A chilling armed robbery caught on camera, a high school boy whose dance moves got the country jiving and a hippo wandering around Cape Town – these were Caxton Local News’ most-read video articles this year. 

• In a terrifying incident captured on CCTV, two robbers stormed into a Klerksdorp home where three friends were gathered. One of the friends was shot in the face. 

More (in Afrikaans) here: Klerksdorp-pa tydens gewapende roof in gesig geskiet

• Daniël Cronje’s dancing skills showcased the spirit of ubuntu that makes South Africa special. Cronje was dancing in the build-up to Hoërskool Middelburg’s Noordvaal semi-final clash against HTS Middelburg. 

Watch the video here: Viral video: Middelburg learner shows off his dancing skills – and South Africa loves it!

• A high-speed chase resulted in a suspect crashing on the N1 in Pretoria. A shootout shortly thereafter resulted in the fatal killing of the suspect. The incident was caught on the dashcam of a security officer’s vehicle. 

Read the full article and watch the video here: Video: High-speed chase in Pretoria ends in fatal shooting

• On December 25, 2023, residents in Mbombela were awoken by gunshots around 02:00. Later that same day, family and friends of Ilonka Craucamp and Shauwn Pretorius became worried when they could not reach them. Their bodies were discovered with gunshot wounds later that night. 

Here is a podcast in Afrikaans detailing the unsolved murder: [Video] Dubbelmoord op Mbombela: Hier is wat ons weet   

• A hippo caused a stir after it was spotted wandering the streets of Grassy Park in Cape Town in April. It was later established that the animal had escaped from a nearby nature reserve. 

Watch the video here: Watch: Hippo delights Cape Town’s Grassy Park residents

• A tornado caused widespread damage in parts of Durban in June.

Watch the destruction here: WATCH | Destructive winds wreak havoc in Durban

• A crocodile was spotted in a dam near eMalahleni. The reptile was captured and relocated to the Loskop Dam Nature Reserve. 

Watch the video here: Watch: Crocodile caught in Mpumalanga dam

• How many men do you need to remove a python from a pond? When a large rock python was spotted in a pond on a game farm, a group of men decided to pull it out to measure it. Five men were left eating dust and the length of the python is still a mystery. 

Watch the video here: Watch: 5 men versus a python – who wins? 

• The horror of an elephant attacking a game-viewing vehicle in Zambia was caught on camera. Sadly, an American tourist passed away during the incident. 

Watch the video and read more here: Video: American woman killed by charging elephant in Zambia

• CCTV camera footage shows how a fatal accident happened in Brits. Court proceedings have now started against a teenager, alleged to have been the driver of the vehicle that caused the crash. 

Read more about the incident and watch the video here: Video: Cover up? VIP protection officer’s son finally in North West court