Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor Perlemoen poachers are once again ravaging the Eastern Cape shoreline, stripping the region of billions of rands worth of abalone, decimating the local marine environment and generating funds for other criminal enterprises. For many, the issue of perlemoen poaching does not rank high in terms of concern. The highly effective Hermanus Environmental Court (ECH), established in 2003 and boasting an 80% conviction rate in its first 30 months, was shut down in 2007 as the cases were … [Read more...] about Billions believed to have been stripped from EC shorelines

Dear Editor A damning circular released earlier this week, freezing all overtime payments until April, will most likely cripple the Eastern Cape's public healthcare system. Doctors, nurses, and emergency staff, who have been holding the system together, are now forced to pay the price for government mismanagement. This reckless decision threatens the livelihoods of thousands of dedicated professionals and places countless patients at risk, as exhausted and demoralised staff face impossible … [Read more...] about Eastern Cape healthcare on the brink

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Eastern Cape is proud to acknowledge the DA-led Kouga Municipality's commitment to addressing unemployment, particularly among young people, in the region. We congratulate Mayor Hattingh Bornman and his team for organising the inaugural Kouga Careers Expo, which aims to empower high school learners and unemployed youth. Scheduled to take place in Jeffreys Bay on 10 and 11 April, the expo will provide a platform for learners and young … [Read more...] about Kouga committed to empowering youth and creating job opportunities

Dear Editor The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM) is on track to repeat the mistakes of the 2023/2024 financial year, which saw a record loss of R580 million in conditional grant funding. Today's Council meeting revealed that the ANC-led administration has only spent 21.17% of its total capital budget halfway through the financial year. With less than six months left, the metro must now spend nearly 80% of its capital budget, which primarily consists of conditional grant funding from … [Read more...] about Nelson Mandela Bay on track for another record year of under-expenditure

Dear Editor The people of the Eastern Cape are living in terror. In the space of just two weeks, ten lives have been lost in mass shootings—first in Veeplaas, then in Motherwell. In both cases, gunmen stormed into homes, where victims should have been safe, and opened fire without hesitation. A 16-year-old girl was among those murdered in Motherwell. The walls of that home, scarred with bullet holes, tell a story of unimaginable horror. In Veeplaas, six young men were executed in cold … [Read more...] about Government’s failure is costing lives

Dear Editor The DA will go to Council to fight the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality's directive to implement its Service Delivery Charter - which makes service delivery commitments that are unattainable. On Monday, 27 January 2025, the Acting City Manager directed that the municipal Service Delivery Charter be implemented. The Charter was approved by Council in 2022 and the DA immediately raised concerns about this decision. We have two major concerns. Firstly, while the Charter is … [Read more...] about Unrealistic ‘NMB Service Delivery Charter’ – another dishonest promise to residents?

Dear Editor Hundreds of newly constructed temporary RDP houses in Walmer, Gqeberha are being vandalised as the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has been unable to convince beneficiaries to relocate to the site. More than R30 million has been invested in this relocation project, which will relocate over 500 families from Airport Valley to a newly developed temporary site in Walmer, allowing the construction of their formal RDP houses in Airport Valley to begin. Unfortunately, the … [Read more...] about R30 Million Nelson Mandela Bay temporary RDP ghost suburb vandalised

Dear Editor The breaking down of a Gelvandale police vehicle [6 January 2025], New Brighton Beach closure [7 January 2025], the never repainting of public schools' roofs after their initial construction, drain blockages and general neglect of taxpayers' funded citizenry infrastructure unfortunately perpetuates the stereotype that the upkeep & maintenance of both mobile and immobile resources are not Black people's strong points; especially in governance. Therefore, the generalisation, by … [Read more...] about Is Government Feeding a Racial Stereotype?

Dear Editor The DA-governed Kouga Municipality has once again demonstrated its status as the Eastern Cape’s leading municipality by launching its Road Resealing Project, the largest funded project in the municipality’s history. Kouga’s roads will undergo a much-needed upgrade through a R200 million loan from the Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA). The money will be spent on resealing and upgrading the municipality’s road infrastructure. Kouga has a road network spanning 288 km and … [Read more...] about Kouga Launches R200 Million Roads Project

Dear Editor The latest figures on road fatalities in the Eastern Cape are devastating. Over the festive season, 231 people lost their lives in 168 crashes, representing a tragic escalation from the previous year. This shocking reality underscores the ongoing failure of the provincial government to prioritise road safety effectively. Despite repeated warnings and calls for action, the Eastern Cape government has not taken the necessary steps to mitigate the carnage on our roads. The … [Read more...] about Eastern Cape festive season road deaths

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the decisive action taken by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality in issuing notices of suspension to six employees from the Electricity and Energy Directorate, following allegations of gross misconduct involving over R10 million in unauthorised copper cable orders. While this is an encouraging step, we will remain vigilant in ensuring that the process is carried out with transparency, accountability, and integrity. See: … [Read more...] about R10 Million NMB Electricity and Energy Scandal Will Not Go Unpunished

Dear Editor The various tragic drownings that occurred across the Eastern Cape during the festive season highlight the urgent need for the Provincial Government to take water safety at Eastern Cape swimming beaches more seriously. While many drownings have been prevented thanks to the outstanding work of the NSRI and volunteers at lifesaving clubs throughout the province, the high number of daily near-drownings and fatalities underscores the need for the government to re-evaluate its lack … [Read more...] about Tragic EC drowning incidents highlight need for increased water safety awareness

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Eastern Cape wishes to express its outrage following the senseless killing of a police constable in the Northern Areas of Gqeberha. Const. Callan Andrews (29) was attached to the Gelvandale police station and was tragically gunned down on Tuesday this week. We cannot allow the tragic and brutal killing of a police officer with a bright future ahead of him to become a mere statistic. Crime in the Northern Areas has been spiralling out of … [Read more...] about Government reward requested for successful conviction in murder of NMB police constable

Dear Editor The DA Women's Network in the Eastern Cape is outraged that girls as young as 10 are being robbed of their childhood and forced to endure the trauma of giving birth. The Province has reported that 94 girls between the ages of 10 and 14 gave birth at public health facilities since April 2024. This reveals that some parents are either oblivious or unaware of the fact that a sexual act with a minor under the age of 16 years is statutory rape and therefore a criminal offence. … [Read more...] about Intensified Efforts Needed To Curb Statutory Rape