By Lucas Nowicki A man believed to be a Makhanda scrap metal collector was killed in late September when unexploded ordnance detonated while he was trespassing at the 6 SA Infantry Battalion’s training area. Large sections of the base’s perimeter fence are missing or in tatters, and at least six civilians, including children, have been killed or injured by military devices from the base since 1998. Three people were killed in 2005 when a mortar linked to the base detonated in Bowker Street. The defence ministry has stated that a project to build a perimeter fence could not be implemented…
Author: Rod Amner
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Madeleine Schoeman and Priscilla Glover are two retired Makhanda principals who had a transformative impact on their schools. They are standing up to the Eastern Cape Department of Education in a historic lawsuit that could improve the educational outcomes of millions of learners in no-fee-paying schools. Laney van Wyk and Rod Amner report. Two of Makhanda’s most successful school principals are key to a case against the Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDOE), which is scheduled to be heard in the Makhanda High Court in March 2026. Madeleine Schoeman (former principal of Ntsika Secondary) and Priscilla Glover (retired principal of…
By Rochlique Lackay Zuzukuphila Ngema still remembers the panic. It was his first politics tutorial at Rhodes University, and the reading assignment sat open on his desk – a wall of English words so dense he couldn’t find a way through. Back home in rural KwaZulu-Natal, his teachers had explained complex concepts in isiZulu, the language that made sense in his mouth and his mind. At Rhodes, that comfort had vanished. “It was really horrible,” Ngema recalls. “You read a sentence, then there’s a big word, so you go to the dictionary. Then there’s another big word. It’s frustrating.” He…
By Kearabetswe Nkadimeng “Let’s go Parkrun, let’s go.” That’s what you’ll hear a group of park runners chant as they hype themselves up to run, jog and walk the carefully curated 5km Parkrun course. Every Saturday morning, 8 am sharp, a Parkrun director warmly welcomes all park runners and volunteers, describes the course and reads out the key rules and safety instructions before the race begins. Meanwhile, the runners, including grannies, grandpas, parents, teenagers, and toddlers from various racial and ethnic groups, are stretching their bodies, preparing their music playlists, and fastening their dog leashes in preparation for the course. As…
Story and pictures by Lisakhanya Tali Yvonne Nowakhe Sewelo is a transformative force in Makhanda, where her eight years as an educator have culminated in a mission to uplift learners through extracurricular programs. Her recent book, Exercise with Yveslight, is a testament to her commitment to making physical and creative activities accessible to children in underfunded schools. Driven by her own challenging upbringing, Sewelo’s work is deeply personal and rooted in a desire to ensure every child feels seen, heard, and empowered. “When I see children happy, I am the happiest,” she says, reflecting the heart of her mission. Born in…
By Lisakhanya Tali and Thato Didibeng Rhodes University linguistics PhD students Mohammed Alshannat has been trapped in Gaza with his wife and four children and has been unable to leave to pursue his studies for the last five years. Alshannat joined Rhodes University in 2018 to complete his PhD after undertaking a gruelling journey from Gaza to South Africa, including a month in which he was forced to stay in a camp in Egypt. This left Alshannat deeply traumatised upon his arrival at Rhodes; he needed a significant time to recover to be able to refine his research ideas. “The…
By Thato Didbeng There’s a buzz of excitement in the Good Shepherd Primary School Grade 1 classroom as Vice Principal and teacher Susan Green flicks on the projector, splashing colourful letter-sound combinations across the wall. Her learners, most of whom speak isiXhosa or Afrikaans at home, belt out the English sounds with glee. Just a year ago, more than half of these children couldn’t recognise a single letter sound. This is the magic unfolding in four local English-medium, fee-exempt primary schools. GADRA Education’s QondaRead program is turning the tide for learners from non-English speaking backgrounds, propelling them to meet, and…
By Nosiphiwe Nyangana and Rod Amner Only one in four Grade 4 learners in Makhanda can read for meaning in isiXhosa, according to the 2025 Reading Comprehension Study by GADRA Education and the Rhodes University Education Department. This sounds dismal. But compared with the international PIRLS tests in 2021, where just 13% of children taking the test in an African language passed the reading for meaning benchmark, Makhanda’s 25% is relatively high. The 25% figure comes after years of support from Funda Wande, a literacy and numeracy programme that has brought structured materials, coaching, and teacher training to some local isiXhosa…
By Malcolm Mulope The day before her 16th birthday, Thembisa* attempted suicide. Thankfully, the attempt was unsuccessful, and today she is a thriving third-year student at Rhodes University. Suicide is a leading cause of death across the globe, with some estimates indicating someone commits the heartbreaking act once every 40 seconds. These unfathomable numbers and the damage they do to the families affected led to the establishment of Suicide Prevention Month. September was International Suicide Prevention Month – thousands of suicide prevention events occurred around the world to educate and hopefully deter those who may want to commit suicide. But…
By Siphesihle Mkhwanazi Earlier this year, the Lebone Centre delivered 12 carefully selected children’s books to five local English medium schools. These schools then assembled teams of six learners to participate in the Phendulani Literacy Quiz, hosted on 17 September as part of Literacy Month. Most of the books provided are penned by South African authors, offering learners stories and characters they could easily connect with. The quiz, which aims to be fun, engaging and educational, promotes literacy knowledge, comprehension and critical thinking while also motivating learners from under-resourced schools to read books. So, after readers had eagerly immersed themselves…