Innholdsfortegnelse for 2024-11-05 i Mercury

The DA is deeply concerned by recent reports of an international hacker group by the name of N4aughtysecGroup, which has threatened to release SASSA data obtained via vulnerable backend access within the social grant system. Claiming to have previously stolen R175 million from SASSA, taking money from poor and vulnerable citizens, it once again highlights that fraud and corruption is not a “myth nor propaganda” as purported by the ANC in the recent parliamentary debate regarding ongoing fraud and corruption at the entity, but an issue the government must take seriously. Fraud and corruption are synonymous with SASSA. The quick design of systems such as the SRD R370 grant application and payment system is now catching up with them and costing the entity, taxpayers and vulnerable South Africans hundreds of…

America provides Israel with $10 billion worth of weapons a year. Israel uses the weapons for destructive purposes against the Palestinians and its neightbours. If America is serious about peace in the Middle East it should use the money to bring peace and welfare to all peoples in the region. It should revive the Middle East Peace talks by inviting the Palestinians and Israelis for Peace Talks in the White House in Washington. We should not forget that wrath is cruel and anger is outrageous. Former American President Thomas Jefferson said: “when angry, count ten before you speak, if very angry count hundred.” We should not forget despite all the wars and killings in the world today, still the brotherhood of man is a present possibility. New…

Muzi Xaba, a tech entrepreneur from uMlazi, has launched an innovative new app, ThunaPoint, that aims to tackle a unique challenge faced by many families of locating grave sites of loved ones and managing details for future memorials. The app, named after the isiZulu word “thuna” meaning “grave,” combines GPS technology with mobile convenience to help families keep track of important burial details in a reliable, accessible way. ThunaPoint is already gaining traction across South Africa and Xaba recently left his corporate role to focus on the venture full-time. He added that he was confident that it will resonate with users worldwide. “The idea for ThunaPoint came about during an experience my own family had. After some years had passed since the funeral, we returned to find the grave was…

Police are probing the death of alleged underworld kingpin Mark Lifman, who was gunned down in a hail of bullets at a shopping mall in George in the Western Cape on Sunday. Murder accused Lifman, 57, was at the centre of a mammoth High Court trial and underworld clashes. According to a source of The Mercury’s sister newspaper, Cape Argus, the hitmen were armed with assault rifles and opened fire in broad daylight as Lifman walked through the Garden Route Mall parking lot to his Ford Ranger bakkie. “They were driving a white VW Golf with cloned number plates. He was walking and they went towards him and shot about five shots. He died on the scene.” One of Lifman’s closest friends, Jerome ‘Donkie’ Booysen, was emotional as the news…

One man was killed, and houses and a hospital were damaged as storms lashed the uMgungundlovu District Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands over the past two days. Heavy rains, strong winds and hail on Sunday left multiple wards within Pietermaritzburg and surrounding areas severely impacted, with significant damage to infrastructure and homes. A man died yesterday after he was struck by lightning in Ward 5 of Mooi-Mpofana Local Municipality. Sifiso James Mkhize, 37, lost his life, while three family members, including an infant, were critically injured. Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC, Thulasizwe Buthelezi, expressed his condolences to the Mkhize family. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Mkhize family during this difficult time. We also wish a swift and full recovery to the three individuals injured.” The MEC…

The UK’s battle-scarred Conservatives elected “anti-woke” candidate Kemi Badenoch as its new head at the weekend, making her the first black leader of a major UK party. The combative former equalities minister replaces Rishi Sunak and now faces the daunting task of reuniting a divided and weakened party emphatically ousted from power in July after 14 years in charge. Badenoch, 44, came out on top in the two-horse race with former immigration minister Robert Jenrick, winning 57 percent of the votes of party members. She said it was an “enormous honour” to assume the role, but that “the task that stands before us is tough.” “We have to be honest about the fact we made mistakes” and “let standards slip,” said Badenoch. “It is time to get down to business,…

Botswana’s new government will have to hit the ground running after booting out a party in power for six decades, due to a tidal wave of supporters demanding change, analysts say. Lawyer Duma Boko was sworn in on Friday, two days after a landslide win in general elections. Boko’s left-leaning Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) took 36 seats in the parliament, five more than needed for a majority, according to a tally. The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), which had held a firm grip on power since independence from Britain in 1966, took six, its lowest score. The UDC’s goals include creating up to 500 000 jobs and building 100 000 houses in five years, cutting water and electricity tariffs by 30% and introducing health insurance. Boko, 54, said he wanted…

CAIRO: As the countdown is ticking for the 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE), participating Egyptian businesses are gearing up, hoping to find opportunities in the expansive Chinese market. Among the Egyptian firms heading to this year’s CIIE in Shanghai on November 5-10, is Linah Farms, a leading producer of Medjool dates in Egypt and the Middle East. The company has started shipping dates to China, exporting over 150 tons last year, and aspiring to expand its presence in this vast Asian market. Another Egyptian company attending is the Egyptian Swiss Group, which aims to export wheat flour, pasta and tomato paste to China. | Xinhua…

ANKARA: Türkiye’s annual inflation rate fell less than expected to 48.6% in October, official data showed yesterday, as officials strive to bring down soaring consumer prices. Inflation had slowed to 49.4% in September, also less than expected. Türkiye’s central bank began to raise interest rates last year to battle soaring prices, after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dropped his opposition to orthodox monetary policy. In September, the central bank kept its main interest rate stable at 50% for a sixth consecutive month. Consumer prices rose by 2.9% on a monthly basis in October, according to figures from the TUIK statistics office. | AFP…

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou has underscored his unwavering focus as his side continues to navigate a competitive Premier League season. Following a dominant 4-1 victory against Aston Villa, Postecoglou stated he remains undeterred by the league table, emphasising the importance of taking each game as it comes. The match, held on Sunday, showcased the resilience of Spurs, who battled back from an early setback. Two second-half goals from new signing Dominic Solanke, combined with a stunning free kick from James Maddison, allowed the home side to dismantle a Villa team that had enjoyed a seven-match unbeaten streak in the league and was sitting in sixth place. After the victory, Spurs climbed to seventh in the league table with a total of 16 points, just two adrift of their…

Ten things worthy of chasing…. Education — few people regret years spent on formal education, while many regret ignoring or not having the opportunity for it. It’s worth pursuing. Saving and planning in order to be debt free — few people regret saving and having a nest-egg. Many regret not saving from a very young age. Opportunities to empower others — little is as empowering as empowering others and being a “booster rocket” for another’s success. Regrets are plentiful when speaking to those who held on too long and thought promoting others would result in losses. Challenging literature — provides growth and new horizons for the adventurous reader. Art of any form — art enlightens. It’s a rather odd and hard few who refuse to appreciate works of beauty.…

I am shocked upon witnessing that the despicable actions of the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) are allowed to continue for more than a year! Please understand me, the atrocities perpetrated on 7 October 2023 by Hamas are undoubtedly, unacceptable, period! But as the UN's Secretary-General, António Guterres indicated, there was a context for the actions of Hamas. The 1100+ Israelis killed on 7 October are nothing in comparison with the number of Palestinians killed by the IDF before this day; and which is completely ignored. Between 1987 and 1993, a total of 1500 Palestinians were killed. Between 2000 and 2005, 3200 to 3500 were killed. Comparable to 7 October 2023, over three weeks between December 2008 and January 2009 during the IDF’s Operation Cast Lead, 1417 Palestinians were killed! And…

Soccer is a leading sport in South Africa and elsewhere. It is also a multi-million, if not billion-rand, business. Kaizer Motaung, Irvin Khoza and Jomo Sono have made money out of it because they treated it like a business. That said, Khoza is a shrewd administrator and excellent negotiator. As the Orlando Pirates chairperson, he has taken the team to high levels. Pirates is now a brand and an institution. Every player wants to play for the above soccer team. Pirates is one of the oldest soccer teams with a rich history. It has produced the likes of Kaizer Motaung, Jomo Sono and Tebogo Moloi. It is also one of the richest teams in South Africa, if not Africa, and enjoys a large following. A few years ago, Khoza and…

The Auditor-General has made significant strides in financial accountability, saving taxpayers an impressive R3.47 billion for the 2023/2024 fiscal year. This achievement comes in the context of auditing a staggering R3.7 trillion government budget, underscoring the A-G’s vital role in enhancing public sector oversight, as highlighted during a recent briefing to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Auditor General. A-G Tsakani Maluleke, who led the briefing, shared that the A-G successfully recovered R1.55 billion in financial losses, with an additional R1.14bn still in the recovery process. Furthermore, the agency's proactive measures prevented an estimated R780 million in potential financial losses across various government departments, municipalities, and entities. In her report, Maluleke outlined the concerning findings from her latest audits, revealing the identification of 626 cases of Misappropriated Expenditure (MIs). An…

The ANC has reaffirmed its position that it is committed to President Cyril Ramaphosa and other principals in the Presidency being held accountable in Parliament. This comes as the party has taken a definitive stand regarding accountability within the Presidency, bolstering its support for Ramaphosa and committing to ensuring that all officials in the executive are held answerable. ANC Chief Whip Mdumiseni Ntuli expressed the party’s stance in Parliament, asserting that existing oversight mechanisms are sufficient to maintain accountability without the need for an additional committee. Ntuli stated that all departments operating under the president’s office are subject to scrutiny through various parliamentary structures. This includes the portfolio committee on planning, monitoring and evaluation, which oversees not only the presidency but also entities like Statistics South Africa and the Department…

THE deprivation of liberty is a serious infringement on a person's rights. The emotional distress and reputational harm caused by wrongful detention and malicious prosecution justify significant compensation, but the award must also be fair and balanced. This is according to an acting judge, who ordered the ministry of police and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to pay nearly R4 million in damages to a man who was incarcerated for 523 days in prison on unsubstantiated charges. Acting Judge LM Morgan, sitting in the North West Province High Court in Mafikeng, said: “The principles of law require that the quantum of damages reflects the actual harm suffered while avoiding excessive awards that place an undue burden on the public purse.” Tshepiso Motsose initially turned to court after he was arrested…

The tragic and unnecessary deaths of children after they ate contaminated food have reached a critical juncture. An urgent commission of inquiry is a necessity. If we do not act, we risk signalling to future generations that poor black children’s lives are expendable and the authorities are indifferent to the plight of the vulnerable. Recent events underscore the gravity of the crisis. In KwaZulu-Natal, 43 pupils fell ill at Ngaqa Primary School in Mtubatuba after consuming snacks from vendors. On the KZN South Coast, three children succumbed to suspected food poisoning, although tests are still being conducted. Gauteng has reported 207 cases affecting children since February, culminating in 16 preventable deaths. This is a symptom of a broken system neglecting its responsibility to protect the most vulnerable among us.…

China’s top lawmakers gathered yesterday to hash out a major stimulus package that analysts say could grow even bigger if former US president Donald Trump wins the White House this week. Beijing has in recent months heeded calls to step up support for the economy after years of inaction, announcing a raft of measures including rate cuts and the easing of some home buying restrictions. But they have refrained from unveiling a figure for the long-awaited stimulus, disappointing investors after a market rally fizzled when officials repeatedly failed to commit to a top line. Analysts now hope this number could emerge from this week’s meeting of the Standing Committee of National People’s Congress, the top body of China’s rubber stamp parliament headed by number three official Zhao Leji. Nomura economists…

SEOUL: The head of AI computing giant Nvidia asked South Korea’s SK hynix to speed up delivery of newer, more advanced HBM4 chips by six months, the head of SK Group said yesterday. Nvidia’s chief executive officer, Jensen Huang, made the request amid a global shortage of crucial advanced chips, which SK has pledged to work on with fellow market leader TSMC of Taiwan. SK hynix, the world’s second-largest memory chip maker, is racing to meet demand for the HBM chips that are used to process vast amounts of data to train AI, including from Nvidia, which dominates the market. “The current pace of HBM memory technology development and product launches is impressive, but AI still requires higher-performance memory,” said Huang at an AI summit in Seoul. |…

TOKYO: The Japanese government is unlikely to present its planned cybersecurity bill by the end of this year due to political uncertainties following the recent general election, government sources have said. Initially intended for the autumn parliamentary session, the proposed bill aimed to enhance Japan’s cybersecurity by introducing “active cyber defence” measures, including monitoring and disrupting potential cyber threats. Despite an expert panel issuing an interim report on strengthening cybersecurity in August, progress stalled when former prime minister Fumio Kishida decided not to seek re-election within the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). | Xinhua…

Altron’s share price continued an inexorable climb upwards yesterday after it lifted headline earnings per share of ongoing operations by over 100% to 79 cents for the six months to August 31. The 59-year-old JSE-listed information and technology systems group yesterday reported strong growth in profitability, primarily driven by the performance of the Platforms segment. The interim dividend increased 60% to 40 cents a share. Altron’s share price was last seen up by 2.76% at R18.62 on the JSE yesterday afternoon, 127% higher than the price it was trading at the same time last year. CEO Werner Kapp said the leverage in their platform businesses led to “excellent segmental performance as we continued to add scale. Our customer-centric focus and higher margin annuity revenue mix, are laying a strong foundation…

NOVEMBER 5 - It’s election day in the US, a contest so close that nobody can predict the outcome, let alone the consequences. If Donald Trump wins, will he really turn his back on the West and withdraw from NATO, as some of his critics suggest? If he loses, will we see a repeat – or worse – of last time when his supporters stormed the Capitol, some of them toting a portable gallows for the outgoing Vice President who was not playing along with things? If Kamala Harris wins, … er, well, what? Much the same as before, presumably, though perhaps with an emphasis on women’s issues. But the commentators are pretty well unanimous. This will be an election as never before. None of them seems to have commented…

The connotations around the word activist are usually negative. The word ‘climate activist’ conjures up images of young college students throwing cans of soup at expensive artworks, storming the stage at a concert or fashion show, or flashing their bare chests to get the point across. I mean, have you watched a Greta Thunberg speech? And now there are the Pro Palestine activists—a kefia wearing, flag-toting bunch who block freeways, set themselves alight, throw red paint around and carry fake dead babies. Yes. The optics around activists aren’t the most encouraging, and they are viewed by the rest of the world as a group of individuals who, for some reason, feel way more strongly, beyond all sense of rationality, about things. Yes, sure, the world is burning up. Sure, thousands…

The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal yesterday said while it was confident that the government of provincial unity (GPU) would not collapse, it took aim at its coalition partners the DA and the IFP, saying the relationship would always warrant evaluation. The ANC, IFP, DA and National Freedom Party (NFP) formed the GPU after the May 29 national and provincial elections when the Jacob Zuma-led MK Party obtained the majority vote in the province. The ANC’s provincial chairperson Siboniso Duma said while the parties had a good relationship at a provincial level, there were concerns as the DA had refused to support the removal of the embattled KwaDukuza Local Municipality mayor Lindile Nhaca. Duma also said that the party had taken exception to comments made by senior IFP leader and MEC for…

The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) is warning citizens about fake WhatsApp messages being sent about the Social Relief of Distress grant. Sassa said people should be aware of fake messages that included Sassa one-time pins (OTP) being sent via WhatsApp. Sassa said it did not send OTP for the Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress grant via WhatsApp. If people received a message like that, it was probably a scam. Sassa said people needed to be vigilant and avoid sharing their personal information. Last week, Sassa revealed the grant payment dates for November: Older person’s grants: today Disability grants: tomorrow Children’s grants: Thursday. Sassa said there was no need to rush to withdraw the cash, because once the money was in the account, it would remain there until needed.…

EThekwini Municipality is grappling with a staggering consumer debt crisis, with the debt now standing at R34 billion despite interventions made including offering indebted customers the option to participate in debt relief programmes. Recent documents reveal that municipal debt has risen by R7.3 billion between September last year and September 2024. The figures are contained in the City's debt collection report for September, which was tabled at a meeting of the executive committee recently. Opposition parties have challenged the municipality to focus on collecting this amount, saying this would make the City “wealthy” and be able to finance all its operations without needing to borrow. In July 2024, The Mercury reported that the municipality was owed R32 billion. The latest report presented to the executive committee last week noted that…

THE recent oversight visit by the Deputy Minister of Transport, Mkhuleko Hlengwa to the South African International Maritime Institute (SAIMI) was a significant milestone, affirming the strong partnerships we are cultivating with government and industry alike. This visit, which took place as part of the October Transport Month (OTM) programme, provided an opportunity to highlight the work of SAIMI and the contributions to the broader maritime sector. Among the highlights were the development of the Maritime Transport Skills Audit, the impact study of the Pilot Boat and Yacht Building Project, the SME Marine Manufacturing initiative at eNtsa as well as the Marine Robotics development at eNtsa, which are essential in driving maritime skills development and innovation. These projects represent the tangible progress being made in positioning South Africa as…

The Israeli military said yesterday that it had killed a top Hezbollah commander it accused of overseeing rocket and anti-tank missile attacks against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon. Abu Ali Rida, the Hezbollah commander of the Baraachit area in southern Lebanon, was “eliminated” in an air strike, the military said. Rida “was responsible for planning and executing rocket and anti-tank missile attacks on Israeli Defence Forces (military) troops and oversaw the terrorist activities of Hezbollah operatives in the area”, the military said in a statement. Israel has continued to pound Hezbollah targets in Lebanon since the war between the two sides broke out in late September. In recent weeks, Israel has killed several of the movement’s militant commanders and top leaders, including former chief Hassan Nasrallah. The war began after…

Bitter rivals Kamala Harris and Donald Trump embarked on a final frenzied campaign blitz yesterday, with both hitting must-win Pennsylvania on the last day of the tightest and most volatile US presidential election in memory. Republican Trump has promised a “landslide” as he seeks a sensational return to the White House, while Democrat Harris said the “momentum” was on the side of her bid to be America’s first woman president. But the polls suggest a total deadlock in surveys nationally and in the seven swing states where the result is expected to be decided. Harris was to spend the whole day campaigning in Pennsylvania. Trump was to travel to North Carolina, Pennsylvania and then Michigan. Pennsylvania is the single biggest swing state prize under the US Electoral College system, which…

TEHRAN: Hossein Salami, chief commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), has said US policies are to blame for the terrorism and divisions in the Muslim world. Salami made the remarks at a rally over the weekend to mark the 45th anniversary of the former US embassy takeover in Tehran and the National Day of the Fight against Global Arrogance, also known as National Student Day. The IRGC chief commander stressed that the “phenomenon of Takfiri (extremist) terrorism and bloody divisions in the Muslim world” were all outcomes of US policies and that the US was the source of all “crimes, massacres and occupations” in the world. | Xinhua…

BEIJING: Amid growing competition in artificial intelligence (AI) development, experts attending the 2024 Beijing Forum have emphasised the need to enhance the collaboration between China and the US in the field of AI. The two countries are among the leading developers in AI, with top-notch AI labs and extensive language models surpassing other global counterparts, said Graham Webster, a research scholar at Stanford University, when attending a panel session of the forum. He said the two sides should maintain dialogue on AI risk and safety, and collaborate with a diverse global community, including scholars and various cultural perspectives. | Xinhua…