Table of contents for 2022-09-07 in Post

If you are making pickles for home, you can use old jam and pickle jars if they are in good condition and the lids are not rusted. Wash jars and lids with hot, soapy water. Rinse well and arrange jars and lids, open sides up, without touching, on a tray. Place in a preheated 150ºC oven for 25 minutes. Alternatively, boil the jars and lids in a large saucepan, covered with water, for 15 minutes. Use tongs when handling the hot sterilised jars, to move them from either boiling water or the oven. You can also sterilise jars in the microwave. Put the jars in the oven with about an inch of water in each. Heat for 1 and a half to 2 minutes on full power, until the water…

I RECENTLY read in an article (stating)that more than half of young South African children are regularly watching pornography, with at least 10% of them watching it every day. The article was based on the findings of a study by Unisa’s Bureau for Market Research’s Youth Research Unit (BMR unit). Dr Antoinette Basson, a psychologist attached to the BMR unit, placed the blame on the easy access to technology such as the smartphone. As reported by many studies and researchers around the globe, pornography has damaging effects on the minds and well-being of both young people and adults alike. Some impacts are extremely disturbing; particularly pornography’s role in enabling the sexual objectification of women, perpetuating sexual violence and reinforcing other sexist social behaviours. Just because pornographic material is allegedly modern…

I AM following the conversation in POST about Kashmir with interest. I hold no brief for any of the persons involved, and nor am I a comprador intellectual for any biased political, cultural or religious group. Allow me to contribute as a votary of human rights as a global activist. In response to N Singh of Mandeni “Keeka misrepresents facts about Kashmir” (POST, August 24-28), that letter is straight out of the media packs for all votaries and supporters of the Hindutva movement. Allow me to appeal to freedom-loving South Africans. Freedom for Kashmiris is as indivisible and righteous a cause as it is for the Palestinians. Where apartheid tried and failed to divide Muslims and Hindus, Hindutva is winning thanks to its alliance with apartheid Israel. I appeal…

With reference to the letter “Why Indians are absent from party structures” (POST, August 31 to September 4) by Madhurammuthoo Sigamoney, it is tainted with racism. My grandfather and grandma came to South Africa from their native village Basti in Uttar Pradesh, India. I must confess I have been to India more than 40 times. Within I am a pukka South African and practise Hinduism. I have no documents in my possession from any level of government that spells out that I am an Indian, including my identity. His argument about Indian participation in the Struggle is naive and petty. As South Africans let us together shape this country for the people and by the people. We must build our nation with dignity, love, compassion and tolerance. We must also…

Five months ago, Collin Pillay’s son was born. He was looking forward to watching his son take his first steps and say his first words. But on Friday night, at an accident scene on the N2 near the old Durban airport, Pillay was shot and killed. The suspects fled in their vehicle. Pillay, from Merebank, worked as a driver for a tow truck company. Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo, a provincial police spokesperson, said Isipingo police received a report of a killing on the N2 southbound after 8pm. “They found the body of a 52-year-old man with a gunshot wound on the head. It is alleged the victim had an argument with four males who were in a white vehicle. One suspect drew his firearm and fatally shot the victim.” Ngcobo said…

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Human Settlements said resettling the April flood victims in permanent shelter remained a priority. This is after Dr Ntuthuko Mahlaba, the MEC for Human Settlements and Public Works, chose the Montclair Lodge as a temporary residential unit (TRU) for displaced flood victims. The facility, owned by Transnet, will house the flood victims for six months. Mbulelo Baloyi, the spokesperson for the Department of Human Settlements in the province, said: “The priority for now is those at the Yellowwood Park Civic Hall, uMlazi Tehuis and those at Mega City.” According to Baloyi, the Montclair Lodge has 136 available single rooms. It also has a laundry room, bathing and ablution facilities, a gym, and kitchen and dining facilities. Baloyi said the department hoped to remove all displaced flood…

The Durban Regional Court has sentenced Njabulo Ncube to eight years’ imprisonment for looting during the unrest in July last year. Ncube was convicted of housebreaking with intent to steal and theft. Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, the spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority in KwaZulu-Natal, said Ncube and a group of others broke into a shop in Umbilo and stole groceries. “They were arrested by members of the police who were passing by. In court, Ncube conceded that he had no means to compensate for the R27 000 damages or to pay a fine. “He was thus sentenced accordingly to eight years’ imprisonment.” Meanwhile, the trial of Ndumiseni Khetha Zuma, 35, an alleged instigator of the July unrest, has been adjourned again. Zuma appeared in the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court last Thursday. He…

MARIANNHILL residents are awaiting feedback from the eThekwini Municipality about alleged water contamination. Since the April floods, Birchwood and Oaklands residents in Marianhill have had water problems. They said the tap water resembled and smelled like sewage water. Saloshie Naidoo, a resident in Greyville Road, Oaklands, said: “The municipality took water samples from our tap for testing. They said they would return in two weeks with feedback but we have not heard from them. “Sewage water is still coming out of our taps. There are a lot of poor people in the area who cannot afford to buy bottled water. They are left with no choice but to drink this contaminated water because the municipality tankers do not come. “Only the Phoenix Express tanker comes to the area. The Gift…

SINGER Pritisha Muthraparsad was inspired by her late grandfather to make her vision and goals become a reality. The 13-year-old from Springs in Ekurhuleni, is a nominee in the best Indian artist/group category of the 2022 South African Traditional Music Awards (Satma). The event is set to be held on October 1 at Mbombela in Mpumalanga. “I released my first song Meri Maa in 2020. It was nominated last year at the Satma for the same category. It was followed by Ye Hawaye Remix, which was nominated for a Satma award this year,” said Pritisha, a Grade 7 pupil. She said Ye Hawaye Remix, which means “never give up”, was an inspirational song. “I am honoured to once again be nominated for a Satma, as music is my life. I…

3 large, fat, very ripe tomatoes 2 ripe red bell peppers 3 to 5 red chillies, or more if you like 1 large onion 2 cloves garlic 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil, the classier the better 1 cup water 1 cup white wine vinegar 1 tsp smoked Spanish paprika 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tbs lemon juice 1 tbs sugar Set the oven heat on high. Oil an oven tray and coat the tomatoes, peppers and chillies in it, and the (peeled) onion and garlic. Place them all on the tray and roast in the oven until soft. Put everything, skin, seeds and all (you are looking for flavour and texture in this sauce) in a pot big enough to hold them. Add the vinegar, water, spices, lemon juice…

Evelyn Munsamy is on a mission to show young women that they can do things for themselves. The Durban-born entrepreneur was recently featured in Tourism KwaZulu-Natal’s Women in Tourism campaign. Munsamy is the owner of Dino Park SA, a dinosaur theme park in Port Shepstone. She said she had always loved dinosaurs and wanted to create a family-friendly space. “There’s just something so special and magical about giant animals which lived before us. Watching dinosaur movies as a kid, visiting parks and museums, and exploring places with my family were always an adventure. I was fortunate that my parents took us on holidays and we experienced different places. “The best memories are of the funniest, adventure-filled, scary or fascinating places that we visited. So I created a space where kids…

Tamasha Khanyi tamasha.khanyi@inl.co.za Sandhya Mahabeer was elected as the first female chairperson of the Advocates Society of KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday. The society was established in 1929. She said she was rooted in the Hindu teaching of “do good and be good”, which was reflected in her chosen profession. “Doing good and being good is something we should all strive for.” Mahabeer was born and raised in Isipingo Beach. She went to Isipingo Beach Intermediate School and matriculated at Reunion Secondary School. In 1989, she studied as a Rotary exchange student in Australia for a year before embarking on her journey to obtain a BA LLB at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 1990. Mahabeer said she felt proud to be representing the accomplishment of women in the legal profession – taking…

Nasa’s Artemis I sent a rocket without a crew on a month-long journey around the moon on Saturday. The programme aims to increase women’s participation in space exploration as 30% of its engineers are women. In addition, the Artemis mission will carry two mannequins designed to study the effects of radiation on women’s bodies so Nasa can learn how to better protect female astronauts. Female astronauts are currently less likely to be selected for missions because their bodies tend to hit Nasa’s maximum acceptable threshold of radiation earlier in age. Nasa expects to bring the first woman and person of colour to the moon on Artemis III sometime after 2024. As a scholar of Greek mythology, I find the name of the mission quite evocative. The Greeks and Romans…

THE eThekwini Municipality has closed many beaches and declared the water unsafe for activities like swimming, fishing, bathing and canoeing. This is due to the high levels of E coli found in the water. E coli is a bacteria found in the intestines of humans and animals and is a strong indication of sewage contamination. The municipality treats all raw sewage before it is discharged into the rivers or sea, ensuring that any risk of E coli contamination is reduced. This is done at waste treatment plants, all of which are in a state of disrepair owing to reduced funding and poor maintenance. This is no secret as the warnings are contained in a report that paints a bleak picture of the state of wastewater treatment in eThekwini. The recent…

Traditional Indian cooking requires a lot of oil. Curries, fries, snacks, chilli bites, pickles and even sweetmeats require gallons of oil. The mutton or chicken curry must float in oil or it is not a good curry. Have you eaten Durban’s famous bunny chow? The mutton bunny is finger lickin’ but it’s just fatty meat and white bread soaking with oil and gravy. Some people actually like fatty meat. They say the fat gives the curry flavour. Takeaways are also guilty of cooking fatty foods. They do not trim off the fat. Not only does the fat give flavour to the mutton curry, it also adds to the profit margin. But the fatty meat and oil are a deadly combination. Although our mothers and wives have been warned of the…

I find it ludicrous that AR Modak brings in the Islamophobia victim card and Narendra Modi when writing about the failure of the movie Laal Singh Chaddha at the box office (“Films, like sport, don’t need policing”, POST, August 31 to September 4). It’s really getting ridiculous now. I boycotted the movie because of the haughty arrogance of actress Kareena Kapoor Khan. She said people were not forced to watch her movies. If they don’t want to they must not. For someone who earns millions through the public, this shows a level of arrogance. The movie itself received many negative reviews, especially because the Indian army had never deployed men of low IQ. This, of course, was not the case in the US army. So this hurt the sentiment of…

LEON Govender would have turned 43 on Sunday. He had planned to spend the day with his family and friend, Linga Benny Govender. However, both men were killed in a car crash in Tongaat week. They were travelling in Leon’s Toyota Corolla. Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo, a provincial police spokesperson, said just after 5.30pm, two vehicles collided. “Two people died on the scene, and four sustained injuries and were taken to hospital for medical attention. A 15-year-old boy later succumbed to his injuries. The circumstances surrounding the incident are being investigated.” A case of culpable homicide was opened. Leon owned a bar in Tongaat, and Benny, 56, was a former police officer. Kay Govender, Leon’s daughter, said her dad and Benny arrived at her grandmother’s home in Tongaat earlier that day…

THE case against Sagie Chetty, who was charged with murder and arson following the death of his wife and four children, has been transferred to the Durban High Court. It is alleged that on the morning of November 1 last year, Chetty, 57, a grass cutter, had an argument with his wife, Elisha Naidoo, 37, a housewife. During the argument, Chetty allegedly doused their one-bedroom flat in Whetstone, Phoenix, with petrol and set it alight. Naidoo, her children, Jaidene Naidoo, 13, Jordan Chetty, 8, Aldrin Chetty, 4, and nephew Liam Naidoo, 8, died in the fire. Jaidene was a Grade 7 pupil, and Jordan was in Grade 2. Her other children, aged 16 and 10, who were sleeping in the lounge, escaped unharmed. Chetty was found later that day at…

The development of a new cemetery is under way and it could help with the burial shortage. In March 2020, the eThekwini Municipality released a statement on its Facebook page that by the end of the year the city would run out of burial space. In the same year, the municipality bought land for R22 million in Mount Edgecombe to build a cemetery. The project remains in the pipeline. Msawakhe Mayisela, the spokesperson for the municipality, said: “The land is a 26-hectare portion and it was purchased from a private land owner. There can be 1 600 to 2 000 graves per hectare. Therefore, from 26 hectares, we can conservatively get 41 600 graves. However, not all 26 hectares are developable.” Mayisela said the development process was at the master…

Tyson Fury has offered Anthony Joshua the chance to fight for his WBC crown before the end of the year in a blockbuster British heavyweight title fight. Fury suggested he was retiring from boxing after beating Dillian Whyte in April but is now searching for a high-profile opponent after rival champion Oleksandr Usyk said he does not intend to fight again until 2023. Joshua suffered a second consecutive defeat to the Ukrainian in Saudi Arabia last month and his promoter, Eddie Hearn, is considering options for a return to the ring for the 32-year-old. The unbeaten Fury announced he was retiring on his 34th birthday last month, having previously performed a number of U-turns over his future in the sport. In a video posted on social media on Monday he…

THE Point Waterfront Arts Festival, which will see Durban creatives presenting four days of theatre, comedy, music, art and more, will take place at the weekend. The family-friendly event has a mix of free and paid-for activities in multiple locations in the Point Waterfront Precinct. Gabriella Peppas, a spokesperson for the initiative, said the aim of the festival was to allow people to explore the precinct. “The Point Waterfront Arts Festival concept came from a long engagement with the Point Waterfront area. We have been down in the area for about nine years and have seen it evolve. We thought it would be amazing to find a way to connect all the spaces and showcase the amazing Durban talent in one area that is walkable and accessible. “We aim for…

Aurets is a healer, psychic medium, intuitive mentor, masseuse and regression therapist who also teaches meditation and breath work. She practices in Upper Highway KZN. Contact her at 079 356 4657 or theeternalbreath@gmail.com ARIES (March 21 – April 19) Spend time in nature to restore and replenish your soul. In nature, you will find the peace and healing you seek. Drink more water, rest more and exercise in nature. Breathe and water are your life force. Magic number: 2. TAURUS (April 20 – May 20) You have the wisdom to know what you need to do to move forward. Let go of control. Releasing excess baggage frees you to move more easily ahead on your path. There is a divine plan for you. Trust your inner guidance to show you…

Fatima Hoosen has always been passionate about serving underprivileged communities. For her work, the 38-year-old director for eye care at St John South Africa recently received a medal of recognition from Queen Elizabeth II. St John South Africa is a humanitarian non-profit organisation. “I am honoured and grateful to have received a certificate of recognition and a medal for the work I have been doing in communities that do not have access to eye care,” said Hoosen, of Musgrave. She and two others received medals and were sworn in as Members of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem. This is a global chivalric order of the British Crown of which Queen Elizabeth II is the sovereign head. Chris Martin, the special projects manager for…

Dark days are back with us The DA does the job of being the main opposition party well. They run a slick media campaign that, day after day, shows how the ruling ANC is failing. This week the DA released the findings of a little investigation it did into how fast the police answer their phones. They called 270 police stations countrywide and found that only 44% of the police stations picked up the call. Fifteen percent of police stations did not answer their phones after it rang for more than two minutes. Many of these stations are in the top 10 for having recorded the highest number of murders and rapes countrywide. With a budget of just under R100 billion for the current financial year, this is not good…

I HAVE experienced many previous ward councillors for Clare Estate, where I lived for more than 30 years, to know that, once the elections are over, faces immediately disappear from billboards. But there is one notable exception. Councillor Ramona McKenzie, the ward councillor for Musgrave, has shown there is hope for us ratepayers. Complaints like tree-felling and a lack of street lights continue to be a problem in our area, like most other places in eThekwini. This unfortunate state of affairs is not due to her lack of trying her best to address the situation. Up to now, Ramona has always replied to my queries regarding these two pertinent issues. Recently, she timeously addressed the issue of possible tampering with the drinking-water reservoir in Currie Road. These tanks partially supply…

WITH reference to the story “Junction of Death” (POST, August 24 to 28) and the numerous attacks and killings over the years. The incidents beg the question about what plan of action law enforcement officers are taking to deter criminal activity. Have the SAPS or metro police considered using a decoy to entice criminals into a trap? By this, I suggest simulating a breakdown of an unmarked vehicle with armed personnel lying in wait for these thugs. Is it asking for too much to employ these tactics to try to fight the onslaught of violence that is being inflicted on defenceless citizens? May the powers that be take heed and use this approach if they have not implemented it. S NAIDOO Tongaat…

Being a recent LLB graduate with a distinction aggregate in a fair environment would naturally lead one to believe that the graduate would have secured employment a year after completing their degree. But that is not the case. The points of focus here are “fair” and “employment”. These are two concepts that are foreign and a luxury for most LLB graduates in South Africa during our current legal climate. One of the oldest professions in the world is failing to practise what they preach – fairness and equality. How are we to display reasonableness and sensibility without affection and malintent when the rookies in the legal fraternity are overworked and underpaid, while being mentally and emotionally abused by the higher-ups? This piece is written to account for my experiences as…

SOUTH Africa’s driving licence card is set to be replaced with a new version that will comply with international standards. The current card will remain valid until March 2029. Last week, Fikile Mbalula, Transport Minister, said since the current driving licence card was introduced in 1998, it contained technology that was now outdated. “This will then enable us to commence with the procurement process for the new production infrastructure in October 2022. The new card will be piloted from November 1 2023, until March 31 2024. The current driving licence card and the equipment that is used to produce it will become obsolete on April 1 2024,” said Mbalula. The government had earlier this year committed to a review of the renewal period of the driving licence card. The research…

France’s Tiafoe believes a new generation of players are ready to take over from tennis’s “Big Three” after his upset of Rafael Nadal at the US Open on Monday. Tiafoe produced the biggest shock of the tournament so far to send Nadal spinning to his earliest exit from the Open since 2016. Nadal’s 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 defeat, and Serena Williams’ exit from the women’s draw last week, are further evidence that a golden era is drawing to a close. This year’s US Open marks the first time since 2003 that at least one of Williams, Nadal, Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic have not featured in the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam event. Tiafoe says the likes of himself and Nick Kyrgios, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are ready to…

THE big seas have kept most offshore anglers on the beach or at home. The tuna have been around as well as the couta and some big snoek. As soon as the sea calms down the hunt will be back on! The north coast has seen the bulk of the gamefish action with variety and size being better than the central or south sections. The snoek have been feeding well in the mornings with fillet baits being the top producing method for boat and ski anglers. Most of the spots along the north coast have been a bit tricky to launch in the last few weeks so please spend some time watching the sets and planning your way out. The deeper areas have seen the bigger couta with most of…