Table of contents for 2023-08-15 in Mercury

The seeds of the proposed fight between billionaire tech entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg were sown with a joke. After Musk, Twitter’s owner, commented about Zuckerberg’s social media app Threads, one of Musk’s social media followers jokingly warned him that Zuckerberg knows jujitsu. It led to the two speaking to each other through the social media apps they lead – Musk on the recently rebranded X and Zuckerberg on Threads and Instagram – baiting each other into what Musk called a “cage match”. Now, it appears that “Elon isn’t serious (about the fight) and we can all move on”, said Zuckerberg on Threads on Sunday. “If Elon ever gets serious about a real date and official event, he knows how to reach me,” he said. | The Washington Post…

That former public protector, Thuli Madonsela supports the release of Jacob Zuma in terms of an amnesty for thousands of non-violent prisoners speaks volumes. I have the very highest respect for this truly remarkable woman, who is in a far better position than most to express an informed opinion. But in light of this development I find myself wondering what purpose can possibly be served by continuing with Zuma’s criminal trial, given the certainty that his counsel will, with due gravity, announce “medical emergencies at Nkandla” at suitable intervals. Not to mention the blizzard of actions, motions and applications, each of which results in the matter being delayed for another six months or so. I fully expect Zuma to demand the removal of some or other court orderly “who looked…

During a recent visit to KwaZulu-Natal, I was alarmed and shocked to see the apparently unchecked extensive Bug Weed (Solanium Mauritianium) growth in the Westville, Pinetown and Hillcrest areas. Bug Weed has been declared an obnoxious weed in South Africa and thus must be removed and the seeds destroyed as prescribed by legislation. It tends to shade out indigenous plants, is an irritant to skin and respiratory systems in humans, can cause devastation in plantations, and its unripe fruit is toxic. Birds easily spread it by eating the ripe fruit. Why are the authorities, if they still exist, so apparently unconcerned about the large areas covered by Bug Weed? Bug Weed spreads and grows quickly. Thus, if no action is taken now to start eradicating this alien plant, in two…

Suspended Public Protector, advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane has slammed the Section 194 committee report into her fitness to hold office, calling it illegal. The committee submitted a draft report on Friday recommending Mkhwebane be removed from office. This, after finding there were grounds to “sustain charges of misconduct and incompetence against her”. Mkhwebane said the report was adopted before she was given time to respond to the allegations against her. “The so-called draft report was adopted at a time when the committee was fully aware that my attorneys had withdrawn on August 3 due to their ill-treatment at the hands of the chairperson and the committee. “The process by which the committee ‘endorsed’ the decisions of the chairperson not to recuse himself for the serious allegations of corruption, extortion and bribery…

Four men are due in the Malelane Magistrate’s Court in Mpumalanga this week in connection with a daring cash-in-transit heist, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation said. The Hawks said that on Friday, an armoured Fidelity vehicle was travelling from Malelane, towards Tonga when armed assailants attacked it. “Approximately 15km from the N4, the armoured vehicle was rammed by a C-Class Mercedes-Benz. The armoured vehicle lost control and overturned. It was then bombed, and R8 000 in coins were stolen,” the Hawks in Mpumalanga said. The coins were destined for a business operating in Tonga. The Hawks said after stealing the money, the robbers fled in the direction of Tonga. Different police units and private security companies launched a manhunt for the robbers. “The two vehicles used during the…

STANDARD Bank and the other big banks of South Africa have collectively driven the point of reputational risk as the key reason for closing their clients’ bank accounts. According to logicmanager.com, reputational risk in banking and financial services is associated with an institution losing consumer or stakeholder trust. It’s the view that those consumers and stakeholders will take on a negative perception of the bank – whether it’s one particular branch or the entire brand – following a particular event. The banks have cleverly used the reputational risk narrative to close the accounts of those entities that they are in disagreement with while shielding their own actions that add to their reputational risk issues. The banks arbitrarily closing bank accounts is on its own a cause for their reputational risk,…

This year marks the 10th anniversary of President Xi Jinping’s first visit to Africa as Chinese president and his proposal of the principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith, and of pursuing the greater good and shared interests for China’s relations with Africa. Over the past decade, with the joint guidance and commitment of Chinese and African leaders, China-Africa relations have made historic achievements that impressed the whole world, and the flower of China-Africa friendship blossoms with new brilliance. To draw a new blueprint for China-Africa relations. Over the past decade, President Xi paid four visits to Africa, chaired Johannesburg and Beijing Summits of the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation (Focac), hosted online the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity Against Covid-19, attended the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Focac,…

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s capital will force drivers to undergo emission tests and consider ordering half of its civil servants to work from home, officials said yesterday, amid deteriorating air quality that has made Jakarta one of the world’s most polluted cities. Jakarta has been ranked among the 10 most polluted cities globally since May and last week topped global rankings compiled by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir. Yesterday, President Joko Widodo blamed the problem largely on “excessive road traffic, a long dry season, and manufacturing industry, mainly those using coal”. Environmental groups have long pointed to coal-fired power plants as the cause. | Reuters…

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called for a “drastic boost” in missile production during visits to key weapons factories, state media said yesterday, as South Korea and the US prepared for joint drills next week. The tour of the plants from Friday to Saturday came after Kim called for stepping up war preparations at a key military meeting last week. Kim’s two-day inspections included visits to factories producing tactical missiles, large-calibre control multiple rocket launcher shells, as well as armoured combat vehicles, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. During the tactical missile factory visit, Kim “expressed satisfaction” as the plant had “perfected the scientific and technological issues arising in production” and pushed ahead with the modernisation of the weapons. “He set forth an important goal to drastically boost the…

Berlin: Piano virtuoso Martha Argerich has cancelled further concerts in Austria and Germany in August due to illness, organisers of the events said yesterday. The 82-year-old musician, considered one of the world’s best pianists, was scheduled to play a series of concerts with the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra conducted by Argentinian-Israeli maestro Daniel Barenboim. Last week she scrapped two of the planned engagements but kept two concerts in Salzburg and Berlin on the programme. “The pianist had hoped for a recovery soon,” the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra said. But Argerich has now also dropped the remaining appearances “for health reasons”. German pianist Igor Levit is taking her place at the concerts. No details were provided about Argerich’s illness. Dubbed the “lioness” for her impressive long, grey mane of hair, Argerich was born…

THE DA and IFP in KwaZulu-Natal believe the work being done on their co-operation pact may pave the way for a coalition agreement after next year’s national general elections. This is the latest move in a partnership that has seen the parties co-govern in hung municipalities and not contest each other during by-elections where one party has a greater chance of winning. Last month, the parties signed a service delivery pact in the province to ensure that they “work together to improve service delivery and better the lives of residents”. The strategic collaboration between the parties resulted in the DA’s Christo Botha being appointed the City of uMhlathuze’s deputy mayor to work with IFP mayor Xolani Ngwezi. This comes as national discussions to negotiate a pre-election agreement ahead of next…

NATIONAL Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has named and shamed at least 17 ministers for failing to respond to written parliamentary questions within the stipulated time frame of 10 working days. In the parliamentary communication, known as the ATC (Announcements, Tablings and Committees), Mapisa-Nqakula said she sent correspondence to the Leader of Government Business, Deputy President Paul Mashatile. This was in line with the system to monitor and report regularly on questions endorsed as unanswered on the question paper as at July 17. Topping the list of culprits was Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, with 18 outstanding questions. Second was Defence Minister Thandi Modise and Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Sihle Zikalala, with 17 outstanding replies. Police Minister Bheki Cele occupied the third position with 15 outstanding questions. Fourth…

I am not very knowledgeable on how the banking system and credit-rating scores work other than reading the analysis, news and reports in newspapers. I understand banking from a traditional point of view. Banks accept deposits from depositors, make loans available at exorbitant interest rates to borrowers, make a huge profit and pay shareholders a lucrative dividend. Recently, Moody’s Investors Service downgraded the credit ratings of 10 US regional banks and put six other lenders on notice that they are under review for a possible downgrade after Fitch downgraded the US credit rating. As usual with all American issues and crimes, the world hardly blinks and just moves on. Had this been South Africa, the downgrade would have been a serious blow to the rand and the economy as evidenced…

Genocide is taking place in Asia, while an uncaring world remains in self-imposed denial. The next few years will be defining for many nations as fascism gains traction in Europe and Asia and stealthily worms its way into power as nations are lulled into a state of political paralysis. The freedom of millions is at stake as naked fascism attempts to gain control of democracies by stealth, deception, deceit and crude intimidation. History graphically records the rise of fascism in Italy. After aligning itself with Italian conservatives, the Fascist Party rose to power using violence and intimidation, eventually seizing power in 1922 under the leadership of Benito Mussolini. Fascists despise democracy, degrade liberty, humiliate the judiciary, insult parliamentary democracy, mock the constitution and shamelessly use jackboot tactics to pulverise a…

THE Western Cape High Court has granted a second chance to a man declared a “prohibited person” by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) to have his status reconsidered after it emerged that the reason for the declaration was based on an error. Robert Arthur, who holds dual British and Canadian citizenship, was flagged as a “prohibited person” after he applied to the DHA for permanent residence and it was discovered that he had been issued with a fraudulent temporary retired person’s visa in May 2017 through an immigration agency he had used. After being prohibited from re-entering South Africa from abroad, Arthur applied to the director-general (DG) to lift his prohibited status in terms of the Immigration Act. In his application, Arthur said he had paid the agency…

It has been a painful weekend for Durban families whose children were killed in a crash on Friday in uMhlathuzana while they were walking to school. It is alleged that a driver lost control of his tow truck and the vehicle crashed into four children. Two children and the driver died at the scene while a third child died in hospital. The surviving child, 13, suffered moderate injuries. The three children who died are brothers Thato, 9 and Dimpho Mabooi, 10, and Busani Nyamela, 6. The boys are from Coedmore informal settlement and attended uMhlathuzana Primary School. Busani’s mother, Esethu Nyamela, said her son was a caring and loving child who was mature for his age. She said he was a natural-born performer. “His favourite was Young Stunna, he would…

Parents who knowingly arrange for their underage children to marry older individuals must be apprehended and subjected to legal prosecution to the fullest extent of the law. Recent data from Statistics SA has disclosed that in 2021 alone, there were 207 recorded instances of child marriages, with concerns that this number could potentially escalate. The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) has indicated that the prevalent practice of child marriages, often intertwined with traditional abductions, remains alarmingly high in locations like Umzimkhulu in the southern region of KwaZulu-Natal, as well as other rural areas. The commission attributes this distressing phenomenon to a combination of factors, including elevated levels of poverty, the misuse of cultural traditions and a lack of access to information regarding available assistance. Zanele Ncwane, from the CGE, has…

Tehran: Iranian security forces have arrested eight foreign suspects after detaining a gunman in the killing of one person at a Shia Muslim shrine, state media reported yesterday. Eight people were wounded in the attack at the Shah Cheragh mausoleum in Shiraz, capital of Fars province in Iran’s south, the official IRNA news agency reported. “Eight people suspected of links with the terrorist attack … have been arrested,” according to the judiciary’s Mizan Online website, quoting Fars province chief justice Kazem Mousavi. “All the people arrested are foreigners,” Mousavi said. Mizan identified the main suspect arrested on Sunday night after the attack as Rahmatollah Nowruzof from Tajikistan. | AFP…

The Madagascan president’s chief of staff and an “associate” have been charged with bribery offences in Britain following a “fast-paced” police investigation, the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) said yesterday. Romy Andrianarisoa, the top aide to Madagascan President Andry Rajoelina, and Philippe Tabuteau are accused of seeking a bribe from British mining company Gemfields to secure licences to operate in Madagascar. The pair were remanded in custody on Saturday after they were arrested on Thursday in central London. They are next set to appear in court on September 8. | AFP…

Flights serving the eastern Sicilian city of Catania were halted yesterday after an eruption from nearby Mount Etna, local authorities said, bringing fresh travel woes to the crisis-plagued Italian airport. The 3 330m high volcano burst into action overnight, firing lava and ash high over the Mediterranean island. The lava flow subsided before dawn, but ash was still coming from one of the craters. Flights to and from Catania, a popular tourist destination, would be suspended until 8pm local time, the airport said on X, formerly Twitter. Catania mayor Enrico Trantino banned the use of motorcycles and bicycles in the city for the next 48 hours, because many streets were covered in ash, and ordered cars to drive no faster than 30km/h due to the skiddy conditions. The latest…

The Ukrainian military yesterday said it had pushed Russian forces out of pockets of territory along front lines in the east and south of the country, building on a gruelling counter-offensive launched two months ago. The gains – announced by Ukraine’s deputy defence minister – came as Russia claimed its forces had progressed in the eastern Kharkiv region, undermining Kyiv’s highly anticipated campaign. Ukraine kicked off its counter-offensive against Russian forces in June after building up assault battalions and stockpiling Western-donated weapons. But Kyiv has acknowledged that movement against heavily fortified Russian positions has been slow and said it had gained only a clutch of land around the war-battered city of Bakhmut last week. “In the Bakhmut sector, three square kilometres were liberated last week,” Deputy Defence Minister Ganna Malyar…

ESKOM will have to closely manage unplanned breakdowns if it wants to ensure that an increase in planned maintenance does not lead to more load shedding in summer. This is the view of energy experts who spoke to The Mercury regarding the possibility of increased load shedding in summer due to planned maintenance of the parastatal’s power stations. In his weekly media briefing, Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa discussed summer maintenance plans and said Eskom had remained within its budget regarding the burning of diesel. Energy experts said although it was encouraging that the Energy Availability Factor (EAF) had increased, ensuring a reduction in unplanned breakdowns would be crucial to lower stages of load shedding in the summer months. Eskom said in summer it increases maintenance as demand drops but this…

Is the taxi industry to be trusted and is it ethical? The answer to both questions is a blatant no. I say this based on nine years of trying to negotiate with the industry during the 1990s as DDG of the national Department of Transport. When you think you have reached an agreement with them on a particular issue, they suddenly change their minds at the next meeting. Also when you think you have an agreement with a body representing them, another taxi representative body pops up. All they are interested in is trying to make up their own rules, in their own interests for the conveyance of public commuters. The problem is also exacerbated by the irrational behaviour of some members of the Cabinet. The minister of transport has…

Please, relax. I want the freedom all children deserve. Emancipate me from the expectation of meeting your adult needs. The need to succeed as a person, as a parent, is a burden far too heavy for me to carry. I am a child. I am not the answer to some unfulfilled expectations of your own childhood. When you regard me as proof that you, the adult, have made it, we get entangled in ways that trip both of us up. Such entanglements move both of us away from the joy and fun that really can be a part of our being together. We are separate people. It’s been that way from the very beginning. I know it. How come you don’t? When you regard me as an attachment, an extension…

The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) is currently notifying all social grants beneficiaries of the expiry date and the renewal of social grant cards. The social grant beneficiaries were also being informed of their right to either renew their cards or open an account at any bank of their choice. “The target is to ensure the renewal of cards that are due to expire at the end of December 2023 to avoid inconvenience,” Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu said. Zulu was responding to parliamentary questions from Freedom Front Plus MP Tamarin Breedt, who asked about the process Sassa beneficiaries needed to follow in order to renew their gold cards after the expiry date of the gold cards was postponed until the end of December. Breedt also wanted to know…

A RECENT poll found that three out of five employees have reported declining mental health due to work-related stress. The poll by Robert Walters Recruitment surveyed close to 2 000 participants. It revealed that 63% of professionals suffered from workplace-related stress, with 35% of professionals indicating that the workload and type of work they did were the biggest triggers. A worrying 55% indicated that they did not think their employers were doing enough to help combat work-related stress, while 21% stated that high workloads had resulted in low-quality work being produced. Asked how often they felt this way, 41% stated very often, with a further 22% saying they felt like this “somewhat often”, and only 28% identifying this as happening “sometimes”. Only 9% reported that they had not experienced any…

India’s holistic approach to global issues emphasises effective, equitable co-operation ON DECEMBER 1, 2022, India assumed the presidency of the Group of 20 (G20). The G20 represents 19 major economies and the EU, comprising 85% of global GDP, over 75% of global trade, and about two-thirds of the global population. The theme of India’s G20 presidency is “One Earth, One Family, One Future”, also encapsulated in Sanskrit by the phrase Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. India’s holistic interdependent approach to global issues emphasises effective and equitable global co-operation. By the time the G20 Summit is held in India on September 9-10 2023, about 200 meetings of the G20 would have been hosted in over 50 cities in India to carry forward the G20 work plan across 32 different work streams. This provides…

KABUL: At least three people were killed and seven wounded in an explosion at a hotel in south-east Afghanistan’s Khost province yesterday, the province’s media office said. The cause of the blast was not immediately clear though the region, near the border with Pakistan, has long been plagued by violence between Islamist militants and their enemies. The Khost media office said people originally from Pakistan’s Waziristan region, which is just over the border were among the casualties. Pakistan’s foreign office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Afghanistan’s Taliban-run administration has faced an insurgency by Islamic State militants. | Reuters…

Little-known senator Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar was set to be sworn in as Pakistan’s caretaker prime minister to see the country through to an election due in months. Kakar, 52, takes charge of a country that has been wracked by political and economic instability for months, with Imran Khan – Pakistan’s most popular politician – in jail and disqualified from elections for five years. He was set to be sworn in on the country’s Independence Day yesterday afternoon in a ceremony carried live on TV. “I have confidence in the caretaker prime minister’s ability to conduct free and fair elections,” outgoing premier Shehbaz Sharif said in a farewell address to the nation late on Sunday. Kakar’s first task will be to choose a cabinet to run the country as it heads into…

AMSTERDAM: Dutch Justice Minister Dilan Yesilgoz will lead outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s conservative VVD party in elections this November, the party announced yesterday. Yesilgoz, 46, is the first woman to lead the VVD party in national elections and if successful, would be the first female Dutch PM. She has Kurdish roots and immigrated to the Netherlands from Türkiye when she was 8 years old. Rutte said in July he would leave politics following the collapse of his government over its asylum policy. He will continue to serve in a caretaker role until a new cabinet is installed. | Reuters…

PROTEAS white-ball coach Rob Walter won’t be calling him “Baby AB” anytime soon, but he is delighted to provide Dewald Brevis with his first taste of international cricket in the upcoming series against Australia. Brevis was one four uncapped youngsters included in the Proteas T20 squad that also includes Matthew Breetzke, Donovan Ferreira and Gerald Coetzee, although the latter has already made his Test and one-day international debuts. But the focus will undoubtedly be on Brevis after the 20-year-old was also included in the ODI squad just a fortnight before the Proteas’ 15-player travelling party for the World Cup in India is set to be announced. “It’s nice to be able to give him an opportunity. He is one of our up-and-coming youngsters. We want to just broaden our base…

WHEN Mamelodi Sundowns began stuttering after they had secured their sixth successive Premiership title last season, Golden Arrows were one of the teams that stole a point from the Brazilians. Abafana Be’sthende secured a 1-1 draw back in April, a result that soured what Rhulani Mokwena and his men would have loved to be a winning conclusion to a fantastic season. It was the last match of the DStv Premiership and Sundowns were keen to bring an end to a spate of draws that served to undermine their impressive march to yet another title as they set all sorts of record. If revenge is a dish best served cold, then Arrows could well be in for it today when they visit the Brazilians at the Lucas Moripe Stadium. Sundowns have…

ORLANDO Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has urged his players to guard against complacency when they visit Chippa United in the Premiership today. Tipped to be a dominant force this season, the Sea Robbers are living up to that lofty billing having scored nine goals and conceded just two in their last two games. They thumped Royal AM 4-2 to register their first win in the league last Tuesday, redeeming themselves for their shock 1-0 loss to Stellenbosch FC in their opening match. But that’s not all. They showed the teams who are competing with them for the MTN8 title, that they won’t give up on their crown easily as they hammered Sekhukhune United 5-0 in the quarter-final at home on Saturday. It was a top performance from the team. Striker…

CHELSEA goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has joined Real Madrid on a season-long loan to replace the injured Thibaut Courtois, the two clubs announced yesterday. “Real Madrid and Chelsea FC have agreed on the loan of player Kepa Arrizabalaga until June 30, 2024,” the Spanish club said in a statement. Belgian star Courtois, 31, will miss most of the season after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Kepa, 28, had been close to a transfer to Bayern Munich, but will instead return to his native Spain. Bayern board chairperson Jan-Christian Dreesen had said on Sunday that the Bavarian club were thinking of presenting Kepa “today or tomorrow, but the offer from Real Madrid has arrived. Kepa is Spanish, that’s normal that he accepts it”. The former Athletic Bilbao keeper…