By Luvuyo Mjekula Two years after being unceremoniously booted out of the Makana Municipal council, five PR councillors of the Makana Citizens Front (MCF) have been restored into the council by the Electoral Court, to much relief and jubilation. “We are vindicated. It was patently obvious from the outset that our removal was illegitimate and unlawful. We never gave up fighting for the people of Makana and we will take that fight back to the Council now that we have our seats back,” said Lungile Mxube, the leader of the MCF, as confirmed by the Electoral Court in its judgment…
Author: Luvuyo Mjekula
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By Lisakhanya Tali Makhanda has been hit by the unexpected closure of several big-name corporations in recent years. A number of popular businesses – Nando’s, Mug & Bean, Edgars, and Wakaberry, to name a few, have closed their doors. In March this year, Grocott’s Mail reported the closure of popular restaurant Fork & Dagger. It was reported that the unfortunate end of Fork & Dagger is a reoccurring phenomenon in the restaurant industry in Makhanda; with the closures of establishments such as Pandas Asia Kitchen, Café Capellini, Rustic Route and many other family-owned businesses, a pattern of economic struggles outweighing…
By Migcobo Majali Just two weeks before the general elections on 29 May, the faith-based African Transformation Movement (ATM), made its way to Makhanda to unpack its manifesto on Wednesday. Party president and member of the National Assembly, Vuyo Zungula, who was welcomed by an excited group of local followers, promised economic transformation to supporters at the TACC church building in Joza. In his delivery, Zungula advocated for a transformation of the South African political landscape based on advancing the economy. He pointed out that the freedom attained in 1994 was only political without the economic freedom black South Africans…
By Siviwe Mxuma In a recent gathering at Rhodes University, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Student and Academic Affairs, Professor ‘Mabokang Monnapula-Mapesela, set the stage for an evening dedicated to celebrating community engagement. She emphasised the significance of the Vice-Chancellor’s Distinguished Community Engagement Award, an accolade honouring impactful collaborations between the university and its surrounding communities in education and research. “The Vice Chancellor’s Distinguished Community Engagement Award is a prestigious and competitive Annual Award that recognises meaningful and committed partnerships between the members of the university and community partners in the areas of teaching, learning, and research, where human and material resources…
By Ephreeda Banda On 9 May 2024, the historic Albany Museum in Makhanda, South Africa hosted a significant event organised by Rhodes University’s Political and International Studies Department, along with the School of Journalism and Media Studies and Makhanda Legends. The gathering brought together intellectuals, activists, and community leaders to discuss “The Erosion of Democratic Institutions and the Future of Knowledge.” Advocate Vusi Pikoli, the keynote speaker, reflected on South Africa’s 30-year journey since democracy. He praised the improvements in infrastructure, such as better access to water and electricity for marginalised communities. Yet, Pikoli also acknowledged ongoing economic disparities, emphasising…
By Staff Reporter The widely spoken about pressures encountered by journalists in their craft are deadlines, lawsuits and, remarkably, in some communities, the freedom to do their work without fear of physical harm. The reality, however, is that there are many other serious challenges facing journalists. One of them is trauma. It comes from the graphic images and scenes journalists encounter in the field. The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) and the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag) are concerned about this, and have decided to take remedial action. A joint statement from the two organisations states that…
By Geoff Embling For the past seven years, ongoing water outages in Makana Municipality have become more and more frequent. These water outages could have been avoided if Makana Municipality’s council and administration took more of an interest in the James Kleynhans Water Treatment Works (JKWTW) upgrades. The upgrades should have cost roughly R100 million and were meant to be completed by 2017, but to date, the cost has ballooned more than four-fold, and the upgrades are not yet completed. According to GroundUp News, “the water service utility’s stakeholder manager Amanda Skritch, on 7 April, said the completion date has…
By Chesley Daniels Rhodes and Old Collegians (OC) are still the unbeaten sides from Sedru in the Epru Adams Cup competition, while last year’s Sedru champs, Swallows, are struggling. The second round of the competition saw Rhodes and OC finding themselves in 2nd and 3rd position on the overall log standings respectively. Swallows suffered their second defeat in a row and are on the backfoot earlier on in the competition. The Sedru-SRV Regional League also saw wins for Rosebuds and Klipfontein United over the past weekend. ADAMS CUP OC VS Newtown Wolves – Lavender Valley OC registered the second consecutive…
By Chesley Daniels Lily White from Makhanda kept the Sedru flag flying high in the Epru Score Grand Challenge competition after round three, while Trying Stars, Brumbies and St Marks Alicedale, all suffered defeats in the competition on Saturday. Grand Challenge top 12: Brumbies vs Progress – Kariega Brumbies travelled to Kariega to face top rugby side and former Grand Challenge champs, Progress, in a much-awaited clash. Brumbies came from a highly impressive bonus point win against Harlequins the previous week in Makhanda and were full of confidence to face the favourites in their own backyard in “Die Hok”. Progress…
By Staff Reporter Kingswood College enjoyed another busy weekend of sport over the weekend. The school had boys’ hockey fixtures against Pearson on Friday afternoon at Kingswood and girls’ hockey against Alex Road in Gqeberha. This was followed on Saturday by girls’ hockey at Alex Road, rugby and netball against Brandwag at Kingswood. On Sunday, Kingswood hosted the Spar Hockey Challenge where their 1st team girls and a Kingswood invitational team represented the school. The 1st girls’ team finished runners up – a fantastic effort against some strong opposition. 1st team scores – Rugby (Kingswood 33-1 Brandwag), Netball (1st team…