Bankrupt municipality’s R735-million electricity plan raises hopes and eyebrows
First published in
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Plans by the Little Karoo municipality of Kannaland to enter into a R735-million, 25-year electricity provision deal with a private company are being challenged in court. The bankrupt municipality has been under administration by the provincial government for four years.
ANC and Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa (Icosa) councillors in the municipality, which covers Ladismith, Zoar, Calitzdorp, and Van Wyksdorp, are fighting a financial recovery plan imposed by the Western Cape provincial government.
Among other things, they want to enter into a R735-million deal with private company Inovasure. But according to papers before the court, the municipality has debts of R91-million, of which 90% is overdue. The Kannaland municipality’s entire annual budget of R174-million is currently unfunded.
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Everything is falling apart in Kannaland: water supplies, sewage, rubbish collection. Even the Ladismith city hall is in a mess in this Little Karoo municipality marked by strange political alliances and in-fighting.
The municipality includes Ladismith, Zoar, Calitzdorp, and Van Wyksdorp. A brief trip by
GroundUp to Ladismith and Zoar revealed serious municipal service failures, particularly related to waste. The Ladismith city hall is itself a representation of the state of the municipality. The exterior is half-painted and had broken window panes. Councillor for the Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa (Icosa), Jeffrey Donson (who was in 2008 convicted of indecent assault and statutory rape of a 15-year-old girl while he was erstwhile Kannaland mayor on an ANC ticket) said the job had taken two months and workers hired to repaint the building sat around while waiting for more paint to be delivered, but it couldn’t be ordered due to the state of municipal finances.
Khayelitsha man allegedly necklaced in apparent vigilante attack
By Nomalanga Tshuma
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Cape Town - Police in Lingelethu are looking for witnesses, who may have information regarding the murder of a young man whose body was found burnt beyond recognition in Graceland, Khayelitsha on Sunday morning.
The deceased, who might have been a victim of vigilante justice, was found with a tyre around his neck.
Police spokesperson Noloyiso Rwexana said: “Police in Lingelethu have opened a case of murder, after a body of an unidentified man in his twenties was found in Mississippi Street, Graceland, Khayelitsha.”
“The deceased was found burnt, and seemingly constrained by a tyre. Circumstances surrounding this incident are under investigation and no arrests have been made yet.”
Cops uncover hoard of firearms and ammunition in Western Cape dam
By Robin-Lee Francke
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Cape Town - Police in the Western Cape have been praised for their operations at the weekend which resulted in the seizure of a large number of firearms and ammunition.
On Friday, police seized a cache of firearms and ammunition that were recovered at the Raubenheimer Dam outside Oudtshoorn in Little Karoo.
Provincial police spokesperson Captain Malcolm Pojie said a municipal worker was carrying out a routine inspection of the dam and discovered the ammunition, which was reported to the authorities.
Some of the ammunition discovered in the Raubenheimer Dam. Photo: SAPS
Municipal worker tipped police off to arms cache outside Oudtshoorn
11 January 2021 1:28 PM
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Southern Cape police spokesperson Captain Malcolm Poje describes how the events unfolded at the Raubenheimer Dam.
An arms cache has been uncovered at Raubenheimer Dam just outside Oudtshoorn in the Little Karoo. The canine unit, police divers, and crime intelligence
Captain Malcolm Poje of SAPS talks to Lester Kiewit on The Midday Report.
We were informed by a municipal worker that works on the site that he discovered some ammunition at the dam on Thursday but reported it to the police when the dam subsided.
Captain Malcolm Poje, Sourn Cape police spokesperson - SAPS