Table of contents for 2024-05-15 in Post

Actress and fashionista Sonam Kapoor, right, takes pride in representing the country’s rich heritage, history, and diversity on global platforms. She said she tried to highlight the country’s heritage. “If I had to represent India in one way or another, I would highlight the country’s diversity and resilience. The fact that we have such a strong cultural heritage and ancient civilisation means that whatever is made in India has great value. “Besides being the land of yoga and spiritualism, for which India is renowned in other parts of the world, it is also celebrated for its music and artisanal craftsmanship. It is the realm of jewellery and embroidery.”…

JANHVI Kapoor hit a six with her fashion game for the promotions of her upcoming film Mr & Mrs Mahi. The actress elevated her fashion game by donning a red dress inspired by a leather cricket ball. The dress featured white stitches resembling the stitch marks on a cricket ball, lending a sporty touch to her ensemble. Adding to the theme, small leather balls were attached to the back of the dress. Kapoor was accompanied by her co-star, Rajkummar Rao. The film tells the story of an “imperfectly perfect” partnership between a couple with a shared love for cricket. Directed by Sharan Sharma, Mr & Mrs Mahi marks the second collaboration between Rao and Kapoor, who previously worked together in the 2021 film Roohi. Mr & Mrs Mahi is scheduled…

THE teaser for the upcoming Malayalam comedy-drama Vishesham was released at the weekend. Directed by Sooraj Tom and produced by Ani Sooraj for Step2Films, the teaser introduces Anand Madhusoodanan as the male lead, while Chinnu Chandni stars as the female lead. Madhusoodanan wears multiple hats in the film, being the writer, composer and lyricist. The movie challenges traditional stereotypes associated with the male hero archetype. The hero was revealed as a surprise, as Madhusoodanan’s name wasn’t given anywhere before. Vishesham is the debut production of Step2Films, spearheaded by director Sooraj Tom. Albert Paul and Kurian C Mathew are the executive producers. The cast includes Baiju Johnson, Althaf Salim, Johnny Antony and Maala Parvathy.…

“MY SON’S killers should have been given the maximum sentence of life imprisonment, so that he could understand the severity of his actions and the impact it has had on us.” A disappointed Ronelle Munilall was speaking after the sentencing last Thursday of her son Bryson’s killers, a year and half after his murder. She said neither his killers nor their families had shown remorse or empathy towards them. Bryson, 27, from Port Shepstone, was stabbed in the parking lot of Dance Café, a nightclub, in Chris Hani Road, Durban in November 2022. He was the son of magistrate Bryan Munilall. The accused – Joeash Govindsamy, 29, and his wife Aveshnee Naidoo, 23, of Greenbury in Phoenix – were arrested and charged with murder. They pleaded not guilty. Naidoo was…

THE EFF was asked to intervene after a Laudium Secondary pupil was allegedly victimised for speaking out at the party’s manifesto launch about some of the challenges pupils at her school faced. It has been alleged that after the pupil made her comments, she was issued with a letter to appear at a school disciplinary hearing. EFF Cluster Leader in Tshwane, Remonde Abrahams, said this was not proper protocol and had caused the pupil undue stress. “The pupil went to an EFF manifesto launch in the area where she allegedly spoke out against some of the challenges she faced, or she thought the school faced. “This was a public event where people were meant to raise concerns and not feel threatened about speaking out. Days after the event,…

A PIETERMARITZBURG landowner, who was violently driven off his farm a year before his land was illegally occupied, is heading to court in a bid to seek an order for the more than 100 illegal houses built on his property, to be demolished. Narain Jaggeth Singh, 75, inherited half of the 26 hectares of land at Leliefontein Farm in Thornville from his father and grandfather. When he took over the deed from his cousin for the other half of the land, he became the sole owner of the property. Singh, a bachelor, lived alone on the property and claimed that in 2016 he became the target of “political interference”. He said a mob had gathered outside his eight-bedroom house at the time and threatened to storm it, chop him with…

FORMER teacher Dr Jonathan Annipen, 35, quit the profession in 2013 to focus on his political career. Under the banner of the MF (Minority Front), Annipen quickly spread his political wings as the party’s national youth chairperson. He worked closely with Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi after the death of her husband and MF leader, Amichand Rajbansi, in 2011, and he became the spokesperson for the party. He also filled other roles, which included being a member of the NEC, national secretary-general and councillor. Annipen joined the IFP in November 2020 after resigning from his position as an MF councillor in eThekwini. “I was enlisted as a consultant to grow the party’s footprint in Phoenix. In 2021, I was put on the party’s candidate list for the local government elections and I was…

The Sibaya Community Trust provided 80 grocery hampers for underprivileged mothers at the Made in Chatsworth market’s tea party on Sunday. To ensure the hampers reached homes with the greatest need, the principals from surrounding schools helped identify deserving families. Community organisations also provided lists of people known to them. One of the Chatsworth icons, Sita Singh, better known as the marathon runner Sarie Aunty, also helped hand over the groceries to the families. Singh completed the New York Marathon in 2005 in takkies and her trademark traditional attire. At the finish line, fellow runners admiring her feat threw her up in the air like “a pocket of potatoes”, she reminisces. Her modest income is drawn from her small food stalls at the Bangladesh and Made in Chatsworth markets where…

SOUTH Africa is a democracy. Every citizen has the inalienable right to criticise the government of the day. No person or organisation has any right to burn and desecrate our national flag. Burning our flag is an act of treason. Many people risked their lives to protect the freedom that is represented by the South African flag. It is a symbol of freedom and hope, not something that should be desecrated. We have democratic elections every five years and we should register our dissatisfaction at the voting polls, and not by burning our symbol for political showmanship. The DA committed the ultimate act of defilement of our precious symbol by burning our flag. This act alone will cost it thousands of votes on May 29. Our flag represents honour and…

IT IS with a heavy heart that I pen this tribute to the passing of my dear friend, comrade, and veteran Merebank activist, Kumba “Coastal” Govender. Kumba was, un- doubtedly, one of the most formidable activists I had the privilege to know and collaborate with since the late ’70s. There has always been a unique affinity between the Merebank and Tongaat comrades. In many ways, these communities are politically intertwined, connected by what could be described as a political umbilical cord. Both communities nurtured courageous and prominent activists who joined the Struggle against apartheid in their youth. Kumba was a remarkable figure among them. Alongside Ivan Pillay and others, he was a pioneer in community mobilisation and organisation. During my visits, Kumba often shared enthralling tales of his early activism…

EVERY year we, the ratepayers of eThekwini, are faced with unjustified high tariff increases which make living in this municipal area unaffordable to most residents. What is the reason for these high tariff increases? In simple terms, the inefficiency of the municipality. If this municipality listened to the reason and logic of its ratepayers and their organisations, they would be able to identify the problems timeously and remedy them, hence there would be no need for these high increases. What is even more disappointing is that in spite of the increases, their services become worse with each passing year. In the 1990s a certain percentage of the municipality’s total income was set aside for water infrastructure maintenance and we had no problem then with water service delivery. In the…

SHARA Singh, the ward 15 councillor for the DA in Scottburgh, is hoping to secure a seat in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature or the National Assembly, so she can hold people accountable for the lack of service delivery and fight corruption. Singh is formerly from Verulam and for 16 years she ran her own business in the town while living in Scottburgh. She has a degree in accounting science and is in the process of completing her law degree. “My experience in finance and my knowledge of law will enable me to deal with any portfolio in the National Assembly, so I can hold those in power to account.” Singh said after she closed her business she began volunteering as a community activist with the DA. “At that point I had…

FILM-MAKER Vignesh Shivan has showered praise on Star director Elan and called the Tamil romantic drama an “honest film without any conventional compromises”. Taking to his Instagram stories, Shivan shared a still from the film and wrote: “Star is a movie that will make you feel hopeful and dream freely! #Elan has made an honest film without any conventional compromises! May the audience embrace you with a lot of love!” The film features Kavin Lal, Aaditi Pohankar, Preity Mukhundhan and Geetha Kailasam and tells the story of Kalai, a youngster who strives to fulfil his dream of becoming an actor but faces various obstacles. Praising the actor, Shivan wrote: “Kavin @kavin.0431 such a towering performance! So much hard work and conviction! The way you carried the film and understood your…

RASHMIKA Mandanna, who is currently experiencing a dream run in the movies, will be portraying the female lead in the upcoming Salman Khan-starrer film Sikandar. This marks the first collaboration between the two. Sikandar is directed by AR Murugadoss, who is known for films like Ghajini and Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty. The makers of the film posted on X: “Welcoming the fabulous @rashmika_mandanna to star opposite @beingsalmankhan in #Sikandar! Can’t wait for their on-screen magic to unfold on EID 2025! #SajidNadiadwala’s #Sikandar Directed by @a.r.murugadoss Releasing in cinemas EID 2025." The film is produced by Sajid Nadiadwala of Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, marking the reunion of Khan with Nadiadwala after Kick, which was released in 2014. The movie, which is currently in pre-production, will soon go on…

ACTRESS Sonali Bendre, who is receiving a lot of positive responses to the second season of the streaming show The Broken News, is one of the actresses from Hindi cinema to have explored the different film industries of India. While she worked across Tamil, Marathi, Kannada and Telugu cinema, the actress said for her, the language was a challenge. The actress recently discussed her new show being part of “pan-India” films before the term came into being, and her cult-classic Sarfarosh, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary in Mumbai with a special screening. Reflecting on her experience of working across the film industries of India, she said: “We didn’t say pan-India in the 1990s. I have done one film in Marathi cinema, Anahat. It was a fabulous story. I have…

VACANT agricultural farmland in Newark, in the iLembe district, on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast, has become the target of land grabs. Farms that are privately owned by families since the 1950s, have been targeted. Land has allegedly been sold for about R10 000 for a 300 to 500 square-metre plot. Land invaders have allegedly been clearing the land, marking it into plots and then selling them. Garon Govender, a community leader in Tugela, said criminal elements were at play in the area. Shan Naicker, 77, said his family had inherited 28 acres (11.3 hectares) of agricultural land, which had been bought by his father in 1952. Naicker said the land was a lush sugar cane plantation but due to a shortage of labourers, they had halted farming. He said the…

FISHING was not banned at all piers in the eThekwini Municipality, the city said this week. This comes after local fishermen claimed they had been banned since 2009 from fishing at the piers, over fears it could impact tourism during the 2010 Soccer World Cup. The ban was imposed by Michael Sutcliffe, the then city manager. eThekwini Municipality spokesperson, Gugu Sisilana, said: “It must be stressed that not all piers are banned for fishing. The primary reason for closure of some piers is due to non-compliance by fishermen.” She said the fishermen were not compliant in terms of the National Environmental Management Act, and had no valid licences, caught undersized fish and exceeded the bag limit. “Some issues include lack of hygiene, assault, sleeping, use of drugs, and littering…

AHMED Munzoor Shaik Emam, 65, was about to “take a break” from politics when he received an offer from the Allied Movement for Change (AM4C) to contest the elections. He is now the leader of the party. The grandfather of one is a founding member of the National Freedom Party (NFP) and spent 10 years as a member of Parliament, “fighting for the people of South Africa, so that the structures of democracy work for them”. He said he was disappointed when internal problems and factionalism within the party led to his departure “In 2014, there was a power struggle among members when the former leader had a stroke and subsequently passed away. In 2016, we were sabotaged as the person who was tasked with registering us for the election…

IT’S ELECTION season and spring cleaning in winter is under way in earnest. Like the World Cup in 2010 when the country went into overdrive getting ready for soccer’s showpiece, a hive of activity has gripped the nation. Politicians are up to their old tricks again, buzzing around the country, trying to win over voters. They walk the streets in the townships, smile and shake hands with the gullible masses, spread goodwill and cheer among the electorate and hand out goodies and promises to the poor. Faced with the looming threat of Zuma’s MKP, the ANC is asking its leadership to batten down the hatches and go on an all-out drive to win over the electorate, many of whom have drifted away from the ANC. How could the mighty ANC…

“There is a lovely road that runs from Ixopo into the hills. These hills are grass-covered and rolling, and they are lovely beyond any singing of it…” Those opening lines of the classic 1948 novel Cry, the Beloved Country by Pietermaritzburg-born writer and anti-apartheid activist Alan Stewart Paton have been indelibly etched in my mind and consciousness since the time I devoured the book in primary school. I returned to it several more times just to get lost within the magical spell that Paton weaves with this seminal piece of South African literature. I also enjoyed the Darrel Roodt-directed film adaptation that was released in 1995 starring the brilliant actors James Earl Jones and Richard Harris. Out of profound interest, I also found and enjoyed the original 1951 film version…

EXCELLENT article in the POST, “Farewell to soccer legend Don Mudaly”, May 5-12, by Buddy Govender. Today, we mourn the passing and massive loss of the giant that moved mountains in the Federation Professional League. His passing is another tragedy in the legacy of anti-apartheid heroes who fought tirelessly to bring justice and equal opportunities in the world of football. Don was admired and respected as an unsung hero in South Africa sporting greatness. His humble, kind and compassionate love for people was clearly visible and driven from a perspective of unwavering determination in bringing out the best in others. He inspired selfless love and sacrifice for sports. The sporting fraternity is poorer without him, but the legacy he leaves behind will be embedded in the core in football and…

THE People’s Freedom Party (PFP) believes its “master plan” will do away with water shedding, alleviate poverty and provide food security. Mohammed Tariq, the party’s president, is hoping to secure a seat in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature. Tariq, 47, is from Unit 13 in Phoenix and is also a moulana. He has a degree in Islamic law and is a certified substance abuse and marriage counsellor. The former police reservist is also the chairperson of the Phoenix Religious Leaders Committee. He formed the PFP in 2019. “For years I have worked on the ground helping communities tackle issues like crime and social cohesion. I knew I had to get into the system to have a voice and be able to make a tangible change.” During the 2021 local government election, the…

Navi Pillay, the first non-white woman judge of the High Court of South Africa who also served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, was one of the speakers at a recent conference held by the 1860 Heritage Centre in Durban titled ‘30 Years SA Democracy: Critical Reflections’. She spoke on global issues pertinent to SA’s democracy of 30 years. On May 1, we observed Workers’ Day. The speeches we heard from workers and their representatives reminded us, once again, of the control of global capitalism, international institutions and international political actors on our social and economic rights. Whether it was the enforced devaluation of our currency, increases in the price of oil and petrol, the rising price of food, trade and other restrictions; we seem to…

The rock and surf fishing has shifted towards the winter edible season on the central and southern coast while the North Coast clings to the last of the summer inedibles. The weather has been a proper mix of summer heat and winter chill. Even with the iffy weather, the fishing has still been good. This past week saw some impressive fish caught up north. Most anglers fished for the last of the summer inedibles. There were some decent sandies and honeycombs caught and a few fish unable to be stopped. While targeting these fish, a few lucky anglers managed some massive giant kingfish. These fish are incredible and deserve a safe release (after some brag photos). Specifically targeting these big kingfish is difficult so well done to those who managed…

TAMANNAAH Bhatia has revealed her hilarious “toxic trait” through a meme, involving food, weather, and parking situations. She took to her Instagram stories and shared a meme that stated: “My toxic trait is telling people I’m down for anything when in reality, I mean not after 8pm, food should be involved, and it also depends on the weather, the parking situation, and how tired I am.” The actress added a sticker featuring a girl nodding her head in agreement. Talking about her work, Bhatia’s latest release is the Tamil horror comedy Aranmanai 4 directed by Sundar C. The film also stars Raashii Khanna, Santhosh Prathap, Ramachandra Raju, Kovai Sarala, Yogi Babu, VTV Ganesh, Delhi Ganesh and KS Ravikumar. It marks the fourth instalment in the Aranmanai series. She next stars…

THE Anupriya Goenka-starer short film Break the Silence, is heading to the Cannes Film Festival. The film is a crime suspense story shot entirely in Mumbai and has been directed by Hemant Chauhan. Chauhan began his journey in the industry as a director of photography (DOP) and has worked on various projects, including Pehchaan with Mahesh Bhatt and The Great Indian Kapil Show. Break the Silence marks his directorial debut. Chauhan said: “The film delves into a dark genre, featuring stellar performances by Anupriya Goenka and a talented ensemble cast, including Rohit Pathak, Yukti Kapoor, Priya Raina and Rajhans. Shot entirely in Mumbai, it was a monumental task, leading us to Cannes today. “We’re honoured to have received the Dada Saheb Phalke Film Puraskar and been selected for the Tokyo…

Some time ago, Latin was a popular language in parts of Europe because of Roman conquests. But after the fall of the Roman Empire, Latin was spoken less and less. Officially, a language is declared extinct when the last native speakers die. Sadly, a similar fate awaits Tamil and Telugu (and even Hindi and Gujarati) in South Africa. For the sake of brevity, I will refer to Tamil, but all Indian languages require life support. There was a time when Tamil was the most spoken language among Indians in this country. But as indentured folk realised that English was required for jobs, Tamil decreased in prominence. Also, during the last five or six decades, but certainly since the dawn of democracy in 1994, embodiments of Indianness have been regarded as…

a splash of oil 1 small onion, finely diced ½ cup (125ml) finely sliced leeks ¼ cup (60ml) finely sliced celery stalks 1 small carrot, sliced 1 red chilli, sliced – adjust according to heat tolerance. 1 tbs (15ml) fresh ground garlic ½ tsp (2.5ml) fresh thyme 1 250g punnet mushrooms, cleaned and sliced ¼ cup frozen peas 1 tbs vegetable stock powder (Ina Paarman) 1 tsp (5ml) miso paste (vegan) 1.250ml boiling water 1 cup (250ml) noodles, broken into pieces (I used wholewheat spaghetti) salt and pepper to season Heat the oil in a medium-size pot. Add the onions, leeks, celery, carrots and chilli. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Spoon in the garlic, thyme and mushrooms. Stir. Cover and cook for 8…

THE DA’s pre-election advert, in which the South African flag is being burnt, “belittles the unity, peace and diversity” that the flag represents and serves to “perpetuate an apartheid mentality”. Activists and youth, hoping for peaceful elections on May 29, have condemned the party’s “unpatriotic and disgraceful” antics. But according to the DA, the burning of the flag was meant to symbolise the nation’s “deteriorating state and warning of further decline and instability”. President Cyril Ramaphosa said the incident was treasonous. He said the country’s flag was a sacred symbol in our national life. l Neeshan Balton, the executive director of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, agreed. “The flag is a symbol of hope and of South Africa striving to transcend the divisions and hurt of the past. The advert belittles…

RIONA Gokool’s “first brush with politics” was while she was a university student. This set the pace for her to become the DA’s youngest ward councillor. Gokool joined the DA in 2009, at the age of 21, as their constituency operations manager, tasked with operational duties. After two years she became a PR councillor. She went on to become the chairperson for the caucus – the youngest and first Indian female. “I was involved in everything and strived to ensure service delivery. At that time, I played an oversight role to hold the governing party to account,” she said. Gokool has been a member of the KZN Legislature since March this year. “Politics has always been a passion of mine. I’m not a career politician but my passion is fixing…

THE bad news folks – after the May 29 elections, regardless of whether chartered political parties or the moon shot pact reaches astronomical heights to rescue SA, the RET mob get their opportunity to finish their incomplete project (to reduce the country to rubble), Mzansi Rises (Phoenix-like), the Second Coming is miraculously deferred and the ruling party clings to power by the skin of its teeth, the Afrikaners from Orania are handed over the reins to rule over the ruins, or Parliament relocates to Nkandla with the return of the Guptas who rule without fear or favour – gatvol South Africans know that they can no longer trust or depend on the government, regardless of political party affiliation. Now for the good news folks – after 30 years, resilient South…

MOST political advertisements barely cause a ripple and linger but momentarily in our collective memories before fading into oblivion. Not so, the recent advert by the DA depicting the virtual and digital disintegration of the South African flag. An objective analysis of the advertisement indicates that the predominant motive was not to dishonour the flag but rather to warn, as vividly as possible, about the consequences for the country of the formation of what is referred to as a coalition of corruption. The narrator’s warning that a desperate ANC may ally itself with the EFF and the Zuma faction is accompanied by the unsettling visual disintegration of our national flag. The advertisement ends with an exhortation to vote for the DA with the same flag being revitalised, resurrected and restored.…

IN THE land of freedom and equality, there are whispers of opportunity, the young ones remember distorted promises – “ah child, you will grow up to be anything you want to be” – we grew up and our dreams were set ablaze in the labyrinth of a jobless maze. As hope fades with the longing for a chance to earn a living, the young ones realise – an eagerness to soar becomes wings jammed on a closed door – the skills we learn no longer matter, and our talent goes to waste, even the brightest minds lose sight in the shadow of unemployment. Yet the future of our country depends on the young ones – this is our only chance to change the narrative – when we look at the…

DEATH comes to all, prince and peasant alike. The superstitious Indian woman may have her fears, but thanks to centuries of coaching and training she has a noble dignity, a tender refinement and a mental poise that most of her contemporaries lack. The village pilgrim who spends his money to have a bath in the Ganges River in India or darshan of the deity at the Isipingo Mariammen Temple has an innate conviction that man does not live by food alone. I know that Hindus in South Africa may be considered superstitious but they don’t lack a religious sense. Every Indian mother teaches her children that if they have to grow up religiously, they must love God and abstain from sin. Religious people should not speak a rash or profane…

AS the Indian Premier League’s Impact Player rule drew some criticism from experts, former Indian cricketer and ex-head coach Ravi Shastri favoured the rule, saying it has contributed to a number of thrilling finishes in the tournament. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) introduced the Impact Player rule in the 2023 edition of the IPL. “The Impact Player rule is good. You have to evolve with the times,” Shastri told Ravichandran Ashwin on his YouTube channel. “You know, it happens in other sports as well. It’s got tighter finishes. You have to evolve with the times and I think it’s a good rule. You saw the number of tight finishes we had in last year’s IPL. So, you know, it has made a big difference.” Jay Shah,…

THIS week we focus on the understanding of different ball positioning and how vital of a factor it plays in your shot. Understanding this aspect would help eliminate any doubt during the swing and in most times give you that added forgiveness. Apart from the influence of launch angle of the shot, striking the ball too early or too late in your swing also affects the proper rotation. We will look at three positioning factors. This is with the reference to a right handed golfer Ball forward just inside the left foot: This is ideal for creating maximum height on shots. Clubs that are longer in length are required to be played at this position. Your driver for example is the longest club in your bag and needs to be…