A video showing school learners inhaling the contents of a fire extinguisher is spreading on social media, prompting concern from officials in Johannesburg.
The activity, referred to as the ‘Chuff’ challenge, has triggered alerts from parents, teachers and emergency responders across the city.
The City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services has highlighted the serious health dangers linked to breathing in fire extinguisher substances. These risks include pneumonia, seizures and death.
Officials stated that fire extinguishers are made only to extinguish fires and are not intended for inhalation or any form of smoking.
To address safety awareness, the city operates Besafe Centres located in all seven regions. These centres provide educational programmes on life and fire safety, which cover the correct use of fire extinguishers.
Schools and members of the public are encouraged to visit the Besafe Centres or arrange for Public Education Officers to deliver these training sessions at their locations.
Parents have been called upon to speak directly with their children about the hazards of participating in the ‘Chuff’ trend.
Anyone who believes a person may be at risk from this activity is advised to contact the Emergency Management Services Command and Control Centre immediately on 011 375 5911.
The Emergency Management Services is appealing to the community to share accurate information about the dangers so that further harm can be avoided.
Two Men Assaulted by Mob in Tongaat After Sangoma Premonition Identifies Them in Burglary
TONGAAT – Two men were beaten by a group of community members in the Egrondini area of Sitaram, Tongaat, on Tuesday evening after local residents identified them as suspects in an earlier burglary on the basis of a premonition received from a Sangoma.
Reaction Unit South Africa officers were dispatched to the scene at 21:16 following reports that a mob was assaulting the pair. On arrival, the officers found residents beating one of the men, who had been stripped naked.
According to details gathered at the scene, the suspects were singled out by community members following a consultation with the Sangoma, who indicated that the two men had been involved in the previous burglary incident.
It could not be confirmed at the time whether the injured men were responsible for the crimes of which they were accused. The Tongaat South African Police Service is continuing its investigation into the assault.
Scam Warning Issued for Pretoria Shoppers
Pretoria residents shopping in local retail stores are being alerted to a card theft scam operating inside outlets across the city.
Criminals approach customers and identify themselves as store management staff. They promise a 50% discount on purchases provided the shopper taps their bank card on a numeric PIN pad device.
While the customer enters their PIN to complete the supposed transaction, the suspects observe the numbers being keyed in. They then seize the bank card and immediately leave the store.
Using the stolen card and the recorded PIN, the perpetrators withdraw all available money from the victim’s account.
Shoppers are urged to remain alert and never hand over or tap their bank card in response to unsolicited offers from strangers inside stores.
A foreign citizen has been arrested after officers seized cocaine worth more than half a million rand in Umbilo.
Officers from the Metro Police Tactical Support Unit, Metro Police Task Team and SAPS KZN Counter Narcotics stopped the 27-year-old Nigerian man as he stepped out of his vehicle this morning.
They were carrying out a search warrant.
The man was reportedly found in possession of high-purity cocaine, which had been concealed inside a sock.
A follow-up search of his apartment uncovered further narcotics — estimated at nearly R600 000 in total value.
Notably, the same suspect was detained in 2025 for cocaine worth over R400 000.
This latest bust forms part of a continuing probe into a large-scale criminal network with Nigerian connections, believed to be involved in importing, producing, concealing and distributing illegal drugs.
A number of additional individuals have already been taken into custody for their involvement in the operation.
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Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi Issues Warning to Taxi Operators During Address on Taxi Conflict
Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi addressed taxi operators as part of efforts to resolve the taxi conflict.
He told the operators that individuals must be free to choose their own mode of transport without any outside decision being imposed on them.
“A person who wants to take a lift will take a lift. If they want to take a taxi, they will take a taxi. If they want to take a bus, they will take a bus. It is not for you to decide how someone must travel,” Mkhwanazi said.
The Lieutenant General warned that any association found stopping cars on the road and telling people they cannot take a lift but must use a taxi would face immediate consequences.
“If I ever hear that there is an association that stops cars on the road and tells people they are not allowed to take a lift and must use a taxi, the moment I receive that report I will arrest the person responsible,” he stated.
Mkhwanazi made clear the same rule would apply to security companies involved in such actions.
“Even if it is a security company doing that, I will report that company to the PSIRA office and have its license taken away. Once that security guard is arrested, the entire company will be shut down. If it operates in other places, we will deal with that in court and close it,” he said.
He explained that if a taxi driver belonging to an association carries out such interference, the association itself would be held accountable.
“If a taxi driver who belongs to an association does such a thing, it means that person is working for that association. We do not care whether they own the taxi or not we will shut down that association. Those taxis will not operate,” Mkhwanazi declared.
The Lieutenant General ended his address with a direct message to any associations considering defiance.
“If members of the association want to test how powerful the government is, they should start with us. Challenge the government and you will see the power it has,” he said.
One Killed, Two Seriously Injured in Head-On Collision on N3 Near Cato Ridge
A head-on collision on the N3 highway resulted in one fatality and two serious injuries on Saturday evening.
The crash occurred just before 11pm on the Pietermaritzburg-bound section of the national route near the BP Oasis, close to Cato Ridge.
A taxi was allegedly travelling contraflow in the fast lane when it collided directly with a bakkie.
The taxi driver, a man believed to be in his thirties, sustained fatal injuries and was declared deceased at the scene.
Two occupants of the bakkie were seriously injured.
Both drivers were trapped inside the wreckage of their vehicles.
ALS Paramedics attended the scene and carried out an initial assessment. The Ethekweni Fire Department was dispatched to assist with the extrication of the trapped individuals.
Once freed, the two injured patients were stabilised at the scene and transported by ALS Paramedics ambulances to a nearby hospital for further treatment.
Officials from Metro Police and the South African Police Service (SAPS) were on site to investigate the circumstances of the collision.
No further details on the identities of the injured or the exact cause have been released at this stage.
