimously by parliament last week, said a statement signed by Obed Namsio, chief of staff of President Faustin-Archange Touadera. “The president supports this bill because it will improve the conditions of Central African citizens,” Namsio told Reuters, without elaborating. He called it “a decisive step toward opening up new opportunities for our country”. CAR is one of six nations that use the Central African…

THERE has been much meaningful transformation in South Africa, and for that, we are truly grateful. We no longer need to carry the dreaded dompas, leave the leafy suburbs before sundown (or if you were Indian, leave the whole province of the Free State before sundown), or step off the pavement when a white person approaches. We are now a constitutional democracy, glued together by a constitution that, in its essence, accepts all of us as equals and promises that the injustices of the past will never be allowed to breathe again. The transformation of our motherland has taken many forms. We can now see the many shades of people represented in every corner of our land, from office spaces to entertainment areas. Street names, public buildings and even town…

Donald Trump’s family business and his 2017 US presidential inaugural committee will pay $750 000 (R12 million) to settle a lawsuit by Washington, DC’s attorney general claiming that the committee funneled excessive amounts of charitable funds to the Trump International Hotel. The payment is nearly three- quarters of the $1.03m that Attorney General Karl Racine said the non-profit inaugural committee “dramatically” overpaid to rent event space at the hotel, including for a private party for Trump’s adult children on the night Trump became president. The Trump Organization and the committee denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle the January 2020 lawsuit. Trump was not a defendant. His family is expecting to sell the hotel to Miami investment company CGI Merchant Group. The hotel will be converted to a Waldorf Astoria, and…

MOGADISHU: Somalia’s al-Shabaab group attacked an AU mission troop camp in the Shabelle region in the centre of the country, a local elder and the group said yesterday, and another resident said three civilians had died in the crossfire. The resident, who lives in a village near the scene, later said he saw two helicopters flying by and gunfire coming from them. Al-Shabaab, which has been fighting for years to topple the central government and establish its own rule based on its strict interpretation of Islam’s sharia law, claimed responsibility for the attack. Al Shabaab frequently carries out bombings and gun attacks in Mogadishu and elsewhere. | AFP…

THE SOUTH African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) is throwing the book at its acting chief executive, Sobantu Tilayi, who was suspended in April last year, and now faces a list of charges after a forensic investigation report was recently released. In a more than 160-page report, accountancy and auditing firm Morar Incorporated outlined numerous issues including allegations that Tilayi, overstepped his position and was implicit in corruption and cronyism, which risked the organisation’s stability and reputation. The report noted there was a lack of clarity on his qualifications, the interference with the business of independent contractor South African Marine Fuels (Samf), facilitating payment for pals and improper appointment of executives amongst other things. In a brief response yesterday, Tilayi said he was applying his mind to the matter. “It…

THE daughter of former EFF secretary-general and lawyer Godrich Gardee was yesterday found murdered after she went missing last week. She was found outside Nelspruit in Mpumalanga after last being seen on Friday at a supermarket in Mbombela. She had been at the supermarket with a 3-year-old who was found walking in town later on Friday. After she was reported missing, a R100 000 reward for information had been offered for the safe return of the 28-year-old. Mpumalanga SAPS spokesperson Colonel Donald Mdhluli said the police in Mbombela were called and informed by some members of the community who were on their way to work about the body of a woman. He said she had some wounds on her head. “Upon their arrival, they found the body of…

Affairs are a poor substitute for a relationship. No matter how intense, how willing each person is, inevitable pain and suffering lie ahead for each person in the seductive cycle. If this is your dilemma, break it off today. Go cold turkey. See a professional. Change locks. Change phone numbers. Switch jobs if you have to. Run home to your parents! Get out of it. No, you do not owe him or her an explanation or closure. Everyone you love, or thought you loved, will be better off for it. The affair itself, born in secrecy and lies, itself begins to lie, making the participants believe they have been short-changed, deceived in marriage and that a fling can offer what’s really wanted. It is not so. Affairs seduce the participants…

It is offensive that the South African government has not put pressure on the Zimbabwean government to fix the hyperinflation in Zimbabwe. It’s a shame that Zimbabweans are flocking to South Africa in search of a better life. It’s sad that workers in Zimbabwe lament low salaries. Workers in Zimbabwe, both in the private and public sectors, had nothing to celebrate as the world commemorated International Workers’ Day (May 1). Living standards for the majority of workers in Zimbabwe have plummeted to very low levels, owing mainly to very low wages and salaries. The workers in Zimbabwe have ascribed this to their very low salaries, coupled with high taxes of up to 40% of their earnings. It is a painful truth that the salaries are less than a third of…

On IOL there is a statement that President Cyril Ramaphosa is willing to mediate in the Ukraine-Russia conflict. This is ludicrous – this man must first fix up his own country before he volunteers to fix up other countries’ problems. We have enough problems in this country, such as corruption and a scary unemployment rate. We have a government that is still full of corruption and has incompetent people in important portfolios who have no idea what they are doing. That is why we always read of irregular expenditure by just about every government department. These individuals would certainly not survive in private companies where budgets are a critical part of a business plan and daily operating procedures. No wonder this country is getting deeper and deeper into financial trouble,…

A councillor and his secretary were shot dead in KwaNobuhle in the Eastern Cape on Monday. “According to the report, the 45-year-old councillor was coming out of his house together with the 41-year-old male secretary at the time. It is alleged that as they approached their vehicle, a Quantum minibus drove towards them and (the suspects) began firing several shots, killing them at the scene,” said police spokesperson Brigadier Tembinkosi Kinana. “The Quantum vehicle sped off after the incident. The number of suspects in the Quantum is not known.” He said the circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation. Murder cases have been registered and no arrests have been made. | Mercury Correspondent…

The National Treasury has indicated there was no need for a Special Appropriation Bill for the KwaZulu-Natal floods because there are already funds allocated through various systems of government. Mampho Modise, senior official in the Treasury, told the standing committee on appropriations yesterday that they had already allocated R1 billion to deal with the floods in KZN. Other funds will be allocated to deal with the state of disaster in the course of the year. President Cyril Ramaphosa had also announced various resources and more funds would be poured into KZN after the floods led to the loss of life and damage to infrastructure. Parliament has set up a special committee to oversee the use of funds in the province. The president has also deployed thousands of soldiers in the…

LAST Thursday’s Hollywood-style arrest of advocate Malesela Teffo, who represents four of the accused in Senzo Meyiwa’s murder trial – was so bizarre that it left questions hanging over whether our justice system is insulated from the forms of meddling used to advance the nefarious interests of the connected few. There is no time frame attached to the execution of an arrest warrant against any individual once it has been authorised and issued by a court. However, to effect an arrest of any accused while inside the court not only amounts to contempt of court, but is a deliberate intention to embarrass and intimidate the court officer into submission. I would not be surprised if that pompous investigating officer who arrested Mr Teffo is offered a promotion tomorrow for…

Russia launched an assault on the encircled Azovstal steel works in Mariupol, Ukraine’s last redoubt in the port city, after a ceasefire broke down yesterday with some 200 civilians trapped underground despite a UN-brokered evacuation. Russian rockets pounded other parts of eastern and southern Ukraine and targeted dumps of advanced Western military hardware, and Britain said Ukraine’s Western-backed government would defeat Russia’s invasion and secure its freedom. Russia has turned its fire power on Ukraine’s east and south after failing to take the capital of Kiev in March. The offensive has been met with commitments by Western powers for tougher sanctions as well as supplies of heavier weapons to Ukraine. The European Commission was finalising a ban on buying Russian oil. The US Congress is considering a $33 billion (R521bn)…

LA PAZ: Inmates in Bolivia’s overcrowded prisons can now reduce their jail time by reading books in a new programme influenced by one in Brazil that aims to spread literacy. The state programme, “Books behind bars” offers detainees a chance to get out of jail days or weeks in advance of their release date. Bolivia does not have a life sentence or death penalty, but pre-trial detention can last for years due to a slow judicial system. The programme is now in 47 prisons that do not have resources to pay for education, reintegration or social assistance programmes for prisoners. So far, 865 inmates are improving their skills. | Reuters…