Author: Grocott's Mail Contributors

Human rights day 21 March was Human Rights Day. The environment is often a forgotten aspect of human rights. The South African constitution in Section 24 spells this out and it is worth repeating in full: Environment Everyone has the right— to an environment that is not harmful to their health or wellbeing; and to have the environment protected, for the benefit of present and future generations, through reasonable legislative and other measures that— (i) prevent pollution and ecological degradation; (ii) promote conservation; and (iii) secure ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources while promoting justifiable economic and social…

by MAKANA COMMUNICATIONS Makana Councillor Ramie Xonxa was recently elected Provincial Chairperson of the National Association of Municipal Public Accounts Committees (NAMPAC). Xonxa is also the Chairperson of the Makana Municipality Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC). Xonxa sat down with the Municipal Communications Office to shed light on his new role. Please tell us about yourself in the context of Makana Municipalilty? I’m the Ward Councillor of Ward 2 and I’m also the Chairperson of MPAC. I have a Heritage Practitioner Certificate in Heritage Resource Management Practice from Rhodes University. I am also a Local Economic Development (LED) Specialist. I…

Veteran journalist and women’s rights and cultural activist Thelma Neville passed away on 4 February 2018. This is the tribute to her read at her funeral on 17 February. Tribute to Thelma: 17 February 2018 By Nickie Turner Dr Seuss, the author, wrote: “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” Dear friends and family of Thelma We gather together to celebrate the life of Thelma Martha Neville. We smile because Thelma happened… to each of us. For over a century, she touched the lives of those with whom she came into contact. Our lives are so much the…

POETIC LICENCE By HARRY OWEN Coleridge’s famous definition of poetry as ‘the best words in the best order’ has had me thinking lately about just what this could mean. Who decides what is ‘best’? The poet? The reader? A literary reviewer? When I write, I’m constantly searching for words, phrases, lines that ‘work’ – but I often have no clear idea of how, or why, or even if, they do so. It’s a struggle. That’s why I almost always leave any draft of a supposedly ‘completed’ poem alone, put it aside and ignore it for a while, letting my mind…

Mongameli, pet name Mongs and Fanele were very popular soccer players who enjoyed the admiration of their fans mostly female. Fanele was more popular because he was humble, gentle and very appreciative of the effort that his mother and grandmother made towards his upbringing. At home he followed a very strict routine, did his chores as laid out by his parents. He learned to schedule his activities, to prioritise them according to the time he had allocated for them. After soccer practice one afternoon well after 4pm, the boys were sitting at the pavilion reflecting on their day`s performance. Mongs…

On Saturday 10 March, St Andrew’s College first XI took on Grey High School at their Lower Field in Grahamstown.  St Andrew’s won the toss and were keen to use the moisture in the pitch asking Grey to bat first on Lower Field, which was in pristine condition. Grey were in a solid position at morning tea on 80/1. SAC bounced back in the next session picking up 5 wickets and halted Grey’s progress to 162/6 in 54 overs at lunch. Tristan du Randt (45), Luke Beaufort (46) and Nicholas Fowler (40*) all looked solid at the crease for Grey. SAC did well to…

As this is the week we focus on importance of water, the following poem is telling the importance of this life enhancer. It is in the best interest of our nation to take a good care of this commodity from our universe which is kind enough to give it to us free. Mawethu sisatsho amanzi ngawo angumxhasi wempilo yethu. Oh yhini bantu bakowethu, zingawa na iintango amadoda ekhona? Zingatsha na iimbiza iintokazi zikhona? Nakanye. Kule nyanga yamalungelo sithumeleni iimbalo ngqangi zenu ngale nyanga. Please be kind to water. AMANZI Angu mthombo wobom Asisipho esisuka kuSombawo Yena osinakekelayo Kwezo ntsuba zase…

With so many fun things to do and see in and around Grahamstown, and so many great accommodation and hospitality businesses around town, now should be the time to showcase these businesses and vote for your Top Destination: The Sanlam Top Destination Awards is an annual hospitality awards program culminating in a grand gala evening, celebrating the finest establishments throughout South Africa. Founded by Granadilla Media, Creators of Discount Traveler South Africa and The Traveler Mag SA, the esteemed ceremony enters its fourth year, continuing to promote in- and out-bound tourism in South Africa. Entries for establishments are free with…

Rhodes University Archery Club hosted the Eastern Cape Target Championships on Sunday 11 March 2018. This is an important tournament ahead of the SA National Championships that will be held at Marks Park in Johannesburg at the end of March. Rhodes University Club archers James McAlpine and Yashin Naidoo were awarded their Eastern Cape Outdoor Provincial Colours for Archery. The Rhodes Archery Team did exceptionally well, with James McAlpine, Derryn Nel, and Yashin Naidoo winning gold in their respective divisions, while Matthew Barwick and Trevor Rochat won Silver. The team has worked hard to achieve these good results and feel confident ahead of…

Graeme College have again generated a mouth-watering set of fixtures for their annual Pam Golding Properties Graeme Rugby Day in Grahamstown on Saturday, 24 March. With all the the Eastern Cape’s leading schools involved in this popular event, the hosts have put together a smorgasbord of matches right from U14 level to the first teams to sate the appetite of every schools rugby fan. Graeme have not shied away from the tough challenges in this year’s festival, as they have scheduled themselves to face Grey High in the main match of the day. The match is scheduled for a 16:10 kickoff on…