Table of contents for 2022-08-17 in Post

Building a new family can be a fresh start for parents and children. It is not always easy. The Government of South Australia shares this free blended parenting guide on its website About blended families: Blended families are formed when adults in a new relationship live together. Children of one or both partners may live with the couple full-time, or come to visit. Blended families can work well and provide lots of love, security and support for children and parents. Who is affected: You may be excited and happy about the new blended family. Others who are affected may have different feelings and ideas. Children may be confused about where they belong and find it difficult to adjust to the changes. It’s important to spend extra time with them. Talk…

THE closure of the Isipingo Beach lagoon is another setback to the livelihoods of the subsistence fishing community. The eThekwini Municipality closed the beach last week after dead fish were found floating in the lagoon. John Peter Narainsamy, the chairperson of the KZN Subsistence Fishing Forum, said a resident informed him last Monday about the dead fish. He said he went to the lagoon the following day and took a video. Narainsamy sent the footage to Desmond D’Sa, an environmentalist and social activist, who notified the municipality. “Last Tuesday, the municipality posted on Twitter that they had problems with a water pump station and sewage flowed into the lagoon. This resulted in a number of dead fish. The municipality did a site visit the following day. They took water samples,…

Q: Did you jump or were you pushed? A: Neither. I had a very mature discussion with the newly-elected political leadership. We analysed the political dynamics post the conference. We reflected on my period of time in the Legislature and Executive. I understood that I had served at the provincial level for 13 years and that generational change, among other factors, was inevitable. Politics, especially at this time and in our province, is a dynamic contested space. Ultimately, the resignation was my very considered decision. I remain a member of the ANC. Q: You have been on the provincial executive for a number of years in different portfolios. What would you say you did well? A: Central to my approach was demonstrable work ethic, good governance and constantly addressing the…

In the worst of times, there is money to be made WHEN police tell you they are investigating a matter, it generally means they have opened a case. More often than not it would seem as though very little detective work is done and, after a while, the matter is forgotten. It was therefore encouraging that more than 20 so-called instigators appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court last week on charges linked to the violence that engulfed Durban and other parts of the country in July last year. It would mean that this is one matter the police do intend pursuing, and rightfully so. At least 354 people died during the unrest and billions of rand of damage was caused. Our communities are now more polarised than ever before and…

FROM ancient times cultures all over the world revered the dead. The Egyptians believed that death was a journey to the other world and so they glorified life after death by going to elaborate lengths to preserve the bodies of the Pharaohs. The tombs were kept hidden in pyramids. Though Hindus cremate the dead, they don’t forget them and have prayers to remember and honour them. The Europeans build tombstones and visit the graves of their loved ones regularly to lay flowers. In the black community, too, the dead are treated with respect and dignity. They mourn the dead for days and spare no amount of money on ensuring their loved ones are given a proper send-off. In fact, expensive funerals are seen by some as a way of compensating…

ARE South Africa’s minister of international co-operation, Naledi Pandor, and our ambassador to the UN, Mxolisi Nkosi, on the same page regarding national sovereignty? A policy document released by the Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco) in July titled, “A framework document on South Africa’s national interest and its advancement in a global environment”, is clear about sovereignty. It defined our national interest as “the protection and promotion of its national sovereignty and constitutional order and well-being and prosperity of its citizens”. That standpoint, of course, is carried in the preamble of the constitution, which refers to South Africa as “a sovereign state”. Yet Nkosi has committed us to a World Health Organization (WHO) treaty, which undermines sovereignty. Endorsed by a majority of WHO members on July 21 –…

TWENTY-TWO people accused of instigating violence during the July unrest appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Friday. The accused are: Smangaliso Zwane (31) Mbongeni Mzimela (29) Sipho Tchezi (39) Nkanyiso Dlamini (32) Ncamisile Ndlovu (43) Sthembiso Mthiyane (40) Zanele Bhengu (42) Malibongwe Khbheka (49) Sisanda Ntshona (43) Sfiso Sokhulu (33) Thobile Mfeka (48) Ntombizonke Msalela (42) Sanele Masuku (32) Sandile Cebekhulu (49) Mduduzi Mkhize (42) Qedukazi Dladla (49) Lindokhule Shilenge (32) Gods Surprise Ntuli (48) Sanele Mhlongo (31) Lwazi Memela (39) Sibusiso Gwala (46), and Mbongeni Mkhize (age not known) They are charged with conspiracy to commit public violence, incitement to commit public violence and incitement to commit arson. This relates to the acts of looting and public violence in parts of KwaZulu-Natal last July. Magistrate Anand Maharaj granted…

A MOUNT Edgecombe resident was granted bail on Monday after being found with drugs valued at more than R500 000. Ashen Dhilakpal, 34, was arrested at his home following a joint law enforcement operation. He appeared in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court this week. The National Prosecuting Authority said he was released on R10 000 bail. Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo, the spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), said the drug bust was done in partnership with the metro police drugs team. “Police received a tip-off about a suspect who was manufacturing drugs in the Mount Edgecombe area. An intelligence-driven operation was swiftly conducted. “They proceeded to the suspected drug manufacturing site, and the suspect was caught red-handed processing crack cocaine,” he said. Mhlongo said the suspect was arrested and…

THE rock and surf fishing has been a real mix lately. The fishing has been amazing prefrontal but terrible the next day. Make sure to choose your days wisely. The North Coast has seen some amazing garrick fishing around the Tugela River. If you can get a live bait, you are almost guaranteed a fish. This area has also thrown some big kob on live bait, so if you are looking for a bigger edible, it’s definitely the place to go. The reef areas along the lower North Coast have seen some brilliant bream fishing. The bronze bream season has been an absolute cracker with some giant bream being landed. The central section of KZN coast has seen some good fishing in the evenings and early mornings with a lot…

Dr Terri Henderson, a child psychiatrist practising at Netcare Akeso Kenilworth, offers tips for blended homes l Deal with loss first: From a child’s perspective, the central theme during any change in family structure is loss, with worries around questions they may not openly express.Some of the questions may be: “What is going to happen to me; what will happen to my mom or dad; or when will I get to see them?” Adjusting to new living arrangements can have behavioural and emotional consequences. Children and teens may seem less interested or enthusiastic about their normal, familiar activities. This may look like withdrawal from play activities, friendships, school, sport and hobbies. Children may show their distress through physical complaints such as tummy aches or repeatedly saying they feel sick. If…

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. Contact her at 072 986 5514 or sharron@quantsoul.com ARIES (March 21 – April 19) You are being guided by your loved ones in spirit so pay attention to the signs they leave for you. Look for inspiration around you and from a spiritual mentor. Don’t be surprised when you receive a blessing from an unknown source. Lucky colour: rose. TAURUS (April 20 – May 20) There is a lot to look forward to so ensure you are looking…

SHAMEEN Thakur-Rajbansi, the leader of the Minority Front, recently filed a motion for outstanding land claims to be addressed in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature. Thakur-Rajbansi, a member of the provincial legislature, said land ownership was an important resource for economic growth and opportunities. She said land guaranteed other rights such as shelter, safety, food security, water and all basic human needs. But land claims, she said, continued to be an issue in the province. She called on the KZN Ad Hoc committee on land claims to broaden its mandate and term to consider all claims. “Today, with greater awareness more people feel cheated due to forced removals as a result of the Group Areas Act. Others have registered claims but await restitution remedies, while some have claims but the register has…

Some residents in Bakerville Heights in Pietermaritzburg believe their housing needs should be prioritised over military veterans. Residents in the northern suburb are concerned that the Msunduzi Municipality and the Department of Human Settlements in KwaZulu-Natal have not told them about a housing project. Rachel Soobiah, a DA ward councillor for the area, said the department planned to build 115 houses for military veterans. She said she found out about the housing development a week ago. “As ward councillor, I should have been informed of this at the initial stages. These houses have been earmarked for military veterans and not community members, who have been waiting for more than 20 years for homes. We have never had a housing project of this nature in the northern suburbs of Pietermaritzburg,” said…

THE month-long Amman prayer season, observed by those of South Indian-heritage, has just ended. Shortly, you will see why some people will be sad. The prayer, impolitely referred to as the porridge prayer because of the gruel prepared from fermented maize meal that is offered to Goddess Mariamman for her protection against calamities, has two versions – vegetarian and non-vegetarian. The latter is also referred to as a porridge jol because while the variety of meat dishes are being prepared for the folk deity Madurai Veeran in the afternoon, there is festivity with the consumption of spirituous drinks, music and laughter and swearing from those engaged in the thunee trick-taking card game under the carport or the old mango tree. Many temples have also observed the Mariamman prayer every Sunday…

THE column “Indian activists absent in ANC structures (POST, August 10-14)” by Logie Naidoo, the former eThekwini deputy mayor, merits a response. Any praise or embellishment for the ANC of yore has become muted and drowned in a cacophony of egregious mismanagement and corruption. Naidoo, a flag-bearer and praise singer of the party, who once traipsed the high bureaucratic echelons of the ANC in the eThekwini Municipality, bemoans the dearth and absence of Indian activists in ANC structures. The reasons are all too clear. What was and what is, have become worlds apart. The ANC has epitomised this abyss not only by its misguided promises of a better life for all but also by the fallacy that it has people in its ranks who can guide South Africa out of…

DURING Women’s Month, some politicians travelled throughout the country to give women and children hope for the future. Sadly, nothing is done thereafter until the next women's month. The increase in abuse, violence and killings is sickening and shameful. What possesses a man to behave in such a violent manner? It is shocking. We must pay tribute to all the courageous women who wrote the history books in our country. It is important for women to empower themselves through education. This will create a platform for them to excel, be financially independent and take on challenges. Do not live a life of fear. Women are resilient. Most women have excelled and are strong. To all the amazing women, you are the role models for the future generation. Thank…

The IFP in the KZN Legislature is appalled by the long queues at many Home Affairs offices in KwaZulu-Natal. People are forced to wait for many hours, often in the scorching heat. At the Prospecton Home Affairs office in Isipingo, senior citizens, matric pupils and mothers carrying newborn babies are compelled to queue. There is no shelter from the elements and no explanation from officials. And this is only the part of the waiting process. Once they have made it past the first section of the queue, several more hours follow in a dilapidated, covered waiting area. Despite waiting all day, many people are turned away – without being helped – when the office closes. Although employees appear to be doing their best at this office, it seems the workload…

THE gardener accused of killing actress Ashrika Seeripat will remain in jail. Madodandina Mkula, 42, is charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder. He appeared in the Umzinto Magistrate’s Court on Thursday and was denied bail. Seeripat 42, was killed in an alleged robbery at her family home in Umzinto in July. At the time, she was at home with Bongi Mbili, 53, employed as a domestic worker. Mbili initially told the police a group of men had held them at gunpoint and demanded cash. During the incident, Seeripat was allegedly suffocated and her body was found by her bedside. Shortly after the incident, police arrested Mbili and then Devika Seeripat, 72, the deceased’s mother. Mkula was the third person to be arrested. The women also face charges of…

RUBEN Perumal, charged with killing his dad, was granted R1 000 bail in the New Hanover Magistrate’s Court on Thursday. Perumal, 27, of Veronica Way in Cool Air, Dalton, is accused of killing Jagatheesan Perumal, 56, at their home on July 30. Jagatheesan was allegedly repeatedly hit on the head with a dinner plate. Perumal was arrested and charged with murder. He was granted bail and will live with a relative in Pietermaritzburg. The case was adjourned to September 13.…

Johnson and Johnson (J&J) talcum baby powder will stop being sold globally from 2023. The company said it was a commercial decision to transition to an all-cornstarch-based baby powder. Olwethu Dlepu, senior communications and public affairs specialist at J&J in Cape Town, said the commercial decision was unrelated to legal issues in the US, over the product. “The production of talc-based powder will wind down by the first quarter of 2023, and existing inventory will continue to be sold by retailers around the world as supply capacity for an all-cornstarch portfolio is increased,” said Dlepu. She said the decision was part of a worldwide portfolio assessment. Several factors, she said, were evaluated. These included the differences in demand for their products across geographic regions and evolving consumer trends and preferences.…

South Africa captain Dean Elgar says he does not fear “Bazball” as the Proteas seek to inflict England’s first Test defeat of their swashbuckling new era under the leadership of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. After a dismal run of just one victory in 17 Tests, England have won four from four under new skipper Stokes and coach McCullum heading into their series opener against South Africa at Lord’s on Wednesday. That includes a 3-0 series win over world champions New Zealand, with England hunting down challenging targets on each occasion. Stokes’s men then made light of a seemingly stiff target of 378 in the Covid-delayed fifth Test against India at Edgbaston, romping to victory by seven wickets. “Bazball” – a reference to McCullum’s nickname – has revitalised England’s red-ball…

THE portfolio committee on health in KwaZulu-Natal has intervened to ensure the challenges at the Phoenix mortuary are addressed. Recently, images of bodies piled on the floor at the mortuary were leaked to the media. Some staff complained that bodies were piling up as a result of the nationwide backlog of DNA testing and forensic services. Staff, who declined to be named, said there were bodies of victims from last year’s July unrest and the floods from April this year that have yet to claimed. They said there were not enough fridges to store the bodies, causing them to decompose. In addition, the drains were blocked and the staff did not have enough protective gear like masks and gloves to work. On Friday, members of the health committee conducted…

THE Chilli Chocolate Chefs – sisters Faatimah and Zainab Paruk – share uncomplicated food options with their recipe book, Bringing it Home. “We wanted to showcase the flavours we grew up with, together with the different styles and tastes we have gathered over the years. For us, Bringing it Home encapsulates just that,” said Faatimah. “Cooking has always been a passion for us. We grew up in a family where every occasion was celebrated with food – from losing a tooth, to good school results, weddings and more. There has always been an abundance of food and this was where our initial love for food stemmed from. “Zainab trained at the Christina Martin School of Food and Wine, and I was at the Fusion Cooking School. We opted to…

ON August 16, mine workers, activists and no doubt a few politicians gathered on the now infamous rock outcrop near the former Lonmin Platinum mine in Marikana, North West province, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Marikana massacre. This was the most lethal use of force by the South African police since the 1976 Soweto uprising against the then apartheid regime. At least 138 people died in three days. In fact, the Marikana massacre was so brutal that it has been likened to the 1960 Sharpeville Massacre, where apartheid police shot unarmed civilians in their backs as they fled, killing 69. They were protesting against identity documents that black people were forced to carry, restricting their movement. Between August 12 and 16, 2012, a total of 47 people died.…

WITH reference to the statement “DA attempts to meddle in Kashmir feud” (POST, August 10-14). I am no supporter of the DA, the IFP or the ANC. I have been following the embarrassing situation in the provincial legislature between Imran Keeka of the DA and Les Govender of the IFP concerning Kashmir. Govender, I respectfully will say, selectively refers to Article 370 of the UN Resolution and of the political oppression the Narendra Modi government is foisting upon a people seeking self-determination that is among the UN Security Council resolutions relating to Kashmir. Sir, and I reverently address MPL Govender, there can never be peace without self-determination being written into every intent and deed. We in South Africa went through that for 65 years, but that’s another story, sir. I…

It is necessary for us to remember our past as South Africans to wrestle with the question of how our homeland and the previous regime could have perpetrated such horrors. This was done under the guise of a false narrative and false biblical justification that apartheid was acceptable. We need to recognise the responsibility we shoulder to stand up against bigotry. We South Africans supposedly needed to emerge from our past feeling hopeful about our future. Hopeful because we assumed we and the world would have learnt that hatred was useless, racism was stupid, apartheid was heresy, war was a dirty business and the will to conquer people's minds, territories or aspirations was meaningless. Sadly, we have not learnt from our past. Our struggle for freedom gave us hope and…

THE trial of Bonginkosi Khanyile, accused of being an instigator in the July 2021 unrest, was adjourned to Friday. Khanyile appeared in the Durban Regional Court on Monday. He faces a charge of incitement to commit public violence and contravention of the Disaster Management Act. According to the State, Khanyile unlawfully and intentionally incited, instigated, commanded, or procured people to commit public violence. The State alleged this occurred between July 8 and 11, 2021, at Warwick Avenue in Durban. Khanyile was arrested last year but subsequently released on R5 000 bail in September. His bail stipulations included him not using Twitter and reporting to either a Gauteng or Durban police station twice a week. But a warrant of arrest was issued against him on December 13 as he did not…

THE family of Mohammed Salajee finally have closure after his killers were sentenced in the uMlazi Regional Court. Lungile Qoza and Ntombikayise Khambule were sentenced to life and 20 years’ imprisonment last Tuesday. They were accused of killing Salajee, 81, of Chatsworth, in July 2020. Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority in KZN, said Qoza worked for Salajee. “On the day of the incident, he left his home with R150 000 he intended to pay for a property he planned to purchase. Qoza knew about this, and she colluded with Khambule and a hitman to rob him of the money.” Ramkisson-Kara said they robbed Salajee of the money and put him into the boot of his car with his feet and hands tightened with shoelaces. “They drove to…

Jurgen Klopp said he is proud of Liver- pool for fighting back to secure a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace on Monday despite being reduced to 10 men after Darwin Nunez was sent off. Forward Luis Diaz cancelled out Wilfried Zaha’s opener for Palace. Nunez was red-carded for a head-butt on his home debut. “I told the boys after the game I’m proud,” Klopp told reporters. “I thought the start (of the second half) was positive again and then the red card happened. But obviously the best possible reaction from (Diaz) then – worldie, wonderful goal. “And from that moment on it was a special game,” he said, adding that he was pleased with how much pressure they put Palace under with 10 men. Nunez was shown a straight red…

THE new season remains very young but it is safe to say that things have so far gone horribly wrong for Manchester United. The fallen giants of English football are last in the league after two games. They have lost their two games so far against Brighton and most recently Brentford. These were both games that United would have been hoping to get points from and the loss against Brentford is especially concerning for the club as it was by a 4-0 margin. Things do not get any easier for the Red Devils as their next league fixture will be against Liverpool next Monday. Even though the game will be played at Old Trafford, Jurgen Klopp’s side will certainly go into it as the favourites. However, like United, Liverpool have…