Perfect timing for Pavilion’s cocktail party and relaunch
Women take centre stage in social calendar
STRONG women, shopping and glorious food were the themes of a hectic week of social activities in Durban this week.
Kicking off the events was the relaunch cocktail party of The Pavilion shopping centre in Westville on Tuesday evening. It was held in a beautifully decorated marquee in the parking lot of the centre, which celebrates its 20th birthday this year.
What promised to be a great night was hampered by a late start and a slew of speeches and presentations that would have been far more suited to a breakfast event. Some of the speakers included the newly appointed centre manager, Nisha Kemraj, centre owner Pareto’s CEO, Marius Muller, and Durban deputy mayor Nomvuzo Tshabala.
The Pavilion seems to have been on the slide for the past few years — overtaken by the success of competitors Gateway, Musgrave and Galleria — but it seems that Kemraj has a successful turnaround record.
Shoppers frustrated by the ongoing construction will be glad to learn that phase one of the revamp plan — the food court and entertainment area— is expected to be completed in March 2014.
And that would be R228-million later.
THE following day, MasterChef SA judge Benny Masekwameng was the only thorn at the Women’s Day lunch at the Beverly Hills Sugar Club restaurant in Umhlanga as part of its exclusive monthly luncheons.
The affable chef shared some lighter moments from the show, which has fans glued to the box on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, before allowing the women to enjoy the three-course meal.
A rustic Caprese salad was the delicious starter, followed by red snapper in a lemon and dill sauce and rounded off with a raspberry and chocolate fondant. Sadly, the vegetarians were disappointed by a bland pasta with pesto sauce.
LATER that evening, at the launch of the Durban Good Food and Wine show at the Elangeni & Maharani Hotel, Masekwameng jokingly enquired whether I was stalking him. The hotel’s second-floor pool deck has become a sought-after party venue, and the beautiful weather made the deck the perfect place to enjoy the vast buffet — everything from sushi and soup to biryani and beef kebabs — while soaking in the beachfront view.
Visiting celebrity chefs such as Vivek Singh, Anjali Pathak and Melissa Morgan, aka Ms Cupcake, were friendly. Ms Cupcake raved about an experience with local foodie Sundru Pillay, who had organised bunny chows earlier on.
ACTIVIST turned politician Mamphela Ramphele led the speakers at the sold-out Gordon Institute of Business Science East Coast Radio Ladies Breakfast at the Durban International Convention Centre on Thursday morning.
Clearly on the charm offensive ahead of the polls next year, Ramphele’s comments sounded hollow in comparison to the dynamic and inspirational addresses that followed hers after breakfast. They included the radio station’s Trish Taylor, investigative journalist Devi Sankaree Govender, former Pavilion general manager and entrepreneur Lynette Ntuli and Lee Swan, the first African woman to have raced to the magnetic North Pole. Their stories were uplifting and perfectly timed ahead of Women’s Day.
THE story of another impressive woman was the subject of playwright Ronnie Govender’s Botoo at the Loft Theatre in the Playhouse on Thursday evening.
Based on Women South Africans of Indian Origin, written by Devi Rajab, the play focused on the life of political activist and medical doctor Kesavaloo Goonum.
The opening night was filled with family members of both Govender — including his daughter, former MP Pregs Govender — and Rajab.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay and veteran photographer Ranjith Kally also attended.
Kumseela Naidoo took on the challenging role of the feisty doctor, a grand dame of Indian politics, and Rajesh Gopie played journalist Tony Govender, who interviewed Goonum on her life. After the performance, guests chatted over vedas and samoosas.