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THE International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) has revealed that Abhishek Bachchan, Deepika Padukone and Madhuri Dixit will all perform on the IIFA stage this year. Also taking part will be dance superstar Prabhu Deva, pictured in white outfit, who will perform with Sridevi in a dance-off. As we draw closer to the 14th Videocon DDB IIFA weekend, the line-up of performances for the IIFA Awards is sure to leave audiences mesmerised. Indian Cinema takes centre stage from July 4 to July 6 at The Venetian Macao. Personalities who are expected to attend the 2013 IIFA include Shahrukh Khan, Irrfan Khan, Vidya Balan, Anil Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Arjun Rampal, Shardha Kapoor, Dia Mirza, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani, Huma Quereshi, Jacqueline Fernandez, Shabana Azmi, Aditya Roy Kapur, Javed Akhtar and Parineeti Chopra among others. – Daily News Reporter DAILY NEWS PAGE 5 MONDAY JUNE 24 2013 NEWS Statues to be erected this year Memorials to honour activists BHEKI MBANJWA A NTI-APARTHEID ac- tivists Ismail Meer, Phyllis Naidoo and Fatima Meer would have their statues erected in KwaZulu-Natal during the current financial year, Premier Zweli Mkhize said in his budget speech last week. Their statues are among about 10 that the province plans to erect this year in hon- our of KZN people who ex- celled in various fields of life. Ismail Meer was a Struggle stalwart who died in 2000. His wife, Fatima Meer, also an ac- tivist and an academic, died in Durban in 2010. Their contemporary, Naidoo, who was an author, ac- ademic, and human rights ac- tivist, died in February. Statues of three former Umkhonto we Sizwe soldiers – Shadrack Maphumulo, Judson Khuzwayo and Steven Dlamini – would also be created. Maphu- mulo was murdered in Swazi- land in 1986. Khuzwayo was killed in 1985 when his car overturned in Zimbabwe, where he was the ANC’s chief representative. Both men had been impri- soned on Robben Island and on their release in the early 1970s had been instrumental in reviv- ing underground ANC struc- tures in KZN. Dlamini, who had also been imprisoned on Robben Island, was an ANC activist and trade unionist. He died in 1994. Statues of Solomon Linda, Dr John Nembula, Alpheus Zulu and Dr Bennedict Wallet Vilakazi are also planned. Linda composed Imbube, Nembula was the first black physician in South Africa, and Vilakazi, an academic consid- ered a doyen of South African literature and Zulu, was an An- glican bishop. The premier also said a number of tombstones would be erected during this financial year. These would include a tombstone to be installed on the grave of Nokutela Dube, who was the first wife of the ANC’s founding president, John Lan- galibalele Dube. She died in 1917. Her grave, in Brixton Cemetery in Johan- nesburg, remained unmarked until recently, when Cherif Keita, who is based in the US, sought it out. One of the main heritage programmes to be undertaken this year is the repatriation of the remains of journalist Nat Nakasa from New York. A monument will be built in honour of the former Drum magazine journalist who com- mitted suicide in 1965. He had accepted a one-way ticket given to him when he was selected for a journalism fellowship at Harvard. [email protected] The most beautiful race A sea of women in colourful regalia took to the roads of Durban yesterday for the the 12th annual Spar Women’s 10/5km race. Dubbed ‘South Africa’s most beautiful race’, 18 000 women entered. Winner Mapaseka Makhanya of Transnet sped to the finish line and the bragging rights. Former Olympian Rene Kalmer finished in fourth place. The race coincided with Olympic Day. PICTURE: JACQUES NAUDE Police sniffer dogs not tricked ZAINUL ABERDEEN POLICE dogs sniffed out 12.6kg of dagga hidden in the luggage compart- ment of a bus, despite the smugglers using chopped onions in a bid to throw them off the scent. The bus had been travelling from the Eastern Cape to Durban this week- end. It was stopped at a roadblock manned by Port Shepstone police K9 and Search and Rescue units on the N2 between Port Shepstone and Hibberdene. Police spokesman Captain Thulani Zwane said 19 vehicles had been stopped and searched. “Over 300 passengers and their lug- gage were also searched. Copper wire weighing 19.9kg was also found. “Police found chopped onions in the bag of dagga. The onions were placed there to try and conceal the smell of the dagga,” Zwane said. No arrests were made because none of the passengers in the various vehi- cles claimed the bags as their property, Zwane added. New, fast HIV test in SA soon MPUME MADLALA A NEW, all-in-one HIV rapid test device will soon be avail- able for use in South Africa. The AtomoRapid, produced by Australian health-care com- pany Atomo Diagnostics, is ex- pected to improve the ease of use and the reliability of HIV testing. A South African study has found the sensitivity of HIV test kits used outside the labo- ratory was on average 93.5 per- cent, and even with additional training and quality control, only increased to 95.1 percent. This had the potential for several hundred thousand peo- ple to be misdiagnosed with HIV every year across Africa. With this in mind, John Kelly, chief executive and founder of Atomo Diagnostics, who intro- duced the product at the sixth SA Aids Conference in Durban last week, said the kit was de- veloped to provide a better way to perform rapid testing. He said the accuracy of test results would improve trust among healthcare profession- als and patients. Kelly said the device was simple to use and removed the need for manual steps requir- ing “extensive skill and clinical training”. He said the itAto- moRapid™ HIV removed the source of many errors com- mon with the current genera- tion test kit based procedures. “The response we have re- ceived so far has been fantastic. We now look forward to collab- orating with leading organisa- tions to change the rapid HIV testing landscape,” he said. [email protected] Man, 20, found hanged at city courts RIZWANA SHEIK UMAR THE identity of the man who hanged himself in the court cells at the Durban Magistrate’s Court is being withheld until police can confirm that his next-of-kin have been told of his death. Police spokesman Colonel Jay Naicker said the man, 20, appeared in Court 12 on Friday on charges of being in possession of stolen goods. It is believed the man appeared before the court, where his matter was adjourned to a later date. He was then taken to the court cells, below the courtroom, where sources who did not wish to be named said he hanged himself with a belt. The man was not alone in the cells, and court staff were alerted after other accused in the cells started to scream, the Daily News was told. It is unclear at this stage why the man ended his life. Naicker said an inquest docket had been opened for further investigation. His name was being withheld until detectives confirmed that his next-of-kin had been informed of his death, Naicker said. [email protected] KZN son of a preacher woman lands bad boy TV role DUDU ZWANE A DURBAN musician has clinched a role in TV’s Isibaya. Sandile Mfusi 24, has been cast as good-looking ladykiller Jojo on the Mzansi Magic TV series, a gritty saga about the taxi industry. Mfusi landed the part after taking a leap of faith and audi- tioning despite not having any acting experience. “Honestly speaking it was luck, but I did put in the hard work,” he said. “I heard there were audi- tions at the Bat Centre from a friend. When I got there, they were finished, but I was lucky enough to be allowed to audi- tion anyway. “They liked what I did and I was told to expect a call, which came about a month later.” Crediting his Maker for the big break, Mfusi said: “What- ever I’m doing right now is not because of my talent or looks per se, but it’s a blessing from God. “I am pursuing what He has planned for me instead of go- ing out there and getting lost. I think it’s important to ac- knowledge that. “I work with amazing peo- ple whose acting ability is of a high calibre and I am learning a lot from them.” Asked whether he was sim- ilar in any way to his screen persona, Mfusi said: “My char- acter, Jojo, is a musician and a producer, so he can sing, which is why they gave me the part. He’s smooth, slick, and charm- ing. But I think what we have in common is that we are both driven. He sees what he wants and goes for it. “When I auditioned I had cold feet because I didn’t study acting at varsity, but I gave it my all.” The talented Mfusi is the son of a woman pastor. He honed his skills in the church choir and is now the frontman for Niche Fam, which has been the opening act for hip hop heavyweights Lil Wayne and Fatman Scoop. Mfusi said although his fam- ily had reservations about his new role, they supported him. While juggling his new gig with his music career, he would not compromise his first love, music, he said. BIG BREAK: Sandile Mfusi makes his debut on the hit Mzansi Magic show Isibaya. Stomp the stage Officers rewarded for dedication to police NOSIPHO MNGOMA OFFICERS who “soil” the name of the SAPS would be shown no mercy, KwaZulu- Natal police commissioner, Lieutenant- General Mmamon- nye Ngobeni has warned. Speaking at a medal parade at the Police Training Acade- my in Chatsworth to honour long-serving officers from po- lice stations and units around KZN on Friday, Ngobeni said those who do not respect their uniform would be axed. Voicing concern about po- lice suicides and killings, she said: “The tools provided to of- ficers are not meant to kill and destroy families, but to serve and protect the community.” She urged officers to use these responsibly and stressed the importance of using the health and wellness services provided to avoid succumbing to the stresses of the job. Captain Allison Gumede said it was only through the grace of God that the stress of the job had not overwhelmed him during his 30 years’ serv- ice. He was among the officers honoured for completing serv- ice milestones, as well as two officers who had displayed bravery on the job. Lieutenant-Colonel Sledge Naidoo, who has completed 31 years’ service, said joining the police was answering a “special calling to serve the community.” PHYLLIS NAIDOO MEDAL: Lieutenant- Colonel Sledge Naidoo receives his long-service award. INSIDE TODAY
