By TOTO TSARNEBA Xolisa Ngubelanga is a writer and theatremaker born in Gqeberha who applies his drama and language skills to his youth developer and facilitator work. Xolisa’s work at Pearston High School in the Karoo helped improve their matric pass rate within two years from about 45% to 62% in 2019. Xolisa’s scripts include Flamebook, for which he won the Standard Bank Ovation Award in 2017, Dinner with Bantu, which celebrates Steve Biko’s heritage and Pieces of an African Drum, which poses questions about African identity and the need to make money to survive. He completed his Master’s degree in creative writing at Rhodes University…
Author: Toto Tsarneba
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By TOTO TSARNEBA Rhodes dining hall workers claim their hourly wage was reduced without consultation and that overtime is not being paid. They also claim that the university does not offer opportunities for staff development. Regarding staff development, Nehawu branch treasury Lwazi Nesi said around 2011, staff were given opportunities to develop by taking on senior-level responsibilities. He said the new management hardly developed food service staff, unlike when he arrived at Rhodes University. For example, Rhodes University gets casual workers from the town to replace off-duty cooks. The cooks say they have to teach the casual workers to cook…
By TOTO TSARNEBA SRC sport and societies councillor Asanda Bongumusa Kubheka organised a fantasy footfall tournament to celebrate the 2022 Fifa World Cup and Heritage Day. “As we are approaching exams, I thought let’s all do some Jell-O shots and finish the year off with a bang,” he said. “I enjoyed seeing people who came wearing their traditional attires and realise that Rhodes is a diverse university indeed,” he said. Rhodes students in their traditional attire. From left: S’phephile Mthembu, Mfanelo Mkhungo and Amahle Molose. Photo: Toto Tsarneba “Thanks to the 2022 SRC, especially former SRC sport and societies councillor…
By TOTO TSARNEBA Denise Stokes wants to know where her pension is. Stokes, better known as Kororo, retired as a senior nursing assistant from Settlers Hospital in 2016. She worked for the department from 1991 until 2016 – a total of 25 years. “It was an amazing journey – until I was given the runaround after I had to retire. Instead of enjoying the fruits of my labour, I am a forgotten soldier now,” Kororo said. But, the Department of Health has refuted her allegations. According to Department spokesperson Yonela Dekeda, Stokes’s pension fund was paid to her in July…
By ROD AMNER and TOTO TSARNEBA Members of the Makana Residents Association (MRA) and the Grahamstown Business Forum (GBF) have resolved to merge into a nonprofit umbrella company with a new name. The unanimous decision was made at a joint meeting of the two civic organisations at Amazwi on 31 August. MRA chairperson Sally Smith said the new organisation would continue the fight to hold public officials accountable, represent the interests of citizens, fight social injustice, and work for the city’s economic development. A new constitution will be drafted and presented to a combined meeting by MRA and GBF for…
By TOTO TSARNEBA Studies show a clear link between alcohol abuse and gender-based violence. A Women’s Day dialogue titled ‘Alcohol abuse as a trigger of GBV’ was hosted by the EC Liquor Board at the Steve Biko building at Rhodes University on Tuesday. Speaking on the panel, EC Liquor Board CEO Dr Nombuyiselo Makala said GBV was “another pandemic” in a country branded the “rape capital of the world” by Interpol. The roots of GBV Simo Ndyoko from Singamadoda Men Empowerment Spaces talked about the process of socialization. “Currently, we are facing many problems, and as men, we do not…
By TOTO TSARNEBA The concept is simple. Each person who donates or sponsors sterilisation starts a ripple effect of kindness by “spaying it forward”. Rochelle Fourie, the Grahamstown Feral Cat Project chairperson, said the project’s main aim was ‘TNR’ which stands for trap, neuter or spay, and return of feral cats. Fourie added that “Spay-It-Forward” aimed to identify families in need. These families can take their cats to the vets for their ‘TNR’, where they first get sprayed or neutered and then returned to their owners. “We aim to sterilise as many cats as possible within the community, but we…
By TOTO TSARNEBA Leaders from various organisations for people living with disabilities met with the Makana Municipality Special Unit Programme and community members at Noluthando Hall on July 22 to establish the Makana Disability Forum (MDF), a new platform that advocates for the rights and inclusion of persons living with disabilities. Vukile Wali, who runs the Makana Municipality Special Unit Programme, organised the launch to promote inclusion in the Makana Municipality. “I want to make sure that we have a structure that represents various formations of disabled people from all corners of our municipality”, he said. Wali said there were…
By TOTO TSARNEBA A group of nurses at Settlers Hospital went on strike on Monday, 27 June, demanding to be paid an 8-12% ‘rural allowance’ increase which was agreed upon between unions and the provincial health department at a 2019 bargaining council. They claim they are part of 3 000 enrolled nurses (ENs) and nursing assistants (ENAs) in rural hospitals around the province who are due rural allowances worth around R1 200 a month. Around 20 nurses sang and chanted outside Settlers on Monday. Placards stated that their nursing unions Nehawu and Denosa had failed them. Settlers Hospital spokesperson Yonela…
THEATRE: ZemQadiniReview by SONIA SAJJABI Silence. Darkness. No street lights. The walk in the rain up the hill to PJs feels desolate. A five-minute wait outside the theatre doors that feels much longer. Finally, we – an audience of three – are let in. Inside, the same darkness, the same silence. On stage, two figures in white, the cloth covering their faces shining through the gloom, clothing scattered around their feet. Bhekani Shabalala and Bongani Mbatha, battle-scarred and aged before their time by violent conflict, slowly reveal themselves as Dumi and Vuyo, who create a marriage between the past and…