• On July 4, residents learnt of a brutal attack on an old lady who lived alone in the Avalon area. Gogo Moja, as she is affectionately known, was attacked in her home by an unknown man on June 29. It is said the attacker used a brick to bludgeon her face. When residents stumbled upon her, she was covered in blood all over her face. She was then taken to the Middelburg Provincial Hospital for urgent medical care.

• On July 11, we learnt of the inspirational story of a 19-year-old boy who, despite having only one leg, was making waves on the tennis court. Samkelo Molopo had been playing tennis for over seven years in a wheelchair. His mother came forward asking generous Middelburgers to assist with donations for a wheelchair so that he could keep on competing, without having to worry about borrowing a wheelchair during competitions.

• On July 18, at around 05:00, residents learnt about the horrific crash that occurred at the intersection of Mandela Drive and Cowen Ntuli Street, which claimed three lives. The accident involved a Sprinter minibus, a Quantum minibus, and a mine bakkie. The chaotic crash left the street closed for hours. The two men lost their lives while on their way to work at SG Coal, and the third victim, a woman, was reportedly also on her way to work at Andru Mining Operations at NBC Colliery.