Publication
R200M COCAINE BUST FLAWS
COLONEL Gavin Jacob, commander of the Hawks’ Durban Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit, conceded it was concerning that the clearing agent was not present when the seal was broken on a container holding 541kg of cocaine worth R200 million at...
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CONCERN AT BULLYING, HARASSMENT
PARENTS at Reddam House Umhlanga Preparatory School have accused the institution of disregarding serious concerns about a persistent pattern of bullying, harassment and physical aggression allegedly taking place at the school. Families spoke to the...
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WHY WAS HE GIVEN LIE DETECTOR TEST?
WARRANT Officer Karl Sander underwent a polygraph test regarding the theft of 541kg of cocaine bricks worth R200 million despite never having worked at the Port Shepstone Hawks office where the drugs were stolen during a November 2021...
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KING MISUZULU CLEARS THE AIR
AMAZULU King Misuzulu kazwelithini has finally clarified the continued presence of his former Private Secretary, Arnold Nododile in the royal family’s circles despite the announcement of his dismissal by the Traditional Prime Minister Reverend...
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CITY BLEW R8.3m, FACES BACKLASH
THE ethekwini Municipality is facing severe criticism after revelations surfaced regarding R8.3 million in irregular expenditure linked to a skills development programme initiated by the entity in 2021. Reports of an alleged cover-up aimed at...
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Ndabeni: ‘Stop handing over spaza shops to foreigners’
THE Minister of Small Business Development, Stella Ndabeni, has threatened to withdraw funding for spaza shops after many locals applied and handed shops back to foreigners. Speaking at the South Africa Funeral Practitioners Association international...
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HOMELESS SHELTER PROJECT STALLS
THE ethekwini Municipality has outlined several reasons for delaying the construction of the 800-bed Sakhithemba Homeless Shelter in Illovo, south of Durban. The municipality stated in previous reports that the shelter was one of the measures being...
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NOT TRUE, SAYS KING’S CHANCELLOR
INKOSI Malusi Zondi, the Zulu Royal Chancellor, has dismissed recent allegations of extortion contained in a media report claiming that he solicited R8.5 million from Stefanutti Stocks Holdings Limited for “security protection”. The report alleged...
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‘DURBAN IS NOT COLLAPSING’
ETHEKWINI Municipality City Manager Musa Mbhele has hit back at criticism that he had steered the city towards collapse. Instead, he insisted that Durban had undergone steady transformation under his leadership and that the entity’s long-term outlook...
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IMMIGRATION TENSIONS EXPLODE
VIOLENT confrontations between locals and foreign nationals outside the Diakonia Centre in Durban’s CBD yesterday lent credence to growing calls by the ANC in Kwazulu-natal and other stakeholders for an urgent multi-sector intervention to address...
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RESIDENTS SAY NO TO TARIFF HIKES
A LARGE group of Durban residents took to the streets yesterday in protest against the ethekwini Municipality’s proposed 2026/2027 budget and planned tariff increases, which they argued would place greater financial strain on households already...
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SAVE US, CRY FOREIGN NATIONALS
DURBAN'S central business district has again become a flashpoint of unrest, as foreign nationals camped outside the Durban Central Police Station demanding protection amid fears for their safety. Hundreds of foreign nationals sought refuge from what...
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NPA prosecutor accused of soliciting
THE National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has been drawn into a matter involving serious allegations of corruption brought against one of its leading prosecutors, Richard Chabalala. It was alleged that Chabalala, who is attached to the NPA’S...
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Scopa zeroes in on City’s finances
THE ethekwini Municipality has been instructed to investigate a range of alleged acts of corruption and improper conduct within its administration, with Mayor Cyril Xaba expected to provide the entity’s responses to Parliament’s Standing Committee on...
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KING WANTS TO FIRE BOARD
AMAZULU King Misuzulu kazwelithini has called for another dissolution of the Ingonyama Trust Board following the resignation of the fifth board member, Nomusa Zulu, on Wednesday. The nine-member board now has three active members, who are Deputy...
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TOURISM BOSS UNVEILS GAME-CHANGER
TO FACILITATE easier visitor movement into South Africa and bolster tourism, a digital authorisation system will be relied on to enable eligible travellers to enter the country. The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), a groundbreaking digital...
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DURBAN SHINES AT TRAVEL INDABA
DURBAN has been hailed by President Cyril Ramaphosa as the epitome of African hospitality during the launch of Africa’s Travel Indaba 2026 at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre yesterday. The president described Durban as a...
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‘I WILL NOT RESIGN’
“I REMAIN here and I don’t intend resigning,” was the response President Cyril Ramaphosa gave to growing calls for his resignation when he addressed the country last night. Vociferous calls for Ramaphosa to “fall on his sword” came after the...
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Five suspected rhino poachers killed
FIVE suspected rhino poachers were shot and killed during a gun-battle with police in the area of Hluhluwe, northern Kwazulu-natal, on Saturday evening. The shootout occurred at a roadblock set-up by authorities along the R618, enroute to a nearby...
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Fadiel Adams linked to murder case
MEMBER of Parliament Fadiel Adams is expected to remain in custody for at least another week before he can lodge his application for bail, following his appearance in the Pinetown Magistrate's Court yesterday. The matter was adjourned to...
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MEC CLAMS UP ON R85m SCANDAL
KWAZULU-NATAL Department of Transport (DOT) MEC Siboniso Duma has remained silent on whether his department has taken disciplinary action against officials involved in wrongly awarding an R85 million tender. This tender, awarded to a joint venture of...
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MOTORISTS REEL FROM NEW FUEL HIKE
WITH the fuel levy relief being extended, motorists will still be forking out an extra R3.27 per litre for both grades of petrol from today, while diesel users will pay an additional R6.19 per litre. Trade unions and lobby groups have said that more...
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4 CRIME-FIGHTERS SHOT DEAD
THE recent deadly shoot-out in Bhambayi, Inanda, which claimed the lives of three community patrollers and one suspected criminal, has thrown a spotlight not only on the dangers faced by volunteer crime fighters but also on the issue of illegal...
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‘Deport undocumented migrants’
AS TENSIONS escalate over the contentious issue of undocumented migrants in South Africa, activist group Citizens Forum has added its voice to growing calls for the urgent deportation of undocumented foreign nationals. The appeal comes amid a...
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‘NO XENOPHOBIA IN KZN’
“THERE is no xenophobia in Kwazulu-natal.” This is according to Kwazulu-natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli, after delivering his keynote address at the 2026 KZN Jobs and Skills Summit. The summit was held at the Durban ICC on Tuesday. In setting the record...
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Newark massacre-accused abandon their bail bids
OUT of fears for their safety, three of the accused in the murder case of the Monswamy family from Newark on the North Coast elected to abandon their respective bail applications when they appeared at the Kwadukuza Magistrate’s Court yesterday. The...
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‘Shaken conscience of a province’: Family of seven laid to rest
WITH heavy hearts, relatives of Allen Monswamy and his six family members who were murdered last week were preparing for the latest court appearance of the three men arrested in connection with the killings at the Kwadukuza Magistrate’s Court. A mass...
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SA gets a new top cop
Major-general Puleng Dimpane is the latest high-ranking SAPS official to assume an acting role, she was appointed acting National Police Commissioner following the precautionary suspension of General Fannie Masemola. President Cyril Ramaphosa...
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Road rage shooter’s family spring to his defence
THE family of the man who shot and killed a motorist during a road rage confrontation in Emmarentia on Sunday has broken their silence, saying he acted in self-defence to protect both his own life and that of his wife. In a statement issued yesterday,...
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‘WE WILL TAKE BACK OUR CITY!’
THOUSANDS joined the March and March movement in Durban’s city centre yesterday as tensions over crime, undocumented foreign nationals and municipal service delivery boiled over. They were incensed that some of the organisation’s supporters got caught...
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‘NO ELECTIONS UNTIL OUR STOLEN VOTES ARE FOUND!’
UMKHONTO wesizwe Party (MKP) leader Jacob Zuma said his party is contemplating making a push for the postponement of the local government elections until the party’s disputed 2024 general election case against the Electoral Commission of South Africa...
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Chris Pappas turns down DA KZN leadership race as battle heats up
Crowd-favourite umngeni Municipality Mayor Chris Pappas has once again publicly reaffirmed his decision not to contest any positions at the upcoming Democratic Alliance (DA) Kwazulu-natal provincial congress. With current KZN provincial leader...
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SAYS MALEMA AFTER SENTENCE PASSED
THE East London Magistrates’ Court in Kugompo City has sentenced EFF leader Julius Sello Malema to five years’ direct imprisonment after finding him guilty on multiple firearm-related charges linked to a rally held in Mdantsane on 28 July 2018. The...
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Domestic worker raped in daylight break-in, suspect still at large
A DOMESTIC worker is struggling to cope with the trauma inflicted on her after an unknown suspect allegedly broke into a Durban North home where she worked, raped her, and then ransacked the premises, making off with various valuables, including...
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Mass board resignations, govt moves to contain crisis
THE Kwazulu-natal Provincial Government has been hit by mass resignations of Ithala SOC Ltd board members. The move comes after the provincial government took decisive action to address the crippling financial instability that has been plaguing Ithala...
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Sekunjalo sues union for R628m
SEKUNJALO Investment Holdings has instituted legal proceedings against the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (Sactwu), claiming R628 million over what it describes as the union’s failure to honour financial commitments linked to a...
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Ramaphosa 'has a case to answer'
PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa and former head of the Presidential Protection Unit (PPU), Major General Wally Rhoode, have been accused of contravening the Criminal Procedure Act by failing to report the theft at Phala Phala farm to the local police...
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Residents at their wits’ end
RESIDENTS of Glenwood, in Berea, have found themselves battling an ongoing water crisis that has been exacerbated by unaddressed leakages in their neighbourhood. For the past several months, affected individuals have raised their voices against the...
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Mncwango joins IFP in KZN shake-up
THE IFP pulled a coup on its main opposition in KZN when Former Secretary General of the Umkhonto wesizwe Party, Dr Bongani Mncwango, officially joined the Gnu-aligned party yesterday. The former MKP Secretary General was sacked as the party’s...
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Event celebrates the unsung heroes of road safety in KZN
IN A show of appreciation, the Department of Transport and Human Settlement held an award ceremony in Durban, celebrating the dedication of law enforcement officials, honouring various traffic officers for their exceptional contributions to road safety...
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Mbalula says ANC committed to SA’S sovereignty despite US pressure
ANC Secretary-general Fikile Mbalula says the ANC is determined to protect South African sovereignty, despite pressure from the US. Mbalula, who was speaking at the Solomon Mahlangu Commemoration in Mamelodi East Cemetery in Tshwane on Monday, said...
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Fake SAPS ‘colonel’ arrested in Durban
A 39-YEAR-OLD man from Glen Hills, Durban, who masqueraded as a high-ranking police officer attached to the SAPS Kwazulu-natal provincial office and involved himself in sensitive police investigations, appeared briefly in the Durban Magistrate’s Court...
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Nigerian coronation slammed as a threat to SAS sovereignty
DIPLOMATIC tensions are rising between South Africa and Nigeria after a coalition of civic organisations formally lodged a memorandum of grievances with the Nigerian Embassy, demanding urgent clarity over the controversial “coronation” of an alleged...
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CHAOS OVER NIGERIAN ‘KING’ IN SA
STUN grenades and rubber bullets were flying in Kugompo City (formerly East London) yesterday after a protest march against the recent coronation of a Nigerian national as king in the area turned violent. The march, which included thousands of locals...
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Ramaphosa outlines bold vision for KZN
DESPITE the brouhaha over the ANC compelling Kwazulu-natal municipalities aligned to the party to make costly bids for tables at a gala fundraising dinner in Durban, the event on Saturday achieved its objectives, drawing full attendance. The party had...
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Eskom leaves families watching their lives turn to rubble
MILLIONS of rand, including bank loans, went down the drain yesterday when Eskom executed its courtordered eviction to demolish hundreds of homes illegally built on its land in Thornville outside Pietermaritzburg. One of the unfortunate residents, a...
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Act on illegal immigration, say thousands of Durban protestors
DISSATISFIED with the ever-increasing number of illegal immigrants in South Africa and the resulting implications, thousands of supporters flocked to King Dinuzulu Park yesterday to join the March and March movement’s protest against the thorny issue....
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Big tariff hike plan sparks outrage
THE return of a fashion showcase is set to amplify excitement ahead of this week’s Cape Town International Jazz Festival, with organisers confirming its comeback tomorrow, following a period of absence. Taking place from 6pm to 11pm, the invite-only...
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‘Sent from pillar to post’, City’s unpaid contractors down tools
SCORES of contractors responsible for maintaining water infrastructure across Durban downed tools yesterday to vent their frustrations over not being paid for months by the ethekwini Municipality for services rendered. The contractors claimed the...
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Calls mount for Feroz Khan to testify amid explosive claims
THE Madlanga Commission of Inquiry and the Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee have been urged to summon the head of counter-intelligence within the SAPS Crime Intelligence division, Feroz Khan, who has been accused of being “a political fixer” and...
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KZN moves to cut tender fraud, boost transparency
THE Kwazulu-natal government is set to roll out a technologically advanced e-procurement system across all its provincial departments next month to reduce human interference in tender processes, to effectively root out opportunities for corruption, and...
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Give us more officers to tackle illegal immigration, say KZN leaders
WITH over a million illegal foreigners living in Kwazulu-natal, civil organisations and political parties have raised concerns over the dire shortage of immigration officers in the province, which is also a countrywide problem. The Department of Home...
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Buthelezi statue plan fires uproar as parties trade political blows
A PROPOSAL by Kwazulu-natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC, Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi, to erect a statue in honour of the late Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi alongside those of Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo in Durban has...
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Experts demand probe into police procedures after inmate shot dead
SECURITY experts have called for an investigation to determine whether police officers at Ntuzuma Police Station followed Standing Operating Procedures (SOPS) when interviewing an inmate, an interaction that escalated into a hostage situation...
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Premier wants technology to deal with N2 cash-in-transit heist crisis
KWAZULU-NATAL’S Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli has called for a focus on digital policing and technology to fight crime, following a Provincial Council Against Crime meeting on Friday. While acknowledging significant strides made in strengthening the...
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PARLY ALLOWS CHETTY TO SPILL THE BEANS
THE chairperson of Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee, Soviet Lekganyane, said there was no harm in allowing businessman Kishene Chetty to share evidence yesterday, despite concerns raised by MPS who warned that his testimony could prejudice cases currently...
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Outraged public turn on municipality
ONCE a big attraction for the community of Amanzimtoti and visitors to the area, the Inyoni Rocks swimming pool now stands in ruins and fingers have been pointed at the ethekwini Municipality for the neglect that has rendered the facility out of...
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KZN top officials told to attend expensive ANC dinner
FOR the opportunity to wine and dine at an ANC fundraising gala dinner alongside President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Durban International Convention Centre, Kwazulu-natal mayors, regional co-ordinators and others will need to act fast and pay up to R2...
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ANC claims graft at IFP borough
THE ANC in the Josiah Gumede Region (ANC-JGR) has expressed its displeasure over ongoing corruption allegations in the uthukela District Municipality, which is under the leadership of the IFP. Recent events, according to the ANC, have highlighted a...
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City residents hail cleanup of eyesore
MANY residents of ethekwini have expressed their gratitude for the city’s recent initiatives to clean up the notorious Che Guevara Road, where vagrants have congregated continuously, causing fear and concern for locals and motorists alike. Over the...
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Municipality’s urgent bid to have its bank accounts unfrozen
THE Uthukela District Municipality has launched an urgent application with the Pietermaritzburg High Court to suspend a writ of execution, that led to its bank account being attached. The legal action was instituted by RASP Consultants CC and its...
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Brothers change strategy, apply for bail in AKA murder case
THE two Ndimande brothers, Malusi Dave and Siyabonga Gezani, who are charged along with five co-accused for the murders of award-winning rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and chef Tebello ‘Tibz’ Motsoane, have abandoned their bid to challenge their...
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Mandela and Tambo Statues unveiled in Durban at R22m
DURBAN was the setting for the grand unveiling of two monumental statues in prominent locations, honouring Struggle heroes Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo yesterday. However, the celebratory atmosphere was tempered by criticism from some political...
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Durban mayor defends R22 million statues as it is a boost for tourism
ETHEKWINI Municipality mayor, Cyril Xaba has defended the R22 million which the city has spent on statues of Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo, arguing it will boost tourism. The statues of the two liberation icons, will be unveiled by President Cyril...
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Fake jobs lured SA men into war
AN INTERNATIONAL relations expert has warned that African citizens are being lured into foreign conflicts under the false promise of employment, as South Africa grapples with the deaths of two nationals who were recruited to fight in the Russia-ukraine...
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Wilson’s Wharf and businesses choked by litter after heavy rains
RECENT heavy rains over Durban have left the bay at Wilson’s Wharf strewn with litter and debris, prompting urgent calls for action from the local business and environmental activists. The once picturesque harbour has become an unsightly scene and,...
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KZN Education goes after foreign educators following SIU report
THE Kwazulu-natal Department of Education is launching an investigation into the employment status of foreign national educators and officials, following alarming revelations in a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) report. The SIU, led by Acting Head...
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Heat turned up on paramedics
APART from claims that patients with medical aid were given priority at accident scenes by ALS Paramedics, further allegations have emerged regarding how the ambulance service handled cases where non-medical aid patients required treatment. A...
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Bid to block Batohi’s pension
THE umkhonto wesizwe Party (MKP) has taken legal steps to block former National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Advocate Shamila Batohi from receiving her pension benefits through an urgent application filed at the Pretoria North Gauteng High...
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City’s grand plan to solve vagrant problem
THE ethekwini Municipality is embarking on a change-making initiative to tackle the complex vagrancy issues that have become a perennial problem along Durban’s Che Guevara Road. Mayor Cyril Xaba unveiled a multi-faceted approach to handling Durban’s...
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Mayor pushes for compassion-led plan for Che Guevara Road problem
IN DEALING with Durban’s homeless population, particularly those who have been perennially camped on Che Guevara Road (formerly Moore Road) near Albert Park, Mayor Cyril Xaba said the situation must be handled with “compassion” and be...
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Grave fears as liquidation rocks KZN
FORMER banking executive, private investor and whistleblower Dave Woollam has warned of dire consequences facing South Africa’s sugar industry, particularly those on the North Coast. His warning follows news that Tongaat Hulett (THL), a major sugar...
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Top gospel group directors lock horns over ‘fiscal misconduct’, SARS claim
DIRECTORS of popular gospel choir group Joyous Celebration, renowned for producing multi-award-winning hits, are set to trade legal blows over the handling of funds accrued from numerous musical ventures. A weekend newspaper carried allegations made...
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‘Fire the implicated and walk the plank’, Ramaphosa told
RENOWNED politician and anti-apartheid activist Reverend Dr Allan Boesak has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to fire officials implicated before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee and the Madlanga Commission – and has gone further, urging the President...
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Coalition tension rises as IFP, NFP hold crisis talks over GPU dispute
NEGOTIATING teams from the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and the National Freedom Party (NFP) were locked in talks in Durban yesterday after both parties previously failed to find common ground on issues threatening to destabilise the Government of...
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