Table of contents for 2022-04-19 in Mercury

I needed to double check the date of this pronouncement, as it could have been April Fool’s Day joke, but alas, it was not. “The government is currently working on a programme to ensure that education and training programmes are directly linked to the jobs needed in South Africa,” said Ramaphosa. How, where and when, I ask? The reality is that in just five years, South Africa has borrowed R1.8 trillion from investors. Also, in April 2021, it was announced that South Africa would get a $1 billion (R14.5bn at the time) loan from the New Development Bank (NDB) to bolster its coffers. The NDB is a development finance institution established by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa as part of the BRICS grouping. South Africa’s…

my heartfelt sympathies and condolences go out to all the people of our beloved province who were adversely affected by another “wake-up call” from Mother Nature regarding the way we disregard our precious Earth. I also laud those who jumped into action to try to assist those in need. The way that this form of camaraderie and fellowship was revealed was the silver lining to those dark clouds of doom. In the wake of the extensive rebuilding and maintenance, which needs to follow this deluge, may I please impress upon our government and all its entities, as well as the private entities: please plan this rebuilding, bearing in mind the constraints. Some entities have already revealed themselves to be unable to cope with the level of delivery required. It…

Not in more than six decades has so much rain spewed forth from angry skies in KwaZulu-Natal. Whether it’s the result of climate change, the response from angry gods on an unrepentant society or nature’s challenge to the insanity of humans, the cost of human life, emotional and physical pain and misery, lost possessions and displacement has been catastrophic. There were scenes of chaos after a 24-hour apocalyptic deluge, claiming more than 400 lives. Murderous mudslides consumed whole families, and freeways were turned into shipping lanes as cargo containers bobbed around like toys. Backyard streams turned into ferocious monsters as a tsunami of torrential waters wreaked havoc, tearing at vehicles and homes and bridges, and roads just caved in, as if in resignation to the disaster at play. Since the…

Vaping organisations are pleading with government to allow the products to be regulated separately from traditional tobacco products. With government yet to make a decision on how vaping will be regulated, vape organisations are doing all they can to convince government to allow for separate regulations. Consumer advocacy group Vaping Saved My Life (VSML) has created an online petition calling for vaping products to be regulated separately from traditional tobacco products in South Africa. So far, the campaign has garnered around 4 500 signatures since its launch in mid February. However, the consumer advocacy group is hoping to gain far more support from South Africans in the upcoming months. “We have garnered around 4 500 signatures which must be said is far below our desired goal,” said Kurt Yeo,…

A 20-year-old Mozambican man was arrested after a minibus taxi driver was allegedly hacked to death on the N4 highway, Mpumalanga police said. Police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said the man was arrested at a tavern in Mjajane, Hectorspruit. The minibus taxi driver was hacked to death by a gang of about 20 armed suspects who reportedly put spikes on the road, Mohlala said. “This incident took place on Monday, April 11, at about 11pm between Hectorspruit and the Coopersdal junction, while he was ferrying commuters from South Africa to Mozambique. As the vehicle stopped, the occupants were robbed. The taxi driver was found a few metres from the minibus and certified dead.” Police in Komatipoort are investigating a case of murder and armed robbery. A tip-off led police…

HIKERS using Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) trails in Cape Town have been warned to be vigilant after three people were allegedly attacked by a machete-wielding group at Kleinplaas Dam on Sunday. It is alleged they were attacked and chased by the group while hiking at Redhill dam. South African National Parks (SANParks) said it was investigating the incident. “The three of us were at Redhill dam and we were attacked and chased by a group of guys with machetes. We had to run for our lives to get down. Another couple who were there were forced into the water. We grabbed them and took off and they chased us the whole way back. Please don’t go there. Even in a large group,” warned one of the hikers in a…

IT is encouraging and heart-warming to see chapter nine institutions announcing their intentions to exercise oversight in the allocation of funds meant to repair infrastructure damaged by the floods in KwaZulu-Natal. Since the devastating floods lashed the province last week, the national government, wealthy South Africans such as billionaire Patrice Motsepe, relief organisations and even ordinary South Africans have come out to donate funds to assist with the rebuilding efforts. However, ordinary people have made it abundantly clear that they have little trust in the provincial and local governments’ ability to manage and utilise these funds for the purpose for which they were intended. The looting of billions of rand meant for Covid-19, including the distribution of personal protective equipment by politicians and their greedy tenderpreneur associates, is still very…

Ukrainian authorities said a Russian missile attack killed seven people in Lviv yesterday, the first civilian victims in the western city, while its forces were preventing Russia from taking full control of the port city of Mariupol in the east where the situation was “extremely difficult”. Lviv governor Maksym Kozytskyy said preliminary reports suggested four hits on Lviv, which is just 60km from the Polish border – three strikes on warehouses that are not being used by the military, and another on a car service station. “It was a barbaric strike at a service station, it’s a completely civilian facility,” he said. Andriy Sadoviy, mayor of Lviv, said the youngest victim among the seven killed was aged 30. The blast also wounded 11 and shattered windows of a hotel housing…

Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen traded barbs yesterday as they returned to campaigning for the French presidency before a prime-time debate that is likely to prove decisive ahead of Sunday’s second-round run-off. The two rivals held low-key events after a brief Easter pause before tomorrow’s face-off, when the centrist Macron will defend his record over the past five years against his far-right rival. It will be a rematch of their 2017 debate when the same two clashed at the same stage of the campaign, but which most analysts say was skillfully won by Macron, who was making his first-ever attempt at public office. Le Pen, in her third run for the presidency, insists she is better prepared this time. “I think I’m going to win,” she said. The latest…

TEHRAN: Iran’s armed forces would target Israel’s heart if it made “the slightest move” against the Islamic Republic, President Ebrahim Raisi told a military parade yesterday, amid stalled talks between Tehran and world powers to revive a 2015 nuclear pact. Israel, widely believed to have the Middle East’s only atomic arsenal, says it will not be bound by any Iran nuclear deal and could eventually take unilateral action against Iranian nuclear sites. “The Zionist regime (Israel), you should know that … if you take the slightest move against our nation, our armed forces will target the heart of the Zionist regime” Raisi said in a speech at a parade. | Reuters…

THE NEWLY elected eThekwini ANC regional leadership has been accused of hijacking the work of the eThekwini Municipality by establishing a nerve centre to co-ordinate the government’s response to the floods. A letter has emerged that shows that the ANC leaders had met with municipal officials and gave a directive that a nerve centre be formed that would co-ordinate the flood relief efforts. The revelations have stunned opposition parties in the council, who said it was astonishing that a party whose leaders had been implicated in acts of corruption was seeking to direct government work in order to get closer to state resources destined for those affected by the recent storms. Former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede was re-elected a few days ago as the regional chairperson of the ANC in…

On a personal note, during these past few days I have made almost hourly attempts to keep up to date with the developments in KwaZulu-Natal, relating to the loss of life as a result of the rains and storms and the consequent landslides. I know it may read and sound rather hollow to say that I’m really, really sorry, but I am. I grieve with you. I’ve watched close friends respond with hope and courage as they’ve literally watched their family home drown in mud. There is one family, with whom I’ve had a distant acquaintance, who report with sadness that this is the fourth time they’re digging themselves out of the aftermath of landslides. Be assured, I am not sitting here in the comfort of my home in small-town…

“Dear Safiyyah. We just had the Easter Weekend, the worst one in my personal historical experience. I survived the deluge of March/April 1976. We had an informal-type settlement known as “Tin-Town” where SA Indians were forcibly located to along the banks of the uMngeni River in the vicinity of where Makro is right now. That was two months before the 1976 Soweto Uprising when schoolchildren revolted and produced a cataclysm we celebrate annually every June 16 (Google these and you’ll appreciate what, for space reasons, I’ll leave to your enquiring mind) as well as that of 1984 when Mozambique was ravaged by Cyclone Demoina. Google it, too. That was when the apartheid government was ploughing the killing fields with the blood of activists fighting for freedom in SA.…

THE conjoined twins born at a Limpopo hospital two weeks ago have died. The twins died last week before a multi-disciplinary team from Gauteng and Limpopo was due to assess them. A 41-year-old mother gave birth to the girls, who were joined at the abdomen and chest, at Jane Furse Hospital two weeks ago by C-section. They were transferred to Mankweng Tertiary and Academic Hospital’s neonatal ICU for specialist assessment and to establish what organs were joined and if they could be separated. Limpopo Health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba said at the weekend that the department had been saddened by their deaths. “Since their admission to Mankweng, specialists from various clinical disciplines from both Mankweng-Pietersburg Complex and Dr George Mukhari Central Hospital had been hard at work in pursuit of…

WHILE the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) is there to protect the public, it sometimes also comes to the aid of the supplier. A woman who paid R538 000 to refurbish her home discovered this when she cancelled her order after the goods were custom made for her. The woman concluded agreements with Portuguese company Fabri, which has outlets in South Africa. She chose some fittings from a catalogue and in terms of the agreement with Fabri, paid half of the costs involved, amounting to R538 000, as a deposit. Before the work began and two days after the fourth payment was made, she contacted the company and requested that it “hold off”. The reason for the holding off on the project was because of a dispute that arose…

SEKUNJALO Investment Holdings, in court papers filed against the banks of South Africa at the Equality Court earlier this year, makes scathing claims about other media, accusing its detractors of formulating unsubstantiated stories to discredit and tarnish Sekunjalo – known as the Sekunjalo Group and the listed entities in which it has an interest. The matter before the Equality Court in the Western Cape is an application instituted by Sekunjalo Investment Holdings (SIH), Executive Chairman Dr Iqbal Survé and 43 others representing the wider Sekunjalo Group against Nedbank Limited and Nedbank Private Wealth Stockbrokers (Pty) Limited. Nedbank has made claims that it has suffered reputational damage by its association with Survé, Sekunjalo, and related entities. In their founding affidavit, Sekunjalo sets out how it was targeted in a vicious “trial…

Zandile Gumede’s election nullifies ANC’s step-aside rule ANC politicians, who know full well that the election into senior leadership positions of corruption-accused politicians is inconsistent with the message of renewal that the party is punting, tell themselves that they are performing a service when they bite their tongues. They recognise the danger of the insistence otherwise by different factions in the party. They have not spoken out against those who orchestrated the election at recently held conferences of corruption-accused eThekwini regional chairperson Zandile Gumede, murder-accused Mpumalanga provincial treasurer Mandla Msibi, and several others before them. Yet, they call themselves heroes and bearers of hope for the prosperity of our constitutional democracy. Their thinking goes something like this: if they speak the truth and curse the king-makers and the kingpins, they…

Uproar and serious clashes have broken out since last week in Sweden on the fringes of rallies by a far-right and anti-Islam Danish group, which planned to burn Qur’ans in several towns. The police said three people were injured at the weekend after being hit by police bullets during a clash. Danish-Swedish extremist Rasmus Paludan in 2017 established the Danish far-right Stram Kurs, or Hard Line, movement, which trumpets a strong anti-immigrant and anti-Islam agenda. Last week, the party live-streamed a video of Paludan burning the Qur’an in different Swedish cities. Paludan is known for staging such burnings. During recent demonstrations, protesters and counter-protesters clashed in the central city of Orebro. Clashes occurred in the south-western city of Malmö, which the Swedish police described as a “messy night” with…

LOS ANGELES: Elon Musk tweeted Love Me Tender, an Elvis Presley song, a day after Twitter adopted a “poison pill” to protect itself from the billionaire’s $43 billion cash offer to buy the social media company. Musk has hinted at the possibility of a hostile bid in which he would bypass Twitter’s board and put the offer directly to its shareholders, tweeting: “It would be utterly indefensible not to put this offer to a shareholder vote.” In another tweet Musk, a self-described “free speech absolutist” who has been critical of Twitter and its policies, replied to a post of his from 2017 where he had asked “How much is it (Twitter)?” with an upside down smiley. Musk, who is also the CEO of electric-vehicle maker Tesla, has amassed a…

NEW DELHI: At least 88 people have been arrested in India in connection with violence against the police after a comment insulting Muslims went viral on social media, the police said yesterday. A mob attacked police and vandalised public property on Saturday night in Hubli, 480km north of Bengaluru, after the derogatory message spread on WhatsApp. Twelve police officials were injured in the violence, even though the person who posted the message had already been arrested. “The mob pelted stones at the police, tried to enter the police station and damaged police vehicles,” said Labhu Ram, a senior police official. | Reuters…

TRADE conditions remained restrained and deteriorated further into the contractionary territory in February and March, due to lower export volumes as a result of a number of issues. The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) said last week that trade conditions were hampered by logistical issues at ports, supply chain disruptions, higher inflation, and rising interest rates. Sacci said sluggish economic growth had a significant impact on the trade environment, while lower export volumes led to cautionary and selective spending by businesses and households. As a result, trade conditions became restrained after bordering on positive territory in January. Sacci’s Trade Activity Index fell from 48.1 index points in the fourth quarter of 2021 to 43.1 index points in the first quarter of 2022. Sacci economist Richard…

THERE are definite indications that global economic growth is slowing. The first indications availed themselves as the yields on some longer-dated bonds dropped below the yields of shorter-dated bonds – yes, inverted or flat yield curves. But where lie the opportunities? The end of the bear market in developed market bonds is in sight. Bonds as measured by the FTSE G7 Government Bond Index which is tracked by the iShares Global Gov. Bond UCITS ETF USD (Distr) lost 17 percent since December 2020 as bond yields climbed. Firstly as a result of the global economy recovering from the coronavirus and its mutants and secondly, the onset of the Russian/Ukrainian conflict. The massive sanctions against Russia saw the US Federal Reserve and other central banks hiking their official lending rates…

CHAPTER nine watchdog bodies have vowed to keep a close watch on how the KwaZulu-Natal government spends disaster relief funds in the wake of last week’s devastating floods. A number of watchdog bodies, including the Office of the Public Protector and SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), are meeting today to discuss their oversight role in the disbursement of funds. The meeting was confirmed by the public protector’s spokesperson, Oupa Segalwe. “The public protector chairs the Forum for Institutions Supporting Democracy, which consists of institutions established in terms of chapters 9, 10 and 13 of the Constitution. “The aim of the meeting is to co-ordinate the activities of these institutions as they monitor the implementation of government relief efforts in the wake of the KZN floods disaster, and to ensure accountability…

While the full extent of the loss of life and property and the damage to infrastructure from the floods that occurred last week will be finalised in due course, such flooding in KwaZulu-Natal is not exceptional. Twice in the past, floods have occurred in April. The first recorded occasion was in April 1848. Between April 13 and 15, 1856, the Natal coast received 650mm of rain according to reports in the Natal Mercury of April 18 and 25, 1856. Whereas previously the uMngeni River meandered into the Indian Ocean to the south of its present entry point, the volume of water caused it to straighten its course, demolishing everything in the Springfield Flat. The Isipingo Flat suffered a similar fate and was described as having become a lake. Pioneer settler…

The meaning of fasting from food and drink during the hours of daylight in Ramadaan goes beyond just staying away from eating. Fasting is the compulsory part of Ramadaan, but the symbolism of Ramadaan goes much further. Reformation of the soul and refinement of the heart and mind are the other great features of this blessed month. Rectification of character, conduct, thought, speech and eradication of objectionable habits are important commandments in the Qu’ran in order to live a life on the straight part. This self-reflection and reviewing of conduct and reformation of oneself requires great mental strength, courage and determination. Islamic principles and rituals include ethical monetary dealings and moral social conduct. The Qu’ran demands believers to comply with the rule of law and promote hard work and ethical…

THE representative body of the country’s 257 councils has called for the new regulations to manage Covid-19 to be changed as they take powers away from municipalities. The SA Local Government Association’s (Salga’s) concerns follow President Cyril Ramaphosa ending the national state of disaster two weeks ago. Ramaphosa said the pandemic would from now on be managed in terms of the National Health Act. The draft health regulations have been published for public comment. He announced that certain elements of the regulations might remain in place for a limited period for post-disaster recovery and rehabilitation. “Accordingly, certain transitional provisions will remain in place for 30 days after the termination of the national state of disaster to ensure essential public health precautions and other necessary services are not interrupted while…

Environmental justice and civic rights groups are celebrating a landmark judgment in the Mpumalanga air pollution case, describing it as a victory for environmental justice in South Africa, with far-reaching consequences. However Environment Minister Barbara Creecy is seeking leave to appeal certain portions of the judgment. In the judgment, the Pretoria High Court recognised the poor air quality in South Africa’s Mpumalanga Highveld region as a breach of residents’ constitutional right to an environment that is not harmful to their health and well-being. The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) said “the judgment, which recognises air pollution as a violation of constitutional rights, is a major victory for environmental justice groups groundWork and Mpumalanga community organisation Vukani Environmental Justice Movement in Action”. Represented by the Centre for Environmental Rights attorneys, the…

Newly elected chairperson of the ANC eThekwini region and former mayor Zandile Gumede said she would continue to abide by the ANC’s step-aside regulation, despite assuming her new leadership position. The party’s step-aside rule sidelines leaders facing criminal charges, pending the outcomes of their cases. Gumede and her co-accused are facing 2 786 charges relating to a 2017 Durban Solid Waste (DSW) tender amounting to more than R320 million. The trial has been set for July 13 to August 31 in the Pietermaritzburg High Court. Gumede was charged in May 2019 while she was still eThekwini mayor. She formally resigned as mayor in August 2019 after being recalled by the ANC. She was replaced by Mxolisi Kaunda. In 2020 the ANC appointed Gumede as a member of the KZN provincial…

THE National Treasury’s latest foray into the international debt market raising $3 billion (about R43.9bn) through a two-tranche bond issuance last Tuesday comes at a time when several gatekeepers of the international financial system are warning of a “dangerous global debt burden” amid renewed uncertainty of the energy and commodity price impact of the war in Ukraine, stagflation in several major economies, and a persistent pandemic now in its third year. Public debt was already high before Covid-19, but the pandemic unleashed unprecedented levels of public borrowing only to be exacerbated by events in Ukraine and inflationary pressures in most economies. A day before the Treasury’s bond issuance, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in a “Johnny come lately” blog called for the urgent need for authorities to undertake reforms,…

A global summit to chart an end to the Covid-19 crisis and plan for future upheavals will take place on May 12, the White House said yesterday, as US President Joe Biden struggles to get vital pandemic funding from Congress. The virtual gathering will be co-chaired by the US, along with current G7 president Germany, G20 president Indonesia, AU chair Senegal, and Belize, the current chair of the Caricom Caribbean grouping. “The summit will redouble our collective efforts to end the acute phase of the Covid-19 pandemic and prepare for future health threats,” the countries said in a joint statement. This will be the second global huddle on the pandemic, which has killed more than 6 million people and triggered profound disruption to leading economies and trading patterns in the…

THE HAGUE: Meghan Markle shared that she was missing her children while attending the Invictus Games. She and her husband Prince Harry, left their children Archie, 2, and 10-month-old Lilibet in California while they made a brief trip to the Netherlands. Meghan sat in on a private reading to a group of 12 children and told British army veteran James Stride that it made her feel closer to her own kids. James read from the book Hairy Maclary in a tent hosted by the British Embassy and said: “Meghan told me she was familiar with the book and it was one that she read to her own children.” | Bang Showbiz…

TRIPOLI: Libya’s oil production has fallen by more than half a million barrels a day as a wave of political demonstrations engulfs the Opec member’s energy industry. The Sharara field in the west of the country, which could pump 300 000 barrels a day, was closed after protesters gathered at the site demanding Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah quit, said officials. That came after the nearby El Feel deposit, with a daily capacity of 65 000 barrels, was halted for the same reason. The country’s output was down by 535 000 barrels a day, officials said. The shutdowns are the latest in a series of disruptions to hit Libya’s energy sector amid the worsening political crisis. | Reuters…