Table of contents for Wednesday, March 10, 2021 in Post

COUPLE REVEAL ‘THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY’ Silence from British royals over Meghan/Harry tell-all POST REPORTER Supplied CBS. ZANELE ZULU African News Agency (ANA) Archives BRITAIN’S monarchy maintained its silence on Tuesday, after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry accused a family member of making a racist remark about their son and said Markle had been alienated to the point of contemplating suicide. According to a Reuters report, Oprah Winfrey’s tell-all TV interview with the couple has dragged the royals into the biggest crisis since the death of Harry’s mother Diana in 1997, when the family, led by Queen Elizabeth, was widely criticised for being too slow to respond. “Worst Royal Crisis in 85 Years,” read the front page of the Daily Mirror newspaper, while the Daily Mail’s cover asked…

CELEBRATION Shivaratri blessings POST REPORTER THE Chinmaya Mission of South Africa will host an online celebration for Maha Shivaratri tomorrow from 6pm to 6am on the mission’s YouTube channel or via its Facebook page. There will be devotional songs and musical performances by, among others, Anup Jalota, Mahalakshmi Iyer, Madhushree and Bharat Balvalli; and a Q&A session with Pujya Swami Abhedananda. Viewers can be part of a Maha Rudrabhishekam, the offering of 1 008 milk pots to Lord Shiva with the chanting of the verses of the Shri Rudram. The Maha Aarti will start at midnight. To invoke the blessings of Lord Shiva, you can fill in your details in the web link and make your milk-pot offering. The Vedic priests in the Chinmaya Shivam Temple will offer the milk…

CONDUCT Health council fines doctor CHANELLE LUTCHMAN chanelle.lutchman@inl.co.za A PIETERMARITZBURG doctor was fined R15 000 by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) after he pleaded guilty to hiring an unregistered foreign doctor. Last week, Navind Dayanand, of the Daymed Private Hospital, appeared before the health regulatory body at the Elangeni Maharani Hotel. He pleaded guilty to a count of unlawfully employing Dr Juan Luis Yings, also known as Dr Omar, at the hospital. According to the charge sheet, Dayanand acted with unprofessional conduct or conduct which was unprofessional, between 2003 and 2018. Priscilla Skhonyana, the spokesperson for the HPCSA, said the fine was payable by March 15. She said in addition to the sentence, Dayanand was suspended for 24 months, which was wholly suspended for a period of…

REPORTED TO JSC Chief Justice ordered to apologise CHARLENE SOMDUTH charlene.somduth@inl.co.za CHIEF Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng has been ordered by the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) to apologise for his pro-Israel comments. The decision was made last Thursday. Justice Mogoeng was given 10 days to apologise for and retract his statements. In June last year, Justice Mogoeng featured alongside Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein in a webinar hosted by the Jerusalem Post newspaper. In the online programme, Justice Mogoeng expressed what some interpreted as his love for Israel. He also criticised the ANC for its approach to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Africa4Palestine, formerly South African Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Coalition, reported Justice Mogoeng to the JSC, whose role is to investigate complaints about judicial officers, on the basis that a judge should not become…

PRODUCING LEARNERS WHO ARE UNSKILLED IS CRIMINAL Premier’s Sopa shows a disconnect with the realities of education in KZN DR IMRAN KEEKA Supplied DURING his recent State of the Province Address (Sopa), Sihle Zikalala, the KwaZulu-Natal Premier, spoke about education in the province. Regrettably, he spoke about a teaching and learning environment which had little in common with the reality on the ground at many of KZN’s approximately 6200 schools. In so doing, he again showed a complete disconnect with the true picture of education in our province. Predictably, the premier spoke about the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution and producing skilled learners, particularly in coding and robotics. This is nothing more than a whole lot of hot air when only 28% of KZN schools have IcT access and just 22%…

Contacting the municipality is a nightmare THANK you Chanelle Lutchman for having the courage in exposing our incompetent eThekwini Municipality in the article, “R526 million in bonuses” (the POST, March 3-7). I hope the article, which highlights the plight of ratepayers, is brought to the attention of our premier. It is a nightmare to contact the municipality for any complaint. The phones are seldom answered and the complaints have to be made on many occasions before any work is done. As per the article, there is no supervision to ensure the safety and the quality of service. The cutting of grass and sweeping of streets are an excellent example. The refuse collection is so erratic that heaps of refuse bags are left on the sidewalk. These bags are ravaged by…

Pool management let community down THE eThekwini Municipality’s parks, leisure and cemeteries department is responsible for the effective running and maintenance of 53 pools. Since the lockdown, all pools were closed while the staff was paid their full salaries for no productive work at the expense of the ratepayers. With the humidity, our communities have been deprived of a recreation facility that would provide some relief and fitness activity. The lack of adequate sporting facilities in Phoenix has been a burning issue and it has not been addressed by our councillors. The pools’ management has had 12 months to have the facility ready but they have failed us. It appears that we have incompetent supervisors who lack the necessary skills and knowledge to manage the pools effectively. A number of…

Stay out of India’s affairs THE letter “Rihanna denigrates culture” by Vinodini Naidu (the POST, March 3-7) refers. I endorse the views expressed, but there is more to the story. There is a distinct anti-India Pakistani connection as well. Rihanna has links to Sayed Zulfi Bukhari, special assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan. Anyone can Google to check out her photograph embracing this politician. After her tweet on the Indian farmers, Bukhari praised Rihanna, saying: “Well said and well done". It is the height of irony for such foreigners to want to support the Indian farm protests. After all India did not solicit the aid or support of any other nation in its freedom struggle. In fact, Mahatma Gandhi discouraged even his European friends from joining the freedom…

Your Stars SHARRON DUFF ARIES (March 21 – April 19) The universe is lining up your favours. There are new opportunities opening. You will receive the support you need but not necessarily in the form of money. It could be in the form of skills and time. There could also be a change in job or a promotion. Lucky colour: pink. TAURUS (April 20 – May 20) An opportunity that requires your forgiveness may present itself. Either something that is in the past or in the present. You are being asked to allow grace to flow through you and to let go of the hurt. Lucky colour: mustard. GEMINI (May 21 – June 20) This week is about trusting that you are in the right place at the right time.…

CONTINENT HAS SOME OF THE HIGHEST RATES Plan to avoid stroke in Africa RUFUS AKINYEMI, ALAN BRYER, FOAD ABD-ALLAH, KATHLEEN BATEMAN, LAWRENCE TUCKER, MAYOWA OWOLABI, NAEEM BREY AND PAMELA NAIDOO AFRICA is currently experiencing a changing pattern of diseases and deaths. The continent faces a double burden of infectious diseases and rapid escalation of non-communicable diseases such as stroke and heart disease. These conditions are driven by factors such as ageing populations, changes in dietary habits, rising rates of hypertension, physical inactivity, smoking, diabetes, raised cholesterol, alcohol abuse and obesity. Stroke is a leading cause of disability, death and dementia worldwide. As a region, Africa has some of the highest rates of stroke. Around 23% of people in Africa are at risk of stroke at some point in their life.…

CHANGES IN DIETARTY PATTERNS Poor nutrition in children blamed IN 2019, about 38.2 million children under the age of 5 years were overweight or obese. Once considered a high-income country problem, overweight and obesity are now on the rise in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings. In Africa, the number of overweight children under 5 years has increased by nearly 24% percent since 2000. Almost half of the children under 5 who were overweight or obese in 2019 lived in Asia. Over 340 million children and adolescents from 5 and 19 years old were overweight or obese in 2016. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents 5 to 19 years old has risen from 4% in 1975 to just more than 18% in 2016. The…

Naidu ready to play with the elite ESHLIN VEDAN eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za DESPITE being 15-years-old, Amanzimtoti teenager Seshnie Naidu proved that she is ready to play against the best cricket talent in the country. The Kingsway High School pupil achieved bowling figures of 4-20 in seven overs in a recent Cricket South Africa Senior Women’s Provincial Top 6 game for the Hollywoodbets KZN Coastal women’s side in a three-wicket win over defending champions North West. “I was over the moon. This was my maiden tournament and I felt so excited, especially against the previous winners of the tournament. The support that I received from my teammates was out of this world. The difference at provincial level is that the senior players always encourage you to do well and rectify your mistakes. This…

MY SPORTING MEMORY Sheoratan: Winning on table and life ESHLIN VEDAN eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za FERROL Sheoratan’s involvement in the sport of table tennis saw him winning many provincial championships. Born in Chatsworth to a working class family, Sheoratan’s love for sport started at a young age and was cultivated by his family. “I come from a family of four siblings. My parents were poor but very hard working. Although my dad worked long hours to keep a roof over our head, he still managed to inspire us to play sport. It was his enthusiasm for sport that got me started. My interest in table tennis started when I was 13 and this interest was also shared by my cousins. When I visited my cousins, we would set up a makeshift table tennis…

SWAM 60 LENGTHS AND RAISED R3 000 Teen swims Midmar Mile in school pool CHARLENE SOMDUTH charlene.somduth@inl.co.za DRISTI Moodley is not your average teenager. After having lost several family members to cancer, she decided to help those children who have the least. Recently, as part of her drive to raise money for organisations helping people beat cancer, Dristi swam in her school pool the distance she would have covered had she swam the Midmar Mile. The Grade 8 people at St Henry’s Marist College had planned a fund raiser for the Midmar Mile, but it was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. “When I heard I could not swim the Mile in the dam, I felt annoyed because I wanted to challenge myself with an open-water swim. However, I also…

FAMILY CONFLICT There are ways to heal rifts CELEBRITIES or not, the relationship between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and the British royal family boils down to a disconnect, says Meenaaz Adams, the director of Family and Marriage of South Africa (Famsa), Durban. She offers input and tips for resolving family issues. Q: Where family tension is so intense that a couple has been cut off, as in the case of Meghan and Harry, are there still avenues for working towards reconciliation? A: Mediation through neutral, non-related individuals would be critical to a respectful and reasonable way forward. Q: The couple is already isolated from Harry’s family. Was doing the tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey a good idea? A: In this case, it did…

MOM ALLEGEDLY REFUSED FIREARM LICENCE DUE TO HEADSCARF ‘I want to protect my family against criminals’ NADIA KHAN nadia.khan@inl.co.za A MUSLIM woman believes her firearm licence application was declined because she wore a headscarf in an accompanying photograph. Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police has now asked the SAPS to investigate allegations of religious discrimination. Maleeka Sayed, 37, of Benoni, in Gauteng, said she applied for a firearm licence due to increased crime in the area during the lockdown. The housewife and mother of three applied last July via Legally Armed. “I decided to take this step for self-defence and to protect my family,” said Sayed. “My husband works about two hours away from home and I am alone with my elderly parents (aged 68 and 66) and my children (aged…

SOCIAL GRANTS NOT ENOUGH Black Sash writes to Mboweni NADIA KHAN nadia.khan@inl.co.za SOME recipients of the social assistance grant are unhappy with the new below-inflation increases Finance Minister Tito Mboweni announced during the 2021 Budget speech. Mboweni said the old age, disability and care dependency grants would increase by R30, from R1 860 to R1 890. Child support grant will increase by R10 to R460. There was also an increase in the war veterans grant by 30 to R1 910, and the foster care grant by R10 to R1 050. The increases are effective from next month. But some pensioners and parents, who rely on the grants, said it would impact their daily living costs. The Black Sash, a human rights organisation, feels the same. It wrote to Mboweni as…

‘SERVICE DELIVERY IS QUESTIONABLE’ Two years without piped water in Tea Estate NADIA KHAN nadia.khan@inl.co.za THIS month marks two years since the residents of Tea Estate in Inanda have not had piped water. The POST spoke to the residents last June. They said since then a 5 000-litre water tank had been installed by the eThekwini Municipality. This tank services several families in the area. Previously, they filled their buckets from water tankers at the roadside. Last year, the city told the POST that it was aware of the matter and that a plan was in place to ensure access to water. “We anticipate that the project will be completed by September this year (2020). In the meantime, we are sending water tankers to the area,” said Msawakhe Mayisela, the…

Editor’s View Every word now followed by instant reaction THERE is a difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is about being able to perceive sound. Listening, on the other hand, is more complex. It is about understanding what is being communicated. Good leaders are said to be good listeners and in this regard, Nelson Mandela is often used as an example. He probably learnt the importance of listening as a child. Mandela was raised by Thembu King Jongintaba dalindyebo and accompanied the king to meetings. The king would first listen to others. Only after they had spoken would he talk. However, times have changed. Life has become faster. There is now an expectation that every word or action has to be followed by almost instant reaction. But all too often…

R526m in bonuses, salary hikes unjustified THE comprehensive coverage of the deterioration and dysfunctionalism in eThekwini Municipality (the POST, March 3-7) indicates that the time for ratepayers to weaponise themselves against this Third World state of affairs is overdue. Adding insult to the situation is the unjustified award by those controlling the metro, of R526 million in bonuses and above-inflation salary hikes to their staff. Yet this has occurred when: •Thousands have lost their jobs through lockdowns and economic recession. • Revenue collection is on the decline. •Maintenance of infrastructure is poor to patchy with massive water losses. •Service delivery of the basics is irregular. • Steep rises in electricity and other tariffs are about to be applied. This situation cannot continue. Pietermaritzburg is an example of what happens when…

Buthelezi deserves national honours I AM appealing to the South African nation, Inkatha Freedom Party and President Cyril Ramaphosa's government to honour Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi. He deserves national honours like the order of Luthuli and Tambo for his works, achievements and contributions. He is among the few surviving or remaining freedom fighters, politicians and statesmen like Dr Kenneth Kaunda. Buthelezi is a titan, a sage and a guru. Nothing can stop Ramaphosa's government from honouring him. No one can stop Inkatha from kick-starting annual memorial lectures on him. Nothing can stop the Zulu nation and the Buthelezi clan from reviving his works through exhibitions. Our country lacks leaders of integrity because the unparalleled contribution of these heroes and stalwarts are deliberately shelved. He fought apartheid at all levels and quoted…

Proud of top achievers GREENBURY Secondary School acknowledges the following learners and their outstanding academic achievements in the NSC Examinations 2020. The top 10 learners are: Sanam Maharaj, Yolen Marimuthu, Sashen Rathilall, Damien Govender, Shaheer Sayed, Shiksha S Ramnarain, Ethan Varaden, Trinity J Tiratram, Zahra Amojee and Alisha Harilal. Sanam Maharaj was placed third in the Pinetown District and fifth in the province. We wish all our learners well in their career pursuits. SR PANDAY Principal…

Content regulation cause for concern GENERALLY, books written over the ages and regarded as timeless – for the morals, ethics and prejudices they portray – are eventually lifted to the upper shelves and are referred to as classics. Most books do not make it to this level of immortality for various reasons: they may be unpopular due to poor quality plots. They may be irrelevant to contemporary situations. They could be difficult to comprehend for the average reader. So most books written thousands of years ago on paper, on stone, or on leather have disappeared. There is, however, an additional, frightening reason that past documentaries, novels and historical records have disappeared altogether. This is to do with censorship. Nearly all ancient rulers were guilty of destroying the written thoughts of…

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE Be aware of your risk factors THE average South African eats roughly between 6g and 11g of salt a day, which is more than double the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended daily limit of 5g (1 teaspoon or 2 000mg sodium). It is well known that high salt intake leads to high blood pressure, which is one of the most serious risk factors for death from heart diseases and strokes. It is responsible for 13% of all deaths globally. If we look particularly in South Africa, more than one in three adults live with high blood pressure and it is responsible for one in every two strokes and two in every five heart attacks. The causes of blood pressure include family history, age (nearly eight in 10…

POLICIES NEEDED Food systems need to change RINA SWART, MAKOMA BOPAPE AND TAMRYN FRANK COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on people with obesity and non-communicable diseases such as diabetes. The pandemic has underlined the importance of the food environment and healthy food intake. It has shown the urgent need for effective policies to ensure that everyone can get enough nutritious food – particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. In Africa, nearly 70% of diabetes cases are undiagnosed. Of these, 90% are Type 2 diabetes cases. Obesity is a key risk factor for developing Type 2 diabetes. Between 1975 and 2016, Southern Africa saw the world’s highest proportional increase in child and adolescent obesity – an alarming 400% per decade. Ultra-processed foods and sugary drinks contribute to the rising rates of obesity…

Heat on as snoek taking the bait THE fishing has been heated for all the facets. The summer heat has even pushed the water temperature off Durban up to 27 degrees! Let us hope we get some north-east wind to drop the temperature to a less bath-like nature. Warm water … This has been the main limiting factor recently. For the offshore guys the warmer water has seen a lot more billfish action than would be expected, along with some beastly snoek harassing the sprats. North of Umhlanga, snoek, tuna and couta have been the main hatch-fillers. There have been snoek that looked a lot more like couta (sizewise). Some of these beasts have gone over 10kg! Umdloti has produced the most consistent results and would be the first place…

Orissa packs a mighty punch ESHLIN VEDAN PARLOCK youth Orissa Naidoo, picturd, continued her pursuit of excellence in karate by claiming two gold medals and one silver in the South African National Karate Championships last weekend. This followed her two golds and one silver medal achievements at the KwaZulu-Natal Karate Championships two weeks ago which served as qualifiers for the National Championship. Naidoo, 13, from Parlock, has been practising karate since she was 3 and a half years old and belongs to SKISA (Shotokan Karate International South Africa) where she is mentored by dojo instructor Shihan Brando Pillay. “Karate has helped me become more confident in life. I’m more sure of myself and my direction. I feel healthy and energetic when I go to school. I follow a healthy diet…

R28 MILLION LOTTO WINNER ‘I can now buy my own home’ NADIA KHAN nadia.khan@inl.co.za OWNING her own home was something a Merebank mom always wanted but never thought she would achieve. But all that changed at the end of February when she won R28 million in the National Lottery. The woman, who is in her forties, works in a retail store. She had played the Lotto for many years, spending about R100 a week. She played the Daily Lotto, Powerball, Lotto and Sportstake but never won anything substantial. Then luck came her way. “In January, I bought a R3 Daily Lotto ticket using the quick-pick method and won R129 000. I invested some of the money and used the rest to spoil my children and me. “For the big win,…

‘RACISM’ Learners protest over teacher abuse CHARLENE SOMDUTH charlene.somduth@inl.co.za TEACHING at Greenbury Secondary has been restored after matric pupils protested against alleged racism on Friday and Monday at the school. The school’s management met officials from the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education on Monday to address the issue and the school reopened on Tuesday. A teacher, who declined to be named, said some pupils were upset because two teachers, who only taught isiZulu, faced dismissal because they did not want to teach other subjects. “The matric pupils found out about this on Friday and protested. “They flipped desks and threw books around. Some of the teachers tried to calmly talk to them but they would not listen.” The teacher said the school was closed on Monday as other pupils were concerned…

CLOSURE FOR VICTIM AND FAMILY Shallcross men plead guilty to attempted murder of engineer NADIA KHAN nadia.khan@inl.co.za TWO men accused of housebreaking and attempted murder pleaded guilty in the Durban Regional Court on Thursday. Nashlin Krishin, 24, of Zoutpansberg Walk, and Kasan Naidoo, 41, of Table Mountain Street, both of Shallcross, were charged for malicious injury to property, housebreaking with intent to commit an assault, and attempted murder, in February 2017. Naidoo is the son-in-law of an alleged drug kingpin, the late Yaganathan “Teddy Mafia” Pillay. The charges against four others – Mervlin Chunder, Ricardo Pillay, Kayden Govender and Nelson Gounden – were withdrawn on Thursday. Another accused, Devendren Pillay, the son of Yaganathan Pillay, was killed in a drive-by shooting last year. The State withdrew the charge of malicious…

ACCUSED OF SOCIAL MEDIA RACISM First Indian female in top post quits POST REPORTER LAST month, Rashmi Samant was elected as the first female Indian president of the Oxford University Student Union (OUSA), but less than a week later she resigned as president-elect. Students trawled through her old social media accounts and found what they believed were racist and insensitive posts. Samant, 22, an alumnus of the Manipal Institute of Technology in India, was due to take up the position in June. The timesofindia.com, who interviewed Samant following her resignation, said it was unfair to judge her based on previous posts that dated back to 2017, where she was accused of also being anti-semitic and trans-phobic. “I do not hate any community," she told timesofindia.com. “Everyone thinks I am a…

SCHOOLS AND ORGANISATIONS REACH OUT Child hunger a concern in South Africa NADIA KHAN nadia.khan@inl.co.za THE nutritional status of South Africa’s children is deteriorating. This is according to the 2020 issue of the South African Child Gauge, which focuses on and identifies points of leverage to improve children’s nutrition outcomes. It also calls for strong leadership and concerted action from the government, civil society and the private sector to ensure children’s rights are upheld. The gauge is published annually by the Children's Institute at UCT. The 15th issue was developed in partnership with the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security at the University of the Western Cape, the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development at Wits, the Standard Bank Tutuwa Community Foundation, DG Murray Trust and Unicef South…

‘BLATANT HYPOCRISY BETWEEN RHETORICAL SUPPORT AND PUNITIVE RESTRICTIONS’ Palestinians need visa to enter SA, but not Israelis JANINE MOODLEY janine.moodley@inl.co.za THE Media Review Network (MRN) recently started a petition for the South African government to allow Palestinian citizens to enter the country without a visa. The #VisaFreePalestine petition was started by the MRN, a Palestine solidarity organisation, in December and has since garnered close to 2000 signatures. Among the signatories are Ronnie Kasrils, South Africa’s former minister of intelligence; Mavuso Msimang, an ANC veteran; the Reverend Frank Chikane; Allan Horwitz, a poet; and Andrew Feinstein, the director of Corruption Watch UK and an ANC veteran. Dr Ahmed Haroon Jazbhay, the MRN’s executive member, said Iqbal Jassat, a member of the network, wrote about the visa issue in an opinion piece…

SERIOUS CONCERNS Time for radical change in local authority governance DANIEL GOVENDER NQOBILE MBONAMBI African New Agency (ANA) Archives ACCORDING to the country’s auditor-general, most of South Africa’s 257 municipalities are in a disastrous financial position. The damning auditor-general’s report further accentuates only 33 (13%) of our municipalities are in full compliance with the relevant legal requirements and produced quality financial statements and performance reports. despite several governance interventions since the establishment of the local government some 20 years ago, local government is regressing due to the lack of accountability and a culture of tolerance for transgressions and the transgressors. The one area of serious concern is the failure of effective and efficient management of financial resources. Indeed, it is a sad indictment for local government. They have failed the…

City officials should have adopted cost-cutting initiatives THE article titled “R526 million in bonuses” (the POST March 3-7) needs a strong response. Will common sense ever prevail among the municipality politicians? I have always questioned their sanity. The POST, the voice and heart of the community, must be commended for brave journalism as they highlighted this important issue to ratepayers, which few were aware of. While all parts of the world have suffered during the pandemic, which saw businesses close, job losses, bonuses and salaries slashed and turnovers reduced, surely the municipality should have adopted some cost-cutting initiatives like the reduction of bonuses or a freeze on bonuses for three years? I do not see a proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. The time has come for all…

City workers don’t want to get their hands dirty WHEN I hear a “shhh” sound that the cars make as they go up and down our street, it normally tells me that there is water on the road or that it’s raining. But not today. Once again, the sewer line on Hendry Road is blocked but this time it’s for more than a month, off and on (off for a week and then on for an hour). Numerous attempts by the eThekwini Municipality at clearing it were in vain. The first time I met the city crew, they packed up and were gone in 16 seconds and when I enquired if it was cleared, they responded that the road was too busy. This was despite the overflowing manhole being located…

City says no performance bonuses paid: R526m was ‘contractual 13th cheques’ THE POST recently erroneously published an article “R526m in bonuses” (March 3-7). I humbly request that a correction be published. The article states the city, despite a pandemic, and the residents' struggle with the lack of basic service delivery, paid R526 million in staff bonuses. The journalist disingenuously cited them as staff bonuses when, in fact, they are 13th cheques that form part of employees’ annual salaries. The city, given the pandemic, did not pay performance bonuses to employees, as these do not form part of annual salaries. To broadly cite 13th cheques as staff bonuses is disingenuous. The city was merely complying with its contractual obligations by paying employees what was due to them. Not doing so would…

Hindvani cannot please everybody THE recent letters criticising Hindvani’s performance on the airwaves are not warranted. People should realise that unlike Lotus FM, Hindvani is not a state broadcaster. More than 20 years ago, I recall the station’s humble beginnings targeting mainly the Hindi-speaking community. The presenters were volunteers, which might not be the case now. Over the years, the station has grown from strength to strength and now has a listenership from other communities. Although Hindvani plays only Hindi music, I don't think it has a mandatory programme for announcers to speak in Hindi. If some people find the presentations not to their liking, they should simply switch over to an alternate radio station like Lotus FM. I say to Hindvani, I love your music selection and programmes, so…

Recognise the signs of stroke THE Tripple As: Awareness, Access and Action Awareness: Knowing how to recognise the signs of stroke is a key first step in treating it. A useful acronym to remember and to share with family and friends is FAST: • Face: Is one side drooping? • Arms: Raise the arms. Is one side weak? • Speech: Is the person able to speak? Are words jumbled or slurred? • Time: If even one of these signs are present, act quickly and call the emergency services. By asking these simple questions and being able to identify whether you, a friend or bystander is having a stroke, could save a life and improve chances of rehabilitation. The sooner a stroke is recognised and care is sought, the higher the…

FEEDING HABITS Give your pets fewer treats MARYCKE ACKHURST Pexels.com COVID-19 has had a profound effect on all of us including our pets, with recent research undertaken in the US revealing that more than 71% of pet professionals say the pandemic has affected the way pets are eating. As a result of this, over 30% of pet parents surveyed who have an overweight pet, say their pet has become overweight since the start of the pandemic. Many of us have an emotional relationship with food so it is not surprising that we have developed this for our pets too during these tough times when we are spending more time at home. At least 50% of pets are overweight, but alarmingly 90% of pet parents don’t even realise this. For many…

Proteas need to share the load ZAAHIER ADAMS South Africa: 157 all out (Goodall 49, Luus 36; Goswami 4/42, Joshi 2/23) India: 160/1 (Mandhana 80*, Raut 62*; Ismail 1/46 ) India won by 9 wickets A big part of the Proteas Women's team's development en-route to the 50-overs World Cu p next year is to move away from being overly dependent on certain players. The Proteas Women's team have a senior core that rank among the best in the world, but they are going to need the rest to also step up when the need arises. In the first ODI against India, the batting unit fired magnificently due to stellar contributions from the world-class opening pair Lizelle Lee and Laura Wolvaardt. Equally, the bowlers were on the mark with Shabnim…

TENNIS FEVER All eyes on Federer and other stars MARCH typically heralds the start of Indian Wells BNP Paribas, the Rolls Royce of Masters, rolling out the red carpet for tennis royalty in the desert. Instead, on account of the high rate of Covid in California , this has been cancelled or postponed for the second year running. It is another desert, on another continent, to which the much missed, King of the Court, ex No 1, Roger Federer, has returned after a year out of the game post knee surgery. Seeded No 2 at the Qatar Exxon Mobil in Doha, the Swiss maestro will make “a cautious comeback”with the eyes of the world, not to mention his competitors, glued to him. The danger for old warriors and former Grand…

ESHLIN’S VIEW Man U shock bookies in derby ESHLIN VEDAN eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za THE biggest shock in the Premier League last weekend which would have upset the bookies big time was Manchester United’s 2-1 victory over Manchester City in the Manchester derby. United’s win was as shocking to most as Brock Lesnar’s 2014 WrestleMania 30 victory over the Undertaker which ended the latter’s 21-year unbeaten streak at the annual WrestleMania event. Ironically, by beating the Undertaker, Lesnar made the wrestling legend’s streak at Mania 21-1. By beating City last weekend, United ended City’s unbeaten run and made their recent streak 21-1. The star of the show for United was defender Luke Shaw. Not only did Shaw cause plenty of frustration for City players Riyadh Mahrez and João Cancelo by prematurely ending most…