Table of contents for 2023-07-12 in Post

MOMENTUM is growing for a rates boycott in eThekwini, but opinions are divided over whether it is legal. The Westville Ratepayers Association (WRA) is spearheading the move. Members say the annual increases that came into effect on July 1 are unaffordable. The WRA has asked the city to meet with them by this week, failing which ratepayers will withhold rates. Assad Gaffar, the association’s chairperson, said: “We gave them seven days to respond and if they do not do so, we will begin our boycott this week.” The city did make some concessions. Rates will go up by 7.9% as opposed to the initial proposal of 8.9%. Water will increase by 14.9% for residential customers and 15.9% for businesses. Sanitation goes up by 10.9% for households and 11.9% for business.…

Devan Maistry's business, Tans Fast Foods, in the Shoprite centre in Tongaat, was not spared during the unrest. The centre was looted and burnt. “I was born and bred in Tongaat, so I ran the shop where I lived most of my life,” said the 55-year-old father of two. “My wife Sally and I opened Tans Fast Foods 22 years ago. We are the first generation owners and we made Indian snacks. My mother-in-law, Dolly Pillay, also helped out,” said Maistry. “My shop was set alight and looted. I lost everything that my family worked so hard to build. It went up in the flames. Due to the extent of the damage and loss, we decided to close. Starting again was not an option. It would have taken a toll…

THE Northern Action Committee (Nac) needs assistance to support underprivileged girls in Phoenix, Verulam and Tongaat. Collin Maistry, the chairperson of the Nac, said they had embarked on a sanitary pad drive to assist primary schools in these areas. “There are a lot of needy girls whose families cannot afford sanitary towels. So when the child is on her cycle, it often means she has to stay home and is deprived of her education. “We decided to do something about this in commemoration of Nelson Mandela Day and for the duration of the month. We have thus far assisted three schools in Phoenix and one school in Tongaat. We still request donations of sanitary towels, so we can continue to spread this assistance.” Maistry said a Nac co-ordinator assisted in…

THESE days there is nothing much to see or do in Waterval Boven. The little town, situated along the N4 from Pretoria to Nelspruit, is dying. It is the same story with many old railway towns where there is little economic activity or service delivery. Back in 1895, the area was experiencing an economic boom as a railway line was being built to link Maputo, the port city and capital of Mozambique, with Pretoria. The name Waterval Boven is Dutch for “above the waterfall”, and the town is situated along the Elands River, a short distance from the 75m Elands Falls. If you drive about eight kilometres down the N4 you will find a neighbouring town, Waterval Onder, which, as the name suggests, is situated in the area below the…

ADVOCATE Kholeka Gcaleka, the acting public protector, you are a disappointment regarding the Phala Phala issue. First, there has been an inordinate delay in producing the required report. Second, your finding clearing President Cyril Ramaphosa of any wrongdoing under the Parliamentary Code of Ethics is surprising, shocking and unbelievable. What is astounding is that you allegedly did not probe possible contraventions of foreign exchange regulations. How is this blatant and glaring omission justified? This is tantamount to a detective investigating a serious crime such as rape, followed by murder, and failing to arrange for fingerprints to be taken where the same are discovered, not having blood splatter forensically examined and/or neglecting to have DNA analysis of semen found. Initially, Gcalaka performed duties in a good and acceptable manner akin to…

ACTIONSA welcomes the rejection by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) of eThekwini’s ludicrous electricity tariff increase for the financial year starting July 1, 2023. The municipality had approved electricity tariff increases of 18.5% but as this was higher than the 15.1% increase which Nersa deemed appropriate, the municipality was compelled to justify the higher increase to Nersa. At a recent hearing in which the justification was considered, Nersa rejected eThekwini’s submission and limited any electricity tariff increases to its guideline of 15.1%. Should the municipality continue with its proposed increase of 18.5% it will be in contravention of the licence agreement between itself and Nersa, and will be subject to heavy sanctions. That the eThekwini Municipality could not convince Nersa of its proposed increase is evidence enough…

LIONEL Shunmugam is closer to getting answers about his wife's death. In November 2020, Mary Shunmugam, 52, from Woodview in Phoenix, was admitted to the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital with an upset tummy. She died five days later. The hospital told Shunmugam that her cause of death was sepsis of the lungs. But according to a post-mortem, she died as a result of a brain haemorrhage caused by multiple skull fractures. In his quest for answers, Shunmugam reported her death to the police, and an inquest was opened. Last week, the inquest was heard in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court, and the matter was referred to the National Prosecuting Authority for further investigation. The magistrate found that Mary did, in fact, die as a result of brain haemorrhage caused by multiple…

Tamasha Khanyi tamasha.khanyi@inl.co.za RATEPAYER organisations which have logged complaints with the eThekwini Municipality over prolonged non-functioning street lights, say the matter remains unresolved. They said poor visibility made them targets for criminals and road accidents. Asad Gaffar, chairperson of the Westville Ratepayers’ Association, said more than 150 out of the 356 street lights there needed to be repaired. “Many of these issues are unresolved going back more than five years. We have on many occasions alerted the municipality and councillors, and received no response. “In terms of the law, we are not permitted to interfere (fix or replace light bulbs), so we are left at the mercy of this non-functional municipality. “We hear rumours that there are no cables, vehicles equipped with hoists or light bulbs. It makes us wonder…

FILM-MAKER and director Arish Sirkissoon, in collaboration with producers Dr Raj Singh and Edwin Cole, will release his latest film, You’re Next, at cinemas nationwide on Friday. The horror/psychological thriller follows Detective Khumalo (played by S’bonelo Cele), who finds himself entangled in a complex case when a bloodied girl shows up at his station with an elaborate story. In desperation, he contacts an old friend and specialist, Detective Khan (Singh), to help him come to terms with the information. Their investigation takes them down a path of murder and deceit linked to the social media world. Sirkissoon said that creating horror movies with a psychological twist was a passion. “The roots of this passion can be traced to my childhood where my love for horror movies took hold. “The way…

4 jumbo eggs, separated 1 tsp vanilla essence 1/3 cup oil 2 tbs plain double-cream yoghurt 1 cup castor sugar 1/3 cup boiling water 11/3 cups cake flour ¼ cup Maizena 3 tsp baking powder Beat the egg whites until stiff. Mix the yolks, vanilla essence, oil, yoghurt, castor sugar and boiling water. Add it to the egg whites and mix well. Sift the flour, Maizena and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture in three batches on low speed until smooth. Pour into cupcake cases or into edible cupcake cases. Bake at 180°C for about 18 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. marshmallow frostinG: 4 egg whites 1 cup sugar 1 tsp vanilla essence ¼ tsp of cream of tartar In a dry…

Aurets is a healer, psychic medium, intuitive mentor, masseuse and regression therapist. She also teaches meditation and breath work. She is passionate about holistic care and offers a small range of holistic products. Aurets practises in the Upper Highway KZN. Find her on https://www.facebook.com/healing1920. Contact her at 079 356 4657 or theeternalbreath@gmail.com ARIES (March 21 – April 19) Messages appear in many ways through sound, pictures, verse, touch and even smell. Tune in to your senses, apply the intuition and be open to receiving answers to your prayers in ways that you are ready to understand. Relax. You are doing just fine. Magic number: 11. TAURUS (April 20 – May 20) Opportunities arise to share your knowledge. Embrace this experience. Teach what you are passionate about. Your message is waiting…

Maharaj’s Prayer Shop, at the Reservoir Hills Mall, was among the businesses that were looted and burnt during 2021’s July unrest. Vikash Maharaj, the owner, has been operating in Reservoir Hills for 17 years. He moved to the mall 11 years ago. After his shop, which supplies prayer goods, spices and sweet meats, was burnt, he temporarily relocated to another premises at the mall. At the time, he said business was not the same. Since then, he had moved to the upper level of the mall and operates from a larger shop. “The past two years have been a struggle but I have never given up. “It was challenging to restart the business but we somehow managed to retain our loyal customer base by keeping our products at competitive prices.…

TWO years after the July 2021 unrest, police have beefed up their numbers as well as their capacity to deal with public violence. A month after the violence, President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed a panel of experts to investigate the riots. They found that the police were overwhelmed and overstretched and, as a result, had not responded efficiently. Among the issues the panel raised was the need for more manpower, better training and new technologies. This week, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, the national police spokesperson, said the panel’s recommendations were being implemented by the police. She said: “The recruitment and training of 10 000 police officers is testament to this. Four thousand of the 10 000 deployed to stations in December have already undergone public order police (POP) training and are already…

LAST month, the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill was passed by the South African National Assembly. From there, the bill will be sent to the National Council of Provinces, and if also passed there it will be signed into law by the president. This process, however, may still take years to complete. The provision of universal access to health care has long been envisioned not only by the Constitution, which states in Section 27 that everyone has the right to access to health care but also by the National Health Act of 2003. In its preamble, it declares the aim of the act as providing a framework for a structured, uniform health system within the Republic. The NHI Bill is the manifestation of this statement. The bill aims to ensure…

I AM writing to express my concern regarding the recent incident of police brutality perpetrated by members of the SAPS VIP Protection Unit attached to Deputy President Paul Mashatile. The actions taken against three innocent civilians are reprehensible and should be condemned by all members of society. I wish to commend politicians, civil rights groups, and Mashatile for their prompt response in calling for action to be taken against the policemen involved. There are calls for them to be arrested and charged with attempted murder. It is heartening to see that the national police commissioner has begun the process of suspending the officers responsible. Such decisive action is essential in preserving the public's trust and ensuring justice prevails. What struck me most about the incident was the pivotal role played…

Essop Goolam Pahad, an anti-apartheid activist and Struggle stalwart, will be remembered for his commitment to the liberation Struggle. Pahad died in his sleep last Thursday morning. He was 84. He was born in Schweizer-Reneke, North West, and began his political career at an early age. His dad, Goolam Hoosain Ismael Pahad, and mother, Amina, were also known for their political activism. Pahad’s father was a leading member of the Transvaal Indian Congress and the South African Indian Congress. According to South African History Online, he attended the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of Sussex. He received his BA degree in political science at Wits and completed his Master of Arts in African politics and a PhD in history. Like his father, Essop joined the Transvaal Indian Youth…

INDIA attempt to extend West Indies’ 21 years of misery when they meet in the lush tropical setting of Windsor Park Stadium in Dominica today in the first match of a two-Test series. Rocked by the failure of the two-time winners to qualify for the World Cup in India in October-November this year, the Caribbean cricket community is unlikely to find solace in the shape of Kraigg Brathwaite’s Test side. The West Indies last won a Test match against India back in 2002. This brief series, which ends in Trinidad in what will be the 100th Test between the two teams, marks the start of the next two-year World Test Championship cycle leading to the final in 2025. Outplayed by Australia in this year’s decider just four weeks ago, Rohit…

Offshore fishing has been a mix of bottom fishing when the game fish go quiet and chaos when the drags start screaming. The North Coast has been fishing well, from Umdloti all the way to Sodwana. The inshore reefs have seen some amazing couta caught, mostly on live bait. Down rigging your live bait has been key to getting the bigger bites. The general rule is to start closer to the surface and move deeper as the day goes on. The bottom fishing has been a bit slow on the North Coast but some smaller reds and daga have been caught. The Durban waters have also seen good couta around the Bluff mainly, but the main attraction has been the tuna. The tuna have been of giant proportions with quite…

An e-hailing driver escaped death by shooting two suspects who initially posed as passengers but turned out to be armed robbers. The 51-year-old driver from the north of Durban asked not to be named due to ongoing police investigations. He said he received a pick-up request on Sunday around 4am from Richard Winn Road in Wentworth, south of Durban. The destination was uMhlanga. When he got there, he saw a teenage girl. “The trip was via the app. The girl said the ride was for her and three others and that they were going to uMhlanga. She sat in the front. Three men jumped into the back.” The driver said a few moments later, they cancelled the trip. “They asked me to drive to the next road, which was Mia…

SEVERAL businesses in Springfield recovered following the unrest, but a frame store was not one of them. Frame Edge, located at the Springfield Retail Centre, recently closed. The shop, owned by Nagina Amarchand, was looted and damaged. Amarchand tried to rebuild, but there were too many challenges. She said she received a sponsorship of R15 000 from the private sector, but the funds were insufficient to fully restore the business. ‘’The staff and I persevered, but once our lease expired in February this year, I decided to bid farewell to a business that had been a fixture in the community for 24 years. We were unable to recover. The costs associated with restoring the shop's interior and replacing what was lost were significant. “I would have renewed my lease at…

WENTWORTH Angels, a non-profit organisation, needs your help to give children from Wentworth and Merebank the gift of a blanket and a meal. Tracey Williams started the organisation more than 14 years ago. She was inspired after watching her parents help children in the community. “Wentworth Angels was inspired by an initiative that was started by my parents when I was 9 years old. “They hosted Christmas parties and Easter egg hunts. I then started Wentworth Angels. At one point, I had a shelter where I assisted abused women and children, but we could not get funding to keep that shelter open. “We also assisted in Sydenham and Newlands East, but because of financial and time constraints, we have had to focus on our ward. “There has been an increased…

CHEFS with Compassion has called on South Africans to be part of the largest annual food preparation collaboration by chefs, home cooks, hotels, restaurants, culinary schools, corporates and community caterers. Chefs with Compassion is a non-profit organisation committed to reducing food waste and hunger across South Africa. It was founded in March 2020. Their #67000litres for Mandela Day Challenge has seen 970 844 meals created and donated in Madiba’s honour since the inception of the challenge. Chef Coo Pillay, the national project co-ordinator of Chefs with Compassion, said: “We are challenging everyone, everywhere, to prepare a wholesome 10 litres of soup within 67 minutes (or more) over the weekend of Mandela Day from July 15 to 18, and donate it to a beneficiary of your choice. It’s a chance to…

FOR the first time since President Cyril Ramaphosa, on behalf of the ANC, won the national elections in 2019, I was proud of his brave efforts to foster peace between Ukraine (Nato) and Russia, our friends. Those among us who mock the commendable effort are either haunted or a little round the twist of deceit. It is difficult to understand why the citizens of a continent and nation that is facing unreasonable financial difficulties and who are getting the short end of geopolitics would see the efforts of Ramaphosa as useless. But then again, we have among us those who identify themselves as European and superior and so do not expect any good from Africans. I say this because South Africa has had a greater degree of forging practical peace…

IN LATE December 2021, Hindu nationalists and supremacists gathered in the city of Haridwar in India for a three-day meeting known as a Dharam Sansad, a religious parliament made up of prominent Hindu religious leaders. They raised their right arm, in the form of a Nazi salute, and pledged to empty the country of its Muslim population. “We all take an oath, give our word, and make a resolution that, until our last breath, we will make India a Hindu nation and keep it a Hindu-only nation,” Suresh Chavhanke, a right-wing journalist, said to a crowd at the forum. “We will fight, and die, and, if required, we will kill as well. We will not hesitate a bit to make any sacrifice at any cost. To complete this resolution, our…

EMPLOY more and train better, advised crime analyst Mary de Haas. She was commenting on Police Minister Bheki Cele’s recent announcement that there was a significant shortage of detectives in the country. Cele said the SAPS faced a severe shortage with some provinces experiencing a deficit as high as 32%. KwaZulu-Natal has a 23.31% shortage, while the North West, at 32.89%, has the highest. De Haas expressed concern about the potential impact of the shortage on crime and investigations. “The shortage of detectives is a pressing issue, as they are overburdened with excessive case loads. The government needs to urgently increase the number of detectives and ensure they receive proper training,” said De Haas. The current organisational structure presented challenges with a lack of effective leadership and management, she said.…

EXPERTS say there is a mismatch between the qualifications obtained by university graduates and the skills needed by employers in the workplace. This after Statistics SA recently released the quarterly employment survey (QES) for the first quarter of 2023. The survey showed total employment decreased by 21 000 or 2 basis points quarter-on-quarter, from 9 991 000 in December 2022 to 9 970 000 in March 2023. The average salary in South Africa also decreased by 2.7% to R25 304. In the previous quarter, the average salary was R26 002. Employment decreased by 97 000 year-on-year between March 2022-March 2023. Full-time employment decreased by 63 000 quarter-on-quarter (Q-Q), from 8 881 000 in December 2022 to 8 818 000 in March 2023. Full-time employment decreased by 24 000 year-on-year between…