Table of contents for 2022-02-16 in Post

Latoya Newman latoya.newman@inl.co.za VETERAN journalist and author Fakir Hassen said he learned a few new facts and tricks through the release of his two latest books. In one of his most recently-released books, On the Gandhian Trail, he explores and documents some unknown facts about Mahatma Gandhi. In another book, released late last year, called 500 Bollywood Encounters, he unpacks anecdotes and trivia about the film industry and has added a collection of personally developed Bollywood-themed trivia word puzzles. He also designed the book, a first for Hassen, after teaching himself the skill from a computerised design tool. The books were co-published by Sammy Naidoo of the Apple Group of print companies. Known for his passion for documenting local histories, Hassen said his way of life stemmed from his upbringing.…

30 ml olive oil ¼ tsp mustard seeds 1 sprig curry leaves, 10 to 15 leaves 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 cinnamon stick 2 cardamoms 2 cloves 1 tbs garlic/ginger paste 2-3 green chillies, chopped (optional) 1-2 tbs chilli powder ½ tbs coriander powder ½ tbs fennel/somph powder 1 tsp jeera powder 1 small butternut, peeled and cubed 2 courgettes, thinly sliced ½ cup peas 2 medium tomatoes, puréed 1 tsp plain white flour 125ml water 800g puff pastry for pot pies or 400g for pastry rolls 100ml full cream milk handful chopped fresh coriander leaves Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves, which should pop and splatter. Add the onion, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Once the onions are golden brown, add the…

1 large brinjal 1 medium potato a glug of olive oil ¼ tsp mustard seeds ¼ tsp cumin seeds 1 cinnamon stick 2-3 bay leaves 1 medium onion, finely chopped 2-3 green chillies 1 tbs (15ml) freshly ground garlic/ginger 1 tbs (15ml) coriander powder ½ tbs (7ml) cumin powder 1-2 tbs (15-30ml) mix masala ½ cup (125ml) red pepper, finely chopped ½ cup (125ml) yellow pepper, finely chopped 2 cups soya mince or cooked brown lentils ½ cup (125ml) frozen peas ½ (200ml) can tomatoes 1 tsp (15ml) salt 40ml fresh coriander, finely chopped (add more if you like) 40ml flat leave parsley, finely chopped (add more if you like) Béchamel sauce: 1 knob vegan margarine/butter 50ml white flour 400ml soy/almond milk (unsweetened) 80ml grated vegan Gouda/Cheddar cheese pinch of…

Brijlall Ramguthee A GREAT philanthropist. A humanitarian. A good-hearted person. That’s what his first name, Deenadayalan, means, when translated from Hindi. It was perhaps the last that epitomised our former colleague, Deenadayalan “Deena” Pillay, who succumbed to medical complications, which eventually led to a heart attack, at Parklands Hospital, Durban, on Saturday morning. He was 59. As we bade farewell to Deena at a crowded Clare Estate Crematorium on Sunday, he lay serenely in his coffin, adorned with, among others, a moustache (he was often clean shaven with occasional sprouting), and would no doubt have offered a chuckle or two, had he been alive, as speakers delivered their eulogies. A series of health problems eventually led to him being medically boarded in June 2018. But before then, he was a…

Jolene Marriah-Maharaj jolene.marriah@inl.co.za A 52-year-old Chatsworth man who was arrested after police found drugs worth R2 million in his home has been released on bail. Alvin Singh made his first appearance in the Chatsworth Magistrate’s Court on Friday. NPA spokesperson Natasha Kara said that the accused faced charges of possession of drugs and was released on R2 000 bail. Singh was arrested at his Montford home on February 10 following a police operation. Colonel Thembeka Mbele, a provincail police spokesman, said an intensive investigation was conducted after police received reports of illegal drug trade that was taking place at a house in Chatsworth. “The team swooped on the premises on Montford Road in Chatsworth to execute a search warrant. “The premises were searched and police found 70 800 capsules of…

Janine Moodley janine.moodley@inl.co.za SECTIONAL title flat owners, who faced losing their homes over outstanding levies, are celebrating a victory. Last Thursday, the Community Schemes Ombud Service (CSOS) dismissed an application to force flat owners to settle a collective R20 million debt for levies owed. The application was made in 2018 by Tingaweb, the administrator appointed to represent the bodies corporate involved. Most of the application was against flat owners in Bonela but also included those living in Eskotene Grove, Happy Valley flats in Hambanathi, Mount Moriah, Riverview Gardens and Yellowwood House. In Bonela alone, 499 units sold by the eThekwini Municipality, for an average price of R63 000, were affected. The CSOS panel of adjudicators – William Nicholson, Mpumelelo Sibisi and Asha Sewpersad – were appointed to focus on the…

Wendy Jasson Da Costa wendy.jdc@inl.co.za THE process of nation-building and reconciliation is an ongoing project and everyone should take responsibility for it, says former eThekwini deputy mayor Logie Naidoo. He says building bridges between Africans and Indians is more urgent following the violence that erupted in July last year. Since finishing two decades on the municipality’s executive committee in 2016, he has worked tirelessly to enhance social cohesion in KwaZulu- Natal, he told POST last week. At the end of his term of office in the municipality, he was appointed to the premier’s Social Cohesion Council. This was established to promote interracial harmony, tolerance and understanding among the diverse people of the province. However, the unrest and violence which rocked KZN and Gauteng in July last year meant that…

Nadia Khan nadia.khan@inl.co.za THE decision by Sapref shareholders, Shell Downstream South Africa and bp Southern African (bpSA), to shut down the oil refinery in Durban will impact the lives of hundreds of people and their families. Artisans from Wentworth, who worked at the South African Petroleum Refineries (Sapref) during its turnaround (maintenance) shutdowns, said they were preparing for work in May. Now they have to look for alternative work. Matthew Short, 59, who has worked in the mechanical industry for almost 40 years, said he had not been employed since 2019. “When I found out through the labour brokers that the contractors to Sapref were looking for workers, I borrowed money to get my CV and other documents ready. I was going to work as a supervisor for one of…

Zaahier Adams zaahier.adams@inl.co.za NEW Zealand’s South African-born batting star Devon Conway has consulted his Black Caps teammate Neil Wagner about what it will be like to face the Proteas for the first time in the first Test at the Hagley Oval tomorrow. Wagner, of course, was also born and raised in South Africa, before packing up and heading south to New Zealand like Conway did in 2017. The bustling left-arm paceman has already played six times against his birth country, and experienced all the emotions that goes with it – the most heart-pulling being in the “opposing” team’s line-up when the national anthems are rendered. But Wagner had sound advice to the 30-year-old left-hander from Gauteng. “I had a catch-up with him (Wagner) after the Bangladesh series and said to…

Nonjabulo Bhengu nonjabulo.bhengu@inl.co.za ISHARA Pillay has been bitten by the writing bug. The 58-year-old recently released her second book, Alyssa’s Secret, which focuses on child abuse and awareness. Last year, Pillay published 2020, a semi-fictional story on the Covid-19 pandemic, the loss of her sister, and going through depression. The mother of two, a teacher at Standerton Primary School in Mpumalanga, said her love for reading inspired her to write. “My parents were avid readers and they read to my siblings and I. At first, we borrowed books from the library, and when we grew older, they started buying us books.” She said as a teacher, she saw, heard, and assisted children who were abused. “This topic needed to be brought to light because many victims of abuse are not…

1 cup (250ml) soya chunks soaked in boiling water 1 tbs (15ml) flour for dusting salt 30ml olive oil ¼ tsp mustard seeds ¼ cumin seeds 1 sprig curry leaves 2 bay leaves 1/3 cup (80ml) chopped celery stalks 1-2 green chillies, roughly chopped (optional) 1 tbs (15ml) garlic/ginger paste 1 large onion, finely chopped 1 tbs (15ml) coriander powder 1-2 tbs mixed masala 2 medium carrots, sliced 2 medium baby marrows, sliced 1 tbs fresh thyme 45ml tomato paste 2 cups vegetable stock or plain water ¾ cup frozen peas Topping: 5 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed large knob of butter 1/3 cup (50ml) hot milk pinch of salt Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Drain the soya chunks, lightly salt and dust with flour. Heat the oil and add…

POST REPORTER INDIA is a secular country and therefore neutral when it comes to religion. The Times of India compiled a timeline on the hijab ban in Karnataka. On December 31, 2021, six Muslim students from the government PU College for Girls in the Udupi district demanded they wear their hijab (headscarf) inside the classroom. The college is equivalent to a high school. On January 1, during a meeting, the college decided not to allow students to wear hijabs inside classrooms. On January 13, eight students then decided they would only attend classes if they were allowed to wear a hijab. On January 19, the school took another decision, in a bid to resolve the matter, to allow pupils to wear the hijab in class but remove it when the…

Nonhlanhla Nozizwe Hlatshwayo nozizwe.hlatshwayo@inl.co.za ERIN Lazarus is one of the youngest and only female snooker player at KwaZulu- Natal Pro Snooker, and her aim is to grow and learn in the sport. Last month, the 18-year-old from Westville participated in the All African Women’s 9-ball in Secunda and finished fourth overall. This, she said, was not a bad performance considering she was new to the sport. Erin, who matriculated from Durban Girls’ College last year, will be studying business science at UCT (University of Cape Town). While her studies will take centre stage, she has vowed not to give up on cuesports. “I am passionate about blackball, 9-ball and snooker. I’m still young, so I’m giving myself time to enjoy playing all three codes of cuesports but I know that…

Janine Moodley janine.moodley@inl.co.za IT IS not every day that a young girl dreams of becoming a farmer, but for Kireshni Naiker it is all she ever wanted. As a child, Naiker, of Chatsworth, loved nature and animals. She would often nurse injured birds she found back to health. After matric she decided she would study animal sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Pietermaritzburg campus, but she was not accepted. “I remember sitting in the dean’s office and he gave me other options. My dad looked at me for a decision but I believed this was my purpose, so I upgraded my maths, went back to university and completed my degree in the required time.” A month after graduating with an Honours degree in 2016, Naiker wanted nothing else but hands-on…

Yogin Devan SIDHIKA Sooklal’s talents were being wasted in South Africa. Bad enough that she was not being recognised as a design guru, she was also not being adequately compensated for the immense talents she could offer. The Durban-born woman was among the inaugural intake at Pretoria University for the degree in business design and she graduated with a BA Honours. She represented Pretoria University at the Africa Design Competition in 2006 and came first from among 24 African universities. Her prize was an all-expenses paid three-week study tour to the Japanese Design Institute at Kyoto University, Japan. In 2013, she obtained her Master’s degree (cum laude) from the European Institute of Design, in Madrid, Spain. She lectured at Pretoria University and the University of Johannesburg. She worked in the…

Nadia Khan nadia.khan@inl.co.za MOMENTS before a Chatsworth mother could serve her children their dinner, the family was attacked and shot on Friday night. Charlene Naicker, 38, of Pond Street in Welbedacht East, is in a critical condition in the intensive care unit at a hospital. She does not know her youngest daughter, Chazlyn, 2, and son, Ainzlee, 14, died following the shooting. The mother of six sustained gunshot wounds to the thigh and stomach. Chazlyn, who was shot three times in the chest and once in the head, died en route to the hospital. Ainzlee, a Grade 7 pupil at the Durban School for the Hearing Impaired, was shot in the neck, head and hand. He died in hospital on Saturday morning. Her three other children were not injured, and…

MANCHESTER United interim manager Ralf Rangnick said he does not intend to strip defender Harry Maguire of the captaincy following his poor form. Maguire has been at fault for goals conceded on several occasions this season, most recently in their draws with Burnley and Southampton in the English Premier League. Rangnick said there is room for improvement for the 28-year-old, who joined United from Leicester City for $108 million – a world record fee for a defender – in August 2019. “I think when he came back after his injury he did extremely well,” Rangnick told reporters ahead of Tuesday’s league game at home to Brighton & Hove Albion. “In the past two games, yes he had some weaker moments, against Southampton and when we conceded the goal at Burnley,…

Eshlin Vedan CHATSWORTH football club Summerfield Dynamos sprung one of the big surprises so far in the South African Nedbank Cup when they reached the last 16 of the competition. The Nedbank Cup is the South African equivalent of the English FA Cup which features teams from the various South African football divisions playing against each other. Dynamos play in the ABC Motsepe League (third tier of SA football) and they reached the last 16 phase of the competition following their 1-0 win over KwaZulu-Natal GladAfrica Championship side Uthongathi last Friday. There has been marked improvement in the performances of Dynamos since the appointment of Manning Rangers legend Clinton Larsen as coach last June. Larsen arrived at the club with extensive experience coaching in the top flight of South African…

Start by preparing the tomato gravy followed by the béchamel sauce, then roast the veggies and layer. Tomato gravy: 1-2 tbs (15ml-30ml) olive oil 1 small onion, finely diced ½ tsp cumin seeds 2 tbs (30ml) fresh oregano 1 tbs (15ml) garlic, finely diced 1-2 green chillies, finely chopped 50ml tomato paste 2 cans whole tomato, pureed salt ½ cup chopped basil leaves few grinds of black pepper Heat the oil in a pot. Add the onions and cumin seeds. Cook until soft. Add the oregano, garlic, and chillies. Stir it. Add the tomato paste. Sauté for 30 seconds. Immediately pour in the tomato purée. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes until the sauce thickens. Add basil leaves and turn off the heat. Divide into 3 portions for layering. Béchamel…

Note For a vegan option, use firm tofu. Paneer: 4 litres full cream milk 3 tsp tartaric acid or 6-8 tbs lemon juice Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy-based saucepan. Allow it to rise but not overflow. Add the tartaric acid or lemon juice. The milk will curdle and separate into thick chunks. The liquid will turn a yellow-greenish colour. Place a muslin cloth into a colander and scoop out the curds. Gather the corners of the cloth, forming a bag, and run the paneer covered with a cloth under cold water for a minute. Twist the cloth and squeeze out the excess water. Place under a heavy weight for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the cloth and slice into 4 pieces. For a creamier paneer, add 250ml…

Support in SA for Muslim women in India Wendy Jasson Da Costa wendy.jdc@inl.co.za SOUTH African women have come out in support of Muslim women in India who are at the centre of a hijab row that has divided that nation and made international headlines. Countrywide protests, which started in the south-western state of Karnataka, hinge on whether students at an academic institution have the right to wear the traditional Muslim headscarf, even though it is not part of their uniform. The matter is currently being heard in the Karnataka High Court. On Tuesday the court made reference to a South African case dating back to the early 2000s in which a Hindu mother challenged Durban Girls’ High in the Equality Court because it refused permission for her daughter to wear…

Nonhlanhla Nozizwe Hlatshwayo nozizwe.hlatshwayo@inl.co.za BRIGADIER Vishnu Naidoo’s last few years in the SA Police Service will be spent in his hometown of Durban. Naidoo, who spent 16 years in the communications division as the SAPS’s national spokesperson, has been appointed the head of the KwaZulu-Natal inspectorate. This meant relocating from Johannesburg. Naidoo started training at the Pinetown police station and has served more than 35 years in the police service. He said his journey back home was sentimental. “I started as a student in 1986. I then proceeded to a police college in 1987, and I graduated as a constable in December 1987. “I returned to Pinetown as a constable in the district commissioner’s office. In 1990, I was promoted to sergeant and worked in Pinetown West and Marriannhill.…

Nadia Khan SAPREF, which was established in 1963, is the largest crude oil refinery in the country, and comprises 35% of South Africa’s refining capacity. Sapref processes 24 000 tons of crude per day, and makes 10 main products in 46 different grades. “We produce 2.7 billion litres of petrol a year, which is enough fuel for 800 000 cars,” said their website. According to a Sapref statement, operations will be suspended for an indefinite period, with a restart possible in future. “The decision has been taken to allow an informed finalisation of the various options available to the shareholders, a sale option being the most preferred. Until decisions about the future of the plant have been made, including a possible change of ownership, the Sapref shareholders are unable to…

PROTEAS Women's cricket team stalwart and wicketkeeper Trisha Chetty is raring to go ahead of the Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand next month. The South Africans are currently in New Zealand preparing for the tournament. They will play their first game in the 12th edition of the event against Bangladesh on Saturday, March 5, at the University Oval in Dunedin. The second-ranked Proteas will be one of the favourites to win the event, with top performers such as Sune Luus, Shabnim Ismail, Laura Wolvaardt, Ayabonga Khakha and Chetty within their ranks. They will also be very confident, after having won their most recent four-match, One-Day International series 2-1 against the West Indies in Johannesburg earlier this month. “Preparations are going really well,” the 33-year-old told Post via…

Brewing divisions in the WWE camp. Post’s Glenn Schouw takes a closer look. VINCE McMahon is taking a calculated risk of not losing the change room at the Elimination Chamber in Saudi Arabia on Saturday evening, 7pm SA time. This comes in the wake of reports that morale in the WWE camp is low. It seems a rebellion is brewing because of McMahon’s continuing reliance on part-timer greats to steal the limelight at major events. In so doing earning lucrative purses at the expense of his up-and-coming future stars. The issue of a rebellion will not have McMahon losing any sleep. His billions and being ranked between 150 and 160th on the ladder of the richest men on the planet would surely ensure sleeping pills are not required? However,…