The Mercury - April 16, 2025

In this issue

April 16, 2025

One killed in shooting amid Walter Sisulu University protest

A PROTESTER at the Walter Sisulu University's main campus in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, was shot dead and another was injured allegedly by a university employee yesterday.

2 mins

ANC PROBES SINGH'S STUDIO 'SABOTAGE' CLAIMS

R7.5bn development faces delays

3 mins

DA battles to retain Ward 110 in by-election

AS THE DA pulls out all the stops to win Ward 110 in eThekwini, other parties are also working hard to wrestle the ward away from the party in a hotly contested by-election today.

2 mins

A response to Markandan's views on creation

IT IS a pity that the awe Thyagaraj Markandan expresses for the vastness of creation (The Mercury, April 15) is squandered by his condemnation of the Bible and his hypnotic adherence to the narratives of the mainstream media.

1 min

Why the recent civil service pension increase is inadequate

OVER the past few weeks, there has been much debate and commentary on the formulas behind the recent paltry increase in civil service pensions.

1 min

Tradition poo-poo'd in Oxford-Cambridge race

WHAT times we live in. Cambridge won the traditional Oxford-Cambridge boat race on Sunday (yet again), but tradition was somewhat trimmed.

2 mins

Understanding the decline of western dominance

THE international system that is currently disintegrating, formed after World War II following the defeat of Germany and its allies.

3 mins

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife urged to fill almost 400 vacant field ranger posts

THE DA in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) calls for the urgent filling of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (EKZNW) field ranger vacancies after a written parliamentary reply which has exposed that 378 posts — out of a total of 996 - are currently unfilled.

1 min

Complexities of grief after an angry marriage

THERE were a few clues that it wasn'ta happy marriage but after 47 years married to the same man you would think that in his dying, it took the woman a while to grieve.

1 min

City's innovative men’s clinic project

THE Men's Health Clinic at Pinetown Clinic, an initiative originally launched as a pilot project has been hailed as a groundbreaking success, drawing thousands of men monthly and improving health outcomes in the community.

2 mins

UNESCO affirms the legacy of Tamil language

TAMIL is widely regarded as the world’s oldest living language with a continuous literary tradition dating back to at least 500 BCE.

2 mins

US abuse of tariffs goes against the trend of the times

RECENTLY, the United States Government, in disregard of widespread opposition at home and abroad, has abused the tool of tariffs to blackmail and coerce global trading partners, including China.

5 mins

Trump freezes Harvard funding

THE Trump administration this week announced a freeze on $2.2 billion in multi-year grants and a $60 million contract to Harvard University, hours after the university rejected a list of demands from the federal government.

1 min

USAID cuts rip through African health-care systems

AS CLOUDS gather and humidity rises across west Africa, whose annual rains bring an uptick of deadly, malaria-carrying mosquitoes, Musa Adamu Ibrahim, a nurse, is sitting at home, unemployed.

2 mins

Cyclists receive praise after 1700km journey

THREE Limpopo cyclists from the group Gauta BMX, who completed an extraordinary 1700km cycling journey from their home province, have attained the nation's admiration with social media flooded with congratulatory messages and praise.

1 min

KZN man allegedly faked kidnapping to extort money

A MAN who pretended to be kidnapped in an attempt to extort R3 million from his father was outsmarted by law enforcement.

1 min

Court stresses need for integrity in public service

WHEN public servants who are guilty of malfeasance are led to feel safe in the knowledge that their misconduct will have no consequences, service delivery is compromised and those who suffer are the vulnerable and the powerless.

2 mins

Why bearded men are better long-term partners

IN the wild world of dating, where ghosting, swiping and “situationships” have become the norm, finding a partner who’ in it for the long haul can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack.

2 mins

How chia seeds can transform your weight loss journey

TRYING to lose weight and looking for something easy to add to your routine?

1 min

AN ALL-FEMALE POWER MOVE IN ThE MUSIC INDUSTRY

THE music industry has long been a notoriously male-dominated space, often sidelining the contributions and leadership of women.

3 mins

Nersa approves significant fuel tariff hikes in the next two financial years

THE National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has recently announced pivotal changes that are set to affect the fuel prices across the nation in the upcoming financial years.

2 mins

Looming strike at Transnet raises alarm bells for South African economy

THE looming strike of more than 20 000 workers at Transnet has raised concern of industry players about the potential impact it could have on the South African economy and the logistics sector.

2 mins

MTN Chairman's appointment as US envoy may be more harmful for SA

MTNis the only publicly invested group in South Africa with a significant investment in Iran

3 mins

Global economic uncertainty challenges growth and inflation outlook, warns Sarb

THE South African Reserve Bank (Sarb) has warned that the possibility for further rate cuts in emerging economies was now very limited as major central banks across the world were set to adopt a cautious approach on monetary policy amid heightened inflation risks.

2 mins

SA’s new Employment Equity regulations: A compliance challenge for businesses by 2030

SOUTH African businesses now face a crucial compliance challenge after the Department of Employment and Labour on Tuesday gazetted two sets of Employment Equity (EE) Regulations effective January 1, 2025.

3 mins

How should China respond to Donald Trump’s tariffs?

US President Donald Trump's “Liberation Day” announcement of sweeping new tariffs on imports from more than 180 countries will be remembered as a man-made economic tsunami.

4 mins

Africa CEO Forum 2025 to explore new collaborative strategies for economic growth

THE stage was set for the highly anticipated Africa CEO Forum 2025 during a media briefing on Tuesday, as Amir Ben Yahmed, President of the Africa CEO Forum, unveiled the theme for this year’s conference.

2 mins

Mining sector woes threaten South Africa’s GDP growth in first quarter

MINING activity in South Africa is expected to drag the first quarter's gross domestic product (GDP) growth as it continued declining and plunged the most in more than two years in February.

2 mins

Business confidence dips in Durban amid global tensions and local political uncertainty

The Durban Business Confidence Index (DBCI) reported a notable decline in business confidence, falling from 60.74 in the fourth quarter of 2024 to 56.32 in the first quarter of 2025.

1 min

SA listed property stocks bounce back despite unsteady global markets

THERE'S a silver lining for South African real estate investors, despite the turbulence in the global markets.

2 mins

Inside South Africa’s masterplan for a renewable energy industry

What is the South African Renewable Enery Masterplan? It is an industrial strategy that sets out how South Africa can set up a new manufacturing industry in renewable energy and battery storage value chains.

4 mins

The importance of monitoring, evaluation and learning in the Just Transition

WITH rising global temperatures and associated impacts on countries and communities, numerous countries around the world have committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, South Africa included. This is being done to limit temperature increases and reach net zero emissions by mid-century.

3 mins

It's all about 'micro-comms' for flyhalf Johannes

IS Keagan Johannes a flyhalf or scrumhalf? That is the question that has been on the lips of many Bulls fans this season.

3 mins

Marshall’s ‘World’ has the talent

CAPE RACING presents a competitive 10-race programme at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth this afternoon, with several well filled wide-open low-grade races set to test punters to the full. The exception in terms of field size is the richest race on the programme, the sixth race, a Cape B Stakes over 1500m, for which the field has been reduced to just eight runners following the scratchings of Major Master and Future Turn. But their absence does not necessarily make the task of narrowing the list of potential winners any easier.

3 mins

Norris a real role model, says former champ Vettel

Mclaren’s Norris, who leads Austral-ian teammate Oscar Piastri by three points going into Sunday's fifth round of the season in Saudi Arabia, blamed himself rather than the team after a scrappy Bahrain weekend.

2 mins

Inter must end Bayern's grip at San Siro

SIMONE Inzaghi yesterday urged his Inter Milan team to end a San Siro hoodoo against Bayern Munich and reach the semi-finals of the Uefa Champions League.

1 min

Fortuin stood out in Lions' campaign

The Lions have managed to keep the CSA 4-Day Series trophy at the Wanderers for the second consecutive season, even if it is only half of it, following a dramatic drawn in the final against the Titans at the Bullring on Monday.

2 mins

Du Preez goal was offside, but Nabi’s Chiefs beating Sundowns is good for SA football

KAIZER Chiefs gave it their all for nearly 90 minutes of their Nedbank Cup semi-final against Mamelodi Sundowns in Pretoria on Sunday evening.

3 mins

Mbappe leading Real Madrid comeback charge against Arsenal

KYLIAN Mbappe joined Real Madrid in search of Champions League glory, hoping to be on the right side of exactly the kind of magical night they need against Arsenal tonight if they are to progress to the semi-finals.

3 mins

Nabi identifies mental readiness as key focus in Duba's development

KAIZER Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi has highlighted the importance of mental development in the ongoing progress of young striker Wandile Duba, following the forward’s crucial contribution in the Nedbank Cup semi-final.

2 mins

Klaasen, Markram carrying South African flag high in the IPL

THE 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League is nearing a month since the first ball of the season was bowled at Eden Gardens. Many South African players are yet to feature in the glitz and glam of this season, including the young fast bowlers Kwena Maphaka and Gerald Coetzee, and batters Matthew Breetzke and Donovan Ferreira.

2 mins

Sharks aim to stop Edinburgh's winning momentum in 'Biltong Series'

THE Sharks must stop Edinburgh by any means necessary to complete a clean sweep in their so-called “Biltong Series” against the South African sides.

1 min

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