Author: Grocott's Mail Contributors

As a regular visitor to Grahamstown over the past 17 years and more recently a ratepayer, it makes me very sad and angry that Makana Municipality does not appear to spend ratepayers’ money for the benefit of all the communities. It smacks of gross incompetence that the infrastructure of Grahamstown is crumbling before everyone’s eyes – to list but a few: The roads & pavements with numerous potholes present a great danger to motorists and pedestrians alike. In the past 12 months this has become more apparent. Maintenance of the water distribution network is lacking. The building of proper housing and provision…

The Right Reverend Dr Chad N Gandiya, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Harare, addressed this letter to the diocese in the region, soon after the military intervention in Zimbabwe this week. It was shared by Dean od the Cathedral in Grahamstown the RIght Reverend Andrew Hunter. Beloved in Christ, Warm and cordial greetings from your brothers and sisters in the Anglican Diocese of Harare, Zimbabwe. Political developments of Tuesday night in Zimbabwe have necessitated the writing of this letter to all our friends so that you are informed and know what to pray for as you think and pray for…

Civil society organisations have issued a strong statement on President Jacob Zuma’s reported attempt to dramatically adjust the budget, through cuts in critical social spending, to finance free higher education for one year. Questioning the motives behind this move, they suggest it is short-term political expediency rather than sustainable economic planning and budgeting. Undermining of the budget process and National Treasury threatens the stability of public finances and critical areas of government spending. The resignation of the Deputy Director-General of the Budget Office at National Treasury, Michael Sachs, is a further signal that the system of open, consultative and responsible…

Mugabe’s prolonged term of office has come to an end abruptly through a well executed coup hatched at the highest level of the Zimbabwe Defence Force. That would not have been an outcome of an overnight meeting. The underlying factors suggest that the plan to dislodge the longest serving President in the world has been in the pipeline for some time. A high-risk plan is a closely guarded operation that requires maximum discipline and secrecy. Those involved know very well the consequences of breaching the hard and fast rule. Plans of that nature are a product of a thoroughly done…

David Fryer The long-running legal saga of the Rhodes University  interdict case came to an end on 24 March, with Judge Murray Lowe dismissing an application for leave to appeal brought by the 4th-6th respondents (all young women who had participated in the #rureferencelist protest in April last year).  The University issued a statement on this matter on 30 March. However, the statement makes a number of claims that are contestable. For example, that where matters have been dealt with “through the legitimate structures in the university… we continue to see positive results”.  However, it was clearly the alleged failure…

The Grahamstown Residents Association (GRA) is deeply concerned about last week’s cabinet reshuffle and the way President Jacob Zuma’s recent actions are harming this country. It has become clear that he is managing the affairs of government for personal gain and in the interests of his inner circle of friends and family. His actions indicate that he has little desire to serve the interests of the nation nor does he feel obliged to respect the spirit of the South African Constitution. He has pointedly targeted senior staff members of the Treasury, mounting a personal vendetta against anyone who objects to…

I wish, through this newspaper and on behalf of Makanakop Shellhole, to thank all those who attended our Remembrance Day Parade held in Church Square last Sunday. In particular, I would like to thank The Mayor of Grahamstown, the Municipality and the Traffic Department as well as 1st City Regiment, the South African Police, the ex-servicemen and women’s organisations represented. The Cadet Corps and Pipe Band of St Andrew’s College as well as the Kingswood College Band, our Piper, Chris Terry and Father Rob. Last, but certainly not least, the schools of Grahamstown for their wonderful and continued support at…

The poem is about some certain insects (like mosquitoes) invade an area, suck out all the juicy parts and then leave–leaving it dry. Oomaguputa insects confuse as they act like people according to the poet. Apparently, they came to Africa as guests but they destroyed it. The poem is anonymously written Ezi zinambuzane ziyingozi eluntwini. OOMAGUPUTA! Kulo mimandla yezwe leAfrika Kumazantsi omhlab’iAfrika Ngobuninzi nobukhulu bendl’eAfrika Kwangen’iindwendwe iingcongconi Zize kuphucula elo lizwe Ndingatsho ngabula zona Ezi zinambuzane zingenile Zizihandib’ezangena kuMzants’iAfrika Izinunzel’izinunzinunzi Ntw’ezi mehl’okhozi zizel’ubuqhetseba Zibon’inyob’aph’ingabonakali Zisebenzise ubuchule benyoka nenyushu Zibuye zityebi zingezase mzini OoMaguputaaaa! Wakhal’uZoleka ngeny’imini Beza bengaswele nto Gxebe babe…

Compiled by Nikki Köhly Cool water connections Dr Stephanie Januchowski-Hartley recently gave a talk, “Rivers, our connected waters”, hosted by the local branch of WESSA. The dynamic young president of the Freshwater Working Group, Society for Conservation Biology, took the audience on a fascinating tour of selected rivers of the world. She used of her findings in the USA Great Lakes Basin and her ongoing research in France, where she now lives and works, to show how rivers connect waters and lands, and also connect people. Eileen Shepherd, Chair of Grahamstown WESSA, was particularly struck by Stephanie’s findings on how…

The South African situation has become so fluid that political parties find themselves constantly reacting to changing circumstances. Parliament and its substructures are almost daily attending to controversial matters, caused in the main by extraparliamentary factors. Some are defending the untenable; some are trying to get to the bottom of the problem. These matters have obfuscated substantives issues that should have been addressed to improve living conditions for South Africans. The problems have become colossal and there is no single party with the ability to address them. The ruling party has curtailed its influence through its inability to cleanse itself…