By Nondumiso Thwala and Migcobo Majali The Livingstone United Congregational Church of Southern Africa witnessed a day of jubilation as they gathered to celebrate the remarkable milestone of 65-year-old Rev Mluleki Raymond Ndabeni’s 40-year journey in ministry. What was initially billed as a Gala dinner was much more than Ndabeni had anticipated, leaving guests pleasantly surprised. The surprise unveiled the naming of the church’s hall as Mluleki Raymond Ndabeni Hall. The festivities commenced in a backdrop of confusion, as guests arrived expecting a Gala dinner, only to find themselves in a different affair. To clarify the situation, Thembisa Santi, speaking…
Author: Grocott's Mail
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A flower for the dashboard: Poems from Aerial 1998-2019 and The last time I lived anywhere real: Stories from Aerial 1998-2019 By Gillian Rennie This is a year of momentous anniversaries. The 50th National Arts Festival! The 30th year of democracy! The 120th year of Rhodes University! Here now are two appealing collections to join the party. Jointly, they celebrate a creative project that, for many local writers, has made all the difference. Aerial Publishing, founded 21 years ago, has allowed hundreds of writers to find their pens and their voices by encouraging us to tell our stories via a…
By Steven Lang Entrepreneurship is often considered an attribute of capitalism, yet this was not the case at the launch of the Rhodes University – Local Economic Development (RU-LED) Innovation Lab on Friday evening. The emphasis at the event was clearly on entrepreneurship for the benefit of society as a whole. It was all about harnessing the ingenuity of the students and youths of Makhanda in an ethical manner to improve socioeconomic conditions for all concerned. This means that Rhodes students will work with the young people of Makhanda to ignite innovative business opportunities that can provide employment and a…
Stay in the loop with the latest and join the MEW WhatsApp group! POP-UPS/ FESTIVALS/ EXHIBITIONS/REPEAT EVENTS Tuesday, 23 April – Sunday, 30 June Community Assets for Social Innovation A research and training program to develop ideas for enterprise and community development initiatives. @ RUCE 5 Prince Alfred Street, Rhodes University 14:00 – 16:00 Contact Thandiwe on ruce@ru.ac.za Free entry __ THIS WEEK THURSDAY, 25 APRIL U3A Elizabeth Milne from Bathurst will demonstrate and describe the surprising medicinal uses of a number of common indigenous plant species that grow all over the Eastern Cape. She really knows what she’s talking about! She…
By Andile Nayika It has been three decades since the dawn of democracy in South Africa, yet gaps between communities and government remain a talking point. The apartheid administration brought the blatant exclusive participation in governance, forcefully silencing a large portion of the population. However, the 1994 turn-around promised equality, inclusivity, freedom in the form democracy; a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held elections. Even though elections are at the centre of democracy, local municipalities, according to Chapter 4…
Stay in the loop with the latest and join the MEW WhatsApp group! POP-UPS/ FESTIVALS/ EXHIBITIONS/REPEAT EVENTS Friday, 19 – Monday, 22 April Makana Freedom Festival Come and join us for some food, poetry, music, sports, arts and crafts. @ Egazini Battlefield, Albert Road Free entry Tuesday, 23 April – Sunday, 30 June Community Assets for Social Innovation A research and training program to develop ideas for enterprise and community development initiatives. @ RUCE 5 Prince Alfred Street, Rhodes University 14:00 – 16:00 Contact Thandiwe on ruce@ru.ac.za Free entry __ THIS WEEK THURSDAY, 18 APRIL U3A This week, our lecturer will…
By Sibongiseni Maphumulo The National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) convened at the Albany Museum in Makhanda, where their first deployed deputy president, Cde Nyamela Macanda, spearheaded discussions on critical union matters. Among the attendees were various shop stewards representing different branches of Nehawu, convened under the banner of the Nehawu Town-Based Shops Wards Council. Max Madlingozi Region deputy secretary, Sifundo Daweti, assumed the responsibility of directing the minutes of the meeting, ensuring that every concern and resolution was meticulously recorded. Members seized the opportunity to voice their grievances and sought clarity on pertinent issues from Macanda. The…
By Steven Lang Makana City Hall reverberated with foot-stomping, chanting and sporadic booing as the time approached for an election discussion broadcast on Mpuma Kapa TV, an Eastern Cape community television station, last Sunday. The Hall was packed with supporters from the four parties represented on the Makana Local Municipality Council: the African National Congress (ANC), the Democratic Alliance (DA), the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the Makana Citizens Front (MCF). Mpuma Kapa presenter, Percy Lamani, hosted the panel that included Andile Hoyi, chief whip of the ANC in Makana; Kevin Mileham, the DA shadow minister of mineral resources and…
By Ross Marriner Factors such as load shedding, corruption and the general deterioration of municipal service delivery have caused even the most patriotic South Africans to investigate ways to divert a significant proportion of their wealth offshore instead of into the local economy. Although it is important to avoid making investment decisions based on emotion, investing a portion of your portfolio of investments offshore is usually a sensible strategy. A suitably diversified portfolio of investments is an excellent approach to creating sustainable wealth in the long term. A question often asked is what percentage of one’s total investment portfolio should…
By Siqhamo Jama Amidst the community’s hardships, a beacon of hope shines tall in the centre of Extension 5 in Joza Location of Makhanda. This beacon is Bulelani Ngxakaza, the creator of eSandton 046, a local coffee shop and snack bar. It has grown from its modest beginnings as an abandoned container, becoming a thriving centre for entrepreneurship and connection. The journey of Bulelani Ngxakaza is a testament to his tenacity, willpower, and long-lasting love for his people. He is a native of Makhanda and is well aware of the difficulties its citizens endure. Despite having to leave PE Technikon…