1994: What was in the news in Benoni and look how cheap food was! Part 1

1994 was a historic year in South Africa, with the first democratic election held and the first black president, Nelson Mandela, inaugurated.

And, we’ve included some snapshots of adverts which appeared in the City Times that year to see what things cost at the time.

JANUARY

Suspects on the run: Five robbery suspects escaped from the Benoni police cells by removing one of the bars from the gate and then making a hole in the roof of the gymnasium.

Council puts the bite on dog owners: Dog owners are growling about a Benoni City Council blunder that effectively tells them to pay their dog licences before the end of this month – or have their electricity cut off.

Evangelist to visit: American evangelist Jimmy Swaggert will visit the AGS Aanbiddingsentrum in Northmead at 9.30am on Sunday, January 30.

Perskor is robbed of R28 000: Perskor in Lincoln Avenue, Benoni South, was robbed of about R28 000 by an armed man shortly after Fidelity Guards delivered the day’s wages at about 7.30am.

Another diving title for White: Debbie White of Benoni added another distinction to her growing list of achievements when she won the RSA 3m Open National Diving Championships at the De Jongh Diving School in Pretoria.

Blood flows as IFP embarks on march: The Inkatha Freedom Party’s march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria had vast repercussions in Daveyton and Actonville.

Axeman goes on the rampage in the CBD: A man went on a wild rampage in Voortrekker Avenue, allegedly smashing car and shop windows with an axe and starting a fire in a stationery store.

Council sneaks pay rise: The first council meeting of the year had a resounding start with at least three potentially explosive items – councillors gave themselves a five per cent salary increase, backdated to last July (and they did so in secret), a councillor tampered with electricity meters on three of his properties, effectively getting free electricity for at least a year and any hopes that long-feuding councillors will shelve their differences for the sake of Benoni, were dashed – management committee chairperson Vic Penning and his team will probably be ousted within three weeks.

FEBRUARY

Rabie wins the mayoral race: Clr Rabie Fourie, a bachelor and member of the National Party, is set to be inducted as mayor next month, after being elected at an informal council meeting.

Ag shame, Rabie! Mayor-in-waiting, Clr Rabie Fourie, has just learned that he won’t become the next mayor, following a shock decision by the Administrator of the Transvaal.

Beware of hijackers: The Delmas police have warned motorists to try to avoid the Daveyton/Springs/Katbosfontein intersection near Delmas. This follows a car hijacking in which a Northmead couple and their 12-month-old baby girl narrowly escaped injury.

Farewell, but not goodbye: The mayoral couple, Clr Gerrie and Mrs Henny Kriek, treated colleagues, friends and relatives to a slap-up buffet dinner in the administration building – a function which was supposed to herald the end of their mayoral term.

Abductor could be in Benoni: Benoni police are investigating the possibility that the man who kidnapped Eva Nosal (9) from her Atlasville home on January 26 could also have tried to kidnap a Benoni girl (10).

Council will cost another R410 000: Benoni’s councillors gave themselves a R410 000 “golden handshake” – this time they thrashed out the issue in full view of the press and public. The package to which the administrator has consented, proved the city can afford it, boils down to each councillor who resigns now receiving a lump sum of R15 000, the equivalent of eight months’ salary (an ordinary councillor’s allowance is R1 898 per month).Sport ’94 will put Benoni on the map: Benoni is set to become the “sports capital” of South African when Benoni Sports ’94 takes off. The Benoni Publicity Association, in conjunction with the many sporting bodies in the city, has organised a solid month of sport.

MARCH

ANC could run council: Benoni will almost certainly have an ANC-dominated city council in four months’ time. Top political observers believe Benoni’s new-look council will sport a strong line-up of members of the ANC and its close allies, the PAC, Azapo, the SA Communist Party and civic associations.

Garage owner dies after shooting: The owner of Airfield Motors in Webb Street, Mr Savvas Louzoui (38), was shot in the chest at close range by two robbers.

Phone 10111 for free: Telephone calls to the SAP emergency number, 10111, are now free, following a request to Telkom by the SAP for emergency calls from public telephones to be made toll-free. Telkom responded by making all calls to the emergency number toll-free, including those from subscriber telephones.

German wins Ride for Sight: Visiting German cyclist Ralf Grabsch won the 95km Ride for Sight event in Benoni in a record two hours 10 minutes and 19 seconds.

R7.5-million cath lab for Glynnwood: The Glynnwood is set to become one of the “premier hospitals on the East Rand” with the addition of a R7.5-m cardiac catheterisation unit.

ANC launches its election campaign: The ANC’s election campaign got off of to an official start when the press was invited to an open meeting in the ANC offices in Khan Crescent, Actonville.

City Times wins at Caxton Excellence Awards: Editor Helene Lee walked off with the top prize, Journalist of the Year, for her portfolio of articles dealing mainly with the Benoni City Council.

Rabie gets his chain: It’s official! Rabie Fourie is now mayor of Benoni and there is nothing the Transvaal Administration can do about it.

Election ’94: It was a week of election roadshows and party political talk in Benoni, with the National Party stealing the show with lightning visits from two of its most illustrious leaders, State President Mr FW de Klerk and Mr Roelf Meyer, minister of constitutional development.

Reign of terror comes to an end: One of Daveyton’s most wanted criminals was shot and killed by police when he resisted arrest and ran away at the Chris Hani squatter camp.

Jones to retire: Benoni is set to lose one of its renowned “institutions” when traffic and licensing chief Dennis Jones retires at the end of March.

Prisoners riot for the right to vote: Hundreds of Modderbee prisoners went on the rampage to demand that voting rights in the forthcoming election be extended to all prisoners.

Bye-bye bioscope: The Constantia Cinema, one of Benoni’s oldest landmarks, will close its doors on April 21. The Constantia opened in 1940 as the Savoy. In 1972 its name was changed to the Constantia and it was purchased by the Benoni City Council in 1985.

Paedophile’s shocked girlfriend seeks help: A close friend of convicted paedophile and suspect child murderer Christiaan de Wet is in a “terrible state”, according to her father. A distressed Mr J Turner of Northmead told the City Times that Shelly (23), an active member of Protea Stage Productions, is in “a total state of denial” following de Wet’s arrest in connection with the murder and disappearance of two young girls.

Chief magistrate retires: Benoni’s chief magistrate, Kobus Reynders (54), is retiring at the end of the month.

Bullfrogs are thriving in Benoni pan: Three years after being threatened with extinction, inhabitants of Bullfrog Pan in Benoni, the largest bullfrog reserve in the Southern hemisphere, are flourishing.

Trade in your old razor: Believe it or not, Benonians can now take their worn-out old razors to the Benoni Hyperama and exchange them for a brand new razor, free of charge.

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