De Bos Dam in the Hemel-en-Aarde valley was commissioned to provide the growing town of Hermanus with water. Completed in 1976, an annual extraction limit of 2.8 million cubic metres from De Bos Dam was established by a 1973 ruling of the Water Court. That limit has been repeatedly exceeded. Overstrand Municipality has exceeded its water allocation limit more than 80% of the time since 2003, yet simultaneously received top marks for water management from the water department. The Department of … [Read more...] about Municipalities Are Taking More Water From Dams Than Permitted
News
Athol Fugard: The Great South African Playwright Who Captured What It Means to Be Human
I was shocked to learn that the famous South African writer Athol Fugard had passed away. I had known his age to be 92 but somehow I never expected him to die. He was always a survivor.When I think about Fugard, the first thing that comes to mind is the first time I interviewed him in Port Elizabeth (today’s Gqeberha) in South Africa. It was for the first of three books I’ve written on his plays. I had just seen his play Boesman and Lena in London. It absolutely knocked me out with its emotional … [Read more...] about Athol Fugard: The Great South African Playwright Who Captured What It Means to Be Human
TNPA issues RFP for appointment of terminal operator at Durban Port
TNPA issues RFP for appointment of terminal operator at Durban Port The Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the appointment of a terminal operator to design and transfer a multi-purpose terminal handling agricultural dry bulk and other compatible cargo in the Maydon Wharf Precinct, Port of Durban. With the precinct extending approximately 145 hectares, featuring 15 berths and boasting capacity of over seven million tons of cargo annually, it … [Read more...] about TNPA issues RFP for appointment of terminal operator at Durban Port
Police Mum on Muhsin Hendricks Murder Investigation
Taj Hargey, the President of the Open Mosque, said Muhsin Hendricks “wanted a compassion-centered Islam”. Police have provided no information on the progress of the investigation into the murder of Muhsin Hendricks, the openly gay imam. Tribute was paid to Hendricks at a service of the Open Mosque on Saturday. Hendricks’s foundation currently appears to be closed and its website is “temporarily unavailable”. More than three weeks since the murder of Muhsin Hendricks, an openly gay imam, no one … [Read more...] about Police Mum on Muhsin Hendricks Murder Investigation
Titans, Warriors in Play-off
PAARL: A half century by Blayde Capell coupled with a fine all-round bowling display helped Goldrush Boland secure their place in… PAARL: A half century by Blayde Capell coupled with a fine all-round bowling display helped Goldrush Boland secure their place in the 1 Day Cup final with victory over World Sports Betting Western Province in Paarl on Sunday. They will face either the Momentum Multiply Titans or Dafabet Warriors after both won their final regular season fixtures to … [Read more...] about Titans, Warriors in Play-off
No Street Light Tender in Kariega
Over one hundred people gathered in the Babs Madlakane Hall in KwaNobuhle on Thursday. There is currently no contract in place for fixing street lights in Kariega. This was according to Nelson Mandela Bay acting electricity and energy director, Tholi Biyela. He was speaking to over a hundred people living in wards 42 to 47 in KwaNobuhle, Kariega, on Thursday. But, a tender for nine service providers across the metro would be coming out next week, Biyela said. Areas in the metro have been in the … [Read more...] about No Street Light Tender in Kariega
Immigrant Spaza Shop Owners Battle to Meet Registration Deadline in NMB
Spaza shops were given until 28 February to register with the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality. Owners of all food handling outlets were to have registered with their local municipalities by the end of February. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced this last year following the deaths of several people after eating food possibly bought from spaza shops. In Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, less than 18% of shop owners have met the deadline. Most shops are owned by immigrants and many of them are … [Read more...] about Immigrant Spaza Shop Owners Battle to Meet Registration Deadline in NMB
SAMSA Launches Nationwide Fishing Vessel Safety Audit
The Minister of Transport, Hon. Barbara Creecy directed the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) to conduct safety inspections of all South African commercial fishing vessels operating in South African waters. This comes after serious fishing incidents that occurred in South Africa’s waters in 2024 that resulted in the tragic loss of eighteen (18) fishers’ … Continue reading The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) launches its nationwide Fishing Vessel Safety Audit to … [Read more...] about SAMSA Launches Nationwide Fishing Vessel Safety Audit
Wins for Titans, Warriors as Boland Reach Play-Offs
GQEBERHA: Beyers Swanepoel produced scarcely believable bowling figures to keep the Dafabet Warriors alive in the hunt for the 1 Day Cup… GQEBERHA: Beyers Swanepoel produced scarcely believable bowling figures to keep the Dafabet Warriors alive in the hunt for the 1 Day Cup play-offs with a superb 19-run win over World Sports Betting Western Province in Gqeberha on Wednesday night. There was also a second successive century for Rivaldo Moonsamy as the Momentum Multiply Titans … [Read more...] about Wins for Titans, Warriors as Boland Reach Play-Offs
Mass Protest Against Failing Makana Municipality
Hundreds of people protested against the dysfunctional Makana Municipality in Makhanda on Wednesday. “These people cannot be trusted,” Archbishop of the Ethiopian Episcopal Church Nkosinathi Ngesi told a huge crowd at the Makhanda city hall on Wednesday. He called for the immediate removal of Makana Mayor Yandiswa Vara, Speaker Mabhuti Matyumza and the chief financial officer Nomfundo Ntsangani. “We are not compromising on that … because this morning they issued a circular that the protest has … [Read more...] about Mass Protest Against Failing Makana Municipality
Oscar Contender the Last Ranger Shows That the World Still Wants to See South African Stories
The Last Ranger is South Africa’s latest Oscar nominated film – and the only African movie on the 2025 shortlist for the career-making US awards.The 28-minute short film, shot on location in a game reserve in the Eastern Cape province and told in isiXhosa, focuses on rhino poaching. It’s a fiction film based on a real incident (the end credits slip into documentary mode to show footage of the rhino named Thandi that inspired the story). It’s been touted by many commentators as a likely winner in … [Read more...] about Oscar Contender the Last Ranger Shows That the World Still Wants to See South African Stories
Are Dogecoin and DOGE related?
5 Notable Actions by Musk and Trump Elon Musk appears to have a ‘soft spot’ for Dogecoin (Maybe we will have to eventually call it the preferred currency of all Department Of Government Efficiency Departments?). Musk has publicly expressed that he enjoys Dogecoin, referring to it as his favorite cryptocurrency. He appreciates its fun and meme-based nature, which resonates with many in the crypto community. His tweets and public statements have had a significant impact on Dogecoin’s price. For … [Read more...] about Are Dogecoin and DOGE related?
Minister’s Inaction Condemns Patients to Lifetime of Suffering
Dear EditorHealth Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi’s reluctance to place the Eastern Cape’s Department of Health (ECDoH) under administration is leaving thousands of patients under their care trapped in a cycle of pain and despair. Decades-long surgical backlogs are robbing them of their mobility, their dignity, and potentially, their lives. Each delay worsens the crisis, leaving more patients trapped in pain, waiting for relief that may never come. At Frere Hospital a recent response to a … [Read more...] about Minister’s Inaction Condemns Patients to Lifetime of Suffering
Major Showdown in Court Over African Penguin’s Future
Conservation groups want new “sweet spot” no-fishing zones around African Penguin breeding colonies, arguing current zones are inadequate to prevent the species’ extinction. All parties have now filed their legal papers for next month’s crucial high court hearing which may determine the fate of the critically endangered African Penguin. Former environment minister Barbara Creecy’s decision on closed fishing areas around penguin breeding islands is being challenged and defended. Constitutional … [Read more...] about Major Showdown in Court Over African Penguin’s Future
Netball Tournament Brings Locals and Immigrants Together in Gqeberha
On Saturday, netball teams from South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Malawi participated in a tournament in Gqeberha to promote social cohesion through sport. Netball players from communities across Nelson Mandela Bay battled it out on the courts at the Old Grey Sports Club in Gqeberha on Saturday in a friendly tournament. The event aimed to build social cohesion among players from different nationalities and racial groups. The tournament’s manager Shelton Chiyangwa said, “There’s a lot of racial, tribal … [Read more...] about Netball Tournament Brings Locals and Immigrants Together in Gqeberha
