Bridge Near Amanzimtoti Passes Safety Check, Collapses Months Later

Bongani
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Transport officials confirm that a bridge near Amanzimtoti, south of Durban, which partially collapsed this week, had passed routine inspections earlier this year.

The bridge over the Ezimbokodweni River was closed after the collapse, and Deputy Transport Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa met with SANRAL engineers on Thursday to review a preliminary damage report.

The report will be sent to Transport Minister Barbara Creecy for further evaluation.

According to Hlengwa, the bridge scored a 98% safety rating in its February assessment, confirming it was structurally sound at the time.

He assured the public that SANRAL aims to restore traffic flow on the bridge within three to four weeks and urged patience as repairs progress.

Engineers clarified that the damage was due to regular wear and tear, not recent flooding, and that a full restoration of the damaged areas is underway.

SANRAL also plans a major upgrade to the bridge next year, which will further strengthen its structure and address long-term durability.

(PICS) Joint Operation Leads to 23 Arrests in Verulam CBD

Sipho Zungu
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(PICS) Joint Operation Leads to 23 Arrests in Verulam CBD

A joint operation involving SAPS, Metro Police, the Verulam Business Forum (VBF), and Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) led to the arrest of 23 suspects in Verulam’s Central Business District on Friday.

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The operation, led by Colonel Stephen Strydom, Vispol Commander at SAPS Verulam, was supported by officers from Mooi River and Pietermaritzburg.

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The suspects face various charges, including theft, drug dealing, and robbery.

Among those arrested was an undocumented foreign national.

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Police also seized drugs, knives, and other dangerous weapons during the sweep.

This coordinated effort highlights the commitment of local law enforcement and community organizations to tackle crime in Verulam.

Five Men Arrested in Mandeni with Illegal Firearms and Ammunition

Sbonelo Shezi
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Five Men Arrested in Mandeni with Illegal Firearms and Ammunition

Five men were arrested on Friday during a police Vehicle Check Point (VCP) operation on the P459 Road in Mandeni.

Officers stopped a white Toyota Avanza with five male occupants, uncovering an arsenal of illegal firearms and ammunition during the search.

Durban Sun 1000

KZN SAPS spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda reported that police found five pistols, several rounds of ammunition, and noted that two of the guns had their serial numbers erased.

Initial investigations revealed that one firearm belonged to a deceased person, while two others were reported stolen—one from Ntuzuma in November 2020 and another from Sandton in June 2021.Durban Sun 1000

 

The suspects, aged 23 to 31, face multiple charges, including possession of illegal firearms, ammunition, and suspected stolen property.

They are set to appear in the KwaDukuza Magistrate’s Court on Monday as investigations continue.

 

Two Women Drug and Rob Elderly man in Riet River

Hlengiwe Mbedzi
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Two Women Drug and Rob Elderly man in Riet River

Police are searching for two women suspected of drugging and robbing a 75-year-old man at his home on Mungal Road in Riet River on Friday.

The incident occurred after the two women, dressed in traditional Indian clothing and wearing masks, approached the elderly man while he was in his yard.

They struck up a conversation, mentioning his late wife by name, which led him to invite them inside his home.

The women offered to make tea and prepared a beverage for the man and themselves in his kitchen.

After drinking the tea, the man blacked out and regained consciousness several hours later, only to find that various household items, cash, clothing, and his cellphone were missing.

CCTV footage captured the women leaving the property with two bags.

However, it remains unclear if they used a vehicle to flee the scene. Local authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward as they continue their investigation.

[PICS] 13-Year-Old Injured in Verulam Taxi Accident

Sipho Zungu
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[PICS] 13-Year-Old Injured in Verulam Taxi Accident
A 13 year old boy sustained serious injuries after he was run over and dragged by a mini bus taxi on Todd Street in Verulam – KZN this morning (Friday).
Members of Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) were called out to the scene at approximately 07:37.
On arrival, RUSA Members found the Grade 8 pupil lying on the roadside. He sustained serious injury to his left foot.
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The minor informed Reaction Officers that they disembarked from a bus and was standing on the roadside.
The white Toyota Quantum allegedly veered off the road and struck the male on the pavement.
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He was then dragged for a few metres. The driver of the mini bus denied the allegations.
The boy was stabilized on scene before being expedited to hospital by ambulance.

Stolen Vehicle Recovered After Armed House Robbery in Umhlatuzana

Hlengiwe Mbedzi
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Stolen Vehicle Recovered After Armed House Robbery in Umhlatuzana

Blue Security, working with a tracking company, recovered a stolen vehicle in Umlazi’s F Section after it was taken during a house robbery in Umhlatuzana.

The vehicle, equipped with a tracking device, was located abandoned and stripped of its interior.

The robbery occurred early in the morning around 1 a.m., when three armed suspects, wearing balaclavas, broke into the house by cutting the driveway gate lock and forcing open a sliding glass door.

Once inside, they held the family at gunpoint, forcing them into the hallway where they were tied up and gagged with tape.

The suspects then ransacked the home, stealing items including three cellphones, a flat-screen TV, a microwave, a kettle, jewelry, and an undisclosed amount of cash from a safe.

They escaped in the family’s vehicle, which was later recovered.

Bayview SAPS responded to the scene and is leading further investigations. Thankfully, no injuries were reported during the incident.

Eight men in a Mercedes Benz arrested in Jozini with police uniforms and firearms.

Hlengiwe Mbedzi
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Eight men in a Mercedes Benz arrested in Jozini with police uniforms and firearms.

Eight men are set to appear in court after police found them in possession of illegal firearms, South African Police Service (SAPS) uniforms, and SAPS-issued bulletproof vests during an operation in Jozini, northern KwaZulu-Natal.

The suspects, aged 29 to 55, were arrested on Thursday afternoon after a vigilant local reported a suspicious Mercedes Benz with eight occupants “making rounds” in town.

Eight men caught with police uniform and bullet proof vests were arrested in Jozini town. Picture: SAPS

Acting on the tip-off, police conducted a swift stop-and-search operation, quickly locating and stopping the vehicle in Jozini Town.

KZN police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda reported that officers discovered three firearms inside the vehicle, each with its serial number filed off, along with several rounds of ammunition.

Durban Sun 1000

They also found pieces of police uniforms, including a bulletproof vest traced back to SAPS in Vryburg, North West.

The vehicle was seized for further investigation.

This incident follows a separate operation in Mahlabathini on Wednesday, where two suspected hitmen were killed in a shoot-out with police while allegedly on their way to assassinate a taxi boss.

Taxi Collision in Durban CBD Injures 15 in Early Morning Crash

Sbonelo Shezi
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Taxi Collision in Durban CBD Injures 15 in Early Morning Crash

In the early hours of this morning, a taxi Collision with a car at the intersection of Umgeni and Argyle Road left around 15 people injured, bringing Durban’s CBD to a halt just before the workday began.

It was just before 5 a.m. when paramedics and first responders arrived to find a chaotic scene—passengers scattered around the intersection and inside the wrecked taxi, visibly shaken and injured.

The taxi, filled with early commuters, had collided with a small car at the crossing, leading to what paramedics described as a “mass-casualty scene.”

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Additional ambulances and Advanced Life Support teams were quickly dispatched to handle the number of injured, who ranged from those with minor scrapes to more severe injuries.

Rescuers on the ground stabilized the injured one by one, loading them onto stretchers before sending them to various hospitals around Durban for further treatment.

Paramedics noted that despite the high number of injuries, all involved received prompt medical care.

While the cause of the crash remains unknown, police were on the scene gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses to piece together what happened.

Durban’s early morning traffic was diverted as authorities secured the area for the investigation, leaving residents concerned over safety at the busy CBD intersection.

As the investigation unfolds, locals are left hoping for increased traffic safety measures in the heart of Durban to prevent further accidents in one of the city’s most congested areas.

Durban, South Africa – The Durban Sun

Children Witness Fatal Shooting of Builder and Attempted Murder of His Assistant

Sbonelo Shezi
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Three children, aged 15, 13, and 10, witnessed the tragic shooting of a builder and the attempted murder of his assistant at a housing complex in Cornubia on Thursday.

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Several residents called Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) for help after a gunman opened fire on two men.

RUSA paramedics and officers arrived at the scene around 4:03 p.m., where they found the builder’s lifeless body with two gunshot wounds to the back of his head, one of which exited through his right temple.

No photo description available.

The assistant, also shot in the back, was rushed privately to the hospital. His condition remains unknown.

The victims were reportedly working on a home extension when the gunman arrived and instructed the children, who were playing nearby, to leave.

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After the children stepped away, the shooter fired at both men and then walked off casually, witnesses said.

Both the deceased builder and his injured assistant were residents of the Cornubia Housing Complex. Fortunately, the children were unharmed in the incident.

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Man Rapes Dog to Death, Family Demands Justice

Sbonelo Shezi
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A family in Waterloo is reeling after their pet dog, Tonic, a two-year-old Africanis, died following repeated sexual abuse by a male family friend.

Tonic suffered fatal injuries from the abuse, which the family claims occurred multiple times.

On Sunday night, Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) responded to a call from a woman reporting harassment by the suspect, who had been troubling five women, including the caller’s 79-year-old grandmother.

The caller alleged that the man, who lives nearby, had also attempted to break into their home by throwing a frozen bottle at their glass door.

According to the family, their relationship with the man changed when they caught him assaulting Tonic early one morning.

Despite confronting him, the abuse reportedly continued, ultimately leading to Tonic’s death.

After the dog died, family members barred the man from their property and confronted him.

The family stated that no criminal charges had been filed against the suspect for the abuse.

Mpho Lebethe from the NSPCA has reached out to RUSA and will be conducting an investigation into the case to seek justice for Tonic.

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