Table of contents for 2025-03-17 in Mercury

Ever wondered how beverages can connect us to the culture, heritage, and traditions of different countries? From the lush vineyards of South Africa to the cosy pubs of Ireland, every country has its signature flavours that tell a story. Let’s take a light-hearted journey through the world’s most iconic drinks. South Africa South Africa is a paradise for wine lovers. The Stellenbosch region is globally renowned for its exceptional vineyards. Among their must-try varieties are Chenin Blanc, a crisp and fruity white wine, and Pinotage, a smoky, earthy red that’s unique to the region. SA also gave us the creamy delight of Amarula Liqueur, made from the marula fruit, and Cape Brandy, a rich, flavourful spirit. Zambia From Zambia comes Chibuku, a sour sorghum beer with a short shelf life…

Dr Devi Rajab’s article, “Addressing the Core Challenges of Gender Equality”, published in The Mercury (March 11) is ostensibly about the challenges facing women in the quest for gender equality. How disappointing then that it contains both blatant and subtle anti-Semitism. In her statement, “In America, the Jewish Zionist lobby controls all institutions of higher learning, making dissidents into criminals,” Dr Rajab recycles one of the oldest anti-Semitic tropes – the myth of Jewish control over global power structures. It echoes the age-old claim that Jews exert undue influence to manipulate society for their own benefit. What is more harrowing about this bigoted claim is that it is absurd and blatantly false. In fact, statistics show that US campuses have been funded and influenced by Qatari and other national investment…

I grew up in the era of the Nkandla party line. It never let me down. Okay, it used to give me information on stuff like Aunt Ingrid’s ingrowing toenails or Uncle Arthur’s amazing flatulence – stuff you did not need to know – but also it never let me down. One evening I was in a bar in Babanango, Zululand. The place was packed with young game rangers undergoing a training course at a nearby camp. A fellow with a very trim moustache came in and took the seat next to me, which was the only one available. “Terrible electric storm we’re having, isn’t it?” he said. “I didn’t notice any storm.” “Oh no, definitely an electric storm. Happens every evening at 6.30 sharp. Gives me the chance to…

Ayanda Fulela, 29, was found guilty of murdering his 72-year-old grandmother and violating her corpse in Nseleni in December. According to police, the woman was reported missing on January 2 after she had not been seen for two days. Police questioned Fulela and he confessed to having stabbed his grandmother after a heated argument. In an attempt to conceal the crime, he set her body on fire elsewhere. Fulela was convicted on March 4. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder and an additional 10 years imprisonment for violating a corpse.…

THE Road Accident Fund has trained youth across the country to assist it with its road safety campaign in various communities, especially in areas where they are located close to busy roads. The fund is empowering the youth with opportunities to promote and raise awareness about safe road practices. A total of 173 out-of-school and unemployed youth across Limpopo, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Eastern Cape have been trained as part of the RAF’s Comprehensive Road Safety Programme. The youth will assist school learners in crossing the roads in the mornings and afternoons; spray livestock with reflective paint to increase visibility at night; cut vegetation that is growing on the sidewalks and educate learners about road safety to save the lives of road users in their communities. The Fund launched the…

THE International Women’s Day celebrated on March 8 was an opportune moment to reflect on the state of maternal healthcare in Africa. Women’s health and well-being, particularly during the continuum of care – preconception, pregnancy, childbirth, and inter-conception – are critical indicators of development in Africa. Even though significant strides have been made to improve maternal healthcare on the continent, persistent challenges make the lives of millions of women and newborns vulnerable. We need innovative and lasting solutions to address these challenges and give women hope. Improved access to skilled birth professionals, improved maternal emergency obstetric care and the decentralisation of maternal health services to rural and underserved communities have helped to reduce maternal deaths in Africa. Data from 2016–2020 shows a decline in maternal mortality. African countries have taken…

The Trump administration is considering issuing sweeping travel restrictions for the citizens of dozens of countries as part of a new ban, according to sources familiar with the matter and an internal memo seen by Reuters. The memo lists a total of 41 countries divided into three separate groups. The first group of 10 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Cuba and North Korea among others, would be set for a full visa suspension. In the second group, five countries would face partial suspensions that would impact tourist and student visas as well as other immigrant visas, with some exceptions. In the third group, 26 countries would be considered for a partial suspension of US visa issuance if their governments “do not make efforts to address deficiencies within 60 days”, the…

WASHINGTON: A SpaceX capsule delivered four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) early yesterday in a Nasa crew-swap mission that will allow a pair of stuck astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, to return home after nine months on the orbiting lab. About 29 hours since launching on Friday from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Crew-10 astronauts’ SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule docked at the ISS. They were welcomed by the station’s seven-member crew who had remained on the station after problems with Boeing’s Starliner capsule forced Nasao to bring it back empty. Wilmore and Williams are scheduled to depart the ISS on Wednesday.…

HAVANA: Pockets of Cuba’s capital Havana saw the lights flicker back on although vast areas of the city and country continued without electricity yesterday morning, after a nationwide grid collapse that knocked out power to 10 million people. Havana´s electric company said on social media that about 19% of its clients in the city had power restored. Cuba´s energy and mines ministry said it had fired up its Felton power plant, one of the country´s largest and a major benchmark for restoring power in the eastern provinces. The country´s largest plant, Antonio Guinteras, in Matanzas, was not yet online, the ministry said.…

In the heat of battle at the Seshego Stadium on Saturday, Golden Arrows head coach Manqoba Mngqithi left the pitch with more questions than answers. For the first time since his return to the club, Mngqithi tasted the bitterness of defeat – a slender 1-0 loss, with the damage inflicted by a first-half header from Magesi’s Lehlohonolo Mokone. But it wasn’t just the loss that had Mngqithi fuming. The defeat, though painful, was not solely down to his team’s performance. Mngqithi, a man who knows the game as well as anyone, was quick to highlight the controversial refereeing decisions that left his team feeling aggrieved. Akhona Makalima, the match official on duty, made calls that left many scratching their heads, particularly when it came to two apparent penalty shouts for…

It all started with a TikTok video. A heartfelt clip showing a dad, Gasant Abarder, sharing pre-loved soccer boots with children in need. The video sparked a movement, one that is now changing lives, communities and perceptions about sports in South Africa. Reboot began as a simple act of kindness for one or two children and has grown into a fully-fledged initiative that collects and redistributes pre-loved sports equipment to underprivileged communities. Recently, I joined Abarder and Langa for the first “official” drop-off in Cape Town’s Green Village. The summer sun was blazing, but the excitement among the children, boys and girls of all ages, was palpable. Joy surrounded the soccer field, even amidst the socio-economic challenges that plague the community. Kids chased after the ball with unwavering determination, their…

The recent budget allocation for the Department of Basic Education has seen a notable increase. For the 2024/25 financial year, the department received R32.3 billion, marking a 7.4% rise from the previous year’s allocation. While this allocation of additional funding for teacher retention and early childhood development(ECD) is a positive step, it raises a critical question: will this funding be enough to cover other essential educational programmes, such as workbooks and learning materials? The Department of Basic Education’s workbook programme has been an essential resource for over 9 million learners annually since 2011. This initiative has proven especially invaluable in under-resourced schools, where these workbooks often serve as the only reliable learning material available to learners. However, it is evident that education has not always been prioritised in the most…

“Population Dynamics” attempts to explain why bodies of people move, over an extended period of time, from one geographical location to another. A pretty boring a topic, especially for kids with a “whatever” outlook. However, this is not just an academic topic for school examinations but a true-to-life process in which every resident in this province is directly involved, to some degree or another. The demographics that prevailed in the City of Durban up to just 30 years ago have all but disappeared from the section of the Earth bounded by Warwick Avenue in the west, Victoria Embankment in the south, Greyville Race Course in the north and Milky Lane in the east. All that has vanished, replaced with major urbanisation from rural and semi-rural areas. The original white and…

The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) has revealed the operational challenges facing government departments regarding the Z83 application for employment form which is used to recruit staff. Acting DPSA Director-General Willie Vukela said that in the second quarter of the 2024/25 financial year, the department surveyed government departments to identify the difficulties encountered when completing the Z83 form. According to Vukela, the survey revealed that the form was applied inconsistently across the public service. He said it highlighted challenges related to the instructions for filling out the form and addressing specific questions. The DPSA has advised government departments to enhance administrative efficiency and ensure the fair consideration of suitably qualified applicants. According to the department, the Z83 form must not be used in isolation during the selection process,…

The Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) has announced that a global technical issue is affecting the check-in systems of FlySafair and LIFT airlines, leading to significant delays and long queues at check-in counters. The problem, which is impacting passengers across multiple airports, has yet to be resolved. The issue has caused disruptions in the check-in process, forcing passengers to endure longer-than-usual waiting times. In response, Acsa is urging travellers to arrive at the airport early. For regional flights, passengers are advised to arrive at least three hours before departure, while those travelling domestically should aim to be at the airport two hours before their flight.…

It's time for opposition parties to represent their voters. As the coalition battle over the proposed VAT increase marches to Parliament’s finance committee, the onus falls squarely on opposition parties to amplify the voices of the multitude of voters who entrusted them with their representation. The anticipated increase of 0.5 percentage points in VAT, culminating in a staggering 16% by the 2026-27 financial year, is not merely a fiscal exercise; it represents a critical juncture in the fight for the economic welfare of South Africa’s most vulnerable citizens. The announcement by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana that the VAT rate will rise in staggered increments over the next two years raises serious concerns. For a projected additional revenue of R27.8 billion, the real question is: at what cost? It is crucial…

UNITED States President Donald Trump launched large-scale military strikes against Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis on Saturday over the group’s attacks against Red Sea shipping, killing at least 31 people at the start of a campaign expected to last many days. Trump also warned Iran, the Houthis’ main backer, that it needed to immediately halt support for the group. He said if Iran threatened the US, “America will hold you fully accountable and, we won’t be nice about it!” The top Commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards reacted yesterday by saying the Houthis are independent and take their own strategic and operational decisions. “We warn our enemies that Iran will respond decisively and destructively if they take their threats into action,” Hossein Salami told state media. The strikes – which one US official…

UNITED Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the “ball was in Russia’s court” and that President Vladimir Putin would “sooner or later” have to “come to the table,” after a virtual summit on Saturday to drum up support for a coalition willing to protect any eventual ceasefire in Ukraine. The British leader told some 26 fellow leaders as they joined the group call hosted by Downing Street that they should focus on how to strengthen Ukraine, protect any ceasefire and keep up the pressure on Moscow. While Ukraine had shown it was the “party of peace” by agreeing to a 30-day unconditional ceasefire, “Putin is the one trying to delay,” he said. “If Putin is serious about peace, I think it’s very simple, he has to stop his barbaric attacks…

Abidjan: Burkina Faso’s military rulers on Saturday dismissed accusations that the army had committed abuses against civilians in the west of the country earlier this week. “The government regrets and condemns the spread on social media of images inciting hatred and communal violence, and of false information aimed at undermining social cohesion and the peaceful coexistence of our country,” government spokesperson Pingdwende Gilbert Ouedraogo wrote in a statement. Earlier in the week, social media accounts had carried videos showing dozens of bloodied bodies strewn on the ground.…

Washington: President Donald Trump’s administration on Saturday put journalists at Voice of America (VOA) and other US-funded broadcasters on leave, abruptly freezing decades-old outlets long seen as critical to countering Russian and Chinese information offensives. Hundreds of staffers at VOA, Radio Free Asia, Radio Free Europe and other outlets received a weekend email saying they would be barred from their offices and should surrender press passes and office-issued equipment. On Friday, Trump issued an executive order listing the US Agency for Global Media as among “elements of the federal bureaucracy that the president has determined are unnecessary.”…

At the start of the season, Sharks midfielder Jurenzo Julius thought he would play for the Under-21 side in Durban after impressive performances for the Junior Springboks and in the Currie Cup. Little did he know that he would become an integral part of their United Rugby Championship (URC) campaign in the injury absence of senior players and some Springboks. But, the knowledge he has gained from training with and playing next to a couple of double World Cup winners has helped the 20-year-old find his feet quickly in John Plumtree's squad. He's been a standout youngster alongside fellow utility back Ethan Hooker and is poised to continue his good form in Durban. His meteoric rise saw him rewarded with an invitation to the first Springbok alignment camp recently. The…

Bhekani Ndwandwe may not be a cultural, economic geographer or policy maker of that genre of development, but that lives in his blood and brain. His whole being is about cultural economic geography, the ultimate emancipator of humanity from financialised and monetarised living and livelihoods. Ndwandwe, who resides in one of the African suburbs within Umhlathuze municipal area (twin towns of Empangeni and Richards Bay), is a young man with bright eyes and has kept the faith in ideals of Madiba. With a brand futuristic, a brand that will rise from the ashes when each has to account on why intergenerational value eluded Black Africans and Coloureds. When the national dialogue starts, Zwide has long been in this conversation and placed it in plain sight for all to see. He…

Recent heavy rains and mudslides in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, have exposed the region’s vulnerability to climate-related disasters. The devastating impacts of these events, including loss of life and widespread damage, highlight an urgent need for action. As weather patterns grow increasingly unpredictable due to climate change, KZN faces a growing crisis that requires immediate relief and long-term, science-based strategies. KZN is no stranger to extreme weather. In 2017, the province experienced severe flooding, and in 2022, floods caused hundreds of deaths and displaced thousands. The latest mudslides and rainfall reinforce the necessity to rethink disaster preparedness and urban planning in the province. Despite repeated catastrophes, little has been done to address the underlying causes and implement preventive measures. Poor urban planning and unregulated expansion have contributed to this crisis. Residential and…

Things happen to me that if I heard the details in some sermon I would be most sceptical. Beginning on Thursday evening of this past week, while I was driving between two relatively small South African towns, such an event began to unfold. A notification popped up on my phone. “I was in a counselling programme you presented in 2014. Can we talk? I need help.” The writer named the Indian Ocean island nation where we met and where she lives. On arrival at my destination, I engaged the woman via texts and invited her to give me more details the next morning. I woke to two photographs of a woman with a bloodied face. “Domestic violence,” she wrote. I began to consider the time differences between where she lives…

France should take back the Statue of Liberty because the US no longer represents the values that led France to offer the statue, a French politician said yesterday. “We’re going to say to the Americans who have chosen to side with the tyrants, to the Americans who fired researchers for demanding scientific freedom: ‘Give us back the Statue of Liberty,’” Raphael Glucksmann told cheering supporters at a convention of his Place Publique movement. The statue was unveiled in New York City’s harbour on October 28, 1886. Glucksmann, a defender of Ukraine, has criticised President Donald Trump’s radical change of US policy on the war. He also took aim at Trump’s cuts to US research institutions. | AFP…

The co-chairpersons of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence, Malusi Gigaba and Phiroane Phala, have expressed support for the recent decision made at the Extraordinary Summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to terminate the mandate of the SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC). This decision comes in the wake of the worsening security situation in the eastern DRC, and it follows the deaths of 14 SANDF soldiers in February. They were deployed to the DRC as part of the SAMIDRC. The SADC announced last Thursday that it had taken the decision for the phased withdrawal of troops from the DRC at its extraordinary summit in Harare, Zimbabwe. The committee co-chairpersons emphasised that the termination of the SAMIDRC’s mandate should not be interpreted as an abandonment…

As the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) prepares to announce its interest rate decision this Thursday, experts are split on whether another cut is imminent. Benay Sager, executive head of DebtBusters, said they were expecting the interest rate to be cut by 25 basis points again this week. “This expectation is grounded on factors such as global petrol prices remaining stable, which provides a cushion for consumer finances,” Sager explained. He emphasised the looming pressure consumers face with electricity price hikes expected in April and a proposed VAT increase. “We believe there’s additional room for relief,” Sager added. “The Reserve Bank will certainly take these factors into account, especially as consumers have had access – or wish to access – the two-pot withdrawal system, aiming to…

Political parties in KwaZulu-Natal are expected to set aside their differences to support the embattled Ithala bank in its legal battle against liquidation which is before the court today. The bank is in a protracted legal battle with the South African Reserve Bank’s Prudential Authority (PA) which has filed papers in the Pietermaritzburg High Court for the bank’s provisional liquidation. The Prudential Authority cited non-compliance as the reason for the application. Scores of people from across the political spectrum are expected to gather outside the court in support of the bank. Its legal team will try to convince the judge that the bank still has a future in the province. Among the parties expected in court are those who make up the government of provincial unity, the ANC, IFP and…

French prosecutors said on Saturday they had opened a manslaughter investigation against energy giant TotalEnergies following a bloody 2021 jihadist attack in Mozambique. In October 2023, several survivors and relatives of victims of the attack near a major gas field in northern Mozambique launched legal action against the oil and gas giant, accusing it of failing to protect its subcontractors. The complainants welcomed the move. Nicholas Alexander, a South African attack survivor, said the complainants had feared that Total was “too big and too influential, too powerful” to be investigated over the attack. “So we’re very happy that’s gone ahead,” he said. “At this stage, we just want a proper judicial inquiry and some clear answers.” The investigation into involuntary manslaughter and failure to assist persons in danger was launched…

A blast in the Syrian coastal city of Latakia killed at least four people on Saturday, state media reported, adding that it was triggered by a scrap dealer mishandling unexploded ordnance. “Four civilians were killed and nine injured in an explosion in a hard- ware store inside a four-storey building” in the city’s Al-Rimal neighbourhood, state news agency Sana said, adding that four of the injured were children. The news agency said the blast was detonated when the scrap dealer mishandled an unexploded munition in an attempt to recover the metal. Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also described the blast as an “accident” resulting from a resident’s attempt to dismantle unexploded ordnance. A report by NGO Humanity and Inclusion warned last month of the dangers posed…

Skopje: Fire ripped through a packed nightclub early yesterday in the North Macedonian town of Kocani, leaving at least 59 people dead and more than 100 injured, after sparks ignited the roof over a live band. State news agency Mia reported that police have detained the owner of the club over the incident. One video from the event, verified by Reuters, showed a band playing on stage flanked by two flares firing white sparks into the air, some of which set the ceiling alight. The fire caused immediate panic and friends and loved ones were separated as people fled to the exits.…

Berlin: German police said they are hunting a man who doused his wife with flammable liquid in a tram and set fire to her yesterday, causing critical wounds. The 46-year-old woman was targeted as she was inside the tram in Gera, in eastern Germany. “She was sprayed with flammable liquid and set alight by a man,” police for the state of Thuringia said, clarifying later that the suspect was the victim’s husband. When other passengers pressed the emergency stop button, the perpetrator took advantage of the doors opening to flee. The tram driver used a fire extinguisher to put out the flames, but the woman sustained life-threatening wounds.…

TS Galaxy have turned their CAF dreams into reality, following a string of excellent performances under head coach Adnan Beganovic this season. The Rockets climbed into third in the Betway Premiership on Friday after dispatching AmaZulu 2-1 at the King Zwelithini Stadium, thanks to goals from Dzenan Zajmovic and Kamohelo Sebelebele. They could foreseeably remain in that position, depending on the results between Sekhukhune United and Stellenbsch on Sunday evening. ​ Regardless, the Galaxy's victory saw the Mpumalanga-based outfit complete their first-ever double over their KwaZulu-Natal counterparts and extend their unbeaten run to four games. Having spent much of the 2024/25 campaign in the Top 8, Galaxy are now competing for a CAF Confederation Cup spot and are finding it hard not to raise expectations. Beganovic took over the side…

Bafana Bafana have been one of the best nations on the continent, having finished third in the last Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals in Ivory Coast. That achievement was so significant that they are now not only expected to go all the way in the next edition but also to qualify for the World Cup. Bafana are in Group C for the group stage round, alongside Rwanda, Lesotho, Benin, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe. They have already made strides toward reaching the global showpiece, sitting in second place in the group with seven points – level with leaders Rwanda. Hugo Broos’ men could reinforce their ambitions of returning to the tournament in North America by winning their next two games: at home against Lesotho on Friday and away to Benin four…