Eastern Cape
Ex-mercenaries fight stock theft
By Adrienne Carlisle GRAHAMSTOWN -- Desperate farmers in the North-Eastern Cape near the Lesotho border have employed the services of the controversial South African mercenary organisation, Executive Outcomes (EO), to help them prevent cross-borde...
Six youths shot in Whittlesea
By Sonja Raasch QUEENSTOWN -- A brother of the mayor of Whittlesea was arrested after gunmen opened fire on a youth meeting at Ekuphumleni township in Whittlesea on Wednesday, leaving six youths woun-ded, two of them critically. Police are invest...
Victims tell of shots fired at fleeing crowd
By Zingisile Mapazi EAST LONDON -- Two of the six youths shot in Ekuphumleni township near Whittlesea this week were recovering in Cecilia Makiwane Hospital here yesterday. They said three gunmen opened fire on them at a meeting in the township. ...
Missing camera stump comes to light
EAST LONDON -- The search for a R17000 camera stump which was stolen after the South Africa-Pakistan one-day international in April came to a successful end yesterday. In the Daily Dispatch yesterday Border Cricket Board general manager Reunert B...
R120000 cash-in-transit heist near King
By Matt Ramsden EAST LONDON -- An estimated R120000 was stolen in a cash-in-transit robbery outside King William's Town yesterday. A Coin Security vehicle was travelling to King William's Town from the First National Bank in Berlin when it came u...
Ex-Ciskei company faces 257 charges
MDANTSANE -- A former Ciskei company and its director will go on trial on Monday on 257 charges, including fraud, forgery, uttering and contravention of the Customs and Excise Act involving millions of rand. A local attorney and experienced litiga...
Alleged irregularities in Ecda management
By Phakamisa Ngani UMTATA -- Eastern Cape Development Agency (Ecda) acting chief executive Campbell Bomela has been accused of mismanagement by three of his staff here. But Mr Bomela has rejected all the allegations and said they were being made ...
EL's new fire chief pleased with team
EAST LONDON -- Nearly two months after starting his new job as East London's chief fire officer, Mr Jerome Ismail, 37, is happy to be in the hot seat. Mr Ismail joined the fire service in Port Elizabeth in 1983 where he stayed as a firefighter and...
Frere seeks 4-year-old's mum
EAST LONDON -- Frere Hospital staff are appealing to the parents of a four-year-old Needs Camp girl to collect her. Anathi Mali was taken to the hospital by her mother, Nomvula, on March 20 suffering from malnutrition. Having been treated, the gi...
2 held after hijack attempt in Ecca Pass
EAST LONDON -- Police arrested two Grahamstown men after a shoot-out and attempted hijacking at Ecca Pass yesterday morning. Police said the driver of an Eastern Cape Distributors' truck, Mr Ernest Nalonzi, was travelling between Fort Brown and G...
Erwin to address plea for industry in Butterworth
By Phakamisa Ngani UMTATA -- President Nelson Mandela has persuaded Trade and Industry Minister Alec Erwin to visit Butterworth business people within the next three weeks to address their plea for an industrial and commercial renaissance in the S...
Kokstad farmer and wife attacked in their house
KOKSTAD -- An elderly Kokstad farmer and his wife escaped with minor injuries when attacked by three men in their home, police said yesterday. Mr Leo van Leewen and his wife, Lulu,both in their 80s, were awoken by the robbers and tied up in their...
Memorial for former Dispatch editor's wife
EAST LONDON -- The "eyes" of a former Daily Dispatch editor, Mrs Nell McPherson, 91, died last month. Her memorial service will be held at the Berea Gardens chapel here today. Mrs McPherson's husband, Murray, edited the Daily Dispatch from 1963 ...
Three murder suspects released
UMTATA -- Three Port St John's men who were held for questioning in connection with the murder of a local farmer and attack on his wife have been released, the investigating officer, Inspector Bonisile Mkupa of the Umtata murder and robbery unit co...
Old Dalians mark 137th reunion
By Denver Donian KING WILLIAM'S TOWN -- A full programme of events has been planned to mark the 137th Old Dalian reunion here at the weekend which will see old boys from around the country converge on the town. The highlight of the weekend will b...
MEC uncaring says NP
By Eric Naki Political Correspondent BISHO -- The NP has condemned the "uncaring manner" in which Welfare MEC Nomsa Jajula and her department's officials handled the demands of about 300 pensioners protesting at the Bisho Legislature gate. NP l...
Govt officials trapped
By Eric Naki Political Correspondent BISHO -- Politicians and government officials were trapped inside and outside the Bisho Legislature gates for more than an hour yesterday when about 300 social grant pensioners demonstrated in front of the gat...
MEC busses waiting cold pensioners home
By Lulamile Feni BISHO -- Public Works and Transport MEC Thobile Mhlahlo last night provided a bus to take home desperate pensioners who had been waiting at the entrance of the legislature in freezing conditions for their money all day. Mr Mhlahl...
Pensioners paid out after delays
QUEENSTOWN -- Computer problems which delayed the payment of social welfare grants to thousands of beneficiaries in several North Eastern Cape towns this week have been solved and payments will be completed this week. Pensioners and disability gra...
IFP, PAC will not join ANC
By Lucas Mati EAST LONDON -- The IFP and PAC yesterday rejected Eastern Cape Premier Makhenkesi Stofile's invitation to join the ANC. During the launch of a R9,3 million housing project in Keiskammahoek at the weekend, Mr Stofile invited both par...
Premier finds nothing new in report
By Eric Naki, Political Correspondent BISHO -- Eastern Cape Premier Makhenkesi Stofile has welcomed the Presidential Review Commission (PRC) report saying there was "nothing new" in its findings. In an interview last night, Mr Stofile pointed out...
R13m put into fund to empower small farmers
By Mamkeli Ngam KING WILLIAM'S TOWN-- The Eastern Cape Agriculture and Land Affairs Department has put R13 million in the Empowerment Development Fund to help small and developing farmers with new business enterprises, department spokesman Thembe...
Police chief reacts strongly to attacks
By Graeson Haw EAST LONDON -- "We will track you down!" This was the message yesterday from Acting Provincial Police Commissioner Nico Slabber to criminals as he reacted to recent attacks on police in the Eastern Cape. Vowing "criminal cowards" w...
Dangerous escaped prisoner shot dead in Free State
By Stan Mzimba UMTATA -- A dangerous convict wanted in connection with 13 murder cases was shot dead by police at an informal settlement in the Free State last weekend, the head of a special police task team investigating taxi violence, Captain Ja...
Go-ahead for probe into R1,5bn lifeline to Absa
By Zingisile Mapazi EAST LONDON -- Investigations into the billion-rand lifeline allegedly thrown to Absa Bank by the South African Reserve Bank in the early 90s are under way following a proclamation by President Nelson Mandela. The alleged R1,5...
EC ANC mourns loss of two stalwarts
EAST LONDON -- The ANC in the Eastern Cape has expressed shock at the death of two of its members in Mdantsane and Cape Town at the weekend. Mr Lizo Bright Ngqungwana -- a former MK senior officer and lieutenant-colonel in the SANDF -- died in a c...
Telkom backs Let's Talk Day
EAST LONDON -- Promoting communications in a changing world is the rationale Telkom gives for a Let's Talk Day which they are sponsoring tomorrow. Telkom chief executive Sizwe Nxasana said in a statement: "Let's Talk Day is about developing the ca...
Lean strongroom greets thieves
EAST LONDON -- A bad day for a bookmakers' firm here turned out to have a silver lining when thieves broke into their Station Street premises. Three men broke in through a back door at the Tattersalls Club in Station Street early yesterday before ...
To tow or not to tow was the question
UMTATA -- Scores of onlookers watched with interest to see whether or not a municipal tow truck would tow away a vehicle belonging to a judicial officer visiting here officially. The vehicle was parked in a tow-away zone and, when the municipal of...
Burchell R60m claim case continues Monday
BISHO -- A R60-million lawsuit brought against the Eastern Cape government by Frontier Safaris (Pty) Ltd is to continue on Monday in the high court here. Frontier Safaris managing director Fred Burchell alleges the former Ciskei government reneged...
DV workers unpaid for 14 months
By Zama Mpondwana EAST LONDON -- Angry and frustrated brickyard workers in Duncan Village complained yesterday they had not been paid for 14 months because of financial problems suffered by the local Duncan Village Entrepreneurial Development Cent...
