Author: Grocott's Mail Contributors

The St Andrew’s College Football Club (SACFC) enjoyed a great tour of the Western Cape last week. The St Andrew’s U15, U17 and U19 teams took part in a training camp on 8 August, before going on the tour. On their way to Cape Town, the teams played friendly matches against Tramways Football Club on 11 August. The SACFC tour of Cape Town got underway against the very skillful young players from Tramway FC. The St Andrew’s U15 A team went down 1-3 in the first game of the day, having worked hard to hold their opponents to 1-all for most of the match. The…

Graeme College brought their winter sporting season to a close in spectacular fashion on Saturday 18 August, when they hosted Muir College from Uitenhage in an age-old derby day. A full set of hockey and rugby fixtures were played, with Graeme getting the run of the majority of the fixtures. The Graeme hockey team kicked the derby off with an emphatic 10-0 win, but far more important than that, was the development of this group of players. This squad has established a positive hockey culture and left a legacy for others to follow. It has been a great season for them, playing against the very…

The Southern Kings and Isuzu Motors South Africa will be making history this year, as Isuzu has been named as the new sponsor of the Eastern Cape rugby franchise. Isuzu Motors South Africa will be partnering with a consortium of predominantly black business people, The Southern Kings and Eastern Province Rugby, through its sponsorship of the Isuzu Southern Kings rugby team franchise for a three year period. The Isuzu Southern Kings will achieve a historical milestone by becoming the first black-owned rugby franchise in the country.  Binding offers have been submitted by the relevant parties, with SARU EXCO approval and other…

Feeding your pet the right food in the right quantity can be difficult. Most good quality pet foods will have a feeding guide on the packaging. Dry food can be healthier for your pets teeth however, in the hot weather feeding wet food can help keep them hydrated. For more information and or advice on animal care, please do not hesitate to contact the Grahamstown SPCA or one of the friendly vets in town. Ikhala Veterinary Practice on Strowan Road, 046 622 3261 The State Vet on George Street,  046 622 7112 Grahamstown Veterinary Practice on Fitzroy Street, 046 622…

By: MANDILAKHE KLAAS In a tough high school soccer league encounter between Nombulelo secondary and Khutliso Daniels at JD Dlephu Stadium on Wednesday 15 August,  Nombulelo managed to secure a late win. Nombulelo secured their victory when they scored in the dying minutes of the game, thanks to a brilliant header by their bulldozing replacement striker, Sandile Mali. In the first half of the game, both teams tried their best to control the game as midfield battle got more intense. Nombulelo were unlucky not to score just before the half time whistle, when their ever running striker Nkosinathi Mthombo failed to convert an easy chance with…

Former competitive South African pool swimmer Sarah Ferguson’s close encounters with nature on her recent Elephant Coast expedition have unequivocally reinforced her determination to expose the dangers of plastic pollution. As an ambassador for SPAR Eastern Cape’s Stop Plastic campaign, Ferguson swam 100km over a six-day period, from Ponta Dobela in Mozambique to Sodwana Bay in KwaZulu-Natal last month. In July, Ferguson linked up with SPAR EC to support them in their Stop Plastic campaign, which was launched in April. The Eastern Cape retail giant are focused on ending the practice of single-use plastic by encouraging consumers to consider the…

It’s safe to say that Napoleon Bonaparte isn’t quite the political force he once was, but spare him a thought. In a way, it’s him we have to thank for Nutella. Spanish invaders in South America discovered chocolate among the Aztecs and brought it to Europe in the mid-1500s. The Aztecs drank their chocolate bitter, but this didn’t go down well with the sweet-loving Spanish, who added sugar. By the mid-1600s, sweet chocolate was the norm. Spanish colonies in South America produced cacao and shipped it east to Europe, where chocolatiers in France and Italy were just discovering chocolate’s amazing…

By Emma Hanly The recommendation to remove Life Orientation from the curriculum, and introduce History as its compulsory replacement for Grades eight to twelve, has been approved and is now in the early stages of implementation. The national Department of Basic Education first made the proposal 2014. In the years since, there has been feedback from multiple stakeholders regarding the change, which should be fully implemented by 2023. National Department of Basic Education Director, Waheeda Carvello, is responsible for the general education and training band for grades R to nine. According to Carvello, the end aim of the change is…

By Alice Draper Gadra Matric School (GMS) principal Melanie Lancaster hints that there is a “secret weapon” contributing towards the extraordinary success of the school aside from dedicated learners and skilled and devoted teachers. She believes that a great deal of the learners’ success can be attributed to a writing skills class run by Lauren Hacksley. GMS is currently the biggest feeder school for Rhodes University in the area and regularly receives a 100% matric pass rate. The writing skills class was developed in 2011 by a Rhodes University volunteer. Two years later, it was expanded by Lauren Hacksley, a…

A case study on lease agreements By SHAUN BERGOVER Ayanda entered into a written lease agreement with her landlord, Mr Dlamini. In terms of the agreement her landlord has the responsibility to ensure that the property is properly maintained.  This includes plumbing, electrical faults and roof repairs. A few weeks ago, Ayanda noticed that her kitchen tap was leaking and informed her landlord about it numerous times, but nothing was done to repair it. The water bill eventually became very high and her landlord asked her to pay an amount of R2500 toward the bill. Ayanda was very upset because…