Innholdsfortegnelse for 2024-08-01 i Mercury

According to anthropologists and historians, humans were first and foremost hunters. If it had not been for our exceptional ability to hunt and defend ourselves against predators, the survival of the human race would have been at stake. As the story goes, humans evolved through the thousands of years (or at least, we were supposed to). Sure, we don’t use rudimentary and crude tools like cavemen anymore (we use deadly atom bombs, drones, AI and machine guns instead). Our sense of style has certainly improved from those weird skin skirt things that cavemen used to wear. Modern humans have also learnt the value of a good haircut. (Cavemen have always been depicted with unflattering hairstyles). We don’t bash our chests and howl like wolves. Neither do we roam around barefoot,…

It is galling and preposterous why South African society should continue to be concerned with inane matters regarding who is South African. The latest case is about the controversy that has erupted regarding the Miss SA competition, about the eligibility of a contestant who was born in this country but has Nigerian and Mozambican roots. Seriously? Why should such a mundane issue even be seized upon by society? The fact of the matter is that it is simple to consult the law about whether, given her background, she qualifies. And the greatest irony of the nonsense is that that it is mostly black people – in a country where most people are black – who seem to be immersed in the rubbish of questioning the identity of black people…

THE eThekwini Municipality says contractors are working around the clock to get the Northern Wastewater Treatment Works running to full capacity. This was revealed by eThekwini head of Water and Sanitation Ednick Msweli, who visited the site at Sea Cow Lake, north of Durban yesterday. Msweli said the refurbishment is valued at close to R500 million and the site is expected to be close to fully operational by December. The Northern Wastewater Treatment Works was severely damaged by the April 2022 floods and its current operational capacity, at 20%, has been given as one of the reasons that sewage has been seeping into Durban’s beaches, resulting in high E Coli levels. “This treatment plant is important as it is impacting the beaches and causing high E Colilevels which has resulted…

TWO car accident victims, who have been waiting to receive the interest payments on their claims – totalling about R2 million – from the Road Accident Fund, have turned to court to have its CEO, Collins Letsoalo, imprisoned for not paying them. But the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, in dismissing the application, said the RAF cannot alone be held accountable for its state of affairs. Judge Denise Fisher said it is clear the RAF is technically insolvent and unable to pay certain judgment debts against it, including those of the applicants. The fund is a component of a central, State-run social security scheme which demands legislative and executive co-operation in accordance with the Constitution, she said. “The constitutional right to which victims of motor vehicle accidents are entitled is the…

AIRPORTS Company South Africa (Acsa) has embarked on a “Recover and Sustain Strategy”, which is a strategic business model aimed at growth initiatives, including revitalising municipal airports in the KwaZulu-Natal region. Acsa’s business model capitalises on the growth of municipal airports in the region. The company says it aims to provide comprehensive advisory, operations, development and management services to local airports, recognising their importance as transport hubs. Acsa regional general manager Nkosinathi Myataza said they offer different models for government-to-government partnerships, allowing municipalities to leverage expertise while focusing on their core responsibilities. “Some of the regional airports are owned by the municipalities and our intention is not to own them but we have the expertise to develop, to operate and manage these airports, as they may not have the capacity.…

BASIC Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube is probably still familiarising herself with the workings of the department and trying to find a way of having President Cyril Ramaphosa not sign the Bela (Basic Education Laws Amendment) Bill, which her party, the DA, has strongly opposed. While she is at it, she may want to park those issues. There is a pressing and disturbing matter that requires her to display leadership. The first test of her leadership will be how the new minister responds to the racial incidents coming out of some schools, predominantly former Model C institutions. Our news pages have been filled with reports of black pupils either being barred by their white peers from taking part in a WhatsApp group, a substitute teacher allegedly using the k-word in a…

Dozens of British police officers suffered injuries in violent clashes in an English seaside town late on Tuesday after three young girls were killed a day earlier in a violent stabbing attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event. Police vans were set on fire in Southport and protesters hurled bricks at officers and at cars parked at a mosque, following speculation and unverified posts on social media that the suspect behind the attack was a Muslim and a migrant. As well as killing three girls aged 6 to 9, Monday’s horrific incident in the normally quiet town in north-west England saw eight other children stabbed. Five remain in a critical condition in hospital along with two adults who tried to protect them. Police, who have arrested an unnamed 17-year-old male…

Los Angeles: Hollywood star and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio has applauded the efforts in searching for lost species in a natural park in Madagascar in eastern Africa. DiCaprio took to his Instagram, where he shared a reel video about how in 2023, a team set out to Makira, Madagascar and is tagged as “a first of its kind expedition to find 30 lost species”. The Titanic star said that the search in Madagascar’s Makira Natural Park successfully rediscovered 21 species, including three small iridescent fish, five jumping spiders, and a giant millipede that had not been documented since 1897.” He said that this was in addition to species “entirely new to science”.…

ROME: Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers approved a declaration yesterday voicing solidarity with the Venezuelan people and concern about the announced election results, which sparked protests across the South American nation. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro claimed victory in the country’s elections early this week, but the opposition contested the result and said multiple independent exit polls and quick counts decisively showed its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, had more than twice as many votes as Maduro. G7 foreign ministers called on “Venezuelan representatives to publish detailed election results in full transparency”. | Reuters…

MANQOBA Mngqithi has given the best explanation yet as to what many have perceived to be him being a ‘comfort zone’ kind of coach, given his seeming unwillingness to take up a sole leadership role. For a long time a team member at Mamelodi Sundowns – where he played second fiddle first to Pitso Mosimane and then Rulani Mokwena – the former Golden Arrows mentor is considered by many to be worthy of a lead coach role. Many had even suggested he be considered for the Kaizer Chiefs job when it was vacant, while a former player of his felt he would do well to return to Abafana Bes’thende instead of sharing technical responsibilities at the Brazilians. Now the club’s ‘head coach’, where he will still be working in tandem…

Closing the skills gap and helping to address the unemployment crisis in the country are two of the aspects that drove Jacintha Naidoo to start her business. Naidoo is the CEO and founder of Nanyata, a proudly South African, decade-old, black female-owned talent solutions provider. After working for decades in the public sector, Naidoo told Business Report that her company created an empowering environment where top contract professionals, permanent job-seekers and blue-chip companies unite to achieve extraordinary success. Naidoo told Business Report that she ventured into the world of entrepreneurship because she yearned for flexibility at first. “The initial reason was like most mothers, I yearned for flexibility, and this was not possible in my senior role at a government agency which included a fair amount of travel in SADC…

My son, 16, will not immediately send thank you cards for all the wonderful presents he received. He drags his feet and gets it done only with the threat that I am going to tell his aunts and uncles to leave him off their lists in future. What do you suggest I do? Nothing! If your son were 13 or younger, I’d suggest you insist he obey your instructions and do whatever you expect of him. At 16, he is certainly beyond an age where you are able to decide what kind of person he will be. I suggest you stay out of what occurs between your son and his generous aunts and uncles. He is old enough to know what he ought to do and old enough to reap…

Jacob Zuma may be long out of power but he continues to make headlines. He has made history by becoming the first former leader of the ANC to be kicked out. A virtual hearing held by the ANC disciplinary committee found that Zuma had rebelled against the organisation by forming his own party, uMkhonto weSizwe (MKP), while he was still a member of the ANC. It accused him of violating the integrity of the party and gave him his marching orders. The ANC has been in decline over the years, but it needed a scapegoat to draw attention away from its failings. And it found Zuma. Because of his rebellious action, the ANC suffered heavy losses in the May 29 elections. For the first time in 30 years it had…

Although I am an ardent Donald Trump fan, I do believe that his chances of gaining re-election have dropped by about 30% since Kamala Harris’s bid for the post. I say this for two reasons. First, Americans, especially the radical left liberals and the bleeding hearts, through protests and other actions, are determined to impress the “entire world”, of their great belief in democracy, although skewed, and the rights of others, especially minority groups and immigrants. Second, the same loving, caring and considerate folk (sic), nearly did themselves a mortal injury when celebrating the advent of Barack Obama to the presidency – the first African-American blah, blah, blah. The same attitude, I’m sure, will prevail if Harris wins the forthcoming election – another “historic moment”, according to Michelle Obama, irrespective…

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli has outlined wide-ranging plans for his government focused mainly on boosting the rural economy and developing a multimillion-rand fund to help develop youth and women-owned businesses. Ntuli delivered his first State of the Province Address (Sopa) at the provincial legislature in Pietermaritzburg yesterday. The 18-page address was welcomed by some of the opposition parties, while others said they would adopt a wait-and-see attitude. The parties will debate the Sopa at the legislature today. Ntuli said: “As KwaZulu-Natal, we fully align to the three strategic priorities adopted by the Government of National Unity. These priorities act as both an anchor and a compass for this seventh administration’s programme of action. “These are, to drive inclusive economic growth and job creation, to reduce poverty and tackle the high…

SMALL Business Development Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams said her department has a solid foundation and legal instrument to champion the interests of small enterprises. Delivering her policy speech in the National Council of Provinces on Tuesday, Ndabeni-Abrahams said her department would continue to build on the work undertaken in the previous administration to invest more in underserved micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and co-operatives. “We are starting this seventh administration on a solid footing,” she said. Ndabeni-Abrahams said although the department’s budget was cut, they have tried as much as possible to ensure delivery of services would not be affected. The department is aiming to reach out to 50 000 competitive MSMEs, 10 000 youth start-ups and 30 000 township and rural enterprises during 2024-25. “Working together with provinces and…

Hamas said yesterday that its political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an Israeli strike in Iran, where he was attending the swearing-in of the new president, and vowed the act “will not go unanswered”. Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei too threatened “harsh punishment” for Haniyeh’s killing, saying: “We consider it our duty to seek revenge for his blood as he was martyred in the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Iran’s new President Masoud Pezeshkian said yesterday: “The Zionists will soon see the consequences of their cowardly and terrorist act.” “Such measures are a sign that the policies of the Zionist regime have reached a dead end,” he added. Israel declined to comment on the Tehran strike, which came after it struck a Hezbollah stronghold in south…

Kenya’s Court of Appeal yesterday declared the government’s 2023 finance law unconstitutional, inflicting a new blow to President William Ruto’s government who withdrew this year’s finance bill after deadly protests. The bills are the main vehicle for the government to set out its revenue- raising measures, including tax hikes and the introduction of new levies. The 2023 bill was challenged in court following opposition-led street protests, after Ruto’s government used it to double the value-added tax on fuel, introduce a housing tax and raise the top personal income tax rate, among other measures. “A further declaration is hereby issued that the failure to comply with this constitutional dictate renders the entire Finance Act, 2023 unconstitutional,” a three-judge Bench of the Court of Appeal said in a ruling. The court’s verdict…

Nairobi: Kenya has detected its first case of mpox, the health ministry said yesterday, as the regional East African bloc urged caution in the face of an outbreak. The case of the viral infection was detected in a passenger at a border crossing in southern Kenya, the ministry said, adding that the person was travelling from neighbouring Uganda to Rwanda through Kenya. It followed an announcement from Burundi on July 25 of three confirmed cases. The outbreak triggered a warning from the eight-member East African Community (EAC), which would “convene a meeting of health experts to deliberate on the situation”, it said. | AFP…

Rome: Italian researchers have noted the first case of “virgin birth”, or reproduction without fertilisation, in an endangered shark species. The findings published in Scientific Reports concern the first case of the phenomenon in the common smooth-hound shark, a species threatened by illegal fishing. Researchers from the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Piedmont, Liguria and the Aosta Valley found two female sharks in captivity had exhibited parthenogenesis since 2020. Cycling parthenogenesis, in which progeny can be born from fertilised eggs or asexually with unfertilised eggs, occurs in 15 000 species but has not yet been seen in mammals. | AFP…

In South Africa, there is a societal preference for secure jobs over entrepreneurial ventures. Entrepreneurship is also often seen as less desirable than government or corporate jobs, a sentiment that is pervasive nationwide. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Report for 2022/2023, only 5% of South African adults expect to start a business in the next three years, one of the lowest rates among 49 participating economies. Additionally, nearly 60% of adults in South Africa fear failure which deters them from starting a business. The mindset poses a significant obstacle to fostering a vibrant entrepreneurial culture in townships, limiting innovation and economic diversification. The view is shared by Herrington and Kew in their study that also ranked South Africa as one of the lowest-performing countries in terms of entrepreneurship due…

OLYMPICS events in the River Seine have been delayed – perhaps to be cancelled altogether – because of a new and sudden influx of E coli infection, caused basically by sewage entering the river after heavy rainfall. Yet only recently, Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo swam in the Seine to prove how clean and infection-free it is. She swam 100m of crawl, to cheers from onlookers. But did she realise what sort of risk she was taking? Not a danger of infection so much as mischievous humour at her expense. Here in Durban some time ago, the mayor took to his cossie and went into the surf to show that the E coli threat had disappeared. And suddenly, the internet was buzzing with mischievous claims that the E coli count had…

The online conversations around gender-based violence and misogyny featured varying perspectives on fathers, the roles they play in their children’s lives and whether paternity testing should be made compulsory. With June regarded as Men’s Mental Health Month, the conversation also focused on whether there was an opportunity for men to open up about the mental health challenges they faced. A new report by the Centre for Analytics and Behavioural Change unpacked the conversation between June 1 and 30, 2024. More than 300 000 mentions were recorded within the conversation during this period, with the main focus being on fatherhood, as promoted by the celebration of Father’s Day on June 16. The most reported post came from an account that shared that “being a deadbeat father” was not stigmatised enough,…

THE SABC and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) suffered a major blow in their quest to recoup R2.42 million from ex-COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng and nine other members of SABC’s executive and operating committees. The Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, found that, among others, Motsoeneng and his former colleagues had “not personally benefited” from the Mzansi Music Legends scheme and neither was it suggested that the scheme was adopted in bad faith or for some ulterior purpose. The SABC and SIU were ordered to pay the legal fees of Motsoeneng and Bessie Tugwana in respect of the court finding the SABC’s claim had been prescribed. Motsoeneng, Tugwana, Audrey Raphela, Sully Motsweni, Leslie Ntloko, Nomsa Philiso, Simon Tebele, Tshifila Mulaudzi, Nompumelelo Phasha and James Aguma were accused by the SABC and SIU of…

A COURT has ordered that a little boy, 4, may receive medical treatment from specialists because the child is suffering from medical ailments, apparently as a result of in-utero drug exposure. The child is currently in temporary foster care, but his biological mother urgently turned to the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, to obtain an order that only she, or a court, may decide on his medical treatment and medication. She also asked that a curator be appointed to make decisions on behalf of the child and that his medical needs not be in the hands of his caregivers. One of her concerns is that his specialists are exposing him to harsh medication. Following his birth from his drug addict mother, the child has been identified with special medical…

China’s four-day Third Plenum concluded on July 18, 2024 and laid out a vision for the future. Historically, the meetings have introduced significant changes, such as Deng Xiaoping’s “reform and opening-up” policy in 1978, which catalysed China’s economic growth. Held every five years, the outcomes of the meetings often have lasting impacts on China’s economy and, as the world’s largest importer of commodities, it will have a major effect on South Africa. The 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) adopted a resolution on further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernisation. The resulting blueprint will guide China’s reform and opening-up for years to come. General secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping delivered important addresses and discussed a report on the work of the Political…

Hopes of finding survivors began to fade as hundreds of rescuers worked through slush and rocks and pulled out bodies from debris in the hills of India’s Kerala state yesterday, a day after 167 people were killed in monsoon landslides. Steady rain that intensified as the day progressed and the rising water level in a local river hampered the rescue, with a temporary bridge built to connect the worst affected area of Mundakkai being washed away. The weather department has forecast more heavy rain over the next 24 hours, Kerala’s Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said and urged people to be on “high alert”. Heavy rain in Kerala, one of India’s most popular tourist destinations, led to the landslides in its Wayanad district early on Tuesday, sending torrents of mud, water…

More than 100 venture capitalists including entrepreneur Mark Cuban and LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman threw their support behind US Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris yesterday, in a counterweight to tech billionaires backing Republican rival Donald Trump. Investor Chris Sacca, Katie Stanton of Moxxie, Eva Ho of Fika Ventures and Rebecca Kaden of Union Square Ventures were among those who signed the letter and pledged to vote for Harris in the November 5 election. The letter comes after Trump drew support from other wealthy, high-profile Silicon Valley venture capitalists and investors. Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla, publicly endorsed Trump for the first time after the July 13 assassination attempt on the former US president. Entrepreneur and investor David Sacks, a close friend of Musk, has also hosted fundraisers for…

LONDON: Former British TV presenter Huw Edwards, the long-time face of the BBC’s flagship news programme, pleaded guilty yesterday to three counts of making indecent pictures of children. Edwards, 62, was the BBC’s highest paid journalist and top news anchor until he quit in April following allegations he had paid a young person thousands of pounds for sexually explicit photos. Edwards has not been on TV screens for a year. In London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court, he admitted having been sent several indecent images of children between December 2020 and August 2021. | Reuters…

HOUSTON: Texas can keep a 300m-long floating barrier in the Rio Grande to deter illegal border crossings by migrants at the river separating the US and Mexico, a US appeals court has ruled, rejecting a challenge by US President Joe Biden’s administration. The full 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday reversed an interdict granted by a lower court requiring Texas to move the string of wrecking ball-sized buoys. The ruling was a blow to Biden’s administration, locked in several legal battles with Texas and other Republican-led states over illegal border crossings. The floating barrier is part of Texas governor Greg Abbott’s efforts to deter illegal border crossings. | Reuters…

JOSE Riveiro has downplayed talk of Orlando Pirates being the team to beat next season, but the coach has vowed that they’ll be competitive in every competition. Pirates will start their MTN8 title defence when they host SuperSport United in the quarter-finals at Orlando Stadium on Saturday (6pm kick-off). But while a win in that match will see them edge closer to their third MTN8 crown in a row, ‘The Ghost’ want them to go for the jugular and challenge for the league title. They believe that the door is open for them to knock defending Premiership champions Mamelodi Sundowns off their perch. Sundowns have ruled the land for seven successive seasons, while Pirates were the closest team to challenging them in the last two campaigns after finishing as runners-up.…

SOUTH Africa’s two golfers at the Paris Olympics will be looking for improved performances after struggling in their last two tournaments, where they didn’t make the cut, as they go in search of a medal and that elusive major tournament win. An Olympian from Tokyo in 2021, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, and Erik van Rooyen, who will make his Games debut, tee off this morning at Le Golf National outside Paris as the duo bid for another medal or two for Team South Africa. It will not be as one of the favourites, though, as that title belongs to world No 1 Scottie Scheffler of the United States, and his compatriot Xander Schauffele, who won The Open at Royal Troon recently. Schauffele is also the defending Olympic champion after winning in Tokyo…