Author: Grocott's Mail Contributors

By NOMKITHA GYSMAN Before leaving the podium at the 11 April funeral of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, the Minister for Women in the Presidency, Bathabile Dlamini, in her capacity as president of the ANC Women’s League (ANCWL), reminded the nation that South Africa will one day have a woman president. Her certitude comes in the wake of a bruising defeat at the ANC’s 54th National Elective Conference, where women secured only a single seat in the party’s top six positions. For the oldest revolutionary movement on the African continent this does not augur well. However, Dlamini’s determined stance is something to note,…

The United World Karate South Africa (UWKSA) will convene their 3rd National Championship in Port Elizabeth at the Boardwalk Hotel’s Tsitsikamma Room on Saturday 5 May. The Championship will see over 250 competitors of all ages and levels competing in various individual and team categories. Port Alfred and Grahamstown will be well-represented at the Championship by East Cape Shotokan-Ryu, Rhodes University Shotokan Karate Club and Joza Karate Club. Two favourites in the Men’s Black Belt Category are rivals Thanduxolo Royi (Joza) and Lutho Singata (Rhodes University Shotokan Karate Club) who will compete in both the kata (forms) and kumite (fighting) categories. The UWKSA…

The Diocesan School for Girls sent four teams to the Western Cape over the weekend. The DSG 1st hockey team played in the inaugural Springfest Hockey Festival, hosted by Springfield Convent, the DSG U16A hockey and netball teams played in the Champions Cup Tournament hosted by Rustenburg girls, while the DSG 2nd hockey team played in the Oakhill Hockey Festival in Knysna. These events drew schools from around the country. The DSG 1st hockey team gave a good account of themselves in the Springfield festival, with two wins, one draw and two losses. The wins were over the hosts Springfield…

On Saturday 28 April, the St Andrew’s College rugby teams took part in the Standard Bank Grey Rugby Festival in Port Elizabeth. The SAC 1st XV took on a challenging Durban High School (DHS) side during the festival, managing to overcome an early deficit, outlasting their KwaZulu-Natal opponents. SAC had a strong wind at their backs for the first half in their fixture against DHS. DHS got off to a dream start with their scrumhalf scoring just 50 seconds into the game after a break down the blindside. Despite SAC putting pressure on the DHS line, they were not able…

Graeme College celebrated a good weekend of sports which saw all of their Hockey and Rugby teams participating well over the past week. From fixtures against Cambridge High School, to participating in the Kingwood College Hockey Festival, Graeme looked strong on all fronts. Graeme College had their first home rugby fixture of the season on 21 April, when they faced Cambridge High School from East London. It was a good day with a number of tightly contested matches. However, Graeme seemed to have the upper hand winning eight of the 11 matches on the day including the 1st XV game …

St Andrew’s College and The Diocesan School for Girls will host its annual hockey-thon at the Webster Astro on Saturday 28 April. A schedule has been drawn up for the fun event but players can still join where vacancies exist in the relevant match slots.  Each match slot lasts 70 minutes with a 5-minute changeover. Bibs will be provided for each match, so there is no need to worry about shirt colours. R50 enables a player to play as much as they like on Saturday if vacancies exist. R50 also enters each player into a lucky draw for that match.…

I have probably driven past the faded poster on the corner of 3rd on Luke stating “safe and cheap abortions” for as long as I can remember. And to be completely honest with you I have never taken into account the severity of how dangerous that could probably be. To put it lightly I regarded that poster in the same way as the one that says “safe penis enlargement- call here”, I figured it was just a joke.

The 6th annual Puku Children’s Festival celebrated the work of prolific children’s author Dr Nokugcina Mhlophe and lamented the lack of enthusiasm in children, parents and teachers in her impressive body of work that seeks to ensure that the country builds social intellect through a healthy reading culture. Language and storytelling ambassadors applauded the growth of African literature, but added that it needs more urgent attention. In conversation with local school teachers, storytellers and literature & language students, accomplished author and motivational speaker, Dr Sindiwe Magona reminded them of the brain drain current facing South Africa. Recent statistics paint a…

St Andrew’s College played host to the past weekend’s Independent Schools Hockey Festival (ISHF). A festival atmosphere with 11 schools from all major hockey playing centres of the country gave these young players their first taste of an inter school hockey festival as they begin their senior school years. Indeed, for many students, this would have been their first taste of playing any sport against boys from a school outside of their province. Competing schools were Bishops, York High School, Woodridge College, Merrifield College, Clifton College, St Charles College, Michaelhouse, St John’s College, Cornwall Hill College, St Andrew’s School and…

By: LEMBEDE JANTJE Jake White recently wrote in his column for All Out Rugby that Springbok coach, Rassie Erasmus, should front a predominantly black side to play in Washington against the Welsh in their upcoming gone off encounter. This controversial remark has got many rugby fans talking about exactly how White thinks this will work. Ollie le Roux, former Springbok prop, says that White’s idea is a “sharp but racist idea”. The idea is of course racist, and sharp, as it pierces through the hearts of competent black professionals and shreds it apart while it surpasses incompetent white professionals. Many have said that politics…