There are no easy answers about land in South Africa.
There are no easy answers about land in South Africa.
Outside Grahamstown this week was a resolution, of sorts, to a protracted, painful conflict between land owners and a group of residents.
What's remarkable is that both sides have persisted in spite of the bitterness, at times, of that conflict.
Coming into the mix are government entities whose motives in the year before local elections aren't necessarily as pure as the water that flows in the area's kloofs.
The Department of Rural Development and Land Reform's handing over land without providing the means to make something of it is short-sighted, even cynical.
Thank goodness there are people on our doorstep prepared to try and make things work anyway.
Grahamstown has many other causes for pride this week.
Star player in the Springbok Sevens Rosco Speckman, for a start.
"I’m just happy that I’m from Grahamstown," said the former Kingswood pupil.
So he should be.
Just in the past week we've also learnt that close on a fifth of the recipients of the prestigious Mandela Rhodes Scholarships for 2016 are Rhodes University students; and that Grahamstown-based Scifest has won a top award – second only to the ground-breaking discovery and description of Homo Naledi.
We're not so proud of the way our town looks at the moment – which is why Grocott's Mail has thrown our weight behind the Creative City clean-up campaign.
Do tell us what's bad about a street or building or green space near you, and send us photos.
Come the New Year, the clean-up campaign will be encouraging businesses and residents to pick a spot to care for – now matter how big or how small.
That the appointment of full-time permanent CEO for our town has been stalled yet again, this time by court action, is frustrating. That political interference appears to have led to this situation is unforgivable.
There are some very capable people trying very hard to make Grahamstown work – but without its full capacity our municipality is hobbled.
Our thoughts are with those who wrote matric this year. Grocott's Mail will be looking at our town's success stories – big and small – in our first edition next year.
The Gadra Education Manager will offer his view on the results, and what they mean for the state of education in Grahamstown.
And we'll also be sharing advice on what to do if you didn't make it – because there's always a way forward.
Our next print edition is on 8 January. But the Grocott's Mail newsroom remains up and running, with two reporters remaining on duty throughout.
Call us any time at 076 733 1770 to speak to a reporter, and follow us on Facebook (Grocott's Mail Online) and Twitter (@Grocotts) and online at www.grocotts.co.za.
The staff and Board of Grocott's Mail and the David Rabkin Project for Experiential Journalism wish our readers a peaceful and happy festive season.
