News from 25 years ago in the South Coast Sun

Another school bus is hijacked

A 13-year-old girl from KwaMakhutha was killed during the hijacking of a Kenmont School minibus on Tuesday, 9 May.
This is the second Kenmont bus to be hijacked in three weeks. The incident took place at about 4pm last Tuesday. The driver of the bus, Siegfried Cele was taken hostage by the two men, who were travelling towards KwaMakhutha. Police and Protection Services pursued the hijackers into KwaMakhutha Road, where both hijackers jumped from the minibus while it was still in motion.

New man for the dog squad

Kingsway Protection Services Dog Unit recently welcomed its newest member, Rob Clifton-Parks.
Rob, 24, completed a three month traffic officers course in Maritzburg before joining the Kingsway team. He started at Toti SAPS before moving to the Durban Dog Unit. He has now returned to Toti with his wife Erica. The dog unit assists uniformed officers in the search for criminals and apprehending fleeing suspects.

Isipingo families evicted

A crisis committee formed by residents of Lotus and Orient Park last week threatened mass action after a number of people were evicted from council flats.
The ANC, the Joint Action Committee and the Malagazi Residents Association held a crisis meeting after which the Committee was formed.
So far the committee has called for a meeting with the council on Wednesday, 17 May, and a moratorium on all evictions. One family – a grandmother, her daughter and three grandchildren were forced to sit out in the rain with their belongings two weeks ago when they were evicted by the sheriff’s department.

Locals complain of pollution problem

“OUR sea is polluted” is the cry from local fishermen, surfers, divers and body boarders.
Well-known springbok surfer, Michael Roscoe, said “there is a brown foam that won’t go away. The water doesn’t smell salty – it has a chemical smell and the sea is a purple/ black colour.” He added that fishing isn’t as good as it used to be and it’s only wild seas that wash the pollution away.

Ambulance stolen

An ambulance driver was assaulted and robbed of his vehicle recently when he pulled into an Illovo Beach petrol station to fill up.
H Mahlobo was at Natalia Garage at 11.15pm on 4 May, when he was approached by two armed men who attacked him and stole the ambulance. The ambulance, a white Nissan E20 worth R95 000, belongs to Richmond Hospital.