BY PHUMLANI SAUL

Chippa United and Golden Arrows played to a 0-0 stalemate in their final DStv Premiership match of the 2022/23 campaign, as the Chilli Boys made sure to secure their status in South Africa’s top flight.

In what was a slow start to the game at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Chippa United settled early on the ball but struggled to make way inside the Golden Arrows half.

However, Abafana Bes’thende did not hold back and ventured forward with intent at every opportunity inside the first 10 minutes of the tie.

Arrows managed to get into the game as the 20th minute rolled on and began stringing precise passes together. In response, the Chilli Boys often did well to disrupt Arrows’ passing patterns and countered with intent. However, Chippa were let down by the final product as they searched for an opener.

With 45 minutes of football played, neither side created any notable goal scoring chances and headed into the break with the scores deadlocked at 0-0.

Similarly to that of the first half, the subsequent 45 commenced at a subdued pace. With 55 minutes on the clock, Arrows edged Chippa in the ball possession count and actively searched for an opener.

As the game reached the 75th minute mark, Arrows bossed proceedings while Chippa had no answer to the travelling outfit’s attacking thrusts. Abafana Bes’Thende found space in wide areas of the pitch and frequently played crosses into the danger zone.

The Chilli Boys were happy to see out the game without making their way up the pitch and took the pragmatic approach in an attempt to secure the point. That said, the referee called time on proceedings at the Nelson Bay Stadium as the Gqeberha outfit survived the drop.

BY PHUMLANI SAUL

Residents of Kwanobuhle in Kariega were in the dark for the entire weekend, and not just due to load shedding.

Executive mayor, Retief Odendaal, said cable theft on the 66kv San Souci line has left the entire area without power.

“This is a massive repair job and it is likely that supply may only be restored by Monday evening,” he said.

Odendaal, who conducted a site inspection on Saturday, said a specialised team has been dispatched from Gauteng to “assist with the complicated repair work.”

He only a small section of the cables were removed “at a very strategic place- done in such a way to cause 7 Wards in the KwaNobuhle cluster to be left without electricity for an extended period of time.”

“There is a strong suspicion that this was an act of sabotage and by no means just an act of theft.”

Odendaal said he would laying a criminal charge of theft and sabotage at SAPS Kwanobuhle on Sunday so that the matter will be investigated. 

“My office will also be making available a reward in the amount of R20000 to anyone that can provide us with information that will lead to the arrest of these criminals,” he said.

BY PHUMLANI SAUL

KwaLanga man has been caught allegedly stealing flowers from graves which he sold to bereaved families at a cemetery, then reselling them.

Kariega Crime Watch said on its Facebook page that the man was arrested at Jubilee Park Cemetery by security companies after his alleged victims reported him on its WhatsApp group.

kariega Crime Watch said he allegedly waits for families to leave, then steals the flowers and returns them to buckets for resale.

“It is alleged the man reports ‘very little sales’ to his boss and pockets the day’s takings.

“Families have reported other items of value been stolen from graves,” said kariega Crime Watch.

It is understood that none of the families have laid charges against the man.

Facebook users were outraged.

One said: “No respect for the dead any more in this insanely crazy world or for the bereaved family members. It just shows how low people will go to feed their criminal minds.”

Another wrote: “I don’t understand some people, that’s a last place you should think of.

“How bad is it to steal from the dead?”

BY AKHONA WILLIAMS

Chippa United are staring straight down the barrel of possible automatic DStv Premiership relegation after a crushing and embarrassing loss to TS Galaxy at the Mbombela Stadium on Saturday.

The 4-0 drubbing has allowed the relegation zone to strengthen its grip on the Chilli Boys, who are now tied with last-placed Maritzburg on 29 points and occupy 15th position thanks only to a narrow one-goal difference.

Marumo Gallants are also on 29 points in 14th spot, but they have a much better goal-difference advantage.

While Chippa capitulated in Mpumalanga, Maritzburg used home-ground advantage to secure a fighting 1-0 victory over Stellenbosch to draw level with Chippa on the log standings.

The win was not enough to pull The Team of Choice out of the automatic relegation spot, but has most definitely now made that berth a race between themselves and Chippa.

In Chippa’s favour is that Maritzburg must play their final fixture against champions Mamelodi Sundowns on Tuesday, due to the Brazilians’ Champions League participation.

Maritzburg will be hoping for at least a point to push them ahead of Chippa, who host Golden Arrows at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday, while Gallants travel to face Swallows on the same day.

Coach Lehlohonolo Seema’s team will now be chasing nothing less than a win against Arrows.

Anything less and they run the real risk of some type of relegation threat if Marumo manage to win.

It was a brace from Kamogelo Sebelebele (33rd and 52nd minute) that put Sead Ramovic’s side in the driver’s seat before Masilake Phohlongo and Nkosikhona Radebe got their names on the scoresheet late against Chippa to secure the Rockets’ top-flight status with one game remaining.

It was a first win in six matches for Galaxy and took them six points clear of the relegation zone and they are now just two shy of the top eight in 10th position, with Stellenbosch (sixth), Sekhukhune United (seventh), Arrows (eighth) and Swallows (ninth) all tied on 37 points.

Meanwhile, Maritzburg chair Farouk Kadodia has expressed disappointment that the PSL declined their request to postpone their crunch clash against Sundowns

“We are disappointed that the league has turned down our request to move the fixtures to a date where all the relegation matches will be played at the same time,” Kadodia said. 

“We played on Saturday against Stellenbosch and it was a very high-intensity game and we have no time to recover because we are playing again on Tuesday.” 

Inasmuch as it is tight at the bottom half of the log, the final day of the season will see Orlando Pirates and SuperSport United going all out to seal the last Champions League spot.

BY PHUMLANI SAUL

Three men were arrested at the weekend in two separate incidents relating to theft and damage to Nelson Mandela Bay metro facilities.

The latest arrest was in Kariega on Sunday morning when city security officers, patrolling the KwaNobuhle Multipurpose Stadium, spotted four men acting suspiciously.

The suspects fled in different directions and a chase ensued, culminating in one arrest.

Safety and security political head Lawrence Troon said the suspects had allegedly been stripping roof sheets from the building.

In an earlier incident, two suspects were arrested late on Friday night after being found in possession of suspected stolen municipal palisade fencing.

Patrolling metro facilities protection response team officers came across an Isuzu bakkie parked on the N2, behind the Fishwater Flats wastewater treatment works.

Two women and a child were in the vehicle.

“On further inspection, they noticed the vehicle was fully loaded with green palisade fencing bars, the same as those at the outer fence of Fishwater flats, which are close by.”

Officers found two men hiding in nearby bushes and took them back to the bakkie.

They two showed the officers where they allegedly stole the fencing at Fishwater flats and were instructed to drive their vehicle to the Swartkops police station under escort, but sped off.

A chase ensured, during which the bakkie drove into one of the municipal vehicles in Bluewater Bay.

The officers managed to corner the bakkie and apprehend the suspects, who were taken to the Swartkops police station, where the men were arrested.

The arrests followed the recovery, at a scrap dealership, of nine sections of palisade fencing stolen from the North End Cemetery on Friday afternoon.

“This arrest is a breakthrough as we have since learnt that the vehicle used is the same bakkie that is implicated in the North End Cemetery vandalism and theft case,” Troon said.

BY DOREEN LOUBSER

Less than a week,Another police sergeant has been gunned down in Motherwell in Gqeberha

Hawks spokesperson, Captain Yolisa Mgolodela, says the officer attached to the Swartkops Rapid Response Unit was shot outside Aya’s tavern at Mgwalana Street on Sunday.

She says the motive for the shooting is not known yet, but the Hawks are investigating the matter.

The shooting follows just five days after a court orderly was gunned down inside the Motherwell court building.

The slain Sergeant was identified as 42-year-old Mario Nel

A man accused of killing Nel was wounded in a shoot-out with police and already made his first appearance in court where the matter was postponed to the 5th of June.

This is the third police Sergeant to be killed in the Eastern Cape in the space of a week.

A week ago, 41-year-old Sergeant Lwando Bunga attached to the Public Order Police (POP) unit in East London was killed when he responded to a cash-in-transit robbery in West Bank

BY LUXOLO NDABAMBI

A GOOD Samaritan and neighbour has dedicated time to helping Gloria Ludidi. 

Joshua Loyi (46) been carrying Gloria (57) on his back after her left leg was amputated at Provincial Hospital in May 2022 due to diabetes.

He told Daily kasi News he saw it fit to help Gloria as the family lives on a hill in Dubai informal settlement in Gunguluza, Eastern Cape and taxis cannot reach their area.

“I will continue to help the family with the spirit of Ubuntu. The family cannot afford to carry the woman down to the taxis or push her in a wheelchair because the place is full of rocks,” he said.

Joshua said he carries Gloria when she goes for check-ups. “The situation is bad. No one works in their home and I even share food with them. They even ask for help at night,” he said.

Joshua appealed for help for Gloria as she is suffering.

Gloria said she is thankful she lives next to a kind neighbour who doesn’t mind helping her.

She said Joshua has never complained about carrying her on his back, adding that she is looking for a better place as she struggles to go to the hospital or shops.

“I live with my only daughter Noxolo and five grandchildren. They receive child support grants, but the money is not enough to see us through the whole month. 

“I am appealing for help because I struggle to reach the hospital without help. The place I live in is full of rocks. I struggled when I had two legs, but now it’s worse since my other leg had been amputated,” she said.

Noxolo (39) said her mother’s situation is very bad and she cannot do anything on her own without help.

“We struggle to take her to the taxis if she wants to go the hospital. We appeal for a better place where she can move easily in a wheelchair,” she said.

Community and Social Development, Peggy de Bruin, said she escalated the matter to the provincial Social Development Department to see how Gloria could be helped.

BY BRENDON NEL

At least four gunmen opened fire at a Gqeberha medical facility on Wednesday night, fatally wounding the doctor inside. 

The doctor, Bantu Noqekwa, 56, died inside his practice in Njoli Street, Zwide.

Police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge confirmed the shooting. 

“The four suspects entered the Noqekwa practice this evening [Wednesday] and killed Bantu,” Beetge said.

He said police were investigating. 

“The motive is yet to be determined.”

The shooters were still at large on Wednesday night. 

The violence in Zwide was the latest in a string of fatal shootings in Gqeberha.

BY ARON MAKELENI

A police officer was shot dead inside the Motherwell court building.

It is believed the officer’s service pistol was taken.

Unconfirmed reports say a colleague may also have been shot.

police sergeant who was serving as a court orderly at the Motherwell Magistrate’s Court in Gqeberha on Wednesday morning.

At the time of his death, the 42-year-old sergeant had 16 years’ service with the police.

Provincial spokesperson Brigadier Thembinkosi Kinana said that according to the police’s preliminary investigation, the arrested suspect entered the Motherwell Court building at about 9.20am, disarmed the member, shot and killed him with the State firearm and thereafter fled on foot.

“Members of the Anti-Gang unit who were patrolling the area immediately responded and were alerted by a taxi driver that the suspect who was in possession of the firearm was in the taxi.

“The suspect immediately opened fire at the police and members returned fire, and the suspect sustained gunshot wounds and was transported to hospital under police guard,” Kinana said.

Kinana also said that police recovered the member’s state firearm, and commuters who were in the taxi at the time were not injured in the crossfire.

BY NOMALUNGELO BOOI

TWO suspects have been arrested for possession of illegal firearms and dealing in drugs in Mandela Village near Kariega , Eastern Cape.

Their arrest on Friday morning, 5 May, comes after intense investigations by the provincial drugs and firearms unit.

Colonel Robert Ntsundwana said one suspect (28) was found in possession of 750 heroin capsules, two firearms whose serial numbers were filed off and ammunition.

“Another suspect, a 43-year-old man, was also nabbed with 900 capsules of heroin. The two will appear in Kariega Magistrates Court soon,” said Ntsundwana

He said on Wednesday, 26 April, officers from the same unit arrested a suspect who was found in possession of a state-issued firearm and a homemade gun as well as rounds of ammunition in emahlabathini area of KwaLanga.

“Investigation are underway to determine how the state firearm landed in his hands.

“A day later, 27 April 2023 members attached to the same unit arrested a suspect who was found in possession of rock cocaine, Mandrax tablets and crystal meth in Rosedale,” he said.