Table of contents for 2023-04-12 in Post

Cotton Fest, a music and youth culture festival, will debut in Durban in July. Announcing this last week was Bianca Naidoo, who founded the festival in 2019 with her husband, the late rapper and fashion icon Riky Rick. Cotton Fest has become one of the most anticipated entertainment events in South Africa. It celebrates South African street culture through music, fashion, popular sport, art, food and more. The Durban leg of the festival will be held on July 2 at the Hollywoodbets Kings Park Stadium outer field. Naidoo said the line-up would remain under wraps for now. “The format of the festival is always to announce the line-up during the second phase. Cotton Fest features talent from across the country in each city. Cotton Fest Durban will include both well-known…

STARTING out as an entertainment reporter just over a decade ago, I recall one of the biggest complaints that often made the news back then was how Durban was all too often excluded from the tours of major international acts. Fast-forward to today and that situation has seemingly turned on its head. A number of major acts are headed to the city in the next few months. Tour list: In May, Showtime Promotions will bring Sanam – India’s “Fabulous Four” to Durban as part of their South African tour. The boy band will perform on May 27 at The Globe at Suncoast at 8pm. The band rose to fame after its renditions of classic Bollywood hit songs. It has since recorded and performed songs in Hindi, English, Spanish and Gujarati.…

½ cup vegan cream cheese 1 to 2 fresh jalapeños, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced (may substitute 10 sliced pickled jalapeños) 1 tbs chopped fresh chives 1 tbs garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder pinch of ground black pepper 1 tsp unsalted vegan butter, divided 1 cup vegan cheese shreds, such as Cheddar or Mozzarella style 4 slices sourdough bread In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, jalapeño, chives, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper. In a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat, melt half the butter. Add the vegan cheese shreds to the pan in two piles roughly in the shape of the bread slices. While the cheese is melting, spread the cream cheese mixture on to each of the four bread slices (about 2 tablespoons per…

Try making this with refrigerated garlic bread, jarred sauce and frozen chicken tenders or leftover chicken cut into bite-size pieces. If using frozen bread, there is no need to defrost it first. One (283g to 340g) package frozen garlic bread ½ cup jarred marinara sauce 227g baked or fried chicken tenders or nuggets, breaded or plain 1¾ cups shredded cheese, such as Mozzarella crushed red pepper flakes, for serving (optional) grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional) chopped fresh basil or parsley, for serving (optional) Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 200ºC. On a baking sheet, arrange the garlic bread, buttered side up. Bake for about 8 minutes, or until the bread is just lightly browned. Spread the marinara evenly over the bread. Arrange…

THE Senior Citizens Club in oThongathi (Tongaat) was established to create a fun and social space for the elderly to meet new people. Anand Naidoo, 83, chairperson of Tesco, the Central Tongaat Section Group, said the club started 31 years ago. Tesco is one of the eight groups under the mother organisation, Ascot (the Association of Senior Citizens of Tongaat). Naidoo joined 12 years ago after retiring as a baker. “I joined because my friends said after retirement we should still socialise and have fun.” He said the club was started by teachers who met in their spare time at Tesco hall after school to socialise and play tennis. “To be in the club, you need to be over 60. Our 80 registered members meet on Mondays and Tuesdays at…

Krish Gounden, the CEO of the Clare Estate Senior Citizens Association (Cesca), said the association was non- denominational and non-governmental and welcomed all, irrespective of race, culture or class. Gounden, 61, of Clare Estate, has been with Cesca since it was started in 2014. “The association was the brainchild of myself, Roshan Autar and Aroon Edward. We wanted to create something that was not termed a club and open to everyone, without sectional and linguistic divisions. “We first fell under the auspices of the Clare Estate Developmental Forum, which was the umbrella body for the educational and policing forums, among others. “We soon broke away, went on our own and became Cesca, a non-profit organisation. We are registered with the Department of Social Development.” Reflecting on how they started, he…

THE Bridge City Shopping Centre in KwaMashu reopened last week following extensive damage during the riots and looting of July 2021. The centre is owned by the Futuregrowth Community Property Fund and managed by Capital Land Asset Management. It opened in 2009 in the centre of Bridge City, a mixed-use precinct which connects the communities of Phoenix, Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu. The centre was developed to stimulate economic growth and empower these communities through improved access to public transport, employment opportunities, services and retail offerings. During a media tour a day before the reopening, Anton Raubenheimer, the executive director of Capital Land Asset Management Proprietary Limited, said Capital Land was an organisation focused on developing South Africa. “We are committed to providing jobs and opportunities within communities, which is what…

RECENT provincial statistics have indicated that there has been an overall increase in robberies, rape, murder, hijackings, and organised crime in the province. The head of the justice and violence prevention programme at the Institute for Security Studies reportedly explained that the murder rates have increased at an alarming rate in recent years. The July 2021 riots, looting, and mayhem are also evidence that the province has a violent culture which has persisted even after the attainment of democracy. South Africa has had a history of political violence, which was predominantly inculcated during the apartheid era. It was a means to communicate emotions of inequality, inadequacies, and racial discrimination that South Africans were forced to live with. The political violence was more often than not motivated by a complex…

The Week Ahead April 12-19 The Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon takes place on Saturday in Cape Town. The marathon attracts some 20 000 participants who take on 56km of open road and challenging mountain climbs. An interesting feature of the route of the Two Oceans Marathon is that it passes both oceans surrounding the South African shoreline, the Indian and Atlantic oceans. It is therefore as stunning as it is challenging. The Chennai Super Kings v Rajasthan Royals clash will be the 17th match of this season’s IPL campaign. The T20 league battle will be played at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, today at 4pm (SA time). The Super Kings team will be captained by MS Dhoni and the Royals will be captained by Sanju Samson. Red Bull Car Park…

50ml flour 2ml baking powder 10ml cocoa powder 5ml strong granulated coffee 45ml milk 20ml caramel sauce plus an extra 10ml 10ml vegetable oil extra caramel, for drizzling Put the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, coffee, milk, 20ml caramel sauce and oil in a bowl. Whisk until the batter is smooth and no lumps remain. Add the extra 10ml of caramel sauce and swirl into the batter. Pour the mixture into an oversized microwave-safe mug. Cook for 1 minute on high – the top of the cake should be dry. Let the cake cool before adding a drizzle of caramel.…

1 egg 45ml oil 3ml red food colouring 45ml buttermilk 3ml vanilla essence 60ml castor sugar 30ml cocoa powder 60ml self-raising flour 2ml vinegar Mix together the egg, oil, colouring, buttermilk and vanilla essence. Add the sugar, cocoa and flour and mix well. Add the vinegar. Pour the mixture into two cups and microwave one at a time on full power for 1-2 minutes. Remove and cool, then spread with icing before serving. icing: 60ml cream cheese 30g butter 50-60ml icing sugar 3ml vanilla essence Mix the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add in the icing sugar and vanilla essence. Mix well.…

unsalted butter, for greasing the pan 6 (35cm-by-43cm) sheets phyllo dough, defrosted ¼ cup olive oil 1 cup milk 2 tsp cornstarch 6 large eggs ¾ tsp fine salt ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper cooked diced meat or vegetables, shredded or crumbled cheese, salsa, herbs and/or other add-ins of your choice minced fresh herbs, for serving (optional) Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Place a large baking sheet on it, and preheat to 190ºC. Lightly grease the wells of a muffin tin with butter. Set the stack of phyllo dough on a clean work surface and cover with damp towels. Transfer one sheet of the phyllo to a large cutting board and brush the top with the oil. Don't overdo it or cover every…

The Eastbury Senior Citizens Club in Phoenix aims to create a safe environment for the elderly to step out of their daily routines and socialise. Elise Pillay, the chairperson of the club, said the group started about 22 years ago under the umbrella body called Operation Dignity. “I used to volunteer at Eastbury Secondary School and I also used to help a local councillor with hamper distribution drives. Through these drives, I gained first-hand experience on how the elderly in our community lived. Many of them lived in poverty, others lived alone or with family. In most cases, all they did was stay at home,” said Pillay. “I began chatting to the school principal about my observations and the idea to start the club was born. “I drew up a…

MORE than 450 bodies were recovered during the April floods last year, and 71 bodies are still missing. This emerged during a media briefing by Mxolisi Kaunda, eThekwini’s mayor, at the Mega City Sizakala Centre in uMlazi on Tuesday. This week commemorates a year since the floods. Kaunda and the chairpersons of committees in the municipality assessed the progress the city had made to repair infrastructure that was damaged. They started off at Bellamont Road in Umdloti, which was affected by mudslides, and thereafter they handed over a house to a flood victim in Durban south. The officials also inspected the progress on the repair of the collapsed bridge and sewer lines over the uMlazi River. Kaunda said rescue efforts were challenging due to the mudslides that occurred during the…

The Week That Was April 5-11 n Manchester United’s Scott McTominay and Anthony Martial secured a 2-0 victory over Everton as the hosts climbed above Newcastle United into provisional third spot in the Premier League on Saturday, before dropping to fourth after the weekend’s action. n Erik ten Hag’s United are in the thick of the race to finish in the top four, with 56 points from 29 games, level with Newcastle, and three more than Tottenham Hotspur. – Reuters n Liverpool have been charged by the Football Association with failing to control their players during Saturday’s 4-1 defeat at Manchester City. Several Liverpool players crowded around referee Simon Hooper as they pleaded for him to show City midfielder Rodri a second yellow card for a challenge on Cody Gakpo.…

Dean Smith insists that Leicester can avoid relegation after the Premier League strugglers hired him on Monday as their manager until the end of the season. Former Aston Villa and Norwich boss Smith replaces Brendan Rodgers, who was sacked on April 2 after his side’s slump into relegation trouble. Smith will take charge for Leicester’s last eight games of the campaign, as they battle to avoid dropping into the Championship for the first time since 2014. The Foxes sit second bottom of the table and are two points from safety after Saturday’s damaging 1-0 home defeat against fellow strugglers Bournemouth. “I’m really happy to have the opportunity to lead the team during these final weeks of the season,” Smith said. “The challenge in front of us is clear, but it’s…

A NEW season of Come Dine With Me South Africa (CDWM SA) is coming soon to BBC Lifestyle. In each episode, four amateur chefs will, over four nights, take turns to host a dinner party at their homes for the other three. At the end of the week, the best host will win a cash prize. The latest call for applications for Season 9 will close on April 16. Applicants must reside in Johannesburg, Durban or Cape Town. Show producers, Rapid Blue (Pty) Ltd, said on its social media that if you are: A whizz in the kitchen. Have loads of personality and confidence. Love entertaining. Have the ability to perform under pressure. Think you have what it takes to meet the challenge … then you should give the…

120ml apple sauce 30ml vegetable oil 45ml buttermilk 5ml vanilla extract 150ml self-raising flour 80ml brown sugar 5ml ground cinnamon 1ml ground nutmeg a pinch of salt 60ml chopped dried cranberries Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together until smooth. Pour into 1 extra-large or 2 small microwave-safe mugs. Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes. Serve warm topped with cream cheese icing. icing: 30ml cream cheese 30ml icing sugar 5ml milk Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk with a fork until smooth.…

45ml self-raising flour 15ml cocoa 25ml castor sugar 1 egg 30ml oil 15ml buttermilk 30ml white chocolate chips chocolate hazelnut spread to decorate Mix the flour, cocoa and castor sugar. Combine the egg, oil and buttermilk. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour into a mug and microwave on full powder for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the mug from the microwave and cool for a minute before decorating with chocolate spread and some fruit if desired.…

THREE members of a Newcastle family died and a fourth one is in hospital after a multiple-vehicle pile-up on the N3 north between Hilton and Cedara on Monday. Ralph Francis, his wife Michelle and son Matthew died at the scene. The couple’s daughter, Janine, is in a critical condition in hospital. The family had spent the Easter weekend in Durban and were returning home. Francis’s uncle and employer, Salis Marimuthu, said: “Ralph was born and brought up in Umhlatuzana in Durban. They moved to Newcastle a few years ago. “Ralph worked in my engineering company as the fleet manager. He was hard-working and helpful. He never used the word ‘no’. He helped anyone who asked him for a hand. They were a lovely family. Michelle was a housewife and kind.…

Parry Ramsunder has been a part of Kampara Senior Citizens from 2017, since the group’s inception. The 71-year-old widower of Clare Estate said the club had become a social gathering he looked forward to. “It’s great to come together with like-minded people to talk and bond. So many of us have become friends and have our own outings outside of the club.” He said the club was a breakaway from the Clare Estate Senior Citizens Association and it was managed by the Serving with Love Foundation (SWLF). Their founder is Aroon Edward and it is run by the club’s CEO Nishana Harichund, the secretary Reneesha Harichund and Ramsunder’s daughter, the secretary of SWLF, Alesha Ramsunder. “We branched off from the association and so far have about 120 members. We come…

DEFORESTATION is a global epidemic that continues to grow and destroy the planet. With this in mind, the team at Utility Bidder decided to look into the countries with the highest deforestation rates alongside those which don’t seem to be slowing down on these practices. However, the data has also uncovered the countries that have seen a decrease in deforestation and are therefore moving in the right direction away from this destructive source. Among the countries seeing a decrease in their rates is South Africa, which has been named the country with the fifth highest decrease in its deforestation rates between 1990 and 2020, reducing the area of forestry destroyed by 200 000 hectares per year. However, despite this apparent proactive decrease in these rates, South Africa still remains the…

Frank Lampard has urged Chelsea to ignore the turmoil enveloping his struggling side as he invoked the memory of the Blues’ incredible run to Champions League glory in 2012. Lampard is back in charge of Chelsea until the end of the season after replacing the sacked Graham Potter last week. After watching Chelsea crash to a lacklustre 1-0 defeat at Wolves in his first game in charge on Saturday, Lampard takes them to Real Madrid for a daunting Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday. Chelsea are languishing in 11th place in the Premier League after a dismal campaign that included Thomas Tuchel being sacked in September and Potter lasting only seven months before his dismissal. The west Londoners have managed to progress to the last eight in Europe despite…

Ferrari Formula One driver Charles Leclerc has asked fans to respect his privacy after they keep turning up outside his Monaco apartment. The 25-year-old Monegasque, who had an exclusive watch stolen a year ago in Italy when he was approached for a selfie by two people wearing scooter helmets, posted the plea on Instagram on Sunday. “For the past few months, my home address has somehow become public, leading to people gathering beneath my apartment, ringing my bell, and asking for pictures and autographs,” he said. “While I’m always happy to be there for you and I truly appreciate your support, please respect my privacy and refrain from coming to my house. “I’ll make sure to stop for everyone when you see me on the streets or at the track,…

The assistant referee who allegedly elbowed Liverpool’s Andy Robertson at half-time during their Premier League draw with Arsenal will not be appointed for matches in the future until an investigation is complete, the referee’s body said on Monday. Liverpool full-back Robertson was seen remonstrating with the official, Constantine Hatzidakis, at half-time in Sunday’s game. Video replays appeared to show him brushing off the Scotland international and catching him with his elbow. “PGMOL will not be appointing Constantine Hatzidakis to fixtures in any of the competition it serves whilst the FA investigates the incident involving the assistant referee and Liverpool defender Andrew Robertson at Anfield,” it said. Robertson was booked for dissent by referee Paul Tierney as the players walked off the Anfield pitch and down the tunnel at half-time. Liverpool…

Fifa has predicted the women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand will be a “watershed” moment that propels the game to another level, with the target being to eventually rival the men’s version. Women’s football is already enjoying a surge in popularity in some countries, and the tournament looks set to spark further global interest. With 100 days till kick-off, Fifa’s chief women’s football officer Sarai Bareman told NewsCorp Australia in comments published on Tuesday that more than two billion viewers were expected to tune in, double the previous tournament in France, won by the US. Record attendance is also predicted, with 650 000 tickets already snapped up. The next phase of sales opened on Tuesday. Bareman said she believed the event would be a major turning point and…