Table of contents for 2021-06-23 in Post

Duff is a psychic medium, soul coach, spiritual mentor, healer and animal communicator. She has been connecting with spirit for over 20 years and runs her business, Quantum Soul, from Waterfall in KwaZulu-Natal. Listen to her on Lotus FM, live at 1.30pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, as she connects with loved ones in spirit, and on GlowTV on Sundays after 8pm. Contact her at 072 986 5514 or email sharron@quantsoul.com Sharron Duff ARIES (March 21 – April 19) There is movement in your week and this means choices that may leave you feeling uncomfortable. Shifts in energy also mean space for new people and conversations that lead to other things. New opportunities are coming your way. Lucky colour: green. TAURUS (April 20 – May 20) You are going through…

Hum Aapke Hain Koun (Who am I to you?) is a Hindi-language romantic drama. It was written and directed by Sooraj Barjatya. The film stars Madhuri Dixit and Salman Khan and celebrates Indian wedding traditions. It is an adaptation of Nadiya Ke Paar (1982), a film based on Keshav Prasad Mishra’s novel, Kohbar Ki Shart. According to Wikipedia.org, the film earned $1.27 billion worldwide and became the highest-grossing Indian movie of the 1990s. It is one of the highest-earning Bollywood films ever. Hum Aapke Hain Koun won five Filmfare Awards and a National Film Award. Where are they now? Dixit is also a film producer, television personality and music artist and has appeared in more than 70 Bollywood films. According to Wikipedia.org, she was one India’s highest-paid actresses in the…

Thalaivaa (Leader) is an action thriller starring Vijay in the title role, Amala Paul, Sathyaraj, Abhimanyu Singh, Santhanam and Ragini Nandwani in supporting roles. The story revolves around a dancer who takes over his father's role as a crime boss after his death. Where are they now? Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar, aka Vijay, is a film actor, dancer, playback singer and philanthropist, who works predominantly in Tamil cinema. Referred to by fans and media as “Thalapathy” (commander), Vijay is the highest paid actor in Tamil cinema. According to wikipedia.org, he has acted in 64 films as a lead actor. He has won many awards, including eight Vijay Awards by Star India, three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards by the government of Tamil Nadu, and a SIIMA Award. Vijay has been included…

THE American action-adventure, directed by Steven Spielberg, tells the story of Indiana Jones, portrayed by Harrison Ford, and Willie Scot, an American nightclub singer and performer, played by Kate Capshaw. After arriving in India the adventurer is asked by a desperate village to trace a mysterious stone and rescue missing children from a cult practising dark magic. Willie is unprepared for this roller-coaster ride with Indiana but later the pair become romantically involved. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was released in the US on May 23, 1984. It was nominated for the Academy Award for best original score and won the Academy Award for best visual effects. A sequel, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, followed in 1989. Where are they now? Ford has gained worldwide fame for…

THE Extra-Terrestrial (also known as ET) is a 1982 American science-fiction film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Melissa Mathison. It tells the story of Elliott, a boy who befriends an extraterrestrial, which is stranded on Earth. The film starred Dee Wallace, Henry Thomas, Peter Coyote, Robert MacNaughton and Drew Barrymore. According to Wikipedia.org, the concept was based on an imaginary friend Spielberg created after his parents divorced. In 1980, Spielberg met Mathison and developed a new story from the failed project, called Night Skies. Unlike most films, it was shot in rough chronological order, to facilitate convincing emotional performances from the young cast. The animatronics of ET were designed by Carlo Rambaldi. Released on June 11, 1982, by Universal Pictures, ET was an immediate blockbuster, surpassing…

NIKITA CHINIAH nikita.chiniah@inl.co.za ELECTRICAL engineer Anban Pillay’s replica of KITT, the car that actor David Hasselhoff drove in the 1980s Knight Rider television series, features in a Chicken Licken advert. Pillay recently bought the car, a black Pontiac Trans-Am, that has the same year, model and transmission as KITT. The 49-year-old, of Kloof in Durban, said the car also sported an autograph by Hasselhoff in the boot. Pillay said he initially built a V8 Manual Pontiac Trans-Am, which took him five years to complete and then converted it into a KITT replica. But he sold the car in order to buy another Pontiac Trans-Am from Neil Quantrill, a movie car fan. “In the car I sold, I built in a digital dashboard feature and a voice generating system. “Using my…

Nokuthula Mabuza nokuthula.mabuza@inl.co.za A HOME is where memories are made. But the family of a 69-year-old grandmother, who was held at gunpoint at an ancestral farmhouse in Fountainhead, outside eMkhomazi, have relocated. They have had enough of being targeted by criminals. “The relocation is due to the never-ending attacks, which have put lives at risk,” said Ragi Govender. She said her mother-in-law, Poomany Govender, had lived in the home for 52 years but January's attack had left her traumatised. The four-hectare farm was bought by Poomany’s parents in the 1900s. The property was passed on to her son, Devin, 49, in 1995. Ragini Govender, 47, said: “On that day my husband was working on the farm while I went to work. I am an undertaker at LG Funerals. My mother-in-law…

Chanelle Lutchman chanelle.lutchman@inl.co.za PRIVATE hospitals in Durban are prepared for a third Covid-19 wave. Since Thursday, KwaZulu-Natal recorded more than 500 Covid-19 cases a day. Greg Swale, the regional manager at Life Healthcare, said: “There is a very slow rise of Covid-19 admissions to our KZN hospitals. “We are not yet experiencing a surge of admissions as was seen in the second wave. Our KZN hospitals remain prepared for a surge of Covid-19 admissions should this occur and these preparations are aligned to learnings and best practice from the second wave. They include working closely with our doctor Covid committees, who provide guidance in clinical decisions.” Swale said in one or two cases, they had admitted Covid patients who were transferred from Gauteng, due to the surge there. “We continue…

Chanelle Lutchman chanelle.lutchman@inl.co.za POTHOLES are a problem on many roads and communities say they have had enough of their cars being damaged. Malvern A resident, who declined to be named, said she hit a pothole on the M7 at the Malvern on-ramp. “It was late and it was drizzling. I was driving home and did not see the pothole as there was sand and mud on the road. The car jerked and made a terrible sound on impact. I managed to drive to a garage and was told the rim had buckled into the tyre and that it needed to be replaced. The attendants fitted the spare tyre, but now the car does not drive well. “I heard that you could claim from the city, so I submitted a…

Yogin Devan IN PRIMARY school and part of my high school years, my nickname was Old Man. I was not the sporty type. When football was played on the hard, gritty ground at the old Chatsworth Government-Aided Primary School, I would sit on the sidelines, at best as a reserve player, but most times I took care of the other players’ belongings. Also, I would not remove my blazer at school, even on the hottest days. Hence, Old Man or Thatha (Tamil for grandfather) was the nickname I earned for my laid-back or sluggish mannerism. I detested the nickname, which was bestowed upon me by a class bully. I was the youngest pupil in the class for several years and dared not retaliate physically or verbally. Mercifully, in the middle…

THE letter by Venolin Govender, “No equality for Indians” (the POST, June 9-13), refers. By birth, I am proudly a South African-practising-Hindu and not an Indian. In every sphere of my life, I am constitutionally free from, and protected from, any racial abuse. Govender’s mindset dates back to the apartheid era by looking for favouritism for a particular grouping. We have constitutional courts to address racial abuse brought before it. The Palestine Liberation Organisation, during the height of apartheid, had made meaningful contributions to our Struggle. In this hour of its need, we must muster and garner support for its cause. Govender’s entire grievance smacks of racism, and South Africa has no home for such totalitarians to be entertained. LALLO M HARIRAM uMhlanga Ridge…

THE Editor’s View, “Municipality is failing ratepayers” (the POST, June 9-13), made me sad. It seems many councillors and those who earn money from the city are now smug in their positions. The only party that is holding placard demonstrations is African Democratic Change (Adec). They feel the tariffs are unfair and the city has failed its people. Well done, Adec leader Visvin Reddy. Maybe it’s time for all councillors to make their voices heard during this trying period, or is it because they are afraid to upset the powers at city hall? I urge ratepayers to engage with one voice on the increases that will be implemented from July 1. Will the eThekwini Municipality have the gall to inflict upon its citizens spectacular increases in property rates of 4.9%,…

AN open letter to Julius Malema, leader of the EFF Dear Mr Malema The latest video clip on the president, the Indian cabal and our governor-general cannot go unchallenged. As a South African, I express my respect to you as an astute politician but more often an opportunist. I could write at length about your time in the ANC Youth League, how you allegedly bankrupted the Limpopo government and created such chaos that it required administration. Also, on how you sank the ANC Youth League, which has yet to be resuscitated. While I remain a normal civilian, without any political affiliation presently or employed by the government, deep down I know many South Africans of various cultures, racial backgrounds and political affiliation will attest to the following. Your disrespect…

Nadia Khan nadia.khan@inl.co.za AN INITIATIVE to tackle the myth that racism is a problem in South Africa has been met with mixed reaction. The Institute of Race Relations (IRR) recently launched an initiative, Racism Is Not the Problem. It said the initiative was to dispel the myth that racism was an issue. It aimed to expose individuals, or groups, who used fake allegations of racism as a distraction from the major problems confronting the country – or for monetary gain. The initiative was based on a survey conducted for its report titled, Critical Race Theory and Race-based Policy: A threat to liberal democracy. The report, said the IRR, showed that South Africans do not regard racism as: A major problem. Very few experience racism in their daily lives. Politicians and…

NIKITA CHINIAH nikita.chiniah@inl.co.za RESIDENTS in Stonebass Grove in Newlands West want a truck yard to stop operations. They say since the owners of Bassas's Hardware opened the truck yard in 2019 there were traffic backlogs and excessive noise, properties and roads were damaged, and they were inhaling diesel fumes and dust. The residents said the owner also kept livestock and the animal carcasses were sometimes disposed of behind their properties. They said they noticed buildings being demolished and roadworks starting in 2019 but they did not suspect that the area would become a trucking yard. One day in September 2019, they said they woke up to see several trucks, earthmoving machinery, and vehicles as well as a mechanical workshop and panel beating shop on the property. The residents said…

Chanelle Lutchman chanelle.lutchman@inl.co.za A PIETERMARITZBURG family is still coming to terms with their son’s death after a retaining wall fell on him. Earlier this month, Dontaé Naidoo, 7, was picking up litter around his home in Copesville when the neighbour’s retaining wall collapsed. The child died instantly. Don Naidoo, the boy’s father, said: “I have four daughters and one son. Dontaé was my boy. He loved to clean outside. On the day of his death (June 9), he returned from school and asked me if I wanted juice. He had the biggest smile. I said ‘no, thank you my boy’. After a while, he began to clean the yard. His younger sister wanted to help him, but he refused. They are normally as thick as thieves, so it was odd…

HITTING the ball out of the park for a six is the dream of every batsman but British amateur cricketer Asif Ali’s huge heave backfired last weekend when the ball shattered the rear windscreen of his own car. Playing for Illingworth St Mary’s Cricket Club against Sowerby St Peter’s in Sunday League action in West Yorkshire, Ali lofted the ball for a massive six. His joy turned into despair as he watched the ball crash into the windshield and he dropped to his knees with his head in his hands. “When the ball was going towards my car, (I said) oh no, no, no – what's going on?” Ali told ITV News. “It straight hit the screen, I was shocked. “I have been playing for this club for a long…

SOUTH African coach Mark Boucher attributed his team’s success during the two-match Test series against the West Indies in St Lucia to players aligning with the thinking of skipper Dean Elgar. The Proteas defeated the Kraigg Brathwaite-led West Indies by 158 runs in the second Test on Monday to make a clean sweep of the series. This is the first away series win in four years for the South Africans. “The new captain (Elgar) asked a couple of questions about where we are and where we are going and where we want to be. “Quite a few honest chats came out there as they do around a South African fire at night,” said Boucher, the former South African wicketkeeper who played 147 Tests and scored more than 5…

Naidoo, Govender join new voices on CSA board Eshlin Vedan eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za THE KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Union (KZNCU) president Daniel Govender and Lawson Naidoo are among those who have been named to the new Cricket South Africa (CSA) board following the annual general meeting held last week. Govender, a veteran uThongathi cricket administrator, has been the KZNCU president since Ben Dladla’s death in December 2020. He was elected as a non-independent director on the CSA board. Govender will aim to help clean up the administration of the game and restore the image of the CSA board which has been plagued by controversies and bad governance in recent years. Said Govender: “I am honoured to be entrusted by my peers, especially the KZN Cricket Union, including management committee and office bearers. I am…

2.0 is a science fiction action film and a sequel to Enthiran, featuring Rajinikanth reprising the roles of Vaseegaran and Chitti as the Robot, with Akshay Kumar as Pakshi Rajan and Amy Jackson as Nila. The film follows the conflict between Chitti, the once dismantled humanoid robot, and Pakshi Rajan, a former ornithologist. 2.0 is the most expensive Indian film to date. Production began in 2015 and it was completed in 2017. The film is the first in Indian cinema to be shot in 3D. It was primarily shot in Tamil, while Kumar’s dialogues were shot in Hindi. According to Wikipedia.org, 2.0 is the second highest-grossing film in India and is the fifth highest-grossing Indian film worldwide. Where are they now? Shivaji Rao Gaekwad, known as Rajinikanth, is an actor…

PULP Fiction is a 1994 American neo-noir black comedy crime film. It was written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, who conceived it with Roger Avary. The film was hailed 1994’s masterpiece, according to Wikipedia.org. It starred John Travolta, Samuel L Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Ving Rhames, and Uma Thurman. The move tells several stories of crime in Los Angeles. The title refers to the pulp magazines and crime novels popular during the mid-20th century, known for their graphic violence and punchy dialogue. Pulp Fiction won the Palme d’Or at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival, and it was a major critical and commercial success. It was nominated for seven awards at the 67th Academy Awards and it won best original screenplay. Pulp Fiction is regarded as Tarantino’s masterpiece, with praise…

Janine Moodley janine.moodley@inl.co.za MEGAN Doorasamy, the man accused of killing his wife by giving her a poisonous cocktail of anti-freeze and cranberry juice, is looking forward to his newfound freedom. The 31-year-old former truck driver was acquitted of all charges in the Durban High Court on Thursday. This followed a Section 174 application by his defence counsel, advocate Gugu Gumede, and instructing attorney Oscar Nzimande. Gumede argued that the State’s case was weak and that it lacked prima facie evidence. Under Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Act, an accused has a right to a discharge should there be no evidence against him. Judge Rashid Vahed subsequently ruled in favour of the application and discharged Doorasamy of murder, defeating the cause of justice, and theft. Doorasamy had been an…

Nadia Khan nadia.khan@inl.co.za THOSE who send messages that incite violence, share intimate pictures without consent or commit online fraud could face a fine or jail time. This comes after the Cybercrimes Bill was recently signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa. The bill, which is now an Act of Parliament, aims to criminalise the distribution of data messages that are harmful. These included sending messages via WhatsApp or texts on social media and other online platforms. According to the act, any person who unlawfully threatens to, or makes available, broadcasts or distributes by means of a computer, a data message to a specific person, group of persons, or the general public with the intention to cause violence or damage to any property belonging to them is guilty of an offence.…

Dear fellow South Africans, We are now in the midst of a third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. We may be tired of this persistent enemy, but it is not yet tired of us. The threat to health and lives is evident, as people become ill and some die. So we must do what we can, as individuals, as families and communities, as unions and employers, and as government, to limit the toll. When the virus surges to this extent, the economy also faces challenges. Workers have to isolate or quarantine, people stop going out for recreation or shopping, tourism comes to a standstill, and workplaces have to spend more money to prevent infections. It is incorrect to speak about a trade-off between lives and livelihoods. Rather, we need…

Chanelle Lutchman chanelle.lutchman@inl.co.za TEACHERS are scheduled to take the Covid-19 vaccine from today. But this offers little hope to some parents, who fear their children will still contract the virus at school. They say schools are superspreaders and they prefer their children learn their lessons online. On Saturday, Angie Motshegka, the Minister of Basic Education, said vaccines for teachers were secured and that it would begin with immediate effect. She said schools would not be closed and that any closures due to infections would be dealt with on a school-by-school basis. Schools will remain open until they close for the holidays on July 9. Motshegka also said the Cabinet had approved and supported the proposal to prepare for the return of traditional time-tabling at the primary school level. This…

Janine Moodley janine.moodley@inl.co.za NON-FUNCTIONING street lights provide opportunities for criminals to attack, say residents in Darnall, Chatsworth and Verulam. Darnall Bradley Moodley, of Singum Road, said: “None of the lights on my road have worked for several years. It's dark and crime is rampant, especially housebreakings. Functional street lights would help us see activity on the road.” Saroj Naidoo, of Singum Road, added: “When people complain, the municipality fixes one light and their workers leave. They should be going street to street and sorting it out. We are tired of complaining. Don't come to us when it is voting time. We need solutions now.” Vijay Govender, a pensioner from Roja Road, said: “Every other day criminals are breaking into homes, stealing copper pipes and even the taps. My husband…

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa told us what we had already come to accept and knew when he stated in his weekly newsletter to the nation: “We are now in the midst of a third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. We may be tired of this persistent enemy, but it is not yet tired of us.” It’s now official. We are indeed in the throes of the third wave we have been dreading and hoping we could avoid. While the infection levels may be slightly less severe in some lucky provinces like KwaZulu-Natal compared to flashpoints like Gauteng, there is now no debating whether the third resurgence has arrived or not. What remains to be seen is how we – each one of us individually and together as families, unions and so…

I JOIN the multitude of concerned people and organisations who have raised concerns about and objections to the amendments to the Promotion of Equality and the Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act (Pepuda). Although discrimination is unacceptable and equality is an important human right, the amendments, if adopted, hold threats for citizens. Due to our painful history, the Equality Act is needed. The act is imperative for the protection of each individual’s rights as far as equality is concerned. The current Equality Act, as interpreted by our courts, is not problematic, is needed and it is a good piece of legislation. It works well with the Equality Courts. However, the intended amendments will transform the Equality Act into a broad and open-ended act. For example, the amendments will expand the definition…

WE SAY the children are our future. Yet, reading about the number of qualified unemployed youth shows that there is no future. It is disappointing that some of our Indian youth cannot access employment due to their skin colour. They have endured the challenges and overcome them, firstly gaining a placement at an institution to study, and the studying itself. Parents are disappointed as some of them have sacrificed so much for their children to have a better future, yet their kids cannot secure jobs. The ANC government must give Indian South Africans refugee status and let us leave this country for other countries where our children can at least work and earn. Stop holding us back. Many readers may disagree with me but take off the blinkers. Indians are…

THE death of Kenneth Kaunda, the founding president of Zambia, marks the end of an epoch. He established an African presence in the global political arena and he embodied Africa with passion and courage. Those who attempted to humiliate him succeeded only in glorifying him. He was a man of peace in a world at war. Kaunda was a great African nationalist, but at the same time, he was a leader of international stature. He gave refuge to our leaders when the Struggle for liberation intensified. Africa is poorer today, poorer not merely by the death of this great political leader of this era, but because his death leaves a hole in the lives of many. Kaunda will remain a perennial symbol of individual excellence. Hamba Kahle. FAROUK…

Nadia Khan nadia.khan@inl.co.za FIVE days after celebrating his 21st birthday on June 6, Quwin Thulsi died when his car overturned while en route to college. Thulsi, of Tongaat, was travelling in a Nissan Almera on the M41 towards the M4 freeway on June 9 when the incident happened. The second-year BCom accounting student at Varsity College sustained head injuries. He was taken by ambulance to the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital and was then transferred to the Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital later that evening. Tashnee Bhika, Thulsi’s cousin, said while at the Prince Mshiyeni Hospital, his condition did not improve. She said the family raised funds to have him admitted to St Augustine’s Hospital on June 11 but he died. Bhika said Thulsi and his younger brother, Sashwin, delivered food hampers…

Nadia Khan nadia.khan@inl.co.za CABLE theft and illegal connections remain an ongoing issue in many areas in Durban. Residents have now called for more action from municipalities and law enforcement. Sea Cow Lake/Kenville Anil Beekrum, the vice-chairperson of the Kenville/Sea Cow Lake Ratepayers and Residents Association, said cable theft and illegal electricity connections started more than 10 years ago and that it remained a problem for the community. “Two weeks ago I was without electricity for four days. It is frustrating, especially for my children. They cannot charge their laptops or cellphones, while they work from home during the Covid-19 pandemic. I have also had to claim from my insurance for damages to my appliances. They stopped working due to the regular disruptions in the power supply.” Beekrum, of Kenville…

Eshlin Vedan eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za ABC Motsepe League football team Summerfield Dynamos made a strong statement of intent by unveiling former Manning Rangers, Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana midfielder Clinton Larsen as their new manager. He joins them on a three-year deal. After flirting with promotion to the GladAfrica Championship in the last four seasons, the Chatsworth club will aim to finally win second-tier status under the guidance of Larsen who has coached at the highest level for over a decade. Dynamos chairman Colin Naidoo believes that Larsen is the right man for the job.“The club is over the moon. It’s a dream come true to get someone of the calibre of Larsen to coach the team. Based on being an ex-player of Manning Rangers, there will be more support for the…

EXCITING news, it’s The Kingfisher’s 25th birthday and to celebrate we are offering a discount of 25% on all products, excluding bait and items that are already on sale. The sale starts tomorrow and runs to Sunday, with daily lucky draws and give-aways. This birthday sale will be at all The Kingfisher branches and we will be open on Sunday until 1pm, so get in early. The shore-based angling scene has been on fire with the sardine netting action of late. The North Coast has seen a lot of both edible and inedible fish landed. The warm water is a bit of a problem as it puts the fish in a sulky mood. The best bet is to fish as early as possible and to focus your fishing effort on…

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (The Big-Hearted Will Take the Bride) is a musical romance directed by Aditya Chopra in his directorial debut. It was produced by his father, Yash Chopra, and written by Javed Siddiqui with Aditya Chopra. It stars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. The plot revolves around Raj and Simran, two young Indians, who fall in love during a holiday travelling through Europe with friends. Raj tries to win over Simran’s family so the couple can marry, but Simran’s father has long since promised her hand to his friend’s son. According to Wikipedia.org, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge became the highest grossing Bollywood film of the year, and one of the most successful Indian films in history. It won 10 Filmfare Awards – the most for a single…

Chandramukhi (Moon-faced beauty) is a comedy starring Rajinikanth, Prabhu, Jyothika, Vadivelu and Nayanthara, among others. It is a remake of Apthamitra, which itself is a remake of the Malayalam film Manichitrathazhu. Chandramukhi’s plot revolves around a woman who suffers from dissociative identity disorder that affects a family, and a psychiatrist who intends to solve the case, while risking his life. According to Wikipedia.org, the film was released on April 14, 2005. It became a box office success. The movie won five Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, four Film Fans’ Association Awards and two Filmfare Awards. Jyothika and Vadivelu were each awarded a Kalaimamani Award for their work. Chandramukhi was dubbed into Telegu, Bhojpuri, Hindi and Turkish. It became the first Tamil film to be dubbed into German. A stand-alone sequel…

THE American romantic comedy, Pretty Woman, has become a classic over the years. The movie, which hit number one at the box office on its opening weekend, according to Wikipedia.com, stars Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. It centres on a Hollywood sex worker (Roberts) who is hired by a wealthy businessman (Gere) to be his escort for business and social functions. It captures their developing relationship in the week-long stay. The film’s title, according to Wikipedia.org, is based on the song, Oh Pretty Woman, written and sung by Roy Orbison. The movie smashed the box office and was Disney’s highest-grossing film. In 1991, Roberts, who was 21 when she played the role, won best actress for the movie at the 48th Golden Globe Awards. She was also nominated for an…

DIRTY Dancing is a romantic drama about a young woman (Jennifer Grey), who falls in love with dance instructor Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze) at a holiday resort. According to Wikipedia.org, the film premiered at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival and earned more than $214 million worldwide. The movie’s soundtrack, I’ve Had The Time Of My Life, won the Golden Globe and Academy Award for best original song and a Grammy Award for best duet. The film’s popularity led to a 2004 prequel, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, and a stage version, which has had sell-out performances in Australia, Europe and North America, according to Wikipedia.org. Where are they now? Swayze, who was also made famous for the thriller movie Ghost, was a three-time Golden Globe Award nominee. He was honoured with…

THE handler and partner of a police dog that was shot while hunting down suspects said his canine was the best in the country. Last week, police tracked four suspects to a vehicle in the Maqongqo area near Pietermaritzburg. They are wanted in connection with the killing of Lieutenant-Colonel Jabulani Ndawonde, the acting station commander at Ndwedwe SAPS. He sustained multiple gunshot wounds and subsequently died. His 9mm service pistol and an R-5 automatic rifle were reportedly taken by the suspects. Colonel Katlego Mogale, a national SAPS spokesperson, reportedly said intelligence information was received on the whereabouts of the suspects. “The suspects were observed while travelling in the identified maroon Jeep, coming from Maqongqo towards Pietermaritzburg. The members stopped the vehicle and the suspects opened fire, which resulted in a…

Chanelle Lutchman chanelle.lutchman@inl.co.za KWAZULU-Natal had not yet entered the Covid-19 third wave, Premier Sihle Zikalala said during a media update on Sunday. “About a month ago, KZN was registering an average of 130 to 150 new infections. “Sometimes, our infections would go as low as 70 to 80 or so. But over the past two weeks or so, we have been recording more than 500 new cases each day; with only a few exceptions, where the number would be around 400. “Worryingly, the province did cross the resurgence line on the 9th of June 2021, but then dropped below the alert threshold on the 10th of June 2021. On the 15th of June, we again crossed the alert line but currently, we have remained below the threshold since the…

Charlene Somduth charlene.somduth@inl.co.za RESIDENTS in Isipingo, Clare Estate and Clairwood are concerned about the number of illegal dump sites in their areas. They say the eThekwini Municipality should be doing more with the money collected for property rates. Isipingo Sunildutt Ramadhar, of the Isipingo Ratepayers Association, said illegal dumping started around 2014 in areas that include Jadwat Street, Alexandra Avenue and at the corner of Gookal and Inwabi roads. “Isipingo is absolutely filthy. The illegal dump sites are infested with rats and cockroaches, and the stench from the dirt makes it difficult to breathe.” He said members from the association saw employees from businesses outside the area dump unwanted materials. In addition to this, residents, who did not put their waste out early enough for collection, also dumped their…

Steven Friedman CLAIMS of racial bias against black pupils at affluent private schools are becoming a routine South African event. They are also a symbol of the country’s reality. The private schools were created by and for white people – this is reflected in their rules and customs. But they are seen as centres of education quality and so black people who can afford them send their children to them. But they either can’t or won’t change into institutions that include everyone. All of which is a fair description of South Africa since 1994. In a just published book, Prisoners of the Past: South African Democracy and the Legacy of Minority Rule, I argue that the new order created when racial laws were scrapped in 1994 is path dependent –…

IT IS perceived that the ruling ANC is on a path of redemption to its former glory that will make the past founder members like Walter Sisulu, Oliver Tambo, Nelson Mandela and others proud. It is obvious that there will be many hurdles to overcome, but under the leadership of President Cyril Ramaphosa it is achievable. Whether ordinary South Africans like it or not, state capture and corruption have severely retarded economic growth and job creation. The Covid-19 pandemic has added to the country’s woes. Imagine the situation the country would have been in if state capture was not reined in. There is a breath of fresh air blowing through our law enforcement agencies like the NPA, the SIU and the Hawks, etc. That means bringing the perpetrators of malfeasance…

THE term “corruption” has undergone a form of corruption. It originally referred to some illegal, dishonest act by people, especially those in power, for financial gain. The word is now loosely used to point to any form of dishonesty, regardless of whether it involves financial gain or bribery. For instance, an allegation of abuse by a learner against an educator could easily be covered up by the principal. He can declare that the educator has an impeccable history and that the learner has a record of conjuring stories. When all is said and done and the educator escapes justice, the loose term that immediately follows is: “You see, the principal is also corrupted.” This modern, loose acceptance of the term, therefore, creates another serious problem on its own. What was…

IN HIS letter, “We cannot be free if Palestine is not” (the POST, June 9-13), Saber Ahmed Jazbhay accused me of being an Islamophobe. This was done without facts to back up his venomous accusations, and despite me not saying a thing about Islam. The word appeared once in my letter – when I quoted Imam Tawhidi in the phrase “before the birth of Islam”. Does quoting him make one an Islamophobe? Accusing people of Islamophobia is a useful ruse to stifle criticism, debate, discussion or any expression of a counterview despite his hollow claims of appreciating diverse views. To give a little twist to the Bard’s words in Hamlet, “The man doth protest too much, methinks.” Anyone with a rational mind would have comprehended that, in my letter, I…

SINCE Youth Day was declared a public holiday by Nelson Mandela, young people are still struggling to reap the benefits of our democracy. This democracy provides for equal opportunities for all as enshrined in the Bill of Rights of the Constitution. Affirmative action and job reservations are at play when Indian youth graduates apply for vacancies in the open job market and are rejected because of the colour of their skin. The Democratic Liberal Congress' (DLC) manifesto clearly calls for an end to affirmative action and for people to be employed on merit. Youths must be prioritised. The government needs to pass the necessary legislation that will not discriminate against youth seeking employment opportunities. Whilst the DLC has expressed that a lot more needs to be done in terms…

Charlene Somduth charlene.somduth@inl.co.za A PHOENIX mother and toddler were trapped inside their home after a burst pipe flooded their property last week. Noorun Mahomed, 31, a social worker at the Tongaat Child Welfare, stood on a sofa holding her 2-year-old daughter as the water rose in their home. Ismail Mahomed, 30, her husband, a property developer, rescued them and their dogs. Mahomed said: “I was 10 minutes away when my wife called me to say that water was rushing into the house and she could not get out. “Our home is below road level and we believe that workers from a fibre installation company struck a water pipe. “When I arrived, I saw water gushing out of the broken pipe and into our driveway and home. “It was like a…