Looking back on South Coast history: December 24 to 31

Not a good start to the Christmas festivities.

December 24

1999
“Holidaymakers are being stranded on the coast after a bogus booking agent has made off with their money” and “Six people have died in road accidents on the South Coast during the past week.”

December 25

1992
“Three children playing in their grandfather’s garden in Uvongo uncovered a cache of six old landmines last Thursday. Police experts say they had been buried for at least four years.”

December 27

1996
“What started off as a slow and even disappointing season seems to be taking off at last.”

December 29

1995
“The Network of Independent Monitors has called for an independent investigation into the attacks which have claimed the lives of at least 32 people at Nsimbeni, Mvutshini and Shobashobane in the past two weeks. In the latest attack – in broad daylight on Christmas Day – at least 14 people died, including the local ANC leader and a 16-month-old child. Twelve others are known to have been injured and 14 people, including a 96-year-old woman, are missing.”

An eyewitness report ran: “The men started shooting, then the women started burning the houses. The women were shouting: ‘Kill the women!’ After the shooting, people were mutilated and they removed some parts of the people’s bodies – hands, intestines and private parts – probably for muti. The community had not noticed an impi coming so we couldn’t hide. While they were coming in, a second lot came from Izingolweni. The community fled.”

Deputy President Thabo Mbeki visited the refugees of Christmas Day’s violence, who were being housed at Hlanganani Prep School at St Katharine’s Church in Port Shepstone.

And Practical Ministries, ‘shocked and appalled’ by yet another massacre, recalled all its workers from their Christmas celebrations in order to provide aid for the Shobashobane refugees.

There was just one bit of good news… “No deaths from road accidents were reported in the past week.”

2000
“Members of the Gamalakhe Taxi Owners Association went to Margate taxi rank last Thursday and allegedly attacked members of the Bambanani TA, demanding that they be allowed to transport passengers to Port Shepstone.”

And… “For the second time the Hibiscus Coast Municipality mayoral vote was deadlocked 29-all between the African National Congress candidate, Nolwazi Shusha and the Inkatha Freedom Party candidate, Lynett Zwane.”

Cholera claimed another life in southern KwaZulu-Natal, where a 28-year-old woman died of the disease. This brought the total fatalities to 10 in this region.

December 30

1994
“Water supplied from the Umtamvuna Water Treatment Works was cut off from south of Southbroom to Port Edward on Tuesday at about 4.30pm and some homes did not receive clean potable water until Wednesday evening.”

December 31

1993
“A ski-boat passenger was seriously injured after he was thrown in the air when the boat met a large freak wave while launching at Glenmore beach on Monday.”

1999

“The man charged with two counts of murder for the deaths of Rose and Clem Baiocchi appeared before magistrate Piet Coetzer yesterday and pleaded not guilty.”

And… “Ramsgate restaurants, housewives baking Christmas goodies and people watching the 8pm news were plunged into darkness last Wednesday night. Some consumers were without electricity for almost 24 hours.”

But, by way of consolation… “South Coast region is Y2K compliant.”

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