Finding light in the dark of 2019
The year 2019 draws to a close and we look back with the thought of knowing that 2020 brings with it a chance at new beginnings, new challenges and new opportunities for growth.
With this in mind, we bring you the 12 highlights of 2019 from the pages of The North Coast Courier.
JANUARY: News broke that Africa’s first snow park would be constructed at the future Oceans Mall in Umhlanga. The project would cost some R1.8 billion and was scheduled to start in February.
FEBRUARY: Ndlondlo Reptile Park snake catcher, Janslang van Rooyen miraculously recovered after being bitten by a black mamba. Van Rooyen was preparing the snake to be photographed when something went wrong and he was bitten on the thumb. Luckily, he was able to walk out of the hospital the very next day.
MARCH: An Umdloti troop of some 40 monkeys were poisoned by a person who to this day remains unknown. Of the 22 monkeys captured, only nine survived.
APRIL: Salt Rock local and father, 57-year-old Andre Trichardt competed in his first ever Iron Man Challenge and was said to be at the peak of his fitness. During the swimming challenge he started experiencing difficulty and unfortunately, nobody made it to him in time. He died at the scene.
MAY: The tragic death of former Miss Ballito, Renalda Hoffman who died in a car accident. Paramedics at the time said that nothing could be done to save her. The 30-year-old was a well-known member of the Ballito community and was described as having a ‘larger-than-life’ personality.
JUNE: Internet sensation and Seatides local, ‘Warrapen Keegan’ burnt to death inside his father’s home. He shot to social media fame after a hilarious fight during which someone shouts “Warrapen Keegan?”
JULY: The N2 southbound was closed for nearly an entire evening following a fatal accident which claimed one life after a car collided with a truck. The N2 had to be closed while the LPG gas-carrying truck was decanted in fear of an explosion.
AUGUST: Dolphin Coast Taxi Association chairperson Cedric Ntombela was murdered in his car at Thembeni, outisde Groutville. He had been shot in the head multiple times. His killer was never found.
SEPTEMBER: Two men came to the rescue of a teen who nearly drowned at the Salt Rock main beach. Tommy van Staden and Tyrone West heard a girl screaming for help. On hearing her screams they pulled her up out of the water. It was suspected that she had been unconscious for 15 minutes. Today, all three are well and have recovered from the ordeal.
OCTOBER: Clinton Odayar had made it into the top five of the national Integrity Icon campaign. Odayar and his dog Dante have found many people who have gone missing locally and further afield. It was no surprise that he ended up winning the campaign, receiving a huge round of applause from colleagues and the North Coast community.
NOVEMBER: Having brought the 2019 Rugby World Cup home, the Springboks arrived at the King Shaka International Airport where a large crowd of people had gathered to welcome them home, especially local resident Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira.
DECEMBER: A Ballito estate agent was lured into a show-house under pretense that a customer was interested in buying the house. He instead bound, gagged and choked her to the point of unconsciousness before robbing her. He was later arrested.
The news may not always be pretty, but The North Coast Courier has reported extensively on North Coast activities since being founded by Bruce and Rose Stephenson in 1985. As a pillar of the North Coast community, The Courier will continue to do just that. We wish our readers and holidaymakers a happy Festive Season and everything of the best for the year ahead.
