By daily Kasi News reporter

Just a few hours after snuffing the dreams of Chippa United head coach, soccer boss Siviwe “Chippa” Mpengesi made the dreams of the Moni family come true when he donated a fully-furnished house on Monday. 

Mpengesi fired Clinton Larsen following the Chilli Boys 2-1 loss to Orlando Pirates on Saturday. 

But when he arrived at Buthulo Village, near Port St Johns, Eastern Cape, the worry that comes with owning a soccer team seemed far from Mpengesi’s mind. 

If anything, he was in a giving mood as he also donated soccer kits to a local team.

“I hope that this kit will result in a player from this village joining Chippa United. Maybe we’ll even get a coach from here,” he mused – drawing laughter from the crowd gathered inside a marquee.

The joke was not lost on them. 

The event was attended by Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation minister Lindiwe Sisulu who was accompanied by her deputy, Pam Tshwete and Eastern Cape MEC for Human Settlements Nonkqubela Pieters.

The Moni family of 14, lived in a single room mud structure which measures 20m2.

But on Monday the family’s fortunes turned for the better when they were handed over the keys to their new solid structure home – built using alternative technology.

The village was among those affected by the floods that left a trail of destruction, when over 200mm rainfall was recorded, in April.

The keys to the house were handed to the widowed Macacisile Moni, 61, who could not contain her joy of owning her first solid home.

“I have never been to heaven but today it feels like I’m in heaven. This is the happiest day of my life,” said Macacisile, as she wiped tears from her face.

“When it rains I would ask my children to go seek shelter at the neighbours’ homes as I feared that this house would collapse on us. I would say to them, ‘it would be better if I’m the only one who dies inside this house’,” said Macacisile, who shares her house with her brother, her eight children and four grandchildren.

Their other dwelling, a mud rondavel, was washed away by heavy rains.

The house was donated by Eastern Cape born Mpengesi whose company Chippa Holdings built it using green crete technology –  which uses recycled waste, binding chemicals and other materials to create environmentally friendly building materials.

Sisulu thanked Mpengesi and said using alternative building technology was crucial for the government’s house building programme going forward.

Sisulu assured Moni that the title deed for the house will be registered in her name and encouraged her to look after her new home.

The mud structure – with its walls cracked and a collapsing roof – stood in stark contrast to the spanking new house.

Mpengesi announced that his Chippa Holdings will be donating 90 houses to the poor all over the country.

“We will build 10 homes per province. This is my way of giving back as I know hardship…having lived in a shack in Cape Town while working as a security guard,” said Mpengesi.

By Phumlani Saul

The Eastern Cape Health Department is appealing to the community of Nelson Mandela Bay to work with authorities to fight crime.

The appeal on Monday came after another attack on ambulance personnel who were transporting a patient with asthma to hospital in the early hours of the morning.

Health Department spokesperson, Sizwe Kupelo, said that the EMS crew was accosted at the intersection at the Chatty Dip and Uitenhage Road by assailants who placed a barricade in the road.

He said three men emerged from the shadows and smashed the driver’s side window of the ambulance, injuring the driver.

Kupelo said the second crew member and the patient were robbed of their personal belongings and were left traumatised by the incident.

“We are really calling upon the people of the Bay to stand up and fight this thing, work with police, work with all the structures on the ground that are fighting crime,” he said.

“An assault on a health official, particularly those who are providing essential services, is an assault on the community,” Kupelo added.

He said police are investigating the incident.

By Phumlani Saul

Two Eastern Cape teachers and an admin clerk have been arrested for allegedly raping three teenage learners in Ngcobo.

Police spokesperson Captain Namhla Mdleleni said one of the boys was allegedly raped in June and the other two in August.

She said it was alleged that the teachers and the official took the boys to one of their homes under the pretence of helping them with homework, but the boys were allegedly plied with alcohol before being raped.

Mdleleni says the matter was only reported to police on Friday when a case was opened.

The alleged perpetrators are expected to appear in court soon.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Cape Department of Education said the three have since been suspended.

Spokesperson, Mali Mtima, said the learners have also been provided with the necessary support.

He said they only became aware of the case last Thursday.

Last week the Education Department announced that a subject advisor in Lusikisiki was arrested for allegedly raping a 6-year-old learner while a 27-year-old caretaker at a school in Whittlesea appeared in court for allegedly raping a 7-year-old girl.

Gift of the Givers rolled into drought-hit Adelaide in the Eastern Cape on Monday to deliver fodder for starving cattle and water for thirsty locals.

The Eastern Cape town is facing a dire crisis including recent reports that cattle were dying in the streets and that the local dam had dried up.

Gift of the Givers founder, Dr Imtiaaz Sooliman, said they had already drilled five boreholes for the local council but he said the water table had dropped.

He said on Monday they would be delivering the first of four truckloads of fodder for “all farmers” while drilling boreholes in areas closer to communities in the hope of finding water.

Sooliman said they would also be sending in two water tankers, truckloads of bottled water, and will install solar pumps on two additional boreholes that they have already drilled.

He said this week Gift of the Givers will also bring some relief to Bedford, once again sending in the water tankers and bottled water to the Eastern Cape town.

Drilling machines will also be deployed in Bedford with the hope of finding underground water as a sustainable solution to the crippling drought.

Sooliman said the Mnquma Municipality at Butterworth has also requested urgent intervention

By Phumlani Saul

Teenagers who allegedly hijacked a car from a motorist at knife point were no match for the flying squad when they tried to speed away from police in the Eastern Cape.

The 45-year-old motorist’s car was allegedly hijacked in Ross Gradwell Street, Uitenhage, by five men and a woman while he was driving home just before 2am on Saturday.

“They took his R100 cash and his vehicle. He managed to flee and seek help,” said police spokesperson Col Priscilla Naidu.

“Port Elizabeth flying squad members, Warrant Officer Severiano Blundin and Constable Eugene Abrahams, acted on information received about a vehicle that was hijacked in the Uitenhage area and was on its way to Port Elizabeth to be sold.”

The car was spotted with no registration plates and when the occupants saw the police vehicle, “they tried to speed away, but drove into dead end”.The occupants jumped out and started running, but four of them were arrested.

The suspects, aged between 16 and 19 years old, were detained for hijacking and are expected to appear in the Uitenhage Magistrate’s Court on Monday. The vehicle was impounded for further investigation,” said Naidu.

In another incident, Blundin and Abrahams joined a car chase with security company vehicles pursuing an alleged business robber outside Humansdorp.

They forced the vehicle off the road and arrested a 39-year-old suspect. Two cellphones, a watch, a small amount of cash and a car were seized.

By Phumlani Saul

Clinton Larsen has been fired as Chippa United coach following the team’s 2-1 loss away to Orlando Pirates in Soweto at the weekend.

Larsen, who was employed in January replacing Joel Masutha, on Monday became the latest in a string of coaches to be set packing by Chilli Boys owner Siviwe Mpengesi.

Chippa have endured a slow start to the season failing to win any of their five matches. Larsen presided over three draw and two losses.

The latest defeat to the Buccaneers was enough to push the notoriously trigger-happy Mpengesi over the edge.

Although the club have yet to make an official announcement, Mpengesi took to the airwaves on Monday morning to break the news on Umhlobo Wenene to confirm Larsen’s sacking.

A replacement has yet to be named although Duran Francis will take the reins as care-taker coach.

Rhulani Claims First Bucs Win Thanks To Mabasa’s Brace

By Phumlani Saul

Bucs caretaker coach Rhulani Mokwena, made three changes from their stalemate with Golden Arrows, giving French goalkeeper Joris Delle his debut, while Tshegofatso Mabaso and Thembinkosi Lorch started in the attack. The hosts took the initiative to attack in the opening exchanges and managed to hold the Chilli Boys in their own half but they lacked the final product as Patrick Tignyemb was largely untested. The combination of former Maritzburg United duo Fortune Makaringe and Siphesihle Ndlovu nearly resulted in the opener for Pirates three minutes before the half-hour mark after the former setup the latter with a chance on a volley, but the pint-sized midfielder’s effort sailed over the bar. Clinton Larsen’s troops were growing in the game towards the end of the first stanza, but they too lacked the cutting edge in the final third as Pirates ‘ new shot-stopper enjoyed a quiet opening 45 minutes. Mokwena’s charges came back from the break playing with more purpose going forward and they finally broke the deadlock 11 minutes inside the second stanza thanks to Mabasa, who scored with a low left-footed shot after he was sent through on goal by Augustine Mulega. Mabasa quickly gave Pirates a two-goal lead five minutes later after using his imposing figure to turn inside the box before firing into the bottom corner from six-yards out to complete his brace. Mabasa did not have an opportunity to get a hat-trick as he was withdrawn with 18 minutes remaining and replaced by Zakhele Lepasa, while Larsen made a tactical change in the same moment by bringing on Rhulani Manzini in place of Mzikayise Mashaba. Manzini made an instant impact as he took a swerving free-kick for Chippa with 11 minutes remaining that was spilled by Delle, which saw Lerato Manzini  poke home from six-yards out. The Chilli Boys were threatening to find the equaliser in the closing stages but Pirates managed to hold on to all the three points while Chippa remain without a win this season.

By Phumlani Saul

A group of around 400 men and women marched from the North End Stadium in East London to City Hall on Friday in one of a number of protests against gender-based violence.

The East London event was orchestrated by a group of men who said they’d be marching under the banner – men rising against femicide.

One of the posters on display was of champion female boxer Leighandre ‘Baby Lee’ Jegels, who was shot and killed by her boyfriend last month.

He later died in a car accident while fleeing police.

The march was peaceful and memorandum was presented to a representative from the Buffalo City Mayor’s office.

Meanwhile, a similar march is being planned for Nelson Mandela Bay on Saturday.

It scheduled to start at Kings Beach at noon and proceed to City Hall.

March co-ordinator, Zaahidah Meyer, said the nation should hang its head in shame for the ongoing violence against women and children.

The latest crime statistics released on Thursday show that 2 271 women were murdered in the last financial year which is a decrease of only 159 cases compared to the year before.

By Phumlani Saul

Two robbery suspects have been arrested by members of the police’s K9-unit following an ATM robbery in Algoa Park, Port Elizabeth.

Spokesperson, Colonel Priscilla Naidu says the members were patrolling near the Kenako mall on Saturday afternoon when they heard a woman screaming.

The woman in her 50’s informed them that she was just robbed at an ATM of her cash and bank card and that three suspects fled in a white VW Polo.

Naidu says it wasn’t long before the vehicle was spotted in Daku Street, Kwazakele.

She says when the suspects noticed the police, the front passenger exited and ran off, and when the driver made a dash for freedom after ignoring several warnings to stop, the police dog, Jack was released and apprehended him.

The back seated passenger also exited and started running, but Jack was soon on his heels and he too, was arrested.

The complainant’s cash and bank card was found in the possession of one of the suspects.

The suspects, aged 28 and 29, are being detained on a charge of robbery and are expected to appear in the New Brighton magistrates’ court on Monday.

The third suspect is still at large.

By Phumlani Saul

Police divers and the dog unit are conducting an extensive search for an 11-year-old boy who went missing in the Swartkops River mouth in Port Elizabeth at around 7 pm on Saturday evening.

NSRI spokesperson, Craig Lambinon says NSRI Port Elizabeth, Coastal Water Rescue, Bluewater Bay lifeguards, police and emergency services responded to the scene, following reports of a drowning in progress.

“NSRI launched a sea rescue craft to join in the search, and despite an extensive search, no sign of the child could be found”, he said.

Lambinon said the search would continue today (Sunday) .