Innholdsfortegnelse for 2025-07-03 i Mercury

The Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) has poured cold water on a report by advocacy group Open Secrets, which accuses consultancy firms and their intertwined relationships with business interests of systematically looting funds allocated for South Africa's Just Energy Transition (JET). The report, titled The Climate Consultants; How management consultants cash in on the climate crises, outlines serious allegations regarding the influence of private sector technocrats on government climate policy, while simultaneously consulting for fossil fuel companies implicated in worsening the climate crisis. The report describes how much of South Africa’s Just Energy Transition (JET) plan is being financed by a $12.8 billion pledge from France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the European Union. Most of the money so far provided is in the form of concessional loans, which means it…

Officials cite ‘deal fatigue’ after Competition Tribunal scheduled a hearing too late Sun International’s R7.3 billion acquisition of Peermont has been terminated after the Competition Tribunal scheduled a long-awaited hearing too late for the deal to legally proceed, while “deal fatigue” had set in among the parties. In an extraordinary event, the Competition Tribunal had scheduled hearings for the Sun International and Peermont deal to be heard on October 2, 2025. The Competition Tribunal is a condition precedent to the transaction, which currently has a longstop date of September 15, 2025. “Accordingly, as the hearing date is after the regulatory longstop date, the parties have mutually agreed to the immediate termination of the Proposed Transaction,” Sun International said. However, the Competition Commission denied it was the cause of delays in…

The World Shipping Council (WSC) Container Lost at Sea 2025 report indicated that 576 containers were lost at sea in 2024, which is an increase from 221 containers lost in 2023 but remains well below the 10-year average of 1,274 containers lost annually. The report also indicated that 200 containers were lost around the region of the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. A master mariner believes that even a small loss of containers is a concern for shipping lines. The report said that the figures underscore continued industry progress on safety and prevention. “Container losses in 2024 were influenced by ongoing disruption in the Red Sea region, which led to a significant shift in global trade routes. Vessel transits around the Cape of Good Hope increased by…

S&P Global Ratings has upgraded African Bank’s long-term global scale issuer credit rating to ‘B+’ from ‘B,’ with a stable outlook, and affirmed the short-term global scale rating at ‘B.’ - the only local bank to have its rating raised by the issuer, while the ratings of other banks were affirmed. S&P Global affirmed the ratings of Absa Bank, BNP Paribas Personal Finance South Africa, Capitec Bank, FirstRand Bank, Investec Bank, Nedbank, and the Development Bank of South Africa. “In our view, the South African banking system is now in an expansion phase,” S&P said on its website. On African Bank, S&P said the upgrade reflected the bank’s more supportive economic environment, coupled with strong capitalisation that partially compensated for its weak asset quality indicators. “We expect African Bank will…

siphesihle.buthelezi@inl.co.za The National Consumer Commission (NCC) has issued compliance notices to 45 suppliers across South Africa for contravening the Consumer Protection Act (CPA), following inspections that uncovered the sale of expired, spoiled, and mislabelled food products. The Commission said the action came after a series of inspections across the country. The suppliers included small supermarkets and bigger wholesalers. According to the NCC, the inspections revealed that suppliers were selling dairy products, meat, maize meal, eggs, snacks, biscuits, and noodles that were expired or had no expiry or best-before dates. “This violates Section 55(2) of the CPA, which guarantees consumers the right to safe, usable and good quality goods,” said NCC spokesperson Phetho Ntaba. “Date markings assist consumers in determining the shelf life and safety of the products before making any…

CONTINUED delays in securing legal representation for former Lieutenant General Christoffel Pierre “Joffel” van der Westhuizen, the man who allegedly authorised the murders of the four men known as the Cradock Four, are hampering the inquest into their deaths. Van der Westhuizen, now 83, was the commanding officer of the Eastern Province Command and a member of the Joint Management Committee, a structure of the State Security Council (SSC) at the time Fort Calata, Matthew Goniwe, Sparrow Mkhonto and Sicelo Mhlauli (known as the Cradock Four) were killed. Van der Westhuizen allegedly ordered the signal on 7 June 1985 to urgently “permanently remove” the Cradock Four “from society”. This was to be sent to the head of the Secretariat of the SSC. According to the Foundation for Human Rights, the…

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has petitioned the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) to hear its application for leave to appeal the Free State High Court’s ruling, which found that the extradition of Moroadi Cholota was not done lawfully and was not valid. The NPA’s decision to approach the SCA comes after the Free State High Court, Bloemfontein, turned down the State’s application for leave to appeal the earlier ruling. The petition, filed on Monday, comes after Judge Philip Loubser dismissed the NPA’s request for the judge to reserve questions of law under Section 319 of the Criminal Procedure Act. Cholota, the former personal assistant of former Free State premier Ace Magashule, was charged along with him and others in a R255-million asbestos case. The accused are facing a host…

The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has warned grant recipients to present themselves for the verification process it is conducting or risk their grants being suspended. The verification process is meant to ensure that grant beneficiaries are eligible. About 93 000 people in KwaZulu-Natal must present themselves for verification this financial year due to discrepancies uncovered by Sassa. The verification process has led to concerns, with reports of grant recipients allegedly not receiving their grants. Civic organisation Black Sash said it had received hundreds of complaints about the process. Sassa KZN spokesperson Sandy Godlwana said,, “In terms of Chapter 5 of the Social Assistance Act, Sassa is mandated to review social assistance and is empowered to suspend, increase, or decrease the amount of assistance provided, depending on the outcome…

The sharpened Springbok attack is attacking headlines, but flyhalf general Handre Pollard says the Boks will never deviate from their core DNA of physicality and set-piece dominance. Pollard has reassuring words for Bok purists who fear the World Cup-winners might get carried away with cavalier attack and forget their roots. “The core of our game will always be our physicality and being direct,” the veteran flyhalf said. “That is who we are as a team, and we will never shy away from that. Our set-piece dominance will always be key to every game we play, but if we can sprinkle a little something on our attack to take us to the next level, that is the goal. “We are not talking about massive, crazy changes on attack, just minor adjustments…

The 2025 Inter Club Leagues have arrived — and with them, the excitement and spirited competition that make the district leagues one of the most closely followed events on the PNB calendar. Kicking off this Saturday, clubs across the district will be hitting the road weekly in pursuit of glory: whether it’s to earn promotion, avoid relegation or simply make their mark on what promises to be a gripping season. In the men’s leagues, eight divisions will see clubs squaring off at different venues every week. First and second division clubs will be aiming to scoop a maximum of 17 points per round, while clubs in divisions three to eight can score up to 12 points. The women’s divisions will gather at a single venue per round, all with eyes…

The Government Pensions Administration Agency (GPAA) has responded to recent concerns surrounding a document that has raised eyebrows within the public domain. A week ago, the Public Service and Commercial Union of South Africa (PSCU) raised alarm over alleged financial mismanagement of pension funds amounting to more than R500 million at the GPAA. According to a preliminary internal audit report for the 2024/25 financial year, compiled by Abacwaningi Business Solution (ABS) Audit & Advisory Services, there are a number of key governance concerns at the GPAA, which the auditors have brought to the attention of management to ensure sound governance. The GPAA is a government component which reports to the Minister of Finance and administers funds and schemes on behalf of the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF), the largest pension…

There is a quiet war being waged across the globe. Not with guns or tanks, but with ideas, influence, and narratives. At its heart lies a question that should haunt any country born of struggle: who gets to tell our story, and on whose terms? South Africa, once a beacon of hope in a world riddled with racial injustice, stands today at a painful crossroads. Our democracy, though hard-won, has been hijacked by elite capture, economic exclusion, and the slow erasure of our liberation ideals. And in the realm of global discourse, we have surrendered our voice to the same Western machinery that once labelled our freedom fighters terrorists. It is in this context that the message of BRICS, and particularly the recent "Legacy of Hope" initiative, must be understood.…

When I wrote about the 2024 Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) last year, it felt like the world of startups was holding its breath, hopeful, but cautious. We were all waiting to see what would come next. Now, here we are in 2025, and that moment of pause is well and truly over. The startup world has exhaled and taken off in a full sprint, straight into the AI era. This year, the newly released GSER 2025, now in its 13th edition, hits a different note entirely. It doesn’t just take stock of where we are, it challenges us to rethink where we’re going. With insights drawn from over 5 million startups across more than 350 ecosystems, this year’s report is, more than anything, a bold invitation to act. Each…

Hong Kong is expected to lead the world in initial public offering (IPO) financing this year despite uncertainty from geopolitical tensions and trade tariffs, accountancy giant PwC said on Wednesday. The Chinese financial hub's capital market has rebounded strongly this year, with dozens of Chinese companies piling into the city to raise overseas capital despite regulatory pressure from Beijing and uncertainty over its national security laws. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) said its statistics suggest nearly 100 companies will raise at least HK$200 billion (R450bn) in Hong Kong this year. It said Hong Kong's IPO wave has benefited largely from policy support from the Chinese government and optimised listing rules by Hong Kong regulators that include streamlining approval processes. "The improved market liquidity and rising international investor demand for core Chinese assets also…

Pick n Pay’s 2025 financial year represented the first leg in what will be a multi-year turnaround to sustainable, long-term profitability, CEO Sean Summers said in the annual report. The Pick n Pay trading loss had been reduced by two thirds, against the group’s target of a 50% reduction, and it was debt free. The supermarket estate was leaner, stronger, more targeted and better positioned for profitability. “This progress is only the beginning, it is meaningful and has laid the essential groundwork for the next phase of recovery,” he said. Priorities for the 2026 financial year were to raise execution standards across the store network, accelerate investment in the estate, enhance the offer, and embed operational efficiencies that drive performance and simplicity, he said. He said that in 2025, the…

The Trump administration has reportedly demanded that US entities be exempted from all Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) requirements as a precondition for normalising bilateral relations with South Africa. This is according to the Freedom Front (FF) Plus. A delegation from the party recently returned from the US where they met with senior White House officials. FF Plus leader Corné Mulder yesterday said he is yet to brief President Cyril Ramaphosa on the matter. There are more than 600 US companies based in South Africa. According to the party, the demand is part of a broader set of conditions that include addressing farm attacks, condemning the “Kill the Boer" chant, and ensuring fair market compensation for land expropriation. Mulder said that White House officials expressed concern that these conditions have not…

Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane has lashed out at political parties that rejected the 2025/26 budget for her department in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) this week. Nkabane accused the parties of being anti-transformation, misogynistic, and doing a disservice to South Africans. “They are not rejecting the budget of Nobuhle Nkabane. This is not the budget of Nobuhle Nkabane, it is the budget of the people of South Africa,” she said. This was after the DA led the charge in rejecting the budget during a debate in the NCOP. The party has laid criminal charges against her for allegedly misleading Parliament on the “independent panel” for Sector and Education Training Authorities (SETA) board chairpersons. The second biggest party had threatened not to vote in favour of budgets of departments…

Acting Johannesburg mayor Kenny Kunene has launched a scathing attack against what he described as increasing interference by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and courts, claiming they are actively obstructing the City's efforts to tackle illegal immigration, unauthorised land occupations and hijacked buildings. Kunene, who has been spearheading intensified enforcement operations in recent weeks, says City officials are being blocked at every turn by “self-proclaimed human rights defenders” who, according to him, are prioritising the rights of criminals and lawbreakers over the safety and well-being of law-abiding residents. “There is political and moral will on our side to act decisively,” Kunene said during a site inspection in Marshalltown, Johannesburg, this week. “But we’re being delayed by endless court applications brought by NGOs, who are more concerned with legal posturing than the lived…

South Africa's Lloyd Harris has once again failed to make it to the second week of a Grand Slam tournament after he was beaten by Russia's Andrey Rublev in their second-round match at Wimbledon yesterday. Rublev beat Harris by three sets to one to advance to the third round. Harris won the first set 6-7 after winning a one-sided tie-break 7-1. However, the Russian hit back in the match to claim the next three sets 6-5, 7-6 (7-5) and 6-3. Harris qualified for the second round by upsetting the promising American talent Alex Michelsen in a marathon five-set thriller in the first round. However, that match seemed to take a lot out of him as Rublev eventually cruised to victory in their second-round outing. Meanwhile, in the day's featured match,…

Shubman Gill led from the front once more with a second hundred in as many matches as India captain to keep England at bay at Edgbaston yesterday. Gill's 114 not out was the cornerstone of India's 310/5 at stumps on the first day of the second Test, with Yashasvi Jaiswal contributing a typically entertaining 87. India lost two wickets in quick succession to be 211/5 but all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja (41 not out) helped Gill avoid a further collapse in an unbroken stand of 99. Gill, however, knows better than anyone that individual milestones are no guarantee of team success. In the first Test at Headingley, India posted five individual hundreds, including Gill's 147, and still lost - the first time this had happened in more than 60,000 games of first-class…

Gino Cupido is the only change to the Junior Springbok starting lineup for their crucial World Rugby U20 Championship pool match against England today. The Blitzbok replaces the exciting Demitre Erasmus, who suffered heatstroke after the resounding win against Australia on Sunday. Erasmus is still recovering, and the lanky Cupido is set to fill his boots, something he is very capable of doing. South Africa U20 head coach Kevin Foote also made two tweaks on the replacement bench with scrumhalf Ceano Everson and utility back Dominic Malgas stepping into the matchday 23. They replace Erich Visser and Ian van der Merwe. There is quiet optimism in the SA camp after their big 73-17 win over the Junior Wallabies. However, England are the reigning champions, and it will be a difficult…

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has drastically cut South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) forecast for 2025 below 1%, saying that the economy continued to be weighed down by a range of structural constraints and could take a hit from Trump's trade war. In its Country Focus Report for South Africa published on Wednesday, the AfDB lowered its forecast for Africa’s most-industrialised economy to a meager 0.8% this year from a previous estimate of 1.6%. This forecast by the AfDB is more pessimistic than the National Treasury’s growth forecast of 1.4% for the year, which was revised down from a prior 1.9% on the back of geopolitical tensions including Trump’s trade levies. It is also less than the South African Reserve Bank’s latest projection of 1.2% this year amid declining…

Farming associations have welcomed the issuing of the first permit to integrated poultry producer Astral Foods for the vaccination of poultry against avian flu. This comes after global outbreaks of Avian flu in America and Brazil. The Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, on Tuesday announced that South Africa will embark on its first-ever vaccination campaign for poultry in the coming days as a proactive measure to minimise the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks. Francois Rossouw, the CEO of the Southern African Agri Initiative (Saai), said that granting Astral a permit to vaccinate broiler breeding stock against HPAI was a crucial step forward for the poultry industry. “From both a veterinary and agricultural perspective, this move strengthens our ability to prevent outbreaks, protect food security, and stabilise the…

South Africans remain resilient and determined, despite their continued efforts to deal with the challenges of youth unemployment, crime, and poverty. Recent reports from Statistics South Africa show that the youth unemployment rate is 46.1% for the 15-34 age group, 62.4% for the 15-24 age group and 40,4% for the 25-34 age group; these statistics indicate a crisis that requires deliberate intervention. The Department of Basic Education’s (DBE) ongoing integration of entrepreneurship education into schools, driven by its E³ (Employability, Entrepreneurship, and Education) initiative, is both timely and urgent. Recently making headlines through its new partnership with the European Union, the DBE has entered a critical phase of implementation that goes beyond theory. The focus is now on embedding practical, challenge-based entrepreneurial learning into the national curriculum (CAPS), starting from…

Netflix investors face a dilemma: Continue to bet on a stock that has delivered best-in-class returns over the past year or reconsider shares that increasingly look like they’re priced for perfection. The streaming giant’s stock price has nearly doubled over the last 12 months amid growth from advertising sales, subscription price increases and limited exposure to tariffs. While that makes it one of the best performing S&P 500 members over that span, it’s also boosted its valuation to 45 times expected earnings for the next year. In comparison, Nvidia Corp. is priced at 32 times while the Nasdaq 100 is at 27 times. Such a premium valuation, Netflix’s highest since 2021 - when its growth was being supercharged by the pandemic - is making even bullish investors wary of a…

Some people take nature walks. Some people listen to music. Some people meditate. Some people bake. And not just for birthdays or dinner parties. We bake when we are sad. We bake when we are stressed. We bake when everything feels a bit too much. But why, exactly, is baking therapy so good for your brain, your mood, and beyond? Preheat your oven and read on to find out why. Psychologists affirm that engaging in creative tasks, such as baking, can significantly enhance one’s mood. The repetitive motions involved in whisking, folding, and measuring serve as a calming ritual, evoking mindfulness and focus. Furthermore, baking serves as a form of self-care, yielding delicious results that can be shared with loved ones, thereby fostering feelings of connection and happiness. Whether whipping…

The leadership of our country continues to repeat past mistakes, undermining effective governance. The recent decision by President Cyril Ramaphosa to dismiss the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry has plunged South Africa into a new political quagmire, threatening the stability of the Government of National Unity (GNU). This action, taken without adequate consultation or transparency, reflects a troubling disregard for the principles of responsible and rational governance enshrined in our Constitution. The GNU, formed to foster cooperative governance among diverse political parties, relies on consultation, transparency, and trust to function effectively. However, as Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen explained in Parliament on June 26, 2025, the president’s decision to remove the deputy minister was made unilaterally, bypassing key GNU partners. Comparing this situation to the leadership styles of…

Faced with non-existent legal citations in a matter before the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, an acting judge asked counsel responsible for it whether the citations constituted artificial intelligence (AI) "hallucinations," to which the red-faced advocate confirmed that “it appears to be so.” Acting Judge DJ Smit made this discovery when he was about to write his judgment in a matter of Northbound Processing, which wanted to compel the South African Diamond and Precious Metals Regulator to release a refining licence to it. Judge Smit remarked that while drafting his judgment, it came to his attention that two cases cited in Northbound’s heads of argument do not exist. He invited Northbound’s counsel to clarify the position. Time pressure was given as an excuse, as the matter came before court as an…

Questions have been raised about the price of loaves of bread that are being procured by the Department of Correctional Services (DCS). The Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services noted the steep increase from R13.36 in 2024/25 to R22.95 per loaf in 2025/26. This follows a briefing to the committee by DCS on its use of consultants and an update on the establishment of bakeries in correctional centres, including the cost breakdown on bread supplied by external suppliers versus internal sources. Chairperson Kgomotso Anthea Ramolobeng said the dissatisfaction by members was visible after DCS indicated it is now paying more per loaf for bulk supply than ordinary South Africans pay in a retail store. “It cannot be that we are paying so much. We note and welcome the input by the…

The bail application for 12 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members will resume in the Randburg Magistrates’ Court today. The case was adjourned on Tuesday to allow for the verification of their residential addresses. The soldiers face three counts of murder as well as kidnapping, fraud, obstruction of justice, perjury and theft of a motor vehicle. The charges stem from the alleged kidnapping of Ethiopian businessman Abdella Hussain Abadiga and his bodyguard Kadir Jemal Abotese on December 29, 2022, at the Mall of Africa in Midrand, Gauteng. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Gauteng regional spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said the victims were reportedly abducted from the Midrand mall and taken to the Zwartkop Military Base. Their whereabouts remain unknown. “The accused are also linked to the assassination of Lieutenant Colonel Frans…

Ventures such as retail malls, hotels, hospitals, manufacturing plants and office parks are among the developments that the Ingonyama Trust Board is seeking for the vast rural land that the trust administers in KwaZulu-Natal. The trust’s sole trustee is Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini. Advocate Linda Zama, the Ingonyama Trust Board deputy chairperson, recently spoke at the South African Institute of Black Property Practitioners’ (SAIBPP) 2025 Annual Convention, where she announced that the board wanted to open up land for development. She said the Ingonyama Trust intended to host an investment summit in the coming year so that “we can showcase the land available for development to investors and businesses”. “The board administers more than 2.9 million hectares of communal land across the province of KZN. Sadly, that big chunk falls…

Three City of Tshwane municipal workers have been arrested for allegedly stealing a transformer worth around R7 million from the Laudium electricity substation. They appeared in court yesterday and the matter was postponed to Friday for a formal bail application. The suspects appeared in the Atteridgeville Magistrate’s Court after being arrested by the SAPS as part of an ongoing investigation linking them to the theft of a transformer last year. The trio, Sphiwe Mahlangu, 45, Thomas Baloyi, 41, and Daniel Kubayi, 50, appeared in court on charges of theft of essential infrastructure and will remain in custody pending their next court appearance. The SAPS in Gauteng reported that the arrest is part of an investigation launched in November 2024, which led to the arrest of 11 suspects. Of these, 10…

The Department of Sports, Arts and Culture ( DSAC) has called the allegations made by the Cape Town Grand Prix SA (CTGPSA) team “utterly baseless”. CTGPSA, this week, suggested that the Minister of Sport Gayton McKenzie acted in the best interests of Kyalami’s F1 bid and labelled the Bid Steering Committee (BSC) a biased group who also acted in Kyalami’s interests. CTGPSA also raised concerns about the BSC’s handling of the R10 million deposit, which was part of the bid application process. Cape Town has proposed a street-style circuit, similar to that of Monaco. In order to bid to host the grand prix, each group had to submit an application motivating their location as well as making a deposit of R10 million. CTGPSA wanted to pay the deposit with a…

“This is the Oscars of boxing!” These were the excitable words of former World Boxing Council (WBC) and International Boxing Organization (IBO) heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. The retired Mancunian, also known as “The Gypsy King”, also exclaimed “Show me the money” when asked if he would make a comeback for a shot at the International Boxing Association (IBA) Pro heavyweight championship belt - which just so happens to be 5.5 kilograms of pure gold. Fury’s comments though were in line with the spectacular events on a glorious sunlit day alongside the Bosphorus where the IBA were launching a ‘Golden Era’ ahead of the IBA.Pro 7 Champions’ Night at the Rixos Tersane Istanbul. The ‘A-listers’ were all there on full HD display. Alongside Fury was former undisputed welterweight and junior welterweight…