The Herald (South Africa)
Mandela s daughter hails verdict ’ on auction of icon s belongings ’
“My responsibility and duty as Nelson Mandela’s eldest daughter, as it has always been, is to continue managing my father ’ s legacy — and that is my only concern.” These were the words of Dr Makaziwe Mandela after she emerged victorious in the...
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Our animals need us, says SPCA after bitter blow
Dozens of cats and dogs at the SPCA in Kariega face possible euthanasia as the organisation is being asked to vacate the premises it has occupied for 57 years. A long-standing relationship between the animal welfare group and the municipality ground...
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What does audit opinion say about the Bay?
The Nelson Mandela Bay municipality’s governance failures have once again been laid bare, with red-flagged contracts, weak oversight, unlawful spending and staggering losses in basic services driving the city into yet another qualified...
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Rough start for some schools, Closed district office, security education officials concerns and infrastructure woes among some of the challenges
From the closure of a district education office due to a rental dispute to challenges regarding infrastructure and security at schools, the academic year has got off to a rocky start for some in the Eastern Cape. In one of several recent blows for...
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‘We’re taking back our streets!’
Frustrated with endless criminal activity plaguing their neighbourhoods for years, residents of the northern areas in Gqeberha have taken it upon themselves to join forces with private security to patrol their streets at night. Police, however, have...
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Water woes: Here we go again
Nelson Mandela Bay is once again edging towards a water disaster, with the metro’s combined usable dam levels slipping below the 40% mark for the first time in at least two years. The crisis is not isolated to the Bay, with municipalities along the...
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Many cheers and a few tears for Bay matrics
Scenes of jubilation were seen across Nelson Mandela Bay yesterday as thousands of matrics returned to their alma maters one last time to receive their final results and close the chapter on their school careers. From Summerstrand to Motherwell,...
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Bay clinic patients slam medicine shortages
A crisis is festering in clinics across Nelson Mandela Bay, with some reportedly experiencing staff challenges and shortages of key medical supplies, including insulin for diabetic patients. The provincial health department said it was working on...
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Desperate battle to tame raging Kouga fires
As the sun set over the Kouga area yesterday evening, the sky remained illuminated with an ominous glow from the massive fires that engulfed the region as emergency services and volunteers geared up to fight throughout the night. In scenes reminiscent...
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All hands on deck as Bay residents help battle wildfires
From firefighters to farmers, it was all hands on deck yesterday as runaway wildfires spread through Nelson Mandela Bay, resulting in the temporary closure of parts of the N2. Dozens of emergency workers were deployed to fight raging fires that...
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‘When I entered that house, my child was full of stab wounds’
A heartbroken father is struggling to comprehend a violent attack on his toddler after he found her with multiple stab wounds, lying in a pool of blood. The child is recovering in hospital. The father, speaking outside the Humansdorp magistrate’s...
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Police probe ‘racial altercation’ at ski boat club
Police in Gqeberha are investigating cases of assault and crimen injuria following an alleged racial altercation at a ski boat club during the early hours of New Year’s Day. This comes after Vincent Nair, 62, a member of the Noordhoek Ski Boat Club,...
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Sisters turn Bay into treasure island with hidden vouchers:
Sisters Tamryn and Jessica McFadzean have turned the Bay into a treasure island, with adults and children rushing to hunt down hidden vouchers scattered across the metro. What started as a way to market their company, Social Hands Marketing, has...
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Mom vs son: Courts approached in bitter dispute
A mother and her police officer son, unable to get along, have turned to the courts for protection orders against one another. The two, who are not being named, were back in court yesterday. In October, a magistrate issued a final protection order...
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Family wants answers from Dora Nginza after child’s death
Grieving Kwazakhele parents believe that critical delays and alleged misdirection by staff at Dora Nginza Hospital may have been what ultimately cost their child his life. The family is also questioning why hospital staff allegedly attempted to force...
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MBDA board suspends Qaba
Just weeks after securing an unqualified audit opinion, Mandela Bay Development Agency chief executive Anele Qaba has been placed on precautionary suspension for alleged misconduct. MBDA board chair Khulile Nzo announced his suspension in a statement...
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Murder and mayhem in Walmer Township
Eight people have been gunned down in Walmer Township within three days. The latest incident on Tuesday night ended in a shootout with the police, though the gunmen managed to get away. The killings, some taking place just streets apart, have sparked...
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Wrangle over assets adds fuel to fire for Black Impala
A legal dispute has erupted over the Black Impala restaurants, with a former executive director and shareholder demanding access to the company’s records. This comes amid allegations of unauthorised asset disposals, unlawful rebranding and unpaid...
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Financial crisis threatens Care Haven Psychiatric centre launches urgent court bid to force Bhisho to reinstate subsidy
A lifeline for some of the Eastern Cape’s most vulnerable residents is hanging by a thread as the Care Haven Psychiatric Centre in Gqeberha turns to the courts to secure a government subsidy it has relied on for 34 years. The nonprofit, which provides...
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Top legal eagle entangled in theft-probe storm
A well-known Eastern Cape lawyer and former SA National Boxing Control Commission chief executive faces having his name struck from the roll of legal practitioners pending a theft probe. Advocate Mava Malla is accused of stealing money from a client...
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‘Rest in peace, Junior King. May your music live forever’
The music industry is mourning the death of Kariega-born rapper and dancer Dugulth “Junior King” Ferreira in a head-on collision in the Free State yesterday. It is understood Ferreira, 29, was travelling between Colesburg and Bloemfontein in the early...
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‘Where are the documents?’ R656m write-off shot down
A bid to write off R656m in legal fees dating back to 2017 was rejected by councillors on Tuesday as the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality failed to provide the documents needed to justify the spending, with the information provided showing...
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CLOTHED IN DISGRACE
The “Best Dad Ever” T-shirt Robin Clarke wore to court stood in horrifying contrast to reality as the Gqeberha man was found guilty of murdering his stepdaughter by beating her to death. Little Krisley Dirker, with her bouncy blonde curls and innocent...
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Thugs target kids taking food to initiates
As the summer initiation season continues, the journey to manhood for some in Kariega has allegedly been disrupted by opportunistic and callous thieves — and now the community is saying enough is enough. Criminals have been terrorising children taking...
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Bay lawyer in costly ‘vanishing act’ probe
The Legal Practice Council (LPC) is investigating wellknown Gqeberha attorney Pumeza Bija, who formerly practised under the surname Bono, after she allegedly caused a client to lose thousands of rand by not pitching up at court. Bija must now explain...
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Salary conundrum for metro’s top finance post
For 10 months, Nelson Mandela Bay’s acting CFO, Jackson Ngcelwane, refused to sign his appointment letter as he was earning more in his previous post than the salary attached to the top finance boss job he had long been pursuing. As a budget and...
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Bay under the pump as water woes hit
A perfect storm of failing infrastructure, soaring demand, power outages and sabotage has plunged Nelson Mandela Bay into a water crisis, with large parts of the metro facing intermittent supply or none at all. In recent weeks, the metro has battled...
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Plans take flight for mega ‘airport city’
The Nelson Mandela Bay municipality’s plans to build an aerotropolis — anchored by a new 3,300m runway and a logistics hub next to the city’s airport — cleared the first hurdle when councillors approved a conceptual framework for the multibillion-rand...
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Will Van Niekerk and Johnson get new cars?
Though the municipality seems to have no clear formal policy on when councillors should receive new cars for work, vehicle upgrades could be in the pipeline for senior Nelson Mandela Bay officials. This is if a report requesting brand new vehicles for...
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Beaches tell a tale of two cities
As Nelson Mandela Bay gears up for the annual influx of holidaymakers, a stark contrast is emerging along its coastline. Though the metro has poured resources into new surveillance cameras to safeguard sunseekers on its flagship Blue Flag beaches,...
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New R750m auto body parts factory geared for success
A R750m automobile body parts factory, hailed as a victory for localisation, was launched in Gqeberha yesterday, restoring much-needed reassurance that the region is retaining its title as the Detroit of Africa. The VSL Press Shop, which has created...
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Power woes add to Dora drama
Dora Nginza Hospital cancelled important services this week, including paediatric and oncology elective surgeries, after electrical and backup system failures forced its operating theatres to shut down since Sunday. According to a union member, a...
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‘Bring your broom; let’s make Central boom!’
Central residents are doing it for themselves with a combination of sustainable funding, partnerships and passion. As Nelson Mandela Bay’s oldest suburb, Central had been declining for decades with its famous heritage architecture and community spirit...
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THEY ARE MORE THAN A NUMBER
As we once again usher in the 16 Days of Activism campaign against genderbased violence, we are reminded of those who paid a heavy price. Today we report on the latest tragedy in Gqeberha, in which a woman was stabbed to death in a Zwide home invasion....
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‘We need 365 days of action against GBV’
After years of cries from women and society’s most vulnerable, the government has finally declared genderbased violence (GBV) and femicide a national disaster. But while the move signals recognition of a deepening crisis, experts warn it will be...
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Why Evans’ second bail bid was shot down
The Gqeberha high court believes it is highly probable that businessman Rob Evans will be found guilty of murdering his girlfriend, Vanessa van Rensburg. With the mounting evidence — including blood stains, strangulation marks and broken glass —...
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‘Our two-day travel nightmare’
What was meant to be a quick two-hour flight from Johannesburg to Gqeberha turned into a two-day travel ordeal for dozens of FlySafair passengers. Though passengers arrived in the Friendly City yesterday morning, it came after three flights, a night...
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Should metro call Ghostbusters?
Nelson Mandela Bay may be bleeding millions of rand to more than 50 ghost employees as a result of weak internal controls. A damning audit report revealed the municipality had failed to act on more than 90% of findings flagged by the city’s internal...
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Mom’s tragic demise in crash outside her home
On what was meant to be a day of celebration on her four-yearold son’s birthday, a Humansdorp woman was knocked over by a vehicle allegedly driven by her boyfriend. Nomxolisi Singqoto, 31, died at the scene. The incident occurred outside her house in...
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Big-shot cops in legal stand-off
Two of the Eastern Cape’s top cops are at loggerheads as disputes over disciplinary issues and promotions have now reached the courts. Nelson Mandela Bay Colonel Tony Nomdoe, station commander at the Kabega Park police station, has reported a case of...
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Eviction sword hangs over Bay metro
After failing to renew its lease, overstaying for six months and racking up R4.6m in arrears, the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality has been told to pack up and vacate the offices used by its budget and treasury directorate. The municipality was sent a...
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Dramatic twist in Bay businessman’s murder
In a new development, a purported deadly house robbery turned into a murder conspiracy probe, with slain Gqeberha businessman Danie de Jager’s long-time partner and their two tenants being arrested. Estelle le Grange, 57, had told the police that she...
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Faction wars threaten ANC’s grip in Bay
Factionalism continues to threaten the ANC’s control of Nelson Mandela Bay, where battles within the party centre on competition for positions and access to municipal resources. This has weakened ANC structures in several Eastern Cape municipalities —...
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Man killed, partner tied up in home invasion horror
A deadly home invasion has left residents in Mangold Street fearing for their lives after successful Gqeberha businessman Danie de Jager, 65, was stabbed to death and his partner tied up and gagged. The terror unfolded in Newton Park during the early...
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Elaborate scam swindles tourists in Bay
A slick scam that fleeced tourists from Australia to Japan out of hundreds of thousands of rand in just 18 days came crashing down after a highspeed chase ended in the arrest of four alleged syndicate members. The suspects appeared in the Gqeberha...
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Bay pays hefty price for failing to appoint city boss
Nelson Mandela Bay’s revolving door of acting city managers has cost the municipality R142m in grant funding after the National Treasury rejected a part of the metro’s rollover application. This is money that should have been spent on upgrading...
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State slams Evans for his ‘silence’ during police probe
The state came out swinging yesterday, insisting that businessman Rob Evans had only himself to blame for the weight of suspicion pressing down on him — arguing his silence in the face of police questioning spoke louder than any testimony...
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Bay poised to come alive this festive season
With the first cruise liners starting to arrive in Gqeberha and renewed optimism anchored on improved security, Nelson Mandela Bay appears to be gearing up for a fun, safe and prosperous festive season. Accommodation, retail and tourism bosses have...
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Bay businessman to be charged with murder
The death of a Veeplaas teenager on Wednesday — two weeks after he was struck by a car — has dramatically altered the course of the criminal investigation, with businessman Theo Gora set to be charged with murder. The shattered family who had held on...
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HAULED OVER THE COALS
The EFF forced the closure of two Gqeberha businesses yesterday in a dramatic protest over alleged worker exploitation linked to restaurateur Lloyd Mthembu. CoFi Gqeberha was shut down on police advice, before EFF supporters arrived at the Boardwalk...
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CLOGGED UP! Water and sanitation unit ready to burst
Nelson Mandela Bay’s water and sanitation unit is on the brink of collapse — buckling under the pressure of an average of 6,000 monthly complaints, a backlog of 8,100 water and sewerage faults and a massive staff shortage. And to make matters worse,...
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Metro aims to drop case — eight years and R13m later
The Nelson Mandela Bay municipality wants to withdraw its almost decade-long R208m legal battle with Access Facilities and Leisure Management as it believes the case was built on a flawed assumption. This comes after the municipality racked up R13m in...
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Municipal staff too traumatised to come back to work
Nelson Mandela Bay municipal workers who have been robbed and held at gunpoint while on duty are refusing to return to work — even after they have been medically cleared. This is affecting the city’s response to service delivery complaints. A report...
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Mayco member suspended as teen crash probe heats up
A Nelson Mandela Bay mayoral committee member has been suspended by her party after it emerged that her car was linked to a crash that resulted in a Zwide teenager being critically injured this week. Sinebhongo Kwatsha, the political head for sport,...
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‘Red tape’ stalls potential investments worth R2bn
Though Nelson Mandela Bay’s political leadership maintains there is no backlog in building plan approvals, potential investments worth more than R2bn are stuck long before that stage, delayed by red tape in rezoning, traffic impact assessments, and...
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Student stabbed to death in home invasion horror
A quiet Monday evening at a Summerstrand off-campus residence turned deadly when a 23-year-old Nelson Mandela University (NMU) student was fatally stabbed and another injured during a home invasion. According to the police, the attacker gained entry...
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Cops investigate businessman’s dramatic sequence of events
A Gqeberha businessman is at the centre of a controversy, and a case of attempted murder has been opened, after a dramatic series of events at the weekend involving an alleged robbery and subsequent act of vigilantism, and a social media outcry. A...
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More fuel for ratepayers’ rage
Defying warnings from its own legal team has backfired for the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality, which has been ordered by a judge to pay more than R13m — plus R3.3m in interest and legal costs — after losing a protracted lawsuit that now places its...
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Syndicate blamed for theft of precious cycads
Details of how six men allegedly operated a multimillionrand syndicate to steal and smuggle cycad plants from Nelson Mandela Bay farms emerged in court yesterday during the failed bail bid of one of the accused. Cycads are highly protected plants...
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DARK DAY IN BAY COURTS
It was a day of high drama yesterday as several alleged child killers appeared in different Nelson Mandela Bay courts, closely watched by the enraged families of the victims. They are facing charges related to the deaths of four youngsters, aged...
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End of the road for derelict Beachview Resort?
The long-abandoned Beachview Resort, which lies in ruins, looks set to finally be demolished by the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality. The city is now seeking private investors to rebuild the multimillion-rand asset after 15 years of mismanagement. A...
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‘With his talent he was going places’
As the heartbroken family of murdered up-and-coming young soccer player Micah Klaasen are consumed by anger and confusion, the motive for the brutal attack remains unclear. Micah, 16, was assaulted and stabbed by a group of teenagers on Saturday...
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WALMER OUTCRY: ‘There’s a bazaar on my stoep!’
An informal market that has mushroomed in suburban Walmer has sparked an outcry among residents who fear their property values are at risk, while some have raised concerns over hygiene, security and traffic safety. The illegal market on 9th Avenue,...
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SA lobbying Asia to boost auto sector
As tensions between original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and companies importing partially assembled vehicles into SA built up this week, trade and industry minister Parks Tau announced a push from the government to get Asian firms to invest...
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Municipal woes creating roadblocks for auto sector
SA’s automotive leaders have warned that failing municipal services in Nelson Mandela Bay and other parts of the country are inflating costs, eroding competitiveness and threatening the Eastern Cape’s multibillion-rand car manufacturing sector —...
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Game on! Who will take the region’s ANC throne?
Lobbying for control of Florence Matomela House is in full swing with a week to go before the ANC’s scheduled regional conference in Nelson Mandela Bay, and regional task team chair Babalwa Lobishe looks to be inches ahead in the race for the top...
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‘SHE DID IT’
“It is time for me — for all of us — to heal.” These were the words rape survivor Andy Kawa used to mark the end of the final chapter in her lengthy legal battle for justice. Yesterday, nearly 15 years after the former Gauteng businesswoman was raped...
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Was mercy the motive in elderly mom’s killing?
A suspected mercy crime is at the centre of the case against Christo Nel, 64, who allegedly shot dead his 87-year-old mother, Ria, at her Sherwood retirement village home last month. The Gqeberha magistrate’s court heard yesterday that the elderly...
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Dark weekend? Overtime powerplays ‘part of problem’
Parts of Nelson Mandela Bay are being left to go dark on weekends, with councillors saying municipal workers have snubbed their bosses, seemingly refusing to lift a finger after hours amid an overtime standoff. The workers are said to have ignored a...
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‘Staff shortages, not foreign moms, behind Dora crisis’
While MPs question why undocumented foreign women are allowed to give birth at state hospitals, the real crisis at Dora Nginza Hospital, according to medical staff, is a severely understaffed maternity ward which sees about 170 childbirths a week and...
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Bay counts the cost of broken traffic lights
With faulty traffic lights becoming a frequent frustration in Nelson Mandela Bay, dozens more have been knocked down by motorists, leaving other drivers to face dangerous intersections and relentless congestion. A municipal spreadsheet shows 82...
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Jet-setter Gary a no-show in court, so what now?
Despite Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Babalwa Lobishe initially refusing his request to attend an international conference, Gary van Niekerk defied her, skipped his fraud trial and jetted off to Germany. After much back-and-forth, Lobishe eventually...
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Triple murder rocks Soweto-on-Sea
A Nelson Mandela Bay community was gripped by sheer horror on Monday night when a nine-year-old girl, her grandmother and a neighbour were gunned down inside a Malibale Street home in Soweto-on-Sea. Elam James, a bubbly grade 4 pupil at Emsengeni...
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Church leaders slam metro for unholy mess
Church leaders have blasted Nelson Mandela Bay’s political leadership, accusing it of being self-serving and more focused on clinging to power than saving lives. The Nelson Mandela Bay Church Leaders Network has accused mayor Babalwa Lobishe and...
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Hundreds more Aspen jobs in the firing line
Aspen Pharmacare is starting a fresh wave of retrenchments, with more than 900 jobs now at risk. The latest retrenchments follow the loss of 134 jobs caused by the shutdown of the multinational pharmaceutical company’s eyedrops production facility in...
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