Mthatha Express North - E-Edition - 2 April 2026

MOUNTAYLIFF:

MECofferssupport towomanblinded in2022assault

THE MEC forthe Department of Social Development in the Eastern Cape, Bukiwe Fanta,recently visited a20-year-oldwoman who wasthe victim of gender-based violence(GBV) at the Optimal College for the Blind in Pretoria last week.

Hername cannotbementioned for privacy reasons.

She is from Cabazana locality in Mount Ayliff andendured ahorrific sexual assault in 2022 thatleft her with severe injuries, including the gouging out of her eyes. She was abandoned and left fordead.

During the visit, Fantaexpressed her heartfelt support, acknowledging theimmense challenges the victim has faced and continues to overcome

“Your strength is an inspiration to us all. Youhave shown incrediblecourage in the face of suchadversity.Today, we stand with youasyou embark on this new chapter of your life. You are not alone in this journey; we will walk alongside you every step of the way,”said Fanta.

Fanta emphasised the department’s commitment to providing comprehensive support forsurvivors of gender-based violence. She stated that their mission is to ensure thatsurvivors likeher receive the necessary resources for healing and empowerment.

She addedthatthey willcontinue to advocate for systemic changes that protect womenand girls from violence and provide them with the support they need to thrive.

“We must work together to createasafe environment where victims feel empowered to come forward and seek help,”Fanta said.

During their meeting, theyoung woman shared her experiences and thechallenges she has faced since that fateful day. Despite theimmense trauma she has endured, she is now focused on rebuilding her life. She is actively engaged in learning new skills at thecollege, demonstrating her determination to reclaim her independence and future.

“Her strength and resolve are truly inspirational,” Fantanoted.

The MEC emphasised that this issue is not just agovernment responsibility; it requires collective action from allsectors of society.

“We must work together to createasafe environment for our women and girls. No one shouldlive in fear of violence, and we must ensure that survivors receive the helpthey need to heal,” she said Fantaadded that this visit served as a reminder of theongoing battle against gender-based violence in their communities.

The survivor’s story underscores the importance of advocacy and theneed for continued effortstoprotect women and children.

The young woman expressed her desire to further her studies and become asocial worker. She also encouraged others who have faced gender-based violence to take their timetoheal and not to hide from the public.

Formerbankofficialarrestedafter skippingbailinR2.2mfraudcase

THE Mthatha Serious Commercial CrimeInvestigation (SCCI) successfully executed awarrant of arrest against Tembisa Qinga (44), aformer bank official, in connection with an extensive fraud and money laundering scheme of morethan R2,2 million.

Qinga ultimately appeared before the Mthatha SpecialisedCommercial Crimes Court on March 19, 2026.

The arrest follows her failuretoappearbefore the Mthatha Specialised Commercial CrimeCourt in February 2026, breaching her bailconditions. The accused’s initialbailamount of R5,000 has subsequently been forfeited by the State.

During the periodbetween March2012 and July2013, there were allegedirregularities which were broughttolight following aseries of complaintslodged by clients at ABSABank MthathaPlaza.

Aprotracted and meticulous investigation by the Bank’s forensic investigator ensued, which identified irregularities linked to disputed personal andflexi loan accounts at the abovementioned branch.

Hawks spokesperson,Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana, said,“Internal scrutiny,which was apparently supported by the branch manager,revealed that the accused who was employed as aBusiness Development Officer at the time, orchestrated asystematic andcalculated scheme to defraud multiple clients.

“Acting in grossviolation of herfiduciary duties and professional obligations,Qingaallegedly unlawfully accessed and utilised clients’personal banking credentials to initiate loans and established flexi accounts without their knowledge or consent.”

He added that acting in grossviolation of her fiduciaryduties andprofessional obligations, sheallegedly unlawfully accessedand utilised clients’personal banking credentials to initiate loans and established flexi accounts without their knowledge or consent.

Acasefile was opened and handed over to theHawks for probing

“The investigation uncoveredthatthe accused ostensibly channelled theproceeds of theseillicit transactions into two ABSA bank accounts registeredin the name of her minorchild, over which sheexercisedcontrol through aPower of Attorney. According to the further probing the cumulative financial prejudice suffered by the victimhas been quantified to morethan R2,2 million.”

According to Mhlakuvana, the accused’sconduct reportedly reflecteda sophisticated abuseofinstitutional systems, leveraging her authorised access, uniquebanking credentials and internal processestoexecute the concealed fraudulent activities overasustained period.

He said Qinga was arrested by the Hawks on July 25, 2023, afterwhichshe was formally charged for fraud, theft and money laundering. Shewas granted bailbyMthathaSpecialisedCommercial CrimeCourt.

“The culprit attended afew court proceedingsand later never came to court untilher warrant of arrest was issued and executedonMarch 19, 2026. She has since appeared in court and was remanded in custody, where the matter was postponed to March30, 2026, forlegal representation and for aformal bail application.”

FiregutsgovernmentbuildinginMthatha

BABALWA NDLANYA

COMMUNITY members from Mthathaand government departmental employeeswereleft stranded anddevastated afterthe 11-storey BothaSigcau Government Buildingwas destroyed by amysterious firelast week.

Thespokespersonfor the King SabataDalindyebo (KSD) Local Municipality,Sonwabo Mampoza, said the devastatingfirebroke out at the historic building in the evening at approximately 18:00.

He said the building, which houses multiple government departments including Sport, Recreation, Arts andCulture, Transport, Health, Education, the South AfricanPolice Service, andSocialDevelopment, has beenseverely damaged.

“The Executive Mayor of King SabataDalindyebo LocalMunicipality, Councillor Nyaniso Nelani,and the entire KSD Municipal Council express their concern and sadness aboutthe incident,acknowledging the significant disruption to essential services and the loss of akey provincial landmark

“The public is urged to remain calm and await furthercommunication from theaffected departments regarding continuity andrecovery plans,”saidMampoza.

He added that the KSD Municipality encourages membersofthe public to reportany incidentstothe KSDFireService at 047 495 1224. Further updates will be provided as moreinformation becomes available.

Responding to the allegations that their fire engine cametothe scene withoutwater, Mampoza said that fire engines cannot leavetheir stations to attend to fires withoutwater.

“The statement made is misleading, as someone is trying to attack the municipality. Our firefighters attended the fire immediatelyafter

receiving the report. Anyburning or arson deteriorates the growth, development, andprogressofKSD

“Themunicipality has great investment opportunities whereinvestors can come andinvest. Businesspeople and individual property owners are encouraged to havefire extinguishers on theirproperties and areurged to report fires immediately when they occur.”

TheMEC forPublic Works, Infrastructure and Human Settlements, Siphokazi Lusithi, reassuredcitizens of the provincethat allefforts will be made to limit disruptions to service delivery following the fire that gutted this historic building Media LiaisonOfficer to the MEC of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure,

The BothaSigcau building wasdestroyed by afire.

PHOTO: BABALWA NDLANYA

SiyabongaMdodi, said Lusithi met with multidisciplinary teams to assess the incident, whichhas significantly damaged the building housing 11 government departments. It was confirmed that the building remains cordoned off as it has been declared unsafe;however, technical teams haveused drones to assess its condition and determine if there areany potential flare-ups.

“Preliminary reports suggestthat the building would have cooled off by the end of the week, allowing forthe first physical assessment of the damage to the buildingand equipment. Lusithi has appreciated the collaborative efforts of fire serviceteams from the KingSabata Dalindyebo, Mbhashe, and Great KeiLocal Municipalities, Chris HaniDistrict Munici-

pality, and Mthatha Airportfirefighters

“Theirprompt response, despite the challenges they experienced, ensured that the building didnot burntothe ground and alsoaverted potential impact on nearby businessesand communities,” said Mdodi He addedthatLusithi, throughthe Director-Generalinthe Office of thePremier, has established aprovincialcrisis responseteam that will, among other things,finalise plans for alternative accommodation and other critical resourcesrequiredtoensurethe continuity of government business in the district, as well as ensurethat staff membersreceive the necessarypsychosocial supportasthey come to terms with the incident.

“Emergency teams remainonthe ground and continue to monitor the situation closely. Once the relevant authoritiesdetermine that the building is accessible, the government will conduct adetailed assessment of the extent of the damage, determine necessaryinterventions,and plan for the restoration of this important publicasset

Shehas appealed for calm and cautioned against any speculationregarding the causeof the fire.She further encouraged government officials and all interested parties to exercise patience and allow law enforcement to investigate the incident.”

Oneofthe community members, Nolutando Myolwa, saidshe is ahawker whosestand was next to the building.

“Thishas not only affected government employees; even we, as hawkers, aregoing to struggle because we used to feed our children by selling to them. NowIdonot know what I am going to do. Ihave to come up with aPlan Bsothat my children do not suffer,” shesaid.

Spokespersonfor Hawks, Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana, confirmed that they have taken over the matter from thepolice.

Mbhashe LocalMunicipalityprocures newfleettoensurequick response

ZOLILE MENZELWA

MBHASHE Local Municipalityhas spent more than R1.5 million to procure anew municipal fleet.

Thepurchase includes awaste management truckand an electricity servicesutility vehi-

and propermonitoring will become difficult.”

Jandaadded that the new equipment brings hope and should inspire municipalstaff. “This supportsour vision of being aproactive municipalityand should provide quick response times.”

The mayor urged municipalofficials to han-

pasttosee skip bins overflowingwith rubbish. Quick responses to challenges would help communities trust the municipality.

“When electricity problems arise, we need to see very quickresponse times,” he said.“Challenges must be reported immediately to our

communications unitsothey can keep communities informed about problems and solutions.”

Themayor emphasised that even with paid services, the local authority must encourage consumerstopay by providing quality services.

HealthDepartmentinvestsR416millioninnewoncologyunit

THE Eastern Cape provincial Department of Health has invested R416 million in the construction of anew Oncology Unit at the Nelson Mandela Academic Central Hospital (NMAH) in Mthatha, amove that could see cancer patients saving up to 800km of travelling to thenearest treatment facilities

Health MEC, NtandokaziCapa, wasdelivering her Budget and Policy speech at the Eastern Cape provincial legislature on March 25.

She said the unit willinclude critical equipment -two linear accelerators valued at R42 millioneach and abrachytherapy machinevalued at R26 million.

The unit willbeofficially opened on July 18, the late statesman Nelson Mandela’s birthday.

“This investment responds directlyto thegrowing cancerburdeninour province. Currently, the Nelson Mandela Academic CentralHospital provides only chemotherapy services, while patients requiring radiotherapy are referred to Frereand Livingstone Hospitals,travelling distancesofupto600 –800km.

“There arenodedicated oncology wards, no inpatient oncology services, and paediatric oncology is not available, with children referredoutside the region. The

demand is significant.”

Capa added that NMAH managed thousands of cancer cases, led by breast cancer with5763 cases, followed by cervical cancer at 3616, prostate cancer at 1099, oesophageal cancer at 831 cases and lung cancer at483.

The new unit, Capasaid, was supported by an additional R96.4 million for commissioning and staffing in the 2026/27 financial year.

The 68-bedfacility will have30male, 30female and 8paediatricbedsand will bring fully integrated oncologyservices under one roof

“For the first time, patients in the eastern region will access bothchemotherapy and radiotherapyservices in Mthatha, including advanced treatment, planning andfollow-up care. Thisismorethan infrastructure. It is access. It is dignity. It is the end of long,costly journeysfor care and adecisive step towards improving cancer outcomes in our province,” Capa said.

Changing the tune to focusonthe National Health Insurance (NHI), Capa said the department was putting its commitments into action.

“The Department has begunpiloting a proof of conceptfor the contracting of Primary Health Careservices in the Ingquza Hill Local Municipality and OR Tambo District,across 21 facilities. Thispilotis

testing how services will be contracted and delivered under NHI.All participating facilities areimplementing the Health Patient Registration System(HPRS), a national digital platformthatassigns a unique patient identifier andestablishes amaster patient index for all usersofprimaryhealth careservices.

“We are already seeing encouraging progress. To date, 14 out of the 21 facilities havebeen certified as compliant by the Office of Health Standards Compliance.”

Capa said in areas such as Flagstaff, where access to doctorsremained significantly belowthe national average, the model was specifically designed to address inequities and expandaccessto quality care.

The fightagainst TB and HIV –she saidwas not symbolicbut active, targeted and delivering results. Prevention remained central to the department’s response. The province was scaling up thePre-Exposure Prophylaxis programme.

During the third quarter, her department distributed 9.3 million male condoms and 687 700 female condoms.Capa said Premier Oscar Mabuyanewill this year launch the Lenacapavirlong-acting injection, which will be rolledout across 49 facilities in fourdistricts andtwo metros.

“This is asignificant advancement in

HIV treatment,aspatientswill receivean injection twice ayear, offering along-acting alternative to daily oral medication. The rolloutwill prioritise high-burden districts, facilitiesserving large and vulnerable populations andkey groups includingadolescentgirls and young women, menwho have sex with men, sex workers andtransgender persons. The 49 facilitiesare distributed as follows:eight in Alfred Nzo,12inBuffalo City Metro, 13 in NelsonMandela Bayand 16 in OR Tambo District,” she said Tuberculosis continues to present a serious butmanageable challenge. The treatment success rate currently stands at 71.4%, below thetarget; while theTB death rate is at 6.5%, andlosstofollow-up is at 15.5%.

These outcomesare largely driven by late presentation to healthcarefacilities andgaps in patient follow-up. In response, theDepartmentisintensifying early detection throughcommunity outreach; strengtheningtreatment initiation andretentionthroughOperation Phuthuma; andtargetedinterventions in underperforming districts.

For the2026/2027 financialyear,the department hasset asideanamount of R222m budgetfor theCommunity Health Workerprogramme in theCommunity Outreach Services component (COS) within theDistrictHealth Programmesgrant.

NewWoolGrowers’leadersvowtotackletheft,boostprices

BABALWA NDLANYA

THEProvincialChairperson of the Eastern Cape Wool Growers Association in the OR TamboDistrict, Andile Ndzendze, confirmed that thenewly elected executive members will ensure that,inall areas of the district, wool is not taken by unknownindividuals but is delivered to legitimate markets.

These members were officially welcomed in an event that was held at Zithathele Shed in Libode last week.

He said they will ensure that their wool goes to the formal market,that the highrate of stock theft decreases, and that theirsheep are improved to be of the best quality.

“They will also buildunityamong farmers in this area and within the wool-producing community. There are eightmembers in total. Among them, we have aperson withknowledge of branding and tattooing.

“He has the potential to carry out thiswork, as he also has thenecessary equipment. This makes thecommittee stronger because they have someone who knows how to contact offices in Pretoria if theneed arises,” said Ndzendze.

He confirmed that this would assist addressing thechallenges as farmers.

ndze said they also visit other teach about theAnimal IdenMark Certification. encouraged farmers to brand stock and tattoo their sheep, explaining that these practices help identify theiranimals when stolen.

partment of Agriculture to do this for them. They should obtain thetools used for tattooing sheep and do it themselves. It is also important that cattleare branded according to the law.

“Fortunately, in this association, we have ways of teaching people. We want people to learnhow to brand their cattleand tattootheir sheep.

“Having animals that are not branded or tattooed is against thelaw. When numbering sheep, we do not use paint but proper sheep marking,” said Ndzendze.

He added that using paint damages thewool.

He said farmers must not waitfor the Department of Agriculture but should take theinitiative themselves.

Chairperson for theWool Growers Association in theORTambo District, Siyabulela Sangoni, said that after they wereelected in 2025, they were given an opportunitytooperate, but were not effective because they had not been officiallylaunched.

“Among thethings we need to do is ensure that therateoffarming in OR Tamboincreases.

“We hear that our district is one of thetop areas for sheep farming, but when it comes to profit,weare at the bottom. We believe this opportunity we have been given will help change these challenges.

is important is that if you sheep, make sure they are tat-

“Farmers must not waitfor theDe-

“Farmers in communal areas are around 40,000, while those on commercial farms are about 8,000. However, when it comes to theprice per kilogram of wool, those in communal areas receive thelowest prices,”hesaid. Sangoni emphasised that all stakeholders need to worktogether in order to overcome thechallenges they face as farmers.

WALTERSISULUUNIVERSITY:

ChiefJusticecallsformothertonguerightsatlecture

BABALWA NDLANYA

THE Pan South African Language Board, in collaboration with Walter Sisulu University, hosted aLinguistic Human Rights Public Lecture discussionwith ChiefJustice MandisaMayaat Zamukulungisa Campus in Mthatha lastweek.

The Vice-Chancellor and Principal of iYunivesithi Walter Sisulu (formerly known as WalterSisulu University), Dr Thandi Mgwebi, said the memorial lecture was very importanttothe institution, especially because Chief Justice Mandisa Maya delivered the keynote address She said the universityisclosely connectedtoits community andiscommitted to social justice, where language plays acrucial role

“Thatbecomesa key driver of justice if people are able to understand it in their own language. Universities areplaces where programmes that drive reform are shaped.

“There is alot of thinking and skill development that must come from universities to assist communities. They also have significant opportunities to influence policy,” she said

She added that policy reforms are driven by people from universities, including academics, student bodies, and communities