Pongola teenâs body recovered a day after drowning
By Thobeka Ngema
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Durban POLICE recovered the body of a teen who had drowned in northern KwaZulu-Natal during the heavy rains over the weekend.
Police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said the Empangeni K9 Unit, Umhlali Search and Rescue and Vryheid K9 Search and Rescue Unit went out to the drowning of a 16-year-old boy, who was swept away while crossing the Mkhuze River in the Zonyama area of Pongola on Sunday.
Mbele said officers from Vryheid started searching at the drowning point, while Umhlali and Empangeni officers searched 6km downstream.
Teen drowns while trying to cross raging KZN river
By IOL Reporter
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DURBAN - A 16-year-old drowned after being swept away while crossing the Mkhuze River near Pongola in KwaZulu-Natal yesterday.
Police spokesperson, Colonel Thembeka Mbele, said the teen s body was pulled from the water earlier today, some 11 kilometres from where he is believed to have drowned.
She said residents searched the area following the boy s disappearance. Members had experienced difficulty in retrieving the deceased across the wide and fast flowing river.
A rope rescue system was set up and members had to swim across the fast flowing river to secure an inflatable raft in order to haul the deceased across the river utilising specialised rope rescue systems, Mbele said.
01 February 2021 - 12:30 By Mluleki Mdletshe Zuluand police arrested two men who were transporting alcohol at the weekend. Image: KZN SAPS
Two men were nabbed with a bakkie full of beer on Sunday.
KZN police spokesperson Capt Nqobile Gwala said the suspects were pulled over by the Zululand district task team on the R66 near the Mkhuze River in northern KZN.
Upon conducting a search, the team discovered liquor inside the vehicle.
According to a statement, the liquor was being moved from Pongola to Mashona and Mahlabathini.
The men, aged 33 and 35, were arrested under the Disaster Management Act.
They were fined R1,000 each and are expected to appear before the Magudu magistrate s court on Monday.