By Andisiwe Plaatjie and Siphesihle Joji Kutliso Daniels Senior Secondary School was once again the cream of the crop among township schools in the Makana Local Municipality with their outstanding pass rate of 91.9% in their matric results for 2024. Despite a slight drop from 96.4% in 2023, principal Radio Mcuba, praised his charges and has gone on to set the ultimate target for 2025 – a 100% pass rate. Mcuba attributed the decline to the large number of progressed leaners the school had in grade 12 in 2013. However this year, Mcuba believes things will be different. Although they…
Author: Luvuyo Mjekula
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By Nandipha Twani Makhanda pupil Lisakhanya Sentile is flying high after being selected to receive a Department of Education bursary to study at the recently launched Eastern Cape Aviation School in Port Alfred. Premier Oscar Mabuyane officially launched the groundbreaking facility on 17 January. Sentile, a 19-year-old former Mary Waters High School pupil, was selected among 50 pupils in the Eastern Cape to receive the bursary, worth R1.4m. The award covers tuition, accommodation, transport, stationery and equipment. Sentile grew up in Extension 8 in Joza Location with her parents and three siblings. She attended grades 1-7 at Roman Catholic School…
By Phila-Nathi Mapisa The Matric Class of 2024 has made history by achieving the highest-ever 87.3% pass rate in South Africa. This remarkable milestone has resulted in a surge of university applications, with thousands of ambitious students fighting for limited spaces at institutions across the country. At Rhodes University, this demand is starkly evident. The university, situated in Makhanda, has received a staggering 19,045 applications for first-year students—but only 1,650 can be accommodated. This means that less than 9% of applicants will secure a place, leaving thousands of hopeful students without an opportunity to study at one of South Africa’s…
By Luvuyo Mjekula The DA in the Eastern Cape is upping the ante in its fight to stabilise the dire water and electricity situation in Makhanda. The party’s provincial leaders told a public meeting in Makhanda this week that they would be bringing the matter to the attention of the Public Service Commission (PSC). Retief Odendaal, the DA shadow MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) and Jane Cowley, the Frontier Constituency leader, addressed Makhanda ratepayers and businesspeople at Graham Hotel in High Street on Tuesday evening. “We can continue to write to the Department of Water and Sanitation…
By Anna Bloom-Christen As the town awakens after the break, it’s a good time to reflect on how we get around. This is a love letter to walking in Makhanda—a celebration of the streets, the connections they foster, and the unique character of this city. As an outsider and anthropologist, I explore the pleasures and challenges of walking here: as a daily commute, a leisure activity, and a window into Makhanda’s social and spatial divides. The public sphere is stirring back to life. After weeks of quiet—many locals having retreated to the coast or their homes for the holidays—the streets…
The aerial photo was taken during the opening night of the 14th annual Brian Baker Water Polo Tournament hosted by Kingswood College last weekend, while the other shows Emily Poutney in action in the pool. In the tournament, Kingswood narrowly lost 5-6 to St Mary’s Waverley who secured 11th place in the tournament ahead of Kingswood College in 12th place in what was a successful event. The tournament sees the top girls’ water polo schools from around the country competing. Photos: Kingswood College
By Scott Jackson It was another busy week for the St Andrew’s College Cricket Club. Ten matches were played against Kingswood College, with St Andrew’s College coming out on top in eight of those fixtures. The 1st XI had an exciting draw, after setting up the game strongly, following a mature century from Rhys Wiblin. Defending 244, College XI had Kingswood 122/9 when the time was called late on Saturday evening. It was a frustrating end after being so dominant throughout the day. On Wednesday, the 1st XI defeated Stanley Cricket Club by 4 wickets under the Knowling lights. Junior…
By Chris Totobela Throngs of football fans braved the scotching sun and made their way to JD Dlepu stadium for the Hollywood Bets Regional League double header on Saturday. In the first game, eighth-placed Maru FC took on rock-bottom XI Attackers in a local derby that promised fireworks. After a dull and boring first half, the game came alive midway through the second half as Attackers went to the break trailing by a single goal and were pushing for an equaliser. However, Maru doubled their lead when the Attackers’ goalkeeper misjudged a high ball. Attackers managed to pull one back…
By Chesley Daniels Salem 2nds’ impressive 88-run bonus point win against Swallows at the weekend catapulted the team to the top of the Grahamstown Cricket Board (GCB) 2nd League log table. In another thrilling encounter, Southwell 2nds edged hosts Manley Flats by a narrow 8-run win. The weekend saw some remarkable individual performances in the GCB 2nd League. Batting: * Tony Pedro 93 – Southwell vs Manleys * Dave Duncan 85 – Manleys vs Southwell * Ryan Labuschagne 63 – Salem vs Swallows * Chris Friderichs 57* – Southwell vs Manleys Bowling: * Juandre Nel 6/11 (6) – Sidbury vs…
By G Mackenzie The water polo season began with exciting home fixtures against Woodridge, Kingswood, Graeme and Pearson. These matches provided an excellent opportunity to involve all our teams, and the teams delivered some outstanding results. U14 Teams The newly formed U14A team had a nail-biting match against Woodridge’s U15A team, securing a narrow 7–6 victory. They later faced the St Andrew’s U15A side in a long-course game, holding their own impressively for the first two quarters before the experience of the U15A team prevailed. The U14 players show great promise, and I look forward to seeing them develop and…