COUNCILLOR ASSURES OTTAWA RESIDENTS HE WILL WORK WITH ALL ROLE PLAYERS TO CREATE A LIVING ENVIRONMENT FOR RATEPAYERS AND RESIDENTS

COUNCILLOR SIYABONGA By Subry Govender

The residents of Ottawa, near Verulam on the North Coast, are fed up with the continuing degeneration, degradation and destruction of their residential area despite repeated representations to the Ethekwini municipality. They expressed their anger at two meetings held at the Ottawa community hall on Wednesday (March 8) and Thursday, March 16. The residents are concerned about the filth, litter and garbage that engulfs the main road running through the town and in the complexes of businesses on the main road. The residents say the degeneration of their residential area is aggravated by the motor scrap yards, panel beating shops, truck depots, a container depot, a livestock business, destruction of the Ottawa river and huge trucks that rampage through the main road and the residential areas. The councillor for the area, Mr Siyabonga Thango, who attended the second meeting and another councillor, Mr Stanley Moonsamy, who attended both meetings, were told by the residents that they should help the people to restore the residential and environmental quality of the area. The meetings were held under the auspices of the Ottawa Environmental Forum. The facilitator of the Forum, Ms Andisha Maharaj, said as ratepayers and taxpayers, the residents were entitled to a clean and pollution-free environment. She said in terms of the constitution of the new democratic South Africa, residents were entitled to a safe and clean living environment. “The eThekwini municipality has failed miserably to take any action to restore the dignity of our residential area,” she said. “We have in our possession correspondence from eThekwini officials acknowledging that there are major problems with air quality in Ottawa. The main cause of the poor air quality is the foul stench emanating from the Phoenix Waste Water Treatment facility nearby. The ponds which were to have been dredged every 20 years has never been cleaned since its inception in 1982.

(MS ANDISHA MAHARAJ) “Complaints have been lodged with the Mayoral offices since 2002. Another major source of the foul smell is the livestock business which operates from unauthorized re-claimed land on the banks of the Ottawa River. “We are saying enough is enough. We seek relief from this dreadful situation and demand a 50 percent rates reduction,” she said. She emphasised that the deteriorating situation in Ottawa “is a direct violation of our human and constitutional rights”. “All operations such as trucking, container storage, scrap yards, and heavy industries must be immediately moved out of our residential area to industrial locations where they could operate without destroying the environment,” she said. Other residents said representations had been made for the council to provide concrete bins where people who pass through the area could deposit their tin cans, bottles, food bags and other material. They also called for “no litter” signs in IsiZulu and English to be erected on the main and side roads.

Some business owners who attended the second meeting said they provided jobs for people and would want to work with the residents for the regeneration of the area. Both Mr Thango and Mr Moonsamy in response said they would work with all the residents and role players to overcome their concerns and to restore the living environment of the area. “We commit ourselves in consultative and collective partnership with all community structures and ratepayers in resolving matters of concern to build a better community,” said Mr Thango. “We pledge that together we can do more to build better communities.” Mr Thango said as the ward councillor he wanted to create an area committee of five people “which will advise me on issues within the area of Parkgate Phase 1 and 2 and Ottawa”. “I also want to extend my office through a volunteer at the Ottawa Community Hall on a weekly basis.” Mr Thango said they would hold a meeting at the Ottawa Community Hall on Sunday, March 26 to elect the representatives. “I want to commit myself to work with all stake holders within the frame-work of the law that govern all of us. “This will mean that we want to create an environmentally-friendly community and environment for all of us.” Meanwhile, the Environmental Forum is to submit a detailed petition to the office of the Mayor, Zandile Gumede. Ends – subrygovender@gmail.com

ICASA PROPOSES A LIFELINE FOR SOUTHSIDE FM RADIO

(SOUTHSIDE OFFICIALS WITH ICASA CEO, MR PAKEMILE PONGWANA, AND THE GENERAL MANAGER OF LICENCING, MR NORMAN GIDI, AT THE OFFICES OF MR LOGAN NAIDOO IN MUSGRAVE ROAD, DURBAN, WHERE THE MEETING WAS HELD ON FRIDAY, MARCH 10) BY SUBRY GOVENDER The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa(ICASA) is to investigate three alternatives in order to help Southside FM Radio overcome its long, drawn-out struggles to obtain a FM frequency to get off the ground. The alternatives were proposed at a meeting between senior ICASA officials, CEO Mr Pakemile Pongwana, and Dr Norman Gidi, General Manager: Licencing, and Southside officials in Durban on Friday (March 10). The alternatives are: i). ICASA will once again investigate the possibility of Southside being granted Radio 2 000 frequency at the Bluff in Durban. ii). ICASA will initiate negotiations with DSTV for Southside to start broadcasting through one of DSTV’s channels. ICASA would investigate assistance being given to Southside to use DSTV. iii). ICASA would investigate the possibility of Southside starting to broadcast on Medium Wave. In view of the costs involved, Sentech would be asked to waive its fees for at least two years to allow South Africa to launch its radio station.

(MR RICHARD GOVENDER, KZN TAMIL FEDERATION PRESIDENT, MR DEVA POONOOSAMY, AND MR RICHARD NAIDOO, DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON AND SENIOR OFFICIAL OF THE ANDHRAHA MAHA SABHA OF SOUTH AFRICA) The latest meeting between ICASA and Southside was the direct result of a meeting that Southside officials held with the former Premier of KwaZulu-Natal and current Treasurer General of the ruling ANC, Dr Zweli Mkhize, in Durban on February 11. At this meeting, Dr Mkhize had stated that Southside was not only the project of South Africa’s community of South Indian-origin, but also his own project because he was the Premier of KZN when Southside was mooted in 2010. He also said Southside was mooted at a time when he was involved in participating in the celebrations to observe the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Indian indentured labourers (slaves) to South Africa. Dr Mkhize told the Southside officials that it was unacceptable that they had to struggle for a frequency for nearly seven years. He then initiated a process for top Ministers and ICASA to intervene in order to assist Southside to launch its radio station.

(MR DENNIS NAIDOO TALKING TO ICASA GENERAL MANAGER OF LICENCING, MR NORMAN GIDI) The meeting with Dr Mkhize and the ICASA officials had been initiated following the intervention by one of Southside’s benefactors, Mr Deva Ponnoosamy, who is based in London. Mr Poonoosamy had arrived in South Africa early in January to visit family members and to attend the 105th anniversary celebrations of the ANC. Mr Poonoosamy was present at the meeting with the ICASA officials last Friday. He joined Mrs Sally Padaychie, chairperson of Southside; Mr Richard Naidoo, deputy president and a senior official of the Andhra Maha Sabha of South Africa; Mr Richard Govender, committee member, president of the KwaZulu-Natal Tamil Federation and senior official of the SA Tamil Federation; Deputy Treasurer, Mr Denis Naidoo; and secretary, Mr Marimuthu Subramoney.

(SOUTHSIDE CHAIRPERSON, MRS SALLY PADAYCHIE, WITH ICASA CEO, MR PAKEMILE PONGWANA)

(MR SWAMINATHAN GOUNDEN)

Two senior officials - Mr Balan Govender, deputy president, and Mr Swaminathan Gounden, were unable to attend due to prior commitments. Both Mr Pongwana and Dr Gidi told Southside officials at the meeting on Friday that ICASA had over the past seven years did everything in its power to help it to launch but this was thwarted by the lack of an FM frequency. “We have supported Southside from inception and our officials, including the late former chairperson, Dr Stephen Ncube, had attempted to provide Southside with a frequency,” said Dr Gidi. “The former chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Communications, Mr Eric Kholwane, had held several meetings with Southside and had even convened a meeting of all role players to help Southside. “We even tried to get the SABC to release the Radio 2 000 frequency at the Bluff but the investigations indicated that this would affect the transmission to Radio 2 000 listeners. There were also attempts to get Durban Youth Radio to share its frequency with Southside but this had not been successful because DYR have their own licence,” he said. Mr Pongwana said the latest proposals were further attempts to help Southside to get off the ground. “We will do everything on our part to help Southside with the new proposals,” he said. Mr Pongwana said an ICASA official would be appointed to liaise with Southside about the three proposals. He said although there should be no time line, the proposals put forward should be ironed out within a period of two months. “Let’s be positive that a solution will be found soon.” Mrs Padaychie and the other Southside officials informed the ICASA officials that the South Indian-origin community had been given the run-around for far too long and that a solution should be found soonest. “Southside commits itself to playing a progressive role in our new, non-racial and democratic order and for the promotion of a peaceful, productive and cohesive society,” said Mrs Padaychie. “One of the progressive roles would be the teaching of IsiZulu among our listeners in KZN,” she said. Soutside FM Radio was initiated in 2010 at a time when people of Indian-origin in South Africa were commemorating the arrival of indentured labourers in 1860. Despite being granted a broadcast licence in September 2011, Southside had been thwarted by the lack of an FM frequency. Southside’s prospective listeners are situated in and around Durban, North Coast, South Coast, Pietermaritzburg, northern KZN towns such as Ladysmith, Estcourt, Newcastle and Dundee; Pretoria-Johannesburg region; Cape Town; and Port Elizabeth-East London. Ends – subrygovender@gmail.com

OTTAWA RESIDENTS UP IN ARMS OVER THE DEGENERATION AND DESTRUCTION OF THEIR RESIDENTIAL AREA

BY SUBRY GOVENDER The residents of Ottawa, near Verulam on the North Coast, are fed up with the continuing degeneration, degradation and destruction of their residential area despite repeated representations to the Ethekwini municipality. They expressed their anger at a public meeting held at the Ottawa community hall on Wednesday (March 8) evening. The residents are concerned about the filth, litter and garbage that engulfs the main road running through the town and in the complexes of businesses on the main road.

A long-time resident and civic activist, Mr Charles Govender, told the meeting that the degeneration of their residential area was aggravated by the motor scrap yards, panel beating shops, truck depots, and huge trucks that have rampaged the main road and the residential areas. “We have repeatedly taken up our concerns about the destruction of the residential environment with the municipality but there appears to be ‘we don’t care attitude’ ”, said Mr Govender.

Another resident, Dr Atom Dilraj, said a few residents had recently held talks with the Environmental Health officials of the municipality about the deteriorating state of affairs in Ottawa. “The municipal officials agreed with us that heavy industries such as trucking yards, panel beating shops, scrap yards, and the livestock business should not operate in our residential area,” he said. “The officials informed us that they will interact with other departments about our concerns. They have informed us that they have asked for concrete bins to be erected on the old main road. “However, we want to emphasise that we are pretty fed up with the trucks and huge vehicles that flout all regulations and drive through the residential roads, especially Munn-Riverview Roads, Maharaj Road and Kissoon Road and now along Sunker Road. It is noted that municipal officials appear to be dragging their heels in taking corrective measures against transgressors. This is noticed by new scrap yards starting up and operating in Maharaj Road,” he said.

The facilitator of the Ottawa Environment Forum, Ms Andisha Maharaj, told the meeting that as ratepayers and taxpayers, the residents were entitled to a clean and pollution-free environment. She said in terms of the constitution of the new democratic South Africa, residents were entitled to a safe and clean living environment. “The eThekwini municipality has failed miserably to take any action to restore the dignity of our residential area,” she said. “We have in our possession correspondence from eThekwini officials acknowledging that there are major problems with air quality in Ottawa. The main cause of the poor air quality is the foul stench emanating from the Phoenix Waste Water Treatment facility nearby. The ponds which were to have been dredged every 20 years has never been cleaned since its inception in 1982. “Complaints have been lodged with the Mayoral offices since 2002. Another major source of the foul smell is the livestock business which operates from unauthorized re-claimed land on the banks of the Ottawa River. “We are saying enough is enough. We seek relief from this dreadful situation and demand a 50 percent rates reduction,” she said. She emphasised that the deteriorating situation in Ottawa “is a direct violation of our human and constitutional rights”. “All operations such as trucking, container storage, scrap yards, and heavy industries must be immediately moved out of our residential area to industrial locations where they could operate without destroying the environment,” she said.

The residents also expressed their concerns that they had invited the councillor for the area to attend the meeting, but the councillor concerned failed to attend without any explanation. The residents decided that they would submit a detailed petition to the Mayor, Ms Zandile Gumede, about their concerns and demand a reduction in their rates because of the degeneration, degradation and destruction that have engulfed their residential area. Ends – subrygovender@gmail.com

TAMIL FEDERATION OF KZN INAUGURAL GOLF TOURNAMENT ON SUNDAY, APRIL 23 AT UMDONI GOLF CLUB

TAMIL FEDERATION GOLF DAY The Tamil Federation of KwaZulu-Natal, an affiliate of the SA Tamil Federation, will hold its first fund-raising golf day on Sunday, April 23 at the Umdoni Golf Club on the South Coast. The federation has appealed to benefactors to help the fund-raising initiative by choosing four sponsorship initiatives. They are: R1 000 for a hole; R500 for a green; four identical prizes; and cash donation in lieu of prizes. The cost for golfers is R1 000 per four ball and the format is four ball alliance with two scores to count. The tee-off time is 8:30am and it’s a shot- gun start. The fee includes green fees, dinner and prizes. Players intending to use golf carts should telephone Veni at Umdoni Golf Club on 039 – 975 1614. Sponsors and golfers intending to participate in the tournament are asked to contact Mr Bobby Naidoo on 081 891 5136 or email: sales@batesgm.co.za; and Mr Morgan Govindsami on 083 775 9285 or email: morgang@telkomsa.net.

NEW DIVINE HEAD OF BAPS INTERNATIONAL AND 20 SADHUS TO VISIT SOUTH AFRICA LATER THIS MONTH

By Subry Govender The divine head of the Indian international spiritual organisation, BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, Param Pujya Mahant Swami Maharaj, and a group of 20 sadhus will visit South Africa to interact with local devotees from March 24 to 29. Swami Maharaj has visited South Africa on three occasions previously as the disciple of the former head of the BAPS movement, Param Pujya Pramukh Swami Maharaj, who passed on last year at the age of 95. He is the sixth spiritual successor of the BAPS movement. Swami Maharaj, who first graduated as a sadhu within the BAPS movement in 1961, has been described by the late Pramukh Swami Maharaj as "a geneuine spiritual luminary through whom God touches the lives of innumerable aspirants, and makes their lives divine". The spokesperson for BAPS South Africa, Hari Patel, said the new spiritual head and the 20 sadhus would interact with devotees, members of the public and deliver lectures at the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Lenasia, Johannesburg on March 24, 26, 27 and 28. He said the visiting luminaries would also participate in a special Vedic ceremony and laying of the foundation stone of the organisation's Mandir cultural complex in Northriding, north of Johannesburg. "The Mandir and Haveli is envisioned to be a symbol of Hindu pride and glory in South Africa, dedicated to the memory of the great visionary leader of BAPS, Param Pujya Pramukh Swami Maharaj,” he said. "A 17-acre site located in North Riding has been selected for the construction of the Haveli which will stand as an architectural wonder in Johannesburg. The Haveli will celebrate Hindu values and inspire moral and spiritual upliftment for generations to come.” Mr Patel said both the lectures and the foundation opening ceremony were open to all members of the public. "We humbly request one and all to participate in the Shila Pujan, which is an auspicious occasion to be witnessed for the first time on our soil," he said. Mr Patel said South Africa was truly privileged and fortunate “to gain the divine visit of His Holiness this year since His schedule is ever so tight”. “He continues to inspire millions towards a morally right, God-centric life without addiction, violence and crime by establishing numerous cultural centers, hospitals and educational facilities around the globe.” Ends – subrygovender@gmail.com

DR ZWELI MKHIZE ASSURES SOUTHSIDE FM RADIO IS ALSO HIS PROJECT

DR MKHIZE HOLDS MEETING WITH SOUTHSIDE ON FEBRUARY 11 2017

On Saturday, February 11, former KwaZulu-Natal Premier, current Treasurer General and senior leader of the ruling ANC, Dr Zweli Mkhize, held talks with Board members of Southside FM Radio about the radio station’s struggles to obtain a frequency. The meeting was held at the Coastlands Hotel in Durban. Southside Board members present at the meeting were Mrs Sally Padaychie, chairperson and widow of the late Minister of Communications, Mr Roy Padaychie; Mr Richard Naidoo, deputy president and senior official of the Andhra Maha Sabha of SA; Mr Richard Govender, committee member and president of the KwaZulu-Natal Tamil Federation and senior official of the South African Tamil Federation; Mr Swaminathan Gounden, committee member and veteran struggle stalwart; Mr Maynard Govender; and Mr Subry Govender, secretary and veteran struggle journalist. During the course of the meeting, Dr Mkhize told those present that he considered Southside FM Radio as one his own projects as he had supported the initiative since he was the Premier of the KwaZulu-Natal province. He had thrown his weight fully behind the initiative because it was mooted at a time in 2010 when local South Africans of Indian-origin had observed the 150th anniversary of the arrival of indentured labourers in the former Natal Colony in 1860. He emphasised he always saw the initiative as an important move in the new non-racial and democratic South Africa because of the principles not only to promote cultural and social co-operation and interaction between the different communities, but also to be a progressive force in the new South Africa. He also said that he considered the radio station’s policy to promote the learning of IsiZulu as an important step towards social cohesion. He, therefore, was shocked and amazed that more than six years down the line, Southside has not yet been granted a frequency. He was of the view that Southside should have started broadcasting a long time ago. When told that Southside’s Board, supporters, donors and prospective listeners considered the failure to grant a frequency to be a case of “marginalisation” of a significant and large cultural community in South Africa, Dr Mkhize immediately contacted the relevant role players to inquire about Southside’s position. Dr Mkhize was given an assurance by those in charge and the senior officials concerned that the matter would be attended to as a matter of urgency. During his conversations with the relevant role players, Dr Mkhize re-iterated that Southside was one his own projects and he urged the officials to interact with Southside officials and to reach a settlement without delay. He also emphasised to the senior officials that Southside was founded on the principle to promote the social, cultural and economic development of the new, non-racial and democratic South Africa.

SOME OF THE OTTAWA BOYS OF THE LATE 1960s

(RUSTY MAHARAJ, MOHAN, STEVEN, ADAM AND SAM. THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN IN THE LATE 1960s ON THE GROUND WHERE THE GLOBES SHOPPING CENTRE IS NOW SITUATED. THEY ARE SEATED ON A CAR OWNED BY MOHAN)