Snow falls in Jozi as cold bites
Sashni Pather and Anton Ferreira Published:Jun 27, 2007

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Snow fell in Johannesburg last night for the first time in two decades as South Africans braced themselves for bitterly cold weather.

Light snowfalls were reported shortly before midnight in Industria, west of the city centre, and in Parkview and Rosebank in the northern suburbs.

A Parkview home-owner who contacted The Times could barely contain his excitement. He said: ‘‘I’m looking out my window right now and can see snow flakes falling in my garden.’’

There were also reports of light snowfalls over Bloemfontein earlier yesterday and more snowfall is expected in the Eastern Cape, Lesotho, Free State and over the Drakensberg.

The South African Weather Service said there was a 50percent chance of showers in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape while there was a 30 percent likelihood of rain in the Gauteng and the Free State.

In Gauteng, the maximum temperature will reach 10°C today. Temperatures will go up to 18°C in KwaZulu-Natal, 15°C in Cape Town, 12°C in Bloem, and 16°C in Port Elizabeth.

Low temperatures will continue until tomorrow because of chilly winds. It will warm up by the weekend but another cold front will sweep across the country on Sunday.

9 denied bail for burning 'witch'
26/06/2007 14:35 - (SA)
Tshwarelo eseng Mogakane & Oris Mnisi

Bushbuckridge - Nine people accused of stoning and burning a gogo to death after accusing her of witchcraft have been denied bail.

The Acornhoek Magistrate's Court on Monday postponed the case to July 23 for further investigation because the police say they are about to arrest three more people.

The nine suspects have not been asked to plead yet to charges of murder and were remanded in custody.

They are accused of killing 74-year-old Mercy Segodi of Casteel in Bushbuckridge when she returned home from church on May 28.

Her ashes were scooped up, placed on a corrugated iron sheet and paraded around the community, while the mob sang her favourite church hymns.

According to some neighbours, the mob accused her of causing the death of a boy who died in hospital after complaining of headaches.

They say the boy had apparently seen zombies at her house about two weeks earlier, and said one of the zombies was his brother, who was recently buried.

R400 extra each month will mean strike was wasted effort
Published:Jun 22, 2007 - Sunday Times

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SIMON Hlungwani has been a nurse at the Johannesburg Hospital for eight years.

With a monthly salary of only R6750, he joined the public servants’ strike in the hope that he would see a reasonable increase in his salary.

But unpaid for the past month, it may have all been in vain as indications point to a settlement of 7.25percent between the government and unions.

“This means I will get about R400 a month more and then it must still be taxed,” said Hlungwani.

After obtaining a nursing diploma from the Annlapsky Nursing College in Auckland Park near the Helen Joseph Hospital, the 31-year- old nurse, who’s still single, said he cannot afford to marry his long- time girlfriend and support a family on the R3900 he takes home after his deductions. “I can’t buy a house or a car with what I earn. Add to that, I am paying the fees for my younger brother’s studies at the University of Johannesburg.

“I was really hoping for a good increase,” he said. “If the unions settle with the government now, I will be earning R7256 a month. After major deductions I will be left with R4336.”

He supplements his income by doing part-time jobs, but this is tiring when added to his already long shifts at Johannesburg Hospital.

He feels the government should give the public servants a reasonable offer. “I will personally be happy with anything from 9percent,” he said. “We work under difficult circumstances. We deserve more than we are being offered or what we will get,” he said.

He added that the poor salaries offered to nurses in the country was driving young people away from the profession, which is already strained by vacancies.

“They are not even trying to fill the vacant posts,” he said.

Meanwhile, Cape Town teacher Vuyani Somaxha told The Times that a 7.5 percent increase was not nearly enough.

He currently earns a gross salary of R10300 and the proposed increased will make little difference.

“It is not enough,” he said.

“It means that I will be getting an extra R600 before tax and after tax it will be cut to R400.”

Cops detain horse in stolen car swoop

June 19 2007 at 08:27PM

A horse was detained by police on Tuesday during an arrest operation over the theft of a vehicle in Soweto.

"We have apprehended a horse and two suspects for being in possession of a suspected stolen vehicle," police spokesperson, Captain Lindiwe Mbatha told AFP.

"Cops patrolling the township pulled over a cart carrying a stripped body of a brand new car, a Corolla Conquest, suspected to have been stolen.

"The cart was drawn by a horse with two suspects on board. They were locked up for being in possession of a suspected stolen vehicle and will appear in court within 48 hours," Mbatha said.

Mbatha said by law they were not allowed to leave the animal and its "stolen" load in the street while the suspects were taken to holding cells.

"The animal had to be taken in with its carriage and the suspects. We couldn't leave the horse on the road because it was carrying a suspected stolen car," she added.

The horse was later released into the care of animal rights association in Johannesburg, but the two suspects were still behind bars and expected to appear in court shortly. - Sapa-AFP

Driver, 101, in four-car pile-up
18/06/2007 09:55 - (SA)
Amanda Roestoff, Beeld

You're never too old to learn, they say. But when is one too old to drive?

That's the answer Ekurhuleni metro police are seeking in a special investigation, since they've learnt that a 101-year-old East Rand man could still be driving.

The man's ID states that he is 87 years old, but his family say he is actually 101. He is currently at OR Tambo Memorial Hospital in Boksburg after sustaining serious injuries in a car crash.

The elderly man could be charged with reckless and negligent driving after turning his Toyota Corolla onto the R554 in Germiston, near the Heidelberg crossing, and crashing into a Nissan bakkie on Saturday.

A 10-year-old Boksburg boy is in a serious condition at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto after being flung through the bakkie's windscreen.

Another two vehicles, a stationary minibus taxi and an Isuzu bakkie were also involved in the pile-up.

Jimmy Maboko, Ekurhuleni metro police spokesperson said the other drivers were not injured.

"A driver who can still see well and does not have any disqualifying physical disability is allowed to drive," he said.