Table of contents for NM-2021-03-26 in Mercury

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za THE INCLUSIVE Society Institute (ISI) has warned that unemployment in South Africa could rise above the 40 percent mark by 2023 if the economy grows less than 2 percent in the next few months. ISI said that its economic modelling showed that the current high level of unemployment was threatening to cripple any significant economic recovery, and vice versa. According to the ISI model, a weak gross domestic product (GDP) growth from 2021 to 2029 could see unemployment continue to linger at around 42 to 43 percent. ISI said at 2 percent sustained GDP growth over the next decade, the expanded definition of unemployment could be reduced to at least 38 percent by 2029. The reworked unemployment projections of the institute, based…

GIVEN MAJOLA given.majola@inl.co.za VARIOUS key representatives in the retail, petroleum, oil and gas sectors of the South African fuel retailing industry have come out strongly in support of the recent establishment of the Public Petroleum Products Act Compliance Forum by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy. The forum was a means to clamp down on the sector’s non-compliance. Gadibolae Dihlabi, managing director of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association of South Africa (LPGSA), said they were concerned about the unacceptably high number of traders who were illegally filling or selling cylinders. “The consequences are dire and can lead to serious accidents. Collaboration is key, because it allows us to share information and strategies with other stakeholders, including the SAPS and the fire department,” said Dihlabi. She said that the more…

1. Tech savvy: In the past year, South Africans have become more tech savvy as working from home, virtual meetings, online learning and online shopping became part of daily life: Virtual meetings/events: Zoom or Google Meets virtual meetings are the new way of holding meetings. Benefits include that travel and catering costs are cut, and the meetings usually start and end on time. Online shopping: According to data released by Mobicred, the largest digital credit facility in this country, South Africans turned to online shopping in large numbers in 2020. Mobicred said while local shoppers had traditionally been cautious about online shopping, there had been growth in online shopping in terms of both adoption rates and product selection. Online learning: While resources and access to the internet remain a challenge,…

The University of Aberdeen said yesterday it would return a Benin Bronze to Nigeria within weeks, one of the first public institutions to do so more than a century after Britain looted the sculptures and auctioned them to Western museums and collectors. The university said the sculpture of an Oba, or ruler, of the Kingdom of Benin, had left Nigeria in an “extremely immoral” fashion. This led it to reach out to authorities in 2019 to negotiate its return. Pressure has mounted to return to their places of origin the Benin Bronzes – actually copper alloy relief sculptures – and other artefacts taken by colonial powers. Neil Curtis, Aberdeen's head of museums and special collections, said the Bronze, purchased in 1957, had been "blatantly looted." “It became clear we had…

John Gardener | Howick Ebrahim Essa’s letter about spares prices (The Mercury, March 25) refers, and is absolutely spot on, but service levels also leave much to be desired. I recently purchased a chest freezer and a bar fridge, brand new, both from the same South African manufacturer and from the same dealer. I will refrain from naming the maker but suffice it to say that, if we were playing a well known children’s game, I might begin my question with the words “I spy with my little eye something beginning with D”. It was explained to me that the freezer carried a three-year guarantee (extendable to five, upon registration with the maker) whereas the bar fridge was guaranteed for only two years (not extendable). “Why is that?”…

IN A taxi the other day I was discussing coinage with the driver. Did I remember the old £1 notes, he asked, and what they could buy? Did I remember? As I have mentioned in this column before, in those days you could take a girl out to dinner for £1 (equivalent of R2) and share a nice bottle of wine. He chuckled. Yes, and in those days the US dollar was worth about four shillings and sixpence (45 cents), he said. “We need to get back to those days.” This was a man after my own heart. Did he remember all the wonderful Zulu names for the coinage? Yes, he did. We went through them. Ufatingi – the farthing. Isitebele – the halfpenny, the word meaning “stable” because it…

The IFP is calling for a change of attitude among pupils in KwaZulu-Natal schools, so that they can avoid facing possible jail time. A three-month prison sentence handed down to a Zululand pupil, who is accused of bullying, for failing to appear in court should be a wake-up call to other pupils. Pupils need to stop being bullies at school, as failure to do so could result in them being arrested, jailed and end up having a criminal record. Schools are supposed to be places where pupils feel safe and secure, and where they can count on being treated with respect. The IFP reaffirms its stance that the KZN MEC of Education, Kwazi Mshengu, must launch an anti-bullying campaign in schools. It is envisaged the campaign will create an enabling…

Sisonke Mlamla The Road Accident Fund (RAF) has said claimants who believe they were duped out of their payouts by attorneys should report the matters to it so investigations can be conducted. The RAF was commenting after a recent Cape Town case where the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sentenced Eslin Meyer, 63, to eight years’ imprisonment. He was found guilty of 61 counts of fraud and theft totalling R6.4 million for failure to keep proper accounting records of funds received by an attorney in a trust account. Meyer, an attorney who represented RAF clients and administered deceased estates, operated three trust accounts and two business accounts when he was the owner of the Eslin Meyer Attorneys. National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said Meyer’s clients made claims against…

Chulumanco Mahamba chulumanco.mahamba@inl.co.za CORRUPTION Watch (CW) has criticised politicians, public servants and business people for “sticking their hands into the public purse” after it was revealed that the organisation received about 11 whistle-blower reports a day during 2020. CW said yesterday that the non-profit organisation’s annual report, titled From Crisis to Action, reflected that in 2020 the public was increasingly outraged by rampant corruption in relation to the procurement and distribution of essential goods and services, including relief packages as well as cases of police and army brutality. “It is therefore not surprising that in 2020, CW recorded the second highest number of reports of corruption received in a calendar year since its inception in 2012, and importantly, the highest number of reports implicating the policing and health-care sectors,” the…

Vernon Mchunu vernon.mchunu@inl.co.za HIGH-LEVEL ministerial talks were at an advanced stage in an attempt to force errant municipalities to pay millions of rand they owe, in a bold new effort aimed at averting a possible collapse of the country’s water boards. This was revealed yesterday by the chairperson of Umgeni Water Board, Magasela Mzobe, during a media briefing on the provincial entity’s Annual Report for 2019/2020. Municipalities had been found to be deliberately dragging their feet on their financial obligations to a number of water boards, including Umgeni, forcing some to approach the department of water affairs for bail-outs in order to remain afloat, said Mzobe. “Municipalities (with overdue debts) do receive grant money (every year) from national government, but we have realised that when these monies arrive, municipalities…

Nicola Daniels nicola.daniels@inl.co.za A PEEK into the vulnerability of the nation’s everyday heroes, doctors, from the experiences of medical school and what they go through in practice, is offered by final-year medical student Ashiq Pramchand, 23, in his first book, The Great Medical Student Odyssey: Tales and Adventures in Medical School. The 194-page book illustrates the adventure and harsh realities of medical students in South Africa through Pramchand’s experiences at UKZN’s Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine. “When I started medical school, I could not find a book offering the student perspective of our experiences, said Pramchand. “We see incredible stories in the wards, meet fascinating patients and in the first three years there’s navigating through social and financial challenges that arise. “The biggest lesson I’ve learnt is that it’s…

With land expropriation without compensation set to become a reality and a defining feature for the land reform trajectory in South Africa, the implementation thereof is expected to enable fundamental transformation across the whole agricultural value chain. A successful land reform programme should bring changes in the economic participation, and empowerment of farmers across the agriculture sector. This will enable marginalised groups, blacks in particular, to participate in the economic activities associated with the spin-offs realised in the agricultural sector. With that said, it is very important to prepare farmers, particularly emerging farmers, to be ready to participate and take advantage of the possibilities that will come with land expropriation. The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development in Gauteng province has been leading the way in ensuring that…

A container ship blocking the Suez Canal like a “beached whale” may take weeks to free, the salvage company said, as officials stopped all ships entering the channel yesterday in a new setback for global trade. The 400m Ever Given is blocking transit in both directions through one of the world’s busiest shipping channels for oil and grain and other trade linking Asia and Europe. The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said eight tugs were working to move the vessel, which got stuck diagonally across the single-lane southern stretch of the canal on Tuesday amid high winds and a dust storm. A total of 206 large container ships, tankers carrying oil and gas, and bulk vessels hauling grain have backed up at either end of the canal, Egypt’s Leith Agencies said,…

Welcome to SPORTS DRIPS. Its month end and I will be giving you some cool tips on where to find the best online deals for sportswear. E-commerce has thrived during this horrible pandemic as it was so easy to buy from the comfort of your home and the goods are delivered directly to your door. If you did not like the product that you saw online or it did not fit you could return it with no extra cost … so convenient. If you were like me, I was very wary to buy off any site as there is fraud and I could lose my hard-earned cash or my bank account could be hacked so I started very late in the game with regards to online shopping. Today I will…

Zaahier Adams zaahier.adams@inl.co.za The Proteas Women’s team arrived home from India yesterday full of smiles. And they had every reason to. No South African cricket team has ever enjoyed as successful a tour as they just experienced. Six victories from eight starts is almost unbelievable, but that’s Hilton Moreeng’s side magnificent record over the course of the ODI (4-1) and T20I (2-1) series. From the moment they arrived in Lucknow, not knowing what to expect from “bubble life” in India, they have been on the mark, and Moreeng claims its all down to how everything begun. “We knew we were playing against a team that prides itself on playing well in its own conditions. It was very important that we started well. The first ODI was the most important game…

THE fishing has been very good for both the shore and boat anglers this past week. With the conditions starting to settle a bit, the fish have started to become a bit more predictable. The couta have been on the bite for a few weeks now and the excitement is palpable at the early morning launches. The average size has been a bit on the small side but there are some better fish mixed in. The north coast has seen the bigger of the couta with the average size being north of the 10kg mark. The most successful method has been trolling live or dead baits slowly over likely looking areas. Make sure that you run your baits at different depths to find where the fish are feeding, after which…

Vernon Mchunu vernon.mchunu@inl.co.za A YEAR on since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, families have reflected on the harrowing ordeal they have had to bear after several restrictions were imposed in an attempt to avert the spread of the virus. Bidding farewell to your loved one without an orthodox funeral service, a ban on night vigils and travel restrictions that prevented bereaved family members from attending burial services were among the realities that inflicted “tremendous trauma” upon many families. In a desperate attempt to avert the spread of infection, the government was forced to shut the country down. Among a string of restrictions were: the number of people allowed to attend a funeral and church services was cut down to 50, mass gatherings were banned, long-distance travelling became illegal, and there…

Karen Singh karen.singh@inl.co.za EPIDEMIOLOGIST and infectious diseases specialist, Professor Salim Abdool Karim, said the most likely scenario was that the third wave would hit South Africa in winter. Abdool Karim, who announced he was stepping down as co-chair of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Covid-19 yesterday, said he was optimistic South Africa was in a very good situation in the fight against the spread of the virus. “As it stands right now we can’t really predict when the third wave will happen and we can’t predict how bad it’s going to be. “This was due to the fact that there were only a handful of countries in the world who have had a third wave,” he said. He said South Africa was unable to learn from these countries. “Those countries…

TONY BALL | Gillitts THE Mercury recently carried a substantial article on the problem of beachfront revellers partying and drinking, but with respect, I think it was a futile exercise – for a variety of reasons. The very people who are disturbing the residents are hardly likely to read a newspaper in this day and age of instant media. The metro police make all the correct responses and observations, but seem moribund to actually carry out any strict law enforcement and, seeing that the politicians cock a snoot at the country’s laws, why would an average citizen feel obliged to obey them? Finally, publishing the nuisance by-laws is just a waste of space and ink. For years, the council has threatened to implement them, but the situation just…

JEAN MICHEL | Bryanston Isn’t it incredible that US president Joe Biden has changed the trajectory of the US in a mere 50 days? Competency has replaced incompetency. Empathy has replaced callousness. Truth has replaced lies and conspiracy theories. All the US allies are back and our global climate’s health matters once more and now has a better chance to recover. But most important, vaccines are being readied, rolled out and people are vaccinated at an unprecedented rate. The US has inoculated 100 million people. This was supposed to be achieved, as per the president’s pre-election promise, in 100 days but was done in just 50 days. To top all this, much-needed financial relief is on the way to millions of Americans who have been struggling and suffering…

SABER AHMED JAZBHAY | Newlands West I find that the United Arab Emirates-brokered road map is an aspirant initiative that all peace-loving people of Indian extraction in South Africa must support. Let’s park the blame game and focus on the price of peace versus the price of tension and hostilities between them. I urge South Africans to join me, encouraged by the fact that both India and Pakistan are amenable to taking to that road map and, God willing, finding a sustainable peaceful solution. It is encouraging, as it’s reported that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made overtures to Prime Minister Imran Khan desiring cordial relations. May God act as an intermediary. It’s worth a shot. Why not? As neighbouring countries, Sri Modi rightly stated that for that…

Mercury Reporter The Ministerial Advisory Committee on the Electoral System will hold its first consultative meeting with stakeholders on March 30 at Constitutional Hill in Johannesburg. The committee was formed by Minister of Home Affairs Aaron Motsoaledi in February 2021 in response to the June 11, 2020 ruling of the Constitutional Court on the application brought before it by the New National Movement (NPC) and others. The Constitutional Court ruled that the Electoral Act was unconstitutional to the extent that it prevented independent candidates from contesting national and provincial elections. The court has given Parliament until June next year to amend the Electoral Act. The committee will advise the minister and the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs on how to amend electoral legislation to comply with the 2020 judgment…

THE Department of Basic Education (DBE) in KwaZulu-Natal says last year’s matric pupils who want to improve their marks have to register today for supplementary exams. The department said today was the last day to register for the exams. They include the June/November National Senior Certificate (NSC), and Senior Certificate (SC). According to the department, the registration dates were moved forward because of the late release of the matric results. It said candidates were only allowed to register for subjects they had previously registered for in the November exams. The department added that candidates absent from one or more external question papers with a valid reason were eligible to register. Those reasons included being medically unfit, death in the immediate family or other special reasons. “The candidate has the choice…

Loyiso Sidimba loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za THE CONSTITUTIONAL Court has reserved judgment in the commission of inquiry into state capture’s application to have former president Jacob Zuma jailed for contempt of court. The apex court heard from the commission’s senior counsel, Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, that Zuma should not be fined because he had not opted for this option. “A fine is out of the question because we have no knowledge of Zuma’s financial position. He has not come to the Constitutional Court to say that he would rather pay the fine,” Ngcukaitobi said. He argued that the only debate was whether to suspend the imprisonment sought by the commission. According to Ngcukaitobi, a fine was alluded to by the commission but there had been no response whatsoever from Zuma as he chose not to…

Military attacks against jihadists, to prevent them from raiding communities, have failed All the efforts to neutralise jihadist groups in the Sahel over the past eight years have had little effect in ridding the region of the Islamic State and al-Qaeda-linked groups. Ironically, the situation has got worse, and escalating levels of violence have raised alarms both in North Africa and in European capitals. The failure to effectively stem the growth of Jama’at Nasr al Islam wal Muslimin – al-Qaeda’s affiliate in the Sahel, and the Islamic State in Greater Sahara, is evidence of a flawed counterterrorism strategy. The time has come to shift from a reliance on a heavy-handed military approach to dealing with jihadist groups to one that prioritises the need for good governance in the region…

THE joint decision to forge ahead with plans to stage the British and Irish Lions tour as scheduled in South Africa is a brave call which will hopefully turn out to be a big boost for the game and for the economy of our country. A Lions series against our world champion Springboks in the UK, or Australia for that matter (as had been mooted), would just not have felt right. The four Home Unions – England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales – touring together as a team, taking on the Springboks, All Blacks or Wallabies, is one of the most cherished sporting events across all codes. The Lions only tour every four years, which makes it an even more celebrated occasion. As Jason Leonard, former England prop and current chairperson…

The US and Britain imposed sanctions on military-controlled conglomerates in Myanmar yesterday as security forces were reported to have killed five more pro-democracy protesters in an unrelenting crackdown on dissent. Thousands of people held protests against last month’s coup in the commercial capital Yangon, central Monywa city, and several other towns yesterday, according to witnesses. “Are we united? Yes we are,” protesters shouted in Monywa. “The revolution must prevail.” Myanmar has been rocked by almost daily protests since the military overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government on February 1 and installed a junta led by generals. Suu Kyi and other members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) are being held in detention. At least 286 people had been killed in the subsequent crackdown as of Wednesday evening,…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za THE MARKET dove into the red yesterday with the JSE falling the most in almost two months dragged by the decline in retailers and banks after the SA Reserve Bank (SARB) raised its inflation forecasts for this year. The JSE All Share Index fell 0.73 percent to 64 783 index points, its lowest level since February 5, as fears over renewed lockdown restrictions will weaken the momentum in economic recovery. The rand also pared early gains while stocks traded at a near 2-month low, weakening 0.2 percent to R15.06 against the dollar by 5pm as the looming third wave of Covid-19 infections and possible tighter restrictions drove traders to the dollar. Analysts forecast that an appreciating collar could push the rand towards R15.17 and R15.35…

Sandile Mchunu sandile.mchunu@inl.co.za THE SHARE price of Sabvest Capital (Sabcap) leapt by more than 14 percent on the JSE yesterday morning, despite the investment group reducing its dividend for the year to the end of December for the first time in 20 years as it decided to preserve cash due to the lingering Covid-19 threat, as well as for share buyback programmes. The share closed 9.07 percent higher at R38. Sabcap has interests in nine unlisted investments and three listed investments. Its listed investments include a 1.6 percent stake in Transaction Capital, 11.1 percent in Metrofile Holdings, and 7.3 percent in Corero Network Security, a cyber-security group listed on the London Stock Exchange. Sabcap’s unlisted investments include a 44.8 percent stake in Apex Partners, a 25 percent interest in Classic…

Vernon Mchunu and Lorna Charles IT’S been an arduous journey for business, and the immediate future looks bleak with expected new coronavirus strains and the delayed start to the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out. This is the sentiment from the KwaZulu-Natal business community a year after the country went into lockdown to curb the spread of the pandemic. Organised business said tourism and the hospitality industry were the worst-hit sectors in the business space of eThekwini and the North Coast. “The Covid-19 crisis has turned into a (situation) of ravaged business confidence and significant uncertainty,” according to the latest report on business confidence in the North Coast-based iLembe District Municipality. The region, which is traditionally a tourist destination and business hub, is home to pristine beaches, the upmarket Zimbali property development and…

Karen Singh and Kailene Pillay AS THE country marks one year since a total lockdown was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa to curb the spread of Covid-19, the government conceded yesterday that it would miss its initial vaccination roll-out targets, pushing it into next year. Experts have raised concerns about the slow pace of the vaccine roll-out programme, with about 5 500 doses being administered per day. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize had initially said that the government wanted to have vaccinated 67% of the population – which is 40 million people – by the end of this year. However, a Cabinet statement yesterday said that this target had now been moved to February 2022. While Phase 1 was expected to be completed by the end of March, with health workers…

“I WOULD like to adopt a baby or a young child and my husband is very keen to do so as well. I am sometimes very nervous about it and worry about how things will turn out.” Adopt or not, you are probably worried about how things will turn out. That’s the nature of worry. I worry too, sometimes. The challenge is to not permit your worries to stop you from engaging in life’s joys, commitments, and adventures. If you are worried about how things will turn out if you adopt, I understand. But, I am sure you are aware that there are no guarantees about how things will turn out no matter how children come into your life. If your anxieties keep you from work or from mixing with…

GABI MARAIS | Gillitts The letter by Duncan du Bois in The Mercury (March 25) refers. I would like to refer to his comments on the wearing of masks. I would entreat everyone to rather listen to the expert, our very own Prof Karim. He is after all well respected and knowledgeable, and he is at the coal face. Please do not let your guard down, wear your masks properly; covering mouth and nose. Keep to social distancing and sanitise properly. The third wave is on its way and the only way we can keep it from becoming a tsunami is by following guidelines laid out by the people who know.…

THYGARAJ MARKANDAN | Kloof FORMER eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede must be gobsmacked. Not in her wildest dreams did she and her alleged accomplices ever imagine that they would face such a raft of charges – a total of 2 786 fraud, corruption, racketeering, theft and money laundering charges, outnumbering former president Jacob Zuma’s 18 corruption charges and 700 counts of money laundering and racketeering. In a show of bravado Gumede appeared defiant outside the court, saluting her supporters with a clenched fist. But inside she must be a very worried woman. The case against Gumede and her co-accused had been dragging on from last year, casting doubts on the strength of the state’s against them. Each time the state asked for a postponement, saying it needed more time…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za THE KWAZULU-Natal Department of Education has received an R800 million bailout from the provincial government following concerns that it was running out of money and may fail to meet its mandate to deliver quality education to millions of pupils across the province. This week the department revealed that it was running out of money and could fail to meet some of its obligations, including the provision of substitute teachers if the main teacher was ill or on maternity leave. This emerged when Finance MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube tabled the Third Adjustments Appropriation Bill yesterday that will see more funds allocated to the department. It was allocated R790m, R420m was taken from other departments and R370m was sourced internally from other education functions. The bill received support from…

Helmo Preuss The Chinese government is highlighting the eighth anniversary of a key speech on China-Africa relations that Chinese President Xi Jinping gave in Dar es Salaam Tanzania on March 25, 2013. The reason for this is that, in Chinese culture, “eight” is a significant number as “eight” in Chinese is pronounced "ba" and sounds similar to “fa”, which means "well-off" or "getting rich in a short time". The importance of Africa was highlighted by the fact that Xi flew to Tanzania from Russia, with whom China shares its longest land border, and then to South Africa, where he attended a summit meeting in Durban of the BRICS emerging countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. He told his audience in Tanzania that his government remained committed…

North Korea launched two suspected ballistic missiles into the sea near Japan yesterday, underscoring steady progress in its weapons programme and ramping up pressure on the new US administration as it reviews the North Korea policy. The apparent tests were reported by authorities in the US, South Korea, and Japan, and coincided with the start of the Olympic torch relay in Japan. They would be the first ballistic missile tests by North Korea in nearly a year and the first reported since US President Joe Biden took office in January. Analysts said the latest missile tests did not mean denuclearisation diplomacy was dead, but they highlight an inconvenient truth for the US administration: Pyongyang’s arsenal is advancing, posing new threats and increasing its potential bargaining power should talks resume. “Every…

MOSCOW: Allies of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said yesterday that they wanted proof he was healthy after his lawyers were denied access to him and the Russian prison service said his health was satisfactory. Leonid Volkov, a close Navalny ally, said Navalny began to experience serious back pain last week, felt a numbness in his leg and been unable to stand on it. He was given two Ibuprofen pills for the pain, Volkov said. Navalny said through his lawyers that he was being prevented from sleeping by prison guards, a practice he likened to torture. He also said he had asked prison authorities to let a civilian doctor visit him, but had been refused. Nearly 160 cultural figures published an open letter demanding that Navalny’s lawyers be given access…