Author: Staff Reporter

Three suspects were arrested and dagga worth R160 000 seized in three incidents in the Sarah Baartman District. A man was arrested for possession of dagga worth R3 000 in Beaufort Street, Makhanda, on Thursday 11 February. The arrest was made during routine operational duties by members of the Operational Command Centre and Crime Prevention Unit. They stopped a sedan travelling from the direction of Port Elizabeth. On Friday 12 February, Dog Unit (K9) members from Grahamstown Police Station teamed up with members from Crime Intelligence after information was received information about drugs being kept at a house near Peddie. The…

The National Consumer Commission (NCC) has launched an investigation into allegations of price gouging relating to garlic and ginger. This followed an outcry by consumers regarding alleged excessive prices of both products by various suppliers, the COuncil said in a statement. The law defines price gouging as an unfair or unreasonable price increase that does not correspond to or is not equivalent to the increase in the cost of providing those goods or that service. Consumer and Customer Protection and National Disaster Management Regulations and Directions, issued in terms of Regulation 350 of Government Notice 43116 contains, a list of 22 essential…

The Eastern Cape Liquor Board (ECLB) has welcomed the lifting of the ban on alcohol sale and its transportation and urged liquor traders to adhere to Adjusted Level 3 regulations as pronounced by the President this week. “The concern that liquor outlets were increasingly becoming massive super spreaders necessitated an immediate action to prevent the rapid spread of the pandemic,” the Board said in a media statement.  “The ECLB, therefore, urges liquor traders to strictly adhere to new regulations.” According to the new Level 3 regulations, at alcohol may be sold by by licensed premises for off-site consumption only from…

Manufacturing SMEs are encouraged to enter the Eskom Business Investment Competition (BIC) which closes at midnight on 12 February 2021. “Manufacturing is the fourth largest industry in South Africa and bolstering participation in this sector provides a ripple effect in boosting technology and engineering in the country. It  also goes a long way toward creating jobs,” the organisers said. “Investment in the manufacturing sector creates an environment that supports other economic hubs that will improve the country’s productivity by increasing the ability to trade with other countries.” The manufacturing sector had to contend with a shortage of raw materials, a…

The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure has issued an alert to all prospective and existing suppliers that fraudsters were using the authentic names of staff members from its Supply Chain Management Unit and others to illegally demand money. In a media release, the Department said the criminals were promising bidders tenders or contracts in exchange for money. The department said it distanced itself from this illegal practice. “We view this in a serious negative light not only to defraud service providers but also to compromise the entire bidding process and tarnish the image of the institution,” Department head Thandolwethu Manda said.…

The Electoral Commission has begun its final phase of preparations to implement the Political Party Funding Act (Act 6 of 2018) from 1 April 2021, the Commission said in a statement. This follows the announcement last week by President Cyril Ramaphosa that the Act would come into effect from that date. The Electoral Commission said it welcomed the date of implementation which coincides with the start of a new financial year within the public sector and for political parties. This meant changes required by the Act, including revisions to the Represented Political Party Fund, wwould be easier to account for.…

The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) wishes to advise that payments of social grants for the month of February, will begin on Wednesday 3 February for old age and Thursday 4 February for disability grants, while child support, foster and care dependency grants will be paid from 5 February 2021. Payments at cash paypoints will beging on 8 February 2021. The Agency calls upon all Care Dependency Grants (CDG) recipients who had turned 18 years of age between February and December 2020 to either visit their local Sassa Offices or call their Customer Care desk using the numbers below…

Something special is under way on Makhanda’s iconic Makana’s Kop, thanks to cultural heritage enthusiast Sizwe Mda. Where once rubbish lay strewn across the hillside, now white-painted stones have been used to form the words, ‘Peace & Unity’ and border clusters of aloes and other indigenous plants. Mda has dubbed this the #HeritageResourcesRegeneration_CleanUp Campaign. He explained that the campaign aims to clean up the heritage sites on the east side of Makhanda, with the hope of attracting tourists to those areas. This, he believes, has the potential to create sustainable job and business opportunities there – particularly for women.  The…

Upgrading the R63 from Fort Beaufort to Alice would lower vehicle operating costs and assist the provincial economy’s integration, the South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd (SANRAL) said. The three-year project would result in wider and safer roads with skills development and temporary employment for an estimated 500 people. “The  upgrade of this road means there will be improved access to the market for surrounding settlements, as well as economic opportunities in other parts of the province,” said SANRAL Southern Region Manager, Mbulelo Peterson. The provincial government transferred the R63 route, in 2012, to be incorporated into the SANRAL road network.…

Consumers should be prepared for possible electricity outages this weekend as tropical storm Eloise makes landfall in Mpumalanga, where most of Eskom’s power plants are situated. With tropical storm Eloise imminently expected to hit the eastern and northern parts of the country during the weekend, Eskom has assessed the risks and the possible impact on its infrastructure and the provision of electricity. “Eskom has put contingency plans in place and our teams are on standby to do everything possible to mitigate these risks,” the entity said in a statement this afternoon. “Several plans are in place in anticipation of the…