Friday, November 14, 1997

EAST LONDON -- A drowning tragedy was averted at a home in Sunnyridge yesterday when a nine-year-old girl pulled her baby brother out of a pool.

Chwayita Mbinda was playing with school friends Likho and Nikki Bumbulu in the backyard of her parents' Lonsdale Road home when her two-year-old brother Cinga fell into the pool.

''I screamed and Chwayita dived in and pulled him out,'' said nine-year-old Nikki.

A neighbour, Vuyiswa Mazingi, heard the commotion from next door and ran over to help Cinga vomit up pool water.

Cinga's mother, Mrs Pumla Mbinda, who was in town at the time, said she was relieved that a possible tragedy had been averted by her quick-thinking daughter.

She was full of praise for George Randell Primary School where her daughter learnt how to swim. -- DDR

Chwayita Mbinda, 9, with her brother Cinga, 2, whom she saved from drowning.
Picture by PATRICK KUKARD

Remain united, Stofile tells Lady Frere residents

By Mkhululi Titi

LADY FRERE -- Eastern Cape Premier Makhenkesi Stofile yesterday warned about 1 000 residents here not to be misled and divided by apartheid forces and political "carnivores".

"Our unity as Africans continue to worry apartheid forces because it shows that this country will never again be ruled by whites. You must not allow yourselves to be divided from your fellow brothers and sisters," he said on a visit.

Mr Stofile said although his government continued to be blamed for failing to honour its promises of improving the lives of the disadvantaged, several projects of the government's Reconstruction and Development Programme had been completed in many areas in the province.

"Although we have electrified many villages and other projects are being carried out there are those who pretend to be blind and continue to say we are not delivering," he said.

ANC election promises that people should vote for the party "for better lives", were not "left behind" but now the ANC government was struggling to fulfil them all at once because the previous governments had left a backlog of huge debts.

Mr Stofile said he had asked his provincial departments to compile reports about problems inherited from the previous governments. The report would be tabled for President Nelson Mandela soon.

"People, you must know that we are not angels therefore we are capable of committing mistakes, so please bear with us.

"Your dreams will soon be fulfilled," Mr Stofile said.

Car hits wall, wakes Gonubie

EAST LONDON -- An allegedly speeding white luxury sedan crashed into a Gonubie house early yesterday, seriously damaging the surrounding wall and the vehicle.

None of the four occupants was injured.

Neighbours said they were woken by three loud bangs around 2.30am. When they went outside to investigate, they saw skid marks starting from half a block away on the wrong side of the road.

The car hit an electrical pole, destroying it, before crashing into the wall. A piece of the pole was picked up on the next corner of the road.

The previous owners of the house, Mr Ken Theuma and his wife, Ina -- who are due to emigrate to New Zealand later this month -- left for Port Elizabeth the day before.

A nearby resident, Ms Vera Els, said there had been numerous accidents on that corner of Main Road in the past year.

She said the wall of the house was repaired earlier this year after another vehicle hit it. The road was getting more dangerous and drastic steps should be taken soon, she said.

The new owner of the house, who was not present at the time, inspected the damage yesterday morning. -- DDR

Pay, then you'll get services Ð Ngonyama

By Mthobeli Mxotwa

EAST LONDON -- Municipalities should make sure that people pay for their services so that services can be provided for them, Local Government and Housing MEC Smuts Ngonyama said yesterday.

Mr Ngonyama was asked to comment on the opposition shown by some individuals in Mdantsane to the new municipal flat rates.

Mr Ngonyama's statement coincides with a statement by the municipal public relations officer, Mr Phakimisa Hobongwana, that more than R500000 had already been collected in service charges from Mdantsane residents this month.

Mr Hobongwana appealed to residents to continue paying so that their township can be improved.

Reacting to reports that some municipal employees were turning away people who wanted to pay for services, he said drastic action would be taken against municipal employees who discouraged people from paying.

Zonal superintendents said this week that people were paying normally without hindrance.

Mr Ngonyama said everybody should pay for services because the local authorities could not supply necessary services if they had no money.

Reacting to opposition to the flat-rate amounts stipulated by the municipality, he said there was a risk that local authorities would go bankrupt if the residents refused to pay for tPay, theheir services.

Some transitional local councils (TLCs) in the province had already gone bankrupt because of non-payment.

He said his department would run workshops for both rural and urban communities to instill a culture of payment among communities.

The workshops would also take into consideration those residents who had no source of income.

He emphasised that everybody who had means would have to pay.

He said the East London TLC would have to open lines of dialogue with the community to discuss flat-rate amounts that would be acceptable to all.

In a recent South African Local Government Association document, the ANC spelt out its position on the payment of service charges.

Under the heading Financing Local Government' the ruling party says:

"The collection of municipal rates and service charges is a fundamental requirement for sustainable local government.

"ANC councillors need to be pro-active in creating the right political content for municipal officials to collect municipal revenues.

"There is a very real danger that local government in South Africa will collapse because many residents who can afford to pay for services are not doing so.

"Councils need to be both tough, and consistent, on this matter. Persistent non-payers must have their services cut off, and must face court action to recover outstanding money owing to the council."

A comparative table for the Eastern Cape shows that Mdantsane tariffs are similar to those of other towns.

Comparative figures are: Mdantsane R204,45, Phakamisa and Ilitha R207,14, Port Elizabeth R201,75 and eZibeleni R254,19.

The above tariffs apply to electrified houses only. Those without electricity pay less, between R65,44 and R107,29.

Gunmen rob van in Wilsonia

EAST LONDON -- Armed robbers got away with R35000 yesterday after holding up a confectionery factory delivery van, police said.

Captain Shannon Kirkhoff said two employees of Moonlight Sweets were returning to the factory premises in Dick King Road, Wilsonia, when a bakkie suddenly pulled in front of them.

Three men, one armed with an R5 rifle and another with a handgun, climbed out of the vehicle and fired two shots into the air.

The two men were forced to lie on the ground and searched. The robbers also searched the bakkie where they found a bag containing R35 000.

The robbers then drove off in both bakkies.

The sweet factory's vehicle was found abandoned 15 minutes later in Orsmond Road, Wilsonia.

Anyone with information can contact Captain Johan Koedyk on (0431) 58710. -- DDR

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