‘Cradock

Dr Michael Schultz qualified as a general practitioner in 1986 at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa. He went on to specialize in ophthalmology at the University of the Free State where he worked as full-time consultant at the Universitas and National Hospitals in Bloemfontein. He started in private practice in Gqeberha at the end of 1994.

Dr Schultz has an active practice in all fields of ophthalmology with special interest in cataract and refractive surgery, diabetic eye disease and glaucoma.

He is a member of the Ophthalmological Society of SA and the Southern African Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and a Founder member of the SA Glaucoma Society.

Dr Schultz is a founder member and current Director of the Eye & Laser Institute in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Dr Schultz also consults in Jeffreys Bay, Cradock and Somerset East in the Eastern Cape.

The above business is in Ward 7, Gqeberha, Nelson Mandela Bay. Ward 7 showcases all businesses within the Ward as a way to ‘hyper localise’ the economy and encourage prosperity in Ward 7. ANY business in Ward 7 may submit their details for free HERE. Support THIS BUSINESS HERE.

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Dear Editor

Millions of Rands have been syphoned off the bankrupt Inxuba Yethemba Municipality (IYM) by means of an unfinished contract to conduct a feasibility study of a landfill site. The contract, which was originally awarded at R6,5 million, eventually nearly doubled in cost and the consultant was paid a whopping R12,3 million – without the project being completed.

IYM has long experienced problems with its landfill site in Cradock. The site has been unsecured for many years and the unlawful burning of waste at the facility has exposed neighbouring residents to poisonous fumes.

Local businesses through the Cradock Business Forum subsequently instituted legal action against the municipality with the court directing that the municipality should comply with the conditions of its waste management licence.

The tender to conduct a feasibility study of the existing landfill site was awarded to 2MC Consultants on the 7th of August 2020. Although a total amount of R12,3 million has already been paid to the consultants, the scope of work remains incomplete as the consultant has never been able to provide the municipality with the required approval from the Department of Water Affairs.

The Democratic Alliance has now referred this matter to the Hawks for investigation and has provided the investigating officer with all the relevant documentation needed to fully investigate the matter. (document attached here and here)

Under a DA government we will ensure that all the money wasted on this fiasco is recuperated.

IYM is broken and bankrupt. The municipality is often unable to deliver the most basic of services. Raw sewage flows in the streets and into our rivers, lack of road maintenance has all but destroyed our road infrastructure and residents are plagued with constant water and electricity outages.

This lack of service delivery has destroyed the local economy, as businesses and residents leave Cradock and Middelburg in search of better prospects elsewhere.

The residents of Inxuba Yethemba Municipality deserve better. That is why the DA is committed to save the residents of this municipality from the inept and corrupt ANC administration that is currently in charge.

In the 2021 Local Government Elections the DA will do everything in its ability to take over governance of this municipality so that we can take Inxuba Yethemba forward again.

Regards

Cllr Monde Desha
DA Mayoral Candidate in the Inxuba Yethemba Municipality

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Dear Editor

In the run-up to the Local Government Elections, it is my pleasure to announce the DA’s Mayoral candidates in three of the Eastern Cape municipalities, outside of Nelson Mandela Bay, which the DA can win.

These three are the DA-run Kouga Municipality, and the Eastern Cape Karoo municipalities of Inxuba Yethemba and Dr Beyers Naude.

We have spent a year on our very thorough candidate selection process and we are confident that our mayoral candidates are the right people to get things done.

1. In the Kouga Municipality, where the DA government has been a beacon of hope for local government in the Eastern Cape since taking over in 2016, our candidate is the current Mayor, Cllr Horatio Hendricks.
2. In the Inxuba Yethemba Municipality, our candidate for Mayor is Cllr Monde Desha who has served as a DA councillor for six years and as caucus leader for five years.
3. In the Dr Beyers Naude Municipality, our candidate is Cllr Ewald Loock who served as Mayor of the erstwhile Baviaans Municipality for 13 years.

The DA is ready to retain a majority to keep making progress in the Kouga Municipality and bring even more prosperity to this region.

We also believe we can win outright majorities in Inxuba Yethemba and Dr Beyers Naude as a result of the complete neglect by the ANC and the work we have done over many years in those municipalities.

Towns like Cradock (Inxuba Yethemba) and Graaff-Reinet (Dr Beyers Naude) used to be the pride of rural Eastern Cape, but decades under an ANC government have seen these towns reduced to rubble and stripped of their former glory.

Residents have become accustomed to raw sewage flowing in the streets, massive potholes, rubbish not being collected and constant water and electricity outages.

The lack of service delivery has destroyed the local economy, and unemployment has sky-rocketed.

But where the DA governs, we get things done, and a prime example of this is the Kouga Municipality.

Some of the successes achieved in Kouga are:

• Kouga passed its first-ever R1 billion budget in 2020.
• 1 596 households have received access to electricity for the first time.
• Africa’s first eco-friendly plastic road was constructed.
• More than 20 000 potholes have been repaired since 2018/19.
• R151,2 million was secured in drought disaster funding.
• 1 827 historic title deeds have been delivered to beneficiaries.
• Kouga is the most financially stable municipality in the Eastern Cape

The DA has a plan to keep making progress in Kouga and save the people of Inxuba Yethemba and Dr Beyers Naude from the corrupt, inept and destructive ANC.

Our candidates and their teams will be out in their communities to share the DA’s message of change and prosperity with the residents of these municipalities.

Because where the DA governs, we get things done.

Regards

Andrew Whitfield, MP
DA Eastern Cape Provincial Chairperson

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Eastern Cape, 31 August 2021: The R93 million special maintenance project on the R75 from Wolwefontein to Jansenville Phase 2 in the Sarah Baartman District Municipality has been completed, according to the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL).

Route R75 is one of the major National Roads within the Eastern Cape that links the coastline with its hinterland.

Twenty-two sub-contractors were engaged, and 300 local labourers worked on the project. The project was completed on 16 August 2021.

“SANRAL is committed to developing small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) on road construction projects,” said Mbulelo Peterson, SANRAL Southern Region Regional Manager.

The scope of work included gravel shoulder construction, in situ recycling sections with emulsion treated base and 10mm Cape Seal to protect the recycled base.

The pre-treatment included rejuvenator fog spray, 50/70 continuously graded base patches with BTB, 50/70 continuously medium graded surface patches, ETB edge break repairs and texture slurry.

Additional work on the project included the new concrete edge beams, subsoil drain cleaning and replacement, building new gabions, erecting new guardrails and fencing, 14mm and 7mm double seal, and retroreflective road marking.

“The upgraded road will reduce commuting time between destinations and there will be road safety improvement for motorists and pedestrians,” said Peterson.

In addition to the special maintenance work on the road, SANRAL implemented some community development projects. The work also included the repair and reseal of the road leading to the Jansenville hospital, the rehabilitation of a landfill site and the erection of a fence and signage to the dumpsite.

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No electricity for the poor so that municipal officials can be paid!

Dear Editor

The residents of Rosmead, a small erstwhile railway village outside Middelburg, have been without electricity for almost a week. This is as a result of the unwillingness of the Inxuba Yethemba Municipality (IYM) to pay monies owed to Transnet for electricity consumption prior to running its payroll, out of fear that there will be insufficient funds to cover salaries for the month of August.

IYM, an Eastern Cape municipality which includes the towns of Cradock and Middelburg, has been experiencing massive financial challenges over the past number of years. The municipality had a negative cash flow at the end of the 2019/20 financial year and is factually bankrupt.

The beleaguered municipality already owes Eskom some R216 million in unpaid electricity charges. Transnet is just another one of its creditors that decided they can no longer bankroll this dysfunctional municipality.

IYM acquired Rosmead from Transnet a couple of years ago but has to date failed to finalise the transfer processes. As a result, Transnet is still responsible for the payment of the electricity account to Eskom.

IYM has to foot the electricity bill as almost all the residents in Rosmead are indigent. Unfortunately, IYM has not been paying Transnet, who is now owed an amount of R740 000 and fed-up with the non-payment by the municipality.

IYM has over the past couple of months struggled to pay the salaries of its officials. Insiders acknowledged that they received strict instructions not to pay any creditors before the payroll run tomorrow, 25 August 2021.

I will now write to the Eastern Cape MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Xolile Nqatha, as well as Transnet, to intervene and alleviate the plight of the long-suffering people of Rosmead.

This is a shocking example of how an ANC-run municipality will put the interest of politicians and officials ahead of the interests of their communities.

The DA can save the residents of the Inxuba Yethemba Municipality from the uncaring and inept ANC that is currently in charge. In 2021 the DA will do everything in its ability to take over governance of this municipality so that we can improve the situation for the residents of Cradock and Middelburg.

Regards

Retief Odendaal, MPL
EC Midlands Constituency Leader

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WILLOWMORE – A suspect aged 26 is expected to appear at Willowmore Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 23 August 2021 following his arrest on Saturday, 21 August 2021 by Graaff Reinet K9 Unit and Cradock Crime Intelligence members in an information driven operation.

It is alleged that on Saturday, 21 August 2021, at about 22.00, upon executing a search warrant at the house in Barend Street, Willowmore, the members recovered 42 Full Mandrax tablets, hidden in a motor vehicle, parked on the property.

The estimated street value of the recovered drugs is R 3 380.00

The suspect was arrested on a charge of possession of drugs and will appear before the Willowmore Magistrate’s Court soon.

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GRAAFF-REINET – Police are investigating two cases of murder involving two males in Santaville during the early hours of this morning.

It is alleged that at about 01:50, the body of Tyrone Ruiters was found in Santaville after he was allegedly stabbed by Indrico Steyn after a heated disagreement.

Ruiters was transported to hospital but succumbed to his injuries. He sustained a stab wound to his chest.

It further alleged that a group of Tyrone’s friends chased after Steyn and stabbed him multiple times. He too, succumbed to his injuries.

The cause of the disagreement and suspects are unknown at this stage. Police investigation continues.

Graaff Reinet Police are appealing to anyone with the information that may assist the detectives in the investigation to contact Detective Warrant Officer Fourie on 082 442 2969, on 049 8076600 or call the Crime Stop number 086 00 10 111. Information received will be treated with strictest confidentiality

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