Table of contents for 2021-08-04 in Post

NIKITA CHINIAH nikita.chiniah@inl.co.za LINDA Naidoo, a supermarket employee, said she and her colleagues often went beyond the call of duty to help customers during the Covid-19 pandemic but they were sometimes not recognised for their efforts as essential workers. "We are also front-line workers but we are not regarded in the same light as other professions. We risk our health and safety to provide a service to the community during the pandemic. In a day, I probably see dozens of customers at our branch. While we take all the necessary precautions to safeguard ourselves from Covid-19, we are vulnerable to contracting the virus because we interact with people all the time,” said Naidoo. The 51-year-old is a cashier at Checkstar in White House, Mount Edgecombe. She has been employed at…

Nokuthula Mabuza nokuthula.mabuza@inl.co.za BEING on the front line since the first wave of Covid-19 has taught Mumsy Zwane not to take life for granted. Zwane, of Joburg, is a phlebotomist at Grosvenor Centre. Her responsibilities include collecting and transporting laboratory specimens, educating people about health, and administering medication. The 51-year-old did a year-long online short course and got a phlebotomist certificate in 2004. In 2012, she registered to study nursing at Khanyisa Nursing School and graduated with a diploma. Zwane said working with Covid patients was frightening but she would not have coped without her trust in God. “Dealing with the pandemic has to be the most challenging and most horrific experience of my entire career. I had to deal with people who were scared, helpless, dependent and fragile. I…

Duff is a psychic medium, soul coach, spiritual mentor, healer and animal communicator. She has been connecting with spirit for over 20 years and runs her business, Quantum Soul, from Waterfall in KwaZulu-Natal. Listen to her on Lotus FM, live at 1.30pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, as she connects with loved ones in spirit, and on GlowTV on Sundays after 8pm. Contact her at 072 986 5514 or email sharron@quantsoul.com Sharron Duff ARIES (March 21 – April 19) You are in a better space this week and there is a possibility of rewards in the way of positive feedback for something that you have been waiting for. Be patient. Things are moving in your favour. News of a new opportunity or project is coming into your space. Lucky colour:…

Chanelle Lutchman chanelle.lutchman@inl.co.za FOR Heidi Pillay, Covid-19 has robbed her of bonding with pupils the way she normally would. “Your teacher is a second mother at school. She nurtures you, counsels you, and is that shoulder to cry on when pupils need it,” said Pillay, a teacher at Montarena Secondary School in Chatsworth. “Over my 28 years as a teacher, I have had pupils approach me for advice and some of them were in tears about a problem. As an educator, I would instinctively want to hug them to comfort them. But since the pandemic, I have not been able to do that and it’s a cold and sad feeling. All I can do is counsel them and say that I am sorry.” The mother of three said being at…

Nadia Khan nadia.khan@inl.co.za SERGEANT Merle Govender loves being a police officer, so much so that she sometimes works on her days off. Govender, 44, of Phoenix, joined the SAPS 16 years ago. She is currently stationed at the Phoenix police station where she is the social crime prevention co-ordinator. She works with security companies, tow trucks, businesses, schools and community police forums, among others. “I also conduct talks at schools, religious organisations, women's conferences and imbizos,” she said. Govender, who has a degree in psychological counselling, also works with Captain Louise Naidoo, the communications officer at the station, to provide counselling to schoolchildren, the elderly and domestic violence victims. She said she was 9 years old when she decided she wanted to be a police officer. “My mom used to…

Nikita Chiniah nikita.chiniah@inl.co.za DELAYS at Durban’s port and a global supply shortage of mechanically deboned meat (MDM) have led to the scarcity of processed meat in the country. Peter Gordon, the chief executive of the SA Meat Processors Association (Sampa), said there was a shortage of ingredients used to manufacture emulsion-based processed meat , among them viennas, polony and Russian sausages. Gordon said that owing to the presence of avian flu in Europe, South Africa could not import MDM products from European countries. South Africa was entirely dependent on Brazil for its MDM supply, Gordon said. Brazil’s poultry slaughter numbers were down, and that led to the shortage and subsequent price increases of MDM, he said. There was a significant increase in raw material prices due to the unrest and…

Nadia Khan nadia.khan@inl.co.za THE SA Protection Alliance held a webinar on Thursday to unpack the concerns around gun ownership, vigilantes, community protection and the alleged police failure that emerged following the recent unrest. The alliance said these concerns coincided with the publication of the Firearms Control Act Amendment Bill, which sought to remove self-defence as a valid reason for applying for a firearm licence. Tim Hughes, the convenor of the alliance, said the unrest resulted in a broader debate about safety and security in terms of the role of police and community police forums. He said the unrest had raised questions about community relations, policing, capacity, planning, intelligence as well as issues such as race and ethnicity. “And increasingly, there is a narrative being developed around the question of vigilantes…

THE Shallcross Historical, Environmental and Library Friends (Shelf) undertook a study into what was the greatest impact of Indian South African and other descendants of indentured labourers in the traditional cultural aspects in the world. We have come to the conclusion that it was disproving of the caste systems that are practised in the India of old and are still practised today in certain backward areas. This is despite it being frowned upon by the Indian government and that it is against the Indian constitution. Today, modern India has policies that actively promote the rights of the disadvantaged. Caste refers to a division of a people by religion, by community or territory, by marriage, by birth or by occupation. Caste in India referred to the hereditary or closed classes into…

OUR democracy – any democracy – is not defined by the bad days, but by the good ones. South Africa, like most countries that were in turmoil, has shown resilience against the forces of disruption that were intent on destroying the values enshrined in our Constitution. A real threat to law and order as governed by constitutional principles became evident in recent weeks, and have been equated to terms such as insurrection and a coup d'état, brought on by elements who have devalued the worthiness of our Constitution. A man who once swore allegiance to the Constitution, as he proudly took his oath of office, former president Jacob Zuma, brazenly and outwardly defied the Constitution he was meant to uphold. He called for a meeting of his so-called supporters in…

Charlene Somduth charlene.somduth@inl.co.za THE family of a Phoenix man, who was allegedly beaten to death by his neighbour while patrolling during the unrest, are demanding justice. Shaun Chetty, 43, was allegedly struck with a pick handle outside his home in Palmview on July 12. He sustained head injuries and died at Life Mount Edgecombe Hospital on July 14. His neighbour was arrested and an inquest was opened. The neighbour appeared in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court and was released on bail. The matter was adjourned until September 9. Deon Reddy, the spokesperson for Chetty’s family, said: “Shaun and I had helped other residents barricade our road that day due to the unrest. We were standing on the road when the neighbour started talking about going to sleep and an argument began.”…

Charlene Somduth charlene.somduth@inl.co.za SOUTH Africans are struggling to make their car payments. This is according to findings by the Experian Consumer Default Index (CDI). It focuses on the payment patterns of South African consumers with home loan, vehicle loan, personal loan, credit card, and retail loan accounts. While home and retail home payments have shown an improvement, car loans have deteriorated from 3.67% in March 2020 to 4.10% in March 2021. This was attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown restrictions. A Verulam man, who declined to be named, said he had not paid his car instalment for the past six months. The man, 28, was retrenched from his job as an administrator at a logistics company in August 2020. "Prior to my last job, I worked for another…

Mike Greenaway ONE of the good things about rugby is that when you suffer a defeat you soon have a chance to rectify matters, and for the Sharks there can be no better platform to do that than a match against the champion Bulls on Friday evening at Jonsson Kings Park. The Sharks were shocked at home by Griquas last week and it is not just the defeat that hurts but the unfortunate manner in which it came about. The Sharks had a mountain of scoring opportunities but conspired to fluff most of them, while Griquas took every chance they got to comfortably win 37-27. “The way we played was a big disappointment,” admits tighthead prop Lourens Adriaanse, who himself knows what it is like to come to Durban and…

Janine Moodley janine.moodley@inl.co.za A RESERVOIR Hills housewife and grandmother has not let the Covid-19 pandemic stop her from helping others. Ron Naidoo, 58, a community activist, became a front-line worker as she was on a mission to make, see and instil change. She took it upon herself to meet with residents over service delivery issues during the pandemic. These ranged from burst water pipes and illegal dumping to overgrown verges and potholes. “I tried logging complaints with the city, but it was difficult to get through. I then decided to attend to them myself. I did whatever I could handle at the time,” she said. This included cleaning up the area during the lockdown, and the recent unrest. “The Covid-19 pandemic did not stop me from continuing my work.…

Latoya Newman latoya.newman@inl.co.za UNDER the adjusted level 3 lockdown, cinemas reopened last week with a blockbuster line-up after a month of no trading. Nu Metro cinemas opened on a limited basis from July 30. Chantelle Burrows, the marketing and content executive at Nu Metro cinemas, said: “This reopening also includes Nu Metro’s specialised cinema formats: 4DX, VIP and Xtreme. We will initially be trading Fridays to Sundays, and on public holidays, only. This is in line with our responsible trading strategy under Covid-19 lockdown regulations. “Nu Metro joins the local industry in celebrating the return of the unique, shared out-of-home entertainment experience that only cinemas can bring. Cinemas remain one of the safest spaces to be in, with extensive precautionary protocols in place to halt the spread of Covid-19, even…

Nokuthula Mabuza nokuthula.mabuza@inl.co.za BECOMING a firefighter has empowered Precious Mpungose to become a better person. Mpungose, 33, of uMlazi, is based at the Durban central fire station. She is currently an acting officer. She studied electrical engineering at Coastal FET College and graduated in 2008. After struggling to find a job in this field, she ended up working as a bricklayer in 2009. A year later, she was accepted into an eThekwini Municipal Academy learnership programme for aspiring firefighters. “Since I was little, I have always loved watching firefighters on TV but I never thought about becoming one. A friend told me about the learnership for aspiring female firefighters and I decided to take a chance and apply,” she said. According to Mpungose, the programme was aimed at increasing female…

Charlene Somduth charlene.somduth@inl.co.za TRAVELLERS will have to wait another month to use British Airways and Kulula.com airlines after their flights were suspended. Comair, which operates both airlines, is under business rescue. In a statement on its website, Comair said it had opted to suspend their flights until August 31 due to the lockdown. Glenn Orsmond, the chief executive of Comair, said flights would resume on September 1. “This decision was not made lightly, as it has a significant impact on both our customers and our employees. However, under the circumstances, we believe it is the correct course of action to ensure the health and well-being of our customers and employees. We empathise with the government’s unenviable position with regards to balancing the health of the nation and the suffering economy.”…

SEPTEMBER 30, 2011, may not hold any significance for most. But it was on that fateful morning that 15 innocent lives were lost as they were travelling in a taxi on the R33 (New Greytown Road) outside Copesville, Pietermaritzburg. A further four passengers were critically injured when the taxi driver went into the oncoming lane and collided head-on with a truck. That horrific accident will be etched in my mind forever. As is the case when faced with a tragedy, the usual condemnation and condolences from traffic and government officials followed. Similar condemnation and condolences from government followed the Marikana massacre, and the same expression of consolatory sympathy was extended to the families of the 143 victims of the Life Esidemeni tragedy. In the aftermath of the recent looting and…

WITH reference to the letter, “Taking legal action over Facebook post” (the POST, July 28-August 1). I am disappointed and disgusted that undue pressure is being exerted on one of our most highly revered and respected elder statesmen. At 92, Mangosuthu Buthelezi is undoubtedly one of the humblest men in the world. He has been a nation builder throughout his life. I have a lot of admiration for his honesty and his vision for a loving and caring nation. If there is one man who has tried consistently to bring all human beings together without discriminating, then that man is him. Buthelezi held strong a reality that in KwaZulu-Natal the Zulus and the Indians lived cheek by jowl as brothers and sisters. They loved each other. As the traditional…

Charlene Somduth charlene.somduth@inl.co.za A SINGLE act of kindness has led to the death of a Mariannhill grandfather. The body of Bhawanth Cat Sudhu, 63, a supervisor for Durban Solid Waste, was found in KwaMashu on Sunday morning, a day after he went missing. He had been shot in the head. Pastor Moses Pillay, the family spokesperson, said Sudhu left home at about 6pm to drop off his domestic worker at her home in Klaarwater. He said shortly after Sudhu returned home, his employee’s sister called him. She wanted to know if he could give her and her sister a lift to their dad’s home in the same area, about 3km away. “The sister told Cat that there was a problem with their dad, so he, in turn, informed his family…

Eshlin Vedan eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za YUNUS Bobat has been appointed as the new president of the KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Union (KZNCU), succeeding Daniel Govender who filled the vacancy following the death of Ben Dladla in December 2020. Govender will serve as one of two vice-presidents along with Victor Xulu. Govender was also recently elected to serve as a non-independent director in the Cricket South Africa board of directors. A former South Africa Under-19 selector and Hollywoodbets Dolphins Cricket team convener of selectors, the Overport-born Bobat looks forward to the challenges that lie ahead. “Being the president of the KZNCU is a huge challenge but having served cricket for a long time at district level, I believe I am equipped for the challenges that lie ahead. “ I have served KZN cricket in various…

THE rock and surf fishing has been a bit slow to get going. The shad have kept most of the anglers happy enough but the garrick and big sharks are still enjoying their leave. The North Coast has been quiet with no reported catches. This time of year it will be best to fish in the reefs and ledges with smaller baits to target the myriad of species one can catch there. A double hook trace with smaller circle hooks allows you to target multiple species at once and is less likely to get stuck in the rocks. The best baits for these areas are chokka and prawn. Both of these are soft baits so they can be attached to the circle hook like you would for a J-hook. The…

Janine Moodley janine.moodley@inl.co.za AS A child, Aroona Chetty aspired to be a voice for the voiceless, and she has become exactly that. “My aunt was a social worker and I always admired the work she did. Like her, I wanted to help people,” said Chetty, who completed a BA in social work at the then University of Durban-Westville. In 1984 she began working at Phoenix Child Welfare and in 1992, Chetty rose up the ranks to become a social work manager. After 17 years, she became the organisation’s director. During the course of her career, she provided assistance to families who were uprooted from their homes during the Inanda riots, and she was instrumental in opening the Sahara Shelter for abused women and children. Chetty was also involved with starting…

NIKITA CHINIAH nikita.chiniah@inl.co.za MUSICIAN Kyle Desai has released a poetic rap on social media to express how he felt during the recent violence and unrest. Desai, 23, of Isipingo, who is also known as KD, is a rapper, singer, songwriter and producer. His latest video, We Will Rise Again, has generated more than 21 000 shares and 35 000 views on Facebook. Desai said he felt angry, upset, fearful and saddened during the violence in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. “I penned the freestyle piece after I saw our beautiful city (Durban) being violated and desecrated. It was indeed one of the saddest times in our lives and the history of our nation. A dark cloud came upon us. Political turmoil, civil unrest and deadly riots unravelled before my eyes. I watched…

Chanelle Lutchman chanelle.lutchman@inl.co.za LINDA Lomax, a nursing manager at Ahmed Al-Kadi Hospital in Mayville, is not one to sit idle. She said she would never allow herself to sit back and watch her staff deal with patients. Lomax, 48, a mother of two, prefers to be hands-on. “Nursing is dynamic. It offers a unique opportunity to help people work towards achieving a healthy state of being. “Empowering nurses to grow their academic careers has been one of my passions. The rewarding nature of the job, combined with the potential to enjoy stable work opportunities, is a drawcard to the profession,” she said. Lomax, who specialises in trauma and emergency medicine, has been in the nursing field for 30 years. She said during the pandemic, there were difficult days. “There were…

NIKITA CHINIAH nikita.chiniah@inl.co.za MUSGRAVE general practitioner Dr Kyroon Gaffoor stepped out of retirement in an effort to help her medical colleagues treat Covid-19 patients. “I knew the virus needed all hands on deck,” said Gafoor, 62, who offered home management and virtual consultations. The mother of three, who worked at King Edward VIII Hospital before opening her practice in Natraj Centre in Merebank in 1989, said she was one of the first female doctors in the area. She said she looked up to her colleague, Dr Fatimah Lambat, who taught her how to manage the virus. “This is how I was able to spearhead the home management of Covid. I have realised that over the past two years of managing patients, most people live in denial. Others self-medicate, which worsens…

Charlene Somduth charlene.somduth@inl.co.za THREE of the 10 suspects linked to killings during the unrest in Phoenix intend to plead not guilty to the charges against them. This emerged during their bail application in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. Among the accused are brothers Dylan and Ned Govender (29 and 30 years of age), as well as Jeetendra Jaikissoon, 39, an insurance broker. All are from Palmview in Phoenix. They face charges of murder and attempted murder. Nelson Mbokazi, the state prosecutor, opposed bail. “We believe the accused acted in common purpose. We are opposing bail on the basis of the safety of the applicants (the accused). It is not in the interests of justice. Their release will cause disturbance to the public and undermine and jeopardise the criminal justice…

Nokuthula Mabuza nokuthula.mabuza@inl.co.za PASTORS from a consortium of more than 300 churches have dismissed allegations on social media that they bought a young woman’s silence. The pastors, from the ABC Forum of Churches, handed over a car to Zandile Mthembu on Friday after her vehicle was torched during the recent unrest in Phoenix. The 24-year-old, of KwaMashu, was allegedly attacked while driving on the Phoenix Highway on July 12. She was on her way to pick up her grandmother’s medication from Osindisweni Hospital in Verulam. Members of the church forum heard what had happened to her on the news, and they decided to give her a Nissan Micra. Pastor Justin Naidoo, a representative of the forum, said he felt that the gesture would serve as an olive branch to Mthembu…

AS THE 2020 Tokyo Olympics finally started last month, the International Olympic Committee updated the Olympic motto to underline the unifying power of sport, and the importance of solidarity for human progress. There was nothing wrong, per se, with the original Latin phrase adopted in 1894 and engraved in many stone and metal fixtures. It was Citius, Altius, Fortius. Faster, Higher, Stronger. These words have, over the years, inspired mere mortals to superhuman levels on the sporting fields. But our troubled world now demands that more be done and more be asked of athletes, fans, coaches and everyone. They need to use the power of sport to heal and unite. Hence the appendation of the en dash, and the word “Together”. This weekend the reigning world champions of rugby brought…

IT WOULD be unfair to blame Jacob Zuma entirely for the recent turmoil that engulfed the nation. But one cannot deny that he was the spark that set the country alight. It was winter and the country was tinder dry. All he had to do was watch the fire raging out of control from his prison cell. Wave after wave, like a powerful tsunami, they surged into the malls. Not one, two or 10 but 161 malls, 11 warehouses and eight factories were looted and vandalised. Businesses that had taken a lifetime to establish were destroyed in one day. They also looted bottle stores. Cyril Ramaphosa’s ban on liquor had come to nought. Some political analysts are suggesting that one of the underlying causes of the unrest is poverty and…

THE column, “Black cricketers reveal shocking treatment at hearings” (the POST, July 28-August 1), by Eshlin Vedan, whereby cricketers spoke up at the social justice and nation-building hearings, about the pain they suffered in the sport, is a painful exercise. But, sadly, nothing is more painful than Paul Adams allegedly being called a “brown s***” by some of his teammates. Thandi Tshabalala, who played four one-day internationals, also testified that he was never welcome in the Proteas’ dressing room. This shows that some of the senior players messed up the lives of upcoming black cricketers. The way the big five ran the team is a shame and a disgrace. It seems that up to this day, racism continues to rear its ugly head. It is time for a new attitude…

Nadia Khan nadia.khan@inl.co.za THE family of Sfiso Dondo Tetile want justice after he was allegedly stabbed and killed for being in a relationship with an Indian South African girl. The 16-year-old, of Welbedacht East, in Chatsworth, died a few metres from the home he shared with his mother and three siblings, on Sunday. He was a Grade 11 learner at Asoka Secondary School. Darryl Dean Moodley, 27, believed to be the girl’s stepfather, and a minor, 17, were arrested and charged with murder. Both accused, from Welbedacht East, appeared separately in the Chatsworth Magistrate's Court on Tuesday. Moodley appeared in the criminal court and the minor in the preliminary inquiry court. The matter was adjourned for a formal bail application on Friday. Sfiso’s relatives and friends, as well as community…

Eshlin Vedan eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za WHILE his son Keshav is firmly on course to becoming a South African cricket legend, Athmanand Maharaj (63), is a legend of grassroots sports in KwaZulu-Natal having excelled across multiple codes as a player and coach. A physical education teacher by profession, Maharaj has excelled in cricket, soccer, athletics and gymnastics. “I’ve been exposed and involved in sport in an administrative and organisational role. As a kid, my dad (Ramnarain Jaggesur Maharaj) used to bring footballs home and that was where it started,” said Maharaj who resides in Redhill. As a cricketer, Maharaj played as a wicketkeeper batter, representing Avoca Cricket Club and the Phoenix and Districts team. A former striker, he played for Red Hill Rangers FC, Avoca Ex-Students FC, Reservoir Hills FC, Mount Edgecombe Sporting,…