News of yesteryear
These were some of the local stories making headlines in years gone by.
This week we look back at the Herald of June 28, 1996.
• Search is on for little girl’s family
A 10-year-old girl who stayed alone on the Weltevreden dumping site for nearly three days is being cared for by a family in Crystal Park, Benoni, who are anxious to trace her family.
When Annetjie Roets went to the site on a routine trip for her business, she was horrified to find the child shivering and hungry.
The child could not speak English or Afrikaans, but with the help of her employees, Annetjie was able to establish that the child’s name is Nontombi and that she had walked from the Springs Station after spending two days there, waiting to be fetched.
She says she went by train from Daveyton to Springs with her uncle, who was going to take her to Pretoria.
She was told by him to wait and that he would return shortly.
He never did.
Annetjie took the little girl home, gave her food and clothes, and contacted the police and child welfare.
But, three weeks later, no one has come forward to claim the little girl.
“It is awful to think maybe her mother doesn’t even know she is missing and thinks she has gone to Pretoria,” said Annetjie.
Nontombi is a very different child to the one who was found crying and in a nervous state at the dumping site.
This week she was playing happily at the home of Annetjie and her husband, Koos.
“She hasn’t yet recovered from her terrible hunger and eats a lot,” said Annetjie.
“But I would love to see her reunited with her mother.”
Read: News of yesteryear
• Six-man gang hits on service station
Six men, armed with AK47s, entered a local service station at 6am on Saturday, held the manager and his wife at gunpoint and stole cash and goods.
The items taken include watches and a cellphone.
The men fled in a car parked around the corner from the garage.
No arrests have been made.
• SPCA will soon move to new premises
After several years of uncertainty and battling for survival, construction has started on new premises for the Brakpan SPCA.
A wall was erected around the 7 500sq metre site on Heidelberg Road last year, and water and electricity have now been laid on.
Now, two years after the SPCA was forced to move after its original premises were vandalised, there is an atmosphere of jubilation among the staff and the many Brakpan residents who feared the organisation might have to close because of lack of funds and proper premises.
The former Brakpan Town Council donated the new premises.
Although the annual donation to the society has been halted, the present council came to the rescue of the SPCA by granting it 90 per cent of the earnings from dog licences.
• Koue hou inbrekers by die huis
Slegs vyf gevalle van huisbraak is gedurende die afgelope naweek by die polisie aangemeld.
Twee motorvoertuie is oor die naweek gesteel end twee gevalle van diefstal uit motorvoertuie is aangemeld.
Lede van die SAPD en die Benoni Honde-eenheid het ook Mandagoggend twee mense gearrester nadat daar 24 eenhede kokaïne in hul besit gevind is.
• Malope wows the locals
Cold weather didn’t deter hundreds of fans of Rebecca Malope from attending her concert at the Brakpan Town Hall on Saturday night.
Malope, recognised by many as the queen of gospel music in South Africa, had the audience eating out of her hands.
The four-hour show was a huge success and a fitting start to the Tsakane Choir’s tour with Malope.
Have a story?
Contact the newsroom by emailing: Thelma Koorts (editor) brakpanherald@caxton.co.za
or Stacy Slatter (news editor) stacys@caxton.co.za
or Miné Fourie (journalist) minev@caxton.co.za
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