Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) is appalled by the Eastern Cape Department of Education's ongoing failure to implement a comprehensive sexual harassment policy to protect learners despite the urgent resolution passed by the Provincial Legislature last year. This negligence continues to put our learners at risk, and the recent suspension of a teacher accused of inappropriate conduct at Queenstown Girl's High School tragically highlights the need for such a policy. We are also … [Read more...] about EC Education Department Fails to Protect Learners Against Sexual Harassment

Dear Editor Today, the Democratic Alliance (DA) took decisive action by formally opening a criminal case with the South African Police Service (SAPS) against individuals implicated in corruption and tender manipulation at the Amatola Water Board. We have requested that the case be referred to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), better known as the Hawks, for further investigation under the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act (PCCA Act) provisions. The … [Read more...] about Criminal Case Opened Over Corruption And Tender Irregularities At Amatola Water Board

Dear Editor The DA in the Eastern Cape expresses concern over the repeated shutdown of King Phalo Airport in East London, with operations grinding to a halt for the second time in weeks. Today, no flights were allowed to land or take off, causing significant delays and congestion. The crisis stems from Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) operational failures, including outdated regulatory procedures failing to meet international standards, aging infrastructure and a shortage of … [Read more...] about Airport closures threaten Buffalo City and Eastern Cape tourism and economy

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Eastern Cape welcomes the decision by President Cyril Ramaphosa to authorise the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate corrupt activities within the Eastern Cape Department of Health (ECDoH). This investigation is an essential step towards addressing allegations of maladministration, unlawful expenditure, and misconduct within the department. However, the DA is concerned that the scope of the investigation is too narrow, potentially … [Read more...] about SIU Investigation Into EC Department of Health Welcomed

Dear Editor Abantu Integrity Movement (AIM) has written to the Minister of Cogta, Velenkosini Hlabisa, requesting him to intervene in the stalled ethics investigation against Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Gary van Niekerk. Van Niekerk is under investigation for allegedly violating the Code of Conduct for Councillors, but a council ethics committee which was tasked in November 2023 to conclude the investigation in a month has still not completed its work a year after it was established. In … [Read more...] about AIM Asks Minister To Intervene In Bay Ethics Investigation Fiasco

Dear Editor Healthcare delivery in the Eastern Cape is being severely compromised due to the critical shortage of essential medical equipment, known as Non-Negotiable Vitals (NNVs). These items include life-saving tools such as Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), pharyngeal masks, and endotracheal tubes, among others. These are called “vital” because they are crucial to saving lives, yet many clinics and community healthcare centres in the province either have insufficient stock or none … [Read more...] about Shortage of life-saving medical equipment crippling Eastern Cape healthcare

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) is outraged by yet another armed robbery targeting healthcare workers, this time at the NU 8 clinic in Motherwell. On the very day that the Eastern Cape Legislature’s Health Portfolio Committee met to discuss the many challenges facing the healthcare sector in Nelson Mandela Bay, the clinic’s staff were held at gunpoint and robbed of their cell phones. This latest incident has left healthcare workers severely traumatised and further exposed the … [Read more...] about Healthcare Services Held at Gunpoint in Motherwell

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) is calling for an urgent meeting of the Transport Portfolio Committee to discuss the dire implications of the recent zoning change in Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB), which has effectively classified the metro as an inland destination. This change, approved by the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Gwede Mantashe, has resulted in higher fuel prices for NMB residents, unfairly burdening them during severe economic hardship. The decision will not … [Read more...] about Fuel Price Hike in Nelson Mandela Bay is Unacceptable

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) is calling for urgent intervention from the Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR) to assist farmers in the Alexandria area to identify alternative produce and revenue streams. This comes as Chicory SA, the largest employer in Alexandria for over 130 years, faces imminent closure at the end of the month, putting over a thousand jobs at risk. The Alexandria region, once a thriving hub of chicory production that contributed … [Read more...] about Economic Disaster Looms For Alexandria

Dear Editor One Voice – a local group of established member-based tourism bodies, including DMB, FEDHASA, SATSA , PEMBBA, SAACI, SACIA, SATAVITO, the Historical Society PE, TGAMB invites you to our Peaceful White Flag Demonstration. The group will be handing over a memorandum regarding the ongoing safety incidents that are driving our tourism visitors away from Nelson Mandela Bay. Social media posts and videos are damaging our reputation and this can be seen in both our sluggish recovery … [Read more...] about White Flag Protest Heads for Hobie Beach

Dear Editor The DA would like to congratulate the students of Nelson Mandela University (NMU) for standing together to rescue their institution and usher in an era of stability and good governance by voting for the DA Student Organisation (DASO) and their president-elect, Lathitha Mbuzwana, securing a landslide victory in the NMU Student Representative Council (SRC) election. The SRC election took place on Monday and Tuesday of this week, with DASO securing 79% of the SRC seats. They won … [Read more...] about Landslide Victory in Nelson Mandela University SRC Elections

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for an urgent debate later this month regarding the escalating violence across the province during the next available Eastern Cape Legislature plenary sitting. This follows the horrific news of the massacre in Lusikisiki, where 18 lives were lost in a senseless act of violence over the weekend. The rising levels of violence are instilling fear in our communities and leaving families devastated, as entire households are wiped out by … [Read more...] about Call For Urgent Debate On Escalating Violence In The Eastern Cape