By Chalotte Mokonyane Under the joyous gaze of a packed Cathedral of St. Michael and St. George in Makhanda, the Venerable Mcebisi Pinyana was formally ordained, consecrated, and enthroned as the Fifteenth Bishop of the Diocese. The ceremony, held on the Feast of St Cecilia, was a colourful spectacle blending deep Anglican tradition with the vibrant culture of the Eastern Cape. The ceremony was presided over by Reverend Dr Thabo Cecil Makgoba, Archbishop of Cape Town and Metropolitan of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa (ACSA), signalling the dawn of a new chapter for one of the region’s oldest and…
Author: Chalotte Mokonyane
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By Chalotte Mokonyane Professor Sonwabile Mnwana, a leading scholar from the Department of Sociology and Industrial Sociology, has recently been awarded a prestigious Tier 1 SARChI Chair in Sustainable Rural Futures. This significant appointment marks a renewed focus on tackling the deep-seated, complex challenges faced by South Africa’s rural areas, particularly in the Eastern Cape. The legacy of the homelands Mnwana’s motivation is rooted in his desire to contribute to the Eastern Cape, a province that inherited the former apartheid homelands of Transkei and Ciskei. These areas, he explains, were designed not for production but as residential spaces for vast…
By Chalotte Mokonyane Amanda Black’s performance in Makhanda, part of her “From My Soul to Yours” tour, was a powerful visual and sonic journey that began with the familiar and concluded with the beautifully authentic. The first half of the show presented Black as the world knows her. Adorned with her signature Xhosa face dots known as umchokozo and her famous blue-braided wig with beads, she was the classic artist we’ve come to admire. Her performance was a masterclass in stage presence, each note resonating with the emotional depth of her lyrics. She moved with an elegant grace, connecting with…
By Chalotte Mokonyane Amanda Black, the acclaimed South African songstress known for her powerful vocals and soulful lyrics, will be on at the 1820 Settlers National Monument on 19 September. The concert is part of her current tour “From My Soul to Yours”, and fans are buzzing with excitement for what promises to be a moving and memorable performance. The anticipation has been heightened by a recent TikTok video from the artist herself, in which she declared, “come watch me pick up the guitar again”. This simple statement has resonated deeply with her followers, with many expressing their eagerness to…
By Chalotte Mokonyane A collective of civil society organisations, including the Public Service Accountability Monitor (PSAM) and Kagiso Trust, has submitted a bold proposal to the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), calling for sweeping reforms to address widespread dysfunction and corruption in South Africa’s municipalities. The joint submission comes as part of a broader national review of the 1998 White Paper on Local Government. According to News24, the government has acknowledged the dire state of the local government sector, which is plagued by financial mismanagement, poor service delivery, and instability. The Cogta review has signalled that a…
South African National Parks (SANParks) is setting a new course for conservation, moving beyond the traditional “islands” of protected areas to an inclusive, people-centered approach. The new strategy, Vision 2040, themed “People in Harmony with Nature Championing Prosperity”, was officially launched at a three-day indaba in Nelson Mandela Bay last week. The conference, which coincided with Heritage Month, brought together political leaders, conservationists, and community members to discuss the future of South Africa’s natural heritage. Media personality Unathi Nkayi opened the event with a powerful call to action: “We cannot expect the rest of the world to protect and look after…
By Chalotte Mokonyane At the heart of the St Mary DCC Scouts program is Nosipho Moyikwa, a proud leader who, along with a team of students from Rhodes University and fellow leader Anna Talbot Kinsler, has built a thriving and inclusive troop since its establishment in 2017. The troop, which now includes 35 boys and girls, operates on a unique model. Instead of Moyikwa running the show, the troop is divided into groups, each with its own patrol leader responsible for taking attendance and assigning daily activities. This structure is intentional, allowing a focus on more than outdoor adventure. Moyikwa…
By Chalotte Mokonyane Archbishop Nkosinathi Ngesi, representing the South African Council of Churches (SACC), attended the First National Dialogue convention. He criticised the event as a “talk show” that fails to translate discussions into real action, particularly at the community level. Bishop Ngesi’s critique centres on the absence of a direct link between national discussions and real, measurable change on the ground. He added that important issues such as corruption and poor service delivery, while widely debated at the national level, ultimately need to be confronted at the local government level, where their impact is most directly felt. Ngesi voiced…
By Chalotte Mokonyane Archbishop Nkosinathi Ngesi, leader of the Ethiopian Episcopal churches in Southern Africa spoke to Grocott’s after attending the South African Council of Churches (SACC) Anti-Corruption Conference at which heads of churches across the country confronted what they see as a moral and political crisis gripping the nation. Ngesi expressed profound frustration with the post-1994 government, saying those entrusted with power have failed the very people who elected them. He made a pointed reference to former President Jacob Zuma, whose corruption allegations, he said, exemplify how power and money can lead leaders to forget their duties and focus…
By Chalotte Mokonyane Makhanda is a city rich in history and architectural heritage. The city has around 70 ‘monuments’ protected by provincial oversight. But its unique character has been eroded over the past decade due to the collapse of the vital municipal aesthetics committee. However, there is renewed hope for the preservation of its historic buildings as the committee has now been re-established and is ready to resume its crucial advisory and decision-making role within the Makana Municipal Council. Phillipa Irvine, a member of the newly re-established committee, explained that the committee was formed in the early 1970s, and is…