By Gcina Ntsaluba A 57-year-old Makhanda spiritual healer, Ntombentsha Limbo, was sentenced to nine years imprisonment for the death of 10-year-old boy who was brought to her for healing. Limbo was sentenced by the Makhanda Regional Court after she was convicted on a charge of culpable homicide. According to Luxolo Tyali the Regional Communications Manager at the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA): “The offence occurred on 4 October 2023 in Joza Location, Makhanda, where the deceased Agcobile Busakwe collapsed and died after numerous unconventional treatment methods were administered on him by the healer. He had been taken to the healer by his father…
Author: Gcina Ntsaluba
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By Gcina Ntsaluba Rhodes University Vice Chancellor Prof Sizwe Mabizela took a morning out of his schedule this week to spend some time on the floor, doing what he loves best – reading with children. Mabizela was one of several speakers at a charming event at Samuel Ntlebi Primary School on Wednesday to celebrate the official launch of the Siyafundisana eMakhanda project. The event celebrated ongoing efforts by Rhodes University librarians to install reading corners and libraries in four local primary schools, Samuel Ntlebi, Makana, Grahamstown Adventist Primary School and CM Vellum. In his address, Mabizela said being amongst young…
By Gcina Ntsaluba The Makana Local Municipality is looking for locals with engineering knowledge to assist the municipality with infrastructure issues. This was declared at a council meeting on 3 April by the Makana Municipality Speaker, Mthuthuzeli Mabhuti Matyumza, who said that the municipality was prepared to fund this project through the office of the Mayor. “The Speaker declared that Makana Municipality must find locals with engineering knowledge to assist the municipality with infrastructure issues. If anyone knows of retired engineers, ex-employees of Makana with good institutional knowledge, farmers, employees at local engineering firms, etc., who may be interested in…
By Gcina Ntsaluba The Portfolio Committee on Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) met with several struggling Eastern Cape municipalities at the Eastern Cape Legislature last Friday, with the exception of Makana Local Municipality. The municipalities were called to brief the committee on good governance and public participation, institutional transformation, organisational development, financial viability, basic service delivery and infrastructure development. “The discussion could not take place with Makana last week at the Legislature due to a large number of municipalities that were invited. We are awaiting the invitation to a rescheduled programme,” said Anele Mjekula, spokesperson for the Makana Local…
By Gcina Ntsaluba The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) visited Makhanda on Friday and vowed to dig deeper into Makana Local Municipality’s service delivery challenges, such as the crippling water crisis. SCOPA chairman Songezo Zibi said this was a follow-up meeting to the mass march organised by local residents to demand national government intervention. “Yeah, so today we were meeting; let me put it this way: we thought SCOPA would be able to come here during oversight week.” “But there was just not enough time on the schedule. So, I then offered to come here to hear…
By Gcina Ntsaluba The Makana Citizens Front (MCF) is demanding full transparency and accountability from the Executive Mayor’s Office after two hired luxury vehicles were damaged in separate recent incidents. Chairman of MCF, Lungile Mxube, said the hiring of a Volvo SUV and a BMW constitutes an irregular, wasteful, and unauthorized expenditure in terms of Section 32 of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), Act No 56 of 2003. “The Mayor is at the centre of causing institutional chaos and paralysis, and instead of curbing wasteful and irregular expenditure, the Mayor is encouraging abuse of taxpayers,” said Mxube. “We are…
By Gcina Ntsaluba The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Makhanda has laid criminal charges against the Municipal Manager (MM) of Makana Local Municipality, Pumelelo Maxwell Kate, over the continued contamination and pollution of the Kowie River. The party said the ongoing sewage leaks were affecting the quality of lives of residents and posing a serious health hazard to the community. “I have continued to raise the issue of the dysfunctional wastewater treatment plants as well as multiple and sometimes very long outstanding sewage leaks, which are affecting the quality of lives of residents and posing a serious health threat to the…