Author: Grocott's Mail Contributors

By Ryan McDonald Domestic Violence occurs when one of the following persons: Someone you are/were married to; Your parents/guardians; The father/mother of your child/children or your boyfriend/girlfriend; Anyone you are or have been living with even if you are not married to each other; Your partner of the same sex. Does any of the following to you: Hurts you physically; Sexually abuses you; Degrades or humiliates you by insulting, threatening, or ridiculing you or by calling you names or repeatedly causes you emotional pain; Unreasonably keeps money from you, which is legally yours or is necessary for your day-to-day living,…

Mugabe is overthrown and has accepted defeat by tendering his resignation. His resignation came into effect after he realised that the balance of forces was not in his favour. Role players across the board turned their backs on him. Complicating the situation for him was a total rejection displayed by the Zimbabwean critical mass against him. He had no leg to stand on and one option at his disposal was to succumb to well-orchestrated pressure by resigning. Failing his resignation, he would have faced impeachment and processes to that eventuality were already under way. The impeachment would have had devastating…

Pro Carmine choir will round off a record-breaking fund-raising year with their traditional Christmas concert – including sherry and mince pies – at Christ Church on Thursday. Once again they’re performing in aid of the Grocott’s Mail Christmas Cheer Fund. The choir, which has been going for nearly 40 years, regularly sings to raise money for worthwhile causes, but this year has seen some particularly successful outings. These kicked off in April with a joint concert with visiting UK choir, Moorland Voices, at NELM, which raised over R5000 for the Joza Reading Club. The English visitors were so taken with…

The subject of death is not usually something we like to think about, and this is probably one of the reasons why so many people pass away without leaving an up-to-date will.  A last will and testament is a legal document that forms the cornerstone of your estate plan.  It is there to facilitate the orderly administration of your estate in the event of your death.  It is an important document that every one of us should have. Research has shown that the vast majority of American adults do not have a will, and this should be no different in…

As the saying goes – one swallow does not make a summer, neither does one big rain alleviate a drought! Despite recent rains, our dams are still low, and water restrictions are still in place.  Every resident in Grahamstown needs to incorporate diverse and innovative efforts to conserve water – a precious commodity essential to life! With the hot summer weather approaching, we will have to make sure that we use every drop of water wisely.  So much “grey” water – in other words, water that we’ve already used once, but is still good for other uses, just washes down…

This has been another difficult year for South Africa and the SADC region at large. President Jacob Zuma has presided over the country in a reckless, selfish and irresponsible manner. This resulted in South Africa’s credit rating having been downgraded to junk and generalised economic woes, including virtually non-existent growth and rampant youth unemployment. Further north, ZANU-PF has removed the geriatric Robert Mugabe from power in Zimbabwe, after decades of misrule. In this worrisome context, it is crucial that we all prioritise the education of our children and youth. And so GADRA Education is more relevant today than ever, as…

Leaders can have charm, vision, self-confidence and charisma. These are endearing and even inspiring qualities. Yet sometimes there is another side to the typical leadership profile; some leaders can become arrogant, impulsive, egotistical and reckless. Southern African country control has been in the international spotlight over the past week. Rulers continue to be opposed and even deposed. People around the world are slowly learning about a leadership sickness called Hubris Syndrome. This is understood to be similar to Narcissistic Personality Disorder, which is a mental illness, defined under the DSM-5 (Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: American Psychiatric Association-2013).…

Occasionally someone will ask me, rather disdainfully, ‘What’s the point in writing poems about animals or nature? Surely there are more important things than that?’. Those ‘more important things’ are invariably human concerns such as injustice, poverty or crime. And yes, they are important, unarguably so. But the implication seems to be that unless we address such topics openly, nakedly, loudly, all other poetry is somehow shallow and inconsequential. I disagree. The best poetry deals with what it means to be human. Our societies, cultures, attitudes and beliefs both mould us and are moulded by us. But we are also…

Our leaders need a mindset change to steward our economy better so that South Africa can move from a state of plunder to a state of prosperity. According to MP Steve Swart from the African Christian Democratic Party, there are plenty of signs of hope in the corridors of Parliament. He spoke at Rhodes University on Sunday 1 October as part of a tour promoting Thabo Mahlobo’s new book The New Economy: Ancient Hope for Modern Economies. Swart began his talk with a testimony of how God had stirred his heart and brought him to repent of the 1913 Native…

Name: Scabiosa columbaria L. Family: Dipsacaceae (Scabious family) Common names: Engl. Morning Bride, Perennial Scabious, Rice Flower, Scabious, Wild Scabiosa, Wild Scabious Afr. Bitterbos, Jongmansknoop, Jonkmansknoop, Koringblom, Meerjarige Skurfkruid Xho. Ilelemimoya, Isilawu Esikhulu, Iyeza lamehlo Description Tufted perennial herb up to 80cm when in flower. Leaves are hairy, variable, the lower ones are paddle-shaped and toothed or lobed, upper ones are deeply cut to the midrib into the slender lobes. Flower heads are about 30 mm in diameter, carried on long stalks, and the flowers vary from white to mauve-purple.  Plants flower in spring and summer. Conservation status According to…