Table of contents for 2024-11-06 in Post

SPEAKERS of isiZulu now have access to a pioneering translation of Thiruvalluvar’s ancient Tamil classic, the Thirukurral, which was launched at the 1860 Heritage Centre. The long-awaited book is the work of author and teacher Mala Lutchmanan. "This remarkable launch marks the arrival of one of India’s most revered literary works in a format accessible to a much broader audience, connecting generations and cultures through its timeless wisdom," said deputy chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Les Govender, a member of Parliament presided over the event. In his words of appreciation in the opening pages, the late traditional prime minister of the Zulu monarch, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi expressed the hope that the book "will start conversations that uncover a shared value system". The Thirukkural, often called a "universal code…

RISHAB Shetty, who won the National Award for best actor for his pan-India success Kantara, is set to play the role of Lord Hanuman in Jai HanuMan. The film will be directed by Prasanth Varma, and is a sequel to his movie, HanuMan. The film-makers recently released the first look of Jai HanuMan presenting Shetty as Lord Hanuman. The poster showcases him in a powerful pose with an idol of Lord Ram held in his hand. This poster not only showcases his physicality, but the deep devotion and strength associated with Lord Hanuman. Shetty looks like an apt choice to play Lord Hanuman with the character’s legendary qualities, leaving fans eager to see how he will bring this iconic figure to life on screen. Varma is celebrated for his innovative…

The Rhythms of Bhakti Harikatha Musical, performed by Swami Vishwa Ranga Ramanuja, who holds a Master’s degree in Carnatic music and a Master’s in health social science from Annamalai University in India, will be held on November 16 at the Woodhurst Multicultural Centre in Chatsworth from 3.30pm. The event is being hosted by the Bhakti Marga in Durban. Swami Ramanuja, who was born in South Africa, has lived in Chidambaram in India since 2009. He moved to Vrindavan in 2020, where he continues to serve the Bhakti Marga Ashram as a direct disciple of Paramahamsa Vishwananda. Priyamvada Dasi, the Bhakti Marga music country co-ordinator, said: “The event promises to uplift the community through the timeless teachings of the Puranas, paired with an extraordinary musical programme with Swami Ramanuja accompanied by…

Dough: 2½ cups flour 1 tbs milk powder ½ tsp baking powder 1 packet (7g) instant dry yeast 1 level tsp salt 1½ tsp sugar 2½ tbs oil ¾ cup lukewarm water 1 tbs plain yogurt (optional) Mix the water, sugar and dry yeast in a jug, and let it froth for about 10 minutes. Sift the dry ingredients. Add the oil and yoghurt to the yeast mixture, and then add it to the flour mixture to form a soft dough. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, then place it in an oiled dish. Rub some oil over the dough and cover it with plastic. Let it rise in a warm place until it doubles in size. Knock down the dough and divide it into 9 to 10 pieces.…

3½ cups cake or bread flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/3 cup sugar 4 tbs milk powder 1 egg 50g butter 1 packet instant dry yeast 1 tsp vanilla essence ¾ tsp salt ¼ cup water (lukewarm) ¾ cup milk (lukewarm) 3 heaped tbs plain yoghurt (full cream) 2 tbs oil Sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the sugar, milk powder and dry yeast. Mix well with a hand whisk and keep aside. Melt the butter. Add the boiling water and mix. Add the milk, yoghurt, vanilla essence, oil and egg. Whisk to combine. Make a hole in the centre of the dry ingredients. Pour in the liquid, then knead the dough for about 10 minutes. It should be very soft and pliable. If it is still a…

3½ cups self-raising flour 3 level tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt ¾ cup icing sugar 1 egg 1 egg yolk 2 tbs oil 2 tbs plain full cream yoghurt 1 tsp vanilla essence ½ cup buttermilk 125g cold butter, cut into blocks or grated Pre-heat the oven to 220°C Sift all the dry ingredients three times. Place the dry ingredients in a food processor. Add the butter, and process until it becomes fine bread crumbs. Beat the egg, oil, yoghurt, vanilla and buttermilk. Pour the mixture into the machine while processing until it forms a soft dough. If the dough is too sticky, add a little flour. Pat the dough out on to a floured surface to a 3cm thickness. Cut the dough with a sharp scone cutter. Place…

PLAGUED with anxiety and suicidal thoughts after being bullied at school, a Phoenix teenager has turned her adversity into a tool to help other victims of bullying. Husna Hoosen, 18, of Lenham, penned her pain and experiences into a book, Unbroken, which she launched at Exclusive Books in La Lucia Mall at the weekend. The Grade 11 pupil, who is now home schooled, said she was born with a birth defect and was diagnosed with a rare and complicated condition. She said in Grade 10, her condition took a turn for the worse and resulted in her missing school often. “During this time, a group of mean girls were using peer pressure to try and get me and other girls to smoke. When I refused and began encouraging other girls…

Living out her travel dream, while working towards attaining financial stability, Mona Moodley shares her journey of working as a surveillance operator on cruise ships in the last two years. FOR Mona Moodley, working aboard a cruise ship has allowed her to “kill two birds with one stone” – travelling the world and enabling her to achieve financial stability. More than two years after her journey started, the 32-year-old, of Durban, said it was one of the best decisions she had made. Moodley works as a surveillance operator on cruise ships travelling the world. “We tend to become so comfortable in our current lifestyle and situations that we don’t make the attempt to further our knowledge about the rest of the world. Working abroad has opened my eyes to…

THE message is clear: crime has spiralled out of control in South Africa and wartime mode is now non-negotiable. The situation can be summed up thus: there is a single bullet in the chamber and must, at all costs, hit the target. On average, nine suspects were killed each month by police in KwaZulu-Natal between July 2023 and July 2024, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu said in reply to a DA parliamentary question. While many will say “good job” each time there is a report of police eliminating ruthless criminals, the grim reality is that crime persists unabated. On Monday morning, Desmond Arumugam, a Senior Superintendent at the KwaDukuza Municipality’s traffic department, was killed in cold blood by an armed robber while on duty. Last week, a Darnal mother was strangled…

SOUTH Africa is indeed a rainbow nation. First we had state capture, then we had the gold mafia followed by the construction mafia. Now we have diamond swindlers, the water mafia and hijacked state buildings - all dipping their sticky fingers into the pot of gold. Minister of Public Works, Dean McPherson, said there were 272 hijacked state buildings in the country and he intended to clean up the mess. That's a tall order. A maze of abandoned and derelict buildings – state-owned, private, commercial and residential – are contaminating our beautiful cities and suburbs. Our beloved municipality has now formed a problem buildings division to fast-track demolition or renovation of these buildings. Progress is slow but evident. A block of flats in Trafalgar Lane in South Beach was demolished…

DR Imitiaz Sooliman is in the news today because of his heroic stand against genocide. A distinguished caregiver whose name is embedded in global humanitarian circles, this humble and dedicated doctor is undoubtedly a South African hero of international stature. For centuries doctors have been held as heroes, who heal disease, alleviate pain and save precious lives and traditionally have been paid handsomely to do so. Dr Sooliman has chosen to give back to humanity on a global scale that has stretched across international frontiers. His organisation, which he founded in 1992, the Gift of the Givers, has delivered aid worth more than R300 million in an 18 year period, encompassing 22 countries, including South Africa. A stupendous feat, unmatched anywhere in the world. His achievements can only be matched…

A DURBAN mother whose son was shot, allegedly in a hit, has accused the courts of "dragging its feet" in prosecuting the men accused of killing him. Farhana Nakooda is now in the process of lodging a complaint with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). Her son, Shaheen Moorad, 24, was shot outside a tuck-shop in Seatides in September last year. Moorad was a final year food and biotechnology student. Shortly after the incident, two men were arrested for his murder. The matter is being heard in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court. Nakooda said the constant adjournments did not make her healing process any easier. “The day the incident happened, I was in Johannesburg for a family wedding and Shaheen went to Seatides to stay with his grandmother. I remember speaking to…

A GAUTENG motorist who came face-to-face with hijackers, decided to fight back - shooting and killing three of them. The man, who is believed to be employed at a firearms store, was allegedly made to stop his vehicle, a Toyota Hilux, while travelling along the N1 highway near the Diepkloof interchange, south of Johannesburg, last Tuesday. Colonel Dimakatso Mevhuhulwi, a Gauteng police spokesperson, said it was alleged that the man was driving on the highway when occupants of two different vehicles showed him what looked like a police appointment certificate and signalled for him to stop. She said when he stopped, three men from one of the vehicles, a Kia Rio, approached him. “They told him there was something wrong under his car. “When he bent to check, a knife…

AN ARMED gang is targeting Verulam residents when they take their bins out for collection by Durban Solid Waste (DSW). The gang struck three homes in 15 minutes in Trenance Park and Dawncrest last Thursday with incidents of an attempted hijacking and two house robberies where women were robbed of their jewellery. Residents say they are under siege by the gang who have been terrorising the community in recent weeks in a spate of hijackings and house robberies. Community leaders said the gang targeted mainly elderly residents and women. Many were accosted while taking out their bin packets for collection. Prem Balram, head of Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa), said the gang travelled in a brown Suzuki Ertiga and targeted three homes in 15 minutes, on Thursday. “At 7.14am, the…

Indian Heritage Month in November is a powerful tribute to the resilience and contributions of Indian indentured workers who arrived in Natal 164 years ago aboard the Truro and Belvedere in 1860. This column helps deepen our understanding of their legacy and reflects on the journey from hardship to heritage, celebrating generations that have built vibrant, diverse societies through strength and cultural pride. A series of columns are planned during Indenture Month. THE rolling green hills of KwaZulu-Natal rise in greeting as one descends into King Shaka International Airport. The sugar cane fields paint themselves deep into the horizon from Empangeni to uMzimkhulu. Just over 160 years ago, all of that landscape was virgin forest teeming with wild animals, swathes of swamp and snakes. Indian indentured workers tamed that land,…

In researching the history of indenture, we wanted to go beyond the story of the plantation and seek to track the lives of people who went back to India. In this quest, the story of Munigadu Rangadoo drew our attention. In pursuing his story through the archives, a new perspective on the idea of ‘return’ entered into our thinking. As close readers might gather, we begin to experiment with the notion of ‘speculative biography’ in trying to understand Munigadu’s life. THE uncovering of this story begins in 1922. It was sparked by a photograph of a family of four: Munigadu Rangadoo (indentured number 57684) and his children Narainsamy, Amasigadu and Muthialu. They entered the official catalogue when they contacted the South African government from Dar-es-Salaam (Tanzania) on April 14,…

FROM the moment the SA20 was launched, it was clear that South African cricket would grow in leaps and bounds. It was clear that the game in the country would get the financial boost it desperately needed, but most importantly, future stars would emerge as a result of the tournament. 21-year-old all-rounder Andile Simelane is one of the many youngsters who have grown their skills exponentially since being part of the SA20 as the youngster plays for the back-to-back champions, the Sunrisers Eastern Cape. Though the young all-rounder has not yet tasted the pressure of playing in the often sold-out crowds in the SA20, the exposure he has had behind the scenes has been invaluable. Last week, the youngster was announced in the Proteas T20I squad for the upcoming four-match…

Mallaya-Pandya is a UK-based award-winning intuitive life coach and best selling author. For information, visit www.mysticsisters-uk.com, log on to mellissamallaya@hotmail.com or find her on social media @mysticsisters ARIES (March 21 – April 19) Feeling stuck in decision-making? You may want to address someone’s behaviour, but first consider your role. Reflect on how your actions may have influenced things. Approach the conversation with empathy and accountability. This perspective could lead to a clearer path. Highs: Your health will be great. Lows: Impulse eating. TAURUS (April 20 – May 20) It’s the perfect moment to rekindle the spark in your relationship. Make time for meaningful connections. If you’re job hunting, take this as your cue to build your network and explore opportunities. Step confidently into the spotlight and show what you have…

SOUTH superstar Nayanthara has a documentary based on her journey, and it is set to drop on Netflix on her birthday on November 18. The documentary, titled Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairy Tale, follows her life from her modest beginnings to the heights of her illustrious career, and gives fans a glimpse into her journey. Nayanthara is a powerhouse performer, who is known for her versatile work in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi cinema. With the documentary, Nayanthara opens her home and heart to inspire young dreamers to reach for their aspirations. Filled with untold stories of her roles as a daughter, sister, partner, mother, friend and a force to be reckoned with in the industry, the film celebrates the magic that makes her shine. Nayanthara, who is one of the…

Amaran is a powerful movie that celebrates the life of Major Mukund Varadarajan, a brave and patriotic Indian army officer, who lost his life in an anti-terrorism operation in Jammu and Kashmir in 2014. He was posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra for his courage in leading his team on successfully hunting down and eliminating two terrorists from the Jammu and Kashmir region. The movie traces his life’s journey from his college days where he meets his future wife Indhu to their deep love. Sivakarthikeyan, Kollywood heart-throb, plays his best role yet as Major Mukund and Sai Pallavi plays Indhu Rebecca Varghese, Major Mukund’s loving wife. With just one film Rangoon in 2017 under his belt, the former Vijay TV programmes director Rajkumar Periasamy worked with Sivakarthekeyan at Vijay TV where…

3 eggs 1¼ cup brown sugar 1¼ cups oil 3 tsp vanilla essence Beat the above until well combined Sift: 22/3 cups cake flour 3 level tsp baking powder 1/3 tsp bicarb 1/3 tsp salt 2 tsp fine cinnamon To the egg mixture add: 2 cups grated carrots ½ cup pecan nuts 1/3 cup Amasi (buttermilk) Crunchy topping: 1/3 cup flour ¼ cup brown sugar 1 tsp fine cinnamon Mix the above and then rub 3 tbs hard butter into the flour, creating a biscuit dough crumble. If the butter is soft, it will make a biscuit kind of dough. Crumble the dough by grating it on the top of the cupcakes once they are filled. Fill the muffin cases ¾ way full. Sprinkle some crunchy topping…

1 chicken cut into pieces (washed and drained well) Add: ½ tsp black pepper ½ tsp onion powder ½-1 tsp red chilli powder 1 tsp BBQ spice 1 tsp chicken spice ½ tsp garlic and herb 1 tsp Cajun spice 1 tsp Portuguese peri-peri spice 1 tsp zinger spice 1 tsp peri peri spice ½ tsp Aromat salt to taste (I don't add any) 1 heaped tsp garlic/ginger 1 heaped tsp garlic 1 tsp green chillies ½ tsp dhania/jeero 1 tbs lemon juice 1 egg ½ cup buttermilk/amasi Mix the above well and marinade for a few hours. In a separate bowl, add: 2 cups of cake flour ½ cup maizena 1 tsp baking powder a dash of black pepper a dash of salt a pinch of white pepper 1…

Filling: 2 chicken fillets (+/- 350g) minced, washed and drained well Add: 1 tsp garlic 1 tsp green chillies 1 tsp red ginger masala ½ tsp dhania ¼ tsp jeero a good pinch of fine red chillies ½ tsp Portuguese peri-peri spice 1 tbs soya sauce 1 egg yolk 1/3 grated onion ½ grated green pepper ¼ grated tomato a handful of fresh chopped dhania Mix the above well and leave it to marinate for a few hours, preferably overnight. Dough: 1 heaped cup of flour a good pinch of salt enough water to make a soft, but firm dough Shape into a ball and place in a floured bowl. Cover with plastic. Leave the dough to rest for an hour. Make a hole in the centre of the dough…

AN ARMED hijacker made sure he “finished off” senior superintendent Desmond Arumugam, when he opened fire on him during an alleged hijacking and robbery on the N2 near the Groutville off-ramp on Monday morning. Desmond, 50, from Tongaat, who was on duty at the time, was employed as a traffic officer at the KwaDukuza Municipality’s traffic department. He had noticed suspicious activity in a taxi which had been parked on the centre of the off-ramp and went to investigate when he was killed. His brother Bazil Arumugam, a former policeman, said Desmond had left home for work at around 5am. “He was scheduled to be on duty from 6am. We are not exactly sure what transpired and have relied on eyewitness reports for information. The incident happened around 6.45am when…

MORE than 10 years on and Kayurin Govender, now 27, still recalls his experiences of being bullied as the only Indian child at a school in Bloemfontein. He said the bullying had a lasting psychological impact on his life. He recently took to TikTok to share his story. “We relocated from Durban when my dad received a promotion at work that required us to move. I was eight years old at the time and the only Indian boy at that school. I never knew I could be made to feel worthless because I was different. “I was told to go back to India or Pakistan, and that I did not belong at the school. I was told I belonged at the spaza shops where the Pakistan and Bangladesh people were.…

THE 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) takes place in Azerbaijan this month. The annual climate change conference must focus on holding corporations and countries accountable for greenhouse gas emissions. The “polluter pays” principle has been a key part of climate discussions for years. It says a polluter should bear the costs of managing its pollution, to prevent damage to human health and the environment. Although the principle is widely accepted in theory, it hasn’t been put into practice consistently, or enforced. Many of the largest polluters continue to operate with little or no financial consequence for the damage they cause. Many countries, especially developing ones, have been left to bear the costs of climate adaptation and mitigation, despite being the least responsible for global emissions. COP29 will have to…

“A CALL for justice: Arundhati Roy’s powerful address on Gaza”, the POST, October 16-20, refers. Suzanna Arundhati Roy is also known as The God of Fake News: she creates, disseminates and encourages fake news. In May 2002, she wrote in Outlook about the post-Godhra riot victim Ehsan Jaffri’s daughters, who were allegedly, “Stripped and burned alive ”. Jaffri’s son, interviewed by The Asian Age on May 2, said: “Among my brothers and sisters, I am the only one living in India. And I am the eldest in the family. My sister and brother live in the US. I am 40 years old.” She had to publish an apology. She is in her element before a foreign audience that knows little about India. At Northwestern Law School in Chicago,…

RECENTLY the Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, issued marriage certificates that recognise Muslim marriages. The minister has enabled the Home Affairs systems to retroactively recognise Muslim marriages. This update is critical to provide an informed perspective on the story where Muslim and Hindu women were historically treated like chattels without legal rights and protections that women in Christian marriages were afforded. It's been an especially long walk towards giving legal recognition to the rights of widows in Muslim marriages. It is far from over. There is so much misinformation. It's confusing, if not perplexing. It is also fuelling conspiracy theories and persecution of Muslim advocates oozing out of the mire. We need to acquaint ourselves with the status of Muslim marriages, which have been recognised by our Constitutional…

POLICE have arrested a fourth suspect who allegedly “unknowingly” bought stolen fireworks online and then tried to resell it to the Northcroft Hindu Dharma Sabha in Phoenix. The accused Bright Vusi Mamba, 43, Ndumiso Mzileni, 34, Phinda Bonginkosi Zulu, 37, and Vishaan Ramsumair, 40, have been charged with theft. Mzileni and Zulu also faced charges of contravening the Immigrations Act in that they were employed in South Africa without work permits. Earlier last month a truckload of fireworks, belonging to Fireworks King, was stolen from a warehouse in Camperdown. On October 22, police recovered about R4 million worth of the stolen fireworks at the temple. Five days later police recovered the remaining fireworks in Seaview. At that point, Mamba, Mzileni and Zulu were arrested and charged. They appeared in the…

RATEPAYER associations have referred to the eThekwini Municipality's Electricity Reform Strategy, which proposed a network and infrastructure fee be added to consumers' utility bills, as "unjustified" and an "injustice". They said they would object to the reform plans as any additional increase to utility bills would put people further into debt. The reform plans were tabled during an executive committee meeting last week. A special council meeting was expected to be held last Wednesday to pass the reforms but it was postponed to this week. Mduduzi Ncalane, the communications manager for the municipality, said an increased number of customers were transitioning to alternative energy sources and it had become imperative to implement a fixed cost. “The fixed cost is aimed at maintaining the electrical network," said Ncalane. He said the…

A PILOT study by researchers at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) has found that focused police patrols and not just police visibility could curb South Africa’s crime wave. Vanya Gastrow, a senior researcher for Justice and Violence Prevention, said South Africa faced some of the highest crime rates globally. “Murders, carjackings, home invasions, violent robberies and extortion have become alarmingly routine in many areas. The idea of visible policing is increasingly being seen by the SAPS as essential to addressing the problem, especially through police patrols and boots on the ground. “The emphasis on police visibility raises an important question: Could simply increasing police patrols on the streets play a part in curbing South Africa’s crime crisis?” She said as a strategy, ramping up the presence of police through…

Former New Zealand batter Ross Taylor said they didn’t think of a 3-0 clean sweep over India in the Test series in their ‘wildest dreams’ as Tom Latham-led side completed a historic whitewash in Mumbai on Sunday. India lost their first home Test series since 2012 as New Zealand cruised to their first-ever series win over India. The visitors were on top in all departments across three matches of the series and kept Indian batters at bay on their home turf. Ajaz Patel (15) and Mitchell Santner (13) were among the wickets while Rachin Ravindra (256), Will Young (244) and Devon Conway (227) led the run-charts for the Kiwis to achieve the unimaginable. “Like most of the country, I’m just in awe of the team. I think the way they…

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is grappling with a mounting injury crisis that threatens to derail their season’s momentum. The English champions have suffered consecutive defeats to Tottenham in the Carabao Cup and Bournemouth in the Premier League. The situation has been significantly impacted by the loss of Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, who is out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury. The Spanish midfielder leads a concerning list of absentees in Guardiola’s squad that includes Oscar Bobb, Ruben Dias, Jack Grealish and John Stones. There is a potential boost on the horizon with Kevin De Bruyne nearing a return after a seven-week absence, though the Belgian playmaker will need time to regain full match fitness. The injury list extends further with Kyle Walker, Nathan Ake, Manuel…

We have less than 90 days until the festive season. This year is running away like an angry blackfin shark. The cold weather of the past week has made for less fishing but still some good reports have come in. The rock and surf anglers have been battling the cold in the early mornings. The rewards of fighting the cold have been some decent inedibles and edibles. North Coast, the rain has made for some colour lines around the river mouths. These conditions are brilliant for catching snapper salmon and kob. Paddletails and chokka-baits are the way to go for both of these species. The Umkomaas river mouth is looking particularly deadly after the recent rains. There have been some early summer fish around so be prepared for some drag…

IDENTICAL twins who must negotiate the rough seas of sibling rivalry, emotional pain and a failed romantic affair are what you can expect in Do Patti. Woven in a tale of marital violence and the repercussions of remaining in silence – the film offers a potent blend of societal satire and emotional turmoil. But despite the theatrical sentiment, this dish itself seems to have been placed in the cooker for too long. The film is set in the hazy hills of Uttarakhand in a fictional town called Devipur in India. It follows the twins, Saumya and Shailee, essayed by Kriti Sanon. One is submissive, and the other is showy and arrogant. Their tumultuous upbringing transforms them into two distinct people, who are scarred by their past and incidentally desire the…

1 packet spaghetti (boiled al dente in salted water with a little oil; keep 1 cup of pasta water aside) Hong Kong Chicken: Cut a chicken into small pieces, wash and drain well Add: 2 tbs fresh ginger, crushed 1 tbs crushed garlic 1 tbs ginger masala some fine red chillies 1 tsp ginger powder ½ bottle soya sauce or more 1 tsp dhania/jeero salt to taste 1 tsp Portuguese peri-peri 1 tsp southern fried spice 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp Amina’s Rombo Rossi spice 1 tsp garlic BBQ 1-2 tbs brown sugar 1-2 tbs golden syrup 1 cup koeksister syrup (you can add more later) 1 cup Coke ¼ cup tomato sauce Marinade the above overnight for better results. For this batch, I made it with ½kg chicken…

1 egg 1/3 cup sugar ½ cup buttermilk 1 tsp vanilla essence 1 tbs melted butter 1 tbs oil 1 cup cake flour a pinch of salt 2 tsp baking powder Whisk the eggs and sugar well. Add the vanilla, buttermilk, oil and melted butter, and mix well. Add the sifted dry ingredients and mix into a smooth batter. Deep fry in medium hot oil by dropping spoonfuls into the oil. Fry until golden brown on both sides and drain well. Roll in cinnamon sugar (castor sugar with a little cinnamon powder added and mixed) or dip in syrup and coconut. Note that this is a very soft donut, so it must be dipped into the syrup and taken out. Don’t let them lay in the syrup for minutes because…

Aahil Ali Khan Girdhurparsadh has faced challenges that would test the resolve of even the strongest individuals. But he faced his challenges and was recently announced as the rowing captain of Hilton College. Weeks before his fifth birthday, Aahil and his grandfather were involved in a vehicle fire. Both were burnt extensively, with Aahil suffering "full-thickness burns". "They were miraculously saved by the medical team led by veteran surgeon Dr M Pillay at Chatsmed Life Hospital," said the 17-year-old's dad, Sewraj Girdhurparsadh, of Hilton. He said Aahil’s surgeries were ongoing and were mostly done during the school holidays. These procedures, said Girdhurparsadh, would continue until he reached adulthood. “Extensive physiotherapy under the stewardship of Jitesh Gopal, Shalin Moodley and specialist physiotherapist Razia Peer afforded Aahil much use of his hands.”…

This year, Chatsworth, one of the most vibrant townships in the country, celebrates 60 years since it was founded in the 1960s. To mark this anniversary, the POST is publishing a series of articles from Kiru Naidoo’s book, Made in Chatsworth. There is this huge enamel teapot I had tucked under my arm as I waltzed across the Westville Civic Centre car park. Its colour is best described as light buttercup edged with Addington Hospital green. My guess is that it could pour twenty cups. It was a kind of teapot I had not seen in at least forty years. When it came up on auction at a South African Writers’ Circle’s monthly meeting at the Westville Library, I simply had to have it. It reminded me of…

From a young age, Govinden developed a passion for reading. She later became the first student to graduate with a PhD in English literature at the University College for Indians. The 80-year-old retired academic, researcher, author and poet, reflected on her journey over the past seven decades. AS A young girl, Dr Devarakshanam “Betty” Govinden’s love for reading developed and led her to diving deep into the rich tapestry of English literature. Govinden, 80, of Musgrave, is one of the eight trailblazers who shared her story in Kogielam Archary's book, Reflective Memories – Voices of Indentured Labourer Descendants: South Africans born between 1924 and 1944 – Volume One. Early life Govinden, who is the youngest of two children, was born in Kearsney, on the North Coast, in 1944. Her paternal…

AT FIRST I did not want to publish this book, (Education and the Working Class: is there hope for an exclusive approach?), fearing it would undermine the public’s confidence in the education system. Most of my colleagues are well-intentioned, hardworking, and very committed to supporting children, but there are serious knowledge gaps in the context of the Western Cape and how we need to respond to it. Despite the well-meaning intentions of bureaucrats within the education system, their perspective on education often mirrors what Exley and Ball (2011) identified as conservative education policy in the UK. This policy stance tends to attribute success solely to individual effort, ability, and adherence to traditional teaching methods, while placing blame on students, their families, or their teachers for failures. This narrow viewpoint, akin…

“BHARATHA Natyam: Bhakti or Bucks," by Saranya Devan, the POST, October 30-November 3, refers. The typical arangetram now costs around R100 000, making it an extremely expensive event. Have we lost our minds as parents? This has turned into a lavish affair that is accessible only to the wealthy. Thank you to the POST. Last week the focus was on fees for musicians and now it's Bharatha Natyam. What issue will be addressed next to expose the problems that compromise the essence of our heritage? Such controversial topics are sparking heated debates, which is beneficial for the betterment of our society. It is encouraging to see that some prominent classical dancers like Suria Govender, Sivani Chinappan and Manesh Maharaj urged students to reject the demand for extravagant events. This issue…

FINANCE Minister Enoch Godongwana presented a gloomy mid-term budget last Wednesday. Public debt has gone through the roof. He said the country’s public debt would reach a frightening R6 trillion next year. For every R1 the government collects, 22 cents goes towards servicing debt. It didn’t give much hope for the future nor did it excite the markets. In fact, the rand declined on the grim forecast for the country’s economy. The GDP forecast is expected to be a meagre 1.1% which is not good news for the country’s soaring unemployment problem. Without economic growth there cannot be job creation to reduce the unemployment rate in the country. Yet Godongwana was optimistic that he would arrest fiscal deterioration in the next few months. How he is going to do it…

THE connotations around the word activist are usually negative. The word “climate activist” conjures up images of young college students throwing cans of soup at expensive artworks, storming the stage at a concert or fashion show, or flashing their bare chests to get the point across. I mean, have you watched a Greta Thunberg speech? She clearly has issues.Then there are the feminist activists. And now, there are the pro-Palestine activists – a kefia wearing, flag toting bunch who block freeways, set themselves alight, throw red paint around and carry fake dead babies. Yes. The optics around activists are not the most encouraging and they are viewed by the rest of the world as a group of individuals who, for some reason, feel strongly, beyond all sense of rationality,…

A Phoenix family is struggling to come to terms with the death of breadwinner and father of three, Riaz Abdool Rahim, 48. Rahim was swimming at the uMhlanga beach at around midday on Saturday, when he allegedly drowned. His body washed up on the Promenade Beach, in Glen Ashley, his brother Imran said. Rahim leaves behind his wife, a 21-year-old son and two daughters aged 13 and 24. Imran said he spent hours driving up and down the coastline trying to find his brother’s body. “We don’t really know exactly what had happened. But the search-and-rescue team said that Riaz was in the water. A couple had seen him go into the water but he did not come out. It is suspected that a strong rip current pulled him in…

TODAY (Wednesday) marks day 12 of the National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams. Pupils at Grosvenor Boys’ High School, on the Bluff, wrote geography paper 1 and computer application technology (CAT) paper 2, on Tuesday. They described the papers as “good”, but “challenging”. On Friday, matric pupils wrote maths and maths literacy paper 1 and on Monday, maths paper 2. Vishesh Rampersad,17, said he found certain parts of the geography paper challenging. “I do pure maths and those papers were the hardest so far. I am just glad to be done with it. I am also happy that the exams are coming to an end. I want to study accounting at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).” Caleb Naicker, 17, said: “I had a few challenges, but overall the geography paper was…

RESIDENTS are concerned about the proposed network and infrastructure fee because they are currently struggling to pay their bills. Yvonne Naidoo, 39, from Phoenix, said another fee was "unfair" to ratepayers. "My electricity bill is between R3 000 and R4 000 a month. My meter readings are not being done and I am being overcharged. This is proof that the billing system is already a mess. I am now concerned that if this fee is implemented, how much more will I be charged for my bills. We are all struggling and yet again we are put under pressure by the municipality.” Naidoo, a stay at home mother of two, said the municipality and government should look for funding to settle the costs of the network and infrastructure fee instead…

COMMUNITY crime fighters believe that traditional policing methods are not as effective in combatting the scourge. Mark Nadasen, the spokesperson for the Phoenix Community Policing Forum (CPF), said their new strategy to combat crime, was the implementation of the Community in Blue (CIB) members. “These members are residents from the different areas in Phoenix. They have formed street committees and are the eyes and ears of the police. “They gather intelligence on the ground about crimes related to the drug, house-breakings and murders and hand the intelligence over to police.” Nadasen said by using this intelligence, the police were able to come up with effective solutions and strategies to deal with crime. “Through the CIB members a number of arrests have been made. The traditional methods of patrols are needed…

It's not easy to pen these words to a fallen comrade like Rama Govenden whom I have known since my childhood. We were particularly close during the Struggle era. We had similar interests for food, beverages, culture, heritage and spirituality. He chose me to speak at his wedding held at the Sri Siva Soobramanium Temple in Umdloti Drift, Verulam, in 1996. Rama hails from the illustrious Kolendeval family whose sterling contribution to the cultural life of the Tongaat community is yet to be told. Like many student activists, Rama had become socially and politically conscious while he was a first-year student in 1978 at the erstwhile University of Durban-Westville. He was active in the SRC, and an integral part of student mobilisation and organisation in campus. Rama was in the…

Wherever Mihlali Mpongwana goes he is followed by bountiful optimism. It helps that he is tall, affable, strong, smart and ambitious. And shown the potential that he could be a prized national asset for the next decade. Mpongwana hits the ball long and hard, bowls tidy medium pace and has hands the size of buckets. In the modern game, these are assets that could still earn him a tidy pay cheque in the future. But right now the 24-year-old doesn’t want to look too far ahead. He is simply trying to figure out the mechanics of styling his game for each format. “When people ask me what am I good at? I kind of hesitate because it’s different for different formats. I can’t run away from that. “The stats speak…

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma came under fire Monday as India chewed over a 3-0 Test series home defeat to New Zealand, with critics calling the team ageing and low on confidence. The cricket superpower went down by 25 runs on Sunday in the third Test inside three days at Mumbai for only their second series whitewash at home. It sealed New Zealand’s historic first-ever Test series triumph on Indian soil. For India there is little time to fix things - they travel to Australia for a five-match Test series starting on November 22. “Losing 3-0 at home is a tough pill to swallow and it calls for introspection,” former skipper Sachin Tendulkar wrote on social media. “Was it lack of preparation, was it poor shot selection or was it…