Woman who jumped from 6th floor of Durban beachfront apartment is stable

Hlengiwe Mbedzi
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Woman who jumped from 6th floor of Durban beachfront apartment is stable

Durban: The woman who jumped from the sixth floor of an apartment building on the Durban beachfront on Saturday morning is stable.

On Monday, Paul Herbst from Medi-Response said the woman was in a stable condition at a Durban hospital.

Video footage of the woman hanging out of the apartment window on Snell Parade was shared widely on social media.

Herbst said the emergency services responded to reports of a woman threatening to jump from the sixth floor.

“The woman ultimately jumped from the elevated position, sustaining critical injuries in the process. Medi Response and Citi Med paramedics worked to stabilise the critical patient and she was transported to hospital for further care,” he said.

In a separate incident in April, a man also survived after falling from the 4th floor of an apartment building in Lagoon Drive, in Umhlanga.

Netcare 911 said when paramedics arrived they found the man lying on the concrete below. He had sustained critical injuries.

KZN man shoots 2 sons dead, injures 3 others and turns gun on himself in dispute over new bed

Hlengiwe Mbedzi
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KZN man shoots 2 sons dead, injures 3 others and turns gun on himself in dispute over new bed

DURBAN – A 63-year-old man in the Mahlabathini area of Ulundi, in northern KwaZulu-natal, is alleged to have shot dead his two sons and wounded his estranged wife in a dispute over a new bed.

The man shot dead his sons, and wounded his estranged wife, another son and a neighbour before killing himself on Saturday.

Reports from the Induna in the area, Celi Zungu, suggest that the man was estranged from his wife and there had also been allegations that he had abused his estranged wife.

“The brief history that we have gathered from the surviving family members is that the husband had been abusive towards his estranged wife to the point that the sons intervened. At some point in the past they told their father they will not tolerate the abuse directed at their mother,” he said.

The sons did not live with their mother as they had their own homes and others worked outside of Ulundi but the mother had remained in the original home, he said..

The man no longer lived at that house as he had another wife but still had access to the property as his tools were there.

“On the day in question, the sons bought their mother a bed and groceries. The husband was furious about the bed and told them he did not want the bed in ‘his’ house,” said Zungu.

The sons engaged with their father and thought they had reached a compromise with him to keep the bed in one of the rooms at the house, but the violence erupted later and the man shot dead his two sons, he said.

The other son confronted the father and was also shot, but survived and was taken to hospital. The man’s estranged wife and a neighbour were also injured.

Zungu pleaded for help for the family for assistance with burial preparations, saying they are not a well-off family.

The police said they had opened an inquest docket along with charges of murder and attempted murder. They said two people were shot dead and the suspect also killed himself.

“It is alleged that on May 28 at 5.30pm, a 63-year-old man shot five people and then turned the gun on himself,” said the police.

Two Durban security guards shot while on duty

Hlengiwe Mbedzi
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Two Durban security guards shot while on duty

Two security guards were shot while on duty at a business premises on Sunday morning in Jacobs, south of Durban.

Garrith Jamieson, ALS Paramedics spokesperson, said the incident happened around 3am on Richard Carte Road.

“On arrival paramedics found two guards believed to be in their late forties had been shot by unknown persons,” he said.

“One guard had sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his body whilst a second guard had sustained a gunshot wound to his lower extremities.”

Jamieson said the men were stabilised on the scene and one had to be airlifted to a specialist facility due to the severity of their injures.

At the time of publication the events leading up to the shooting were unknown.

Bike on sale in Durban North leads to killers of missing Northdene pensioner, Ken Price

Ben Johnson
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Bike on sale in Durban North leads to killers of missing Northdene pensioner, Ken Price

Popular Durban private investigator, Brad Nathanson has cracked the case of missing Northdene pensioner, Kenneth William Price (74) popularly known as Ken Price, who mysteriously disappeared from his home around the 8th of November 2021.

When a relative in the UK failed to get hold of Price with whom they had regularly been communicating with, they roped in Nathanson to check in on him.

Writing on his socials Nathanson said;

“We went to the house and discovered that it was all closed up. Outside lights were on. All curtains were drawn and windows closed.

We were afforded access to the house through another but the moment that I stepped into the house, it was immediately evident to me that the entrance hall was a crime scene. I checked through the house for a human but there was no trace of life and no body.

We cordoned off the entrance to the house and called for the SAPS and a cadaver dog.

The cadaver dog could not find trace of mortality but confirmed trace of decay”

Nathanson said that Ken was well known in the motor cycle world, especially the XT500.

During the investigation he discovered that three of Ken’s showroom-condition motor-cycles had been stolen amongst other items.

Nathanson said he believed recovering the bikes would give a clue of what happened to Ken Price.

“We questioned a number of suspects whom we believed may have known Ken’s whereabouts or the whereabout of the bikes but nothing. In my mind, I thought I knew who was responsible for Ken’s disappearance but I had no evidence,” said Nathanson.

He said that he posted the missing person on Facebook and information started trickling in. Before the final breakthrough Nathanson said he received 10 calls alerting him of bikes on sale but were proved to be fruitless.

His breakthrough came on 10 May when a reader alerted him of a bike that was candy apple red in colour and up for sale in Durban North.

“I remembered having seen this bike in a pic in my suspect’s garage taken by another. Ken’s bike however was bubblegum blue. This bike was being advertised for sale in Durban North.

“Posing as a buyer I went to inspect the bike on Wednesday 11 May. Imagine my surprise and delight to notice from a chip on the bike’s tank that the colour underneath the candy apple red was indeed bubblegum blue,” said Nathanson.

Ken price killers
A chip on the bike’s tank showed the colour underneath the candy apple red was indeed bubblegum blue. Photo: Brad Nathanson Facebook

The next day, Nathanson sought help from SAPS. Together with Captain Digby Thomas of KZN SAPS provincial organised crime unit they went back to the Durban North seller.

“Together, we questioned the seller as to his acquisition of the motor cycle. He explained that he had bought the bike from a foreign national in Shallcross. There were no papers and the seller insisted that he knew nothing of where the bike came from originally.

“Together with the I.O. from SAPS Malvern detectives, we uplifted the motor cycle in Durban North and then went with the seller in search of the foreign national who we found in Shallcross. When asked where he got the bike from, he told us that he had bought the bike from a another man at the other end of Shallcross,” Nathanson explained.

They went in search of the man and found him at his home.

The man said he got the bike from the man Nathanson suspected from the beginning of matter.

Together with SAPS Malvern, the first suspect was questioned and made certain admissions which resulted in the investigators arresting another three suspects and recovering another two of Ken’s bikes along with things taken from Ken’s home.

Nathanson said that four people are custody and investigations are continuing.

One Dead in N3 Crash

Hlengiwe Mbedzi
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One Dead in N3 Crash
Durban Sun 280452110 518861903360277 7847805395867850732 n
Earlier this morning, just after 6am, Mi7 National Group’s Emergency Medical Services was dispatched after reports of a Motor Vehicle Accident on the N3 Southbound between Peter Brown Drive and Armitage Road.
Mi7 medics found a bus full of passengers had collided with a delivery vehicle – which was wedged under the bus – and a truck. The bus passengers were found standing on the center median – only one passenger was assessed for injuries. The occupants of the truck also had no injuries.
However, one male occupant was entrapped in the wreckage of the delivery vehicle, wedged under the bus. After two hours of a combined rescue effort by Pietermaritzburg firefighters, Mi7 Rescue medics, and local tow truck operators, the man was successfully extricated.
Durban Sun 280287460 1393403281089085 7026338447909711341 n 1 Durban Sun 280064453 1393403257755754 1136320550613718099 n 1 Durban Sun 280463797 1393403297755750 6888514538336765170 n 1
However, upon assessment, it was found that he had succumbed to his injuries and was declared deceased on the scene. We pass our condolences to the loved ones of the deceased. Note, that traffic flow is still severely affected on both sides of the N3 carriageway due to clean-up efforts. We advise motorists to find alternate routes.
Earlier Road Closure Notice:
Please note, that the N3 Durban-bound carriageway between Peter Brown Drive and Armitage Road is currently closed to traffic after a crash between a bus, a truck, and a delivery vehicle. Traffic is severely affected in both directions – we urge motorists to find alternative routes.
Mi7 National Group’s Emergency Medical Services is on scene. Further details to follow.
0800 647 911
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WATCH | KZN transport department investigates video of driver’s licenses on the ground in Rossburgh

Hlengiwe Mbedzi
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WATCH | KZN transport department investigates video of driver’s licenses on the ground in Rossburgh

A video inviting people to collect their license cards from Rossburgh Driver License Testing Centre in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, has caused a stir from many.

The video, making its rounds on social media, shows a number of driver license cards on the ground. The voice on the video is inviting those waiting for their license cards from the Rossburgh Driver Licence Testing Centre to collect them.

A number of people said they were left confused since the testing centre had been closed following the KwaZulu-Natal floods.

A man told The Witness that he has been waiting for his license since January and was shocked to hear they had to collect them.

“The state they were in was terrible. I was already worried about my license when I heard the testing centre was flooded. That video just made things worse that my friend and I immediately went there only to find it was closed,” he said.

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport spokesperson, Kwanele Ncalane, said the department has instituted an internal investigation into the video.

“The unauthorised video is disrespectfully inviting members of the public to come collect their licenses. This manner of approach is not in line with the Batho-Pele values that the department promotes. With the Rossburgh DLTC currently under clean up operations we currently have more than 100 people on the premises, including the Expanded Public Works (EPWP) members who are part of the clean-up team,” said Ncalane.

He said the department has tasked the management of the station to investigate the origins of the video.

The head of department, Siboniso Mbhele, said that public documentation such as the application of learners and licence cards should also be handled with care even in an event of a disaster.

“The station remains closed with some services relocated to other offices. We are in the process of assessing the extent of damage of some of our documentation before deciding on which people we can be able to issue their documents, and which will need to restart the process. However, all the necessary communication will be done in the correct platforms and in a correct manner. The video being circulated is therefore not an official government communique and should therefore not be treated as such,” said Mbhele.

He said they have directed the management of Rossburgh to do an investigation as to where the video originated and to determine who was behind the ‘mischievous act’.

He added they were hoping to resume the collection of the cards this week but that was subjected to the safety assessment which will have to be conducted.

Farmers hard hit by KZN floods

Ben Johnson
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Farmers hard hit by KZN floods

Durban – A sugar cane and macadamia nuts farmer, Peter Richards of Hibberdene on the KwaZulu-Natal’s south coast who suffered damages worth millions due to floods says only relief will rescue them as farms are not insured.

Richards said over three hectares of sugar cane plantation were washed away when hillsides flipped as a result of heavy rains last week. He said several sections of his 400-plus hectare farm were inaccessible as bridges collapsed.

The cane industry was the most affected in agriculture with SA Canegrowers estimating R222 million in losses across the province. Richards said his farms required major rehabilitation on the hillsides that would cost hundreds of thousands to be able to replant.

“The damages occurred include infrastructure such as roads and bridges within the farm which is key to access the farm. The replanting will not be easy as the roads and land were hugely damaged,” he said.

“We have loads of cane that was already harvested but we cannot take it out due to road damage. The small farmers also have their harvest ready for collection but farms are inaccessible. We fear that the cane will get rotten and cause further loss.

“There are also a lot of small cane growers who cannot get their cane out due to road damage. They will not be able to take their cane to the milling and make money. It is worrying and their only hope is promised relief from the government that can revive their business,” said.

He said his macadamia trees suffered minimal damages as he was busy with harvesting.

Richards said they have submitted their reports detailing all the damages suffered to the Department of Agriculture through KZN Agricultural Union, Kwanalu.

Minister of Agriculture, Land Affairs and Rural Development, Thoko Didiza, met with all the agriculture stakeholders this week to discuss how the relief would be dispersed.

Didiza said a steering committee has been established to facilitate the relief process to assist all the affected farmers. “The committee will be led by our provincial Department of Agriculture, national and representatives from farmers’ organisations. We have not concluded the assessment to determine the needed funds, we will soon approach the treasury once we have established the total damages.

“In terms of priority, the committee will lead us on what should be prioritised on relief. Farmers have raised many issues, including infrastructure, crop damages and land degradation, etc. There are many needs but we have to prioritise which are immediate ones we need to address to allow economic activities.

“From our engagement with farmers, they indicated that the access to farms was a stumbling block, we will have to look at the road infrastructure, and fertilisers for replanting. There are also communal farms which are deep in the countryside that need our urgent assistance,” said Didiza.

With regard to fears of corruption that have been raised by opposition parties, Didza said they would try as best as they could to ensure there would be no corruption in the implementation of the relief programmes.

Meanwhile, the eThekwini Municipality has announced that preliminary data showed that more than 1 000 businesses located within the city have been impacted, suggesting hundreds of millions of rands in damages.

A report presented by the City’s economic development unit indicated that the most affected sectors of the economy were manufacturing with an estimated damage of R431m, agriculture R12.6m, construction R18m, wholesale and retail R46m, and warehousing and logistics R33m. A further 110 small businesses were impacted with an estimated damage of R20m. SUNDAY TRIBUNE

Watch: Crowd loots a Shoprite truck on Dumisani Makhaye Drive near Ntuzuma

Hayley Jacobs
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Watch: Crowd loots a Shoprite truck on Dumisani Makhaye Drive near Ntuzuma

Tough times following a week of destruction and devastation or lawlessness is the order of the day in KwaZulu-Natal? One would ask after a video of a crowd looting a Shoprite truck emerged online.

The video, captured on Dumisani Makhaye drive on Monday morning between Newlands East and Ntuzuma, shows a crowd busy looting a Shoprite truck which was stuck on the highway.

The looters flee back into the nearby houses as armed security and Metro police arrive and starts shooting in the air to disperse the crowd.

One is reminded of the mass looting which happened last year in July where over 300 people were killed and millions worth of goods looted from warehouses and shops.

Just this past week, over 400 people died in the floods following heavy rains in KwaZulu-Natal.

With over R1 billion’s worth of infrastructure damage estimated across the province, lawlessness of this nature will only further harm the battered economy.

The eThekwini Municipality was the worst affected in the floods which have proved to be the worst natural disasters to ever hit KZN and the country as a whole.

A state of disaster has been declared for the eThekwini region and disaster relief funds have been already been approved for the victims.

There are fears of unrests in Durban again after looting were reported in Umlazi, south of Durban when other parts of the province were still reeling from the impact of the floods.

Two shops were broken into and looted in the township. Protests were also reported in KwaMashu after the community complained that eThekwini Municipality was taking too long to fix electricity lines in their community.

Read also: Two killed after Eldo Coaches bus collide with car in Durban CBD

Watch the video below, shared on SA Trucker Facebook Page:

Intercape, APM buses stoned as attacks on long-distance buses persist in Eastern Cape

Ben Johnson
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Intercape, APM buses stoned as attacks on long-distance buses persist in Eastern Cape

As the indiscriminate attacks on long-distance buses in Eastern Cape persist, a bus from Intercape and another from APM were stoned last night shattering the windscreens and windows.

The ongoing attacks are suspected to be caused by minibus taxi operators struggling to fairly compete with the long distance buses.

Eastern Cape Department of Transport MEC Weziwe Tikana-Gxotiwe condemned the attacks which he says would endanger the lives of innocent passengers.

Unconfirmed reports also suggested that an Eldo Coaches bus was attacked on the same night.

“The attacks have been disturbingly prominent on the R61 road connecting the Eastern Cape with the Western Cape. The latest of those occurred in Cradock last night, where buses from two different companies, (Intercape and APM) came under attack, with drivers’ windscreens smashed and passenger windows were not spared either,” said Tikana-Gxotiwe.

Tikana-Gxotiwe has condemned these attacks in the strongest possible terms, calling on law enforcement to act in protection of lives of innocent passengers and those doing business in the province.

“What is happening on our roads is completely unacceptable and could potentially lead to massive loss of lives. We have to act to prevent these from recurring. We urge the law enforcement to be extra vigilant, we urge them to be proactive. To protect the innocent lives of passengers and protect businesses operating within the province. All those who are behind these barbaric acts, whoever they are, must face the might of the law,” said Tikana-Gxotiwe.

The department also wishes to extend a word of gratitude to those passengers who continue to expose these barbaric acts by bringing them to authorities’ attention by sharing them, even on various media platforms.

Two killed after Eldo Coaches bus collide with car in Durban CBD

Ben Johnson
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Two killed after Eldo Coaches bus collide with car in Durban CBD

Traffic is massively backed up on the N3 Durban bound approaching the CBD following a fatal bus crash on Alice street this Friday morning.

According to ALS Paramedics, the horrific crash involving a bus from Eldo Coaches, a light motor vehicle and multiple pedestrians happened just after 06h30 this morning.

Paramedics arrived on scene to find total carnage as they found the vehicles had collided and went to plough into multiple pedestrians.

“Two female pedestrians in their 20s and 30s, unfortunately, sustained fatal injuries.

“They were declared deceased on the scene. A further 10 patients are currently been treated on the scene before they will be transported to nearby hospitals,” ALS Paramedics said.

Events leading up to the fatal accident are unknown at this stage, however police are on scene and will be investigating further.

Traffic coming into Durban CBD is severely affected as the scene is taking three lanes on Alice Street as you enter the CBD.

Eldo bus accident
Alice Street closed to traffic as emergency personnel attend the fatal bus crash scene. Pic supplied

Motorists are advised to avoid this area and use alternatives. Durban SUN

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