Eastern Cape

Hoho sues Bisho govt over Father Punch
By Cecile Greyling GRAHAMSTOWN -- The man suspected by police of being the author of the Father Punch newsletters is suing the Bisho legislature for R500000. Suspect Kerr Hoho's lawyer, Brin Brody, said he had received an instruction from his cl...

Chiefs to gather to appease ancestors
By Mayibongwe Maqhina EAST LONDON -- The provincial House of Traditional Leaders (HTL) will hold a ceremony at Mbhashe River in Idutywa to appease the ancestors, HTL chairperson Ngangomhlaba Matanzima said yesterday. Although a date had not been...

Councillor takes IEC to court
By Ncedo Kumbaca UMTATA -- A King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) Municipality councillor, Nonkonzo Mary-Ann Caluza, has taken the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to court for putting her name on the United Democratic Movement list after the floor...

Crime Briefs
EAST LONDON -- Fifty-three alleged vigilantes were arrested on charges of murder and arson at Marambeni, near Umzimkulu, on Monday, police said yesterday. Superintendent Nondumiso Jafta said Joseph Thusi Malunga was attacked by a group after they...

Jacque cut above the rest for charity
By Zama Feni EAST LONDON -- Hair today, gone tomorrow is the story of Vincent salon worker Jacque Kinnear after she lost her locks in aid of charity yesterday -- and raised about R20000. At about 3pm yesterday amid smiles and cheers it was goodb...

AG finds problems with ECTB books
BISHO -- The Eastern Cape Tourism Board (ECTB) has come under the scrutiny of the East Cape Auditor-General (AG) who has noted a series of problems with its accounting practices and management. In his report for the 2000/1 financial year, AG Sing...

Weather dampens Guy Fawkes fun
EAST LONDON -- The rainy and chilly conditions on the beachfront here last night proved a menace for those who gathered to enjoy Guy Fawkes celebrations. A few families braved the weather, though, and were in high spirits, setting off fireworks....

Hijacked driver sends SMS for help
GRAHAMSTOWN -- A Port Elizabeth truck driver who was hijacked, pistol whipped and being driven off into the night used his cellphone to send an SMS SOS plea to his family. Grocott's Mail reported yesterday that Romy Gooranah was attacked in Graha...

Link listeners clear R65 000 debt
EAST LONDON -- Link FM listeners have written off a R65000 debt that has lingered over the station for six years after a 12-hour "share-a-thon" was held. On Friday listeners phoned in and pledged amounts ranging from under R10 to R10000 to the co...

MK members claim they were tricked
By Lucas Mati EAST LONDON -- Former uMkhonto weSizwe members who played a role in the awarding of a multi-million-rand social security outsourcing deal claim they were "tricked by greedy people". They accuse Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) and Uhu...

ACDP slates nudist beach idea for PE
PORT ELIZABETH -- The African Christian Democratic Party said yesterday it was opposed to Nelson Mandela Metro councillor Mikey Kwenaite's plan to establish a nudist beach on the coast here. ACDP councillor Colin Fibiger said his party supported ...

Councils to decide on NNP inclusion
By Mayibongwe Maqhina EAST LONDON -- ANC-controlled provinces and councils will have to decide if they want to provide positions to NNP members in their provincial executive committees or mayoral committees, ANC national spokesman Smuts Ngonyama ...

Scavengers strip library of plaques
PORT ELIZABETH -- Two more historical buildings here have been targeted by scrap scavengers and stripped of bronze and brass plaques and notices. They are the PE Library on Market Square and the King George VI Art Gallery. The thefts follow si...

PE man, 71, hacked and left for dead
PORT ELIZABETH -- A mentally disturbed 71-year-old Kwazakhele resident was hacked with axes, homemade swords and bludgeoned with pick handles and iron bars and left for dead, for allegedly using a brazier to cook in his shack. Bonakele Vena was f...

Pension guards face censure
EAST LONDON -- AllPay provincial manager Charmaine Webb said yesterday the security personnel who allegedly manhandled pensioners at paypoints would face disciplinary action. Desperate pensioners clashed with security guards at several pension pa...

Micro Projects to take 13 to court
By Ayanda Salayedwa EAST LONDON -- Provincial donor fund distributor Micro Projects Trust is to lodge a civil claim against 13 individuals who allegedly defrauded it of more than R3million resulting in its closure. The 13 include former employee...

Call for new radio station
By Eddie Botha, Business Editor EAST LONDON -- A call for a new radio station was made yesterday as the battle for the Border's airwaves heated up at a meeting of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa). At the meeting ...

3 000 EC teachers still await payment says Sadtu
By Zama Feni EAST LONDON -- More than 3000 Eastern Cape teachers have still not received their outstanding pay from the provincial Department of Education., according to the South African Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu). Sadtu general secreta...

Train runs over man
PORT ELIZABETH -- Bystanders watched helplessly as a train ran over an unidentified man who was allegedly drunk and lay on the railway line between Alice and Fort Beaufort at the weekend. Captain Nomazwi Nkombisa of the Grahamstown police said t...

Unitra radio asks head to intervene
By Madoda Dyonana UMTATA -- The University of Transkei (Unitra) community radio stakeholder forum yesterday urged the institution's vice-chancellor Nicky Morgan to intervene in the dispute between the station's presenters and its board of trustee...

Unitra staff do some cleaning up
UMTATA -- University of Transkei staff got down and dirty cleaning up university residences as part of the "Think Positive" campaign. An initiative of the university's new vice-chancellor, Professor Nicky Morgan, the residence clean-up saw both a...

Workshop identifies key challenges
By Justine Gerardy EAST LONDON -- Fighting a provincial unemployment rate of about 48 percent and simultaneously boosting a low economic growth rate have been identified as key challenges for long-term development planning in the Eastern Cape. T...