Latest news with #VWPolos
The Citizen
09-07-2025
- The Citizen
Highway, Berea car theft spike leads police to uMlazi chop shop
THE SAPS have discovered a chop shop in uMlazi where Volkswagen vehicle parts were found. Police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Magwaza said the discovery of the chop shop at N Section in uMlazi came as a result of SAPS crime intelligence officers 'working hard to source information regarding a number of Volkswagen vehicles which were either stolen or hijacked in Durban and surrounding areas such as Sydenham, Berea, Umbilo, Hillcrest and Pinetown'. Magwaza said the discovery of the chop shop on Tuesday, July 8, followed an intelligence-driven operation at uMlazi N Section conducted by the eThekwini District Task Team. 'The many hours of hard work put in by members proved fruitful as information received of a chop shop at Umlazi 'N' section was verified and certified to be truthful. Also read: Polo Pinetown's prime target 'The intelligence received was then operationalised and members pounced at the targeted address at uMlazi. Initial investigation at the premises revealed that the property is rented out to tenants. The individual who was the subject of interest for the police during this operation was not in his rented room when police pounced. 'Upon the subsequent search, police found a large amount of suspected stolen vehicle parts, including door panels for VW Polos, dashboards, suspensions, bumpers, pedals, steering wheels, side and rear mirrors. 'Further search led to the recovery of an engine which belonged to a vehicle which was reported stolen in Pinetown during the month of November in 2024. Other vehicle engines checked during this operation were found to have been tampered with. A set of number plates in the premises also came up as belonging to a vehicle stolen in the Berea policing precinct in September of 2024. 'On-scene investigations pointed to the possibility that the suspected person in this matter was conducting vehicle parts sales in the rented premises. All the suspected vehicle parts were seized for further investigations and the search for the suspect is underway,' said Magwaza. For more from the Highway Mail, follow us on Facebook , X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Click to subscribe to our newsletter here At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
17-06-2025
- The Citizen
Two arrested after high-speed chase ends in crash
MEMBERS of Marshall Security recovered a stolen vehicle and a range of car break-in tools after a high-speed chase ended in a crash on Saturday (June 14) in Newlands East. Two suspects were detained and handed over to Newlands SAPS. Marshall's Special Operations Team (SOT) were on a routine patrol on Inanda Road when they spotted two VW Polos, a white and a silver sedan, driving at excessive speed. Also read: Effingham robbery suspects arrested, goods recovered 'As the drivers became aware they were being followed, both vehicles suddenly turned off onto Joyce Road toward Newlands. Believing that the white Polo may have been stolen and the silver Polo acting as an escort vehicle, our SOT members initiated pursuit,' said Marshall Security spokesperson Tyron Powell. 'A high-speed chase ended when both vehicles lost control and crashed at the corner of Joyce and Ringside Roads. The white Polo continued up Hippo Road before coming to a stop, at which point two suspects fled on foot. Meanwhile, the silver Polo came to a halt in a residential driveway, where two suspects were apprehended inside the vehicle.' Powell revealed that the white Polo had been reported stolen from the Mayville area. 'The silver Polo was confirmed to be the suspects' own vehicle and was fitted with false registration plates. Upon searching the vehicle, officers uncovered a range of car break-in tools, including multiple vehicle computer boxes, equipment often used to bypass vehicle security systems.' For more from Northglen News, follow us on Facebook, X or Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The South African
13-06-2025
- Automotive
- The South African
142 VW Polos recalled over airbag hazard, warns NCC
After discovering a potentially deadly airbag fault, Volkswagen South Africa has recalled 150 vehicles, 142 VW Polos and 8 VW Taigo models. The National Consumer Commission (NCC) issued the alert on Thursday, warning drivers of a critical defect in the gas generator of the front passenger airbag. 'In the event of an accident with deployment of the front airbag, there may be a reduced protective effect by the front passenger airbag and an increased risk of injury to the passenger,' the NCC stated. Furthemore, the issue lies in a component of the gas generator housing, which could burst or break apart during an accident, posing a serious risk to passengers. Volkswagen confirmed the affected vehicles include Polos sold from 20 December 2022 and Taigos made available for sale from 29 January 2024. Both the NCC and Volkswagen have urged affected owners to stop using the front passenger seat immediately. 'Affected consumers are advised to deactivate the front passenger airbag, refrain from using the front passenger seat, submit their vehicle to any VWSA-approved dealer for a check and, if necessary, replace the affected components,' the NCC said. Moreover, the automaker has pledged to fix the defect at no cost to the vehicle owner and has begun notifying affected customers. The recall comes amid global concerns over airbag-related injuries. The NCC's warning stresses the seriousness of the fault. 'The gas generator housing may come loose and cause serious or deadly injuries to vehicle occupants,' the statement reads. Customers have been encouraged to check their vehicle status via Volkswagen's recall database or to contact their nearest dealer for assistance. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Herald
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Herald
International stunt driver Terry Grant visits Bergsig School
Bergsig Special School in Kariega had the privilege of hosting well-known international stunt driver Terry Grant when he visited the school recently, along with local motoring mogul Marius Roberts. Grant, along with Marius Roberts, contacted Marco Griesel, who a teacher at the school and asked if it would be possible to do some work for them, as they were going to be doing some filming in SA around the Gqeberha and Kariega areas in preparation for the upcoming celebration of 50 years of the VW Polo internationally. Bergsig Special School was tasked with adapting a VW Polo and manufacturing some metal ramp stands for Grant to use at Simola Hill Climb in Knysna, where he would attempt to drive the Polo from the start to the top of the hill during the lunch break at the Hill Climb on just two wheels, as well as manufacturing other stands and ramps that would be used in a film shoot on the M4 freeway and in the harbour area. In a rear-wheel vehicle, it's a simple matter of welding the differential together, but due to the VW Polo being a front-wheel drive vehicle, it required special attention to detail to get both front wheels locked together. The first practice session was a short run that took place in the parking lot at the hotel in Knysna on the Friday night of the Simola weekend, to the delight of the curious crowd that had gathered. During Saturday's attempt up the hill, Grant got as far as turn three on two wheels before the electronic safety features in the car forced it into limp mode, reducing power from the engine. Before returning to the United Kingdom, Grant requested a visit to Bergsig School to see how and where the preparations were done and he was also keen to meet the pupils that were involved. On arrival he did a couple of stunts with the Polo to show the pupils that their hard work had paid off. This was followed by a meet-and-greet session as well as a tour of the workshops. 'This has been one of my best days in SA,' Grant said after the visit. 'I am so impressed with the quality of workmanship and the skills that the learners are taught here that I have taken loads of pictures to show my people back home in the UK how skilled the learners are, and will definitely visit again when I am in the Eastern Cape and will certainly be using them for some new projects in the future.' Teacher Griesel added: 'We as a school would like to thank Terry and Marius for the opportunity to be involved in such a big project that has given us some wonderful exposure, and we look forward to working together with them in the future.' The Herald
The Herald
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- The Herald
Rally fever grips Nelson Mandela Bay
Round two of the Algoa Rally Club Championship takes place on Monday at the Aldo Scribante Raceway at the Syrabix APS Motul Rally and has been billed as yet another spectator-friendly event with a mix of dirt and tar sections and some high-speed jumps. The starting line-up of 24 entries includes some newcomers who will be pitting their skills against many of the seasoned campaigners. East London brothers Justin and Dane Langheine, who did sweeping and recovery duties in the first round of the championship, will be making their debut in a Toyota Corolla KE70 powered by a 2-litre Toyota Beams motor and should be a force to be reckoned with. Another new pairing are the team of Belinda Ball, the wife of racing driver Dean Ball, with Tarryn van Rooyen doing navigating duties for her. Making a welcome return to rallying are Gordon Nolan with debutant navigator Timothy Ball. The winners of the opening round of the championship, Gauteng brothers Nico and Juandre Nienaber, return for round two and will no doubt be pushing their Toyota Etios 1600 to the limit once again after a spectacular performance in round one. Nick Davidson and Ashley Bezuidenhout will be hoping that their four-wheel drive Toyota Auris S2000's reliability issues are now a thing of the past and will be mixing it up with the four-wheel drive VW Polos of Wade van Zummeren, Jody van Zummeren and Riekus Schmidt as well as the four-wheel drive Subaru Legacy of Des Timm with navigator Thango Tyikwe and the Audi S3 Quattro of Cape Town visitors Paul van Wyk and Matt Kohler. In the two-wheel drive class there will no doubt be the usual close tussle between the likes of national competitors Neels Vosloo and Rikus Fourie, Ross and Roxanne Bartle, Johan and Juane' Viljoen, Jeandré Marais and Tegan Taljaard, all in VW Polos, and Deon Kretzmann and Jason Schreiber's Toyota Etios and Juan van Rooyen with his daughter Cailyn competing in their new Ford Fiesta for the first time. The beauty of holding the rally at Scribante is that there are many spectator vantage points where one can see up to four cars competing in various stages at the same time, be it on the racetrack or the surrounding dirt roads. Entrance to the event for spectators is R50 per vehicle, so everyone is encouraged to load up their friends and families, bring the braai fires and cooler boxes and enjoy the public holiday while enjoying the action. Upcoming events: April 25: British Sports Car display at the EP Veteran Car Club in Conyngham Road 26: Round 2 of Algoa Motorsport Regional Championship at Aldo Scribante Raceway; Dirt Oval Racing at PE Ovaltrack Raceway in Greenbushes 28: Round 2 of Algoa Rally Club Championship at Aldo Scribante Raceway May 2-4: Simola Hill Climb in Knysna 3: National Motocross at Rover Motorcycle Club 10: Extreme National Festival at Aldo Scribante Raceway; Dirt Oval Challenge series at Victory Raceway The Herald
