At least 30 people are believed to have died when their bus left the road and went over a cliff into a river near Cedarville in KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday. Netcare 911 spokesperson Chris Botha said paramedics had told him that the bus went off an 80m embankment and landed upside-down in the river.
Fraud convict Schabir Shaik has been admitted to the critical care unit of Durban’s Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital, his brother, Mo, said on Monday. Mo said this was because of fears that his high blood pressure could lead to heart problems. chabir was first admitted to the hospital on April 1 and has been there ever since.
A motorcyclist punched a KwaZulu-Natal VIP driver on Saturday afternoon after the driver had crashed into the back of another car, seriously injuring its occupant. KwaZulu-Natal transport spokesperson Rajen Chinaboo said road traffic inspectorate officials at the scene reported that there ”had been some sort of altercation”.
South African Hockey Association (Saha) president Dave Carr will request an urgent meeting with the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) to clarify the SA men’s team selection for the Beijing Olympics. This comes in the wake of the sports portfolio committee, chaired by Butana Komphela, insisting there be a 50-50 race representation.
Criminals are using xenophobia as a ”perfect excuse” to commit crime, KwaZulu-Natal safety and security minister Bheki Cele said on Friday. ”I am just concerned that criminals are using xenophobia as an excuse to commit crimes … Why else would they steal the foreigners’ belongings?”
The target for a Super 14 rugby semifinal berth for the Sharks was clear — a bonus-point victory initially or a win by 18 points or more — as they took to the field against the Chiefs of New Zealand at the Absa Stadium in Durban on Saturday night. In the end, it was a convincing triumph as the necessary tries were secured and surpassed.
eThekwini municipal manager Michael Sutcliffe has likened the international Blue Flag scheme to an ”apartheid” system that creates separate beaches, the Mercury newspaper reported on Friday. Blue Flags are part of an international beach-quality accreditation scheme.
Vusi Ngcobo’s hat-trick helped Thanda Royal Zulu ease their relegation problems when they registered a hard-fought 3-2 win over Bidvest Wits in a thrilling Absa Premiership match at Absa Stadium, Durban, on Wednesday. The match started at a blistering pace with Royal Zulu pushing forward in numbers in search of the opener.
Two men were arrested while trying to sell an expensive diamond to a Durban businessman, police said on Wednesday. Captain Thembeka Luhtuli said police had seized the diamond — valued at an estimated R250 000 — in Winder Road on Tuesday afternoon.
The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) is arranging a series of protests to stop the use of a grade 12 history book it describes as ”biased propaganda … poisoning the minds of children”. National protest organiser Albert Mncwango said on Tuesday that the book, titled In Search of History, is currently being used by schools throughout South Africa.
The Sharks collected a crucial five points to keep alive their hopes of reaching the Super 14 semifinals with a 33-14 win over the Cheetahs on Saturday. The Sharks scored two late tries by winger Odwa Ndungane for the bonus point to ensure they remain in contention for a last-four place with just one round of matches to come.
Ike’s Books and Collectables still has stalwart supporters among bibliophiles, writes Niren Tolsi.
An investigation into two northern KwaZulu-Natal men who were caught monitoring police radio frequencies has been launched, police said on Tuesday. Police spokesperson Captain Charmaine Struwig said the pair were caught on Newcastle Road in Ladysmith on Monday night but had not yet been arrested.
The current electricity crisis and the proposed huge jump in tariffs is a manifestation of a disaster-in-waiting, African National Congress (ANC) secretary general and South African Communist Party chairperson Gwede Mantashe said on Thursday. He was speaking at the May Day celebration at Curries Fountain Stadium in Durban.
Recently Chief Justice Pius Langa gave an address on the relationship between the media and the judiciary in which he said he hoped one day it might be possible for our judges to be ”ordinary” men and women. To be fair, he was responding to a question raising concern about the extraordinary pressure our transition is placing on judge.
An Absa ATM situated inside a Newcastle pub was blown up, police said on Thursday. Captain Shooz Magudulela said the incident took place in Newcastle’s industrial area late on Wednesday night. ”A security guard was found tied up this morning [Thursday] and he had been like that since 9pm last night,” he said.
Fraud convict Schabir Shaik is still a patient at Durban’s Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital, KwaZulu-Natal’s health department said on Wednesday. Spokesperson Sibonela Msomi said that media reports stating Shaik was back in prison were incorrect. ”He is still being treated at hospital and we don’t know when he will be discharged,” said Msomi.
A Chinese ship carrying a shipment of arms and ammunition destined for Zimbabwe was not in South African territorial waters, a Defence Ministry spokesperson said on Monday in reaction to a claim that the An Yue Jiang was ”passing through South Africa’s territorial waters” in violation of a court order.
The first Standard Bank Pro20 semifinal bubbled and fizzed on Friday night as the Dolphins produced a powerful performance to defeat the Diamond Eagles by five wickets at Kingsmead. It was an amazing turnaround by the Dolphins, who were crushed by ten wickets when the two teams met earlier in the competition.
A ship that was carrying weapons and ammunition destined for Zimbabwe lifted anchor and sailed from Durban less than an hour after the Durban High Court ordered that its controversial cargo cannot be transported across South Africa to that country.
The death toll in an accident involving a truck and a taxi in KwaZulu-Natal’s Colenso area has risen to 12, police and transport officials said on Friday. An official of the provincial emergency services said 18 people had been inside the taxi and that six had survived. Three were in a serious condition in hospital.
Opposition to a shipment of arms being offloaded in Durban and transported to Zimbabwe increased on Thursday when South Africa’s largest transport workers’ union announced that its members would not unload the ship. A government spokesperson said the country could not stop the shipment from getting to its destination.
The KwaZulu-Natal health department has lodged a complaint against the Scorpions following search-and-seizure raids and alleged leaks to local media, a departmental spokesperson said on Thursday. Scorpions spokesperson Tlali Tlali said he was not immediately aware of the complaint.
The South African Police Service’s explosives unit confirmed on Wednesday that an uncleared Chinese vessel docked at the outer anchorage of Durban harbour was carrying arms. Leonard Hadebe, head of Durban customs, said: ”We have confirmed that the shipment was headed for Zimbabwe.”
African National Congress president Jacob Zuma criticism of the closure of teacher training colleges in the mid-1990s received backing from the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) on Tuesday. An IFP education spokesperson urged Education Minister Naledi Pandor ”to urgently consider the reopening of teacher training colleges”.
South African broadcast journalist Mark Klusener, who was arrested for allegedly operating a pirate radio station, was released from house arrest in Jerusalem on Tuesday. Rafique Gangat, a spokesperson for radio station Ram FM where Klusener is the news director, said: ”The house arrest of the staff was lifted at 10.01am today [Tuesday]. But certain restrictions remain.”
African National Congress (ANC) president Jacob Zuma celebrated his 66th birthday on Saturday. Unlike Zuma’s birthday last year, when 1Â 000 people attended a lavish affair at Durban’s International Convention Centre, no major events have been planned for his 66th birthday.
Deputy Safety and Security Minister Susan Shabangu’s controversial ”shoot to kill” comment has received African National Congress president Jacob Zuma’s backing. He was speaking at the KwaZulu-Natal Institute of Local Government and Traditional Leadership’s fund-raising gala dinner on Friday night
Zulu queens spent R533 000 just on clothing between June and October last year, media reports said on Friday. This came as nearly R10-million was needed to avoid the collapse of some of the royal palaces. The spending spree emerged as the royal household appeared before the finance portfolio committee in the KwaZulu-Natal legislature.
The battle for the leadership of the African National Congress (ANC) at its December conference in Polokwane should convince foreign investors that the country’s democracy is solid, ANC president Jacob Zuma told the Durban Chamber of Commerce’s 152nd anniversary dinner on Thursday.
South African journalist Mark Klusener was ordered to pay 25 000 shekels (about R53 700) and placed under house arrest by a court in Jerusalem on Tuesday, said his wife, Peroshni Govender. Klusener and other staff members were arrested for operating a pirate radio station.
Seven Durban men who allegedly stabbed a 20-year-old petrol attendant to death were taking revenge and mistook their victim for a robber, police said on Monday The seven — aged between 17 and 20 — were due to face a murder charge in the Chatsworth Magistrate’s Court on Monday.