Home | South Africa Charges against an Eastern Cape mother who allegedly murdered a 65-year-old man who allegedly raped her disabled daughter have been withdrawn The mother made a brief appearance in the Lady Frere Magistrate’s Court in the Eastern Cape The incident happened last month in Cacadu The mother was arrested and later released on R500 bail Premier Oscar Mabuyane, who also called for the charges to be withdrawn described the incident as a defence case and not a murder case “It’s important that we understand human rights A murderer is the one who goes intentionally who goes and does something horrible like murder We are so happy that the court arrived at this decision that the charges are withdrawn and the DPP is declining to prosecute,” says Mabuyane [WATCH] Charges have been withdrawn against a 44-year-old mother accused of killing her child’s alleged rapist. She made a brief appearance in the Lady Frere Magistrate’s Court in the Eastern Cape today. pic.twitter.com/qmuQW2mT2f — SABC News (@SABCNews) May 5, 2025 JOHANNESBURG - Eastern Cape Social Development MEC Bukiwe Fanta is calling for an immediate scrapping of murder charges against a mother who allegedly killed a man accused of raping her disabled daughter. The 44-year-old woman was arrested earlier in April, shortly after the incident occurred in Lady Frere. On 5 April, a mother walked into a scene of a 65-year-old man on top of her disabled daughter in Cacadu. It is understood that the old man had taken the girl to his residence when the mother had left to go to town. The mother reportedly struck the old man with a chair to get him off her child before community members came in to attack the man to his death. Fanta said the mother’s actions should be viewed within the context of a woman trying to protect her child from sexual assault. MEC’s spokesperson, Mpumzi Zuzile, said, “In response to the public outcry, MEC Fanta has called for a thorough review of the legal proceedings against the mother, urging the authorities to consider the broader implication of the case on societal attitudes towards gender-based violence. We must prioritise the safety and well-being of our children and ensure that our justice system reflects the values of compassion and understanding.” The woman will be appearing in the Lady Frere Magistrate Court next week. Sections Public school in Tsembeyi near Komani begins free registration for Science and Commerce streams LADY FRERE – A new public high school located in Tsembeyi location near Komani and Dordrecht has opened registration for learners entering Grades 8 through 12 offering an accessible opportunity for education in the Eastern Cape which will begin registrations on 13 January invites applications from learners who wish to pursue either the Science or Commerce academic streams The school has clarified that a General stream will not be offered In a move to make education more accessible the school has confirmed that no registration fees are required and that there is no age restriction for those wishing to enrol The initiative also extends to Grade 12 learners who want to repeat the academic year provided they previously did not meet the pass requirements or failed the examination Organisers are encouraging community members to share the news widely in their networks to ensure that as many learners as possible can benefit from this opportunity This initiative brings renewed hope to many families in the region particularly in underserved rural areas where access to quality high school education has long been a challenge and website in this browser for the next time I comment Add me to your newsletter and keep me updated whenever you publish new blog posts Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" © 2025 Pondoland Times. 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Privacy Policy Please check your email and enter your one time pin below:   Open in Gmail Sorry there was an error loading the audio Published originally by GroundUp  Road works started in 2014 on 23 kilometres of gravel road near Lady Frere in the Eastern Cape in 2014 But the R15-million job was never finished leaving residents of Lady Frere with a dangerous road and many unanswered questions Lady Frere falls under the Emalahleni Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape Big Eye Investments (BEI) was contracted by the Eastern Cape Department of Roads and Public Works to repair and replace gravel on four roads in the area it was evident that BEI was not fulfilling its contractual obligations According to a report prepared for the Eastern Cape Department of Roads and Public Works by multinational consulting firm Aecom the contract was terminated on 28 November 2014 for reasons including “poor progress had shown “a clear lack of understanding of even basic construction norms” The report said BEI had been penalised for several safety transgressions Approximately R3.5-million out of the allocated R15-million was paid to the contractor “It is recommended that the Department consider excluding this contractor for award of future construction contracts.” the unfinished roads are still causing serious problems Vehicles are being damaged and children cannot safely get to and from school Dumisani Soboyisi was on his way back to Cape Town on a rainy day when he missed a turn because the road was covered with water “The next thing my car was stuck in mud.” He had to get a tractor to tow it out Siphelele Mnyaka said he had to pay R11,000 to fix his bakkie after it got stuck on the same road late last year “This is very frustrating because this road was supposed to be fixed by now We are losing money and no one is going to pay us,” he said the community formed an association called Concerned Residents in an effort to find answers to their questions “[It’s] difficult for [community members] to talk with the councillors because they respect the officials; they don’t complain,” said the association’s media liaison officer We’re trying to talk on behalf of our parents.” Residents say they met officials from the Emalahleni municipality but left the meeting without any concrete answers or tangible plans They also say they met with the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) There they learnt that the remaining money had been paid to other contractors to build other roads It is unclear what criteria were used to select these roads Lukhanyo Fonte of Ndodana Consulting Engineers who was hired to maintain the road after the BEI contract was terminated said his firm had tried its best to patch the road and build a small bridge But some parts of this road needed regravelling and his company was not hired to do that Eastern Cape government spokesperson Unathi Binqose confirmed that the contract with BEI had been terminated but refused to answer further questions BEI director Simon Ntuli did not respond to GroundUp’s inquiries This is not the company’s first controversy. According to a Saturday Star article published in May 2014 the then Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport Ismail Vadi “named and shamed” the company “for neglecting potholes on a busy highway between Krugersdorp and Pretoria” ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " Police in the Eastern Cape say at least six people have been killed at Zingqolweni Village in Lady Frere Four of the deceased were reportedly burnt alive in an open field While the police were busy working on the scene they received another report that two other bodied were found hanged in the nearby forest at Marashu A seventh victim managed to escape the attack and was subsequently rushed to a nearby hospital to receive medical attention The motive for the killings is not yet known says investigations are under way to ensure that  perpetrators are brought to book “The provincial commissioner has ordered a 72-hour activation plan to ensure that all necessary resources are mobilised to facilitate investigations and possible arrests suspects,” adds Kinana The police are asking anyone who can assist with information that can lead to the arrest of the suspects to make contacts with the nearest police station or call our number 0860010111 “We guarantee that all the information received will be treated with strict confidentiality,” he says Eastern Cape Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Liziwe Ntshinga has expressed shock and disappointment at the “ruthless” killings The victims are between the ages of 21 and 27 The deplorable condition of the schools in the Eastern Cape has yet again claimed the life of an innocent three-year-old ActionSA has learnt that a three-year-old child drowned inside a school pit latrine toilet in Lady Frere ActionSA has on numerous occasions decried the fact that learners in over 1000 schools in the Eastern Cape are still forced to use pit latrines to relieve themselves a toddler lost her life because of the inexplicable existence of pit latrines despite the perennial underspending of the department of education Those at the helm of the government of the Eastern Cape should hang their heads in shame for their lack of care not only the education of this young girl but also with her well-being and care It is reported that the lifeless body of the young girl was found on Tuesday the day after she was last seen by her classmates on her way to the pit latrine to retrieve something This kind of negligence can never be tolerated in schools Everyone who was responsible for her safety should take collective responsibility for this unnecessary and avoidable death We should not be calling for the eradication of pit latrines 29 years well into the new democracy and 6 years into the so-called New Dawn For three consecutive years the Eastern Cape government has forfeited unspent grant money meant for the construction and improvement of the infrastructure of schools in the province ActionSA will explore all avenues to hold the government accountable for this incident and hold them to the deadline to eradicate pit latrines from the face of the Eastern Cape We can no longer be bystanders to the dereliction and ineptitude of the Eastern Cape government SuperSport Schools Plus at 2024-04-23 The Lady Frere Sport Legends in collaboration with the Mfundo Cecil Foundation hosts their annual u17 football tournament from 26 to 28 April at the Cacadu Stadium in Emalahleni The event, which will be broadcast live on SuperSport Schools the LFSL was founded in December 2016 with a goal of revitalising sports in the Emalahleni municipality and guidance initiatives to empower the youth of the region football has been at the forefront of the LFSL’s drive to reestablish sports in Emalahleni supported by South African Football Association (Safa) and the Department of Education Their first annual football tournament took place in April 2018 and was attended by scouts of Ajax Cape Town Also on the sidelines was former Bafana Bafana star who earned 45 caps for the South African national team a tournament Dream Team was invited to play against Ajax’s development team and the Khayelitsha Local Football Association in a three-day event The forthcoming competition was previously known as the Sisa Mbekeni Schools Soccer Tournament because of the backing of the Sisa Mbekeni Foundation it has been renamed the Mfundo Cecil Foundation Soccer Tournament with the organisation taking over the as tournament’s primary sponsor which will be promoted alongside the football tournament are raising awareness of drug abuse and gender-based violence The involvement of schools in sport is also a key theme Invitations have been extended to scouts from a number of prominent clubs Further support will be provided by Umhlobo Wenene FM’s sports presenter Ongeziwe Mjana Match 25: 09:00-09:45: Winner A vs Winner B Match 26: 09:50-10:35: Winner E vs Runner Up F Match 27: 10:40-11:25: Winner C vs Winner D Match 28: 11:30-12:15: Winner F vs Runner Up E Match 29: 12:00-13:05: Winner A/Winner B vs Winner C/Winner D Match 30: 13:10-13:55: Winner E/Runner Up F vs Winner F/Runner E Match 31: 14:30-15:40: Winner A/B or Winner C/D vs Winner E/F or Winner F/Runner Up E After breaking into the top eight of the Gauteng Development League (GDL) standings last week Zeekoevlei High lifted the Freedom Cup trophy on the weekend at Wynberg Boys’ High School after defeating Urban Academy in The Absa Wildeklawer Soccer Tournament has a new king sitting on the throne after four days of all-out action Following three days of football filled with surprising outcomes the Absa Wildeklawer Soccer Tournament is down to four title contenders Fans of the Mancosa KwaZulu-Natal Football Association (KZNHSFA) Second-Term League have been starved of football for a week SuperSport United have signed exciting U17 midfielder Sive Pitolo from Lady Frere in the Eastern Cape The teenage defensive midfielder’s strong performances in a local tournament in the Eastern Cape have been noticed by Gavin Hunt’s side Matsatsantsa have signed the young man after he was scouted at an U17 tournament in Lady Frere The annual tournament organised by the Lady Frere Sports Legends made up of current and former Lady Frere residents have promoted sports in their community born in 2005 had been playing for an SAB team Noshumi were once coached by former Bafana Bafana legend Thabo Mngomeni The teenager has now made the move to Gauteng and has begun training with SuperSport United’s U19 and Diski teams The former Freemantle High School student will now continue his education in Tembisa Two other young players from Lady Frere are also being assessed by SuperSport currently “Its very huge for us Lady Frere Sport Legends,” Chairperson Zuko Mlandu told iDiski Times As a Chairman of the organisation I am very happy!” Story by Rob Delport (@FMSouthAfrica) iDiski Media was founded in December 2019 and comprises of a range of football media products Contact us: [email protected] Bantu Holomisa arrives at the event and immediately his car is crowded by fans Meeting and greeting the people of Ermelo – D2D Mr Bongani Msomi welcoming people from Ermelo Manifesto2009 Master of Ceremonies Mr Zolisa Lavisa Manifesto2009 Mr Holomisa and Secretary General Manifesto2009 National Chairperson Mr Bongani Msomi Manifesto2009 press conference – Mr Henie Lombard 10thAnniv Chief Mandla Mandela and headmen 10thAnniv Master of Ceremonies Mr Putco Mafane 10thAnniv UDM Deputy President MrNtopile Kganyago 10th Anniversary- wide screenshot of stage The United Democratic Movement was launched at the World Trade Centre Bantu Holomisa was elected the party’s first president at its first national congress in June 1998 Earlier this year the names of five towns in the Eastern Cape were changed. However, residents in these towns are unhappy as very little has been done to change the signage with the old colonial names. The new names of Komani, Cacadu, Khowa, KwaBhaca and eMaxesibeni were announced in March. Lady Frere is now Cacadu, Elliot is Khowa, Mt Frere is KwaBhaca and Mount Ayliff is now known as eMaxesibeni. Young people say social media must be used to publicise the name changes. “Social media will be a great platform for young people and meetings in rural areas will be best for those who do not have access to the internet,” said Komani resident Sima Phaliso. “We are very happy about the name changes from Queenstown to Komani because Queenstown is linked to Britain, so we are very happy about the name change,” added another resident, Fezekile. The Department of Public Works says budget constraints have delayed the process. “The Department of roads and public works has budgeted about R15 million, but the new names that have recently been gazetted were not included in that budget. The Department will in the 2018/2019 financial year all include all the newly changed names,” said public works spokesperson Mpumzi Zuzile. The name change process started in March. The process also corrected the spelling of town names like Bizana, Ngcobo and Dutywa. Pictures circulating on social media of a severely deformed lamb in the Eastern Cape that resembles a human are no hoax. The Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform has confirmed the authenticity of the pictures saying it was of a deformed stillborn lamb in the Lady Frere area. Dr Lubabalo Mrwebi the department’s Chief Director of Veterinary Services said it was not uncommon for pregnant animals to be infected by viruses early in their pregnancy. “We call on the local community not to panic over this deformed lamb. We can confirm that this deformed lamb is not a progeny of sheep ovum and a human sperm. “Virus infections in early stages of pregnancy may infect the foetus and lead to the development of malformations in the growing foetus. It is likely that this is what happened to the Lady Frere sheep‚” Mrwebi said. Deformed lamb Picture: Supplied Deformed lamb Picture: Supplied   “The gestation period for a sheep is five months. This means that this particular sheep conceived in late December 2016 or early January 2017‚ which was warm with plentiful rainfall in the Chris Hani district‚ conditions which are favourable to the proliferation of mosquitoes and midges known to be the vectors of viruses that cause such diseases such as the Rift Valley Fever (RVF).” He said it was “fair to assume” the animal was infected by the RFV virus. “The resultant circulation of the virus in the blood found its way through the maternal blood into the uterus and the foetus‚ which was at a very critical stage of development‚” Mrwebi said. “The infected foetus then‚ as a result‚ failed to form properly‚ leading to the deformity that it became.” – a deformed head due to abnormal accumulation of fluid in the brain cavity; “The department’s veterinary officials will conduct a postmortem on this deformed lamb and its results will be communicated to the public by the department once complete‚” Mrwebi said. “The lesson we are learning from this experience is that small stock farmers must keep their animals protected against diseases like the Rift Valley Fever with a correct vaccine‚ which is best given long before the mating season so that by the time the females get pregnant they are already protected against this disease.” Mrwebi said the department’s officials were “enlightening” livestock farmers about the incident. Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now Please read our Comment Policy before commenting Lieutenant Commander  Zimasa Mabela abandoned her degree in education after seeing a naval presentation at university and now commands the SAS Umhloti As a girl in the village of Lady Frere, Zimasa Mabela's life revolved around school, and fetching firewood and water from the river. Read more » On 26 August, Lieutenant Commander Zimasa Mabela took command of the SAS Umhloti, a South African Navy Mine Counter Measure Vessel. In doing so, she became the first woman to take… Read more » Outgoing Officer Commanding (left) congratulating the incoming Officer Commanding (right) AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 110 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals representing a diversity of positions on every topic We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Woman dubbed a 'Lion Mama' by South African media was released after public outcry I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A South African woman who stabbed a man to death and severely injured two others after allegedly catching them raping her daughter has been told she will not face murder charges The woman, who has been dubbed “Lion Mama” by the South African media, told police she had stabbed the three men at an unoccupied house in the village of Qumbu in the Eastern Cape after she found them attacking her daughter She said she had been told about the attack by the 18-year-old cousin of the man who died and had tried to call the local police but received no answer When she got there, she found the three men taking it in turns to rape her daughter and stabbed them all repeatedly until they collapsed The mother has not been named in order to protect the identity of her daughter The 56-year-old reportedly ran 3km with a kitchen knife after she was told her daughter was in danger during the incident on 2 September After attacking the alleged rapists she comforted her 27-year-old daughter until the police arrived but was arrested by police and charged with murder and two counts of attempted murder But on Sunday the National Prosecution Authority announced all charges were officially being dropped The “Lion Mama” case prompted an outpouring of support on social media with people across the country rallying to help her A woman in Cape Town, Natalie Kendrick, set up a crowdfunding page which raised over R130,000 (£7,170) to help her with her legal fees, Times Live reported. Addressing a huge crowd which had gathered outside the Lady Frere Magistrates Court for the hearing where the charges were formally dropped, the woman thanked her supporters. She said: "I felt like an old baboon that has no friends, but today you showed me I have people and that I was not alone. Thank you. "I am happy that the charges are withdrawn against me and I thought I was going to jail, but God was on my side." Her lawyer, Buhle Tonise, said the money raised would now go towards trauma counselling for the woman and her daughter. The two surviving men, Xolisa Siyeka and Mncedisi Vuba, are due to appear in court next week to face charges over the alleged rape. Zamile Siyeka was pronounced dead at the scene. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies A woman in South Africa who stabbed her daughter's rapists killing one and severely wounding two more has spoken of her relief after the surviving men were jailed She previously told a court that a friend had alerted her to her daughter's situation and a call to the police had gone unanswered The mother stabbed the men with a kitchen knife killing Zamila Siyeka and injuring the other two during the attack which occurred on 1 September 2017 in Zwartwater She admitted to the killing and was initially arrested and charged with one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder The decision to charge her prompted outrage in South Africa where the 57-year-old has been hailed as a "lion mama" and praised for saving her daughter A fundraiser was launched to meet her legal fees and raised tens of thousands of rands Eventually South Africa's senior public prosecutor took the decision not to proceed with the prosecution, according to News 24 Xolisa Siyeka and Vuba were convicted of raping the woman's daughter Each man was sentenced to 30 years in prison at Lady Frere Magistrate's Court Both men will have five years of their sentences suspended "The truth finally came out. Even if it was my own child who had done the crime, I would want them to get reprimanded for doing something wrong." She said that her daughter was also relieved by the outcome of the trial. CHECK OUT: Turn unemployment into income. Your next job starts here. With nine years’ experience, Tebogo Mokwena, a current affairs writer for Briefly News, provided insights into the criminal justice system, crime statistics and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun LADY FRERE, EASTERN CAPE —The Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane has defended a woman who was arrested in Lady Frere for killing her disabled child's alleged rapist and later released According to SABC News, the 65-year-old man allegedly raped thewoman's disabled child in Cacadu. She was arrested and later released on R500 bail. She appeared before the Lady Frere Magistrates court where her case was withdraen. Read also SAPS Kraaifontein constable shot at mosque PAY ATTENTION: Briefly News is now on YouTube! Check out our interviews on Briefly TV Life now! Mabuyane, who called for the charges against the woman to be dropped, said she murdered the alleged rapist as a defence act. He appeared outside of the court where members of the commnity gatehred in support of the woman, He said that he was happy that the state withdrew its case against her and is declining to prosecute. Read also In a related article, Briefly News reported that a man from Kimberley, Northern Cape, was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for raping a mentally-disabled woman The incident happened in 2019 at a hospital A security guard caught him in the act and alerted the nurses PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza! A drowning tragedy struck Rwantsana Village where four young children died while swimming in a river last Sunday.  The children had gone to the river to cool off while their parents attended a traditional Xhosa homecoming confirmed that three of the children—Imibongo Ncinane An unnamed fifth child accompanied them but ran back to the village when the others started drowning “The child allegedly stayed silent out of fear of punishment because swimming in the river is forbidden for children,” Majola said.  It was only after the families began searching for the missing children that the truth came out Community members discovered the children’s clothes on the riverbank and two of the bodies downstream.  “We couldn’t find the other two that night and had to wait for divers to retrieve them the next morning,” said a villager Locals believe the tragedy could have been avoided if the village had a swimming pool Pictured above: The funeral of the four Rwantsana village children who drowned on Sunday A family from Cumakala village in Lady Frere in the Eastern Cape was dealt a double blow when they learned that their beloved gogo had been murdered by one of their own On Monday last week, a few days after receiving her pension, her 27-year-old nephew arrived with his two friends and demanded money from her. The suspects allegedly struck her on the head with a blunt object and then carried her body in a wheelbarrow to the garden said she got worried when did not see “MaGxarha” the family and residents of the small village started looking for MaGxarha A community member who was part of the search said when they went into her mud hut they saw blood near the bed “We could see there was blood just below where her bed stood When we looked further we could see the tyre track of a wheelbarrow,” he said He said they followed the trail which led them to the garden we could see where the wheelbarrow had stood while they dug a hole to bury her body,” he said “Her nephew was there with us when we found her body He kept on screaming and pacing up and down as we dug up her body Police were called to the scene and the young man confessed to having killed his aunt for her grant money Family member Lydia Jacobs said the family was saddened that the old woman suffered such a terrible death in her old age She said the family was shocked that the murder was committed by one of their own when he comes out of prison he’ll be a better person,” she said The three suspects are expected to appear in the Lady Frere Magistrate’s Court soon