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IOL News
11-06-2025
- General
- IOL News
Challenges at Mobeni Heights Crematorium prompt R14 million repair plan
eThekwini Mayor Councillor Cyril Xaba visited the Mobeni Heights Crematorium in Chatsworth, which was temporarily shut down before it posed an environmental health risk to the surrounding community after the furnaces malfunctioned. Image: eThekwini Municipality The Mobeni Heights Crematorium in Chatsworth was temporarily shut down before it posed environmental health risks to the surrounding community after the furnaces malfunctioned. The eThekwini Municipality has now allocated R14 million to repair the furnaces and to give the entire facility a facelift, said eThekwini Mayor Councillor Cyril Xaba, who visited the facility on Tuesday. He assured the community affected by the closure that the municipality is accelerating the process of restoring it. Xaba said he saw firsthand the challenges at the crematorium, which was closed three weeks ago due to the furnaces' malfunctioning, as they were prone to overheating, resulting in high emissions. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading To remedy the situation, the municipality has started the process of procuring two furnaces, which will be installed by the end of August 2025. Xaba has pleaded for patience from the affected communities, stating further that he will monitor the repairs closely to ensure that the facility is back to its full operations. Sunitha Maharaj, representing the Minority Front in eThekwini, commended Xaba for visiting the crematorium and seeing firsthand the challenges staff face. She said the communities are calling for the privatisation of the crematorium because the municipality has allegedly failed to fix the furnaces and renew the Air Emission Licence. 'Concerned residents are also calling for the commissioning of the crematorium in Phoenix, which has been approved. There is no political will to relieve the pressure off Clare Estate Crematorium and make good on the promises to the community of Phoenix and surrounding areas,' Maharaj said. Rocky Naidoo, chairperson of the Chatsworth and District Civic Federation, who has been vocal about getting the crematorium functional, said budgets were passed going back to 2003 to fix the crematorium, but problems persist, exaggerated in the last 10 years. He said transportation costs for families to Cato Ridge and Clare Estate crematoriums were expensive. 'There are a select few people in Durban who can repair and install incinerators, but they were not used. We wait to see if this is an empty promise. The municipality is encouraging cremations instead of burials because there is a lack of space, yet they are derailing the process by not having functioning facilities,' Naidoo said. Xaba added that processes are also at an advanced stage to repair the oThongathi Crematorium as the municipality reprioritised R7 million for the replacement of furnaces. 'We anticipate completing the work at the oThongathi Crematorium by the end of next month,' he added.
IOL News
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
'Bengal Tiger: The Rajbansi Story', a captivating documentary on South Africa's political icon, is set to release in October
"The Bengal Tiger" will be out in cinemas from October 3. Image: Supplied. An evocative documentary, set for release in cinemas on October 3, will commemorate the life of the late Amichand Rajbansi, founder of the Minority Front (MF). Co-produced by his wife, Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi and local film-maker, musician and writer Arish Sirkissoon, also known as LX Seth, "Bengal Tiger - The Rajbansi Story" will showcase the legacy of the larger-than-life South African politician. Interviewees on the nearly three-hour-long project include a range of voices from political leaders, historians and journalists to community figures who knew or studied Rajbansi. Some names include deputy minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Narend Singh, public servant and prolific writer Kiru Naidoo, business tycoon Vivian Reddy, as well as Brijlall Ramguthee, former editor of "Post", among many others. "As a filmmaker, I have always been drawn to stories that delve into the complexities of human resilience and leadership. 'Bengal Tiger - The Rajbansi Story' is one such tale, a narrative that transcends political boundaries to illuminate the life of a man who profoundly impacted South Africa's socio-political landscape," shared Sirkissoon. Local film-maker, musician and writer Arish Sirkissoon, also known as LX Seth. Image: Instagram. While Sirkisson never had the opportunity to meet Rajbansi in person, through his research, he has discovered many interesting facts about the man who was fondly known as the "Bengal Tiger". He said Rajbansi was a figure of both admiration and controversy, embodying the struggles and triumphs of a marginalised community during a turbulent era. "I didn't have a negative or positive opinion on him. I didn't know enough about him until I started to do the research. We went so deep into who Mr Rajbansi was, and my opinion now is that he was a man who tried his best at everything. "The decisions he made at particular times in our country are a kind of trajectory with decisions he thought were best for the country and the best for the Indian people." He said that when people watch the documentary, they will see positive things that not many people know about. An example he shared was of Rajbansi, who often travelled around the country, seeing a group of children on the side of the road playing cricket. He stopped the vehicle and gave them R2 000 to buy a kit and upskill themselves. Sirkissoon said: "This documentary is not merely a recounting of his life but a deep exploration of his legacy - what he represented to the South African Indian community during apartheid and what his story means for us today. "Through candid interviews, rare archival footage, and an unflinching lens, the film seeks to present a balanced portrayal of a leader who operated within a deeply flawed system but whose efforts undeniably shaped history," said Sirkissoon. The documentary had been a few years in the making with the filmmaker working closely with Rajbansi's son, Pradhil Thakur Kooblall and his fiancée, Priyanka Nundkumar and Thakur-Rajbansi. Pradhil Thakur Kooblall and Priyanka Nundkumar were killed in a horror crash on the N3 highway in KZN. Image: File.
New Indian Express
30-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
BJP minority front to launch nationwide drive encouraging muslim women to join armed forces
NEW DELHI: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Minority Front of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to launch a nationwide campaign aimed at connecting educated Muslim girls and women with the armed forces. The campaign is scheduled to commence on 9 June, starting from Muslim-dominated areas across the country through community gatherings known as 'Chaupals', involving direct engagement with members of the Muslim community. As part of the outreach, the BJP Minority Front will also organise a series of programmes across India to mark 11 years of the Modi government, highlighting flagship central schemes such as the Ayushman Bharat health card. Speaking to TNIE on Friday, Jamal Siddiqui, national president of the BJP's Minority Morcha, said, 'Our outreach is aimed at informing members of the Muslim community about the benefits of various government schemes. We will educate Muslim citizens, particularly women and girls, on how to access the Centre's developmental and welfare programmes.'
