Celani Sikhakhane brings you KwaZulu-Natal’s latest news.
Hluhluwe: Communities in the rural villages of kwaHluhluwe, under uMkhanyakude, who have gone without proper roads since the apartheid era, finally saw their prayers answered after contractors were appointed to build a road connecting seven villages.
The community gathered at kwaMakhasa in Hluhluwe over the weekend to welcome the new contractors for the Skhwakwanani-Ngwenya Road, appointed by Big Five Hlabisa Local Municipality to begin construction on the project. The move follows years of outcry from residents who have struggled to access basic services because of the lack of roads, with community members saying even emergency vehicles have been unable to reach people in urgent need.
Phikisiwe Gumede, from eNyathini village, said her village has never had a proper road since she was born, forcing residents to walk long distances just to reach transport into town. She said the community will finally feel free once the project is complete, after losing family members who spent years complaining about the state of the roads.
Big Five Hlabisa Mayor Comfort Khumalo told community members the road will run from eNyathini through villages including Bhojabhoja and Makhombana, connecting further villages beyond.
Nongoma:Three suspects in a cash-in-transit heist in Nongoma, northern KZN, have been arrested in Durban, where they were hiding out.
The heist took place in the Nkunzana area of Nongoma on 6 August 2026, when security guards travelling from Pongola to Nongoma to deliver cash for a pension payout were ambushed along the R66. Suspects travelling in two vehicles opened fire on the armoured cash van before fleeing towards Magudu, where they allegedly burnt both getaway vehicles and continued in a VW Combi towards Ngome. The armoured vehicle was abandoned near Nkamani Dam, and the suspects allegedly hijacked another vehicle, later found abandoned at Mondlo township, before fleeing towards Gluckstadt, where they abandoned the Combi and the hijacked vehicle. Police recovered R23,000 in damaged cash notes, a cellphone, balaclavas, live ammunition and cartridges from the abandoned Combi. Following an intensive investigation, three suspects, aged 37, 39 and 51, were arrested in Durban.
Mandeni: KZN Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli has issued a stern warning to officials who collude with criminals by leaking confidential information, after his planned oversight visit to the kwaSithebe Industrial Zone in Mandeni was disrupted on Monday morning.
Ntuli had planned to inspect compliance among companies employing documented workers. According to employees at one manufacturing company in the area, certain law enforcement officials allegedly tipped off employers ahead of the planned operation. Ntuli said the setback would not deter the provincial government from enforcing regulations protecting workers’ rights and ensuring fair labour practices.
Pictured above: Community members and Big Five Hlabisa Local Municipality officials at the sod-turning ceremony for the Skhwakwanani-Ngwenya Road, which will connect seven villages in Hluhluwe.
Image source: Supplied by Big Five Hlabisa Municipality
