recent eastern-cape news from sabcnews.com
Khanyisa learners head to Americas Got Talent after viral Gwijo
A group of learners from the Khanyisa Special School for the Blind in KwaDwesi in Gqeberha are heading for America to enter the Americas Got Talent show. The trip came about after the 13 learners trended on social media for their Gwijo. Their war cry to support the Springboks for last y
Slain 19-year-old has been laid to rest in the Eastern Cape
The slain 19-year-old Kungawo Nyweba has been buried at her village in Middledrift outside Alice in the Eastern Cape. Mourners gathered to say their final goodbyes to the young woman. Her remains were found burnt beyond recognition in Makhanda in July after she was reported mis
PSAM calls on government to intervene in Makanda water crisis
The Eastern Cape based government watchdog, the Public Service Accountability Monitor (PSAM), is calling for national government intervention to address the water crisis in Makhanda. The university town has been experiencing water related challenges for decades due to a lack of maintena
Court dismisses AmaBomvanas bid for principal chieftaincy
The Eastern Cape High Court in Mthatha has dismissed with costs the AmaBomvana nations application to be bestowed with principal chieftaincy. This comes after the nation went to court in November last year to compel the Provincial Government as well as President Cyril Ramaphosa to besto
Five people killed in Eastern Cape crash
Five people have died while 13 have been injured in a crash at Mgwenyane location in Libode in the Eastern Cape. It is alleged that a minibus taxi they were travelling in overturned on a Gravel road. Provincial Transport Spokesperson Unathi Binqose says the fully-loaded vehicle
Businesses still feel unsafe to operate in Mthatha: EC Chamber
The Eastern Cape Chamber of Business says it still has not seen the plan that Police Minister Senzo Mchunu presented in Parliament about combating crime in the province. The Chambers Secretary-General Dr. Andile Nontso was reacting to the latest developments in the province where three
Community of Mthatha West still grappling with fear
The community of Mthatha West in the Eastern Cape is still grappling with fear. This after the passing of the alleged extortionist who died in a shootout with the police in Mthatha on Wednesday. Sakhumzi Mareke was alleged to have been the mastermind behind the protection fee or extorti
Eastern Cape women in construction seek government intervention
Women in the construction industry in the Eastern Cape say that they want more intervention from government on many issues they find within the sector. A Women in Built Environment Colloquim is being hosted by the provincial Department of Public Works, Infrastructure and Human Settlemen
CoGTA MEC deploys experts to resolve Makhanda water issues
The Eastern Cape government is moving to support the town of Makhanda to get its water supply back on track. Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) MEC Zolile Williams is deploying experts to improve the financial and technical capacity of the municipality to provide wat
Praises for police who pulled the plug on alleged EC extortionist
Eastern Cape Community Safety MEC Xolile Nqatha has commended the police for their decisive response to extortion in the province. Officers killed alleged extortionist Sakhumzi Mareke and two suspected accomplices in Mthatha yesterday. Mareke was earlier referred to as Dalinzol
Two people killed with suspected Mthatha extortionist unidentified
The South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Eastern Cape are yet to identify the two people killed alongside the suspected Mthatha extortionist Dalinzolo Mareke. The three were killed in a shootout with officers at the police bas e near Mthatha last night. Police say the sho
Suspected extortionist killed by police in Mthatha
Three suspects have been shot and killed by police in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape. Its believed that one of the suspects is Dalindzolo Mareke who is alleged to be amongst extortionists who were demanding a protection fee from residents of Mthatha West. Details around the shooti
73% of crimes are committed in KZN, GP, EC, WC: Mchunu
The Police Minister Senzo Mchunu says 73% of crimes committed in the country including extortion happen in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. He has revealed that police shot and killed four and wounded other suspected extortionists in Milnerton in Cape Town rece
Political parties call for strong action against extortionists
ActionSA Member of Parliament Elana James has described extortion as a cancer that has spread in the country. She says communities and business are not safe under the current government. James was participating in the debate in the National Assembly on Police Minister Senzo Mch
Most perpetrators who commit extortion dont want to work: Mchunu
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has told the National Assembly how acts of extortion around the country have angered communities. Mchunu was delivering his statement outlining the actions taken by the police to deal with the threat posed by those committing acts of extortion in the country. <p
Meteorite that fell in Nqweba described as one of the rare ones
Scientists say the meteorite that fell in parts of Nqweba, formerly Kirkwood, in the Eastern Cape is one of the rare ones. The meteorite which has been named, qweba , was unveiled to the public at Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha. The discovery sparked collaborative effort from sci
Almost 300 schools in SA still use pit toilets: Report
A ccording to the Basic Education Department report, 287 schools in Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape still use pit toilets as their primary sanitation system. In 2013, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) established public school infrastructure regulations, establishing m
Extortion racket interrupts learning, urgent intervention needed
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube says the extortion racket targetting schools is interrupting learning and urgent intervention is needed. Gwarube was speaking at Westview Special School in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape where she is on a learning and listening tour. The Mi
Cradock Four inquest postponed to June 2025
The Cradock Four inquest has been postponed to June 2025. This, was after the Gqeberha High Court in the Eastern Cape heard two applications over who should be responsible for the legal costs for the inquest. The inquest which was set to start on Monday and run until September
Gwarube raises alarm over impact of extortion at Eastern Cape schools
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has raised concern about the high rate of extortions in the Eastern Cape. She is currently on a nationwide, learning and listening campaign to assess challenges facing the education sector and to find solutions. The Eastern Cape has over 5 000 sch
Uyinene Mrwetyana, Makazole Mapimpi Foundations unite against GBV
The Uyinene Mrwetyana Foundation says the governments inability to deal with gender-based violence and femicide in the country places the lives of women, children, LGBTQIA plus community, and people living with disabilities under threat. The Foundation, in partnership with the Makazole
ANC Eastern Cape condemns politically motivated murders of members
The African National Congress (ANC) in the Eastern Cape has condemned the killing of its members, which they have described to be politically motivated. Mncedisi Gijana, ANC Regional Executive Committee member in the Alfred Nzo District Municipality, was gunned down outside his home las
Traffic congestion expected ahead Boks-All Blacks Test at Ellis Park
Gauteng Traffic Police has warned motorists and other road users of expected traffic congestion and diversions in and around the Ellis Park precinct in Johannesburg ahead of the Springboks - All Blacks Test match this afternoon. Multi road closures are already in place. Traffic
Report reveals shortage of contraceptives in KZN, Eastern Cape
Research by the Stop Stockouts Project and civil society organisation Section 27 has revealed that in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, almost all women and girls who were surveyed did not receive the contraceptives they requested. The study also found that poor national pro
Child hunger in the Eastern Cape worsening: Save Children SA
Save the Children South Africa has called on civil society organisations in the Eastern Cape to assist children in the rural areas affected by acute poverty. This comes as some rural areas in the province face a high unemployment rate and food insecurity. While the non-profit o