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MDANTSANE HIGH SCHOOL HOSTS A FUN WALK FOR THE YOUTH

MDANTSANE HIGH SCHOOL HOSTS A FUN WALK FOR THE YOUTH Mzomhle High School situated in N.U.1, Mdantsane held a fun walk today as a means of fundraising in partnership with Project Khulisanani. As much as the event was meant as a means to raise funds for the school, there was an even greater purpose for it. Zamuxolo Rete, one of the founders of Project Khulisanani who also resides near the school says that they noticed some strange behaviour among the students. According to Rete, during break time, the students go around the township and get up to all sorts of things including drinking alcohol and smoking drugs. As a result, some stakeholders were invited to be a part of the event including the Department of Health, the Traffic Department and the Liquor Board. The Liquor Board gave a speech to the learners and the parents while also teaching them about the dangers of alcohol abuse and its consequences. The Department of Health was also there and came to introduce a new machine that is now used to test for narcotics(drugs). Despite the rainy weather, people came in numbers in support of this cause including learners, teachers, parents and other members of the community. The main event was at the school where the whole set-up was, but the other part of the event was a 3 Kilometre walk by all the participants. The young and the old took part in this walk and had so much fun on the road, singing and dancing and enjoying the walk in the rain. The Traffic Department was behind them all the way, making sure that they were safe on the road and no disturbances along the way. At the school, there was a DJ playing music, dancing and singing activities by the students and the youth from the neighbourhood. The Department of Health tested the participants who were willing to be tested and it was all voluntary and no one was forced to take part in the drug tests. It was indeed a fruitful day at Mzomhle High School, the parents and the teachers had fun while the youth had some l

MDANTSANE TASK FORCE HARD AT WORK BY Yonelisa Pauli

MDANTSANE TASK FORCE HARD AT WORK BY Yonelisa Pauli Mdantsane has long been known as a community that is full of violence, but ever since the birth of the Buffalo City Special Team Task Force things have changed for the better. The forum consists of members from Mdantsane both male and female and they work tirelessly to make sure that the streets of Mdantsane are free of crime. They get calls from all over Mdantsane and surrounding areas to help solve crimes all around the township and they seem to have very fruitful outcomes. This group consists of unemployed individuals who sacrifice their time to look after their city and they do not get paid for the work that they do. Siyabulela Naka, an organiser and a member of the forum says that they use their own resources to fulfil their duties and even the uniform that they wear was bought by them then they installed a badge of their own. Their main focus during the day is the township shopping centre at Highway, where most people are robbed during their shopping. They also help the shop owners from these criminals because they also steal from the shops, so they help by recovering stolen goods. The Task Force has branches all over Buffalo City and there have been rumours that some of these branches accept bribes, but Siyabulela cleared those rumours by saying that there are also people who do mob justice who pose as the task force and beat people up in the name of the forum. He also added that the reason behind their badge was for people to tell the difference between them and the mob justice. Ever since the start of the task force, people have put all their trust in them and lost all hope in the police because they feel like the task force has better results than the police. As mentioned before, this task force also consists of females and there are times when they have to go and attend to very dangerous incidents at night. Bongiwe Ngakanani, chairperson of the task force said when they have very dangerous cases

KWAAIMAN GIVES BACK TO HER COMMUNITY BY Yonelisa Pauli A local celebrity born and bred in the dusty streets of Mdantsane has decided to pay it forward in her hometown by donating the necessities for school children in her township. Zintle Kwaaimanrose to fame a few years back when she was just a dancer in Mdantsane, then moved on to music as a Gqom vocalist and her career took off. She moved to Johannesburg to make a name for herself and became a successful young woman. This vibrant young lady has been thriving in the entertainment industry and also decided to venture into the fitness world where she has her own brand called “ZK ‘’ her initials. She also started her own charity called Zintle Kwaaiman_SA Foundation to help children with their basic needs at school. Kwaaiman has a lot of social media followers and asked them for donations. She wrote to social media at the beginning of the year to ask for people to donate school shoes, socks and sanitary pads. Kwaaiman specified in her posts that she does not want money, but looking for people to buy the necessities. Furthermore, she was willing to collect them. People responded well to her call, with the likes of Lusanda Mbane who is an actress based in the Eastern Cape being one of the first people to donate 10 pairs of school shoes. “The calls kept coming from fellow public figures to social media followers to come, collect the donations and the support was overwhelming,” said Kwaaiman. The aim of this initiative was to start at a school near my home in N U 14 and as I grow with the foundation, we target more schools. Kwaaiman visited Zimasa Primary School yesterday and gave away 25 pairs of school shoes to little boys and girls who desperately needed them. The parents along with the teachers were so appreciative of this young lady and the work she does, while the children were filled with excitement. “Alone you can go fast, but together you can go far,” Kwaaiman concluded. #Mdantsane #

MDANTSANE MALL TENANTS IN DISPUTE WITH ECDC

MDANTSANE MALL TENANTS IN DISPUTE WITH ECDC BY: Yonelisa Pauli The business owners who are tenants of the mall in the Highway taxi rank in Mdantsane are in disputes with the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) after they were told to vacate the mall for renovations. These Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises who have been occupants of this mall feel that they are not being treated fairly as they have not been given enough notice, but are told to vacate the premises immediately. According to the tenants, the eviction notice came on the 12th of January telling them that they need to be out of the premises by month end because on the 1st of May 2024, the ECDC will commence with the renovations. Siseko, a business owner at the mall says they have questions as to why they are being evicted in January when the work will only start 2 months later? The tenants were very happy with the renovations because the mall is very old and needs serious fixing with the roof, electricity and plumbing, but they feel like 15 days was not a fair notice for them to vacate the mall. Mveliso Tapi, who is also a business owner and a tenant at the mall says that they have tried numerous times to arrange meetings with the ECDC so that they could at least ask for an extension to the notice, but it has not responded. Tapi says they wanted two more months to operate, as the renovations will only start in May because they are not only thinking about themselves, but they are also concerned that the mall might be vandalised when it is not operating for 4 months. He also added that they are doing them a favour because according to the lease agreement, they are supposed to get 6 months eviction notice. Their other concern was that the ECDC says the project will take 18-24 months, so they were wondering what would be the plan for them and their businesses in the meantime. Because they feel like two years is a lot of time for them to be out of business. The tenants also asked the ECDC for al

RESIDENTS CLOSE DOWN SOMALI SHOPS DUE TO CONTAMINATED FOOD

The fed-up residents of Reeston near Mdantsane geared up today and went on a march closing down Somali-owned spaza shops in the area because they believe the shops are selling expired food. This comes after eight children from Nkangeleko Primary School fell sick after eating something they had bought from a nearby spaza owned by these foreign nationals. The residents then decided to embark on a journey with the police and health officials, going from shop to shop and confiscating these expired goods. Among these goods were chips, sweets and plenty of foodstuffs that people use on a daily basis. Sibabalwe Tshulu a local businessman, says that he got a call while he was at work and was told that children are falling like flies at school and are really sick. Ambulances were called but delayed and the situation was getting worse, so people organised cars owned by some teachers and community members to help with the sick children and take them to hospital. These children are said to have bought chips from these Somalians and afterwards, they got sick, with some having their tongues changing colour. Some started having seizures and foam in their mouths, while some only fell ill when they got home. Tshulu says that parents of the sick children were also called and told to rush to the hospital to attend to their children, and some of them had to ask for time off from work while others were already at their houses. Another one was found on the side of the road just lying there vomiting. The police took control of the situation because the residents were getting angry and wanted to resort to violence by beating up these Somalians and looting their shops. “People say that we are jealous of these foreign nationals when we say we do not want them here, but now they are killing us and our children,” said Mam Thenjiwe, a local shebeen owner. Everything was brought to a standstill, and cars could not even move on the streets because people were everywhere dealing with thi

BUFFALO CITY METRO HELPS THE YOUTH WITH NSFAS

BUFFALO CITY METRO HELPS THE YOUTH WITH NSFAS BY: Yonelisa Pauli The Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality is holding Roadshows and mobilising the youth of the area to help them with funding applications for tertiary. The roadshows are ongoing, as they started on Monday at the City Hall and on Tuesday at Mdantsane N.U 10 Community Hall. The Buffalo City Metro Executive Mayor, Councilor Princess Faku kicked off the weekly NSFAS deadline day, and the aim of these roadshows is to assist matriculants so that they can be able to access funding for university before the closing deadline. Celebrities like Ayanda Dawethi and Zolisa Xaluva who hail from the Eastern Cape are also a part of this movement as they give the young people hope by sharing their success stories. The roadshow is moving to King William’s Town today at War Memorial Hall and a new leg of the roadshow has been added for Duncan Village and will be held in Duncan Village tomorrow. These roadshows include representatives from the NYDA and NSFAS where the two organisations assist with technical aspects of the application process in partnership with MTN, Walter Sisulu University,Silulo Technology and ABSA. The Executive Mayor explained that in order for matriculants to qualify for this funding they need to be South African citizens who plan to study in 2024 or students who are already studying at public universities or TVET colleges. The Mayor added that the main challenge facing many young people is not having funds to study at tertiary level and also not being able to access the necessary tools to apply for funding. Athule Pani, a post matriculant who attended the roadshow in Mdantsane said that she was very grateful for this opportunity, because she had no one to help her and that her peers got fed up when she needed help with the applications. At these roadshows, the metro will be setting up office infrastructure including laptops, Wi-Fi, backup generators, printers, application forms and all t

SCHOOL INTRODUCES BREAKFAST FOR STRUGGLING LEARNERS

SCHOOL INTRODUCES BREAKFAST FOR STRUGGLING LEARNERS Teachers of Primary Schools in Mdantsane pleaded with the Department of Education late last year to include breakfast in their National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP). The NSNP is a national programme that feeds over 9 million children in schools all over South Africa and has been active for years. This programme is very helpful to many learners who come from poor backgrounds as it ensures that a hungry student gets a meal during school hours if they don’t have lunch from home. Miss Mtsishe, a teacher from Phakamile Primary School said that she had noticed that there were some learners that were not focused in class and this occurred mostly in the morning. She then tried to investigate the little ones as delicate as this situation was and found that the lack of focus was due to hunger. Miss Mtsishe added that some of these learners come from child-headed homes and are struggling to make ends meet and she is proud that they are not only hungry for food, but hungry for education as well. The NSNP through the years has only been providing lunch for the schools, but teachers thought lunchtime was way too far for those children who come to school on an empty stomach. Akhona Hekeni, a lady who cooks for these children at school was full of joy as she served the little ones their breakfast in the classroom this morning. She said that she was so happy that this was finally happening because she knows most of these children personally and she is very much aware of their situations. One of the little ones was heard shouting from the background “Kumnandi esikolweni” while eating, which means “school is fun” and she had a big smile on her face. Hekeni added that they are very grateful to the Department of Education for this beautiful initiative because it has changed the lives of the children and they now have a more positive outlook on school. Miss Mtsishe said that she had also noticed that there are f

“AMA 2k” CELEBRATE THEIR MATRIC RESULTS

Today has been such a joyous day as the Matric Class of 2023 celebrated their results after days of anticipation. Petrol attendants could not move around as freely as usual because the petrol stations were filled with impatient matriculants who were waiting for today’s newspapers so that they could see whether they failed or passed Grade 12. In true “ama 2k” style, the young ones were not just sitting and doing nothing at these petrol stations. They were singing “amagwijo’’ while dancing and reflecting on the year that was 2023 and the struggles that came with matric. Mzikayise Seti, a petrol attendant at Engen garage in Mdantsane said they could not help but sing along with the children because they also know what it feels like to be matriculants. Learners from David Mama High School could not contain their excitement when they saw their teachers at school this morning. They started singing and praising at the school grounds, while the teachers joined the celebrations. Sinamava Bashe who teaches Business studies at the school said that it was not easy, but with the perseverance of the learners, it was possible. There were some unpleasant moments as she requested the learners to attend extra classes on weekends, sacrificing their free time. “They now see that it was all worth it, and they are grateful as they reap the fruits of their hard work,” Bashe added. Ahlumile Rebe from Hudson Park in East London said that it was not an easy year for them as matriculants, because they are seen as this generation that does not take life seriously. He also added that he is glad that they have proven people wrong and passed their matric with flying colours. Rebe also had a message for his fellow classmates who did not make it and said that they should not beat themselves up because they tried and have another chance to try again and succeed. Bashe also applauded the parents of the students, who were supporting their children and sending them to school eve

COMMUNITY GO AFTER WARD COUNCILLOR

The community of N.U.1 in Mdantsane went to the Rent Office today demanding to talk to the Councillor and burnt tyres. The members of this community say they are fed up with being ignored by their Councillor and feel like violence is the only way to get his attention. Ward 12 Councillor Andile Petani has been fighting with the people of his ward, with most of them complaining that he only helps those who are his followers and members of the ANC. The police were called to the scene and as they arrived the tyres were still burning. They then put out the fires, took some of the tyres that were not yet lit, and asked the crowd to disperse. Pumeza Gotywa, a community member said that even with the community projects that come with job opportunities, Councillor Petani only employs his followers. By law, when community projects come up, ward committees have to call meetings in their respective areas and identify poor households so that they can be the first to get such opportunities. However, according to the community, this has never happened ever since Councillor Petani was voted into office, instead he allegedly calls meetings at night with his people and they employ their own families and friends. According to the community of Ward 12, a meeting was held last year when they wanted him to explain what happened to the 1 million Rands that was awarded to Ward 12 and he could not answer them, instead, he just apologised. Many attempts have been made by the members of this community to remove him as the Councillor, the members even went as far as writing a letter to the Premier of the Eastern Cape, Mr Oscar Mabuyane as a notion of no confidence but none of these attempts resulted to anything. Councillor Petani, who stood behind his supporters boldly said he is not going anywhere and that he will serve his full term. #Mdantsane #EastLondon #EasternCape #Emonti #buffalocity

COMMUNITY INITIATIVE HELPING THE LESS FORTUNATE GET IN SHAPE

COMMUNITY INITIATIVE HELPING THE LESS FORTUNATE GET IN SHAPE As we all know getting into shape most of the time requires joining a gym and a healthy diet, and that all needs money, with the help of the guys from Project Khulisanani, ZR Rete(Zamuxolo Rete), Thobela Dayizana and Lukhanyo Xenti, all of this has been made possible for those who do not have the funds for gym. According to Rete, one of the founders of this project, they saw a need to help people who wanted to get into shape but did not have the means to do so. The group started small and it grew as time went by, with people of all ages, young and old, males and females. The programme started with a simple jog and went on to other forms of exercises, including a boot camp and aerobics. They used the local field for the boot camp, and for the aerobics, they would ask for an empty classroom at a school nearby. Rete said that as the programme expanded, they found that some people were cancelling their gym memberships and joining this beautiful community movement. Mbasa Rebe, a member of the programme said that when she started the programme she had problems with her waist because of weight gain, and as much as she had a gym membership it felt more motivating to exercise as a group at Project Khulisanani. Thobela, who is also one of the instructors said that people complain and say that they are slave drivers, but then come back and thank them once they start to see the results. Rete said that more people have come forward and said that not only have they found a hobby with the programme, but friendships and partnerships have been formed. Xenti said that as a result of the friendships that have been formed, they also celebrate each other’s birthdays. Everyone chips in with what they have and they buy cake and meat and have a day of celebration. Rete added that they have also had some help from those who are employed and are with the movement, with their contacts and sometimes own money they try to fill

MDANTSANE DJ CHANGES THE GROOVE GAME WITH GOSPEL MUSIC

MDANTSANE DJ CHANGES THE GROOVE GAME WITH GOSPEL MUSIC Many know him as Sikelela Molefe, a fully-fledged member of the Wesley Guild Methodist Church. But for the club regulars, he is known as “Groovie Christ”.Molefe who was born and bred in Mdantsane started DJing in 2019 as a RnB and soulful music DJ, and in 2023 he ventured into Gospel music. Many would find it quite unusual for a full set of gospel music in nightclubs because some DJs would only make space for one song in their slot of the usual club music, but Molefe took a chance and it worked like a charm on the local clubbers. Groovie Christ has become quite the sensation across the Buffalo City Club scene and his gospel tunes have been in high demand over the festive season. He was taken in by an events organiser who is also a DJ, popularly known as GQ Exclusive whose real name is Sivuyile Gqeba. Gqeba who usually hosts Sunday sessions called Hang Eazy Sundaze in a popular Club in Mdantsane, took Molefe under his wing. Molefe said that he was approached by Gqeba, who suggested that since he is a churchgoer and a Christian, he should introduce the gospel genre at groove. Molefe grabbed the opportunity with both hands and compiled some of Gospel’s most popular hits. He said that when he played for the first time people had some mixed reactions and that most reactions were a bit sour because not everyone enjoyed it. Molefe said that people eventually got the hang of it and finally embraced the sounds of gospel music at nightclubs and since then, he has become quite popular and has grown a fan base. He also concluded that playing gospel Music in nightclubs was his way of healing people and showing society that even clubgoers know and love God. #Mdantsane #EastLondon #EasternCape #Emonti #buffalocity

LOCAL KARATE INSTRUCTOR LAID TO REST

It was a bittersweet day for the community of N.U. 1 in Mdantsane when they laid one of their own, Wongalethu “Sensei” Fandreki was laid to rest today. People from all walks of life gathered at the N.U 1 Community Hall in support of his family and to also celebrate the life that he so blissfully lived. The Community Hall was packed to full capacity, as everyone wanted to be present at this lovely send-off of such a great pillar of the community. Wongalethu died on the 26th of December in a tragic car accident on his way to Mqanduli with two of his friends who also died with him on the scene. His love for karate was widely demonstrated at his funeral by his students and fellow instructors as a tribute to him. Pastor Zulu, one of the parents of his students described Wongalethu as a very humble guy who included them in each and every decision that he made regarding their children as they were under his care in class. Mpumezo Manqina, a Goju Kai instructor in the Mdantsane sector gave a bit of history on the journey of Wongalethu. He said that Wongalethu started Karate in 2002 under Sensei Mnikina and after Mnikina left, he then took over as his instructor for 9 years and got his Black belt in Cape Town in 2012. Sensei Manqina gave words of gratitude to the late “sensei” and praised him for reviving karate in East London. He also thanked the family of the deceased for allowing them to have him in their karate world. Sensei Buntu Mpetsheni, also expressed how proud he was of Wongalethu as they have walked this journey of karate together and thanked everyone who played a role in the life of the late “sensei”. It was indeed a great celebration of life as the church choir sang with the community's help in honour of Wongalethu. #Mdantsane #EastLondon #EasternCape #Emonti #Buffalocity #WongalethuFandrekifuneral #Karate #Sensei #laidtorest #rip

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YOUNGSTERS IN BATTLE OVER SOCCER FIELD

YOUNGSTERS IN BATTLE OVER SOCCER FIELD It was indeed a sad sight watching many young boys playing soccer in the streets of Mdantsane on Monday while having to stop their game in order for cars to pass. As we all know it is still school holidays in the Eastern Cape and the young people are still roaming the streets with nothing to do until the schools re-open. While some like to be indoors and play with gadgets, some want to be active and play outside with others, especially those who do not have the luxury of expensive gadgets. When asked why they were playing soccer on the street, one of the boys boldly said that they did not have access to the community soccer field because they get bullied out of it by the older guys who practise soccer there in the late afternoons every day. According to the Ward 12 councillor Mr Andile Petani, the soccer field belongs to the community and everyone who resides in the ward has a right to access it. Yoliswa Vazi, who is a member of the ward committee said that this has been an ongoing struggle with these soccer fields because three sports are played in the area; namely netball, soccer and rugby and all of these teams want to take ownership of the field. As a result, the field remains closed and not maintained because of all this rivalry. This now becomes a problem because even the young children who just want to play at these fields suffer because of this ongoing feud. A ward meeting has been called as a means to find a solution to this problem, and it is proposed that some sort of schedule for all the sports teams. #Mdantsane #EastLondon #EasternCape #Emonti #Buffalocity

Farm robbery/hijacking as a plot

Farm robbery/hijacking as a plot Three black-clad robbers are said to have stolen a car at Greenfield and driven it to Santa (before you reach King Phalo Airport, East London) after robbing a farm. As it crossed a street in Santa, the car lost sight of the police, who were pursuing it in a police van equipped with a siren. Eventually, the vehicle was discovered in one of Santa's side streets. The robbers abandoned the black clothing they were wearing, stripped off, and threw them into the forest close to where they had left the car. In order for the police to not recognize them as they had other clothes underneath the back ones they wore, they then split up, with two going in one direction and the other in a different one. Following the towing of the stolen vehicle, the robbers are still at large. There are community members who think that the money that they robbed from the farm must have been given to another group; this suggests that there was a plot to have the police pursue the car while the money was being held by someone else. However, the police did their best and they succeeded in this part of finding the hijacked car. #Mdantsane #Eastlondon #EasternCape #buffalocitymetromunicipality

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As Phase FM- SITHI LALA NGOXOLOLO BULELWA ZAHARA SPINACH MKUTUKANA UGQATSO ULUFEZILE 🕊️ Gone but not forgotten your music will forever console and uplift our moods. #zaharaFuneral#RIPZahara#zahara

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Phase FM was in attendance at Zahara’s Memorial service to celebrate her life with family,friends and fans.🤍🕊️

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