Author: Linda Pona

Dear readers, The Festival is here, and our journalists continue their training with Festival’s Cue, and what a busy time it has been. We thank you for your continued support throughout this time, whether through visiting our website, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter page to get the latest Makhanda news. Because the Festival has kept us busy, we would like to take this time to let the readers and advertisers know that after this edition of GM Direct, Makhanda’s weekend read, we will take a break from publishing the PDF on Friday, 7 July 2023, and you can expect the next…

By Linda Pona Today we honour and commemorate those who bravely gave their lives in the fight for liberation and equality, the Youth of 1976. It has been 47 years since the Soweto student uprising, where students marched to oppose the Bantu Education Act, which enforced Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in schools. Before these nationwide uprisings, there were the 1975 Grahamstown student protests. This is when Nathaniel Nyaluza High School learners gathered for a sit-in and refused to write the mid-year examinations. These 1975 Grahamstown student uprisings were among the first in South Africa and would inevitably change…

By Linda Pona Shock, anger, hurt, and betrayal come to mind when we first learn that the case of Mbali, who was three years old at the time of her death in 2022, was closed nine months later because there were no leads. The system has failed Mbali. Grocott’s Mail first reported on the cruel manner in which a three-year-old girl, sleeping in her home, was raped and murdered and whose body was discovered in the early hours of the morning. Suspects were found, and DNA results were conducted, yet no one is facing charges for the murder. The mother…

By Linda Pona In financial ruin, changed identity, changed locations, and in witness protection for the last few years because of the threat to his and his family’s lives. That is the life of one whistleblower telling his story. I sat in shock as the man before me described his ordeal a week ago. This is all because he was trying to do the right thing and testify against wrongdoing. Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola announced this week that the government proposes a Bill to create a special fund for whistleblowers facing financial troubles, which stems from their decisions…

By Linda Pona Sixty years ago, leaders from 32 free African countries signed a charter in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, hoping to unite African countries. This is when the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), later known as the African Union (AU) was established with 55 participating states. This was with the hope of uniting African countries, giving them freedom and allowing them to control their destiny. Sixty years later, we continue celebrating this hope for the continent of Africa with Africa Day. This year’s theme, “Our Africa, Our Future”, encapsulates the hopes for African countries future hopes and dreams. Although Africa,…

By Linda Pona Winter has settled in early this year, yet some do not have adequate housing, despite Section 26 of the Constitution stipulating that everyone has a right to adequate housing. These are the ones that suffer the most. The same Section of the Constitution also stipulates that the government must take action and use its available resources to ensure they achieve people’s rights to proper housing. Grocott’s Mail reports this week that eNkanini residents form part of those who do not have adequate houses, as they live in informal settlements. Despite promised housing from the government (clearly stated…

By Linda Pona You were likely just as surprised as me when water trickled from my tap on Monday morning, after almost two weeks without it. Seemingly, it took the threat of protest action for the municipality to give the town our fundamental human right, water. Leading the protests on Monday were the youth, Rhodes University students, supported by religious leaders, community members and various organisations. When I first learned that the town’s young people would take a stand, I knew that change would happen, as this was one instance where the youth stood up against injustice. South Africa has…

By Linda Pona Reflecting on the past week, there have been joyous sounds as the Iimbewu Youth orchestra performed at the Guy Butler Theatre at the Monument, giving the youth a chance to grow and develop their musical talent. The word iimbewu is derived from the isiXhosa word ‘seeds’; to me, that shows so much potential for what can be, especially for young minds. It shows that we are investing in the future of this country so that one day, we will leave it in capable hands. Although we are meant to help and encourage the youth, Grocott’s Mail reported…

By Linda Pona As we celebrate Freedom Day, which signifies the end of human rights violations in South Africa, I take the time to reflect on what it truly means to be free. More importantly, I take time to think about this Freedom from the perspective of a young Black female in South Africa today. I am grateful that I am not discriminated against because of the colour of my skin and my gender. I can move around the country freely without carrying a pass, as the Pass Law of 1952 dictated. These are but some of many freedoms I…

39-year-old Makhanda resident, Natasha Danster, has two brain tumours and needs an operation and treatment. “Natasha Danster complained about severe headaches, and at first, the doctor said it was high blood pressure in the right eye,” says close friend Cherron Duiker Scheepers. She was treated for it, but the headaches persisted. When she was sent for an MRI, the results detected that she had two brain tumours. After going to a specialist for a second opinion, he also confirmed she had brain tumours. The doctors can remove one tumour but cannot operate on the other one, as it is too high a…