A group of locals visiting the Kruger National Park have been fined R3 000 for contravening SANParks rules.

SANParks confirmed to Traveller24 it was notified of the tourists’ behaviour via its Social Media platforms and “immediately dispatched a Section Ranger in the Crocodile Bridge section”.

“The people were at a lion sighting. He instructed them to get into their vehicle and a fine of R3000 was later imposed,” says Kruger National Park spokesperson Ike Phaahla. The fine was issued on Thursday, 9 January.ANParks rules clearly state visitors must remain in their vehicles unless in a designated area. “SANParks has a zero tolerance stance against lawlessness,” says Phaahla.

“These are wild and not domesticated animals. Our rules and guidelines clearly state what to do when at sightings, and those who get out of their cars in undesignated areas are lawbreakers.” Driving a vehicle in a manner that constitutes a nuisance, disturbance, inconvenience or danger to any other person is not allowed.

– Driving or operating any vehicle in a reckless or negligent manner or in a deliberate disregard for the safety of a person, animal or property is not allowed.

– Behaving in an offensive, improper, indecent or disorderly manner including the playing of any radio, compact disc player, music system, musical system or instrument, or in any

way cause of any noise in any manner likely to disturb any species or specimen or other person is strictly prohibited.

– Stick to the speed limit! All general rules of the road apply within the Kruger National Park. The speed limit is 50 km/h on tar roads and 40 km/h on gravel roads.

– Visitors must remain in their vehicles unless in a designated area.

– No part of a person’s body may protrude from a window or sunroof or any other part of the vehicle. Vehicle doors should be closed at all times.

– You must be inside the camp or out of the gate before these times. No travelling before or after these times are allowed. Gate times must be strictly adhered to and late comers may be subject to a fine.

– You are not allowed to drive “off-road” or on roads with a “no entry” sign.

– The feeding or disturbing of animals is a serious offence. Remember, animals see litter as food!

– Vehicles of a carrying capacity exceeding 4 000kg, buses or any vehicles with more than 25 seats, are restricted to the tar roads.

KZN health MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu has called for stricter security after a foreign national was shot dead at a hospital in Durban.
Image: Phasut Waraphisit via 123RF
A patient who was killed execution style at a Durban hospital on Friday evening has been identified as a foreign national.

According to KwaZulu-Natal health MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu, two armed men stormed past Clairwood hospital security and allegedly shot the man in the head at point blank range, in full view of other patients and staff.

They escaped in their vehicle by pointing guns at the hospital security guards, who tried to contain them by shutting the main gates.

The patient, a foreign national, was being treated for previous gunshot wounds, and had been transferred from King Edward VIII hospital to Clairwood on December 23, for wound care and rehabilitation.Simelane-Zulu said: “We are obviously shocked at this brazen display of violence right inside a health care facility. It is a flagrant disregard for the law, and a display of the ruthlessness of the criminal element in our society.

“Although it is not always possible to predict an incident of this nature, which appears well-planned, the fact that these perpetrators were able to escape without getting apprehended by security or law enforcement does call into question our preparedness as a department to react effectively to such acts.

“It means that our system is not as effective as we would have liked to think.

“Notwithstanding the fact that these people were armed, and that they also threatened our security guards, we should have had a system in place that ought to have made it difficult for them to get away.

“We will have to urgently re-look at our security protocols and make improvements as far as possible, within our limited financial means,” she said.

The department has offered counselling to staff and patients who witnessed the incident.

KZN police have confirmed that the car that was set on fire in Pietermaritzburg on Friday was stolen
Image: Supplied
A woman was hijacked, cars were burnt, firearms illegally discharged and tyres spun in Pietermaritzburg on Friday allegedly as a tribute to a dead robber.

The man, whose identity is not known, was to be buried on Saturday.

Police had their hands full containing the “lawlessness” that prevailed over two days.

KwaZulu-Natal provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Khombinkosi Jula warned: “Firm action will be taken to those who are found to be in possession of unlicensed firearms at the funeral and also those that use their legal firearms to fire gun salutes.”

Police spokesperson Capt Nqobile Gwala said there was a heavy police presence at Grange, Pietermaritzburg, to contain the situation, prevent criminal activities and arrest all those who commit criminal acts.

“This also includes searching suspicious people, vehicles and all those who will be found breaking the law will be dealt with harshly.

“Police will also be checking for stolen cars that are used for the spinning of tyres at the funeral.”Jula said three men aged between 40 and 45 were arrested on Friday for illegal possession of a firearm, discharging of a firearm as well as spinning a vehicle on the road surface.

“Another two suspects were arrested for an attempted carjacking at Pelham today. One of the suspects was found in possession of an unlicensed firearm. More arrests are expected,” he said.

Gwala said a woman was hijacked on Friday afternoon by two armed men.

“At gunpoint they forced her out of the vehicle and threw her handbag on the ground before fleeing the scene. The vehicle was later found burnt in Grange area.

“In another incident yesterday at 8pm, the complainant parked his vehicle at Pietermaritz Street. When he returned at 9.40pm, he discovered that his vehicle was missing. He immediately contacted the police and it was established that his vehicle was burnt at Slangspruit.”

Charges of carjacking and vehicle theft are being investigated.

A two-year-old Graaff-Reinet boy has died after his mother allegedly reversed her car into him, Eastern Cape police said on Saturday.

Police spokesperson Captain Bradley Rawlinson confirmed they were investigating a case of culpable homicide following the boy’s death around 17:30 on Thursday.

“It is alleged that a two-year-old child was killed when the child’s mother reversed her vehicle, not knowing the child was behind the car, causing serious injury to the child,” said Rawlinson.

The child was taken to Midlands Hospital but was certified dead on arrival.

Investigations are under way, and no arrests have been made as yet, he said.

All hair relaxers sold locally would be classed as dangerous if they were subject to workplace legislation.

The Occupational Health and Safety Act says any alkaline substance with a pH value of 11.5 or above is hazardous and corrosive.

A new analysis of 121 hair relaxers sold in SA found a minimum pH value of 11.75 and a maximum of 13.17.

The average was 12.34.

Scientists from the hair and skin research laboratory at the University of Cape Town, who reported their findings in the December edition of the SA Medical Journal, say the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act should be amended so that it regulates relaxers.

“The cosmetics regulatory framework has no pH restrictions for relaxers. There is a need for this framework to be revised,” said Nonhlanhla Khumalo, head of dermatology at UCT’s medical school.

The hair and skin research laboratory at the University of Cape Town tested 121 hair relaxers that they bought from Cape Town shops.The strong alkalis used in hair relaxers – usually sodium hydroxide – are present in greater concentration than in household cleaning products, they found. “Bleach has a pH of about 11, oven cleaners about 12 and drain cleaners 12-13. The pH of products used by women with afro-textured hair and on children is, therefore, equivalent to that of drain cleaners,” researchers said.

Khumalo has campaigned for safer cosmetic products aimed at black women for more than a decade, and said in the new paper that 78% of black schoolgirls and 49.2% of black women used relaxers.

They were strongly associated with hair loss (alopecia), as well as scalp irritation, burns, scarring and allergic reactions, she said. Khumalo and colleagues Ntombi Sishi and Jennifer van Wyk found that 68 of the 76 sodium hydroxide relaxers on the market – including four targeted at children – were not packaged with a neutralising shampoo.