Table of contents for 2022-04-13 in Post

TWO families from Isipingo Beach who were trapped in their homes were rescued by boat on Tuesday morning. Lesha Veeran said her father-in-law called her at 5am. He said he needed to be rescued after his home began to flood. “My husband Darren went to his dad’s home and used his boat to get to the doorway to rescue him.” She said she was at home with her children, Deeya, 15, and Leylan, 11, and mother Kibby Rooplall, 78. “The river behind our home began to overflow and the water soon entered our home. I told my children and mother to pack some belongings so we could leave, but the water outside was getting high. I then called my husband for help,” she said. “We were with our dogs.…

CONGRATULATIONS to Nonjabulo Bhengu on three well-written articles on the Victoria Street Market (POST, March 30 – April 3). The feature was heart-warming and inspiring in its description of the success stories of Roothiran Moodley, Sanusha Moodliar-Ponen and Amee Ramkissoon, despite difficult circumstances. These are stories that need to be recorded for posterity, and all families should attempt to record their histories, however humbly told. Congratulations also to the Editor for making the effort to rectify what has hitherto been largely a skewed history, recorded by people for whom some lives in South Africa did not matter. RAJ ISAAC Newlands West…

Threats of renewed violence THE recent rains have highlighted what a shoddy condition our city is in. Litter lies everywhere. When it rains, it clogs up the stormwater system and results in widespread flooding. The wet conditions create even more potholes as well as electrical and water outages. Time after time, the city has said there isn’t enough money to fix all the roads and replace ageing water and electrical infrastructure. Why then is the city buying tractors for emerging farmers to use for free? A few days ago, the city announced that it had purchased tractors to support emerging farmers. The city’s Agro-Ecology Unit would allow co-operatives to use the tractors. The municipality would also provide farmers with seeds, fencing, equipment and a container to store their tools. No…

A FAMILY in Riverhorse Valley were rescued after a river burst its banks and water flowed into their home on Monday night. Apsra Panchoo, 46, of Prince Mhlangane Road, said her dad, 86, mom, 73, son, 15, and a relative, 55, were carried out of their property as the water rose to chest level. She said their home was adjacent to the Umhlangane River. “There was a sudden gush of water into our property when a concrete fence behind our home was broken by rubble from the neighbouring business. We had no escape as the water reached waist level outside and was entering our home.” Panchoo said she had posted a video on community chat groups to ask for help. “We were left with no option as all the emergency…

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta does have a lot of potential, but if the Gunners recent results proved one thing, it is that the Spaniard still has to work on his tactical abilities quite a bit. A few weeks ago, Arsenal were on a good run of form and looked in firm contention to finish in the top four. After two damaging defeats, most recently to Brighton, they have given London rivals Tottenham Hotspur the upper hand in the race to finish in the top four. Arsenal’s inexperience due to their young squad was always a matter of concern as was their ability to cope without key players due to injury. Arteta proved against Brighton that he struggles to cope tactically when the goings get tough. The reality is that Arteta…

THREE years have passed but the eThekwini Municipality has still not restored piped water to residents at Tea Estate in Inanda. While two 5 000-litre JoJo tanks were installed last year, the water is not sufficient to service the community. Devraj Moonsammy, 54, lives with his wife, three sons and two grandchildren. He said the storage tanks were filled on a Monday or a Tuesday. “When the tanks are empty, we have to either buy water or do without until it’s replenished. But we don’t want these storage tanks. We need running water in our homes. It seems that installing these tanks is an easy way out for the municipality from addressing the real issue.” He said it was risky for people to collect water early in the morning or…

With mopping up operations underway, citizens have been warned to brace themselves for more wet weather over the weekend. Kumsa Masizana, a forecaster at the SA Weather Service, said the rains that battered KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and other parts of the country earlier this week were associated with a low-pressure system. She said while the rains would subside on Wednesday and Thursday, further showers were expected from Friday and into the weekend. “The only day that KZN will get a rest will be on Thursday. There will be some clearing on Wednesday but there is still going to be a chance of showers along the south coast and adjacent interior. “On Friday we have another system coming through that will bring a lot of rainfall, particularly over the south and south-eastern…

AN E-HAILING driver is claiming R1 million in damages after he was allegedly assaulted by hospital security guards for trying to see his ailing mother. Tyson Chetty, 25, suffered an injury to his head, his right rib cage, and a broken finger. Chetty said his mother had a lung problem and on February 10, he left her at RK Khan Hospital. During the day, his mother called to tell him she would be admitted. That day, he said he was allowed through the hospital’s main gate. He said before he sought permission from a guard at the casualty ward to see his mother, another guard reprimanded him. “I explained that I needed to chat to my mother for five minutes. Then the guard forcefully removed me from the premises. At…

Allegations against trustees dismissed THE Durban High Court has dismissed claims that three trustees at the Shri Mariammen Temple Society in Mount Edgecombe had misappropriated the temple’s funds. In a summons, Dave Marie, a former devotee at the temple, accused the trustees, Seelan Achary, Moonsamy Sigamoney and Pragalathan Chinsamy, of misusing the temple’s funds. The matter has been in court since 2016. Marie, a businessman from Umdloti, claimed the trustees, who are also businessmen, did not ensure proper financial records were kept. He said they did not ensure that a balance sheet reflecting the assets of the trust was prepared in respect of each financial year since 2002. Marie claimed that they failed to ensure that an audited revenue and expenditure account with a balance was presented before a public…

THE Qurbani appeals have already started, even though the sacred occasion is still two months away. On the first day of Ramadaan, April 3, I found two pamphlets in my postbox seeking my Qurbani contribution – one of them would be used in “Rajestan”. According to the information, “Rajestan” would be one of the provinces where the financial contributions would be made. I have previously raised some of my concerns with the local organisations seeking Qurbani contributions, but I have never received satisfactory answers. Millions of people are starving right here at home amid the rampant poverty and unemployment exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. So why do we not subscribe to the principle of ‘charity begins at home’? I have asked before – where exactly is “Rajestan” and what…

A DEFINING feature of South Africa is the level of inequality in almost all spheres of society. Nowhere is this more observable than in the schooling sector. It’s not unusual to find wealthy schools, comparable to the best anywhere in the world, within 5km of poor schools. Some blame for this inequality can be attributed to the lingering effects of racially biased funding that favoured white people during apartheid. But it does raise the question of why, after more than two and a half decades of democracy, poor children of South Africa continue to sit in overcrowded classrooms with crumbling floors and broken windows. There are still schools in South Africa where pit latrines are in use, a fact that education authorities are well aware of. To its credit, the…

SHARMAINE Manikram watched helplessly as water flooded her home on Monday night. It destroyed her belongings, appliances, and groceries. Manikram was at her Shastri Park home in Phoenix with her husband, daughter, son and niece. “The water seeped through the doors. “At first, it was not so bad so my daughter placed towels by the door to absorb the water. Then as it rained heavier, the water had filled up quickly in the house. Before we knew it, the water was by our knees.” Manikram said they ran outside only to find their car submerged. “We sought help from the community via WhatsApp and a truck was sent to our home. “The truck had a suction pump attached to it, so the water was drained. “Sadly, everything is damaged; my…

SHEHBAZ Sharif, the president of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), was elected the 23rd prime minister of Pakistan on Monday after 174 lawmakers voted in his favour at the weekend. Members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – founded in 1996 by former cricketer- turned-prime minister Imran Khan – boycotted the election. The party’s members walked out of the national assembly. The development comes after an un- ceremonious end to Khan’s tenure as prime minister through a no-confidence vote. Ayaz Sadiq, of the PML-N, presided over the session after Qasim Suri, the deputy speaker, said his conscience did not allow him to conduct the session. During this time Sadiq reminisced that he had also chaired the session during which Shehbaz’s elder brother, Nawaz Sharif, was elected as the prime minister.…

Although Temba Bavuma’s second century remains elusive, he has been a beacon of consistency since returning to the Test team after being dropped for the start of the England series in 2020/21. In 12 Test matches since, Bavuma has accumulated 800 runs at an average of 44.44, which includes six half-centuries. Only Proteas captain Dean Elgar has more runs with 1026 at 42.75 in 14 Tests. Bavuma missed the two-match series in the West Indies through a hip injury. During this period Bavuma’s defence has improved significantly – he has only been dismissed bowled twice since 2020. And one of those occasions was when he chopped on during the first Test against Bangladesh at Kingsmead on 93. Previously he had been bowled 10 times in 37 Tests. “I'm more confident…

WHO is the fastest man in Africa? Well, that accolade belongs to Ferdinand Omanyala, but South Africa’s Akani Simbine will challenge the Kenyan in tonight’s Athletics SA Grand Prix 4 in Germiston. Simbine is slowly returning to the track after missing out on an Olympic medal in the 100m final in Tokyo last year, where he finished fourth in a time of 9.93 seconds. Italian Marcell Jacobs was the unlikely champion in a European record 9.80, followed by American Fred Kerley (9.84) and Canada’s Andre de Grasse (9.89). Omanyala didn’t qualify for the final, having ended third in his semi-final in a then-personal best of 10.00. But on September 18, the 26-year-old scorched to a sensational new African mark of 9.77 in Nairobi, where he finished second behind American Trayvon…

ARIES (March 21 – April 19) Get a different perspective on things, especially the way you are working. Find a peaceful solution towards a difficult situation. There may be legal issues for some of you and you are asked to be patient. Lucky colour: green. TAURUS (April 20 – May 20) Money is in your chart this week or making money. You are being asked to be careful with this energy and not to become complacent. Balance is needed in your finances. Lucky colour: turquoise. GEMINI (May 21 – June 20) Stand in your truth this week and take control of things, especially your emotions. Find balance in this and try not to overthink things. Try not to take things personally and listen to your own intuition. Lucky colour:…

THE puppy shelter and kennels at the Phoenix Animal Care and Treatment have been destroyed. Neerie Naidoo, the head of the shelter which is based in Verulam, said all the dogs were evacuated. “We have 80 dogs, including pups. The pups are kept in the shelter and the older dogs in the kennels. During the rain, the shelter's roof caved in and the three rooms flooded. One room is badly damaged.” Naidoo said the kennels were also flooded. “Our shelter manager, Dave Hansen, who lives in a separate house on the property, is keeping the dogs. All the dogs’ food, blankets and towels have been destroyed. Some of the pups are now ill after getting wet.” She said the road to the shelter was flooded but she was trying to…

THE Department of Social Development in KwaZulu-Natal has found Just Juniors Crèche suitable to operate after a caregiver was accused of assault. The department launched an investigation into the crèche in Rainham, Phoenix, in September last year. The caregiver was seen on CCTV footage sitting on the floor with a two-year-old child and then pushing the child with her foot. He falls forward and his face hits a carpet. The child suffered a cut to his nose and his forehead was swollen. Preshalin Pillay, the child’s father, reported the incident to the crèche management, the police and the department. At the time, Pillay said the caregiver could not explain the injuries and he demanded to see the CCTV footage. Soon after the incident, Pillay protested outside the school. He wanted…

Dirty politics blamed for charges against Action SA councillor Newcastle councillor Faizel Cassim says dirty politics and a smear campaign were behind allegations of water contamination against his laundry company. Cassim is a member of Action SA which issued a statement recently saying that the Newcastle Municipality and uThukela Water had withdrawn their court interdict against him. Cassim had been charged with illegal dumping and was taken to court last year for allegedly contaminating Amcor Dam and Ncandu River through his laundry company. It was alleged that chemical pollutants from the laundry company were dumped in the water. Fishermen and farmers lodged complaints with the Newcastle Municipality. A fisherman said dead fish floated in the water while a farmer claimed his cattle died after drinking the water. The municipality's environmental…

AT the start of the lockdown, in 2020, I was confined to the house with my mom stuck on Lotus FM 24/7. After a few weeks, I began to enjoy the station. The music brought me closer to my culture. A year later, when I had to go back to work, I continued to listen to Lotus FM. But over a recent weekend, there were changes. There is extra English being aired. Lotus will lose another listener. Bringing back a DJ, especially for English music on a weekend, will surely lose valid listeners. Thank you for the past two years. SHAUN SINGH Pietermaritzburg…

I WOULD crave the opportunity to greet and wish all humanity reading this Ramadaan Mubarak 1443. The greatest truth dispelling lies were revealed in the month of Ramadaan, seeking to align humankind towards unity in purpose and service. I wish to thank you, Mr Editor, and to pray for the attainment of peace and a shared reality of children of God living side by side, united by a belief in one God. Permit me to respond to Professor Anand Singh with goodwill wishes. His letter “Deliberate lies must be challenged” (Post, April 6 – 10) speaks to the movie, The Kashmir Files. I agree that all lies, not just deliberate lies, aka propaganda, must be exposed. Kashmir epitomises the zealotry of extremists on Hindutva-inspired steroids and the fact that Singh,…

THE torrential rains and flash floods that cut a swathe of destruction in KwaZulu-Natal, has also left the over six-decade-old Umhlatuzana Hindu Temple in Chatsworth in ruins. The premises, which has four temples and a hall, is located on the banks of the Umhlatuzana River. Two of the temples were washed away after the river burst its banks. Rodney Moodley, the chairperson of the Umhlatuzana Hindu Temple Society, said: “It is sad and heartbreaking. So much hard work went into restoring the temple after the last flood in 2019. At that time, there was mainly water damage. “This time, it is worse. Two of our temples, the Amman (mother) temple and the Navagraha temple, were washed away. “The Shiva and Vishnu temples are still there, but we need to check…

WHAT a time to go fishing! The couta are on the loose and there are some monster tuna as well. Well done to Jean Deysel on winning the Umhlanga Ski Boat comp with a beast of a tuna and also those who caught other fantastic fish … it was a close competition. The North Coast has seen good couta action with everyone getting in on the bite. Bait has been hard to come by but the fish have been hungry, so don’t stress much. The areas off Salt Rock and Westbrook have been productive. Trolling lipped lures in the early mornings has accounted for many fish but the couta have favoured a deeper rigged bait. Try down rigging a mackerel or sardine with a 4-6oz sinker for the best results.…

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi has expressed his excitement about being part of the national set-up again following the conclusion of the first alignment camp in Durban on Tuesday. While Bok coach Jacques Nienaber was at pains to explain why players at the camp had not been selected for the three-Test series against Wales in July, there is always a lot of enthusiasm and expectation for those in attendance and fans trying to work out who is in the mix. Nienaber felt it was not necessary to divulge the names of the 22 players who had been invited to the three-day workshop in Durban – although he did say Japan-based duo, Elton Jantjies and Malcolm Marx, were also part of the camp as they were recovering from injuries in Cape Town…