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TWO DIE MPUMALANGA ACCIDENT
Two men died and two others were seriously injured when the bakkie they were travelling overturned on the N12 highway near Delmas in Mpumalanga on Sunday evening, paramedics said.
"The cause of the accident and the series of events leading up to it remain uncertain and will form the subject of a SA police force investigation," Netcare 911 spokesman Jeffrey Wicks said.
In a statement he said it appeared that the vehicle was travelling west when the driver lost control.
"The bakkie veered sharply through the centre reservation and over the other carriageway."
When paramedics arrived at the scene they found the two men had been flung from the bakkie.
"Both had sustained critical injuries and died at the scene."
Two others were in a serious condition and were transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital.
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TWO DIE IN FREE STATE ACCIDENT
Two people died and 12 were injured when the taxi they were travelling in overturned on the R26 about 20 kilometers outside of Villiers in the Free State on Sunday afternoon, paramedics said.
"Upon arrival by paramedics, one of the 14 occupants had already died on the scene due to the extensive injuries that he had sustained, while a woman passenger was in a critical condition," ER24 Vanessa Jackson said in a statement.
Upon further assessment of the woman her condition suddenly deteriorated.
"Sadly, there was no change in the woman's condition and she too died due to the nature of her injuries."
She said the remaining 12 passengers only suffered minor injuries and were assessed and treated at the scene before they were taken to hospitals in the area.
"No other vehicles had been involved in the accident and the cause leading up to the taxi rolling is not yet know," Jackson said.
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TWO DIE IN NORTH WEST SHACK FIRES
Two people burnt to death in separate shack fires in Rustenburg on Sunday, North West police said.
Brigadier Thulane Ngubane said a 30-year-old man at the Boitekong informal settlement fell asleep while his paraffin stove was still on.
It apparently tipped over and the man was killed in the fire.
His 23-year-old girlfriend was taken to hospital with serious burn wounds.
Ngubane said more than 50 shacks burnt down in the incident.
Another man in his 20's was killed when his shack caught fire at the Nkaneng informal settlement.
It was not clear what caused the fire which also destroyed six other shacks.
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FIFTY-THREE ARRESTED FOR JOBURG TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS
Fifty-three people have been arrested in Johannesburg for various traffic violations over the weekend, the Johannesburg metro police department said on Sunday.
Fourteen motorists were arrested for speeding in excess of 120km/h on the N1 north at the 14th Avenue off-ramp on Sunday, spokesman Wayne Minnaar said.
A man was arrested late on Sunday afternoon near the Grasmere Toll Plaza on the N1 north after he was caught travelling at 245km/h.
"Officers won't take any excuses. They are out in full force and will be working until late tonight in an attempt to stop accidents were innocent people are being killed."
The JMPD also arrested 38 drunk drivers on Friday evening at Golden Highway near Bushkoppies, Klipriver Drive in Turffontein, Malibongwe Drive in Randburg, Witkoppen Road in Fourways, and on the M1 south at the Booysen Road off ramp.
Minnaar said all the drivers were released on bail and would appear in various courts in the coming week.
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CAPE TOWN WOMAN ASSAULTED FOR REFUSING TAXI
A Cape Town woman was assaulted by a taxi driver after she refused to get into his taxi, the Western Cape ministry of transport said on Sunday.
"The assault took place at approximately 5pm on Friday, at the corner of Eisleben and Lansdowne roads," spokesman for the ministry Siphesihle Dube said in a statement.
The woman hailed a taxi, but when she saw there were only male passengers, she apologised to the driver and declined to enter.
The taxi driver allegedly started shouting at her, got out of his taxi and hit her repeatedly with his fists for wasting his time before driving away.
"The taxi driver is a Xhosa male who drives a white Toyota Avanza or similar amaphela-type taxi with strongly tinted windows."
The driver might regularly tout for business on Eisleben Road and surrounds, Dube said.
He said the woman sustained bruises to her face, but was not admitted to hospital.
"It is hard to adequately describe how appalling this crime is," said head of ministry Hector Eliott, adding that public transport should be safe for everyone.
"We need to find this taxi driver, and I appeal to anyone who may have witnessed these events or have any knowledge of the incident to come forward as soon as possible," Eliott said.
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TWO KILLED AS TRAIN HITS CAR IN NORTHERN CAPE
Two men were killed and two injured when a train hit a car outside Hotazel in the Northern Cape, paramedics said on Sunday.
Four men in their thirties were in the car when it was struck while crossing the tracks around 7.30pm on Saturday, ER24 spokeswoman Vanessa Jackson said.
One man died on the scene, the second one at a nearby clinic. The two survivors were taken to hospitals in Kathu.
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FOUR DEAD IN R21, PRETORIA CRASH
Three men and a woman were killed in a head-on collision on the R21 in Pretoria on Sunday morning, paramedics said.
According to witnesses one of the cars involved was travelling against the flow of traffic near the Nellmapius Drive offramp before the 2am accident, ER24 spokeswoman Vanessa Jackson said.
The driver of one of the cars was killed. Another man and a 19-year-old woman in the other car, a Toyota Yaris, also died on the scene.
Another man in the Yaris died at Tembisa hospital. A woman who survived the crash was in a stable condition.
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FRIEND OF PHAKOE ACCUSED KILLS SELF
A friend of the man accused of killing North West councillor and trade unionist Moss Phakoe in 2009 has killed himself, City Press reported on Sunday.
Phineas Ngale was questioned by police about his links to former Rustenburg mayor Matthews Wolmarans, on trial for Phakoe's murder.
Ngale shot himself, leaving a note which reportedly read: "Tell MJ Wolmarans I don't doubt his innocence. Bury me quickly."
Wolmarans was driving Ngale's car at the time of his arrest, apparently to avoid detection by police.
Phakoe was killed in the driveway of his home in Rustenburg north on March 13, 2009, after putting up ANC posters for the national election. He was found slumped over the steering wheel of his car and had two bullet wounds. The driver's window of the car was shattered.
His murder came shortly after he handed in a report about fraud and corruption in the Rustenburg municipality.
Wolmarans, out on R50,000 bail, still has to go on trial for the murder.
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BURGLAR CAUGHT IN WELKOM SHOP
A man was caught hiding in the ceiling of a clothing shop in Welkom which he allegedly tried to rob on Sunday morning, Free State police said.
Security guards called the police after the alarm went off at the Jam Jam clothing shop in Bok Street around 6am, Captain Stephen Thakeng said in a statement.
The man was found in the ceiling with an undisclosed amount of cash, a hammer, a grinder, and a knife in his possession. The 28-year-old was arrested and expected to appear in court soon.
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FARMER IN COURT OVER TORTURE CLAIMS
A Carletonville farmer and two friends are on trial for allegedly beating a farmworker over three days, according to Sunday's Rapport newspaper.
On Friday the Carletonville Magistrate's Court postponed the case involving Jacques Gouws and his co-accused, Willem Meyer and Susan Janse van Rensburg, to July 20. The three are out on R5000 bail each. They face charges of attempted murder, assault, and kidnapping.
Gouws's former employee Puseletso Sibeko, 26, alleges that the attack began on June 1, when Gouws confronted him over loud music and noise at the workers' quarters on his farm.
According to Sibeko's statement to police, Gouws insulted him, threatened to kill him, and struck him in the face with his shotgun. The next day Gouws allegedly punched Sibeko because he stayed away from work, and shot him in the right wrist as he tried to run away.
Gouws and Meyer allegedly tied him up and pressed a rag into his mouth before Gouws administered electric shocks. The alleged assaults continued until June 3.
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MAN KILLED IN PRINCESS SHACK FIRE
A man burnt beyond recognition in a shack fire in Princess informal settlement near Roodepoort on Sunday, Johannesburg emergency said.
Spokesman Robert Molaudzi said fire broke at the informal settlement in the early hours of the morning.
He said 40 shacks were destroyed and 50 people were left homeless.
The cause of the fire was not known.
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THREE KILLED IN PMB CRASH
Three people were killed and eight injured in two separate accidents in Pietermaritzburg, paramedics said on Sunday.
ER24 spokeswoman Vanessa Jackson said A BMW collided into a tree on Greytown road on Saturday night.
"Two of the four occupants of the vehicle were ejected. Paramedics arrived and declared the two men in their 30's deceased after initial assessments revealed no signs of life."
She said the two surviving passengers were found inside the wreck.
" It almost appeared that the car had been folded in half, and they then removed the two men and started their treatment. They were taken to a nearby hospital in a stable condition."
In the second accident a bakkie and VW Polo collided head-on, on the Bishopstowe road.
"One patient in the Polo was found to have sustained massive traumatic injuries and he had already succumbed to these injuries prior to the arrival of the paramedics."
She said the occupants in the Polo had been returning from a funeral that they had attended in Durban."
The remaining six patients on scene were treated by paramedics and taken to hospitals in the area.
"The five men and one woman, all believed to be around the ages of 30, were in a stable condition when handed over to staff at the hospitals."
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TWO SHOT, MAN NABBED
A 21-year-old man was arrested after he was found in possession of an illegal firearm after a shooting incident in Steenberg on Saturday, Western Cape police said.
Warrant Officer November Filander said two people were wounded during a shooting incident at around 5.45pm.
"Its alleged that rival gangs fired shots at each other in Parken Court when two bystanders were wounded during the shooting," Filander said.
"Police officers on patrol arrested him in possession of a 9mm pistol, serial number filed off, with two magazines and nine ammunition rounds."
Filander said a 12-year-old boy was wounded in his back and a 23-year-old man in his right hand during the shooting.
He was expected to appear in the Wynberg Magistrate's Court on Monday.
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ONE KILLED IN CAPE TOWN TAXI CRASH
A man died when a taxi rolled on the N1 between Sable and Koeberg in the Western Cape on Saturday, paramedics said.
ER24 spokeswoman Vanessa Jackson said the taxi allegedly experienced mechanical failure and caused the driver to lose control.
"A man was stuck inside the taxi. He succumbed to his injuries and nothing more could be done to save his life. The man was declared dead on scene," Jackson said.
"Paramedics found a number of people walking around the scene, and it was not clear as to how many people had been travelling in the taxi at the time."
She said three people were transported to hospital for further treatment.
Police were on the scene and would investigate the cause of the incident, said Jackson.
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TWO SHOT AT CAPE TOWN FUNERAL
Two people were shot and wounded at a funeral in Ottery, Cape Town, on Saturday afternoon, Western Cape police said.
Warrant Officer November Filander said armed men fired shots at the funeral of Peter Meyer, a gang member who was killed on Tuesday.
He said a woman, 65, and man, 21, were injured.
The gang fled in a taxi.
Filander said the flying squad followed a black Mercedes Benz that sped off from the cemetery.
The car was stopped in Strandfontein road and four women were found with two guns, one with the serial number filed off and the other stolen.
"We will investigate if the shooting incident and the recovery of the two firearms are linked," Filander said.
The four would appear in the Wynberg Magistrate's Court on Monday for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
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MAN BURNS TO DEATH IN NORTH WEST ACCIDENT
A Mozambican man burnt to death after he was trapped in a bakkie that overturned and caught fire near Mahikeng on Saturday, North West police said.
Captain Pelonomi Makau said five Mozambican men were travelling between Mareetsane and Setlagole in a Toyota Hilux.
"They were transporting tombstones and cement from Rustenburg to Kraaipan when the driver lost control of the vehicle due to a mechanical problem," she said
The bakkie rolled and caught fire and the man was trapped inside after several tombstones fell on him.
Makau said the driver did not sustain any injuries while two other men were treated on the scene for minor injuries.
"The other man sustained serious injuries and was taken to Mahikeng Provincial Hospital for treatment," she said.
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NORTH WEST MAN STABBED TO DEATH
A man was stabbed to death in the early hours of Saturday morning in Khuma near Stilfontein, North West police said.
The 22-year-old was at a night vigil when he decided to go out and buy cigarettes, Captain Pelonomi Makau said.
When he arrived back at the night vigil he collapsed. He had been stabbed on the left side of his chest.
It was alleged that the man was murdered by members of a gang operating in the township, said Makau.
No arrests have been made.
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TWO DEAD, TWO INJURED IN KZN ACCIDENT
Two men were killed and two others injured when their car crashed into a lamppost in Umhlanga, near Durban, on Saturday morning, paramedics said.
"The Volkswagen Golf was travelling east bound on the M41 when the driver lost control, [and] veered off the road," Netcare 911 spokesman Chris Botha said.
The two men died at the scene.
One of the injured men was found lying next to the wreckage while the other one was trapped under the vehicle, said Botha.
The two were taken to a nearby hospital.
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CAPE TOWN GUARD HURT IN ROBBERY
A security guard was injured during an armed robbery at Makro in Montague Gardens, Cape Town, it was reported on Saturday.
The Weekend Argus reported that four men entered the store on Friday afternoon and hit the guard over the head with a gun.
They took an undisclosed amount of money from four cash registers and fled in an old Honda Ballade.
No arrests were made.
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