Ratepayers in the Eastern Cape are revolting against their municipalities, citing poor service delivery as reasons for their unhappiness.

Six communities in the Eastern Cape – and about 30 more across the country – have resorted to withholding payment of municipal rates.

Many of these towns have declared disputes with their municipalities and have kept evidence of their correspondence with the various councils. Read the rest of this entry »

Club Cocobana, for many years a landmark on the East London nightclub scene has burnt down, a fire department spokesman said on Friday.

“The fire department was called out shortly after 4am this (Friday) morning to attend to the fire at the club,” situated on the East Coast resorts road a few kilometres from the Meise’s Halt filling station, said Deputy Chief Fire Officer Malcolm Galvin. Read the rest of this entry »

A horror head-on smash claimed the life of a 58-year-old man on Friday after his bakkie was hit head-on by another bakkie which veered across the road into oncoming traffic, a police spokesman said. Read the rest of this entry »

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A tub of yoghurt was the undoing of four suspected thieves who got their just desserts when police caught them red-handed using stepladders to break into businesses in King William’s Town, writes Bongani Fuzile.

The gang had been using the ladders allegedly to gain entry into CBD stores through their roofs early on Thursday morning. Read the rest of this entry »

Animal lovers are appalled that police have yet to arrest the Mount Ayliff teacher who dragged a dog behind his car for 1.5km  last weekend, writes Xolisa Mgwatyu.

Despite already having seven charges of animal cruelty laid against the teacher, Kokstad police spokesperson Zandra Wiid told the Daily Dispatch that they were still gathering evidence, and confirmed that the teacher was still a free man. Read the rest of this entry »

South African cricketer Makhaya Ntini has cut short his stay in Australia to be with his wife and children after they were involved in a car accident in East London on Tuesday morning writes Bongani Fuzile.

The accident happened on the N2 offramp in Beacon Bay. Read the rest of this entry »

The ANC won both wards in two by-elections held in the Eastern Cape on Wednesday. Sino “Scorsese” Majangaza was there to record the action:

Ah, love is in the air and it’s that time of the year again when people’s romantic sides go in full bloom as Valentine’s Day approaches. Believed to have been named after one of the early Christian martyrs named Valentine, the day became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer, when the tradition of courtly love flourished… So, do you want to win a tidy R2000 gift voucher to make your Valentine’s Day special? See below… Read the rest of this entry »

Ratepayers and members of communities on the East Coast have united in an open revolt against the Great Kei Municipality over its lack of service delivery and alleged mismanagement of finances, writes Eddie Botha.

The newly-formed East Coast Ratepayers and Residents Forum, which has the backing of rural communities within the municipal boundaries, has decided to withhold payment of rates and taxes until their demands are met. Read the rest of this entry »