By Mbali Tanana Zulu customs and culture themed under Umnikelo were the inspiration behind Rhodes University student Snelihle Asanda Maphumulo’s award-winning artwork in Pretoria last week. The 22-year-old Fine Art student’s artwork placed her among the Sasol New Signature’s 2024 Merit Award winners who bagged R10 000 at the Pretoria Art Museum. The renowned art competition, in its 30th year this year, recorded the highest number of entrants, with 1013 submissions from over seven entry points across the country. Durban-born Maphumulo, who submitted her artwork in Gqeberha, just over 150kms from Rhodes University, said her upbringing as a young Zulu woman…
Author: Luvuyo Mjekula
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By Chesley Daniels In a resounding display of unity and determination, the Grahamstown Cricket Board (GCB) held a triumphant Annual General Meeting (AGM) and awards ceremony at the Graham Hotel, last night. The event marked a new chapter in the region’s cricket history, as the GCB reaffirmed its commitment to excellence and growth. Salem Cricket Club stole the spotlight, clinching an unprecedented double by winning both the GCB 1st and 2nd Leagues last season. This remarkable achievement sets the tone for a thrilling new season, as clubs and players vie for supremacy. President, Leon Coetzee, re-elected for an impressive 17th consecutive…
By Chris Totobela For the majority of people, playing sport is the means to relieve desk cramp. But for Eldrid “Ali” Daniels it seems to be an addiction. The self-proclaimed Grahamstown homeboy has played competitive sport in seven different codes, making him a truly multi-talented legend. Daniels was born in 1965 in Grahamstown and has lived in the small town eversince, except for five years in the hustle and bustle of Joburg. When he returned from the place of smog in 1981, he attended Mary Waters Grahamstown High School and began to develop a passion for soccer. Two years later,…
Joza Aerobics and Fitness Club is hard at training preparing for the upcoming FitFest 2024. The event will take place on 26 October and will be open to the public. Senior instructors from all corners of the country will exchange the stage and showcase their talent. Tickets are currently available at R100 per person. Tickets will cost R120 at the door. Children will pay only R50. FitFest 2024 will kick off at 9am and will run until 2pm and refreshments will be available. Members of the community are urged to make use of this wonderful opportunity and support the Joza-based…
By Philip Machanick Some appear to be over-excited about the Section 154 intervention by Province. While an in intervention is long overdue, we must remind ourselves of the last intervention when Pam Yako was deployed as an administrator. Not only do we have nothing to show for her expensive sojourn in Makana, but things have since become worse. Province can by all means deploy an engineer here but if the fundamentals are not addressed, the result will be like applying a small plaster to a gaping wound. Such an intervention will be a failure if community knowledge is not utilised.…
The Joza branch of IkamvaYouth hosted a number of activities this past Saturday as part of their 21st anniversary celebrations. IkamvaYouth was founded in 2003 by Joy Olivier and Makhosi Gogwana, who travelled very different paths to get to the same job, as researchers at the HSRC. Olivier went to a privileged school in Pietermaritzburg in KZN, and Gogwana went to a township school in Khayelitsha, in the Western Cape. In conducting research on the education crisis, they compared their experiences and realised that many of the obstacles learners face are due to lack of information and support. As information…
By Chris Totobela Makhanda boxers, officials and members of the community made their way to the Joza Indoor Sports Centre on Saturday for the Sarah Baartman Boxing Organisation’s (Sababo) youth empowerment programme. Sababo president Thembisa Qinela explained the aim of the programme to Grocott’s Mail. “This programme is aimed at assisting and empowering young boxers so that they are able to make better choices in life.” Various speakers from different organisations shared the podium. The guest speaker was Noxolo Mbokoma from the South African Innovative Financial Services Co-operatives. She shared her true life journey with the young boxers and told…
By Mbali Tanana, Amahle Cele and Luvuyo Mjekula “Do the honourable thing and resign, because if you can do something about this situation, why are you doing nothing?” These were the words of local lawyer Izak Smuts at the Makana Municipality-hosted stakeholder engagement session at the City Hall on Tuesday. The municipality invited local stakeholders to a service delivery-related stakeholder engagement session. Smuts, a resident of Makhanda since 1958, did not hold back. He urged mayor Yandiswa Vara and municipal manager Pumelelo Kate to resign. He said it was evident they had no capacity to run the municipality, as the…
By Chris Totobela In this week’s Heritage Month feature we introduce Ntomboxolo “Ntosh” Nanto. She hails from Phumlani in Makhanda, and has expressed her skills to audiences overseas, Los Angeles in the United States of America, to be precise. Nanto started playing rugby at a very young age, doing it for fun with boys in a backyard in her neighbourhood. Spotted by one of African Wonderers’ players, Nanto was invited to watch the team train. “I was invited by one Zola who was my neighbour to their training and I was the only girl at their training sessions and I…
NguChris Totobela Imozulu ebikhithika inenkwankca eye yakhatshwa nayintshizane ebinomoya osika kabuhlungu ibangele ukuba kubenzima kumaqela ebedlala ngempelaveki edlulileyo. NgoMgqibelo iCameroon ebuye kakubi mvanje ibethe iBlack Stars ngamanqaku amane eqandeni, logama yona iJoza Stars ekhokelayo kumanqwanqwa esigaba sokuqala seMakana LFA ibhaxabule iVukani Anchors ngamanqaku amathandathu kwelinye, yaze yona iRiebeek East Academy yabetha iEagles ngamanqaku amahlanu kwelinye. IMayfield ibethe iJacaranda Academy ngamathathu kwelinye logama iRising Stars ihluthe intlaka emlonyeni weTantyi Eleven ngamanqaku amahlanu kwamane. NgeCawe, iJacaranda Academy ibuyise isidima sayo yagalela ityuwa kwinxeba leTantyi Eleven ngenqaku elinye eqandeni yaze iBlack Stars yazixhwithela kwiVukani Anchors esabhidwe yinja uvuthwa, ngamanqaku amahlanu eqandeni, yaze yona…