Celani Sikhakhane brings you KwaZulu-Natal’s latest news.
Mfume: Two men have died after being bitten by a rabid dog, while five other family members fell ill from the disease, in the Ethenjane area of Mfume, south of KwaZulu-Natal.
This was revealed by KZN MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development Thembeni kaMadlopha-Mthethwa. The two men were exposed to the same dog on 4 July and later developed symptoms consistent with rabies. Both tested positive and died in early August.
“Five more members of the same family were exposed to the rabid dog and received medical attention,” she said.
The MEC has since launched a rabies campaign as part of Rabies Awareness Month in September, aimed at educating communities on rabies prevention, responsible dog ownership and the importance of vaccinating pets.
Utrecht: Hawks members from the Durban Serious Corruption Investigation unit have arrested the former Chief Financial Officer of Emadlangeni Municipality, Sanelisiwe Mhlophe, 48, in Utrecht.
She was arrested on Tuesday alongside Hans Michael Dlamini, 53, director of Project Management Solutions Africa and Black Design Studio. The pair face fraud charges linked to the municipality in 2019. Mhlophe was also charged with contravening the Municipal Finance Management Act, while Dlamini and his two companies face additional money laundering charges. They join former mayor Lindile Mhlungu, charged with fraud, and Musa Thwala, charged with corruption, in the same case. All appeared in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court and were released on bail. The case was postponed to 12 October 2026.
Chatsworth: The National Prosecuting Authority has welcomed an effective life sentence handed down by the Durban Regional Court to a 47-year-old man for a series of rapes and sexual assaults committed in Chatsworth, Savannah Park and Welbedacht between 2013 and 2021.
The man was convicted of crimes against three women, aged between 15 and 31, two of whom knew him. In May 2013, he kidnapped one complainant and raped and sexually assaulted her in nearby bushes before she escaped. In October 2016, he raped and sexually assaulted a second complainant known to him. In September 2021, he kidnapped a third complainant, restrained and raped her in a vacant building, and assaulted her with a broken beer bottle before releasing her.
Pictured above: KZN MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development Thembeni kaMadlopha-Mthethwa, who warned communities about rabies after two family members died from the disease.
Image source: Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
