Author: Grocott's Mail Contributors

STAFF REPORTER Many Makhanda (Grahamstown) residents and businesses rely on Hi-Tec Security to protect their premises when they’re away. Hi-Tec Security’s operating hours remain the same throughout the festive season, says manager Andre Wille, who offers the following tips for householders going away for the holidays: 🔴 Update key holder details (for example, if someone is house sitting for you). Ensure that your address and contact details are up to date on Hi-Tec’s database, especially if you have recently moved or changed phone numbers. Contact details can be updated at reception, during office hours (bring identification). Hi-Tec also recommends that you…

Following the recent spate of cruelty- and welfare-related incidents involving working donkeys, we are strongly appealing to owners to take a greater interest in managing their animals’ condition. Horses and donkeys can be difficult to keep in good condition, especially during droughts and poor weather. Make sure you can feel their ribs but you should not see them. They should have a rounded back end and good muscle coverage. Poor conditioning can be a sign of underfeeding and/or poor nutrition but also health problems. For more information and or advice on animal care, please do not hesitate to contact the…

Stock markets do not keep going up and up. History has shown that stock markets go up most of the time, but when corrections occur, share prices go down, sometimes dramatically. This is as inevitable as the seasons of the year and just as necessary. We are able to predict the changes in seasons with a fair degree of accuracy but no-one has ever been able to consistently predict when market corrections will take place. According to well-known investor and fund manager Peter Lynch, far more money has been lost by investors trying to anticipate corrections in the market than…

On Saturday 24 November, the St Andrew’s College First team cricket side faced the Old Andreans team in their annual reunion fixture. The St Andrew’s (SAC) batsmen had an indifferent day versus a fired up Old Andreans (OA) eleven. Callum Francis batted well for St Andrew’s, but ran out of partners in their innings. Francis was in fine form with his 83 coming off just 79 balls. Murray Leith (OA) halted the College innings with his spell of 3/12. SAC posted 175 which was not enough on the day versus the determined OA captain, Andrew Rushmere. Rushmere saw his team…

By Jonathan Campbell Gertrude Somnandi is a school teacher who notices that in recent weeks one of her grade 9 pupils, Senzo, often cries quietly in class, does not speak or laugh with the other children, and his school work has been poor. She tries to speak to him about it, but he will not even look her in the eyes. Gertrude decides to visit Senzo’s parents to see if she can help. While talking to Zandile (Senzo’s mother), Reggie (Senzo’s father) comes home. He immediately starts shouting at Senzo, calling him a ‘moffie’, and telling him to stand up…

Round Table 11 would like to once again thank all the individuals, schools and companies who helped with the sale of the Sunflower Topes. We would not be able to raise funds on behalf of the Sunflower without their support. Round Table 11 managed to raise R60 000 for the Sunflower fund 2018 campaign. The list of organisations involved and their organisers is as follows: Graeme College – Mark Brooks; DSG School – Susan Paton; Kingswood Jnr – Dominique Bower; PJ Olivier – Surina van Rensburg; Victoria Girls’ High School – Nadia Czeredecki-Schmidt; Victoria Primary School – Trudy Terblanche; Annine…

With the festive season shortly being upon us please be aware of what “human” foods you give your animal. Chocolate cannot be processed by a dog’s liver and there are certain types of sweetener that are toxic. Foods to avoid include: chocolate, onions, garlic, grapes, nuts, raisins, avocado and cooked bones. Medicines can also be dangerous to your pet and you should never give them any drugs not prescribed by your vet. The drought issue is still a very real problem in Grahamstown and the surrounding areas, and it is vitally important that all your animals also have access to…

Compiled by Philip Machanick Forests and environmentalism George Monbiot’s book Feral explores the concept of rewilding. A key idea is that natural spaces should be self-managed, while the mindset of “stewardship” risks over-managing the environment. Monbiot takes a controversial stance of reintroducing real wild spaces into Europe. He uses parts of Scotland and Wales as a foil. Large areas of apparently pristine countryside are in fact so denuded of natural ecosystems that he calls them deserts. He puts much of the blame on excessive grazing by sheep and to a lesser extent by cattle and horses. A big part of…

Open letter to ANC Regional Chairperson Scara Njadayi Dear comrade Scara. I trust trust the letter finds you in a good state of health. I write this letter specifically addressed to you as the political head of the Region because [if] anything goes wrong politically, socially and economically on deployment, corruption and mismanagement and poor service delivery in municipalities controlled by the ANC, you are the first person to be held liable and accountable. It has come to my knowledge that your leadership is not keen on supporting the dissolution of Makana Council; rather, you prefer making some changes in…