Jasmine, butterflies, green grass and sun - these are some of the things people in the city associate with spring. Here's what vendors at the Pietermaritzburg Farmers' Market said about spring and what it meant to them.

16 UKZN students were arrested by police during a protest on the Pietermaritzburg campus. Students were disputing the privatization of hostels.

12-year-old Asad Khan from Scottsville Primary School is South Africa's champion speed stacker. He has recently returned from an international speed stacking championship in the USA where he represented the country. Asad shared a few speed stacking tips with The Witness.

A strange creature has been spotted in the trees of Blackridge and Hilton. It's been identified as a South American coatimundi. How it came to roam wild through the Midlands is still a mystery.

An out-of-control veld fire kept firefighters and residents of Grimthorpe Avenue on their toes on Sunday. Large flames and billowing, black smoke turned the normally peaceful suburb into a hive of frenetic activity as the city's fire department subdued the flames.

Disgruntled public servants brought Grey's Hospital to a standstill when they demanded an 8.6% increase by protesting outside the hospital. Police were allegedly forced to use teargas to control the crowd after they began pelting police officers with stones.

The 59th Miss Universe Pageant is set to take place on August 23 in Los Vegas. It will be hosted by TV’s Natalie Morales and singer/songwriter Bret Michaels. Miss Universe 2009, Stefanía Fernández from Venezuela, will crown the new winner.

Aunty yo - a South African poi instructor, describes the history and origin of this colorful technique as her students demonstrate the art of poi at the White Mountain Folk Festival.

Highlights of this year’s White Mountain Folk Festival plus what some people had to say about the family-friendly event.

In any normal day we eat regular meals and snacks. But come Comrades day many runners seem to think that they can cover the grueling 89.17km from Pietermaritzburg to Durban surviving on coke, water and a few biscuits!

With only two weeks left until the 84th Comrades Marathon runners need to cut back on all distance runs and focus on a few easy quality sessions to keep their legs loose.

With 48 refreshment stations it’s so easy to get confused with your hydration in the 2009 Comrades Marathon.

With one month to go, given a choice between illness or injury in the weeks leading up to Comrades – opt for injury there’s a greater chance that it can rectified without impacting on your goal finish time.