See the news highlights for September 2013
It was an eventful month in terms of news, with attacks on citizens by the infamous TRT unit of the police to a death at one of the Lowveld's tourist attractions.
• September 3: The infamous “White Bitch” saga made the headlines at the change of the seasons. A woman was hit on the chest by a member of the Tactical Response Unit (TRT) with an assault rifle for no apparent reason. The officer also called her a white bitch. The incident occurred while she was accompanying her husband on a house hunt. The victim had laid charges of assault against the officer and the case is currently ongoing.
• September 6: The Lebombo border between South Africa and Mozambique came under the spotlight when it was discovered that this post had become the proverbial highway of crime between the neighbouring countries. Researchers from the international organization End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (Ecpat) announced reports of up to 30 cases per day involving trafficking of children for the sex trade through this border.
• September 10: A matric pupil from Thulamahashe sadly plummeted to his death at the popular tourist attraction “The Three Rondawels”. His body could only be recovered the following day. The boy fell more than 200 metres and died on impact. A military helicopter was used to retrieve the body.
• September 13: Ultra rich families in Maputo have been targeted by kidnappers and forced to pay ransom demands of millions in US$. This came to light after many wealthy families from that country fled to Mpumalanga to take refuge. It was speculated that the kidnappers were being assisted by someone inside the banks who fed them information on families with large accounts.
• September 17: The Lowveld’s ability to fight wildfires received an important boost with the arrival of the Air-Tractor 802F which was flown in from Spain to Nelspruit. Local pilot Rinus van Raaij spent six days flying the small aircraft over the African continent to its new home at the Nelspruit airfield. The aircraft will form an important part in the fight against runaway wildfires.
• September 20: Two “Starsky and Hutch” detectives traced cargo stolen from Durban Harbour which led to a dramatic bust in the heart of the Lowveld. Whisky to the value of R1, 3 million was recovered and six suspects were arrested in the bust by Detective Sergeant Gerrie le Grange and his partner Sergeant Michael Horn.
• September 24: A year after the tragic accident between a train and a truck in Hectorspruit which claimed the lives of 26 people, Transnet honoured its promise to provide continuous support to all the families affected by the tragedy. The company donated R500 000 in capital and R147 000 in groceries to all the families.
• September 27: Trans African Concessions (TRAC) bid farewell to its long-standing CEO, Mr Arthur Coy who served the company for a decade at its helm. Coy had some health concerns during the year which were in part responsible for his resignation.
