Eastern Cape

EC to get R22 billion
By Patrick Cull CAPE TOWN -- The Eastern Cape will receive R22,020 billion for the next financial year, made up of its equitable share and conditional grants. This is some R2,2 billion more than the revised figure for the current financial year....

Ticket callers collapse switchboard
THE scrum of enthusiastic callers yesterday for 10 free rugby tickets collapsed the Dispatch switchboard. We think we've solved the problem and invite readers to try again between 9 and 9.30am today. The Daily Dispatch and Border Rugby are givin...

Teachers union against proposal to close Unitra
EAST LONDON -- The South African Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu) yesterday said it opposed the recommendations by the national working group (NWG) to close the University of Transkei (Unitra). Sadtu provincial secretary Mxolisi Dimaza was comm...

Disabled youth awarded R3m damages claim
By Adrienne Carlisle GRAHAMSTOWN -- The Graaff-Reinet municipality has agreed to pay R3million in damages to a youth who had both his arms amputated in 1997 following a severe electrical shock from an overhead transformer installation. Martin K...

Man held for farm murder
By Denver Donian Crime Reporter EAST LONDON -- Members of the local serious violent crime unit arrested an 18-year-old man at Needs Camp yesterday in connection with the murder of a domestic worker on a farm near Gonubie on Monday. No-amen Elsi...

Fort Grey school a shambles
By Madoda Dyonana EAST LONDON -- Children at the Sinomonde Junior Primary School at Fort Grey have to put up with a school that stinks, and which has broken windows, no toilets and not enough desks. "Most learners have developed a skin rash and ...

Official's goods also attached
UMTATA -- A team of court sheriffs tasked with attaching the properties of local lawyer S'lulami Nontenja yesterday also attached the belongings of a former State Attorney official, who according to papers before the high court "approved" the paym...

Three held for assault, hijacking near B'worth
QUEENSTOWN -- Three men have been arrested in connection with the hijacking and assault of a man near Butterworth on February 8. Teboro Marabela was stopped by seven armed men on the N2. He was hit in the face and robbed of his 4x4 vehicle. Poli...

Tears as woman is jailed for theft from employer
By Ncedo Kumbaca Court Reporter EAST LONDON -- Family members wept in the regional court here yesterday when Sharon Engelbrecht was sentenced to four years' jail for fraud for stealing R107000 from Vincent Spar here between May 1997 and May 1999...

Marchers 'only meant to be injured'
By Lucas Mati EAST LONDON -- The Ciskei Defence Force field commander during the September 1992 shooting of ANC marchers near the Bisho stadium said this week he had expected only 27 soldiers to open fire with single shots to scare off the marche...

Somerset East officer missing
By Denver Donian Crime Reporter. EAST LONDON -- Police countrywide are searching for a Somerset East policeman who went missing on February 10 and whose abandoned vehicle was found in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, at the weekend. Inspector Kevin Alexa...

Man stabbed by mob after wife's killing
QUEENSTOWN -- A hawker was attacked and stabbed by a mob minutes after he allegedly shot dead his ex-wife here yesterday afternoon, police said. The name of the dead woman has not yet been released. Superintendent Bathandwa Dada said the woman w...

15 years for DV murderer
By Ncedo Kumbaca EAST LONDON -- A Duncan Village woman who murdered her husband last year was sentenced in the regional court here yesterday to 15 years in jail. Margaret Nokhontoni Mthathi, 52, stabbed her husband Gcininkosi Polo, 50, four tim...

Pefferville case postponed
By Ncedo Kumbaca Court Reporter EAST LONDON -- The regional court here on Tuesday postponed the sentencing of six members of the Pefferville Outlaws gang until tomorrow as the social worker was not available to give his report. The six cannot b...

Police deny arrest claim
By Denver Donian, Crime Reporter. EAST LONDON -- Police have denied that a man who allegedly shot his girlfriend dead at her home in Mdantsane last weekend had been arrested and released by police a few days earlier. Lulama Wendy Peter, 26, a mo...

Man jailed for VAT claim fraud
PORT ELIZABETH -- A businessman from Graaff-Reinet who defrauded the South African Revenue Services (Sars) of more than R384400 in VAT claims, re-acted with shock when he was jailed to five years in the regional court here yesterday. Magistrate J...

Tembu royal house prepares for wedding
By Stan Mzimba UMTATA -- A delegation of "ambassadors" from the Tembu royal house here will leave for King Zwelithini's palace Nongoma in KwaZulu-Natal in a week's time. The royal trek is to finalise wedding arrangements for the king's daughter...

Officer held for stock theft
QUEENSTOWN -- A Maluti policeman and another man appeared in court here on Tuesday on a stock theft charge. They remain in custody. Captain Mpofana Skwatsha said Sergeant Dumakute Mlengana, 40, and Albert Napi, 44, were arrested after allegedly b...

Man gets fifteen years for murder of brother's wife
EAST LONDON -- A 40-year-old man from Kidd's Beach was sentenced to 15 years' jail in the regional court here on Tuesday for the murder of his brother's wife on September30 last year. Fabha Kumsha stabbed Mavis Madondo more than 13 times. Kumsha...

Woman hurt in another farm attack
EAST LONDON -- In the second farm attack in the East London area this week an elderly woman suffered serious head injuries yesterday when she was beaten with a piece of timber by four men. Angela de Jong, 67, of Bridal Farm in the Cove Ridge area...

BC College gets R1,5m boost
By Zama Feni EAST LONDON -- The government of Lower Saxony in Germany has injected e154 000 (about R1,5m) into the newly merged Buffalo City College for staff and students' technical and electrical advancement programmes. At a ceremony at the c...

Chris Hani lists water, farming as priorities
By Sonja Raasch QUEENSTOWN -- Agricultural development and water supply schemes feature prominently in existing projects currently being carried out by the Chris Hani district municipality and in plans for the next financial year. At the council...

FOR THE RECORD
COSATU provincial secretary Xolani Pakati has denied saying, in reaction to the alleged theft of R14,3m from Saccawu's pension fund by official Abram Mosiuoa: ''This serves as a lesson, though, that workers must not put too much trust in office be...

Solar, wind energy for Hluleka reserve
By Justine Gerardy EAST LONDON -- The Wild Coast's Hluleka Nature Reserve has been identified by the Department of Minerals and Energy (DME) as the first small village area in South Africa to receive electricity through a combination of energy so...

Stofile stands firm on HIV drug decision
By Adrienne Carlisle GRAHAMSTOWN -- It is still too early to outline the cost of making the anti-retroviral drug Nevirapine available at all hospitals and clinics in the province, says Premier Makhenkesi Stofile's spokesperson Manelisi Wolela. ...

Mayor warns on vehicle misuse
QUEENSTOWN -- Chris Hani district municipality mayor Mafuza Sigabi has issued a warning about fraudulent activities relating to government funds and misuse of government vehicles. In his address to council yesterday, Sigabi said the municipality ...

EC panel sees positive aspects, some problems
EAST LONDON -- As with previous years this Budget is seen as one for the people, says the Border-Kei Chamber of Business. In a statement issued after a panel discussion between chamber president Philip Kahts, executive member Gary Pike and treasu...

Acting head rejects Health report
By Mphumzi Zuzile BISHO -- The standing committee on health yesterday gave the Eastern Cape Department of Health a tongue-lashing for failing to give proper responses to its questions regarding problems it had detected in the department. The dep...

Mhlathi says govt is exploiting the poor
BISHO -- The United Democratic Movement yesterday said the recent call by President Thabo Mbeki for the public to volunteer services is nothing more than "exploiting the starving and unemployed". UDM MPL Max Mhlathi said that during the build up ...

Trollip fires broadside at Stofile's speech
BISHO -- Sewage dams overflowing in the King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality, which resulted in the cholera outbreak at Qingolo, had been overflowing for the past three years due to the massive urban migration of job seekers, DA MPL Athol Trollip s...