At least two people have been eaten alive by a 6m-long crocodile in northern KwaZulu-Natal, police and wildlife officials said on Wednesday. Jozini police and KZN Ezemvelo Wildlife officials said they were investigating a report that a third person may have also been eaten alive by the same crocodile on Tuesday afternoon.
South Africa are preparing for West Indies captain Chris Gayle to play in the third and deciding Test match starting at Kingsmead on Thursday, even though he has officially been ruled out of action. ”We’re preparing as if he’s going to play,” Proteas captain Graeme Smith said on Wednesday.
Jacob Zuma’s two co-accused — the two South African subsidiaries of French arms manufacturer Thales International — are not making any plans to go to court before the August date set by the National Prosecuting Authority [NPA]. ”We will meet them [the NPA] on the 4th of August,” said lawyer Ajay Sooklal.
A French chef who had made her home on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast and earned accolades for her cooking over the years was found bludgeoned and burnt to death in her Ramsgate home, police said on Tuesday. The partially burnt body of Yvonne Cosson (69) was found covered with soil next to one of the walls of her home.
A weakened Dolphins cricket side, including a player fresh out of school, has been named for the key away fixtures against the Titans and the Eagles in the Supersport Series over the next two weekends. The Dolphins, currently in second spot, ended the 2007 half of the season on a dismal note as their batting collapsed.
Injured West Indies captain Chris Gayle is out of the deciding third test against South Africa, the touring team said on Monday. Gayle broke his thumb while batting in the second Test in Cape Town, which South Africa won by seven wickets on Saturday to level the series at 1-1. ”Chris is not going to be ready to play,” West Indies media officer Philip Spooner said.
Jacob Zuma’s homestead at Nkandla in KwaZulu-Natal is said to be bracing for another festivity, with the new African National Congress (ANC) president reportedly planning to marry Nompumelelo Ntuli — the mother of two of his children — on Saturday, the Mercury newspaper reported on Friday.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on Tuesday denied that the decision to prosecute African National Congress president Jacob Zuma had been forced upon it by Zuma’s opponents. ”The decision has been made by the NPA and the NPA alone,” said NPA spokesperson Tlali Tlali in a statement.
Fraud convict Schabir Shaik is alleged to have spent in excess of R800Â 000 on Jacob Zuma’s children — footing an education bill of close to R500Â 000. Not only is he alleged to have paid the education fees of the African National Congress president’s children, but he and his companies allegedly forked out more than R200Â 000.
No image available
/ 31 December 2007
The state has identified a list of 218 witnesses it intends calling to testify in its case against African National Congress (ANC) president Jacob Zuma. Attached to the indictment, filed in the Pietermaritzburg High Court, the list of witnesses includes Independent Democrat party leader Patricia de Lille and former ANC MP Andrew Feinstein.
No image available
/ 27 December 2007
Two Fidelity guards, who had taken cash to an ATM machine, were robbed of their firearms at a shopping centre in KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday, police said. Spokesperson Superintendent Muzi Mngmoezulu said two armed men held up the guards at the Glebe shopping centre in Umlazi.
No image available
/ 26 December 2007
Wrapped Christmas presents lay strewn across a KwaZulu-Natal highway following a horrific accident that claimed the lives of five people on Tuesday. Bayview police Commissioner Superintendent Rajen Ramchunder said a car travelling into Chatsworth hit a traffic island and went into oncoming traffic.
No image available
/ 23 December 2007
Nothing will stop African National Congress president Jacob Zuma from becoming the next president of South Africa, the party’s KwaZulu-Natal secretary Johan Mchunu said on Saturday. He was speaking at a beachfront celebration in Zuma’s honour in Durban.
No image available
/ 21 December 2007
An internal forensic audit at the offices of KwaZulu-Natal Premier S’bu Ndebele has revealed that some of his employees were involved in fraud and corruption, the premier’s spokesperson said on Friday. A service-provider employee had been working ”in cahoots with employees” to make illegal and unauthorised payments to the provider.
No image available
/ 21 December 2007
Tickets for Durban’s much-anticipated A1 Grand Prix (GP) went on sale at 9am on Friday and confident organisers expect the event to attract thousands of motorsport lovers in February next year. The A1 GP, now in its third season, takes place in Durban from February 22 to 24.
No image available
/ 21 December 2007
A KwaZulu-Natal farmer was shot dead on his farm in the Estcourt area, the KwaZulu-Natal Agriculture Union (KwaNalu) said on Friday. Initial information received by the union was that Greene (70) had been approached by a group of men on Thursday and sustained a single, fatal gunshot wound.
No image available
/ 20 December 2007
A team of psychologists in KwaZulu-Natal has been tasked to deal with ”stressed” matriculants when they receive their results, the provincial department of education said on Thursday. Spokesperson Chris Maxon said the department was concerned by an increase in the number of attempted suicides by pupils.
No image available
/ 19 December 2007
A KwaZulu-Natal street child — who allegedly stole money, clothing and jewellery from a car — was picked up, thrown into the boot of the car and then assaulted, police said on Wednesday. Spokesperson Captain Edmund Singh said the incident took place in Chatsworth’s Crofdene area in Durban at about 9.15pm.
No image available
/ 19 December 2007
A mother and her 19-month-old baby were dumped on the side of a road in Pietermaritzburg after being hijacked, KwaZulu-Natal police said on Wednesday. Spokesperson Superintendent Henry Budhram said the father was dropped off at a different location.
No image available
/ 18 December 2007
The body of a 70-year-old man was found with his testicles and one arm missing, KwaZulu-Natal police said on Tuesday. Umfolozi police spokesperson Captain Jabulani Mdletshe said Johannes Mchunu’s body was found on the banks of the Umfolozi River on Monday, a day after he went missing.
No image available
/ 14 December 2007
A Jacob Zuma-led African National Congress will have a major impact in KwaZulu-Natal, analysts and politicians in the province said on Friday. They agreed the ANC’s popularity in the province would increase at the expense of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) if Zuma was elected the party’s new leader in Polokwane next week.
No image available
/ 14 December 2007
African National Cngress veteran Winnie Madikizela-Mandela held meetings with both the party’s deputy president Jacob Zuma and its president Thabo Mbeki on
Friday afternoon. Madikizela-Mandela has suggested Mbeki and Zuma retain their current party positions for the next five years, but that Zuma assume the country’s presidency in 2009.
No image available
/ 14 December 2007
<a href="http://www.mg.co.za/specialreport.aspx?area=ancconference_home"><img src="http://www.mg.co.za/ContentImages/321750/Icon_ANCconference.gif" align=left border=0></a>A casino might seem a perverse setting for a presidential hopeful to address anybody, let alone what purported to be a gathering of the KwaZulu-Natal legal fraternity in Pietermaritzburg on Tuesday evening. The Golden Horse Casino is a succinct answer to those who wonder what has gone wrong in our society.
No image available
/ 13 December 2007
Helicopters, horse patrols, closed-circuit television and police reservists have been roped in to boost security in Durban during the festive season, police said on Thursday. The city’s courts will be open on December 17 and 26 to allow police to prosecute offenders speedily.
No image available
/ 7 December 2007
The KwaZulu-Natal health department on Thursday evening denied reports that a sixth baby had died from the klebsiella at Durban’s Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital. Department spokesperson Leon Mbangwa said a sixth baby had indeed died, but not from the klebsiella which it had earlier contracted.
No image available
/ 6 December 2007
A late start after lunch and an early closure because of fading light left the Dolphins with the upper hand on the first day of their SuperSport Series cricket match against the Highveld Lions at the Sahara Stadium, at Kingsmead in Durban, on Thursday. Heavy rain made play impossible before lunch.
No image available
/ 6 December 2007
About R100-million-worth of counterfeit cigarettes were seized by police and port security at the Durban harbour on Thursday. Head of Durban harbour security and protection services Superintendent Thembakazi Mase said about 4 400 boxes of Chelsea cigarettes were found in four containers and 2 100 boxes of Chicago cigarettes were found in two other containers.
No image available
/ 6 December 2007
The klebsiella death toll at Durban’s Prince Mshiyeni Hospital has risen to six. This follows the deaths of five other babies at the hospital two weeks ago. The deceased’s mother, Lungile Ngema, said that nurses had taunted her, saying mothers who gave birth at home brought the disease to the hospital.
No image available
/ 4 December 2007
KwaZulu-Natal traffic authorities on Tuesday launched their holiday road-safety plan by announcing a high-tech new system to trap speeding motorists and identify stolen vehicles. The summer holiday brings increased activity as locals, visitors and tourists traverse the length and breadth of the province.
No image available
/ 4 December 2007
Paramedics have confirmed that four people were injured after a taxi turf war broke out involving taxi associations from around Durban on Tuesday. Police said some associations were attempting a takeover of a taxi rank. The incident happened just three hours before the unveiling of the province’s summer-holiday road-safety plan.
No image available
/ 3 December 2007
Nineteen beaches around the country are set to benefit from a massive clean-up of South Africa’s coastline during the festive season, Vodacom announced on Monday. Beaches in the Eastern and Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal will benefit from the third annual Vodacom Beach Clean-Up Campaign, which will run over 23 days, starting on December 15.
No image available
/ 3 December 2007
The Department of Health should be sued for the klebsiella outbreak by the parents of the five dead babies, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Monday. The DA spokesperson for health, Mike Waters, said the parents of the two surviving babies should also sue the department for negligence.