A six-year-old boy has been found alive and unhurt but in a weak state. Stock image.
Image: 123rf.com/Thongruay Jinnaritt
A six-year-old Eastern Cape boy who was reported missing on Monday has been found alive and unhurt but in a weak state, police said on Saturday.

Police spokesperson Brig Tembinkosi Kinana said the boy was found late on Friday afternoon in an open field in a valley in the eMaXesibeni area (formerly called Mount Ayliff).

He was rushed to a nearby hospital for a medical examination. He is expected to be reunited with his family once he is discharged from the hospital.

The boy, Khanide Nyikinya, was reported missing on Monday at about 5pm from his home in Bhakubha administrative area, Tabankulu.

“The police in concert with local communities immediately started with the search in Tabankulu and surrounding villages,” Kinana said.

He said that a police helicopter, K9 and mounted units, as well as other forces, had been deployed to search for the child. After a lengthy and intensive search the boy was found at about 5pm on Friday “unhurt, alive but looking weak”.

“Due to the fact that he went without food for such a long period, he has been rushed to a nearby hospital for medical examination.”

Eastern Cape acting police commissioner Maj-Gen Andre Swart expressed his gratitude to all role players including members of the community whom he said had played an “immense” role in the search operation.

Two-month-old Kwahlelo Tiwane was allegedly kidnapped by a woman representing herself as a social worker.
Image: Supplied by SAPS.
Western Cape police are searching for a twin baby boy who was allegedly kidnapped in Parow on Thursday by a woman claiming to be a social worker.

According to police spokesperson Col Andrè Traut, a mother of two-month-old twin boys was approached by the suspect at her residence in Khayelitsha on Wednesday.

“She asked for the baby’s birth certificate, clinic card and she made herself copies. The suspect returned the next day and accompanied the mother and the children in a taxi to Parow where she told the mother her office was. After stopping at the alleged office the suspect got out of the vehicle with the one twin and fled with the child,” Traut said.

He said the circumstances surrounding the kidnapping of the baby were being investigated and that police were seeking the assistance of the public to help find him.

“If you know the whereabouts of two-month-old Kwahlelo Tiwane who was kidnapped on January 16 in Parow, kindly establish contact with Detective Sergeant Joy Sumsodien of the Bellville FCS on 0825221095 or Crime Stop on 0860010111.”

Rescuers had to abseil 30 metres down into a valley to rescue a woman who fell off a bridge outside Durban.
Image: via Facebook
A 20-year-old woman died in hospital on Saturday morning after sustaining critical injuries when she fell off the ledge of the N3 bridge near Giba Gorge outside Durban on Friday night.

Earlier it was speculated that Andile Meyiwa was thrown off the bridge during an argument with her boyfriend.

However police issued a statement on Saturday afternoon stating that Meyiwa had fallen off the bridge and that no foul play was suspected in her death.

“Meyiwa of Nqeto Reserve together with her two 18-year-old friends left home and proceeded to Durban to inquire at colleges for further education.

“At about 18:00 the same day, they decided to go home. They hitchhiked a lift in a blue VW Golf with unknown registration. En route the driver offered the three girls alcohol which they consumed,” KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Col Thembeka Mbele said.

The three women then decided to get out of the vehicle.

“The vehicle drove away, leaving the girls. The deceased then phoned her boyfriend to pick them up from the N3. The boyfriend suggested that they walk towards the toll plaza where it would be convenient to be picked up. By this time the girls were intoxicated,” Mbele said.

Meyiwa then got onto the ledge of the bridge and jokingly told her friends that she would jump off the bridge.

“The two friends continued to walk leaving the deceased to walk on the ledge of the bridge. The two friends stopped and told the deceased to get off and they proceeded. The deceased then fell off the bridge into the gorge below,” Mbele said.

Durban search and rescue unit and several other private rescue teams were called out for the high angle rescue.

“Rescuers abseiled down 30 metres to the valley below, locating the victim. Paramedics stabilised her before being hauled up via a rope rescue system in a rescue stokes basket.

“She was transported to hospital for further treatment, but unfortunately died in the early hours of this morning,” a police source said.

Mbele said Meyiwa’s mother reported the incident to Hillcrest police on Saturday morning.

“The statements from the two friends were obtained. Next of kin informed. No foul play suspected at this stage.”

Rescue Video https://youtu.be/hFUrOsANkLk Boyfriend throws girlfriend off N3 bridge near Giba Gorge during an incident…

Posted by Community News Network TV on Friday, January 17, 2020

“Get out of the car, get out of the car,” suspected hijackers shouted, moments before shooting dead a woman in cold blood at a shopping centre in Johannesburg on Friday evening.

The woman has been identified as the daughter of retired reverend Tony Simpson from the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika (NHKA).

“Reverend Tony Simpson’s daughter, Daleen, was murdered during a hijacking last night.

“May the grace and comfort of the Lord carry them through this difficult time,” the church said on its Facebook page.

Honeydew Community Police Forum spokesperson Michael Steyn told TimesLIVE that they responded to the shooting at the Eagle’s Landing shopping centre in Randpark Ridge in Johannesburg at 9.45pm on Friday.

Paramedics were already on the scene attending to a woman who had been shot, Steyn said.

Steyn said the woman’s husband told them the assailants shouted: “Get out of the car, get out of the car!”

“She was killed outside of the car, so we are suspecting that it was an attempted hijacking gone wrong because they didn’t get away with the car. Further investigation into the matter will reveal the real cause,” Steyn said.

Steyn said the shooting happened in the parking lot of the centre and not at a pizza place as reported on social media.

“Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of the victim.”

Gauteng police could not immediately comment on the matter.

A grade 8 pupil from Parktown Boys’ High School died during a school orientation camp.
Image: Sebabatso Mosamo
Enoch Mpianzi, 13, died during his grade 8 orientation camp. He was a pupil at Parktown Boys’ High in Johannesburg.

While all the details surrounding his death are the subject of an investigation this is what we know so far.

The camp was held at the Nyati Bush and River Breakaway in Brits, North West.

The Gauteng education department said Mpianzi had completed grade 7 at Brixton Primary School in 2019. He and his family were originally from the northern DRC. It was not immediately clear when they arrived in SA.About 200 pupils attended the camp. About 3pm on Wednesday, some of the pupils took part in a team building exercise that required them to build a makeshift raft and float on a river. The raft that Mpianzi and others were on overturned and there was a strong current.

That was the last time that he was reportedly seen alive.

After the rafting activity, some pupils went on a hike not realising that Mpianzi was missing.

Late on Wednesday, classmates booked in the same room as him noticed his luggage was left unattended.

It is unclear if they raised concerns at that time with teachers or camp officials.

According to the school and police, it was only on Thursday that they confirmed somebody was missing.

School officials were initially not sure who was missing and called parents of grade 8 pupils who had registered for the camp but did not attend. Some had decided not to go as they could not afford the trip. It was not a compulsory trip.

A search began but it was around 3pm on Thursday, about 24 hours after the river rafting outing, that a missing person’s report was made at the Assens police station in the North West.

Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi and his department were informed. Lesufi said on Friday: “We were only notified yesterday — late yesterday [Thursday].”

The department held back on announcing the child’s disappearance until his family had been notified and brought to the lodge.

Around 1am on Friday the search was postponed and resumed at 4am. Neighbouring farmers and residents arrived to help with the search. One provided an aircraft while others released drones, searching areas around the lodge.

The school posted a statement about Mpianzi’s disappearance on Facebook early on Friday. “Police search and rescue are on site and are already at work in the area of the river where a water activity was held after the boy’s arrival. The parents of the missing boy are at the venue.” Appeals were made for help to find the missing child.

Dam levels leading to the Crocodile river were lowered as the search continued.

About 11am, the body of Mpianzi was found by police divers — more than 40 hours after he was last seen alive. “Police said it was fortunate that the body did not go into the dam,” said Lesufi.

He could not confirm if Mpianzi or other pupils were wearing life jackets at the time or had been taken through safety precautions. But a representative of the lodge told radio 702 the children did not wear life jackets as they were supposed to be in shallow water.

The department has vowed to conduct an independent investigation into the circumstances of the child’s death.