Table of contents for 2025-03-11 in Mercury

There’s an old Nguni saying: Inyathi ibuzwa kwabaphambili, which loosely translated, means wisdom is sought from those who have walked the path before us. There’s another one that rings just as true: Inqondo yemveli ayohlulwa, which loosely translates to God’s gift in wisdom surpasses man-made knowledge. In a world overflowing with parenting books, online forums and well-meaning advice from strangers, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by conflicting information about how to care for a newborn. But before Google and parenting blogs, our gogos were the keepers of knowledge, passing down time-honoured traditions that kept generations of babies thriving. As a new parent, it’s natural to worry about doing everything “right”. But sometimes, the most valuable insights come not from science alone but from the deeply rooted wisdom of our ancestors.…

The Mercury editorial’s suggestion (March 10) that the government embark on a narrative to counter “lies” about South Africa by highlighting its achievements is a non-starter because transparency defies the projection of a positive narrative. Citing the legacy of Nelson Mandela and beacons of hope and reconciliation is rhetoric which is not reflected in the ANC’s intended National Democratic Revolution. As long as the intention of the Marxist so-called Freedom Charter concerning state ownership of all land, resources, industry and banks is being pursued piecemeal and by sleight of hand, it is fake news to proclaim that all is well. Awareness of what the ANC has not achieved is widespread thanks to the information highway called the internet. Once a leading world airline, SAA is bankrupt. Once the supplier of…

I am profoundly saddened by the passing of Athol Fugard. He was an icon of the South African theatre fraternity, a gifted playwright, actor and director. As a committed anti-apartheid activist, he used the platform of the theatre to bring attention to the atrocities of apartheid. Athol captured global attention in 1961 with his stage play Blood Knot, which was followed by the acclaimed classics Boesman and Lena, Sizwe Banzi is Dead, Master Harold and the Boys, The Island, Tsotsi and The Road to Mecca. Several of his plays were adapted into films including Boesman and Lena, Master Harold and the Boys, Tsotsi and The Road to Mecca. Athol also gave an incredible performance in the role of General Jan Smuts in Richard Attenborough’s film, Gandhi. I was…

THE business community, central to the operations of the Presidential Working Group dedicated to addressing service delivery challenges in eThekwini Municipality, believes the group is delivering on its mandate. They told The Mercury yesterday that many economic opportunities have emerged since its formation in April last year, adding that the city is on the right track. The work of the group came under the spotlight recently after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the group had achieved success in Durban and that this model should be replicated in the Johannesburg Metro to help with the inner city rejuvenation. Ramaphosa recently went on an inspection tour of Johannesburg, expressing concerns about its dire state, especially with the G20 Summit set to be hosted there later this year. The presidential working group was…

THE Pietermaritzburg High Court is likely to save the KwaZulu-Natal Health Department millions of rands after a judge earlier awarded the mother of a child more than R28.8 million in damages, but three judges on appeal found this amount to be overly generous. The KZN Health Department had turned to court to appeal against the amount of damages it was ordered to pay. The child – who was 9 when the application started – was left with cerebral palsy due to the negligence of the doctors at the state hospital where she was born. The mother sued the Health Department for damages, claiming that the doctors were negligent in treating her during the final phase of her labour and during the birthing process. The department did not deny this nor…

South Africa took over the presidency of the G20 at the end of 2024. Since then the world has become a more complex, unpredictable and dangerous place. The most powerful state in the world, the US, seems intent on undermining the existing order that it created and on demonstrating its power over weaker nations. Other influential countries are turning inward. These developments raise concerns about how well mechanisms for global cooperation, such as the G20, can continue to operate, particularly those that work on the basis of consensual decision making. The G20 is a forum in which the largest economies in the world meet regularly to discuss, and attempt to address, the most urgent international economic and political challenges. The group, which includes both rich and developing countries, accounts for…

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Sunday reiterated the need for European to enhance its self-reliance in defense, emphasizing the continent’s security interest amid shifting geopolitical dynamics. Speaking at a Socialist Party meeting in Santiago de Compostela, north-west Spain, Sanchez underscored the urgency for Europe to take greater responsibility for its own security in light of strained relations with the United States following Donald Trump’s return to the US presidency. | Xinhua…

Tokyo: The Japanese government began a rare auction yesterday of its emergency rice stockpiles in a bid to help drive down the surging price of the national staple. Rice shortages driven by factors from poor harvests caused by hot weather to panic-buying over a “megaquake” warning last summer have caused prices to nearly double over a year. Exacerbating the problem, some businesses are also thought to be keeping their inventories and waiting for the most opportune time to sell. Japan stores about a million tons of rice for emergencies. The agriculture ministry is expected to select successful bidders for 150 000 tons of rice by tomorrow – with the auctioned grain expected to hit store shelves by the end of March. The ministry says it plans to release another 60…

North Korea fired “multiple unidentified ballistic missiles” yesterday, South Korea’s military said, the same day Seoul and Washington began a major annual joint military drill known as Freedom Shield. “Our military has detected at around 13:50 (0450 GMT) multiple unidentified ballistic missiles fired from Hwanghae province into the West Sea,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff said, referring to the body of water also known as the Yellow Sea. “Our military will bolster surveillance and maintain a full readiness posture under close cooperation with the United States,” the JCS added. The US stations tens of thousands of US soldiers in South Korea, and the allies regularly stage joint drills, which they describe as defensive in nature. But such exercises infurate Pyongyang, which regards them as rehearsals for invasion and routinely responds…

It’s becoming easier to see the Nottingham Forest for the trees in the race for Uefa Champions League football next season, after their win over Manchester City at the weekend confirmed Nuno Espirito Santo’s team as favourites for one of the four or five Champs League places. The battle for a spot among Europe’s elite next season is wide open, and looks like it will go down to the wire. With Liverpool’s place long secured, the Gunners, Citizens, Forest, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Newcastle, resurgent Brighton and even Bournemouth are all in the mix. And the picture seems to change every week. It has added intrigue to a run-in that seemed set to fizzle out after the gap between Arsenal and Liverpool ballooned. A recent Forest wobble suggested all their hard…

Bringing a new life into the world is a transformative experience - one filled with joy, love and, inevitably, profound changes. For parents, particularly mothers, the post-partum period can be an emotional rollercoaster. While welcoming a newborn is often seen as a joyful experience, the reality differs for many mothers. According to a 2024 study published in Science Advances, one in seven women experience post-partum depression (PPD) after giving birth. This common but serious condition can impact a mother’s mental health, yet it often goes unnoticed during the excitement of a new baby’s arrival. Recent studies have provided groundbreaking insights into how the brain changes during pregnancy and post-partum, shedding light on why some women develop depression during this critical period. South Africa has a high prevalence of PPD, with…

Does anyone know? Is she dead or alive? Do her mother and her boyfriend know? Was she a victim of the underground world of drugs, child trafficking, prostitution and pornography and sold off to fund the mother’s and her boyfriend’s drug addiction? Or was she raped, murdered and her body dumped in a stormwater drain? Has she become another Madeleine McCann who vanished almost 18 years ago while on holiday in Portugal? Where is Joshlin Smith? is the question on everyone’s lips. It’s a year since the 6-year-old from Saldhana Bay disappeared. The three suspects arrested in the disappearance of Joshlin the mother, her boyfriend and their friend – have remained as cool as cucumbers during the trial. Dozens of police officers with sniffer dogs and specialised equipment, together with…

What kind of person do you want to be? is the question we answer with how we behave. We do not answer it with any wordy description of what we may say about who we want to be. Twenty-four hours a day our behaviour answers the question. How we behave, treat others, and the attitude we bring to our every – no exceptions – interaction, declares who we are. We answer it not with words, but with our response to every traffic jam, how we behave as we wait in the queue of people waiting to use the ATM and how we respond when it goes “off-line” when it is our turn. We answer it with how we behave when we are overlooked or under-appreciated, ignored or rejected and how…

As King Misuzulu kaZwelithini finalises consultations with senior royal family members on the appointment of his new traditional prime minister, Inkosi Zuzifa Buthelezi of the KwaPhindangene royal house has emerged as the favourite for the position. Buthelezi, the son of the late prime minister, Inkosi Mangosuthu Buthelezi, is said to be favoured by many royals who have reportedly convinced the king to entrust him with the position. Buthelezi, who is currently a member of Parliament for the IFP, is said to enjoy the support of many traditional leaders. A senior prince in the royal family, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said yesterday that although the king will have the final word, Buthelezi’s name has been agreed upon by many royals. The source said Buthelezi will be first announced as…

THERE is no specific rule or regulation in South Africa guiding or regulating the maximum time a woman can act as a surrogate, nor are there regulations that place a limit on the number of Caesarean sections a woman may undergo, a court said in giving its blessing to a surrogacy agreement. This is according to a recent judgment issued by the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, in which a married couple who wanted to use the services of a surrogate mother to carry their second child asked the court for the green light. The issue which raised some concern was that this would be the surrogate mother’s sixth pregnancy. All five babies during her earlier pregnancies were delivered by Caesarean section. Judge Brenda Neurkircher had to determine whether a sixth…

The FW de Klerk Foundation has come out in strong opposition to US president Donald Trump’s attacks on South Africa and his offer of citizenship to white farmers who he says are being treated unfairly. Christo van der Rheede, executive at the FW de Klerk Foundation said that Trump’s actions are based on disinformation. “The challenges we face in South Africa are not limited to white people. All of us are affected by crime, unemployment and ill-conceived policies, especially economic ones,” he said. Van der Rheede said that Trump’s rhetoric and executive orders are based on cheap politics which will cause harm to the South African economy and agricultural industry. “It is part of an ethnic nationalist revival. We have seen it happening in the US, France, Hungary and many…

An investigation of the bus crash in which nine people died on the North Coast on Sunday, is under way. KZN Transport MEC Siboniso Duma said the bus will be sent to the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) offices in Gingindlovu. “This will enable the SAPS, Road Traffic Management Corporation and RTI to conduct an investigation.” The bus, carrying church members from the Twelve Apostles Church in Trinity, in the KwaDukuza Local Municipality, crashed while travelling on the N2 between Mandeni and Stanger. It went down a steep embankment and Duma said the rescue operation took several hours due to the terrain. He said the RTI, traffic departments, fire and disaster teams from Mandeni and KwaDukuza and the SAPS were involved in the operation. Duma conveyed his condolences to the Twelve…

The time has come for the government to confront the grim reality facing our major municipalities. Cities like eThekwini, Johannesburg, and Ekurhuleni have devolved into pale shadows of their former selves, suffering from years of mismanagement, decay, and diminishing service delivery. Acknowledgment of this crisis is the first step toward recovery. The Auditor-General has voiced similar concerns over the persistent poor audit outcomes in KwaZulu-Natal municipalities. Recently, President Cyril Ramaphosa conducted an inspection tour of Johannesburg’s inner city, a visit prompted by the alarming state of disrepair. Following this, he announced the formation of a Johannesburg Presidential Working Group to tackle the challenges facing South Africa’s economic hub. This approach mirrors the establishment of a similar group in eThekwini to address service delivery issues. However, the visible impact of the…

Syria’s new leader has vowed accountability and an investigation after reports of mass killings of Alawite civilians triggered an international backlash against the worst violence since Bashar al-Assad’s overthrow. In its latest toll yesterday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said 973 civilians had perished since March 6 in “killings, field executions and ethnic cleansing operations” by security personnel or pro-government fighters in the coastal heartland of the Alawite minority community to which the toppled president belongs. Its previous toll of 830 had specified the “executions” targeted Alawites in the Mediterranean coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus. United Nations rights chief Volker Turk said Sunday the killings “must cease immediately”, while the Arab League, the United Nations, the United States, Britain and other governments have condemned the violence.…

NATO chief Mark Rutte was set to land in Bosnia yesterday amid a political crisis that has seen the country’s high represen- tative locked in a feud with the president of its Serb statelet. Political tensions have been soaring since Milorad Dodik -- the president of Republika Srpska (RS) -- was convicted last month for defying Christian Schmidt, the high representative charged with overseeing Bosnia’s peace accords. Rutte’s visit comes just days after Bosnia’s ConCourt struck down legislation signed by Dodik that rejected the authority of the federal police within the RS. | AFP…

Tripoli: Libya’s Government of National Unity (GNU) in this week refuted reports alleging that Libya plans to resettle undocumented immigrants within the country, saying the reports are “misleading” and “completely false” in an official statement. The denial comes amid social media claims of a statement by Minister of Local Governance Badr Al-Din Al-Toumi regarding the settlement of undocumented immigrants in Libya. The claims surfaced following his meeting on Saturday in Tripoli with Nicoletta Giordano, chief of the International Organization for Migration mission in Libya. The GNU reiterated Libya’s steadfast position on illegal migration, recalling its categorical rejection of immigrant resettlement plans during the Trans-Mediterraneaean Migration Forum held in Tripoli in July 2024. | Xinhua…

Liverpool have signed a multi-year kit deal with Adidas, beginning next season, that will replace sportswear manufacturer Nike, in what British media reports say is a five-year agreement worth more than £60 million (about R1.42 billion) per year. The club have worn Adidas twice before, from 1985 to 1996 and from 2006 to 2012. “Everyone at the club is incredibly excited to welcome Adidas back into the LFC family,” Liverpool chief executive Billy Hogan said in a statement yesterday. “We have enjoyed fantastic success together in the past and created some of the most iconic LFC kits of all time. Adidas and Liverpool share an ambition of success and we couldn’t be more excited to partner together again as we look forward to creating more incredible kits to help drive…

The DA has written to Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) MEC, Reverend Musa Zondi, to request a detailed breakdown of legal costs incurred as a result of Gold Circle’s successful court challenge against KwaZulu-Natal’s Gaming and Betting Board. The dispute arose after the Gaming and Betting Board – which falls under EDTEA – unlawfully withheld 3% tax revenue accrued from winning bets from Gold Circle. This despite clear instructions from the Treasury that such action was illegal. Instead of adhering to Treasury’s directive, the board chose to proceed with withholding the funds, leading to litigation – which it has now lost in court. The Gaming and Betting Board, which is responsible for this reckless decision, must be held accountable. Its unlawful actions have resulted in legal costs that…

I am saddened to learn of the death of my old mate Ernie Robbertse, who had for many years run Tembe Elephant Park, in the far north, just beneath the Mozambique border. Tembe was an oasis of unspoiled Africa. Elephants, buffalo, lions, leopards, rhino – both species – antelope, monkeys, baboons, everything – Ernie had joined that oasis unquestioningly and was known by local tribesmen and women who staffed the reserve as Mkhulu – great one. Checking in at Tembe was an experience in itself. Near the entrance gate, you would load your gear and get into a Tembe vehicle to be driven through the forest to the main camp. The most beautiful female singing would reach your ears, growing gradually louder. Then you’d be at the camp, a large…

The DA has called on Transport Minister Barbara Creecy to publicly disclose the full Auditor-General’s report on irregularities in the controversial driving licence card machine tender. The party insists that without transparency on the issue, the root cause of procurement non-compliance within the Department of Transport will remain unresolved. Creecy last week said she had instructed her department to lodge a high court application for a declaratory order for guidance on how to proceed regarding the contract for the driving licence card machine. This comes after findings from the Auditor-General’s report, which identified instances of non-compliance with required procurement processes. Last September the department had announced that it had appointed biometric security company, IDEMIA, as the preferred bidder for a tender to print new South African driving licence smart cards…

Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber says the department has embarked on a reform journey built around digital transformation, seeking to automate and digitise as many processes as possible at Home Affairs, the Border Management Authority and the Government Printing Works. “Over the past 8 months, we have worked tirelessly to lay the foundation of the reforms required to turn these institutions into digital first organisations. Firstly, we are moving to expand access to Smart IDs at a scale never seen before. We will do so by building on the successful pilot project that has rendered ID and passport services in about 30 bank branches over the past decade. “It is now time to scale this to hundreds or even a thousand bank branches, so that all South Africans can…

E-hailing drivers in KwaZulu-Natal are voicing their frustration over what they describe as unclear government regulations and unfair vehicle impoundments. Many claim they were not properly informed about new permit requirements and are now being penalised despite having the necessary documentation. KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma said that a team from the Provincial Regulatory Entity, led by head of department Siboniso Mbhele, had been assigned to engage with stakeholders to clarify the situation. “There is confusion about applications for permits, and concerns have been raised about the impounding of vehicles of e-hailing drivers,” Duma said. He explained that the engagements with industry representatives were aimed at clarifying issues around the operating licence and grant letter requirement before an operator card is issued. Duma emphasised that the…

It makes good economic sense to bring the other half of the potential labour force on board It gives me great pleasure to be opening this important annual conference with a message of support as the Democracy Development Program’s (DDP) first women’s chair. Today we are proud as an organisation promoting democracy at a regional and national level to be spearheading the global call on this year’s International Women’s Day for all women and girls in their quest for equal rights and empowerment as citizens across the globe. Our current geopolitical climate of uncertainty orchestrated by Trumpian politics has unleashed a battle between democracies and autocracies, between capitalism and communism where ethnic conflicts have led to genocides, racial targeting and full-scale wars. What we are currently experiencing is an anarchic…

The Democratic Republic of Congo has temporarily suspended exports of cobalt as the world’s leading producer hopes to stem falling prices, though analysts warn the freeze is not without risk. The government said the surprise four-month ban on exports of cobalt – a key component in electric car batteries – aims to stabilise the market “in the face of an overabundance of supply” internationally. In 2024, the DRC produced 76% of the world’s cobalt, according to the US Geological Survey, but over the last three years cobalt prices have fallen by 75% – their lowest level in eight years. Robert Searle, analyst at Fastmarkets, a raw material price reporting agency, warned the DRC’s ban may carry “significant risks”. “Chinese companies have invested billions of dollars into the DRC’s mining industry,…

MOSCOW: Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said yesterday that two people connected to Britain’s embassy in Moscow had been ordered to leave the country for performing intelligence work, Russian state news agency TASS reported. It cited the FSB as saying that both individuals had deliberately declared false information about themselves when entering Russia and that the FSB had uncovered what it called “signs of intelligence and sabotage work” by both which threatened Russia’s national security. They had been given two weeks to leave Russia, TASS reported. There was no immediate comment from Britain. | Reuters…

WASHINGTON DC: US President Donald Trump declined to rule out the possibility of the US economy falling into a recession in an interview with Fox News broadcast in this week. “I hate to predict things like that. There is a period of transition ... It takes a little time,” Trump said when the anchor asked whether he expects a recession in the year ahead. In the interview, he also admitted a possible rise in inflation and downplayed the recent stock market volatility following his new tariff policy. Trump’s words contradicted US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s remarks in this week that no recession was in sight, and also reversed the president’s previous statement that his policies would bring quick and remarkable results for the US economy. | Xinhua…

While a few overseas players will undoubtedly be involved in the Test series against Italy and Georgia in July, the Springboks could look to select some standout players in the United Rugby Championship (URC), allowing head coach Rassie Erasmus to build more squad depth. Erasmus is currently in camp with 56 local-based players in Cape Town as they lay the foundation for the 2025 Test season. The world champions will look to play 15 Tests, two of which must still be confirmed, and a festival match against the Barbarians. They open their season with the Baabaas clash before two home games against Italy. The third mid-year Test, against Georgia, will likely be used as a full-on experimental one like Erasmus did when the Boks faced Portugal in 2024 after sharing…