letter

Dear Editor Port Alfred Hospital is grappling with a severe staff shortage as vacant, funded posts remain unfilled due to governmental cost-cutting measures in the Eastern Cape. The pressure on the remaining staff is unsustainable, and medical equipment urgently requires repair and maintenance. Critical life-saving items, known as Non-Negotiable Vitals (NNV’s), which are mandatory and can save lives such as Automated Electronic Defibrillators, must be supplied immediately to meet the … [Read more...] about Port Alfred Hospital severely short-staffed

Dear Editor The DA’s persistent efforts to combat escalating crime in Nelson Mandela Bay are yielding results, with NMB Mayor Gary van Niekerk acknowledging several motions we submitted to the Safety and Security Portfolio Committee over the past 12 months. In today’s council meeting, Mayor Van Niekerk recognised our motions and reiterated that they will be implemented by 25 December 2024 - indeed, a potential Christmas miracle if this deadline is met in a metro described in a global … [Read more...] about Mayor Will be Held Accountable for Christmas Promise

Dear Editor The recent allegations of sexual abuse against a senior official within the provincial Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) expose a deep failure within our government institutions to protect employees from abuse. These accusations, now widely circulated on social media, highlight a culture of indifference to victims of sexual harassment and abuse within the provincial government departments. Premier Oscar Mabuyane's suspension of the Head of Department (HOD) … [Read more...] about Protect whistleblowers in the fight against sexual harassment

Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) is deeply concerned by the scholar transport accident that occurred on Friday morning, involving a bakkie transporting schoolchildren from farms to Humansdorp. This incident underscores the urgent need for intervention in the scholar transport programme within the Eastern Cape. It has been confirmed that 14 learners were involved in the accident, 10 from Humansdorp Secondary School and four from Lungiso High School. These children were being … [Read more...] about Urgent call for action on the safety of scholar transport in the Eastern Cape

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