By Linda Pona The principle of abundance has taught me that if I want to have, I have to give. The more I give, the more I get. This principle of giving is hard to live by, especially in a world that teaches us that if we want more, we must keep taking and giving is not a prerequisite. It warmed my heart to witness the principle of giving practised this week when I watched a generous heroine feeding small children in front of her house. In that same space stood Makhandans, contributing to the cause of feeding a child…
Author: Linda Pona
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By Mmathabo Maebela and Asemahle Dinge A programme that began as a soup kitchen during the COVID-19 lockdown period has now blossomed into an effective community initiative aimed at changing the lives of school-going children – one meal at a time. This initiative, ‘Meal after School’, was founded by Makhanda resident Limise Gagayi this August and operates at her home in Ethembeni, Extension 6. Gagayi feeds the children daily, depending on the food availability from donations. “I grew up in a large family of 13 children, so I was taught that if you have a slice of bread, you cannot…
By Nematei Agreement and Madonsela Siyathemba Makhanda’s National Council of Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) started the build-up to the annual Casual Day, which will be held on 1 September, when their mascot, Able, with various members of the organisation, took to fundraising efforts at Church Square from 23 August 2023. The campaign also seeks to raise awareness about people living with disabilities, their challenges, and their potential. Secretary and physical therapist Fiona Semple said, “The non-governmental organisation was established in the early 1980s. Initially, it was named Criple Care and later changed from the Society for the Blind and Physical…
By Linda Pona This week, Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu’s visit was to ensure that the James Klynhans Water Treatment Works is appropriately used. “We cannot afford to be wishy-washy about the water supply to people,” he said during his site visit to the water treatment plant. But wishy-washy is how things have been, especially where water and the municipality are concerned. This is clear from the packed Makhanda City Hall, where residents voiced their frustration over their continued water woes or the result of water mismanagement. As a basic need and a Constitutional right, there should not be…
By Linda Pona During this week’s Rhodes University’s Leadership Week presentation, former Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi spoke about Women’s Day and leadership and that although, as women, we are enjoying our hard-earned freedom, we are essentially celebrating Women’s Day and Women’s Month because of men and unequal gender dynamics. “We are here today because of the patriarchy of this world,” she said. I could not agree more. Although women have made significant strides in the world, a high level of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) plagues women globally. As President Ramaphosa once said, “It’s a problem of men.” Every day women are…
By Linda Pona The 49-year-old man accused of raping a 7-year-old was granted bail on Friday, 4 August 2023 in the Makhanda Magistrates’ court. The bail hearing was initially scheduled for Monday, 7 August but was unexpectedly moved to Friday. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Luxolo Tyali confirms the man accused of raping a minor was granted R2000 bail. He added that “The state did not oppose bail because it believes he is not a flight risk, so we agreed to bail with strict conditions.” In court documents obtained by Grocott’s Mail, the St Andrews staff member is accused of allegedly…
By Linda Pona We stand on the shoulders of giants, of women who came before us, women who opened up spaces so that we could take them up, dominate and leave a legacy for future generations. As we start the month of August, we continue to remember the women of 1956 who marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against the pass laws which restricted the movement of Black female domestic workers in urban areas. The protest was unique in that it saw over 20 000 women from all races led by representatives of each race: Lillian Ngoyi,…
By Linda Pona A St Andrew’s College (SAC) staff member has been suspended from the school and arrested on charges of allegedly raping a 7-year-old boy. Police Spokesperson Warrant Officer Majola Nkohli confirmed that “A 49-year-old man briefly appeared in the Makhanda Magistrates’ Court [on] Monday, 31 July 2023 on rape charges, following his arrest on Sunday, 30 July 2023”. Nkohli stated that the suspect’s alleged involvement in raping the young boy took place in 2022 and that “the circumstances surrounding the incident are forming part of the investigation”. According to a media statement by SAC Headmaster Tom Hamilton, the…
By Linda Pona Mayor Yandiswa Vara, are you so far removed from reality that you cannot hear your people’s cries? Like Marie Antoinette, you are so ignorant of reality that you do not realise or maybe don’t care that people are suffering. I am specifically referring to the community of eNkanini in this instance, where community members had to hold an empty truck hostage in order to get your attention for basic service delivery; this is after several attempts to get through to you. Like Marie Antoinette, you are so pampered that community members had to walk all the way…
By Linda Pona Umntu ngumntu ngabantu, this is Ubuntu – humanity, I am because we are. Looking at this idea, it means that I cannot walk the journey alone, I need to bring others on board, and my success is their success and vice versa. This is what I have witnessed in Makhanda this week for Mandela Day Celebrations. Since its inception by the UN General Assembly in 2009, people from across the globe have come together every year to give one hour and seven minutes of their time – which in reality, is more than that, whether it’s…