Overturned cement truck raided

“It’s Christmas!”

At least that’s what one resident from the hundreds of Video Center Informal Settlement’s black squatters thought who were allowed to gather cement that spilled as a result of a truck overturning.

The truck, transporting cement, overturned on the N14 on-ramp to Beyers Naudé Drive early yesterday, 18 August, morning leaving only the diver injured.

“We can now continue building our house,” the man said while his wife held open a bag full of cement.

The Joburg Metro’s Fire Department, Mogale City’s Traffic Department and Disaster Management Team were on the scene along with an ambulance who transported the driver.

By noon, the Fire Department covered the diesel spillage while amused by the Video Center residents who filled bags and buckets to the brim with cement.

“It seems news travels fast,” one Fire Department officer told the Krugersdorp News.

According to the officer, this is the second truck to overturn at the N14 on-ramp from Beyers Naudé Drive this year.

Schumi’s wife sells off his belongings

Michael Schumacher’s wife Corinna Betsch seems to be accepting the fact that her husband likely never will be the same.

The legendary Formula One driver remains paralyzed and unable to speak after a devastating ski accident in December 2013.

Now, Betsch has sold Schumacher’s private jet and Norwegian vacation home. Betsch has taken over the family’s finances, according to German magazine Bunte, adding “when it became clear that the old Schumi perhaps never would return, Corinna had to accept her new life. She had to act.”

Betsch has been running Schumacher’s multimillion-dollar business, also. The jet sold for $39 million, per the Mirror. Betsch also reportedly is considering selling the family’s chalet in the French Alps, where Schumacher’s accident occurred.

Bunte recently reported: “She took over the job, and the power, of her husband as an act of succession. Corinna underwent a remarkable transformation – from his wife to the clan chief, a lady who trained as a sales clerk to the manager of a multi-millions company.”

She is now in charge of the Schumacher ‘imperium’ which continues to generate millions even while he remains dormant. She manages the finances, the bank accounts, business advisers, lawyers and personnel.

According to Bunte her new role grates on her father-in-law Rolf , who now lives in a house built into the grounds of the Gland mansion with his partner Barbara Stahl so he can be close to his son.

Schumacher’s manager Sabine Kehm has revealed that the German driver is ‘making progress’ as he continues on the long road to recovery following injuries sustained during a skiing accident in 2013.

The former Ferrari driver suffered severe injuries in the accident that had rendered him in a medical-induced coma for over six months. He has since made progress, but is still immobile and unable to speak.

Kehm insists that despite the severity of his injuries the seven-time World Champion is getting better, which will come as a boost to his family and the entire racing community.

“We are pleased to continue to say that he is making progress, and I say that always, given the severity of his head injuries,” Kehm said, as quoted by the Mirror.

Earlier doctors treating Formula 1 ace were forced to deny the seven-times world champion had died.

A spokesperson for the Grenoble hospital where the racing driver is being treated put out a statement saying: “The hospital denies that Michael Schumacher has died.”

The man arrested on suspicion of involvement in the theft and leaking of a medical file on Schumacher was found hanged in his cell when rumours about the champion’s passing away started circulating.

The man, whose identity was not disclosed, worked as an executive at a Swiss helicopter air rescue company, Rega, which organised the German sportsman’s transport from a French hospital to Switzerland in June, the Zurich prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

He was found hanged when officers came to bring him breakfast before a scheduled hearing before a judge.

Zurich police told AFP they had spotted no signs the man was mentally unstable or suicidal.

The former champion driver, a longtime Swiss resident, was brought by ambulance amid secrecy to a unit of the CHUV hospital in Lausanne.

But word soon got out that some of his medical records had been stolen and that the thief was attempting to sell them to different media.

French prosecutors tracked the IP address of the computer used in the theft of the medical records to Zurich-based Rega, the main operator of air ambulances in Switzerland.

The Zurich prosecutor’s office refused to reveal the man’s age, nationality or other identifying details. But spokeswoman Corinne Bouvard told AFP that he had been suspected of acting alone. In a statement the prosecution authority stressed that the man should be presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Source: NESN/The Mirror

‘Black car’ blamed for Zuma accident

A black car suspected to have caused the crash in which President Jacob Zuma’s children were injured on Friday morning was allegedly driven away after the accident.

A relative of Zuma’s wife Nompumelelo Ntuli-Zuma, the mother of Zuma’s two injured young daughters, said the children were still at a hospital in Pietermaritzburg.

Ntuli-Zuma’s son, from a previous relationship, was also believed to be injured and in hospital. They were getting better and were eating and talking.

“The children said a black car appeared out of nowhere and bumped their vehicle, leading to the crash. They said the other car did not stop,” said the relative.

However, police spokesman Thulani Zwane said police could not confirm or deny the allegation that the second car failed to stop.

“We are not going to discuss the details, except to say police are investigating. We confirm a case of reckless and negligent driving was opened for investigation. No arrests have yet been made,” said Zwane.

The accident happened near Copesville as the children were being taken along the R33 towards the city about 6am.

“It is a miracle that the children are recovering very well; those who witnessed the accident said they should not have survived,” he said.

The Sunday Times reported that Zuma was seen entering St Anne’s Hospital about 7pm on Friday, and left in high spirits an hour later.

It said Ntuli-Zuma was also at the hospital.

The Sunday Times reported earlier that Jacob Zuma had been poisoned by his second wife Ntuli-Zuma.

The paper said Ntuli-Zuma had been banned from the Zuma’s Nkandla home following claims of a plot to poison the president. The paper could not confirm that Zuma had been poisoned and it could not confirm the type of poison Ntuli-Zuma had allegedly used on her husband.

It quoted three unnamed sources who “claim that although the president fell ill and was hospitalised last year, it was only during a trip to the US two months later that the still-ailing Zuma was told he had been poisoned”.

Source: IOL

S. African blacks attack and rob injured white at accident scene

A businessman from Krugersdorp witnessed the scene, akin to something from a horror movie.

The victim of a serious motorcycle accident, a 20-year old white man, was robbed and dragged by his broken arm by a black mob at the scene of the accident.

Quinton Wagner, whose father was shot dead in front of him earlier this year by black house robbers, is now fighting for his life in the Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg, according to the Johannesburg daily Beeld.

He was hit from behind by a pickup truck on his motorcycle in Krugersdorp, west of Johannesburg.

About 20 black bystanders from a nearby minibus taxi rank fell upon Wagner, manhandled him and dragged hom five metres from the accident scene into the bushes.

Since being admitted to hospital on Friday, he has undergone three operations. Hy is unable to breathe by himself and is dependent upon a breathing machine. He also has blood in his lungs, his liver has been ruptured and six of his ribs broken, as well as his right arm and collar bone. Wagner’s pancreas has been damaged and he has injuries to his legs.

A businessman from Krugersdorp witnessed the scene, akin to something from a horror movie. He said the bleeding young man’s right arm was so badly broken that the bone protruded from this shirt. The black attackers nonetheless grabbed him by that arm and dragged him into the bushes.

He was notified by a client involved in the accident. Because he was not far from the scene of the accident he and a friend went there as soon as possible. But the blacks proceeded to rob them too.

“I could not believe my eyes,” he said. “We saw how the boy was dragged by his arms. When we got out of my pickup truck the robbers fell upon us too. The robbers tore the boy’s safety helmet from his head. He was lying on his rucksack. The robbers dragged him to and fro like a rag doll. They also fought among themselves to get hold of his shoes which they stole.”

The Good Samaritan said that the robbers held him when he tried to get to the victim. His wallet and his mobile phone were taken and his client was also robbed of his phone and laptop computer.

Police vehicles with black policemen inside drove past the scene without stopping and after a long time only one pickup van arrived, after the police were called.

“The CPF (Community Policing Forum, composed of volunteers, usually whites) cordoned off the road so that the emergency helicopter could land. When the helicopter tried to land, the robbers ran towards them to rob them too. The CPF kept them away while the two police officers went to sit to one side. They would not even take down statements.”

Solomon Sibiya, a police spokesman, could not be reached on Monday. He said no-one had informed him of the incident and he could not comment.

Fifteen injured in Joburg train accident

metrorailFifteen people were injured when a train travelling from Pretoria to Johannesburg derailed, Ekhurhuleni emergency services said on Friday.

“Two of the people have been seriously injured. The other 13 have minor injuries,” said spokesperson William Ntladi.

He said a locomotive and passenger carriage detailed just after 7am on Friday morning.

All the injured, including the driver and his assistant, were taken to various hospitals.

The cause of the derailment was not yet known, said Ntladi.

Six killed in Diepsloot minibus taxi crash

Scene of another taxi accident
Scene of another taxi accident

Six people were killed and two critically injured when a minibus taxi overturned near Diepsloot on Wednesday morning, paramedics said.

The taxi overturned on the N14 near the R511 off-ramp, said ER24 spokeswoman Vanessa Jackson.

“One of the critically injured patients was airlifted to [Chris Hani] Baragwanath Hospital.”

Seven others suffered moderate and minor injuries. They were treated on the scene before being taken to various hospitals.

Johannesburg Emergency Services spokesman Robert Mulaudzi advised motorists to use alternative routes as traffic was at a standstill in the area.

“Summit Road and the R511 will be closed until the accident is cleared,” he said.

The cause of the accident was not known and relevant authorities were at the scene.

Mulaudzi appealed to motorist to be vigilant and cautious on the roads.

“We are on our knees begging motorist to drive safe, especially at this time of the year.” – Sapa

Maintenance worker dead after driving his bakkie into Table Bay harbour

Table Bay Harbour in Cape Town
Table Bay Harbour in Cape Town

A maintenance worker at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town was killed when the bakkie he was driving went over the East Pier into Table Bay harbour, Beeld reported on Monday.

A passenger managed to get out of the vehicle and a helicopter pilot subsequently smashed a window to free the driver, but once ashore he was confirmed dead by paramedics.

The accident happened on Sunday afternoon.

National Sea Rescue Institute Table Bay station commander, Pat van Eyssen, said harbour authorities had informed the Table Bay volunteer sea rescue duty crew of the accident, and a rescue craft had hastened to the scene.

The passenger was uninjured, but he was treated for shock by paramedics.

The cause of the accident was unknown, but police would open an inquest docket, van Eyssen said. – Sapa

Rifle on bakkie kills Afrikaner hunter

Bakkie with hunters similar to the one in the incident
Bakkie with hunters similar to the one in the incident

A man died in a Pietersburg hospital, several days after he was accidentally shot in a freak hunting accident, Beeld reported on Tuesday.

Juan Pierre Kleingeld, 24, was driving a bakkie during a hunting expedition on Friday, transporting a group of his friends, some of whom were standing in the back.

A hunting rifle discharged, and the bullet hit Kleingeld in the head, the newspaper reported.

He was rushed to the Limpopo Mediclinic in a critical state. Kleingeld died on Monday.

Police spokeswoman Ronel Otto said it was not yet clear whether an existing charge of attempted murder being investigated by the police would be changed to one of murder. – Sapa

Nine killed in East Rand crash

accidentNine people, including two children, were killed in an accident on the R25 near Kempton Park, east of Johannesburg, emergency workers said on Monday.

Six other people were injured when a light delivery vehicle and another car collided head-on, said Netcare 911 spokeswoman Santi Steinmann.

The accident occurred on Sunday at around 11pm.

The injured people were treated on the scene before being transported to nearby hospitals.

Steinmann said police were investigating the cause of the accident. – Sapa