Author: Grocott's Mail Contributors

FROM THE MAYOR’S DESK Makana Municipality has been identified as one of the distressed municipalities in the country due its lack of financial viability; inadequate levels of service delivery and poor state of infrastructure. This situation, dates as far back as 2011, is difficult to understand given that this city boasts a number of quality schools; a world class university; a TVET college, large businesses, industries and a great legal fraternity among other gems of expertise. With this background, the city and municipality ought to be a thriving and viable place where people should be queuing to invest in our…

UKUPHULAPHULA (This is positive listening) Kwiinto ezithi zimthathe umntu zimbeke kwibakala elihle nelingathi mhlawumbi limbeke kwelona liphezulu kukuphulaphula. Uyahlupha umntu ongaphulaphuliyo. Umba wokuphulaphula uqukethe lukhulu kakhulu kodwa asingabo bonke abantu abanakho oko kuqonda. Zonke izizwe neentlanga zixhomekeke ekubeni ziyaphulaphula okanye ziyaphulaphulana na. Xa lungekho uphulaphulo ufumana ethetha lowo uthethayo. Ukuphulaphula kuqala ekhaya ebuntwaneni. Uphulaphula umzali abantakwenu kwakunye noodade. Zintoni ezibalulekileyo ekuphulaphuleni? Abanye bangacinga ukuphulaphula kubandakanya indlebe yodwa. Zintathu nangaphezulu izinto ezibalulekileyo emntwini xa ephulaphula. Kukubeka indlebe, ukujonga ngendlela enikisa umdla kulowo uthethayo kwakunye nendlela ohleli okanye ome ngayo inempembelelo kwindlela othi uphulaphule ngayo. Ingqondo ke yiyo le ithi icacise ukuba…

By: LINDELWA NXELE The Joza Karate club together with Love Life organized a sports day on Saturday 16 March, in order to raise funds to send four local karateka to the World Union of Karate-Do Federations (WUKF) World Championships in Slovakia in June. The Joza Karate Club has been in existence since 2004, when it was founded by Mzwandile Matebese (Fourth Dan black belt). Matebese is still the Club’s Head Coach. Classes are held at the Joza Indoor Sports Centre in Extension 6 from Monday to Thursday from 5pm to 6pm. The day started with a 5km run, which Lubabalo Bokuva, who…

Nicholas Scarr (N.Scarr@ru.ac.za) The Public Service Accountability Monitor (PSAM) conducted comprehensive analyses of the 2012/13 – 2015/16 budgets of the Chief Directorate: Environmental Affairs of the Eastern Cape Department of Economic Development, Environmental  Affairs  and  Tourism (DEDEAT), and published brief reviews of the Chief Directorate’s 2017/18 and 2018/19  budgets. The complexion of the Chief Directorate’s budget remained essentially unchanged from 2012/13 to 2018/19, and for the 2019/20 financial year the situation is no different. The 2019/20 budget of DEDEAT as a whole has increased by a significant 27,0%, relative to its 2018/19 adjusted appropriation, but 92,9% of this increase has …

The Gift of the Givers came to Makhanda (Grahamstown) in its hour of need, and when many had given up hope our town could be saved. For insight into the force behind the extraordinary interventions of the past few weeks, we republish the citation for Gift of the Givers founder, Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, on the occasion of his being awarded an honorary doctorate at Rhodes University in April 2016. It was written by Professor Paul Maylam. Think of any of the major natural disasters across the world during the past twenty years or so – earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, famine – and…

André Bertel Sensei’s return visit to South Africa was attended by close to one hundred participants from KwaZulu-Natal, Orange Free State, Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Gauteng over the weekend of 2-3 March. Bertel first visited and taught in South Africa in 2013. A large contingent of local karate practitioners based in East London, Port Alfred, Makhanda (Grahamstown), Somerset East, Cradock and Port Elizabeth were also in attendance. The two-day Seminar was held at the Fairview Sports Centre in Port Elizabeth, and organised by United Shotokan-Ryu. According to USR Chairperson, Gary Grapentin, Bertel Sensei is a dynamic and inspirational teacher,…

In the midst of Kingswood’s 125th Founders Celebrations, the local hockey scene saw Kingswood College host its annual U13 Co-Ed Hockey Festival on 14 and 15 March. Traditionally a one-day festival, this year it took place over two days to form part of Kingswood’s Foundation Weekend and greater 125 Jubilee celebrations. The campus was bustling with people and activities and it was no different up at the City Lords AstroTurf. Kingswood welcomed newcomers to the festival, Stirling, Clarendon, Selborne, Queen’s and Hermitage House, as well as old friends DSG, SAP, St George’s, Victoria Primary, Holy Cross, Glenwood House and Merrifield.…

Child Welfare SA Grahamstown were recently awarded the Charlotte Maxeke Service Excellence award for 2019 from the Department of Social Development. Child Welfare SA Grahamstown won the award for being the best performing child care and protection service centre in the Eastern Cape during the 2018/2019 financial year. In an awards ceremony held on the 28 February in Mthatha, Woineshet Bischoff (Director of Child Welfare SA Grahamstown) and Sally Damana (Senior social worker), accepted the award on behalf of the Child Welfare SA Grahamstown team. “Director Woineshet Bischoff said, “Child Welfare SA Grahamstown feels truly honoured to receive the award but…

Compiled by JEN GON On Friday, 15 March, thousands of school students across South Africa called on government to act against climate change. Youths demonstrated at Parliament in Cape Town, the Union Buildings in Pretoria, the Department of Energy in Durban – and right here in Makhanda, at the Drostdy Arch. This was part of a worldwide effort of climate action by the youth of our planet, organised under the hashtag #ClimateStrike. Students from all over the world took to the streets – there were more than 2 000 protests in 125 countries – many of them skipping school to…

Kingswood College in Makhanda, previously known as Grahamstown, this year celebrates its Jubilee. As part of the celebrations the college reflects on the past and honours all who contributed to making Kingswood a world-class school. Kingswood believes the best and most appropriate way to honour past generations, is to assess its current position as a leading independent school, in order to position itself to meet the educational and social challenges anticipated in the years to come. The past Kingswood College derives its name and Methodist values from Kingswood School established by John Wesley in England in 1748. The school’s roots…