THE Berea Mail has reported on a number of incidents which have shocked, outraged and amazed the Berea community.

Here, in no particular order of importance, are the top three stories covered by the Berea Mail journalists in 2019.

Hijackers take Berea mum and son on nightmare drive

A MOTHER and her son were taken on a nightmare drive by hijackers who held up the woman outside a Berea residential property on 13 September.

The hijackers accosted the victims at around 7pm.

The mother was parked outside the property waiting for her son. Withing minutes of the son climbing into the vehicle with his mother, a second vehicle pulled up behind them and two suspects alighted the vehicle and hijacked the mother and son.

The mother and her son were fortunately later found unharmed in Umlazi where the suspects abandoned the vehicle.

The arrest of former Durban Mayor Zandile Gumede

Earlier this year the former mayor of eThekwini Municipality, Zandile Gumede was linked to the infamous R208-million Durban Solid Waste tender fraud case.

She faced charged of racketeering, fraud and corruption.

In May she was released on R50 000 bail.

In June the African National Congress (ANC) asked Zandile to take a 30-day leave of absence while the party investigated the allegations lodged against her.

She was set to return to her duties on 10 July, however, the ANC extended her leave shortly before the date until the ANC Provincial Executive Committee could meet in early August to make its final decision on whether to reinstate the embattled mayor.

During that time there had been numerous calls from both the public, the opposition party, the Democratic Alliance and civic bodies for Zandile to step down.

In August she had resigned, however, to much shock and outrage when she withdrew her letter of resignation a few days later.

In September, however, former Transport Minister, Mxolisi Kaunda was inducted as the new Durban Mayor.

The DSW fraud case was postponed to 15 January 2020.

Cable car transportation plan for Durban

Last year the proposal for an urban cable car transportation network in Durban was announced.

It was met with both enthusiasm and optimism from the community.

Urban regeneration specialist and Berea-based investor, Jonny Friedman said Durban – with its valleys and hills – was an ideal location for the transportation system.

“The city would need to conduct a formal research and viability study, but we suggest the first cable car lines should connect The Point, South Beach and Florida Road,” he said.

The aim of the project is said to make Durban a better place to live, work and visit while at simultaneously creating employment.

Friedman also said the project would require a public/private collaboration and partnership to ensure that it was commercially self-sustaining over a long term, but the pilot would offer Durbanites the opportunity to test and become familiar with the concept of cable cars as a form of transportation.

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