AVBOB celebrates a milestone by rewarding its members on a large scale EASTERN CAPE - Fifteen people have been killed in a head-on collision in the Eastern Cape The incident occurred on the R63 road between Adelaide and Maqoma A fully loaded minibus taxi and a bakkie struck each other.  The driver of the Double Cab died on the scene Six injured minibus taxi occupants were rushed to the nearest Provincial Hospital for treatment One of those injured later succumbed to their injuries An inquest docket has been opened by police for further investigation — eNCA (@eNCA) May 4, 2025 This article may contain graphic and/or adult content unsuitable for minors and sensitive readers. The Eastern Cape transport department has confirmed that the number of people who have died in a horror crash in the province stands at 15. The accident took place on R63 road between Adelaide and Maqoma, formerly Fort Beaufort, just before midnight on Saturday night.   Spokesperson Unathi Binqose said a fully loaded minibus taxi collided head-on with a double cab bakkie. “It is alleged that a white Quantum [minibus taxi], travelling from Qonce, formerly King Williams Town, to Cape Town, collided head-on with an Isuzu double cab [bakkie] that was travelling from Adelaide [in the direction of] Kwamaqoma,” Binqose said in a brief statement. “The driver of the double cab died on the scene and 13 passengers in the taxi were also declared dead on the scene, including the driver. “Six injured occupants of the taxi were rushed to Provincial Hospital for treatment, one of them later succumbed to injuries upon arrival at hospital, taking the number of deceased to 15.” Binqose said an inquest docket has been opened for further investigation. Journey to Justice, an exclusive podcast on the life of Vicki Terblanche, a slain Gqeberha mother. Dive into the expansive world of motoring with Naresh Maharaj. Join Mark Marshall as he shares his extraordinary encounters with everything from bees to reptiles i “This is by far the deadliest crash we’ve witnessed in the Eastern Cape in a long, long time, not even in December or during the recent Easter holidays did we see one crash that has claimed so many lives... Our thoughts and prayers are with the families that have lost loved ones in a flash, and we're calling for investigators to leave nothing to chance in their investigation of what the real cause of this flash may have been." Sections lifestyle and provocative commentary from leading columnists Read more A PRELIMINARY report on the devastating head-on collision on the R63 in the Eastern Cape at the weekend that claimed 15 lives is expected in 48 hours through the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) is investigating the cause of the accident in collaboration with the Saps and provincial authorities,” the department said Sunday afternoon Authorities were also in the process of identifying the 15 victims - eight men six women and one child - who lost their lives in the horror crash involving a double cab bakkie and a quantum taxi “A total of 15 people have died and five others sustained injuries in a head-on collision involving a fully loaded minibus taxi and a bakkie The accident occurred on the R63 road between Adelaide and Maqoma (Fort Beaufort) at about midnight on Saturday travelling from Qonce (King Williams Town) to Cape Town collided head on with Isuzu Double Cab that was travelling from Adelaide to Kwamaqoma direction "The driver of the Double Cab died on the scene and passengers in the Quantum were also declared dead on the scene including the driver,” said Eastern Cape Department of Transport He said the six injured occupants of the quantum were rushed to a local hospital for treatment where two of them later succumbed to injuries Eastern Cape police referred questions back to Bhinqose who said an inquest docket had been opened for further investigation as both drivers died in the crash “The identification of the deceased is currently underway so we do not know all the deceased by their names and their ages we are depending on their families to supply us with that information That process is still underway,” he added.  said: “It is with boundless grief to announce the passing of our brother More details about funeral will be communicated As a family we request respect and be allowed to mourn as he was the elder at home Transport Minister Barbara Creecy and Deputy Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa expressed their condolences to the bereaved families Swift police reaction led to the arrest of six suspects aged between 27 and 29 on the N2 near Kinkelbos less than two hours after a shooting and robbery in KwaMaqoma (formerly Fort Beaufort) on Sunday March 10 South African Police Service spokesperson Warrant Officer Majola Nkohli said police found one unlicenced firearm with ammunition and a stolen cellphone inside their vehicle The firearm is to be subjected to a ballistics test The suspects were all detained on charges ranging from murder to possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition The suspects were positively linked to the shooting of Bulelani Dayile Dayile had been sitting in the kitchen at his house in Mbewu Street entered the house and opened fire at Dayile “The suspects managed to steal a cellphone before fleeing the scene,” Nkohli said “Investigation at the scene revealed that the four suspects used a Suzuki Ertiga as a getaway vehicle.,” Nkohli said that information was transmitted to all police radio channels.” a vehicle fitting the description was spotted on the N2 near Kinkelbos The six men are due to appear in the KwaMaqoma magistrate’s court on Thursday March 13 possession of stolen property and possession of an unlicenced firearm and ammunition Sarah Baartman District Operations Command Centre head Colonel Andries Landman commended members for the speedy reaction “A meticulous plan and an effective coordination of resources was key to the arrests Our detectives are busy profiling the six suspects,” Landman said Talk of the Town is the weekly newspaper of record for the community of Ndlambe and serves readers in and around Port Alfred This article may contain graphic and/or adult content unsuitable for minors and sensitive readers A wanted suspect on a double murder charge in Bethelsdorp made a brief appearance in the Gqeberha Magistrate's Court on Wednesday Manelisi “Maneli” Matoto was apprehended by members of the Silapha2 National Intervention Team in Gqeberha on Monday His arrest followed within a week after his picture was circulated Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg said the team received information about Matoto's whereabouts and proceeded to a house in the Fort Beaufort area where he was hiding from the police the team technically approached a house in Nzama Street in the Edakeni Section and the suspect was apprehended The murders that Matoto is charged with took place on 30 June in the SAPS Bethelsdorp policing precinct According to information released by police was at Sweden Street in Timothy Valley at around 03:50 on the day of the murder when he was approached by two suspects The suspects were allegedly armed with a firearm and demanded cash and cell phones from Bowker It is alleged that the suspects hijacked a white Opel Astra that was parked in the street Three male suspects and one female are said to have driven off with the vehicle The vehicle was found abandoned and burnt out in Siyavuka Street in Booysens Park later that morning Williams was found with a gunshot wound to the head He was rushed to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries Janse van Rensburg said as the investigation unfolded Matoto was positively linked to the murder Matoto is allegedly also linked to other murders within the Nelson Mandela Bay District the case was postponed to Thursday for a formal bail application an exclusive podcast on the life of Vicki Terblanche Dive into the expansive world of motoring with Naresh Maharaj Police in Fort Beaufort in the Eastern Cape are searching for five suspects following a business robbery and shootout in the town on Tuesday Police said the armed suspects entered a business at around 8 AM and demanded cash Lieutenant-Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa said a shootout ensued between the suspects and security officials Colonel Mawisa said the suspects fled in a waiting vehicle with an undisclosed amount of cash The car was later found abandoned at the Kwa Nondyola location outside Fort Beaufort and the suspects reportedly fled into the forest on foot A case of business robbery is under investigation Coach to appeal after controversial ruling on late penalty A packed Wentzel Park stadium was the stage for heroism and heartbreak last Saturday as Alexandria’s pride faced Fort Beaufort United in the Eastern Cape Super 14 Rugby Competition semifinal A late second-half penalty that could have clinched Trying Stars’ place in the final was controversially ruled wide of the posts Trying Stars undoubtedly were in control in the first half of the game with a solid but slow-footed Fort Beaufort United foiled at every attempt At half-time the score was 13-0 in favour of Stars as the KwaMaqoma side found their mojo and drove wave after wave of sheer force towards the goal line in an extraordinary comeback Trying Stars’ supporters were in turn astonished then outraged late in the second half as a penalty kick by Garth Oosthuisen at what appeared to be an unassailable 77 minutes was ruled wide of the posts by the referee – a decision that the linesman confirmed The final score remained a heartbreakingly close 15-13 in favour of Fort Beaufort United making Maqoma’s warriors the first wildcard in the Super 14 to fight through six weeks and 30 matches to a final it was a pill made all the more bitter to swallow after the previous week’s elation at the same venue: Trying Stars had outplayed KwaNobuhle’s Star of Hope by 38-33 to reach a EC Super 14 semifinal for the first time in the Alexandria club’s history determined that his players should hold their heads high said after their tw-point loss to Fort Beaufort United last week “We were actually in charge of the game for most of the first half; but in the second half certain decisions of the ref didn’t go our way Nothing we did in the first half was legal in the second half according to the ref “The last penalty that would have sealed the game To be out of the tournament like this for the players who have sacrificed so much is heartbreaking They are a good team and we worked very hard for this but at the end of the day the officials have the final say “But that’s the thing we have to overcome – we have to move forward from here and we are grateful we had the opportunity to take part in the tournament “But we have to take a rest now and start preparing for the Grand Challenge That will be tough and we have to pick the guys up and prepare them mentally Cannon later confirmed that Trying Stars have lodged a dispute with the Eastern Province Rugby Union as well as the Super 14 tournament steering committee Trying Stars scored two tries (prop Migeal Cannon and Lucian Milborow) and one penalty (Millborrow) The penalty that was denied was taken by Garth Oosthuisen Head coach of Fort Beaufort United Loyiso Bosman said “First of all I would like to thank the Trying Stars – the management and players – for welcoming us and giving us a good game of rugby “We really didn’t show up in the first half – we made a lot of mistakes that left us 13-0 down at halftime But at halftime me and my co-coach had a chat with the boys and said “We’ve got 40 minutes and we can come back in that time it worked: the boys carried out the plans that we practiced during the week and we came out the winners at the end of the day “We’re looking forward to the final next week but before that we have to go back to training and put in more work more execution in our play so that we ensure another victory FBU tries in last Saturday’s match were Vuyisani Mavuso (hooker) and eighth man Monwabisi Mkhwakhwi The venue for the final between Fort Beaufort United and Progress is scheduled for 5pm on Saturday March 15 at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium PHOTOS HERE COACH INTERVIEWS HERE Talk of the Town is the weekly newspaper of record for the community of Ndlambe and serves readers in and around Port Alfred, Kenton on Sea, Bushman's River Mouth, Alexandria, Kleinemond, and Makhanda. Police in KwaMaqoma (formerly Fort Beaufort) have arrested a second man in connection with the murder of 24-year-old Zintle Takane. Takane was last seen in the company of her boyfriend on the 31st of May at Mike Valley, days before her body was discovered in a shallow grave. Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa says Takane's 34-year-old boyfriend and co-worker at the Department of Employment and Labour was the first to be arrested. Sakhumzi Magwa made a brief appearance in the Fort Beaufort Magistrates Court last week where he abandoned his bid for bail. Takane's murder sent shockwaves through the community resulting in dozens of protesters gathering outside court during Magwa's first appearance. The Mayor of the Raymond Mhlaba Municipality Nomhle Sango, Council members and the ANC Women's League stood in solidarity with the crowd. Lt Col Mawisa says through their investigation it was established that a second person allegedly assisted Magwa in the crime. She says 44-year-old Vuyani Kahlana, who also worked with the deceased at the Department of Labour, was arrested. Both suspects will appear in court again on the 19th of June when Kahlana will bring a bail application. On Monday, the MEC for Social Development Bukiwe Fanta, visited Takane's bereaved family while a candlelight service will be held on Tuesday. Takane's cause of death has not yet been determined as post-mortem results are still outstanding. Border Rugby Union clubs East London Police Young Leopards and Fort Beaufort United proceeded to the Eastern Cape Super 14 quarterfinals at the weekend.. This article is reserved for Daily Dispatch subscribers Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@dispatchlive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now Please read our Comment Policy before commenting Detectives in Fort Beaufort are searching for a local woman who went missing last Friday and was last seen in the company of her boyfriend Spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa says 24-year-old Zintle Takane was last seen at 9 pm with her boyfriend at Mike Valley She says it is alleged that Takane left with him in his white Mercedes Benz Police say it is the last time anybody has heard from Takane and her boyfriend could also not be traced Lt Col Mawisa asked anyone who can assist in tracing Takane or her boyfriend to contact the investigating officer Detective Constable Siphosoxolo Luvatsha on 066 320 6084 The hashtag #JusticeForZintleTakane has gone viral on social media calling for justice for the murder of the 24-year-old Eastern Cape woman She was allegedly murdered by her lover after she went missing with him on Friday Reports say Takane was with her boyfriend at Mike Valley in Fort Beaufort Her body was later found in a shallow grave they searched for her and asked the suspect whose life was cut short by a man on Friday He then kept sending us back and forth while we were trying to find her [While he was] completely aware of what he had done to her,” said Mana Mana stated that she will not keep quiet until the suspect is arrested and pays for his senseless actions I will not keep quiet until I see his end,” she added police in Fort Beaufort confirmed that Takane “Ms Takane was last seen on Friday at about 21:00 with her boyfriend at Mike Valley “It is alleged that she left with her boyfriend in his white Mercedes-Benz That was the last time anyone had seen or heard from her,” said Lieutenant Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa Mawisa said Takane’s boyfriend could also not be traced “Anyone with information concerning [his] whereabouts or assist the police in tracing her boyfriend [is urged] to contact the investigating officer Det-Const Siphosoxolo Luvatsha can be contacted on 066 320 6084 or SAPS Fort Beaufort on 046 645 1133 Takane’s killing follows the murder of a municipality employee Mtwa was shot nine times outside her home in Mthatha in 2022 He has denied allegations that he is behind the murder of his girlfriend Her murder made headlines across the country and a big march was held in the city to protest her death It was alleged that the 35-year-old was in an abusive relationship Visit SW YouTube Channel for our video content Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Tel: +27 11 268 6300 Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms & conditions and privacy policy This work, Fort Beaufort DoDEA Students host "One Second Every Day" Movie Premier, by Michael ODay, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright Please check your email and enter your one time pin below:   Open in Gmail Sorry there was an error loading the audio A large section of Fort Beaufort Provincial Hospital has been shut down by the Eastern Cape Department of Labour which has deemed 13 wards to be a health hazard A hospital manager told GroundUp, “We are scared our hospital might be shut down … On 10 June the Department of Labour inspectors shut down 13 male wards in block 2 and deemed them a health hazard. Now the patients have been moved to block 5, which was used to admit Covid patients.”advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads have leaking roofs because of the 13 December storm “In 2018 we were promised that our hospital would be rebuilt Both male and female patients share the toilets Taps are leaking and the place is always wet.” “I am worried that if the department does not urgently fix this hospital it is going to shut down and our people will be forced to go to Alice and to East London “This used to be one of the best hospitals … But since the democratic government took over our hospital has become filthy and a place of negligence.” Furniture has been dumped outside on the hospital grounds in various places Animals grazed on the unmaintained grounds windows are broken and the roof has not been repaired since it was damaged by a storm in December Old patient files are dumped in an unused outbuilding Patients in the casualty section have little privacy. There is no internal corridor connecting casualty to the wards, so patients have to be wheeled outside in chairs or on stretchers, no matter the weather, to be transferred to the wards.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads “We wait for many hours at casualty before we are attended to,” a patient complained to GroundUp “I really don’t understand why a big hospital has a shortage of staff and blankets If you are admitted the nurses tell you that you should bring your own blankets.” “Shortage of staff and linen has been a crisis for more than ten years there.” Patients’ folders are lying all over the place On wet days we have to put buckets out for leaks and move around the old furniture we use Patient files dumped in an unused building in terms of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993,” said Yonela Dekeda She said the department was busy repairing the storm damage and there was a contractor on site replacing asbestos roofing throughout the 13 wards and fixing leaking roof sheets She said the department was aware of the “infrastructure issues” at Fort Beaufort Hospital. An assessment was done in 2017/18 which recommended a major overhaul. A master plan to fix the hospital was signed in 2018. The refurbishment cost was estimated to be R350-million.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads “The department did not have funds to implement the project in its entirety. The department opted to phase the project and start an upgrade to the perimeter fence and guardhouse to ensure safety and security of both patients and staff. This phase has been completed.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads “The second phase is planned to concentrate on plumbing (including ablutions) The project is in an advanced stage of implementation and a contractor is expected to be on site before the end of the second quarter of the financial year.” Dekeda said male and female patients were not sharing toilets as reported and there was no shortage of linen this was “being addressed through the implementation of the current approved Annual Recruitment Process” The provincial Department of Labour has not responded to our questions since Tuesday A filthy toilet cubical at Fort Beaufort Hospital First published by GroundUp ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " The Eastern Cape Transport Department said seven people were killed and five others injured in a horror accident on the R67 between KwaMaqoma (formerly Fort Beaufort) and Seymour on Sunday He said all five male occupants of a VW Polo and two people in a Toyota Avanza died on the scene Binqose said the Avanza was travelling from Fort Beaufort to Seymour while the VW Polo was going in the opposite direction when the crash occurred The injured were rushed to a hospital in KwaMaqoma for medical attention The police have opened a culpable homicide docket 20 May 2022: The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) would like to notify travellers that blasting is scheduled to take place between Fort Beaufort and Alice on Wednesday It is anticipated that blasting will take place between 14:00 and 17:00 The duration of the closure will be kept as short as possible Motorists travelling southwards towards Alice and King Williams Town may consider using the following alternative routes: turn right on the R345 to Alice or continue on the N6 to Stutterheim and turn right onto R346 to King Williams Town • From N10 junction with the R63 towards Fort Beaufort on R63 follow the R67 from Fort Beaufort to Grahamstown to join the N2 to King Williams Town turn left onto the R351 towards Cathcart on the N6 then turn right and continue on the N6 to Stutterheim turn right onto the R346 to King Williams Town Motorists travelling northwards towards Queenstown and westwards towards the N10 or Whittlesea may consider using the following alternative routes: follow the R345 to Cathcart and turn left onto N6 to Queenstown then turn left onto the R63 towards the N10 • From King Williams Town towards Whittlesea “Motorists are requested to plan their trips consider alternative routes and use caution when making use of the roads,” said Mbulelo Peterson SANRAL apologises for any inconvenience caused Eastern Cape are complaining of being turned away from four clinics because of staff and medicine shortages The provincial health department says the medicines have been delivered since we sent them questions and that the infrastructure damage will be fixed and more staff hired during this financial year we joined the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) leaders who visited a few of the clinics The visit follows a protest by about 200 residents who were angry about the services at the Hillside Lulama Kama and Thozamile Madakana clinics The windows at Hillside clinic were damaged by the storm that happened in December Staff use plastic bags and cardboard to close the gaps but this doesn’t keep out rain and cold winds Zwelakhe Stofile, Sanco chairperson in Ward 20, said they had received a number of complaints about the poor service. “There is a serious shortage of medicine, especially chronic medication and staff in our clinics. There are no ambulances for emergencies. Doctors don’t visit our clinics,” he said.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads Stofile said they had previously notified the health department’s district office and were promised that the issues would be resolved but nothing was done “The problem has become worse this year because patients are no longer receiving chronic treatment and are being turned away.” Stofile lives next to the prefabricated clinic He said people are seen standing in long queues from as early as 4am until the clinic opens at 8am He said the recent storm severely damaged the windows of the prefab structure Staff have used cardboard and plastic bags to cover the open spaces but the roof still leaks when it rains and the walls have gaps One of the three toilets is being used as a storeroom and the remaining flushing mechanisms are faulty works as a gardener and injured his foot in February while working “I came to this clinic with the hope of getting help But I was told there were no painkillers,” he said 41 said he used to collect his chronic medication in Cape Town until he moved last year Every time I come to collect my treatment I’m told that the priority is patients who are regular because there is a shortage of medication.” This is the only toilet available for all patients visiting the clinic in Newtown said she was turned away last week after being told that there was no medication She had to spend an additional R30 taxi fare to the nearest doctor The clinic was without some chronic medicines for three weeks Here some boxes still stand empty while staff wait for new stock (Photo: Mkhuseli Sizani) said that they were without some medication for about three weeks Harmans said there have been delays from where they order medication at the Gqeberha Medical Depot “We go to nearby hospitals and ask for medication to keep our clinic running There are about 400 patients collecting their chronic treatment here and are yet to receive it,” she said “We need a nurse for dressing wounds and emergencies A community service nurse’s contract was not renewed a permanent cleaner retired and our cleaner is not coping with the work,” Harmans said Other issues at the clinic include leaking roofs Goats were seen grazing outside Lulama clinic which had a broken fence and gates too The clinic is between Nkukwini and Empolweni townships and will soon be merged with Thozamile Madakana Clinic due to low attendance numbers.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads Lindile George, a newly elected committee chairperson, said the facility was in “crisis”. He said they only had one nurse and the service is at a snail’s pace. “Blood samples are temporarily kept in the fridge in the kitchen where staff keep their food. Patients share a toilet in the prefab which has been faulty for years,” he said.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads blamed medicine delivery delays on medical depot dispensaries “The district manager has confirmed that medication has been delivered to clinics in Fort Beaufort.” some clinics had still not received their medicines Dekeda said the department would be addressing this issue during the year within its budget constraints She said funds are available to repair clinics that were badly damaged She said they are in the process of getting contractors to fix facilities in Fort Beaufort and Winterburg First published by GroundUp The outer building of the Fort Beaufort Museum has been destroyed by fire Eastern Cape Sports Recreation Arts and Culture Spokesperson Andile Nduna says fortunately no one was injured during Wednesday's incident He says the cause of the fire is still under investigation but that the building appears to have been burgled is one of the oldest buildings in Fort Beaufort which was established in the early 1800s Nduna says the comprehensive collection of both military and domestic artefacts reflecting lifestyles dating as far back as the 1820s, were fortunately not affected However, some furniture was burnt and metal parts of the building were stripped off by the unknown suspects Police are investigating a case of burglary and also confirmed that they found signs of forced entry