Table of contents for 2023-06-14 in Post

1 butternut squash, peeled, de-seeded and cut into cubes 2 yellow onions, finely diced 3 tbs olive oil 1 tsp fresh thyme ½ tsp cinnamon 4 cups (1 litre) vegetable or chicken stock salt and pepper to taste ½ cup heavy cream (optional) Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the butternut squash, thyme and stock. Increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer covered for about 5 minutes. Place the lidded pot in the Wonderbag for a minimum of 2 hours to finish cooking. Add cream if using. Purée using a staff-blender or food processor. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.…

ACTRESS Zahra Dada has scored a role in an international sci-fi series called The Power. Born and raised in Durban, Dada attended Durban Girls’ College and completed high school at Eden College. Dada said she obtained a BA degree specialising in brand building and business management from the Vega School of Brand Leadership in Cape Town, before starting her journey into producing films. The media influencer has appeared in commercials for brands such as Old Mutual and Woolworths South Africa. She has also partnered with Coca-Cola, Samsung and Clicks, among others, as an influencer. “Acting and film is my primary passion. This deep-rooted burning has taken me to study acting and film- making in South Africa as well as in the two biggest movie cities and industries, Los Angeles and…

AFTER learning about DNA in high school, Dr Kamini Govender became fascinated by science. Years later, that fascination would provide her the opportunity to travel to Germany to participate in the 72nd Nobel Lindau Meeting. The event, from June 25 to 30, is hosted by the Council for the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting and aims to develop an international scientific forum. The annual meetings are an opportunity for an exchange between different generations, cultures and disciplines in medicine and physiology. Govender, 32, a lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, is from Shakaskraal on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast. She is one of nine scientists from South Africa who will be discussing medicine and physiology. The other scientists are Dr Gina Leisching from Trinity College Dublin; Dr Cosnet Lerato Rametse from UCT;…

ROMARIO Valentine is a Grade 6 pupil at Reddam Umhlanga Preparatory School, and an eco-warrior. He is an Ocean Sole ambassador, a 2022 BirdLife SA Owlet laureate and affiliated with environmental organisations including those linked to the UN. Romario, 11, of uMhlanga, believes it is his mission to inspire and empower the youth to become Earth guardians. His love for conservation started when he was six years old after he landed the role of an orca whale in a school play. To learn more about what his role would entail, he researched the species and that was when his love for the environment began. “During my school play, I discovered the damage pollutants were doing to the environment and marine animals like sea turtles and killer whales. I decided to…

SUPERSTAR Sid Sriram arives in Durban this week. He will perform at the Durban ICC on Saturday. The concert marks the Chennai-based Indian-American singer’s first performance in South Africa. Born in Chennai, Sriram moved with his family to California. After high school, he studied at the Berklee College of Music in Boston where he graduated in music production and engineering. He gained recognition through his performances on YouTube, where he uploaded cover versions of popular songs. His unique blend of Carnatic music, R&B and soulful pop garnered attention and he gained a dedicated fan base. The Carnatic musician, music producer, playback singer and songwriter has been working in the Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, Marathi and English music industries. Sriram said his career in music was a process of evolution…

DURING Pride Month LGBTQIA+ activists have emphasised the need for inclusivity and understanding. This was after retail chain Woolworths received a backlash on social media for its Pride Month campaign. As part of International Pride Month in June, Woolworths stores sported the colours of the pride flag and encouraged people to “Be an Ally”. Woolworths embarked on online and social media initiatives and produced a collection of pride-themed apparel and accessories. It also pledged to donate part of the proceeds from its pride range sales to LGBTQIA+ support organisations. The initiative, intended to celebrate and support the LGBTQIA+ community, was however met with resistance and threats of boycotts. One person tweeted: “It is sad that a corporation such as Woolworths is publicly supporting a minority group who are arrogant in…

Mallie Pillay, 61, has been practising yoga for 22 years. She has been teaching the discipline for 18 years at her Durban North studio, and also in Phoenix and Greenwood Park. She also teaches at various schools, under the Sivananda World Peace Foundation, during Yoga Month in June. The Sunningdale resident said the physical, mental, and spiritual benefits of yoga were enormous for individuals, families and communities at large. “With practising yoga, you find you have more energy. It aids in managing stress and the challenges we face in life today. Yoga teaches both young and old to use their bodies to manage their stress through breathing and mindfulness/meditation. “It helps build confidence and increase self-awareness. When you do yoga, you do it for yourself, but you evolve into a…

Australian spinner Nathan Lyon heads into another Ashes campaign on the cusp of joining an elite group of players with 500 Test wickets – and warning he can still get better. The veteran of 120 Tests will do battle once more with England this week and is primed to torment a country that has accounted for 101 of his 487 scalps. The 35-year-old Lyon declared last month he believed “100%” that a whitewash of their hosts and arch-rivals was doable. Affectionately known as “Garry” after former Aussie Rules player Garry Lyon, he is one of the most prolific off-spinners to grace Test cricket. He took four wickets in India’s second innings to help Australia win the World Test Championship final at The Oval on Sunday and is poised to join…

THE ENGLISH transfer window opens today ahead of what is expected to be another heavy close season of spending by Premier League clubs. Business has already been done by some teams as Liverpool moved on quickly from missing out on Real Madrid-bound Jude Bellingham to land Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton & Hove Albion. Harry Kane’s future at Tottenham Hotspur looks set to be the major transfer saga as the England captain enters the final year of his contract. Several of Kane’s international teammates could also be on the move with Declan Rice, Mason Mount and James Maddison attracting interest, while Brighton are expected to cash in once more by selling Moises Caicedo. AFP Sport looks at five of the transfer moves to watch in the coming months. Harry Kane…

Inter Milan return to earth with a bump on Sunday after their Champions League dream was crushed by Manchester City, financial problems making a repeat of this season’s heroics a difficult task for one of Europe’s grand old clubs. Well-organised and committed to coach Simone Inzaghi’s game plan, Inter bridged a huge resource gap in Istanbul and came close to being crowned European champions for the fourth time. But the Italians missed their chances and City got the Champions League title for which the club’s Abu Dhabi owners have long searched through massive player investment and one of the game’s best coaches. Inzaghi insisted that his team could have another go at winning the club game’s biggest prize after saying a “new mentality” had been created at Inter. “In the…

500g chicken thighs/chicken fillets, roughly chopped ½ cup plain yoghurt 2 tsp each of turmeric, medium hot curry powder, ground coriander, cumin and dried chilli flakes 2 tbs butter 2 tbs olive oil 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2 tsp grated fresh ginger 1 tsp ground black pepper 1 x 410g can chopped peeled tomatoes 3 tbs ground almonds 100ml cream/coconut milk a handful of chopped fresh coriander salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste If possible, prep the night before. Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl and coat with the yoghurt, and 1 tsp each of the turmeric, curry powder, coriander, cumin and chilli. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge to rest. Heat the butter and olive oil in a medium-sized pot over…

IN 2019 Melanie Kisten’s Big Amma’s House had just started a national tour when the Covid-19 pandemic hit and lockdowns followed. Next week the show will be brought back to the stage in a one-night-only show in Durban, with stagings in Joburg and Cape Town on the cards. The show will be presented by Kisten and Panache Promotions at Durban’s Suncoast Globe Theatre on June 24. The dance comedy unpacks family dynamics between a mother, a father, two opposite daughters, a son with his wife, a troubled uncle, and a nosey aunty. According to its plot, Big Amma’s House follows a whacky but fun-loving family who, no matter what the circumstances, are always there for each other, until greed for money gets the better of them. But can this…

OPERATION Shanela, launched last month by the SAPS, has already led to the arrest of 21 200 suspects for serious crimes such as rape and murder. Lieutenant-General Sehlahle Fannie Masemola, the national commissioner of police, revealed the information during a briefing last week at Klipgat SAPS in the North West. Operation Shanela was launched on May 8 to help police analyse crime patterns and emerging crime threats. Masemola said provincial commissioners and senior management from the nine provinces were leading and taking part in weekend high-density crime prevention and combating operations. “Operation Shanela comprises regular stop-and-searches, vehicle checkpoints, roadblocks, and cordon-and-searches. It also comprises high-visibility patrols, including floor patrols, the tracing of wanted suspects with a focus on the apprehension, compliance inspections at liquor outlets and second-hand goods dealers,” said…

INSPIRED by her father, Tashmica Sharma has dedicated most of her life to community upliftment and to becoming an agent for change. Sharma, 30, from Westville, is doing her PhD in Disaster Management of Industrial Accidents in the South Durban Basin through the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She also lectures at the university’s School of Agriculture, Earth and Environmental Sciences. Sharma still finds the time for community service and to work with youth upliftment organisations. She said that growing up, she was influenced by her father, Vishnu Sharma, a former maths teacher. He dedicated his time to teaching maths techniques to matric learners in rural areas. “He worked with educators to translate the lessons into isiZulu. “Thereafter, the maths lesson would be taught in Zulu and English, recorded on a disc,…

AS NEWS spread of the killing of 61-year-old university lecturer Shan Dwarika, who was kidnapped a fortnight ago from an apartment he rented out, there was a deluge of not-so-hushed calls for the reinstatement of the death penalty. The return of capital punishment was also proposed as a sure-fire way to reduce the rampant rise in serious crime which has come to be regarded as an acceptable means of resolving social, political and even domestic conflicts. According to the latest crime statistics released by Minister of Police Bheki Cele, more than 6 200 people were killed between January and March this year. In other words, at least 70 people were murdered every day in the first three months of the year. More than 10 500 rape cases were…

A 48-YEAR-OLD community activist living in the Western Cape said the new race law conveyed the message that coloured people were not welcome in the province. Vanessa Adriaanse, of Heideveld, is a mother of four who runs a non-profit advocacy group called Mothers for Justice. She is concerned about how the new race law would affect the coloured community in the Western Cape. This follows a report by Cape Forum and Solidarity on the impact of the draft Employment Equity Amendment Act regulations. The proposed regulations were published for comment last month after the Employment Equity Amendment Act was signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa in April. The act will come into effect on September 1. In terms of the act, the minister of labour will set specific sector…

Healing Heart shows widows love THE Healing Heart’s Widows Association in Phoenix has had a busy few weeks. Support groups, health and wellness days, a cook-off and a pamper day are a few of the events that were held with the intention of empowering and caring for widows from the area. The association was established in August last year, and as it approaches its first anniversary, Katija Nabi, its chairperson, said they were more motivated to expand to reach more widows. “I am a community activist. Over the years, a number of community members have been left devastated after being widowed. It often resulted in widows facing endless challenges like financial hardship. For many widows, losing a spouse often means losing your basic rights, your voice, an income or the…

The South African Football Association (Safa) will honour the much-loved former Bafana Bafana coach Clive “The Dog” Barker, who died on Saturday. Safa president Danny Jordaan said there are plans to honour Barker through some of the programmes that the association has, especially in the Safa Academy, youth courses and scouting, among others. “We met with the family, and we were happy to be there during this difficult time,” said Jordaan, who flew in from Morocco after watching the African Champions League final on Saturday evening. “We will always remember Clive and will honour him with several other initiatives, including the Safa/Clive Barker Academy. Jordaan was joined by Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa and former Bafana Bafana captain Neil Tovey, who visited Barker’s family in Glenwood in Durban…

Senuran Muthusamy is arguably among the hardest-working cricketers in the country. It often does not yield the intended results though and can cause anyone to become despondent. But not the North West all-rounder, who moved from his hometown Durban to Potchefstroom two years ago, because when the world is turning against him, he works even harder. And that’s why the rewards that are coming his way right now are fully deserved. After playing two Test matches in India almost four years ago, the 29-year-old was recalled from the international wilderness for the series against the West Indies last summer. “I wasn’t expecting it all, to be honest. When the Proteas are playing in South Africa, the team doesn’t usually use that many spin options,” Muthusamy told The Post from Sri…

Kylian Mbappe told Paris Saint- Germain on Monday that he would not be taking up an option to extend his contract until 2025, raising the spectre of him following Lionel Messi out of the club during the close season. The 24-year-old France striker’s current deal expires at the end of next season, with the option of another year. If he does not sign, the French champions risk losing him for nothing in a year’s time - so they could now sell him this year rather than miss out on a windfall for one of the world’s best players. Mbappe’s decision not to renew, announced in a letter to the club and revealed by the French sports daily L’Equipe, is a fresh blow to PSG following the loss of Messi to…

2 tbs cooking oil 1kg stewing beef 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped 2 carrots, peeled and diced 2 potatoes, peeled and diced 3 tsp vinegar 1 beef stock cube 4¼ cups water 1 bay leaf 1 tbs ground coriander 2 tbs mixed dry herbs Heat the oil in a pot and fry the beef until browned. Remove the beef from the pot and add the onion. Fry the onion until soft. Return the beef to the pot, and add the carrots and potatoes. Stir in the vinegar, beef stock cube (dissolved in water), bay leaf and dry spices and herbs. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Place the lidded pot in the Wonderbag for 4 hours to finish cooking.…

4 thick pork and herb sausages 1 tbs olive oil 1 onion, peeled and diced 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 2 x 397g cans cannellini beans 2 tbs tomato purée 1 tbs molasses 1 tbs dark brown sugar a tin chopped tomatoes fresh parsley, to serve 2 tbs English mustard, or spicy mustard Twist each sausage into four parts and cut to make 16 small and fat sausages. In a pot, warm a tablespoon of oil over a high heat. Add the sausages and cook for 5 to10 minutes, turning occasionally until browned. Stir in the onion and cook for 5 minutes, adding the garlic at the last minute. Add all of the remaining ingredients, other than the parsley, to the pan, followed by 80ml cold water. Bring to…

IT’S been five years since the release of Jessica Chaz’s Dreamin’ EP and, to celebrate, the Canada-based artist has released five different versions of the song to keep its message alive. Chaz was born and raised in Kharwastan in Chatsworth and later Glenwood. She attended Parkside Primary School and Durban Girls’ High School and then studied for a bachelor’s degree in music at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She majored in performance. She and her family then moved to Canada and she later studied at Simon Fraser University and the University of Victoria in Canada toward a certificate in business administration, which is ongoing. Chaz is currently based in Vancouver. The 33-year-old is a full-time musician, producer and the co-CEO of the Moodlab Entertainment group, which she runs with her sister,…

A DAY after celebrating his 65th birthday, Dr Jay Mannie hung up his white coat. Mannie, from Musgrave in Durban, was the CEO of McCord Hospital and retired last month after 36 years of service. He is now looking forward to fulfilling his five plans, which include using his two-man band, L-Cubed, to help raise funds for non-profit organisations. Mannie was born in Seaview and attended Seaview Primary School. When his family moved to Chatsworth, he transferred to Coedmore Primary School and thereafter matriculated from Southlands High School. “I am the last born of nine children. We were poor but happy. My father, Manickum, was a waiter, and he passed away at age 48 when I was 8 years old. My mother, Ruby, was a housewife who took care of…

WHEN Daniel Alick was a teenager, he joined clubs at his high school to help the underprivileged and those battling with drug addiction in his community of oThongathi (Tongaat). Being exposed to these social ills inspired him to start his own non-profit organisation, the Alick Health and Learning Centre Foundation. Alick, 24, from Belvedere, matriculated from Belverton Secondary School. He is employed at a debt counselling company. He said in high school he joined Tongaat Against Drug Abuse (Tada), the Young Dreamers and the Rotary Club. “Through Tada, I helped other volunteers create awareness about drug abuse among teenagers by putting together talks and handing out educational reading material. “The Young Dreamers was a lunch club. We received donations of bread and other lunch items to make sandwiches for underprivileged…

RUNNING the Comrades Marathon is no small feat, so possibly becoming the fastest Indian South African runner and beating a 37-year-old record is admirable. Elston Naicker, who ran his second Comrades Marathon, completed the 2023 race in 6 hours and 3 minutes, and finished in 71st place. According to the Comrades Marathon Association, the previous record by an Indian South African was held by Poobie Naidoo in 1986. He completed the marathon in 6 hours and 7 minutes. Naicker, 31, who lives in Tongaat with his wife, Kamini, works as a machine operator at Tongaat Hullet Sugar Ltd. He said running was a new-found sport for him. “I started running in 2020 but I did my first Comrades only last year. It was a way to keep fit. “It was…

ONE of the largest fruit and vegetable farmers on KwaZulu-Natal's North Coast believes the race quota on water-use licences will impact food security. He said the licence would affect farmers and every citizen in the country. On May 19, draft regulations were published by Senzo Mchunu, the Minister of Water and Sanitation, introducing race quotas for water-use licences. The public was given 60 days to comment. According to the draft regulations, farmers are required to have 25% to 75% black shareholding for their applications to be approved. This means that farmers who draw 250 000 to 500 000 cubic metres of water require 25% of black shareholding for their water use licence to be granted, while 50% black shareholding is needed to use more than 500 000 cubic metres. For…

Springbok winger Aphiwe Dyantyi is back on the rugby field with the Sharks as the end of his suspension for using a prohibited substance draws near. The Durban side announced on Tuesday that Dyantyi had joined them, with the speedster saying that he was excited to be back after being in the city for a while, waiting for his ban to be over in August. The former Lions star was banned for four years in 2019 after he failed to prove that he was unknowingly exposed to metandienone, methyltestosterone and LGD-4033 after he tested positive for the substances. The positive result came while he was in camp with the Springboks, and the winger, who had set the field alight after his debut in 2018, missed out on selection for the…

Dentists must be rubbing their hands in glee as WWE fans are being treated to plenty of candy – eye candy, mind you – as the sports entertainment giant has been upping the game of their female competitors big time. Looks they have, but they are also incredibly skilled and the storylines they are following make for riveting viewing. The latest star to emerge is 29-year-old Zoey Stark. During a recent interview, on the Bleav in Pro Wrestling podcast, Stark mentioned that although she didn’t capture the NXT Women’s Championship, Shawn Michaels told her she was on the fast track to superstardom. “One of my big goals was to become the NXT women’s champion and sadly that didn’t happen. But Shawn pulled me aside and said I had bigger fish…