A Durban mother was given the run-around when she tried to report a sexual assault on her four-year-old daughter.

Durban - A Durban mother was given the run-around when she tried to report a sexual assault on her four-year-old daughter, a process which took them an agonisingly long eight hours.

The mother works for Isipingo resident Cheryl Watts who said she received a frantic phone call on Tuesday. The incident allegedly took place between 2pm and 4pm.

The child was examined by the district surgeon who said there was no penetration. Watts believes the child may have been sexually molested while she was out playing.

Watts said she drove to KwaMakhutha to fetch the mother and daughter. “I took the underwear and placed it in a packet to show the police and the doctors. We then went to the nearest private surgeon, but he said we must go to Prince Mshiyeni. There were three sisters on duty. I told them that we had a rape victim and we needed help urgently. They told us that a doctor would not come out from Durban and we must take her to Addington Hospital.”

Shocked by this attitude, they left, eventually finding a doctor. “He made phone calls to the Isipingo police station and Prince Mshiyeni,” said Watts.

The three then went to Isipingo police station where they were redirected to KwaMakhutha police station.

“When we arrived we were told to go back to a doctor to confirm that a rape had taken place. I then complained to the station commander. It was late at night and nobody wanted to help us.

“The police then escorted us to Addington Hospital, but we had to divert as we were told that a doctor had been waiting for us at Prince Mshiyeni.

“When we arrived at Mshiyeni the nurses asked why we came late at night, why didn’t we wait until the morning.”

Prince Mshiyeni’s spokeswoman, Nonkululeko Ngcobo, confirmed the girl, her mother and Watts came to the hospital but denied they were turned away.

“A doctor is on duty from 7.30am to 4pm. After hours there is no doctor on duty, but a doctor is on call. When they arrived they were already angry. Nurses tried to explain that they had to wait because the doctor had to be called, but they stormed out.”

amanda.khoza@inl.co.za

Sunday Tribune

Richard Mdluli may have been cleared of murder charges, but his colleagues want to nab him for alleged fraud and corruption.

Johannesburg - Suspended crime intelligence boss Richard Mdluli may have been cleared of murder charges, but his colleagues want to nab him for alleged fraud and corruption, accusing him of looting a slush fund.

After an inquest, Boksburg Magistrate Jurg Viviers cleared Mdluli of the murder of Oupa Ramogibe, husband of Mdluli’s former lover, Tshidi Buthelezi.

The Sunday Independent understands that the Hawks will pounce on Mdluli within days of his returning to his office.

On Saturday Hawks spokesman Captain Paul Ramaloko would not be drawn on any re-arrest. But several senior officers within the Hawks, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the arrest would be linked to the unit’s investigation into fraud and corruption in crime intelligence.

They said the task team had found evidence that Mdluli used the secret account to buy two luxury vehicles, found at his wife’s home, said a Pretoria Hawks official close to the case.

And a senior Hawks official in Joburg said allegations that Mdluli had appointed relatives as crime intelligence agents would also be probed.

A crime intelligence official said: “You must remember that it is the very same investigation that resulted in the suspension of some very senior officials in crime intelligence.”

Some have pointed to the allegations that certain senior crime intelligence officers had bought farms with the slush fund and had registered farm workers as intelligence agents so their salaries could be drawn from the slush fund.

However, an official close to police legal processes said that even though he was not a fan of Mdluli, “this is victimisation”. He could not be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media. Mdluli could not be reached for comment. His lawyer, Ike Motloung, said his client had not been informed of a re-arrest.

Police spokesman Phuti Setati could not be drawn into commenting on Mdluli’s return to work and an internal disciplinary inquiry.

Jeremy Gauntlett of the NGO Freedom Under Law, said the ruling did not affect their High Court interdict preventing Mdluli from serving in the police service. He would have to be disciplined internally before returning to work, Gauntlett said.

Head of the crime and justice programme at the Institute for Security Studies, Gareth Newham, said the Mdluli saga was “far from over”, as Mdluli had to be cleared of all allegations before returning to work.

Mdluli had accused fired top cop Bheki Cele and other top cops of conspiring to have him removed. The inquiry into the plot found no substance to Mdluli's allegations.

In clearing Mdluli, Magistrate Viviers said the state’s suspicion that Mdluli may have organised Ramogibe’s death was not sufficient grounds to charge him.

“The force and intensity with which the investigation (was) resuscitated is a clear indication that top ranking officials saw this undisposed matter as an opportunity from which they could benefit. The matter was therefore marinated in a concoction…” Viviers said.

Sunday Independent

eThekwini Municipality’s head of water and sanitation Neil Macleod should answer to a prima facie of bribery and corruption.

eThekwini municipality’s head of water and sanitation, Neil Macleod, should answer to a prima facie case of bribery and corruption.

This is the finding of a city investigation that has been rejected by McLeod and his boss, city manager S’bu Sithole.

A report from the city ombudsman’s office, which was leaked to the Sunday Tribune last week, calls for Macleod to be criminally charged amid allegations that he was involved in tender scams, bribery and corruption over a payment for his wife’s British visa, as well as a string of other illegal activities.

But Macleod described these allegations as part of a “dirty tricks” campaign to have him removed from office because he had uncovered fraud and corruption amounting to R25m in his department.

In his findings, Acting Ombudsman and Head of Investigations Nhlanhla Mthethwa accused Macleod of failing to report fraudulent and corrupt activities, saying he had also accepted a bribe.

“Neil has failed to perform the function of his office in good faith, diligently, honestly and in a transparent manner, and a criminal case of corruption against Neil should be reported to the SAPS,” he said.

Macleod vehemently denied all the allegations, claiming they were as a result of him exposing fraud and corruption in his department.

“The claims against me are rubbish and without foundation at all. The truth of the matter is that I have terminated a number of contracts due to non-delivery of services and discovered a scam where certain senior staff in my office were conducting a sophisticated operation where they set up bogus companies or firms that were being paid for services that were never carried out.

“I suspended a number of officials in my office and we have instituted criminal proceedings against several of them to recover the loss to the city, which runs into millions of rand as a result of their fraud.”

“To deflect attention from their matter and angry at losing their financial kickbacks, they’ve trumped up charges and allegations against me to try and get me out of office so that they can come back and continue their scam,” said Macleod.

He confirmed that 19 contractors who had been doing business with his department were under investigation for fraud and corruption and nearly all were linked to employees within his unit.

“For corruption to take place there has to be collusion from the inside and in some cases this collusion has been going on for three years, where we’ve lost more than R25 million in the process because it’s very difficult to pick up when internal employees are covering the tracks,” he added.

Approached for comment on the matter, Sithole dismissed the findings from the ombudsman’s office and said he had no reason to doubt Macleod.

“I’ve told the ombudsman that I disagree with his conclusion, especially as the very people who are making these allegations against Neil are the ones we are investigating for fraud within the department.

“There are far bigger issues at stake here and they have been involved in corruption worth millions and are now trying to set Neil up in retaliation. Neil has my unequivocal support and I completely disagree with the report from my head of investigations,” said Sithole.

Several sources within the council who did not want to be named also reacted with disbelief at the allegations against Macleod, with one saying: “Neil doesn’t need this job. He is close to retirement. He doesn’t live the high life and has been head-hunted by some of the world’s leading figures, which he has turned down.”

Another, more vocal, supporter was the DA’s Tex Collins who said: “I’ve known Neil for 16 years and the best way to describe him is straight as an arrow. Those trying to discredit him are the ones he has kicked out for fraud and corruption. So they can just shove their allegations because I don’t believe Neil is guilty.” - Sunday Tribune

The nine scuba divers who went missing off Shelly Beach in KwaZulu-Natal this weekend have been found.

Johannesburg - Nine scuba divers who went missing off Shelly Beach in KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday have been found safe floating in the ocean, the National Sea Rescue Institute said.

“A medical triage centre has been set up at the NSRI Shelly Beach rescue base in order for medical personnel to triage for casualties, but NSRI can confirm that all nine divers are safe,” spokesperson Craig Lambinon said in a statement.

They had been missing for about three hours at the diving spot, about 130km south of Durban, and were found shortly after noon.

A charter boat, from which the nine had been diving, lost sight of the group in rough seas on Sunday morning.

Three NSRI rescue craft, two helicopters, the police, and owners of private boats took part in the search. - Sapa

A judge will ponder the legal arguments on whether or not to suspend a new mining venture at Mtunzini, KZN.

Durban - As Durban High Court Judge Rashid Vahed ponders the legal arguments on whether or not to suspend a new mining venture at the coastal resort of Mtunzini, opinions outside the court chambers remain sharply divided.

Six traditional leaders from the North Coast issued a statement last week expressing “full support” for the mining group Tronox and its plan to dig up heavy minerals next to the northern coastal resort.

The six inkosis – Sam Mthembu (Somopho tribal authority) C Chili (Dube tribal authority) M Mkhwanazi (Mkhwanazi tribal authority), V Zulu (Ogagwini tribal authority), MT Nzuza (Nzuza tribal authority) and K Mathaba (Macambini tribal authority) – said they were directly affected by the proposed Fairbreeze mine at Mtunzini.

“We represent populations of some 45 000 people, at least 65 percent of whom are devastated by unemployment and poverty,” they said.

“They have to face the prospects of going to bed hungry on a daily basis.”

Mthembu also chairs the Tronox procurement committee which awards financial contracts to local communities employed at the company’s existing operations at Hillendale mine near Richards Bay, and its furnace and process facility near Empangeni.

“Tronox may not be able to solve all the problems we face as communities.

“They have made, however, and will continue to make a difference by providing employment and creating procurement opportunities, not only for the affected rural communities, but for the people of the region as well.”

The six traditional leaders said they believed that the recent high court interdict application against Tronox was led by a “tiny minority of individuals” opposed to mining.

“The indigenous trees are our friends.

“We know how to look after them… but we want to do that responsibly.

“Where we need to decide what should take precedence, we value human life more. We would rather save life that will continue to plant trees.”

Taking a very different view, the SOS Mtunzini campaign also issued an e-mail appeal last week for money to fund legal interdict proceedings against Tronox.

SOS Mtunzini, a joint campaign by the Mtunzini Residents’ Association and the Mtunzini Conservancy, said large parts of the Zululand region were under increasing pressure from mining groups.

At sea, prospecting companies were searching for minerals and oil, while on land, several mining companies were planning expansions to opencast mining operations.

“Such rampant unplanned expansion of mining has the potential to ruin the entire eastern seaboard of SA and reduce it to chaos,” they said.

“The potential for sustainable job-creating industries like agriculture and tourism will be lost to short-term open-cast mining projects.”

“Tronox seems to have taken the stance that it will simply start mining, and that it will continue unless someone stops it.

“If we don’t act, who will? To do this we need to raise about R300 000 to interdict Tronox and compel it to subject its proposal to a detailed planning application before the Umlalazi Municipality.”

Judgment was reserved last week after argument from Tronox and the Mtunzini Conservancy, with indications that a ruling may be issued before Friday. - The Mercury

Nine exhausted scuba divers surfaced after a dive on the South Coast only to find their boat was nowhere to be seen.

Durban -

Nine exhausted scuba divers recalled on Sunday how they had surfaced after a dive on the South Coast only to find that their boat was nowhere to be seen.

They floated in the ocean, being battered by four-metre swells and winds of 25 to 30 knots until they were eventually found four hours later, 18km from their dive spot at Protea Banks, near Shelly Beach.

The drama started when the skipper of their diving charter boat raised the alarm after losing sight of the divers’ marker buoy.

It appears that the rope which attached the marker buoy to the divers parted.

Two helicopters, jetskis and seven rescue craft – four of them private charters – were involved in the search for the divers, who had been shark diving.

Bystanders and residents gathered at the NSRI base while other local boat owners prepared to launch their craft to assist.

Clapping, whistling and cheers erupted when the group stepped on to dry land at midday.

“When we came up to the surface the boat was gone,” explained one of the divers, Stuart Skene, 42.

“The boat had lost us because of the current dragging us off the dive site.”

Although they were lost for hours, the divers said they knew they would be rescued eventually. Not even Jenny Slabbert, who claimed to be the most panicky in the group, thought otherwise.

“I just grabbed my husband’s hand on one side and Stuart’s on the other and I knew we would be okay.”

Roland Muaz, the diver master and owner of the charter company African Dive Adventures, said the group could see the helicopters searching for them in the distance, but they were flying too close to the shore.

“In the beginning we were joking a bit, but by the end of it we were not talking at all. We needed to keep our energy levels up and our wits about us. We had to keep the hope going. We knew people were looking for us, so it was just a matter of waiting.”

Muaz said the strong diving abilities and characters of the group also helped.

“No one was complaining or whingeing. After our joking, we got straight to business.”

The group started swimming towards the shore, stopping to rest every now and again. That they were experienced divers also helped in keeping them calm and seeing them rescued.

“It would have been a very different scenario if we were a group of novices,” Ivan van Heerden, 43, said.

Although the intensive search involved the NSRI, Transnet National Ports Authority, SAPS Search and Rescue, and private boats, the hero of the day was Chris Korsten, who eventually found the divers.

He explained that he had made a makeshift dan buoy – a temporary flotation marker – and placed it in the water to see where it would drift.

“I was working it out and sat for 10 minutes measuring the distance and degree… I worked out that they would be about 18km down from Southbroom.

“So when I saw them I was ecstatic. It was a great feeling,” Korsten said.

Once he brought the divers to shore on his boat, Tristan & Tyde II, Shelly Beach was a hive of activity as family, friends and locals wanted to talk to them.

The divers also phoned home to tell their loved ones that they were safe.

Van Heerden said he was expecting a bit of trouble from his wife as his father disappeared on a dive in the Caribbean about five years ago and was not found.

After phoning to tell her he was safe, he confirmed to his diving partners that she was not impressed.

Muaz’s wife, Beulah – who co-owns African Dive Charters with him and is also a diver – was heard telling him, “Not again, this is the last time”, as she hugged him in relief when he got off the rescue boat.

But Slabbert and Skene, when asked afterwards about the date of their next diving trip, replied simultaneously: “Next weekend.”

bronwyn.fourie@inl.co.za

The Mercury

A German tourist’s weekend hike went from carefree amble to helicopter scramble when he fell eight metres off a cliff.

KwaZulu-Natal - A German tourist’s weekend hike went from carefree amble to helicopter scramble when he fell eight metres off a cliff on the Wild Coast on Saturday.

Heribert Shropp was with a tour group about 9km north of Mbotyi at Waterfall Bluff, when he lost his footing.

Tour guide

Edgar Pogulis said they were on a day hike to see rock formations and waterfalls.

“There was a rock overhang, and Heribert hit his head... then slipped and fell.”

A joint operation was launched between the Mountain Club of South Africa, the South African Air Force’s 15 Squadron, the SAPS Search and Rescue unit and private paramedics.

A helicopter flew the 71-year-old to St Augustine’s Hospital in Durban.

Shropp has a broken leg and ribs and lacerations to his head. - The Mercury

Six people died and nine others were critically hurt whe the bakkie they were traveling in, crashed while enroute to a funeral.

KwaZulu-Natal - Six people on their way to a funeral died and nine were critically injured at the weekend when their bakkie rolled several times on the R61 near Margate before crashing into a tree.

They had been travelling from Clairwood to Flagstaff in the Eastern Cape.

Thomas Thamsanqa, who was part of the group, said the bakkie had been behind his car. It had accelerated past, overtaking a car ahead of them.

“I could see the bakkie veering off the road and hitting the pavement several times,” he said.

Netcare 911

spokesman Chris Botha said four people died at the scene.

“After the injured were stabilised they were transported to the Port Shepstone Hospital,” he said.

Matron Celeste Pienaar said two more died in hospital.

“Several suffered head injuries, two are stable and one suffered a fractured pelvis,” Pienaar said

“Some of the patients will be transferred to I[nkosi] Albert Luthuli [Central] Hospital for tests.”

Thamsanqa said many of the dead and injured were his friends and neighbours.

KwaZulu-Natal transport and safety spokesman Kwanele Ncalane said a team had been set up to assist grieving family members. MEC Willies Mchunu sent his condolences to the families.

“We are approaching the festive season, I appeal to motorists to respect the law and assist in reducing road deaths,” he said. - The Mercury

Three french sailors had to be rescued after damaging their yacht motor when they sailed into a whale.

KwaZulu-Natal - A French yacht that had hit a whale was towed into harbour by the National Sea Rescue Institute in Richards Bay at the weekend.

Cornell du Toit, the Institute’s Richards Bay station commander, said that they had received a request for assistance from the yacht Tiki.

“The three men on board, all from France, reportedly struck a whale two weeks ago sailing between Mauritius and Madagascar, rendering the motor unusable,” Du Toit said.

The three yachtsmen, skipper Michelle Riou, 53, and crew Thomas Pascal, 62, and Banbelier Michelle, 65, were not hurt.

The sea rescue duty crew rendezvoused with the yacht five nautical miles off Richards Bay where a tow-line was rigged and the yacht was towed in. - The Mercury

A Durban motorist who was caught driving at almost nine times over the legal alcohol limit has been fined heavily.

Durban - A motorist who was almost nine times over the legal alcohol limit has been fined heavily and criticised by a magistrate.

Phumlami S’fiso Mbata, 43, was fined R24 000 (or 48 months, half of it suspended) by magistrate Melanie de Jager.

His blood alcohol concentration registered 0.39gm in 100 millilitres of blood.

“The interest of society dictates that a message must be sent out to the public, that driving under the influence is a serious matter,” De Jager said on Friday.

She added that she had six similar matters on her roll that day, and it was obvious that this was a prevalent problem.

“Society wants the government policy of zero tolerance enforced.

I am not going to sentence you to jail today,” said De Jager, noting Mbata had two children and a wife to support.

She did not suspend his licence, saying doing so could interfere with his ability to work. - The Mercury

At least 10 pairs of rare Crowned Eagles have set up residence in Durban’s western suburbs.

Durban - At least 10 pairs of rare Crowned Eagles have set up residence in Durban’s western suburbs – nesting in “green” corridors that were created as part of urban planning in the 1970s.

Raptor expert and University of KwaZulu-Natal MSc student Shane McPherson, who is researching why the birds are thriving in the urban open spaces around the city, said the Durban Metropolitan Open Space System (D’Moss) had created a habitat for birds, insects and small mammals. This had enabled breeding raptors to thrive in the area.

According to eThekwini Municipality’s website D’Moss is a system of open spaces, about 74 000 hectares of land and water, that incorporates areas of high biodiversity value linked together in a network.

Richard Boon, eThekwini Municipality’s manager of diversity planning, said he could not comment on the research but “on face value McPherson’s findings seemed correct”.

McPherson, who arrived in Durban from New Zealand in April to start his research, said there were at least 20 nests in the eThekwini metropolitan area mainly between Pinetown and Hillcrest.

“Only half appear to be active in any one year. A nest near Mariannhill was one of the earliest for the 2012 season and has successfully fledged an eaglet.”

In the Krantzkloof Nature Reserve, another eaglet was expected to take its maiden flight “sometime in December”. Five nests are being monitored this year using surveillance cameras which take images every minute over four to eight months. Next year another five nests will have cameras installed.

Persecution by people, electrocution, fences, poisoning and starvation are just some of the hazards the youngsters may face on their journey, but McPherson said he was impressed by how residents knew where the nests were and were passionate protectors of the sites.

Crowned Eagles are listed as threatened on the Red Data List and populations across Africa are in decline as their natural forest habitat diminishes.

McPherson hoped his research would encourage other African cities to make city planning decisions to improve biodiversity in urban areas.

Professor Colleen Downs, McPherson’s research supervisor at UKZN, said the study was intended to investigate how Durban’s “human-dominated landscapes were sustaining one of the most powerful raptors in Africa at a relatively high density”. - The Mercury.

*Anyone who would like to assist and has sighted the birds can e-mail shane.mcpherson@gmail.com

A conservation manager with more than 20 years experience was suspended over the rhino massacre called “Black September”.

KwaZulu-Natal - A senior conservation manager with more than 20 years experience has been suspended by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife following investigations into the “Black September” rhino massacre at Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park in Zululand.

With the investigation still ongoing, Ezemvelo’s executive director of operations Bheki Khoza confirmed the “precautionary suspension” on Friday of the senior staffer, one of the two most senior officials at the park.

“While no official charge has been laid as yet, evidence points to negligence [on his part] in carrying out his duties. Preliminary investigations reveal his absence during the terrible weekend period when rangers found seven carcasses poached at Hluhluwe.

“We are constantly focusing on our levels of security, management skills and diligence within the park” he said.

On September 21, rangers carrying out a reconnaissance flight over the southern corridor of the park found seven carcasses that would turn out to be the worst single poaching massacre in the park’s history.

Two more carcasses were found later at other locations.

It is believed some of the carcasses had been lying in the bush for as long as 45 days, while others had been poached between three days and two weeks before being found.

Three carcasses were found close to the reserve’s corridor road, apparently shot with the same weapon.

Last Wednesday, at Mkhuze Game Reserve in northern Zululand, a 10-man anti-poaching task force, led by the Hawks, arrested Bafana Professor Gumede who was allegedly armed with a .375 hunting rifle.

Acting on information and supported by the publicly-funded helicopter that is patrolling the province’s reserves, the task team tracked four suspected poachers.

Gumede’s accomplices managed to escape.

He appeared in uBombo Magistrate’s Court on Thursday and was remanded in custody pending his bail application.

The week before, a task team arrested four men at Ndumo Game Reserve in Maputaland and seized two hunting rifles.

Zululand reserves have been hit by a tsunami of rhino killings in the past three months that has taken the number of rhino killed in KZN to 59 for the year, surpassing last year’s 34.

Meanwhile, the Hawks shot dead an alleged rhino poacher and injured another in a shoot-out in the Kruger National Park on Sunday.

Captain Paul Ramoloka said they had received information about the alleged poachers who were spotted near the Sabi Sand private game reserve in Skukuza at about 2pm.

He said the task team where shot at when they confronted the men. The police returned fire. “One of the poachers was killed, another is in hospital while the other two were arrested,” Ramoloka said.

He said the police confiscated a hunting rifle, axe, saw and sedan used by the alleged poachers.

Ramoloka said the three men would be charged with attempted murder and being in possession of dangerous weapons. - The Mercury

KwaZulu-Natal police have arrested a man and two women after they were found with suspected counterfeit cigarettes.

KwaZulu-Natal - Police in KwaZulu-Natal arrested three people at the weekend, with an estimated R900 000 worth of illegal cigarettes.

The arrests came on Friday, after officers stopped and searched a bakkie that was travelling on the R22 between eManguzi and Mbazwana, about 450km north of Durban.

Police spokesman Captain Thulani Zwane said two suspected foreign women and a man were travelling in the vehicle which had been loaded with at least 200 packs of cigarettes.

The trio were arrested, Zwane said.

“The vehicle was also confiscated. Mbazwane police are investigating and suspects will be charged in terms of Customs and Excise Act.”

Authorities from Tobacco Institute of Southern Africa (Tisa) were also contacted.

The arrested suspects, aged between 29 and 42, are expected to appear in the Ubombo Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday. - IOL

Metro police have been accused of not appointing adequate traffic marshals or setting up signs for the Engen Dynamic Cycle Challenge race.

KwaZulu-Natal - Durban’s metro police have been accused by motorists of not appointing enough traffic marshals or setting up signs marking alternative routes for Sunday’s Engen Dynamic Cycle Challenge.

Merebank resident and motorist Kishore Ravishanker said there was chaos on the roads linked to the route as drivers coming in from the south tried to reach the city by way of the northbound freeway.

Metro officers had “failed to give direction to motorists at most entrances and on-ramps”, he said. “Motorists entering the northbound freeway from Solomon Mahlangu (Edwin Swales VC) Drive learnt the freeway was closed only after getting on the on-ramp. Beacons created chaos for the mid-morning traffic.”

Ravishanker noted that the Clairwood Racecourse on-ramp had been closed off with blue beacons.

“Metro officers stood by watching the confusion. No one gave any verbal indication as to alternative routes to gain access to the city. I can only imagine the stress for first-time visitors of these areas,” Ravishanker said.

Occupants of taxis travelling from Umlazi to Durban were not amused.

The 100km race began at the Moses Mabhida Stadium and the route included the M4, M17, the M7 and parts of the Bluff and Prospecton.

Metro police spokesman Eugene Msomi said the race had covered “a lot” of the Durban area. Signs and marshals had been placed at areas that were “busy”. “We did not place them at areas where they would not be needed, but the public can write to us so we can improve in the future,” he said. - The Mercury

KZN Health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo refuses to account for using an emergency helicopter while an accident victim needed help.

Durban - Health

MEC Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo’s apparent refusal to account for his use of an emergency medical rescue helicopter that paramedics needed for a Durban accident victim has prompted lawmakers to demand answers from him.

Dhlomo has been criticised by relatives of 15-year-old Asheen Maharaj, who is fighting for his life in Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital, because they said he could not get airlifted to hospital.

The teen, declared brain dead, lost his parents, Ashwin and Ashnee Maharaj, and his 19-year-old sister, Asheena, in a car crash in Pinetown on November 3. The family had been on their way to visit relatives in Phoenix.

On Sunday, Dhlomo said he did not want to speak about the matter and referred the Daily News to his spokesman Desmond Motha, who sought to shift any blame for the furore on to paramedics who had attended the accident scene.

When asked why Dhlomo was using the helicopter, Motha said the ministry did not disclose the MEC’s schedule.

But he said Dhlomo and the helicopter pilot – both doctors – were not aware of the accident. Had they been informed, they would have responded to the call, said Motha.

The MEC was using one of two state-leased emergency medical rescue helicopters at the time – the one that is based in Durban. The second helicopter, based in Richards Bay, was an hour away at the time of the crash, an unnamed paramedic had told Independent Newspapers.

Motha disagreed.

“An airborne helicopter was available and 17 minutes away from the accident, but the EMRS [Emergency Medical Rescue Services] paramedics told it to stand down. If the pilot had got to know about the accident, he would have responded,” he said.

“Dr Dhlomo has in the past stopped at accident scenes to help victims while en route to fulfil his official duties.”

Motha said paramedics had advanced life support teams and were trained to deal with a medical situation.

“The MEC has full use of the helicopters and aircraft. This incident has nothing to do with the him [Dhlomo] and has everything to do with the paramedics at the scene.”

Opposition political parties said on Sunday they would seek answers from Dhlomo at a provincial health portfolio committee meeting on Tuesday.

The IFP said it would be calling for the MEC’s logbook and itinerary for Saturday, November 3, and wanted to know why he was using a government medical helicopter when he had a driver in his employ.

The party’s spokeswoman on health Dr Usha Roopnarain, said: “The MEC keeps telling us there are adequate rescue vehicles. We will pose questions to him on Tuesday.”

The DA said it would be calling for the rules on MECs using medical helicopters, which, they felt, should be reserved for emergencies.

Makhosazana Mdlalose, the DA’s health spokeswoman, said MPLs had already started drafting questions to the MEC.

“There has to be an explanation,” she said.

DA MPL Mark Steele said last night the refusal by Dhlomo to give reasons for why he was using Durban’s only medical helicopter was “unacceptable”.

“The DA demands that the MEC make an urgent statement to the KZN legislature explaining what emergency he needed the helicopter for. If this is not done within 24 hours the DA will take further action to get to the truth,” he said in a statement. “Power abuse cannot go unchecked when the damage to the lives of ordinary people is so great.”

Steele said the party would not stop pushing for answers “until someone takes responsibility for this horrific tragedy”.

An EMRS paramedic, who did not want to be named, said Dhlomo should not be allowed exclusive use of the emergency rescue helicopters unless it was for public work.

Daily News

In a surprise move, the ANC Women’s League in KwaZulu-Natal has ditched Kgalema Motlanthe for ANC deputy president.

Pietermaritzburg - In a surprise move, the ANC Women’s League in KwaZulu-Natal has ditched the incumbent, Kgalema Motlanthe, and nominated businessman Cyril Ramaphosa for the position of ANC deputy president.

It has also expressed a desire for Jacob Zuma to serve a second term as president.

Dropping Motlanthe from the list came as a surprise to observers, as some Zuma supporters have been cautious, saying they would support Motlanthe for the position of deputy president provided he did not run for the presidency.

Denying that the move was informed by the “politics of slates”, league provincial chairwoman, Celiwe Madlopha, said Ramaphosa had a proven track record as a loyal and dedicated leader of the ANC.

“Ramaphosa understands business and (as a former trade unionist) he understands the workers can help the organisation. Also, he has appeal to the youth… We did an assessment and we understand that Motlanthe has his strengths, but there is only one position.”

Madlopha was speaking on the sidelines of its provincial general council in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday.

After the meeting the league said that while it was all for continuity in the ANC leadership, it believed that new blood should be introduced to learn from existing leaders.

The league also wants Matthews Phosa and Thandi Modise to be removed as treasurer and deputy secretary respectively. The two leaders are believed to be among those lobbying for Motlanthe to take over from Zuma as president.

But the league said that there were other reasons why it wanted these leaders removed.

It said that Modise was a bit “stretched” following her appointment as Premier of the North West province. It wants her replaced by Jessie Duarte.

“We nominated Jessie Duarte because we believe that other races should be represented as well, because we are a non-racial organisation.”

Madlopha said the 11 regions had unanimously agreed that Phosa should be replaced by KwaZulu-Natal premier Zweli Mkhize as treasurer-general. Mkhize had been nominated because of his experience in fundraising for the organisation and also because he had served in the government treasury.

While there were fears that Mkhize’s election to the post could destabilise the province, the league said it was not worried. If elected into the position, Mkhize would have to vacate his position as premier and provincial chairman of the ANC.

Leadership

“We believe that we have the cream and a pool of leadership in this province (capable of taking over),” she said.

The nominations for the leadership of the ANC continued this weekend in parts of the province.

All branches are expected to wrap up their nominations before the provincial nominations conference, expected to be held on November 24 and 25.

Some of the bigger branches in eThekwini have failed to meet because they did not form a quorum. Other meetings have been delayed by infighting.

Last week the branch general meeting of ward 74 in Lamontville had to be postponed after members clashed over lists of branch members.

Chaos erupted as members questioned some of the names that appeared on the list.

Former police commission-er Bheki Cele is a member. - Daily News

Military veterans, dignitaries and others have paid homage to members of the armed forces who have died in the line of duty.

Durban - Military veterans, dignitaries and others paid homage in Durban on Sunday to members of the armed forces who died in the line of duty.

Scores of people, including members of the Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association, Municipal Speaker Logie Naidoo and representatives of the US and UK consulates, gathered at the Cenotaph on Dorothy Nyembe (Gardiner) Street to pay their respects, by laying wreaths.

Remembrance Day is observed on November 11 to mark the end of hostilities of World War I on that date in 1918.

“For many it [joining the war] was a costly decision,” said Colonel Craig Matthew.

Victor Muhlenbeck, whose grandfather served in the war, said he had never spoken of it because of the many comrades he had lost.

“War is an unnecessary sacrifice,” said Muhlenbeck.

Also paying his respects was Archibald Findlay, the KwaZulu-Natal District Grand Master of the Freemasons whose uncle was a fighter pilot in World War II.

Findlay said the Freemasons were especially targeted by the Nazis.

The poppy has become a familiar symbol of Remembrance Day.

“Through the centuries, as emperors and kings marched their armies across suffering Europe in bloody conflict, everywhere – on battlefields which before had been bare wastes – there sprang up the poppy,” said Richard Andries, chairman of the Durban branch of the South African Legion of Military Veterans.

The poppy was seen as symbolic, as it carpeted the graves of men who had died, Andries said. - Daily News

More than 100 people were arrested during a pre-festive season anti-crime crackdown by police at the weekend

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Durban - More than 100 people were arrested in a pre-festive season anti-crime crackdown by police at the weekend

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Police spokesman Captain Thulani Zwane, said 33 people were arrested for selling liquor without licences, 24 for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and 10 each for possession of dagga and theft.

Zwane said six people were arrested for robbery with aggravating circumstances and four for drunk driving.

“Three were arrested for murder in the KwaMashu and Inanda area. Others were arrested for possession of cocaine, kidnapping, malicious damage to property and housebreaking,” he said.

The targeted areas were Inanda, KwaMashu, Ntuzuma, Newlands East, Greenwood Park and Sydenham. The suspects were expected to appear in various courts on Monday.

Zwane said: “I commend the dedication of the Inanda [SAPS] cluster which conducted this operation to make the festive season safe for the community.

“The [police] commissioner has promised that there will be more sting operations in the province. There will also be an increase in roadblocks in the run-up to the festive season.”

A 27-year-old man was expected to appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court after being arrested for hijacking in Newlands East.

Police allege that on Friday, two men approached a 40-year-old man who was parked at the side of the road in Newlands East and held him at gunpoint.

The suspects allegedly forced the man out of his bakkie and searched him. They allegedly robbed him of his firearm and fled in his car.

On Saturday, police in Malandela Road in KwaMashu saw the stolen vehicle.

“Police tried to stop the bakkie, but it sped off. A chase ensued towards the KwaMashu Men’s Hostel where one suspect jumped off and fled. Police managed to stop the vehicle and the driver was arrested,” Zwane said. - Daily News

Supporters of a South Coast principal, charged with raping 11 schoolgirls, clashed with police and relatives of the children.

Durban - Supporters of a South Coast principal, charged with raping 11 schoolgirls, clashed with police, relatives and friends of the children outside the Scottburgh Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

A policewoman, the case’s investigating officer, was injured in the melee.

Constable PP Ndlovu of the FCS unit was expected to lay charges of assault at the Scottburgh police station today after she was bitten on the arm.

The principal faces four counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent exposure.

Ndlovu was trying to stop the principal’s daughter from trying to damage a television camera crew’s equipment.

As she approached the principal’s daughter, other supporters began manhandling Ndlovu. The principal’s daughter and other supporters were arrested.

Despite the tension between the two parties, Ndlovu was the only police officer on the scene.

The principal appeared briefly in court and returned to the holding cell. - Daily News

The KZN Department of Transport says it is "deeply concerned" about the number of fatalities on the province's roads.

Durban - The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport says it is “deeply concerned” about the number of fatalities on the province’s roads at the weekend, especially as the festive season approaches.

This emerged after 10 people died and at least 34 were injured on KZN roads since Saturday.

It was a particularly bad weekend, ER24 spokesman, Andre Visser, said. “There is a higher risk of accidents over the festive season, but this is not because of people driving badly, but because there are just a lot more vehicles on the road, and a lot more vehicles travelling long distances.”

Kwanele Ncalane, the spokesman for the KZN Department of Transport, said:

“We have to continue to make sure that police are always deployed on the roads, and we are aiming to create a new generation of drivers, where people remember the basics: don’t speed, and don’t drink and drive.”

The death of a passenger yesterday brought the death toll from a bakkie crash in KZN on Saturday to five.

The driver of the bakkie, carrying 15 people to a funeral in the Eastern Cape, lost control of the vehicle, which overturned on the R61 near St Michaels-on-Sea. Four people died at the scene.

“Emergency services arrived at the scene and found that the crumpled remains of the vehicle had come to rest about 200m down the road after ejecting the passengers along the way,” said Netcare 911 spokesman Chris Botha.

In Merewent, nine people sustained injuries on Sunday morning after a taxi rolled on Himalaya Road.

Visser said the taxi apparently veered out of control before overturning, ejecting some of the passengers.

On Saturday, three people died and five were injured in a collision between a truck and two cars on the N3 near Midmar Dam. The cause of the accident was unclear.

Also on Saturday, two people were killed and five injured when their vehicle rolled on the R27 near Ballito.

On the same day, a two-vehicle collision on Campsdrift Road near Makro in Pietermaritzburg left five people injured

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