By Malikhanye Mankayi The Social Employment Fund (SEF) workers who have been cleaning up Makhanda and fixing potholes for the past year held a mass protest at the offices of the National Arts Festival (NAF) at the Settlers’ Monument on 5 September over what they say is their unfair dismissal from the project. The NAF manages the interns on fixed-term contracts funded by the SEF, with the first phase of workers hired in June 2022 and a second phase of workers beginning in April 2023. But workers from the first phase say they did not sign any contract that outlined…
Author: Malikhanye Mankayi
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By Malikhanye Mankayi The Makhanda Youth Choir ( MYC) opened Heritage Month with their performance, “IsiNgqi sama Afrika”, on Sunday, 3 September at Noluthando Hall in Joza Location. The choir proudly sang traditional African songs, reminding Makhanda residents about what it truly means to be African. The choir proudly displayed their roots by wearing traditional Xhosa attire. Loyiso “Bhoki” Saki, the deputy chairperson of the choir, said, “Today we wanted to show the richness in our African songs, not focus on the western song and therefore to embrace our culture through music as the youth. It’s been an enjoyable journey…
NguMalikhanye Mankayi Umbhiyozo omkhulu ububanjelwe e-Amazwi Museum ngomhla wa-29 EyeThupha. Ibilusuku lokuphehlelelwa kwencwadi yokuqala yesiXhosa ebhalwe nguMphumzi Rumsell ‘Ramie’ Xonxa. Ncwadi leyo inesihloko, Masichub’ Isikhwebu, igxile ngembali yamaqhawe akwaXhosa. Ibingu mhla wethamsanqa kubemi nolutsha lwaseMakhanda kuphehlelelwa incwadi equlathe imixholo kwakunye neziganeko ezingqonge indawo yaseMakhanda. Amgqabantshintshi encwadi achaza ukuba umntu angafumana, “imbali ngamaqhawe awathi athabatha inxaxheba kwimbali yeli lizwe, amaqhawe awathi aqatshelwa igalelo lawo kunye nalawo kungazange kwathethwa ngawo.” Umntu omaziyo uXonxa kunye nohambo lwakhe ebenganokucinga ukuba angangumbhali wencwandi yaseMakhanda, echaza ngentsusa nentsingiselo yamagama eendawo ezithile zeli. Kungokuba sele exilonge kumasebe ohlukweneyo amaninzi. Nangona kunjalo, uthe nwagqiba kwelokuba abhale ayikhuphe incwadi…
By Malikhanye Mankayi Ibingumhla omkhulu kubantwana abenza amabanga aphantsi ngelixa beqala ukuba yinxalenye yesiseko esibizwa ukuba yiMakhanda Stibili Music Festival. NgoMgqibelo, umhla wama29 KweyeThupha, imilonji nemilonjikazi esakhulayo ibiqhayisa kwaye izidla ibonisa isakhono sabo somculo. Umbhexeshi wequbo uAkhona Mafani.Ifoto: Malikhanye Mankayi. UVelile Phantsi, onguSihlalo weliphulo lemvumi zaseMakhanda, uchae unobangela wala mhla. UPhantsi uthe, eyonanto ibengu nozala walo mhla ngumbuzo abathe abawufumana, njenge sigqeba, othi “Bazishiya ngelithini izikolo zamabanga aphantsi kweli phulo? Lo nto yabangela ukuba baxhamlise nezintsana zamabanga aphantsi. Phakathi kwezinto athe wazikhakanya ekwenzeni kwabo eliphulo kukuzama ukubuyisa iikwayala ezaziwayo zaseMakhanda nokubuyisa isithethe somculo kwisixeko iMakhanda. Imilonji nemilojikazi kwizikolo ezahlukileyo zinikwe…
NguMalikhanye Makhayi IDyunivesithi iRhodes izityande igila ngokunika imbeko kwingqala ngokubhala ulwimi lwesiXhosa nobene ngalelo elikhulu ekuphakamiseni ulwimi lweenkobe ehlabathini ngoku banzi uS.E.K Mqhayi. Ngelixa kubhiyozelwa iminyaka engama-200 isiXhosa sibhaliwe. Owayekuphela konyana kusapho lwakhe, uMqhayi, wayezinikele kwiminhalo yakhe kwaye esebenza nzima. Umbhalo wokuqala oye waduma kwisizwe esintsundu, ngumbhalo weqonga, onesihloko Ityala Lamawele. Njengo mbhali owaye balasele esiXhoseni ukhunjulwe nange mibongo athe wayibhalela isizwe kwakunye nangendlela benomndla omkhulu ngayo kwinkcubeko nesiNtu. Ingcamango yosuku kaS.E.K Mqhayi, isuka kwiprojekthi yabafundi besiKolo seeLwimi noNcwadi kwiYunivesiti iRhodes apho bajonge imisebenzi kaMqhayi. Abafundi njalo, benza uphando ngemvelaphi yakhe, imisebenzi yakhe kunye nababhali wayesebenza nabo. Isithethi sekhaya lakwa…
By Malikhanye Mankayi Andy Soper of Makhanda has endured six months of badgering by lawyers after a major bank lost one of his payments and then handed him over to attorneys, claiming he never made the payment to begin with. The 77-year-old Soper paid a debit order early in December last year. But the major bank, which he has asked not to be named, handed him over to attorneys a month later, saying they had no record of his payment. For two months, Soper visited the branch in Makhanda regularly with proof of his payment but was never allowed to…
By Malikhanye Mankayi A wonderful time unfolded at the Joza Youth Hub Open Day on Saturday, 3 June, which provided kids and parents the best platform to come and see what is being done by the children who attend the hub. For the young children of Makhanda, this was an exciting day involving games, competitions and activities. The emcees of the day were Sesethu Mtshelu and Zukhanye Myeka, with live music by Access Music Project (AMP) to get everyone dancing. A traffic police officer educated younger children on the rules of the road. The officer warned that children who walk…
By Malikhanye Mankayi A multilingual Spelling Bee took place at Duna Library on 18 and 19 May. Organised by singer Pastor Nolwakhe Yvonne Sewelo (known in the singing world as Yveslight) and the Sewelo Maths and Chess Academy, the Spelling Bee, which began in 2022, gave out stationery, dictionaries, and R100 to the lucky prizewinners from Grades Four to Seven. For a R30 registration fee, Grades Four and Five competed on 18 May, spelling out words in IsiXhosa, Afrikaans, and English, while Grades Six and Seven spelled words in IsiXhosa and English on 19 May. C.M. Vellem Primary, N.V Cewu,…
By Malikhanye Mankayi A new, five-month-old Makhanda cycling club called AmaRiders is keeping young children away from drug and alcohol abuse. The club visits Makhanda’s surrounding farms to enrich the young minds. It is open to everyone who is passionate about cycling, of any gender. AmaRiders traveling from Makhanda to Riebeeck East. Photo: Supplied. Lelethu Demka, a member of AmaRiders, said the club was for “those who are passionate about riding bicycles because in our schools locally, cycling is not one of the sports offered”. Demka added that there is a lack of professional cyclists around, and children who want…
By Malikhanye Mankayi and Sibabalwe Tame Despite the stormy weather, Makhanda community members and parents filled the Joza Indoor Sports Centre on 8 May during Khutliso Daniels Secondary School’s second annual concert. The show, hosted by comedian Tsepiso Nzayo, included vocal performances from the Nathaniel Nyaluza Secondary School choir and guest performing artists, mezzo-soprano singer Liyabona Qutywa and baritone singer Khumbulani Ntabeni. The concert’s purpose was to raise funds for children needing essentials like sanitary towels. More importantly, the show was held to encourage youth to avoid drugs and alcohol. Nzayo motivated the learners by saying, “I want to say…