Celani Sikhakhane brings you KwaZulu-Natal’s latest news.
Osizweni: Icebolethu Funeral Group has denied claims that bricks were found in the coffin of Zion Bishop Elijah Nkonyeni instead of his body. The funeral group said the bishop’s body was never missing and that he was buried according to the family’s wishes. Icebolethu said it followed all legal processes, including a court order served on the company. The group said it would not comment further because police are still investigating the matter. The court interdict was brought by Dolly Nkonyeni, the bishop’s legal wife, who married him in community of property in 1988 and was never divorced from him. A second woman, Priscilla Sizeni Mazibuko, known as MaKhuzwayo, was living with Nkonyeni in eThekwini at the time of his death. She allegedly made the funeral arrangements without involving Dolly or the bishop’s family.
Durban: KwaZulu-Natal police say safety plans are in place for the 2026 Comrades Marathon. More than 21,000 runners are expected to take part in the 99th edition of the race. The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure said it wants another incident-free race. Police said the Comrades Marathon Association, eThekwini Metro and uMngungundlovu traffic officials have already communicated road closures. Road users have been urged to cooperate with law enforcement officers during the marathon weekend. The full route has been declared a no-fly zone. Only authorised aircraft and drones will be allowed to fly.
Zululand: The KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Durban has convicted three people for the kidnapping and murder of British botanists Dr Rodney Saunders and Dr Rachel Saunders. Fatima Bibi Patel, Sayefudeen Aslam Del Vecchio and Musa Jackson were convicted of kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances, theft and two counts of murder. Del Vecchio was also convicted of malicious damage to property. The Saunders couple were kidnapped and murdered between 8 and 14 February 2018 in the Ngoya Forest in Zululand. They had travelled there to search for rare seeds after filming a BBC documentary in the Drakensberg. The court heard that the accused robbed the couple of their belongings and used their phones to access banking apps. They carried out transactions and cash withdrawals of more than R700,000. The couple’s bodies were found a week later on the banks of the Tugela River.
Pictured above: Icebolethu Funeral Group says no bricks were found in Zion Bishop Elijah Nkonyeni’s coffin and his body is not missing.
Image source: Icebolethu Funeral Group
