Table of contents for 2022-05-18 in Post

MACALEN Chetty wanted to make a difference to people’s lives and this encouraged him to pursue a career in law. Chetty, 22, grew up in Durban, and graduated cum laude at UKZN with a Bachelor of Laws degree. “I dedicated this graduation to my mother who raised me single-handedly after my father’s passing nine years ago.” Chetty obtained a dean’s commendation in seven semesters, nine certificates of merit and three UKZN scholarships. Last year, he was a finalist in the School of Law’s moot court and he was awarded the Anand Nepaul Attorneys Prize for best criminal procedure student. Chetty was also part of the student representative council (SRC). “I served as the College of Law and Management Studies’ representative on the SRC from 2020 to 2021, and as a…

1 tbs cooking oil 20g butter 1 onion, diced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tbs turmeric powder 1 tsp paprika 8 chicken fillets, chopped 2 cups cooked Crossbow Small White Beans ¼ cup tomato purée ½ cup fruit chutney salt and pepper, to taste 2 cups fresh cream Heat the oil and butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, turmeric and paprika. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes or until softened. Add the chicken to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the cooked beans and mix through. Add the tomato purée and fruit chutney. Season with salt and pepper. Cover. Reduce the heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes or until the chicken is tender and the mixture has thickened slightly.…

350g (12/3 cups) cooked Crossbow Red Speckled Beans (just under 1 cup uncooked beans) 60ml (4 tbs) coconut oil, melted 30ml (2 tbs) cake flour 5ml (1 tsp) bicarbonate of soda 2.5ml (½ tsp) salt 90ml (6 tbs) cocoa powder 60ml (4 tbs) muscovado sugar, plus extra for sprinkling 30ml (2 tbs) maple syrup 15ml (1 tbs) milk 10ml (2 tsp) vanilla essence Topping 100g chocolate, chopped Preheat the oven to 220°C and line a baking tray with paper. Mix the beans, coconut oil, cake flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt, cocoa powder, muscovado sugar, maple syrup and vanilla essence in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Roll the mixture into 6 to 8 balls and arrange on the baking tray. Bake the cookies for 3 minutes. Remove from the…

THE residents of Nellie van Rensburg Road in Queensburgh have signed a petition for the road to be closed. They claim that the structural integrity of the road was compromised during the floods. The residents further claim that the city has ignored their pleas for help despite their repeated requests. During the floods, the sandbank at Queensburgh Primary School collapsed on the road and damaged part of a residential home. Following the incident, stormwater drainage pipes on the bank have still not been repaired and this could cause further damage, residents say. “The water drainage from the school sandbank is seeping from under the road into private properties, posing a life-threatening danger to pupils, pedestrians, residents and all road users,” read the petition that was signed by 22 residents last…

SOUTH Africa’s judicial commission into state capture, known as the Zondo Commission, recently handed over the fourth part of its voluminous and scathing findings to President Cyril Ramaphosa. As a fact-finding commission, it had to determine if there were facts that were relevant for prosecutorial purposes related to “state capture” and corruption during the reign of former president Jacob Zuma. The commission was recommended by the former public protector Thuli Madonsela in November 2016 to complete her “State of Capture” report. Now, at the end of its four-year long investigation, how can the commission be assessed? For years, many of the leading figures in “state capture” tried to vilify investigative journalists, NGOs and researchers who exposed their actions. It was, therefore, a contested terrain. The Zondo Commission, however, followed procedures…

THE floods in KwaZulu-Natal not only destroyed lives, homes and belongings but also left many communities without places to worship. The 70-year-old Umhlatuzana Temple in Chatsworth was one such religious site. Rodney Moodley, the temple chairperson, said they were unable to observe the religious festival of Kavady last month. He said the Northdene Temple subsequently allowed devotees to carry Kavady at its premises. The Umhlatuzana Temple is located on a bank next to the Umhlatuzana River. The Mother's Temple on the property was washed away when the river burst its banks. The Shiva and Vishnu temples, however, remained though. Bronze Navagrahas statues and a 70-year-old bell tower were also washed away. “There are five murthis (statues) in the Mother’s Temple that we can’t see. In addition, the hall and caretaker’s…

A MATHS teacher was shot in the face on Friday while trying to protect matric pupils from armed robbers. Muzinkosi Zulu, 40, a teacher at Sea Cow Lake Secondary, is recovering in hospital. Three accused, two of whom are believed to be former pupils, fled, but were later arrested by members of the Phoenix Trio Crimes Unit in Whetstone, Phoenix. They were charged with attempted murder and robbery. Pastor Khulekani Dlamini, the chairperson of the school governing body (SGB), said on Friday afternoon, a group of matric pupils were attending extra lessons while others were writing a supplementary exam. “The three robbers entered the school and held the deputy principal at gunpoint. They robbed her of her handbag. One suspect remained with her, while the other two went to Mr…

THE much-travelled Lionel Cronje is to return to the Sharks for what will be his third stint with the Durban team, but this time he has signed for two years as backup to flyhalf Curwin Bosch. The Sharks also announced that they have re-signed Grant Williams as scrumhalf competition for Jaden Hendrikse, while locks Reniel Hugo and Emile van Heerden have extended their contracts, as have fullback Anthony Volmink and prop Dian Bleuler. The 32-year-old Cronje made a big impact on the Sharks’ attacking play last year when he was on loan from Toyota Verblitz but the Sharks could not hang on to him and he returned to Japan. Cronje has a knack for unlocking defences and he credits this to the influence of a famous pair of Wallabies from…

A CURIOSITY about what lay beyond the night sky led Amit Januk to pursue a career in aerospace engineering. Januk, 23, from Unit 21 in Phoenix, recently graduated with a degree in aerospace engineering from Wits University in Johannesburg. From the time Januk was little, he was fascinated by space and science. “I would look up at the sky at night and wonder what was going on in the universe. I wanted to know how it was formed? How did it operate? Was there life out there? “I had so many questions. I would often watch programmes like Myth Busters, documentaries on the universe and Air Crash Investigations to try and understand space.” By the time he was 12, Januk knew he wanted to be an aerospace engineer. In Grade…

MIKAILEN Naidoo has been fascinated by numbers since primary school. The 20-year-old was one of the youngest top achievers in his class to graduate summa cum laude with a BCom in accounting at UKZN. Naidoo, of Tongaat, said his aunt, Nisha, and a few members of his extended family were chartered accountants. “I guess it runs in the family and they have inspired me to pursue a career in this field as they are very well-off in life,” he said. Naidoo said he chose this career because accountants were in high demand. “This includes doing the books, auditing or managing the finances of the company. “You can never run out of a job in this field.” But the journey to graduating was a challenge. He said there was a lot…

roast pumpkin 1 wedge pumpkin or Hubbard squash olive oil or coconut oil fresh coriander, for serving fresh sprouts, for serving salt and black pepper to taste Thai green curry beans 1 onion, finely chopped 1 x 400ml can coconut cream 2-3 tbs Thai green curry paste 1 cup Crossbow White Beans Place the beans in a bowl with 2 cups water. Soak for 60 minutes, then drain and place in a saucepan with water. Simmer for 25 to 35 minutes on medium/low heat until cooked. Remove from the heat and drain any excess water. Set aside. Place the onion in a pot with a little oil and fry over medium heat until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add 1 to 2 tbs water to help soften the onion. Add the…

285g (1½ cups) Crossbow Brown or Black Lentils 30ml (2 tbs) olive oil, plus extra for drizzling 1 red onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, chopped 2 x 410g cans chopped tomatoes 15ml (1 tbs) smoked paprika 5ml (1 tsp) origanum salt and pepper, to taste 4-6 brinjals, sliced lengthways 400ml-500ml (2 cups) fresh cheese sauce Preheat the oven to 200°C and grease a larger oven-proof dish. Cook the lentils according to the package instructions and drain Heat the olive oil in a thick-bottomed pot over low heat and soften the onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Stir in the smoked paprika and sauté for 10 seconds. Turn the heat up and stir in the tomatoes. Simmer for 15 minutes. Stir through two-thirds of the lentils, reserving the remaining third for…

BOUND, beaten and then burnt. The Raghoo family from Newcastle had always seen these headlines in the news. Last week, however, it became their reality when four men with handguns allegedly invaded the two houses on their Lenteson cattle farm and attacked the family. Anil Raghoo, 70, his wife Nirmala, 67, their grandson Kaylin, a matric pupil, and their daughter-in-law Sanusha became victims in broad daylight. Mornè Potgieter, Ithemba Security’s operational director, who was first on the scene, said the Raghoos’ had a shop on the farm where they sold frozen foods like Russian sausages. He said the attackers entered the premises and pretended to be customers. Even though the family indicated that the shop was closed, the men forced Raghoo, his wife and grandson into their house and tied…

AFTER a decade-long battle to get on the airwaves, Southside FM went live on Friday morning. Dinesh Naidoo, the head of operations at the station, said: “It’s been a long journey. We now look forward to bringing our listeners the best content, from local to international South Indian music to lifestyle and empowerment shows.” He said in 2009, a group of like-minded people thought it was time to start a station that catered to the South Indian community. “A committee was elected. However, over the years, there have been many stumbling blocks. One included them struggling to get a broadcast frequency. Without this, they were unable to acquire a licence from the Independent Communications Authority of SA.” The committee, he said, subsequently liaised with Roy Padayachie, who was the minister…

SOUTH Africans must brace for an economic winter that is going to last well into the summer months and even beyond. This week the AA estimated that the petrol price could rise by about R2 a litre in June. Diesel is likely to go up by around R1.60 a litre and illuminating paraffin by over R2. But that’s not where the pain ends. During April and May, the government gave motorists some relief by reducing the General Fuel Levy by R1.50. This is a tax paid on every litre of fuel that is bought. At this stage it is not clear whether there is any further relief in the pipeline but, as things stand, motorists will have to fork out the additional R1.50 over and above the expected June increase.…

Opposition parties say the eThekwini Municipality failed to adequately deal with the devastation caused by the floods. Haniff Hoosen, a DA MP, said: “We have a disaster management unit that is supposed to activate itself during times of crises. They were ill-prepared and must be questioned about the millions of rand in funding that they have been receiving for years. They had little or no resources to provide to displaced communities. Private citizens were providing meals.” Hoosen said millions of people were without water and electricity and the municipality did not know how to respond. “In many instances, they allocated a single water tanker to each councillor, leaving the councillors to fend for themselves and explain on behalf of the city. There were at one point more than 150 electricity…

THE Durban High Court has frozen the trust account of an attorney accused of fraudulently dealing with cryptocurrency. Visham Panday, an uMhlanga businessman, brought an application before the court, against Lockhat Mayat Attorneys and Brenen-Lee Wallace Govender. The matter was heard on Thursday. In his founding affidavit, Panday said he met Govender in October 2021. Panday said Govender told him that he was involved in the legitimate purchase and sale of cryptocurrency. Govender also allegedly said any monies advanced by Panday to him would generate Panday a guaranteed return of 2%. Panday said the return would be paid to him by Govender’s partner, Fathima Lockhat, from Lockhat Mayat Attorneys, through the Trust account at the end of the month. In the same month, Panday allegedly met Lockhat. He said Lockhat…

STRIVING for equality and being a well-rounded human being who cares about socio-economic justice is important to Layla Shah. Shah, 23, of Westbrook on Durban's north coast, graduated summa cum laude in law. She said after matriculating from Crawford College North Coast, she had a gut instinct to follow law. “I started studying towards my Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree in 2018. The first two years were great. I had a normal university experience. There was a lot of fun and a lot of stress. The latter two years were however unusual. “We were deprived of our campus experience due to the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, and studying from home had its challenges. But throughout my studies, my love for the law grew. I realised that the instinct that drove me…

FATIMA Sayed has a passion to help others learn, and this inspired her to pursue a career in teaching. Sayed, 38, of eManzimtoti, is a Grade 7 teacher at Doon Heights Primary School in Kingsburgh. She graduated with a Master’s degree in education, summa cum laude "When I matriculated, I did not have enough money to study at UKZN, so I opted to study radiography at the Durban University of Technology (DUT). Since being a radiographer was a scarce skill back then, DUT paid the tuition fees for students who were doing this course,” said Sayed. But she still longed to teach. “I have always had respect and admiration for teachers. It had been a dream to teach, so much so that I left my previous job as a radiographer.…

These yellow split peas cakes are perfect for lazy spring days. Yellow peas are full of protein and packed with other health benefits. They are a great option if you are trying to eat less meat, or just looking for something new to try. 2 cups Crossbow Yellow Split Peas 1 onion, grated 1 red chilli, finely chopped 1 tsp chopped parsley ½ tsp cumin 1 egg salt and pepper, to taste 1 cup bread crumbs oil for frying Cook the split peas according to the package instructions. Once they are cooked, mash them up with a fork, transfer to a large bowl and set aside to cool. Add the onion and parsley to the bowl with the split peas. Then add the cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Next,…

1 tbs cooking oil 1 onion 2 cloves garlic, minced 500g beef strips ½ cup soy sauce ½ cup lemon juice 2 tbs brown sugar (optional) 3 cups cooked basmati rice 2 cups cooked IMBO or Crossbow Black Lentils 2 cups chopped peppadews 1 cup chopped spring onions BBQ spice, to taste Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan. Cook the onion and garlic until translucent. Add the strips, season and cook for 5 to 8 minutes. Add the soy sauce, lemon juice and sugar. Stir well. Let this sauce cook for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat. Add the rice, lentils, peppadews and spring onions. Cook for a further 2 minutes. |…

1 cup Crossbow Yellow Split Peas 1 tbs butter 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tsp turmeric powder 500ml fresh cream ½ cup grated Cheddar cheese 2 cups broccoli florets, cleaned and rinsed salt and pepper, to taste Cook the split peas according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside. Heat the butter and sauté the onion and garlic until soft. Add the turmeric powder and cook for a minute. Pour in the fresh cream and add the cheese. Stir. Add the split peas and broccoli. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste. |…

AFTER seven years of water supply problems, the Ugu District Municipality is expected to receive a multimillion-rand cash injection for infrastructure projects over the next three financial years. The commitment was made by the Department of Water and Sanitation during a parliamentary sitting recently. The initial commitment was R130 million before the department upped the amount to R225m. Ugu, on the South Coast, consists of 81 municipal wards. These comprise local municipalities, such as Ray Nkonyeni, Umzumbe, Umdoni and Umuziwabantu. The shortage is due to the breakdown of water services infrastructure and neglect of water storage facilities. Taps have run dry in areas that include Ramsgate, Margate, Port Shepstone, Hibberdene, Marburg, Umtentweni, Oslo Beach and Port Edward. The commitment came after Tim Brauteseth, a DA MP for KZN in the…

AFTER serving delicacies in some of the best restaurants in South Africa and abroad, chef Luke Nair has put away his knives after more than four decades. Nair, 66, of Verulam, who has worked as the head chef at the Oyster Box Hotel for 15 years, retired this month. However, his journey into the world of food started in his kitchen at age 9 with his mother. “As a child and while growing up, I had two passions – cooking and cars. I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with my mother. I watched what she was doing and helped her cut the vegetables. Soon thereafter, I was in front of the stove. The first meal I prepared by myself was a fish dish. I was so proud.…

ON MAY 11, 2022, the Pretoria High Court handed down a landmark ruling that paved the way for divorcing spouses married out of community of property, without the accrual system, to claim a redistribution of assets despite the content of their signed prenuptial contract. This is a historic judgment that will have a significant impact, especially for spouses who previously stood to receive nothing if they were married out of community of property. The court ordered that Section 7(3)(a) of the Divorce Act, 70 of 1979, was declared inconsistent with the Constitution and invalid to the extent that the provision limited the operation of Section 7(3) of the Divorce Act to marriages out of community of property entered into before the commencement of the Matrimonial Property Act. Previously the law…

REPAIRING damage to ageing and damaged infrastructure in the wake of the floods in KwaZulu-Natal is a priority, says Senzo Mchunu, the minister of Water and Sanitation. Delivering his budget vote speech in the National Assembly on Friday last week, he said the focus in the province would now be on building back better and improving infrastructure. Building back better is a strategy aimed at reducing the risk to people in the wake of future disasters. Mchunu, who was appointed to the portfolio in August, conveyed his condolences to those who had lost loved ones in the flooding, and empathised with those who remained without piped water and proper sanitation. He said his department was working as fast as possible to restore these services. “Immediately after the floods, we established…

POLICE are investigating a murder following the death of Jackie Naidoo. She burnt to death in a fire at her home in Westham, Phoenix, last week. Naidoo, 35, lived in a two-bedroom council flat with her 12-year-old son and her partner of four years, Shaun Naicker. On May 9, after her son left for school, Naicker packed his belongings and left the home in Naidoo’s car. Moments later, her neighbours heard glass exploding and then saw the fire. They called the fire department and police for help. Naidoo was found lying on her stomach on her bed. Her African grey parrots also died. Naicker was arrested shortly after the incident. He was charged with murder and appeared in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court last Wednesday. The matter was adjourned until Wednesday…

Uncapped batsman Tristan Stubbs was named yesterday in a 16-man South African squad for a series of five Twenty20 internationals in India next month. The 21-year-old starred in a domestic T20 competition in February when he hit 23 sixes for the Gqeberha-based Warriors in scoring 293 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 183.12. The hard-hitting right-handed batsman joined the Mumbai Indians franchise in the Indian Premier League as a replacement for Tymal Mills earlier this month but failed to score on his debut against Chennai Super Kings last Thursday. Fast bowler Anrich Nortje is set to make his first international appearance since the T20 World Cup last November. Nortje was sidelined by a hip injury but has returned to action in recent weeks with the Delhi Capitals…

THE excitement of the sardines possibly arriving soon has everyone giddy while local fishing has definitely improved. The trap stick is an offshore rod that is put out (generally with a live bait) while you are fishing on the bottom, either with lures or bottom fishing with bait. This is an often forgotten rod that can result in some amazing catches. The action of bringing fish up from the bottom often gets the attention of game fish in the area, which then scoff down the helpless live bait. Remember to set your drag right and put the rod in a rod holder that will be down current if you are on anchor or up current if you are drifting. The offshore fishing off Durban has been good. The bottom fishing…