Traditional ceremony gone wrong

Seven men were gunned down in a massacre in Gugulethu, Western Cape, South Africa, on Wednesday.

The streets were crowded with vehicles and people who had come to see what had happened as bodies of the deceased lay scattered.

At least three bodies lay on top of another, hidden behind a BMW parked outside a home.

A few feet away lay two other bodies.

Police confirmed that they are investigating the murder incident that took place in Gugulethu NY79.

It is alleged that the deceased were attending a traditional ceremony when they were attacked.

Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa said: “Police crime scene experts are still scouring the scene in NY79, Gugulethu, where five people were shot dead by yet-to-be identified suspects who later fled in a vehicle.

“Two other individuals were wounded in the shooting incident. They were rushed to a medical facility for treatment, where they later died.”

She said police have instituted the 72 Activation Plan for the mobilisation of resources in search of gunmen who shot and killed the deceased.

Potelwa said reports indicate the deceased were attending a traditional ceremony.

The motive for the shooting is yet to be determined.

She said the identities of the deceased would only be released once relatives have been informed.

Western Cape acting police commissioner Major-General Thembisile Patekile said police teams are already pursuing several leads.

“The teams will work through the night conducting tracing operations,” said Patekile.

A concerned Gugulethu community spokesperson, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: “We condemn this kind of killing. Last year we had a similar incident that took place.

“It looks like mass killings have become a norm here in Gugulethu.

“We need to ensure that Gugulethu becomes a safe place for all and return to the state it used to be.

“We are on our own as the Gugulethu community. SAPS is understaffed and they don’t have enough resources. We want the police to do a thorough investigation and ensure that perpetrators are arrested.

“It is saddening that Gugulethu has become a hotspot for these types of crimes. We need to work hand-in-hand with the police and ensure that incidents like these don’t happen again in our communities. It is clear that we are not safe in our own communities.”

Woman wakes after 27 years in coma

A woman from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) who was seriously injured in a traffic accident in 1991 made a seemingly miraculous recovery after emerging from a 27-year-long coma.

Munira Abdulla, who was aged 32 at the time of the accident, suffered a severe brain injury after the car she was travelling in collided with a bus on the way to pick up her son from school.

Omar Webair, who was then just four-years-old, was sitting in the back of the vehicle with her, but was left unscathed as his mother cradled him in her arms moments before the accident.

Ms Abdulla — who was being driven by her brother-in-law — was left seriously injured, but last year regained consciousness in a German hospital.

Omar has opened up about the accident and about his mother’s progress following years of treatment in an interview with the UAE-based newspaper The National.

“I never gave up on her because I always had a feeling that one day she would wake up,” Omar told the newspaper.

“The reason I shared her story is to tell people not to lose hope on their loved ones; don’t consider them dead when they are in such a state,” he added.

“My mother was sitting with me in the back seat. When she saw the crash coming, she hugged me to protect me from the blow.”

He was unharmed, suffering just a bruise to the head, but his mother was left untreated for hours.

Ms Abdulla was eventually taken to hospital, and later transferred to London.

There, she was declared to be in a vegetative state — unresponsive, but able to sense pain — The National reports.

She was then returned to Al Ain, a city in the UAE on the border with Oman where she lived, and moved to various medical facilities according to insurance requirements.

She remained there for a few years, fed through a tube and kept alive.

She underwent physiotherapy to ensure her muscles would not weaken through lack of movement.

In 2017, the family was offered a grant by the Crown Prince Court, a government body in Abu Dhabi, for Ms Abdulla to be transferred to Germany.

There, she underwent a number of surgeries to correct her severely shortened arm and leg muscles, and she was given medication to improve her state, including her wakefulness.

A year later, her son was involved in an argument in her hospital room, which seemed to prompt his mother to stir.

“There was a misunderstanding in the hospital room and she sensed I was at risk, which caused her a shock,” Omar said.

“She was making strange sounds and I kept calling the doctors to examine her; they said everything was normal.

“Then, three days later, I woke up to the sound of someone calling my name.

“It was her! She was calling my name, I was flying with joy; for years I have dreamt of this moment, and my name was the first word she said.”

She became more responsive, and can now feel pain and have some conversations.

She has returned to Abu Dhabi, where she is undergoing physiotherapy and further rehabilitation –mainly to improve her posture when sitting and prevent muscles from contracting.

There are only a few cases of people recovering consciousness after several years — and even then, recovery can be protracted. — Wires.