News

News flashes - February 09, 2010

February 09, 2010 Edition 1

Shack fires claim two children

A baby girl and a teenage boy died in shack fires in Cullinan, Tshwane, at the weekend, police said yesterday. "A baby girl, about 18 months old, was burnt to death in a shack fire in the early hours of Sunday morning," said spokesman Johannes Jaftha. The baby's mother was not home because she was at hospital giving birth. She had left her three other children - all minors - in the care of their 18-year-old brother who slept in the shack next to them but could not save his baby sister. The baby's 11-year-old brother and eight-year-old sister were in hospital with serious burn wounds. About 24 hours later, in the early hours of yesterday morning, a 17-year-old boy was burnt to death in a shack fire in Refilwe, Cullinan. Police have opened inquest dockets to determine how the fires were caused. - Sapa

Paramedics help mom giving birth in car

A woman gave birth to a baby girl in the back of a car in Hillcrest yesterday morning, KwaZulu-Natal paramedics said. "The mother and baby are recovering well in hospital after giving birth in the back of a car this morning (Monday)," said ER24's Derrick Banks. Paramedics were stopped by members of the public who pointed out a car parked on the side of the road. "Paramedics approached the car and found a young pregnant female about to give birth." Banks said they helped the mother to deliver the baby in the back of the car. The mother and baby were transported to hospital by ambulance for further medical care.- Sapa

Crocodile bites woman fetching water

A woman has been bitten by a crocodile in the Nqoleni area, KwaZulu-Natal police said. "The woman was taken to hospital after she was bitten on her leg by a crocodile while fetching drinking water in the Umhlathuzi River," said Captain Tienkie van Vuuren. The incident happened on Sunday afternoon. - Sapa

American union in solidarity with Fawu

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) of North America has lent its support to striking Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) members striking at Amalgamated Beverage Industries in South Africa. Visiting officials from SEIU called on Coca-Cola to improve workers' conditions and pay. "We stand together with our brothers and sisters of Fawu in South Africa who, for five weeks, have been on strike protesting Coca-Cola ABI's ongoing practice of eroding workers' conditions and benefits through labour broking and the use of short-term contracts," SEIU president Andy Stern and SEIU secretary-treasurer Anna Berger said in a statement yesterday. They called on Coca-Cola ABI to pay the 9.5 percent wage increase demanded by its workers. - Sapa

Call to blacklist arms giant

President Jacob Zuma should ensure that arms giant BAE was blacklisted from all future government contracts in South Africa, arms deal activist Terry Crawford-Browne said in a letter to the president yesterday. Crawford-Browne also called for the summary cancellation of BAE's Hawk and Saab Gripen contracts with South Africa, and the appointment of a commission of inquiry. Zuma should make the announcements in his State of the Nation address on Thursday, Crawford-Browne said. - Sapa

Blaze at reserve closes mountain pass

The Franschhoek Pass was closed to traffic yesterday morning because of a fire that had been burning in the area since Friday. CapeNature warned motorists to stay clear of the pass. It said the blaze, reportedly started by workers using an open fire to cook food, had burnt about 4 800 hectares of the Jonkershoek and Hottentots Holland nature reserves over the past four days. - Sapa

Teens detained over girl's rape

Three teenage boys were arrested for allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl in Sharpeville, Gauteng police said yesterday. The three boys - one aged 14 and two aged 15 - were arrested on Sunday afternoon after dragging the girl to a shack in Tshepisong Extension One on Saturday and taking turns raping her, said Inspector Aubrey Moopeloa. - Sapa

Tough talk at Northern Cape ANC lekgotla

Lazy Northern Cape municipal mayors, councillors and school principals will be removed if they do not perform, the ANC threatened yesterday. Speaking on the outcomes of the party's provincial lekgotla, ANC Northern Cape secretary Zumani Saul said political office-bearers at municipalities, including municipal managers, "taking the ANC for a ride" would be removed. - Sapa

Team effort to arrest car thief

A 36-YEAR-OLD man was arrested after being caught by the owners of the car he allegedly stole in Ennerdale, Vereeniging police said yesterday. The man and an accomplice allegedly stole the VW Golf parked outside its owner's home on Sunday evening. The family's dogs started barking, alerting the owner's father. The father and the rest of the family got into another car and chased the alleged thieves until they abandoned the Golf. One of the suspects got away, but the one driving was caught and taken to the Ennerdale police station. - Sapa