Table of contents for 2021-11-17 in Post

SOMETIMES, size matters, and these impressive crops are sure to give you plenty of show-off fuel. Take your abundant harvest to the next braai or post on social media for the world to see. Big shows: Sweetmelons, watermelons, African cucumbers (horned melons), pumpkins, maize, and sweetcorn. Abundant grows: Beans, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, eggplant, lettuce, okra, peppers, radish, squash, Swiss chard, tomatoes, and turnips. Heralding herbs: Basil, coriander, chives, chamomile, echinacea, oregano, parsley, rocket, and thyme. Grow zone top tip: Our country has been through a lot and we’ve got many hungry tummies. Share your harvest with those in need and let’s spread some lurve, gardener style.…

Guidelines Sow radishes in situ (locally/on site/on the premises) – they don’t transplant well. Enrich the soil with compost before planting. Being such a fast growing crop, they won’t need fertilising but will benefit from fertile soil. If growing in containers, use good-quality, fast-draining potting soil. It can be mixed with some home-made compost. Keep the soil moist during germination, which should take place within 5 to 7 days. Sow thickly and use the thinned-out small leaves in salad. They are as tasty as the radish root, but not as peppery. Water regularly as radishes need to grow quickly if they are to be plump and crunchy. Uneven or irregular watering can cause them to split. Timely tip Start sowing now, and repeat sowing every 2-3 weeks for a continued…

1 cup fresh barlotti/gadra beans 1 tbs melted ghee or cooking oil 1 onion, finely sliced 2 small cinnamon sticks 2 small bay leaves 1 star aniseed 1 sprig curry leaves 1 green chilli 1 tsp ginger/garlic paste ½ tsp ground coriander ½ tsp ground cumin ¼ tsp turmeric ¼ tsp ground fennel seeds/soomph 1 tbs masala 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, optional 2 small Roma tomatoes, blanched, grated 2 potatoes, peeled and cut into large cubes salt water Heat the ghee on a medium heat. Add the cinnamon sticks and star aniseed. Once fragrant, add the bay leaves, onion and curry leaves. Sauté until the onion is slightly brown. Then add the ginger/garlic paste. Fry for a minute. Add all the spices and fry for at least 2…

1 cup/ 250ml gram/chana dhal, soaked overnight or for a few hours 1 onion, finely chopped 1 sprig curry leaves 1 cinnamon stick 1 bay leaf ¼ tsp mustard seeds ¼ tsp cumin seeds 2 dry chillies 2 green chillies ½ tsp ginger/garlic paste ½ tsp turmeric 2 tsp masala ½ tsp garam masala 1 tomato, blanched and puréed ½ of one large brinjal, cut into cubes ½ cup water 3 tbs light olive oil or vegetable oil salt Rinse the gram dhal well and boil in water until it is soft. Soak the brinjal cubes in salted water. Heat the oil on low heat and add the cinnamon stick, bay leaf, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once the seeds burst, add the chillies, onion and curry leaves. When…

KIRESHNEE Pillay had dreams of pursuing a career as a make-up artist. But a day after her 25th birthday on October 30, her partner allegedly slapped her several times before pushing her. She fell against a metal rod, which penetrated the back of her head. Pillay died in hospital on Thursday. The incident occurred at her home in Sastri Park, Phoenix. Ashina Bissoon, her sister, said Pillay had fled her home to live with her two weeks before the incident. “She was in a relationship with her partner for four years. Kireshnee told me she was being abused emotionally, physically and mentally. She was scared for her safety and that of her children. On her birthday, she decided to go home. She hoped things would change.” The day after Pillay’s…

AT THE outset, we must convey our condolences to Mr FW de Klerk’s wife and family on the loss of their loved one. De Klerk’s passing has engendered mixed reaction in South Africa. While he is acknowledged as having assisted in paving the way for South Africa’s democratic transition, there are some issues that mar his legacy. It must be understood that De Klerk’s actions, including the release of Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners, the unbanning of the liberation movements and their affiliates in 1990 and the announcement of the intention to commence talks about a negotiated transition from apartheid to democracy settlement in South Africa; were not prompted by altruism but rather by doing what would best serve and protect the interests of the white minority he represented.…

A response to the letter "Celebrate the festival on one day” by Ram Maharaj, the president of the South African Hindu Dharma Sabha (the POST, October 27-31). Maharaj calls for a “practical and spectacular demonstration of Hindu unity” because the linguistic and cultural differences embedded within the Hindu tradition cause “annual confusion and controversy”. At face value, it seems like Maharaj is asking for a good thing. However, upon further investigation, we see that it is an imperialistic approach to the Hindu tradition – one that seeks to reduce the grandly diverse nature of Hinduism to a single strand of dogma. Since the writing of the Vedas, Hinduism and Indian society have been essentially pluralistic. As Jay Lakhani of the Hindu Academy in Britain puts it: “Recognising that there can…

Nonhlanhla Nozizwe Hlatshwayo nozizwe.hlatshwayo@inl.co.za THE Department of Health has incentivised vaccinations for those over 50 as a way to boost numbers and help people with the expense of travelling to vaccination sites. The incentive was initially aimed at people 60 and older but the 50-plus group will be added from tomorrow due to the low vaccination turnout. David Harrison, the chief executive officer of DG Murray Trust, said of the 41 158 vouchers available for people over the age of 60, only 5 756 senior citizens had taken up the vouchers. Those over the age of 50 and 60, who will be getting vaccinated for the first time this month, will receive a R100 voucher to redeem at Shoprite, Checkers, or Usave stores. Those who are eligible don’t have to…

Nadia Khan nadia.khan@inl.co.za OVER the past year, the price of edible oils has increased and this has affected the sales of small businesses. Last year, consumers paid between R75 and R100 for 5 litres of cooking oil (sunflower seed). The price has risen to between R130 and R180 at some shopping outlets. The price of palm oil (vegetable oil) rose from around R320 to more than R500 for 20 litres. Ilyas Raj Mohammed, the owner of the takeaway Café Raj Mohammed in Clayfield, Phoenix, said the oil price affected the profitability of small businesses. He sells breyanis, curries, fresh chips and savouries. “We are forced to buy items at high prices because we cannot compromise on the quality of our food. The cheaper priced oils are not of good quality,…

Charlene Somduth charlene.somduth@inl.co.za Phoenix was the focus of the second day of hearings conducted by the South African Human Rights Commission into the violence that erupted in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng during July this year. Sham Maharaj, a community activist from Phoenix, testified that on July 12 shopping centres in Phoenix were looted. “On social media, you could see videos of butcheries, liquor stores, a chemist and other shops being looted. There was a video of a man dragging meat on the floor. “They were putting it into cars. When the videos went viral people began to panic.” He said there was a lack of SAPS assistance. “This exacerbated the situation. They were out-numbered by thousands to one. Police were standing aside while looting happened. There were hundreds of neigbourhood watches…

Tamil Nadu police have arrested a 27-year-old man for making a hoax bomb threat to the residence of actor Vijay. During the early hours of Monday, a call was made to the master control room at the state police headquarters about a bomb being placed at the residence of actor Vijay. Police headquarters immediately deputed a team of police officers and policemen along with sniffer dogs and bomb disposal squads to the residence of the actor at Neelakaranai in the city. On detailed examination, police found that the threat was a hoax. Based on a complaint filed by Vijay's manager, a case was registered and investigations led them to a man identified only as Bhuvaneswaran,residing at Marakkanam in Villupuram district. He was arrested. Police said that he had made similar…

Smiso Msomi smiso.msomi@inl.co.za UDAV Rooplal has stirred excitement in the province after dominating the Under 14 category in the recent KwaZulu-Natal Table Tennis tournament at the age of 12. The Parkside Primary pupil displayed his superb hand-eye co-ordination, exceptional technique and skill on his way to securing his KZN colours and an opportunity to represent the province at the SA National Schools Tournament in Gauteng this December. The Malvern-born young man expressed his delight after this triumph in Durban from October 23-25. “It’s truly incredible to be ranked No 1 in the Under 14 division in KZN. I was totally ecstatic and overjoyed. It’s a great moment for me,” he said. Udav initially took up the sport as a hobby at the tender age of 8, but what used…

2 cups/500ml cake wheat flour/all-purpose flour/bread flour 1 tsp instant dry yeast 2 tbs sugar ½ tsp salt 2 tbs butter 1 cup warm milk Using a stand mixer, add the flour to the mixing bowl. Add the yeast on one side of the bowl, and the sugar and salt on the other. Use the dough hook to combine the dry ingredients. Mix the milk and butter together and pour it in. Mix on medium speed for 6 minutes. The dough should be silky and smooth, and it should leave the sides of the bowl. If you are using your hands, knead for an extra 3 or 4 minutes. Grease a large bowl with oil. Coat the dough with the oil. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or cling…

2 tbs vegetable or light olive oil 400g soya prawns 1 tsp ginger/garlic paste 1 tbs Kashmiri chilli powder rice 1 cup basmati rice 5 cardamom/elachie pods 2 pieces cinnamon stick 4 cloves 2 bay leaves 1 star aniseed salt egg yellow food colouring Curry 2 tbs vegetable or light olive oil 2 large onions 1 tsp ginger/garlic paste 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp garam masala 1 tsp turmeric ½ tsp ground fennel/soomph 1 tbs masala 2 green chillies 3 Roma tomatoes 1 cup fresh or frozen peas handful chopped mint few sprigs fresh thyme 50g butter 1½ cups water ½ cup oil to fry the onions and potatoes 2 potatoes, cut into wedges salt coriander for garnishing Add the star aniseed, cinnamon, bay…

Staff Reporter phoenix plaza POLICE have condemned the alleged looting that took place after two jewellery stores at the Phoenix Plaza were robbed on Monday. The stores were Mayuri’s Jewellers and Sterns. Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the KwaZulu-Natal provincial commissioner, said a team would pursue robbery charges against those responsible for the alleged looting. “While we have launched a manhunt for the gang who initially robbed the jewellery stores, we will spare no effort in ensuring that those bystanders who made themselves criminals by robbing both stores themselves are also investigated fully for their actions. “Communities are once again warned that they become criminals when they help themselves to property at crime scenes. “We will not tolerate such acts of criminality in the province. Those responsible for the mayhem witnessed will…

Nonhlanhla Nozizwe Hlatshwayo nozizwe.hlatshwayo@inl.co.za THE decision by reigning Miss South Africa, Lalela Mswane, to participate in the Miss Universe Pageant in Israel continues to make headlines locally and internationally. Since the Miss SA pageant organisers announced Mswane’s participation on November 9, there has been debate on whether or not she should participate. The POST contacted Mswane’s family, but they declined to comment. Thamsanqa Gumede, the family spokesperson, said they were aware of what was going on but they would not comment. The South African government withdrew its support of the event after the Miss SA organisers refused to change their decision. There were calls for Mswane to not go to Israel due to the ongoing conflict between Palestine and Israel. Israel has been likened by some to an apartheid-like state…

ONE of the hallmarks of a leader is that they have the ability to trigger a national dialogue, whether it is through their actions or lack thereof. Such was the ability of FW de Klerk. Ever since his election as leader of the National Party, almost every action or decision he took resulted in South Africa embarking on a dialogue. Even now, after he has passed on, he still commands some level of influence to get South Africans talking – regardless of whether those comments are positive or not. Since he passed a few days ago, South Africans from all backgrounds have engaged in the fierce debate about his contribution to South Africa. Regardless of whether one may agree or disagree with this contribution, the indisputable fact remains that he…

IF YOU voted for a party, be prepared to have your vote manipulated and used by party bosses to advance their own personal agendas and ambitions. Due to the 2021 local government elections yielding many hung councils (one with no outright majority), the looming spectre of coalition governments has become a reality. It is my view that South Africa is neither mature enough nor capable enough to sustain coalition governments at local level. One only has to look at the toxic nature of our current politics – the ruling party has been emaciated by internal wrangling – and this is a major contributory factor to the low poll. It has resulted in the ANC ceding wards that would normally have been a dead certainty for them. Our polarised politics means…

ANDRE de Ruyter, the CEO of Eskom, now heads the biggest company in South Africa. You might envy him but frankly he couldn’t have taken up the Eskom post at a worse time than this. He was made CEO in the hope that he would turn the ailing power giant around but it’s proving to be a herculean task. Despite a revenue of R200 billion it made losses of R20 billion for the financial year ending March 31. He is being made a scapegoat for Eskom’s failure to keep the lights on. The knives are out for him. Every word he utters and every move he makes are being closely followed and watched. He has already been accused of racism, which proved to be groundless. Black business says he has…

Charlene Somduth charlene.somduth@inl.co.za THE ban on diving and angling remains in place as the eThekwini Municipality continues with repairs to the Mahatma Gandhi pump station. Msawakhe Mayisela, the spokesperson for the municipality, said the sewerage was flooding the Durban Harbour via Lavender Creek. “This is as a result of the Mahatma Gandhi pump station being flooded due to load shedding. This damaged the pumping equipment, resulting in this unfortunate situation. The city is dosing the spill at Lavender Creek to minimise the negative impact.” Mayisela said work on repairing the pumps was expected to have been completed on Thursday this week. “Beaches are being monitored continuously, particularly beaches between the North Pier and the Bay of Plenty Pier. All beaches are currently safe for public use. The city will communicate…

Charlene Somduth charlene.somduth@inl.co.za AFTER more than 100 days of being incarcerated at Westville Prison, four of the Phoenix men arrested in connection with the killings during the July unrest in the area, are out on bail. Sholan Reddy, 33, Kirosh Maharaj, 31, Sumeeth Maharaj, 29, and Khalik Mohammed, 59, were each granted R5 000 bail. The money was paid and they returned home last Friday. The day before they appeared in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court with the rest of their co-accused; Yobandra Govender, 46, Rinesh Mohan, 30, Mehmood Khan, 50, Mckallen Govender, 20, and Christopher Pillay, 51. These accused were denied bail. All have been charged with murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, malicious damage to property and public violence. The charges stem from an attack and the killing…

THE police in Gurugram arrested a woman on Monday for allegedly strangling her 3-year-old daughter to death in a fit of rage. The woman slit her wrist and had to be hospitalised. The incident took place on Saturday in Gurugram's Sadhrana village. The accused, Pooja Rani, was arrested after she was discharged from the hospital. She was booked after her husband, Pradeep Singh, filed a complaint with the police. In his complaint, Singh said he left the house for work on Saturday at 1.45pm, leaving his wife and daughter. “When I returned home on Saturday night, my wife did not open the door. I somehow opened the door and found Pooja lying on the floor in a pool of blood with her wrist slit, while my daughter Kanishka was lying…

General care Keep the soil constantly moist until the seedlings are established and then water deeply whenever the soil starts to dry out. If possible, water by flood irrigation, as this reduces the chances of fungal attack. Feeding the plants with a balanced fertiliser or liquid manure every few weeks will give you the best results. Because of their trailing habit, most varieties can be trained up trellises to help conserve space. When the fruit gets bigger, give it some support so that it does not snap off prematurely. Harvesting You can look forward to picking your first fruit in as little as three months, less if you are growing baby varieties. With pumpkins and Hubbard squash, only harvest once the skin has lost its shine and hardened. It is…

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) Put the past behind you, especially in your personal life. There may be a new relationship coming in that will bring you support and understanding. Reach out and help others who need your advice. Lucky colour: purple. TAURUS (April 20 – May 20) Watch your communication with others and the integrity…

500g pumpkin, cut into cubes 1 onion, finely chopped 5 dry chillies or green chillies (reduce the amount as required) 1 sprig curry leaves 1 tsp black mustard seeds 1 tbs oil 2 tbs sugar or honey salt to taste fresh coriander for garnishing Heat the oil. Add the mustard seeds. Once it starts bursting, add the onion, chilli (if using dry chilli break it in half; if using green chilli slit in half) and curry leaves. Once the onion is translucent, add the pumpkin, sugar and salt. If using honey, start with a teaspoon first and add more if required. Cover the pot and cook until the pumpkin is soft. If the pumpkin dries up too quickly, add a few drops of water. Garnish with coriander Preparation…

Nikita Chiniah nikita.chiniah@inl.co.za FOLLOWING the unrest in July, Nanda Soobben painted a peace mural on the wall outside the Aryan Benevolent Home (ABH) in Chatsworth. The mural took the Isipingo artist a month to complete. “Shabnam Palesa Mohamed, the manager of my art school, suggested the idea. I thought it was brilliant to paint peace murals and I decided to tackle four projects around Durban,” said Soobben, who runs the Centre for Fine Arts, Animation and Design. He planned to do murals in Phoenix, oThongathi and Merewent. “I didn’t want them to be just peace murals. I wanted them to be history lessons on a wall. There is a cancel culture in this country, and people who fought for the peace and the freedom of this country are not mentioned…

THE revision, documentation and teaching of marginalised histories are crucial to the forging of a collective yet diverse national identity in post-apartheid South Africa. As we commemorate 161 years of indentured workers arriving on our shores in 1860, we must acknowledge that the telling of this history as part of the collective South African narrative remains minimalistic. Perhaps the saddest part in all this is how few South Africans of indentured ancestry themselves are aware of their own history. Beyond the common narrative, commemorations have often ignored or failed to pay tribute to the workers of this ancestry that should form a primary part of the commemorations. In commemorating the 161st anniversary of indenture in South Africa, the focus of this column is to pay tribute to the ordinary yet…

VIDEO surveillance footage has been shared on social media platforms following a spate of jewellery store armed robberies in Durban. Shopping centres and malls are often targets for robberies and other criminal acts. Knowing what to do in the event of a mall robbery could save your life or the life of a loved one. Charnel Hattingh, the head of marketing and communications at Fidelity Services Group, said: “The golden rule if you are ever caught in the middle of a heist is to stay calm.” Customers needed to remain vigilant at all times, be on the lookout for any suspicious activities, and be aware of the people around them, she said. Hattingh provided the following advice: If you should happen to be in the store that is being robbed:…

THIS week will mark 14 years since the death of Zimbabwe’s last white leader, Ian Smith. In 1965, he declared that piece of land north of the Limpopo River independent of Britain and sought to keep it under the control of the minority white population. For almost 15 years, he succeeded, but with a combination of civil war and global pressure, he was forced to abandon the whites-only rule. Robert Mugabe was subsequently elected the president of Zimbabwe and Smith spent the rest of his life finding fault with everything that the government tried to do. Admittedly, in the latter part of his life, the Mugabe government acted in ways that only fed the supremacist views of people like Smith. During the last few years of his life, Smith moved…

Nadia Khan nadia.khan@inl.co.za THE South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has called for an end to the rotational timetable which has seen pupils attend school between two to three days a week. In a statement, the commission said it believed the rotational timetable would have a long-lasting impact on pupils’ learning ability. Since last year, primary and high school pupils have attended school on alternate days. While some schools are now fully-operational, others are open on alternate days. The commission said a large number of primary schools were continuing on rotational timetables and applied to rotate in 2022 as well. The commission said the reason for the rotation was due to the directive of Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, the Minister of Co-operative Government and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), that social distancing measures…

Nikita Chiniah nikita.chiniah@inl.co.za DOCTOR Navind Dayanand, the owner of Daymed Private Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, escaped an alleged kidnapping at the hospital premises on Tuesday. It is alleged men using reflective vests attempted to drag Dayanand out of his vehicle. Warrant Officer Panchael Julius Singh, the communications officer of Mountain Rise police station, said Dayanand bit one of the men and managed to escape. “The men pulled Dayanand away from his vehicle but he managed to defend himself. “For now, what we know is that the vehicle they were travelling in is a silver Toyota Corolla. We are still investigating to check whether it is an attempted hijacking or kidnapping. “We will know once we have the full details as our team is still conducting investigations.” A relative said Dayanand was…

SIX people, including five relatives of the late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, were killed when their SUV collided with a truck in Bihar’s Lakhisarai district on Tuesday morning, police said. Four people were injured in the incident. The SUV was badly mangled due to the impact of the collision. The truck driver and helper, however, managed to flee. According to the police, the victims, including two women, were returning from Patna to Jamui after the cremation of Haryana Additional Director General of Police OP Singh’s sister. Singh is married to Sushant Singh’s sister. The victims were identified as Laljeet Singh (the dead woman’s husband), Nemani Singh, Amit Shankar alias Ram Chandra Singh, Sunita Devi, Anita Devi and driver Chetan Kumar. Two of the injured were identified as Valmiki Singh…

THE summer back-breakers are here to stay for the shore anglers. The north-east wind is starting to settle in to a useable pattern, so keep your eye on the weather and make sure your tackle is ready for the summer heat. The north has seen most of the better summer giants with plenty of fish reported. We have seen duckbills, honeycombs, black fin, zambies, diamonds, brown skates and blue rays. Mackerel and redeyes are the baits of choice when it comes to these fish. For the bigger boys, a 10/0 circle hook on an FMJ trace of about 1.5m in length will do well. Make a mackerel head bait with some cutlets on the outside, send it to the deep and you are in with a good chance at any…