BY SITHANDIWE VELAPHI

Daily Dispatch senior reporter Mkhuseli Sizani has died.

Sizani, 42, died in hospital in Kariega (formerly Uitenhage) on Tuesday evening.Born in the Eastern Cape farming town of Alexandria, Sizani grew up in Gqeberha.

Before joining the Dispatch in May, Sizani wrote for the Daily Sun and GroundUp.

Sizani, who loved covering people’s stories and socioeconomic issues, covered the Nelson Mandela Bay area while working  with the Daily Sun.

Later, at GroundUp, he travelled to the former Transkei to cover stories.

At the Daily Dispatch, Sizani continued to cover socioeconomic issues.

In May, he wrote a story about homeless mothers battling to make ends meet for their children.

In July, Sizani wrote a story about 23 villages in ward 10 in Dikeni (formerly Alice) under the Raymond Mhlaba municipality who were forced to share water with animals because the Amathole District Municipality failed to supply them with water..

His family as well as colleagues, past and present, expressed shock following Sizani’s death.

Journalist Luvuyo Mehlwana, who worked closely with Sizani at the Daily Sun in Gqeberha, said: “I don’t have words to describe how I feel.

“Mkhuseli took me under his supervision.

He roped me in and everything that I can talk of about journalism is because of Mkhuseli.

“He would offer constructive criticism if he was not happy with a certain story.

“Mkhuseli educated me about how important it is for a journalist to have a unique writing style.

“He loved to share his knowledge,” Mehlwana said

Sizani’s brother, Fundile, said: “He loved offering advice and encouraging people.

“He would share his knowledge when one encountered problems. He loved interacting with people.

“We are still shocked. It’s difficult to process the news of his death,” Fundile said.

Dispatch senior journalist Vuyolwethu Sangotsha, who previously worked with Sizani at the Daily Sun, said Sizani was a workaholic who was passionate about giving a voice to the voiceless.

“Our paths first crossed when we were both young reporters freelancing for the Daily Sun,”  Sangotsha said.

“I remember how he used to highlight the plight of the poor through his work and the powers-that-be would react by improving the bad conditions faced by communities he had exposed.”

He said Sizani was a down-to-earth person, always willing to assist his colleagues.

“When we reunited at the Dispatch this year, he told me about his ambition of becoming part of management one day in the media industry, probably manning the desk and eventually becoming an editor.

“He believed that with his invaluable experience, he was destined for bigger responsibilities.

“It’s a very sad day for South African journalism.” 

Dispatch editor Cheri-Ann James said Sizani had already made a name for himself, not only in journalistic circles but in many communities in the Eastern Cape, “as a journalist who used the power of the word to help bring positive change to residents who had been neglected and ignored by authorities”.

When Mkhuseli joined our newsroom, his first words to me were: ‘I want to be out there, telling the stories of our people’.

“Mkhuseli was determined to put the voice of those who had long been silenced front and centre; a principle he instilled in our young interns, who he took under his wing as a mentor.   

“We have lost a passionate and fine journalist who still had so much to give.

“We have been fortunate as a team to have had an opportunity to work alongside Mkhuseli and to learn from him. We pray for his family during this difficult time,” James said. 

GroundUp editor Nathan Geffen said Sizani was a prolific journalist.

We are devastated that Mkhuseli is no longer with us.

“He started writing for GroundUp in 2019 as a freelancer and then joined our staff.

“The over 280 articles he wrote for us unrelentingly held the Eastern Cape government to account and put forward the concerns of the people of the province.

“We will miss Mkhuseli dearly. Our deepest condolences to his wife, Noxolo, his children, his family and his colleagues at the Daily Dispatch,” Geffen said.

Sizani is survived by his two children, wife, parents and three brothers. He will be buried in Despatch on September 23.

BY PHUMLANI SAUL

NO MATTER how they chased the chicken, it wouldn’t go away. It just went from house to house.

The residents agree that the chicken with the double panties is probably a curse.

BUT NOBODY KNOWS WHO IS BEING CURSED!

“I’m 62 years old, but this is the first time in my life I’ve seen a chicken in human underwear,” said gogo Pinky Mlangeni.

The gogo from Mandela Park , KwaLanga, in Eastern Cape was one of the residents who woke up to the sight of the strange chicken in the street.

It was dragging a pair of woman’s panties and some man’s underpants had been tied to its legs. 

Porcupine quills were hanging from its neck and black plastic suspected of containing muthi was around its neck.

When residents tried to chase the chicken, it wouldn’t leave, but moved from one gate to the other of houses in the street.

“We don’t know who is being targeted and this makes us even more afraid,” said Pinky.

“Someone is trying to bring bad luck and curses on the community.”

Lerato Poto (30) said they will ask for divine intervention when they hold a joint prayer session for the residents of their community. 

“We will pray from the street where the chicken was walking,” said Lerato.

Lindiwe Nene (44) said she wasn’t sure if she should buy live chickens from street vendors again

“It scared me that the chicken wouldn’t go away even when people were chasing it.” 

Symon Ngoma (63) said sometimes people did things like that to a chicken after performing rituals to remove bad luck from an individual who had been seriously ill. 

Traditional healer bhodlinyama Dlamini from Despatch in khyamnandi said the chicken was a curse to all the residents.

He said the chicken could be used by business people to bring value to their business.

“Or it could be used to steal money from residents,” he said. 

“People could wake up to find their money gone or they could lose the love of their spouses or have 4-5 problems

BY XOLANI CUBA

The sad businessman (30) from Green Bushes near Gqeberha was perfectly happy with his sex life, but his pregnant wife wasn’t. She said it would make sex for her much better if he went to the clinic to have a circumcision done.

But if he didn’t do it, she said, he would be without a wife. In the end the man agreed, so he went to the Gqeberha Men’s Clinic on 21 July. He paid R750 and went home the same day.

“I was not in any pain. I had a bandage wrapped around my penis and I couldn’t see the cut,” he said. But a few days later his wound became very painful and he took off the bandage.

“I could not believe my eyes,” he said. “My foreskin had been cut off and it had been stitched back on again!”

He immediately went back to the clinic but says they refused to give him the name of the doctor who did the operation. The man came to South Africa from Rwanda during the war in that country without being circumcised. “Last year I visited my family and they told me I had to be circumcised by a traditional healer.

I ended up crying and telling my parents I was old and I was afraid things would go wrong,” he said. “Then my wife started complaining. She said real men were circumcised.” He said he couldn’t sleep and he hadn’t gone to work.

“My wife has taken our seven-year-old son and left the house. They are living in our other house in Vulindlela,” he said. “I am worried they may never come back.”

The man is sleeping in the Wendy House outside so he doesn’t disturb the other people in the house. “I have made peace with the fact that I may lose my penis. I am even prepared to fly to England to have it removed,” he said. “But when I come back, that doctor will suffer.”  Clinic spokesman, Phumlani Dladla confirmed the doctor who did the operation made a mistake. It appears the patient had a lot of excess skin and the doctor didn’t cut off enough.

Then he realised his mistake and cut off some more, but this time he cut off too much and sewed some skin back on again. He said the man may not have followed the doctor’s instructions and that is why he ended up with a septic penis.

”We have offered to do a second operation to rectify that,” said Dladla. “We are willing to fix the problem if the man co-operates.” “We know it will hurt but the problem will be fixed.” The man has lodged a complaint against the doctor with the Health Professional Council of South Africa, which requested the name and practice number of the doctor.

BY AZOLA MATROSD

TWO Somali businessmen aged 23 and 25 were killed in their spaza shop on Monday .

Now Somali traders in KwaZakhele, Gqeberha, are in hiding, fearing for their lives.

“I heard several gunshots and customers were shouting for help. I took cover,” said a resident (55).

“The cops quickly came and rescued us. Two suspects got away in a white Mazda bakkie, leaving soft drinks and packets of cigarettes scattered in front of the shop.”

A leader of Amabutho, a vigilante group with links to uMkhonto weSizwe veterans, said: “I saw this bakkie being chased by cops passing by in our area. 

“We condemn this act of criminality. We’ll meet with the police forum and the Somali business community and work out what we can do.”

Colonel Priscilla Naidu confirmed the incident.

“Detectives are investigating two cases of murder and business robbery,” Naidu told Daily Kasi News

Provincial police warned the Somali traders to be on the lookout for suspicious activity near their shops. 

“All names of the deceased are withheld until their next of kin are informed.”

Reporting on another attack, Captain Gerda Swarts said: “A 37-year-old Somali shop owner was shot dead in his shop in KwaNobuhle, Kariega , and his partner was wounded in an attack on Monday night at about 11.30pm.”

BY PHUMLANI SAUL

In one of two similar house robberies in Kariega during the early hours of Friday, a 36-year-old father was shot dead in front of his wife and 14-year-old son during a terrifying ordeal.

Police spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg said Gcobani Maya was shot dead after three suspects broke into the family’s Tolbos Street, Strelitzia Park home at about 2.30am on Friday.

“It is alleged that a 14-year-old child heard a noise at the door.

“Immediately, a brick was thrown through a bedroom window.

“The owner of the house sustained a gunshot wound.

“Three suspects took a TV set, playstation and cellphones,” Janse van Rensburg said. 

“The teenager ran into his parents’ room and they locked the door. The door was kicked open and shots were fired.

Maya’s wife contacted their security company after the robbers left.

The investigation is continuing.

In another similar home invasion in Daniel Crescent, in Scheepershoogte, a man and his friend were studying at about 1.30am when they heard noises in the house.

Janse van Rensburg said three suspects entered the house after a brick was thrown through a window. 

“One suspect, armed with a firearm, threatened the complainant and the friend.

“They demanded cellphones. The suspects also stole a plasma TV, two cellphones and two laptops.”

Janse van Rensburg said it was further alleged that the suspects then fled in a Quantum that was parked nearby. 

No-one was injured during the robbery and a case of house robbery is under investigation.

BY DAILY KASI REPORTER

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that Prince Mangosuthu, 95, died early on Saturday morning.

“I am deeply saddened to announce the passing of Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, the Prince of KwaPhindangene, Traditional Prime Minister to the Zulu Monarch and Nation, and the Founder and President Emeritus of the Inkatha Freedom Party,” the president said in a statement.

Prince Buthelezi has been an outstanding leader in the political and cultural life of our nation, including the ebbs and flows of our liberation struggle, the transition which secured our freedom in 1994 and our democratic dispensation.”

Buthelezi turned 95 two weeks ago.

My thoughts and prayers and those of government and our nation go out to the Royal Household who have been blessed to shareuMntwana waKwaPhindangene’s extended lifetime with him, as well as to the Zulu Nation and the leadership and membership of the Inkatha Freedom Party,” Ramaphosa said.

“Announcements will be made in due course, based on consultations between government and the family, on the arrangements to mourn and honour the Inkosi of the Buthelezi clan as a formidable leader who has played a significant role in our country’s history for seven decades.

“We shall, in due course, reflect more extensively on his extraordinary life and diverse contributions to the development of our nation.

“At this point in time, we embrace the Buthelezi clan in their mourning and pray that the soul of the Prince rests in peace.”

BY PHUMLANI SAUL

Parents in Nkandla township in Port Elizabeth have built their own speed bumps to slow down traffic to protect their children.

Johannes Abrahams and Merileen Moses first built speed bumps in the road outside their house three years ago, after their daughter Leandra was hit by a car. Other residents followed suit and now there are “home made” speed bumps in several streets in the township.

Moses said: “My daughter was one year old when she was involved in a hit and run. She was playing with other children in the yard. But she walked out and the speeding vehicle hit her. She suffered severe head injuries. She was admitted to hospital for a month.”

“The scars on her face are a reminder of that terrible accident,” said Abrahams. “Since then we decided to erect this speed bump in front of our gate to protect our three children.”

“Kids hate to stay indoors. They leave the yard and go next door to play with other kids. We never expected drivers to be so reckless, because this is not even the main road. But they are just speeding.”

Abrahams said he maintains the speed bump, built with soil and stones which wash away after the rain.

Over 13,000 people die on South Africa’s roads each year, although it may be much lower this year because of reduced traffic due to the Covid-19 lockdown. About a third of deaths are pedestrians.

Another parent, Fundile Mbekela, said, “I have six children and my house is next to the road. After one of our neighbours’ kids was involved in a hit and run I decided to build my own speed bump next to my house.”

“Taximen speed up just to make quick cash, not considering the safety of our children. They even reverse for commuters, without considering that kids may come out of their homes running. Some of the motorists are driving under the influence of alcohol.”

When we visited on Sunday, residents were also building speed bumps. They say they have been reporting the issue to their ward councillor for years.

Ward 41 Councillor Simphiwe Tyukana (ANC) said speeding vehicles were a problem. He said the surfacing of Nkandla roads had been started and “we want these roads to have speed bumps and guard rails for houses that are in danger of being involved in accidents.”

Nelson Mandela Bay Municipal spokesperson Mamela Ndamase said residents should ask their ward councillor to prioritise the tarring of the road. “Once the road is constructed, simultaneously speed bumps will be erected.”

“The relevant officials will engage with the councillor to investigate interventions that can be made in this particular case.”

BY PHUMLANI SAUL

A KwaNobuhle teenager accused of murdering a man and raping two young sisters abandoned his bail application on Monday.

The 16-year-old boy is being held at a Child and Youth Care Centre after his guardian indicated that he preferred the boy be kept in custody for his own safety, according to NPA regional spokesperson Luxolo Tyali.

Tyali said the teenager was facing one count of murder following an incident on January 25, two counts of rape, as well as a charge of house robbery allegedly committed on February 12 in KwaNobuhle.

“The minor abandoned bail and is kept at a Child and Youth Care Centre.

“On Monday the KwaNobuhle Magistrate’s Court had to be closed and vacated due to protest action resulting from misinformation that the youth had been released to the custody of his parents.

“The correct information is that the matter had not yet been enrolled, as there were outstanding investigations to be done as per the prosecutor’s instructions.

“It is alleged that the teenager, with an accomplice who is still at large, attacked and killed a man in his house in the Dubai area of  KwaNobuhle on January 25,” Tyali said.

On February 12, two men stormed a house in KwaNobuhle and raped two minor women, stealing two cellphones, R2,000 cash and alcohol. 

“The youth was also identified as a suspect and the case has been remanded to February 20 for further investigations,” Tyali said.

On Monday more than 60 KwaNobuhle residents protested outside the KwaNobuhle Magistrate’s Court.

The irate crowd demanding justice for the two girls who were allegedly raped while their 60-year-old grandmother was locked in her room, from where she was allegedly forced to hear their agonising cries.

Save a Child from Drugs, Save the Community foundation founder the Rev Thamsanqa Nkevu led the protest on Monday.

He said the community was shocked by the incident but happy to hear the boy would remain in custody.

“This is great news for the family and it is also a victory for the community. 

“It cannot end there or we will miss the whole point, because a child was [allegedly] influenced to partake in activities that will rob his future.

“All these children are important; whether the youth are on drugs or not, they are key in preserving the community.

“This speaks to the conscience of those criminals who recruit children into a life of crime,” Nkevu said.

BY AZOLA MATROSS

A case of culpable homicide is under investigation after a fatal car crash on Sunday.

According to police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu, at about 7.50pm, an Opel Corsa and a VW Golf GTI were travelling in the same direction on the R75 opposite Joe Slovo towards Despatch.

It is alleged that the VW Polo GTI drove into the back of the Opel Corsa. Both vehicles were in the same lane.

The male driver of the Opel Corsa, aged 52, who was alone in the vehicle, died on the scene, while the three occupants in the VW Polo GTI (two males and a female) were taken to hospital for treatment.

The name of the deceased man is being withheld until his next of kin have been informed.

BY NOMALUNGELO BOOI

Police minister Bheki Cele has called on other government departments to get involved in the fight against crime.

Cele, along with national police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola and his management team, launched Operation Shanela in Gelvandale in the Eastern Cape on Friday. 

He urged government departments to urgently address the drivers of criminality in areas grappling with high crime levels and gangsterism. 

Cele said he had noted with concern during a walkabout in Gelvandale the high number of children of school-going age loitering around during school hours. “These areas need far more than law enforcement to make life better. It is very clear that police alone won’t win the war on crime.

“The high number of children not going to school pushes them towards criminality and gangsterism. This is why we again make the call for a whole government and whole society approach to fighting crime,” he said.

He called on the government to descend on the Eastern Cape and other areas in the country with similar problems to address the drivers of crime by dealing with issues of education, human settlement, unemployment and other socioeconomic factors.

“What is clear in this place, the police or law enforcement alone can’t win the war. The question of drugs, high level of children not attending school. You see young people aged 16 and 17 saying that they are done with school. That feeds into gangsterism and criminality.”    

Since the inception of Operation Shanela — an intensified and aggressive response to crime — in May, more than 100,000 suspects have been arrested for serious and violent crimes including murder, rape, robbery and possession of firearms and drugs.