Table of contents for 2021-06-15 in Post

AS THE Covid-19 pandemic continues to accelerate changes to the world of work and a shift towards automation, it is time to ensure that schools are mindful and deliberate in developing those skills. The skills will be in high demand and necessary for success, an education expert has said. “It’s no longer sufficient to focus purely on academics and schools need to make a concerted effort to holistically develop those skills which will provide learners with a strong foundation for the future,” said Desiree Hugo, head of academics at ADvTECH Schools, a division of the private education provider. In its most recent Future of Jobs report – the survey conducted last year while taking into account the impact of Covid-19 on global workplaces – the World Economic Forum (WEF) listed…

Chanelle Lutchman chanelle.lutchman@inl.co.za IN April 1999, Pamela Thomoya stumbled upon a baby left abandoned in a cardboard box. The mother-of-three decided to give the child a fresh start and she raised the infant. Today, Thomoya’s daughter, Fikile Cele, is an entrant in the Miss South Africa 2021 pageant. “In some Indian homes, people see baby girls as their Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth, so I could not turn away the child because she was of a different race,” said Thomoya, of Woodhurst, Chatsworth. She said she was working at a factory in Chatsworth when she and a few colleagues found the baby, who was about a month old. “We left the factory during our tea break. Across the road from the premises was an informal settlement. While walking to…

NICOLE GRAHAM EACH election in South Africa seems to become more and more important. Our country has certainly seen growth in some areas, but in many, it is in a total and rapid decline. Nowhere is this more obvious than in local government. Things that should work like clockwork – the replacement of street lights, the cutting of the grass and the maintenance of roads – have become increasing nightmares for South African residents. The dream of living in secure, safe, and clean neighbourhoods is long forgotten and the fight for basic services is a daily struggle. Young people need to ask themselves two critical questions: What kind of country do I want to live in? And what can be done to achieve that? Many will tell you that they…

FORTY-FIVE years ago, on June 16, 1976, the heroic youth changed the course of South African history and paid the ultimate price. In a period that had been characterised by a political lull and stifled political activity, the generation of ’76 gave the liberation struggle a new impetus. In the aftermath of June 16, many young people went into exile and joined the liberation army to liberate the oppressed from the yoke of racial tyranny. When ANC president Oliver Tambo said South Africa must be rendered ungovernable, it was the militant youth in the ’80s who went to the forefront and took the Pretoria regime head-on. Our country owes a great debt of gratitude to the South African youth and we can only pay forward their sacrifices by ensuring that…

Charlene Somduth charlene.somduth@inl.co.za A KWADUKUZA teenager is receiving counselling after she was blindfolded and beaten during a robbery at her home last Tuesday. Her mother, who declined to be named, said her daughter, 16, was alone at home while she went to the shop in the KwaDukuza CBD. “The gate to our drive-way was left open. We were unable to close the gate because the remote was not working. My daughter was sitting in the lounge eating when she noticed one of the robbers walk up the driveway. “When she went outside to find out what he wanted, he had already walked to the back of our property. His accomplice, who then entered the property, confronted her. He said they wanted water. When she returned indoors, she saw the first…

Janine Moodley janine.moodley@inl.co.za IQBAL Sharma, who is among 16 people accused of defrauding the government of R25 million, once led protests against the Durban City Council in Chatsworth. Sharma, whose bail application was denied in the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court last Tuesday pending a trial, will remain in jail until July 5. The Gupta family associate and the nephew of the late anti-apartheid activist, Fatima Meer, led a lavish lifestyle with his wife, actress Tarina Patel. Their R12 million mansion in Sandton, Joburg, was featured on the lifestyle television programme Top Billing. During the interview, Patel said most of the interior decor was handmade and imported from India. One Durban activist, who protested alongside Sharma during riots in the 1990s, said last week that she was disappointed that since acquiring wealth,…

ETHEKWINI, the only metro in the province, does not have enough of a budget to ensure residents have an uninterrupted water supply. That’s according to opposition political parties and resident associations. The city has set aside R9.1 billion for water services in its 2021/2022 budget. The municipality intends to spend R400 million on repairs and maintenance and more than R900m on staff. According to information supplied by the city, there are just over 1.1 million paying consumers who get their water via 448 storage facilities, 34 pump stations and 10 purification works. But all too often, residents don’t have water. Zamani Kuzwayo, the chairperson of the water, electricity, roads and housing committee for the DA, said R400m to deal with the breakdown of water infrastructure was not enough. “We receive…

Devan Moonsamy OVER the years, sexuality has become taboo in the workplace. However, there has been growth in the LGBQTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or intersex) community as more support has been made available. Coming out often meant dealing with social exclusion. Yet these days, there is a sense of assurances rendered when one shares their journey. As much as there have been positive strides, there is always closed-mindedness that claws us back. In some workplaces, it is a challenge to look beyond someone’s sexuality. This often becomes a topic of discussion at the water cooler and, at most times, hot gossip at the canteen. It becomes almost necessary to ask why someone’s sexuality should be a topic of discussion. The sexual orientation of staff members and colleagues does…

WHEN the Covid scourge first hit us about 18 months ago, the first reaction was to take cover, hide under the bed and suddenly adopt the Islamic veil, with the hope that that little bit of piety may help to delay reaching heaven too prematurely. Everybody was strangely very accommodating. Kind words, encouragement from all directions, phone calls for Africa, to relatives and friends. Doctors, lawyers, teachers, accepting online requests. Cups of sanitiser were overflowing all over. Supermarkets rose to the occasion. They kept prices as normal as possible. There were limited numbers on their floors, sub-managers monitored all aisles to prevent overcrowding. Online home-schooling became the norm. Home deliveries from most supermarkets opened new avenues, as food trolley-wheels began to corrode and creak with lack of use. Alas, everyone…

RUSSIA has left the open skies treaty, a clear indication that relations with the USA are going back to the days of the Cold War. A report by International Campaign to abolish nuclear weapons reveals that the current nine nuclear weapons powers spent $72 billion in 2020 upgrading and increasing their nuclear arsenals, which is equivalent to spending $137 000 every minute in 2020. Among the numerous signs of conspicuous intensification of the arms race, three are especially grave: the seismic shift from a race in quantity to a race in quality, growing nuclear proliferation and an escalation in the arms trade. All three phenomena combine to reinforce the dynamics of the arms race to make it a global occurrence. Nuclear armaments have evolved into an all-out, open-ended race. There…

Nokuthula Mabuza nokuthula.mabuza@inl.co.za TRIBUTES have poured in for musician and singer Suresh Nathoo, who died of Covid-19 earlier this month. Nathoo, of Westville, was 72. Ameesha Nathoo, his eldest daughter, said: “My brother was at the hospital with him just before he was put on the ventilator. He called us because dad wanted to speak to us, mostly our mother. He told her how much he loved her and that she was all he wanted. This was the most emotional call we received,” said Ameesha. “We are still in shock by his passing. He was a pillar of strength in our family. We all miss him but we know he is in a better place now. Our grandmother passed away a year ago. We are certain they are together in…

Charlene Somduth charlene.somduth@inl.co.za COVID-19 and a struggling economy have placed financial strain on middle class South Africans. A study by Transaction Capital, an investment company, showed that 34% of households in the country were forecast to fall out of the middle class due to debt. A 33-year-old nurse from Pietermaritzburg, who declined to be named, said she could relate to the study’s findings. In 2018, she resigned from her job as a staff nurse – handling the care and recovery of patients in order to pursue her diploma in nursing. She worked to become a registered nurse. She then worked part-time as a staff nurse to supplement her income. The mother of two also had the financial support of her husband, 40, a project manager at a construction company. She…

Eshlin Vedan eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za EUGENE Enoch Dharmalingam (49) is a former Natal High Schools athletics champion who won several accolades including the 100m, 200m and long jump titles. Dharmalingam, a product of Earlington Secondary School in Phoenix, represented the Natal High Schools team at the South African Senior Schools Championship in Johannesburg where he set an under-13 long jump record with a distance of 6.06m, and placed second in the 100m and 200m events. Dharmalingam, who was elected captain of the Natal High Schools Athletics team in 1988, credits his development to former coach and role model Prem Vayapuri. “Vayapuri’s approach to sports was more scientific and training sessions became very intense. “His valuable contribution to the school, province and country is second to none. So, my success at sports was…

Duff is a psychic medium, Sharron Duff ARIES (March 21 – April 19) Step away from drama as what goes around, comes around. Communicate with care with regard to friendships and giving advice to others. Trust in your intuition and make positive choices. Lucky colour: purple. TAURUS (April 20 – May 20) This week is about introspection for you and healing. You have been going through some big changes that may have left you reeling. Take time to readjust your energy and take deep breaths. This energy will shift within the next week. Lucky colour: turquoise. GEMINI (May 21 – June 20) You may find that someone needs your help. Don’t be surprised if your time feels stretched. Remember to put up your boundaries. You may feel…

Nadia Khan nadia.khan@inl.co.za A FORMER Durban woman shares her journey about choosing between suicide and divorce and finding her happily ever after in her memoir, Saoirse. Thangam Tammy Pather-Govender, 47, of Johannesburg, recently launched the book at the Durban Book Fair at Mitchell Park. Pather-Govender is a service, support and billing manager at an information and communications technology company. She said the book reflected on her experiences of staying in an unhappy marriage or leaving. “I confess I made a mistake to stay in an unhappy marriage, with the hope of working things out for the sake of the children. We are often indoctrinated by our belief systems and upbringing so that we are clouded by judgement. “Reflecting on what I went through, I captured my thoughts, ideas and experiences…

Chanelle Lutchman chanelle.lutchman@inl.co.za SHIREEN Soobrathi has broken barriers. The 46-year-old attorney, who is based in Chatsworth, was named the first female chairperson of the Chatsworth Small Claims Court. The court deals with minor matters and matters involving claims of less than R20 000. Soobrathi, of Queensburgh, said: “The Chatsworth Small Claims Court has been in existence for over 15 years and I have been part of the court for eight years. It offers a quick alternative for people looking to get smaller matters dealt with faster. "A group of us sit on the board and we deal with the matters so that the regional and district court rolls are not full with small matters. “Siven Samuels was the chairperson of the Small Claims Court, but he died last December. “When…

We can grow employment Mthokozisi Nxumalo AS we celebrate Youth Month, the IFP Youth Brigade believes that we must reflect honestly on the state of the youth in our country – particularly when it comes to their employment and career prospects. This year, much like in 2020, we are faced with hollow celebration as the world finds itself still battling the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic has left at least three million South Africans without employment, compounding an existing problem. According to Statistics SA’s most recent quarterly labour force survey, the country’s official unemployment rate has risen to 32.5%. Indeed, even without the pandemic, there would be little to celebrate for South Africa’s young people. The statistics are readily available to back this claim. Unemployment is still concentrated among the…

Nadia Khan nadia.khan@inl.co.za A DURBAN community activist has accused Julius Malema of hate speech. On Monday, Narendh Ganesh, who is also the chairperson of the Duff’s Road Civic Association, laid a complaint at the Equality Court. Last week, Malema, who is the president and commander-in-chief of the EFF, addressed a media briefing in Johannesburg, during which he spoke of an Indian cabal who occupied strategic positions at the expense of Africans. “Go to every insurance company or any financial institution, it is headed by Indians. If it is a serious compromise, it is a coloured. All Africans have been destroyed. Look at who is going to replace that African person that was removed from Absa. “We also know who is leading Sars. They have taken all strategic institutions because white…

Chanelle Lutchman chanelle.lutchman@inl.co.za WENTWORTH residents, angered by random shootings and drug dealings in the area, confronted alleged drug runners in their homes this week. About 30 residents from Tifflin Road, Mia Grove and Pascal Grove had planned to meet at Durban East Primary School to discuss their concerns on Sunday. Before the meeting, two people in Wentworth were shot. Brian Captuiex, 55, of Reiger Road, was in his vehicle outside his home when he was shot. Colonel Thembeka Mbele, a KZN police spokesperson, said Captuiex was talking to friends when a vehicle stopped nearby and he was shot in the chest. In the second incident, a 15-year-old boy was shot not far from the first shooting. Captain Nqobile Gwala, a KZN police spokesperson, said the boy was shot by a…

Charlene Somduth charlene.somduth@inl.co.za BUSINESSMAN Visham Panday has brought an application in the Durban High Court for the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) to disclose whether or not it is paying for Avril Sahadew’s legal fees. Sahadew, 43, a forensic audit specialist at the university, has appeared in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court after she was charged with defeating the ends of justice, kidnapping and crimen injuria. She was leading the investigation, known as Operation Clever, into the sale of placements at UKZN’s medical school. The investigation went on for four years without anyone being criminally charged or prosecuted. Sahadew was removed from the investigation in 2019 apparently after a staff member laid criminal charges against her. It is alleged that in 2017, the staff member was going to expose her alleged role…

Nadia Khan nadia.khan@inl.co.za RESIDENT associations have called for transparency and accountability following the installation of internet fibre cables across eThekwini. According to the associations, the ongoing installations have damaged driveways, pavements, verges and gardens. They have also raised concerns over burst water pipes and damage to electrical cables that have resulted in a disruption to supply. Eugene Appenah of the Sydenham Ratepayers Association said there were more than 30 roads in the area where fibre was being installed. They included Randles Road, Sparks Road, Mayflower Road and Barnes Road. “On some roads, the residents are faced with many challenges during the installation. We don’t even know if those who are overseeing the process have site maps that indicate where the electrical cables and water pipes are. They just seem to…

What passing-bells for these who die as cattle? – Only the monstrous anger of the guns. Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle Can patter out their hasty orisons. THESE opening lines from the poem, Anthem for Doomed Youth, speak of how meaningless the lives of young people were during World War I. It was written by Wilfred Owen, a young soldier who experienced the horrors of the trenches and the use of gas as a weapon of war. Today, our unemployment statistics read like a modern-day anthem for doomed youth. According to the latest figures, there are about 7.2 million people, of working age, who were unemployed as at the end of the first quarter of this year. Statistics SA (Stats SA) puts our official unemployment rate at 32.6%.…

LET DONALD Trump be a stark and ominous reminder of what could happen in South Africa. The very concept of power has driven many to insanity and delusion. Donald Trump is one such person. As the former president of the US, Trump is still mired in his megalomaniacal obsession that he won the 2020 presidential election – which he evidently lost, by over seven million votes. He cannot accept that he no longer has the attention of the world and that he commands no federal power in his country. Yet, the twice-impeached, one-term former president, who has the unwanted accolade of having twice lost the popular vote as a presidential candidate, cannot wrap his head around the fact that he has lost. Trump is not a leader – he never…

THERE is an old saying that life begins at 40. I think not. Let me substantiate my statement. Global trends reveal that life expectancy has exponentially increased over the years. Socially upward mobility, healthier lifestyles, eating and exercise, stimulating hobbies, and greater interest in personal care and hygiene are all contributory factors in a plethora of reasons for longevity. Countries like China are encouraging bigger families and are stretching the retirement age. While we all have every reason for celebrating a longer, healthier and happier life, "grey divorce" in the annals of the blue rinse brigade is alarmingly on the increase. Couples divorcing after decades of togetherness is not uncommon today. In 2013, Vladimir Putin, then 60, split from his wife of 30 years, saying at the time, “that…

Charlene Somduth charlene.somduth@inl.co.za GAUTENG newly-weds Zaheer and Nabeela Sarang died after they were electrocuted at their home in Mayfair, Johannesburg, on Sunday morning. The incident was caused by a faulty electrical connection due to illegal connections. Zaheer, 29, and Nabeela, 24, were married on May 30 and returned home on Saturday from their honeymoon in Durban. Alex Christians, the DA ward councillor in the area, said it was believed Nabeela went to shower and was electrocuted when she touched a tap. “When Zaheer heard her fall, he went to see what happened and he, in turn, was also electrocuted. When the couple did not pitch for their luncheon appointment with family, they got worried. They got into the couple’s outbuilding to find them deceased.” Christians said they were buried on…

Janine Moodley janine.moodley@inl.co.za SEVERAL faith-based organisations have objected to proposed amendments to the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act (Pepuda). They said the amendments could infringe on the conservative views of people of faith. The department said the first part of the bill aimed to improve the protection of complainants against discrimination. This would be done by broadening the definition of equality and discrimination. It would also aim to amend Section 6 of the act, by holding people who encourage others to discriminate criminally liable. The second part of the bill seeks to strengthen accountability by organs of state. Some religious organisations have objected to the proposed amendment. They said it would compromise religious freedom if it was passed into law. Yusuf Patel, the secretary of the…

SATHASIVAN “Saths” Chettiar, a Tamil language and cultural leader, died after a short illness on Friday. He was 61. Chettiar, of Newlands West, had a long association with the South African Tamil Federation, of which he was a trustee. He also served as the secretary of the Tamil Federation in KZN and the International Movement for Tamil Culture (IMTC). Chettiar’s contribution to the preservation and propagation of Tamil language and culture began when he was the secretary of the Newlands Tamil Association and chairperson of the Newlands Tamil Cultural Society. Mickey Chetty, the president of IMTC, said Chettiar contributed to the Tamil language for more than four decades. “He expected no fame and glory. His reason to serve was based on dedication to the Tamil language and culture. “His love…

THEY have arrived! The great excitement of the sardine run has most of KZN in a joyous state. There is something for everyone. From those looking for shad to the guys wanting to target the deep sea giants, the sardines have brought them all. With sardine action down south there has not been much news from the north. The bigger seas have also made fishing a bit tricky on the more exposed beaches. Those that have fished up north have mainly been fishing in the Cape Vidal area along reefs and ledges. These areas fish well, even in a big sea. Edibles are the main target but some good inedibles are always hooked. A 4/0 - 6/0 Mustad circle hook is the most useful size for most of the reef…

Nokuthula Mabuza nokuthula.mabuza@inl.co.za VODACOM Durban July 2021 (VDJ) fever is rising after 20 young South African designers were selected to showcase their work at the annual racing event. The VDJ will be held at Hollywoodbets Greyville Racecourse on Saturday, July 3, where the designers will compete for the VDJ Young Designer Award. According to a VDJ media release, designers had to design a race-day outfit based on the theme, Birds of a Feather. Aliyah Hassim and Tashriq Chanderlal, students from Vega School in La Lucia, are among the semi-finalists. Hassim, 19, of Maidstone in Tongaat, said she decided to study fashion design after attending an open day at a university. “I have always loved fashion and I have been drawing since I was little but I had never thought of…

SHAMEEN THAKUR-RAJBANSI THE youth aged between 18 to 35 years have real aspirations given the constraints of external shocks like Covid-19. The pandemic has seen youth affected in education, health and socio-economics. Many of them are despondent due to the lack of opportunities for further education and job opportunities. They are constrained economically by their parent or parents being left jobless. The youth who should be employable, to keep the home fires burning, therefore have hard political choices to make in the coming local government elections. The Minority Front (MF) had, for years, a strong presence in the eThekwini Metro, holding the balance of power at one stage. The MF always ensured that residents were given a fair share of municipal learnerships, contracts, housing opportunities and jobs at the clinics…

Chanelle Lutchman chanelle.lutchman@inl.co.za POLICE have urged anyone with information about the shooting of four people in the Durban city centre at the weekend to come forward. On Saturday, Brenden Thandroyen stopped just after midday outside their family business property on the corner of Pickering and Mazeppa streets in the Point area. His brother Craig was in the front passenger seat of a VW Golf 7. Brenden’s daughter, Bianca Africa, 17, and Craig’s son Carel, 13, were in the back. The brothers were chatting to a worker when a car pulled up alongside them and the occupant or occupants opened fire on them. Both brothers were killed instantly. The two children were injured. Bianca Africa, a matric pupil at Northlands Girls’ High School, was rushed to hospital, but died later…

NIKITA CHINIAH nikita.chiniah@inl.co.za THIS Father’s Day, Whitney Pillay will not get up early like she usually did, to prepare breakfast for her dad. He was killed in a drive-by shooting four months ago. “I usually prepared a sumptuous breakfast for him. I spoilt him the entire day and he enjoyed every moment of it. This is my first Father’s Day without him. This day will never be the same again. All I want now is justice for my dad,” said Pillay, of Verulam. Dayalan Vadivello Pillay, 52, was found under a tree near his home in Canelands. He was shot in the mouth. Whitney Pillay, 24, said she often went to the police station to check if the investigating officers had any leads on the incident. “But they told us…

Nadia Khan nadia.khan@inl.co.za JUDGMENT in the trial of four men accused of kidnapping and killing a Phoenix father is expected later this month. Anben “Fat Cat” Chinsamy, 48, of Ravenstone Place; his brother, Sugendran “Shoes”, 32, of Treehaven Place; and two policemen, Warrant Officer Theagasen Naidoo, 47, of Stoneham Drive; and Constable Tristan Pillay, 33, of Eastbury, all of Phoenix, were charged with murder. They are accused of killing Seelan Pillay, 46, of Grassfern Road. Anben, Naidoo and Tristan were also charged with kidnapping and defeating the administration of justice. Pillay was accused of stealing a grass-cutter machine from Anben. He was allegedly kidnapped, doused with petrol and set alight on May 10, 2019. Pillay sustained second and third-degree burns and died of his injuries two days later in hospital.…

Ian Fuhr CULTURE has always been a critical factor in business success but, after the disruptions of the past year, this topic is firmly front and centre of many business discussions and strategy meetings. How do we build our culture? How can we support our employees better? How can we improve our culture to deliver a better customer experience? These are just some of the questions I am regularly asked. The challenge is that many leaders don’t understand how deeply their leadership style affects the culture in their organisation. There’s a pervasive idea that there’s a quick fix to culture, when the reality is that the entire foundation of the business should be built around what we call cultureneering. It is essentially creating a strong culture in a diverse workforce…

WHY the media silence on US President Joe Biden’s violations? Since the accession of Biden to the White House, there has been a virtual blackout of reporting on political developments in the US. Whereas the Trump administration was the cynosure of malevolent media focus, irrespective of what it achieved, despite unprecedented actions by Biden which have exceeded his constitutional powers and violated his oath to defend the US, the mass media remains silent. While the same media behaved like sharks in a feeding frenzy about the baseless, vindictive, political attempts to impeach Trump, the question to be asked is: Why has the same media not seen fit to demand impeachment hearings on Biden on the following charges? 1. By unilaterally shutting down the Keystone Pipeline, Biden acted unconstitutionally in two…

THE article,“Phoenix man waits 17 years for an ID”, (the POST, June 2-6) refers. At least this guy is better. I have spent 23 years waiting for the Department of Home Affairs to correct just a single digit on my ID. I was born on March 8, 1961, but my ID states March 8, 1964. This year of birth does not correspond with the one in my passport. I have been raising this issue from the time Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi was the minister of Home Affairs, until now, but nothing has been said except “we are still investigating”. When you visit their offices, you are sent from pillar to post. Their spokespersons don’t even respond. I have given up. I am in the process of leaving South Africa for good.…

Charlene Somduth charlene.somduth@inl.co.za A SHALLCROSS family is praying their father will be discharged from the hospital in time for Father’s Day. Rajen Pillay, 52, the owner of a security company, was shot in the abdomen during an alleged road rage attack in Pinetown on June 8. He is recovering in hospital. Netcare 911 spokesperson Shawn Herbst said paramedics responded to a shooting on Meller Road. “Reports indicate that an adult male had sustained a single gunshot wound to his abdomen, while at the intersection. “It was alleged by members of the public that an altercation broke out when the shot was fired.” Herbst said when the paramedics arrived, they found Pillay in a serious condition. He required advanced life support intervention to stabilise him. He was taken to hospital. Rachel…

A CHATSWORTH man’s pregnant dog which was allegedly stabbed by a neighbour has lost three puppies. Zamaan Khan, 37, of Crossmoor Drive, said his two pit bulls, Chloe, 4, and Lucifer, 2, were playing outside when the neighbour’s dog jumped the fence and fought with his pets earlier this month. Khan, who works at Durban Security Services, had returned from work when he heard the dogs growling outside. “I went outside and realised that the neighbour’s dog had jumped over the boundary fence. My mother and I managed to separate them. I then opened the front gate for the neighbour to take his dog and I went inside to wash up,” said Khan. “About 10 minutes later, the neighbour’s son and brother-in-law jumped over the fence and threw stones at…

Chanelle Lutchman chanelle.lutchman@inl.co.za SOUTH African Muslims will not be able to attend Hajj this year. For the second consecutive year, the Saudi Kingdom has issued limitations on attendees to the annual pilgrimage. According to a press statement released by the Saudi government, this year’s holy prayers will be limited to residents and citizens from within the Kingdom. “The total number of pilgrims this year is limited to only 60 000 people. This includes all nationalities and citizens inside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” said the statement. “Those willing to register for the prayers must be fully vaccinated persons, those who have had their first dose and waited at least 14 days, or vaccinated persons recovering from the infection." Hajj is an annual celebration held in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on the…

A DURBAN industrialist and philanthropist, Vadivaloo “Daddy” Moodliar, died last weekend after a long illness. Daddy Moodliar, 86, of Isipingo Beach, once headed City Metal Products, a manufacturer of stainless steel products. The company was founded in 1914 by his grandfather, Singaravello Moodliar, and traded as Moodliar’s Galvanised Iron Products in a workshop on the north bank of the Umgeni River. Water tanks, water cans, ricksha lamps and rubbish bins were produced. In 1924, the workshop moved to bigger premises in Briardene. The manufacture of billy cans, used as food containers, was added to the list of products. After the Great Depression, the business moved to the south of Durban. Singaravello Moodliar died in 1944. His son, Govindasamy, persevered to keep the business going. In 1949, it came to be…