RATEPAYERS FURIOUS OVER FAILURE TO REMOVE WASTE IN JOHANNESBURG OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS

By Subry Govender (LACK OF SERVICE DELIVERY) The ratepayers and taxpayers of Johannesburg are fed up and reeling with anger. Their source of disquiet is the gross failure of the municipality to remove house-hold waste, rubbish and mess from their streets for more than a fortnight. "We cannot understand why the municipality has not put any measures in place to remove the rubbish and waste while their contractors, Pikitup, are facing a problem," said one angry resident. "We don't have any dealings with Pikitup because we don't pay our rates and taxes to this company. We pay our rates to the municipality and they should be doing something to pick up the waste and to clean up our streets." Pikitup workers have downed tools demanding higher wages and improved working conditions. They have also demanded the removal of their CEO. When one drives or walks through the streets one is greeted by bundles of bin bags and waste all over the place. It's an unseemly sight and only has a negative impact on the residents. (WE WILL REMEMBER THE MUNICIPALITY DURING THE LOCAL GOVT ELECTIONS) "We will remember the lack of service in return for the payment of our rates and taxes when we go to the polls during the local government elections later this year," said another resident. While most residents keep the areas in front of their houses clean and tidy, the failure of the municipality to pick up the house-hold waste completely leads to the degeneration of the environment. One private waste remover was seen dumping bin bags in a vacant plot in a suburb in Roodepoort, north of the city. The waste remover did not care where he dumped the bin bags because he knew that municipal officials would not be around. It seems the municipality does not take ratepayers seriously because the ruling elite believe they can continue to rely on their "safe" "vote banks".

SOUTH INDIANS ON THE WARPATH AFTER DSTV CUTS OFF SUN TV ON HUMAN RIGHTS DAY

"WE CANNOT BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED BY DSTV AND OTHER ROLE PLAYERS"

NEW SOCIO-ECONOMIC FUTURE OF SOUTH AFRICA ORGANISATION

A major social initiative - led by prominent religious leaders, civil society, business and community-based organisations - has been launched at the end of a two-day conference in Johannesburg this past week-end. The leaders of the Socio-Economic Future of South Africa (or SEFSA) will underake a series of consultations about the social, cultural, spiritual and economic crisis facing South Africa today. The latest initiative comes in the wake of the violent and volatile student protests in universities, service-delivery demands all over the country and the senseless of burning of factories and other businesses in KwaZulu-Natal. Subry Govender reports........ .

NELSON MANDELA VISIT TO INDIA

nelson mandela visit to india

MAHA SHIVARATI - YET ANOTHER OCCASION THAT SAW PEOPLE OF INDIAN ORIGIN IN SOUTH AFRICA ATTENDING PRAYER SERVICES IN THEIR NUMBERS TO PROMOTE AND PROTECT THEIR CULTURES, TRADITIONS AND LANGUAGES

(Devotees of the Sivan Sabay in Verulam conducting a ceremony as a tribute to Lord Shiva Pix by Anusha Kisten)

(Devotees at the Pretoria Tamil League temple leading the prayer services on Monday night - March 7 2016 /b> - Pictures by PTA) By Subry Govender THIRST, HUNGER AND ENTHUSIASM FOR THE CULTURES OF PEOPLE OF INDIAN-ORIGIN

(Devotees participating in a programme at the Verulam Sivan Sabay Pix by Anusha Kisten) The thirst and enthusiasm of South Africans of Indian-origin to promote and protect their cultures, traditions, and languages was evidenced once again on Monday night (March 7) when they congregated at temples and other holy places to observe the highly-inspirational ceremony of Maha Shivarati. Devotees of Lord Shiva gathered in their numbers at various religious centres and other venues in Verulam, Tongaat, Stanger, Phoenix, Mount Edgecombe, Somerset Park, Chatsworth, Umzinto, Umkomaas, Port Shepstone, Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town, East London, Port Elizabeth and other areas of the country.

(Some of the devotees at the Verualm Sivan Sabay - Pix by Karunen Ramsamy) At most venues, the prayer services started at 6pm and only ended the next morning (Tuesday, March 8) at 6am. The devotees showered their praises and sang "Om Nama Shivaya, Shivaya Nama Om" prayer songs and other items at the different venues. At the Verulam Sivan Sabay in Brindahavan in Verulam, a large number of devotees turned up and participated in programmes to highlight the importance of Maha Shivarati.

(Women devotees participating in a service in praise of Lord Shiva at the Verulam Sivan Sabay) (Picture by Anusha Kisten) Mr Ted Govender, chairperson of the Verulam Sivan Sabay, said the Maha Shivarati prayer service was a great spiritual occasion for people to "re-unite with God" and "lead morally uplifting lives". "We have to use all holy occasions to re-invigorate our one-ness with God and at the same time to promote all that is good in ourselves and in communities at large." A senior trustee of the Verulam Sivan Sabay, Mr Bob Kisten, who has been involved in promoting Tamil culture, language and traditions for decades, said it was very encouraging to see so many people attending the services even though Maha Shivarati fell on a week night. "It was also encouraging to see so many cultural groups and individuals moving from one temple and venue to another to render prayer services," he said.

(Devotees conducting a rite to pay tribute to Lord Shiva - Picture by Anusha Kisten) "We were also very pleased to receive goodwill messages from many of our younger people who are now settled in Johannesburg and other cities in the country and other parts of the world. We even received one message from one of our young people who is now working in Japan. "This demonstrates the importance and significance of our cultures, traditions and languages." Many spiritual leaders promote Lord Shiva as the "Supreme God".

(Some of the devotees who took part in various programmes at the Verulam Sivan Sabay in praise of Lord Shiva - Picture by Anusha Kisten) He is seen as the saviour of the universe. According to one legend, Lord Shiva was called upon to save the universe after it faced obliteration by a pot of poison that emerged from the ocean. Lord Shiva responded by drinking all the poison. Although HIS neck turned blue he never succumbed to the poison. In view of this power of "good over evil", HE became known as Neelkantha. The ceremony of Maha Shivarati is, therefore, an occasion for devotees to shower their gratitude to Lord Shiva for saving the universe from destruction. It's believed that those who participate in the programmes on the night of Maha Shivarati receive HIS full blessings. - ends (Subry Govender) March 7 2016

HOLI FESTIVAL IN OTTAWA ON HUMAN RIGHTS DAY MARCH 21 TO HIGHLIGHT ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AND A LITTER-FREE SOCIETY

By Subry Govender CULTURAL PROGRAMME AT THE OTTAWA HALL AND A FLOAT PROCESSION THROUGH THE VILLAGE The residents of the historical village of Ottawa, near Verulam, on the North Coast have organised a major function to celebrate the festival of Holi on Human Rights Day, March 21. A spokesperson for the Ottawa Holi Committee, Ms Andisha Maharaj, said the celebration was aimed at fostering respect for the principle of "unity in diversity" and protection of the environment. "The celebration serves a purpose in our lives that fosters unity in diversity, social cohesion, respect for culture and religion, social development, involvement of the youth in culture and heritage, develops leadership skills and instils community awareness in all," said Ms Maharaj. "The celebration also aims at highlighting environmental and climatic challenges facing present and future generations. "The celebration coincides with Human Rights Day. It aims to connect people across the community - irrespective of their status and social standing. It also aims to remove vestiges of inequality based on gender, religion, race, caste or creed." Ms Maharaj added: "It is hoped that this year's celebrations will motivate the youth to re-group and recreate such events that will foster community pride and loyalty, create a strong sense of solidarity and affiliation and promote cultural diversity and religious tolerance." The residents of Ottawa were particularly concerned about the destruction of the historical Ohlanga River by truckers and others who had dumped their waste into the river. The river had served as a lifeblood for residents in the area for generations. But now it has been totally destroyed by people who seemed to have no regard for the environment. The residents were also concerned about the litter and filth that had engulfed the village over the past decade. It's a sad state of affairs that the village has degenerated over the years with litter, filth and illegal scrap yards and trucks. It's hoped the Holi festival would re-invigorate residents to take steps to stop the degeneration of their village. The festivities would include a cultural programme at the Ottawa Civic Hall and a float procession through the streets of the village. ends - Subry Govender March 1 2016

THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF THIRUVALLUVAR - ONE OF INDIA'S GREATEST POETS-SAINTS CELEBRATED IN VERULAM.

"To use bitter words, when kind words are at hand, Is like picking unripe fruit when the ripe fruit is there." "To get wealth and security by guile Is like one who pours water into a pot of unbaked clay."

(VERULAM STUDENTS UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF CULTURAL LEADER, MRS SARO MOODLEY, TAKING PART IN THE PROGRAMME TO HIGHLIGHT THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF ONE OF INDIA'S GREATEST POETS-SAINTS, THIRUVALLUVAR.) By Subry Govender The life, teachings and philosophy of one of India's greatest poets-saints, Thiruvalluvar, was celebrated by the Verulam Sivan Sabay and several associate groups at the Sabay's headquarters in Brindahavan, Verulam, on Sunday, February 28. Thiruvalluvar, who was born in the temple town of Madurai in Tamil Nadu more than 2 000 years ago, was best known as the author of the Tamil spiritual book, Tirukkural. It's said that Thiruvalluvar was also born 50 years before Jesus Christ. Many later day philosophers and sages considered the Tirukkural as a masterpiece of human thought, comparable to "the Bible, John Milton's Paradise Lost and the works of Plato". The Thirukkural contains 1 330 verses which promotes the well-being of the human being in all aspects of life without any regard to status, class, caste or position in society. Swami Sivananda, the founder of the Divine Life Society, is quoted as saying the verses "contain the essence of the Vedas, the Upanishads and the six Darshanas". "Thirukkural is regarded as a universal Bible. It is another Gita, Koran or Zend Avesta," wrote Swami Sivananda. In addition to the Verulam Sivan Sabay, the other cultural groups that took part in the celebration under the auspices of the Verulam Cultural Co-Ordinating Committee were Shri Siva Subramaniar Alayam, Havenridge Cultural Organisation, Verulam Kalay Kazhagam, and the Verulam Cultural Group.

(DR THIRU MOODLEY ADDRESSING THE PEOPLE ABOUT THIRUVALLUVAR) Dr Thiru Moodley, a veteran cultural leader who studied the life and works of Thiruvalluvar, was the guest speaker at the function. Dr Moodley, who has been attached to the Dravida Society, the Divine Life Society and other organisations, gave a detailed account of how Thiruvalluvar inspired the people of Tamil Nadu, India and the world to lead morally upright lives. Ms Anusha Kisten, secretary of the Verulam Sivan Sabay, said the celebration of Thiruvalluvar's life was aimed at "further promoting the values and principles of the Tamil culture". "We all have to start reading and absorbing the virtues of the great Saint's life and teachings to become better persons in our societies and communities," said Ms Kisten.

(MRS SARO MOODLEY) Mrs Saro Moodley, cultural leader and head of the Av-vaiyyaarr Kalay Sangam, led a group of students in highlighting the works and teachings of the poet-saint. Mrs Moodley and the students quoted some of the spiritual and world leaders who used Thiruvalluvar as a role model in their lives.

/b> (Dr Thiru Moodley with officials of the Verulam Sivan Sabay (from L to R): Mrs Vijay Cuppusamy, Mr Tim Govender (chairperson), Dr Krish Thungavelu, and Ms Anusha Kisten (secretary Verulam Sivan Sabay) One of the international leaders was the Rev. Dr G U Pope, who travelled to India to convert the people to Christianity. But after studying Thiruvalluvar and the Thirukkural, Dr Pope desisted from converting people and instead became a transformed person himself. He became the first person to translate the Thirukkural into English in 1886. (VERULAM SIVAN SABAY OFFICIALS WHO HOSTED THE THIRUVALLUVAR CELEBRATION)

(VERULAM SIVAN SABAY LADIES WHO HOSTED THE CELEBRATION OF THIRUVALLUVAR) Before Dr Pope, there were other spiritual leaders such as Mr Ariel, who translated the Tirukkural into French, and Dr Graul, who translated the "Tamil Bible" into German and Latin. Another spiritual leader who used the Tirukkural to grow and promote the Tamil culture was the Rev. Dr Thani Nayagam, who was a Roman Catholic priest. "He is known as the 'Roving Ambassador for Tamil' and has been instrumental in carrying Tamil to the international arena", said Mrs Moodley. "The freedom icon of India, Mahatma Gandhi, also recoginised Thiruvalluvar as one of the greatest humanitarian leaders of India."

(YOUNG STUDENTS TAKING PART IN THE THIRUVALLUVAR CELEBRATION) Some of the writings and verses that Thiruvalluvar is remembered for, include: 1. "There is no greater wealth than Virtue, And no greater loss than to forget it."; 2. "To use bitter words, when kind words are at hand, Is like picking unripe fruit when the ripe fruit is there."; 3. "Those who are free from anger are free from death."; 4. "The wound that’s made by fire will heal, But the wound that’s made by tongue will never heal."; 5. "The gruel that children’s little hands have stirred Is sweeter than nectar."; 6. "Real kindness seeks no return; What return can the world make to rain clouds?; 7. "How can kindliness rule that man Who eateth other flesh to increase his own?"; 8. "The crow does not hide its prey, but calls for others to share it; So wealth will be with those of a like disposition." 9. "The ignorant are like useless, brackish soil; They exist and that is all."; and 10. "If men must beg to live, May the Creator also go wandering and perish." - ends (Subry Govender Feb 28 2016)