Table of contents for 2022-01-26 in Post

ACTRESS Kajal Aggarwal has confirmed her pregnancy as she posted a picture with her husband, Gautam Kitchlu. He posted a cryptic message on social media, announcing that they are expecting their first child together. All dolled up in a thigh-high slit bodycon dress, Aggarwal showed off her baby bump. She tied the knot with her businessman beau on October 30, 2020. She has been juggling between work and travel with her husband. On the work front, Aggarwal has wrapped up her part in the Telugu movie Acharya, in which she is paired with Tollywood megastar Chiranjeevi. |…

Duff is a psychic medium, soul coach, spiritual mentor, healer and animal communicator. She has been connecting with spirit for more than 20 years and runs her business, Quantum Soul, from Waterfall in KwaZulu-Natal. Watch her weekly predictions on GlowTV on Sundays after 8pm with Denver Naicker on the Get Real Show. She can be contacted at 072 986 5514 or email sharron@quantsoul.com sharron duff ARIES (March 21 – April 19) There’s a better way to do things, so take a step back and breathe. Everything is going to be okay. Pause and reflect on how you have done this before and let the answer come to you. Think outside of the box. Lucky colour: purple. TAURUS (April 20 – May 20) Keep your eyes on the bigger picture…

UKZN med school probe crumbles Charlene Somduth charlene.somduth@inl.co.za Last week was a sad day in the Masikane household. It would have marked the 44th birthday of Siphamandla Masikane, who worked as an investigations officer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). But he died in October last year following Covid-19 complications. Masikane was the main witness in a criminal trial involving Avril Sahadew. In 2012, she joined the university as a forensic audit specialist. Four years later she took over the investigation of Operation Clever which aimed to probe the sale of placements at the university’s medical school. It subsequently emerged that the university had forked out more than R73 million on the investigation. Most of the money, about R42 million, was used to pay for Sahadew’s guards, cars and a…

I DID it! I have attained a bachelor’s pass with seven distinctions – in maths, physical sciences, life sciences, Afrikaans, English, life orientation and accounting. My name is Diya Bhoda. I am an ex-pupil of Southlands Secondary School in Chatsworth. My plan for the future is to study computer engineering and eventually go into aerospace engineering. I am 17 years old, and today I'm going to tell you about how I achieved my results against the odds. Matric 2021 was definitely a difficult year that presented a handful of new challenges no one expected. The global pandemic, looting and load shedding left many pupils, including myself, in a state of uncertainty. Our workload had not changed and we were required to complete some of our Grade 11 syllabi owing to…

I attended Stanger Manor Secondary School in KwaDukuza. My mother is a deputy principal at Glenhills Secondary and my dad was an educator before he was medically boarded due to muscular dystrophy. I have obtained distinctions in all the subjects I studied (English, Afrikaans, mathematics, life sciences, physical sciences, accounting and life orientation). I was placed first in the Ilembe District and have been accepted to study actuarial sciences at UCT, Wits University, University of Pretoria as well as Stellenbosch University. I am considering accepting Stellenbosch University as they have also offered me a complete academic bursary. Studying under Covid-19 conditions was challenging, but I am ecstatic that my perseverance and hard work has paid dividends. My advice to the Class of 2022 is to work hard from the outset.…

Too much talking THE matric class of 2021 had it tough and did well to achieve a pass rate of just over 76%. However, their biggest challenge – finding a decent job – is yet to come. Given the state of our economy, even those who get a university pass will struggle to find meaningful work. It will be harder for those who do not further their studies and almost impossible for those who have failed and don’t try again. There is also bad news for those who have jobs because they face the prospect of paying higher taxes. In recent years, our government has been steadily borrowing money and a few days ago we took an additional R11.4 billion from the World Bank. A billion is the number one…

SOUTH African farmers face a daunting task to grow their crops to ensure the country's food security. There are periods of drought that have a devastating impact on their crops and livestock. The recent heavy rains, like those experienced in the Free State, saw farmers’ crops being washed away. The Cape is experiencing swarms of locusts that the farmers have to contend with. To add to these woes, it was recently reported that our potato farmers are complaining about the dumping of potatoes from abroad. This is having a negative impact on their livelihoods. It is long overdue for the government to intervene and protect our farmers by slapping hefty import duties on these imports. Agriculture is a labour-intensive industry that employs thousands of workers. Look at what happened to…

WITH reference to the letter “Clandestine war being waged in SA” (Post, January 19-23). Visvin Reddy, are you pulling the wool over the Indian community’s eyes? We Indians are trying to rectify and work with our black brothers and sisters to put the focus of Phoenix behind us. If you as a community representative keep bringing up this issue of Phoenix, then how are we to forget what happened? Secondly, you, similar to your previous boss, the late Mr Amichand Rajbansi, took the Indian votes and sold them to the ANC. Visvin can fool some of the people some of the time, but Visvin can’t fool all the people all of the time. Visvin, you voted with the ANC, so the status quo remains. Don’t complain about what’s happening in…

THE South African Friends of Israel (Safi) is appalled by the recent Judicial Conduct Committee (JCC) ruling that seeks to censure and silence former Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng for remarks expressing his biblical love for Israel, alongside his calls for a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The former chief justice’s utterances were legitimate, fair and non-controversial. They were made in accordance with his deeply held religious beliefs which are protected under the South African Constitution, alongside the Judicial Code which regulates judicial conduct. This view was affirmed by the minority judgment that completely supported the former chief justice’s appeal and showed that he was not in contravention of the Judicial Code. Religious beliefs, and the freedom to express them, do not become controversial when a small and radical group…

Nikita Chiniah nikita.chiniah@inl.co.za SOUTH Africans are urged to co-operate and be counted as the national population and housing census gets under way from February 3 to 28. In a media briefing on Tuesday, stakeholders from the Department of Statistics outlined Statistics SA’s readiness to conduct the census. Census 2022 is South Africa’s fourth population count post-democracy and the country’s first digital census. About 165 000 fieldworkers will be deployed to count people in the country. Risenga Maluleke, the statistician-general, who is responsible for official and other statistics in South Africa, said there would be three methods to get counted. He said fieldworkers would visit homes; there was a self or online method; or it could be done via a telephonic interview which would take about 10 minutes. “This year, we…

MANCHESTER United’s 3-1 win over Brentford last week was overshadowed by the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo threw a tantrum after being substituted by manager Ralf Rangnick late in the second half. Despite nearing his 37th birthday, it’s quite evident Ronaldo continues to want to play every minute of every game for his team. Most players his age would be content to play a bit-part role but that’s clearly not the case for the Portugal national team captain. With United not looking like a side that can win major silverware any time soon, Ronaldo may also look for a new club at the end of the season. Meanwhile, Ronaldo also now faces a challenge to help Portugal qualify for the World Cup this year. Portugal and Italy have been drawn in…

THE offshore fishing has been going well along the KZN coast with big fish in the deep down south and fantastic fishing, both shallow and deep, further north. The North Coast has seen a lot of fish, from Vidal and Sodwana all the way to Durban. The snoek have been feeding well in the early mornings along the backline. Westbrook and Umdloti have produced good results while Jex Estate has been the pick of the venues. The shark tax has been high so try to get your fish in as quick as possible. Fillets have produced most of the bites with some fish being taken on lipped lures. The Durban coast has seen snoek off Umhlanga and Blue Lagoon. The early mornings are the times to target these fish.…

BOLLYWOOD actress Preity Zinta Goodenough is enjoying being a mother to her newborns, Gia and Jai. Last week, she posted a photograph on Facebook of what seems to be her cradling one of the newborns in a pink woollen cap. She captioned the picture “Mommy vibes” with two red heart emojis. She also had what may be a burp cloth on her shoulder. In November, she announced that she and her husband, Gene Goodenough, had become parents of twins. The actress, who made the announcement on social media with a picture of herself posing with Gene, opted for surrogacy. Zinta Goodenough lives in Los Angeles with her husband, whom she married on February 29, 2016. |…

AS THE Chinese Lunar New Year approaches, global luxury brands are launching limited edition products to welcome the Year of the Tiger. Most of the items highlight the image of the tiger, one of the 12 Chinese Zodiac animals, and others feature Chinese elements such as the colour red and Peking Opera. At the duty-free stores in China’s island province of Hainan, tiger elements and red can be seen almost everywhere. Limited edition luxury Lunar New Year items are a big hit, covering cosmetics, clothing, bags, watches, and wine. “For the upcoming Year of the Tiger, Armani has launched limited edition products including jackets and sweaters, which are selling well,” said Yang Qiulin, a salesman in a duty-free store in Haikou, the capital of Hainan. Li Chao, a tourist from…

I MATRICULATED in the Class of 2021 at Port Shepstone Secondary School and attained distinctions in all seven subjects – English (HL), Afrikaans (FAL), mathematics, life orientation, accounting, life sciences and physical science. I will be pursuing a BCom degree at the University of Pretoria with aspirations of becoming a chartered accountant. I attribute the success to hard work throughout my schooling career, as well as the dedication and commitment of my teachers over the years, especially the two greatest teachers who I get to call my parents. Over the past two years, I was shaken from my childish slumber as I watched from the sidelines the two people I love the most in the world face the greatest challenges in their lives. Instead of adopting a victim or defeatist…

AFTER meeting my role model Hashim Amla, I was decided on my dreams and aspirations: I wanted to one day play first-class cricket and make my family and community proud of me. Such an endeavour, notwithstanding the inspiration and guidance of the famous player, would require discipline, dedication and sacrifice. This was something I committed myself to – from early-morning training sessions to after-midnight study routines. This rigorous, steadfast attitude culminated in me achieving six distinctions – in maths, English, Afrikaans, computer applications technology, engineering graphics and design, and life orientation – and being placed in the top five pupils at Crawford International College North Coast and recognised as one of the top matriculants in KwaZulu-Natal. I also won the Cricketer of the Year award at the end of my…

AS THE chairperson of the Clare Estate community police forum (CPF), I congratulate Mohammed Soobrathie for securing the position of Lieutenant- Colonel. His achievement comes on the back of serving the Sydenham police precinct and its community with honour, pride, dedication and loyalty for the past 24 years, and prior to that, at Bayview SAPS for two years. He has 26 years of service. I am certain that I speak for many in our police sector in Clare Estate, especially the colleagues, families and friends of Soobrathie. I have personally noted his willingness and devotion to our community. He has shown a fighting spirit and patience, and he has a determined character to serve and protect. Members of our community saw him as someone who embodied service delivery. He is…

THERE has been debate and controversy about sex education in schools. When the idea was first introduced 20 years ago, parents were alarmed and voiced their disapproval. But the bigwigs in education felt they knew better and opened up schools to sex education. The intention was good. But rather than curb teenage pregnancy in schools, it had the opposite effect. In recent years, teenage pregnancy has soared to alarming numbers. In 2020, more than 136 600 girls aged between 15 and 19 fell pregnant. Of these, 33 899 became mothers at 17 years and younger. Even more alarming, 600 of these were little children aged only between10 And 13. How could they become mothers when they are children themselves? It’s bewildering. So, like Outcome-based education, sex education in schools has…

LET us celebrate the success of the matriculants, who will be basking in their glory. We need to fully support them as they enter the next critical phase in their lives. Last year was disruptive for all Grade 12 pupils. KwaZulu-Natal achieved a matric pass rate of 76.8%, which is a slight decrease from the previous year of 77.6%. I don’t think it will be fair to compare the results with previous years. In spite of the decrease, most achievers set high standards and through diligence and hard work they were able to attain excellent results. My plea to our MEC for Education, Kwazi Mshengu, is to surround yourself with top educationists to plan a way forward for far better results for 2022. I am positive we will achieve a…

Charlene Somduth charlene.somduth@inl.co.za TYRAN Eston Moodley, 23, had recently moved from his home in Pietermaritzburg to Phoenix in the hope of starting a job making furniture. But on Friday night, he died after being beaten with a stick and stabbed twice in the back during an altercation in Westham, Phoenix. Four men were charged with his killing. They appeared in the Verulam Magistrate‘s Court on Monday and were remanded in custody. The case was adjourned to next week. Lee Chetty, Moodley’s uncle, said the family were hoping that the investigations would help them get answers. “Not knowing why he was killed in such a senseless manner has added to the family’s trauma. Is life not worth anything any more? The court cannot allow those who are accused of killing Tyran…

Nadia Khan nadia.khan@inl.co.za A R39 million contract apparently awarded by the KZN Department of Arts and Culture (DAC) to provide internet access at public libraries in the province has been questioned by the DA. The party has called on the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate following an apparent three-year contract awarded to Emalangeni Technologies, a company based in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga. Spearheading the fight is Bradley Singh, a DA member of the provincial legislature and its spokesperson on arts and culture in KZN. According to his calculations there are about 170 libraries in KZN funded by the department. It means each is paying about R6 400 a month for an internet connection. “The DA regards the value of this contract as outrageous. This is ridiculous when there are internet service…

TWENTY times Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal reached the quarter-finals after a five-set victory 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3 against Canadian world No.14 Denis Shapovalov yesterday. The Spanish No.6 seed, making his 36th Grand Slam appearance, broke Shapovalov’s service in game four and then held service throughout. Set two went in similar fashion, as the Canadian landed just 53% of his first serves, compared with 70% from Nadal, and made some 14 unforced errors at key moments. The tides of the game took a turn in what could have been Nadal’s closing set. The 22-year-old young gun made a sudden break after holding 5-4 with the help of a double-fault from the world No.6. In the fourth set, Nadal, suffering from stomach pain, left the court for just over…

THE Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year is the most important traditional holiday in China and an occasion of great festivity for the Chinese community all over the world. It’s associated with many symbols, each of which has its own importance and significance. Regional customs and traditions vary but on the same theme. Since ancient times, Chinese people have been using the Chinese Zodiac animals to represent the years. Each lunar year is related to a zodiac animal, beginning at Chinese New Year. The 12 zodiac animals recur on a 12-year cycle in the order of Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Each zodiac has a rich legend, which forms the main philosophy in Chinese folk culture. In modern times, more and…

A CAT-THEMED temple in Japan is doing its part to help revitalise its area. Unrin Temple in Hagi, Yamaguchi Prefecture, is putting in a bit more effort this year because of 2022 being the Chinese zodiac's Year of the Tiger. The temple's foray into feline territory was started by priest Jisei Sumida about 15 years ago. Sumida took inspiration from a local tale featuring a cat that is also related to the temple. The story is set in the early 17th century, soon after Tokugawa Ieyasu established his shogunate. It follows Nagai Motofusa, whose master was the first lord of the Choshu domain, now Yamaguchi Prefecture, and founder of Hagi Castle Mori Terumoto. Motofusa had a cat and loved it. When Terumoto died, Motofusa followed him in death and was…

Nonjabulo Bhengu nonjabulo.bhengu@inl.co.za FROM doing YouTube music covers of other singers to becoming a singer-songwriter, Yashna shared her journey in the music industry as she debuted her latest single. Her song, Fight For You, is receiving airplay on populat music channel MTV. It is classified as being in the genre of Amapiano, a hybrid of deep house, jazz and lounge music characterised by synths, airy pads and wide percussive basslines. Popularly known by her stage name Yashna International, Yashna said she dreamed of becoming a singer. “I describe singing as a calling because I feel it chose me,” she said. Yashna, who turned 28 on Friday, said she grew up watching Bollywood movies. “I was a nuisance to my family because I was that loud kid who sang everywhere in…

MATRIC was the most challenging experience. In January last year, my dad passed away. Throughout the year, I was challenged with having to deal with grief and despair. However, I always looked forward to the finish line, as it held much hope for a new beginning. It was only through being focused, hard work, determination, faith, patience and the support of my mother and family that I was able to reach my goal. Today, I rejoice and celebrate my matric achievement from Werda School in Malvern. I crossed the finish line, obtaining a bachelor’s pass with a distinction in business studies. I'm looking forward to a bright future and pursuing a career in business and marketing. Caitlin Jacobs Malvern…

THE world, for the most part, is organised on dynastic principles. Part of the rationale of capitalism is that wealth, and all that comes with it, cascades down the generations. Our laws sweep aside impediments to that succession. If your parents are rich, you’re highly unlikely to end up poor. But in politics, it is more complex. In democracies, the scions of the great men and women are not usually guaranteed the mantle of power, although India was a notable exception in the days of Congress Party rule. They insisted, as they still do, that someone from the Gandhi-Nehru dynasty take the helm as leader. Even without that kind of built-in largesse, the realities of wealth and access to power are often enough to ease the way upwards. So, for…

NOMINATIONS are open for the Shri Mariammen Temple Society’s Ammen Awards 2022. The presentations will be made on Good Friday, on April 15. The qualifying criteria entail persons or community organisations doing extraordinary work in the community consistently for six years and over. The categories for nominations include: promotion of Hindu religion; promotion of Eastern languages; promotion of arts and culture; promotion of excellence in education; community socio-economic upliftment; excellence in media; and excellence in sports. The nominator must provide a detailed CV of the nominee. The applications must contain the contact information of both the nominator and the nominee. The nominations are open to all South Africans and close on March 15. DEES PILLAY Shri Mariammen Temple Call Pillay at 083 787 8351 or Allen Soobramoney at 082 778…

ARCHBISHOP Emeritus Desmond Tutu often said: “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” How many people have you encountered who merely nod their heads without commenting when you address a serious and proven wrongdoing, especially if they have a vested interest in the matter being criticised? No ANC supporter, for instance, dares criticise any proven corrupted colleague. No Muslim makes a hoo-ha about a loud azaan (call to prayer) that disturbs others. No Hindu openly criticises the Bharatiya Janata Party for implementing its own official apartheid policy against minorities. This trait protects the individual from being ostracised from the herd or losing face in society. We have all been taught to talk less. Don't get involved. Shut your mouth. Being neutral…

SOUTH Africa’s former Chief Justice, Mogoeng Mogoeng, has been ordered to apologise for his pro-Israel comments, following his failed appeal against a legal complaint by #Africa4Palestine, the WCG (Women’s Cultural Group) and others. According to the 66-page decision, made public by South Africa’s Judicial Conduct Committee (JCC), the controversial judge, who stepped down late last year, has 10 days to issue his apology. Paragraph 95 of the Judicial Service Commission’s JCC decision reads: “To sum up, the appeal (by Chief Justice Mogoeng) against the decision upholding the complainants’ complaints based on Articles 12(1)(b) and 14(2)(a) of the Code, is dismissed. The Chief Justice was correctly found to have breached these Articles.” According to the JSC’s conduct committee’s decision, the remedial action imposed on the Chief Justice (in terms of s…

Nadia Khan nadia.khan@inl.co.za THE Automobile Association of South Africa (AA) is hoping its #ReviewTheFuel petition garners enough signatures ahead of this year’s budget speech. Enoch Godongwana, the minister of finance, will deliver his inaugural National Budget Speech on February 23. Godongwana has invited South Africans to share their suggestions on the budget including their views on what government should be spending on, how to address the budget deficit, new sources of tax revenues, and other budget-relevant information. Layton Beard, the AA spokesperson, said the organisation was calling for a review of the fuel price structure and a recalculation of all the elements that comprised the fuel price. He said the signed petition would then be given to Godongwana and Gwede Mantashe, the minister of mineral resources and energy. “Providing cheaper…

WATFORD sacked head coach Claudio Ranieri after just over three months in charge following a dreadful run of results which has left the club in the Premier League’s relegation zone. Ranieri’s last game in charge was Friday’s damaging 3-0 home defeat by fellow strugglers Norwich City. “The Hornets’ board recognises Claudio as a man of great integrity and honour, who will always be respected here at Vicarage Road for his efforts in leading the team with dignity,” Watford said in a statement. “However the board feels that, with nearly half of the Premier League campaign remaining, a change in the head coach position now will give a new appointment sufficient time to achieve the immediate goal of retaining Premier League status.” Watford, promoted last season, are in 19th position after…