Latest news with #Addo
The Herald
4 days ago
- General
- The Herald
Addo Elephant National Park meeting jumbo accommodation challenge
Since the establishment of Addo Elephant National Park in 1931 for the protection of the remaining 11 elephants in the area, the population has done extremely well. So much so that it led to a steady enlargement of what is known as the Addo main camp section from 1955 to 2015 to ensure other biological components are not affected by the elephants. The park is now home to more than 800 elephants in various sections and biomes. The largest single expansion included the addition of the Colchester section towards the south of the park in 2010, with the dropping of fences between the sections. The combined main camp/Colchester section is now about 268km² in size (Lombard et al. 2001) and contains several boreholes and earthen dams due to the lack of natural rivers in this section of the park. Addo expanded substantially over time and by 2022 it had seven areas separated by fences, interspersed with private land in some cases. This provided opportunities for elephant range expansion, with the main camp serving as the source for other sections of Addo and externally. For instance, authorities translocated four juveniles from Addo to the Pilanesberg National Park in 1979 (Hancock, 1984) and a further 11 bulls to various private game reserves across SA in 2005. In 2003, 61 elephants were moved from the main camp to the Nyathi section, while four bulls were introduced from Kruger National Park. The Darlington section received 28 elephants from the main camp/Colchester section in 2018. Fencing of the park in 1954 confined the elephants to an area which led to most of the main camp being used by elephants and subsequently resulted in impacts on vegetation structure and sensitive species (Lombard et al. 2001; Kerley & Landman, 2006). To alleviate these impacts, the main camp was expanded into the Colchester section where water provision was limited. However, the main camp/Colchester section was not big enough to significantly change elephant space use and therefore other management interventions to limit population growth, such as elephant contraception and water availability gradient, had to be implemented. Recent studies have shown that historical management approaches have generally not been able to impose spatial and temporal limitations on elephant space use in the main camp/Colchester section (Guldemond et al. 2022). This in turn could lead to impacts on other biodiversity components if management interventions are not continued and by expanding land availability through the consolidation of current sections and the addition of new land to Addo. It is for this reason that the relocation of 42 elephants from the main camp to the Kabouga section (towards the north of Addo), last month was undertaken. From observations of the various family groups since through nine tracking collars, it appears they are exploring and settling well into their new home. As recently as June 3, Addo Elephant National Park biotechnician Joshua Roberts was in the area servicing cameras when he came across the youngest of the lot, aptly named Kabouga, and his herd — all looking healthy and happy. The consolidation of the neighbouring Kabouga and Darlington sections is planned, which will provide the two populations with an even greater area to roam. Charlene Bisset — SANParks regional ecologist The Herald
The Herald
11-06-2025
- The Herald
Project manager working on Sanral project kidnapped on Addo Road
A project manager working on the multimillion-rand Sanral project to upgrade the R335 between Motherwell and Addo has been kidnapped. The man, employed by one of the companies contracted by Sanral, was abducted on Wednesday morning. Police spokesperson Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana said the Swartkops police were notified of a kidnapping on Addo Road near Monument Crossing at about 10.30am. A case of kidnapping is being investigated. ' It is alleged that a 37-year-old male was busy on a construction site on Addo Road when a white Mercedes sedan stopped next to him. 'Two [men] got out and then forced him into the Mercedes and drove off with him. 'One of the [men] also took [the victim's] white Toyota Hilux bakkie, which was found abandoned again in Ikamvelihle a short while later. 'No ransom demands have been made yet,' Gantana said. Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane has previously spoken out about attacks on the construction project. During his state of the province address in 2024, he revealed that 'construction mafias' had threatened to stop the upgrade, demanding R450,000 a month in protection fees. The road is a vital citrus export route from the Sundays River Valley municipality to Nelson Mandela Bay's two ports. The project is divided in two, with the first phase cutting across wards 53, 54, 55, 56 and 23 in Motherwell. The second phase is from Addo to Ngqweba (formerly Kirkwood). A source close to the project said the assailants had visited the area for the second time in the space of a week. 'Last week Friday, the site manager for phase two of the project [had a gun pointed at him] by unknown people who came on site and made some demands. 'Since that incident, the site manager left and has not returned to work,' he said. 'And now today the project manager employed by the same company has been abducted. 'This has been an ongoing problem here in Motherwell. 'At one point last year people came and demanded a monthly protection fee of R450,000 which meant the project had to temporarily be stopped for safety reasons.' A second source said they were concerned for the kidnapped manager's safety and the repercussions this would have for the project. 'From what I heard, the guys came last week and shot in the air and on the road to scare people. 'The fear by residents and councillors is that the project might have to be closed because threats are not happening for the first time and people's lives are at risk. 'Even Mabuyane has spoken publicly about these threats on construction companies, but they don't seem to have stopped,' the insider said. The Herald
Axios
09-06-2025
- Business
- Axios
Why developers have stopped building apartments
The economics of building apartments in the Twin Cities doesn't work, and it could be a long time before it does. Why it matters: The metro area is already undersupplied on housing. A staggering decline in multifamily building could drive up prices in the years to come. By the numbers: After peaking at 15,500 in 2022, permits issued to begin apartment construction in the metro fell to 5,000 last year and are on an even slower pace this year, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Zoom in: Sherman Associates has been one of the most prolific local developers in recent years, building hundreds of units in Minneapolis and beyond. The company doesn't have a single project under construction right now, and as CEO Chris Sherman told Axios, his Minneapolis firm can't make it work without public subsidies. State of play: While there can be some outliers, the typical cost to build a midrise apartment building (think four to five stories) has reached $320,000-$340,000 a unit, Sherman said. Meanwhile, the average price paid for Class A apartment buildings was $223,400 per unit last quarter, said Heidi Addo, a broker who sells multifamily communities for Michel Commercial Real Estate. This massive gap is a nonstarter for most developers, especially merchant builders, who develop apartment communities, fill them up with renters and then sell. The big picture: The three main reasons for the slowdown: Construction costs have risen nearly 40% since 2020, according to general contractor Mortenson's Construction Cost Index for Minneapolis. Interest rates have risen dramatically since 2022, and there's a correlation between them and what price sellers can get for apartments. When interest rates were historically low in 2022, the average sale price of apartments peaked at $285,000 per unit, according to a Michel Commercial Real Estate report. Rents have not kept up with rising costs. Asking rents in the metro increased only 1.4% year over year in March, to an average of $1,543 per unit, according to the report. Friction point: Sherman said apartment sales prices will have to eclipse $400,000 per unit before his firm begins building again, with the exception being projects that receive public subsidies, like the one they're working on in St. Louis Park. "The numbers are just upside down — and not by a little, but a lot," Sherman said. What we're watching: Both Addo and Sherman believe rent increases are coming. Addo is already tracking major hikes in areas of the metro where few units have been delivered in recent years, particularly the northern suburbs. Sherman said the sweet deals renters have been getting — like free months of rent for new leases — will be drying up soon.
The Herald
01-06-2025
- General
- The Herald
Foreigners without proper paperwork arrested in Gqeberha
At least 30 foreigners were arrested in Gqeberha on Sunday for allegedly being in the country without proper documentation. Police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge confirmed the arrests on Sunday night. 'The department of immigration arrested a total of 30 foreigners,' he said. 'Twenty are being held at the Mount Road police station and 10 at the Humewood police station.' According to Beetge, the foreigners were believed to have come from a township in Addo and later sought refuge at a church in Gqeberha. 'The department of immigration, which falls under the home affairs directorate, effected the arrests,' he said. 'That department has a whole section that can arrest people in terms of SA's home affairs and immigration laws.' 'For further details, please contact home affairs directly.' Home affairs spokesperson Duwayne Esau indicated he would respond on Monday morning. Last weekend, clashes between locals and foreigners broke out in Addo in response to the murder of a community member outside a tavern on the Saturday. Residents from Valencia in Addo then took to the streets and allegedly attacked foreigners in the area. A further three people were killed and at least 10 others injured. Some of the foreigners then sought shelter at a church in Gqeberha. The Herald
The Herald
27-05-2025
- General
- The Herald
Police intervene as tensions flare in Addo
A strong police presence is visible in the streets of Addo as tensions persist between local residents and foreign nationals. At about 6am on Tuesday, sporadic groups of people started burning tyres on the roads, but the situation was dealt with by Public Order Policing, with the assistance of other policing units deployed to the area. The clashes between locals and foreigners is in response to the murder of a community member outside a tavern on Saturday. According to police reports, residents from Valencia in Addo then took to the streets and allegedly attacked foreigners in the area. A further two people were killed and at least 10 others injured. According to police spokesperson Warrant Officer Majola Nkohli, arrangements have been made to accommodate the stranded foreign nationals. 'Most of them have been accommodated in interim shelters outside Addo. 'Police have also placed a team of detectives to work on the cases that were opened, and as soon they are finished with the investigation process, the arrests will follow,' Nkholi said. In a statement late on Monday, Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane appealed for calm. The Herald
