my city

Two young boys, aged 4 and 6, died in a shack fire in Roodepoort on Saturday evening while their mother was apparently at a tavern, Gauteng police said. "The mother of the two deceased alleges that on Saturday… at about 23:30, she was drinking with her husband; her sister and her sister's boyfriend at a tavern," said Captain Tinyiko Mathebula in a statement. According to the mother, her sister and her sister’s boyfriend began fighting. She and her husband took the sister away from the tavern. When the couple then returned to their home, next to Main Reef Road in Roodepoort, they found their shack in flames, explained Mathebula.

Joburg emergency services still on high alert as flood waters subside The spell of rain so heavy around Johannesburg that  even graves were disturbed , seems to have abated, to the relief of Johannesburg's emergency and traffic services on Saturday. "The situation has improved a lot," said Metro Police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar. Emergency Services spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said mopping up operations were underway but now the concern shifted to keeping children out of the rivers, to prevent drowing. "They may be tempted to go and play in the rivers," said Mulaudzi, cautioning people to keep an eye on children near the swollen rivers.

Five arrested following land invasion in Gauteng      Five people have been arrested for malicious damage to property after they allegedly tore down a fence as part of an attempted land invasion in Midrand on Saturday. Police spokesperson, Captain Granville Meyer told News24, that there had been two separate incidents of attempted land invasions on Saturday, with more than 1 500 people attempting to set up shelters illegally. Meyer said the first incident, involving over 500 individuals, had taken place at a piece of land that belonged to Wits University in Marlboro, near the Far East Bank Drive and Gautrain bridge intersection. A large group of people, the majority of whom are believed to have come from nearby Alexandra, gathered opposite the KFC on Marlboro Drive, and were seen filling in forms handed out by people wearing Economic Freedom Fighters regalia, to claim parcels of land.

Johannesburg – A taxi owner and his 14-year-old son were shot and killed in a suspected taxi violence related incident in Hillbrow on Friday. The 40-year-old father and his son were sitting in a vehicle on the corner of Tudhope Street and Soper Street in Tanmor Court when they were approached by three men, police spokesperson Sergeant Mduduzi Zondo told News24. "One of the suspects pulled out a gun and shot them multiple times. "We are uncertain at this stage but we suspect that it was related to the ongoing taxi-violence in the area as the father was a taxi owner."

Parts of Johannesburg were flooded on Friday as heavy rains lashed the city for a second day‚ knocking over trees and delaying traffic. The City of Johannesburg said on Thursday night that roads in Fourways, Randburg, Florida, Soweto and other areas had been flooded. Informal settlements, including Diepsloot and the Jackson informal settlement, have also been affected.

Johannesburg - Heavy rains in Johannesburg over the past two days have affected graves and headstones at the newly-launched Olifantsvlei Cemetery, the City of Johannesburg said on Friday. Some graves and headstones have collapsed and memorials placed on graves have been washed away by the subsequent flooding in the area. "In order to preserve the dignity of the dearly-departed residents of our city, Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo will offer soil to families whose [loved one's] graves have been affected by the erosion caused by the rain, and will additionally refill the graves once the rain subsides," said councillor Nonhlanhla Sifumba. Initial reports indicated that burials that took place recently in the new section are the ones that have been severely impacted.

Pretoria – There were shouts of jubilation from a packed public gallery as a 45-year-old man, who allegedly raped his domestic worker and forced her to perform sexual acts with his dogs, was denied bail in the Bronkhorstspruit Magistrate's Court on Thursday. People in the gallery held up placards as Magistrate David Shikwambane dismissed the accused's bail application. The suspect cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim. Shikwambane said that the accused was unsuccessful in proving that it was in the interest of justice for him to be released on bail. He added that the peace and security of the public would be undermined if he was released. During closing arguments, the accused's lawyer, Ehleketani Maluleke questioned the sincerity of the outcry from those present in court as, he said, they were wearing regalia linked to political parties and were likely just there to canvass votes as the general elections were around the corner. "They know th...