VOL. 34 NO. 15 7 APRIL 2020 Website: www.risingsunchatsworth.co.za 0745490245Tel. 031- 4598300

Your No. 1 Community newspaperRising Sun Chatsworth @RisingSunChats

STOP THE SPREAD - STAY AT HOME

It has been almost two weeks since thecountry’s lockdown on the coronavirus pan-demic and it doesn’t seem like the spread ofthe virus is slowing down. With already oneconfirmed case of a person in Chatsworth

being infected and news of several othersuspected cases, authorities are starting totighten the reins on the lockdown. TheCoronavirus Action Committee (COVAC),an initiative driven by the Nelson Mandela

COVAC launches maskcampaign

Reports of the Moorton man, who testedpositive for COVID-19, went viral on so-cial media on Sunday, spreading shock andfear throughout the Chatsworth community.Ward 71 councillor, Previn Vedan, con-firmed that he spoke to the patient’s familymember, who notified him about the pa-tient. The councillor stated that he is await-

ing communication from the Department ofHealth, and said he had been in contact withthe affected family and the immediate com-munity.The necessary protocols are being followedand Cllr Vedan has made interventions withthe relevant authorities.He urges residents not to panic, and said he

has the utmost confidence in medical work-ers, hospitals and the systems that havebeen put into place.Residents are requested to continue to fol-low the directives of the nationwide lock-down.“I confirm that the affected family was vis-ited by the COVID-19 medical team, on

Monday.The necessary testing took place. I havealso been advised that persons will only betested if they show symptoms of headaches,sore throat, fever,” added Cllr Vedan.Should residents present these symptoms,they must make contact the 24-hour na-tional hotline on 0800-111-132.

Chatsworth man tests positivefor coronavirus

In a compassionate endeavour to helplighten the burden on pensioners, whocannot leave their homes during the na-tionwide lockdown, the Rising Sun Com-munity Newspapers will be embarking ona special initiative. With high volumes of shoppers outsidestores, the pensioners face a major chal-lenge as not only do they have to endure along wait but are also more at risk of con-tracting the novel coronavirus. Due to these factors, many pensioners areunable to make their way to stores to pur-chase their essential items and are also atrisk should they use public transportation. This is where the CEO of the Rising Sun,Mr Vijay Maharaj, wishes to step in. Es-sentially, the team is requesting pension-ers, who wish to purchase 15 readilyavailable basic items, which include thefollowing: *tinned fish, *750ml of oil,*baked beans, *a packet of toilet rolls (10pack), *half a dozen of eggs, *a loaf ofbread, *a kg of onions, *a kg of tomatoes,*a kg of potatoes, *a cabbage, *a kg ofrice, *a box of teabags (100 teabags),milk, sugar and mealie meal, to get intouch with the Rising Sun head office. Pensioners will be requested to choosetheir needed items from the list above, towhich they will then be informed of thetotal cost. They will also need to providetheir address to the head office- which willbe kept strictly confidential. This list will

then be handed over to one of the RisingSun’s trusted drivers, who will deliver therequired items to the pensioner’s house,while also adhering to the necessary safetyand health precautions. Taking into consideration that there aremany senior citizens within the commu-nity and that not all requests will be able tobe met, the Rising Sun will assess each sit-uation and make a decision thereof interms of whether or not the request will beable to be carried out. The team will try their very best to be ac-commodating to the respective request.Kindly note that this is purely a free de-livery service being offered to pensionersin Chatsworth. The Rising Sun hopes thatthis will encourage others in the commu-nity to step up and do good. It is all aboutspreading positivity and hope during theseuncertain times. The service will only apply to pensioners,who are SASSA card holders. The RisingSun appeals to pensioners to understandthat all requests may not be able to be metdue to an influx of calls which will be re-ceived. Pensioners can contact Laresca from theRising Sun head office on 031 459-8300.Please note that calls are to be made fromMonday to Friday between 9am and 3pmonly.

Rising Sun offersfree delivery

service toChatsworthpensioners

during lockdown

Community Youth Centre, has embarked ona campaign to get residents to become moreresponsible by wearing masks when out inpublic. The campaign, called ‘Wear a facemask. I protect you. You protect me’, willlaunch this week in Chatsworth and Welbe-dacht.COVAC volunteer, Anesh Ramklass, statedthat residents need to become more activein the fight against the spread of the virus.“We are appealing to every resident to al-ways wear masks when in public. This is nota passport for residents to go out there think-ing you are safe if you wear a mask. Wash-ing your hands regularly, using handsanitiser, not touching your eyes, mouth andnose, and keeping two metres away fromothers when interacting must still be ad-hered too. Many people might have thevirus and can transmit the virus to others be-

fore showing signs of the symptoms. Theycan spread the virus by interacting in closeproximity, by speaking, coughing or sneez-ing. We recommend you always wear a facemask or a cloth to cover your mouth andnose when you are out of the house,” hesaid.He explained that there will be times whereit is difficult to maintain that safe distancein supermarkets or in crowed spaces.“If you don’t have a medical mask, make asimple cloth mask at home from bandanas,T-shirts or other thick material. COVAC isalso going to get thousands of masks madeto distribute to residents. Always try to havetwo or more masks if it’s made from cloth.You must wash the mask with soap whenyou get back home and wear the spare maskif needed. The country is in a state of disas-ter and the police are going to be strict about

you wearing a maskand ensuring you arenot out in public un-necessarily. We arealso appealing toshops, supermar-kets, banks andother public placesto enforce the rule ofgetting people tocome in withmasks,” said Ram-lass. COVAC will begetting thousands ofmasks sewn and isappealing to thepublic to contributefinancially to thecampaign, to buymaterial and sew thesimple masks.For more informa-tion, contact ClivePillay on 061-429-2574.

Abigail Naidoo, Yashodhan Ramalingam and Mayuran Naidoo display the posters they made to encourage resident to wear their masks and stay home.

Distributed in: Chatsworth - Havenside, Bayview, Westcliff, Croftdene, Arena Park, Montford, Moorton, Crossmoor, Umhlatuzana, Kharwastan, Silverglen, Shallcross, Harinagar,Buffelsbosch, Burlington Heights, Savannah Park, Mobeni Heights, Malvern and Queensburgh

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Read it online...Fake news is spreading faster than the bacteria causing the global pandemic - coro-navirus - which could possibly lead to a national lockdown. The Rising Sun Com-munity Newspapers will keep you up-to-date with the latest verified news andupdates on current affairs and community news via our respective websites. Allyou have to do is visit our website: www.risingsunchatsworth.co.za

Have our newspaper delivered straight to your WhatsAppDo you wish to receive a full digital copy of the Rising Sun Community Newspa-pers delivered straight to your WhatsApp during the coronavirus pandemic? Sendus a message on 074-549-0245 and specify that you wish to receive our latest e-Paper. Please ensure that you have us saved as a contact on your device, as if youdo not, you will not be able to receive our broadcasts.

Talent presenter searchAttention, all broadcasting students! Are you interested in being part of the RisingSun Digital team on a volunteer basis by presenting videos for our online platform?If you feel you have what it takes, contact our newsroom on 031 459-8307. Screen-ings form part of the process. It is imperative to note that your services will be of-fered on a voluntary basis only.

Connect with us onlineWith the COVID-19 pandemic gripping the nation in fear, the Rising Sun alsowishes to share some lighthearted content in an effort to eradicate some of the neg-ativity. Do you have some funny, unique and cheerful home videos pertaining tohow you and your family are spending the lockdown? WhatsApp us on 074-549-0245. Chosen videos will be published on our website. The editorial team reservesthe right to select which videos can and will be published.

Amid the challenge of containing the spread of germs in thecommunity during the coronavirus pandemic, residents havecontinued to illegally dump outside the DSW dump site inSagittarius Street, in Woodhurst, since the lockdown began. Widespread contamination is rife in this area, since rotting ed-ibles and household dirt is mainly dumped by residents from allaround Chatsworth, in this area. Local law enforcement officer, Don Baijnath, stated that refusecollection had resumed as normal and people have no excuse todump in the area outside the refuse site, which is designatedfor garden refuse. “I gave many fines of R5, 000 since thedumping began just before the lockdown and we are trying todiscourage people from creating a further health hazard, how-ever, we cannot be stationed here 24 hours so people continueto dump,” he said. Local authorities claim that this is a monthly issue, however,there is still no deterrent to curb residents from illegal dumping. The eThekwini Municipality’s deputy head of communications,Mandla Nsele, confirmed that the Cleansing and Solid WasteUnit will be as per normal collection schedules, yet gardendrop-off sites and garden landfills will be closed until furthernotice.Authorities are concerned about the health hazard and will beaddressing the rising concern of illegal dumping. The separation at source initiative such as orange bags has beensuspended until further notice to reduce the risk of contamina-tion. Residents are encouraged to:• Limit the amount of recyclables generated, or• Reuse, up-cycle or store recyclables within your properties, or• As a last resort dispose into black bag for collection• All garden drop-off sites and garden landfills will be closedfrom Tuesday, March 31, until further notice. Residents are encouraged during this time to:• Reduce the generation of this waste stream by limiting cut-ting, pruning etc.• Reuse through home scale composting. • Store on your property until services resume.

Dump creates further healthhazards to residents

The Bisasar Road, Mariannhill and Shallcross land-fills, which accept garden refuse, builders rubble andsand will be closed from Tuesday, March 31, untilfurther notice. “Residents are reminded to have allpersonal hygiene and sanitary products doublebagged without compressing the waste. This is en-

couraged to be handled using single use gloves andor ensure hands are sanitised before and after han-dling. Prevent waste bags from having access to an-imals as well as street pickers for salvagingpurposes. Waste bags are only to be placed out forcollection if they are full,” added Nsele.

DSW responds to hoax social media messagesThe Cleansing and Solid Waste Unit (DSW) havenoted the messages circulating on social media re-garding staff downing tools due to the unavailabilityof personal protective equipment (PPE).The eThekwini Municipality’s deputy head of com-munications, Mandla Nsele, stated that the informa-tion is not true.“Staff, who are at the forefront of the day-to-daywaste collection duties, have been issued with the re-

quired PPE in order to perform the waste collectionduties and are not on a strike or go-slow. The head ofdepartment, Raymond Rampersad, assures residentsthat the safety of employees is taken very seriouslyby management. Residents are urged to take out theirrefuse on the collection days as per schedule, as re-fuse removal services will continue as per normal,”added Nsele.

Police ministerwelcomes decrease in

serious and violentcrimes since lockdownPolice minister, GenBheki Cele, wel-comed the generaldecrease in seriousand violent crimes,attributing this toamong other fac-tors, the prohibitionof the sale andmovement of liquorsince the COVID-19 nationwide lock-down.The 2019-2020 Na-tional Crime Statis-tics are yet to beofficially releasedby the minister ofpolice to parliamentat a later stage, thisyear. Therefore, theanalysis done currently is a preliminaryreport that is yet to undergo the necessaryverification and endorsements.Analysing the crime and comparing thefirst week of the lockdown to the sameperiod in 2019, Gen Cele confirmed that:*Murder cases had dropped from 326 to94*Rape cases dropped from 699 to 101*Cases of assault with intention to inflictgrievous bodily harm, dropped from 2,673 to 456*Trio crimes dropped from 8,853 to2,098Car/ truck hijacking, business robberies,and house robberies, which are collec-tively grouped as trio crimes, are ar-guably the most violent crimes where theperpetrators are commonly armed with il-legal firearms. These are the type ofcrimes that are known to instill fearamong citizens.In relation to gender-based violence,Minister Cele confirmed that the numberof complaints remained high and there-fore concerning. Over 2, 300 calls/ com-plaints have been registered since thebeginning of the lockdown on March 27,2020 until March 31, 2020 and fromthese, 148 suspects were charged. The figure in relation to calls/ complaintsbetween January 2020 and March 31,2020, stands at 15, 924. Once all reportshave been consolidated, the figures willbe measured against the number of calls/complaints received through the GBVCommand Centre in 2019, where the fig-ure stands at 87, 920.With the initial declaration of theCOVID-19 state of disaster on March 15,Minister Cele at that point flagged as aconcern, the possible increase in GBVand domestic violence cases. The minis-

ter, at that time,urged the manage-ment of the SAPSto reinforce the FCSUnits (Family Vio-lence, Child Protec-tion and SexualOffences) at policestations to ensurethe SAPS readinessand capacity to re-spond to relatedcomplaints.“Considering theimproved rate oflife sentences se-cured by the FCSunits in the past,one is optimisticthat police will con-tinue to work

around the clock towards securing success-ful convictions and long-term sentences ofperpetrators of crimes against women andchildren. This should remain the practiceeven beyond the lockdown as GBV re-mains a scourge across the country,” re-marked Minister Cele.He has also welcomed the drop in the num-ber of complaints against the police duringthe lockdown.“The decrease in the number of complaints,which were high over the first days of thelockdown, reflects stabilisation and con-firms that people are now beginning to un-derstand the lockdown and are complyingwith the regulations, and that people arenow co-operating with the members of thelaw enforcement entities,” he said.The past week was generally characterisedby long queues at grocery stores and socialgrant pay points. This week, Minister Celeanticipates improved adherence to the reg-ulations, particularly in relation to restric-tion of movement of persons and traffic onthe roads.The SAPS, SANDF, Metro Police andother law enforcement agencies will remainon high alert to ensure maximum adherenceto the lockdown regulations.

Minister of police, Gen Bheki Cele.

Law enforcement officials at the Woodhurst dump site.

Residents caught on the act off-loading their dirt on the roadside outside the municipal dump yard. Suspected vagrants waiting to sift through the rubbish pile.

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By Dr Guru Kistnasamy

Speak your mind

For the first time in our lives, we are expe-riencing a lockdown during which most ofus are confined to our homes. This cancause anxiety and stress for adults and moreso, for children.Adults can convey their anxiety to theirchildren without realising it. Children listento us talking about our concerns over thecoronavirus, the lockdown and its conse-quences.Children observe our expressions and aresensitive to the tone of our voices. If we, as adults, show fear and anxiety, chil-dren will absorb this. The anxiety of chil-dren may manifest in various waysincluding:

• Clinginess and following parents around• Difficulty falling asleep• Mood swings and attention seeking be-haviour such as complaining, grumpinessand crying• Tantrums• Asking many questions with a view toseeking reassurance• Psychosomatic illnesses such as headachesand stomach pains

The following are some ways we can helpchildren cope with anxiety during the lock-down period:• Be a model of confidence and calmness.Children are sensitive to the behaviour ofadults around them. If we remain calm andreassured, they tend to be the same.• Structure each day with times for theirmeals, activities, study and free time. Struc-

ture brings some stability. Parents now havetime to spend in having meals with the fam-ily, engaging in conversation and playinggames. This is an opportunity for qualityfamily time.• Seek information about the coronavirusfrom reliable sources so that you are in a po-sition to explain that to children. Listen totheir questions and provide reassurance.Uncertainty about the future can cause anx-iety.• Plan activity time in consultation with thechildren. Ensure that you have varied activ-ities for all members to participate in. Vari-ous card games, Scrabble, Monopoly,snakes and ladders, 30 Seconds, and otherquiz games are fun and educational.• If you have a garden, now is the time toget the children to clean it so that they canadd in plants or seeds. Maintenance in theform of watering and removing weeds canbe ongoing.• Radio and television now have many studychannels to compensate for the loss ofschooling. Add this study opportunity intothe day’s programme. You can also registerfor e-classroom.co.za or Vodacom’s e-school. The material is based on the SouthAfrican curriculum and caters for childrenfrom grade R to 12. All subjects are cov-ered.

Let us all be positive, productive and cre-ative with whatever resources are availableat our disposal. This is important for themental and emotional health of our families.

As we all are onlockdown for these21 days, fears ofCOVID-19 are tak-ing an emotional tollon everyone. We arein the midst of aworldwide pan-demic, with most cities and even entirecountries shutting down. And all of us arewatching the headlines and wondering,“What is going to happen next?”For many of us, the uncertainty surroundingthe coronavirus is the hardest thing to han-dle. We don’t know how exactly we’ll beimpacted or how bad things might get. Andthat makes it all too easy to spiral out intooverwhelming dread and panic. But thereare many things we can do, even in the faceof this unique crisis, to manage our anxietyand fears.It’s vital to stay informed, so we can followadvised safety precautions and do our partto slow the spread. But there’s a lot of mis-information going around, as well as sensa-tionalistic coverage that only feeds into fear.It’s important to be discerning about whatwe read and watch.There are so many things outside of ourcontrol, including how long the pandemic

lasts, how other people behave, and what’sgoing to happen in our communities. Aslong as we’re focusing on questions withunknowable answers and circumstancesoutside of our control, this strategy will getus nowhere, aside from feeling drained,anxious, and overwhelmed.When we feel we are getting caught up infear of what might happen, let’s try shiftingfocus to things we can control.For example, we can control our steps to re-duce our own personal risks.

Also the tried-and-true strategies apply,such as eating healthy meals, getting plentyof sleep, and prayer. Beyond that, here aresome tips on what we can control:

• Following the 21-day lockdown guide-lines.• Be a calming influence. If friends or lovedones are panicking, try to help them gain

JesseGovender

Maximise yourpotential

Help children cope with

anxiety during the coron-

avirus lockdown

Focus on what you can control

rather than what you canʼt

some perspective onthe situation.• Be kind to others.If we can, reach outto others in need,particularly the eld-erly or disabled.

Let us control thethings we can con-trol!

Staying safe during theNATIONAL LOCKDOWN

We all have a partto play in fightingthe spread of thevirus

• The national lock-down strengthensour fight to containthe spread of thecoronavirus.• All SouthAfricans will haveto stay at homefrom March 27 toApril 16, 2020. • Government is working with local au-thorities to install more water tanks andstandpipes in informal settlements. • We are providing sanitisers in publicspaces, including taxi ranks, trains, bus sta-tions, and other areas where people con-gregate.• No liquor will be sold during the 21-dayperiod of the lockdown.• Taverns, shebeens, and shisanyama es-tablishments are closed.

How can I play my part where I live?

• Government is aware that many citizenslive in informal areas where it is hard topractice social distancing.• However, your actions can help stop thespread of the virus.• Continue to wash your hands often. • Go outside and get fresh air but minimisecontact with others.

• Be a responsible citizen and co-operatewith the police, defence force and other of-ficials. • If you go out to get food, essential goodsor while seeking medical attention, avoidcontact with others wherever possible andmake your trip as short as possible.

Your actions count

• Do not be irresponsible, think before youact. • Do not venture outside your house ingroups. Do so alone and avoid contact withothers. • Practice social distancing at shops orother places where there are bigger groupsof people. • Stay one meter apart from persons waitingin line. • Make sure your surroundings are clean,dispose of litter but do so carefully andwash your hands before and after.

To book your advert in The Rising Sun

contact our Marketing Executives

Mumsy Naidu031 459 8319

084 555 8725

Reggie Naidoo

031 459 8326

084 601 5166

Nithia Naidoo031 459 8320

082 358 4665

Vincent Anthony

031 459 8324

083 998 7806

mumsyn@dbn.caxton.co.za reggien@dbn.caxton.co.za nithian@dbn.caxton.co.za vincenta@dbn.caxton.co.za

The Rising Sun Community NewspapersGroup, in partnership with the Rising SunPrinters empathise with you during thisdevastating coronavirus pandemic. We understand the inconvenience andhardships many of you may be experi-encing during our lockdown.As your community newspaper for thepast 34 years, we feel obliged to continueour service to you by keeping you in theloop with current news, services andproducts available in this crucial time. Many of you may feel isolated and dis-tanced from the rest of the communitybecause of the social distancing lawsbeing imposed. During these times, youneed the media to feel connected and se-cure. We therefore urge businesses to helpmaintain this rapport with our people byincluding adverts, classified ads and mes-sages of support in this critical coron-avirus pandemic.As our personal service to our commu-nity, we want to extend ourselves furtherby opening our hearts to those pension-ers, who are destitute, indigent, indis-posed and in desperate need of transportto obtain essential services- eg: buyingbasic groceries, making critical phonecalls on their behalf, etc. As this is a free service with no obliga-

tory commitments, we would appreciateour philanthropic venture be supportedand not abused. Please be reminded to exercise extra cau-tion and abide by the rules of the lock-down, which is absolutely paramount tocurb the spread of COVID-19.Thank you for your continued support.

CEO of the Rising Sun Group Vijay Maharaj

Dear reader:

In line with their mission to serve thecommunity to the very highest standards,Take n Pay Food Town Hyper would liketo issue a statement regarding the visit toour store on March 31, by the MEC forEconomic Development, Tourism andEnvironmental Affairs, Nomusa-DubeNcube.The store was reported to the NationalConsumer Commission for price hiking.In a statement issued by Wilkins RossCommunications on behalf of Take n Pay

Foodtown Hyper, they wish to state cate-gorically that we are in favour of all in-vestigations into the crime of price hikingduring the disaster we all face.“We are a South African business, proudof our heritage and supportive of all na-tional or community regulations that ben-efit our community. Our store is nowsubject to an investigation by the Con-sumer Protection Commission and it isour intention to fully cooperate and pro-vide all relevant information to the in-

Advertorial

Take n Pay locks you down with their low pricesvestigation team. We wish to emphasisethat while we fully support a fair and bal-anced investigation, our focus will re-main on providing our community withessential, competitively priced groceryitems. While Take n Pay has alwaysmaintained extremely competitive pric-ing since opening for business 36 yearsago in March 1984, we took a decision tofurther reduce pricing on basic items forthe duration of the Covid-19 lockdown inSouth Africa, to assist our customers andcommunity during this very difficulttime. Media articles that have been pub-lished since the MEC visited our store didnot report on the many products that weredecreased in price, and also failed to re-port on products that were no longer onpromotion, which appeared to be “raising

the prices unreasonably”. Even at thenew shelf prices, these products are stillcompetitive in the market and in mostcases cheaper than the national chains.Take n Pay has built a solid, authenticreputation of being the best-priced super-market in Chatsworth and will continuein its mission to provide its communitywith the products they want at the bestpossible price. Our customers are low- tomiddle-income consumers and we haveextreme empathy and understanding ofmaking a budget stretch as far as possi-ble, now more than ever. Our staff is fullycommitted to maintaining all protocols ofthe Covid-19 lockdown and we will doour utmost to serve our community to thevery best of our ability, now and always,”read the statement.

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The highly-esteemedand recognised Ro-tary Club ofChatsworth hasheeded the call ofPresident CyrilRamaphosa for thecountry to unite inefforts to fight theglobal coronaviruspandemic.As the country iscurrently under a 21-day lockdown pe-riod, the club has donated a generousamount of R 10, 000 towards the Gift of theGivers Foundation to assist them with es-sential services and equipment that they re-quire to provide much-needed assistance to

various communitiesand sectors.Club PRO, VaniGovender, heapedpraise upon the pub-lic benefit organisa-tion, which alsocelebrated their 32ndanniversary, lastweek.They have embracedthe true essence oftheir current themeof ‘Rotary Connects

the World’. Rotarians have the collectivepower to assist in eradicating COVID-19,similar to their End Polio Now campaign.Their club been at the forefront of social up-liftment and development of the community

Rotary Club ofChatsworth joinsthe fight against

COVID-19

of Chatsworth andbeyond for the past30 years.“We are an interna-tional humanitarianorganisation and itis imperative thatwe lend our supportand resources to ahighly credible or-ganisation like theGift of the Givers,who are making atangible differenceagainst the COVID-19 fight. We all needto unite and destroythis global pan-demic by adheringto the conditions ofthe lockdown. Wealso applaud ourpresident for his de-cisive response andaction plan,” theclub said.They look forwardto extending a vitallifeline to the di-verse community ofChatsworth and be-yond with this won-derful initiative toensure that everyoneis able to leave be-hind a legacy wor-thy of emulation.For more informa-tion on the club andits commendableinitiatives, contactclub president,Sathie Moodliar on084-500-4995 orPRO, Vani Goven-der on 082-573-5082.

An Umlazi family is mourning the loss oftheir beloved family member, who suc-cumbed to the coronavirus, on Tuesday,March 31.The victim was a teacher at Platt DrivePrimary in Isipingo. After hearing thetragic news, basic education minister,Angie Motshekga and KwaZulu-Natal’sMEC for education, Kwazi Mshengu, con-veyed their messages of condolences tothe family of the teacher. The 45-year-old teacher passed away aftertesting positive for coronavirus a few daysago. According to the Department of Edu-cation, it is alleged that another teacherfrom the same school has also tested pos-itive.The Department of Basic Education hasadvised all those, who may have comeinto contact with the deceased, to presentthemselves for testing.The department also announced that a 14-

year-old pupil, who is related to one of thetwo teachers, in grade nine at Ogwini HighSchool in Umlazi, has also tested positivefor COVID-19.According to the department, the familyof one of the teachers have also tested pos-itive and arrangements have been made totrace all those, who may have come intocontact with the deceased and the imme-diate family members.Motshekga was devastated by the loss ofthe teacher and will ensure that the fami-lies, colleagues and classmates of the pupiland teacher receive counselling. “Losing teachers at a time like this is par-ticularly hard when they are instrumentalin ensuring that learning and teaching con-tinues during the time of the lockdown,”Motshekga said.MEC Mshengu has also expressed his sad-ness on the news of the passing of theteacher, noting that this is another sad re-

minder that everyone needs to take thenecessary steps and be extra cautious dur-ing this time. “We really need to also take heed of thegovernment’s call for social distancing,hygiene practices and staying safe. It canhappen to anybody and for that reason,let’s ensure that we do all that we can tostop the spread of the virus,” saidMshengu.He further added that government willcontinue to reinforce the importance of so-cial distancing and maintaining good hy-giene by regularly washing your hands. “We also need to continue to promote andsupport the values of social solidarity,community as well as care an support forself and others,” MEC Mshengu in clos-ing.In a statement issued by the South AfricanDemocratic Teachers Union (SADTU),the organisation shared that they were

shocked and saddened to hear of the un-timely passing of a teacher and member.According to the statement, the teacherhad suffered severe abdominal pains andwas first admitted to St Augustine’s Hos-pital around March 6 where she spentabout two and a half weeks. After beingdischarged, she fell ill again and was read-mitted and diagnosed with asthma. Shepassed way at the hospital on Tuesday, 31March.SADTU strongly believes that the teachercontracted the virus when she was first ad-mitted into the hospital. According to herfamily, she was hospitalised with an eld-erly patient in her ward.The statement also states that SADTU isaware that the teacher's children have beenadmitted to Addington Hospital and afriend, who fetched her from hospitalwhen she was first discharged, has alsotested positive.

Education fraternity saddened by the

death of teacher due to COVID-19

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While the nationwide lockdown placed strain on residents with the strictregulations prescribed in the Disaster Management Act following theamendments due to the widespread coronavirus, locals were seen scur-rying through the streets trying to buy their essentials and conduct theirerrands while adhering to the policies set by President CyrilRamaphosa. The heart of Chatsworth has remained a buzz of activitywith some residents panic shopping, and others shopping for essentialitems. Since day one of the lockdown, hundreds of the people stood inlengthy queues outside buildings including the Chatsworth Post Office,Chatsworth Magistrates Court and Chatsworth Centre, Pick n Pay andTake n Pay. The spirit of humanity was reiterated as senior citizens anddisabled people were given preference to shop or conduct errands andchairs were set up in busy areas so that elderly residents or those withphysical challenges could be comfortable during their wait in thequeues, which were mostly outside the buildings due to limitation of thenumber of people inside the stores. The unsung heroes have been thevolunteers, who played their part in the crisis and offered support tobusy areas, where they monitored crowd control and further imple-mented the safety measures and regulations set out by government.

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THE RISING SUN, CHATSWORTH, APRIL 7, 2020Page 10 www.risingsunchatsworth.co.za

The Sudha Mandir Chatsworth would liketo inform devotees that due to the currentcoronavirus pandemic that is plaguing thecountry, the annual Ammen Prayer will notbe taking place this year.The prayer, which has been held for the last47 years, was set to take place on Good Fri-day.The temple is pleading with devotees to un-derstand that the situation is out of their con-trol and they have to abide by the laws of theland and adhere to the nationwide lockdown.“Nevertheless, as spiritual aspirants, wehave to also understand that there is a rea-son for everything that happens and this toois part of the Lord’s master plan. However,it pains us to see the extent of the sufferingthat this coronavirus is causing all aroundthe world. We have learnt that sincere loveand prayer with faith is the surest way to at-tract the attention of the Lord,” said chair-man of the temple, SV Naidoo.

He encouraged all devotees to unite and dotheir bit in terms of bringing relief and con-trol of the virus that has swept across theworld. “We urge devotees to please rally andobserve a special prayer to the divine motheron Good Friday, but in the confines of yourhome and place of prayer,” he added.Naidoo is requesting that all devotees soak acup of mealie meal on Monday, April 6 andleave it at your place of prayer. Thereafter, on Friday, April 10, cook themealie meal and offer the porridge to the di-vine mother along with any vegetable cur-ries of your choice.In order to make it a collective prayer, hefurther urged devotees and their families tooffer their prayer to the divine mother attheir homes at 11am on Good Friday. “We are convinced that the Divine Motherwill certainly answer our united plea for helpand bring worldwide relief from the coron-avirus,” said Naidoo.

Sudha MandirChatsworth calls for

united prayer

The South African Hindu Dharma Sabha iscalling for a national prayer day on Friday,April 10. People from all religious groupsare urged to pray at home at any conven-ient time to God almighty in any name orform of choice for deliverance from the dis-tress and devastation inflicted by theCOVID-19 pandemic. “Inspite of earnest efforts focusing on pre-cautionary and preventive measures to con-tain and break the chain of transmission thechallenges, confirmed cases and death tollkeep rising in South Africa and globally. It

is time to pray together for divine interven-tion in the common war against the deadlyCoronavirus. The power of collectiveprayer is supreme,” said Ram Maharaj,president of the South African DharmaSabha. The Sabha appeals to all religiousorganisations, concerned entities and indi-viduals and the media to all get involved inthe national prayer day.For more information, you can contact RamMaharaj on 031-262-2876.

South African Hindu Dharma Sabhacalls for national prayer day

Just before the national21-day lockdown wasin effect, Bark Angelsembarked on their lastfeeding in Clairwood.They came across thislittle puppy which wasas thin as a twig andDebbie Moss, founderof Bark Angels, couldalmost close her fingersaround the puppy’sneck. Moss was heartbrokento see that the puppy'sribs, hip bones andneck bones were pro-truding and the waterbowls were empty andthere was no sign offood for the puppy. "This little girl desperately needed our help. Wemade up a bowl of food for her and she scoffed it

down so quickly she was even trying to eat the

bowl. We spoke tothe helper at thehouse and she gaveus the owner's phonenumber. We spoke tothe owner and shetold us it was hern i n e - y e a r - o l ddaughter's job tofeed the dog becauseshe wanted the dog.

I asked the little girl where thefood was and when taken to thekitchen her reply was “I don’tknow where the food is.” Clearlythis puppy was not being fed,"said Moss. After they had left, the dog owner

called Moss and surrendered thesweet puppy to Bark Angels after stating that

she could not afford to feed the dog. "We pickedher up and it was as if it was the first time sheever that she had human contact. She was a nerv-ous wreck. But once she saw she was safe shenever stopped with the kisses," said Moss. The puppy was taken straight to the vet for a thor-ough check up and was found to have been badlyinfected with worms, ticks and fleas. She wasalso suffering from malnutrition and extremelyunder weight, only weighing 2,8 kg, which forher age should’ve been at least 5kg, according tothe vet. "We brought her home, bathed her, gave her an-other warm meal, put a jersey on her and she wasvery comfy in our arms. She feels like she is inheaven," Moss said.

It has been almost two weeks now and Sashais doing very well in her new home. She haslearnt that food is going to be given to her,whereas initially she would chunk down herfood and run to steal the other puppies food.

“She now eats slowly and enjoys her food. Sheloves to be picked up and cuddled, playtime isa joy to watch as she loves all the other puppies

and the toys. She is gaining weight and confi-dence daily and has started to look like a puppy.She has had her inoculations and will be lookingfor a forever home soon," said a happy Moss.

Sweet puppy safeand warm in thearms of Bark Angel

Sasha was stick thin when she taken in by Bark

Angels.

The puppy has now gained weight and ishappy in her new home.

For most people, stress is a daily phenomenon.Add COVID-19 to the mix and stress levels,even for those that would describe themselves asrelaxed or laid back, can sky rocket. Being mind-ful of how you cope with stress during the un-certain times that lie ahead amidst the globalpandemic, is a big positive step in the right di-rection.Coping with stress can mean different things todifferent people, ranging from taking a walk todecompress, to having down time with familyand friends. As lock-down and self-isolation forsome, may have created havoc with habitual,more positive stress coping mechanisms, herefollows a few not so positive ways of dealingwith stress that can in fact increase your stresslevels more, in addition to contributing to de-pression:Alcohol: Yes, I hear you say, the sale of alcoholis prohibited during lock down. However, manymade a bee-line to the bottle store to stock up onalcohol during this not so festive season. Paceyourself by not drinking more than would youwould have under more normal circumstances.Alcohol is not only bad for the waist line, but cancontribute to a depressed mood. In addition, a3-week period is more than enough time to de-velop a habit that is very difficult to kick oncewe can go about our business in a less restrictedway. If need be, log your alcohol consumptionby making a note on your fridge door of howmuch self-soothing you have done on a givenday.Snacking* and overeating: More time on yourhands, fewer or no deadlines? Don’t kill time bysnacking while going on-line or watching TV.Before you know it, you have scoffed that bagof chips all by yourself or eaten the Easter eggstash long before the Easter bunny made itsrounds. Too much eating, coupled with inactiv-ity or lower levels of activity, will result in therebeing more of you to love once you are able tosee family, friends and colleagues face-to-face.In addition, overeating can make you feel un-comfortable and gaining unwanted weight couldleave you feeling sluggish and depressed. It isnot by chance that stressed spelt backwards isdesserts. Ration yourself by eating snack foodsfrom a cup or bowl instead of straight out of the

packet. In doing so, you can keep track of yourgrazing. If you are living with friends or family,you can police one another’s eating habits to pre-vent yourself from overeating. Undereating: For some, stress contributes to alack of appetite. Do not give yourself a medalfor skipping meals while being relatively inac-tive. This could cause havoc with your bloodsugar levels, even if you are not diabetic. Thekicker is that low blood sugar levels due to ir-regular eating can lead to overeating later andcravings for high fat, high sugar foods such aschocolate, the planet’s best anti-depressant. Evenif you are not hungry, make sure you eat regu-larly. Even if it is half a slice of bread or a rusk.See-sawing blood sugar levels can also give youa headache, make you feel jittery or anxious.This is not a good look for you! As a child I recall the following riddle: “Whatlies at the bottom of the sea and shakes?” Youguessed it: A nervous wreck. Be kind to yourbody and yourself during these very unusual cir-cumstances. Take care of your physical as wellas emotional well-being. This is not only a formof self-preservation, but will enable you to bephysically and emotionally available to yourloved ones, whether they be in your home or ata distance.

* Snacks that won’t bust the bank or your waist-line- bread sticks, pop-corn made with a little butteror oil as possible, pretzels, rice cakes, whole-wheat crackers or crisp bread- broccoli florets, carrot, celery, sweet peppersticks or any other raw vegetables with a low fatyoghurt dip or low fat salad-dressing- fresh fruit - whole-wheat sandwich with peanut butter andjam- low fat unflavoured yoghurt or maas- peanuts and raisins

Assoc Prof Suna Kassier, RD (SA), HOD: Di-etetics & Human Nutrition, Academic Leader:Teaching & Learning - School of Agric. Earth &Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture,Engineering & Science

Your health andcoping with stress:beyond COVID-19

THE RISING SUN, CHATSWORTH, APRIL 7, 2020 Page 11www.risingsunchatsworth.co.za

Toyota South Africa Motors posted a 26% mar-ket share for March and one of the performingmodels was the Fortuner.The seven-seater Fortuner which shares under-pinnings with the Hilux now offers a newmodel, the Fortuner Epic. Toyota has decided tooffer all 2.8-litre GD-6 in two Epic variants, theFortuner Epic and Fortuner Epic Black, the lat-ter featuring black accents for a pronounced vi-sual styling. On the exterior, the Epic sees theaddition of a branded nudge-bar and tow barwhile the Epic Black variants get 18-inch alloywheels finished in black, black roof, black roofrails and black side-view mirrors.The Epic Black variant can only be selectedwith the contrasting Glacier White paintworkwhile the Epic can be selected with GlacierWhite, Chromium Silver, Graphite Grey orAvant-Garde Bronze. Both variants see the ad-dition of metal scuff plates and Epic-brandedcarpets. The leather interior, soft-touch dash-board, dual-zone climate control, smart entryand push start, touchscreen infotainment systemwith navigation, reverse camera, TFT Multi-In-formation Display, blue Optitron instrumenta-

tion, cruise control, steering switches, power-adjustable driver seat and power back door re-main unchanged.Driver-aid and safety systems such as the ABS,TRC, VSC, BAS, EBD and Hill Start Assist(HAC) remains in place while four-wheel-drivevariants see the addition of Toyota’s A-TRACoff-road traction control logic and Downhill As-sist Control (DAC. Bolstering this is the ‘On-the-fly’ selectable 2WD/4WD/4WD Lo. Asmentioned these changes are only applied to the2.8-litre GD-6 models with the 2.4 GD-6 and2.7 VVTi Fortuner models left unaltered whilethe 4.0 V6 model is no longer being made. Toy-ota has also decided to exclude manual gear-boxes in the Fortuner model line-up.WarrantyThe Fortuner model comes with a six-services/90 000 km service plan and three-year/100 000 km warranty.PricingFortuner 2.8 RB Epic 6AT – R 660 000Fortuner 2.8 Epic Black 6AT – R 670 100Fortuner 2.8 4X4 Epic 6AT – R 729 000Fortuner 2.8 4X4 Epic Black 6AT – R 739 100

New Epic derivative of theToyota Fortuner

Situated in Sant’Agata Bolognese,Automobili Lamborghini has con-verted some of the departments inits super sports car manufacturingplant facilities to make way for theproduction of surgical masks andprotective plexiglass shields.The equipment is intended for med-ical professionals at Sant’Orsola-Malpighi Hospital in Bologna. Italyhas suffered greatly during theCOVID-19 pandemic that hasspread throughout the world and atthe time of writing this article hasseen 13 915 deaths. It is because ofthis sad statistic that Lamborghinihas employed the help of its person-nel working in its interiors and spe-ciality customization departments toproduce the 1 000 masks a day,needed while treating patients. Twohundred units of the protective plex-iglass shields will be produced inthe carbon fiber production plantand the Research and Development

department, utilizing 3D printers.This initiative is supported by theentire Emilia-Romagna Region andwill see help from the University ofBologna. All the equipment will betested and validated by The Depart-ment of Medical and Surgical Sci-ences before making its way to thehospital.“During this emergency, we feel theneed to make a concrete contribu-tion. The S. Orsola-Malpighi Hos-pital is an institution with which wehave had a collaborative relation-ship for years, through both profes-sional consultancy in promotingprograms to protect our workers’health, and in research projects. Wewill win this battle together byworking in unison, supporting thosewho are at the forefront of fightingthis pandemic every day,” StefanoDomenicali, Chairman and CEO,Automobili Lamborghini.

The Lamborghini of facemasks

Although the country is staying at homeduring the lockdown, dedicated staff at theCentre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife(CROW) are still going full steam aheadand giving their all to the rescue, rehabili-tation of injured, orphaned and displacedwildlife. Wielding face masks, sanitisers and asteely determination, a skeleton staff ofadmin, clinic and ground keepers are stillcoming in each day to rescue, feed, cleanand take care of the animals at the centre,who are now more vulnerable than ever. The staff at CROW are asking for supportfrom the public during this difficult timeand they are urging residents to contactthem if they come across any injured ordisplaced animals. They also pleaded withresidents to not kill or harm any wild ani-mals. The team at Crow also wants to dis-pel any fears or rumours that thecoronavirus can be spread through being incontact with animals. Killing these animals

only puts a strain on animal welfare organ-isations who are already stretched thin. Crow is pleading with members of the pub-lic to donate the following supplies fortheir baby animals - towels, blankets, Nanoptipro 1 baby formula and purity babyfood (fruit flavour) to help see themthrough this lockdown. CROW is the only wildlife rehabilitationcentre in Durban that is registered to workwith all types of indigenous wildlife foundin KZN.As a registered non-profit organisation,CROW is reliant on donations from thepublic. If you would like to donate toCROW, their banking details are as fol-lows: account name: CROW, bank: FNB,branch: Durban, branch code: 221426, ac-count number: 5077-023-0859 and swiftcode: firnzajj. For more information, con-tact CROW on 031 462-1127 or via emailinfo@crowkzn.co.za.

Crow still open

for operation

Situated in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Automobili Lamborghini hasconverted some of the departments in its super sports car manu-facturing plant facilities to make way for the production of surgi-cal masks and protective plexiglass shields.The equipment is intended for medical professionals at Sant’Or-sola-Malpighi Hospital in Bologna. Italy has suffered greatly dur-ing the COVID-19 pandemic that has spread throughout the worldand at the time of writing this article has seen 13 915 deaths. It isbecause of this sad statistic that Lamborghini has employed thehelp of its personnel working in its interiors and speciality cus-tomization departments to produce the 1 000 masks a day, neededwhile treating patients. Two hundred units of the protective plex-iglass shields will be produced in the carbon fiber production plantand the Research and Development department, utilizing 3D print-ers.This initiative is supported by the entire Emilia-Romagna Regionand will see help from the University of Bologna. All the equip-ment will be tested and validated by The Department of Medicaland Surgical Sciences before making its way to the hospital.“During this emergency, we feel the need to make a concrete con-tribution. The S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital is an institution withwhich we have had a collaborative relationship for years, throughboth professional consultancy in promoting programs to protectour workers’ health, and in research projects. We will win this bat-tle together by working in unison, supporting those who are at theforefront of fighting this pandemic every day,” Stefano Domeni-cali, Chairman and CEO, Automobili Lamborghini.

The Lamborghini of face masks

THE RISING SUN, CHATSWORTH, APRIL 7, 2020Page 12 www.risingsunchatsworth.co.za

Silverglen physician, Dr Perisamy Neelapitham-baran Govender, is in his early 90s and despitehim being in the category of the most vulnerableto coronavirus, is at the forefront of the healthcatastrophe at our doorsteps. Practicing as amedical doctor in Merebank for over 55 years,Dr Govender is assisting in the fight against thecoronavirus, as well as many other health issuesfaced by his patients.While the doors of numerous medical practicescloses due to fears of not effectively curbing thespread of the virus, Dr Govender’s practice re-mains open to the public at stipulated times. He

was also instrumental in setting up a medicalcamp in Westcliff during the xenophobic attacksin 2015.The father of four shared that he will continue toprovide medical care to his patients for as long ashis health allows him to and offered precaution-ary measures for residents to follow in order tostop the spread of germs and the coronavirus.Dr Govender was the recipient of the Transfor-mation, Justice and Equity Human ResourcesAward from the South African Medical Associ-ation and attributed his longevity to his lovingfamily, his job and hobbies, which include col-

lecting model cars and African antiques, the up-keep of his Khoi pond and gardening.He also wrote and published three books.Beyond the Stethoscope, a medical book, waspublished in 2015, while Legends of the Tide –The Seine-netters, a book about the roots of theDurban Fishing Industry was published in 2010.Girrmit Tales was published in 2008 and is a col-lection of short stories about the Indian inden-ture experience in South Africa. “I am a publicspirited person and was brought up by my grand-parents, who taught me how to get joy from giv-ing. I have lived my life by that rule and continue

to give back to my community in any way I can,”he said. His service to humanity projects in-cluded hosting a medical camp for the victims ofxenophobia at the Westcliff grounds refugeecamp at his own cost for 30 days, in 2015. Theset-up of medical camps with free medical treat-ment stems back to the 1976 and 1987 floodswhere Dr Govender provided medical support athis own cost. Dr Govender’s plans include pass-ing on his skills to the future generation and hehopes to train indigenous children in the medicalfield in a pipeline project which should be rolledout soon.

A member of a pioneer Chatsworth family and re-spected retired educationist, Govindasamy Venket‘GV’ Reddy (pictured), passed away at his Umh-latuzana home, last Friday, from an age-related ill-ness. He was 90-years-old.Despite crowd control regulations necessitated bythe coronavirus pandemic, relatives and friendsstreamed into the Umhlatuzana Civic Hall on Sun-day to pay their last respects to ‘a gentleman andtrue son of the soil’.He was the son of Bal Venket Reddy, who arrived inSouth Africa from South Arcot in the early 1900sand cultivated bananas and pineapples on 33 acresof landpresently encompassing the Protea School and itsenvirons in Bayview, Chatsworth.GV Reddy was born in 1930. He received his pri-mary education at the Chatsworth Government-Aided Primary School and his secondary educationat Sastri College. Besides helping on the familyfarm, he was a keen sportsman during his school-ing days.He started his teaching career at Coedmore PrimarySchool in 1951. He was promoted as vice-principalof Greenvale Primary School in 1964, deputy-prin-cipal of Willow Park Primary School in 1972 andbecame principal of Depot Road Memorial Schoolin 1980. He obtained BA and B.Ed degrees throughpart-time study. He retired in 1991. Reddy was a member of the Cavendish Rover ScoutCrew and served the Friends of the Sick Association.He was also a trustee of the Chatsworth School Ed-ucation Board. His life-long friend, former educator and retired Sil-verglen businessman, MN Reddy, said, “GV Reddy

was a dedicated teacher. He will be remembered forhis humility and love for his family and friends.”Reddy is survived by his wife Nelavathie, children,Kevin, who works in banking security in London,Dr Nessa Reddy, principal of Queensburgh PrimarySchool, Desmond, a process chemist, Jayshree, aformer educator, Vineshree, who is a specialist neu-rologist, and several grandchildren.

Pioneer Chatswortheducationist, GVReddy, passes on

Compassionate doctor helpsfight against coronavirus

Dr Perisamy Neelapithambaran Govender has always had an im-mense love for giving back to others.

Human Rights Month this year was certainly com-memorated unlike any other in our young nation’shistory.Public events have all been cancelled as part of theresponse to the coronavirus, but it still serves as areminder of our many hard fought for rights. “Secu-rity is one of these rights, and it is perhaps more ap-propriate this year than ever before to think about it.Now that the country is in a 21-day lockdown pe-riod, we need to think again about how we can con-tribute to a society in which every one of us is freeand secure. As adults, it is our responsibility to leavea better world behind for our children,” said CharnelHattingh, the national marketing and communica-tions manager at Fidelity ADT.The extended period at home with your loved ones,explained Hattingh, is the ideal opportunity to haveconversations that are normally forgotten or to thinkabout things we don’t normally even consider in themad rush of our daily lives.“Security and personal safety should be things wetalk about, especially with our children. My advicefor parents is to look for fun and educational ways toteach their kids about good personal safety habitswhile everyone is forced to stay at home,” she said.Use this opportunity to talk to your kids about whatto do and what situations to avoid.Using art projects or colourful posters could be a

great way of reinforcing basic lessons such as neverwalking to or from school on your own, avoiding un-familiar streets, waiting for your parents or a care-giver at school and never getting into a vehicle withsomeone you don’t know.You can even have a fun contest to see who can de-sign the best looking poster with all the importantlocal emergency contact numbers, with the winningposter getting stuck on the fridge.This 21-day period can also be a valuable opportu-nity for the entire family to look at existing securityand safety measures at home and to work togetherto fix any urgent faults.“When last did everyone pay attention to the perime-ter fences, and the trees and bushes that might be ob-scuring your outside infrared sensors? Is thereanything lying around in the garden that could pos-sibly be used to force open a window?” asked Hat-tingh.Certain critical maintenance and repair services arestill allowed to operate during the lockdown period,and they could be called to come and assist whererequired.“Our wish is that people stay safe and secure duringthis difficult period and that they think of ways inwhich we can live better and more secure lives oncethe lockdown is lifted,” she concluded.

Citizens have a rightto be secure

One of the most fre-quently asked ques-tions since thecoronavirus pandemicfirst broke out aroundthe world is ‘Should Ibe wearing a facemask?’ The Coron-avirus Action Commit-tee is driving thecampaign, called‘Wear a face mask. Iprotect you. You pro-tect me’, and membersbelieve that wearing amask can greatly helpin combating the virus.They are appealing tosupermarkets, shops,food markets, banksand other busy publicareas to insist thatshoppers wear a maskwhen they enter. Thecampaign is aimed aturging residents to wear a mask when they leavehome and enter a shop. Jurie Thaver from COVACstated that the campaign tells residents that evenpeople without symptoms can infect others just byspeaking or coughing. “In the early stages of some-one being infected, they might not show any signs

of the virus symptoms. Experts say a simple facecovering or cloth masks could prevent people, whoare unknowingly contagious from spreading theirharmful droplets and the virus that causes COVID-19. Our campaign to get people to wear masks is adesperate attempt to prevent the spread of the virus.We must focus our efforts on stopping the spread

of droplets. This is be-cause the virus is prima-rily transmitted throughtiny droplets of salivaejected when we speak.You can’t see them, butthey are there. We alsoknow that these dropletscan go significantly fur-ther than the two-metreswhich is widely cited asa safe distance. If youare leaving home, wearprotective fabric cover-ings around your noseand mouth. Any cloth,whether it is a bandana,a balaclava, or a scarf,can help to trap the air-borne virus particles. Itis not perfect, but itdoes help. COVAC willalso be handing out freecloth masks in the com-ing week. This must

also be combined with washing your hands regu-larly, not touching your eyes, nose and mouth, andkeeping a safe distance from people.” COVAC isappealing to people to help sponsor the material andthe sewing of the masks. For more information,contact Clive Pillay on 061-429-2574.

Appeal to shops and supermarkets toinsist on shoppers wearing masks

In light of the recent developments around COVID-19, the nationwide lockdown and prohibition ofgatherings and social distancing, the Moorton

Policing Sub-Forum AGM will be postponed untilfurther notice. At this stage, a new date cannot bedecided until the situation in the country changes.

The organisation apologises for any inconveniencescaused. They urge residents to avoid personal con-tact and limit movement as far as possible.

Moorton Policing Sub-Forum AGM

postponed until further notice

Local stores are being encouraged to insist on shoppers wearing face masks.

As the coronavirus infection hits high num-bers around the world, poor South Africansare starting to feel the hunger that’s createdby the lockdown. In Chatsworth and Welbe-dacht, the process of distributing hampersto poor pensioners and families have al-ready began, with volunteers from COVAC(Coronavirus Action Committee) deliveringto needy families. This team of volunteershas committed themselves to continuing thedrive to distribute food hampers, but theyneed your help. They are calling on resi-dents, businesses and companies to con-tribute to a fund to make up the foodhampers.Well-known community activist, Devan Pil-lay, urges people to assist the less fortunateduring this difficult period of the lockdown.“It is so important that we look after eachother during this time. We have already dis-

tributed food hampers and porridge to hun-dreds of poor people, who have appealed tous for help. We have a lot more poor andvulnerable communities to reach out to. Youcan show solidarity with them by simplymaking a deposit into the Nelson MandelaCommunity Youth Centre’s bank account.For now, it’s not practical for people tophysically go over to the youth centre anddeliver food items. You can only make a fi-nancial contribution and we’ll buy the gro-ceries and vegetables.”The committee is also appealing to busi-nesses to donate food parcels or to give thegroceries and vegetables at reasonableprices to make up the food hampers.If you need more information about thecampaign or the bank details, messageClive Pillay on 061-429-2574.

Underprivileged pensioners are benefiting from the heartfelt initiative.

Donate a food hamper to an

underprivileged pensioner during the

lockdown

THE RISING SUN, CHATSWORTH, APRIL 7, 2020 Page 13www.risingsunchatsworth.co.za

The Cleansing and Solid Waste Unit (DSW) of theeThekwini Municipality is an essential publicservice to keep waste management uninterrupted,safe and focused on public health protection.While waste collection and safe disposal are para-mount for a good quality of life to all, the eThek-wini Municipality’s deputy head ofcommunications, Mandla Nsele, is urging com-munities to take the president’s call for a nationallockdown serious by staying at home.“Recent media coverage across communities ineThekwini has shown people leaving their homesand dumping refuse outside waste sites and thishas to stop. It is regarded as unlawful during thelockdown to leave home for this practice. It isplacing additional challenges during the coron-avirus crisis as DSW workers are left vulnerable

by being physically exposed to the various healthrisks including infections in these clean-ups. DSWis working hard behind the scene to ensure thatwaste workers are safe and precautionary meas-ures are in place to mitigate transmission or infec-tions to its workers. This is a period of solidarityas well as social responsibility and it is during thistime that every citizen has to realise the impor-tance of waste management. It is time to take thelockdown serious as difficult as it may be in orderto emerge stronger as a society, therefore, DSWwill strive to ensure that the level of public healthprotection will be kept and waste managementservices will not collapse during the coronaviruscrisis,” said Nsele.

DSW concernedabout dumping

Everythingprogresses as

planned atshelters forhomeless

The eThekwini Municipality has made aprovision of temporary shelters for home-less people and those living on the streets.The municipality identified sites to be usedas accommodation after President CyrilRamaphosa announced the 21-day nationallockdown to combat the spread of coron-avirus (COVID-19).The eThekwini Municipality’s communica-tions unit, said at this stage, the municipal-ity has made a provision of 11 temporaryshelters that accommodates more than 2,000 homeless people. Additional sites arebeing sought due to increasing numbers of

homeless as they are being identified.Those accommodated in the temporary shel-ters receive three meals a day through gen-erous donations from the public.In compliance with hygienic measures,there is ongoing sanitization of the sheltersand health screening is being provided bymedical teams.The municipality appeals for donations in aform of non-perishable food products, bot-tled water and hygiene packs.Donations can be dropped at the DisasterManagement and Emergency Control Unit,situated at 3 Jelf Taylor Crescent, Durban.

(As amended by Gazette 43168 of 26 March2020 and Gazette 43199 of 2 April 2020)

Restriction on the movement of persons andgoods

For the period of lockdown:· Every person is confined to his or her placeof residence, unless strictly for the purpose ofperforming an essential service, obtaining anessential good or service, collecting a socialgrant, pension or seeking emergency, life-sav-ing, or chronic medical attention.

· Every gathering, as defined in regulation 1 ishereby prohibited, except for a funeral as pro-vided for in sub regulation.

· Movement between provinces and betweenmetropolitan and district areas is prohibited ex-cept for: - Essential workers who have to travelto and from work; transportation of cargo fromports of entry to their intended destination, oncondition that necessary precautions have beentaken to sanitise and disinfect such cargo; forthe transportation of the mortal remains; and

attendance of a funeral as provided for and onthe conditions set out in subregulation (8),movement between the metropolitan and dis-trict areas, is prohibited.

· During the lockdown, all businesses and otherentities shall cease operations, except for anybusiness or entity involved in the manufactur-ing, supply, or provision of an essential goodor service, save where operations are providedfrom outside of the Republic or can be pro-vided remotely by a person from their normalplace of residence.

· Retail shops and shopping malls must beclosed, except where essential goods are soldand on condition that the person in control ofthe said store must put in place controls to en-sure that customers keep a distance of at leastone square meter from each other, and that alldirections in respect of hygienic conditions andthe exposure of persons to COVID-19 are ad-hered to.

· Retail stores selling essential goods is pro-hibited from selling any other goods.

· Any place not involved in the provision of anessential good or service must remain closed toall persons for the duration of the lockdown.

· Movement between a metropolitan or districtarea, or province by a person wishing to attenda funeral shall only be permitted if the personso wishing to attend the funeral is a spouse orpartner of the deceased; child of the deceased,whether biological, adopted or stepchild; child-in-law of the deceased; parent of the deceasedwhether biological, adopted or stepparent; sib-ling, whether biological, adopted or stepbrotheror sister of the deceased; grandparent of the de-ceased; and person closely affiliated to the de-ceased.

· For purposes of this sub-regulation, closelyaffiliated means a person with parental respon-sibilities and rights in respect of the deceased;or a person who had developed a significant re-lationship based on care-giving, psychologicalor emotional attachment to the deceased.

Disaster Management Act:Regulations to address,prevent and combat the

spread of COVID-19

The Disaster Management Act 57 of 2002 intends

to provide for:

· An integrated and co-ordinated disaster man-

agement policy that focuses on preventing or re-

ducing the risk of disasters, mitigating the

severity of disasters, emergency preparedness,

rapid and effective response to disasters and

post-disaster recovery.

· The establishment of national, provincial and

municipal disaster management centres.

· Disaster management volunteers.

· Matters incidental thereto.

https://www.gov.za

The Disaster Management Act

THE RISING SUN, CHATSWORTH, APRIL 7, 2020Page 14 www.risingsunchatsworth.co.za

Due to the national 21-day lockdownand stringent rules declaring that peo-ple should stay at home, scores ofhomeless people from Isipingo, Clair-wood, Merebank and Amanzimtoti,amongst other areas, were gathered andhoused in temporary shelters at theIsipingo Beach Grounds. The tents were erected on the first dayof the lockdown to ensure that thehomeless people were taken off thestreets for the duration of the lockdown. Speaking to the Rising Sun, BronwynKelsey (42) said that she and her fiance,Gideon Van Jaarsveld, were allegedly

forcefully taken from their tent andplaced at the grounds. “My fiance and I lived in Winkelspruitbut after going through a difficult timewe ended up staying in a tent nearIsipingo Beach. I was at the petrol sta-tion buying milk when my husband wasdragged out of our tent. They wouldn’teven let us take our clothes or any be-longings. Our two kittens were left be-hind in the process. The same thinghappened to everyone here,” she said. Upon their arrival, they were screenedfor coronavirus and other sicknesses.“There was no proper plan in place, no

food or water. The living conditionshere are not ideal and this place iscrowded. We are sleeping right on topof each other, we don’t even have aplace to wash our hands. We are stuckhere and we don’t know whats going onoutside,” said a displeased Kelsey. She claimed that many others who did-n’t want to be there ran away on Friday.She and her fiance also tried to runaway but were caught by the securityguards. “We would have comeback, wejust wanted to get our belongings,” shesaid.Kelsey added that since then, they have

been provided with basic necessitiessuch as soap, a toothbrush, toilet paper,other basic cosmetics, a mattress and ablanket.Another resident from Clairwood, Am-rith Singh said that although he is em-ployed, he was picked up by the policeand dumped in this place because of theway he looks. “The food here is pa-thetic. There is no meat, no fish and wedon’t even get a cup of tea. We only eatcabbage,” he said. Pastor Siboniso Mtshali said they werehere to assist the eThekwini Municipal-ity as volunteers and make the residents

stay as comfortable as possible. “We arehere as volunteers from Safer Cities andwe are here to assist the residents. Thissite was expected to house up to 400homeless people. We are working withthe police, security guards and the mu-nicipality to create a conducive envi-ronment for the residents,” he said.The pastor added that when they arrivedhere on Friday there were a lot of issuessuch as there being no police presence,no ambulance, no food and no water.He further added that they worked hardto ensure that all those issues were fixedand basic necessities were provided.

”When the residents arrived here onFriday, there was an NGO which washere to provide HIV testing, anotherscreened them for coronavirus andother illnesses and the social develop-ment department was here for the psy-chological part of it. Some ran awaybecause they were unhappy and nowwe have about 60 people here. Some ofthem have accepted that we are here tohelp and they have learnt to trust us be-cause we are pastors,” said pastor Mt-shali.

Isipingo homeless housed in temporary sheltersHomeless residents Gideon Van Jaarsveld, Amrith Singh and Bronwyn Kalsey have been staying at the tents in Isipingo Beach Groundssince last Friday.

Volunteers Mthandeni Cele, Sphindile Njapha, Sihle Maphumulo and Pastor Siboniso Mtshali are doing their best to ensure the residentsare comfortable as possible in the tents during this lockdown.

THE RISING SUN, CHATSWORTH, APRIL 7, 2020 Page 15www.risingsunchatsworth.co.za

Protect your home, enforce social dis-tancing for your children

• Children should not have playdatesor get-togethers with children fromother households during the lockdownto limit the spread of the virus.• If children are playing outside theirown home, it is essential that they re-main away from anyone who is not intheir own household.• Do not allow children to interact withothers as this can potentially continuethe chain of viral spread into the com-munity.• While children may be asymptomaticcarriers, they can transmit COVID-19to members of their family or anyoneelse they have had contact with.• This can put parents and others athome at risk, especially those withpre-existing medical conditions.

Social distancing means keeping asafe distance between yourself andother people

• Families must put distance betweenthemselves and others in their com-munity to help prevent the spread ofCOVID-19. • Through social distancing, we can

slow the spread of COVID-19, espe-cially to those who are at higher riskof illness.• The best and most effective way topractice social distancing is to stay athome and do not receive visitors.• Do not go to social spaces and avoidlarge groups of people that are in oneplace.• When going out to purchase foodand essential items, ensure a spaceof 1, 5 meters between you and thenext person.

Play your part by following the socialdistancing rules

• As part of social distancing citizensare not allowed to jog or walk theirdogs during the 21-day lockdown pe-riod.• These regulations also apply to peo-ple living within estates and com-plexes.• All estate and complex managersare encouraged to assist in ensuringthat these regulations are enforced.• The fundamental purpose of lock-down is to drastically reduce themovement of people in order to pre-vent the spread of the COVID-19virus.

How to follow social

distancing

THE RISING SUN, CHATSWORTH, APRIL 7, 2020 www.risingsunchatsworth.co.za

I cannot find words to express my disap-pointment and disgust on a racial slur thatwent viral. I refer to the incident in which amotorist called an Indian motorist a‘C****e’. This individual must be jailed.The incident, which was captured on video,went viral and millions have viewed thefootage. Some of us have failed to embracethe concept of unity in our beautiful countryand instead, choose to vent our anger andfrustration without considering the feelingof others. While freedom of speech is en-shrined in our constitution, it is equally sadto note that people have not evolved to ac-cept a founding value of a non racial SouthAfrica knowing full well that we come from

a history that had the worst forms of racialsegregation. The mayhem that is unfoldingin our beautiful country is creating unnec-essary tension and hatred. Racism has noplace in this country- too many peopletoiled selflessly for us as a nation to enjoyfreedom. We must ensure there is no repeti-tion of any racist comments especially likethis one. Let us build a nation instead ofgrowing hate. To the lady, who wants to befamous- hang your head in shame. I onlyhope and pray the next generation will beeliminated of racists.Dhayalan MoodleyMobeni Heights

All letters must include the writerʼs fullname, address and contact numbers. Anom-de-plume may be used. The editorreserves the right to edit letters. Emailyour letters to yoshiniperumal@gmail.comor call 031 459-8351

Racists must face

the might of the law

After President Cyril Ramaphosa’s speechon Monday, authorities have been inundatedwith questions surrounding the safety of thescreening, testing, tracing and medical man-agement programme that the governmentwill be rolling out over the next few weeks.It is a proactive initiative by the govern-ment, to #FlattenTheCurve and seems to bea solid effort as the technology is rather im-pressive.“Using mobile technology, an extensivetracing system will be rapidly deployed totrace those, who have been in contact withconfirmed coronavirus cases and to moni-tor the geographical location of new casesin real-time,” said President Ramaphosa.However, residents are not only afraid ofthe possibility of contracting the virus fromthe field workers, who are conducting thescreenings, but also the possibility of im-

postors with criminal intent, pretending tobe field workers.

How to vet the field worker at your door?Blue Security recommends the following: When rolling out a programme of this mag-nitude, the government has to put strictmeasures in place to ensure that citizensknow what to expect. It also ensures thatresidents are safe, and know how to tell ifdoor-to-door field workers screening for thevirus are legit.

To keep the community safe, the followingcriteria will be met by field testers:Have ID badgesWear the same T-shirtsCarry their RSA ID documentsBe accompanied by a police officerTests can be done outside your home

How to avoid potentialinfections?

Keep in mind thatthese 10, 000 fieldworkers will be com-ing into contact withhundreds of thousandsof people as thesescreenings will bedone all over SouthAfrica. You need to be cautious and ensurethat, even though a field worker will becoming into contact with you, that theyhave a clean mask and pair of gloves on.Also, make sure that you wear a mask andgloves, which both need to be discardedonce the person leaves your premises.

You can request that the field tester conductthe test outside your house. This may be abetter solution in preventing any possibleexposure to the virus. For further methodson how to prevent contracting the COVID-19 infection, go to the World Health Organ-isation website.

Use of protective equipment talking points The proper uses of face masks canhelp in the fight against the spread ofCOVID-19.

• If you are healthy, you only need towear a mask if you are taking care ofa person suspected of being infectedwith COVID-19. • You also need to wear a mask if youare coughing or sneezing.• Masks are effective when used incombination with washing your handsfrequently with an alcohol-based handsanitizer that contains 60 per cent ofalcohol or soap and water.• Before putting on a mask, yourhands must be thoroughly cleanedwith an alcohol-based sanitizer orsoap and water.• When putting on a mask, cover yourmouth and nose with the mask andensure there are no gaps betweenyour face and the mask.• Avoid touching the mask while usingit, if you do, clean your hands with al-cohol-based hand sanitizer or soap

and water.

The correct dis-posal of a facemasks ensuresthose around youremain safe.

• If you wear aface mask, youmust know how touse it and disposeof it properly.• Replace themask with a new one as soon as it isdamp and do not reuse single-useface masks.• Remove the mask from behind andensure you do not touch the front ofmask.• Discard the used mask immediatelyin a closed bin and immediately cleanyour hands with alcohol-based handsanitizer or soap and water.

Gloves should be used when manag-

ing suspected orc o n f i r m e dCOVID-19 pa-tients.

• Wear dispos-able gloveswhen caring forsomeone whohas been diag-nosed withCOVID-19, par-ticularly whenhandling their

laundry and when coming into contactwith bodily fluids.• Follow proper hygiene procedureswhen wearing gloves, including wash-ing your hands with soap and wash forat least 20 seconds before putting onthe gloves.• Wearing disposable gloves can alsobe used when cleaning and disinfect-ing surfaces. • Regular handwashing is far more ef-fective against spreading Covid-19

than wearing gloves.• People who wear gloves still have atendency to touch their face, which isthe main way COVID-19 is spreading.

Gloves should be discarded aftereach use.

• Alcohol-based hand disinfectantshould be used before removing thegloves.• To remove a glove, pinch and holdthe glove between the palm and wristarea, peeling back the glove awayfrom the wrist.• Turn the glove inside out, peel theglove away from the wrist until it turnsinside out and covers the fingers. • Remove the glove from one handcompletely by grabbing the inside partof the glove.• Dispose of the gloves in a closed bin.• If reusable gloves are used for clean-ing purposes, those gloves should bedisinfected and not be used for anyother purpose.

COVID-19 lockdown: Identifying field testers

Be wise, sanitize.Spread the messagenot the virus.