By Phila-Nathi Mapisa, Ayabonga Kosi and Lincoln Morton In the heart of Makhanda, a small town grappling with the economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fork and Dagger emerged as a beacon of hope for job seekers and diners alike. Part owner and manager Janine Harris recalls those early stages, saying, “Most restaurants were closing, and we were employing an opening, and we were working on menus and putting out ads and received thousands of applicants.” However, the restaurant faced unexpected hurdles as it aimed to redefine its identity and combat the prevailing perception of being a luxury establishment. Opening…
Author: Grocott's Mail
Read More
Steven Lang A large image of the late Ayanda Kota looking out over mourners greeted new arrivals as they entered the hall of the Indoor Sports Centre in Joza on Saturday morning. His casket was in the centre of the hall during the moving funeral service that began at 9 am and concluded just after lunchtime. His photograph on stage showed a benign Ayanda Kota looking over those who had come to lament his passing as if he were still there, watching over and protecting his soldiers who fought shoulder-to-shoulder against inequality, capitalism and the patriarchy. Likhaya Ngandi was the…
Stay in the loop with the latest and join the MEW WhatsApp group! POP-UPS/ FESTIVALS/ EXHIBITIONS/REPEAT EVENTS Sunday, 10 March & Monday, 11 March Masicule 2024 Join us as we celebrate 10 years of uniting Makhanda in Song! The National Arts Festival is delighted to welcome as our guest Artist Standard Bank Young Artist for Music 2023, Zoë Modiga @ Guy Butler Theatre, Monument, Makhanda Sunday at 18:00 | Monday at 19:00 Booking is essential for this one-of-a-kind event: https://bit.ly/Masicule2024. Total ticket price R60 | Concessions for Scholars, Students and Pensioners R40 Thursday, 14 March – Thursday, 21 March Ubuhlanti: The…
By Farirai Dangwa and Andile Mfundisi On a warm Wednesday afternoon in Makhanda, we essentially barged in on Professor Paul Maylam to interview him about his upcoming lecture for the 120th anniversary of Rhodes University. With sincere energy, he graciously agreed to do an interview even though it was close to lunchtime. We were able to get a small glimpse into his illustrious history as, well, a historian. Paul Maylam is a decorated historian who has delved into the deep-rooted politics and the history of Rhodes University and apartheid South Africa. Upon walking into his research space, we were greeted…
By Staff Reporter A new trans-Atlantic podcast is building storytelling connections between learners at Ntsika and Nyaluza High Schools in Makhanda and ITC High School in Syracuse, New York. The podcast, ‘Connecting Communities’, explores issues from youth perspectives rooted in lived experiences in South Africa and the USA. On Tuesday, 27 February, the learners exchanged their motivations for the study and career paths they hope to pursue. Inkululeko’s Nosi Dosi said the podcast allows learners to amplify voices from their communities while gaining media skills. “By sharing each other’s stories, we hope to inspire positive change from within,” she said.…
By Staff Reporter This week, Kingswood College announced the exciting news of their landmark solar project launched to mitigate reliance on the national grid, reducing electricity costs for the school and minimizing the school’s carbon footprint. The R12 million project will see in excess of 730 555-watt solar panels and two large-scale lithium batteries (480 kWh) with an inverter system installed on campus in 2024, with the ultimate goal of reducing reliance on the nation, providing a stable source of electricity to the campus. The ‘hybrid’ system means Kingswood will be able to switch between energy sources (solar, battery, generator…
Stay in the loop with the latest and join the MEW WhatsApp group! POP-UPS/ FESTIVALS/ EXHIBITIONS/REPEAT EVENTS Friday, 1 – Saturday, 2 March Table Too Mexican Evening A delicious spread of Mexican food including a Tostada (crispy tortilla stacked with chorizo in a rich tomato sauce, guacamole, cheddar, feta and sour cream, Chicken in a Molé sauce of roasted chillies, almonds, chocolate, cinnamon and raisins with rice and Salad Rosaura (red cabbage, pineapple, spinach, beetroot, macadamia nuts in a creamy feta dressing), Caramel custard flan with orange rind and port. Vegetarian option: Vegetarian enchilada. @ 16 Donkin Street 19:30 for 20:00 For…
Steven Lang reviews The Woodpecker Mystery – The Inevitability of the Improbable, a non-fiction book by Nick Norman. They say you should never judge a book by its cover – but quite frankly, that’s not natural. Why do we pick up a book in a bookstore if it is not because the cover caught our attention? Of course, we don’t judge the whole book by its cover, but it is the cover that often guides us on whether to purchase and read it. “The Woodpecker Mystery – The Inevitability of the Improbable” has an intriguing cover that inexorably draws you…
By Loyiso Dyongman and GroundUp Staff Ayanda Kota, who founded the Unemployed People’s Movement (UPM) in 2009, has died of cancer. He was born in Grahamstown in 1976, now Makhanda, and died here. It was in Makhanda and Cape Town that he dedicated his life to fighting for the rights of poor people. He went to Nombulelo Secondary School in Makhanda’s Joza location. At the age of 15 he joined the Black Consciousness Movement, which Steve Biko had started in the 1970s. In 1995 he was elected chairperson of the Azanian Student Movement in Cape Town. In 2014, Kota wrote an opinion piece for GroundUp…
By Jackie Clausen Congratulations to Kingswood College athletes who won medals at the Sarah Baartman districts trials and will be going through to the Provincial trials in Queenstown next weekend. Baelien Hubert won Gold for the 400m in a time of 52.64 seconds. Kwakho Mzizi won Gold for the 100m in a time of 10.41 seconds and Silver for the 200m in a time of 22.2. Liyema Katikati won Bronze for his High Jump of 1.70m.