Table of contents for Wednesday, November 18, 2020 in Post

COVID-19 Tongaat doctor leads trial for vaccine JANINE MOODLEY janine.moodley@inl.co.za Dr Essack Mitha A TONGAAT-BORN doctor has been chosen to lead the South African trial for a groundbreaking Covid-19 vaccine that has proven 90% effective in preventing the virus. Pfizer, an American pharmaceutical company, has been working on the vaccine. It chose Dr Essack Mitha as its national principal investigator to head the study in the country. Mitha, who opened the Newtown Clinical Research Centre in Johannesburg, a private clinical trial site in 2004, has conducted more than 100 trials as a principal investigator. He is originally from the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast and moved to Johannesburg with his parents in 1999. He later qualified as a doctor at the KwaZulu-Natal School of Medicine, at the University of KZN. In 2002,…

CONFERENCE The future of Indian dance in the spotlight THE South African Indian Dance Alliance will commemorate the arrival of Indian indentured labourers in South Africa by hosting a virtual Global Dance Conference – From Indenture to Stage … Voices Across Waters. The event, from November 21 to 22, will be hosted in conjunction with the 1860 Heritage Centre, the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre in Durban and Narthaki in Chennai, India. Dance teachers, performers, historians and dance enthusiasts from countries including Surinam, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Mauritius, Réunion and Fiji, who have a shared history of indenture, will compare their journeys. There will also be a panel discussion on the future of Indian dance in the diaspora, addressing the question “Where To from Here?” For further information, email admin@saida.org.za or…

MOST IN HOME DRIVEWAYS AND INTERSECTIONS Statistics show hijackings rise 20% CHARLENE SOMDUTH charlene.somduth@inl.co.za THE most popular time for hijackings is at 6am when motorists are leaving home for work. This is according to data from the insurance company Dialdirect, which said hijackings increased by 20% from December 2019 to October 2020. Bianca de Beer, spokesperson for Dialdirect, said: “Hijackings are low during the night and in the very early hours of the morning. They start to increase at 6am. More hijackings occur from noon and reach a high from 4pm to 8pm.” She said most hijackings took place in home driveways and intersections. “In KwaZulu-Natal, our data showed that Alpine Road in Overport and Dr Pixley KaSeme (West) Street, Anton Lembede (Smith) Street and Julius Nyerere (Warwick) Avenue) in…

ID PARADE Father identifies son’s alleged killers CHARLENE SOMDUTH charlene.somduth@inl.co.za RAJESH Sukwa came face-to-face with his son's alleged killers during an identity parade at Tongaat police station on Tuesday. His son, Ashveer Sukwa, was stabbed 35 times during a robbery at their home in Fairbreeze, Tongaat, earlier this month. Sukwa's body was found wrapped in a sheet and blanket on his bedroom floor. The 35-year-old died at the scene. Rajesh, 67, was stabbed several times and locked in a cold room in a warehouse on their residential property. Sukwa ran a fresh produce distribution business with his father. The suspects ransacked the home, fleeing with cash and other items. They were arrested soon after the incident. Three suspects, one of whom was Sukwa's employee, was arrested and charged with murder…

Editor’s View Much ado about everything TAMIL is a language, not a religion. But it seems as though the presidency didn’t know this when they wished Hindus and Tamils a Happy Deepavali. A few hours later, the Presidency corrected the statement. But, if those who drafted the statement read our Constitution, they wouldn’t have made the error in the first place. It is good that the police are providing us with crime statistics regularly but it is also a reminder of how unsafe our country is. Of particular concern is the increase in home robberies which are up by 8.5% compared to the same period last year. It seems that where a home was once regarded as a palace, it now needs to be a fortress. Ace Magashule seems to…

Hindu youth need rational answers THE column “Deepavali is based on religion, not language” by Ram Maharaj (the POST, November 11-15) bears reference. We, proud Hindu youth, support the call for a united one-day Deepavali celebration made by Maharaj, the president of the South African Hindu Dharma Sabha. The one-day Deepavali celebration will strengthen family bonds where inter-linguistic marriages have taken place and be an economically-sound move for households to celebrate on one day. It is clear that Maharaj is pushing for a progressive, enlightened and strong one-Hindu community, free from the shackles of ignorance and superstition and one that is not mired in myriad mythologies. As the youth, we need rational answers to questions. The Hindu religion is scientific and our practices, including Deepavali, should not be based solely…

Forced to pay inflated municipality accounts THE uproar over the excessive water and lights bills in eThekwini is justified and I support the call by the African Democratic Change (ADeC) party to fight these unjustifiable tariffs. My average bill for the month was around R1 200 and suddenly, during the hard lockdown, it rose to about R1 800. For about three months there was no meter reading and the municipality decided to calculate our bills on estimated charges. How did they estimate these exorbitant figures? We are now forced to pay these bills or the municipality will disconnect our water and electricity. This is criminal and those in the council must be held accountable. The ADeC is calling on citizens to join mass protests and I am definitely going to…

Assault on the media undermines trust and democracy IT IS SAD that journalist Paul Nthoba had to flee to Lesotho after he was allegedly assaulted by police in Ficksburg. Attacking the media is ruinous for a vibrant democracy. Some seem to expect the media to say nothing negative about them and be beholden to them. It is largely thanks to the free, dynamic, irreverent and independent media that we have one of the glories of this country. It was Mahatma Gandhi who said: “Under democracy, individual liberty of opinion and action is jealously guarded.” In today’s politics and society at large, the media is essential to safeguard the transparency of democratic processes. Our free and independent press has a storied history. Many years ago, it was our printing presses and…

DEATHS Give Covid and diabetes ‘equal priority’ SUMIT SAXENA IANS BETWEEN 30 to 40% of deaths from studies in intensive care units from different countries were people with diabetes, said Paul Zimmet, Professor of Diabetes at Monash University in Australia. Zimmet, who is the president of the International Diabetes Federation, said the actual mechanism as to why Covid-19 may cause diabetes was as yet unknown. However, several possibilities exist. “Covid-19 is a very destructive and cunning virus and causes terrible damage to tissues including the lungs and pancreas,” said Zimmet. Below are excerpts from an interview with IANS: Q: Why do you say diabetes is dynamite if a person has been infected with Covid-19? A: There have been many deaths in many countries, for example, Italy, China, the UK and US…

Your Stars SHARRON DUFF ARIES (March 21 – April 19) This week calls for honest and open communication. Aries energy wants to be in control of certain situations, but you may find that you need to let go a little to gain a lot. Be objective and use your wisdom to guide you. This situation calls for integrity and forgiveness. Lucky colour: pink. TAURUS (April 20 – May 20) If you have been on a spiritual pilgrimage and are searching for answers, then this week things come full circle for you. Be open to receiving signs from your loved ones in spirit and messengers from heaven. Happiness is here for you if you accept it. Be positive and know that you are loved. Lucky colour: orange. GEMINI (May 21 –…

TV FIVE GUIDE DAYS WEDNESDAY 18 NOVEMBER Soccer UEFA Nations League: Albania v Belarus, 4.50pm, SSM, EPL; Georgia v Estonia, 6.55pm, SSM, EPL; England v Iceland, 9.35pm, SSM, EPL; Poland v Netherlands, 9.35pm, LIG; Belgium v Denmark, 9.35pm, FTB; Ireland v Bulgaria, 9.35pm, ACT; Wales v Finland, 9.35pm, VR2; Northern Ireland v Romania, 9.35pm, VR1; Israel v Scotland, 9.35pm, VR3; Bosnia and Herzegovina v Italy, 9.35pm, PSL Tennis Nitto ATP World Tour Finals, Round 4: Match 1, 4pm, GSD, TEN; Match 2, 10pm, TEN THURSDAY 19 NOVEMBER Golf Sunshine Tour: Joburg Open, Day 1, 9am, GOL, GSD; PGA Tour: The RSM Classic, Day 1, 8pm, GSD, GOL; LPGA Tour: Pelican Women’s Championship presented by DEX Imaging & Konica Minolta, Day 1, 9.30pm, VR1, GOL (11pm) Rugby FIRSTXV, 7pm, RUG, VR4…

Sharks-Stormers game called off due to Covid-19 outbreak MIKE GREENAWAY AN outbreak of Covid-19 at the Sharks has resulted in their Super Rugby Unlocked match against the Stormers on Saturday being called off, meaning the Bulls are the champions of the inaugural competition. A small number of Sharks players tested positive on Monday but the number of teammates they had been in close contact with is high and has meant a significant number of the squad has gone into isolation — the positive players for 14 days and the others for seven. This is the third SR Unlocked game to be cancelled because of Covid-19. The Lions-Cheetahs game and the Lions-Pumas game have also been casualties of the coronavirus. As was the case with those games, the game will be…

Tendulkar deserved No 1 in his era FORMER Pakistan speedster Aaqib Javed, whose rivalry with Sachin Tendulkar is part of cricketing folklore, believes that the Indian batting maestro was the most impactful cricketer of his era and he rightfully deserved his place to be called the greatest of his time. "Sachin created 100% impact on the game with the quality or talent he had. He held the numero uno spot in the game for several years as he was a seasoned cricketer," said Javed, who featured in 22 Tests and 163 ODIs for his country. It was 31 years ago when Tendulkar had started his iconic journey in international cricket as a 16-year-old against the lethal pace attack of Pakistan. Javed, who played for Pakistan for nine years, hogged the…

He is not a racist, says Roy Moodley but … Durban horse trainer suspended JANINE MOODLEY janine.moodley@inl.co.za DURBAN horse trainer Frank Robinson, pictured, has been issued with an interim suspension pending the outcome of an investigation into a social media comment on fireworks. Robinson, 51, was accused of racism and religious intolerance after he allegedly called those who lit fireworks, “a piece of sh** race” and “childish and stupid”. He was allegedly responding to a Facebook post by a friend, George Croucher, on the treatment of animals. It is believed to have been posted last Thursday but has now been deleted. A screenshot of the post circulated on social media and read: “The human race has to be the most selfish species on the planet, self-gratification no matter how it…

A LITTLE-KNOWN TRAGEDY Angola offered little hope to Indian workers LATCHMAN, colonial number 66095, was lucky to leave Lobito Bay alive. After being freed from indenture in Natal, he was in dire straits with the dreaded £3 tax and growing debt. The economic depression that followed the Anglo-Boer War made matters more desperate. The Natal Government Railways on which he had worked since arriving in 1897 had even lowered wages. Along with 2 207 others, he seized the opportunity in 1907 to work on the Benguela Railway in Angola. Deceptive labour brokers made the prospects of earning a better wage on the western side of the continent sound attractive. A path-breaking study in 1986, by Stanley Hansrajh, titled The Lobito Bay Indians, sheds light on how the scandal unfolded. His…

ALLEGATIONS DENIED Alert driver is key witness in murder trial NADIA KHAN nadia.khan@inl.co.za A RESERVOIR Hills man, accused of robbing and killing a mechanic, pleaded not guilty to the charges in the Durban High Court on Monday. Ashen Vishnuduth, 28, of Stanton Street, was arrested and charged for the murder of Navendran Govender, who died on March 6, 2019. Vishnuduth was also charged with robbery with aggravating circumstances, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, fraud and escaping from lawful custody. Govender, 30, a self-employed mechanic and car restoration specialist, operated a home-based business in Orleans Place, Reservoir Hills. Vishnuduth worked at a car rental company, and bought and sold cars. The state believes Vishnuduth was aware that Govender ran a successful business and was therefore always in possession of…

AWAITING POST-MORTEM Missing father found dead CHARLENE SOMDUTH charlene.somduth@inl.co.za THE family of Vishnu Naidoo hope a police investigation will provide answers to the circumstances surrounding his death. Naidoo, 65, of Clare Estate, a retired training officer for a supermarket chain, was reported missing on Friday afternoon. He was found in a flat in the Durban CBD on Sunday. The father-of-two left home around midday on Friday to go to the Pavilion Shopping Centre in Westville and Makro in Springfield. Romalan Moodley, his son-in-law, said that when he did not return home by 4pm, his mother-in-law tried to contact him on his cellphone but it only rang. "My mother-in-law was worried because it was odd for him not to answer his phone. She called her daughters, who live in Johannesburg, to…

ACADEMICS INITIATE DEBATE ON THE ISSUE A living monument will best reflect Durban’s cultural diversity BRIJ MAHARAJ SINCE the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Indian indentured labourers in South Africa in 2010, there has been public debate about a monument to honour their memory, the form that this should take and the appropriate location. There was some support for the monument to be located in the Point precinct, adjacent to uShaka Marine World. While the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government remains committed to the project, the monument was delayed for several reasons, especially the lack of a clear conceptualisation of the project, limited public participation and bureaucratic inertia. While unintended, the delays provide an opportunity to revisit the type of monument envisaged the location and for more public…

US election has divided, not united EVERY so often, the arc of history is bent in ways we would never have imagined. Yet, it is in such moments that all our lives become affected and influenced by events in which we are not even participants. The 2020 general elections in the United States of America is one such event. These elections, held in the midst of a world health crisis, and the subsequent results and contest thereto, have become a matter of international discourse and divide. It was American president Abraham Lincoln who observed in his now immortalised Gettysburg address in 1863 where he said: “(T)his nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom – and that a government of the people, by the people, for the people,…

Crime continues unabated I AM tired of reading about crime and people being killed. All we hear from the police is that the matters are being investigated with no arrests just yet. It sometimes takes years to find the killers, for instance, those who were arrested in relation to the death of Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa. The recent killing of Ashveer Sukwa, a fresh-produce distributor from Tongaat, and Dolly Roopnarain, a retired principal who was robbed, bound and left in a locked bathroom, are the other examples of crimes in our country. The POST recently published the story “Killed but still no justice” (October 28 - November 1). Among those listed were Yousuf Deedat, Collin Pather, and Shireen Kalicharan and Brenda Naidoo. Those who were shot may have been…

BEE is past its sell-by date THE time is ripe for the ruling ANC government to review BEE and scrap it in the interests of economic recovery and job creation. When BEE was implemented, it was a necessity to correct the wrongs of the apartheid past, but it has gone past its sell-by date and it is currently only benefiting an elite few in the black community. The result of the ANC's cadre deployment and jobs-for-pals policy has resulted in an economic catastrophe for the country. It has resulted in the most vulnerable and downtrodden citizens suffering the most. The calibre of people holding critical decision-making posts at all levels of government and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have been exposed at the various commissions of inquiry established by President Cyril Ramaphosa,…

CLINICAL RESEARCH CONTINUES Unpacking diabetes and Covid-19 DR LASHIKA ATHMARAM SOUTH Africa has the largest proportion of diabetic patients in Africa and the highest number of deaths from complications due to the disease. Information from the International Diabetes Federation estimates that about 12.8% of South Africans have diabetes mellitus (diabetes). Many are undiagnosed and therefore untreated. Understanding diabetes In a diabetic patient, the elevated blood sugar causes inflammation in the lining of blood vessels (endothelium). This inflammation causes microscopic damage to both large and small blood vessels, making them more susceptible to clotting and complications. This vascular damage in a diabetic increases the risk of developing stroke, heart attacks, renal impairment, blindness, gangrene and other complications as the disease progresses. Diabetes and Covid-19 Covid-19 is a disease that was initially…

Injury woes still haunt Liverpool ESHLIN VEDAN eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za THERE will be two particularly mouth-watering matches in the Premier League this weekend. Two of the games will feature potential top four candidates and title chasers. Tottenham play host to Manchester City while surprise log leaders Leicester City travel to Anfield to face champions Liverpool. Spurs head into their contest against the Citizens in sparkling form after having picked up four victories from their past five games. Some smart tactics by manager José Mourinho as well as the chemistry between Son Heung-Min and Harry Kane have been the key ingredients behind the Lilywhites’ resurgence this season. City, currently in tenth place, have so far not been impressive but will be looking to find rhythm and move up the standings. As strange as…

MOTORSPORT Young spinner dreams big CHARLENE SOMDUTH charlene.somduth@inl.co.za CADEN Pillay is 8 years old and one of the youngest spinners in South African motorsport. The Grade 2 pupil at Welridge Academy lives in Weltevredenpark, Roodepoort. His parents, Reuben, 49, and Michelle, 42, are formerly from Durban. They run two businesses, one in plant hire and civil engineering, and the other in building supplies. Caden started spinning at age 6, a trait he learned from his dad, who has been spinning for more than 15 years. Pillay said spinning was a recognised motorsport in the country, with its origins in the townships during apartheid. “One has to register with Motorsport South Africa to spin at events. Spinning entails your ability to manoeuvre the vehicle by engaging the gears, clutch and accelerator…

OPINION Defeating a legal tsunami DUNCAN DU BOIS IN A LETTER published in the Natal Mercury on September 5, 1895, Mahatma Gandhi asked: “Having invited the Indians to the colony, how can the responsible colonists curse them? “How can they escape the natural consequence of the introduction of Indian labour?” Yet during the years 1894 to 1897, the Natal government unleashed a tsunami of statutes intended to marginalise and discourage Indian settlement. Since the 1880s, John Robinson, Mercury editor and senior politician, had maintained that once Natal obtained a responsible government, it would be able to deal decisively with the issue of Indian immigration and settlement. In October 1893, Robinson became the first prime minister of the politically-autonomous Natal government. His first act was the despatch of the Binns-Mason delegation…

GOD’S PROTECTION Family’s hijack terror CHARLENE SOMDUTH charlene.somduth@inl.co.za DENVER Naidoo believes he was protected by God on Diwali day as a hijacker tried to shoot him three times. Naidoo, 37, an estate agent, from Merebank, south of Durban, was celebrating Diwali with his wife, Nadia, 41, an employee at an IT company at his father’s home also in Merebank. Just before 5pm, he took his dad Vasudevan Naidoo, 60, to the shop with Nadia. While travelling in their VW Polo on Tomango Road, Naidoo was accosted by three men. “I was driving with my window rolled down. Nadia was in the passenger seat and my father was in the back seat. “As I approached an intersection, I started to slow down. I also saw three suspicious-looking men sitting nearby. I…

DESPERATE Tenant locked out of flat, sleeps in cemetery CHARLENE SOMDUTH charlene.somduth@inl.co.za AN OVERPORT tenant who was locked out of her flat for not paying her rent, spent the night in a cemetery. Fazila Hoosen said she had lived in the bachelor flat in Tamasha Court for two years. She had been working for a security company but it had closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown. Hoosen, who is single, then generated an income by making and selling pies, rotis and samoosas. Her family also assisted her with money and she received groceries from a non-profit organisation. But the business did not do well and her family could no longer assist her financially. Her rental for September and October was in arrears. “The rent was R3 600. In…

GROSS VIOLATION Wrongful arrest a cause for concern BLESSED GWALA THE issue of wrongful arrests by police is a cause for concern as they end up paying exorbitant amounts in compensation to those who sue them. While the IFP fully acknowledges that the majority of police officers are doing their best in trying circumstances, there are those whose actions at times are unlawful, questionable and an abuse of power. Law enforcement officers who abuse their powers by arresting people without proper and credible evidence that links suspects to cases should be dealt with. If the practice of wrongful arrest is not dealt with, it will continue depleting state coffers due to frivolous arrests. The government, and in particular the SAPS leadership, are duty-bound to ensure investigations are thorough and there…

POST’s 1860 coverage serves as a source of inspiration THE Editors View “To succeed against odds is in our genes” (the POST, November 11-15) refers. No doubt, Mr Editor, to succeed against all odds is certainly in our genes. Your newspaper last week, and in recent editions, has given ample examples of this by chronicling the struggles, sacrifices and achievements of the Indian community in just about every facet of life in South Africa in the 160 years that they first arrived here as indentured labourers. And the POST, as well as all those writers, authors and organisations that have contributed material, must be commended for providing the readers with a wealth of information which we can proudly show our children and grandchildren. It serves as a source of inspiration…

Amusing fallouts after French tragedy THE letter, “Other ways to express outrage” (POST, November 11-15) refers. Although the world was horrified by the beheading of a teacher in France, there have been some amusing fallouts as well. On October 28, many international publications highlighted the story of how, through a unanimous resolution, Pakistan’s National Assembly had asked the government to recall its ambassador to France after Emmanuel Macron, the French president, refused to condemn a French publication for showing caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad. But the joke is that Pakistan had no ambassador posted in Paris as the last ambassador, Moin-ul-Haq, left France three months ago, after being transferred to China. Then came the news that Pakistan was going to boycott French products. Really? Can a country placed on the…

RISK FACTOR ‘The next health pandemic’ BRIDGET MCNULTY IF THERE is one thing the coronavirus pandemic is teaching us, it’s that we’re capable of making dramatic changes when we need to. As a nation, South Africans can unite to protect our health. But while Covid-19 presented as an immediate, loud threat, the next health epidemic is silent – and pervasive. Our next challenge is here and it’s diabetes. • The diabetes epidemic in SA Look at the person to your left and right on your next Zoom call. One of the three of you has pre-diabetes. You won’t see it immediately, as with coronavirus, and there’s not nearly as much media hype around it, but the risks are real – and preventable. Diabetes is the number one killer of women…

THE RACEGOER Christopher Robin stakes Cup claim DAVID THISELTON ST. JOHN GRAY pulled off another fine breeding and training feat at Turffontein Standside on Saturday when Christopher Robin easily won the Grade 3 Victory Moon Stakes over 1 800m. The sponsors of the WSB Summer Cup reacted by shortening him into 25-1. The four-year-old colt by Damage Is Done was the second worst treated at the weights on Saturday and off his 98 merit rating was 7,5kg under sufferance with the best treated horse Victoria Paige. He beat the runner up Astrix, with whom he was 3kg under sufferance, by 2,50 lengths and beat third-placed Victoria Paige by 3,75 lengths. The handicappers have thus, not surprisingly, raised him eleven points to 109. A condition of the Summer Cup is that…

Undertaker celebrates 30 years in WWE ONE of the most recognised superstars in the world, The Undertaker, real name Mark Calaway, is celebrating 30 years with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). He made his debut in 1990. From the first time WWE hit South African screens, the star became a fan favourite, keeping many captivated through his wrestling moves and horrifying “Deadman” persona. To celebrate his three decades in the game, The Undertaker is going back to where it all began – Survivor Series. The Deadman made his debut in WWE at the 1990 Survivor Series when he beat Hulk Hogan and earned his first WWE title. This year, the much-anticipated Survivor Series event is set to commemorate 30 years of The Undertaker, taking place at the Amway Centre. Although his…

getting HOOKED Plenty of catch coast-to-coast The Durban coast has not been as wild as up north but there have still been plenty of fish to catch. The tuna and dorado have been the main targets and the same methods will work. The charter boats have also done well trolling skirted lures around colour lines and depth changes. These skirted lures can be trolled at higher speeds than their lipped relatives and also offer much less resistance. Therefore, you are able to cover more water and use less fuel. Colours can be a personal thing but black/purple, black/red and pink/white are the combinations that deserve to be on every boat. The bottom fishing has produced a lot of fantastic fish with a myriad species being landed. Soldiers, slinger, geelbek, daga…