Eastern Cape

Food for disabled allegedly stolen
By Eric Naki Political Correspondent BISHO -- Two Department of Welfare officials employed at Enoch Sontonga Rehabilitation Centre for disabled children near Zwelitsha were arrested yesterday after allegedly being caught red-handed by members of ...

New shopping experience for EL
By Graeson Haw EAST LONDON -- East London's new R100 million mega shopping centre, the Beacon Bay Retail Park, was baptised for business last night at a function hosted by the Investec Property Group. The centre was officially opened by Mayor Lu...

Accounting firm had concerns over market agency in 1994 Trust account cheque used to buy liquor
By Eddie Botha Business Editor EAST LONDON -- An EL Market Agency cheque in favour of the agency's Absa trust account was used to pay for a liquor order at Preston's liquor store more than two months after the sheriff of the high court closed the...

Daily Dispatch Investigation
Pitcher denies liquor purchase EAST LONDON -- EL Market Agency's Greg Pitcher denies that he bought liquor from Preston's Liquor Store in Nahoon with a cheque from a trust account which has been closed after the Agricultural Produce Agents Counci...

Haga-Haga farm school is top of its class
By Phumlani Mdolomba BISHO -- Haga-Haga Extension Primary, which last month was voted the best farm school in the country, this week capped its national achievement by winning two awards in the first provincial awards ceremony for Miracles in Edu...

Bisho taken to court over rank promotions
By Eric Naki Political Correspondent BISHO -- The Eastern Cape government is being taken to court by labour unions involved in the provincial bargaining chamber for failing to meet its own deadline to pay rank promotion increases to civil servant...

Crime Watch
* EAST LONDON -- Police are seeking information on two violent deaths near here. Superintendent Eddie Watson said Mr Mlungisi Bangumzi, 31, was found stabbed to death at Needs Camp on June 16. The body of Mr Luvuyo Gladman Mbola, 36, was found ...

Driver shot by hijackers
UMTATA -- A man was injured when he was shot by hijackers who forced him out of his vehicle at a railway crossing on Tuesday night, police said yesterday. Mr Vusumzi Matshoba was about to cross the railway line in his red Toyota Venture, registra...

Strike at Parmalat enters third month
By Zama Mpondwana EAST LONDON -- Workers at Parmalat, formerly Bonnita, yesterday called on the company management to "stop negotiating in bad faith" so that their current strike could come to an end. The Food and Allied Workers' Union (Fawu) st...

Fire-fighters feted for long service
EAST LONDON -- Many had come and gone, but most had remained to serve the city and fight the fires which raged through buildings, homes and open veld. For their loyal service they were honoured at a parade at the Fleet Street Fire Station yesterda...

EL approves areas for discharging fireworks
Municipal Reporter EAST LONDON -- The East London executive committee has designated 23 areas where fireworks can be discharged in and around the city. The community service department has identified the areas "on condition that these areas are ...

Police union welcomes Selebi
By Phakamisa Ngani UMTATA -- The biggest mistake Foreign Affairs director-general Jackie Selebi could make on taking over as the country's first black police chief next year would be keeping the old South African Police Service bureaucrats as adv...

Villagers walk 30 km for water
By Bongani Siqoko BUTTERWORTH -- Hundreds of people from here and neighbouring villages braved yesterday's hot weather to walk over 30 km to the nearest municipal water works to get water as the whole Butterworth community had to survive yet anot...

EC gambling board sets full time-table for bidding
GRAHAMSTOWN -- Licences for the three Eastern Cape "zones" still without casinos will be allocated by November 30, 2000, according to the Eastern Cape Gambling and Betting Board's draft casino licensing programme. This follows the announcement by...

Gwatyu families seek govt protection
By Mkhululi Titi COFIMVABA -- About 16 families living at Gwatyu state farms near here have appealed to the government to protect them from what they say is "unfair treatment" by people leasing the farms. "We are not treated as South Africans on...

Child abuse care guidelines drafted
By Denver Donian KING WILLIAM'S TOWN -- An alarming increase in child abuse and neglect in the Eastern Cape has resulted in a Provincial Protocol being drafted to assist workers to deal efficiently with victims. The completed document, "Working ...

Top police officer's trial postponed
ZWELITSHA -- The trial of a high-ranking police officer, accused of opening fire on his estranged wife, relatives and several policemen in August this year, was yesterday postponed to November. Superintendent Manelisi Mdekazi, 49, was not asked t...

No money to repair MPLs' houses
By Eric Naki Political Correspondent BISHO -- Members of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature will have to make do with the existing dilapidated government houses for their accommodation because Public Works has no money for major renovations....

Port St Johns spectacle on small screen
By Kerry Engelbrecht UMTATA -- The enchanting place which is Port St John's will be introduced to a wider public when SABC 2 screens the second episode of a four-part series of an acclaimed cultural documentary at 10pm tonight. Five years in the...

Ban media ads for guns, UDM urges
By Eric Naki Political Correspondent BISHO -- The United Democratic Movement (UDM) has called on Safety and Security Minister Steve Tshwete to ban the advertising of handguns in the media and for the registration and control of gun magazines by t...

Court runs out of cheques to refund bail money
By Stan Mzimba UMTATA -- The Port St Johns Magistrate's Court is facing an unusual problem of not being able to refund bail bonds as it has run out of cheques. Officials told the Daily Dispatch that this was the fourth month that their offices h...

Hotep Galeta hooks Danes on EC sounds
By Cornelius Thomas EAST LONDON -- Jazz pianist and unofficial music ambassador for the Eastern Cape Hotep Idris Galeta returned recently from a two-week Danish mission where he promoted the culture and music of the province. Hotep had talks wit...

Project launched to build business skills
By Bongani Siqoko Education Reporter BUTTERWORTH -- The Eastern Cape Technikon has joined an international consortium of six institutions -- four from South Africa -- to foster social and economic development of previously disadvantaged communiti...

3-day black art fest to promote T'kei, cultures
By Phakamisa Ngani LUSIKISIKI -- Despite the disruptions caused by recent incessant rains, preparations are on track for the festival of black art intended to put Transkei on the tourism map, according to organisers of the three-day event startin...