Celani Sikhakhane brings you KwaZulu-Natal’s latest news.
Hillcrest: People got angry during the Comrades Marathon on Sunday when four Israeli soldiers joined the race. The race went from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, and the drama started as the runners passed Hillcrest. Members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and other groups that support Palestine were waiting. They shouted and held signs to protest against the soldiers. EFF spokesperson in KwaZulu-Natal, Chris Msibi, said they knew the soldiers were coming. “We saw four Israeli mercenaries in the race. We thank the police for keeping everyone safe and helping us with the protest,” said Msibi. Wendy Kahn, national director of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies, said the targeting of Israeli runners during the Comrades Marathon was “harassment” and “reprehensible”. She slammed the African National Congress Youth League in KwaZulu-Natal for naming athletes and publishing their race numbers, calling it “a form of doxing”. Kahn said it was “deeply disturbing” that only Israeli runners were singled out, while participants from countries like Russia were left alone.
Nquthu: On Monday, people in Nquthu, a small town in the north of KwaZulu-Natal, marched through the rain to protest poor service delivery. They say the local government has failed them for too long. The town is known for its history with the Zulus, British and Boers. But locals say there is not enough basic service, like clean water and proper roads. The protest was led by local African National Congress and South African National Civic Organisation leaders. One of the organisers, Lucky Hlatshwayo, said: “We are tired. The municipality is not doing its job.”
Richmond: A police truck carrying prisoners crashed on Monday morning near Richmond, close to Pietermaritzburg. The truck was on its way to Kokstad when it hit a guardrail and turned over. The crash injured both the police officers and the people being transported. Luckily, everyone survived. Four other police vehicles were following the truck and helped secure the scene. All the prisoners stayed in custody.
Pictured above: EFF KZN stage a peaceful protest against the participation of Israel Soldiers at the 98th Comrades Marathon on Sunday.
Image source: EFF KZN
