Latest news with #EasternCape
News24
36 minutes ago
- Health
- News24
Cogta vows to clamp down on illegal initiation schools, after 94 deaths last year
The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Velenkosini Hlabisa, has vowed to crack down on illegal initiation schools after 94 people died last year. Hlabisa launched the winter initiation season in Bloemfontein at the weekend, saying initiation schools have a 'collective duty to safeguard the lives and dignity of all initiates throughout the season'. He said that during the 2024 initiation season, 94 people died, and another 11 suffered amputations due to unsafe initiation practices. He added that incidents were especially prevalent in the Eastern Cape and Free State. Hlabisa reaffirmed the government's unwavering commitment to the full enforcement of the Customary Initiation Act. The minister said his department would be enforcing the mandatory registration and verification of initiation schools, thorough medical screening of all initiates, rigorous training and vetting of traditional surgeons and caregivers, deployment of monitoring units and emergency response services, and strict enforcement of health protocols to mitigate risks such as dehydration and hypothermia. Hlabisa stated that Cogta will work in close collaboration with various government departments to ensure a smooth and well-managed initiation season. 'Registration does not exempt anyone from accountability. Any school that contravenes the law, disregards safety regulations or endangers lives will be closed without hesitation, the law is unequivocal and applies to all,' said Hlabisa. He urged parents, traditional leaders, and community members to all remain vigilant and report any signs of abuse, misconduct, or non-compliance.
The Herald
an hour ago
- Business
- The Herald
Time to shine spotlight on unsung heroes
They will be vying for the respective category titles which include: Environment, Sports, Arts and Culture, Business/Entrepreneur, Education, Community, Civil Society, Gender Based Violence, Health and Safety as well as the Standard Bank Youth Category known as 'Make your Mark'. The latter is the event's gold sponsors' youth initiative to support young change-makers and social innovators who are making an impact in their communities. The 'Make Your Mark' award provides special recognition to recipients who demonstrate exceptional leadership, innovation and dedication. The Head of client coverage, personal and private banking for Standard Bank Eastern Cape, Unathi Maqalekane, said it aimed to become the catalyst that transformed these individual initiatives into a reality in alignment to the company's vision 'Africa is our home and we drive her growth'. 'The Herald NMU Citizens of the Year Awards gives special recognition to ordinary individuals who create a positive impact within the community. 'Similarly, our focus is on creating positive impacts for our clients, our employees, our communities and the environment. 'On that account, we are excited to continue as a valued partner because we share a similar commitment to uplift society to drive Africa's sustainable growth.' Maqalekane said c elebrating the unsung heroes was crucial as they were often the backbone of communities and organisations, providing essential support that might not always be visible. 'Recognising their efforts by virtue of these accolades shows that their contributions are valued and appreciated and can inspire others to step up and offer their own support thereby creating a culture of community and belonging.' The acting dean of students at Nelson Mandela University, Vuyo Bongela, said their decision to continue as a partner stemmed from a shared vision to celebrate those who embodied the spirit of ubuntu. 'We believe that being recognised in this way not only affirms the emotional journey of the winners, but also validates the purpose and passion that fuels their work. 'It raises their visibility, often enabling them to access greater support and extend their reach, ultimately amplifying the positive change they bring about in their communities. 'As our tagline charges us to 'change the world', we believe such endeavours contribute to this bold mission,' Bongela said. If you know of anyone who exemplifies the true meaning of upliftment and positive change, let's honour them. Nominate your local hero on this link: For any queries, please contact The Herald marketing manager, Berna Ulay-Walters on ulayb@ The event sponsors are: Co-title sponsors: Nelson Mandela University | Gold sponsor: Standard Bank | Bronze sponsor: Continental Tyre SA | Support partners: Vodacom, Three Peaks Wine and JTC Decor Events | Venue sponsors: Sun Boardwalk. The Herald
News24
2 days ago
- General
- News24
71-year-old woman in Lusikisiki killed in a suspected arson attack - ‘We're scared' says family
A devastating yet sinister incident has shaken the Dalindyebo family and community of Lusikisiki - EC at large after Bathozamile Dalindyebo (71) was found dead in her home, following a suspected arson attack that broke out at night while she was asleep with her grandchild who miraculously survived the ordeal. Read more | Family of Mpumalanga woman axed by baby daddy over Sassa card speaks out The family is still mourning and reeling from the loss of their beloved matriarch; however, Lundi Dalindyebo, the victim's son, shared with DRUM harrowing details of the incident and how the family is coping following the tragic incident. Read more | Olorato Mongale's family struggles to come to terms with her tragic death - 'Our worst fears came true' Lundi states that the fire was discovered by a neighbour who had gotten up to use the restroom around 1 AM on Sunday, May 25. She then smelled the fire fumes and upon checking she found the family's rondavel engulfed in flames. 'It was on Saturday, May 24, and based on the information the neighbour provided we can safely suggest that the fire started as early as 11 PM the previous night, but the neighbour only noticed at 1 AM following morning. She says she was getting up to pee when she smelled fire fumes and decided to go check as she thought it could've been coming from the cemetery, only to see that it was coming from my mom's house, and she then called for help. So, according to us as the family and the police assessing the scene we can definitely say the fire started around 11 PM,' he emphasised. Read more | 79-year-old man sentenced to life imprisonment for raping 6-year-old girl Lundi says that the family believes that their mother was likely attacked before being set alight, citing the fact that she was found at the center of the rondavel lifeless, rather than near the door where she would have likely tried to escape had it just been fire only at play. 'The reason we believe she was most likely attacked before they sealed her fate is mainly because we found her at the center of the rondavel burnt beyond recognition as though they took her out of bed and put her there,' he said. He further mentioned the strong smell of paraffin at the scene further supports their suspicions that it's an arson attack and not anything else. 'When we arrived at the scene we were welcomed with a strong smell of what we can only assume for now is paraffin or maybe gasoline, which supports our claims that indeed she was attacked,' he added. Read more | Main suspect killed, two on the run in Olorato Mongale's murder case Lundi mentions that the victim was sleeping with her 1-year-old grandchild at the time, who miraculously survived the tragic ordeal as she was found on the side of the bed as though the perpetrators may have deliberately set the child aside, reason that further supports their claims of an attack as he says they know she would've strived to protect the child from the fire had it not been premeditated. 'The 1-year-old was saved from the fire by people who arrived at the scene before it consumed the whole rondavel and was just on one side, but fortunately enough for her, she didn't sustain no injuries,' he said. Read more | Mqanduli teen's life cut short over stolen bread, jam and porridge - 'He was desperate and hungry' The family is still grappling with the circumstances surrounding the incident, as they claim that their mother was a well-liked person with no known enemies. 'She didn't have any fights with anyone, and she wasn't in any debt where we could maybe say it's people she owed, no, nothing like that and we're in a state of confusion as to who she wronged this much to die so brutally,' Lundi said, expressing the family's confusion and pain. Lundi concluded by saying that as they prepare to lay their mother to rest on June 7, they're still seeking answers and justice with the police still investigating as no one has been arrested yet, he also mentioned that the family no longer feels safe after this horrific incident. 'We're scared, and don't know what to expect next and we must now constantly look over our shoulders,' he concluded.
News24
3 days ago
- Health
- News24
Mqanduli teen's life cut short over stolen bread, jam and porridge - ‘He was desperate and hungry'
On May 7, 2025, a tragic incident unfolded in Mqanduli, Eastern Cape, where the theft of half a loaf of bread led to the brutal death of a 14-year-old boy. His life was taken by neighbors who viewed the act of stealing bread as an unforgivable crime. Read more | Family of Mpumalanga woman axed by baby daddy over Sassa card speaks out In a shocking and disturbing incident, the Dlulwana family has been left reeling and mourning the loss of their 14-year-old boy while praying for the full recovery of their 16-year-old boy who was also implicated in the crime for allegedly stealing money. The family spokesperson Manini Dlulwana narrated to DRUM the events that led to the boys' demise. 'My nephews were beaten as they were accused of stealing from the neighbour's house. It's two of them, the other one is 14 years old, who's deceased, and the other is 16 years old. The 14-year-old wasn't caught red handed, he only got exposed when his cousin, the 16 -year-old was caught trespassing and entering through the window to steal money, and they interrogated him about the other things that usually go missing in the house, including the half of bread, jam and instant porridge but he (16-year-old) had no knowledge of any of them and they eventually found out it was the 14-year-old who stole the other stuff,' he said. Read more | Bullied teen tells mom if perpetrators are not arrested she'll kill herself He further stated that the two boys are related as they share the same surname but didn't reside in the same household, he says that their families are struggling to make ends meet, and poverty may have driven the boys to steal out of desperation and hunger. 'The boys still have parents, both of them, however they're not working and are struggling to make ends meet and hunger may have played a significant role in the boys' decision to engage in theft,' he added. He also revealed that the boys were subjected to extreme physical abuse by four adults as their punishment, including being beaten with knobkieries and having salt poured onto their bodies or wounds so as to cause further suffering and inflict maximum pain. 'The 14-year-old suffered tremendous pain and eventually succumbed to his wounds on May 11, while the 16-year-old is currently in a critical but stable condition fighting for his life in hospital. However, the perpetrators were arrested but got out on R500 bail each on May 22 and are expected to appear in court on June 15,' he stated. Read more | 'I just want justice for my husband'- Cornubia Mall hit and run leaves widow devastated As the family grapples with the trauma and grief of their beloved son, they are united in their demand for justice. Yet, their efforts are being frustrated by the slow pace of the investigation and the apparent lack of progress. The family's pain is compounded by the sense that their son's memory is not being honoured or respected through the justice system, leaving them feeling helpless. 'We're really deepened with heartbreak and sadness as a family, and I don't think we would ever heal or get past this. The only thing that would suffice from this heartache is seeing justice taking its course, but the police are derailing the case, making the pain even more unbearable as there's nothing tangible they're telling us as a family, they were supposed to visit us, but they haven't come.' Read more | Kwa-Komani learner traumatised after losing fingers in woodworking class In retrospect, he believes that therapy could have been a valuable resource in helping them navigate the trauma and pain of their loss. However, given the passage of time, they have come to rely on their own coping mechanisms, learning to take things one day at a time. 'If there could've been anything done for us, therapy or counselling would have been it, because this really came as a blow to us as the whole thing was untimely, and it's not just one, but two of our sons affected, but time has gone by now and we've found ways to deal with the grief on our own,' he concluded.
Mail & Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- Mail & Guardian
The journey to restore morality in South Africa
Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa, chair of the Moral Regeneration Movement What does a nation do when, in the Republic, the country's political and social morality dissipates under the weight of corruption, violence, corruption, moral decay and declining social cohesion, among a myriad of societal evils. Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa, chair of the Moral Regeneration Movement (MRM), says this year's dialogue focuses on the theme, Living Our Values: Faith, Leadership and the Moral Soul of the Nation. Mkhatshwa says the dialogues, taking place in the Eastern Cape this week, aim to provoke thoughtful discussion and action against moral decay; violence, including gender-based violence; spiritual malaise; and the declining social cohesion. It would be easy to throw in the towel and walk away from a sinking ship, yet Mkhatshwa, a man of deep faith, whose whole adult life as a Catholic priest and social and political activist, is not prepared for that. He has seen it all; he has been in the ANC political trenches and the United Democratic Front when there was darkness of apartheid and injustice and oppression in the country. He refuses to be despondent — to walk away from the project and throw up his hands in the air in despair. This, he says, is no option. Instead, he has announced that the MRM and its sponsors, have launched a national campaign 'not merely as a declaration, but in essence as a collective commitment by millions of public servants, in partnership with civil society, to defend our hard-won democracy and freedom against rampant threats fuelled by greed and impunity' . He insists that something drastic ought to be done quickly to rescue the country from impending political, social and economic implosion, suggesting the campaign to reset and restore the work of MRM should be seen 'as a campaign that belongs, and driven as a whole by the nation'. Mkhatshwa says 'it is no exaggeration to say our beautiful Republic is facing a crisis', and is saying these things not as an alarmist, but as someone who loves his country, and seeking to find a solution to save it from turning into a political wasteland. He suggests that the endemic corruption in the public service, the government, some religious organisations and businesses is a great cause for grave concern, arguing that the pathetic service delivery by all tiers of government is failing those who need it most. In the words of Cicero, there is a need for a shift of mindset — an imperative the country needs urgently. Quoting Cicero, the ancient Roman lawyer, Mkhatshwa says: 'Those tasked with public service must regard it as a privilege and an honour to serve the people', adding that the public service is the engine room of society, and like the church, it touches the daily lives of millions of South Africans, especially the most vulnerable, which includes a horde of poor and unemployed black people. 'The breakdown of law and order in the country has become a nightmare, and people have lost faith in the government,' says Mkhatshwa, formerly a deputy basic education minister in the first democratic cabinet of former president Nelson Mandela of 1994, and later a Tshwane mayor. He says that 'thanks to the apartheid era' the African family structure was almost entirely destroyed and, in keeping with the apartheid ideology, 'all hellbent to create enormous wealth for a few whites — and later during the democratic years, to be joined by wealthy blacks, the beneficiaries of a corrupted political system'. The MRM this week travelled to the Eastern Cape, to address its constituency at the Buffalo City metropolitan municipality as a reminder of the need for a total spiritual metanoia needed to change society and leadership for the better. In this Eastern Cape venture, his organisation collaborated with the Imvuselelo Foundation, a local entity, as part of the Eminent Persons Dialogue on morality and values to facilitate societal change. A series of conversations were held with public service entities throughout the country. 'We all need to roll up our sleeves, put a shoulder to the wheel to save our country from the scourge of moral decadence in society … We cannot live all of this in the hands of the government; we have to get our hands dirty to fix the mess in our society. 'The moral decadence we see today reminds us of Madiba's passionate call for the RDP of the Soul. Fellow South Africans, I know we are weary — so punch-drunk that we risk giving up hope. 'Let us not succumb to that temptation,' he says, adding it would be better if all of society lifted itself by its own bootstraps to arrest the runaway train of corruption eating away at the moral fibre of society. In its countrywide campaign to remind South Africans of Madiba's call for moral regeneration, the MRM last week spread the good news of moral regeneration, hosted by the Free State government, in Mangaung. Mkhatshwa says the MRM has chosen the theme, One Family, One Future, as a rallying cry 'to underscore the centrality of the family as the nucleus, the heartbeat of society', without which the project of countering societal disruption and political chaos of corruption brought about by moral decadence, would not be possible. He says his movement is committed to tackling ethical malaise at its root, collaborating with its partners across the country, and also tackling the education sector. 'The South African black child is of great concern to us. The department of basic education and President Cyril Ramaphosa have publicly admitted that we are failing a black child. 'We neglected early childhood development, leaving grade 4 learners unable to read for meaning, with all its ugly consequences this brings for African society.' The MRM has engaged the Department of Basic Education to integrate the Charter of Positive Values into the school curriculum immediately. 'Progress is under way, and we hope the current minister will join us in this critical effort,' says Mkhatshwa. The historic charter, endorsed by Nelson Mandela in 2008 and embraced by the government in 2012, is supported across political, religious and civil society lines. It transcends ideology, culture and religious belief. Says Mkhatshwa: 'We hope to leave, wherever this campaign takes us, not just with resolutions, but a resolve to bring about change. Let us act not as separate factions, but as one family. Together we can rebuild trust, restore hope, and secure a future where no child is left behind. 'So, the task for the MRM and all its foot soldiers who are supporting its programmes in the country is gigantic, but so is our strength and resolve. The road is long, but our unity will light the way,' ended Mkhatshwa. In the end, the dialogues seek to unpack the moral challenges facing the nation and to explore vital roles of faith-based and traditional leaders in addressing societal ills. Jo-Mangaliso Mdhlela is an independent journalist, a former trade unionist, a social activist and an Anglican priest.
