Cedric Canham

"Out of the homeless we have made citizens," says Matatiele mayor, Cedric Canham.

Lawyers have been instructed to launch an eleventh-hour legal challenge to Matatiele's incorporation into the Eastern Cape, African Independent Congress (AIC) spokesman Cedric Canham said.

AIC lawyers would seek to have the application heard in the high court in Pietermaritzburg or Durban, he said.

They would ask that the enactment of redemarcation legislation at midnight on Wednesday be suspended pending a decision by the Constitutional Court.

The Constitutional Court said on Monday it would hear further argument on the Matatiele community's challenge to the redemarcation only at the end of March.

"Whether they are going to get the application in today or not, I really do not know," Canham said.

Asked what effect a high court order would have on the election in Matatiele, he said: "The bottom line here is that no matter how one looks at it, the election in Matatiele would be violating people's rights anyway, so there would have to be a rerun."

Canham is a former African National Congress mayor of Matatiele.

Police cordoned off the post office and have started an extensive search for other possible "parcel bombs", according to Mayor Cedric Canham.

He said residents were stunned and there was great concern about the attack on Viviers, who he said was "a pleasant gentleman".

"The police have launched an intensive investigation into this attack and experts have been brought in to try and identify the type of explosives which were used," said Canham.
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This type of crime is not usual for our town and it has not happened before," said Canham.

Speaking at the recent launch of the project, the Mayor of Matatiele, Cedric Canham said: "It is heart warming when a school like King Edward High School, which is fortunate enough to have more than its basic needs, opens its doors to its fellow citizens."

He added: "The initiative taken by Standard Bank to assist us in addressing the educational needs of our people have been warmly welcomed by the community of Matatiele."

Canham said that education was very high on the list of priorities in the Matatiele community.

Matatiele mayor Cedric Canham, who had led a delegation to see Mufamadi recently, welcomed the move.

Matatiele Mayor, Cedric Canham, says people feel that they may have become pawns in grander political ambitions.