By Luvuyo Mjekula A team of technical experts is expected to arrive in Makhanda tomorrow to provide support to the embattled Makana Municipality as part of the national Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs’ (Cogta) Section 154 intervention. The experts are specialists in project management, municipal finance, budgeting, supply chain management, auditing, engineering and service delivery improvement, electrical and civil engineering, as well as human resources and administration. Cogta deputy minister, Dr Namane Dixon Masemola, announced the “support package” in Makhanda last week and Makana councillors approved it at a special council meeting today (11 August). According to a report tabled…
Author: Luvuyo Mjekula
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By Ross Marriner The idea of retiring early to enjoy life while still young is tempting. However, like many appealing choices, early retirement often comes with significant risks. For most people, retiring five or 10 years before the usual retirement age can drastically reduce the financial comfort of their later years. One of the key reasons lies in the power of compound interest. The longer your money stays invested, the more it grows. Add to that the fact that people tend to earn more in the final stretch of their careers, it is clear why continuing to save during those…
By Luvuyo Mjekula and Nomfundo Mbatha The director of public prosecutions (DPP) is reviewing murder accused Xabiso Mngcongo’s case, the Makhanda Magistrate’s Court heard this week. Mngcongo made a brief court appearance on Wednesday, facing four counts of murder including the killing of a retired SAPS detective. Police spent months hunting down the 34-year-old as a “person of interest” in connection with the four murder cases, said to have been committed between November 2022 and June 2024 in KwaZakhele in Gqeberha and Joza in Makhanda. “Most victims were not armed, and one of them was a retired police officer,” said…
By Chesley Daniels Kowie United finally registered their first win in the Epru Adams Cup Group B competition, thrashing Swallows Uitenhage 74-0 in Kariega. The Port Alfred side scored 12 tries, with Johnny Hilpert and Enzo Swarts each scoring two twice. Hilpert also added two conversions to his tally, while captain Riaques Roberts shared the man-of-the-match award with Hilpert. Kowie entered the Adams Cup competition late after a dispute and winning their case, and the double points system in the second round paid off for the Port Alfred side. They bagged 10 log points, which could prove crucial in their…
NguChris Totobela Iqela lebhola ekhatywayo loompondo zihlanjiwe noomakadenetha laseJoza, iXI Attackers, liwelwe ngumqa esandleni ngokuthi liphiwe impahla yokudlala lishishini laseMakhanda. Eli qela, nelilelinye lamaqela amadala apha eMakhanda, nanjengoko lasekwa ngomnyaka ka1975, liye lazibalula ngakumbi kule minyaka mihlanu igqithileyo, lizama ukubuyisa isidima salo nanjengoko lalifudula lisaziwa njengodlezinye ongenalusini. Eli liqela liye lafudunyezwa iintliziyo ngeli xesha lobusika, ngethuba lisithiwa jize ngempahla yokudlala yivenkile ethengisa nehombisa impahla iXtreme, nephantsi kolawulo lukaJoos Vos. Le mana ihla ngethuba eli qela limaxhaphetshu lizama ukulungiselela ukuvulwa kwemidlalo yabo. Lo kaVos uthe le yindlela abulela ngayo uSimamkele Mzalazala nongumsebenzi wakhe, nokwangumdlali weAttackers. UMzalazala usebenza ngokuzinikela kwaye uyawuthanda umsebenzi…
By Chris Totobela The South Eastern Districts Rugby Sub-Union (Sedru) women’s senior rugby team is hard at work preparing for the upcoming women’s championships in Kariega this coming Saturday. Players were selected from top side Alicedale United, Old Collegians and Rhodes University. Sedru’s head coach Danwy Jewel spoke to Grocott’s Mail after their training session at Miki Yili Stadium on Sunday. “I am pleased with what I have seen here and there is a lot of potential. We know how tough the challenge that we will be facing on Saturday will be as we will be playing against well established…
By Chris Totobela When she is not on the road dishing out traffic fines to offending motorists, a Makhanda traffic officer can be found on the rugby field playing her favourite sport. Zukiswa Ngwenyeni Mize is a Makana Municipality traffic officer who enjoys playing rugby. She is the first sportswoman to be featured in Grocott’s Mail’s Women’s Month special this year as we introduce the readers to women who make a mark in sports. Mize recalls that she used to accompany her son to rugby matches and that is how she started developing a passion for the sport. “I went…
By Chris Totobela Makhanda’s top boxers put their friendship aside as they battled it out in the Royal Series Challenge at the Guild Theatre in East London last Sunday. Siphosethu “Ben 10” Mpolweni took on the reigning Eastern Cape featherweight champion Bongani “King Killer” Fule in a non-title six-rounder that carried a lot of significance. The two fighters grew up together in Makhanda, but put aside their friendship on Sunday, in the name of competition. Fule is ranked second in South Africa’s featherweight division and needed to only avoid defeat if he wanted to keep his chances of moving up…
Settlers Hospital staff including occupational therapists and physiotherapists held a career guidance programme at Nathaniel Nyaluza Secondary School on Thursday 24 July to mark Mandela Month. “In our facility, we encounter learners of tertiary institutions who are frustrated due to choosing careers they regret.” The facility has also identified township learners who are not knowledgeable about some of the professions in health services. In response to the growing need for informed career choices among youth, the hospital offers assistance to the learners to expose them to various career options, required skills and available post-school opportunities. The professionals took time to…
By Chesley Daniels Lily White Grahamstown dug deep to register a hard-fought 27-21 bonus-point win over Eastern PE in their second round Score Epru Grand Challenge Bottom 12 rugby encounter at the Miki Yili Stadium in Joza, Makhanda on Saturday. This was a second win in succession for the Blues as they clinched a narrow away win against Orlando Eagles a fortnight ago. The win put the Makhanda side in eighth position on the log with two games in hand. Lily White took on bottom-of-the-log and struggling Eastern PE side in rainy weather conditions in front of a decent crowd.…