A new born baby was found on a trail alongside a railway line in Hillcrest near Stonewall Road this morning.

Two gentlemen walking along the trail found a packet in the middle of the path and noticed the new born. They quickly alerted the police, who notified ER24 and VEMA. Paramedics had to walk about two hundred meters before they reached the new born. Under closer investigation they found a baby boy inside a plastic packet. The new born could have not been a few hours old. Unfortunately the little boy had already passed away from possible hypothermia and blood loss.

SAPS from Hillcrest will be investigating the incident further.

Derrick Banks, ER24

ER24 paramedics from Pietermaritzburg were called by the community to the scene and were shown were the baby was found. Paramedics found the baby boy who is to believe to be about two months old, unresponsive. Unfortunately there was nothing paramedics could do to save the baby and he was declared deceased on the scene.

The circumstance around the death of the baby is unknown but the local SAPS were informed and would be investigating the scene further.

Derrick Banks, ER24

Jaco du Toit, 45, appeared in a special Pretoria Magistrate’s Court yesterday where he pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder.

According to the state, Du Toit – who pleaded self-defence – allegedly assaulted Koos Vermeulen, 62, after an apparent road-rage incident on the corner of De Villebois Mareuil Drive and Delmas Road.

Vermeulen died in the Kloof Hospital on Wednesday morning.

The court heard in a statement read by Du Toit’s lawyer, Marius van Huysteen, that he acted in self-defence as Vermeulen had started the fight. According to the statement, Du Toit left the scene when employees transported by Vermeulen jumped off the vehicle Vermeulen was driving and tried to assist him (Vermeulen). Du Toit claims he drove straight to the Silverton police station, where a case of assault was opened.

The court further heard that Du Toit is married, has two small children and that he is the only breadwinner. Van Huysteen – who had proposed an amount of R5 000 for bail – was told that the court was not satisfied with the amount, due to the seriousness of the case.

Bail was set at R20 000 on condition that Du Toit does not interfere with state witnesses should they be known to him. He is expected back in court on June 9. [Story by Yolande Du Preez, Pretoria News]

An Incident occurred this afternoon in an unknown suburb of George. The ER24 emergency control room received a call that shots had been fired at a nearby housing complex and that paramedics are required at the scene.

When the paramedics arrived at the scene they found two people in the bedroom of an apartment. Unfortunately both male and female patients had sustained fatal gun shot wounds to the head and were later declared dead at the scene. The two people deceased are allegedly related to each other. Residents living close to the building where the incident occurred allege hearing an argument before the shots were fired.

With the facts surrounding the incident still unclear, the appropriate authority will be investigating the incident.

Andre Visser

ER24

Walmer Country Club manager Jan Gerrit Hoekstra was on his way to the bank at about 10:00 on Monday when he was attacked on 9th Avenue in Walmer, said Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg.

“A shot was fired by the suspect who tried to hijack his Opel Astra and he sped away. His car hit another motor vehicle slightly, he swerved to the side and hit a tree on the corner of 8th Avenue and Heugh Road.

“The incident was first treated as an accident scene, until paramedics noticed that he had a gunshot wound in his upper body while they were treating him. He later died on the scene,” Janse van Rensburg said.

She said nothing was taken from Hoekstra as his money and other valuables were found in the car.

Police were investigating, said Janse van Rensburg.

- SAPA

This follows the killing of a British tourist at the weekend after she and her husband were hijacked in Gugulethu on Saturday night. The newly-wed couple, who arrived in Cape Town on Friday, were on honeymoon.

“We are appealing to the tourism industry and the public to be vigilant around tourism safety, and to caution visitors not to enter unfamiliar areas, especially at night,” Cape Town mayoral committee member for economic development and tourism, Felicity Purchase, said in a statement issued by Cape Town Tourism (CTT).

In a separate statement, Cape Town Mayor Dan Plato said he was outraged by the killing.

“I am outraged at this disgraceful, wanton act of violence. The unnecessary loss of life is a blow to all Capetonians and South Africans and we are all deeply saddened and troubled by it.

“An incident such as this tarnishes our city’s reputation as a tourist destination, and it will have a negative ripple effect which we will all feel.”

Plato said he had instructed the city’s metro police to supply the SA Police Service “with all the assistance that they may require to speedily close this case”.

CTT CEO Mariette du Toit-Helmbold called on the public to warn visitors to the city about the dangers of walking its streets after dark.

“We are appealing to the public to extend the hospitality we showed visitors during the World Cup by taking joint responsibility for tourism safety, especially over the next few months.

“Capetonians are asked to assist in warning tourists about the dangers of walking around with obvious valuables on their person, and to steer them away from walking around alone after dark,” she said.

Also view:

• Road Safety Advice for Foreigners driving in South Africa

ER24 paramedics were called to the scene of suspected mugging on the corners or Bombay and Old Grey Road. It is believed that a young woman in her late twenties, was walking up to New Grey Road when two unknown men approached her. It is further believed that the 21 year old man saw them apparently hassling the young lady, and he went over to see if he could assist her.

The men then allegedly shot the man, and wounded him in his stomach. Sadly, he was declared dead at the scene due to the severity of the injury.

The woman was in shock, but she refused to be taken to hospital as she had not sustained any physical injury.

The Northdale Police attended the scene, and will be investigating the incident.

Vanessa Jackson
ER24

ER24 paramedics rushed to the scene and found the young man lying in the middle of the road. Under closer investigation, paramedics found the man had suffered massive lacerations and was lying in a pool of blood. The man was declared deceased by emergency personnel due to fatal injuries that he had sustained.

SAPS were on the scene and would be investigating the brutal attack further.

Derrick Banks
ER24

When ER24 paramedics arrived at the scene friends and concerned members of the community had already flocked to the scene. Everybody’s suspicions were later confirmed as paramedics declare the two boys, aged four and seven, and their father dead at the scene.
Grief stricken members of the community told paramedics that the wife of the deceased men had passed away two years ago and that the man was struggling with personal complications. The neighbor who made the shocking discovery told paramedics that he had last made contact with the man at 11am and could hear that something was troubling him.

ER24 paramedics promptly arranged on scene trauma counseling for all the affected community members and stood by at the scene as the investigation process continued.

Andre Visser

ER24

The twenty nine year old woman was allegedly walking on a pathway between two churches near Long Market Street, accompanied by her two young children, a boy and girl aged between six and ten years old. It is believed that an unknown person then approached the woman and allegedly began stabbing her.

The woman’s two small children fled the scene into one of the church’s yards and alerted the church members. ER24 paramedics were called to the scene, and sadly, the womans wounds were fatal, and she was declared deceased on the scene. It appeared that she had sustained multiple stab-like wounds to her chest.

Family members arrived on scene, and the woman’s sister was absolutely distraught. She and the two children were consoled by other family members as well as church members.

It is unclear as to the motive of this very tragic incident, but the Loop Street SAP were on scene.

It is also unclear as to what the fate of the deceased woman’s two young children will be.

Vanessa Jackson
ER24