Table of contents for 2023-07-05 in Post

Dubbed Africa’s greatest horse racing and social event, the Hollywoodbets Durban July (HDJ) attracted close to 50 000 visitors on Saturday. The eThekwini Municipality said in a statement that the R5 million record stake HDJ horse racing event was expected to attract between 35 000 and 48 000 punters and fashionistas. It was also expected to generate a direct spend of R65m, contributing R130m to the GDP and creating 1 500 job opportunities. Lindiwe Khuzwayo, the head of the city’s communications unit, said: “The HDJ has a profound impact on the local economy. “Beyond the tourism sector, it generates a multiplier effect that extends to industries such as manufacturing, textile and transport. This event creates jobs, empowers communities and fosters income-generation, bolstering the overall economic…

NOLAN Adimulam remembers cooking before he could see over his grand- mother’s kitchen countertops. The 22-year-old Pietermaritzburg-born chef is competing in the fourth season of the Safta award- winning reality cooking show, Taste Master SA. Adimulam, who is among 12 contestants, did not initially choose the path of a chef. After matriculating from Alexandra High School in 2018, he studied medicine at the University of Witwatersrand. A year later, he decided it was not the career for him and left to study at the Jackie Cameron School of Food and Wine. “I had a scholarship to study medicine. When I changed my career path, my parents encouraged me to take this opportunity.” His dad, Calvin, is a real estate agent, and his mom, Ureisha, is a teacher. Both of them…

IN THE age-old Sanskrit language, the word “phala” means “fruit”. It is the fruit, result or consequence – good or bad – of one’s actions. In common parlance, based on the wisdom of Hinduism and Buddhism, we often invoke the phala or “karma” principle when we yearn to see people face the consequences of their actions or when we see the failure to act. Last week, the other phala was briefly in the news. Acting advocate Kholeka Gcaleka finally released her report on Phala Phala and found that, in plain English, President Cyril Ramaphosa did no wrong. He neither violated the Executives Ethics Code, that controversial rule book for presidents and ministers, nor broke any law. On the crucial aspect of the law requiring all those in positions of power…

THE IFP in the KZN Legislature notes the calls from other parties who are appealing for the relocation of the KZN Legislature to Ulundi. The IFP has long held – and expressed – the view that the legislature should relocate to the state-of-the-art facility in Ulundi, which was inherited from the erstwhile KwaZulu government. We are pleased that other parties are now also supporting the suggestion. The party has, on numerous occasions, stated its opposition to the R6.8 billion development of the KwaZulu-Natal government precinct in Pietermaritzburg. This would be a complete waste of taxpayers’ money, as a suitable facility exists in Ulundi. The new precinct would amount to nothing more than wasteful expenditure. Our wish is that the billions earmarked for this project should instead be directed to areas…

THANK you, Yogin Devan, for bringing back wonderful childhood memories in the column “Temple Thatha and his polaroid betal leaf images” (POST, June 28-July 2). In our young days, every road had a structure that was converted into a temple. In most of the temples, you had to make an appointment with the temple’s interpreter, who, incidentally, was also a go-between the Temple Thatha and God. In those days, some of them were respected figures in society. These days, temples are sacred places of worship, but not for most of the foreign priests who make a killing by exploiting our people while they are at their weakest. Most of these priests’ prices depend on the area in which you reside. If you are poor, the prayers take a…

A FAMILY of three were rescued by their neighbour after being trapped in their home. Shane’de Wroots, 31, of Butcher Road, Sydenham, said she had been living in a two-bedroomed outbuilding, which was below road level, with her partner and 63-year-old mother. “We have been staying here for three years. The flood this year was far worse than the previous one. This time the water reached waist-height,” said Wroots, a call-centre agent. She said the drainage and stormwater pipes were blocked and added to the flooding. “At about 10pm, we were surrounded by a torrent of water that seemed to come from every nook and cranny. The situation quickly turned dire as even the bathroom sink started overflowing. We tried to leave but the front gate was jammed, I think…

The glory days of American men’s tennis had one glowing constant: plenty of success at Wimbledon. Jimmy Connors won the men’s singles title in 1974 and 1982, and Arthur Ashe’s historic victory in 1975 – when he became the first black man to win the tournament – was a pivotal moment for American tennis and a breakthrough for diversity in the sport. John McEnroe also thrived at Wimbledon, winning in 1981, 1983 and 1984, with his antics solidifying him as one of the most memorable American champions in the sport’s history. Andre Agassi won in 1992, and then Pete Sampras re-established American dominance at the All England Club, winning every year between 1993 and 2000 except for 1996. In all, American men left London with the championship trophy 14 times…

AHMED Moosa will be remembered for his bravery. Moosa from the Bluff, was killed during a robbery at a pharmacy in Austerville near Wentworth on Friday. The 86-year-old managed the pharmacy with his son, Shaheed Moosa, for 32 years. His death came days after Leyton Fynn, 17, was shot dead in Wentworth while walking to school to attend holiday classes last Tuesday. Shaheed said: “Five men, who were wearing different coloured caps, were milling around outside the pharmacy. They then entered and began to look at some of the products. “The group looked suspicious. My son and nephew, who also work in the pharmacy, asked them if they needed help and they said no. They continued to browse through the shelves.” One of the men walked to the pharmacy entrance.…

RACING fundis and fashionistas from far and wide attended the Hollywoodbets Durban July (HDJ) on Saturday, which is known for its fusion of fashion, entertainment and horse racing. This year’s activities took place at the Hollywoodbets Greyville racecourse. A highlight of the annual event was the opportunity for fashionistas to showcase their design skills on the runways of the various raceday competitions. This included the Raceday Fashion Awards, the Invited Designer Showcase and the Hollywoodbets Durban July (HDJ) Young Designer Award finals. KZN design students drew inspiration from the 2023 theme, Out of this World, for the HDJ Young Designer Award competition presented by the Durban Fashion Fair. At the semi-final showcase at the Gateway Theatre of Shopping last week, 25 semi-finalists in the HDJ Young Designer Awards were whittled…

CASSANDRA Dorasamy has been selected for the 2023 Mandela- Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders in the US. The fellowship is a leadership programme of the US State Department with funding provided by the US government. Dorasamy, who lives in Malvern with her parents and brother, will spend six weeks there under the Presidential Precinct, which is a partnership between the University of William and Mary, James Montpellier, and the University of Charlottesville. She matriculated from Durban Girls’ High School in 2014. Thereafter, she studied for a Bachelor of Social Sciences, majoring in legal studies and community development at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, which she obtained in 2017. Dorasamy then completed a Bachelor of Arts Honours in Development Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand in 2018, and a Master…

FOR generations, Indian South Africans have placed greater importance on graduates who complete degrees in medicine, law, accounting and the so-called pure sciences than the youth who complete social sciences qualifications. I have often wondered if the determinant to behave in this manner has purely been ignorance or a dominant public perception that the former capabilities can accrue a better income than those who study various specialisations in the social sciences. Perhaps the other incentive for medical graduates to be paid kudos is the socially endorsed title, “Dr”. Society duly respects bachelor graduates of medicine by addressing them as doctors. This title has its origins in the verb “to doctor”. Within the realm of social sciences, the “Dr” title is endorsed by completing a doctoral degree. The entry requirement to…

FOR some time, it has become required by fashion that people are seen drinking from a can of caffeine-loaded, sugary energy drinks. At R7 a can for half a litre, it’s not a bad price to put a spring in your step after a heavy night of drinking. And for the night-shift worker, it is generally perceived that this is a God-sent stay-awake tonic, especially if you moonlight during the day. From gardeners to garage attendants, factory workers to finance clerks, they all carry the can. Metal can collectors must be doing a roaring trade. With Checkers recently launching the global hydration drink brand, Prime, maybe it’s time to educate the consumer about the difference between an energy drink and a hydration drink. Hydration drinks usually contain glucose and electrolytes…

THE African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) has been instrumental in supporting farmers and communities. There are, however, concerns about its potential cancellation by the US due to the ANC government's position on the Russia-Ukraine war and foreign policy. This move would have far-reaching effects on the livelihoods of farmers and the overall development of KwaZulu-Natal. The Agoa has provided KZN farmers with access to the American market, allowing them to expand their businesses and improve their income. If the Agoa is cancelled, farmers would lose a valuable market outlet, leading to financial instability. This is particularly relevant when it comes to small-scale farmers who rely on international trade, specifically citrus farmers. The impact of cancelling the Agoa would extend beyond the agricultural sector, affecting KZN’s entire economy. Supporting industries,…

THE DA calls on Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi, the MEC for the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), to take urgent steps to capacitate KwaZulu-Natal’s Disaster Management Centre (DMC) as the province continues to see an increase in severe weather patterns. The appeal comes after violent storms lashed parts of the province, causing severe damage. The DA is saddened by the destruction in many communities and our thoughts go out to all those who have been affected. We remain deeply concerned by KZN’s inability to deal with such natural disasters as a result of severe capacity challenges within the DMC. In November last year, a parliamentary reply to questions by the DA revealed that the DMC was operating at only 50% capacity, with 17 out of 35 posts vacant. Despite…

A POLICE constable is facing a charge of attempted murder after allegedly using his service firearm to shoot at a civilian at Wilson’s Wharf on the Esplanade while he was off duty. Lorenzo Pillay, 33, of Palmview, Phoenix, who is stationed at the Durban Central SAPS, was arrested shortly after the incident on June 24. He appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court last week where he was granted bail of R2 000. He was represented by Sandeep Singh of Roy Singh Attorneys. Phumelele Ngema-Dlamini, an investigating officer from the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, submitted an affidavit to court highlighting the series of events. She said the victim, Clement Pillay, was with his sister, his son and two neighbours at a restaurant at Wilson’s Wharf when the incident occurred. “At approximately…

THE rains last Tuesday reminded Cynthia Singh of last April’s floods. “I have bone cancer and other ailments but my sickness does not depress me as much as these rains and the impact they have every time,” said 57-year-old Singh of Croftdene, Chatsworth. “We had to buy new appliances, including a stove and a fridge. We lost so much and this recent downpour felt like déjà vu.” Singh is unemployed and lives with her husband, who works as a returns checker, and her daughter, who is currently studying. She lost two months’ worth of food last week. “Everything in our freezer was covered in mud. We had to throw it all away, which broke my heart. My husband works hard to keep food on the table, and it was gone…

SA Rugby and Nike have unveiled the new Springbok jersey, which the national team will wear during the upcoming Rugby Championship. Revealed ahead of the team announcement for the Boks’ clash against the Wallabies at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, via a statement, the kit is said to provide, “the latest in innovation and design, while heeding the team’s wishes to respect the traditions of the green and gold”. While the home jersey is arguably everything a Bok supporter would have hoped for, especially after recent leaked images online received a largely negative reaction, the alternative kit will surely divide pundits and supporters. It, too, was revealed yesterday with Nike hoping it will pay homage to South African culture and the endemic natural beauty of the country. “The launch of a…

THE offshore fishing has been up and down. Seas have been choppy but those that have launched have landed some good fish. The North Coast has produced some fantastic fish with big tuna and some fat snoek landed. The snoek have been around the oThongathi (Tongaat) long beach area. The backline is a fantastic stretch to troll for both garrick and snoek. The snoek have been preferably picking a fillet bait while the garrick like a live shad or mackerel. The Durban area has been focussed on the snoek at Blue Lagoon and the bottom fish on the deeper marks. The snoek have also been a bit smaller than the earlier season fish but they are still fun to catch and make a delicious meal. Much like in the north,…

HANNAH Chetty wanted to celebrate her 7th birthday at the beach during the school holidays. But on Sunday while walking near the shoreline at Durban View Beach in uMhlanga with her mother and siblings, a current swept her into the sea and she drowned. Hannah turned 7 on June 27 but her parents, Wendy and Ruben Chetty, were only able to take her and her siblings, Tehila, 14, and Benjamin, 12, for a picnic at the beach five days later. Their extended families accompanied them. “She pleaded with us to take her to the beach and we wanted to fulfil her wish,” said Wendy, an online home school tutor from Parlock. “I was walking along the shoreline with the kids when we stopped to dip our feet in the…

THE World Para Athletics Championships are due to start in Paris on Saturday and 26 paraplegic athletes from South Africa will be competing. The championships allow athletes to qualify for the Paralympics in Paris in 2024. One of the competitors is Tyrone Pillay, who has represented South Africa in shot put for 14 years. He is formerly from Amanzimtoti, but now lives in Brussels, in Belgium, with his family. The 43-year-old attended Reservoir Hills Secondary School and completed a BCom degree in business management and IT at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. He moved to Belgium six months ago to work as a game adviser for the Paris Olympics and Paralympics 2024. Pillay was born with one leg. “I never lost my leg, I was born this way. I had an…

FROM a young age, Thashni Manjoo was taught to respect and value plants. Her late father, Farhad Manjoo, encouraged her to be a responsible caretaker of plants, which made her choice of becoming a farmer in 2020 easy. The 34-year-old studied at Unisa for a degree in media and communications. She moved from Pietermaritzburg to Johannesburg in 2010. For 10 years, she worked as a digital marketing specialist for an agency until she realised the career was not for her.. “Working in the corporate world made me feel like I was selling my soul, which made me question my choices frequently. “I loved digital work but my heart wasn’t happy,” said Manjoo. During the Covid pandemic, Manjoo returned to Pietermaritzburg. “In 2019, my friend Shakti Satyapal took over his dad’s…

eThekwini municipal increases, the highest in South Africa, came into effect on Saturday for the 2023/2024 financial year. The increases mean residents will pay 18.49% more for electricity. Water will increase by 14.9% for residential customers, and 15.9% for business. The property rates tariff increase was adjusted from 8.9% to 7.9%. Sanitation was reduced from 11.9% to 10.9% for domestic, and from 12.9% to 11.9% for business, while the refuse tariff increase was lowered from 8% to 6.9%. Tim Tyrrell, the project manager at the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa), said eThekwini’s rates and tariff increases were excessive and and concerning. “Residents of eThekwini are already dissatisfied with the level of service delivery in the city, and justifiably so. This is not new,” said Tyrrell. “eThekwini’s ailing and inconsistent…

IN THE recent local government elections, African Democratic Change (ADeC) emerged as a relatively new player with a strong focus on reducing municipal tariffs. ADeC’s campaign highlighted the unjustifiably high tariffs in the eThekwini Municipality which burdened ratepayers while funding corruption, mismanagement and extravagant expenditure. Despite securing only one seat in the municipality, ADeC used this platform to voice its staunch opposition to the proposed exorbitant tariff increases in the budget. This opinion piece explores the reasons behind ADeC’s stand, delving into the misallocation of funds, under- performance, and corruption within the eThekwini Municipality. The eThekwini budget, which is more than R50 billion, is one of the country’s largest municipal budgets. It overwhelmingly burdens ratepayers by relying on a small pool to fund municipal services. On July 1, ratepayers in…

The period March 1, 2022, to February 28, 2023, marks the current tax filing season. Non-provisional taxpayers must file their return from July 7 to October 23, 2023; and provisional taxpayers from July 7 to January 24, 2024. Frequently asked questions: What’s the difference between a non-provisional taxpayer and a provisional taxpayer? Non-provisional individual taxpayers pay their income tax to the SA Revenue Service (Sars) via PAYE deducted from their salaries each month by their employer and may only have to submit an income tax return (ITR12) each year. A provisional individual taxpayer earns income other than a salary, for example, business income, investment income in the form of rental, interest, etc, on which no income tax is deducted. But such a provisional taxpayer is expected to pay taxes in…

GIVEN his status as a functionary of the Gates-funded World Health Organization (WHO), the title of Professor Salim Abdool Karim’s book Standing up for Science: A voice of reason, is not surprising (POST, June 28-July 2). But in terms of his claims about the Covid pandemic, it is the celebration of a lie. In the first place, there was no pandemic because of the recovery of 99% of those infected. A pandemic is when at least 30% of the population is wiped out. The claims about death rates were falsely inflated by including deaths from flu, pneumonia, co-morbidities and those with compromised immune systems. Attempts at establishing whether deaths were of Covid or with Covid were quashed. Science was ignored by the WHO, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA),…

OUR beloved South Africa is blessed with abundant natural beauty of diverse variety in all nine provinces, coupled with immense varied natural resources. Regrettably, it is plagued by numerous evils that tarnish its image, beauty and splendour, such as crime, fraud, grime, disease, poverty, unemployment, water woes and load shedding. Of major concern are teenage pregnancies, which have now been accompanied and exacerbated by baby pregnancies where many young girls aged between 10 and 14 are becoming mothers prematurely. Are we now at rock bottom-level being in the lowest echelon for this ridiculous and mind-boggling situation to prevail in a civilised society in this 21st Century? Please, heartless depraved men stop this horror of impregnating innocent young girls who lack maturity and are vulnerable. You are callous criminals and heinous…

GAYLE Franks never left home without saying goodbye to her son and wishing him well on his day. She never imagined that June 27 would be his final farewell. Leyton Fynn, a 17-year-old matric pupil at Wentworth Secondary School, was shot dead while walking along Richard Winn Road with his two friends. He was on his way to winter holiday classes at Fairvale Secondary School when he was shot. A suspect has been arrested. Franks said her son’s death had left unanswered questions. “He was dedicated to his studies and was not involved with bad company. All he wanted was to finish matric and become an accountant. He had previously walked to and from school every day without any issues.” She said every morning before she left for work, she…

BERLINDA Belcher and her family were trapped in their home in Sastri Park, Phoenix, for about 20 minutes. Belcher, 37, runs an international call centre and lives in a two-bedroom, semi-detached home with her husband and two sons, aged 12 and 10. “The day started off with sunshine but by 3pm we had our first heavy rainfall that lasted about half-an-hour. Then between 4.30pm and 5pm it rained heavily again. This time, within 20 minutes the water rose to my chest. We did not know whether to turn left or right. We watched our belongings float around us,” said Belcher. She said the family needed to leave the home via the front door as it would give them access to the main road and their vehicle. “Inside our house, our…

MORE than 550 people were affected by last week’s floods, with many of them left homeless. Seven people are missing and seven others have died. In a statement, the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) said it assessed the damage caused by the heavy rain and strong winds and had compiled a preliminary report. The areas severely affected include Phoenix, Inanda, Ntuzuma, KwaMashu, Pinetown and surrounding areas, Folweni and the north of Durban. In the Ugu District, the hardest-hit areas were Umzumbe, Umdoni and Umuziwabantu. The preliminary reports indicate extensive road infrastructure, electricity, sewer systems, and housing damage. Many houses suffered roof damage, collapsed walls and flooding. According to the report, 70 houses in eThekwini Metro were destroyed, and 110 houses were partially damaged. “This has affected 552…

Proteas women’s spinner and No 2- ranked T20 International bowler in the world, Nonkululeko Mlaba, is humbled by the three Cricket South Africa award nominations she has received for her stellar 2022/23 season in the green and gold. On Friday the country’s best performing cricketers will be recognised and rewarded for their achievements in the past season. One of the stars was Mlaba who played a vital role in getting South Africa to their first final at a World Cup. Mlaba has been nominated in three categories – Fans Player Of The Year, Women’s T20I Player Of The Year and for the Delivery Of The Year. “I’m very happy, excited and humbled by these nominations,” Mlaba told Independent Media in an exclusive interview. “This shows that I’ve been doing the…

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, KZN. She can be contacted on 0729865514 or email sharron@quantsoul.com ARIES (March 21 – April 19) You may need to step back from a challenging situation and get a fresh perspective. This feels to be related to relationships rather than work. Don’t get involved in drama and allow yourself to get distracted from the task in front of you. Lucky colour: green. TAURUS (April 20 – May 20) Look for signs from spirit this week, and your loved ones connect with you through signs like butterflies, feathers, music and dreams. Change is coming in for you so try…