Category Archives: South African News

News24.com | Ramaphosa meets with Greenside Primary pupils who ‘saved his life’ by picking up poster on the road

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President Cyril Ramaphosa meets with Fatimah Zehra Cassiem and Aaliyah Baker of Greenside Primary school.(Supplied)

Clean bathrooms at their school and shelter for everyone who lived in townships – these are two of the things a pair of Greenside Primary School pupils wanted President Cyril Ramaphosa to do for them in his capacity as head of state. 

Aaliyah Baker and Fatima Zehra Cassiem, both aged 10, visited Ramaphosa on Monday after they were seen in a video picking up an ANC poster along Beyers Naudé Drive in Johannesburg last Thursday. 

In the video, the two girls were seen explaining that they had come across the poster of Ramaphosa lying on the road and that they were “not going to allow anyone to drive over our president, so [they] are going to pick it up”.

Ramaphosa along with first lady Tshepo Motsepe met with the girls to personally thank them and to listen to requests they had for the president. 

Ramaphosa promised Baker and Cassiem that he will phone their school and arrange for toilets to be cleaned.

“I am going to make sure that they clean your bathrooms. I am going to phone,” Ramaphosa responded to the girls. 

Among other requests were that Ramaphosa ensures that everyone had a right to education and to do something to help decrease pollution in the country. 

Ramaphosa also shared some of his plans on early childhood education. 

“When we had that horrible system of Apartheid, many children did not go to school. Now many more children are going to school and we have made education compulsory,” he said.

He told the girls that he wanted children to start nursery school at the age of three. 

Ramaphosa said he was honoured to have been acknowledged by the pupils. 

“I also really appreciate [Aaliyah and Fatima] because they already know what they want the country to be like. They want us to build shelter, to build houses for everyone. It’s not usual that you hear this from a 10-year-old.

“These two young girls have really inspired me. They did not only save my life (by picking up the poster), they have also inspired me,” he said. 

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News24.com | Elderly couple tied up during farmhouse robbery, suspects flee with BMW, Ford

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An elderly couple were left injured on Monday after they were attacked on their farmhouse in Hammanskraal, north of Gauteng. 

It is alleged that while the couple, in their 80’s, were sleeping at around 02:30 two suspects armed with pistols entered their room, police spokesperson Captain Kay Makhubele said. 

“The suspects told the victims not to make any noise and demanded money and firearms,” Makhubele said. 

The suspects then tied up the couple and searched for the firearms. When they could not find them they then took electrical appliances and fled the scene with the victim’s BMW and Ford Courier.

“They took the car keys of a silver BMW (registration XNX 392 GP) and Ford courier, which is white in colour (registration LYS 843 GP) and put the stolen stuff in both vehicles and drove away with both cars,” Makhubele said.

The couple were found helpless by their workers in the morning. The woman suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital by ambulance.

Makhubele said the Ford Courier was later recovered while the BMW was still missing.

He added that a house robbery case was being investigated and that there were no arrests at this stage.  

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News24.com | Dagga wedding cake and rusks?! Cops shut down shop on opening day

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A shop in Sedgefield that marketed itself as a nursery, health and coffee shop had barely opened its doors for the first time on Saturday when police shut it down after finding food items and other products with cannabis.

The shop on the Garden Route, whose name is known to News24, had advertised its opening day and address on its Facebook page, telling one person who commented that it would start posting items it offered with prices as soon as the shop opened.

It told its followers that people were welcome to join a Whatsapp broadcast list where it would be sending menus, specials and new products on a regular basis.

PICS: Dagga, magic mushrooms seized in Cape Town raid, two arrested

But it was not to be, according to Captain Malcolm Pojie, who said they got a tip-off and sent the Outeniqua K-9 (Dog Unit) to inspect the wares. 

“The merchandise included Cannabis oils, sweets, cookies/rusks, white widow, wedding cake, crossed with Gelato33, and Gorilla cookies, all of these containing Cannabis,” Pojie said.

The products had an estimated street value of R80 000. Officers also confiscated an undisclosed amount of cash.

A man, 31, was arrested on the spot and would appear in Knysna Magistrate’s Court as soon as he had been charged with illegal dealing in drugs.

Pojie said that eradicating the illegal distribution of drugs remained a priority for police “despite recent changes to legislation that has legalised the private cultivation and consumption of Dagga.”

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News24.com | Motorist in Gauteng nabbed for driving 196 km/h on N14, Easter holiday arrests scale 500

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Well over 500 motorists have been arrested – the majority for drunken driving – since the beginning of the Easter holidays, authorities have said.

Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) spokesperson Simon Zwane on Saturday said a whopping 549 motorists were arrested, with at least 312 of them caught driving under the influence of alcohol.

Zwane said the highest speed recorded was on the N14 in Gauteng where a motorist was detained for travelling at 196 km/h.

“Traffic authorities are now gearing themselves upon for another upsurge in traffic volumes when travellers return from different places of pilgrimage and holiday spots on Monday,” he said.

Zwane said roads were “extremely busy” on Thursday and Friday when motorists set off for on long-distance holiday trips.

A total of 92 629 vehicles were recorded passing tollgates on the N3 between Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday.

A total of 51 647 were recorded on the N1 between Gauteng and Limpopo on the same day.

Zwane said authorities staged 79 roadblocks on different routes and issued more than 65 000 traffic fines. 

Most fines were for speeding, driving without licenses, driving unlicensed vehicles, failure to wear safety belts and driving unroadworthy vehicles.

“The RTMC is again urging motorists to plan their return trips carefully with regular stops along the way to avoid fatigue,” said Zwane.

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News24.com | Friends mourn cyclist who was killed in hit-and-run on Good Friday

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Friends and family of cyclist Andrew Randall have taken to social media to voice their shock and grief after he was killed when a Toyota Tazz crashed into a group of 10 cyclists on the R55 near Centurion at about 06:00 on Friday.

Randall was killed and two other cyclists injured.

The driver of the Tazz is on the run after fleeing the accident scene in Centurion. 

Tshwane metro police spokesperson, Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba, told News24 the Toyota Tazz crashed into 10 cyclists on the R55 at about 06:00 on Friday.

READ: PIC: Driver flees after crashing into 10 cyclists, killing one

The deceased cyclist was identified as Randall by Netwerk24. 

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Friends said that Randall’s death came “too soon” and offered their condolences to his wife and family. 

“I am just lost for words! I can’t believe it, we send lots of love to the Randall family!! RIP Andrew Randall and thank you for all you have done to progress my cycling. You will truly be missed by many!” Dominique Janssen wrote on Randall’s Facebook page. 

Ashleigh Rodda wrote: “[I] can’t believe you are gone Andrew, but glad that we got to see you at last weekend’s cycle race, doing what you love. Our deepest sympathy and prayers go out to Tracy and the kids. I pray and trust God will hold your family and friends near to Him and comfort you all during this difficult time.”

Randall, 45, is a salesman from Pretoria and the father of two children, Netwerk24 reported.  

By Friday afternoon, the driver had not yet been caught. 

“The driver ran away [from] the accident scene,” Mahamba told News24.

“Because [we know his identity], we request he hand himself over to the police so that a statement can be obtained to establish what happened.”

News24.com | 3 caught after shootout following attempted heist at Eastgate Mall

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A high-speed chase and shootout between police and alleged would-be robbers on Friday ended in the Eastgate Shopping Centre in Gauteng parking lot where three suspects were arrested and two unlicensed guns were recovered.

SAPS spokesperson Captain Kay Makhubele said members of its Flying Squad spotted a Ford Fiesta in Bedfordview which was flagged as being involved in a botched robbery at the mall.

The suspects had driven off after security guards had thwarted their attempt to hold up a shop, he explained.

Officers chased after the car after spotting it on Van Buuren Road and gave chase. A shootout ensued.

“The suspects drove into the shopping centre parking lot while trying to confuse the police. They parked the car and ran, but were cornered and caught by the officers on foot.”

The trio is expected in the Germiston Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

News24.com | LIVE: Robert McBride joked that he would be next to be suspended – Booysen tells state capture inquiry

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“The gentleman arrived at the office. The gentleman introduced himself as Edward Zuma, who is actually not the brother, but the son of the then President.

“He started talking about the R15m I had frozen. He wanted it to be unfrozen. He said he was a silent partner of Panday and he was not getting his dividends,” Johan Booysen testified at the commission of inquiry into state capture.

News24.com | 10 killed as taxi and truck collide on N1 in Limpopo

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Ten people have been killed in a head-on collision on the N1 in Limpopo, while another is in a critical condition in a Modimolle hospital.

Limpopo Department of Transport spokesperson Matome Taueatsoala said the accident happened when the driver of a minibus taxi, travelling from Zimbabwe, lost control of the vehicle and veered into the north bound lane of the N1, colliding with a truck.

The accident happened between Kranskop and Mookhophong, between 03:00 and 04:00.

“Both lanes on the N1 have been completely closed for two hours to allow forensic pathologists and other people to clear the scene.

“What we can tell now is that our people should exercise maximum patience. In the meantime, motorists should use the R101 and R33 as alternatives, if they [are] travelling between Mookhophong and Modimolle,” he said.

He added that the road was expected to be re-opened just after 11:30.

WATCH: Limpopo accident leaves 26 dead, including 2 children

The province is experiencing high traffic volumes ahead of the start of the Easter weekend.

The department has called for motorists to be patient with each other, particularly at toll gates, where there will be congestion.

“Please do exercise patience, do not speed, take a rest where possible. Judging by the time the accident took place, we suspect that the driver was fatigued and he lost control of his vehicle.

“We always advise motorists to take breaks whenever they feel tired behind the wheel,” Taueatsoala said.