Deputy President Shiphokosa Paulus Mashatile will on behalf of President Cyril Ramaphosa deliver the keynote address at the 2025 Human Rights Day commemoration event scheduled to take place on Friday The Human Rights Commemorative events this year are held under the theme “Deepening a Culture of Social Justice and Human Rights” a call for a renewed and strengthened commitment from all levels of society to accelerate practical solutions in driving inclusive growth and job creation; to reduce poverty and tackle the high cost of living; and to build a capable South Africa has designated the 21 March to commemorate the National Human Rights Day in remembrance of the Sharpeville Massacre that took place on the 21 of March 1960 where apartheid police killed 69 anti-apartheid peaceful protesters This important day also honours 35 people who were killed on 21 March 1985 when apartheid police targeted community members after a funeral at Uitenhage and KwaLanga Government has selected Kariega in the Eastern Cape to host the national Human Rights Day commemoration as part of government’s rotation of National Days to ensure that communities in all provinces are able to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the struggle for liberation and also to reflect and take stock of progress made in building a non-racial 21 March 2025Time: 09h00Venue: Derrick Ferreira Stadium Media Programme:09h00 Arrival of Political Principals - Kariega Town Hall (Photo Opportunity)10h00 Wreath-Laying Ceremony- Langa Memorial Site Kariega (Media in attendance)11h00 Official Programme - Derrick Ferreira Stadium Media accreditation centre: Drostdy Museum Kariega (For collection enquiries please contact: Madimetja Moleba on 066 301 4675) Acting Spokesperson to the Deputy President on 066 195 8840 This article may contain graphic and/or adult content unsuitable for minors and sensitive readers Volkswagen Group Africa has temporarily halted production of the Polo and Polo Vivo as the plant continues to undergo upgrades in preparation for the introduction of its AO SUV Entry project VWGA said production was halted on Monday until 12 May to enable their teams to complete the required work in several areas including the body and paint shops and final assembly “The planned work builds on the foundation of the installations performed in December 2024 during the plant’s annual shutdown “Approximately 60% of the required changes were effected over the 25 days of shutdown including the installation of 38 new fixtures and seven new robots “The completion of this work will also mark the start of the commissioning phase of the A0 SUV Entry project,” VWGA said The company announced the new model at its indaba in February last year as well as a R4-billion investment in the facility Suppliers have also been identified for the new vehicle “This project is understandably a very exciting one for us,” said VWGA production director Ulrich Schwabe “When the first unit of this new vehicle rolls off our production line it will be a proud moment for the entire Volkswagen Group Africa family and I firmly believe this new vehicle will be just as iconic as the beloved Polo and Vivo we are already building.”  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 Kariega residents could not hold back tears of joy when Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Mayor unveiled the newly refurbished Cuyler Bridge which was damaged during the October floods that hit the Eastern Cape Province the R3.8 million refurbished bridge promises to bring relief to Kariega residents as an early Christmas gift and reconnecting the communities which have been isolated by the disaster Speaking at the unveiling of the newly refurbished bridge Lobishe said the successful reconstruction of Cuyler Bridge marks the triumphant completion of Phase 1 of the project Lobishe said the project has transitioned to Phase 2 focusing on enhancing the surrounding water management system including clearing of the riverbank to restore natural flow and cleaning the canal and drainage system to mitigate flood risks "We are thrilled to announce the successful completion of the first project as the closure of the bridge was negatively affecting the economic zone of the area We wouldn’t want businesses to be affected any further As part of my 100 Days [in office] priorities agile and quality infrastructural development to boost Kariega’s growth,” Lobishe said Lobishe announced that several key projects are underway including the rebuilding of the Jubilee Canal and Gibbon Bridge in Kariega Lobishe said efforts to rebuild Kariega are accelerating rapidly She highlighted the municipality’s commitment to revitalising infrastructure in Kariega “The infrastructure projects underway are racing ahead of schedule with the Jubilee Canal project significantly exceeding expectations initially set to be completed in 24 months is now scheduled for completion in just less than 10 months,” Lobishe said The Mayor also warned residents against littering in rivers emphasising how littering negatively affects river overflows and contributes to floods during heavy rains Sisanda Njanjula said the city is racing to complete the project before the festive season begins we noted that the canal is closer to the community particularly for children playing in the area expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the municipality for prioritising Kariega’s development within her 100 Days initiative We will definitely enjoy our festive season,” Snam said General Enquiries newsfiles@gcis.gov.za Tel: 012 473 0213Editor Roze Britz roze@gcis.gov.za News Editor Janine Arcangeli janine@gcis.gov.zaEditor-in-Chief Zanele Mngadizanelemngadi@gcis.gov.za  The Volkswagen Group Africa (VW GA) Plant in Kariega has always been an integral part of the company’s growth for SA and beyond As one of the largest Volkswagen plants on the continent Kariega plays an important role in building right-hand drive vehicles for both local and key export markets Since the factory's official opening in 1951 some of its most iconic models have included the original Beetle and Kombi as well as South Africa's Citi Golf and Jetta The plant is currently the sole Volkswagen facility producing the Polo and Polo Vivo models for local and export markets This after VW GA announced a R4 billion investment in the plant to build its fourth SUV model the unnamed SUV will be built alongside the Polo models from 2027 VW has temporarily paused the production of the Polo and Polo Vivo models from 14 April to 12 May to prepare and upgrade the plant’s production areas for the production of the new SUV approximately 60% of the required changes were made along with other modifications during the December 2024 plant’s annual shutdown; therefore the remaining 40% of the work will be completed in the coming four weeks The procurement team has now finalised supplier nominations meeting the localisation targets set for the new model VW GA and its production team are working closely with VW in Brazil for the development of the new car ahead of its launch VW has shortlisted four African-inspired names for its upcoming SUV with a public naming campaign set to launch soon Unlike the current SUV and crossover lineup the new model will break from tradition and not follow the now-familiar 'T' naming pattern Besides marking an exciting milestone for VW GA the small SUV is set to become a friendly response to China’s growing dominance in the SA new car market Enter your email address to receive regular Top Gear SA newsletters By clicking below you agree to receive news, promotions and offers by email from Top Gear SA. 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Your information will be used in accordance with our privacy policy The Ferrari 296 GTB hybrid sheds some weight and gets more power Geely will build the Riddara RD6 and distribute it locally through Enviro Automotive Time has tainted the definition of luxurious motoring and the American Rolls from the 40s demonstrated the passion that went into an antiquated craft SuperSport Schools Plus HTS Brandwag had enough gas in the tank to see off their Kariega arch-rivals in a 22-19 blockbuster at the Daniel Pienaar on Saturday This clash doubled as a Tinara Cup match and Brandwag now has the inside lane to that trophy after they defeated Muir College Saturday’s showdown was another titanic struggle between two well-matched sides with Daniel Pienaar showing excellent cohesion among their forwards often had the Tigers scrambling in defence The educated boot of Ashley Liesing kept Daniel Pienaar in the hunt as he slotted four penalties and a conversion although he will be disappointed at twice not having found touch late in the game from penalties when his team trailed by three points and needed to make the most of their attacking opportunities The home forwards bossed the Brandwag pack early on and they took the lead 6-3 as the teams exchanged penalties Brandwag sent out a clear signal of their attacking intent when Le Roux sliced through the defence in midfield and raced in for their first try the Brandwag offensive effort began to constantly test the Tigers’ defence but from the restart in the second half an obstruction saw Liesing kick his third penalty to put Daniel Pienaar back in front at 9-8 He was at it again soon afterwards when the visitors infringed at a scrum but Brandwag were rewarded for their attacking endeavours when a late Tigers tackle took Le Roux out of the play and the referee ruled a penalty try to edge the visitors 15-12 ahead The fluctuating nature of the game was underlined when Daniel Pienaar scrumhalf Rozario Grootboom produced a brilliant individual effort from a scrum on the Brandwag 10-metre line racing down the blindside and outpacing the cover defence to gather his chip for a try in the corner Liesing added the conversion as the Tigers hit the front again only for substitute wing Rezanio Petrus to show off his running skills when Brandwag created space down the left as he dodged past defenders to score their third try This time Angelo Adams added the two extra points to make it 22-19 with 12 minutes left and although both teams had their chances on attack in the closing stages the defences stood firm as Brandwag grabbed the bragging rights Outeniqua romped to a comfortable win over the Summerstrand outfit after leading 14-10 following a well-contested first half The Kwaggas attacked relentlessly from the start and it was only through stout defence that Pearson was able to win a penalty to clear their lines Livewire scrumhalf Denilo Jordaan scored their only try with Sibu Mkhontwana adding a conversion and a penalty The visitors scored twice in the first half and then shut out their opponents after the break running in three more converted tries for an emphatic 35-10 win Humansdorp outfit Nico Malan was equally dominant running in seven tries and leading 22-7 at halftime en route to a 43-14 victory over Muir College Related News Junior Springboks rotate team for Australia clash SA Rugby 2025-05-05 Junior Springbok coach Kevin Foote has made several rotational changes to his starting line-up and included four players who played Hilton College captured a hard-fought 25-20 victory over their arch-rivals Glenwood fullback Joshua Kopp kicked the Durban side to a tense one-point victory over Marlow Landbou in a low-scoring thriller Die Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool se Wit Bulle is vanjaar van stoetgehalte Affies het vir Boland Landbou met 74-14 gekarnuffel The third and final day of the 2025 Absa Wildeklawer kicked off with three emphatic victories on the B-field at Junior Springbok coach Kevin Foote has made several rotational changes to his starting line-up and included four players who played Hoërskool Brandwag knows they face a serious challenge at Daniel Pienaar on Saturday in what has become the iconic schools’ derby in Kariega This latest showdown comes after the Tigers broke a decade-long streak of Brandwag dominance with a 20-13 win in 2023 with Brandwag winning 18-5 before Daniel Pienaar triumphed 26-25 later in the year It promises to be another classic clash and Brandwag coach Heine Erasmus said rugby fever is building for the weekend “We are extremely excited to face Daniel Pienaar especially after losing last year’s second game against them,” Erasmus reckoned “A total of 11 players who played that day are still in the team and they are really focused and determined to make things right.” He admitted that playing in Daniel Pienaar’s backyard would be a test for his team for whom Damian le Roux and Angelo Adams have been the standout players this year who scored two tries in last year’s opening game “Playing the Tigers at home is never easy Their competitive and aggressive approach is always intimidating but this was also the case at Marlow (whom Brandwag beat 36-31 two weeks ago),” Erasmus said “Our boys showed then that they could rise to the occasion but only time will tell if this will be the case at Daniel Pienaar this Saturday.” Brandwag has had some good results this season they recently defeated Muir College 26-10 and will be looking to tighten their discipline as they chase a second success “I think our team’s discipline will need to be our main priority,” the Brandwag mentor said “Against Muir we conceded a red and yellow card playing for 10 minutes with only 13 players on the field We will not be able to get away with this on Saturday we will need to stay composed and stick to our structures putting them under pressure and playing in the right areas of the field “The Tigers are also well known for their big pack and strong scrum I feel we have enough flair in our backline to run in some spectacular tries.” Please check your email and enter your one time pin below:   Open in Gmail Sorry there was an error loading the audio The Nelson Mandela Bay metro’s electricity depot in Kariega (formerly Uitenhage) fixed only two of the 198 broken streetlights in the town between October and December 2024 none of the 73 streetlights reported as out were fixed At the time, it was officially reported that close to 1,400 streetlights were out in only three of the metro’s 60 wards, but as DA councillor Ondela Kepe pointed out, the metro doesn’t report cumulative numbers of faults — so nobody knows how many street lights are out of order. advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads The situation is not much better elsewhere in the metro with Despatch fixing the most (31 of 85 faulty streetlights in October The Motherwell depot fixed eight of 17 faulty streetlights in October none of the 10 broken ones reported in November and one of 14 streetlights reported as out in December The depots in the north of the city received 58 reports of faulty streetlights in October and fixed one only one of 83 reported broken streetlights were addressed only one of 47 broken lights reported was fixed The south depot did just as badly: 113 lights were reported as faulty in October – three were fixed three of 108 reported faulty lights were fixed and in December none of 82 lights reported as out of order were fixed The west depot received 81 reports of faulty streetlights in October and fixed one. In November, it fixed five of 75 lights reported as broken and in December, one of 48 reported as faulty.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads “The faults repaired are very low,” the report written and presented by the municipality’s electricity and energy acting executive director Tholi Biyela stated the depots each fixed 90 streetlights a month “Delays in repairs could also be linked to staff being on leave during the second quarter of the 2024/2025 financial year,” said Biyela “Streetlight vandalism is rife and hampers progress of service delivery The operating budget is not sufficient to cater for the continuous vandalism of the network The lack of staff within Distribution and the end of contracts with regards to trainee students that were assisting distribution with contracts has left a void within Distribution,” the report continued officials further admitted that no maintenance of high mast lights is being carried out as the tender had been retracted “[The tender] bounced to and fro between Supply Chain Management the city manager’s office and external lawyers The advice was given that the contract must be cancelled An explanation provided by Biyela says there are few working “cherry pickers” or “cherry picker trailers” left in the metro The report then goes on to explain that they have no cherry pickers to do their job and cannot hire any “No funding has been granted for the purchasing of specialised vehicles and trailer cherry pickers.” Emergency contracts previously given for the procurement of streetlight fittings and luminaires are under investigation by the Special Investigating Unit Read more: Special Investigating Unit to probe streetlight tender in Nelson Mandela Bay The DA’s Kepe called for urgent repairs to the streetlights in the metro it took officials 16 days to attend to one light “We note the municipality’s commitment to appoint contractors through a short-term 14-day tender and the drafting of specifications to address public lighting comprehensively Kepe said it was his understanding that through proper maintenance, the Despatch depot still had the use of its four cherry pickers. This was why it could complete more work.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads ACDP councillor Lance Grootboom said the municipal report showed the shocking reality of a department in crisis, dealing with a backlog of 1,393 unresolved faults two months ago and a snail’s-paced average repair time of 16.24 days.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads “These figures illustrate the pressing need for a more efficient system challenges in staffing and resources have hindered progress only six of 10 artisan electrical posts are occupied combined with a fragmented contract system and limited fleet availability for repairs “We will monitor the municipality’s progress in dealing with this issue closely to ensure these commitments are realised and that funds and resources are effectively allocated to address the backlog,” said Grootboom Kepe said well-lit streets would go a long way to ensure a safer city late night in this metro is not the same any more you never know who is hiding behind a bush,” he said He said there was a specialised vehicle crisis in the metro “The north depot has no cherry pickers and they cover 29 wards,” he said. “The south depot only has two vehicles.”advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads He said the department did not comply with supply chain management regulations and the correct measures and controls were not in place The lack of streetlights is a real hindrance to quality of life in this city.” He said artisans working at the department were fatigued there are only 15 artisans that must take care of 28 wards Contracted services have been pulled and contracts have not been renewed.” Kepe said the backlogs that built up when employees were on leave were frightening the workload will be even more unmanageable.” Kepe said he inspected streetlight fixtures that had been delivered to the depots in the metro recently and was shocked at the poor quality of the product We have to find a way to ensure quality assurance and consequence management Officials and the company providing these substandard streetlights must be held to account “Such things can be avoided if we have a service-level agreement in place that speaks about quality control and empowers officials at the depots to refuse to accept substandard stock,” he said Kepe proposed that fixing streetlights in high-crime zones in Nelson Mandela Bay was prioritised “I also have a plan for us to look at cost-sharing with businesses and residents But this will require a high-level discussion,” he said He said he had also proposed a contingency repair fund to ensure that depleted budgets did not stop repair work A woke anti Trump anti Afrikaner frenzy today No comments allowed as has been the model recently freedom of speech as long as you agree with us Recent history will tell you this doesn’t end well Shouting woke is really a self-righteous choice not only to insult or denigrate others but to protect one’s ignorance and support injustice Free speech is enshrined in our constitution Its something the press spent decades fighting for in SA Yes I repeated what I said yesterday but its no where close to the “woke” repetition that really doesn’t gain much muster DM should write an article on censorship of their readers A few mornings ago someone smashed into a street light near where I live the following day and a new pole and light was erected and firmed into place After 30 years they are still saying “we need to do this Contrast to PE: Multiple street lights out across the city and particularly bad in low income and industrial areas where they have been out for YEARS In some instances the poles have been chopped down Lights out on the beachfront so this has become a dangerous area at night Sounds a lot like a multiracial Orania by the sea I must come visit soon to see what I’m missing out on The Irony of being named after Nelson Mandela For patriotic South Africans,these never ending failures are a very depressing state of affairs. let’s all focus our energies on the impotant business of vilifying the US President … One needs distractions for the sake of sanity iPhones or Ford Rangers for us South African’s anymore Many years ago one of the tyre manufacturers invited the Unions to observe how many tyres a day a tyre builder can make Now why can the Municipality not do this with streetlights they might revert back to burning tyres instead of fixing street lights How many ANC cadres does it take to change a lightbulb Are there any civic organisations in Kariega as politicians & officials are simply incompetent & or only in the job for the money Service delivery & associated accountability is lost without civil society involvement Join your rate payers or establish one and get involved ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " According to a statement, the new energy addition provides enough energy to power at least 2 000 two-bedroom houses fitted with geysers and using electrical appliances. Volkswagen Group Africa says it has invested close to R100 million in solar energy at the facility, to date. The renewable energy share at the plant increased from 1.5% in 2018, to 17.1% in 2023, which reduces the reliance on electricity supplied by the municipality. The combined solar energy capacity can save approximately 7 500 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year, it says. Ulrich Schwabe, VW Group Africa production director, says the reduction in dependence on fossil fuels, which is projected to reach 23% by 2025, highlights Plant Kariega’s goal to be a zero-impact factory by 2030. “Our efforts to reduce carbon emissions are in line with Volkswagen Group’s global ‘go to zero’ environmental strategy, aimed at achieving carbon-neutrality, which is aligned with the Paris Agreement. As a result, all Volkswagen Group plants are highly-focused on decarbonisation, with renewable energy playing a key role in this effort,” notes Schwabe. The manufacturing plant in Kariega is the company’s largest plant outside of Germany. Kariega is an industrial town around 750km east of Cape Town. With 3 500 employees, VWSA is the largest private employer in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro. The plant, which has been building Volkswagens since 1951, stretches over 518 378m² and produces 710 vehicles per day. Apart from manufacturing engines, the Kariega plant builds the Polo Vivo and Polo, and is the sole manufacturer of the Polo GTI. According to VW, the total number of solar photovoltaic panels across the premises now stands at 12 097. Schwabe notes that between 2010 and 2023, the electricity usage per vehicle manufactured decreased by 54%. Since 2010, Plant Kariega’s environmental impact has improved by 57.7%, which includes reduction in energy consumption, water, waste, solvent and carbon emissions, says VW. The global automobile industry has been ramping up its sustainability practices, with some manufacturers setting renewable energy targets. Home | South Africa Deputy President Paul Mashatile on behalf of President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers the keynote address at the 2025 Human Rights Day commemoration event at the Derrick Ferreira Stadium in Kariega in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality in the Eastern Cape The Human Rights Commemorative events this year are held under the theme “Deepening a Culture of Social Justice and Human Rights” Several months after the collapse of the Matanzima Road bridge the town is still in chaos with early morning traffic disrupting taxi routes costing the taxi industry thousands as the alternative route is a gravel road which deteriorates the state of the vehicles Uitenhage District Taxi Association Spokesperson “The impact of the bridge in our business is huge We no longer have peak hour now in which we had five trips between 5am and 10am Residents have voiced their frustrations about the delay of building a new bridge now I have to walk to town because of this strike It is long overdue,” says one of the angry residents “People are unable to go to work and this did not start from today The municipality should have fixed the bridge a long time ago it caught us off guard,” says another resident The Nelson Mandela Metro Municipality was allocated R89 million for flood-damage repairs Babalwa Lobishe says R44 million of this budget has already been spent in which a contractor is expected to commence with the Matanzima road bridge “The bridge is allocated within the R89 million (flood damaged budget) and the project is assumed can only be completed in nine to 10 months but we will see how the companies exercise their speediness in the process because within the Jubilee Bridge and the other bridge they took less time because they worked extra hours The strike is now on hold as the municipality is expected to award a new contractor on Friday Subscribe to daily business and company news across 19 industries 131,485 units were Polos which are exported to over 30 global markets and 35,599 vehicles were Polos and Polo Vivos for the local market “This milestone must be attributed to the dedication and diligence of our 4 000 employees and the unwavering support of our customers and stakeholders,” said Ulrich Schwabe “As we continue to expand our footprint both locally and globally and delivering quality products which meet the needs of our diverse markets.” The new production record comes at a time of continued investment in VW’s production infrastructure VW announced a R4bn investment into the Kariega Plant for the introduction of a third model to be built alongside the Polo and Polo Vivo from 2027 Plant Kariega is the sole supplier of the Polo GTI for global markets the plant became the sole supplier of the Polo for European and Asia Pacific markets Choose a topic below and thereafter view all articles on the topic using the "Next >" button or swiping left Choose a topic below and thereafter view all articles on the topic using the "Next >" button or the keyboard right arrow key Eastern Cape Emergency Medical Services (FB) An unknown man has died after jumping in front of a moving train at Kariega Police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge says the incident happened around 6.30 am near the De Mist train station on Thursday He says the train was underway to Nelson Mandela Bay and could not stop in time Paramedics from Eastern Cape Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene where the victim was trapped If you struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts please get in touch with the Suicide crisis line toll-free on 0800 567 567 (24 hours) The Eastern Cape Health Department said six healthcare facilities in Kariega have been left in the dark following the theft of cables the two suspected thieves also suffered serious burns from the incident and were ironically treated at one of the facilities affected by their actions He said the outage damaged crucial equipment like X-ray and suction machines while electronic patients’ files cannot be accessed Manana said vaccines were also being stored the provincial hospital in Kariega while patients were being ferried to clinics in other areas He also noted that they have been using a backup generator at Laetitia Bam clinic since a municipal transformer became faulty on 14 February “A technician is on site working on the generator other arrangements will be made to ensure services are restored We are hoping the generator will be fixed soon so that it can continue providing power until power is restored the suspects who allegedly stole the electricity cables suffered serious burns They were initially treated at the same Laetitia Bam CHC they are suspected of sabotaging before they were transferred to higher level of care because of the extent of their burn wounds South Africa (12 December 2024) – In October this year devastating floods washed away Cuyler Bridge which was a main access point cutting off the Uitenhage SPCA from the community that supports its invaluable work hindering donations and adoptions plummeted longing for human interaction and loving homes “For weeks, the only way to reach us was a dangerous detour, leaving many of our beloved cats and dogs waiting months for visitors, let alone a forever home,” shares the SPCA the animal welfare team got to finally breathe a sigh of relief and was filled with joy at the announcement that the bridge has been rebuilt Many have been waiting far too long for a loving home we dream of seeing them curled up under a tree with a family to call their own.” This festive season is one of the busiest for Uitenhage SPCA with countless unwanted animals being brought in Support from the general public in the form of donations charity shop purchases and adoptions can go a long way in feeding many furry friends in need making space for newcomers and giving some truly wonderful chaps a second chance Even a visit to play or spend time with our animals means the world to them “Let’s make this festive season a time of giving and love for all creatures great and small we can ensure no tail is left wagging in despair.” Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id" "aa678789519a63598dc501a0cb7b39d8" );document.getElementById("d2d9e305b5").setAttribute( "id" and website in this browser for the next time I comment Would you like to receive truly phenomenal inspirational and good thing stories right to your inbox Then subscribe to our weekly GoodThingsGuy newsletter today I accept GTG’s Privacy Policy GoodThingsGuy is the home of everything good and those are the things that really matter We believe that there is good news all around us and over 1 million readers a month agree with us GoodThingsGuy was officially launched on the 1 August 2015 in order to only promote good news inspirational stories and promote only positive multi-platform media company that distills unique content across multiple media platforms We consider individual and corporate contributions through the website 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Be sure you have your GPS enabled and try again AVBOB celebrates a milestone by rewarding its members on a large scale KARIEGA - The Democratic Alliance in the Eastern Cape embarked on an oversight visit to check the extent of damage caused by recent floods in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro They're saying the recent flood damage in the metro could have been minimised if the municipality had taken the June flooding seriously and acted promptly to implement preventive measures.  READ: Eastern Cape floods | Three dead and thousands displaced But the visit had mixed reactions from community members Some see this as an opportunity to score political points using their suffering Others agreed that since the June floods nothing has been done to fix the damaged infrastructure The man who turned state witness in the trial of a group of men charged with shooting ten people at a drug post in Kariega that the entire incident took just a few minutes Shane Arends was giving evidence against the six men accused of killing seven people and wounding three others in the 2023 incident in Kwanobuhle the charges were withdrawn against Arends in the Gqeberha Regional Court when the matter got underway and Rivaldo Baartman face numerous counts of murder attempted murder as well as inciting a pattern of criminal gang activity and performing an act aimed at bringing about promoting or contributing towards a pattern of gang activity Nyiki arrived at the Hondekoppe gang’s alleged headquarters in Bethelsdorp in Gqeberha where he [Arends] had been drinking with Jones Fortuin and Baartman and complained that his [Nyiki] drug post had been robbed who allegedly operated a drug post in Kwanobuhle in Kariega of issuing a verbal threat against a rival drug dealer who operated out of a place in Mdlele Street This allegedly followed "recent conflict" between alleged drug runners working for the two men Arends said Nyiki then instructed them to go and shoot the rival drug dealer to “pass a message.” When asked by state prosecutor Mark Driman why they did not hesitate to act on this instruction Arends said; “We [Hondekoppe] supply Nyiki with drugs therefore we needed to protect him so that he does not find another supplier.” Baartman and I then took loaded firearms and drove with Mahlahla and Debooi in Nyiki’s car to shoot at Matyu and his friends.” Arends said Mahlahla and Debooi pointed out the drug post and they walked to the house after being dropped off a distance away I stopped to tie my shoelaces while the others walked in and I told them I would act as lookout at the gate while they pulled the trigger.” they fled the scene hastily and returned to Gqeberha to inform Nyiki “The drive back to Gqeberha was so tense we just wanted to get away from Kariega,” he added When they finally arrived back at the headquarters in Gqeberha Nyiki’s 15-page plea statement was read out in court by his attorney in which he denied all of the charges against him He further denied ordering the deaths of an alleged rival drug dealer and his associations or that he had acted “in the furtherance of a common purpose or conspiracy” and that he had “unlawfully and intentionally killed” the seven people who died in a hail of bullets at Kariega drug post Nyiki also denied being a member of the "hondekoppe" gang "Although I admit to previously dealing in drugs I no longer did so on the date in question I deny operating a rival drug outlet in Kwanobuhle in competition with Thulani Matyu. "Although I admit shortly prior to the incident an event took place between Matyu and one of my friends Abongile whom at the time was also dealing in drugs," Nyiki said He said he visited Matyu's house to try and deal with the issue between Abongile and Matyu He admitted visiting a house in Bethelsdorp that the state alleges is the "headquarters" of the "criminal gang" but Nyiki said it was only a stopover on the way to hospital to visit a friend who was wounded in a shooting incident He said they ended having drinks with a group of other people Nyiki said he had borrowed his car to one of the men to fetch his girlfriend in Kariega so that they could discuss the issues between him and Abongile He said when the other co-accused returned from Kariega they had informed him that "something bad" had happened initially thinking that his vehicle might have been in an accident "Accused number 3 (Unathi Debooi) however advised me that there was a shoot- out at Thulani’s house and that people were shot I tried to get more information from Accused number 3 but he just maintained that people were shot at Thulani’s house," Nyiki said He said further that although none of my co- accused admitted that they were involved in any shooting at Thulani’s house I suspected that accused numbers 5 (Lee Irvan Fortuin) and 6 (Shane Arends) could have be involved after I had noticed they each had a spin barrel revolver in their possession when they returned from Kwanobuhle "Had I known that they had firearms in their possession which could have resulted in a shoot- out at Thulani’s place I would not have allowed Accused number 5 and 7 to accompany Accused number 2 and 3 to Kwanobuhle and in particular The matter postponed to 17 March for cross-examination of Arends Also Read: Kariega murder accused plead not guilty to multiple charges Flood displaced residents of Kariega in the Nelson Mandela Metro in the Eastern Cape say they are still suffering from the effects of being displaced earlier this year More than 50 families were moved by the municipality from the flood-prone Lapland area to temporary structures in a different part of Kariega The residents are highlighting sanitation as the main issue they face They say the temporary toilets they were provided with are not being maintained by the municipality Ernelene Reed says this lack of proper sanitation poses serious health risks “Some of our children get infections there is a bad smell when you open the door You can smell how bad it is inside of your house even when you turn right or left you can smell it We want them to come and clean the toilets because we have been trying for weeks now for assistance but no answer.” VIDEO | Flood displaced residents still suffer effects in Kariega: The murder trial of a former policeman from Kariega is underway in the Gqeberha High Court 29-year-old Deswayne Van Staden is accused of killing Bernard Christoffels during a brawl over stolen electrical cables on 27 September 2022 He also faces charges of the unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition Christoffels and members of the Gerald Smith community gathered to discuss the power outages that were due to cable theft in the area The community decided to go to a dilapidated house in the area where cable thieves usually burnt cables One of the four men who burnt cables was carrying a plastic bag containing electric cables a fight ensued between Christoffels and the accused when he took the bag containing electric cables from the accused to hand it over to the police Christoffels and others then walked down the street with the accused allegedly in front of them The accused allegedly fled and Christoffels was declared dead at the scene Ricardo Jafta who was present on the day of the shooting testified that he saw Van Staden pull a firearm from his waist and shoot the deceased stating that he is certain about the shooter's identity who in turn wanted to communicate but was unable to because he bled from the mouth The witnesses made gurgling sounds in court as he recalled the evidence The court also heard how Jafta ran back home to fetch his car to take Christoffels to a hospital The police located the accused later that day in the shack he shared with his girlfriend a firearm and five live rounds of ammunition were hidden under the carpet inside the shack Christoffels died due to blood loss caused by a gunshot wound to the chest