Author: Lindani Donyeli

Scores of Vukani residents took out measuring tools, shovels and pick axes on Tuesday 31 July, and began allocating themselves lots of land. The residents said they were sick of paying rent, with some saying they simply cannot afford to pay anymore. With the tools, men and women of range of ages started setting up structures.  Most said they were unemployed and as such cannot be expected to have rent money. A few have been living with parents and extended family, but then decided to strike out on their own. Nomonde Tsili says she has her own children to look…

A Grahamstown (Makhanda) woman recently back from two weeks in hospital wants to know who left the bottle of wine under her pillow that nearly killed her and her best friend. When Nomhle Mlatsha returned home around 10am on Wednesday 11 July after a trip away, she was exhausted and went straight to her bed. Delighted to find a bottle of wine under her pillow, she took it to share with her friend and neighbour, Maggie Dyonashe. First, she poured a drink for herself, and then one for Dyonashe. Almost as soon as she’d done that, said Mlatsha, she felt like…

Fundisile Kid Zanta was celebrated on Mandela Day, 18 July, for his outstanding contributions to South African Boxing over is long career. Ramie Xhonxa, the ward councillor of Joza, and a former boxing coach, decided to celebrate Zanta’s long career as part of the 67 minutes for Mandela day. Zanta represented South Africa in the Flyweight category in Italy for a number of years, before he became a professional boxer. He he went up against famous South African boxers throughout his long career, including the likes of Christopher Dlamini and Happy Boy Mgxasha. Throughout the day, amateur boxers took to the…

The Community Works Programme (CWP) and Andrew Moyakhe Public Primary School have won the latest Sunnyside Garden Centre-Groccot’s Mail monthly prize. They chose different seeds to plant in the school’s  garden. School caretaker Xolani Sineke thanked Sunnyside Garden Centre owner Malcolm Southey for the initiative. “The government [is] fencing,” Sineke said, so there would not be any more animals trampling the school gardens. He also Grocott’s Mail for the publicity that allows people like them to know about the competition. Sineke was also grateful to the CWP who have helped him in the gardens on occasion, as well as the…

Over the weekend of 13-15 July, Siphosethu Daweti travelled to Mpumalanga to take part in the National Boxing Championships, competing in the finals of her weight class. Having trained in East London from 28 to 29 June, Daweti went into the Championships full of confidence. Dewitt’s first match of the weekend was on Thursday 12 July, against a strong fighter representing KwaZulu Natal. She fought off her opponent well, in a tough bought, and made her way into the semi finals. These were set to take place the following day, allowing Daweti little time to recover from her previous match.…

Collen Cirha is a grandfather who has been gardening since he was a boy, a skill he learnt from his grandmother. Cirha loves growing plants because he believes that vegetables can help even those who are sick and sells some of his surplus to members of the community. From this cash, he buys electricity and other small things. He has planted broccoli, spinach, onions and potatoes.

Vumile Mkhalipi is the latest winner of the Garden Competition, a collaboration between Grocott’s Mail and the Sunnyside Garden Centre that motivates garden lovers around Grahamstown to plant more and garden more. Each month, a gardener wins a voucher to purchase any product or plant at the garden centre. Mkhalipi used his R50 voucher to take spinach and cabbage plants. He said he has always been motivated by what the garden centre is doing. Mkhalipi is unemployed and said he’d appreciate a regular income from a steady job that would allow him to supplement the veggies in his garden. You can…

Bonile Hoyi has been planting from 1990, He loves planting, and the reason for him to plant is to save money and to keep him busy as he is unemployed. He has planted green peas, tomatoes, beetroot, chillies and spinach. He sell some of his vegetable to the community members to buy electricity. He would appreciate if he could be provided by seeds.

Most nurses and managers  showed up tracksuits, T-shirts and tekkies for the the early morning run on 23 June, as Settlers Hospital marked Staff Wellness Day. The function began at 10am in the Settlers Hospital grounds; and also attracted several Life and Funeral policy companies including Avbob, Standard Bank, Sanlam, Capitec and Old Mutual.  Company officials updated policies and gave information to potential new clients. Meanwhi, les tembi Guba and Nonkoliso Princess Mjaba Professional Nurse from Germs, they were doing screening taking blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol, weighing height and measure of waist and HIV testing. Proceedings started with a prayer…

Bonisile Qokose is a grandfather who loves planting. He had his garden long before Vukani was built up with RDP houses–back when it was an informal squatter camp. Qokose uses his garden to plant different food during the different seasons–planted spinach, onions, potatoes, carrots and millies. Qokose sells the surplus in the community to supplement his monthly old-age pension. That cash is for buying electricity and other small things that may be needed in the middle of the month.