Eastern Cape

BEST FRIENDS
Yesterday's hot weather drew many to the beaches to cool off. Joshua Riddell, aged eight, was seen playing tug of war with his golden retriever, Zeth, and another doggie friend at Nahoon. Picture by ALAN EASON Easter...

Amm granted R3000 bail
GRAHAMSTOWN -- Former provincial cricketer Phillip Amm, who is facing charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and reckless and negligent driving, was yesterday granted R3000 bail after he volunteered to hand in his driver's licence and u...

MPL quits UDM to join DA ranks in Bisho
By Mphumzi Zuzile BISHO -- A United Democratic Movement MPL in the Eastern Cape Legislature, Phofolo Kakudi, defected to the Democratic Alliance yesterday. This brings the number of DA MPLs to five. Last week, the New National Party lost one MP...

Ehrlich seeks to block judgment
By Adrienne Carlisle GRAHAMSTOWN -- Former karate instructor Bruce Ehrlich, who is charged with 14 counts of indecently assaulting young boys, yesterday asked the high court here to interdict magistrate Paul Pretorius from giving judgment on Mond...

23 days left to convert licences
EAST LONDON -- The clock is ticking. There are 23 days left for the thousands of motorists who have not yet converted their motor licences to the card system, to do so. Buffalo City Traffic Department senior examiner Assa Moabi said the number ...

Theft of copper foiled
EAST LONDON -- A security guard is believed to have foiled an attempt to steal copper pipes from a farm belonging to the Eastern Cape Development Corporation. Captain Errol Francis said Khaya Nuge, 27, a security guard from Specialised Security S...

Alleged DV rapist in court
EAST LONDON -- Alleged Duncan Village serial rapist Charlie Mangcu Petshwa Sobeni appeared in the magistrate's court here yesterday. Sobeni is suspected of raping four girls between the ages of 10 and 16. He is also suspected of kidnapping, rap...

Crime-ridden communities hit out at police
By Ncedo Kumbaca UMTATA -- Local police officers came under fire for poor service at three meetings between Eastern Cape Safety and Security MEC Dennis Neer and the community this week. Neer held meetings at Payne Farm, Ngangelizwe and Umtata Ci...

Stofile given ultimatum to quit says UDM
By Lucas Mati QUEENSTOWN -- The United Democratic Movement said it was expecting the ANC to appoint a successor to Eastern Cape Premier Makhenkesi Stofile, who is widely rumoured to be on the brink of resignation as the political head of the prov...

Weakened UDM to hold special meeting in Umtata
By Ncedo Kumbaca UMTATA -- The spate of defections by UDM MPs and MPLs to the ANC has prompted party leader Bantu Holomisa to call a special provincial council meeting on Saturday at the Rotary Stadium in Ngangelizwe here. UDM provincial secreta...

Gonubie teen missing
HAVE YOU SEEN HER? Debbie Clark, 17, who has been missing since last Friday. EAST LONDON -- Police yesterday urged anyone with information on the whereabouts of Debbie Clark to come forward. Debbie, 17, went missing last Friday. She left ...

Umtata disabled tell premier to deliver
By Madoda Dyonana UMTATA -- A group of disabled people here has urged Eastern Cape Premier Makhenkesi Stofile to render his government conducive to their needs. The group appealed to the provincial government to ensure they benefited from servic...

EC Briefs
Govt boost for stalled housing projects EAST LONDON -- The Department of Housing and Local Government is to resuscitate stalled housing development projects in various municipalities, departmental spokesperson Mbulelo Linda said. The projects h...

College elects youth forum
By Msimelelo Njwabane KEISKAMMAHOEK -- A 12-member youth forum was elected at a summit, facilitated by the Amahlathi Municipality, at Fort Cox Agricultural College in Middledrift. Thulani Tshefula of the Umsobomvu Youth Fund said that the aim of...

EL-Umtata rail project on track
By Deon van der Merwe EAST LONDON -- The R300 million Kei Rail project to upgrade the rail link between here and Umtata is on track. Border-Kei Chamber of Business chief executive Les Holbrook, upbeat about the development, said the fact that Bi...

Floor-crossing slammed as 'selfish'
By Nandipha Ramadikela EAST LONDON -- The Black Consciousness Forum (BCF) has expressed anger over the floor-crossing legislation and accused defecting parliamentarians of being selfish. The legislation permits MPs and MPLs to defect to other po...

Guards robbed in Mdantsane
EAST LONDON -- Four gunmen robbed security guards of an undisclosed amount of money at the Fort Jackson railway station in Mdantsane yesterday. Captain Michelle Matroos said the robbers forced the guards into the ticket office at gunpoint and loc...

Govt to build road to hospital
EAST LONDON -- Eastern Cape Premier Makhenkesi Stofile has announced that funds will be released to build a road between Tombo village and Silimela Hospital in Port St Johns. He said funding had been obtained from the provincial government to con...

Kidds Beach man sought
EAST LONDON -- A 79-year-old Kidds Beach man has been missing for a year ever since he left to go to a grants paypoint in March last year. Alfred Luta Martin Myataza was described as forgetful and has been listed as a missing person on police fil...

R50 000 for information on killer
EAST LONDON -- Police have offered a R50000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killer of Lizelle Vermaak, 23. Vermaak was shot in the head during an armed robbery at her parents' Liyabona trading store in Mchewu...

New union to fight for ex-miners
By Zama Feni EAST LONDON -- An organisation which claims to fight for the rights of former mine workers who have been deprived of their pensions and gratuities has been launched here. The National Human Rights for Unemployed Workers' Union has a...

ADM now responsible for water
Municipal Reporter EAST LONDON -- The Amatole District Municipality (ADM) is to sign an interim memorandum of understanding with each of its municipalities -- except Buffalo City -- for the operation and maintenance of water services. This follo...

Nurses released on warning
UMTATA -- About 80 University of Transkei nursing students arrested for trespassing in the provincial Health Department's Bisho offices were released yesterday on warning. Department spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said the students were arrested on Tuesd...

Bisho police move office
EAST LONDON -- Bisho police have moved from the former old Ciskei military base near Bisho Hospital to new premises in Phalo House North, Circular Drive, in the Bisho CBD, police said. However, the Bisho station commissioner, Captain Michael Mili...

Marasha case postponed
KING WILLIAM'S TOWN -- The court case involving Eastern Cape Legislature Deputy Speaker Mandisa Marasha's daughter was postponed for plea and trial until April 22 here earlier this week. Simnikiwe Marasha, who matriculated last year, was charged ...

Provincial conference cancelled
By Mphumzi Zuzile BISHO -- The ANC provincial conference which was to be held in Umtata at the weekend has been cancelled because the ANC National Task Team will not be available. ANC provincial secretary Humphrey Maxhegwana said ANC national se...

Public asked to attend ID parade
EAST LONDON -- Members of the public are urged to attend an identification parade of smash-and-grab suspects caught in the Beaconsfield Road area, police said. Three suspects, between the ages of 15 and 18, were arrested by members of the East Lo...

Man, 81, hijacked, stabbed in King
KING WILLIAM'S TOWN -- An 81-year-old Hogsback man escaped serious injury here yesterday afternoon when hijackers stabbed him three times and tried to push him out of his moving vehicle. Captain Michelle Matroos said Ernest Beaud had parked at a ...

R1,2m boost for OR Tambo's cleaning drive
UMTATA -- The OR Tambo District Municipality's cleaning campaign in all seven of its local municipalities has been given a R1,2million boost to help ensure people can live in a healthy environment. OR Tambo constitutes the King Sabata Dalindyebo,...

R18m water scheme opens at Vaalbank
EAST LONDON -- Thanks to the launch of an R18million water supply scheme, Vaalbank villagers near Queenstown will no longer have to share polluted water with cattle. The Vaalbank water supply scheme was opened by Water Affairs and Forestry Minist...