BOSTON – Marcel Hug won the wheelchair race at the Boston Marathon in a course record time.

It was the third straight Boston win for the 32-year-old from Switzerland.

Hug out pushed 10-time winner Ernst Van Dyk of South Africa down Boylston Street to finish in an unofficial time of 1 hour, 18 minutes, 4 seconds. The old course record was 1:18:25.

Plans are in the works for memorials to mark the sites where two bombs exploded during the 2013 Boston Marathon.

City officials and the families of five people who died in the bombing or its aftermath say there’s also a plan to build a separate, larger memorial to victims, survivors and responders.

Pablo Eduardo is a Massachusetts resident and internationally known sculptor. He’ll create the memorial markers on Boylston Street where bombs killed three spectators and wounded more than 260 others.

Eduardo said Monday his goal is to “embody the spirit of those we lost and the spirit of the city they loved.”

African News Agency

JOHANNESBURG –Three people have been killed and approximately 35 others injured on Monday when two taxis collided on the N3 Highway in Mooi River, KwaZulu-Natal.

Both the vehicles had sustained a large amount of damage in the collision.

Traffic was heavily affected due to the collision.

“One taxi was found upright while another was found lying on its side. It was evident that both vehicles had rolled after they had collided.Upon closer inspection, paramedics found the bodies of a woman and two men on the scene. One of the men was found lying beneath the overturned vehicle,” said ER24 spokesperson, Russel Meiring.

Meiring said the patients were declared dead on the scene.

READ: Five killed in horror Durban crash

Approximately 35 other patients were found on the scene.

“Paramedics assessed the patients and found that their injuries ranged from minor to moderate,” Meiring said.

Police are investigating the cause of the collision.

eNCA

JOHANNESBURG – Former Eskom CEO, Brian Molefe has reportedly received a 30-million-rand payout from the power utility.

The Sunday Times is reporting that Molefe received the golden handshake in March, after serving eighteen months as CEO.

WATCH: Molefe gets emotional during Eskom briefing

The paper says it has documents showing the payout as a severance cost, and another as his pension fund.

But, Eskom allegedly can’t verify this until it finalises its annual reports, in about three months.

Molefe resigned from the parastatal after being mentioned in former public protector, Thuli Madonsela’s State of Capture report.

WATCH: Where is the #SaxonwoldShebeen?

eNCA

Opposition parties have slammed the decision by the SA Police Service (SAPS) to offer presidential protection service to Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

They have described this decision as illegal, unconstitutional and “an appalling abuse of police resources”.

Zakhele Mbhele, DA shadow minister of police, said Dlamini-Zuma didn’t hold a position in South Africa’s government and she was not a visiting head of state.

“She’s just an ANC party official,” he said.

Cope president Mosiuoa Lekota shared similar sentiments, saying: “Dlamini-Zuma is neither a state president candidate, MP or in a statutory political office that entitles her to this special privilege provided only for senior state officials.”

Dlamini’s VIP convoy accompanied her to Sasolburg, Free State, to an ANC event, sparking questions about why taxpayers were still paying for her security as she was no longer the chairperson of the African Union Commission.

The SAPS, which is in charge of the Presidential Protection Unit (PPU), argued that Dlamini-Zuma was under threat, thus having to protect her.

Major General Sally de Beer explained that in terms of the PPU’s mandate, protection is provided to the president and deputy president of the Republic of South Africa, former presidents, foreign heads of state and their spouses.

“The chairperson of the African Union is afforded courtesies given by Dirco [department of international relations and cooperation] with the status of president and while serving in that capacity, Dlamini-Zuma was provided protection according to this prescript.

“Further protection is being provided to the former African Union chairperson informed by the outcome of a security assessment conducted and ongoing investigations in relation to threats directed at her personally.”

“For security reasons, the SAPS will not discuss or deliberate on any details of the security afforded to Dr Dlamini-Zuma, or in relation to the mentioned threat and security assessment.

“That in itself would constitute a breach of security,” added acting national commissioner Lieutenant General Khomotso Phahlane.

However, two weeks ago, the department of international relations and cooperation confirmed to the Sunday Times two weeks ago it had paid for Dlamini-Zuma’s blue-light convoy and security detail as a “courtesy” she had to use while doing party work since her return to the country on March 15.

The services were supposed to be extended to her only until the end of March.

Mbhele said the DA will submit parliamentary questions to Police Minister Fikile Mbalula to ask him to justify this costly VIP protection for a person who is plainly not a VIP and for him to explain these “threats”.

“If public money is to be spent on protecting an ANC official, then the public must be informed of what serious ‘threats’ exist against Dlamini-Zuma, to justify expensive protection.

“The SAPS would be required to keep a detailed record of these threats, and Mbalula must make this known to Parliament,” he said.

“President Jacob Zuma and Mbalula must be brought before the court to explain this blatant abuse of taxpayers’ money,” Lekota added.

The Freedom Front Plus also joined the outcry yesterday.

Speaking to News24, party spokesperson Pieter Groenewald said if Dlamini-Zuma feels her life is in danger she should avoid areas where she feels unsafe.

“Dlamini-Zuma is not a public official and is therefore not obliged to attend meetings. If she insists on attending meetings, the ANC and its MK veterans should protect her at their own expense,” Groenewald said.

The blue-light privilege story comes at a time when Dlamini-Zuma and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa are seen as frontrunners for the governing party’s top job to succeed Jacob Zuma when he steps down in December as ANC president.

Mbhele said by this, “Dlamini-Zuma is proving herself to be another Zuma from the start; using state resources and public money with no regard for the rules.

“This smacks of a public-sponsored VIP status to boost Dlamini-Zuma’s stature as she campaigns within the ANC. The DA expects answers from Mbalula, and South Africa deserves to know why an ANC official is receiving VIP protection at public expense, with no justification made known yet.”

Port Elizabeth – Artist Siyabonga Duma is making a living by turning beach sand into sculptures.

The unemployed 28-year-old, who moved from Durban last year, displays his work at PE’s popular Hobie and Kings beaches, GroundUp reports.

Every morning he and his 22-year-old brother Sizwe wake up early to collect sand and water at both beaches before visitors arrive. They create anything from the “Big Five” to cars, trees, lettering, and even statues of leaders like Nelson Mandela.

They make new sculptures every day as the previous ones are broken down by wind and water.

“This kind of art is unique,” says Duma.

“To master it you need to be dedicated and committed. I take time and effort to carve these products.

“Port Elizabeth is an amazing place because the people here are friendly and they are willing to learn this skill,” he says.

‘I don’t promote begging’

Duma and his brother survive on the goodwill of visitors to the sculptures, who give them money, food and clothing.

“That is how we make our living, I don’t promote begging or soliciting visitors for money and food,” he says.

“Some visitors pay a donation to be photographed standing on the sand artefacts that we create. We are getting good responses from visitors. We expect good business during the Easter holiday because many people visit the beaches during that time,” Duma says.

He grew up in Ntuzuma, near Durban. His parents died when he and his brother and sister were very young.

“I and my two siblings dropped out of school when we were young after our parents passed on. I dropped out in Standard 8, while Sizwe continued for some years before he abandoned school in Standard 5. There was no money for school fees and uniforms.

“I started to frequent beaches around Durban, where in 2003 I eventually learnt the skill of sand art.”

“We came to Port Elizabeth last year and discovered that the beaches around the city offer a great opportunity for sand art, especially in summertime when the weather is good and people flock to the beaches.

“I would like to establish myself here and if possible open branches in Jeffreys Bay and St Francis Bay. I enjoy doing sand art. It is cheaper than any form of art because we don’t buy the sand and water. It is a way of making an honest living.”

Siyabonga Duma and his sand dolphin on Hobie Beach. (Joseph Chirume, GroundUp)

Duma says he doesn’t want his background to be a barrier to his progress in life.

“Instead I would like to use my poor background to inspire me and my brother to achieve a better future. This will also motivate other youngsters who are in the same situation. People should not only look to government for jobs. Let us try to be creative and make jobs ourselves.”

The father of three said his art gave him money to feed and clothe his three children, two of whom are at school in Mthatha.

“I would like to pass this skill to young unemployed people of this region so that they can make an honest living by creating and showing their art to the public. I hope to expand this project and if possible open an academy for young people to hone their skills.”