Table of contents for 2022-12-21 in Post

As we approach the end of the year, we know that traditionally the number of cash-in-transit attacks increases. The number one priority, if you find yourself being caught near a cash-in-transit robbery, is to make your personal safety a priority. Important safety tips: When observing a cash-in-transit incident, try and put as much distance between your vehicle and the crime scene as possible. Do not exit your vehicle, as you could get caught in the crossfire. Try to vacate the area, if possible. Never approach perpetrators of a cash-in-transit robbery, because they are armed and dangerous. Do not place yourself in danger. Criminals may react irrationally when seeing you. Avoid any form of eye or physical contact. If caught in the vicinity of a cash-in-transit robbery, do not switch off…

Malls, beaches and outdoor venues are busy with families making the most of the festive season. However, with this comes the need to keep guard over children as incidents of them going lost or missing increase. Jacqui Thomas, director and co-founder of The Pink Ladies Organisation for Missing Children, said over the festive period children went missing for a number of reasons. “Peer pressure, abuse (psychological and physical), poverty, lack of supervision, child-headed households, mental illness, concentrations of stranger adults with young children, alcohol and drug abuse are just some of the reasons.” Thomas said parents should adhere to some basic steps. “Never pin a name tag on a child or their backpack. This can be used to lure them under false pretences. For example, using their name and saying…

As much as we rely on policing and security officials, there are steps we can take to be proactive about our own safety. Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo, a provincial police spokesperson in KwaZulu- Natal, shared tips for personal safety and vigilance over the festive season. To avoid being a victim of cash robberies, she said: “If you need to pay accounts, consider options that are lower risk instead of withdrawing large sums of cash. Carry as little cash as possible. Consider the convenience of paying accounts electronically. Consider the use of cellphone banking, internet transfers or ATMs to do your banking.” She advised people to be alert and conscious of their surroundings at the ATM. “Never give your card or PIN (personal identification number) to anyone, for any reason. Don’t write…

A TEARY-EYED Avitha Peter recalls Christmas at her home last year. Then she looks around at the 3mx3m army tent she now calls home and says: “It’s worlds apart.” The Peters are one of eight displaced families living on property at the Phoenix Victory Centre Church. They lost their homes in Parkgate and Riet River, near Verulam, in the flooding in KwaZulu-Natal in April and May. The families then moved to a makeshift flood victim site but they had to move again when the rental period of six months expired on November 1. Now, under the care of the non-profit organisation Reaching Accurate Generational Solutions (Rags), these flood victims have been given temporary shelter in army tents sponsored by the KwaZulu-Natal Council of Churches. “I lived in a fully-furnished two-bedroomed…

FROM leaping from his seat in the VIP box to consoling crestfallen players on the pitch, French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a wide-ranging performance at the World Cup final that was not to everyone’s taste. The 44-year-old was an unmissable presence at the game at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar on Sunday, even making an appearance in the team’s changing room to deliver an emotional post-game pep talk. “You’re an amazing team,” Macron told the players, pounding his fist in his hand for effect. “No other team would have got here and come back on two occasions and being so close to winning it. “You had the heart, the hunger, the desire and the talent to get here and that’s why I wanted to come and say thank you,” he…

AUSTRALIA’S selectors may be faced with a tough call between retaining Scott Boland or replacing him with regular paceman Josh Hazlewood as the hosts look to seal a series win over South Africa at the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. Boland slotted in for the injured Hazlewood in the second and final Test against West Indies as well as the Proteas series-opener in Brisbane, which Australia won by six wickets on Sunday. The late bloomer grabbed four wickets at the Gabba and is a specialist at his home Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) where he celebrated a seven-wicket debut in the Ashes last year. Selectors chairperson George Bailey said Hazlewood was fast coming back into the frame, though, as he recovered from a side strain, giving the panel a nice headache.…

England won the T20 World Cup in Australia to firmly establish themselves as the best white-ball team of the era and set out to revolutionise test cricket with an equally bold approach to the longest format of the game. After years of under-achieving as a 50-overs side, Eoin Morgan led England to their maiden ODI World Cup triumph in 2019. Three years later, Jos Buttler guided them to their second T20 World Cup title and made them the first team to possess both limited-overs crowns. It was their premature exit from the 2015 World Cup in Australia that had forced England into overhauling their approach to limited-overs cricket. And it took a 4-0 Ashes drubbing in Australia, and an equally dispiriting tour of West Indies, to force what the British…

FOR the past month, Lionel Messi and his Argentina teammates have brought success and unity to their fans, in stark contrast to the country’s economic woes and polarised political landscape. Years of economic crisis weighs heavily on the daily lives of people in a country where some 40% live in poverty as rampant inflation and a depreciating currency have decimated people’s savings and purchasing power. And yet, on Sunday, the whole country was draped in the national blue and white colours as political and sporting rivalries were put to one side and 45 million people celebrated a first World Cup success in 36 years. But experts say the elation will not last. “What happens is that sport, and particularly football in Argentina, has the ability to unite us through…

The excitement is building rapidly, many of us have booked our accommodation, liaised with friends and family, and our departure date is right around the corner. It’s so easy for us to get locked into the excitement of planning a road trip or holiday with friends and family, and of only planning the fun stuff. Having worked in the emergency response sector for more than 20 years, CrisisOnCall recommends that everyone thinks about their road safety plan before hitting the road. What happens if your car breaks down or if you have to drive through a risky area? Every year we have thousands of people travelling to coastal destinations. Many of us don’t like to think about the dangers of being on the road and would describe themselves as ‘good’…

December is here. Time to relax, recharge, and unwind. Sadly, for many people, leaving their homes for a peaceful December getaway ends in tragedy and trauma because they return to find their house cleaned out or they fall victim to criminals at their holiday destination. The mere fact people go to guest houses and farms, lodges and chalets to “switch off” is what criminals take advantage of. You need to remain vigilant, no matter where you are. People should follow two sets of tips, focusing first on their home safety before they leave on their holiday, and then at the holiday destination itself. In the rush to get to your destination, it is imperative that you do not neglect a thorough security check of your home before leaving. Do not…

FOR 40 years, the Naidu home in Phoenix has been a hub for Christmas Day celebrations but this year the tradition ended. Part of their home in Northcroft was destroyed in a fire last Wednesday. Perumal Naidu, 75, a retired carpenter, and his wife, Dhanum, 74, a retired hairdresser, lived in the two-storey home for four decades. It had a lounge, kitchen and a toilet on the first floor and three bedrooms, a bathroom and a toilet above this. The pensioners shared their home with their 45-year-old son, Kevin. He is unemployed due to a physical disability. Krishna Govender, Naidu’s son-in-law, said the fire began after load shedding at 10pm. “During load shedding my family were in their bedrooms. When it ended, my mother-in-law remained in her bedroom, while my…

RAKESH Deokaran, the brother of whistle- blower Babita Deokaran, has thanked the media for their efforts in uncovering why his sister was killed. “They are one of the reasons why the case has come so far,” said Deokaran. “We are being patient with the (criminal) investigations, irrespective of how long it takes for us to see justice. My sister’s death will always be fresh in our minds, and even though people say time heals, in this scenario, it won’t heal because the case is developing.” He commented after Panyaza Lesufi, the premier of Gauteng, said Babita was killed for exposing R1 billion worth of irregular tenders issued at Tembisa Hospital. The premier’s office recently signed a secondment agreement with the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate allegations of maladministration, fraud,…

the Phoenix Child Welfare Society has started a project called “One Can” to help alleviate child hunger. Dr Muni Kooblal, the vice-president of the organisation, said: “According to research, as of 2022 there are around 18.2 million people in South Africa living in extreme poverty. This is an increase of 123 000 people since 2021.” He said by 2025, about 18.5 million South Africans were projected to be living on just over R32 a day. Kooblal said two-thirds of children in South Africa lived in poverty. “This is equivalent to 63% of the country’s child population. About 39% of children live beneath the poverty line. We do not want these children to increase the likelihood of an inter- generational cycle of poverty, violence and mental illness.” He said they were…

Ballon D’Or winner Karim Benzema called time on his tumultuous international career with France on Monday, a day after the defending champions’ World Cup final defeat to Argentina. Benzema, who scored 37 goals in 97 appearances for France, had to withdraw from the World Cup squad before their first match in Qatar, due to a left thigh injury he suffered in training. In his surprise announcement, the 35-year-old Real Madrid forward said on Twitter: “I made the effort and the mistakes it took to be where I am today and I’m proud of it! I wrote my story and ours ends.” Benzema, who won the Ballon d’Or award for the world’s best player in October, had been desperate to feature in this year’s World Cup, having not been selected when…

Once dismissed by many as a joke, the launch of LIV Golf divided the sport in 2022 as the Saudi-backed circuit lured top players from the PGA Tour with huge paydays while the two sides entered an ongoing legal battle. And though Tiger Woods’s return to competition after a near-fatal car crash in February 2021 grabbed plenty of attention, LIV Golf proved the defining story of the year as it upended the professional golf landscape. In February, world number one Rory McIlroy said the proposed LIV Golf circuit was “dead in the water” after many high-profile players pledged their loyalty to the PGA Tour. But LIV Golf has since seen its stable of golfers grow more impressively than many expected and counts majors winners Cameron Smith, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson,…

After the hiatus of the Covid years, the world of sport leapt out of the traps in 2022 to make up for lost time. A Winter Olympics and World Cups in men’s football, cricket T20, women’s rugby union, men’s and women’s – and wheelchair – rugby league, a well as the women’s Euros made for a busy 12 months, not to mention a full programme of individual sports. All serious stuff that filled the front and back pages. However, there were a number of other tales that were a touch lighter. This is AFP’s Six of the Best bizarre stories to have touched the world of sport in 2022. Bug-eyed Djoko Scientists in Serbia made quite a buzz when they named a newly-discovered insect species after tennis star Novak Djokovic,…

If you are preparing to embark on a family road trip this festive season but worry about how your children will handle it, you can manage this with some preparation. Not only will this keep your children happy throughout the trip but it will also have safety benefits as there will be fewer distractions. Seating: Ensure your child has the right car or booster seat. Up until the age of 2, children need to be in rear-facing child seats. Should the worst happen and you are in a crash, it distributes the force of the collision over the entire body. As your child grows in both weight and height, you will need to update your car seats. Ideally, children under 12 or shorter than 150cm should sit in the rear…

THE festive season has started and while we tend to be more relaxed at this time, remaining vigilant over matters of safety is still key. Policing authorities recently launched their festive safety initiatives, highlighting that they planned to put more boots on the street over this period. In a recent episode of the eThekwini Matters Podcast, Msawakhe Mayisela, spokesperson for the municipality, hosted Sbonelo Mchunu, deputy chief of operations: Durban metro police. Mchunu shared some of their plans to increase police visibility in the city. More officers He said there was a holistic approach involving the increased recruitment of officers to the streets and regular operations targeting drug dealing and illegal vendors, among others. Mchunu said the mandate of metro police was primarily traffic enforcement by law enforcement and crime…

WITH the holidays upon us and it being party season, the possibility of drinks being spiked could be a concern. Peach Piche, spokesperson for Drinkabell, an advocacy group, said: “More parties and events equals more spiking. There are also local and out-of-town predators lurking, looking to take advantage of people while their guards are down and they’re having fun. We’re on a mission to raise awareness. Every girl we save is a win.” Drinkabell has gained popularity for its proactive drink covers that protect your glass from being spiked. “Men get spiked too, which is why we have included Drinkerpops as part of our offering. It slides into the top of a bottle so nobody can spike their drinks. Everyone thinks it will never happen to them – until it…

SHAMEEN Thakur-Rajbansi, leader of the Minority Front (MF), said more must be done to level the playing field for minority groups in South Africa. This after AfriForum recently handed over a report to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (Cerd) in Geneva, Switzerland. This was the 15th session of the UN Forum on Minority Issues. AfriForum, a civil rights organisation, said minority groups were discriminated against through legislation, policies and hate speech incidents. The report documented alleged new discriminatory legislation, incidents and policies in South Africa that have been implemented, proposed or have occurred since 2020. It also documented incidents of alleged hate speech and incitement of violence against minorities. Ernst van Zyl, the campaign officer for strategy and content at AfriForum, said: “The world is taking…

How to optimise the pursuit of well-being and happiness is a question researchers have tried to tackle from a range of angles. The social effects of the pandemic led many people to focus more closely on their mental health and buffer against threats to their well-being – in short, to pursue happiness. As a social scientist, I study the intersection of ethical behaviour and well-being. Last year, my colleagues and I decided to explore ways that people could increase their sense of well-being and decrease the increasingly common feelings of anxiety and depression that arose during the pandemic. Given the recent popular movement towards ideals of self-care and focusing inward, we wanted to further investigate the best way to increase one’s happiness and mental health. We compared people who chose…

Babar Azam has no intention of giving up the Pakistan captaincy despite overseeing a first-ever 3-0 Test series whitewash at home, saying that leading the side was “a matter of honour”. Pakistan lost to England on Tuesday in the third and final Test in Karachi by eight wickets, after going down in the first two matches by 74 runs in Rawalpindi and 26 in Multan. It was also the first time Pakistan have lost four Tests on the trot, having been beaten by Australia in Lahore in March. Asked if he would quit the captaincy to concentrate on batting, Azam told a news conference he still enjoyed the challenge. “Captaincy is a matter of honour for me. I will do whatever best I can for my country and for myself,”…

The men’s “big four” might be history but two of its remaining members, Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal, kept offering stiff resistance to the next generation in a seismic year for tennis. Swiss maestro Roger Federer had not played since the summer of 2021, so while his retirement in September, aged 41, was not unexpected, it still shocked. Especially as a few weeks earlier, Serena Williams, like Federer an icon whose impact transcended way beyond the tennis court, made an emotional farewell at the US Open, aged 40. Williams, whose 23 Grand Slam singles titles make her in most people’s eyes the greatest female player – even if she ended one behind Margaret Court’s record – lost her third-round match to Australia Ajla Tomljanovic. It prompted an outflow of tributes…

French Rugby Federation (FFR) president Bernard Laporte, facing a suspended two-year jail sentence for corruption, will offer to step down when he meets the sports minister this week, at least until his appeal is heard, the FFR announced on Monday. Laporte, who “remains president” of the FFR, would also nominate his temporary replacement when he met Amelie Oudea-Castera on Thursday, said the FFR. The federation added that Laporte, 58, had insisted he wanted to “follow ‘to the letter’ the injunction of the ethics committee of the FFR”, which on Friday demanded he quit “until a definitive sentence“. After last Tuesday’s sentence, Oudea- Castera said it was an “obstacle for Bernard Laporte to be able, as it stands, to continue his mission in good conditions” as federation president. Laporte, who has…