Table of contents for 2023-04-05 in Post

THE family of Leigh Matthews said it was emotionally taxing having to sit through another parole hearing of their daughter’s killer. Convicted murderer Donovan Moodley's parole hearing was redone at Johannesburg prison last week, but the recommendations of no parole remained. Moodley is serving a life sentence for murdering Matthews, a 20-year-old Bond University student. On July 9, 2004, Moodley, also a student at the university, abducted Matthews at gunpoint from the university parking lot and pushed her into the boot of his vehicle. Shortly after the kidnapping, a ransom demand was made to Matthews’s father, Rob, who dropped off R50 000 at a toll plaza south of Johannesburg. On July 24, 2004, Matthews’s body was found in an open veld in Walkerville. She was shot four times. In 2005,…

CIVIC and ratepayer associations say residents cannot afford to pay more for water. This after the eThekwini Municipality drafted a water tariff increase of 14.9% and 15.9% for residents and businesses, respectively. The proposal was tabled last Thursday at a full council sitting for the city’s draft budget for the 2023/24 financial year. Mxolisi Kaunda, eThekwini mayor, who presented the proposed tariff increases, said the current economic climate had made above-inflation tariff increases inevitable. Ish Prahladh, chairperson of the Reservoir Hills Ratepayers Association, said the municipality was not servicing its residents. “Residents cannot afford this. Just last week we had no water for five days in Reservoir Hills, and now we are expected to pay more for water we hardly get. The problem is the contractors. Eight contractors will fix…

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) bowling coach Morne Morkel lauded Kyle Mayers, who has scored back-to-back fifties, for being in scintillating form in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and said it would be a “selection headache” with Quinton de Kock joining the team in coming days. After smashing 73 runs gainst Delhi Capitals (DC) in LSG’s first match, the West Indian hit 53 runs off 22 against the Super Kings, including eight fours and two sixes on Monday. However, Mayers’ half-century went in vain as LSG suffered a 12-run loss at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. With 126 runs from two games Mayers is currently second in the list of leading run-scorers in IPL 2023. The left-hander was not the first choice player for LSG but he got the opportunity in De…

South African cricket is in a better space as the 2022/23 season comes to an end. A dark cloud had covered SA cricket for the last three years, for a host of different reasons. It started going south when the Proteas exited the 2019 World Cup in the round-robin stage. That was shortly followed by the controversial decision to hire Mark Boucher as head coach ahead of Enoch Nkwe and Geoffrey Toyana, who were not only more qualified, but also more experienced as professional coaches. The SJN hearings followed shortly, further opening up old wounds. Then sponsors pulled out, and CSA’s competency in running the game was questioned more than ever before. Through all that, somehow, the 2022/23 season comes to an end with the support for the sport in…

Drifter Joey Govender has a real passion for the sport that started when he was younger although it was no easy road, drifting through empty promises from potential sponsors. He managed to harness the power of self reliance ignited with the passion to grow the sport in Durban. He is what you call a veteran drifter, having honed his skills since 2012. In fact, he has taken part in several drifting competitions and has emerged victorious on several occasions. Last year he took part in the Red Bull Car Park Drift in Durban and finished in the top 3. The sound of the engine roaring, the tires screeching, and the adrenalin rush make it an exhilarating experience for both driver and the spectator.This is drifting, a motorsport that involves sliding…

The thought of one’s child taking their own life is so horrifying to any parent that many of us push it to the back of our minds rather than confronting the possibility. However, during the tricky teen years, it is crucial to talk openly about suicide and shine the light on a potentially life-saving conversation. In a world of academic pressure, online bullying and other social challenges, teenagers will be better equipped at navigating this difficult subject if they have the opportunity to talk it through at home. Parents might be apprehensive about how best to approach the topic. This needs to be done at an age-appropriate level, but it is important to remember that children have access to and are exposed to information and misinformation about subjects like suicide.…

30ml flax seeds, ground 90ml water 500ml flour 330ml castor sugar 250ml extra water 125g butter 80ml oil 60ml cocoa powder 125ml buttermilk 5ml white vinegar 5ml vanilla 5ml bicarbonate of soda Combine the ground flax seeds and water and set aside for 15 minutes. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the flour and castor sugar. In a pot, combine the extra water, butter, oil and cocoa powder and heat until the cocoa is dissolved. Remove and cool slightly. Combine the buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla and bicarbonate of soda in a jug and mix well. With the machine running, pour the warm cocoa mixture on to the flour and mix until combined. Mix in the buttermilk. Pour the mixture into a greased and lined 26cmx18cm pan and bake at…

YERSHEN Pillay, the chief executive of The Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (Chieta), recently won the Governance and Government Agencies Award at the Forty Under Forty Africa Awards. The annual international awards were held at The Leonardo hotel in Sandton and were officiated by Nkosasana Dlamini Zuma, the Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities. There were more than 3 000 applications with nominations from 24 countries across 40 different categories. In all, 126 nominees were shortlisted for the final awards. Pillay, 39, had been nominated for an award for the best young leader under the age of 40 in the category of Governance and Government Agencies. He said winning was an invitation to do more. “It is a challenge to make a greater impact.…

If President Cyril Ramaphosa’s criticism of the “weakening” of non-racialism in the ANC is an acknowledgement of the governing party’s error in veering from the non-racialist path, he must be commended. But the president should be warned that the solution does not lie in setting new racial targets. In a letter sent to Ramaphosa last week, the Institute of Race Relations (IRR) points out that promoting white people, or any people, on the basis of new racial targets only puts a new hue on a very old mistake. The IRR’s letter was prompted by the president’s reported remark that the “non-racial character of the ANC has been weakening, and I have said so on a number of occasions”. If the president has truly acknowledged that the ANC has veered from…

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp jokingly questioned why he still had a job as clubs around the Premier League sacked their managers as the season enters its home stretch. Chelsea sacked Graham Potter on Sunday with the club sitting 11th in the league, hours after relegation-threatened Leicester City parted ways with Brendan Rodgers. Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur also parted ways with Antonio Conte late last month. Klopp has been at Liverpool since 2015 but despite guiding them to Premier League and Champions League titles, he is under pressure with the Anfield club eighth in the standings -- eight points off the top four after losing 4-1 to Manchester City. “What can I say about that (the sackings)? The elephant in the room is probably why am I still sitting here in this…

After a dramatic Australian Grand Prix laden with crashes and red flags, Formula One takes a three-week break from racing, but debate over the balance between safety and entertainment may rage through to the next stop in Baku. Eight cars failed to finish Sunday’s race and four crashed out within seconds of a standing restart as stewards failed to produce a winner from a two-lap sprint. Organisers also came under fire for security and safety failures at Albert Park after fans poured onto the track before the race was completed, while a spectator was struck by a piece of debris from a crash. Several of the F1 teams will be busy during the break as they count the cost of cars wrecked in Australia and scramble to secure spare parts.…

Virat Kohli arrived at his adopted second home, M Chinnaswamy Stadium, and the talismanic India cricketer didn’t disappoint the passionate Royal Challengers Bangalore fans who turned up in large numbers to watch their team in action. Kohli’s masterful knock along with captain Faf du Plessis and their third-century stand in IPL ensured Royal Challengers Bangalore didn’t have to break a sweat to claim an emphatic 8-wicket win over Mumbai Indians. Former cricketers praised King Kohli for his superb knock against a high-quality Mumbai Indians bowling line-up. Speaking on Star Sports, Irfan Pathan said: “Virat Kohli is the biggest superstar of TATA IPL. He’s shining brightly like a full moon and Indian fans can’t be happier. He’s started this season on a positive note. Runs were not coming from his bat…

Saudi-backed LIV Golf’s feud with the PGA Tour was set aside by players at Monday’s first practice for the 87th Masters, but LIV boss Greg Norman hopes for a fiery finish on Sunday. Reigning British Open champion Cameron Smith and two-time major winner Dustin Johnson were among LIV players receiving a warm welcome from PGA rivals at Augusta National. “Lots of laughs, lots of handshakes and it was really nice,” Smith said of his one-hour workout. “I wasn’t sure what to expect walking onto the range, but it was good to see some familiar faces and lot of smiles.” Australian Smith said the reception was important for the sport. “There’s too much rubbish going on ... I don’t think there’s any kind of hatred going on between the players. We’re…

As a psychologist who cares for teens and their families, and as the mother of teenagers myself, I have watched as my children sit silently through dinner, bristling at every question asked, only to be eager to chat once I’ve called it a night. I know this isn’t happening only in my home. Perhaps standing in the doorway of a parent’s bedroom, or sprawled out on the bedroom floor, or even flopped on top of the bedcovers themselves, otherwise sphinx-like teens often share freely what’s on their minds at a time when parents might want to curl up and drift off. But as much as we might be ready to turn the page on the day, there’s a good reason to make time for our teens’ rapid-onset talkativeness. Strong relationships…

250g butter 160ml icing sugar 500ml cake flour 125ml cornflour 5ml almond essence castor sugar for sprinkling Cream the butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Sift the flour and cornflour and add to the butter mixture. Mix to form a stiff dough. Mix in the almond essence. Roll out the dough to a 5mm thickness on a lightly floured surface and cut out desired shape. Place on a greased baking tray and bake at 180°C for 10 to 15, minutes until pale golden. Remove from the oven and sprinkle lightly with castor sugar while warm. Cool on the tray and, when cold, sandwich together with the icing. Makes about 15 to 20. ICING: 125g butter, softened 500ml icing sugar A few drops of almond essence Cream the butter…

LOCAL film-maker Judy Naidoo’s new movie, Kings of Mulberry Street: Let Love Reign, is set to go global when it releases on Netflix on Friday. Naidoo, originally from Verulam, has gained acclaim in her career, spanning more than 20 years. The multi-award-winning independent film-maker has produced and directed several documentaries, short films and feature films. These include the award-winning animation short Kahanikar (The Storyteller), which was long-listed for the Oscars in 2012 and won at several festivals around the world. Naidoo made her directorial debut in the feature length film Hatchet Hour, which had its international premiere at the LA Femme International Film Festival (2016), where it won the best foreign film award. In 2019, her second feature Kings of Mulberry Street – set in the fictional town of Sugarhill…

MY MOTHER would often dress my younger brother and I in matching clothes. This she did whether she bought garments or stitched them herself. I never bothered to ask my mother why. After all, we were not twins. I recall now that in many other families in the neighbourhood and among our relatives, brothers dressed alike – and so did sisters. Matching clothes were in vogue. I wonder if my mother worked out that it made shopping faster since she had to pick only one outfit and look for the corresponding sizes. Did clothes that were identical make laundry simpler because they had the same washing rules? Or did it avoid fights between siblings if one felt the other’s clothes were better? While dressing siblings in matching clothes certainly did…

AN open letter to Boyce Makhosonke Maneli, the chairperson of the portfolio committee on communications and digital technologies; Madoda Mxakwe, the group chief executive of the SABC; and Ian Plaatjes, the chief operations officer, SABC. The South African Hindu Dharma Sabha is a highly respected, national Hindu religious and cultural organisation including all linguistic and denominational groups. The Dharma Sabha is a mass-based, grass-roots, inclusive, democratic, performance-driven, developmental, progressive and caring organisation. The Dharma Sabha welcomes, with appreciation, the reinstatement of the enthralling SABC programme, Sadhana – The Inward Path, infused with new content with effect from Sunday, March 19. This seemingly happened after the Dharma Sabha wrote to Ian Plaatjes, the SABC chief operations officer, on February 3, requesting new content. Previously, the programme, which started in 2011 as…

BROCK Lesnar’s victory over Omos probably isn’t a match fans will remember for years to come but the former world champion enjoyed the opportunity to go up against a younger wrestler, particularly one who stands at 2.2m. “I liked this match-up when it was proposed to me, because I like the David and Goliath,” Lesnar said during his interview with ESPN’s Daniel Cormier. “Some people look at me like the Goliath, but just the sheer size difference in this human being. I approached this like it’s me giving back to the business now.” In the interview, which was done before WrestleMania, Lesnar told Cormier he wasn’t sure whether he’d be able to get Omos up for his F-5 finisher. The Beast Incarnate did just that to put the big man…

The absence of Christian Eriksen and Casemiro is one of the main reasons why Manchester United are struggling for results in recent weeks as games are “decided in midfield”, manager Erik Ten Hag said yesterday. Danish midfielder Eriksen was ruled out for up to three months in late January due to an ankle injury, while Casemiro is serving a four-match suspension after receiving his second red card of the season. The Brazilian has been one of Ten Hag’s most influential players since he was signed in a deal worth €70 million (about R1.3 billion), with United losing four of their eight league games without him compared with three of 19 when he has played. “They’re two quality players in the midfield department, games will always be decided in midfield,” Ten…

The world of professional wrestling is not for the faint-hearted. It takes dedication, hard work and a lot of grit to make it in this industry. But for one South African wrestler, it’s a passion that has been burning inside him since he was a child. Meet Joshua Chetty, a former rugby player turned wrestle, who has been making waves in the wrestling world since his debut in 2010. Growing up, Chetty was an athletic child, playing sports like rugby and soccer. As he grew older, he became passionate about discus throwing, winning numerous gold medals in the sport. However, his true love was always wrestling. “I’ve always been a huge wrestling fan,” Chetty says with a smile. “I remember watching it on TV when I was a kid, and…