By Chris Totobela Makhanda’s star coach Simamkele Yafele guided his Tshwane-based All Stars Rugby 7s Academy side to the final of the International U19 Boys Cup 2025 in Dubai recently. Yafele overcame some stiff opposition on his way to setting up a final showdown against Caviliers from Australia. Speaking to Grocott’s Mail just before the final, Yafele was very positive. “Coming from Makhanda, growing up at O street in Tantyi and still be able to compete against the best in the world is a huge achievement. Making it to the final is icing on the cake. I feel like a…
Author: Luvuyo Mjekula
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By Luvuyo Mjekula A South African Police Service (Saps) detective this week narrated how he used Facebook to trace and arrest a man accused of raping a 22-year-old Rhodes University student last year. Constable Akhona Hlwithana of the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit, based in Makhanda testified in the Makhanda High Court this week in the trial of two men charged with the student’s rape near the Settlers Monument on 16 March 2024. The two – 19-year-old Zephanic Lushaan Martins from Kirkwood and 21-year-old Antonio Angelo Rudman from Gqeberha – had appeared to rescue the student…
By Luvuyo Mjekula The ANC has won the fiercely-contested Makana Ward 10 by-election to fill the vacancy left open after the passing of councillor Zodwa Cetu two months ago. The results show the ANC had won the by-election by 49.76%, followed by the DA with just over 26% and the Makana Citizens Front (MCF) with 9.53%. IEC provincial spokesperson, Sanda Nodada, said the final results will be made public on Monday. Said Nodada: “Final results are only released once the objection window period has expired.” The report also showed the ANC’s performance in the 2021 elections, a resounding 67.34%. ANC…
By Chris Totobela From the dusty streets of Tantyi in Makhanda to big cities, not just in the country, but abroad as well. Simamkele Yafele grew up in O Street and played rugby on the streets with his peers before he was recruited by his uncle Mpumelelo “Small” Mthetho, a teacher at Archie Mbolekwa Higher Primary School, to join Old Collegians where he got the foundation for his rugby career. He made a surprise move when he joined their biggest rivals Lily White and he explained the move. “My father was at Lily White, and at the age of 20,…
By Chris Totobela Top local football side and ABC Motsepe League participants Maru FC suffered their first defeat last Saturday. The home side took on Komani FC in a very tough and entertaining encounter in front of a decent crowd. The visitors made their intentions very clear from the first whistle and forced the opposition goalkeeper to come up with good saves early on. Komani FC’s high-press tactic worked well for them as Maru FC likes to build from the back, but were forced to use long balls at times. The home side also had a few chances to take…
By Chris Totobela Makana Tigers FC chairman Thandisizwe “Tebi” Matebese was in the hotseat this week for Grocott’s Mail’s Chairman’s Corner’s feature. GM: Welcome to our Chairman’s Corner and please tell us about Makana Tigers. TM: Thank you for this opportunity. I established this club in 2019,which was the best thing to do after hanging up my boots long before that. After coaching teams around Makhanda I decided to form my own club. There is a very high rate of alcohol and drug abuse amongst our youth, and I felt like doing something. GM: How has the club grown since…
By Chris Totobela The Young Warriors Cricket Programme closed the 2025 season with a successful tournament last Saturday. The programme is made up of young boys and girls from local primary schools — George Dickerson, Grahamstown Primary and St Mary’s. It entails physical training that helps the young cricketers cope with the demands of the game. The end-of-the-year tournament was held at Graeme College from 9am until 4pm, with St Mary’s coming to this year’s event as defending champions after winning the inaugural event last year. Each team played two round-robin games and all three teams finished on two points…
By Luvuyo Mjekula A Makana Municipality-organised Christmas party for elderly residents is at the centre of a row between the African National Congress (ANC) and other political parties contesting the upcoming ward 10 by-election. On Wednesday, Makana Municipality council Speaker Mtutuzeli Matyumza’s office hosted “XMas for the Elderly” at BB Zondani Hall in Fingo Village. The municipality holds the event annually to celebrate with elderly residents of Makana. However, political parties campaigning for next week’s by-election in ward 10 have accused Matyumza, a senior official in the regional ANC, of using the event for electioneering purposes. ‘A campaigning tactic’ The…
By Chesley Daniels Swallows thrashed Port Alfred by a bonus point 8-wicket win while Makana Sona and Salem also recorded impressive wins in the Grahamstown Cricket Board (GCB) leagues over the past weekend. Salem vs Willows Willows travelled to Salem with a fairly young side against hosts Salem in their GCB 1st League fixture on Saturday. Willows won the toss and sent Salem in to bat. Willows’ bowlers were on fire and bowled beautifully during the first session of the game, putting Salem under pressure with the score on 135/6 at one stage. The experienced duo of Buster Brotherton and…