Table of contents for Wednesday, June 17, 2020 in Post

Graduate earns his stripes with the right attitude In light of the Covid-19 regulations prohibiting gatherings of more than 50 people, the Durban University of Technology held its virtual graduation ceremony last Wednesday. The POST spoke to some of the high achievers JANINE MOODLEY DESPITE working on weekends and travelling two hours to campus every day by bus, Nivesh Chotu still managed to graduate cum laude and get a Dean’s Merit Award. Chotu, 21, of Trenance Park, Verulam, attained a diploma in electronic engineering – instrumentation and process control. For him, the toughest part about being a student was travelling to and from home and campus on the Berea, in Durban. He also worked weekends at Cape Union Mart as a salesman. But his motto, “your attitude will determine your…

Fare increases will not offer much relief to embattled industry CHANELLE LUTCHMAN THE South African National Taxi Association Council (Santaco) announced that fares would increase from July 1. While associations have welcomed the increase, they do not believe it will bring them relief. Last week, Santaco said an increase was implemented annually and it would not be more than 100%. This was after the Alexandra Taxi Association said it was difficult to make money during the lockdown and that they intended to increase the fare by 172% – from R11 to R30. The announcement prompted Santaco to hold discussions with the Alexandra Taxi Association to rethink the fare increase. During the meeting, a decision was taken that the 172% increase would no longer apply. Taxi associations in Durban said while…

EDITOR’S VIEW Protect yourself from this enemy IT WAS in early March, just three months ago, that the first Covid-19 case was confirmed in South Africa. On March 23 when our lockdown was announced, we registered a little more than 200 positive cases per day in our country. The number of infections rose slightly during the lockdown but there was no sharp spike. However, within two weeks of level 4 being implemented, we registered 1 000 infections in a 24-hour period. At the beginning of this month, as we eased into level 3, we registered more than 3 000 new infections in a day. This week, the number of known cases of Covid-19 in South Africa during a single day surpassed the 4 000 mark. As more and more people…

It’s our duty to fight injustice THE killing of George Floyd by law enforcement officers uncovers, once again, age-old discrimination in the US and in other countries like Palestine. The anger we are seeing over Floyd’s death, alongside the deaths of special needs man, Palestinian Iyad Halak, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, among others, is connected to some countries’ failure to make universal reforms that address racism, discrimination and police violence against communities of colour. Similarly, the unfortunate death of Collins Khosa by soldiers and metro police in Alexandra in Johannesburg on Easter Friday requires thorough scrutiny and investigation. The right to dignity, safety and life and to be protected from torture, inhuman and degrading behaviour are human rights contained in the South African Constitution. These rights cannot be surrendered…

Calls to drink responsibly ignored IT HAS been a long, dry winter. As soon as the ban on alcohol was lifted recently, thirsty drinkers made a dash for the bottle store and filled their trolleys with liquor. Now they can drink until the cows come home. What a relief for both the consumer and the liquor industries. The battered wife, who was at the mercy of a violent alcoholic husband, would have dreaded the lifting of the alcohol ban under the lockdown. Like road accidents, gender-based violence are closely related to alcohol. It was hoped that Covid-19 taught South Africans a hard lesson and they would drink to enjoy liquor and not abuse it and make other people’s lives miserable. South Africans are known to be heavy drinkers and the…

RECIPES Bake up a storm Cinnamon Rolls 4 cups cake flour 2 eggs 10g yeast ¼ cup castor sugar 1 cup warm milk 100g butter, melted + 100g softened butter 1 cup cinnamon sugar (1 cup soft brown sugar plus 3 tsp ground cinnamon) In a large bowl or stand mixer, mix together the eggs, milk, castor sugar, melted butter and yeast. Add the flour and combine into a dough. Knead until the dough is smooth and springs back to the touch. Leave the dough to rise in an oiled bowl for an hour covered with cling wrap. Once risen, knock out the air and form a ball. Roll out the dough into a rectangle about ½ cm thick. Spread the softened butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Use a…

LIFESTYLE It’s in the best interests of the elderly The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in new levels of suffering among the elderly. On the heels of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, observed on Monday, carers of the aged called for more compassion LATOYA NEWMAN Supplied WHILE many people opt to make the most of the relaxed restrictions, Lynn Matthews has chosen to remain on restricted lockdown at The Association for The Aged’s (Tafta) Langeler Towers on Durban’s South Beach. Matthews, 67, is one of 600 residents at the facility. Tafta has taken extra precautions and also imposed its own regulations to best protect its residents from infection. These regulations have been a challenge for the organisation in balancing the rights of those who want to stay in restricted lockdown and…

HOLLYWOODBETS GREYVILLE FORMGUIDES RACE 1 PREVIEW: JOYFUL WINTER (3) has come to hand of late and with a recent run under her girth she may be the one to beat. PASSIVITY (5) is a lightly raced older filly but has shown ability. She showed up well in her latest start on the poly and should improve. HOT MONEY (4) looks held by Joyful Winter and Passivity on their last showings but she is lightly raced and the stable is in form. With a run back she should strip a lot fitter. TEETOTAL (9) is a long-time battling maiden but does go well over course and distance and is not out of it. (Andrew Harrison: 3-5-4-9) RACE 2 PREVIEW: IN AURO (12) has his first outing for a new stable. Showed…

Roach: No friendships with Jofra PAUL NEWMAN JOFRA Archer has been warned that there will be “no friendships” shown towards him when he comes up against the West Indies players he left behind to make his career with England. Archer, integral to England’s dramatic World Cup triumph last year immediately after qualifying for the land of his father, will be facing West Indies for the first time in Test cricket when the teams meet at the Ageas Bowl on July 8. And his fellow Barbadian Kemar Roach yesterday hinted at a less than warm reunion with Archer when the West Indies defend the Wisden Trophy they won by defeating England in the Caribbean at the start of last year. “Jofra made his decision and he’s done a fantastic job for…

Chatsworth pastor reported to SAHRC CHARLENE SOMDUTH THE South African Hindu Maha Sabha has reported a Chatsworth pastor to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) for allegedly associating the Kavady festival with curses and spirits in a video on social media. In the 16-second clip, Reverend Llewellyn Joseph, of Revival Ministries, is heard praying for a congregation of worshippers. He is the son of Dr Allen Joseph, the pastor and founder of the church. During his prayer, he calls out for a congregation member who feels a sense of heaviness on his or her home and family when Kavady is being observed. Joseph said: “The fear that the curse of those spirits (is) working in and throughout the home and every time when it comes that Kavady time, the…

Daughters bring pride to their family name JANINE MOODLEY SISTERS Fatima and Wazifa Faruk of Pietermaritzburg were the first in their family to matriculate and then graduate from university. Fatima, 21, graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Technology (BTech) in clinical technology and earned the Dean’s Merit Award. Wazifa, 25, also graduated with a BTech but in diagnostic radiography. She is married with a child and works at Kauffman & Partners, a private radiology practice at St Anne’s and Hilton Life hospitals. Wazifa also tutors students, who have bursaries with Kauffman & Partners, in their practicals. She is currently doing a mammography course through the Cape Peninsula University of Technology to specialise in her field. Wazifa said she wanted to become a radiographer after she went to the Northdale…

Taxi industry losing millions, owners struggling to survive CHANELLE LUTCHMAN THE taxi industry is losing R25 million a day during the lockdown. And if the industry is unable to operate at full capacity soon, then about 45% of taxis could be repossessed. This is according to Thabiso Mololekwa, the spokesperson for the South African National Taxi Association Council (Santaco). He said owners were struggling to sustain themselves and their staff during the lockdown because taxis could only operate with 70% of its occupants. “There is a lot of frustration at the moment. Taxis are running without making a profit, and there is no relief,” said Mololekwa. “Initially, taxis could not operate. Now that they are allowed to operate, it’s only a number of them that can operate and they can…

COMMENT Racism has no place in the beautiful game of cricket Name-calling is accepted among players but when fans get abusive and personal, it’s a different story THE racist remark brought to the fore by the West Indians Jason Holder and Darren Sammy on being called kalu (black, with a racial undertone) in India by their teammates and the crowd, does make one feel sorry for them. However, both have played enough cricket in the country to realise that such banter is in the DNA of cricket in India. This is a case of being oblivious to the culture of the sport as one encounters it everywhere. As a cricketer, I faced such remarks while playing overseas as well as in India. One was naturally upset and at times angry,…

Hotels must get their act together THE article “Quarantined crew moved to new facilities” (the POST, June 10 – 14) is a cause for concern. A few years ago, the Coast-lands Hotel in Dr Pixley KaSeme Street was the pride and joy of KwaZulu-Natal. It was rated as one of the best in the country, but it has seemingly deteriorated. After many days at sea, I imagine the crew were happy to be on home soil. Sadly, the thoughts of a warm and cosy luxury hotel were not what they had hoped for. This was not great publicity for an industry that is facing the biggest challenge to its survival. The hotel industry must get its act together. Some hotel groups are in talks with the government about providing isolation…

Writer allowed prejudice to cloud his objectivity IT IS UNFORTUNATE that Arun Manilal Gandhi, in the story “All lives matter, black and white” (the POST, June 10 – 14), allows his anti-Trump prejudice to cloud his objectivity of the racial violence that has engulfed the US. He is quite correct in stating that the protests “started off as legitimate and peaceful but hooligans had since infiltrated the movement resulting in violence”. But then Mr Gandhi contradicts himself by stating that Trump generated the violence “so as to improve his chances of winning” re-election in November. Nothing could be further from the truth, Mr Editor. It is shameful that an otherwise well-informed and historically aware person like Mr Gandhi can indulge in such wild nonsense. Police brutality has been a deplorable…

Floyd’s plea should have been heard AT THE outset, let me say that I am not a racist because I grew up with white racism, and now I am being led by black racism – black economic empowerment period. It is sad that a white police officer in the US was arresting an alleged criminal named George Floyd. I am informed that Floyd was not in good standing with his community and the police. He was a mischief-maker and the policeman was arresting him at that sad moment of his life. I am also informed that policemen learn that way of arresting a suspect at the academy. And I agree that Floyd’s plea should have been heard. I believe the policeman who was making that arrest never knew what was…

Lex Leo aims to awaken hearts, minds LATOYA NEWMAN Supplied THE man popularly known as “Dr Smile, dentist to the stars”, who also happens to be a celebrated musician and philanthropist, has released a new single. Kancane Kancane by Dr Alexander Faizi Rawhani, aka Lex Leo, was produced in collaboration with the global youth movement, Awake. It coincided with Youth Month, and is aimed at making positive changes for a better world, little by little (as the isiZulu title suggests). Leo said Awake’s content created dialogue towards social development and progress. “We decided to work together. I chose the concept of climate change and environmental awareness, and created the song around that and put my own spin on it. “I wanted to make it something that didn’t just address one…

What’s hot, what’s not HOT THE BBC – They offloaded Geoffrey Boycott and quite possibly avoided one. Narratives in England are moving in a certain direction and it is easy to see within that why this particular chap could be problematic, even if those were not reasons given for his departure. The fact he has since questioned the ability of female commentators rather supports the point. JUSTIN ROSE – The golfer and his wife Kate announced that they will be financial backers for a seven-event series of women’s tournaments. In the same week he shot 63 in his first competitive round for three months, proving that good things can happen to good people. SHAUNAE MILLER-UIBO – The Olympic 400m champion could very well receive a back-dated world title depending on…

Family grieves as a member dies from Covid-19 and others are infected CHANELLE LUTCHMAN ON TUESDAY afternoon, the remains of Janishwa Sanyasi Naidoo were cremated at the Clare Estate Crematorium. Naidoo, who was the head of planning at Telkom, tested positive for Covid-19 and died on Saturday morning. He is among more than 1 500 people in South Africa who have died as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. While family were seeing to his last rites, his wife, a teacher at Apollo Secondary School, was on a ventilator in hospital fighting for her life. She tested positive for Covid-19, prompting the closure of the Chatsworth school shortly after schools were set to reopen. The couple’s daughter, 22, tested negative. However, two other relatives (a married couple) tested positive. Both…

NEWS ‘Health ninjas’ mobilise to build a better country JANINE MOODLEY Supplied WHEN a young Westville philanthropist heard President Cyril Ramaphosa’s “Thuma Mina” (Send Me) plea during his election campaign in 2018, she heeded the call. The campaign was about patriotism and a call for South Africans to work together to build a new and improved country. Shriya Misra, 24, a post-graduate chemistry student, decided to teach and train unemployed youth to become leaders in health care and wellness in their communities. She was exposed to health-care systems while working as a research assistant during her studies, and she focused on teaching communities about communicable and non-communicable diseases. “There was a need for advocacy and awareness around communicable and non-communicable diseases. Prevention is always better than cure, and education is…

Researcher forges ahead in a digital era JANINE MOODLEY YASEEN Khan, a 33-year-old researcher, graduated cum laude and received the Dean’s Merit Award for his Master’s degree in information and communication technology (ICT). “Firstly, I thank God – to whom all praises are due,” said Khan. “I also thank my supervisor, Dr Surendra (Colin) Thakur, who played an important role in propelling me to reach this milestone and, particularly, my friends and family. It’s a humbling experience for any work to be recognised and more so when it is a cum laude.” His dissertation focused on the #FeesMustFall campaign, a student-led movement that used social media to amplify its cause for a fee-free education. Given the high-profile nature of the campaign, Khan found it intriguing to analyse the opinions of…

‘My savings are being used’ CHANELLE LUTCHMAN SIBONELO NGCOBO African News Agency (ANA) THE taxi industry intrigued Leon Loganathan. After he got married in 1995, Loganathan said his father-in-law, S Pillay, who owned Exodus Taxis in Chatsworth, often asked him for advice pertaining to his business operations. “I worked for an automotive company as a transport and bond store manager, and I often travelled throughout the country. Soon after I got married, my father-in-law used to speak to me about the business and he wanted my opinion on certain matters. Our conversations interested me,” said Loganathan, 47, of Chatsworth. “I was interested in the administrative aspects of the business and ensuring the taxis he owned were mechanically sound.” He said he became more hands-on in 2003. “I began helping him to…

Racism is a worldwide phenomenon THE world has witnessed the evil of institutionalised racism and classism in the US in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd. Systemic racism continues to cause incalculable harm worldwide. It was Dr Martin Luther King jr who said: “In a real sense, we are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Therefore, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” The US was established as a white society, founded upon the genocide of another race and then the enslavement of yet another. The ground seems to have shifted in this land of huddled masses. Racism is a global reality. We should start by understanding racism as a worldwide phenomenon that requires a worldwide response. It…

Debate can extend to other drugs WATCHING the debate around the tobacco ban evokes interesting questions. Although I have always been opposed to smoking in public spaces – buses, taxis, airports, malls and so on – I sympathise with smokers who cannot buy cigarettes legally. The rationale during levels 5 and 4 of the lockdown could well have been to protect children and non-smokers from the ill-effects of passive smoking indoors. But the argument that cigarettes should be permitted because it is an addiction that cannot be controlled and therefore should be allowed, raises another hypothetical question. Suppose any other addictive drug, for example, marijuana was originally allowed many years ago but after extensive research it was found to possibly cause organ damage and was therefore de-legalised, would the argument…

ANC has shown how to sink a country THE ministers in the Cabinet have passed their sell-by date because of their age. They just throw their weight around with no knowledge of the subject at hand. What do they know about medicine? Are they medical doctors? No. They were just voted into office and appointed by the president, whose opponents have used the Covid-19 pandemic to undermine him. When is the government going to stop receiving donations and handouts from other countries? It can make its own money by selling cigarettes and collecting the tax (revenue from the sales). The children of our parliamentarians do not go to public schools. That is why they wanted schools to reopen. They don’t travel by taxi. That is why they are less concerned…

Your Stars Aries (March 21 – April 19) It is like the stars are aligned and everything you touch turns to gold. It is all about physical beginnings or even getting more physical exercise at this stage. So don’t sit around. Get your body moving and all the seeds that you plant will come to fruition. Lucky number: 3. Taurus (April 20 – May 20) It is all about love and family this week and making the most of your time with them – maybe even welcoming new members into your loving family. Spend time with your partner and rekindle your romance. Love and embrace your children and family a little more. You feel nostalgic at the moment and dream of past times. Lucky number: 19. Gemini (May 21 –…

Why the elderly are more vulnerable to Covid-19 THE rapidly spreading coronavirus pandemic is taking a particularly harsh toll on older people. Data from the initial outbreak in China and then Italy show that infected people under the age of 60 are at low risk of dying from Covid-19. More recent data from the US suggest that a higher rate of people in their thirties and forties have experienced severe illness and even death than previously thought. However, the statistics get grimmer as the patients get older. Whereas people in their sixties have a 0.4% chance of dying, people in their seventies have a 1.3% chance of dying and people over 80 have a 3.6% chance of dying. While this may not sound like a high chance of death, during…

Burg’s Jappie aims to wing it to greater heights ESHLIN VEDAN YUSUF Jappie, pictured, feels welcome at Maritzburg United. The left winger joined the Kwa-Zulu-Natal outfit from Free State Stars during the off-season transfer window in 2019. While he has seen little game time in the first half of the football season, the 25-year-old believes that he is making steady progress. “Since I arrived at Maritzburg, I got welcomed with open arms and it felt like home to me. I think we are having a fantastic season compared to last season,” said Jappie, who is originally from Mitchells Plain in the Western Cape. The Team of Choice have been impressive under Eric Tinkler in the Absa Premiership this season – they are fifth in the league standings. They also reached…

Spurs stars ready for climb JAMES SHARP FROM a football perspective, the three-month lock-down came at time when José Mourinho and Tottenham were in desperate need of a reset. Their form stank. A draw at Burnley followed league defeats to Chelsea and Wolves – all while crashing out of the Champions League to RB Leipzig without a goal over two legs. Critics slammed Mourinho’s tactics. Mourinho cursed his team’s injuries to such an extent that it led to him concocting a strange analogy that compared his side’s struggles to being caught high up a building with collapsed stairs. “Now we are with our arms on the balcony on the fourth floor and we have two options,” said Mourinho after the first-leg defeat to Leipzig. “One is to give up and…

EPL’s race for Euro spaces is back on ESHLIN VEDAN THE long wait is over! English Premier League action resumes today when Aston Villa face top-four hopefuls Sheffield United and Manchester City meet Arsenal in the late game. Liverpool have virtually won the title and the main focus between now and the end of the season will be on the top four race for European football and the relegation battle. Eight points separate fourth-placed Chelsea from ninth place Arsenal, so the likes of Manchester United, Wolves, Sheffield United and Tottenham are still in the running to claim a spot in next season’s Champions League. There has been a lot happening off the field during the Covid-19 break. Chelsea look like they could be title contenders next season. Due to the…