Eastern Cape coastal municipalities are gearing up for the festive season ahead of an expected huge influx of holidaymakers. Buffalo City Metro spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya said the metro expected more than two million visitors and the city’s safety and security plans were already kicking in. “BCM puts plans in place before the festive season to prepare and manage the influx of public to the various beaches, amenities and events,” he said.
“Get cracking, please. We are starving.” That is essentially the plea from desperate indigenous cannabis growers in the vast Mpondoland area of the former Transkei region to the SA government to fast-track legislation and policies to regulate the cannabis industry. It has previously been speculated that a thriving cannabis industry in the area could create about 300,000 jobs.
Crucial infrastructure designed to supply clean drinking water to communities in some parts of the OR Tambo district is being targeted by vandals and thieves and in the process bleeding the district municipality’s coffers dry in repairs and replacements.
KSD mayor Nyaniso Nelani, who made a shocking discovery when he and his team stumbled upon hazardous medical waste dumped in one of the busy streets in Mthatha last week, has vowed to take action against those responsible.
While the rest of SA experiences a severe egg shortage, five rural Eastern Cape women who run their own egg-producing co-operative say they are ready to step in and save the day at least in their hometown Mthatha and its surrounds. Ikamva Le Ncise Primary Co-operative was founded in 2017 by Ncise villagers Kholeka Maliphale, her daughter Faith Maliphale, who acts as treasurer, daughter-in-law Gcotyiswa Maliphale and their neighbours Fikiswa Dube and Thulisa Gxagxisa.