Innholdsfortegnelse for 2025-03-07 i Mercury

Someone asked me why I wrote only about aloes. Aren’t there other indigenous plants just as beautiful? Well, a while back I wrote about the gladioli being mowed down by the grass cutters on M13 – M1 intersection. Then I saw another host of gladioli growing at just above the M13 – Wyebank intersection. Grass cutters were there, too. But I managed to stop them from cutting them down. I also think someone from the Kloof Conservancy did some clearing up to allow the gladioli to grow. They would be a gorgeous sight in bloom. Besides the gladioli, there are other indigenous plants on the M13. At the Gillitts interchange and farther up at Hillcrest north interchange there are the wild tibouchina in their magnificent magenta colour. Off the M13,…

The recent severe flooding in KwaZulu-Natal has once again highlighted the eThekwini Municipality's gross negligence and failure to address critical infrastructure issues. The eThekwini Municipality must take immediate and decisive action to upgrade stormwater capacity, unblock drains, and relocate residents from floodplains to prevent further tragedies. We demand that the municipality implement comprehensive and sustainable solutions to address the ongoing flooding crisis. The following measures must be taken to prevent flooding and loss of life: ◆ Urgently upgrade stormwater infrastructure to handle heavy rainfall and prevent blockages. ◆ Implement a rigorous schedule for cleaning and maintaining drainage systems to ensure they remain unblocked. ◆ Relocate residents living in flood-prone areas to safer locations. ◆ Collaborate with private sector partners to leverage resources and expertise in addressing infrastructure challenges and improving…

Authorities have welcomed the two-year suspended sentence handed own to an arsonist held responsible for starting the devastating fire in Paarl, in the Western Cape last year. Rudolf Coxam, 42, was recently found guilty of charges relating to the Veld and Forestry Fire Act and sentenced in the Paarl Magistrates’ Court. His sentence was suspended for five years on condition he was not convicted of a similar crime during the period of suspension. Coxam was arrested a day after the November 30 fire which caused damage to 123 hectares of vegetation. Law enforcement officials received a tip-off that Coxam had illegally made a fire on Paarl Mountain. “It is simply unacceptable that people show such disregard for their environment and their fellow citizens,” said Drakenstein Municipality mayor Stephen Korabie. “In…

Durban is seeing a surge in cases of pink eye, with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health confirming 209 reported infections. Most of these cases are in eThekwini, the department said. MEC for Health Nomagugu Simelane urged residents to take preventive measures, warning that last year there were 9 000 cases around this time of year. Pink eye, also known as viral conjunctivitis, is a contagious infection that spreads through direct contact with infected individuals or contaminated surfaces. The MEC emphasised the importance of hygiene in preventing the spread of the infection. “It is very important to wash your hands and don’t touch your eyes with unclean hands,” she advised. “We also remind people to not share pillows, and those who use make-up should not share eyeliners and other eye make-up…

China’s efforts align with the aspirations of many developing countries AS A journalist from South Africa who has closely followed international affairs for many years, I am acutely aware of how difficult it can be to safeguard peace and promote global development. From the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and other security challenges worldwide, to the economic and social issues facing numerous developing countries, the global call for “peace and development” is growing louder than ever. At this critical juncture, China’s sense of responsibility as a major power – manifested in the proposals and initiatives it has put forth on several international hot spots – has increasingly drawn global attention. It also provides African journalists like myself with a broader lens through which to view the shifting geopolitical landscape. From the…

Fifteen people were injured in South Korea yesterday after bombs dropped by fighter jets landed in a civilian district, damaging houses and a church during military exercises in Pocheon, the Air Force and the fire agency said. The fire agency said in a statement that 15 people were wounded, including two who were seriously hurt. Pocheon is about 40km north-east of Seoul, near the heavily militarised border with North Korea. South Korea’s Air Force said eight 225kg Mk82 bombs from two KF-16 jets fell outside the shooting range during joint live-fire exercises. “We are sorry for the damage caused by the abnormal drop accident, and we wish the injured a speedy recovery,” the Air Force said in a statement. The accident was due to a pilot entering incorrect co-ordinates, said…

PARIS: France is offering intelligence to Ukraine, Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said yesterday, a day after Washington said it was suspending intelligence sharing with Kyiv, an effort to step up pressure on Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The US is pushing for Zelenskiy to co-operate with President Donald Trump’s bid to convene peace talks with Russia. “We have intelligence resources that we use to help the Ukrainians,” Lecornu told said. “It has been suspended since yesterday afternoon,” he added, referring to US intelligence-sharing with Ukraine.” Lecornu also said France’s nuclear weapons stockpile, developed in the early days of the Cold War and designed to be independent from the then-dominant powers Washington and Moscow, was sufficient. | Reuters…

I learnt pretty early on, that controlling the blue properties in Monopoly – although prestigious – was not the best strategy, and that rather the brown and light blue squares was where the money was at. After swooping up those properties, “manipulating” the game became rather easy, especially when in control of the bank, and with trusting siblings across the table. Monopoly aficionados will tell you that, in fact, the best properties to control on the board are the orange and red squares; and then realising that the most likely roll of the dice is statistically between six and eight. Buying subsequent properties should, therefore, be spaced out in that fashion for maximum control. Monopoly, the great family divider, the friendship breaker, the grudge machine of our generation but also,…

I run into common needs and desires in all the cultures I meet. While I cannot claim knowledge of all cultures everywhere – no one could possibly make such a claim – these themes seem to be universal: A desire for the affirmation of parents. Men and women in their eighties have cried on my shoulder about having never heard, “I love you,” or “I am proud of you,” from a parent. A desire for relationships that are reciprocal. “I wish my friends would work as hard at our friendships as I do”, is said in every time zone. A deep desire for recognition lives in most of us. “I want my words to be read, my thoughts to be understood, and for people to know I cared”, is a…

OH BOY, dare we speculate? After last week’s Sharks debacle against the Lions, does this mean anything can happen when the same two sides meet again tomorrow at King’s Park? What if there’s another shower of rain to confuse our fellows? As a colleague puts it, “I haven’t seen rugby this bad since Glenwood got walloped by Affies in 2008, and the attractive young ladies watching all looked to me like men. The score was 55-0 and I had to get drunk just to look at the girls. Oh, it was a shameful day!” But this is a Glenwood perspective. Let’s be positive. Confusion cannot follow the confusion of last week. The guys will be straining at the leash for revenge. Their forcefulness is augmented. The same thing cannot happen…

THE SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) in KwaZulu-Natal has dismissed the claim that 19 000 teaching posts are on the line, saying the pronouncement is being made to pressure the public into accepting a VAT increase. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana recently highlighted the financial strain on critical public services, including education. “We have had challenges in funding frontline services, health, education, and so on,” he said during a press briefing last month. He also noted a broader financial crisis across government departments, stating, “As we speak, there is the threat of losing 19 000 teachers in KZN.” The financial strain has been exacerbated by the rejection of a proposed 2% VAT increase by political parties that make up the Government of National Unity (GNU) last month. Sadtu in KZN has…

POLICE have hitched their hopes on private sector funds to hire contract employees to make a dent in the staggering backlog of 1.9 million case dockets within the SAPS. Police Minister Senzo Mchunu said the backlog would take two years to clear as SAPS moves to seek funds from the private sector for contract employees, such as retired detectives. “We note the under capacity as we speak and therefore we are to ensure the 4 500 new intakes as a starting point,” he said. Mchunu was responding to MK Party MP David Skosana during the oral question session in the National Assembly this week on measures being taken to fill the detective vacancies and steps the SAPS has taken to resolve the backlog of unresolved cases. “There are 1.9 million…

With close to 4 000 people being bitten by snakes in South Africa every year, concerns are being raised about the lack of antivenin at local hospitals. The problem does not only affect snake bite victims in South Africa but extends to other countries on the African continent that South Africa supplies stock to including Senegal and Ghana. Johan Marais, of the African Snakebite Institute, said people living in mostly rural and outer-lying areas are most at risk. Marais said of the 4 000 snake bites reported annually, 12 to 24 people die while others often face loss of fingers, feet and hands, or serious tissue damage. “The shortage has been an issue for the last three years. There have been various excuses given about why there is a shortage…

KwaZulu-Natal remains the hardest hit province when it comes to rhino poaching, with 232 rhinos poached in the province last year. This is according to statistics released by Environment Minister Dion George yesterday. He said 420 rhinos were poached in South Africa, with 320 being killed on state properties and 100 on privately owned parks, reserves or farms. This was a decrease (of 79) from the 499 rhinos poached in 2023. Speaking on the KZN statistics, George said the number of rhinos poached last year was significantly lower than the 325 that were lost in 2023. He said the reduction can largely be attributed to the Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Dehorning Programme, that was implemented in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park in northern KZN from April to October 2024. He said the World…

Scania Southern Africa has inaugurated its new Regional Product Centre (RPC) in Johannesburg, marking a significant milestone in the company's operations in the region. This development follows the relocation of its head office to Constantia Kloof, Johannesburg, a year ago, and coincides with the 30th anniversary of Scania's presence in South Africa. The new RPC represents a substantial investment aimed at improving service efficiency and streamlining product distribution. It is designed to enhance support for customers by providing high-quality transport solutions tailored to the Southern African market. “We are thrilled to inaugurate our new RPC, which will play a key role in supporting our customers and reinforcing our strong presence in Southern Africa,” said Christian Håkansson, RPC Manager at Scania South Africa. “As we celebrate 30 years in South Africa,…

TWO years have passed since the tragic day of the train collision on February 28, 2023, in the Tempe Valley near the village of Evangelismos, located in the prefecture of Larissa, north-east of its capital of the same name, and which is 129km from Greece's second largest city, Thessaloniki. The result of this dramatic event, often called the "tragedy in Tempe" or "Tempe crime", was 57 deaths and at least 85 injuries, 25 of them very serious. It is the deadliest railway accident to have occurred in Greece. Specifically, a passenger train of the Hellenic Train company, a member of the Italian state-owned company Ferrovie Dello Stato Italiane, heading from Athens to Thessaloniki and carrying more than 350 passengers, collided head-on at 11.21pm with a commercial train of the same…

BANGKOK: Hundreds of Chinese nationals freed from Myanmar online scam centres flew home through Thailand yesterday, as the kingdom said it aimed to repatriate 1 500 such workers a week. Thailand, Myanmar and China have been making efforts in recent weeks to clear out illegal cyberscam compounds on the Thai-Myanmar border where thousands of foreigners – mostly Chinese nationals – have been working. Under pressure from key ally Beijing, Myanmar has cracked down on some of the compounds, freeing around 7 000 workers from more than two dozen countries. Around 600 Chinese nationals were returned from Myanmar through Thailand two weeks ago. Many workers say they were lured or tricked into taking the work -- defrauding strangers online with investment, romance and gambling scams. | AFP…

Offshore fishing along the KZN coastline has been anything, but easy this week, with a combination of heavy rainfall and rough seas making it tough for anglers. These challenging conditions have tested the patience of even the most seasoned fishermen, as unpredictable weather and choppy waters have made it difficult to find ideal spots for a successful catch. For anglers hoping for a productive week of offshore fishing, it has been a struggle. Persistent rain and strong winds have created choppy seas, making it hard to maintain consistency on the water. Boats have had to navigate through large swells and gusty winds, complicating efforts to fish effectively. Moreover, the rain has caused the waters to become turbid, significantly reducing visibility. This has made it harder for anglers to locate fish,…

It is regrettable that The Mercury (March 5) embraces the ANC’s narrative that the actions of AfriForum and Solidariteit are harming the country’s image by disseminating misinformation about non-racialism. What is misinformation is that race-based laws ended in 1994. AfriForum and Solidariteit’s mission to the US was not only to correct that perception but to quantify the extent to which racial demographics are applied in every which way – 142 regulatory instances as research has revealed. For too long that reality has been ignored as world opinion continued to regard the ANC as worthy stewards of what is seen as post-apartheid South Africa. But that image has now come under scrutiny since the Trump administration, rightly, is checking on the requirements to qualify for membership of AGOA (African Growth and…

THE country recently experienced above normal rainfall in most parts. The Department of Water and Sanitation has welcomed this as the rains have replenished and drastically improved dam levels. This is, however, a bittersweet occurrence to us as South Africans as we have witnessed the catastrophic results brought about by these heavy rains in some parts of the country. In KwaZulu-Natal, rivers through communities overflowed and caused flash floods that resulted in widespread destruction of properties and fatalities. In some communities, poor water drainage systems do not adequately channel water to alleviate the high water levels during flash floods. These municipal infrastructure failures have also contributed to the devastation brought about by the heavy downpours in most parts the country. The most affected provinces with regard to structural damage of…

The eThekwini Municipality will have to fork out millions of rand after it lost its bid to overturn a court ruling that found it liable to pay a company the sum of R30 million related to contracts cancelled years ago. Following the Supreme Court of Appeal’s (SCA) recent dismissal of its special leave to appeal application, the City may have to pay out around R30m, plus interest, to Daily Double Trading 479 CC, trading as Pholobas Projects. A document seen by The Mercury suggests that the final amount, including interest, could be around R50m. According to the SCA order, the municipality’s application was dismissed with costs, effectively upholding the Durban High Court’s judgment. The Mercury has previously reported that the matter dates back several years and came about after the…

Four men have been arrested for money laundering and fraud in connection with a bank fraud incident in which the victim was duped into believing that he was receiving assistance with his banking profile. The Limpopo provincial Commercial Crime Unit arrested four men, aged between 28 and 43, for the fraud and money laundering amounting to R767 400. Police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said the arrests were carried out in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, this week. “In October 2022, the victim received a phone call from an individual posing as a representative of a banking institution in Giyani, offering assistance with his banking profile. The victim later discovered that a total of R767 400 had been fraudulently transferred from his account and immediately withdrawn,” said Ledwaba. Investigations revealed that the stolen funds…

SEVERAL provinces including Gauteng, Western Cape, Limpopo and the Free State are set to lose hundreds of millions of rand which was allocated by the National Treasury to build houses, upgrade informal settlements and improve education infrastructure due to non-expenditure. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced this week that Gauteng will lose R300 million in the Human Settlement development grant (HSDG) while the Western Cape’s R200m allocation will also be stopped. The Free State is set to lose R50 million. In the Informal Settlement upgrading partnership grant (ISUPG), allocations of R150m and R100m to Gauteng and the Western Cape, respectively, will be stopped. Godongwana said both decisions followed a revised allocation by the National Department of Human Settlements. Limpopo is set to lose almost R188m from its education infrastructure grant (EIG)…

KwaZulu-Natal’s political leadership, along with co-ordinating departments, must cultivate a culture of accountability, enforce effective consequences for violations and strengthen governance structures as well as ensure timely implementation of action plans. This was the recommendation to the KZN legislature by the Auditor General of South Africa, Tsakani Maluleke who led a briefing on the 2023/2024 local government audit outcomes, yesterday. The auditor general found that audit outcomes are gradually improving, yet a lack of accountability and poor financial management continued to impede service delivery. In terms of the province’s only metro, the auditor general found that eThekwini Municipality’s latest debt collection report revealed a staggering R32 billion in outstanding debt. “A task team from the National Treasury was deployed at eThekwini to assist the Metro with the necessary monitoring and…

The first investigating officer who investigated the disappearance of Joshlin Smith testified yesterday that blood-stained items were found in the shack where the 6-year-old child stayed with her mother Kelly Smith. Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn, are on trial for kidnapping and trafficking in persons in connection with Joshlin’s disappearance. Sergeant Meyer Milstein, from the Vredeburg Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit, interviewed Smith at her home and also met Appollis. “I learnt the boyfriend had been the last person to see Joshlin as the mother left her in his care,” he said. “We searched the residence and the biology dog identified a pillowcase and a bed sheet… it had stains that resembled blood. Upon further investigation, I also discovered a child-sized pink flip…

“Eish” would’ve been the word many South Africans may have used after the Proteas cricket team lost yet another International Cricket Council (ICC) playoff match on Wednesday night. Or probably something much stronger … It’s the hope that kills you, a number of fans said afterwards on social media as they expressed their disappointment with the Proteas losing by 50 runs to New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final in Lahore. At least this time, that dreaded "C word", choke, can’t be used as the South Africans started the match on the back foot in their bowling innings. New Zealand’s batters smashed them all around the Gaddafi Stadium, with two centurions in Rachin Ravindra and the legendary Kane Williamson as they amassed an imposing 362/6 in their 50 overs.…

US President Donald Trump this week threatened further destruction of Gaza if all remaining hostages are not released, and issued an ultimatum to Hamas leaders to flee. Strongly backing Israel as a ceasefire teeters, Trump said he was “sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job” as his administration expedites billions of dollars in weapons. “Release all of the Hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is OVER for you,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform after meeting freed hostages. “This is your last warning! For the leadership, now is the time to leave Gaza, while you still have a chance.” Trump also made clear there would be repercussions for Gaza as a whole, where virtually…

SANAA: Four people, including a child, were killed in a landmine explosion in Yemen’s western province of Hodeidah, said local medics yesterday. The explosion occurred Wednesday evening in the Ad Durayhimi district, south of the province, when the victims were walking along a roadside near the shore, one of the medics said, adding that one victim died later at the hospital. Hodeidah, vital for the flow of food and humanitarian aid into the war-torn country, has been under a UN-brokered ceasefire since December 2018. However, the province has since witnessed dozens of similar incidents caused by landmines and unexploded ordnance left from previous battles. The UN Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement reported 41 deaths caused by mines. | Xinhua…

Sharks assistant coach Joey Mongalo will never forget his 40th birthday because the party-pooping Lions ruined his day. It was the corresponding fixture to Saturday’s United Rugby Championship match between the Lions and Sharks in Durban last year, and the Sharks started the game strongly – much like how the Lions shot out of the blocks in last week’s game at Ellis Park – but the second half was a different story. “I won’t forget that game in a hurry,” Mongalo said ruefully. “It was on my birthday, the January 6, and we led 18-3 at half-time, but the Lions spoiled it in that last quarter to win at the end, 20-18. It was a bitter pill to swallow.” As redoubtable as the Lions are, the Sharks were also guilty…