Author: Siyanda Zinyanga

By Siyanda Zinyanga The South African Police Service (SAPS) has digitised its recruitment process to attract young candidates of all backgrounds and reduce corruption in applications. At a recent youth recruitment event hosted at Foley’s Ground on 11 July, Lieutenant Colonel Madlingozi said all applicants will undergo rigorous screening, including a psychometric test and background checks. “To prevent potential recruitment of criminals in the SAPS, the selected applicants will go through a psychometric test and other background checks,” he said. “Remember, we have a selection process; everyone is allowed to apply.” The new digital system replaces paper forms to curb…

by Siyanda Zinyanga and Gcina Ntsaluba Eight metres from Makhanda’s City Hall, a 77-year-old sits under the sun stitching shoes. Even when it’s raining he works, as hunger does not wait for weather. Veliti Qolohle was paralysed after being struck in the 1980s with a stone on his head which caused the right side of his body to malfunction. He now uses a skill he was taught by his father who is no longer living. Mr Qolohle may be old and forgetful, but he knows he never got the chance to finish school. Working in apartheid time He worked in the…

By Siyanda Zinyanga For nine months, Ricardo Jacob, a 35-year-old resident from Ghost Town, has lived with a broken sewage pipe in his home. Human waste flows freely in his yard, soaking the ground and causing an overpowering smell that makes it difficult to breathe. Even eating is unbearable. Mind you, his fridge is empty. Despite frequent visits to the municipality to complain about the broken sewage at his home, not a single official has followed up, and no maintenance team has ever inspected or fixed the broken sewage pipes. Jacobs is a father to three children. His 11-year-old daughter,…

By Siyanda Zinyanga Despite years of promises and public consultations, hundreds of cows, donkeys and goats continue to roam Makhanda’s streets, posing a threat to motorists, the natural environment, residents’ health and the animals themselves. Underlying the problem is the non-enforcement of municipal bylaws, the lack of a municipal pound, as well as the decades-long neglect of local commonages. Cattle were recently spotted on the N2, having broken through the fences at the top of George Street. Theft and damage to fencing have been persistent issues, and Makana’s Impoundment of Animals Bylaw, controlling the keeping of animals and the impoundment…

By Siyanda Zinyanga At the age of 10, Mthuthuzeli David Songogo suffered from what he calls a “witchcraft-attack stroke”, resulting in leg paralysis. He was taken to several hospitals, but doctors couldn’t discover the cause of the stroke. So they just offered him walking sticks and a manual wheelchair. He was also taken to a traditional healer, who couldn’t find any traditional remedies to help either. Since then, Songogo, who is now 63 and lives in Fingo Village, has had little help from the government. He says that the government moves slowly regarding people with disabilities and that he still has…

By Siyanda  Zinyanga and Nomfundo Mbatha Despite facing financial challenges themselves, members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Rhini, based at 16 Wood Street, continue to run a community nourishment hub that serves over 1000 cooked meals each month to people from impoverished homes. The soup kitchen, established in 1993 by Thembeka Nosilela and Irene Mpehlo, has become a pillar of support in the Joza community. According to Hobolongwana Sondezwa, who has been supervising the project since 2000, the initiative is derived from having a genuine love for people and a desire to make a positive impact on those living…

By Siyanda Zinyanga In Makhanda, crumbling walls and abandoned buildings are being turned into a form of self expression as graffiti and mural art takes on the role of reflecting our society’s values and history. This work gives the community a prospect to retrospect and introspect. According to Mook Lion, a local graffiti artist, these creative works are not only a way of resisting or rebelling, they also make the city look beautiful and attractive. Our tour with Mook Lion began in New Street, where he showed us a picture that he was commissioned to do by the National Festival…