Eastern Cape

High hopes for on-form Bafana
By Samkelo Ngwenya EAST LONDON -- Patriotism burns brightly in the bosom of the South African nation and the prognosis for the World Cup this weekend is resoundingly positive for Bafana Bafana. The team's recent good performances during its buil...

Alleged M'sane taxi hitman refused bail
MDANTSANE -- Alleged taxi hitman Ntsikelelo Klaas, 50, suspected to be behind many violent taxi crimes, was refused bail when he appeared in the magistrate's court here yesterday. Klaas faces charges of illegal possession of firearms and ammuniti...

Time for woollies is here
PORT ELIZABETH -- Winter has hit the Eastern Cape with a vengeance and low temperatures have been reported all over the province. Weather forecasters say there is a possibility of snowfalls on the mountains today and tonight. A Weather Services ...

R2bn backpay for pensioners from Monday
By Adrienne Carlisle GRAHAMSTOWN -- The state will begin paying almost R2 billion in pension arrears to about two million social grant beneficiaries from Monday next week. This follows a ruling by the Transvaal division of the high court in Sept...

Stolen bakkie found
QUEENSTOWN -- A Burgersdorp vehicle owner was lucky yesterday when his bakkie was found by police barely three hours after it had been reported stolen. Police said Johannes Greyling parked his Toyota Hilux bakkie outside his home at 8pm on Tuesda...

Counselling, HIV tests for BC clinics
By Mayibongwe Maqhina Municipal Reporter EAST LONDON -- Buffalo City has told its health department to provide voluntary counselling and HIV testing services at all its clinics. At its regular meeting on Tuesday, the council also agreed to esta...

Poor state of land delays massive Berlin horse-racing project
By Lulamile Feni KING WILLIAM'S TOWN -- A venture which is expected to pump millions of rands into the Berlin area through the building of a horseracing track may have to be delayed further after builders expressed concern at the poor state of t...

Yawa suspended as Speaker probes R188 000 pay hike
BISHO -- Provincial Legislature Speaker Mkhangeli Matomela yesterday suspended controversial Legislature secretary Mzwanele Yawa for 21 days pending an investigation into possible disciplinary charges. Yawa's suspension follows his authorising th...

Campaign against police murders
Crime Reporter EAST LONDON -- A national campaign highlighting the killing of police officers on duty will be launched at the Independence Stadium in Umtata tomorrow. The Community and Police Safety Campaign focuses on the killing of policemen a...

Cancer unit taking shape
By Wendy Sa Joe EAST LONDON -- Twenty-six 16-ton concrete blocks were lowered into place yesterday at St Dominic's Hospital where a new oncology unit is being built. The R14m unit, known as the Border Oncology Unit, will be headed by Dr Sue Hewi...

ANC to discuss Stofile outbursts
By Mphumzi Zuzile BISHO -- The ANC Chief Whip in the provincial Legislature, Sicelo Gqobana, yesterday said the party would discuss Premier Makhenkesi Stofile's recent outbursts during its party caucus tomorrow. This follows Stofile's allegation...

Chantal proves a showstopper
By Wendy Sa Joe EAST LONDON -- A local girl in a sense soared to new heights to make her mark and win the junior title at the Eastern Cape showjumping championships in Grahamstown at the weekend. Grade 12 Stirling High pupil Chantal Kuijpers, 17...

Crime briefs
qQUEENSTOWN -- The sentencing of two men found with164 Ecstasy tablets near here on April 19 has been postponed to July 4. Dean Rooney, 31, of Queenstown and Adrian McKenna, 32, of Maclear, pleaded guilty in the magistrate's court here to dealing...

Telkom strikers may act
EAST LONDON -- The Communication Workers' Union (CWU) in the Eastern Cape has threatened further protests after Telkom yesterday decided to take disciplinary measures against striking workers who are unhappy about their terms of employment and th...

Tussle over gun ends in arrest of two
QUEENSTOWN -- Two men face charges of possessing an unlicensed firearm after they were found both clutching a gun in a fight here on Tuesday, police said yesterday. Sergeant Namhla Mdleleni said the men were arrested after Detective-Sergeant Zibe...

2 in court on dagga charge
EAST LONDON -- Police arrested two men and confiscated eight bags of dagga worth about R152000 on Tuesday. Inspector Stephen Marais said the men, both from Mdantsane, appeared in the local magistrate's court yesterday on a charge of dealing in da...

48% hospital baby deaths due to Aids
By Justine Gerardy EAST LONDON -- HIV-Aids was the cause of 48,6 percent of all illness-related deaths of children aged over a month old at Frere and Cecilia Makiwane Hospitals in 2000. The startling statistics were included in a public "state o...

King council debt up by R23m ­ report
By Mayibongwe Maqhina Municipal Reporter EAST LONDON -- Provincial Auditor-General Singa Ngqwala has found that service debtors' arrears in the King William's Town transitional local council increased by R23million in 2000-2001. In a report ta...

Ft Hare art donated to PE museum
GRAHAMSTOWN -- The University of Fort Hare has donated a set of four Hilary Graham lithographic prints, depicting scenes of the Eastern Cape, to the South End Museum. The prints also have poems reflecting the destruction of the region by the apar...

TV crew's equipment stolen outside EL hotel
EAST LONDON -- Thieves made off with about R150000 worth of filming equipment after breaking into an e-tv crew's hired car outside the Holiday Inn here on Tuesday evening. Items stolen included a Sony mini digital video camera, lapel microphones,...

TLCs' travel expenses over budget
By Mayibongwe Maqhina Municipal Reporter EAST LONDON -- The Buffalo City Council this week adopted the provincial Auditor General's report and recommendations by municipal manager Mxolisi Tsika on the former East London and King William's Town c...

School feeding project to resume
BISHO -- The standing committee on health yesterday praised the department for its teamwork shown in presenting its operational plan for the 2002/2003 financial year. Committee chairman Mahlubandile Qwase said the department had clearly shown it ...

Warning on fire-fighting equipment
EAST LONDON -- People have been warned to look out for fly-by-night operators who service fire-fighting equipment without proper authorisation. According to regulations aimed at stopping illegal servicing under the Department of Labour, fire equi...

Fort Hare probes transport for students
By Adrienne Carlisle GRAHAMSTOWN -- The University of Fort Hare is exploring the possibility of again providing transport for its students between King William's Town and its Alice campus following transport and other problems with taxis, univers...

Killer of ex-wife, lover freed
PORT ELIZABETH -- Martin Stevens yesterday walked out of the high court a free man after been found not guilty of the murders of his ex-wife, Hester, and her lover, Colin Rosslee. Judge André Erasmus found that, owing to Stevens' emotional...

Feeding groups accuse govt of ignoring plight
By Lucas Mati EAST LONDON -- Eastern Cape women involved in the primary school nutrition programme, who have not been paid by the Health Department since last August, yesterday accused the provincial government of not taking their plight seriousl...

Killers get lengthy jail terms
UMTATA -- The four murderers of Payne's Farm school deputy principal Zingisile Nongoma were on Tuesday sentenced to lengthy jail terms by Judge Nielan Locke in the high court here. Nongoma was shot dead near the school late on January 18, 2000, w...

Stofile call to outsource gets mixed reaction
BISHO -- The DA yesterday backed Premier Makhenkesi Stofile's call for management of provincial hospitals to be outsourced, but the Eastern Cape Provincial Council of Churches (ECPCC) and the PAC opposed the move. Bobby Stevenson (DA) said real ...

Radio presenters boycott station
By Zama Feni EAST LONDON -- The Butterworth-based Khanya community radio station's 17 volunteer presenters have boycotted the station since Monday. They are demanding that station manager Vukile Dlova be removed. Five members of the station's ma...

Transport operators warned
EAST LONDON -- Operators transporting learners and teachers to and from educational institutions without operating licences face prosecution, Transport Department head Zola Gebeda said. In a statement, Gebeda said there were a number of operators...