JOHANNESBURG - Two businessmen who were hijacked and kidnapped in Midrand have been reunited with their families.They were abducted outside the premises of a car rental company on Monday and subsequently dropped on the side of the road. The criminals stole the victims' bank cards and withdrew large sums of money.Police spokesperson Atlenda Mathe said the kidnappers were still at large."A manhunt has been launched for these kidnappers who evaded arrest, and they are said to be utilising a silver-grey Hyundai i10 to commit their crimes in and around Gauteng. Citizens are urged to be alert and those who have information are encouraged to come forward to assist the police investigation." Sections Police’s anti-kidnapping task team rescued two businessmen within hours after they were hijacked and kidnapped in Midrand National police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe said the two businessmen were hijacked by a group of men driving a silver or grey Hyundai i10 on the premises of a car rental company They were then kept in a bush along the R21 road and forced to hand over their bank cards and PIN numbers “The kidnappers then began withdrawing large sums of money from their bank accounts A multidisciplinary team led by the SAPS anti-kidnapping task team were alerted and immediately mobilised,” said Mathe She said the two male victims were found in dense bushes and rescued Mathe said their hijacked SUV Range Rover was later recovered in Tembisa “The SAPS would like to assure the nation that it has the necessary expertise to rescue victims of kidnappings family and bystanders to immediately alert the SAPS when they become aware of any crime “And we encourage citizens to be more vigilant and alert of their surroundings and report any suspicious activities The SAPS applauds the teams involved in this operation They include the National Crime Intelligence Counter and Security team Gauteng Traffic Police Airwing and Vision Tactical Security Company,” said Mathe She said police have launched a manhunt for “these kidnappers” who evaded arrest They  are said to be utilising a Hyundai i10 to commit their crimes And those who have information are encouraged to come forward to assist police investigations Mathe said police recovered 53 hijacked and stolen vehicles during last week’s Operation Shanela Mathe said police will continue with their operations “by asserting the authority of the state” This to ensure safety and security of all South Africans and visitors to the country ahead of the busy Easter weekend” Visit SW YouTube Channel for our video content  Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Tel: +27 11 268 6300 Fundudzi Media (Pty) Ltd. All rights reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms & conditions and privacy policy. JOHANNESBURG - A legal team representing victims of the Broadwalk Urban Village fire in Midrand has refuted claims that displaced residents dropped their legal action over fears of arrest Langa and Co Attorneys says it represents a majority of the fire victims — most of whom are allegedly South African citizens — and confirms that a case is still ongoing claiming the life of a young mother and destroying 130 apartment units evacuated residents anxiously waited outside the charred building hoping to salvage whatever remained of their belongings before being visited by three Joburg MMCs and the property owners ALSO READ: Midrand apartment fire victims abandon legal action as they're in SA illegally Many who spoke to Eyewitness News revealed they were promised their deposit of R5,000 and relocation — a claim corroborated by the City of Joburg. However, the managing director of a law firm representing South African victims affected by the fire, Thebe Langa, says claims by foreign residents living in the same building that victims were offered the deposit amount are false. “The legal action is an ongoing process, we are born and bred in South Africa and the R5000? He (Dominic, an undocumented occupant of the complex) is talking for himself and those who he is representing who are undocumented, not everyone at Mafadi.” Meanwhile, the City of Joburg says it is currently waiting for a report into the landlords and the fire. CAPE TOWN - Displaced residents of Broadwalk Urban Village in Midrand say they will not pursue legal action after a devastating fire left them homeless They fear arrest because they are undocumented In September, a blaze swept through the complex, killing a young mother and leaving more than 100 families without shelter. Months later, promises of alternative housing from the City of Johannesburg remain unfulfilled. Residents said the fire was worsened by the lack of safety measures, including extinguishers and sprinklers, failures confirmed by Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (EMS). Initially, they planned a class-action lawsuit against the property owners but abandoned it, fearing their undocumented status could lead to arrest. Community leader, Dominic said they have no choice but to leave it to a higher power. “Also, we are not from here, you understand? So… maybe if you decide to take them to court, it will come out (that we do not have the right papers) with a lot of issues – so that is why we decided to leave everything to God.” For now, the displaced families face an uncertain future. MIDRAND COMPLEX RESDIENTS GET R5,000 COMPENSATION The survivors of the Midrand complex fire say they were only given R5,000 and left to fend for themselves.   While the City of Joburg initially promised relocation, nearly three months later, many remain without shelter. "Nothing was given to anyone -- the only thing they gave us was the deposit refund (R5,000) - that I think was given to everyone but outside of that a lot of the people got nothing. If they did receive something, it was donations from churches and other organisations." For many, the future remains bleak, with no relief in sight. CITY OF JOBURG AWAITS REPORT ON DESTRUCTIVE FIRE Joburg Emergency Management Services and city officials launched a probe into the cause of the fire, but it’s unclear whether the report has been completed or shared with police, property owners or residents. The City of Joburg’s mayoral spokesperson, Chris Vond, says the report should be ready. “If the city made the commitment (to rehouse the residents), it would have completed the process by now. Long time ago. I am sure there is a report around that investigation – about the landlord.” To date, no resident has been rehoused, many have not received their deposits, and no arrests have been made. Home | South Africa Johannesburg Water says construction of the new Erand Tower and Pump Station project is currently under way to boost water supply in Midrand It will serve as additional capacity to the existing Erand Reservoir complex and also cater to the developments in the area Johannesburg Water’s spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala says the water utility has invested R92-million in the project “The project is currently about 60% complete and upon completion will boost water supply in areas like Carlswald The construction of the new Erand Tower and Pump Station forms part of the entity’s reservoir storage upgrade programme which aims to ensure provision of a 24-hour storage capacity in all Johannesburg Water’s reservoirs.” Here you can see the webcast of the BMW Group Press Conference at the Auto Shanghai 2025 AVBOB celebrates a milestone by rewarding its members on a large scale Several residents living in Broadwalk Urban Village residential complex in Midrand have been left homeless after a blaze engulfed the property late Tuesday night.  JOHANNESBURG - Hundreds of residents of the Midrand complex gutted by fire are now without accommodation and food The City of Johannesburg says it has not yet traced the owner of the property to assist in resolving the accommodation issue The body of a woman from Mahikeng has been discovered in the burned building eNCA's Bafedile Moerane has the detaiils in the video above Please check your email and enter your one time pin below:   Open in Gmail Sorry there was an error loading the audio The blaze caused the death of Onalenna Tsae (32) whose body was recovered in the apartment where the fire allegedly started While the cause of the fire is still unknown, questions have arisen about who is liable for the loss and damages, and whether the complex was fully compliant with fire safety regulations.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads who sounded the alarm on the night of the fire told Daily Maverick that all attempts to contact the owners of the property feel they have no other option but to turn to the courts for compensation “They only gave [us] accommodation on the night of the fire Mafadi [Property Management] don’t answer their calls Dipula Income Fund is a JSE-listed real estate investment trust with a portfolio of retail office and industrial property assets amounting to R9.8-billion it is managed by Mafadi Property Management “We are thankful that many apartment owners and managers have agreed to accept these tenants immediately and without the original documentation normally necessary for a lease We have also expedited the refund of tenant’s deposits to them and these amounts have already been paid to almost all tenants together with any rental that may have been paid in advance We will continue doing everything within our ambit to support the residents during this difficult time,” Petersen said While some residents confirmed that they had received a refund of their deposit Seloane insists both Dipula and the property managers have not offered any assistance regarding alternative accommodation beyond the night of the fire Seloane said residents had to rely on churches and various foundations who have been assisting with funding and accommodation for the fire victims her sister and their two young children have had to squat at different people’s houses since the day after the fire Seloane said, “Two girls from the Free State had to resign because they could not afford alternative accommodation, and their employers would not give them time off to go home and regroup. Their only option was to quit and go home. Many people have lost a lot of things. Compensation is something that should be discussed.”advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads who is taking the case on a pro bono basis Read more: ‘I couldn’t save anything’ – residents describe Midrand fire that left one dead and hundreds homeless especially when related to sectional title property explained what people who live in sectional title properties need to know about fire cover Greybe said that in instances where a property is being rented out the owner is responsible for purchasing building insurance on the tenants’ behalf This type of insurance only covers permanent fixtures at the property geysers and anything that can’t be picked up and moved out Many of the residents said they felt abandoned by the property managers regarding securing alternative accommodation Greybe wrote that a good building policy should include temporary alternative accommodation if a residence is uninhabitable after a fire you can lodge a complaint with the insurance ombud If your body corporate’s policy doesn’t fully cover the damage to your apartment or provide a satisfactory temporary alternative benefit you can insist that the body corporate compensates you.” clothes and most appliances are covered by the contents insurance of each tenant (if they have it) Petersen said the Broadwalk Urban Villages building structure was insured in line with responsible business practices Read more: One dead, 800 homes destroyed as fire rips through Pretoria township Johannesburg Emergency Services spokesperson Xolile Khumalo said an investigation into the cause of the fire was ongoing the City of Johannesburg is conducting its own investigation into whether the building was compliant with fire safety regulations and whether Dipula Income Fund followed the city’s processes in the conversion of the property into residential units The property housed the National Youth Development Agency before it was converted into a residential property in 2019 The MMC for housing in Joburg, Mlungisi Mabaso, said a site inspection of the building after the fire revealed that the partitioning between units was not compliant with the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act due to the lack of firewalls.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads of SANS 10400) requires that buildings have firewalls fire-resistant barriers to prevent the spread of fire “How the partitioning was done is actually questionable We want to understand how they obtained approval and whether they even made an application to the city for the conversion of that building from an office block to a residential building,” said Mabaso “If firewalls were constructed and if the partitioning of the property was properly done a senior fire and risk consultant at Aon SA body corporates did not enforce the rules required by the Sectional Titles Management Act of 2011 Dipula CEO Peterson told Daily Maverick: “We can confirm that the property fully complied with building and fire safety regulations The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the appropriate authorities Until the outcome of this investigation is available it would be extremely irresponsible to speculate in this regard.” DM Unless there was some kind of negligence in the design or management of the building blaming the owners of a building for your losses in a fire is like expecting the car dealership to give you a new car when you have an accident ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " Police have arrested a suspect for possession downloading and distribution of child pornography in Midrand JOHANNESBURG - The girlfriend of Darryn Wilken the man arrested on child pornography charges The 25-year-old woman is a web designer by profession and faces similar charges including possession of child pornography and money laundering READ: Crime in SA | Midrand child porn suspect in court Wilken was found with 10 million images of child pornography, and over R500,000 was also seized from the property. He made his first appearance at the Randburg Magistrate's Court on Monday on charges of possession and distribution of child pornography, drug possession, money laundering and fraud.  His girlfriend will be appearing in court on Monday. Ntokozo Khumalo10 April 2025 | 6:48Gautrain service between Midrand & Hatfield restored after power failureGautrain said the stations were affected by a power failure on Thursday morning due to a catenary wire that broke.GautrainPicture: Wikimedia Commons JOHANNESBURG - The Midrand and Hatfield Gautrain stations are now operational Gautrain said the stations were affected by a power failure on Thursday morning due to a catenary wire that broke The entity’s spokesperson Kesagee Nayager said their bus services were used to transport passengers between their four affected stations She also mentioned that they were experiencing a 20-minute delay on the north-south line of their stations "I am pleased to announce that the power has subsequently been restored between Midrand and Hatfield stations I wish to use this opportunity to thank our customers for their understanding and to use this opportunity to apologise for the inconvenience this has caused." Train service restored between Midrand and Hatfield. pic.twitter.com/Bz2Lrc3UTS Mongezi Koko20 January 2025 | 6:32Midrand man arrested for possession, distribution of child porn due in courtThe 35-year-old suspect was arrested last week during a takedown operation by the South African Police Service (SAPS).Child pornographyPicture: Flickr.com Gauteng has been operating illegally since 2020 was registered with the Gauteng Department of Education to operate as a school only this year The school is still not accredited with the Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training (Umalusi) a legal requirement for private or independent institutions providing basic and further education These shocking details were revealed in a judgment by the Joburg High Court in which Curro New Road was asking the court to direct the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) to submit its late application to the relevant chief director to register it as an examination centre for the matric exams for this year The closing date for independent schools to apply to the GDE for registration as examination centres for the National Senior Certificate (NSC) closed in October last year Curro New Road only made its application in April this year Judge Lebogang Modiba heard the application brought by Curro against the GDE on August 6 Curro New Road requested the court to order the GDE to keep its promise which it said the department made during a meeting on May 8 undertaking to make a submission for its application for NSC examination centre status to be considered by the chief director for examination and assessment; or alternatively for the school to be registered as a GDE examination centre “Curro New Road was established and started operating as an independent school in 2020 it was not duly registered with the department It was only officially registered as a school on September 6 “It is not registered as a NSC exam centre for 2024 Since its existence in 2020 until its effective registration date it enrolled and promoted learners without following the department’s applicable policies and guidelines,” said Modiba in the background to her judgment delivered electronically on August 13 Referring to the requirements for independent schools to register with the department of education Modiba pointed out that Curro New Road did not comply with section 46 (1) which says no person may establish or maintain an independent school unless it is registered by the head of department of the GDE failure to comply with the statutory requirement in section 46 (1) constitutes a criminal offence It attracts liability for a fine or three months imprisonment.”   It was also clear from the judgment that the GDE was aware that Curro New Road was operating an illegal school  “The department conducted investigations into Curro New Road’s failure to comply with section 46 (1) and waived its rights to institute criminal proceedings against the managers of Curro New Road in terms of section 46 (4),” she notes in her written judgment Adding that GDE acknowledged and condoned the promotion of pupils at Curro New Road despite its failure to fully comply with the National Protocol Assessments of Grade R to 12 She said the department also condoned the late registration of Curro New Road’s candidates for the 2024 NSC exams  “In addition to being registered with the department as an independent school Curro is required to register with Umalusi for accreditation and certification purposes … It is yet to register with Umalusi for accreditation and certification purposes It is unclear how it will overcome the Umalusi accreditation hurdle That is an irrelevant consideration for the purpose of this application,” she said Modiba granted Curro New Road the order directing the GDE to submit its application for registration as an examination centre for the NSC exams for 2024 to the chief director: examination and assessment and to have the chief director considers it by August 27 Visit SW YouTube Channel for our video content  What happens to the students who have attended this school are their educational qualifications valid how are they learning in this situation and how are they go to get scholar ship This Article is misleading and shows how Journalists write without thinking and getting facts before writing Has that Journalists visited the school and got the facts This article is unnecessarily disturbing our children before their final exams There is an illegal independent school operating in Lakeside Cape Town and department isn’t doing anything about it Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms & conditions and privacy policy JOHANNESBURG - A 35-year-old child pornography suspect will appear in the Randburg Magistrate's Court today He was arrested in Midrand in possession of over 10 million images and videos containing child porn His arrest followed information shared by international law enforcement agencies with the SAPS READ: Mother fears for child after neighbour busted with child porn Investigations revealed the suspect was hosting and distributing child pornography internationally. Over the last two years, police have arrested 21 sexual predators countrywide. In December, a 41-year-old former school principal was arrested in Pretoria, in a similar operation. JOHANNESBURG - The family of a woman whose body was discovered under the rubble at a Midrand apartment has demanded answers from the building owners saying they doubted that the blaze started in her apartment Thirty-two-year-old Onalenna Tsae’s body was found in her apartment on Wednesday after a fire broke out in the building the night before Her body was discovered by family members and emergency services personnel hours after the ordeal • Midrand apartment complex residents claim fire safety measures weren’t in place to prevent blaze • Woman who died in Midrand apartment fire was a new mom Onalenna Tsae’s sister, Mahlohonolo, said that when she heard about the fire at the Broadwalk Urban Village complex, she rushed there to try to find her sister. She said that emergency services first took her to an apartment that was not her sister’s, saying that was where the fire started but she told them they were in the wrong unit and moved them to her sister’s apartment. "They say the fire started in room X – that room was searched – she was not there – then when they find out that she was not in that apartment – she was in apartment E- now you want to shift the story again. That’s where I start to doubt the story I have." Tsae said that when they eventually went to her sister’s unit, she found most of the appliances in the kitchen intact and when she entered the bedroom, her fears were confirmed. "As I was moving forward I stepped on something and they said: 'What’s that?' I looked, there was something yellow, my sister was wearing yellow, and immediately they said: 'Please take her out'. Immediately, I added one and one that I was told the last thing she was wearing was yellow and it means it might be her." Mahlohonolo said that her one-year-old son, who she lived with in the apartment, was safe with relatives. Anele and The Club talk more about it on 947 The Midrand and surrounding areas have been battling the Gauteng heatwave with no water What began as low pressure on Friday (1 November) due to high demand moved to no water at all since Saturday (3 November) due to low levels at the Grand Central Reservoir Residents have complained about the lack of service and communication from Johannesburg Water the city entity said it was providing water via mobile tankers alongside a list of locations for residents There has been no water in these areas since last week Saturday. Waterfall BuccleuchVorna Valley Glen Austin Midrand Grand central KyalamiWe spoke to Rand Water and they confirm that they are supplying water to @JHBWater no one from @JHBWater will return our calls or… pic.twitter.com/5deeehORtO it was found that the tankers were not there Anele and The Club listeners sent voice notes expressing their dissatisfaction with how Joburg Water was handling the water issue While the city entity did not respond at the time of the discussion they tweeted an update on Thursday (7 November) at 12:15 pm that the reservoir was slowly recovering It may however take some time for residents to have water flowing from their taps as the recovery is gradual all of which the entity has now provided pictures of on its social media Update: #Palmiet system#JoburgUpdates ^N pic.twitter.com/YmTpdgKa8f #Midrand- BP Garage Vorna Valley, Cnr Smuts and Le Roux ^H pic.twitter.com/0A9FxkHZxy Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane has inaugurated the Grand Central Social Housing project in Midrand The initiative is part of the government’s efforts to provide affordable rental housing in urban areas allowing people to live closer to their workplaces without paying exorbitant costs Simelane was joined by Gauteng Human Settlements MEC Tasneem Motara at the launch Valerie Nlapho says the facility is convenient for them “We have a tuck shop here; we have a gym as well and issues are attended to as to when they arise MINISTER SIMELANE TO HANDOVER ONE OF THE BIGGEST SOCIAL HOUSING PROJECT IN MIDRAND Minister of Human Settlements Thembi Simelane and Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements Tasneem Motara will tomorrow, 4 March 2025 hand over the Grand Central pic.twitter.com/i3pAHeWU01 — GP_HumanSettlements (@GP_DHS) March 3, 2025 A body has been recovered following the fire that gutted a residential complex in Midrand, north of Johannesburg, last night. Many residents at the Broadwalk Urban Village complex were evacuated to safety. However, some lost everything in the fire that destroyed 130 units. Johannesburg Emergency Services Spokesperson Xolile Khumalo says they are investigating the cause of the blaze. The EMS Search and Rescue team has recovered the body of a female submerged under rubble and the roof that had collapsed during the fire incident. The body was recovered just before 12 this afternoon. The body has been identified. Midrand Fire | Investigations under way into inferno that engulfed residential complex:  Thabiso Goba17 January 2025 | 9:55Midrand man arrested for possession and distribution of child pornPolice are currently raiding the house of the suspect, which is located at an estate in Midrand.South African Police Service (SAPS)Picture: @SAPoliceService/X Joburg EMS spokesperson, Xolile Khumalo JOHANNESBURG - The Johannesburg emergency teams have recovered the body of a woman in the Midrand complex that was engulfed by the fire on Tuesday night.  WATCH | Body found under rubble after Midrand fire Search and rescue teams had been searching for one person reported missing.  One person sustained injuries and was taken to the hospital. Joburg EMS spokesperson, Xolile Khumalo said, "the fire, first and foremost was reported to us yesterday (Tuesday) evening, a few minutes after nine o'clock. So the fire teams rushed to the fire incident scene where they began their fire fighting operations." "They did their firefighting until 4 AM. They then came back again, a different team to relieve the team that left at four o'clock to conduct search and rescue operations." "Around 12 o'clock the team recovered the body of a female that was submerged under rubble and roof material that collapsed last night." "The body that has been recovered is the only person that has been reported missing. So the search and rescue team will terminate their search shortly. Nobody else has come forward with information that their family members are also missing." Emergency services say law enforcement agencies will now take over the scene for further investigation. saw most residents evacuated safely and at least one taken to hospital JOHANNESBURG - There has been a massive fire at a residential complex in Midrand Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (EMS) say the blaze occurred on Wednesday night in the building with 130 units Most residents have been evacuated safely and at least one was taken to hospital EMS spokesperson Xolile Khumalo said the cause of the fire was yet to be determined "The fire on Broadwalk Urban Village has been contained Firefighters are currently conducting damping down operations and room-by-room searches Evacuated residents spent the night at several hotels in Midrand that the building owners organised The top floor of the Broadwalk Urban Village is the worst affected - with evidence of Tuesday night's fire still visible residents could be seen slowly trickling to see the remnants of the gutted units One of the residents said he was shocked by how quickly the blaze spread so I called my partner to come out of the flat.. shortly we started hearing the ceiling explode.. in a space of less than five minutes," he said adding that he could only salvage his and his partner's phone Another resident counted his losses following the inferno: “We need IDs luckily it’s school holidays we will manage to get some time to figure those out I think if you don’t have those things it’s like you are nothing While the inferno has been extinguished - residents are eager to access the building and establish how much of their belongings they have lost