Home | South Africa has been launched in Humansdorp in the Eastern Cape The initiative in the Kouga Municipality aims to combat high crime levels in the area The new technology will assist in ensuring a fast-tracked response to crimes in a municipality that is seeing a rise in gang-related activities Industry and Competition Andrew Whitfield says technology will lead to more successful prosecutions “There has been a deployment of more police officers into the province but not all municipalities received them if a municipality can take responsibility for a safety and security function like Kouga has I think deploying drones is a major step in being the first response to prevent crime from a surveillance perspective and make sure that there is evidence of crime to lead to successful prosecution I think this kind of innovation should be rolled out in more municipalities,” says Whitfield Video: Drone technology to help combat crime in the Kouga area AVBOB celebrates a milestone by rewarding its members on a large scale HUMANSDORP - School gang violence has cost the life of a Grade 8 pupil in Humansdorp in the Eastern Cape The Lungiso High School says a fight broke out Wednesday morning as pupils came out of an exam room The school has been struggling with gangsterism for years The distraught mother of 16-year-old Kunathi Noma is trying to get to terms with the loss of her son The Eastern Cape Education Department is calling on law enforcement to play their part The police are investigating a case of murder This article may contain graphic and/or adult content unsuitable for minors and sensitive readers The Kouga Municipality is offering a reward of R10 000 for information leading to the successful arrest and prosecution of those responsible for damaging municipal infrastructure The Municipality recorded an increase of vandalism over the festive season while on Saturday a transformer in Humansdorp was sabotaged leaving large parts of the town without power Residents with information related to infrastructure damage or who have witnessed suspicious activities are encouraged to contact Senior Law Enforcement Officials Johnny Hayward at 081 322 7399 or Adam Floors at 081 215 8713 All reports will be handled with the utmost confidentiality and informants' identities will be protected an exclusive podcast on the life of Vicki Terblanche 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 Three former traffic officials from the Kouga Local Municipality have been arrested and are scheduled to appear in the Humansdorp Magistrate’s Court soon This comes after a three-year investigation by the Anti-Corruption Unit of the SAPS The three were taken into custody on Thursday They are facing several charges including fraud and violations of the National Road Traffic Act 93 of 1996 who are between the ages of 49 and 55 years were employed by Kouga Local Municipality and served as examiners for the Humansdorp Traffic Department in the Eastern Cape It is further alleged that the three suspects were issuing driving licences to motorists without conducting physical examinations (tests) as prescribed in the National Road Traffic Act 93 of 1996 Acting Provincial Commissioner Police Major General Zithulele Dladla said the arrest demonstrates the commitment of the SAPS to root out corruption which is an occupational hazard in the public sector seven officials between the ages of 37 and 62 were arrested in February for allegedly issuing learners and driver’s licences without following proper procedures at the Thabazimbi Traffic Department in Limpopo According to a 2022/23 Stats SA Governance more traffic officials than any other government officials asked individuals for bribes in 2019/20 and 2022/23 The survey further revealed that soliciting bribes is deeply embedded in traffic policing in South Africa “Based on current population figures and recent Statistics SA surveys 000 people in South Africa had bribes solicited from them by traffic police in 2024 (2% of the adult population) “SAPS corruption also features prominently in Stats SA survey results But the findings show that graft linked to traffic policing is the most brazen form of police corruption in South Africa,” said the survey 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 An Eastern Cape woman who embezzled millions from the Humansdorp Veterinary Clinic was sentenced to 15 years of direct imprisonment wept when the sentence was handed down in the Gqeberha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Friday She stole R4.8 m from her employer during October 2017 to February last year Nell was responsible for capturing payments to creditors through her employer's First National Bank online banking platform The court heard that the theft started as early as two months after her appointment when she started to siphon money through two of her personal bank accounts She first deposited R21 m of her employer's money into her Bidvest bank account she paid creditors an amount of R16 m and used the remainder to Magistrate Vuziwe Mnyani said it was clear that Nell stole the money to sustain her luxurious lifestyle while the victims and their families suffered financially and psychologically "Crimes against employers by employees in positions of trust are grave "You abused your position of trust," Mnyani told the offender She said the fact that the crimes started two months after Nell started working was one of the aggravating factors that counted against her Another aggravating factor was that she destroyed all the company's financial records and never offered to pay any of the money back the victims had to dip into overdrafts and take out second mortgages against their homes "This did not happen in the spur of the moment You used creative bookkeeping measures to cover up your tracks "The crime was driven by greed and your enrichment," said Mnyani Three former Kouga Municipality traffic officers were granted bail in the Humansdorp magistrate’s court on Thursday after being charged with fraud and corruption also face a charge of contravening the National Road Traffic Act 93 of 1996.  said the three were granted bail of R500 bail each The state alleges that the three examiners who were based in Humansdorp had been issuing driving licences to motorists without conducting physical examinations (tests) Nkohli said the case against the trio was postponed to 11 April for a regional court date The 2025 Spar Kirkwood Wildsfees will return to Nqweba after a new venue becomes available Last month, organisers said the festival would have to move to the Mayogi Bomas on the R75 because the Department of Education banned the sale of alcohol on school grounds. As a result, the festival was moved to the Mayogi Bomas. However, Festival director Jenni Honsbein announced on Friday that a new venue was secured in town on the grounds of the Co-Op. She expressed her gratitude to the Co-Op, based in Humansdorp, for making its grounds available and said that festival-goers who booked accommodation in Nqweba could now walk to the venue as they did to the school. The Wildsfees takes place on the last weekend of June. The annual Kirkwood Wildlife Game Auction will continue to be held at the Mayogi Bomas on Friday, June 27. “It is great news that we have found premises in Kirkwood to hold the Wildsfees,” says festival director Jenni Honsbein. “We are extremely grateful for The Co-op, which has its headquarters in Humansdorp, to make their grounds in Kirkwood available for 2025. “Festival goers who have booked accommodation in Kirkwood will be able to walk to the venue as they did to the school,” she adds. The 2025 SPAR Kirkwood Wildsfees will feature over 20 national artists on the giant ECPTA stage, host 300 specialist stalls and feature horse and working dog demonstrations, among its many activities included in the entrance fee. It will be held from Friday, June 27 to Sunday, June 29. A free concert will be hosted on Thursday evening, June 26, to mark the occasion and the 100th anniversary of Afrikaans being accepted as an official language. 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. Gangs in Gqeberha’s northern areas have slowly crept past the borders of the city infiltrating communities surrounding the metro and are now ruling these once-peaceful neighbourhoods with an iron fist.For decades violent gangs have ruled the streets of the northern areas fighting over turf and robbing the community of hundreds of innocent lives.. A subscription gives you full digital access to all our content Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@heraldlive.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 The Kouga Municipality in the Eastern Cape has put in place an information campaign to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease detected on a farm near Humansdorp. The municipality’s Head of Environmental Management Christa Venter says it is important that subsistence farmers in the area are informed about the disease. Venter says they are concerned that the outbreak could negatively impact the economy. “We have also set up a Joint Operations Committee that we will be meeting every day so we can say how to assist and to spread the word to everybody to see what is happening and this is what the effects will be. We are very concerned because of the dairy industry,” says Venter. Local veterinarian Anthony Davis says the appearance of the disease in the area is a big surprise. “The farm manager sent us photographs and we could not believe it as we have never seen foot and mouth before. It seemed impossible and our thoughts were this could not be happening. We took samples and sent them off to the ODI and the farm was quarantined immediately and the next day within 18 hours we had confirmation it was foot-and-mouth. “What we did was to put out a warning to farmers that we suspect it to ensure their gates were locked and they apply good biosecurity,” adds Davis. VIDEO | Foot-and-mouth disease | Preventative and quarantine measures in place in the Eastern Cape: It is great to join you here today in the beautiful DA-led Kouga Municipality Hierdie is die lekkerste plek in die Oos-Kaap who have united to give the DA an outright majority we have made significant progress in improving service delivery to communities in this area Kouga has the best roads in the Eastern Cape a maintained and functioning electricity supply network But the progress we have already made in Kouga proves that things don’t have to be broken in the Eastern Cape and just like every place with a DA majority works then the Eastern Cape and South Africa can work because they show that South Africa doesn’t need to be a broken country We don’t need to have the highest unemployment rate in the world and grotesque corruption that steals our futures That is the DA’s offer in this election: that things don’t have to be this way For us to bring the change we need to improve the lives of all South Africans now need to help us spread the hope we’ve delivered in Kouga is by coming out in numbers and voting for the DA Don’t be fooled by politicians promising you the earth You – the people of the Eastern Cape – have the power You have the power to create two million new jobs attempted murder and gender-based violence You have the power to end loadshedding and the water cuts we see in ANC-run parts of the Eastern Cape You have the power to end cadre deployment and corruption so that we can use the money that the ANC has stolen to deliver more and better schools and hospitals You have the power to do all of these things – if you vote for the Democratic Alliance next week But you must judge them based on their actions they are just an extension of the ANC and EFF Hulle het hul kiesers al oor-en-oor uitverkoop aan die ANC en EFF when the Patriotic Alliance voted with their coalition partners in the ANC and EFF to introduce a massive electricity price increase in Johannesburg a vote for the Patriotic Alliance is a vote that will be sold out to the ANC and EFF Now is not the time to waste our votes on small parties that cannot be trusted the ANC is set to crash below 50% in this election you now have the power to elect the DA into national government so that we can fight for you from the Union Buildings United with our partners in the Multi-Party Charter And you must also judge the DA based not on what we promise we need to ask ourselves two serious questions Which party is most likely to deliver jobs quality schooling and healthcare and safe communities for Humansdorp the Eastern Cape and the whole South Africa And which party is the best defence against a Doomsday Coalition between the ANC propped up by treacherous parties like the Patriotic Alliance These are the only two serious questions that matter in this election And the answer to both questions is clear: only a strong Democratic Alliance can rescue South Africa The DA is the only political party with a proud sustained track record of delivery in government we already demonstrate our ability to turn our manifesto pledges into reality Take our pledge to create two million new jobs DA-run Cape Town has added 316 000 jobs since the start of the local government term in 2021 If we can create this many jobs in municipalities we govern even while the corrupt ANC is still in power nationally just imagine what we can do with the DA in national government While the ANC condemns people to unemployment through discrimination the DA-run Western Cape has the lowest unemployment rate in the country because we follow the rules and provide a fair playing field for everyone The DA is the only party in South Africa that can provide hard evidence that taxpayer money will be spent on the public every single one of the departments in the DA-run Western Cape government achieved a 100% clean audit last year Not a single cent of taxpayer money was misspent in that entire provincial government Compare that to what you currently have here in the Eastern Cape provincial government where the ANC treats the rates and taxes you pay as their personal slush fund The DA is the only party that delivers for the people because we do not tolerate corruption and we do not steal the people’s money The pledge in our manifesto to end load-shedding and water-shedding is similarly credible because we are already doing it where we govern While taps run dry wherever the ANC is in power the DA-led Kouga municipality has made enormous investments in boosting water supply making this one of the most water-resilient municipalities in the country The City of Cape Town already protects residents from up to two stages of load-shedding and pays households and businesses cash for the excess energy they produce We can do the same thing right here in the Eastern Cape – if the people of Kouga turn out to vote for the DA We are already doing it where people entrusted us with their vote at provincial level The LEAP programme in the Western Cape has deployed 1 200 additional law enforcement officers where the SAPS which is run by the national ANC government LEAP has already made over 27 000 arrests and took hundreds of illegal firearms off the streets Just imagine how much safer the Eastern Cape will be if we do the same in this province The DA is the only party with a track record of rescuing communities from the ANC wherever people vote for us That is why we are confident in declaring that a strong DA can rescue the Eastern Cape So that we can prevent a Doomsday Coalition between the ANC And so that we can rescue South Africa through a new government Even amidst the uncertainty of this election there is one thing I know with all my heart and soul That the Democratic Alliance loves this country and despite all the crime that the ANC has inflicted upon us We have the most wonderful people on earth We have the most beautiful country on the planet most talented and most resilient nation in the world The only thing holding us back from reaching the great heights we are capable of But the DA marches resolutely to the election on 29 May because we know that the time for change has come We know that the people of South Africa will not allow a Doomsday Coalition between the ANC MK and the Patriotic Alliance to destroy our future We know that the people of this beautiful land are ready to unite to build a strong DA to form a new government that can rescue South Africa then use the power of your vote to elect the DA to govern South Africa on the 29th of May by being part of the generation that rescued South Africa from corruption and decline you will be able to tell your grand-children one day that you were part of the rescue mission that turned this beautiful country into the winning nation it deserves to be registered non profit organisation in South AfricaReg No: 011-895 NPO Nordex Energy South Africa has unveiled plans to locally manufacture concrete tower sections in the Eastern Cape Province ushering in the creation of up to 300 jobs within the region The purpose built manufacturing facility will be situated in Humansdorp approximately 1.5 hours from the Port of Ngqura where the remaining turbine components will land responsible for producing the 120m high towers supplying a trio of wind farms totalling an installed capacity of 336 MW the cluster of wind farms in the Jeffreys Bay area will harness the area’s exceptional wind resources solidifying its position as one of the country’s most prominent wind power zones on the renewable energy map The installation of the first turbines is scheduled for the second half of 2024 with energy delivery to the grid anticipated in the second half of 2025 contributing to addressing the country’s energy deficiency the green field projects promise to stimulate the local economy not only during the construction phase but also throughout the operational period “The wind farm cluster will elevate the share of renewable energy in the country’s energy mix contributing to energy security and a reduction in greenhouse emissions it will enhance our market presence in South Africa where we currently command over 32% of market share Having invested in the Eastern Cape since 2013 Nordex Energy South Africa boasts a significant footprint in the province including a warehouse in Gqeberha and 573 MW of installed capacity across five wind power plants A delegation from the Eastern Cape Provincial Government previously visited Nordex SE in Germany emphasizing the province’s commitment to attracting renewable energy projects particularly focusing on component manufacturing and assembly within the region.The delegation was led by MEC for Finance Mlungisi Mvoko and MEC for the Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform Ms The visit focused on discussing Nordex SE’s perspective on the renewable energy sector identifying areas of support and chiefly to look at possible investments along the value chain focusing especially on component manufacturing and assembling within the province The province is host to a pipeline of thousands of megawatts of new renewable energy projects at the environmental impact assessment phase or having already received environmental authorisation The Eastern Cape Province has among the best wind energy resources in the world It was therefore critical for the province to visit Nordex SE (Germany) as considering that Nordex Energy South Africa has five of its nine wind farms in this region The delegation further engaged with Nordex Energy South Africa (NESA) to unpack the value and economic opportunities of locally manufactured concrete towers especially the associated local job opportunities One of the constraints that was identified at the time and has since been addressed is the transport of major components from the Port of Ngqura to wind farms in the Eastern Cape and other areas of the country “The province is already an important hub for us as we have a head office here as well as a warehouse We are invested long term and hence we are pleased to have had the chance to discuss constraints with these key stakeholders which are charge with unlocking the associated benefits for the Eastern Cape,” concluded Moncasi Necessary cookies are required to ensure the technical functionality of the website and to provide the services you have specifically requested These include features such as the language you select saving volume settings and your access to secure areas of the website These cookies do not collect information about you or store which pages you have visited on the internet This category of cookies cannot be disabled and does not require consent These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site Content from video platforms and social media platforms is blocked by default access to those contents no longer requires manual consent Residents of Humansdorp in the Eastern Cape have raised concerns over the escalating problem of gangsterism and drug dealing in the area The residents say what is even more alarming is gangster members recruiting learners as young as 13, and schools have become a hub that breeds criminals. The concerns were raised during a visit by Safety MEC as part of the safety campaign ahead of the festive season themed “Don’t keep quiet when things go wrong,” seeks to encourage the community to unite against crime is the bleak future that learners are facing Residents say they live under constant fear “It is very scary and sad what is happening and it is hard because they say they are protecting themselves but it’s hard considering that we have a school that will have over 2000 learners and we are supposed to keep them safe and the staff safe.” Humansdorp Senior Secondary School is targeted by criminals It is one of the schools where learners are allegedly threatened and tempted to affiliate with gangs Safety MEC Xolile Nqatha has called on communities to take a stand against crime for those who commit crime and recruit children into selling drugs this is not a battle we are fighting alone we are calling on communities to work with us and put an end to this scourge But since we have activated this campaign here we have managed to decrease the crime rate in this area but we will continue to keep a close eye on the community.” It is estimated that approximately 30 young people have been violently killed in Humansdorp in the past three years The MEC will also visit areas like Lusikisiki and Mthatha as part of the safety campaign An Eastern Cape woman who allegedly embezzled an exorbitant amount of cash from her employer in Humansdorp has been arrested who used to work at a veterinary clinic in town made a brief appearance in the District Court where she was remanded in custody Spokesperson Captain Yolisa Mgolodela says Nell worked in the financial department of the clinic and allegedly stole cash from her employer between January 2018 and February 2023 She says the employer became suspicious when one of their suppliers complained about late payment Captain Mgolodela says the matter was reported to the Hawks who uncovered the theft of more than R3.5 million She says the money was reportedly transferred into her account over a period of five years In her keynote address at the ceremony to officially hand over millions of rands worth of community assets the Minister for Public Service and Administration called upon the beneficiary schools and communities to jealously guard these educational and social investments “I want to appeal to the community to understand that these schools are there to nurture these children to grow better minds the children from these schools will be making decisions on your behalf when you are too old to do so,” the Minister told community leaders and learners at the hand-over ceremony at Lungiso High School on the outskirts of Humansdorp in the Eastern Cape province on Friday A partnership between Kouga Wind Farm Community Development Trust (KWF-CDT) and schools has seen the inflow of school infrastructure investments in the communities where the Kouga Wind Farm alternative energy company operates the private company has invested millions of rand in social and development projects to fulfill the licensing condition per government policies and other dignitaries were given a tour of schools that had benefited from various infrastructure projects supported by the KWF-CDT during the 2022 financial year The projects range from providing additional classrooms to retrofitting ablution infrastructure to manage water resources and mitigate the drought that the region still experiences the KWF-CDT also sought to improve educational outcomes in the four beneficiary schools The direct support in educating children from beneficiary communities came in the form of building science and technology laboratories which could be vulnerable to criminality and vandalism the principal of Kruisfontein Primary School demonstrated the efficacy of the recently installed customised safe room for storing expensive robotics and coding equipment safety precautions are necessary to protect millions of rand of education infrastructure and equipment often seen as easy pickings by criminal elements in communities “Nobody would like people without knowledge of the dynamics to take decisions affecting them so looking after these schools becomes a community responsibility The Department of Education has fenced the school marking the boundary where certain things cannot be allowed let us as communities protect our schools,” urged Minister Kiviet as she provided strategic leadership as a Member of Parliament for the Gamtoots Valley and surrounding communities of the Eastern�Cape�province The shutting down of the Humansdorp Kooperasie by workers over a wage dispute has impacted local farmers in the Cookhouse area of the Eastern Cape Farmers told GroundUp they now have to travel to Paterson (90km from Cookhouse) to buy animal feed and it is expensive owner of the Vukuzenzele Farm in Middleton (75km from Paterson and 25km from Cookhouse) “This closure is hitting me hard … For two weeks my 100 cows and 400 sheep have no food We are facing a severe drought and they are losing weight.” “I wish this strike can be resolved quicker because it is not only me who is suffering There are about 100 farmers like me.” Tools were downed at the co-op three weeks ago when seven out of eight food mixers and forklift drivers complained about wage inequality They said only one worker was paid according to his grade; the rest were paid as general workers The company said the workers signed contracts Last Tuesday the mayor of the Blue Crane Local Route Municipality met with the Cookhouse Community Forum and the management of the co-op hoping to resolve the situation But the company said all 37 workers had been dismissed and new employees would be hired workers shut down the co-op’s fuel station in Golden Valley they burned wood at the entrance of the animal feed facility Anele Sikhwebu said the company claims it is losing huge sums a day “We only asked the company for an increase to R28 an hour from R22.50 We also asked them to pay skilled workers a different wage from the general workers We have kids to send to school and universities.” “We feel the pain of the local farmers but these workers also have families to feed The company is more concerned about losing millions … but it fails to address the issues of wage inequality Hence we say no one will be employed there up until these workers are reinstated and their grievances are met.” “So far the amount suffered is more than R1 million Kindly note that is difficult to determine the exact amount “I am still persuading the CEO to reinstate the dismissed workers and resolve this issue amicably But the CEO sent me a letter on 11 February himself Management and the company’s board have decided to fire all the workers and restart with the hiring of the new staff." “But that decision is going to impact negatively on the economy of this place and the workers’ families The area is very poor and has no job opportunities.” Humansdorp Kooperasie CEO Henk Agenbach said in the letter: “The co-op is aware of what the impact will be of a possible closure on a community at large in Cookhouse Therefore we are proposing the continuation of our operation We will be advertising certain positions and give members of the community who meet the minimum job requirements an opportunity to apply.” HUMANSDORP - The Kouga Municipality is worried about a foot and mouth outbreak in Humansdorp in the Eastern Cape It is setting up a control point on the road between Humansdorp and St Francis Bay from Monday as cows frequently cross the road for grazing The Kouga local municipality is pleading for patience and cooperation from motorists as it implements the control points.  But authorities say it's the only way they can limit the spread of the viral disease The Provincial police commissioner in the Eastern Cape has set up a multi-disciplinary task team to trace and arrest those responsible for a string of murders in Humandsorp 17-year-old Juvandre September was shot and killed while a 12-year-old sustained a gunshot wound in his thigh said both victims were chased by a group of males and shot in an open space between Besembos and Pendoring Streets in Gill Marcus September's death comes in the wake of another 17-year-old who died in Coetzee Street in Arcadia on the same day was shot at his house in the Maak 'n Las area A 17-year-old suspect was arrested in connection with Titus' murder and has already appeared in court a 25-year-old man was killed at the entrance of a shop in Sewende Laan police arrested Juvandre Jafta for the attempted murder of an 18-year-old male allegedly shot the victim in his left shoulder in Sewende Laan was discovered on the kitchen floor at his home in Kwanomzamo Khimba Momani appeared in the Humansdorp Magistrates Court on Tuesday on a charge of murder another 17-year-old was shot in his head and arm in Donkerhoek The teenager and a friend were allegedly assaulted by a group of men Police are investigating cases of murder and attempted murder Lieutenant General Mene pleaded with communities to work with the police to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book "It is very disturbing when young children are both victims and perpetrators of crime "The involvement of the community in providing vital information can significantly increase our chances of solving our cases and apprehending suspects."  Mene said a team of experienced detectives will not rest until all of the perpetrators are behind bars