By Yolanda Palezweni

Just more than 40 municipal vehicles damaged due to negligent driving have been left dumped at the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality’s Deal Party depot since the beginning of 2022 — with officials unable to fix them due to a lack of documentation or accident reports.

This was revealed during an oversight visit to the depot by roads and transport political head Itumeleng Ranyele on Friday. Nelson Mandela Bay’s fleet management director, Zukile Magongo, said the vehicles included:

Eighteen from the traffic department;
Eight from the safety and security department;
Five from the metro police;
A pail truck; and
Nine refuse trucks.
Magongo said the vehicles were left standing as officials failed to produce the necessary documentation after the vehicles were damaged due to accidents.

A further 16 vehicles could possibly be written off.

“Going forward, we had made arrangements for officials to bring in the necessary documents when bringing in cars as we are not able to proceed without the reports,” he said.

Magongo said the biggest culprits were traffic officers and security officials.

The latest accident involved an official allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol.

We do follow-ups on the vehicles and most of the time it is viewed that fleet management is not doing their jobs.

“However, officials are failing to provide reports, and for other interventions, it would require funding as we would need personnel to visit the officials to collect the vehicles,” he said.

If repaired vehicles were not collected, they were auctioned off.

This, he said, saved the municipality money as the city would no longer be paying for insurance.

“So far, 300 vehicles have been auctioned off already.”

He said a further 480 vehicles would be auctioned off in the near future as they remained uncollected.

Safety and security acting executive director Shane Brown said every department was responsible for reporting accidents.

“The report will ascertain if the official can be held liable for damages, therefore it is each directorate’s responsibility to do this,” he said.

Councillors at the oversight visit were shocked that officials were not filing accident reports.

ANC councillor Gamalihleli Maqula proposed that all vehicles not in use be returned to the various departme

nts until officials provided the necessary documentation.It can’t be that they get away with this,” she said.

Police spokesperson Priscilla Naidu said it would be difficult to check the police’s database regarding the official allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol.

The Herald reported in July that it takes the municipality’s fleet department two weeks to repair a flat tyre on a small car.

It also takes about two months to repair a refuse compactor truck and a week to fix a broken windscreen.

Adding to the department’s woes is its obsolete vehicle-monitoring system, which creates the ideal conditions for staff to abuse the city’s cars.

At the centre of the department’s challenges, Magongo said, were staff shortages and the lack of a succession plan to replace key officials when they left.

By Yolanda Palezweni

Three brothers were shot dead in Motherwell on Wednesday leaving residents in the street shocked by the brutal killings.

Police spokesperson Captain Gerda Swart said the owner of a house in Mlele Street heard several gunshots at about 8pm but did not go outside to check.

“After hearing a vehicle driving away, the owner emerged from his house,” she saidHe discovered the body of his son, aged 24, lying at the entrance of his flat at the back of the property.”

Swart said the bodies of the man’s two other sons, aged 17 and 21, were found inside the flat.

“All three victims were shot in the head,” she said.

The Provincial Organised Crime Investigation Unit is investigating the case.

He discovered the body of his son, aged 24,  lying at the entrance of his flat at the back of the property.”

Swart said the bodies of the man’s two other sons, aged 17 and 21, were found inside the flat.

“All three victims were shot in the head,” she said. 

The Provincial Organised Crime Investigation Unit is investigating the case.There were no screams heard while any of this happened,” she said.

“We just heard the father sobbing, asking what he was going to do with the bodies of his children.

“I could not sleep. They grew up in front of us.

“We never imagined they would die like this.

“Whoever did this came to kill them.

“We can’t begin to imagine the pain the father must feel.Another resident said: “This is scary because we have children at our own homes.”

By Phumlani Saul

Owner shot in Despatch as heavily armed robbery gang hits busy drinking spot..

A group of heavily armed men opened fire outside a crowded Despatch tavern early on Sunday, forcing patrons to duck for cover, with the owner shot in the leg later.

The 15 men arrived at Ace’s Tavern in Kingstown in a Quantum taxi at about 3.30am, fired several shots outside and then a few more inside the premises.

They made off with R6,000 in cash, alcohol worth R30,000 and several cellphones.The brazen robbery was one of the latest in a flurry of tavern shootings in SA, after the massacre earlier in July in which 15 people were killed and eight wounded at Mdlalose’s Tavern in Soweto.

Several other tavern shootings have also thrust SA’s sky-high crime rate into the spotlight again, with an uptick in violent deaths.

Ace’s Tavern owner, Ayanda “Ace” Kakaza, 34, said he was asleep in his bedroom adjacent to the establishment when he was woken up by the sound of gunfire.

Before he could get dressed, and just seconds before the gun-wielding men barged into his room and dragged him into the tavern, he was hit in the leg by a bullet.

About 50 patrons had been drinking and playing pool just before the 15-minute robbery started.

A customer, who declined to be named, said he was playing pool when the men arrived.

“They fired shots outside and came in, ordering all of us to lie down. Some then went to the owner’s room,” he said.

“When they were dragging him out of his room and into the tavern, we all kept still on the floor as they flashed their guns around.”

Bleeding and confused, Kakaza was insulted by the men as they dragged him to the tavern’s counter and demanded money.

The other men forced the patrons to hand over their cellphones.

“The minute I heard the gunshots, I panicked and immediately reached for the [electrical circuit panel] in my room,” Kakaza said.

“I turned off the main switch and the tavern became dark.

“Just as I was about to go outside, some of these men were already banging on my door, ordering me to come outside.

“I tried to hide next to my bed but they shot me.”

Kakaza said the men demanded money but he had to explain they had already bought new stock.

“They then dragged me to the counter to get what money was left,” he said.

Kakaza said the cashier handed over the R6,000 wrapped in a black plastic bag.

The men then emptied his shelves, taking bottles of cognac, whiskey and gin.

“After I gave them the money, I tried to lock myself behind the counter but one of them pointed the gun at me.”

Two bullets narrowly missed Kakaza’s head — hitting the wall behind him.

Angered by Kakaza’s attempt to lock himself behind the counter, one of the robbers hit the owner’s head against a glass fridge door, which shattered.

Bafundi Jini, 30, who was playing music in the DJ booth just before the robbery took place, said some of the assailants also stole sound equipment.

“When they got to the DJ booth, they forced me to lie down and took everything.

“After taking the equipment, they took one of the cars that was parked outside.”

Jini said all the men were armed with firearms.

Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu confirmed the robbery but said only five men had stormed the tavern.

“An e-hailing driver parked opposite the road was thrown out of his Toyota Corolla.

“[Some of the] suspects got into the car and drove away.”

By Zonwabele January

Nine of 24 communal water collection points in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro will be activated on Saturday.This was announced by Metro’s multi-party political oversight Committee on Thursday.

Currently, the Metro is not extracting water from the Impofu dam because the barge is being relocated and over the past week, Churchill dam has been carrying most of the Impofu dam’s shortfall and is now also seriously depleted.

Chairperson of the Amatola Water Board and leader of the Intervention Team, Pam Yako recommended to the committee that the Churchill dam’s supply be cut immediately to reduce consumption and prevent dam failure due to over-extraction.

The recommendation will see extraction from Churchill dam reduced from 60 ml/d to 25 ml/d and as a result, the dam will run dry by Tuesday the 28th.

This will have an impact on the southern and western suburbs of Nelson Mandela Bay, including parts of New Brighton and Kwazakhele.

Residents in these areas will experience intermittent water supply as a result of the reduced extraction.

Initially, the nine collection points will be activated to operate 24hrs a day and are expected to last for at least seven days.

More information on the exact locations and availability of these augmentation supplies will be published shortly on all municipal communication platforms.

By Daily Kasi News Reporter

Health professionals have called on South Africans not to resort to bigotry around monkeypox.

On Thursday, the first case of the disease was confirmed in a 30-year-old man in Johannesburg.

The man has no history of international travel, according to Health Minister Joe Phaahla.

“The disease only spreads through close droplets, so you cannot get it by being in the same room with an infected person. Thus far, it has been dominant in men who have sex with men, but the main feature is that transmission is through close contact.”

The disease was previously reported in African countries, such as Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic and Ghana, in the early 2000s.

The current outbreak was reported in the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Portugal and France.

Phaahla said the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) was conducting online, in-service training for health workers to be able to detect the disease.

Professor Kolela Mlisana, who co-chairs the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Covid-19, said all people were susceptible to infection.

“It does not mean it gets transmitted through men who sleep with men, but any direct contact. We are seeing this trend because that is probably how it got introduced in countries outside Africa. The important thing is that we are able to diagnose it, and it is going to be important to contact trace. Right now, it is one case and up to us, as lab people, to be on high alert.”

The NICD warned against stigmatising gay people or men who sleep with men.

Please be aware that the information shared about monkeypox was to provide epidemiological context for the current multi-national outbreak. It was by no means to profile any members of society.

“We would like to stress that any persons, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation, can acquire monkeypox – if they have had close contact with someone infected with the virus.”The disease presents in skin lesions and spreads through close contact – like sex, hugging and cuddling.

A communique by the NICD on Thursday said the disease presents with an acute illness characterised by fever and general flu-like symptoms, followed by the eruption of a blister-like rash on the skin. The disease is rarely fatal, and cases typically resolve within two to four weeks and usually does not require hospital treatment.

“Treatment is symptomatic and a doctor may prescribe medication to treat pain, fever and other discomforts. It is important to keep hydrated, and prevent scratching or bursting the blisters to prevent infection with bacteria. The rash is generally not itchy, but may become itchy when the skin lesions are almost healed.”

By Nomalungelo Booi

A Kirkwood ANC ward councillor was taken to hospital and is awaiting surgery after being shot in his home on Thursday night.

News of Ward 1 councillor Mandile Payi’s shooting was met with shock by his colleagues from the Sundays River Valley Municipality, and they have called on the police for a swift and thorough investigation.

Payi was shot by an unidentified assailant in his home in Moses Mabida at about 7.30pm. He was wounded in the lower abdomen and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Details around the shooting are still sketchy, though police are investigating a case of attempted murder.

“The shooting of Payi represents barbarism of the worst kind. We strongly condemn this incident, as it has no place in our democracy,” said Sarah Baartman district ANC regional secretary, Johannes Hobbs.

Hobbs also called for calm in the Moses Mabida community while the police conduct their investigation.

DA caucus leader in the Sundays River Valley, Karen Smith, said she was shocked to hear about the incident.

“Payi is a friend and colleague with his community’s best interests at heart. We are saddened and shocked by this incident and wish him a speedy recovery,” Smith said.

Several ANC councillors in the Nelson Mandela Bay region have been victims of gun violence this year. No arrests have been made to date for the spate of murders and attempted murders.
This is a developing story.

By Mkhuseli Sizani

Increasing numbers of cattle, goats or pigs are grazing in townships across Gqeberha. But farmers complain of theft of their stock and a lack of grazing space and say the municipality and police have failed to help.

The fines for keeping a cow go up to R2,000 and if the animal damages property, the owner of the property may also institute a civil claim against the farmer.

Township farmers say they sell their animals more cheaply than commercial farmers.

Xolisile Manisi, 70, from Govan Mbeki says farming has helped him provide for his family of six. “I bought five ewes for R1,600 and started farming in Veeplas township in 1983. But a few months after I bought my goats, they were stolen while I was out looking for jobs in town. Some goats also died, but I never gave up,” he said.

Manisi revived his farming dream in 1994 and has been farming at his home ever since. “People come to my home to buy goats for sangoma rituals, circumcision and other special family gatherings.” Manisi says he and his wife’s social pensions are not enough to support his family.

He says his goats are selling fast, especially the male ones which bring in more money. Manisi sells his goats for R2,500 to R4,000, depending on the animal’s size.

He currently has 19 goats, but had three of his livestock stolen in February.

He says members of the community and municipal officials have complained about him keeping goats in a residential area. “They say my goats are causing a smell and I must remove them. Instead of imposing strict bylaws, they must help me to get a farm. There are no jobs. With the money I generate, I’m able to take care of my unemployed daughter and her children,” he said.

Khaliphile Siyona, chairperson of the Missionvale Farmers Association in Gqeberha, owns 11 cattle. He was raised in Manxeba Village in Fort Beaufort where his grandfather was a farm worker.

Khaliphile says he started cattle farming in 2012 while working as a petrol attendant and grew his business from there. He lost his job in 2014 and now relies on his farming.

“I milk my cows every morning and sell a litre of milk for R9. This money helps me to buy bull calves. The males sell very fast because they are always in demand for traditional rituals like funerals and welcoming ceremonies,” he says. Cattle used in “send-off” ceremonies sell for between R10,000 and R14,000 while those sold for a “welcoming” ritual can be up to R22,000, he says.This year I sold four oxen. They were still young so I got about R30,000 for them all.”

Khaliphile says there are about 20 cattle and goat owners in the association who collectively have 200 cows. “We don’t have grazing fields and drinking water. Our animals graze next to the road, in open fields, school yards and in people’s yards. They also eat from the dump or drink sewage water.”

He says theft is a problem, echoing the concern of other farmers GroundUp spoke to.

Andre Beetge, spokesperson for Gqeberha police said: “We do have sporadic incidents of the stealing of goats, cattle and pigs in areas like Motherwell. In most cases when one pig or cow gets stolen, we open a normal case of theft. But when a person has more than 10 cows or goats stolen we open a case of stock theft.”

Mthubanzi Mniki, municipal spokesperson, promised to respond to GroundUp’s questions about bylaws and safety concerns over animal farming in townships. We sent him questions on Tuesday, and a reminder on Wednesday. When we contacted him again, he promised to respond by Friday but had not done so by the time of publication.

By Daily Kasi News Reporter

Seven schools in Nelson Mandela Bay will benefit from an online pilot programme which offers tutoring and support in mathematics.

Volkswagen Group SA’s (VWSA) three-year pilot project developed in partnership with Tuta-Me (an online learning platform by Optimi Workplace) and Odin Education (an ed-tech solution developed by Jendamark), is set to benefit 1,000 pupils in the Bay.

The programme was launched last week, with some pupils given tablets, while others can access the programme with their smartphones.

The targeted group is grade 10, 11 and 12 pupils at seven schools and is aimed at increasing the number of pupils who achieve a university pass in maths at matric level, and expanding the impact of VWSA’s educational initiatives in the Eastern Cape.

The participating schools are Newell High in New Brighton and Nkululeko Public Secondary, Phaphani High, Solomon Mahlangu Senior Secondary, Tinarha Secondary and VM Kwinana Senior Secondary schools in KwaNobuhle, as well as Uitenhage High School.

Client manager of Tuta-Me at Optimi Workplace, Phemelo Segoe, said the programme was a dynamic and accessible offering that assisted high school pupils to reach their potential through dedicated online and face-to-face tutoring options.

“First established in 2015, corporates across the country have partnered with us to ensure that high school learners have access to quality tutoring to achieve the results needed for postgraduate studies,” Segoe said.

Of the 1,000 pupils to benefit from the programme, 200 will be given access to the platform through the Omang device, a secure e-learning tablet supplied by Odin Education, while the other 800 will use their own mobile devices to access the offering.

Jendamark’s head of Odin Education, Ajit Gopalakrishnan, said the company had applied t its core tech capabilities to the most critical area of need in SA.

“So the opportunity to work with like-minded corporate partners to extend our reach, and support the learning and teaching of STEM subjects, is an exciting one,” Gopalakrishnan said. 
The director for corporate and government affairs at VWSA, Nonkqubela Maliza, said empowering the youth through access to strong, consistent education was a critical priority.

She said the pilot project was an ambitious expansion of the company’s investment in education and the communities in which VWSA operated and the communities where employees lived.

“We hope this project will go a long way towards helping the learners achieve good mathematics results which will give them the opportunity to pursue their studies at tertiary institutions,” Maliza said. 

The project will provide supplementary online learning support including a weekly live online tutoring session by qualified maths teachers and a 24-hour Ask-a-Tutor service, as well as access to online resources such as lesson material, guides, quizzes and past exam papers.

The teachers and tutors involved in the project were also trained by Optimi Workplace.

By Phumlani Saul

Police in Kwanobuhle were alerted to an open field on the corners of Ponana Tini Street and Mondile Street, Kwanobuhle where the body of a small foetus (boy) was discovered at 10:00 yesterday, May 30.

According to Captain André Beetge, police spokesperson, the open field is regularly used by persons in the area as an illegal dump site.

An inquest docket was opened at Kwanobuhle SAPS and the body taken to Gelvandale mortuary where a post mortem will be conducted to determine the cause of death.

“Police are looking for witnesses and information on who the mother of the unborn baby is in order to determine the circumstances under which the unborn baby ended up where it was found,” Beetge said.

Any person that could assist police with this investigation, can contact SAPS Kwanobuhle, Detective Captain Tommy Whitebooi on 082 441 8129 or alternatively contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111.

By Phumlani Saul

A 44-year-old pastor was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for rape at the Motherwell Regional Court, in Gqeberha on Thursday.

The pastor was last week found guilty of raping a 22-year-old man in 2013. The man is now 31 years old. The pastor was 35 years old at the time of the rape.

“The victim became acquainted with the accused, Luthando Matodlana via a social networking app-Mixit in January 2013. The victim visited Matodlana at his house between February and March 2013, during which time he was raped.

“After sharing his experience on social media in 2020, the victim was advised to open a case. In October 2020, Matodlana was arrested and subsequently released on bail,” said Eastern Cape police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu.

Acting Nelson Mandela district commissioner, Brigadier Thandiswa Kupiso applauded the prowess of the Motherwell Family Violence Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit for ensuring a prison sentence for the accused.

“Such sentencing brings hope to victims of sexual abuse and that justice will prevail no matter how long it takes, making sure that perverted predators cannot hide behind a façade. We encourage victims of gender-based violence to speak out against any form of abuse and to expose those responsible for such demeaning criminal acts,” Brigadier Kupiso said.