By Lungile Mxube Residents will [have been] flabbergasted to read in Grocott’s Mail last week that “Makana Municipality reports positive service delivery outcomes”. Water delivery is less reliable than it was before the drought of 2019. Even though hundreds of millions of rand have been spent on doubling the capacity of the James Kleynhans Water Treatment Works, it is delivering less water than it did before the upgrades began. Tens of millions have been spent on the Jameson Dam, which we exposed as being corruptly used as a cattle and goat farm, with not a drop of water delivered to…
Author: Luvuyo Mjekula
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By Luvuyo Mjekula Pressure continues to mount on the under-fire Makana Municipality, with the Democratic Alliance in the Eastern Cape throwing the latest salvo. The party has called on the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) to dissolve the current council immediately, citing “persistent financial failure and a complete inability to provide basic services”. It is not the first time demands have been made for the incumbent leadership to vacate office. Two attempts to dissolve the Makana Council through the courts stalled on appeal, including the Eastern Cape High Court’s 2020 ruling ordering dissolution, and a subsequent Section 18 enforcement bid dismissed after…
By Chesley Daniels The Eastern Province (EP) youth cricket schools have announced their teams for the upcoming Cricket South Africa (CSA) National Weeks, taking place in December 2025. The EP U/16 and U/17 sides are eager to defend their titles, having emerged as champions in the 2024 events. EP U/16 eye Paarl success Led by Graeme College’s Corbin Tidbury, the U/16 team boasts an impressive lineup of local talent, with seven Makhanda players donning the EP colours. The team is coached by Odwa Xonxa and managed by Scott Jackson of St Andrew’s College. They’ll be heading to Paarl with high…
By Chris Totobela Makhanda’s son of the soil and the only champion, Bongani “King Killer” Fule, pulled out all the stops when he defeated Gauteng-based Jeff “911” Magagane in their featherweight eight-round bout recently. Ranked second and fourth respectively by Boxing South Africa (BSA), Fule and Magagane went through all the rounds in their non-title bout. It was a bruising fight as both boxers went toe-to-toe. Magagane won the first four rounds, catching Fule with a straight left on numerous occasions. Fule had to change his game plan and fight from the inside, landing body blows. The local boy stuck…
By Chris Totobela Hordes of local football lovers braved chilly weather to watch Makhanda’s top side Maru FC as they hosted Komani-based Seven Stars in their ABC Motsepe league clash at the Rhodes University Upper Prospect field this past weekend. Maru FC holds the key to Makhanda possibly tasting professional football in the future and the team has the backing of their supporters who packed the field when the local side took on Seven Stars. The game started with both teams on attack mode. Seven Stars had the better of the early exchanges, putting the local side under pressure while…
By Luvuyo Mjekula Frustrated small, medium and micro enterprise (SMME) owners who feel excluded from construction contracts took their anger out on the Makana Municipality council on Thursday. A group of small business owners entered the Settlers Monument restaurant, the venue for the municipality’s special council meeting yesterday. The meeting was moved to the monument apparently due to renovations at City Hall. As they trickled into the room, the protesters toyi-toyied and sang the struggle song “Sohlala siyinyova le Apartheid (we will always trample Apartheid)”, to the dismay of members of council. Council Speaker Mabhuti Matyumza had to adjourn the…
By Luvuyo Mjekula and Asemahle Vumsindo The Makana Local Municipality reported a number of positive service delivery-related outcomes, mostly from its Budget and Treasury Office (BTO), during a special council meeting at Settlers Monument yesterday (Thursday). Grocott’s Mail learned that the meeting was moved to a different venue due to renovations taking place at the City Hall. All councillors except those of Makana Citizens Front (MCF) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), attended the meeting. In his opening remarks, Council Speaker Mabuti Matyumza chastised the missing councillors. ANC councillor Andile Hoyi cited council legislation on do’s and don’ts when it…
By Luvuyo Mjekula A Makhanda resident has vowed to do everything in her power to protect residents of Joza from potential health and safety hazards. Buhle Mdoko, a Joza resident and ActionSA Sarah Baartman regional chairperson, says residents of Extension 3 (ward 5) in Phumlani, live in the midst of a dumping site, with rubbish landing in their homes and blocking pathways. As part of ActionSA’s Seven Values, a campaign that includes health and safety projects, a team went on a clean-up spree recently, clearing rubbish in parts of Joza and visiting an abandoned property in the A Section. Mdoko…
By Chris Totobela Makhanda’s very own boxing champion Bongani “King Killer” Fule will feature in the main bout in this weekend’s Lunabile Royal Series Challenge in East London. Fule will exchange leather with Gauteng’s Jeff “911” Magagane in an important non-title bout that will earn the winner the right to face national featherweight champion, KZN-based Lindelani Sibisi. Magagane, a former South African featherweight champion himself, is ranked fourth by Boxing South Africa (BSA), while Fule is ranked second. The crucial eight-rounder will take place at the Guild Theatre on Sunday and Fule knows how important the fight is. “This is…