Table of contents for 2022-05-11 in Post

sharron duff ARIES (March 21 – April 19) It feels there is a heavy workload around some of you, so you are being asked to share this load. Take action towards finishing unfinished tasks. You may be asked to share your expertise with others. If this happens, there could be a much better outcome than you expected. Lucky colour: orange. TAURUS (April 20 – May 20) You have everything you need to move forward and are surrounded by friends and family who love you. You don’t need to feel alone. Treasure your friendships and count your blessings. Try not to spend impulsively this week. Lucky colour: gold. GEMINI (May 21 – June 20) Great things are coming your way, but you need to decide what you want. Make constructive plans…

The eThekwini Municipality says recent demolitions were done within the ambit of the law. Msawakhe Mayisela, the municipality’s spokesperson, said its Land Invasion Unit had conducted an operation in Chatsworth last Friday. He said the unit was assisting the Human Settlements department. “They found people erecting illegal structures on council land. They were advised several times to stop building by housing personnel and some were even served with notices to stop building. These were ignored. “We then wanted to avoid occupation and discourage people to just build illegally on council land. Three structures were demolished that were illegally erected on council property,” he said. Mayisela said one of these structures was partially demolished on April 29. “This was with the intention of demoralising the invader from occupying the property. The…

DURING the 1963 raids, Ronnie Kasrils and I escaped the first raft of arrests, which had included comrades Curnick Ndlovu and Billy Nair, but we quickly received an instruction that we should go into hiding. On the night of the Rivonia arrests, I moved from my home to a safe house: that was fortunate as the police raided my uncle’s home. I was instructed to become part of a new Natal High Command together with Ronnie, and fellow saboteurs Bruno Mtolo and Steven Mtshali, but there was no preparation for us to operate from the underground. The police were surveilling the homes of our family and friends. I had no transport or money to move around. Every day I had to find a new place to sleep and means to…

FORMER South African president Kgalema Motlanthe, one of the saner voices in the ruling ANC, has recently given voice to heresy. He has said that the time of the ANC in power is coming to an end. The party that has dominated South African politics since 1994, winning five successive general elections, is confronting a crisis of its own making. This results from poor governance and rampant corruption. A steady decline in support raises the real prospect of gaining less than 50% in the next general election in 2024. As Motlanthe points out, South African politics is in a state of flux, which must necessarily result in a realignment of political forces. No ANC figure of his stature has hitherto admitted that the ANC as such might cease to exist.…

When a person in political leadership says or does something wrong, the criticism should come from their respective parties first. This, however, is never the case within political circles. There is a hope that the storm will blow over and people will soon forget. South Africa is being run by political and narrow-minded people who are without opinion and choose to remain silent. These spinally deficient individuals know that their silence benefits their pockets. Thinkers and opposing views are ostracised in party circles, so these politicians keep their mouths shut when it comes to one of their own. This indolence has not gone unnoticed by the citizenry. It triggers apathy and disdain towards politics, which is reflected in voting patterns. This, however, must not be viewed as a bad thing.…

The eThekwini Municipality responds to the letter, “Tongaat, a town without pity” (POST, May 4-8), by Yogas Nair. The city has noted the frustration, disappointment, and anger of the community of Tongaat caused by the shortage of water in the area. We acknowledge the pain and apologise unreservedly for it. The recent floods have left a trail of damage that was not expected by anyone. The Tongaat Water Treatment Works was destroyed during the floods. This has made it impossible for the municipality to get water from the Wewe River and purify it for consumption. We have been then left with no option but to mobilise water tankers so that residents can have clean drinking and cooking water. We concede that we have received complaints from the public to the…

A study by an international company claims that South Africa is the most dangerous country to drive in due to the high number of road fatalities caused by drunk driving. According to the research data published by Zutobi, an international driver’s education company, on its website recently, South Africa had the lowest safety driving score in the world. South Africa scored 3.41 out of 10. Countries were analysed on factors that included estimated road traffic death rates, motorway speed limits, blood alcohol concentration limits for drivers, and deaths attributed to alcohol. This information was used to determine the world’s safest and most dangerous countries to drive in. According to the data, South Africa had the highest alcohol-related road traffic deaths at 57.5%. In addition, there are an estimated 22.2 road…

VALLA Kisten, the doyen of South African Tamil music, has died. The singer, who entertained crowds for more than 55 years, passed away in hospital on Sunday morning, Kisten’s son, Ashley, said his father died days after their mother, Vhanabaikuim, 68, passed away. He said his dad picked up a chest infection a fortnight ago and was admitted to hospital. On the day he was discharged, his mom was admitted to hospital after she apparently picked up Covid-19 when she went for dialysis. After three days she was doing better and video-called the family from her hospital bed. Ashley said she was then moved out of the Covid ward. But two days later, her oxygen levels and vitals dropped and she was put on a ventilator. “We were called to…

FORMULA One just can’t get enough of America and on Sunday the sport lapped up the celebrity-infused attention at the inaugural Miami Grand Prix, basking in finally having ‘cracked'=’ the US market. When it comes to letting America’s most famous racing family, Andretti, in on the action, however, the enthusiasm markedly wanes with the sport’s cold commercial calculations coming to the fore. With Las Vegas next year set to become the third US race, after Austin and Miami, and fan and sponsor interest at an all-time high thanks to Netflix’s ‘Drive to Survive’ series, there was a heady air of celebration at the Miami Gardens track. “Mega. I think it is a fantastic achievement by all involved,” said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff. “Formula One is all around, the amount…

Manchester City and Pep Guardiola’s quest to finally win the Champions League will extend at least another year. City were ousted from Europe’s premier club competition last week after losing 6-5 on aggregate against Real Madrid. Since their Arab takeover in 2008, the Champions League is the one trophy that has eluded City just as it has PSG. Despite being arguably the most decorated manager in modern football, Guardiola has also not won the Champions League since he last led Barcelona to glory in the competition in 2011. While City are one of the best teams in the world, they lack that come-from-behind mentality that established Champions League clubs have. What has let them down in this competition is an inability to come back like how Madrid did against them…

LOCAL film-makers Arish Sirkissoon, aka Lx Seth, and Dr Rajendra Singh are set to have their movie, The Castle, open at local cinemas on Friday. Directed by Sirkissoon with Singh as executive producer, the psychological thriller has the underlying theme: “Trust nobody.” The movie was written by Sirkissoon, who is also a musician, with contributions by Singh, a Pietermaritzburg dermatologist, both of whom also act in the film. According to the plot, on their wedding day Michael (Sirkissoon) and Catherine (Rio Segal) break down in the middle of nowhere. They walk for several kilometres when they discover an old castle. Against her better judgement, Catherine is persuaded by Michael to spend the night there. Once she enters the castle, she feels as if something is watching her. What she discovers…

Almost 40 years since being displaced by the Inanda riots of August 1985, victims have vivid memories of the violence and the trauma they endured. Many of them spoke about their experiences at the inaugural Inanda Remembrance Day held at the Earlington Secondary School hall in Phoenix on Saturday. The event was scheduled to take place two years ago but it was postponed because of Covid-19 restrictions. It was spearheaded by Pravesh Naipal and Narendh Ganesh. Naipal grew up in Inanda and Ganesh’s family were displaced in the violence. Speakers said families scrambled to gather clothing, food, and personal documents from their wood-and-iron homes as some people from the African community descended on Inanda. They said homes were looted and burnt, and that families who remained to protect their homes…

I REGRET playing truant from Tamil school. Today I can hardly speak my mother tongue, let alone read and write in Tamil. This fills me with guilt and remorse. The kitchen Tamil that I know is limited and basic, and was developed when I started talking. When I was little, my father forbade speaking in English at home. Hence, I spoke Tamil with my parents and siblings, and fanagalo or pidgin Zulu with the workers when I was growing up on the banana farm in what was then Cavendish. In fact, when I started school in Class 1, I did not know a word of English. I yearn to be able to communicate effortlessly in Tamil. This craving will be better satisfied if there was a sizeable number of people…

The implications of overturning Roe v. Wade are grave as it could set a dangerous precedent when one of the most powerful countries in the world seeks to curtail the sexual and reproductive rights of women. Considering the influence of the US in the global public health sphere and other socio-political issues, we should be worried that decades of advocacy and activism can be reversed when those in power do not see women as autonomous beings. The reversal of Roe v. Wade by the US Supreme Court would mark the removal of a woman’s right to decide what to do with her body, and, therefore, her human rights. The Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act ensures legal protection of the right to abortion. However, much of the funding in the…

ENGLISH Football League chairman Rick Parry said the League Cup is not under threat amid potential scheduling issues due to the Champions League’s looming expansion, though he added that he believes the competition format needs changes. European soccer’s governing body Uefa last year made changes to its top continental club competition, approving a new format from the 2024-25 season with the group stages expanded to 36 teams from 32. Instead of the current six matches, each team will compete in a minimum of 10 games against 10 different opponents, leading to a requirement of more midweek dates before Christmas, which could affect the League Cup programme. “We are realistic. We clearly know 2024 is coming. Uefa doesn’t really like League Cups. “We are pretty much unique now in terms of…

Mark Boucher is close to a broken man after the ordeal he has endured over the past 12 months, which is now “finalised and closed” after Cricket South Africa dropped all charges against him yesterday. It has been a tumultuous period that saw Boucher and his family endure “considerable anguish”. It would be entirely understandable that Boucher would hold Cricket SA – his employers – in contempt for orchestrating a virtual witch-hunt to have him dismissed from his post as Proteas Men’s coach. The fact that the “gross misconduct” charges were based on allegations of racism would have incensed Boucher even more, particularly after he was the sole white former national men’s player to issue a personal apology when his black former teammate Paul Adams revealed at the Social Justice…

PREV Reddy, an actor and comedian, will stage his first stand-up comedy show outside of his popular alter ego, Aunty Shamilla. The show, Qualified Disappointment, will stage at the iZulu Theatre at Sibaya Casino and Entertainment World on May 21. Reddy said it was now the perfect time to return to his stand-up comedy roots. “When I was still doing my audition rounds and working in film production, I went to different open mics in Durban and Johannesburg, which were terrifying but I learnt so much. “Over the past three years, I have devoted so much of my life and self to creating Aunty Shamilla and making sure she is a fully-developed character, that I lost myself in the way. “So I decided that with Shamilla’s career being well on…

A DAY after Jackie Naidoo spent Mother’s Day with her son, she burnt to death in a fire at her home in Westham, Phoenix. Naidoo, 35, lived in a two-bedroomed council flat with her 12-year-old son and her partner of four years. Her sister, Colleen Vermeulen, said Naidoo’s neighbour contacted the family on Monday to tell them the flat was on fire. “The neighbour said she saw Jackie’s partner put my nephew into his transport for school and return to the flat. Shortly after that, he left.” Vermeulen said soon thereafter there was an explosion. “The neighbour said they heard glass breaking and then the flat was on fire. Someone called the fire department and the police. “My sister’s body was found on her bed. Her African Grey birds, which…

A MONTH has passed since infrastructure was damaged during the floods, and residents in Tongaat still do not have piped water. Their only source of water is from Jojo tanks, flow drums and new boreholes in the area. The residents also depend on the generosity of donors and sponsors for bottled drinking water. Lily Jergans, 68, of Plane Street, said she and her daughter used the water they filled from a Jojo tank at the Vishwa- roop Temple sparingly. She said she injured her leg during an accident and while it was difficult to walk, she had to collect water. “The bottles and buckets are heavy so we have to stop every few minutes to catch our breath,” said Jergans. “We need the water to clean our house and wash…

Is there a crisis in South Africa? According to AfriForum, the answer is a definite yes. AfriForum is a civil rights organisation that was started 16 years ago. It aims to mobilise Afrikaners, Afrikaans-speaking people and other minority groups in South Africa with the aim of protecting their rights. Their private prosecution unit is often in the media spotlight. It is led by Gerrie Nel, a former State prosecutor, who was nicknamed the Bulldog for his tenacious cross examination. A few days ago, AfriForum announced it was embarking on a tour to the Netherlands and Hungary to tell the world about the crisis in South Africa. Ernest Roets, the head of policy and action at AfriForum, will meet with leaders from government, political parties and NGOs during the trip. Media…

FOLLOWING the killing of Hillary Gardee, I penned this letter to my granddaughter Safiyyah in Auckland, New Zealand. Today is the day plus one after Eid-ul-Fitr, Safiyyah. The anticipatory euphoria associated with the culmination of Eid – after 30 days of fasting and spiritual recharging – gave way to the news of the tragic death of Hillary Gardee. She was the daughter of Godrich Gardee, the former secretary-general of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). All lives matter. The words of Don Maclean's Vincent fits squarely with what follows. “They would not listen then, they did not know how. Perhaps they will listen now.” Vincent aptly frames the state we are in. What sort of justice would it take to satisfy this callous murder. The South African Police Service will galvanise…

TWO children covered their faces while alleged hitmen shot their father multiple times with hand and machine guns in Overport. Last Saturday night, Zeyn Moideen, 41, an Overport businessman, was at a soccer tournament at the Tills Crescent Sports Grounds. Moideen, who owned Zemo Construction, was also a co-owner of Durban Spurs Football Club. Moideen, his dad, three children and a female friend went to the grounds early that day to set up a gazebo with refreshments for his team. His wife, Shelly, was at home with their youngest son. “He spent the day at the tournament,” said Moideen’s brother, Rehaad. “Zeyn, who was fasting during Ramadaan, even broke his fast with his team. During the interval, from 5.30pm to 6.30pm, he decided to go to a restaurant in Durban…

THE Indian Premier League has made millionaires out of young players, generated invaluable publicity for team owners and made the national cricket board one of the richest governing bodies in global sport. The world’s most valuable cricket tournament, now in its 15th iteration and boasting the likes of Virat Kohli, Pat Cummins and Jos Buttler, was a pioneer in Twenty20 league cricket. Its success and popularity has spawned copycat competitions in other countries and generated a fortune for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The high-octane, big-hitting carnival provides a must-see product, driving broadcast subscriptions by the millions and pulling in huge advertising revenue. Some businesses are willing to splash out nearly $1 billion (about R16.117 billion) just to get a chance to field a team…

WITH all the dirt and debris plaguing our waters recently, the fishing has not been fantastic. That being said, there have been a few great catches. Water colour and lures. Firstly, lure action and profile is more important than colour. If the water is coloured you need to fish with something with a solid silhouette. Colours for this include purple and black. These stronger colours provide a fantastic silhouette for the game fish to zone in on. Other great choices for lures include noise and vibration. These are key when the water gets very dirty. Look for lures that vibrate on their retrieve and/or have rattles inside. The offshore fishing has been slow but those putting the time in have managed to get fish to the boat. The bait fish…