Author: Grocott's Mail Contributors

Budget 2020: The Public Service Accountability Monitor urges the government to grow ‘the aloe’ by strengthening public institutions and prioritising effective public expenditure Using the analogy of the resilient, hardy aloe – Finance Minister Tito Mboweni emphasised the need to channel scarce resources to ‘new growth’ and prioritise survival during ‘tough times’; economic growth and the development of South Africa’s young democracy. But growing within an ailing public service with blossoming inequality and rapidly shrivelling public institutions, the aloe is clearly under threat – green shoots and all. The Public Service Accountability Monitor (PSAM) concurs with the Minister on the…

By ZUKISWA KOTA Recent events within the Eastern Cape’s socio-political landscape are stark indicators of the perils of weakened state capacity. On Monday 24 February – a day before the tabling of the State of the Province Address (SOPA) – protestors blocked off the N2 outside the provincial administrative capital. Service delivery protests and their frequency potentially offer an important litmus test of communities’ state of satisfaction with municipal performance; so too the trend of civic actors looking to the courts for relief. In January, the Eastern Cape High Court handed down a landmark judgment directing the dissolution of Makana…

By Roger Rowswell with contributions by Mike Palmer, Jim Cambray and Pat Irwin Recently I received a copy of an edict/notice put out by the PE Met Office indicating that a 100-year flood was on the cards in the near future. This is an event I have anticipated occurring for a while but had not fully investigated the probability. There are promising signs that the drought will soon be over. Weather is cyclical and I was aware that serious flooding had occurred in the past in the early part of the 19th century. A big flood was reported on early…

By MANDISI MAJAVU The Unemployed People’s Movement (UPM) recently declared that “ANC, Makhanda is woke!” Fed up with party politics and sectarian holier-than-thou politics, the UPM has joined forces with [various organisations and individuals]*(1). The political objective is to let the corrupt political class that has been in the helm of the post-apartheid state know that enough is enough – the gravy train stops at Makhanda. To that end, the ANC cadres who were deployed at Makana Local Municipality have been ordered by the Makhanda High Court to disembark the train. In other words, the court granted an application by…

Fifty years after passing his grade 12, Michael Willemse has realised his dream of studying at an institution of higher learning and Rhodes University was his first choice. The 67-year-old South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) recipient is studying Anthropology and Politics and is awaiting his approval for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funding. Willemse is from Pietermaritzburg and grew up in Cape Town where he got his matric at Bellville High School in 1970. He had a dream of being an architect but due to his family background, he could not study further and opted for job…

By CHRIS TOTOBELA Things were back to normal last weekend for Makana LFA as fans were treated to a feast of football action. It was an action packed weekend with some very interesting results that have made a huge impact in the log standings. On Saturday Newtown City defeated Cameroon by three goals to one. Jacaranda is slowly sliding down the log and away from the title-chasing pack as they suffered a shock 2-0 defeat from New Seekers. Young Eagles and Grahamstown United shared the spoils at one goal apiece while Attackers moved to the top of the standings after…

NguCHRIS TOTOBELA Amagqiyazana nawo amaxhaphetshu elungiselela umdlalo ozakubayimbali kwibhola yabaseTyhini yalapha eMakhanda. NgeCawa oompondo zihlanjiwe nooxholovane bebhola yamanina nabaphumelele intshinga yalengingqi yeSarah Baartman izihlandlo ezisixhenxe zilandelelana, iAfrican Connection izobe ijongene nqo neqela lamanina laseDSG. Iqela laseDSG liqale ukudlala imidlalo yalo kulonyaka ophelileyo kwaye lisebenzisa lomdlalo ukuzilungiselela itumente yezikolo yamanina. Umqeqeshi weliqela umnumzana Ntokozo Dube uthi uchulumancile kwaye uwujonge ngamehlo abomvu lomdlalo. Umdlali odlale ithuba elide kwiqela lamaKonokono oyinkonde nokwangusekela mqeqeshi, uthi lo umdlalo uzakuba yimbali nanjengoko bezakudibana neliqela okokuqala nqga, kwaye eli lithuba lokujonga abadlali abasafunda ukudlala nabo baselula ukuze bazibonakalise kwaye bazame ukuzibethelela kweliqela. Lo mdlalo uzakuba ngeCawa kwibala…

Dear Residents The Department of Environmental Affairs’ South African Environment Outlook Report indicates that the environment is continuing to deteriorate. This phenomenon has a negative impact on the Sustainable Development goals set for the National Development Plan. One of the major challenges, among others, is high levels of pollution from littering and the illegal dumping of waste. This affects the health of citizens and contravenes the Constitution. In response to these challenges, the Department of Environmental Affairs has made a strategic decision to expand the existing environmental education and awareness initiatives. The DEA aims to reach out at ward level and…

Members of the public are welcome; however, if you plan to bring a group of five or more, please confirm there is space:  contact Zongezile Matshoba, Manager: Education and Public Programmes at Amazwi South African Museum of Literature. Call  046 622 7042 [pdf-embedder url=”https://www.grocotts.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Puku-Story-Festival-2020-Programme.pdf” title=”Puku Story Festival 2020 Programme”]

Dear Residents Residents have been wanting to know what happened to the much talked about James Kleynhans Water Treatment Works upgrade. In this column, I have decided to report back to the residents not only about this project but about all the water and sewer projects under way in Makana Municipality. Upgrade of the James Kleynhans Water Treatment Works Capital funding has been secured for the bulk water supply (James Kleynhans) from the Department of Water and Sanitation. An amount of R78 million has been budgeted for the 2019/’2020 financial year. The project is implemented by Amatola Water Board and…