SA politician goes snorkelling in giant pothole to highlight city’s failures
Johannesburg, March 31: A 75-year-old woman running for mayor of South Africa’s biggest city went snorkelling in a large, water-filled trench in a suburban road in a stunt to draw attention to what she describes as years of mismanagement by the city’s authorities.
Helen Zille, a well-known South African politician, wore a wetsuit, a mask and snorkel, and a pink-and-white swimming cap as she doggy-paddled through the pool of muddy brown water in an upscale Johannesburg suburb. The pool has been there for about three years because a burst water pipe hadn’t been properly fixed despite repeated attempts, she said.
Zille posted a video of herself in the trench that was picked up and broadcast by television news channels. In it, she says sarcastically, “And here we are with a free and wonderful Saturday-afternoon snorkel.”
“I wonder if there are any fish in here. Let me take a look,” she added before dipping part of her head under the water.
Johannesburg is considered Africa’s richest city by private wealth but has struggled with years of failed local government coalitions and the degradation of services. It is known as the “City of Gold” after being founded on huge gold deposits. (AP)
Kangaroo scales tall fence, flees petting zoo for three days on the lam
Wisconsin (US), March 31: How does a kangaroo escape a petting zoo? It’s not the opening line to a dad joke. If you’re Chesney the kangaroo, you scale an eight-foot fence and go on the lam for three days, giving your keeper sleepless nights and sending residents of a small Wisconsin town on a search that would end happily on Saturday.
The unprecedented leap at Sunshine Farm in Necedah, Wisconsin, last week was precipitated by some stray dogs that rushed the enclosure and spooked the 16-month-old Chesney, said his keeper, Debbie Marland.
She and friends then trekked hither and yon in this town about 255 kilometres northwest of Milwaukee.
They chased reports of sightings and even rented heat-seeking drones, which proved effective in narrowing down the wanderings of the high-jumping adventurer. “I was putting on about 37,000 steps per day looking for him,” Marland said. “I haven’t done so much exercise in a very long time.”
Chesney and his roommate Kenny are named for country-music star Kenny Chesney. They’re among 25 animals at Sunshine Farm, with horses, sheep, alpacas, Kunekune pigs, Highland cows and a Bactrian camel. (AP)
