By Phumlani Saul

Tourism establishments are drowning in debt and cancellations following the closure of beaches by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday.

And legal action against the government is growing, as the Kouga local municipality in the Eastern Cape – home to Jeffreys Bay’s famous surfing beach, Supertubes – prepares to file an urgent application in the high court in Pretoria tomorrow.

This comes as the DA takes Ramaphosa, co-operative governance & traditional affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and health minister Zweli Mkhize to the high court in Cape Town.

And in the southern Cape, the Great Brak Business Forum, Western Cape businessperson Louis Cook and civil rights organisation AfriForum on Tuesday filed a motion to have the closure of beaches in the Eastern Cape, Garden Route and KwaZulu-Natal declared unconstitutional.

The challenge has also been brought against Dlamini-Zuma and Mkhize, as well as Western Cape premier Alan Winde.

The president of the Liberty Fighters Network pressure group, Reyno de Beer, is expected to act as amicus curiae (friend of the court) and provide insight into the case after a ruling in June in which judge Norman Davis declared the lockdown “unconstitutional and invalid” – in a case argued by De Beer. In court documents seen by the Sunday Times, the government has issued a notice to oppose the application.

The Kouga municipality said its court application tomorrow would be based on the importance of balancing saving lives and saving livelihoods.

“The Covid-19 curve in the Kouga region has not spiked significantly over the past three weeks, which is encouraging and supported by the high percentage of recoveries. On the other hand, the festive season is a last lifeline for many employers and employees, who have already suffered tremendous losses over the past nine months.

“If the beaches remain closed, the impact on businesses, job retention and creation will be devastating.”

The municipality said Dlamini-Zuma had “failed to follow a fair notice and comment procedure before promulgating the regulations” and that there was no justification for the restrictions.

In an open letter to Ramaphosa, Garden Route district municipality mayor Memory Booysen said the decision to close the beaches in the southern Cape was likely to have the opposite effect, “as we now see large crowds of people flocking to every other amenity, including inland rivers, lagoons, lakes and shopping centres, which are enclosed spaces and where social distancing is far more difficult to adhere to than outdoors”.

Hotels and bed and breakfast establishments in Nelson Mandela Bay said they had experienced cancellations after the area was designated a Covid-19 hotspot, and now the beach ban had dashed the hopes of businesses of salvaging some income in 2020.

Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism chair Shaun van Eck said the metro had “probably lost at least 70% of the bookings that were made”.

“It is disheartening more than anything else. People have made it through Covid lockdown and are hanging on by [their] fingernails and hoping for a good summer season just to get some cash flow and get going again, and instead they are having these cancellations … they are going to have to pay back all the deposits, which they have been using for cash flow. It’s a body blow to hope,” Van Eck said.

Shena Wilmot, chair of the Port Elizabeth Metro B&B Association, said the beach ban is the “final nail in the coffin as far as our summer season goes”.

The association, whose members include about 60 B&Bs, had previously asked the government for a more targeted approach, similar to restrictions in KwaZulu-Natal where beaches are only closed on five days.

Mark Jakins, group sales, revenue & marketing director of Premier Hotels and Resorts, which owns the Premier Hotel East London International Convention Centre (ELICC), Premier Hotel Regent and Mpongo Private Game Reserve in East London, said: “Premier Hotel ELICC occupancies have proved resilient following the president’s announcement.”

But he added that overall the number of visitors from Gauteng will be down as “many families are opting to stay in Gauteng or break away to bush or inland destinations”.

Jakins said the group’s KwaZulu-Natal properties “remain optimistic” with “healthy festive season bookings”.

Heather Hunter, chair of Umhlanga and Surrounds Tourism, said members of the organisation have reported cancellations along the KwaZulu-Natal coast, but nothing on the scale of Port Elizabeth.

By Daily Kasi News Reporter

Eastern Cape and Garden Route beaches will be closed for about three weeks this festive season starting from Wednesday.

This was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa  on Monday night.

Ramaphosa said the decision was taken after Nelson Mandela Bay was declared a Covid-19 hotspot earlier this month.

On Monday night, he announced that two more areas had been declared hotspots —  Sarah Baartman district and the Garden Route.

“One of the greatest challenges we need to confront are the huge crowds that flock to beaches and recreational parks on public holidays over the festive season,” he said.

Ramaphosa said they had undertaken extensive consultations to find an approach that reduced the risk of large-scale transmission while limiting the negative impact on business in coastal areas. 

“We have therefore agreed to adopt a differentiated approach, which takes into account the different circumstances in different areas of the country,” he said.

“In the areas with the highest rate of infection, beaches and public parks will be closed for the duration of the festive season from the 16th of December to the 3rd of January.

“This will apply to all of the Eastern Cape, as well as to the Garden Route district in the Western Cape.”

In KwaZulu-Natal, beaches and public parks will be closed on what are traditionally the busiest days of the festive season — December 16, 25, 26 and 31 and January 1 to 3.

Ramaphosa said beaches and public parks in the Northern Cape and the Western Cape — with the exception of the Garden Route —  would remain open to the public over the festive season, between 9am and 6pm.

Festivals, live music, and live performances at beaches will be prohibited.

“The situation will be monitored daily by local authorities to ensure compliance with the regulations on gatherings and the prohibition of alcohol,” he said.

“In instances where there are large crowds or poor compliance with safety measures, specific beaches and recreational parks will be closed.”

Ramaphosa’s announcement follows a plea from Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane to close all beaches in the province, following a meeting with executive mayors and mayors of coastal municipalities and cities in the province.

“It was unanimously agreed that all beaches and recreational parks and open spaces in the Eastern Cape should be closed and declared out of bounds for the upcoming festive season,” he said.

“This is done to minimise the mobility of people from high areas to low-risk areas and vice versa as well as to avoid large crowds gathering in those recreational spaces.”

By Yolanda Palezweni

Patrons at three taverns ignored Covid-19 regulation in Motherwell at the weekend, potentially putting hundreds more at risk.      

Motherwell is considered a Covid-19 hotspot but throngs of revellers — most without masks and with no social distancing — packed the three taverns on Saturday night.

One tavern was fined R3,000 for selling alcohol and operating after the new curfew which runs from 10pm-4am.

The Eastern Cape Liquor Board and police inspected the taverns to ensure compliance with regulations.

The joint operation started on Friday and saw the teams visit New Brighton,  Kwazakhele and some towns in the Sarah Baartman District municipality.

On Saturday, the teams patrolled Motherwell and visited three taverns.

Eastern Cape Liquor Board spokesperson Mgwebi Msiya said the campaign entailed engagements with liquor traders to educate them about their role in curbing the spread of Covid-19.The rampant cases of non-compliance with trading conditions by some liquor outlets has contributed to the rapid spread of Covid-19

At the taverns visited on Saturday, most people were not wearing masks.

“Blitz operations in collaboration with SAPS and metro law enforcement are being carried out to crack down on those liquor outlets that are not compliant with their licence conditions.

“The operation will also identify liquor outlets that sell liquor without valid licences,” he said 

Eastern Cape Liquor Board CEO Nombuyiselo Makala said it was concerning that there was an absolute disregard of health protocols.

We wish to remind liquor traders that Covid-19 is still with us and it is time that we are all vigilant by taking a collective responsibility to prevent the spread of Covid-19 cases,” Makala said.

The Eastern Cape Liqour board urged residents to report any cases of non-compliance on 0800-000-420.

By Phumlani Saul

Port Elizabeth police are investigating a case of murder after a man’s body was discovered in Motherwell at 1pm on Sunday.

It is believed he was burnt to death.

Police spokesperson Captain Gerda Swart said his details could not be released until he had been formally identified.

Swart said rumours that he had been involved in the rape of two youngsters from the area, and that he had been the victim of vigilantism, could not be confirmed at this stage.

A relative came across his body in Ngolosa Street in NU9, Motherwell.

“No arrests were made and investigations are ongoing,” Swart said.

By Mzwandile Funani

Unable to breathe, 84-year-old Barry Gatenby was turned away from three private Port Elizabeth hospitals as an ambulance crew desperately tried to find space for the Covid-19 patient.

At the same time, his worried family waited anxiously on Sunday morning as the crew updated them on the struggle for space.

Finally, Gatenby was booked in at the VW field hospital.

For the family who recently lost their mother after a fall, the wait felt eternal.

Gatenby is just one of more than 6,000 people in Nelson Mandela Bay battling Covid-19.

Hospitals, both private and public, are being stretched to the limit as cases increase daily.

The figures as of Sunday stood at 6,285, according to Eastern Cape health department spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo.

The rise in cases in the Bay has been attributed to people not following protocols, like social distancing and washing their hands, to avoid Covid-19, as well as irresponsible partying.

The state hospitals are also turning patients away, with a doctor describing  the situation as harrowing.

The doctor, who is part of Livingstone’s Covid-19 team, said the hospital had run out of beds, with just two oxygen points available on Monday.

The two points opened up on Monday after patients in need of oxygen were turned away at the weekend.

“This is not just a mini-spike, we are in a second surge.

“And, at this point, it does not matter if you have medical aid or not, bed pressures are tremendous both in private and public hospitals.

The hospital has got to a point of having to turn people away, and it’s mostly people who need oxygen that we’ve had to divert to other hospitals because we can’t process them when there are no oxygen points.

Whenever we manage to move people, the oxygen points that open up are taken again very quickly,” the doctor said.

The lack of beds is exacerbated by a shortage of staff.

“It’s very difficult and extremely stressful.

“Our junior staff have to deal with a lot of deaths and we don’t have adequate support staff to phone and counsel families, we don’t have fresh legs to take over [from exhausted staff].”

The doctor, who did not want to be named  as public sector doctors are not permitted to speak to the media, said the surge in Covid-19 cases was affecting all services.

For the Gatenby family, still going through the pain of losing their mother, concerns over a lack of bed for their father had been distressing, his son, Mike, said.

 An ambulance was deployed at 5am to fetch Gatenby at his Lorraine residence and he was initially taken to Greenacres Hospital.

While in the ambulance, his oxygen level dropped below 50%.

By Nomathamsaqa Kula

Volkswagen Group SA (VWSA) is celebrating a momentous milestone with more than four-million cars having been manufactured at its Uitenhage plant.

In a statement on Monday, VW said the first of four-million cars was manufactured in November 1948 when the premises still belonged to South African Motor Assemblers and Distributors (SAMAD).

“The first Volkswagen vehicle to be manufactured in Uitenhage was a Volkswagen Beetle that rolled off the production line in August 1951.

“Since then, VWSA has manufactured a broad range of vehicles locally, including Audi vehicles, the iconic Volkswagen Beetle, and various models of the Transporter series (Kombi), Golf, Jetta and Polo.”

The Uitenhage plant now manufactures the Polo for local and export markets, as well as the Polo Vivo for the local market.

Since the start of 2020, the plant has produced 75,521 Polos for export, as well as 12,804 Polos and 17,038 Polo Vivos for the local market.

Acting production director at VWSA Bernd Schaberg said the production milestone was a proud moment  and proof of the dedication of the giant car manufacturer.With this level of commitment, I am sure we can achieve many more milestones to come,” Schaberg said

By Mkhuseli Sizani

Waterville informal settlement residents stormed ward 31 councillor Luyolo Nombola’s office on Friday, demanding electricity. Photo: Mkhuseli Sizani

Missionvale township in Port Elizabeth remained tense on Friday afternoon after about 80 Waterville informal settlement residents blocked Old Uitenhage Road with burning tyres, demanding electricity.

The protest follows the recent removal of most of the illegal connections from poles meant for neighbouring RDP homeowners from Boesak’s Ground.

The trouble began on Tuesday night when one of the main electrical poles in the area became overloaded and exploded as a result of the webbing izinyoka lines. This left nearly 200 households in the dark. While power was restored on Wednesday, residents from the RDP houses decided to remove the illegal connections.

At 4am on Friday, a group from the informal settlement responded by closing the road with burning tyres and rocks. Public Order Police were called to intervene as protesters approached the ward councillor’s office, accusing him of ignoring their pleas for services.

The area was established four years ago and has 628 households.

Thembisa Brukwe from the informal settlement said they have been at loggerheads with the homeowners who have been foiling each of their attempts to reconnect the izinyoka lines. “The RDP homeowners refused [to allow reconnections] and threatened to burn down our shacks. I couldn’t sleep last night in fear of being torched in the house with my mother who is 82,” she said.

Mfundo Sifile, 39, said: “We are unemployed and most of us survive on social grants. The homeowners want us to rent our illegal connections for R250 a month. They even pelted us with stones as we tried to reconnect.

“We need electricity like all other informal settlements in this municipality. Paraffin is too expensive. It’s R15 per litre and kids are hungry at home. We couldn’t cook for them since Tuesday. Now we are getting these threats,” he said.

Anelisiwe Dyubele who lives in front of the damaged electrical pole said: “We cannot be bullied by these shack dwellers. My mother, who is 72, has been traumatised ever since the pole exploded. They never asked for permission to connect. … Their connections are a danger to us and our children. We won’t allow them to connect here again.”

Another homeowner Vuyokazi Stoti denied that they had threatened the informal settlement residents. Stoki said they merely removed the cables and told them not to connect directly to the area’s transformer.

Ward 31 councillor Luyolo Nombola (ANC) said over 200 houses were affected by the explosion on Tuesday. He said officials from the Infrastructure, Engineering and Energy department will meet community leaders on Monday.

By Phumlani Saul

The SABC has removed Umhlobo Wenene Breakfast show host Phiwe “Pastor The DJ” Nozewu after he expressed “joy” on Twitter regarding a confrontation between an EFF supporter who was assaulted in Brackenfell, Cape Town, and local residents. 

The public broadcaster announced its decision on Twitter on Thursday after calls by the EFF to have Nozewu removed. 

“The SABC can confirm that Mr Phiwe Nozewu is unscheduled on Umhlobo Wenene FM by the station’s management following his public utterances on Twitter in relation to a violent incident which took place in Cape Town. The SABC views this matter in a serious light and has therefore unscheduled Mr Nozewu until further notice for bringing the organisation into disrepute,” it wrote in two separate tweets. 

On Wednesday the EFF issued a statement on Twitter calling for the SABC to remove Nozewu for his “self-hating comments which endorsed public violence and the assault of a black woman outside Brackenfell High School.” 

In a pathetic display on anti-blackness, Nozewu posted his apparent joy on Twitter at the assault of EFF activists, who were attacked by intolerant white racists who believe there are sectors in South Africa where black people are not allowed to gather,” a portion of the EFF’s statement read. 

Despite Nozewu issuing a public apology on Twitter on Wednesday, the SABC conceded to the calls by the EFF. 

By Phumlani Saul

Principal and deputy die within days of each other after testing positive for Covid-19

Uitenhage school has lost its principal and deputy principal after both died shortly after testing positive for Covid-19 as Nelson Mandela Bay continues to see a sharp increase in the number of coronavirus cases.

The city has seen a sudden surge in infections, rising  from 194 active cases on September 27 to 2,513 by Sunday.

KwaNobuhle-based Noninzi Luzipho Primary School principal Danile David Mavikela died on Saturday at the Netcare Cuyler Hospital after being admitted 19 days earlier as he was struggling to breathe.

He was eventually placed on a ventilator

His wife, Patience, said she was devastated by Mavikela’s death.

“He was a wonderful person who loved teaching.

“I am sure the entire school will miss him,” she said.

Mavikela’s deputy, Ester Namfu, died on Wednesday while being transported by ambulance to Netcare Cuyler Hospital.

She would have turned 60 on Wednesday.

Ester’s brother, Themba Moyakaza, said he and his sister had always been close.

“I miss her so much. We were very close,” he said.

New Covid-19 figures show the metro has eight hotspots, with Motherwell at the top of the list with 416 active cases.

This is followed by Uitenhage (319), Kwazakhele (137), KwaNobuhle (133), Walmer (132), Bethelsdorp (128), Zwide (104) and Despatch (102) cases.

Eastern Cape premier  Oscar Mabuyane last night assigned his special advisor, Dr Thobile Mbengashe, to help deal with the resurgent in infections in Nelson Mandela Bay and the Sarah Baartman district.

Mbengashe’s role is to support the joint operations centres  in both areas in carrying out a strategy to curb infections.

“Through this strategy, the provincial government is targeting hotspot areas showing increasing numbers of Covid-19 infections in the province in order to lower the rate of transmission as we deal with what looks like a second wave of virus pandemic in the province,” a statement from the premier’s office said.

“Dr Mbengashe will be in  Nelson Mandela Bay and Sarah Baartman this week to work with the two structures to suppress resurgence of Covid-19 infections.”

BIG LOSS: Noninzi Luzipho Primary School principal Danile David Mavikela and deputy Ester Namfu, who died of Covid-19 complications
Image: SUPPLIEDnull

He said Mavikela, 54, and Namfu, 59, had both been on sick leave.

“Contingency plans are in place at the school to ensure everyone will be assisted.”

The school’s head of departments, Lungelo Kilne, has taken the reins in an acting capacity.

Ester’s daughter, Sinovuyo, said her mother had started to show flu-like symptoms about five weeks ago.

“We gave her medication such as lemon and disprin.

“However, she continued to go to work as the flu was not that bad,” she said.

Sinovuyo said in the fourth week her mother’s condition worsened.

“She started to breathe heavily and battled to walk even five steps,” Sinovuyo said.

Ester was tested for Covid-19 on October 21, with her results coming back positive two days later.

“My mother was a talkative person. She loved children and people.

“You could hear her from anywhere. That’s how she could project her voice.

“She was also strict when it was needed.”

Patience Mavikela said she had received a call from the hospital on Saturday just after 9pm.

She was told to rush to the hospital as it was unlikely her husband would live for much longer.

“I went very quickly to the hospital and was given personal protective equipment to wear so I could say my final goodbye.”

She said her husband did not respond when she spoke to him at his bedside.

Asked what her finals words were to him, she said: “I can’t even remember any more.

“But I know in my heart it was the correct words at the time.”

Patience described her husband as someone with a passion for teaching.

“He was also an active and dedicated member of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa.

“He was once a recording secretary in the Methodist Grahamstown [Makhanda] district for six years.”

She said her husband was admitted on October 13 as he was struggling to breathe.

“They did a Covid-19 test once he was admitted and it came back positive that same night.”

She said her husband had shown symptoms of shortness of breath for two days before going to the hospital.

“That school has lost two people in the top management structure.

“It is awful news for everyone.”

She did not know where he could have contracted the virus.

Patience said the funeral arrangements still had to be concluded.

He had three children, Thembinkosi, 33, Lunga, 30, and Abongile, 24.

“He was a very loving parent,” she said

By Tumelo Khotha

After numerous attempts of attaining the presence of the executive mayor of Maluti A Phofung local municipality in the Free State, residents of Pholani, near Intabazwe in Harrismith are finally happy.

It is contended that the residents have attempted numerous times to ask for the executive mayor without success.
They wanted to demonstrate Masetjhaba Mosia-Lakaje, the executive mayor, the inadequate conditions they are living in. Rather, all their attempts didn’t give rise to any sense in the office of the mayor. 

According to the resident’s coordinator Neo Motaung, at least three emails have been sent to the mayor to come and witness the conditions without being answered back. Motaung says as the residents, they panned out writing for the provincial MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Thembeni Ngxangisa to intervene. He says if the MEC couldn’t respond, they would decide to go and close the main road in a form of embarking on strike.

Eventually, the residents managed to meet with the executive mayor after a long run of attempts. Motaung says they are happy as residents because of the meeting with her alongside her Member of Mayoral Committees.

“We’re much glad that after striving to meet her, our meeting went very well. We have also come up with outcomes for the problems we had.
Among other grievances the residents have is poor service delivery which includes water supply, worthless roads, nepotism, and conspiracy taking place in the municipality.

Mosia-Lakaje, nonetheless, gave rise to the uncomfortable residents in the meeting they held. She says the meeting went well and all problems have been sorted. Mosia-Lakaje has indicated that the water problem will be attended by the municipal water entity as quickly as today.

Although she had mentioned that this is a short term solution, at least this will be a minus problem in their everyday challenge of the residents. “We’ll come back to them soon just to ensure that all problems they have been raised are being well attended, ” says Mosia-Lakaje.

In terms of corruption in the municipality that residents have also spoken of among other grievances they have, the executive mayor said since she’s not good in the investigations, the police will assure that they do their work properly to find where there’s corruption.
She further pointed out that an issue of the sites will be thoroughly looked into by the municipality in a very short period.

Lerato Mphuthi (41), one of the residents was pleased that the municipality attended to their problems before they agreed on embarking on the streets for burning the tires. She says their problems need to be solved just like the ones of residents leaving in Qwaqwa and Kestel.

“We’re also residents of Maluti A Phofung just like the residents leaving in the said places, thus, we need to be dealt with equally, ” she says.