1. 2 VIEWSTRIBUNE HERALD SEPTEMBER 20 2015
INDIANS ARE PRONE TO HEART DISEASE
NEESHA MAHARAJ
SEDENTARY lifestyles and
unhealthy eating patterns
among members of the
Indian community have
made them prone to
cardiovascular diseases,
according to a University of
KwaZulu-Natal study.
Professor Datshana
Naidoo, the Head of Cardiology at
UKZN’s College of Health Sciences,
and his team of researchers did a
study of 1 500 households in Phoenix.
The Phoenix Lifestyle Project, which
began in 2013, was aimed at
ascertaining why people of Indian
descent were susceptible to
cardiovascular disease. Surveys were
conducted among people from 16 to 60
years old.
Risk factors to determine the
prevalence of metabolic syndrome
are blood pressure, lipid levels,
cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
The findings showed that one in every
two subjects surveyed had metabolic
syndrome with risk factors that could
be associated with
cardiovascular disease.
One way of gauging the
risk of cardiovascular
disease is the waist
circumference. If men
have a circumference of
90cm or more and women
80cm or more, they are
likely to have metabolic
syndrome, which leads to
heart disease.
Subjects were interviewed to
establish how active people in
Phoenix were and the types of
entertainment they engage in.
“A common factor was a sedentary
lifestyle and the consumption of high-
calorie diets. Diets rich in fats and
red meat result in higher cholesterol.
This, smoking and a lack of exercise
destroy good cholesterol.”
Naidoo said a common
misconception among those who had
a heart attack was that their
condition was hereditary.
“This is not so. The cause is
metabolic syndrome, including what
we eat and a lack of exercise.“
SIVANTEMPLE FINISHED,SOONTO OPEN
NEESHA MAHARAJ
YEARS of hard work by
officials at the Newlands
Sivan Temple has seen
its completion, and it will
officially open to the
community on
September 24.
Chairman, Kogie
Govender, said this was
the realisation of a 24-
year dream.
“We have been
striving for a temple for
24 years and are grateful
to sponsors whose
generosity led to this
project reaching fruition.
We’ve used various premises over the
years to do our work because we did
not have our own temple. This is
indeed a momentous occasion for us.”
A highlight of the opening is that
worshippers will be able to observe
prayers before the largest
Shivalingum in Africa weighing two
tons and 1.4m in height.
The religious stone was sponsored
by Raj Naidoo, a member of the
community.
“The fund-raising
team played a pivotal
role and worked
tirelessly and spent
many sleepless nights
raising funds to realise
our dream.
“A few months later
the first phase of our
project was completed
at a cost of R265 000.
We achieved this by
our devoted mothers
who worked very hard
selling vadas and
samoosas bringing in
an average monthly
income of R2 500 and
this was complemented by
contributions from devotees,
individuals and business,” he said.
He was appreciative of the
generosity of Pregasen Nagappen
whose donation resulted in the
completion of the temple.
He urged the community to take
advantage of this new temple and
attend the various activities observed
by the organisations.
MAKING WAVES
ANC policy-makers are often
out of touch with reality. They
cannot envision that their
policies may cause more harm
than good.
It’s all very well to have
Utopian deals but
implementing them may be a
Herculean task.
The ANC sings its slogan
“jobs for all” but its labour
policies only stifle job
creation. The new visa
regulations are counter-
productive to job creation and
drive away tourists. How could
a government which claims to
be so concerned about the high
rate of unemployment do
something as stupid as that?
Even KZN Premier Senzo
Mchunu complained about the
new visa laws. He should
address his concerns with his
party.
One of the biggest failures
of the ANC has been
education. The buffoons in the
Education Department hastily
severed apartheid education
and transplanted the diseased
OBE, liberalised the schools
and introduced chaos.
The outcome was obvious.
Immediate rejection followed
and education was plunged
into the throes of death.
Desperate attempts to revive it
with several revisions of the
curriculum and all sorts of
quack remedies, failed and the
patient’s condition only
worsened. Teachers and pupils
were left bewildered and
exasperated.
What is even more
disappointing is that education
officials themselves don’t seem
to have learnt their lesson.
They now want to
introduce Mandarin into our
schools to appease the Chinese
dragon. China is South
Africa’s biggest trading
partner and Basic Education
Minister Angie Motshekga
argues it would be appropriate
for our pupils to learn
Mandarin.
Our pupils are already
burdened with several
indigenous languages and
struggle to cope with English.
Why burden them with
another language, even if it’s
optional? For once I agree with
the South African Democratic
Teachers’ Union which is
opposing the introduction of
Mandarin.
Is sucking up to the
Chinese more of a priority
than sorting out the mess in
education? And isn’t such
obsequious behaviour like the
old colonial master-subject
relationship?
Instead of alleviating the
pain and suffering, Motshekga
piles more misery on to the
patient. Perhaps she needs to
go to Italy and have a head
transplant.
ANC policy and reality are
often at odds with each other.
T MARKANDAN
Silverglen
Policy makers are out of touch with reality
HAVE YOUR SAY PO BOX 47549,
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WITH summer approaching,
how water-safe is your
toddler?
IF SOMEONE had told me two
years ago that this year I
would be teaching my 2-year-
old son to hold his breath for
up to 10 seconds while
underwater, I’d have laughed.
The funny thing is, after
listening to expert
swimming instructors Grant
Roberts and his mother Wendy
Roberts of The Roberts
Swimming Academy, I learned
that the exercises and training
did not even have to be in a
pool.
This would explain how so
many athletes build their
stamina to accomplish
extraordinary feats
when swimming, diving,
surfing, skiing, etcetera.
In part, swimming is an
extremely popular Olympic
sport glorified by great
athletes such as Ryk
Neethling, Penny Heyns and
Chad le Clos. But
recreationally a good
foundation can be built even in
early childhood, with lessons
and exercises for toddlers.
During our
first swimming lesson, I was
informed of several simple
and safe techniques that I
could apply, helping my son to
become a great swimmer.
Grant has been
a swimming instructor for a
decade, while Wendy has
taught for more than 30 years.
“Swimming is a life skill,
not a luxury. It is not just a
sport, because it has many
health benefits, it has no impact
on the bones and is the best
form of workout,” said Grant.
He added that it was
imperative for children to be
water safe – they can be taught
from as young as 6 months old.
“You can teach your child in
a fun and safe way to get used
to water. Cut a straw in half
and place it in a bowl or cup of
clean water. Demonstrate to
your kids how to blow bubbles
for about three to five seconds,
for a minute or two each day
for the 2-year-olds. It is okay if
they drink some, because it is
clean, fresh water. Do not use
juices or other liquids.”
He explained this would
help develop their lungs and to
hold their breath up to 10
seconds beneath water.
Wendy also emphasised the
importance of water safety for
parents, children and helpers,
saying that in her 37 years of
teaching, she had encountered
several water-related, adult
and infant deaths.
“A child needs to be water
safe from the time they can
crawl. Even if a child is water
safe, never leave them
unattended near a covered or
uncovered pool, near any
source of water like a pond or
even a bucket of water.”
She added that the only
“bad thing about swimming,
was not knowing how to”.
Adding that it was vital for
parents to teach their children
how to swim and to teach their
nannies and housekeepers
CPR, so helpers are equipped
to assist a child in need and
possibly save a life.
“I have seen housekeepers
trying to save a child who has
fallen into a pool and because
they do not know how to swim,
neither makes it out alive.”
Wendy said that you could
teach a housekeeper to rescue
a child, without jumping into
the pool, a service she will be
offering at her custom-built,
indoor heated pool at the
Durban North branch soon.
For more information, call
031 563 8358, 031 201 6484,
queries@letswim.co.za
Easy techniques to teach your toddler
No indentured Indian statue
Council needs to come clean on religious sites
IT’S clear that truth and
righteousness are as foreign to
eThekwini Municipality as
they are to at least one of our
religious leaders.
Going back a few decades
when Phoenix was in a state of
development, both religious
and crèche sites were included
as part of the town planning.
While religious sites were
allocated to the three main
faith-based organisations,
crèche sites were not allocated
due to a lack of demand.
As early as the 1980s Hindu
organisations tried to get sites
on which to build temples,
ashrams and educare centres
but were told by the
municipality that no sites
were available.
Yet Christian organisations
were privileged as the
municipality saw nothing
wrong with secretly letting
them use the crèche sites.
In 2006 Hindus realised the
municipality was not being
truthful because Christian
organisations were openly
using the crèche sites.
The municipality was
guilty of not adhering to its
own rules by agreeing to give
ownership of these sites to
these organisations.
It was clear to Hindus that
the municipality was biased in
favour of Christians.
One would expect that since
the crèche sites were not being
used for their intended
purpose common sense would
prevail and the municipality
would rezone these sites to
religious and share them with
Hindu and Muslim
organisations, too.
But it seems common sense
is not common at our
municipality – they saw
nothing wrong with denying
Hindu and Muslim
organisations access while
continuing to offer the sites to
certain Christian
organisations.
Disappointed, Hindu and
Muslim organisations began
to galvanise their support
base. This led to the formation
of the United Hindu
Movement and the Phoenix
Islamic Forum.
After addressing a packed
meeting at Stonebridge Civic
Hall in 2006, a joint delegation
met the mayor at Durban City
Hall with a demand to place a
moratorium on all crèche sites
until a fair and an equitable
solution was found.
By 2010 the delegation
noticed their concerns were
not being addressed and they
again met the mayor, this time
with the Phoenix Religious
Community Forum, to repeat
their demands and ask for
speedy action on this
important issue.
With still no progress made,
another meeting was held with
the mayor at Durban City Hall
on August 19 this year. It was
subsequently adjourned as the
mayor needed role players to
attend. The delegation still
awaits confirmation of a new
date.
During all three meetings
with the mayor, Councillor
Logie Naidoo stated all
building structures on these
crèche sites were illegal.
But what is of concern is
that one religious leader, who
sometimes refers to himself as
“pastor” and at other times as
“evangelist”, would rather
forsake his principles than his
ill-gotten gains by demanding
that the churches in question
be given transfer of the crèche
site, knowing full well that
Hindu and Muslim
organisations had been
excluded from the process.
I suggest the municipality
comes clean on this matter by
releasing details of all
Phoenix crèche sites and
demolish all buildings (if any)
on them.
It should then rezone these
sites from crèche to religious,
before reallocating them in a
fair and an equitable manner
in consultation with the
Phoenix Religious Community
Forum, which represents
Hindu, Muslim and Christian
organisations in Phoenix.
PANDIT BASDEO
BHAGIRATHI
Phoenix
A Phoenix temple under construction in 2005.Council bias is
alleged in the allocation of land for religious use.
LawyerAlfred Mangena and activist Charlotte Maxeke are among 55
SouthAfricans represented as statues at the National Heritage
Monument in Groenkloef Nature Reserve,south of Pretoria.
Let’s
Talk
Sheetal
Cross
I WATCHED on television the
opening of a National Heritage
Monument site by the Gauteng
premier in Pretoria.
The site has more than 400
bronze statues of heroes and
heroines who contributed
towards attaining our freedom.
Many statues relate to
people during the colonial era.
What I would like to see is a
statue of an indentured
labourer brought in from
India. This statue should
reflect our ancestors carrying
a “bhanga” (bamboo pole) on
their back with a bucket of
water at each end.
Such a statue would convey
to the current generation the
hardships of Indians during
colonial and apartheid years.
It would also reflect on what
a precious commodity water
is and that we should try to
save as much of it as we can.
Without potable water, we
are nothing .
VIJAY SEWTAHAL
Clare Estate
Premier Senzo Mchunu…
complained about visa laws.
THE flurry of letters in last
week’s Sunday Tribune Herald
on religion refers.
Faith or religion is a
personal matter and while it is
practised in collective forms, it
is, and always will be, the
preserve of the individual.
When I saw the movie
Gandhi – and the part where
Mahatma Gandhi offered
Jinnah to be prime minister of
India, I was touched. Such
magnanimity under a brewing
conflict reflected what
humanity should entail.
That it did not happen is
history but, to this day, conflict
still prevails between the
countries. That is the sad
legacy of what religion,
supposed to be a unifier,
created as a separate homeland
was being demanded. Earth is
all of our homeland. It is man
who made boundaries to define
what should have been a
boundless pot of civilisation.
We have imported conflict
in terms of how we perceive
each other in this country. We
are all of humanity – Hindus
and Muslims and every other
human being on Earth.
The world is steeped in
division – we don’t need to
perpetuate such divisions. We
become suspicious of one
another, angry at one another,
even want to use our religious
beliefs as a weapon of violence
against each other.
If we require a blood
transfusion, do we ask for
Muslim blood or Hindu blood?
There is no such thing, is
there? That life fluid should be
the basis from which we should
look at the unity that should
prevail among us all.
Now we are even taking the
fantasy world of movies which
imitates, distorts and even re-
creates reality to fight each
other. It must stop.
Let our faiths determine the
journey to our maker and let
our humanness determine our
brotherhood – we are no more
nor less brothers and sisters in
this cesspool of humanity.
Even Salman Khan would
agree with me.
NARENDH GANESH
Durban North
Let humanness prevail over personal,religious beliefs
The two-ton Shivalingum
installed at Newlands Sivan
Temple.