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Durban - A girl aged,6 from a farm near Sugar Rush in Ballito survived a harrowing ordeal after she was bitten on the chin by a Mozambican spitting cobra on Sunday night.

The snake, however, did not stop there and sprayed little Mikayla-Sue Grove's mom, Inge, in the face, from a distance of about 30cm, when she went to investigate what had happened.

Mikayla-Sue’s father, Ludwig, said his two girls Mikayla-Sue and Izabella were in the room they shared when they heard a commotion.

Mikayla-Sue told her dad she had a “toothache” and Ludwig realised she had been bitten.

He located the snake and made sure his daughters left the room safely.

Inge, after the snake spat in her eyes, immediately started washing her eyes out with water.

Ludwig said they had a 10 to 15-minute dash to the Alberlito Hospital and what had saved his wife's eyes was that they took a bottle of water along with them and Inge constantly washed her eyes out.

Writing on Facebook page Snake Bite Assist, expert Arno Naude, said doctors had urgently applied anti-venom and, when the swelling reached the child's throat, had intubated her so that she would not suffocate.

Ludwig told The Mercury that 17 vials of anti-venom were applied over a 12-hour period.

Naude said Inge had since recovered from the venom in the eyes and was with their daughter in hospital.

Ludwig on Facebook thanked all those involved in his daughter's treatment.

“Mikayla is doing much better, the tubes have been removed, she is very responsive and looks around, eyes wide open,” he said yesterday. "Still in ICU, but I think I can safely say she is out of danger. We will know for certain over the next two to three days what the extent of the tissue damage will be.”

He said on Tuesday doctors had removed the tubes and the swelling had decreased substantially. In the next 48 hours they would learn if there would be any permanent tissue damage.

The family thanked the public for all the messages of support.

Snake catcher Neville Wolmarans was called to the scene shortly after the incident occurred and removed the snake.

Considered one of the most dangerous snakes in Africa, the Mozambican spitting cobra's venom can cause severe local tissue destruction. Venom to the eyes can also cause impaired vision or blindness if the eyes are not urgently cleaned out with water or milk.

The snake's fangs are specially modified for spitting venom. This allows the Mozambican spitting cobra to spit its venom to a distance of two to three metres.

Durban - Five people were injured, one critically, after two vehicles collided in a T Bone format on Blair Atholl Road near the Shell Garage in Westville on Tuesday morning.

Rescue Care  spokesman Garrith Jamieson said paramedics were called to the scene about 10.30am. They found one vehicle on the pavement and the second down an embankment. The driver of the one vehicle was trapped in the wreckage. While paramedics worked to stabilise the man the Durban Fire Department used the Jaws of Life to free him. The man was then placed on a manual ventilator before being rushed through to a nearby hospital. Four others were injured and stabilised before being transported to various Durban hospitals

Meanwhile, four people have been injured one seriously so after two vehicles collided in a T Bone format at the corner of Essenwood Road and Sydenham Road on the Berea on Tuesday afternoon after 12:45pm.

Jamieson said paramedics found the vehicles badly damaged on the roadside. Four occupants from both vehicles were injured with injuries ranging from minor to serious. They were stabilised and transported to various Durban Hospitals.

In a separate incident three people were injured after a multi-vehicle collision on the M7 Durban bound near the N3 onramp in Pinetown this morning.

Jamieson said paramedics responded to a single vehicle that had overturned in the central median just after 11am. While attending to the injured a vehicle lost control and collided into two breakdown trucks and two other vehicles followed. Three people had sustained various injuries.

At this stage the events leading up to all three collision are unknown. Police were at all accident scenes and will be investigating further.

South African rapper, Cassper Nyovest is having so much fun in Lagos, Nigeria that he’s not even missing home right now.

Abuti Fill Up, as he has come to be known has been in Nigeria for a week now.

He flew out to attend the annual SoundCity MVP Awards where he was honoured with the Best Hip Hop nod.

THUGS saw the school holidays as a chance to break into the school.

Some were excited when schools opened yesterday, but teachers at Sibonele Lower Primary School in J section, KwaMashu, were in for a surprise.

The school had been broken into and the computers and equipment stolen.

An SGB member said they suspected the thugs gained entry through the roof.

“The principal phoned me to tell me the computers and tablets were gone. I went to school and was met with this terrible scene.

“It is shocking that equipment which gives our children a future should be stolen like this.”

More than 30 computers and tablets were gone. The SGB member said the school had an alarm and the principal had told him the security company called him on Sunday.

“The principal said the company told him there was a problem with the alarm. He told them to fix it, not thinking there was a robbery. He only realised yesterday what was going on.”

Principal Lindokuhle Madonsela confirmed the incident and referred the People’s Paper to the department.

Education spokesman Scelo Khuzwayo told the SunTeam they had not 
received a report.

“Residents in the area where the school is located must work with us.

“I’m sure some residents have knowledge of the incident and we urge anyone who knows something to contact the police.”

Colonel Thembeka Mbhele said: “A case of business robbery was opened after a school was broken into by unknown suspects.

“Computers, an overhead projector, monitor, desktop, laptop, paper, money boxes, hockey kits, tools and speakers were stolen.”

No one has been arrested and police are investigating.

CAPE TOWN - A man has been arrested in connection with the attack on a group of cyclists near Stellenbosch.

The five victims sustained minor injuries during Sunday morning's attack.

The suspect and an accomplice armed with knives allegedly tried to rob the cyclists of their bicycles.

The other attacker escaped.

The police's Andre Traut: "A 32-year-old suspect is expected to make a court appearance on a charge of robbery in Stellenbosch this morning following an incident on Sunday morning, where two suspects attacked a group of cyclists training on the Helshoogte pass. Police reacted swiftly and arrested the suspect."

 No arrests in the case of seven zama zama’s who were killed in the Benoni area have yet been made.

The men were found with gunshot wounds in a veld over the weekend.

Residents are calling on the police to raid the residences of illegal miners believed to live in the area.

Ward councillor Sinethemba Matiwane says the illegal miners behind the killings in the area are believed to be armed and dangerous and have urged the police to use any force necessary to get to the bottom of the murders.

“SAPS have identified that they will conduct raids on a continuous basis. It can’t be a once-off.”

He says the defence force should be called in to man the situation with at least 40 murder cases being investigated by the police since 2015.

In that year, 15 miners were killed when zama zama's clashed at the Grootvlei Aurora Mine in Springs in Ekurhuleni.

In that very metro municipality early last year, 14 illegal miners were found dead, most riddled with bullet holes in the Benoni area.

Matiwane says this is a national crisis.

THE fighting over little Latoya’s death at Pastor Paseka “Mboro” Motsoeneng’s church led to a number of cases being opened with the police.

And last week, the drama continued when the child’s mum, Nontombi Gwam, attempted suicide due to stress over the cost of burying her daughter.

However, the mum was discharged from hospital last week and the three-year-old was finally laid to rest in Ngqamakwe, Eastern Cape, on Saturday.

She had been in a mortuary for three weeks.

Latoya died on Christmas Eve after her mum took her to the Incredible Happenings Church in Katlehong, Ekurhuleni. Nontombi said Latoya died in an ambulance after a paramedic failed to give her immediate medical care.

Although the family appealed to the public for financial help to pay for food and transport at the funeral, no one came forward. However, Mboro agreed to cover all the costs.

He told the SunTeam: “Instead of waiting, I’ll cover the whole cost.

“It’s not that I have enough money but I don’t want the mum to do something stupid.

“She must know that she is loved and people are giving her support.”

A Local star DJ Tira has released a statement addressing questions about former Afrotainment group Big Nuz. 

“I really feel like I have to say this. I’ve ignored these questions for too long. Where is Big Nuz? When is Big Nuz album coming out?” Tira wrote, adding: “Firstly Mampintsha, Danger and I, we are fine. There is no bad blood. Big Nuz has a New Managament. So its NOT DJ TIRA’s call to say when should Big Nuz album be recorded, etc (sic).” 

In the statement Tira went on to say that he does not know what Danger and Mampintsha’s plans for 2018 are, but added the guys are always welcome to work with Afrotainment in future.

ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa has promised to resuscitate the country’s ailing economy while implementing the ruling party's policies on free education and radical economic transformation.

In his maiden January 8 statement at East London's Absa stadium on Saturday, Ramaphosa attempted to reassure investors by painting a picture perfect South Africa under his rule.

He said the party required a programme of fundamental and radical change.

"We are going to restore our focus on building an economy in which all South Africans can flourish. An economy which benefits the people of our country as a whole rather than just to benefit a few privileged individuals and families in our country."

He added that the party wanted an open and diverse economy that will provide opportunities for all, especially young people and women.

This economy he said, would welcome investment.

"We must not have an economy that discourages and chases away investors from investing in South Africa."

He invited all investors from all over the world to come to South Africa to invest so that the country's economy could grow "so that we can create jobs, so that we can end poverty, so that we can reduce inequality," he added.

South Africa's status has suffered one downgrade after another by ratings agencies.

The country has also been under great strain with expected growth for the year at less than 2% due to recent political uncertainty in the ANC.

President Jacob Zuma's cabinet reshuffles have also fuelled the fire putting investor confidence in the country at an all-time low since the party took over in 1994.

Ramaphosa who now takes over from Zuma as party president will have to clean up the economy.

He was the preferred candidate of business with markets responding positively to him during his campaign and victory in December at the ANC elective conference against former African Union commission chair Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

However, Ramaphosa's business acumen will be challenged during his term as president of the ruling party.

He is tasked with implementing Zuma's fee-free education proclamation, radical economic transformation as well as land redistribution without compensation.

Attempting to ease investor confidence, Ramaphosa said land will be redistributed while meeting the constitutional requirement of redress.

He added that the party would ensure that fee-free higher education for those families earning less than R350 000 would be implemented in a gradual process.

"As we accumulate more and more money, as we mobilise resources. We are going to realise this historic objective."

A man is in hot water after marrying the daughter of his wife – without divorcing his wife first.

According to Pennlive, Christopher Hauptmann (44) from Shamokin in Pennsylvania, America did not try to defend himself against a bunch of charges when he appeared in court last week.

Among the charges was that of bigamy, which is the offence in America of marrying someone while already being married to another person.

Hauptmann married Shannon Deitrich in 2015 in Florida. But then a year later, he wedded Kaylee Durovick, Deitrich’s daughter. He was still married to Deitrich at the time.

Durovick and Hauptmann are still together.

Other charges Hauptmann faces are the illegal possession of a firearm. He apparently lied when he applied to buy guns that he didn’t have any previous convictions. Actually, Hauptmann did have a conviction for drugs, which means he can’t own a gun.

Judge Paige Rosini sentenced Hauptmann to a year minus a day to two years minus a day in prison followed by 10 years' probation. He was given credit for the 332 days he has been in jail, unable to post bail.

The rand weakened in midday trade yesterday to its worst in nearly three weeks after the ANC said an early exit for President Jacob Zuma had not been discussed at a party meeting.

Initially hit by softening demand for emerging market assets as global bond yields picked up, the rand’s losses accelerated to a session-low R12.55 shortly after the ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule told reporters Zuma’s removal was not on the agenda of a meeting of the party’s top decision-making body.

At 1pm the rand was 1.4% weaker at R12.5075 to the dollar, slightly better than the slide to its weakest level since December26.

By 5pm, the rand had recovered somewhat, bidding at R12.4529 to the greenback, but 2.73c softer than at the same time on Tuesday.

The rand has swung between R12.2275 and the upper R12.50s for the first two weeks of the year, pushed and pulled by mostly rumour-fuelled bets of a Zuma resignation before his term ends next year.

“The rand, and markets generally, at the moment have been very headline driven. And the ANC meeting only ends tomorrow so there will be more headlines and that means rand volatility should continue,” said trader at RMB, Jim Bryson.

“It’s really difficult to call, it needs to close above (R)12.52 to get out of these ranges, but a test of around (R)12.20 cannot be totally discounted,” Bryson said.

The rand has rallied since mid-December, supported by investors’ hopes that the newly elected leader ANC head Cyril Ramaphosa would push through business-friendly policies.

The rally has since stalled, with signs of higher rates in the US shifting some of the focus back to fundamentals, although analysts said a decision on Zuma remained the main swing factor.

“He (Ramaphosa) is likely to do everything in his power to reduce Zuma’s influence and to facilitate a rapid end to his time in power. That is rand positive,” said analyst at Frankfurt-based Commerzbank, Elisabeth Andreae.

Meanwhile, in equities, the benchmark JSE Top40 index slipped 0.03% to 53167.96 points while the broader all share index declined 0.22% to close at 59979.63 points.

Cape Town – The DA’s Cape Metro executive has decided to recommend to its higher bosses that Patricia De Lille be removed as the mayor of the City of Cape Town.

Grant Twigg, DA metro leader, said: “Patricia De Lille has lost the confidence of the Metro Executive, the relevant political authority. We are of the view that the City of Cape Town requires stability, unity and functionality – which we believe she cannot deliver.”

“I communicated our recommendations to party leadership and trust they will act swiftly in the best interests of the organization. All public representatives are accountable to its party and voters, and as party leadership we need to ensure that all deployees are acting in the best interests of voters as well as the organization, and not themselves. The metro executive has not taken these decisions lightly but after careful consideration and deliberation,” Twigg said.

He also said the DA caucus will not support De Lille’s proposed drought levy.

Speculation has been rife that De Lille will be axed following two investigations and several allegations of corruptions which De Lille has all denied.

De Lille told the Cape Argus that she will be taking legal action against the DA should they decide on removing her.

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A suspect is expected in court in Limpopo in the first week of 2018 following his arrest for allegedly killing a white lion.

 Captain Moatshe Ngoepe Limpopo Police Spokesman  told TimesLIVE four poachers allegedly killed the lion in January 2017.

The second suspect was arrested last week‚ Ngoepe said.

One man was arrested a year ago‚ with police searching the others.

"We happened to identify the suspects days later [after the incident]. One was arrested. All along we were looking for the other three."

The first suspect is in custody and his trial is not yet completed.

Asked how the suspects were identified‚ Ngoepe just said "through our sources".

The man will appear in the magistrate's court in Senwabarwana‚ also known as Bochum‚ this week.

Durban - Two people have been killed in an early morning crash in Pinetown near Durban on New Year's Day.

Private emergency services provider Rescue Care spokesperson Garrith Jamieson said the accident occurred on the Dumisanya Makhanya freeway just outside Claremont in Pinetown.

"Just after 4am, Rescue Care paramedics were called to the scene to find that a vehicle had somehow lost control and come to rest on its roof in a ditch on the roadside. 

"Paramedics assessed the scene and found that there had been seven occupants in the vehicle at the time of the collision,"he said. "Unfortunately a male and a female, believed to be in their 30s, had suffered major injuries and there was nothing more anyone could do for them and they were declared deceased at the scene. 

"A further five people had sustained various injuries and were stabilised on the scene before being transported to various Durban Hospitals for the further care that they required."

Police were on the scene to investigate the cause of the accident.

African News Agency/ANA