There is an entry cap of 23 000 runners and the entry period will run from November 13, 2024 to December 9, 2024 or until the entry cap is reached.

Th iconic ultramarathon, known for its challenging route that inspires thousands to compete, will take place on Sunday, June 8, 2025.

According to a press release from the CMA Marketing and Communications Manager, Delaine Cools, runners from around the globe are invited to run the historic race, which traditionally attracts athletes from nearly 75 countries.

Next year’s race will be the 98th edition, and will span approximately 89km between the cities of Pietermaritzburg and Durban. This will be the 49th Down Run, starting at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall and finishing at Durban’s People’s Park.

Cools said that participants can register online at the official Comrades Marathon website www.comrades.com or via the Comrades App.

Early registration is encouraged to secure a spot in the race.

Entry fees are the same as the 2023 and 2024 races. The entry fee is waived for holders of 25 or more Comrades medals:

• South Africa 2025 entrants – R1 200
• Rest of Africa 2025 entrants R2 000
• International 2025 entrants- R4 500

The cub was held at a property in Northern Park, Chase Valley, Ezemvelo spokesperson Musa Mntambo said.

He said that Ezemvelo’s Pietermaritzburg honorary officers visited the property to investigate the matter after they received reports of a tiger being spotted in the yard of a residential home.

“In collaboration with the South African Police Service (SAPS) Stock Theft Unit and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), Ezemvelo Wildlife officials visited the property to investigate. Upon arrival, they found a male tiger, estimated to be between four to six-months-old. The animal was immediately confiscated,” he said.

Mntambo said that the tiger was taken to the Free Me Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre for temporary care and rehabilitation before being transported to Pretoria.

Free Me Wildlife said the cub weighed just over 17 kilograms. It was placed under infrared light upon arrival, and given “good food” and a bed of hay.

Mntambo said that after securing the required permits, the cub was transported to the Pretoria Zoo on Thursday, September 19, “where it will receive specialised care and long-term accommodation”.

“A case of illegal possession of the tiger has been opened at Townhill SAPS. The charges fall under sections 79, 80, and 81 of the KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Ordinance, as well as section 65 (clauses 1 and 2) of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEMBA),” he said.

Mntambo said that Ezemvelo was committed to the enforcement of wildlife regulations and continued to work with other law enforcement agencies to ensure that such incidents were addressed swiftly and effectively.

According to Free Me Wildlife, the cub is under the direct protection of the highest conservation body in the country, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, and is being kept at the highest security facility under their control, the Pretoria Zoological Gardens.

“While this cub remains evidence in an ongoing court case, it must remain in the custody of the DFFE and cannot, for its own safety, be released to a private sanctuary. The future of the cub will only be decided once the outcome of the court case is final.”

Free Me Wildlife added that it would not support the rescue of an animal from the illegal wildlife trade only to see it become part of it again.

In February last year, surveillance footage captured a young female tiger roaming the driveway of an office complex in Edenvale, Ekurhuleni.

A month prior, another female tiger, Sheba, escaped from her enclosure on a smallholding in Walkerville, Johannesburg. She severely mauled a man, William Mokoena, and killed two dogs and a pig, before she was shot dead. The tigers were privately owned pets that escaped.

The keeping of non-indigenous species and generally keeping animals as pets is regulated by provinces and by-laws, where they exist.

The Mail & Guardian previously reported that according to Douglas Wolhuter, manager of the NSPCA’s wildlife protection unit, in its last inspection listing in 2021, the unit located at least 16 premises in residential areas that housed tigers.

On average, there are five to six complaints about tigers annually, “however these are on the rise as people become more aware of the tiger problem,” said Wolhuter.

Kelly Marnewick, a senior lecturer in the department of nature conservation at the Tshwane University of Technology, said: “Tigers are exotic. You don’t need any permits to keep them, the same as you wouldn’t need any permits to keep a goldfish or an African grey parrot. Anyone can own a tiger … It’s problematic because not only is it a human safety risk, particularly in urban areas, but it also becomes a welfare risk to the animals.”

A version of this article was first published by The Witness.

“FreeMe Wildlife has seen over a thousand sick, injured, or orphaned wildlife come through its doors in 2023. While many of these cases are more common species, there are some unusual admissions that stand out,” said Tammy Caine, the raptor specialist at the Howick-based wildlife rehabilitation centre.

Among the list of firsts, Caine said, FreeMe saw the first Marabou Stork admitted to the centre’s care, as well as other rare animals including a lesser flamingo, lesser honeyguide, Narina Trogon and the endangered secretary bird.

“We have also seen an increase in admissions of African wildcat, and have also admitted a Grant’s golden mole, two striped polecats and a thicktailed bushbaby. Our most challenging reptile admission for the year was an enormous four metre Southern African python,” she said.

She added that while they deal with wild and wondrous animals, the help they receive from the public is astronomical.

“We are grateful to all the members of the public who assisted with rescues and transport, and supported the
organisation through donations and fundraising events.

“We are also immensely grateful to those members of the public who attended talks and presentations, subscribed to our monthly custodian newsletter, and helped spread information and awareness on the work we do with wildlife,” she said.

Caine added that they were not alone in the business of helping animals and work closely with other important
stakeholders and conservation authorities such as Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, the SAPS Stock Theft Unit and various SPCAs, and other conservation organisations.

“There are a number of collaborative projects we were involved in, including the increase in wildlife poaching and
trafficking cases and confiscations that took place through- out the year,” she said.

Poaching has been a prolific factor in their rescue and rehabilitation efforts, Caine said.

“Sadly, there is an increase in the persecution of wildlife in our country, and the illegal wildlife trade is driving many species to extinction.

“It is not just rhinos that are targeted, but many other species where body parts form part of the black market trade in wildlife,” said Caine.

This article was first published by The Witness.

Gas guns, which resemble real guns, are usually used for self-defence.

Veness said this modus operandi has been on the rise in the city. “There has been a spike in the number of business robberies in town and in crime in general. I had an engagement with our SAPS [South African Police Service] area commissioner earlier this week and she advised that the police are having a challenge with the number of gas guns being used to commit robberies.” 

She added: “These guns look and feel exactly like real weapons, but are more easily available and cheaper to purchase — you can buy them over the counter at most malls. More and more young people are being caught using them to commit crime; they’ve been emboldened by having a gas gun,” said Veness.

She added that the police have difficulty arresting people with gas guns because they are not illegal.

She said that criminals were avoiding areas that had adequate security “and they do know whether your cameras are recording or not, so dummy cameras will unfortunately not do the job”.

Veness added that people who had fallen victim to these crimes were advised to report them to the police.

“If you are robbed, please don’t touch anything and please wait for the fingerprint officers to collect fingerprints before carrying on trading. There is often a wait for fingerprint officers to arrive, which I know is frustrating, but we do need to catch these criminals.” 

Mi7 security company director Colin Davids said they are aware of reports of this modus operandi.

“There have been reported incidents [of criminals using gas guns] due to their similarity to real guns. We have previously apprehended two or three people using gas guns, but recently we have not encountered any cases on our side.”

AET Security’s spokesperson, Renee Veenstra, said criminals who use gas guns were “playing with their lives”.

“If a gas gun looks like a real gun and is pointed at an officer who truly believes his life is in danger, that suspect may be killed in what that officer, SAPS or otherwise, believes is self-defence. We never assume that someone is carrying a ‘toy’ and we are trained to assume the worst and be prepared for it,” she said.

Jaden Percy, of Security Hyperstore in Pietermaritzburg, said that inquiries for gas guns had been on the rise. 

“In terms of sales, there have not been a lot of sales, but we get around six or seven inquiries per day on gas guns. A lot of people come in to inquire on how realistic the guns look, and if they need a licence to own one. But they are often put off by the price of the guns. A very realistic-looking gun will cost you around R3 000. These guns look and feel like real guns, but they are not,” said Percy.

Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshuinda said they will analyse the frequency of this kind of crime before they can comment on the matter. “There has to be crime pattern analysis on crimes committed where gas guns have been used.”