Author: Jenna Kretzmann

By JENNA KRETZMANN That which we call a rosé by any other name would smell as sweet. South Africa is home to many beautiful crafts – beadwork, tapestry, ceramics, and most notably to those with the acquired palette, wine. With Mzansi being one of the most prominent wine-producing countries in the Southern Hemisphere, it is no wonder that her people consume an estimated 430 million litres per year. Along with the growing esteem of wine is the rising popularity of veganism. However, what many wine connoisseurs, vegan or non-vegan alike, fail to realize is that majority of wines on the…

By JENNA KRETZMANN A maverick. A polymath. An icon, both loved and revered by those who knew him. The news of Michael Whisson’s death on Sunday, 14 August, aged 85, after battling a long-term illness, has saddened many in the Makhanda community. With bereavement comes a time to reflect and reminisce, but how does one summarise the life and times of such a prominent local icon? A resident of Makhanda since 1978, Whisson left Cape Town to take up the Headship of the Rhodes University Department of Anthropology. Since then, he kept himself a very busy man. Whisson led the…

By JENNA KRETZMANN Amazwi Literature Museum hosted an inspiring and informative Women’s Day conference on Wednesday, 10 August, attended by young and old. What started years before by the Mother’s Committee of Graeme College has grown into a more significant, three-hour-long event organised by myriad Makhanda women. The coordinators include Serelda Caiger, active Rotarian and founder of Makhanda Matric Wardrobe, an initiative to assist matric pupils with matric dance dresses, shoes, make-up, and photographers. Amongst others were the owner and founder of Ladies 1st Driving School, Annemarie Herselman, and all-around humanitarian Limise Gagayi. Tag-lined with ‘Let the women’s voices be…

By JENNA KRETZMANN It is safe to say that the rebirthed 2022 National Arts Festival (NAF) was nothing short of magical. Despite stage 6 load-shedding, uncertainty, ever-changing Covid-19 regulations, show cancellations and the clarion call for a printed programme (and Cue) – festinos flocked in their hundreds. Miraculously, the 11 days of showcasing South Africa’s best and brightest artists remains one of the biggest gatherings for the arts in Southern Africa. But what exactly were the outcomes and takeaways of this year’s festival? Has NAF heard your cheers and cries? How is the organisation re-building in such a way that…

By JENNA KRETZMANN To run, or not to run – that is the question: whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer the early morning chill and arrows of outrageous hamstrings or to take arms against a sea of runners and, by completing the race, triumphantly collapse. Local running trail series, Get Out & Run has, since 2018, urged local running enthusiasts and nervous novices to tackle the challenge of trail running.  When conducting a Google search of ‘trail running in SA’, one is presented with lists of the ‘best’ trails in the country. Most of these are listed in…

By JENNA KRETZMANN Over the past weekend, SPCA Makhanda celebrated Nelson Mandela Day by inviting the Makana community to spend their 67 minutes assisting the organisation through volunteer work or donations. To make up for lost time over the past two ‘Covid’ years and provide flexibility to the public, the SPCA decided to host a three-day Mandela Day event, starting Saturday, 16 July. On 18 July 2022, Nelson Mandela would have turned 104 years old. The coined ‘father of the nation’ was not shy in extending his humanity outside the human race. In 1994, Nelson Mandela was appointed as Patron-in-Chief…