ANC provincial bosses have thrown their weight behind Transport MEC Thandiswa Marawu and her department over a controversially awarded R206-million scholar transport tender. ANC provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane said the law had been followed to the letter.

THE provincial health department has paid more than R6-million in salaries to suspended officials sitting at home for the last two and a half years. Already the department has spent close to R1m on 11 officials from April this year.

EASTERN Cape human settlements MEC Helen August-Sauls yesterday came under fire from DA MPL Dacre Haddon, who accused her of misleading the public on housing fraud in the province. Sauls, in reply to a parliamentary question to Haddon two months ago, had said that since 2009 only one contractor had been suspended by the province [...]

SOME 700 toilets built in Dutywa 18 months ago for a multi-million rand housing development that barely got off the ground are literally falling over and into pieces. Construction of the concrete toilets started in March 2010, however work stalled when a contractor walked off site amid accusations of poor workmanship.

It cost the provincial health department a staggering R59m in only two-and-a-half years to compensate victims of negligence in public health institutions. This was disclosed in the Bhisho Legislature by health MEC Sicelo Gqobana.

PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma’s decision to reopen the arms deal investigation was welcomed by political parties and ANC alliance partners in the Eastern Cape. Some said, however, it would be important to see whether Zuma would appoint an impartial commission.

THE Office of the Public Protector yesterday said its investigation into the disputed R206-million Eastern Cape scholar transport tender will be completed in six months’ time. In the meantime, thousands of kids will still be transported to and from school by the department of transport.

THE Democratic Alliance (DA) has threatened to interdict Local Government and Traditional Affairs MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane if he does not declare as null and void municipal ward committees allegedly established without following proper procedures. DA MPL Dacre Haddon this week alleged that ward committees in Eastern Cape municipalities such as Inxuba Yethemba, Emalahleni, Ikhwezi, Lukhanji [...]

TRANSPORT MEC Thandiswa Marawu was given until the end of business yesterday to suspend a senior traffic official facing sexual harassment charges. The Port Elizabeth-based senior traffic officer, Charles Bramwell, faces charges including sexual harassment, abusing his female colleagues and racism dating back to October last year.