Table of contents for 2024-02-12 in Mercury

WHILE promises to end load shedding and drive a green energy transition may sound promising, the measures outlined in the 2024 State of the Nation (Sona) address lack substance. In the Sona last week, President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted reform of South Africa’s energy system, and plans to build over 14 000km of new transmission lines to accommodate renewable energy, with innovative investment models to promote private investment in transmission infrastructure. He also noted that government would support electric vehicle manufacturing in South Africa, and would set up a special economic zone in the Boegoebaai rail and deep-water port project to drive investment in green energy. However, the address lacked detail and concrete action plans. Superficially, the President said some positive things, but many of the points he made were…

It WON’T be the winners’ gold medals hanging around their necks when Bafana Bafana walk in through the arrivals hall at OR Tambo International Airport early on Wednesday morning. But the country’s senior national football squad are surely still due a heroes’ welcome following their impressive showing at the Africa Cup of Nations, at which they finished in a credible third place. When they left for the Ivory Coast early in January, not much was expected of Hugo Broos’s team, with most South Africans believing progression past the group stage would be a big achievement. And with good reason too, for Bafana had failed to qualify for the previous tournament and had done very little to inspire confidence. But the silver-haired Belgian had faith in his players, who in turn…

President Cyril Ramaphosa is a smooth talker and an accomplished spin doctor. Like Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga, he takes to the podium every year and paints a glowing picture of the country under ANC rule. For two hours he stood in Parliament spinning his yarn about how wonderful life has been under the ANC. At every few words his boot lickers clapped and applauded him. But it was a hollow speech, “all sound and platitudes, signifying nothing.” ( The Star, February 9) Of course, the unemployed masses who feed on the fodder dished out so generously by the government would be very impressed by the president's Sona and would readily reward him with their vote. But try as he might he cannot pull the wool on everyone. There…

THE DA will write to the auditor-general to request further clarity on the ANC/EFF-run eThekwini Municipality’s “unqualified audit” considering the dysfunctional nature of the City. The fact is that irregular expenditure ballooned to R2.4 billion last year and has more than doubled since 2019/2020. This speaks to the complete lack of control in the municipality when it comes to expenditure. The single biggest contributing factor to this irregular expenditure is through non-compliance with supply chain management processes. This is, of course, deliberate so that corruption is allowed to flourish unchecked and without consequences. The findings of the AG also point to the municipality only spending 3.9% of its capital budget on repairs and maintenance, 50% less than what is required. This explains why people in the north of the city…

Give people a chance to tell travel stories and you will be flooded with lost-bags, cancelled flights, and scary immigration and visa tales. Getting in and out of South Africa remains a series of very positive experiences for me. I have found South African customs and immigration officials to be warm, welcoming and chatty, even playful. To a person, they have possessed none of the harshness, perhaps a necessary front, I’ve frequently encountered in some nations. Dealing with the airlines over what may appear simple matters, like correcting a misspelt middle name, can take hours on the phone where I live. I know. Last week I spent half a night correcting a spelling error. Given this recent experience I somewhat dreaded facing a similar error with a domestic flight in…

EFF leader Julius Malema, who has described KwaZulu-Natal as a key battleground for this year’s national general elections, has told his party’s provincial leaders that he expects nothing less than a provincial ballot win. Malema, addressing thousands of supporters during the EFF’s manifesto launch at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday, said provincial chairperson Mongezi Twala must lead the party to victory at the elections. The party has deployed its deputy president Floyd Shivambu to the province to head the election campaign as it sees an opportunity to grow its votes in a ballot that will be hotly contested. Malema said KZN is the home of the EFF as the province is where the party grew the most in 2019. “In the 2019 provincial and national elections the EFF got more…

Remove the leaders who have brought our country to its knees by their lies and greed PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa’s 6th State of the Nation Address (Sona) was an insult to the nation. The ANC is more concerned with “staying in power” in the upcoming elections than in providing the framework for democracy to reign supreme within which our people can truly be free and prosper. Ramaphosa’s speech might have had moments of promise but ultimately, it fell short of addressing critical issues plaguing South Africa. While he touched upon some key areas of concern, there were glaring omissions and a lack of concrete plans to address the country’s most pressing challenges, that served to highlight the string of broken promises the ANC has achieved in this administration. His storytelling, because…

THE UN has expressed concern about escalating unrest in Haiti’s major cities, where more than 1 100 people were killed or injured in the first month of this year. “Outbreaks of deadly violence have caused major disruptions to humanitarian operations,” the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. “There are more than 313 000 people displaced around the country.” A spokesperson said road blockages and movement restrictions had impacted health-care workers and compromised access to essential social services. Difficulties accessing roads and ports had also affected the delivery of life-saving relief.…

MANILA: The Philippine Coast Guard yesterday accused Chinese vessels of “dangerous” manoeuvres during a nine-day patrol near a reef off the coast of the Southeast Asian country. The Philippine vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua was sent in early February to patrol the waters around Scarborough Shoal, a rich fishing ground in the South China Sea, and deliver provisions to Filipino fishermen and ensure their safety. The reef has been a flashpoint between the countries since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012. Since then, Beijing has deployed patrol boats that Manila says harass Philippine vessels and prevent Filipino fishermen from reaching the lagoon where fish are more plentiful.…

Hamas yesterday warned that any Israeli offensive in Gaza’s far-southern city of Rafah would threaten talks about the release of hostages seized in the October 7 attacks. “Any attack by the occupation army on the city of Rafah would undermine the exchange negotiations,” a leader in the Palestinian militant group told AFP as Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to extend operations. The Israeli prime minister earlier this week said he had told troops to prepare to go into the city, as part of its aim to destroy Hamas for mounting the deadly attacks on southern Israel. But he has faced mounting calls not to attack the city on the border with Egypt, which has become the last refuge for Gazans fleeing Israel’s relentless bombardment elsewhere in the coastal territory. Foreign governments, including…

The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations has provided thrills, spills, heartbreak and remarkable storylines – and will undoubtedly go down as the best edition yet. Numerous players have made their mark, while several unexpected nations have also announced their arrival on the greatest stage of African football. With several milestones reached and records broken, Smiso Msomi takes a look at five talking points from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. New record set When 27 goals were scored in the opening round of group-stage matches, very few would've envisioned that the all-time goal-scoring record would be broken in Ivory Coast. The tournament has gone on to eclipse anything recognisable at the tournament. The 89 goals scored in the group stages of this tournament saw it fall just one goal short…

THE PROGRESSIVE commitments of the State of the Nation Address (Sona) must now be met with resources in the upcoming Budget. The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) welcomes the progressive commitments announced in the Sona by President Cyril Ramaphosa as well as its accounting for the work done by the 6th administration as we head towards the elections. President Ramaphosa’s tasks have been the most difficult of any President since our democracy was born in 1994. He inherited a state devastated by a decade of state capture and corruption. Shortly after his taking office, we were confronted by a global pandemic. While workers are frustrated by the many challenges we face and the slow pace at which they are being addressed, we equally acknowledge where the government, led…

Just a day after President Cyril Ramaphosa assured the country during the State of the Nation (Sona) address that the “end of load-shedding is finally within reach”, Eskom implemented Stage 6 blackouts. Ramaphosa had said in his Sona speech that “phenomenal developments” were driving the restructuring of the country’s electricity sector. “Through all of these actions, we are confident the worst is behind us and the end of load shedding is finally within reach.” The return of Stage 6 load shedding has been attributed to “setbacks” experienced by the electricity grid according to Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa. Ramokgopa speaking to the media yesterday, alongside members of Eskom’s generation team, provided an update on the high levels of load shedding in the country since last week. “I’ve shared what the trend…

The IFP in KwaZulu-Natal extends its gratitude to residents of Ward 8, in Abaqulusi, for demonstrating their overwhelming support for and trust in the IFP, during the by-election last week. In a highly-contested election, characterised by spirited competition, the IFP emerged triumphant with 505 votes out of the 1 085 votes cast. We wish to express our sincere appreciation to every individual who exercised their democratic right by casting their vote in support of the IFP. Amid the noise surrounding the emergence of new political entities, the victory of the IFP speaks to its deep-rooted connection with the people of KwaZulu-Natal. Our track-record of service delivery and our commitment to the well-being of our communities, through servant leadership, remains unparalleled. The IFP dedicates this remarkable victory to the visionary leadership…

EVEN with a fully-fledged four-year BSc degree, I ended up as an electrician-apprentice in 1971, earning less than R1000 p/m travelling from Durban to Canelands (past Verulam), departing by train at 5.30am and returning to the Durban Central Station just after 6pm. During that gruelling four-year stay at the Timberit/ Masonite Wood board factory, in hindsight, I learnt so much about the ruthless, capitalistic mechanics of production. Each day was another lifelong lesson.‒ I learnt more than I would ever have picked up had I gone straight into a stereotypical straight-jacketed job. Black workers bundled into a confined “compound” –‒ only males, and no families allowed. Indian machine operators living in squalid conditions with semi-informal “homes” deliberately built near mountains of wooden dust, wood grain needed for compressing into the…

A tech company in biometrics and verification systems has warned South Africa’s mobile networks to prioritise the protection of customers from SIM swap fraud, which has raised data security concerns among industry gurus. Gur Geva, the founder and chief executive of iiDENTIFii, an award-winning tech company which specialises in facial authentification and verification platforms, said although the SA Banking Risk Information Centre (Sabric) had noted a slight decline in SIM swap fraud in its latest report, mobile networks still needed to tighten up their data security to protect against fraudsters using false identities and SIM swap scams. Geva said networks should focus on the provision of a simple, scalable and safe digital identity to protect consumers from fraud, while allowing them the ability to access mobile, financial and governmental services…

Motorists, who have already had to endure a fuel price hike, can expect to pay 6.25% more for toll fees across the country from March 1. In a public announcement issued on Saturday, SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) said the tariffs were adjusted in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) as obtained from Statistics South Africa. “The annual toll tariffs will increase by 6.25%, as published in the Government Gazette of February 6. This rate is less than last year’s 6.58% adjustment.” Motorists with class 1 vehicles will now pay R15.50 at the N3 Mariannhill Plaza, which is R1 more than the previous tariff of R14.50, while classes 2, 3 and 4 of heavy vehicles will pay R28, R34 and R53 respectively. On the N2 South Coast, motorists…

The performance of Bafana Bafana at the 2024 African Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Ivory Coast has ignited a new-found sense of pride and optimism in South African football. While the team did not reach the finals, a bronze medal finish at the expense of the Democratic Republic of Congo is something we can all be proud of. Their remarkable run exceeded expectations and showcased a level of competitiveness and resilience that had been missing for some time. It is clear that Bafana Bafana has finally matured into a team capable of challenging the best on the continent, and this achievement should serve as a catalyst for the South African Football Association (Safa) and the entire footballing sector to push for sustained progress and development. Coach Hugo Broos and his…

TOKYO: Japan will pledge 15.8 billion yen ($106 million) in aid to Ukraine at a conference to be held in Tokyo on February 19, Kyodo News reported yesterday. The funding will be used for reconstruction in seven areas, including agriculture and the disposal of rubble, Kyodo said. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal are set to attend the conference, along with government and industry representatives from both countries, national broadcaster NHK reported on Saturday. Japan’s Cabinet Secretariat was not available for comment outside of regular working hours.…

A resurgent Sharks side is standing in the way of the Stormers completing another win over a South African side in the United Rugby Championship (URC). The return coastal derby is set to take centre stage in Durban on Saturday (kick-off 5.05pm), where the home side, coming off good wins in the EPCR Challenge Cup, will look to make some headway in the URC where they currently sit bottom of the points table. John Plumtree’s men have won only one URC match this season and will need that momentum from the Challenge Cup to carry over into their abysmal URC campaign. The Sharks held their own against the Stormers in Cape Town late in December – suffering a narrow 16-15 defeat without their resting Springboks – and they will target…

ONE-NIL down in the series, the Proteas can at least look forward to a more familiar approach in an effort to tilt the second Test against the Black Caps, at Seddon Park in Hamilton starting tomorrow morning, in their favour. Last week, spinners Mitchell Santer, Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra caused a lot of problems for the South African batters, so much so that Proteas batter Keegan Petersen admitted the visitors struggled against the relentless spin of the trio. Chances are, however, that New Zealand captain Tim Southee will opt for an additional pace option for the second match, seeing that the conditions in Hamilton promise to offer the quicks a lot more than the wicket at Mount Maunganui did during the first Test. At least that’s what Proteas…

THE AGRICULTURAL Business Chamber (Agbiz) welcomed the recognition given to South Africa’s real gains in the area of land reform, responding to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2024 State of the Nation Address (Sona) last week. Agbiz chairperson Francois Strydom said on Friday that as could be expected in an election year, the focus was largely on counting the successes of the sixth administration. “While we would have liked to see bolder steps taken to stimulate our economy, the value of recognising the sector’s efforts towards land reform cannot be overstated. The agricultural sector is highly competitive and capital-intensive. “In the absence of direct State support, inter-generational knowledge and investments are often required to buffer against shocks brought on by a volatile market and climate. “This is a tough environment for new…

SOUTH Africa’s trade benefits under the African Growth Opportunity Act (Agoa) are in jeopardy after US Congressmen last week sought a full review of the bilateral relationship with South Africa. Republican congressman John James and Democrat congressman Jared Moskowitz last week filed a bill in the House of Representatives seeking a full review of the bilateral relationship. Agoa, which is scheduled to expire in September 2025, enables more than 30 African countries including South Africa to export 1 835 types of goods to the US consumer market, and, in turn, Agoa affords the US access to critical minerals, product value chains and investment opportunities in Africa. The US has been mulling delaying an early renewal of Agoa for South Africa after disproved allegations that South Africa was selling weapons and…

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula addressed a party rally in KwaXimba in eThekwini yesterday, with a violent incident taking place in the vicinity. Mbalula said police were investigating the incident at the Manzolwandle sports field, but it was more likely an accidental shooting than an act of intimidation against party members at the event. The party later said the incident took place away from the stadium and it was not clear if a person had been shot or stabbed. Thousands of ANC supporters attended the rally in ward 1 in KwaXimba, in what was the ANC’s biggest ward by membership in the country and a stronghold, just weeks after former president Jacob Zuma attracted similar numbers at the same venue for an MK Party rally. Mbalula called for calm while police…

The story “Theft rife at City electricity” unit (The Mercury, February 8) refers. The suggestion is that an estimated R300 million is stolen annually in the form of stock and materials, which averages almost R1m a day. Which begs the question: How have the authorities failed to notice those tell-tale little signs, like teams of panting labourers loading fleets of pantechnicons and those same vehicles streaming out of the warehouse in an endless convoy? But best of all is the assurance given by City spokesperson, Mandla Nsele, in response to a suggestion that junior staff could remove assets from stores with little supervision. Nsele, in all apparent seriousness, has reportedly said that, “The assertion that junior staff members can sign out City stock/material is not true as the material is…

THE St Clement’s Arts Soirée broke fresh ground last week by featuring not a poet or musician or juggler but Brian Downie, a former president of the Institute of Civil Engineering. His theme? Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how to manage it. AI used to be thought of as far in the future. Occasional articles would appear headed “change ahead”. “Now it is upon us and accelerating at a rate which few can comprehend. “The truth is that you either learn how to manage this phenomenon or it will manage you.” He said that a little more than a year ago, OpenAI released ChatGPT, an application that enables users to converse with a computer in a singularly human way. “Within five days the chatbox had a million users. Two months later…

Civil society groups have raised their concerns over the “unlimited powers” that will be granted to the Mineral Resources Minister should the Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Bill come to pass. According to the explanation provided by the Department of Mineral Resources’ deputy director-general for mineral policy and promotions, Ntokozo Ngcwabe, the objectives of the bill are to recognise the internationally accepted right of the state to exercise sovereignty over all the petroleum resources within the country. It will also give effect to the principle of the state’s custodianship of the nation’s petroleum resources, as well as to promote equitable access to the nation’s petroleum resources to all the people of South Africa. Lastly it would, according to the department, expand opportunities substantially and meaningfully for black people to enter…

A NIGHT out for a birthday celebration ended tragically when a 47-year-old man from Johannesburg was killed and his firearm stolen during a robbery at a Phoenix bar on Saturday. Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said Phoenix police were investigating a murder and robbery following an incident in which the man was allegedly shot dead at a liquor outlet in Woodview. “Reports indicate that a suspect entered the premises and bought liquor and left, only to return moments later with other suspects. The suspects allegedly shot and killed the victim before taking his firearm. The suspects are unknown at this stage,” said Netshiunda. Private security company Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) said its officers were first on the scene after receiving a call for assistance at approximately 1am…

THE discovery of two hidden rooms containing disturbing images and materials at Wilgenhof Men’s Residence (Stellenbosch University) last month has rekindled conversations about hazing and hazing practices. Wilgenhof, with a manifesto emphasising it as a place of belonging where all are free to be themselves, is described as a “house of horrors”, as punishment was seemingly doled out to male students as determined by an informal disciplinary committee. Hazing is an ancient, universal practice. The need to join a group is an aspect of humanity. Hazing in educational institutions tends to occur as part of the hidden curriculum, in a cyclical nature, for example, at the beginning of an academic year. The goal of participating in hazing activities is to be admitted and accepted in the group. By participating, prospective…

MANILA: The death toll from a Philippine landslide near a gold mine abruptly rose to 54 yesterday, officials said. Nineteen bodies were recovered in the southern mountain village of Masara on Sunday, with 63 other miners and residents still missing, said the municipality of Maco, and provincial disaster official Randy Loy. The landslide buried a bus terminal for employees of a gold mining firm and 55 nearby houses on Tuesday night. Landslides are a frequent hazard across much of the archipelago nation due to the mountainous terrain, heavy rainfall and widespread deforestation from mining, slash-and-burn farming and illegal logging.…

ATHENS: The Olympic Stadium in Athens, shut down last year over roof safety concerns, will reopen by April, the Greek prime minister said yesterday. “The stadium will reopen from the end of March or mid-April at the latest,” Kyriakos Mitsotakis posted on Facebook. The Athens Olympic Athletic Centre said earlier the roof of the stadium and that of the nearby Velodrome “do not meet the regulatory permitted levels of static adequacy”. The 69 600-seat arena was built in 1982 and remodelled for the 2004 Athens Olympics with an 18 000-ton steel roof designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.…

VALLADOLID, Spain: US actress Sigourney Weaver on Saturday won the International Goya Award in recognition of what the Spanish Film Academy dubbed an impressive career during which she brought to life “independent, complex and strong female characters”. The 74-year-old, best known for playing Ellen Ripley in the Alien franchise, is only the third recipient of the honourary prize, which since its creation in 2022 has been awarded to Cate Blanchett and Juliette Binoche. “I am always looking for stories about and for women, to remind us of how powerful women are in all kinds of surprising ways,” Weaver told a star-studded audience at the Goya Awards gala.…

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is working “tirelessly” to resolve the Red Sea crisis, which is severely disrupting the global transport of goods, its head Arsenio Dominguez told AFP. Yemen’s Huthi rebels, supported by Iran, have launched dozens of attacks against ships in the Red Sea since November, targeting boats headed for Israel in an act of “solidarity” with inhabitants of the Gaza Strip, which is in the grip of the war between Israel and Hamas. Despite retaliatory strikes by the US and UK, the rebels are still launching attacks, firing at US ship “Star Nasia” and UK vessel “Morning Tide” on Tuesday. The IMO, the United Nations agency responsible for security at sea, is working to ensure that “parties continue to talk so that the situation does not degenerate…

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has urged disgruntled fans not to turn their backs on the Premier League side, which is in danger of slipping into a relegation dogfight after a poor run of results left them languishing in 15th place. Palace fans have protested against the club’s owners, with the latest criticism coming after their 4-1 thrashing this month by bitter rivals Brighton & Hove Albion. The 76-year-old Hodgson, who has managed England and Liverpool among several other clubs, said his team cannot lose the backing of their supporters when they host Chelsea in a London derby onight. Fans “are the people that we cannot afford to have turned against us because we need them”, Hodgson said. “It’s been the toughest period of my career for one reason, and…