A head-on collision occurred between a Volkswagen Polo and a heavy vehicle near Chintsa in the Eastern Cape during the night of Tuesday 24 March 2026 into the early hours of Wednesday 25 March 2026.
Entrapments were reported at the scene, prompting an emergency response.
Photographs taken at the location show a white Volkswagen Polo that sustained severe frontal damage. The vehicle left the roadway and came to rest in vegetation alongside the road. Debris from the collision was scattered across the asphalt surface. Emergency lighting from response vehicles illuminated the area in the darkness.
One image from the wreckage shows the Polo’s instrument cluster with the speedometer needle indicating approximately 200 km/h.
No official details have been released regarding the exact model or type of heavy vehicle involved, the number of occupants in either vehicle, the extent of injuries, or any fatalities. The cause of the crash has not been determined or publicly stated.
The incident is the latest in a series of serious road collisions reported in the Chintsa area along major routes in the Eastern Cape. Emergency services, including rescue teams equipped to handle entrapments, attended the scene. At the time of the initial reports, no updates on road closures or diversions had been issued.
Helicopter Operated by Working on Fire Crashes on Hout Bay Mountainside During Veld Fire Operations in Table Mountain National Park
Cape Town – On Wednesday 25 March 2026, a helicopter contracted to Working on Fire crashed on the mountainside above Hout Bay while assisting with firefighting operations in the Table Mountain National Park.
The aircraft was engaged in water-bombing duties as part of efforts to contain an active veld fire burning in the Vlakkenberg area and spreading across slopes above Hout Bay and towards Constantia Valley. The helicopter’s main rotor blade struck the rocky mountainside during a water drop, causing the aircraft to lose control and come down on the steep terrain. Video footage of the incident shows the helicopter flying low over burning vegetation before the impact and subsequent plume of smoke.
Both pilots on board survived the crash. Initial reports from emergency services and Working on Fire confirm that the crew members are safe. Rescue and assessment operations were immediately launched.
The City of Cape Town activated Incident Management Team 5 in response. Specialised rescue technicians were deployed up the mountain to reach the crash site, and law enforcement officers were sent to secure the area. Emergency crews remain on scene.
The fire that prompted the aerial operation broke out on Tuesday 24 March 2026 in the vicinity of Grotto Road, Pipe Track and Ruyteplaats Estate in Hout Bay. It moved up the mountain, cresting the ridge and advancing along the back of Vlakkenberg while threatening areas toward Constantiaberg and Constantia Valley. Ground crews from SANParks Table Mountain National Park, Working on Fire, the Volunteer Wildfire Services and the City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service have been deployed alongside aerial support. The blaze has seen flare-ups despite earlier rain, and firefighting efforts continued into Wednesday evening.
Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security JP Smith confirmed the incident, stating that while assisting SANParks with the fire, one of the contracted helicopters appeared to have clipped the mountain with its main rotor and crashed. He noted that the pilot had survived and that the City’s response teams had been activated.
Trevor Abrahams, managing director of Working on Fire, said it was still too early to determine the cause of the crash. The South African Police Service and the South African Civil Aviation Authority are expected to conduct a formal investigation.
Authorities have urged the public to avoid all hiking paths and trails in the Constantia and Constantia Nek areas and to refrain from gathering near the scene so that emergency vehicles can move freely. Firefighting operations in the area remain ongoing.
No further details on the extent of any secondary fires caused by the crash or on the precise condition of the pilots beyond their safety have been released at this stage. Updates will be provided as official information becomes available.
Kempton Park Residents Urged to Attend Public Consultation on Renaming Kafferboom Crescent in Birchleigh
KEMPTON PARK – The City of Ekurhuleni has issued a fresh call for residents to take part in a public consultation process to rename Kafferboom Crescent in the Birchleigh suburb.
The meeting is set for Saturday, 28 March 2026, starting at 09:00 at Coen Scholtz Hall in Kempton Park. Residents are invited to propose and discuss a new street name that promotes community unity, social cohesion and shared values while avoiding division.
According to the city’s geographical naming and renaming policy, the process is designed to eliminate offensive, discriminatory or derogatory names and to ensure decisions are fair, equitable and based on broad public participation. The current name has been identified as racially offensive and inappropriate in a democratic South Africa, with officials noting it represents division and exclusion and runs counter to efforts at reconciliation.
The renaming forms part of a wider initiative first publicised by the City of Ekurhuleni in February 2024 to address public facilities carrying names linked to past injustices. At that time Kaffirboom Crescent (as it was then referenced) was listed among roads targeted for change through the Department of Sport, Heritage, Recreation, Arts and Culture. Public meetings on the broader renaming programme were held in February and March 2024 at venues including Coen Scholtz Recreation Centre in Birchleigh.
Ward 15 Councillor Amanda Davison has repeatedly highlighted the issue. She submitted a formal renaming request in 2019, followed by resubmissions, and has described the name as a racial slur that undermines dignity and inclusivity. In October 2025 she demanded urgent council action, pointing out that a public participation process planned for 2024 had been postponed indefinitely while residents continued to live with the contentious address. Davison has proposed Koraalboom (Coral Tree) as a replacement to reflect the street’s botanical roots and South Africa’s post-apartheid identity. She has vowed to continue pressing the matter until it is resolved.
The consultation on 28 March represents the latest step in fulfilling the city’s commitment to the process. Residents who cannot attend but wish to submit comments or obtain further information may contact Senior Manager for Heritage and Museum Services Fhatuwani Rambau on 011 999 6833, 084 454 6912 or at Fhatuwani.rambau@ekurhuleni.gov.za.
City officials have emphasised that the outcome must reflect the views of the community and contribute to a more inclusive environment in Kempton Park and across Ekurhuleni. Residents in Birchleigh and surrounding areas are encouraged to attend the session and have their say on the future name of the crescent.
- Head-On Collision Between Volkswagen Polo and Heavy Vehicle Near Chintsa
- Helicopter Operated by Working on Fire Crashes on Hout Bay Mountainside During Veld Fire Operations in Table Mountain National Park
- Smash-and-Grab Crimes Remain Prevalent Across South African Roads, Targeting Motorists at Intersections and Stop Streets
- Robberies Continue to Haunt South Africa: Innocent Lives Upended as Motorists Face Daily Peril
- Fire Engulfs Historic Botha Sigcau Building in Mthatha, Eastern Cape
Durban Police Shoot and Kill Four Suspects in Bellair Hideout Operation
DURBAN – Police in KwaZulu-Natal have fatally shot four suspects during an operation at a suspected hideout in the Bellair area of Durban.
The incident occurred on Monday, 23 March 2026, when officers tracked the group, who were wanted in connection with business robberies, house robberies and kidnapping cases.
According to police details, officers spotted the suspects’ vehicle in the area and attempted to stop it. The suspects fled from the vehicle and took refuge inside a house that authorities identified as their hideout spot.
A shootout broke out during the police operation at the property. Four suspects were shot and killed. Two were fatally wounded inside the house, one was shot behind the house, and the fourth was shot in the bushes at the rear of the property.
One additional suspect managed to escape and remains at large.
Police recovered four firearms from the scene.
The operation formed part of ongoing efforts to apprehend the group linked to the series of robberies and kidnappings in the province. No further injuries to police members or members of the public were reported.
