Author: Grocott's Mail Contributors

By RUTH WOUDSTRA An Olympic sport where you throw or take down an opponent and subdue them may not seem like the ideal way of healing the self. Judo, meaning ‘gentle way’ in Japanese, does however have a surprising number of physical, mental and spiritual benefits. Mangaliso Buzani was a young child when he started judo in New Brighton, PE. He worked his way up to provincial level in 1995 and now teaches this traditional martial art to both children and adults in Grahamstown. “The aim of judo is not to hurt your opponent, but to cause him or her…

The poem is an eulogy for the late Ayanda Nondlwana. The poem points out that Ayanda was a multi-talented person who was always bringing smiles to the people around him. Tsi! Lo mhlaba uyahlaba, Ayanda ngokwanda amaxhala nonxunguphalo Mini nezolo sityhila amaphepha-ndaba Mini nezolo siphula-phula koonomathotholo Mini nezolo sothuka ezindabeni zikamabona-kude Kanti siyakude sive nangokushiywa kwethu ngomnye wethu EMdantsane uNondlwana ligama elihlonitshwe kakhulu Ingakumbi xa umkhosi wakhona uphume ingqina Bona sele kukho into ekhoyo kwaNondlwana Kuphithizela kwesositalatwana iintlanga kucace nakuthathatha Makubenjalo nakwelokhaya lakho lokugqibela Ayanda Nondlwana Ndatsho ndifika eMakhanda ndibona abokrwec’ izulu abahamba ngeentonga Wabe umfomkhulu esukile kakade egadeni Athi…

Following an urgent meeting on 14 November, Makhanda (Grahamstown) general practitioners and specialist doctors assure residents that they will continue providing care to the community, as well as working to assist the Eastern Cape Department of Health with transitioning as Netcare pulls out of local hospitals. “As Health Professionals utilising the Netcare facility at Settlers Hospital, we have yet to receive any formal communication from either the Eastern Cape Department of Health (ECDOH) or the Netcare group to confirm the planned closure of the private medical facilities at Settlers hospital and Port Alfred.  As far as we are aware the…

Last week, Makana Municipality experienced two protest actions. The first was a service-delivery protest by eNkanini residents who were demanding electrification. The second was by municipal workers whose petition contained a number of demands. For now, I will confine myself to the service delivery protest. eNkanini is a sprawling informal settlement of approximately 1650 shacks on Mayfield farm. Makana Brick, supported by Mayfield Clay, had earlier applied to the court demanding that Makana Municipality should stop the erection of shacks on this land and to evict those already built. In its defence, the municipality stated that this land belongs to…

In my last post I talked about making changes to diet. Unfortunately, you can eat all the kale and lemon and drink all the green tea in the world but if you’re constantly stressed, you’re not going to be healthy. In fact there is research that shows that if we’re stressed our bodies react to even healthy foods as if they are inflammatory. One way of understanding stress is to see it as how you react when you perceive a situation as being too much for you to cope with. It’s a response to a real or imagined situation but…

Jesus while walking with His disciples from Bethsaida to Caesarea Philippi asked His disciples the following two questions recorded in (Matthew 16:13-17). First, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” or put another way, “Who do people actually say I am? Who do they believe me to be?” The disciples replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” An answer many still give today, a high view of Jesus, but sadly a mistaken case of identity, hence Jesus’s second question directed personally at the disciples themselves. “Who do…

It is without a doubt that the well-being of any society is dependent on the healthy development of the children of that society. With that said, it cannot be stressed enough that children are the most vulnerable members of any society and should be given the utmost protection at all times. Children generally depend on their family members for care and protection but in some cases family members fail to provide this. Where family members fail to provide children with the care and protection that they need, the Children’s Court steps in to ensure that the children are protected and…

NguCHRIS TOTOBELA Bekunzima kumabala aseDlepu eJoza kulempela veki esisuka kuyo nalapho imidlalo yabo baselula ibiqhuba khona. Kwabo baneminyaka engaphantsi kweshumi elinesithathu iSakhulutsha ivuthulule iMaru ngamanqaku alishumi elinesithoba eqandeni, logama iYoung Eagles ibhungce nje ngenqaku elinye eqandeni kumdlalo wabo neAfrican Spears. INewseekers neJoza Callies zibambene ngamanqaku amathathu macala. IFingo United ibhaxabule iGrahamstown United ngamanqaku alithoba eqandeni yaze yona iSophia Stars yaquthisa iJacaranda Aces ngamanqaku angamashumi amabini ananye eqandeni. IGolden Brothers ibethe iEluxolweni ngamathathu kwelinye logama iCity Pirates ethande ungeva mvanje ibethe iLakhenathi ngamahlanu kwamabini yaze iCameroon yazixhwithela kwiFuture Stars ngamabini kwelinye. K wabo baneminyaka engaphantsi kweshumi elinesihlanu iSakhulutsha ibhaxabule iMaru ngamanqaku…

It was a sensational weekend for Graeme College’s Garwin Dampies. In a local derby double header the 1st XI played Kingswood College in a Stayers XI day/ night T20 and then played the full derby against St Andrew’s College on the Saturday. Dampies came of age this weekend, and scored two centuries on two consecutive days. On Friday, Graeme amassed a daunting 177 for 3 in their 20 overs against Kingswood. Graeme lost their first wicket on 137 with Dampies coming well with Fabio Rischbieter (40). Dampies went on to score his first century for the 1st XI off 59 balls finishing 101 not…

By DR AMY JACKSON-MOSS In the past few weeks alone, the SPCA has been made aware of more than six cases of people selling puppies in busy public places. It is no coincidence that there has suddenly been an increase in puppies being sold in this way and as the SPCA, we are appealing to members of the public to not buy any puppies off the street. Members of the public have paid anything from R50 up to R1000, and an opportunity to make money through the selling of puppies has now been created in a very short space of…