Table of contents for 2021-11-18 in Mercury

EDWARD WEST edward.west@inl.co.za TONGAAT Hulett plans a rights offer, partially underwritten by shareholder and strategic partner Magister Investments to up to R2 billion, to put the sugar and property group on a sustainable trajectory through its turnaround process. However, the proposal to issue shares for cash did not appear to be met favourably by shareholders, and the share price fell a whopping 23.7 percent to R7.40 by late yesterday afternoon. The share price is still low, considering it traded at around R65 three years ago, prior to governance and accounting irregularities that forced new management to implement a turnaround process at the group. The amount of equity capital to be raised and the pricing of the rights offer was yet to be determined, but was expected to allow…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za AN urgent court application by the DA in its fight to lead uMngeni Local Municipality warns of extreme harm to the municipality, including undermining public confidence and service delivery, if the new leaders are not sworn in. A council meeting to elect leaders collapsed last week due to irregularities. The party announced yesterday that it was taking the matter to the Pietermaritzburg High Court and would be in court today. In its court papers, it wants the court to direct the acting municipal manager, Sandile Buthelezi, named as the first respondent, to convene a council meeting by Monday where new leadership will be elected. It also wants the court to prevent the suspended municipal manager, Thembeka Cibane, named as the fourth respondent, from interfering with that reconvened…

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorised a virtual reality (VR) system which uses cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), as a prescription treatment for chronic lower back pain. The therapy, called EaseVRx, is intended for at-home self-use and consists of a VR headset and a controller, along with a “Breathing Amplifier” attached to the headset that directs a patient’s breath toward the headset’s microphone for use in deep breathing exercises. EaseVRx, which aims to help with pain reduction in patients 18 years and older with diagnosed chronic lower back pain, joins the short list of digital therapeutics cleared by the agency over the past few years. “Pain reduction is a crucial component of living with chronic lower back pain. Today’s authorisation offers a treatment option for pain reduction that…

FAROUK ARAIE | Johannesburg The nation has spoken at the elections that have just taken place. The ANC juggernaut stands shaken and bruised by the results amid a plethora of revelations implicating the party and all its senior members in misdeeds that will take decades to investigate and rectify. Does the ANC realise that it is hopelessly out of touch with the situation in South Africa? Unless it takes a bold stand against corruption and enhances service delivery, it will be in for a rude awakening in 2024, where it will, in all probability, garner less than 40% of the votes. Its power base is gradually being dismantled. The ANC juggernaut is being disassembled at a ferocious pace that should jolt its leaders into action. It will lose…

PHUMELELISIWE PEARL MBELE | UMlazi As we commemorate National Disability Rights Awareness Month from November 3 to December 3, let’s understand disability in the workplace. Disability is a real and present struggle. People with disabilities are suffering. The world is being developed to cater for able-bodied people, leaving those with physical challenges of one sort or another battling to make this world work for them. In recent times, policies have been created to force designers and architects to add disabled-friendly features to new developments. On paper, this is a step in the right direction, but as with all other policies, the key is in the willingness of those in power to see to it that policies are fully implemented instead of just being a compliance matter. This,…

| Mercury Correspondents The National Prosecuting Authority says a man, 26, who is facing a murder charge after body parts of a woman were discovered in his fridge, will spend more nights behind bars after the matter was postponed. Gauteng spokesperson for the NPA, Phindi Mjonondwane, said the accused, Flavio Hlabangwane, would return to court on November 21 for him to apply for legal representation from Legal Aid South Africa, after he appeared in the Protea Magistrate’s Court in Soweto on Monday. The human body parts were discovered in a back room in Protea Glen by a young woman who was visiting a man whom she had met on Facebook. It is understood the couple had their first date on Friday and she spent the night in the back…

Se-Anne Rall se-anne.koopman@inl.co.za The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has reported a spike in South Africa’s flu cases. According to the NICD, there has been a sharp increase in cases between August 23 and November 1. In some cases, people have had to be hospitalised. The NICD reported that from November 7, the total number of flu cases detected by the syndromic sentinel surveillance programmes conducted by the NICD has increased from 68 in week 34 to 226. “The increase in case numbers has been identified in all five provinces where surveillance is conducted. To date, the most commonly detected subtype and lineage is influenza B Victoria (87/226, 38.5%) followed by influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 (53/226, 23.5%) and influenza A (H3N2) (24/226, 10.6%). “Even though the detection rates for flu…

The SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) is calling for the return of full-time attendance of all pupils to schools. This follows the initial proposal of the Department of Basic Education (DBE) for primary school pupils to return to the traditional learning model. The SAHRC commissioner, Andre Guam, said there should be a new directive issued by the DBE that would allow for the full and daily return of pupils to schools. He said the DBE should discuss with the departments of Health, and Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs to ensure that this was implemented. Guam said there was a reduced transmission of the virus at schools from teachers, and pupils were at a lower risk. He said teachers had been vaccinated, younger children were in line for the jab, and…

| Mercury Correspondent An off-duty policeman was shot dead and robbed of his service pistol, Gauteng police said yesterday. Police spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe said an off-duty police officer attached to the Orlando Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Investigations Unit was robbed off his service pistol by three men after being shot multiple times. “The member sadly succumbed to his injuries on scene. This incident happened in Freedom Park in Soweto on Tuesday evening, just after 22.00. A case of murder and armed robbery have been registered and no arrests have been made as yet.” She said two other police officers attached to the Pretoria Public Order Policing Unit were also shot at while on patrol in a police nyala in Extension 6, Akasia on Tuesday night.…

Xolile Bhengu xolile.bhengu@inl.co.za THE Health Department reported that on Tuesday only 134 586 people had come forward for either their first or booster vaccination shot. Provinces leading the vaccination numbers are Gauteng with 39 539, followed by the Western Cape with 21 233, and the Eastern Cape with 17 366. KwaZulu-Natal managed to capture only 15 938 vaccinations, of these 11 479 had been vaccinated in the public sector and 4 459 were from the private sector. National Lead for Demand Acceleration for the Vooma Vaccination initiative, and DG Murray Trust chief executive Dr David Harrison, said more than 40% of the adult population had now received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccination. “With three out of five people aged 50 and older now vaccinated, hospital admissions and…

For anyone with even the slightest interest in polity, it is nothing short of a wonder that China can maintain the levels of growth, national discipline and coherence it has over such a sustained period of time in light of it having the biggest population in the world. It must take a special kind of leadership collective to keep such a big nation intact, with a common purpose and a singular growth trajectory. Whatever the secret is, there can be no doubt that it featured in the 6th Plenary Session of the 19th CPC central committee. In fact, the whole world has had an inside lane into the nature of discussions that go on at the Central Committee Plenary Sessions. As an example of a far more transparent China, we…

The European Commission yesterday proposed a revamp of EU rules on waste shipments to make it harder for member states to offload their trash in poorer countries. The proposed legislation, which needs approval from EU countries and the European parliament, is part of Brussels’ plan to reduce pollution and ensure materials like plastic, textiles and metals are reused and recycled, rather than thrown away. “The goal is to make the EU take a greater responsibility for the waste it produces. That’s not the case today and that’s what needs to change,” said EU environment policy chief Virginijus Sinkevicius. The EU exported around 33 million tons of waste last year, about half of which went to poorer non-Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries with weaker waste management rules than…

MANCHESTER United’s wage bill rocketed by 23% during the period in which they re-signed Cristiano Ronaldo, the club’s latest set of financial results showed yesterday. Figures for the first quarter of the 2021/22 financial year show a rise of £16.6 million (about R347.214 million) in “employee benefit expenses” compared with the corresponding period of the previous year. The total amount spent on salaries during the quarter ended September 30, when the club re-signed Ronaldo and also brought in Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho, was £88.5 million. This rise was offset by £17.4 million brought in through player sales, principally Dan James’ move to Leeds, although the club did also earn a sell-on fee from Romelu Lukaku’s transfer from Inter Milan to Chelsea. Total revenue increased by 16.1% to £126.5 million,…

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za MTN SOUTH Africa yesterday an- nounced the R6.4 billion sale of 5 709 towers to Lagos-based IHS Towers, one of the world’s largest providers of telecommunications infrastructure. As part of the sale and leaseback transaction IHS Towers will provide Power-as-a-Service to MTN SA at about 12 800 sites across South Africa, including the acquired 5 709 sites. The deal makes IHS Towers, which is 29 percent owned by the MTN Group, South Africa’s biggest independent tower operator. Chief executive Sam Darwish said IHS Towers was committed to using its expertise to provide South Africans with “cutting-edge power services” where necessary. “I am exceptionally proud to an- nounce IHS’s creation of the largest independent tower operator in South Africa, which represents the start of a new…

Tarryn-Leigh Solomons tarryn-leigh.solomons@iinl.co.za Deputy Police Minister Cassel Mathale has called for children to be protected at all costs, with the Department of Basic Education saying schoolchildren gave birth to 130 000 babies two years ago. This was revealed by Deputy Minister of Basic Education Dr Reginah Mhaule to the National Council of Provinces yesterday in a debate on teenage pregnancy. Mhaule told members of the council that the situation needed attention. She said that in the first quarter of this year 36 000 babies were delivered by girls aged between 10 and 19. This comes as the teenage pregnancy rate continues to rise. DA MP Delmaine Christians said sexual abuse and violence against children under 18 were among the main contributors to teenage pregnancies. A report released by Statistics SA…

Shame is a powerful, debilitating force. While I am not sure it is in itself an emotion, it certainly taints and twists all of them and can feel as strong and propelling as any powerful emotion. Shame can be like a baptism, when “bad” is not something you have done but something you have become. It is so deeply imbibed that shameful is what you are. It is not that a part of you is rotten, you are rotten. And so guilt, remorse, regret and self-rejection are not the lens through which a person may see life and may therefore on occasion wear a different pair of glasses. It is that guilt, remorse, regret and self-rejection are in the bloodstream, the thought-stream, forming the backdrop of all awareness, offering…

FRANCOIS RODGERS | DA KZN Leader The DA in KwaZulu-Natal extends its sincere condolences to the family and friends of Inkosi Hlanganani Biyela, 54, from Eshowe. According to reports, Biyela was the chairperson of the King Cetshwayo Local House of Traditional Leaders and was gunned down on Saturday by unknown people when he arrived at his home. This less than a week after the shooting of Inkosi Mzomuhle Zondi in Nkandla. This adds to the more than 30 traditional leaders who have been killed in the province since 2019. The DA in the province condemns in the strongest possible terms the killings of amakhosi. Earlier this year, we called on Premier Sihle Zikalala to establish a commission of inquiry into the killing of traditional leaders in the province.…

THEMBA KHOZA | Department of Water and Sanitation TOILETS play a major role in people’s health and dignity. It is critical that we keep our toilets clean to ensure that they do not turn into germ traps. Clean toilets mean healthy societies and a healthy nation. On November 19, the world comes together to place international focus on the importance of toilets through the World Toilet Day commemoration. This year’s theme is “valuing toilets”, calling on the public to take care of toilets and the sanitation infrastructure. Worldwide, there are billions of people without proper toilets and sanitation facilities, making it crucial for those with access to proper toilets to take special care of the facilities as the lucky ones. Toilets maintain human dignity and protect us from…

Shakirah Thebus shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za SOUTH AFRICAN businesses are failing to meet regulatory targets for the employment of people with disabilities, while disillusionment with workplaces that do not accommodate their physical, social and professional needs contributes to the growing unemploy- ment and under-employment of disabled people. This is according to a study co-published by Stellenbosch University Business School’s head of social impact Dr Armand Bam and UCT Graduate School of Business Professor Linda Ronnie. The two researched disabled employees’ experiences of inclusion from recruitment to orientation and during their first six months of employment. They said the study, titled “Inclusion at the Workplace: An Exploratory Study of People with Disabilities in South Africa”, aims to better understand the challenges that hinder people with disabilities from economic participation and what causes many to…

Mayibongwe Maqhina mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za THE government’s handling of the July unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, which led to several billions of rand being set aside for a fiscal relief package, came under criticism from opposition parties this week. This happened when the National Assembly passed the Second Special Appropriation Bill for businesses affected by the July unrest and the continuation of the R350 Covid-19 special grant until March next year. Tabling the report of the appropriation committee, chairperson Sfiso Buthelezi said the bill came in the wake of an announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa that government would help businesses that were hard hit by the unrest. Buthelezi said the bill was a clear demonstration that the ANC-led government would never forsake South Africans experiencing hardship. In his report to the…

Jolene Marriah-Maharaj jolene.marriah@inl.co.za One person has bagged the R100 million Powerball jackpot after numerous roll-overs, and according to National Lottery Ithuba, the ticket was purchased in Margate on the KZN South Coast. The winner spent R7.50 on their ticket and selected the winning numbers using the manual selection. The winning numbers for Power- ball are 8, 9, 36, 42, 50 and bonus ball 4. In addition the Powerball Plus jackpot of R50m was also won. According to Ithuba, the ticket was purchased in Groblersdal, Limpopo. The winner spent R45 on a quick pick. The winning numbers for the Power- ball Plus draw are: 29, 32, 33, 45, 47 and bonus Powerball 15. Ithuba chief executive Charmaine Mabuza urged all players to check their tickets. “We urge the winners to get…

Yogashen Pillay yogashen.pillay@inl.co.za THE Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA) says that used disposable masks are adding to the country’s plastic pollution problem. Brendon Jewaskiewitz, president of the IWMSA, said single-use masks had joined the “usual suspects” of plastic pollution, including plastic bags and straws. “Studies have shown that globally, about 130 billion disposable masks are being used a month. That equates to an astounding 3 million a minute.” Jewaskiewitz said not properly disposing of Covid-19 masks was adding to the plastic pollution problem. “These masks are not biodegradable. When they are exposed to the elements, like sunlight, they break down and fragment into micro- and nanoplastics. It is then spread into our ecosystems and consumed by animals and fish.” He added that there had been instances where…

THE collapse in various coalition talks among political parties reveals a sad state of affairs that has been characterised by arrogance, being power hungry and a tired approach that flies in the face of voters’ wishes. Voters gave the parties a clear mandate to co-govern during the recent local government elections. That there was no outright winner in 66 councils is an indication that voters are fast moving away from the dominant party system and believe that their councils will be best run by multiple parties. You cannot blame them for obvious reasons, one being that it’s becoming difficult to trust a single political party to govern. What has transpired in the coalition talks has been a display of big egos, selfishness and parties interested in acquiring power. We have…

SYDNEY: Two young women scaled a huge coal handling machine shortly before dawn yesterday, disrupting operations at the world’s largest coal port for several hours to protest what they say is Australia’s lack of action on climate change. “My name is Hannah, and I am here abseiled off the world’s largest coal port,” 21-year-old Hannah Doole declared on a live-streamed video as she hovered high over massive piles of coal bound for export. “I’m here with my friend Zianna, and we’re stopping this coal terminal from loading all coal into ships and stopping all coal trains.” Since officials met in Glasgow, Scotland, earlier this month to plot the planet’s path away from fossil fuels, Australia, the world’s second-biggest coal exporter, has showed little sign of changing course. Prime Minister Scott…

PHNOM PENH: Cambodia has released 26 political, environmental and youth activists facing charges of incitement against the government, which human rights groups said was a positive step but that many more remained incarcerated. Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia for 36 years, is facing calls to improve his administration’s human rights record ahead of an Asia Europe summit that it hosts this month. A justice ministry spokesperson denied any international pressure. “This is a normal court procedure, the court didn’t pay attention to whether you are activists or not,” Chin Malin said.…

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za CONSUMER prices are set to inch higher in November, driven up by rising fuel prices as headline inflation remained elevated for the sixth consecutive month in October. Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) yesterday said the annual consumer price inflation was 5 percent in October, unchanged from the September reading. On a monthly basis, consumer prices went up 0.2 percent, the same pace as in the prior month and matching market forecasts. StatsSA’s chief director for price statistics, Patrick Kelly, said the upward pressure came mainly from transport, food and non-alcoholic beverages, housing and utilities, primarily electricity and other fuels. “Food and non-alcoholic beverages increased by 6.1 percent year-on-year, housing and utilities increased by 4 percent,” Kelly said. “Transport increased by 10.9 percent year-on-year,…

Paris Hilton is now a stepmother. The 40-year-old heiress married Carter Reum on November 11 and the businessman’s spokesperson has confirmed he has a 9-year-old daughter, although he doesn’t have a “traditional” relationship with her. Reum’s spokesperson told the New York Post newspaper’s Page Six column: “The people who this story matters to have known about it for 10 years. Carter supports this child. “While he does not have a traditional father-daughter relationship with her, he has provided for her since she was born, and will continue to do so. “From the beginning of Paris and Carter’s relationship, he was upfront with her about the matter. “They are looking forward to starting their own family together.” The outlet reported the youngster’s mother is former Secrets of Aspen star Laura Bellizzi,…

Mayibongwe Maqhina mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za Eskom board chairperson Malegapuru Makgoba said the power utility wanted to reduce and ultimately bring load shedding to an end. “It is not an impossible task but we are faced with plants that have been deteriorating over the past 15 years,” Makgoba said. He made the statement yesterday when responding to MPs who repeatedly asked when the load shedding would end in a meeting of the public enterprises portfolio committee. Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan said they have heard from Eskom that the load shedding issues would be dealt with. Eskom yesterday implemented Stage 2 load shedding from 2pm and said it would last until until 5am on Saturday. The power utility said this was attributed to ongoing insufficient generation capacity and the loss of a…

Sihle Mavuso sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za There was anger and a sense of betrayal among some IFP members yesterday after party president Velenkosini Hlabisa announced that they had struck a deal with the ANC. While a political analyst suggested that the decision may have been the result of a secret deal struck between ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa and IFP founder and President Emeritus Dr Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Buthelezi denied this in a statement late last night. Buthelezi confirmed that he and Ramaphosa had met but said their discussions had only been on the ongoing matter of the Zulu kingship. After days of intense talks with 17 political parties, which included the DA and the EFF, the party announced that it had finally resolved that it would give the governing ANC free rein to form…

THREE British MPs arrived at Gibraltar absolutely blotto last weekend on a trip to commemorate Armistice Day. The jaunt was part of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme, which aims to give politicians an insight to military life, so they can “make a more informed and useful contribution to defence debates”. Two of the MPs concerned are Scottish Nationalists and the third a member of the Labour Party. The BBC quotes a witness saying the three had been drinking in the airport lounge before departure and then drank heavily on the flight and were inebriated on touchdown, Perhaps they were nervous flyers. But Defence Secretary Ben Wallace says they put their hosts “in a difficult position”. Nobody seems to have asked the Gibraltarians their opinion. They might not even have noticed.…

TONY BALL | Gillitts Further to my letter (The Mercury, November 16) suggesting that Armco barriers be replaced by Jersey barriers, I recall that a few years ago the daughter of some high-ranking politician was killed in a head-on accident along Ruth First highway in the vicinity of Virginia Airport. Within a few months, Jersey barriers were installed along the centre white line to ensure there was no recurrence of the accident. Surely, it does not take the death of another high-profile person to galvanise the authorities into doing their job proactively? But we all know how inert politicians can be once the elections are over. Perhaps this newspaper can take up the cudgels on behalf of us fleeced road users?…

Bongani Nkosi bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za TERTIARY student organisations are heading for another round of confrontations at campuses over proposed state-funding guidelines they say would lead to thousands of students being financially excluded next year. The National Student Financial Aid Scheme of South Africa (NSFAS) shocked student leaders this week when it revealed its new guidelines proposing that continuing students should pass 75% of their modules to remain eligible for funding. Continuing university and college students currently qualify for funding if they pass 50% of their modules. Other guidelines proposed by the NSFAS included that there should be no increments on student allowances. The proposal to standardise the private accommodation allowance was largely welcomed by student organisations. This guideline will result in public college students being allowed to stay in common residences with…

Bongani Nkosi bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za THE Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) is scrambling to avert a salary strike by its employees. Workers union Commission for Staff Association (CSA) has declared a deadlock in its ongoing salary increment negotiations with the CCMA. The Mercury’s sister newspaper, The Star, has seen a letter CSA secretary-general Nkosinathi Mkhwanazi sent to members last week. It said the deadlock was declared because “the employer has not moved from their previous position”. This position was the CCMA’s 1.5% salary increase offer. The CSA union proposed a 6% salary increment, having initially sought 10%. Declaration of a deadlock meant the negotiators reached an impasse. This paved the way for the union to seek a mandate from the members for an industrial strike. A union member said a…

More than a month later, KwaZulu-Natal police have yet to make an arrest for the murder of NG Kerk Suidkus reverend Liezel de Jager. De Jager’s body was found in Athlone, eManzimtoti, on the KZN South Coast last month. The mother of two had just returned from her morning run. At the time, police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said Amanzimtoti SAPS responded to the call at about 7am. She said De Jager had strangle marks around her neck and none of her personal items had been taken. About two weeks later, a missing person’s case was filed at the Brighton Beach police station after De Jager’s husband, Werner, “disappeared”. IOL reported that De Jager’s father reported him missing. Two days later, Werner was found on a sugar cane farm in…

Yogashen Pillay yogashen.pillay@inl.co.za The SANDF said it had noted a report on bribery involving soldiers at the Beitbridge border. “The SANDF strongly condemns criminal activities and acts of corruption where our military forces are executing its constitutionally mandated duties. Members of the SANDF are expected to conduct themselves with the necessary decorum and discipline at all times.” The SANDF was referring to a Carte Blanche exposé broadcast on Sunday. The TV programme showed people, called carriers, smuggling anything from clothes, electrical appliances, food to contraband through the gaps developing in the border fence. Smuggling, according to the show, takes place under the noses of SANDF members at the border. Footage showed goods in boxes being carried in the presence of soldiers. It was alleged that the soldiers had taken bribes…

Loyiso Sidimba loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za SELF-PROCLAIMED prophet Shepherd Bushiri, his wife Mary and their company have failed in their bid to overturn a judgment in the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg forcing them to repay a loan of more than R203 million. The couple and their company, Shepherd Bushiri Investments tried to overturn a March 2020 judgment by Acting Judge Livhuwani Vuma, which ordered them to pay Zimbabwean businessman and politician Joseph Busha’s JM Busha Investment Group the capital and outstanding interest on a loan of R200m. Judge Norman Manoim dismissed their application with costs last Thursday after finding they were not entitled to rescission. The JM Busha Investment Group told Judge Manoim that Shepherd Bushiri Investments failed to make payments of interest incurred, forcing the company to issue a letter…

America’s governance system was glaringly exposed by Trumpism, January 6 uprising AS WE went to the polls in South Africa, my mind was on my grandparents. My grandfathers died before being endowed with the right to vote. Fortunately, my grandmothers lived to see the day where they could participate in deciding who should govern them. Yet many citizens across the globe continue to be denied the right to participate in elections. For example, the Brennan Center for Justice in the US reports that more than 11% of Americans, or 21 million eligible voters, do not have government-issued photo identification and are therefore disqualified from voting. Thirty-six states in the US, that is, the majority, have forced their citizens to obtain these government-issued IDs and often, as the Center explains,…

Ten people were found dead in an overcrowded ship carrying migrants off the coast of Libya. They were believed to have suffocated, Doctors Without Borders charity has said. The charity said its Geo Barents rescue ship had picked up 99 survivors earlier on Tuesday. It described them as “10 avoidable deaths… 10 persons who died from suffocation after 13 hours adrift at sea”. “The deadly central #Med route. How can we accept this in 2021?” Tens of thousands of people seek to enter Europe each year via the central Mediterranean, leaving from Libya and Tunisia and heading most often for Italy. The route is deadly – 1 236 people have died in the central Mediterranean so far this year, compared with 858 in the same period of 2020, according to…

SAUDI Arabian Formula One Grand Prix organisers say they can be proud of their record on construction safety and worker rights as they rush to ready the new Jeddah street circuit for a looming December debut. Neighbouring Qatar, which hosts F1 for the first time this weekend, has been accused of exploiting migrant workers ahead of the 2022 soccer World Cup, with international concern over building site fatalities. Saudi GP chief executive Martin Whitaker said his circuit put some 10000 workers through a safety induction programme, but recognised questions would be asked. “I think we’ve had just under eight million man hours put into the circuit so far and we haven’t had a major incident,” the Briton told Reuters. “We’re monitored regularly by Formula One. Formula One sent their own…

ZAAHIER ADAMS zaahier.adams@inl.co.za ERIC Tinkler is hoping his Cape Town City players return from a couple of days off mentally refreshed for their plum Premiership clash against champions Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday. Tinkler was forced to endure an abject display from City in their previous game against AmaZulu when the Citizens went down 2-0 at Moses Mabhida Stadium. It was City’s second consecutive defeat at Durban’s former 2010 World Cup venue after an agonising MTN8 final penalty-shootout loss to Sundowns there just a week earlier. The former Bafana Bafana midfielder believes his players were flat against AmaZulu due to the mental toll of the MTN8 final loss, but now wants them to get back on the saddle. “Obviously, we were very disappointed with the performance and result against AmaZulu. “We…

MIKE GREENAWAY mike.greenaway@inl.co.za THE rugby world has not stopped talking about the 2019 World Cup final as the countdown intensifies to Saturday’s big match between South Africa and England, but that monumental day has not been under the microscope in the Springbok camp. Duane Vermeulen, who was the Man of the Match in that epic win for the Boks, says the team has moved on and is more interested in the England of 2021 than the 2019 vintage. “It has been talked about only a bit,” the veteran No 8 said from London. “It has been more about how England have changed since then. So there has not been too much discussion about that actual game, it is not a big motivator for us ... “We have to stay in…