Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor The Eastern Cape is one of the most poverty-stricken provinces in South Africa and the hardest hit by the devastating cost-of-living crisis crippling the country. The desperation of parents to save their children from a slow painful death by starvation due to extreme poverty has recently led to mothers allegedly killing their children before committing suicide. In August of this year tragedy struck the Tholeni Administrative area in Butterworth, where a mother allegedly … [Read more...] about Children Starving Due to Out-of-Control CoL Crisis

Dear Editor The fuel price is perennially on the increase, whilst the likes of the legendary Sasol [Suid Afrikaanse Steenkool, Olie en Gaskorporasie / South Africa Coal, Oil and Gas Corporation] came up with a Coal-to-Liquid Fuel technology long time ago; theoretically enabling South African fuel prices to be in the realm of Single Digit per Litre => R9/L and downwards; akin to Malaysia through the said country's government-owned Petronas that is mostly using its native & abundant Palm Trees … [Read more...] about Fuel Price Conundrum

Editor: The 2 October tally is EIGHT dead - 6 shot on 1 October with 1 stabbed and one shot this morning in Fitchard street Helenvale. Dear Editor The DA has written to the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, to request the urgent intervention of SAPS to deploy specialist resources to deal with the ongoing killings in the Northern Areas of Nelson Mandela Bay. The DA has previously requested the Minister to assist crime-ridden Nelson Mandela Bay but all efforts to date have come up short … [Read more...] about 6 Killed in One Day in NMB’s Northern Areas

Dear Editor While violent crime and gangsterism spirals out of control in Nelson Mandela Bay the ANC/EFF/NA/PA coalition government has no plans to protect residents or to make the Metro safer. They have opted instead to postpone crucial safety and security portfolio committee meetings in a bid to save face. The last meeting of this vital committee was held on 5 May 2023 when the DA and its coalitions partners were still in government. Safety and security committee meetings since then have … [Read more...] about NMB crime spirals while coalition government postpones safety meetings

Dear Editor Belated congratulations to my utmost favourite Formula 1 driver, Lando Norris, for earning a 2nd Place podium in last sunday's Japanese F1 Grand Prix at the Suzuka International Racing Course for McLaren Mercedes. However, I strongly believe that Norris' ultimate greatness together with those of Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton lie well beyond Formula 1, in the vision that one day he would play the legendary Leon Trotsky aka Lev Davidovich Bronstein in a biopic [biographical … [Read more...] about Potential Beyond F1

Dear Editor The DA in the Eastern Cape is concerned that Premier Oscar Mabuyane is so disinterested in fighting corruption that he did not even respond to our urgent request for a provincial commission of inquiry to be established to investigate state capture in Nelson Mandela Bay. On Tuesday, 26 September 2023, DA EC Shadow MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Dr Vicky Knoetze MPL, wrote to the Premier to request the investigation in terms of the Constitution, … [Read more...] about NMB State Capture: Lack of Premier’s Response Deserves a Response

Dear Editor The Auditor General’s (AG) Report on provincial government for the 2022/23 financial year paints a bleak picture of a provincial government incapable of holding officials accountable and unable to intervene in collapsing municipalities effectively. The findings in relation to the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) were presented to the Eastern Cape Legislature earlier this week. While Premier Oscar Mabuyane has welcomed the results, the truth is our province is in deep … [Read more...] about Report Paints Bleak Picture of Failing EC Government

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Eastern Cape is requesting the establishment of a provincial commission of inquiry into state capture in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. Since the ANC/EFF/NA/PA coalition took over the government of the Metro on 26 May 2023 service delivery failure and financial instability have been rife. These issues are a result of the systemic corruption and political interference which have, over many years, crippled the institution rendering it … [Read more...] about City Capture: What Happened to Residents Before Politicians?

Dear Editor Today, as we come together to commemorate Heritage Day, it is important to take a step back and look at why we celebrate this day. Former President Nelson Mandela perhaps explained it best when he said: “When our first democratically elected government decided to make Heritage Day one of our national days, we did so because we knew that our rich and varied cultural heritage has a profound power to help build our new nation.” The heritage of every single person matters. We … [Read more...] about Celebrating our diverse but equal heritage

Dear Editor As the business sector's saying goes:- "If it has to be enforced, then it is not a great idea to begin with", I therefore doff my hat to Willy de Jong [The Herald 07 September 2023] for outlining an insightful, wise, respectful, mature and accommodating theorem on why names like Port Elizabeth has to be retained in lieu of the enforced Gqeberha moniker. As some black bigots cum educational snobs like to spitefully remind me, as an apparent English sycophant, polisher of my … [Read more...] about Name Changes Referendum

Dear Editor Nine Sakisizwe Supervisors in Willowmore have been trying for over a week to access their hard-earned stipends. The Eastern Cape Department of Transport, under which the Sakisizwe Programme operates, insists that stipends be paid through the Post Bank. Participants are not allowed to decide on their own banking requirements. The Willowmore Post Office has been closed for several weeks, which means that those who need to access their monies, must find an alternative Post … [Read more...] about More Tales of Woe From Post Office Chaos

Editor: Maybe this plea is a timeous one when you read that the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has had 37 municipal managers and 11 mayors since 2016. The Nelson Mandela Bay Church Leader Network today sent an open letter to: President Cyril Ramaphosa, Mr John Steenhuisen, Premier Oscar Mabuyane, MP Andrew Whitfield, MEC Zolile Williams, Exec Mayor Gary van Niekerk, Councillor Babalwa Lobishe and Councillor Retief Odendaal under the heading "Govern according to the will of the people, … [Read more...] about President Ramaphosa Urgently Requested for NMB Intervention

Editor: What Councillor Steyn fails to highlight is that the attorneys involved actually changed a source document - reading the screenshot one can only assume that the attorneys were instructed to remove the name of the Mayor not as a result of an oversight in instructions (such as mistakenly including the Mayor's name) but as an attempt by the municipality to avoid embarrassment and possible fraud accusations. Dear Editor Days after reports surfaced that Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor Gary van … [Read more...] about NMB COVER-UP! How the office of the mayor tried to conceal alleged fraud

Dear Editor Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) residents are the clear winners after the standoff between City Hall and National Treasury has been resolved. Earlier this week the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, confirmed that the nearly R600 million in equitable share that was withheld by National Treasury as a result of the irregular appointment of Anele Qaba as CEO of the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA), will be paid to the Metro after Council agreed to start processes to set aside … [Read more...] about Treasury set to release funds – Metro seeks to set aside MBDA CEO Appointment