Durban – A 12-year-old boy is one of four people who were reported dead when a heavy storm swept through KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday, emergency services said.

He was swept away by a stream in Izingolweni, Port Shepstone, on the south coast of KZN, said Emergency Medical Services spokesperson Robert McKenzie. Two patients died when a wall collapsed at Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital in Umlazi.

“Sadly, we report that a wall collapsed fatally wounding two patients in an accident that saw two other patients incurring serious injuries,” said provincial Health MEC Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, in a statement.

A policeman died and another was injured when a container fell on top of a car they were travelling in at Rotterdam Road in the Durban Harbour, according to Rescue Care paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson.

More than eight healthcare institutions in the eThekwini District were damaged during the storm that battered most parts of Durban, said Dhlomo.

Some of the affected hospitals include Addington, RK Khan, Wentworth, St Aidans, King Edward, Clairwood and Inkosi Albert Luthuli.

Most of these hospitals were flooded and some of them had their windows and roofs blown off by the heavy winds that came with the storm.

When News24 went to the Durban beachfront shortly after midday, most restaurants on the promenade were closed.

Street vending stalls were also blown off by the heavy wind. One of the hawkers who spoke to News24 said one of the roofs landed on top of an elderly woman and they rushed her to the nearby Addington Hospital.

Motorists were stuck on flooded freeways, particularly the N2 and M4 near the old Durban airport in Reunion.

Houses were also flooded and collapsed in Folweni, south of Durban during the storm.

Trees were also uprooted by the storm that hit Durban just after 09:00.

The eThekwini Municipality reported that large parts of the municipality’s electricity network were severely affected by the rain.

The municipality said clean-up operations will begin soon as the storm subsides and when the inclement weather has stabilised.

The South African Weather Service has reported that high seas with wave heights in excess of six metres are expected between Durban and Maputo on Wednesday morning.

Read more here: Weather Update: High seas warning for KZN, isolated showers for southwest coast

Meanwhile, the Gauteng Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs department reports that two people died following the storm that hit the province on Monday.

Several people, including an infant, a 73-year-old woman, and a patient from a mental hospital were admitted to hospital after they were injured during the storm, said Cogta.

Hundreds of residents were also placed in temporary shelters after their homes were damaged.

“Our hearts go out to all the victims of the storms and I wish to express the Gauteng provincial government’s heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and wish those injured a speedy recovery,” said Cogta MEC Paul Mashatile.

Cape Town – The corruption case against former Western Cape police commissioner Arno Lamoer and four others in the Western Cape High Court on Tuesday deviated into arguments over whether the defence is entitled to documents it believes the State is withholding.

The State, represented by prosecutor Advocate Billy Downer, said the defence wants, for example, the full version of cellphone records obtained in the course of the investigation against the accused, but can only have a redacted version.

Downer submitted that the State was under no obligation to hand over the full records, and said some of the information contained in them was privileged and related to other cases.

“Evidence might be privileged and exposes state investigation techniques, but just as much as you might like to use it, you can’t,” said Downer.

He said the defence had tried to get the same cellphone records as the State via a subpoena sent to cellphone service providers, and the State wants these set aside.

“The defence is trying to talk to the witnesses about what they know through a subpoena. They are not supposed to do this. Parties may not obtain statements or interfere with witnesses on the other side.

“Hence an emergency call from Vodacom saying what on earth is going on? I have given you this information and now the defence wants this information?” said Downer.

Right to information

Salim Dawjee, Lamoer and three brigadiers – Darius van der Ross, Sharon Govender and her husband Colin Govender – face 109 charges of corruption, racketeering and money laundering involving R1.6m.

Dawjee allegedly paid the police officials in exchange for “special favours”. Some of the charges they face relate to criminal activity around firearms and ammunition.

They have all pleaded not guilty.

However, Advocate William King SC, who is representing Dawjee, said the State could not just dictate how things are to be done, and rejected the claim that the defence was trying to get the redacted cellphone records.

“The defence has followed the letter of the law,” said King.

He said the accused just wanted the right to all the information needed to prepare his defence.

“That is exactly what the accused are trying to do,” he said.

He said the only reason the defence took issue over the cellphone records and wanted to get them through subpoenas, was because they discovered that certain documents had not been supplied to them.

King said they issued a subpoena to Vodacom and MTN and maintained it was not abuse of process.

The State wants the subpoenas to be set aside.

King also alleged that the affidavit to support the section 205 (of the Criminal Procedure Act) application for a warrant by the prosecution to get the cellphone records was not in the case docket.

It did emerge much later, but the defence is suspicious that it might have been prepared after the fact.

The case will continue on Wednesday.