Zululand Observer - Monday
Readiness
THE majority of schools in KZN are not ready to resume teaching and learning when schools reopen on Wednesday. This is according to National Teachers’ Union (NATU) president Sibusiso Malinga. Speaking in an exclusive interview with the ZO on...
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Beaches draw big crowds
ZULULANDERS and visitors alike made the most of the festive season at the region’s beaches and public spaces, with thousands recorded at Richards Bay's Alkantstrand on New Year's Day alone. Residents visiting Pelican Island, with its...
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German kids run for Zululand
PRIMARY school children in the quaint town of Adenau, Germany recently participated in a charity run that raised an impressive €11 000 (R215 613) for a local NPO. The funds generated from this energetic initiative were handed over to Zululand Hilfe...
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DEADLYHIT
A FORMER IFP councillor and Zulu regiment commander in King Cetshwayo was shot and killed at a stop-and-go on the R34 on Thursday afternoon. Zakheleni Xulu, AKA ' induna yesinziswa' was brutally murdered in Maguzulu while en route to his home in...
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Assassinated
DUBBED the rhino poaching ‘kingpin’, Dumisani Gwala was gunned down in his Manguzi home on Wednesday night, in the presence of his wife and daughter. While he was previously acquitted on a string of poaching-related charges, Gwala’s name often...
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Empangeni residents steaming after water problems continue
PIPE problems in Panaroma once again led to water outages for residents, this time for almost seven hours on Thursday. Weightman Avenue was without water from 9.30am until 4pm on 'a scorcher of a day', as resident Lucy Beharry described it. “It's...
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Critical flight procedures reinstated after months of delays and weather-related disruptions
T+( suspension of Instrument Flight Procedures (IFPs) at the Richards %ay Airport has Eeen lifted This is after months of flight delays and cancellations owing to safety concerns at the local airport The aEsence of IFPs a critical air navigation...
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Safety crackdown
THE tragic passing of a scholar transport driver in a serious collision on the John Ross highway on Friday morning has again raised road safety concerns in the City of uMhlathuze. The accident, which occurred at the Alton intersection at around 6am,...
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Lay-off threat
More than 200 permanent jobs are on the line at Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) after the company issued Section 189A notices to all employees last week. This signals possible retrenchments as part of a major restructuring process. The multinational sand...
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Beach build-up
BEACH replenishment has begun at Alkantstrand ahead of the summer swimming season. This to counter the steady erosion of the beach as rising ocean levels and violent storm surges continued to damage the fragile coastline over the past year. Transnet...
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Zim court releases Bay man
THE case against Richards Bay businessman Johny Herman Saaiman was rejected by a Bulawayo magistrate last week, on technical grounds. Saaiman was arrested in Zimbabwe on 23 September after being accused of defrauding three companies for which he had...
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Shopping drama
A FREAK accident in a shopping mall has left a Richards Bay woman fighting for her life in hospital. The term ‘shop 'til you drop’ took on a new, drastic meaning for Rachel Sarrepin (62) when she reportedly collided with a clothing rail inside the...
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City slumps
THE City of uMhlathuze appears to be rapidly plunging into a financial abyss. Failure of archaic infrastructure, officials deviating from supply chain management processes, a host of unpaid service providers – a number of whom have instituted legal...
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Survivor!
IN yet another attempt on his life, an uMfolozi councillor survived a well-orchestrated assassination plot last week. The ANC's Ward 7 Councillor Bongani Ntombela (47) was on Tuesday attacked and shot while talking to his neighbour at the...
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Port pollution problem
TRANSNET is heading for trouble over port dust pollution. It admits it faces ‘significant operational, legal and reputational risks’ related to air quality management, particularly in highimpact areas such as Richards Bay. This as harbour-bound coal...
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Dramatic rescue
A PONGOLA private game farm manager who was trapped in the path of a runaway veldfire on Wednesday remains in a ‘serious but stable’ condition in hospital, suffering from serious burns and smoke inhalation. Dave Powell (61) and a colleague had gone to...
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SCAN ME
An eShowe couple had a lucky escape on Friday morning. They had just parked in Ukulu Street, Empangeni when a driving school learner smashed into the back of their SUV, pushing it 7m forward before coming to a halt further down the road. The legs of...
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Council in chaos
THE City of uMhlathuze council meeting on Thursday afternoon came to an abrupt end after chaos erupted in the council chambers minutes after proceedings got under way. Nothing could be heard as shouting and screaming overpowered the voice of Speaker...
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Guilty
ONE man has been convicted of murder and one acquitted relating to a bar room brawl in November 2022 that resulted in the death of a patron at The Ranch in Arboretum. Regional Court Magistrate WJJ Schutte last week found Benjamin Bennie du Preez...
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Environment SOS
At a conservative estimate, 3km of gill nets are laid every night in the Bay
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SUNKEN!
WHILE plans to mount a floating gas-topower plant at the Port of Richards were already sunk, the High Court in Pretoria on Thursday sealed its fate by ending any prospect of its resuscitation. Karpowership SA had previously planned to moor ships at...
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Friday festivities as fun parade kicks off
CARNIVAL festivities, street parades, and glitz and glamour were the order of the weekend as the district's horse racing extravaganza brought sparkle and splendour to Empangeni. Themed Italian Equestrian Avant-Garde, the fourth annual, two-day King...
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Senzo waits
BELEAGUERED Police Minister Senzo Mchunu is ready to defend himself before the judicial commission of inquiry announced by President Ramaphosa. Speaking to the ZO at Mandela Day commemorations on Friday, Mchunu said the commission is the only open...
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Residents react to road reports
THE poor state of several roads within the City of uMhlathuze has raised the ire of many residents who fear travelling on these routes daily. While residents have raised frustration with last week’s closure of the R102 near the under-construction...
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Strike suspended
THE municipal workers' strike that has all but crippled service delivery across the City of uMhlathuze is suspended pending negotiations scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday). This comes after a court judgment on Thursday put an end to the city's bid for...
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PAYDAY ‘MAYDAY’
CASH-strapped Jozini Municipality is on the verge of collapse after failing to pay workers’ salaries on Wednesday. This was revealed on Tuesday when the municipality issued a circular to department managers, informing them to instruct workers about...
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CROC TRAGEDY
A WEEKEND getaway ended in tragedy for a 56-year-old KZN man who was killed by an enormous crocodile at a dam in a Hluhluwe game reserve on Saturday. It is reported that the guest was dragged by the crocodile in a surprise attack while fishing at the...
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MURDERED YOUNG MOM IS
IN an area identified as a regional GBV hotspot, yet another woman has been fatally stabbed, her body dumped on the street. KwaMthethwa reserve under uMfolozi Municipality has been rocked by the latest gruesome discovery, made by a passer-by on...
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“Fix the grass!”
“WITHOUT a pitch, you don’t have a stadium.” That was the blunt message from Premier Soccer League chief operations officer, Prof Ronnie Schloss, after an inspection tour of the uMhlathuze Stadium on Thursday. “Right now, the grass on the field does...
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Pelican Island access granted under stringent control conditions
PELICAN Island will be opened to the public on 1 June: but if it is not kept litter free then it will be closed again. That was the strong message sent out by City of uMhlathuze Deputy Mayor, Christo Botha as preparations are made this week for the...
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Empangeni community demands highest level service delivery action
“WHY is the mayor not here?” implored one of 80 fuming residents at the Ward 23 public meeting on Thursday evening. “We need everybody who supposedly manages our city to be at the meeting, to be held accountable and explain how they are going to fix...
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Mother’s Day heartbreak
EIGHT people, including six women, lost their lives in a horror accident on the N2 bridge at Empangeni on Sunday morning. The group of 24 churchgoers was travelling in a Hyundai H100 light truck from Gobandlovu at eSikhaleni on their way to a church...
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Cane pain
UNLESS the heavy rains ease soon, the sugar cane industry could face costly milling delays. Local cane farmers say it’s time for the rain to stop, as disruptions to cane crushing at the sugar mills is already causing problems. “We’re grateful for the...
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NPOs need a lifeline
ZULULAND'S NPO sector is in turmoil as organisations operate in crisis mode in the wake of the US funding freeze. Exacerbating the situation are delays in tranche payments from the Department of Social Development (DSD). This means delayed or...
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CAR CHAOS
PURCHASE of luxury vehicles has driven a rift between political factions at uMfolozi Municipality. This after two luxury Audi SUVs were allegedly ‘bought and sold’ via a third party within days – and presumably at major depreciation - for two IFP...
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Ambulance alarm
TWO accidents involving pedestrians in Empangeni last week have placed in the spotlight the tremendous shortage of State ambulances in the region. In both emergencies, the injured patients had to be transported in police vehicles to health facilities...
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Wife gets life
A FORMER police officer found guilty of the murder of her husband will spend the rest of her life behind bars, her application for leave to appeal refused. Ntombizodwa Ntinga (44) was on Wednesday convicted of the 2023 murder of her husband, former...
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Tragedy strikes
A CAR that ploughed into a group of learners - reportedly a hit-and-run incident - left a trail of death and serious injury. Six eSikhaleni learners on their way home from school, were victims of Wednesday afternoon's accident. Yolanda Zitha (15), a...
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Mtuba dog attack owner pleads guilty
THE owner of two dogs that viciously attacked three victims on the same morning in March 2022, admitted guilt on Friday. Mtubatuba District Court will today (Monday) hand down Giovanni Fierro's sentence. Fierro was found guilty on three counts of...
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Fired security companies reinstated after High Court action deal
THE City of uMhlathuze on Friday negotiated an out-of-court settlement with two joint venture security companies who took legal action when their contract was terminated last month. After being dismissed following alleged tender-sharing pressure...
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On the road again
ROAD repairs don’t come quicker than this. The anticipated months-long wait for the re-opening of the ruined Harbour Arterial route from the Alton robots to the port, has turned into mere days. By the time this edition hits the streets, heavy trucks...
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CITY HITS BACK
THE City of uMhlathuze has issued a media statement refuting all allegations levelled against Mayor Xolani Ngwezi and acting municipal manager Phakama Mhlongo by a former security service provider. Cyril Paton alleged that on 8 January, he was called...
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Cyber sabotage
A PROMINENT Richards Bay businessman and philanthropist has had three of his companies stolen from under his feet. In fact, the entities now belong to a fraudster he has never met, but who managed to change the ownership into his name through glaring...
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Blitzed!
BOOZING in public proved costly for many when the City of uMhlathuze enforced by-laws in a blitz in Empangeni. “The disruptive operation was one of many by-law enforcement operations across the city, the purpose of which is to implement compliance,”...
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The world’s eyes will turn to our skies
THE University of Zululand’s (Unizulu) physics department has unveiled plans to build KZN’s first astronomical observatory. KwaNtoza Mountain near eShowe has been chosen due to the location and elevation and low light pollution, making it suitable for...
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City sees
BATTLE lines have been drawn following the destructive storming of the Richards Bay civic centre on Thursday by the EFF. The EFF has vowed to intensify the protest up until the IFP-led municipality heeds their demands; but the City of uMhlathuze...
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TRAPPED
MILLIONS are set to be invested in repairing badly damaged roads within the Richards Bay port terminals. Plans to fix the roads - riddled with giant potholes - were revealed to the ZO last week. This is amid an outcry over the poor condition of...
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Road to ruin
WITH almost a fortnight of no heavy-laden vehicles allowed to enter the harbour, a vital chance to fix the main access road to the Port of Richards Bay has been missed, with serious consequences. Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) announced...
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DROWN DRAMAS mar New Year festivities
AFTER two separate incidents, both on New Year’s Day, one person is deceased and another paralysed after diving into shallow water. Prominent Richards Bay Rugby Club member Morne van Antwerpen (42) sadly passed away at a friend’s home in Meerensee in...
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Suspected human trafficking activity intercepted on N2
THE work of law enforcement officers was commended during a roadblock on the N2 in the KwaBhoboza area of Mtubatuba on Wednesday. The operation busted a flagged minibus taxi with a Mozambican registration number. Upon inspection, the taxi's 17...
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Mtuba police attend several murder cases
THE SAPS in Mtubatuba attended several murder cases in recent weeks, committed in different parts of their policing jurisdiction. One incident occurred on Wednesday last week at around 3pm at the Dube homestead in the Ezwenelisha area of...
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SAPS men’s conference urges fight against crime
THE SAPS in uMkhanyakude District last week hosted a men’s conference which encouraged active participation in the fight against crime and protecting the vulnerable in communities. The conference, which was themed Isibaya Samadoda (men’s enclosure),...
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Pool anger
TRAGEDY has again struck at the Empangeni municipal swimming pool, causing another wave of angry responses from residents. After a near drowning on Monday last week, Lindokuhle Biyela (20) is in a coma in Ngwelezana Hospital, fighting for his...
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Price is paid
TWO callous criminals were transformed into convicts when they were sentenced at Ngwelezana Regional Court on Friday after being found guilty on a string of charges. The trial related to the September 2022 attack and abduction of Pakistani national...
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Taken down!
A MAJOR robbery may have been prevented when police intercepted and arrested a gang of eight heavily armed suspects in Jozini on Thursday. Believed to have been on their way to commit a planned hit in the Jozini CBD, the suspects, aged 29 to 55 years,...
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‘MARKED MAN’
‘GUT-WRENCHING, heartbreaking and infuriating.’ These are the words used by the blindsided family to describe the latest dramatic twist in the saga of the missing Sodwana Bay skipper, John ‘Matambu’ Dercksen. Tomas Frederik ‘Ferdie’ Visser, the last...
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‘Holey’ moly!
NAVIGATING the route to the Port of Richards Bay for fully-laden heavy duty truck drivers has become nothing short of a nightmare as the road has deteriorated into more pothole than tarmac. The road in question stretches from the Alton intersection on...
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BANK BLOODSHED
VICTIMS remain traumatised after a deadly knife attack at a bank in Empangeni on Wednesday afternoon. Pandemonium broke out as customers ran for cover and shop owners locked their doors after an irate queue-jumping customer launched into a stabbing...
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Red
FED-UP with dust blanketing their homes and posing a serious health risk, Mtunzini residents are squaring up against the neighbouring Fairbreeze mine. Angry residents are demanding urgent action as dust emissions from the Tronox-owned mining operation...
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Heroes come home
AFTER almost four decades buried under the earth far from home, the mortal remains of two struggle heroes who died in exile will find a new resting place. The Shembe and Ngubane families will rejoice at the opportunity to bury their loved ones...
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Sanca substance abuse stats and lack of rehab centre cause for concern
DESPITE having been legalised and touted by many as a harmless habit, dagga remains the most serious contributor to Sanca Zululand’s substance abuse counselling statistics. Often referred to as the ‘gateway drug’ – the first step leading to use of...
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Job ‘growth’
LOCALS are cashing in on the lucrative hemp industry. With more than a thousand permits having been issued for hemp cultivation in the country following its declaration as an agricultural crop, young local farmers are making major inroads in this...
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SAVED
ZULULAND Hospice has been saved from closing its doors… for now. Ironically, the organisation that provides vital end-of-life care to the community finds itself in terminal state. On the point of financial collapse and possible closure, a gift from...
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Date set for stadium
IT will take three months for the uMhlathuze Central Sports Complex stadium to be ready to host football matches, barring unforeseen delays. This means Richards Bay FC could be playing their home fixtures in December, which would include a potential...
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