Latest news with #TheWitness
The Citizen
2 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
More flights cancelled as FlySafair strike leaves passengers stranded
A disgruntled FlySafair customer boarded a bus back to Johannesburg from Durban this morning. According to The Witness, Itumeleng Morole was left stranded at King Shaka International Airport yesterday after her evening flight was cancelled due to the ongoing pilots' strike over a wage dispute. Morole said her attempts to resolve the matter failed when she was told to pay an extra R500 to have her name added to the standby flight list. She said she was informed it was either that or she would need to arrange alternate transport to her destination. 'To be made to pay an extra R500 for a standby flight that might not even be there was the last straw. Another alternative for them was another flight today, but there was no provision for accommodation for the night. 'When I realised it was around 16:00 and there was no hope that I would be assisted, I called a friend who provided me with accommodation for the night,' said Morole. 'I booked myself a bus and this morning I boarded. Better this than to go back to the chaos at FlySafair counters.' The low-cost airline's strike entered its second day today, with 26 flights cancelled – accounting for 13% of its operations. More than 200 pilots have joined the strike, rejecting the airline's 5.7% wage increase offer and holding firm on their demand for a 10.5% hike. The company said that due to the intensifying strike, more flights are expected to be cancelled. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
4 days ago
- The Citizen
Two police constables shot dead in suspected love triangle in KZN
A suspected love triangle within the police ranks ended in tragedy on Thursday night when two Gamalakhe police constables were gunned down outside a home in Port Shepstone. The victims, a 34-year-old male officer and his girlfriend, were reportedly sitting in the man's car outside his house when the mother of his child, also a constable at the Port Shepstone police station, allegedly opened fire at them. Both victims later died at Murchison Hospital, The Witness reports. The incident happened in the Mbayimbayi location, Murchison, Ugu district. A police source said the man was taken to hospital with multiple gunshots while his girlfriend escaped the scene, but was later found nearby by a neighbour and was also taken to hospital where they both died. 'When the man's brother heard gunshots, he rushed out to check and saw his brother being shot at by the mother of his child, who is also a police constable stationed at Port Shepstone police station,' said a police source. 'The suspect was then traced and found in possession of her service pistol without the magazine.' Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda confirmed the arrest of a constable in connection with the murders. 'Police in Port Shepstone have arrested a police Constable in connection with the murders of a fellow Constable who is believed to be the father of her child, and another Constable, suspected to be his girlfriend at Murchison location in Mbayimbayi area on Thursday night,' Netshiunda said. 'It is reported that the suspect went to a residence where she found her baby daddy with another woman and opened fire at both of them before leaving the scene of the crime. Both victims were declared dead upon arrival at hospital. The suspect was arrested on Friday and is expected to appear in court on Monday, 21 July 2025,' he said. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
5 days ago
- The Citizen
2 killed as deadly fire rips through Durban informal settlement
A devastating fire tore through Durban's Kennedy Road informal settlement in the early hours of Saturday, claiming the lives of a woman in her 30s and a one-year-old baby. The Witness reports that the deadly blaze comes barely a month after another inferno destroyed 40 shacks in the same settlement. At this stage, the cause of the fire that destroyed over 100 shacks remains unknown. Resident and community leader Vusi Doncabe said he was woken up by the noise from the neighbours and when he walked out to check what was happening, the fire was too close to his own shack to save his belongings. 'I'm left with nothing. I could not throw out any of my belongings because the fire was too close to my shack when I woke up,' said Doncabe. I was in a state of panic and in fact everyone was in that state because the fire was uncontrollable. When the fire fighters and emergency services arrived, the blaze had done the damage. He said the one-year-old baby belonged to another woman who had left her in the care of the friend for the night. 'People are saying the baby was left with the friend who died in the same shack they were sleeping in. It is not clear where the baby's mother was,' he said. Relief organisation, Gift of the Givers said they had responded and provided assistance to the affected residents. Community liaison officer Bilaal Jeewa said about 120 people, including children were left homeless. He said in the interim they provided the victims with beanies and blankets, and meals will be provided. 'The eThekwini disaster management is doing the assessment, and once all is done, we will see what further assistance we can provide for the affected families. Obviously other NGOs will also lend a hand to assist the affected.' 'We estimate about 80 to 100 shacks have burnt down. Thus far, we have provided the people with teabags, bread, peanut butter, the beanies etc, because it was cold. It was raining but now it's cold,' said Jeewa. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
7 days ago
- The Citizen
Explosives unit called in after Pietermaritzburg cash-in-transit heist
A specialist explosives unit was last night sweeping the scene of a cash-in-transit (CIT) heist near Bisley Nature Reserve in Pietermaritzburg, amid concerns that a live explosive device may still be present. The Witness reports that Murray Road, leading to the nature reserve, was cordoned off from the Oribi Road intersection, with law enforcement securing the area. At least five bullet casings were visible on the road, indicating the intensity of the gunfire that erupted shortly before 17:45. Sources at the scene told The Witness the robbery was initially planned closer to the N3 area, but the cash vehicle driver changed the route, possibly disrupting the suspects' plan. Despite this, the attackers intercepted the vehicle at the Oribi and Murray Road intersection, where they bombed the FCS armoured van. A white Isuzu bakkie, believed to have been used in the robbery, was found burning at the scene. The number and identity of the getaway vehicles remain unclear, but it is believed about 12 suspects were involved. The Hawks and SAPS were on site, managing the scene and conducting a full forensic and bomb investigation. By 20:00, the area remained an active crime scene and members of the public were urged to avoid it until it was declared safe. A previous report by The Witness confirmed the cash van driver was shot during the armed ambush and the armoured vehicle bombed at the intersection of Oribi and Murray roads, near the entrance to the nature reserve. According to AET Security, the driver sustained gunshot wounds to the leg and hand during the attack. Emergency services responded swiftly and took him to hospital for treatment. Authorities have urged anyone with information that could assist the investigation to come forward. Police have not yet released details about the amount of money stolen or the exact sequence of events. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
13-07-2025
- Science
- The Citizen
Blue crane numbers plummet as status shifts to vulnerable
South Africa's national bird, the blue crane, has officially been uplisted to 'vulnerable' in the newly published Regional Red Data Book, following a concerning population decline over the past 15 years. The Witness reports that blue cranes are territorial, monogamous nesters that return to the same area each year. According to Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife animal scientist Brent Coversdale, they lay two eggs and raise both chicks, which are later introduced into non-breeding flocks until they find partners and territory of their own. The Overberg region, in the Western Cape, which once had the country's highest blue crane density, has seen the sharpest drop. According to the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), the area has lost up to 44% of its blue crane population. Co-ordinated Avifaunal Roadcounts (CAR) show that the Overberg has seen an alarming 44% decline in blue crane numbers between 2011 and 2025 'These figures are especially concerning given that this region once had a thriving blue crane population. Prior to the decline, CAR accounts indicated that blue crane numbers had increased by 261% between 1994 and 2010,' says the EWT. While the cause of the decline remains unclear, breeding success has halved since the last major study. Breeding pairs now raise an average of just 0.55 fledglings, far below what is needed to sustain the population. Young birds are especially vulnerable, with many at risk of becoming entangled in fences before they can fly. Conservation groups have been working with landowners to raise awareness and encourage practices that better support crane survival. The blue crane's previous population growth in the Western Cape and Karoo had allowed resources to be shifted to more at-risk species. However, the recent downturn has prompted renewed concern. KZN's Drakensberg region, meanwhile, supports all three of South Africa's crane species – the blue crane, wattled crane and grey crowned crane – and is seeing population increases due to decades of conservation work. Coversdale says widespread habitat loss, persecution through poisoning and shooting, and landscape fragmentation contributed to KZN's earlier crane declines. 'The KZN population now only represents a small proportion of the national population. While the majority of these threats have decreased, poor land management, disturbance, rural sprawl and further fragmentation of grasslands within core breeding areas, and collisions with energy infrastructure continue to pose the biggest risk,' he says. Coversdale acknowledged the work of private landowners, but says more is needed. 'There is still considerable work to be done if we are to ensure that the species returns to its former glory in the Eastern Grasslands.' Ezemvelo, the EWT and the International Crane Foundation Partnership have partnered to advise landowners on grassland stewardship, mitigate energy infrastructure with bird flappers, and protect key habitats through the KZN Stewardship Programme. 'It must be borne in mind that KZN is a global hotspot for cranes and thus considerable work has been undertaken in the province over the past 30 years.' 'Work on the wattled crane, which has resulted in its red list assessment changing from critically endangered to endangered, has benefited the blue crane. 'It is hoped that this can be replicated in the rest of its range,' Coversdale says. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
